December 20, 2015
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John 1:1-14
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christmas
Christmas carols. All of us have our favorites. I don’t know what mood you’re in this Christmas. Perhaps because of this warm North Carolina weather you’re singing along with Bing Crosby: “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.” Or maybe you’re missing someone this Christmas and you’re humming along with Elvis: “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you.” Whether it’s a white one or a blue one, there’s just something about Christmas that makes us want to sing.
When did all of this caroling begin? It was a little over 2,000 years ago when Christ was born and an angelic choir sang “Glory to God in the highest” to an audience of shepherds in Bethlehem. Faithful followers of Jesus have been singing ever since!
May 1, 2015
John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the “Lamb of God,” a fulfillment long anticipated by God’s people. Every Paschal lamb that was slain with its blood spread over the doorway, not only brought to their remembrance God’s deliverance from Egypt, but pointed to a future promise of their ultimate rescue from sin and death. As Abraham told his son, Isaac, “God will provide a lamb.” And so, He did. There is no more need for sacrifice. Christ’s sacrifice was the deposit that made all the previous ones good. We are now able to place our faith into the One who paid it all. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the One who delivers those who believe from sin and death.
December 21, 2014
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John 1:29-37
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christmas
Pastor Gary Combs concludes the three-part sermon series, “The Three Gifts,” with this message on the gift of myrrh. In this message, based on the book of John, Jesus was presented as the one who came as a perfect sacrifice to pay for all our sins, John the Baptist called him the “Lamb of God.” When the disciples of John heard John’s declaration they decided to follow Jesus. We can decide to follow Jesus too. We can give Jesus the gift of myrrh by recognizing him as the Lamb of God—God’s perfect sacrifice for our sin.
May 1, 2014
The disciple Nathaniel went from expressing doubt to proclaiming belief simply because Jesus told him he had seen him earlier under a fig tree. Jesus appears to find this humorous. He responded that it didn’t take much to move Nathaniel to believing, but there would come a day when his faith would be rewarded with full evidence of Christ’s identity. Jesus then described a coming day when all would see him as the “stairway between heaven and earth.” This is a clear allusion to Jacob’s vision in Genesis 28 when Jacob saw this same stairway and named the place Bethel, which means “House of God.” Jesus is the fulfillment of Jacob’s vision. He is the Ladder of Love come down mediating the only way to the Father (John 14:6, 1 Tim. 2:5).
April 30, 2014
John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, “In the beginning…” This signals the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaims Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek for “word” (λόγος, logos), John proclaims Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence, eternality, creator, unity…), but also the ultimate revelation of God to humanity. As the “Word” He is the very communication of God, superior even to the revelation that Moses carried down from Mount Sinai. The law came through Moses, but the free gift of life and the full revelation of God came through Christ (John 1:17). If you want to see God, look upon Jesus. If you want to know God, know Jesus. If you want to be right with God, receive Jesus. Got Jesus? Got life (1 John 5:12).
May 1, 2013
This is what Jesus told his newest follower, Nathaniel, after the disciple expressed amazement at Jesus over a little thing. Jesus was essentially saying, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” (Forgive the slang, but wanted to drive home the point). Jesus used unusual language in this prophecy: “angels ascending and descending…” The reference would’ve been easily recognized by his Jewish disciple though, as it clearly refers to Jacob’s ladder vision (Gen.28:12). Jesus was saying, “I am the ladder between heaven and earth,” follow me and you’ll see it.
April 30, 2013
Many of His own people did not receive Jesus, “but” those who did were born again as children of God. We recognize many races and cultural differences among humanity, but to God, we are either His children through Christ, or children of Adam. All of Adam’s kids are born spiritually dead due to the sin nature that they inherit. But to those who “receive” Christ, there is a new nature imparted, reconciling them to God and bestowing on them eternal life. The question that matters is not, “what have you done with your life?” but “whose child are you?” Have you been born again through receiving Christ?
April 30, 2012
The amazing adoption that takes place for us who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior! We become children of God! This transaction not only satisfies legal requirements, making us righteous before the Father. It begins a spiritual transformation within us, making us holy like the Father. Ultimately, making it possible for us to spend eternity with the Father!
August 7, 2011
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John 1-2
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belief
Pastor Gary Combs begins a new 7-week sermon series through the Gospel of John looking at the word “Believe.” In this first message from John 1-2, he talks about the kind of believing that Jesus believes.
June 5, 2011
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John 1:1-18
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christology, jesus, theology
Pastor Gary Combs begins a four-week series entitled “Four Pillars of Christology.” This series will be a study of the person of Christ. This first message is taken from John 1:1-18, where the Scripture says that Jesus is the “Word made flesh.”