Transcript PowerPoint Suarez

The Apostle John
SS Lesson 7 for August 16, 2008
Introduction
Question: What other
apostle did we study a few
weeks back?
The Apostle Paul
This week we will be studying
about the Great Missionary
of Love, the Apostle John
Sunday
A Special Calling
Where do you see the Apostle John in
the following story?
Luke 5:3-11 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and
asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught
the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to
Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." But
Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and
caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." And
when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net
was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come
and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they
began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees,
saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" For he and all
who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had
taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were
partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From
now on you will catch men."
Mark 1:20 And
immediately He called
them, and they left their
father Zebedee in the
boat with the hired
servants, and went after
Him
Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all
things loss for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom
I have suffered the loss of all things, and
count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and does
not hate his father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his
own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
No question, those who follow Jesus need to make a full and complete
commitment. Jesus, as Lord of all, is owed all. Yet, He does not
demand our hearts out of selfishness; no, not at all. Instead, He knows
the reality of the battle that we are in, and if there is any opening, any
area of self not surrendered, the evil one will take advantage and use
it to try to destroy us. Thus, we need to surrender completely to the
Lord.
How committed are you to Jesus? Have you forsaken all for Him? How
can you know where your heart truly is? What changes might you
need to make?
This was the beginning of a story of the
transformation of the Apostle John, who from "son
of thunder" was eventually transformed into a "son
of love and grace...Monday..Son of Thunder
Jesus gave John and his brother James a special nickname—"the sons
of thunder" (or Boanerges in Aramaic). Evidence suggests that this
name referred to their disposition—a disposition that Jesus gently
corrects
Monday
Son of Thunder
In Monday’s section we see 2 incidents of impulsiveness of the
Apostle John and his brother James.
Luke 9:54 NKJV 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this,
they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from
heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"
Mark 10:35-45 Then James and
John, the sons of Zebedee,
came to Him, saying, "Teacher,
we want You to do for us
whatever we ask." And He said
to them, "What do you want
Me to do for you?" They said to
Him, "Grant us that we may sit,
one on Your right hand and the
other on Your left, in Your
glory."But Jesus said to them,
"You do not know what you
ask. Are you able to drink the
cup that I drink, and be
baptized with the baptism that
I am baptized with?" They said
to Him, "We are able."
So Jesus said to them,
"You will indeed drink the
cup that I drink, and with
the baptism I am baptized
with you will be baptized;
"but to sit on My right
hand and on My left is not
Mine to give, but it is for
those for whom it is
prepared."
But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that
those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great ones exercise authority over them. "Yet it shall not be
so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall
be your servant. "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave
of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Recount some of your most recent hard lessons. What did you learn?
What other ways could you have learned what you did other than
through suffering? What other lesson need you to learn? What
changes do you need to make in your life now that, perhaps, could
spare you from having to learn them the hard way?
John was an eyewitness who had spent much time in Jesus'
company, John had much to tell…Tuesday
Tuesday
The Witness of John
John 21:25 And there are also many other things that
Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I
suppose that even the world itself could not contain the
books that would be written. Amen.
Another beautiful witness testimony of John is found in John, chapter 1
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All
things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made
that was made.
John 1:14 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
The Word is the Life giver..Wednesday
Wednesday
Life-Giver
Note how many beautiful lifegiving bible texts are in the books
of the Apostle John
What makes these promises of eternal life so important is that,
although all creatures on earth die, human beings alone are capable of
contemplating the idea of eternity. We alone can grasp the vast gap
between our short existence and the prospect of eternity, and the cold
reality of that gap hangs over us every instant of our lives—lives that
are just a clogged artery, a drunken driver, or an AIDS virus away from
ending.
What a wonderful hope we have, then, to know that death is not the
end; on the contrary, it is just a sleep that to us will seem like a
second, and the next thing we know we will be with Jesus, for eternity.
How should the hope of eternal life impact how we live now? In what
ways do you live this life differently, knowing that you have the
promise of eternal life?
Life is Good; Eternal Life is Better
The Apostle John had a close encounter with Jesus and this time spent
with Jesus, made the difference…Thursday
My faith is in Jesus Christ, and as the Holy
Spirit guides me I try to live my life day by
Thursday
day. The best way to get to know
Spending Time With Jesus
someone is by spending time with them
1 John 1:1
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have
touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of
God lives forever. 1 John 2:17
If you read the Epistles of John, you cannot help noting
the kindness, the gentleness, the compassion found all
through them. What a profound difference from the
John presented in the Gospels. Truly something utterly
remarkable happened to that man. We, of course, know
what it was: He had been with Jesus, and his life and
character had been radically altered from the
1 Juan 3:18 Dear children, let us
not love with words or tongue
but with actions and in truth
Conclusion
Having experienced firsthand the life-giving love of His Savior, the
apostle John let that experience flow into all his words and actions. His
life and writings remind us of the primacy of love in the Christian life
and how it must be the basis of all our mission activity.
John knew the Saviour by an experimental
knowledge. His Master's lessons were
graven on his soul. When he testified of
the Saviour's grace, his simple language
was eloquent with the love that pervaded
his whole being. AA 544
It was John's deep love for Christ which led him
always to desire to be close by His side. The Saviour
loved all the Twelve, but John's was the most
receptive spirit. He was younger than the others, and
with more of the child's confiding trust he opened
his heart to Jesus. Thus he came more into sympathy
with Christ, and through him the Saviour's deepest
spiritual teaching was communicated to the people.
AA 545
…John could talk of the Father's love as no other of
the disciples could. He revealed to his fellow men
that which he felt in his own soul, representing in his
character the attributes of God. The glory of the Lord
was expressed in his face. The beauty of holiness
which had transformed him shone with a Christlike
radiance from his countenance. In adoration and
love he beheld the Saviour until likeness to Christ
and fellowship with Him became his one desire, and
in his character was reflected the character of his
Master. AA 545
John clung to Christ as the vine clings to
the stately pillar. For his Master's sake he
braved the dangers of the judgment hall
and lingered about the cross, and at the
tidings that Christ had risen, he hastened
to the sepulcher, in his zeal out-stripping
even the impetuous Peter. AA 539
What apostle wrote the following bible verse?
The Apostle Peter
Next week’s lesson 8 is: From Folly to
Faith
It is about Simon Peter who said
…'Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life' “,
next weeks memory verse.