John 1:1 in the Beginning Was the Word, and the Word Was with God, and the Word Was God

BE THE MESSAGE John 1:1-5;14 John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14–17 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:14 (MSG) The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

In our last series we dealt with the benefits of being Planted, Rooted and becoming Fruitful, all of which led us to the purpose of fulfilling the great commission. Jesus called us unto salvation and gave us the commission to go and “do the mission, make disciples of all nations.” The implications of this are huge. Obviously there is more to being a Christian than just getting to heaven when we die. If that is all we were saved for then God would have taken us out the moment we believed. But the Lord has more for us!

Our mission and our mandate is to make disciples. Today, I want to share a message on how we can make that a reality in the context of our community.

Recently I have read a lot of studies all arriving at the same rather disturbing conclusion; most people are okay with Jesus, but they are not so positive when it comes to the church. Most agree there is something good and even attractive about this one called Jesus, but they reject any agreement or involvement with the church. Could the problem be the disparity between the message we proclaim and profess to believe and the lives we actually lead?

Rodney Smith sums it up pretty well when he said, “There are five Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the Christian, but most people never read the first four.” This implies people are looking for something and someone to believe in, but very often as they encounter Christians, they haven’t found the “good news” people they were hoping for.

The Apostle Paul tells us we are to be ambassadors of Christ to bring the message of reconciliation to all men. 2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. Just as the United States sends ambassadors into all the nations of the world to represent its interests we have been sent by God as ambassadors into this community to be the message of the good news and bring the influence His kingdom.

1 Luis Palau made an interesting comment about the church and I hope you are not offended. He said, “The church is just like manure. If you pile it up it just stinks, but if you spread it out it brings life.” We are not meant to be the church gathered but the church scattered, living out the message of the gospel. I truly believe if we can mobilize the church, this church we can change our community and influence the world.

So how are we to do that? Lets go back to our text, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God… and the Word was Jesus. The MSG says “the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” Jesus didn’t come to just speak the message, He literally “became the message.”

Jesus’ message was the gospel, the good news. Jesus’ original intent was for ordinary people like us to live inspiring lives, pointing others to the only message, the only Person, who can give them hope, not only in this life but also the next.

We are to supposed to be “good news” people. We must not only share the truth of the gospel, we must become the truth and live the gospel we preach. Bob Goff made a statement that really speaks to what we are talking about, “When people meet us they should feel as if they have just encountered heaven.” Wow!

If we are being the message that is exactly how they should feel. Did you ever notice that Jesus never condemned, rebuked or corrected any who were broken, downcast or struggling in his or her sin? He always brought a word of life, hope and freedom. Why? Because the message of the gospel is good news, and He became the message! John 3:17 (NKJV) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah who was speaking of Him: Luke 4:18–19 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

The world is waiting for some good news. As followers of Jesus, we are to not only speak good news of hope, redemption and restoration, but we are to be the message by living it before them. We are to be “living epistles, known and read of men.”

I know that sounds pretty ambitious and so I have three practical suggestions to help us “be the message” and help us become the good news people Jesus intended us to be.

1. FOLLOW JESUS’ MODEL Mark 1:16a And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee… model: an example for imitation or emulation; a person to thing that serves as a pattern for one to follow. 2 Jesus engaged people in the activities of everyday life. He spent some time in the synagogue but spent most of His time walking among the people, immersed in the flow of life. Jesus went where the people were and didn’t sit back waiting for them to come to Him.

The first chapter of Mark’s gospel we find a great example of what I am talking about. After Jesus’ baptism and a forty-day fast in the wilderness, He returns and walks right into the middle of Galilean life.  In verse 14 He begins to preach the kingdom calling all to repentance.  In verse 16-28 He walks by the Sea of Galilee calling Simon and Andrew to leave their nets and follow Him and enters the synagogue at Capernaum where He casts an unclean spirit out of a man.  In Verse 29 He visits the home of Simon, Andrew, James and John where Simon’s mother-in- law lay sick with a fever and Jesus heals her, raising her up.  He walks throughout Galilee, from town to town preaching the good news, calling men to repent, healing the sick, casting out devils and declaring this was the reason He has been sent.  In the last section (Mark 1:40-45) He encounters a leper crying out loud, “If you are willing, you can make me clean,” and Jesus does something no self respecting Jew and especially not a Rabbi would ever do; He moves toward the leper with compassion and mercy, touches him and heals Him.  In Mark 2 He heals the paralytic, in John 5 He heals the man disabled for 38 years at the pool of Siloam; in Mark 8 Jesus heals blind man.

Throughout the gospels Jesus moved toward the hurting, reaching out to the broken and became the message of redemption, restoration and reconciliation. We are called “to be” the very same message. John said, “As He is, so are we in this world.” Remember 2 Corinthians 5:20 “we are ambassadors for Christ.” The same message of love, compassion hope and transformational power still has a conduit through which to flow in our day; our lives.

Jesus left the worship and glory of heaven, took on the form a servant to leave us an example, which we are to follow. Jesus entered into life and brought with Him the good news of salvation and life. We should follow Jesus’ model and we are to...

2. LIVE JESUS’ MESSAGE John 1:14–17 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

3 Jesus entered into this world taking on human flesh and He came to do much more than proclaim the message; He literally became the message of the gospel. He was the embodiment of truth as Paul declares to us in Colossians 2:9, “I Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”

He brought freedom, deliverance and peace to all who will repent and believe upon Him. He was full of grace and truth. His sacrifice answered the claims of the law of God against the fallen race of man, and His triumph over death opened the way for grace and God’s favor to be released into the world of men.

As we look at religion it is easy to see why many have turned away from the church. People recognize they need something to make sense of life but often when they look to the church instead of compassion, mercy, and grace they are confronted with judgment, self-righteousness and hypocrisy. It is no wonder they run from those who claim to be followers of Jesus.

We have become pretty good at throwing truth at others and not very good at building relationships, seeking to understand where they are coming from and walking out the love of Christ. Without question, people need to hear the truth, but truth that is not tempered by compassion and shared in love can be brutal.

Principle: the truth of God’s Word when rightly shared in love, always leads to redemption and reconciliation. Jesus never identified a sin or wound that He didn't intend to forgive and to heal. God’s dealings with man are always redemptive and never vindictive. John 8:1–11 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

How often have we picked up a rock instead of offering love, understanding, and grace? I have said it before but it bears repeating. If you see your sin as a speck and other peoples as a plank, you’re religious not righteous. If you see your own sin as a plank and others as a speck, you’re beginning live Jesus’ message.

4 The gospel is still good news; there is forgiveness, there is hope and there can be freedom. To live Jesus’ message we must be people of compassion, always looking to bring a word of hope, encouragement, and love. Jesus met people right where they were and through His grace and truth brought them to freedom.

We should follow Jesus model and live Jesus message and we should…

3. REPLICATE HIS METHOD Philippians 2:5–7 (NIV) In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Jesus was always intentional about everything He did. That is not to say that He didn’t enjoy His life but rather that He saw every situation and circumstance as a divine encounter.

He willingly endured human existence so that He could fully understand everything we face in the course of life. He came to serve the needs of those He loved and throughout the gospel record of His life and ministry His method was always the same.

Jesus always… 1. Looked for opportunities to share the good news of His love and forgiveness. If we are going to “Be the message,” we must do the same. Jesus walked through everyday life, among ordinary people, always looking for the opportunity to share the good news of the abundant life of His Father. We should live our lives with Holy Spirit radar on, listening and waiting for an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus’ salvation and love.

2. Moved toward the hurting and the needy. Jesus always moved toward the hurting and needy and didn’t avoid them. He never said, “that’s not my ministry or calling,” when He saw people in need, he moved toward them with compassion. (compassion: sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate1)

3. Made people the priority Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost, to restore the image of God in man and reconcile them back to a loving, kind and gracious Father. People were always His priority. He cared nothing for the rules of religion; He cared for people. That’s why He was always in trouble with the religious leaders. Healing on the Sabbath, hanging out with prostitutes and hugging on lepers. He cared for people and came to give them life and life more abundantly. Conclusion

1 Frederick C. Mish, “Preface,” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003). 5 • We are called to be the message; we have been saved, called and sent to take what has Jesus has done in our lives and put it into action, sharing it with others. I want to close with a passage from James. • • James 2:14–17 (NIV) What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. • • If we say we have faith and we are not being the message, then our faith is dead. I present this to you as a point of challenge but from Jesus’ perspective it is a mandate. • • We are to follow Jesus’ model, live Jesus’ message, and replicate His methods not just repeat His words. The broken and hurting people of our world need to experience the reality of Jesus within us, flowing through us and touching their lives. • • Jesus took on human flesh and He moved into the neighborhood, forever changing our lives, and giving us a future and a hope. Now we are called to be that message of hope.

• If we can mobilize this church we can change this community and see Christ glorified and lifted up. God can bring a great message out of our mess and we can be the message to this lost and dying world.