Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #61 "Filled Abundantly" (John 2:1-11) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. We have been moving through the first of Jesus’ miracles, which He performs at a wedding in Cana. The wine has run out and Mary (Jesus’ mother) points out the situation to Him, expecting that He will help. Yet Jesus responds to her rather evasively. It says in verse 4…

John 2:4a (ESV)-- 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?

Isn’t This Harsh?-- Now this seems harsh to us, that Jesus would call His mother “woman”. And dangerous for any of us. If you ever address your mother or wife like that, I can guarantee you are probably going to have problems. Yet here Jesus means no disrespect. The word here translated “woman” some would say is like our word ma’am; it is not demeaning in any way; quite the opposite, in fact. It is actually the same word that Jesus uses of Mary later when He is hanging on the cross and He places her into the care of John. Remember Joseph died sometime during Jesus’ childhood or youth; sometime during those “silent years”; definitely by the time of the cross, because Jesus commits Mary into the care of John because she is a widow. Jesus therefore (because He was the oldest) had become the head of the household (taking responsibilities for the family ever since Joseph’s death) has the responsibility of caring for Mary. And for that reason, He was the go-to person for Mary’s every need. And He was a good caregiver; because He never made a mistake or a bad judgment call. He was the very embodiment of the wisdom of God. And therefore Mary trusts him implicitly. And that is why she comes to Him with this request to begin with, because she knows that Jesus will be able to give the best possible help to the situation. Now the reason Jesus responds the way He does to her is highlighted by His next statement…

John 2:4 (ESV)-- My hour has not yet come.”

His Hour Had Not Yet Come-- Now what Jesus meant was that the time for His glory to become complete had not yet come. He is operating on a divine time table and is moving in perfecting timing towards the fulfillment of His mission. All throughout John’s Gospel is repeated the phrase “His hour had not yet come.” all the way up until His hour finally does come at the time of His crucifixion; and He is glorified (lifted up) on the cross; becoming the very means of our glory. It is arrival language; His hour had come. And so here Jesus is showing that He is about to enter into the purpose for which He came to earth and is saying that everything He does must be brought into submission to that mission.

Mary’s Relationship With Jesus Had To Change-- But in addition to this, in saying this the way He does, He is distancing Himself from Mary (in a way) and indicating that (because His ministry is starting) their relationship is going to have to change. She is to recognize Him not just as the son she raised, but is to start relating to Him as the promised Messiah and Son of God. He was no longer accountable to her, but from this point onwards was accountable only to His Father in heaven. But Jesus never denies her; this was always a part of His plan. And this is further demonstrated by the fact that she doesn’t take it as a denial. She knows He is going to do something about it because of what she then says to the servants. It says in…

John 2:5-6 (ESV)-- 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 

Why the Pots?-- Now it is interesting that Jesus chose these water pots as the means by which He would perform this sign; because these Jewish water pots weren’t meant for wine at all, but were meant for hand-washing in order that you might be made ritually clean before you ate. And so they represented the whole Jewish system of purification; and the old covenant. And in verse 7 it says…

John 2:7a-8 (ESV)-- 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.”

They Obey-- Now I don’t know what the servants who had been commanded by Jesus to do this must have thought. They obviously probably would have been scratching their heads. But they obey and fill each of these stone water pots with water. It says…

John 2:7b (ESV)--And they filled them up to the brim.

And together these pots held somewhere between a hundred and twenty and a hundred and eighty gallons.

John 2:8 (ESV)— 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.

At what point?-- Now we don’t know at what point the water became wine; before they took it or after they took it in faith, we don’t know. All we know is that they took it. They take it to the master of the feast; the maitre’d or head waiter. And it says…

John 2:9-10 (ESV)-- 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

Leftovers-- And isn’t that how it is. Somebody comes over to your house for a couple days and you serve them the best, but toward the end you are serving leftovers. The food quality depreciates somewhat. Yet here it is just the opposite.
The master of the feast says, “Hey, this is the good stuff! What are you doing waiting to serve this! How much do we have?”
“Well, gallons and gallons of it.”
“What! You kept the best till the very end?”

Who Knew?-- You see, he didn’t know where the wine had come from. Few at the party ever did. Not even the chief waiter knew. It was all kept secret. In fact, interestingly enough, the couple that was getting married may not even have been aware of what Jesus did at their wedding. Imagine having no idea what Jesus had done for you. And yet (in a way) there is a beauty in that. The quiet grace of Jesus allowed a wedding to be preserved and enjoyed.

Unseen Touches of Grace-- And this is true in our lives as well. Jesus moves unseen in our lives every day; preserving us in an untold number of ways. When we get to heaven I can only imagine the awe we will have in looking over all those areas of our lives He touched; how many empty jars He has filled for us.

The Servant Knew-- Yet the servants (who had no stake in this); they knew and were witnesses to what Jesus had done. And even more importantly, so were the disciples. The disciples knew where it came from. And we are told that they saw His glory…

John 2:11 (ESV)-- 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Beyond Expectation-- And what a joyous occasion to perform His first sign. In the Old Testament the two events that are almost alway mentioned in accompaniment with joy are the harvest and when you would hear the voice of the bride and the bridegroom. Those are the two greatest times for rejoicing. And here, the joy is found in the fact that, like I said before, Jesus doesn’t just fulfill a need, He does so abundantly (with a better wine; with excess and overflow; gallons and gallons of overflow). He’s saying to His disciples (and us), “Even though you expect me to stop at fulfilling the Jewish law (what these stone pots represent), I am going to go so much further. I have what it takes to meet your greatest need; to fill your emptiness; to cleanse you. The Jews had been trying to clean their hands; the outward parts, but Jesus is saying, “I want to go deeper than that. Just as I changed the inside of those pots, so also I want to change you from the inside.” He says in…

Matthew 23:25-26 (NIV)-- 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

From The Inside Out-- And so Jesus touches those pots on the inside and makes wine that is altogether new; altogether better; altogether perfect; the most wonderful wine that had been tasted by any other person since the fall. And Jesus is saying to us, “Give me your cup and let me fill you. If you feel empty, let me fill you so that you will never thirst again!”

Church More Than Ritual-- As a pastor, I notice when a person or persons stop attending church. And there are any number of reasons why. But I think that often times the reason some people eventually come to skip Church is that Church itself has often become just a ritual we go through (like washing our hands in those stone pots) to cleanse and wash our consciences every week; not a place we go to to experience the rich, overflowing, wine of the presence of God. In many ways, we find that we have lost the wine. We have lost the wine of the presence of God.

​Offering More than Ritual-- What Jesus is offering you today is more than ritual; He is offering you more than just forgiveness; He is offering you the life-giving joy of intimate fellowship with Him in a marriage relationship with Him. That is the depth of the relationship He wants to share with us; a marriage that begin now and extends on into eternity. And so today I would like to enter into the presence of Jesus in prayer and allow Him to fill you, to renew your strength, to cleanse you, and to make you new. And He will; and your life will be full; and you will also be a blessing and a source of life for those around you. Give yourself to Jesus today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #60 "A Mother's Request" (John 2:1-11) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. Last week we began talking about the first of Jesus’ miracles, which He performs at a wedding in Cana. And after laying some groundwork, let’s go ahead and start moving through this passage, starting with chapter 2, verse 1. It says…

John 2:1a (ESV)-- 1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,…

A Wedding in Cana-- Now the third day means the third day since Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael. On the third day after that, there is a wedding in Cana. Now weddings during that time were major, major events. In fact, in small rural life, it was the single most importantcommunity event. And this wedding took place in the small rural town of Cana in Galilee, a close neighbor of Nazareth (them being about eight or nine miles from each other). And I said recently how insignificant Nazareth was. During the time of Christ we are talking about a max population of about 500 people. Cana, however, had only a few dozen. I mean this is a very small village. And so (when understood in that light) that makes this wedding all the more significant of an event. And you have people coming from Nazareth as well, because during this time people weren’t mobile like we are in our society. No, people married and stayed within the area. And they intermarried with people in the surrounding area. Nazareth and Cana were very connected; they had been for generations; for generations they traded with one another; they intermarried with each other. And, in fact, it is very possible that the bride or groom (or both) were relatives of Jesus (very possibly distant cousins). There’s a joke about how, in small towns, everybody is related. How much more so when you and your family have been connected with a place for hundreds of years. So because of that this is a community event for Nazareth as well. And it (like all weddings) involved numerous people. And one of those people is Mary, the mother of Jesus. It says in verse 1…

John 2:1b-2 (ESV)-- …and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.

Mary’s Role-- Now Mary does not seem to have been there as merely an attendee, but as one who is either serving (which matches her personality) or helping in some other capacity. And why this seems to be the case is because she is obviously privy to information relating to the problem that occurs; a problem that was very sensitive and dangerous; and (as we will see) only a handful of people knew. She is facilitating or serving in some way.

Jesus and Disciples Invited-- And Jesus and what disciples He had already called (which included Nathanael, who was himself from Cana) also have been invited and make the three day, 20-22 mile trip from where Jesus had called Philip and Nathanael up in Bethsaida. And remember Jesus had said to Nathanael that he would see the glory of God revealed in Himself, saying in…

John 1:50-51 (NIV)-- 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

An Obscure Bridge-- And Jesus has been living for 30 years in absolute obscurity. And now He is about to bridge out and launch into His public ministry. And where Jesus would perform His first miracle would be very significant. And nobody (not even His disciples) expected His glory to be revealed here; in this kind of situation. Surely the Son of God would manifest His glory in the temple (His house); or at least in Jerusalem; or even in Judea. But, oddly enough, He chose to reveal His glory not in Judea or in Jerusalem; but in this tiny Galilean village for a relatively small gathering of friends and family (a place that would make a mere pinpoint on the map, if that) and to a simple couple who are so simple, they are not even named; we don’t know even know who they were. And there may be a beauty in that. Jesus cares (as Matthew 25:40,45 says) for “the least of these”. But, regardless of who this couple was, one of the worst things that could happen in a wedding during that time happens to them. It says in verse 3…

John 2:3 (ESV)-- 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

The Necessity of Wine-- Now wine was the staple drink of the ancient world and was made from all kinds of fruit, not just grapes. Now some argue that this was not really wine, but merely grape juice. That is simply not the case because you have to remember that they had no preservatives or refrigeration; and so because of that, all those juices were subject to fermentation; in fact they fermented and became alcoholic very quickly. But it was safer to drink than water because there was no such thing as a water purifier. And though moving water (like a river or a stream; what they called “living water” because it produced life, not death) was good, the majority of water you had access to was standing water; either from a lake or from wells; and whenever water sits it becomes subject to bacteria and disease. So wine (or wine mixed with water) was safer to drink; but because you might be working in the fields on a hot day and drink to become hydrated, you could very easily over-drink and become intoxicated. This is why scripture warns so adamantly about the dangers of alcohol; because drunkenness was so prevalent. And those who would use this passage in order to say that what Jesus is doing here is baptizing all social drinking as okay have no idea what is actually going on here; comparing modern drinks (which are designed to be intoxicating) to what naturally happened and was necessary in the ancient world; something which (with modern purification techniques and medicine) is completely unnecessary today. Fermentation was the only source of purification they had.

A major catastrophe-- But nevertheless, wine (throughout much of the Old Testament) was a symbol of God’s favor and blessing. Therefore, to run out of wine was a big deal. Now this may not seem like a big deal to us, but in the first century this was a catastrophe; a disastrous embarrassment of the worst kind. In fact, you may be surprised to find out that the offending party could in fact be sued over this.

The Betrothal Period-- And the reason this was so humiliating was due in large part to the fact that the bridegroom, after proposing to his prospective wife, would then enter into the beginning stage of the marriage covenant; which would be a betrothal period of about one year. And although they did not live together, the betrothal could not be dissolved except by divorce. And during this time, all throughout the year, the bridegroom would be making preparations for his betrothed; usually building an addition onto his father’s house and planning for the wedding and making provision for her to come and live with him in his father’s house. And so the responsibility of paying for and preparing the wedding fell solely on the groom. During this time before the wedding he had to prove that he could provide and care for her and meet her every need. And when he had demonstrated that he had what it took to provide and care for his bride, the festivities began, culminating in what was usually a seven-day-long wedding feast known as the marriage supper, after which the marriage was consummated. And so this was the moment that all of this time of preparation had been building towards. It was finally completed; the groom’s readiness to receive his bride was at hand. And then this happens.

A Father’s Worst Nightmare-- And as a father, this is the last thing you would want to see. And many of you fathers can relate to this. In marrying your daughter off, your number one concern is that you want to know that your daughter is going to be taken care of; even more so in such a precarious culture and time such as this. And yet right at the outset of their marriage the wine runs out. And you (like all fathers) would wonder, “Does this guy really have what it takes to take care of my daughter; maybe he can’t plan.” So there is that element to it. But there is also the fact that because living during this time was so extremely difficult, weddings provided a relief from the difficulties a town like Cana would face; weddings were a pleasant distraction from the harsh realities of day to day life. And so running out of wine could ruin the spirit of the wedding by bringing in that harshness, bringing a very bad vibe to the whole celebration.

That The Wedding Might Go Through-- And so what Jesus does here is truly remarkable. All throughout the Old Testament, just as God had made provision for His bride, so we now see the very picture of that as here Jesus (God in the flesh) begins His ministry by making provision for this bride in order that the wedding might go through. What a picture this is of the entire ministry of God; making provision for His bride (through Jesus) in order that our marriage to Him might go through.

Mary’s Request-- Now Mary’s coming to Jesus with this problem plays out kind of humorously. She says to Him, they have no wine. Now here she is being very motherly. She is not merely stating a fact. I had a professor in seminary who said that it is kind of like when your wife or mother says to you [“The trash can is full.”? Or “The grass is long or “The car sure is dirty.” Yes those are all statements of fact, but we know that they are indeed much more {than} a statement of fact and if that is said {to me}, it is really going to be the best thing for me to empty the trash, cut the grass, or wash the car.” Such a mother thing to say. And yet it is a statement that also reveals that she knows there is something special about this person. To say that to a normal person, they would not be able to do anything about it. But she knows that there is something special about Jesus.] How she knew Jesus could do something about it, we don’t know. There are ancient legendary stories of Jesus having performed miracles as a child. We don’t know which (if any) of them are true. This is the first public miracle He performs. But she chooses to trust that in Jesus her needs (and the needs of others) can be met.

​A Great Immediate Response-- How awesome it would be if we could have that kind of trust in our relationship with Jesus; that when things get tough, our immediate response is to put the situation into Jesus’ hands; to hand it over to His control. Mary’s faith here is truly extraordinary. But it is a faith that each and every one of us can have. That illness you or a loved one may have; give it to Jesus. That lost family member or friend; turn the over to Jesus. Any emptiness in your life can be (like those jars) platforms upon which He can perform some of His greatest miracles. And so let us be faithful to give those situations over into His hands. Why? Because He is able. Give it to Him today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #59 "The Divine Bridegroom" (John 2:1-11) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! We appreciate your joining us today. Our mission here on this radio program is simply to offer the life and encouragement that is found in the presence of Jesus. He is the Bread of Life; the source of all life; because He is the life. And He has life that He wants to offer you today; life in Himself. Last week we finished the end of John chapter 1. Jesus has just called about five of His disciples and at this point is preparing to enter into public ministry. But before that, He is invited to a wedding. And I’d like to pick up there today. John 2:1-11 reads…

John 2:1-11 (ESV) The Wedding at Cana-- 1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.[a] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Witnesses--  Now the Gospel of John is all about witnesses to who Jesus is and the reader’s response to the testimony of those witnesses. Up until this point in the life of Jesus you have had people bearing witness to who Jesus is. John the Baptist has born witness about Jesus; God Himself has born witness at Jesus’ baptism; and Nathanael has born witness. So we have verbal testimony. But starting in our passage this morning, we also have the testimony of the signs that Jesus performed. And we know that there are many. In fact so many, that the Apostle John writes in…

John 21:25 (NIV)-- 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Nevertheless John chooses eight of these signs that bear testimony to Jesus as being fully man, yet fully God; and that show His awesome power and authority over every element of creation and (more specifically) every trial and difficulty that you and I face in our day to day lives.

The Eight Signs-- He turns water into wine (2:1-12) so that we might know He is the source of life. He heals an official’s son (John 4:46-54) so that we might know that He is the master over distance. Jesus heals a lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-17) so that we might see that He is master over time. He feeds the 5,000 (John 6:1-14) so that we might see that He is the bread of life. He walks on water and stills a storm (John 6:15-21) so that we might see how He is master over nature. He heals a man blind from birth (John 9:1-41) so that we might see that He is the light of the world who extinguishes our darkness. He raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11:17-45) so that we might know that He has power over death. He causes an abundant catch of fish (John 21:6) so that we might see that He has mastery even over the animal world; and that His authority; His dominion knows no boundaries. And that is so comforting to know as we move through our day to day lives; knowing who He is and the length of His arm; His power over those things that seems so unconquerable to us.

Christ’s Authority, Our Hope-- This is why John’s Gospel is so important to us. Because it shows us that every element of our lives is in the control of Jesus. His dominion is complete; His power is perfect; and in Him is hope of life; if not healing in this life, in the life to come! The Apostle John drives home the reality the power Christ’s presence has in our day to day lives. In Him is the assurance of His power that (unlike anything else) can give us hope during times like this. But we have to believe. We have to believe. Our hope hinges on belief; our placing our faith in Him. This is why, John in the purpose statement of his Gospel, writes…

John 20:31 (NIV)-- 31 But these (meaning the eight signs found in the book of John) are written that you may believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

“Are you going to believe?”-- So the question becomes, “Are you going to believe?” And throughout John’s Gospel, after every sign Jesus performs, John records for us the responses of those who believed and those who didn’t and the affect that response had on their lives. Those who did believe experienced the life-giving presence of Jesus and the hope that He offers. And that is what Christ wants you and me to experience this morning. So please don’t miss it. Jesus wants to bring His life into your life today.

A Hospital Encounter-- Once I was visiting somebody in the hospital; and while I was waiting to see the individual I had come to see, the Lord allowed somebody to come to me; somebody I had never met who began talking with me; and he freely confessed he was not a Christian nor had any interest in becoming one. And when I asked him what it was that he found most difficult to believe about the Christian faith, it was that God would care enough about us to interact with us in our world. And you know, I can identify with his struggle. The fact that God loves us and is willing to interact with us so personally; to suffer and die for us can be very hard to wrap your mind around. Even many of the Biblical writers had difficulty comprehending it. David himself writes in…

Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)-- 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

God’s Marriage-- And the Bible is so graphic in its language. In the Old Testament, the predominant picture is the intimate marriage relationship between a man and a woman. God enters into a relationship with Israel softly and tenderly. He woos her to Himself. He declares His love; He makes a covenant with her. He protects her like a jealous husband; He forgives and receives her back after her numerous affairs with other lovers (her idolatry). He picks Israel up in all of the brokenness she has led herself into and He clothes her anew and promises to heal her and make the marriage work. I mean it is some of the most moving imagery we have that unites the Old Testament with the New and gives us the grandest theme of all of Scripture; that God would choose to wed Himself to mankind is a wonderful and marvelous reality.

A Ministry Bookended by Marriage-- And you cannot miss the significance of the fact that the very first sign Jesus performs, He performs at a wedding. In fact, His ministry is bookended by weddings. The Wedding in Cana begins His ministry and His ministry is punctuated and consummated in the Last Day at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. His ministry begins and ends with weddings. And that alone ought to reveal to us in a remarkable way just what kind of relationship our Creator wants to share with us.

One-Flesh With Us-- That is the glory revealed to us in Christ Jesus; the glory Jesus promised Nathanael that he would be a witness to; that He (God) had become one-flesh with us and was making preparations for us to be able to enter into a marriage relationship with Him and live with Him in His Father’s house; a relationship so personal, that when the disciples ask Him to teach them how to pray, He doesn’t say to pray saying, “The Father”, or “His father, but “OurFather”. In Jesus, God has become our Father because we have (as one hymn puts it so beautifully) become “part of the family of God”. It’s words are so powerful. Just listen…

Hymn: “Family of God”
From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King,
No longer an outcast, a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,
I'm not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!
I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God

God’s Abundant Provision-- And that is what our story today is all about; it reveals to us the abundance; the overflow of God’s blessing; as He doesn’t only give mankind what we needed (which was a Savior) but He gives us a Bridegroom; a Bridegroom with and in whom we might experience the wonder of a marriage relationship with God.

If you understand nothing else from the Bible, understand this. God loves you wholly and completely; He loves you unconditionally. And not your past; not your brokenness; nor any of the barriers you think are too great for His love to overcome can hold a candle to His love for you. And Jesus His Son bled and died so that you might be wed to God Himself. And no matter who you are or what you are going through today, don’t let that offer of marriage slip you by. Don’t fail to accept that free gift He offers to us. Receive Him as your Bridegroom and you will be a part of the family of God. Amen.

Lechem Panim #58 "How Do You Know Me?" (John 1:47-51) Pastor Cameron Ury.mp3

Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. I want to open today with an experiment; one that you can try out with your own friends & family.

Illusion: A Number between 1 and 50— I want you to think of a number between one and fifty. Both digits have to be odd, but not the same number. Once you have that number, hold it in your mind. Was it 37? If so, pretty awesome. If not, that’s okay, I’m not a mind reader. However, when phrased the right way, most people will choose 37. 35  is next and 17 is also sometimes chosen.

What would it be like for somebody to reveal something to you about yourself that nobody but you could possibly know? And that is something that we see taking place in our passage today. Jesus astounds a man with a revelation of knowledge the man thought only he was privy to. Except, unlike this, it was not an illusion or a trick. Jesus does something that only God can do. First, He reveals the previous location of the man (which if Jesus were a mere man, He couldn’t possibly know); and then He reveals something much more incredible: the nature and character of the man (which only God could know). And in this revelation we discover something not just about the man, but about Jesus Himself. So if you would, go ahead and turn with me to John chapter 1. That’s John chapter 1. We’ll look at verses 43-51.

Nathanael Comes With Philip-- Now Nathanael didn’t know what to think about Philip’s testimony, but he saw the presence of Jesus emanating through the life of his friend. And so he comes with Philip to see what this Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth was all about. Now it says in…

John 1:47 (NIV)— 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

A Character Statement— And Jesus was here making a character statement about Nathanael. He compliments Nathanael as being an Israelite who has remained true to God’s calling, “in whom there is no deceit!”. Now in that word “deceit” Jesus is hinting at a story he is going to bring up later in His conversation with Nathanael; and that is the story of Jacob. You will remember that Jacob’s name means “supplanter”, which suits him because of how he deceived and manipulated first Esau, then his father Isaac, then Laban, and just about everybody around him, at least until the Lord laid hold of him (literally) and wrestled him to the ground. And in that encounter God blesses Jacob and re-names him, giving him the name “Israel”. It was a change of name that signified both a change of identity and a change of future.

In Nathanael’s Shoes-- And what Jesus is saying to Nathanael is (and I love how J. Vernon McGee puts it): [“Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no Jacob.”] And we know this is in Jesus’ mind because of how He references the story later. But picture this. Let’s say that somebody came up to you that you had never met before, from a completely different town than the one you live in and greets you by saying, “Ah, here is a righteous person indeed. A good spouse; a loving parent; this person is one of absolute character.” What would you think? Wouldn’t you be a little bit skeptical, like somebody who is having their fortune told. Was Jesus nothing more than the equivalent of a palm-reader? […Galilee had already seen a number of men come forward who had made some claim to messiahship. Nathanael will have none of it.] He is careful, as he should be. And to be honest, Jesus had not yet said anything yet that any pious Israelite would not love to hear. But Jesus is saying them as if He knows them to be true of Nathanael. Now while a man might be able to say these things as a compliment, only God can say these things in an absolute sense because only God knows the heart of a person.

1 Samuel 16:7b (ESV)— 7…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

1 Chronicles 28:9 (ESV)-- 9…the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought….

Jeremiah 12:3a (ESV)-- 3 But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you.

1 Kings 8:39 (ESV)— 39 then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind),

Psalm 44:21 (ESV)— 21 would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

Psalm 139:1 (ESV)-- 1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

Proverbs 16:2 (ESV)— 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.

Jeremiah 17:10a (ESV)— 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind,…

Divine Implication-- So, to be able to know (in an absolute sense) the character of the heart is a divine attribute. So by the authoritative way that Jesus declares Nathanael to be a man in whom  there is no deceit, He is implying that He shares in the Divine all-knowing attribute of God, which points to His own deity. And Nathanael I think realizes this. So Nathanael decides to put Jesus to the test to see if Jesus is the real deal. So it says…

John 1:48 (NIV)— 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

Supernatural Knowledge-- Ok, now what is incredible is that Jesus tells Nathanael where he was before Philip even reached him. He reveals that location as being under the fig tree. We are not sure exactly what brought Philip to that fig tree. In the ancient world [The shade of a fig tree was a favorite place for study and prayer in hot weather.] Fig trees had huge branches that would provide a lot of shade and were typically grown by poor people who lived in small one-room houses who wanted to escape to someplace private and cool. [Perhaps Nathanael had some significant or outstanding experience of communion with God at the location]. We don’t know. But  […the main point is that Nathanael knows exactly what Jesus is talking about;] And this gives Nathanael a glimpse of Jesus’ supernatural knowledge. And for Nathanael it meant that because Jesus knew the geographical information that was impossible for Him to know, Jesus’ declaration of Nathanael’s inward condition could also be trusted. And what is key here is Nathanael’s response. It says…

John 1:49 (NIV)— 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

High Titles-- [Nathanael has witnessed a miracle, and from it decides to make a remarkable step of faith. At once Nathanael, who now has experienced Jesus for himself, addresses him with a litany of titles: “Rabbi!  .  .  . Son of God  .  .  . King of Israel.” “Rabbi” is a title of respect for a Jewish teacher (1: 38). “Son of God” is an unexpected recognition of Jesus’ deity that was used with tremendous reserve in the Old Testament. “King of Israel” is used elsewhere at the triumphal entry (12:13) and when Jesus is on the cross (Matt. 27: 42); {yet} here it is no doubt an expression of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. Together these three names complete the portrait of John that has been building throughout this chapter.] Now what is amazing to me is that we already have a wholistic picture of Jesus in this and we haven’t even gotten to chapter 2! Nathanael (apparently) is quick to understand, which may be why Jesus calls him a true Israelite; because that is how all the Israelites ought to be. Now Jesus responds to Nathanael. It says…

John 1:50-51 (NIV)— 50 Jesus said, “You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[b] you[c] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[d] the Son of Man.”

Truly, Truly— Now [Truly, truly, I say to you is a solemn affirmation stressing the authoritative nature and importance of Jesus’ pronouncements. The expression is found 25 times in this Gospel. The two references to “you” here are plural.] When we want to affirm something is true in Church, we say “Amen!” afterwards. In Biblical times if you wanted to affirm something that had been said was very true, you would say it twice. But Jesus changes the order of the sentence and begins with “Amen, Amen”. It is his way of declaring that what He is going to say is very important and we need to tune in. He says: Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

​Jacob’s Ladder-- And Jesus is of course referring here to Jacob’s dream of a ladder all the way back in Genesis 28. In that dream there was a ladder that stretched between heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending from it. And it was a means of man coming to and entering into a relationship with God. And what Jesus was saying to Nathanael was that He Himself (the Divine Son of Man as prophesied about through the prophet Daniel) was that ladder; and that Nathanael himself could enter into a relationship with God in and through Him. He was the bridge! And that relationship is open to anybody who is willing to receive Christ. You want to get to God? Jesus is the Way; the only Way. And He is the greatest road that we could ever take; leading us to life; to rebirth; to renewal; to healing; to forgiveness; to reconciliation; to redemption; to freedom. He is the key to every element of your life. And He wants you to come; He wants you to come to Him. And if you do, He will change you. If you’re a Jacob, He’ll make you an Israel. If you don’t know Him, receive Him into your life. Simply ask Him in and He will bring you into a saving relationship with God. Amen.

Lechem Panim #57 "Come and See" (John 1:45-46) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! As, always, it is good to have you with us and we sincerely appreciate your tuning in to Lechem Panim. Lechem Panim is the Hebrew phrase for the bread of the presence of God that was in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. And it represented the reality that what we need for everyday life (bread) is found in the presence of God. And Jesus (who called Himself the Bread of Life) was saying that in Him we can have life. And so each week we seek to draw closer to Him through His word so that we can eat that Bread ourselves; but also so that we might share that Bread with the world.

Kreisler’s Violin-- I’d like to open today with a story I read some time ago. [Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase the beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.”]

It Must Be Shared-- I find it so fascinating how strongly Christianity is associated with music. From the earliest days of Christianity, Christians were known to be men and women who were singing. Other religions have music to some degree, but nothing in comparison to Christianity. There is something about Christianity that (whether through proclamation or through music) is not content to remain in storage. It must be shared; it must be declared; it must be proclaimed. The invitation of Jesus is to “Come and See”. But what we find in scripture is that those who “Come and See” also “Go and Tell”. And this is where we find Philip. Philip has caught the music; he has encountered Jesus. And he has to go and tell the world; and he begins with those closest to him, which includes Nathanael. It says in…

John 1:45a (NIV)-- 45 Philip found Nathanael…

Nathanael/Bartholomew-- Now Nathanael (or Bartholomew), as he is sometimes referred to (Bartholomew simply means “son of Tholomaios”; Bartholomew simply reveals to us who his father was), [is linked with Philip in all three Synoptic lists of apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14).] There is a close relationship between these two disciples, which we talked about before. And because of that close relationship, Philip wants Nathanael to know the same hope that he himself has found in this Rabbi named Jesus. So it says in…

John 1:45 (NIV)-- 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Philip’s Witness-- Now here we see that [When Philip witnessed to Nathanael, the evidence he gave was Moses and the prophets (John 1:45). {We are not sure how Philip was able to connect all these dots. It has been suggested that} Perhaps Jesus gave Philip a “quick course” in the Old Testament messianic prophecies, as He did with the Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13ff.). {And if so, Philip then relays to Nathanael how Jesus is the fulfillment of those prophecies. And} It is always good to tie our personal witness to the Word of God.] But it is the last title that really throws Nathanael. It is the title Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. He responds…

John 1:46a (NIV)— 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

A Region, A City, a Father of Bad Repute-- Now the reason that Nathanael reacts the way that he did was because the Messiah should be from a place like Jerusalem in Judea (somewhere important and religious; where the temple was). Now it would have been bad enough for Jesus to be from Galilee because of the unclean nature of Galilee in general (a place filled with Gentiles and Jews who were perceived to be sub-par because of their having mixed with the Gentiles. That would have been ridiculous enough. But Philip was saying not only that Jesus was from Galilee, but that Jesus was from Nazareth! Now [Nazareth did not have a bad reputation in Jesus’ day, but neither did it have a famous reputation. It was a small south Galilee mountain village, a fraction of the size of the modern Arab Christian city {that we see today.]

Possum-neck— Now what’s the name of the town around here that whenever you want to make fun of a person for being from a small town, you say they are from there? In and around the city where I pastored my first church; Kosciusko, MS (which itself qualifies) was an even much smaller town called Possum-neck. And I’m not sure you can get smaller than Possum-neck, Mississippi. Before the great depression it got large enough to support it’s own post office, but has long since faded from that not-so-glorious glory. But Jesus was from Possum-neck, Galilee. I mean this a tiny tiny town. You could throw a frisbee from one side to the other. I mean this place is so small, that for years secular historians and critics called us Christians neanderthalic boneheads and crazy for believing it even existed. But of course the ruins of Nazareth were then discovered. But you can’t get more insignificant than Nazareth! It was the Possum-neck of Galilee.

Two Skeptical Pharisees-- So Nathanael responds: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” And he’s making a joke. “Okay Phillip, who stopped payment on your reality check?” And we probably see some town-rivalry here. I know you guys don’t know what that is. It’s when one place thinks they are better than another place. It is known in some places as sports. Now Nathanael is no doubt laughing at his own joke. He’s very cynical. He’s probably thinking, “Yeah, the more Nazarenes I meet, the more I like my dog.” He has a very low opinion of Nazareth.

Philip’s Invitation-- Now I love Philip because he doesn’t suddenly start to explain or get into some sort of theological discussion or try to debate Nathanael. No his response is so simple; and is probably the greatest evangelistic and apologetic call that we can make in our witness for Christ.

John 1:46b (NIV)— “Come and see,” said Philip.

The Mirrored Call: “Come”-- And that invitation, [“Come and see” is the refrain heard the previous day in Judea (1:39) and now becomes Nathanael’s challenge.] And this is the most effective method because it is the one that mirrors most closely the call of Christ Himself. Warren Wiersbe points out that [When Nathanael hesitated and argued, Philip adopted our Lord’s own words: “Come and see” (John 1:39). Later on, Jesus would invite, “Come … and drink” (John 7:37), and, “Come and dine” (John 21:12). “Come” is the great invitation of God’s grace.] Another author said, [Throughout the Gospel many people will be challenged to “come and see.” Conversion is not about knowledge alone; it is about coming yourself and appropriating a relationship with Jesus personally.] And the question we ought to ask ourselves is, “Have we truly come and experienced Christ personally?” “Do we know of Him; talk about Him? Or do we know Him? Do we talk with Him? The call of Christ is to come and know Him personally. The question is, “Is He personal for us?” The miracle that Jesus Christ offers us is the ability to (at any moment we choose) to come into the presence of God and find forgiveness, healing, and grace. And when we “come and see” our immediate response will be to go and tell what Christ has done for us; to take somebody else by the hand and lead them to Him.

The Strongest Argument-- You know, I love studying the historical evidence of the truth of Christianity. I love the field of apologetics. But you know [The strongest argument for the Gospel of Christ is {not argument, but rather} the personal testimony of someone whose life has been changed by it. Charles Bradlaugh, an avowed infidel, once challenged the Rev. H.P. Hughes to a debate. The preacher, who was head of a rescue mission in London, England, accepted the challenge with the condition that he could bring with him 100 men and women who would tell what had happened in their lives since trusting Christ as their Savior. They would be people who once lived in deep sin, some having come from poverty-stricken homes caused by the vices of their parents. Hughes said they would not only tell of their conversion, but would submit to cross-examination by any who doubted their stories. Furthermore, the minister invited his opponent to bring a group of non-believers who could tell how they were helped by their lack of faith. When the appointed day arrived, the preacher came, accompanied by 100 transformed persons. But Bradlaugh never showed up. The result? The meeting turned into a testimony time and many sinners who had gathered to hear the scheduled debate were converted.] The greatest testimony we can have is showing how Christ has made a difference in our lives and inviting those we come into contact with to “Come and see” the Savior.

People, Our Lasting Monuments-- You want to know what the impact of Nathanael’s response to Philip’s call to “Come and see” was? In later years he became [one of the Church's most adventurous missionaries. He is said to have preached with Philip in Phrygia and Hierapolis; also in Armenia. The Armenian Church claims him as its founder…], a Church of over 11,000,000 self-proclaimed members. Perhaps it is little wonder that Nathanael’s name means “Gift of God”.

To those of you who are listening today, I want to encourage you to not let Christ remain silent in your life. Let Him be played. Let people be able to hear the song sung through your life and hear in that melody the chord their own hearts have been searching for. And then invite them to “come and see” Jesus so that He might bring about that song in their own lives. Amen.

Lechem Panim #56 "The Living Link" (John 1:43-44) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. Our passage today comes from the book of John; chapter 1, verses 43-44. It reads…

John 1:43-44 (NIV)— 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

We have been talking in recent weeks about the reality that anytime Jesus has truly touched our life; anytime we have truly experienced who He is and what He has done for us, our immediate response is always to go out and find somebody else that needs His touch on theirlives. And the next disciple Jesus calls also has this same spirit. If you have your Bibles, go ahead and look with me, starting at verse 43…

John 1:43a (NIV)— 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.

Galilee of the Gentiles-- Now Galilee was a highly unusual place for a good Jewish Rabbi to begin His ministry. Because way back in the Old Testament, Israel (if you remember) was carried away into captivity by Assyria. So when the Jews in Galilee were carried away, they were “replaced by a colony of pagan immigrants (2 Ki 15:29; 17:24). That is why it became known as “Galilee of the Nations” or “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isa 9:1; Mt 4:13, 15–16). Now even though Jews returned to Galilee after the captivity, it still remained predominantly Gentile and therefore was (in the Jewish mind) unclean. And so, because of that pagan influence, you could tell a Galilean by his accent (John 26:73). And this unholy mix “caused the southern Jews of ‘purer’ blood and orthodox tradition to despise the Galileans (Jn 1:46; 7:52).”

Why Galilee? It Was Dark-- So why would a good Jewish Rabbi, much less the Messiah; the Son of God choose this region as the place to begin His ministry? I read an author some time ago who said that [Galilee’s very darkness was the Lord’s reason for granting more of the light of his presence and ministry to this region than to self-satisfied and privileged Judea. Christ was sent for “a light for the Gentiles” (Isa 42:6), as well as to the “lost sheep of Israel” (Mt 15:24). {He said} Galilee’s very debasement made some of its people feel more acutely their need of the Savior.]

Jesus Comes to Those Whose Hearts Ache for Him-- Now you know what that says to me. Jesus comes to those whose hearts are aching for Him. He will not come first to those who feel satisfied. No, He comes to those who (having come to the realization that they are lost without Him) cry out for His touch. And even while that cry is still on our lips, He is already in our midst.Now we don’t have Philip’s backstory and therefore we don’t know why Jesus came to Philip; all we know is that Jesus intentionally goes to Galilee and apparently seeks Philip out. And it says in…

John 1:43b (NIV)— Finding Philip, he {(Jesus)} said to him, “Follow me.”

He will find you-- And what this shows us is that no matter who we are; where we live; what it is we are going through or what it is we are struggling with; when our hearts cry out for Jesus, He will find us. And He will lift us up. Now it says of Philip…

John 1:44 (NIV)— 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

The Disciples from Bethsaida-- And actually Andrew, James the Elder, the Apostle John, Simon Peter, and Philip were all from Bethsaida, though Peter and Andrew had re-located to Capernaum.  In Mark 1:21,29 we find that Andrew lived with his brother Peter and Peter’s wife in Peter’s house (remember Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law in Mark 1:31; she was staying with them). And this house has been discovered and you can go and see it today.

Fishing Villages-- Now both Bethsaida and Capernaum were fishing villages on the northern coast of Galilee. In fact [Bethsaida means “house of fishing”] Sounds like my kind of place. And I have been to the coast of Galilee and witnessed the people there still fishing those same waters. And I got to eat some of that fish in a restaurant there. I prefer my fish headless; this one was not. I don’t particularly like food that looks back at me while I am eating it. But nevertheless it was fascinating to me to watch the people there (millennia later) still bringing forth that harvest from the sea in order to sell and trade. And these fishing villages (like Bethsaida and Capernaum [were important places because they resided on the main highway (the Via Maris or Way of the Sea) that brought traffic from the coastal hills of Judea to the northern regions of the country.] And so they did not only sell fresh fish locally, but exported fish as well. In fact, one of Bethsaida’s chief exports was dried fresh-water fish. During that time you had only tilapia, sardines, and eel in the Sea of Galilee. And eel was unclean to eat. You will remember that in the feeding of the five thousand (which took place only about 9 miles away from Bethsaida) a small boy approaches with five loaves and two small fish; and those two fish were most likely a couple of these dried sardines; a little protein to go along with his bread. And so we see that many of the disciples have this kind of industry in their background; most likely Philip as well. So this is the kind of place where Philip grew up.

Imagine This-- Now imagine this. Jesus walks up to Philip and probably greets him. Philip probably greeted him back and said, “Hello good sir, what’s your name and what brings you to Bethsaida.” “My name is Jesus.” “Oh that’s right, you’re that rabbi from Nazareth. I have heard of you. I am deeply honored to meet you. What can I do for you?” “Come, follow me.” “Come, be my disciple.”

Not Random-- Can you imagine? I mean Philip has never even met Jesus. Jesus comes all the way up from Judea, and the scriptures say he finds Philip (which implies that he was looking for him) and says “follow me.” You know, I don’t know about you, but it always seemed to me that Jesus’ way of choosing disciples was kind of random. I mean, it seemed as though Jesus would just pull random guys from whatever location he happened to be in. But here we see that Jesus is very intentional about the disciples He chooses. Nothing is random. He comes toGalilee; and not only because that is where He is going to start His ministry. No, He goes specifically to Bethsaida to handpick His first disciples. Now we are often tempted to think that our coming to Christ was random. But that is not true. Christ has specifically chosen each one of us for a special plan and purpose. He has handpicked us for a special task. And, I don’t know about you, but that is a great comfort to me; to know that my following Christ wasn’t a random decision with little to no aim in mind. But Christ sought out each one of us in order to bless us and call us to be His disciples.

Phillip’s Response-- Now I would have loved to see Philip’s reaction to Christ’s call. It must have been one of fascination and awe because we have no other explanation than that Philip obeys that call. Apparently his own personal experience of Jesus; his experiencing Jesus for himself was all he needed; and he became immovably convinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. And so he begins to follow Jesus. And, as anyone who has encountered Jesus must do, he has to go and tell somebody. And of course he will go to tell Nathaniel, which we will talk about next week.

The Living Link— But not long ago I read a historical story shared by Warren Wiersbe. [Britain’s King George V was to give the opening address at a special disarmament conference, with the speech relayed by radio to the U.S. As the broadcast was about to begin, a cable {that ran to the generator that powered the whole broadcast} broke in the New York radio station {(somebody having tripped over it)}, and more than a million listeners were left without sound. A junior mechanic in the station, {NY NBC radio engineer} Harold Vivien, solved the problem by picking up both ends of the cable and allowing 250 volts of electricity to pass through him. {And, though his body twitched with spasms, he held on (in pain) for 20 minutes until new wires could be connected.} He was the living link that allowed the king's message to get through.]

We Are the Living Links— This morning I want you to imagine yourself as that living link between Jesus and those who need to hear Him; that (like that cable) allows His message to come through and touch their lives. You and I, whether we realize it or not, are often God’s means of allowing the very voice of Jesus to be heard. (LONG PAUSE) Yet sometimes the worst thing we can do we end up doing; and that is to remain silent.

The Silent Lawyer— Once there was […a court case that was lost because of the silence of an attorney. The distinguished lawyer Samuel Hoar (1778-1856) was representing the defendant. When it was time to present his case, he told the jurors that the facts favoring his client were so evident that he would not insult their intelligence by arguing them. The jury retired to deliberate and returned in a few minutes with a verdict of guilty. Samuel Hoar was astonished!
"How," he asked, "could you have reached such a verdict?" 
The foreman replied, "We all agreed that if anything could be said for a case, you would say it. But since you didn't present any evidence, we decided to rule against you." Silence had lost the case.
How often the opportunity to speak a word of testimony for Christ is lost because we remain silent. Those who need to hear the gospel may conclude that salvation is not important enough to talk about. ]

Through Your Life— This is why it is so important for us to speak up; to be that link that connects people with the voice and presence of Jesus. Through your life; through your witness, people come face to face with Jesus.

We are all Christians because of the ministry of somebody else. I guarantee it. None of us has come to Christ on our own merit. All of us came because of the ministry of somebody else. And that was because Christ, in and through that person, was seeking to save you and to call you to come follow Him. Now the question is, who is Christ calling you and I to bring to Him? Who is Christ burdening our hearts for? Are we going to allow Christ to use us to bring those people to Him. This week I want to challenge you, find who that person is and begin praying for them. And look for opportunities to share with them the life you have found in Jesus. Amen.

Lechem Panim #55 "How Jesus Calls" (John 1:35-42) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. Our passage today comes from the book of John; chapter 1, verses 43-44. It reads…

John 1:35-42 (ESV)— 35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.[b] 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus[c] was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Last week we got to meet three of Jesus’ first disciples. First we met Andrew and John; as John the Baptist pointed them to Jesus as the one they needed to follow. And so they began to follow Him. And Andrew then goes and tells His brother Simon all about Jesus. And so (because of Andrew) Simon Peter also comes, meets, and begins to follow Jesus.

Simon Peter’s Brother-- I heard of one person who, when asked what Bible character they could relate to the most, their answer was Andrew. And, kind of surprised by the answer, this person was asked why. And that person’s response was, “Because when Andrew is mentioned, he is known as “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.’” How does it feel to always be known by “Oh yeah, you’re so and so’s brother (or sister or son or daughter).”? What is it like to always be living in the shadow of someone else? Sometimes that is difficult. Those kinds of people often get overlooked. And Andrew is one of those overlooked disciples.

Andrew Always Bringing Someone To Jesus-- And yet I think that Andrew is one of the great unsung heroes of scripture. Because if you look at every passage in which his name pops up, you will discover that every time he is mentioned, he always seems to be bringing somebody to Jesus. Here in John 1 he brings his brother Simon. In John 6:8 he is the one who brings a young boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, with which Jesus feeds the five thousand. In John 12:22 both Andrew and Philip are instrumental in bringing some Gentiles to see Jesus. [Each time we meet Andrew in the Gospel he is bringing someone to Jesus (6:8; 12:22).] How great it would be if that element could characterize every one of our lives. Because that is the greatest thing that could be said of any person. And those are the kinds of people that Jesus uses to further His kingdom. The method Jesus most uses to call people to Himself is (interestingly) other people.

How The First Disciples Were Called-- We see this principle at work when we look at  how most of the first disciples became followers of Jesus Christ. We always think that Jesus was the one who sought out the first disciples. Actually, when we look at Scripture, we tend to find the exact opposite. Of the first six disciples that were called, only one was approached directly by Jesus. And that was Philip; and we will learn more about him today. But all the other five came as a result of somebody else's ministry; somebody else's pointing them to Jesus. Andrew and John became followers of Jesus because of John the Baptist’s pointing them to Jesus. And of course Peter came to Jesus as a result of Andrew’s witness. It says in…

John 1:41 (ESV)-- 41 He {(Andrew)} first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).

Protos-- Now that word “first” in Greek is usually proton. But here there is a special form, protos. And whenever this form appears it means that after that first, there must be a second. So what most scholars agree is that this implies that John also went and found his brother, which would be James (not the brother of Jesus, but James the disciple). So you have another person coming to Jesus as the result of someone else. And then of course Nathaniel later comes because of Philip. And this should tell us something remarkable about the way that Jesus chooses to build his kingdom. Yes, His disciples were all divinely called. For Jesus says in…

John 6:44 (NIV)-- 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Through Somebody Else-- But while this is true we find that the disciples were led to Jesus through the ministry of somebody else. And the same is true even today. The way that most people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ is through the ministry of another person.

Our Witness-- So what should challenge us is this. If Jesus chooses His disciples through the ministry of somebody else (through our ministry), what happens when you or I fail to be that witness? Just think of this: the main disciples that you and I think of as being the most important disciples (e.g. Peter and John) were not first approached by Jesus but came through the ministry of somebody else. And Peter was the one Jesus said would be his primary instrument in the building of his Church. Now that is amazing to think about; what a difference one person who is brought to Jesus by another person; what a difference that one person can make for the Kingdom of God.

The Most Unlikely-- Now Peter (who we talked about last week) was not an ideal person to be chosen to be a disciple. He was outspoken; he was rash; he never seemed to be able to say the right thing. His mouth must have been in the shape of a shoe because of how many times he ended up putting his foot there. And yet God chose Him. Like always, He chooses the most unlikely; the people we think the least likely to be able to do anything substantial for His Kingdom to come follow Him; and then He fills them with His Spirit as he did with Peter and uses them to change the world. Peter was so inept, when faced with danger following Jesus’ arrest, he denied three times that he even knew Jesus. Yet when Christ got through with Him and filled him with His Spirit, Peter preached fearlessly and boldly at Pentecost, pronouncing all the people guilty of having slain the Messiah. He boldly proclaims the Gospel in a way that can only be explained by the infilling of the Holy Spirit; and when he is done preaching, three thousand people convert on the spot and the Christian Church is born. Every day you and I run into people like Peter; people who may be rough around the edges; but people who, if we lead them to Jesus, can make a lasting and tremendous impact on the Kingdom of God.

Geemo’s Believing Praise-- My Grandmother (we call her Geemo) is a very remarkably encouraging person. Even today, but especially when I was growing up, whenever she talked to me, my siblings, or anyone else for that matter, she would always praise us and say things like, “Oh what a warrior for Jesus you are; Oh how you are taking a stand for Oh name; Oh how the Lord is using you.” Now, looking back, I know that in many cases I wasn’t those things she was praising me for being. And you know what, I think she may have known that too. But I tell you what. Because she chose to believe in us, we wanted to be those things that she praised us for being. Now this wasn’t some kind of deception or lying, but rather she was believing God for the plan she knew He had for us.

Their Biggest Fans-- And I wonder if that is not how we should be with other people, especially non-believers. We need to be their biggest fans, cheering them along in every stage of their journey. And if they know that we believe in them, they will want to be all that we think they can be and eventually will want to be all that God wants them to be. But we have to believe in them and be instruments of encouragement in their lives. And if we do, there is no telling what they might become.

The Next Billy Graham Might Be Drunk Right Now-- Some time ago I read an article that said this:
[The next Billy Graham might be drunk right now.
The next Jonathan Edwards might be the man driving in front of you with the Darwin Fish bumper decal.
The next Charles Wesley might currently be a misogynistic, profanity-spewing hip-hop artist.
The next Charles Spurgeon might be managing an abortion clinic today.
The next Mother Teresa might be a heroin-addicted porn star this week.
The next Augustine of Hippo might be a sexually promiscuous cult member right now, just like, come to think of it, the first Augustine of Hippo was.

But the Spirit of God can turn all that around. And seems to delight to do so. The new birth doesn't just transform lives, creating repentance and faith; it also provides new leadership to the church, and fulfills Jesus' promise to gift his church with everything needed for her onward march through space and time (Eph. 4:8-16).]

Someone You Touch-- The next Billy Graham may be someone you touch with the Gospel of Christ! Someone who, experiencing that life in you, responds to your pointing; your call to come and see Jesus. They are important; the lives we touch for Jesus.

Geempa's Dash-- Whenever I am able to visit my family on the east coast, I usually have an opportunity to visit my grandfather's grave. And on the gravestone, just like on most gravestones, are two dates; one representing that person's birth and the other representing that person's death. And in between those dates is a tiny little dash; a dash representing the entirety of that person's life. What is it that makes that dash mean something; that makes this brief life we live count on an eternal scale? My grandfather left a clue to the answer to that question. Below those dates on my grandfather's grave are three very simple words that defined his life: "Behold The Lamb." Living with his eyes fixed on Jesus and with the mission of pointing others to Jesus was the central focus of his life. And it was because of that vision that that dash means something. Because of that dash lived for that purpose, his life was richer and the kingdom of heaven is more populated.

C.T. Studd-- It's as C.T. Studd once said:
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. (C.T. Studd)

​And that is why I want to encourage you today to (in whatever context you are in) to point people to the Lamb of God. It will change their life, but it will change yours to. Point somebody to Jesus this week. Amen.

Lechem Panim #54 "God's Promise In A New Name" (John 1:35-42) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. Our passage today comes from the book of John; chapter 1, verses 35-42. It reads…

John 1:35-42 (ESV)— 35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.[b] 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus[c] was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

“We have found the Messiah”— You know, the single most important characteristic of any person who has truly encountered Jesus is they have to go and tell somebody. There is a reason we use the word Gospel (which means Good News). Because (like all good news) there is a desire to proclaim it, which is exactly what we see Andrew do in our passage today. He runs and finds his brother Simon and tells him: “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). (v.41) And he brings his brother Simon to Jesus.

Who’s Evaluating Who?— Now you expect at this point for Peter to evaluate Jesus to see if indeed He is the Messiah. But instead Jesus begins to evaluate Peter. It says in verse 42: Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

A Rock-- Now Cephas is the Aramaic word for rock and Peter is the Greek word for rock. So his name became (literally) “rock.” Now everybody who heard this who knew Simon probably laughed that day because up until that point and even [In the Gospels, Peter was anything but a rock; he was impulsive and unstable.”] And yet Jesus calls him a rock. And later in Jesus’ ministry after Peter’s confession of Christ, Jesus affirms this name once again.

Hebrew Names— Now in Jewish and much of ancient culture names were very significant. Names were not only a way of identifying you, but also a way of defining you; and I would even go so far as to say (at times) to even reveal ahead of time who you were going to be. Just think of some of the big names found in the Old Testament:

Adam-- Adam is not just a name; it is the Hebrew name for “man” or “mankind”— Adam was the first Adam (the first man). His name [could be ultimately derived from {the} Hebrew אדם('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin], which is reflective of the color of the earthy ground He was created from.

Abram-- Think of Abram. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of a great multitude”. So in naming Abraham, God was determining to bring about His promise.

Jacob-- Jacob, whose name means “supplanter” or literally (“heel-grabber”) supplanted his brother Esau. But God changed His name to “Israel”, which is a name that is a combination of the Hebrew words for "wrestle" and “God”. And so that wrestling with God became the definition of who he was; or you might say that that event became the defining moment of his life (LITERALLY!!!!)

Micah-- The prophet Micah (whose name means “messenger”) was sent as a messenger to God’s people, actually foreshadowing (some think) John the Baptist’s ministry.

Immanuel-- Even the name given to us in Isaiah in prophecy of Jesus (Immanuel) means “God with us”; not just a name for Jesus, but an actual definition of who He is.

Jesus/Yeshua-- The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua (meaning “a savior; a deliverer”) (Joshua and Jesus are the same name). Just think of the significance of that. Jesus is the second Joshua. As Joshua led the people to the promised land, so also Jesus leads God’s people to the Kingdom of Heaven. He (Jesus) is the ultimate Savior and Deliverer; the second, greater Joshua.

Changing the Course of Peter’s life-- Now we have to understand this unique way names are used because this is more than just some nice passage where Jesus is giving Simon a new name that reflects who He wants Simon to be. No, Jesus is (at this moment) changing the course of Simon’s life. Jesus was saying to Simon that because of their new relationship, Simon (now Peter) was going to be be someone altogether new. He says “you shall be Cephas; a rock.” Right from the get go Jesus has determined Peter to be that rock who would help Him build His Church. And Peter soon accepts that call. He has to. His name had been Simon (which means “that hears; that obeys”). But notice also that in the Old Testament, most often when someone is given a new name, the one giving that name is almost always God. It is God who changes the person’s name; their identity; who they are destined to be. And so Jesus is very powerfully (and shockingly) carrying on that divine role. He (God in the Flesh) gives Simon a new name; a new name for a new identity; a new future; a new mission. Can you imagine what this must have meant to Peter, an impulsive, immature person to hear Jesus (a Rabbi) say that he would be a rock? And we know that Peter did indeed live up to that expectation. His name; his identity became altogether changed. He would go from being an unstable, fearful person to being a bold, fearless rock for the Church and the cause of Christ; an unbelievable transformation.

The Full Gospel-- Some time ago I remember I was listening to a speaker talk about the cross of Christ. And though many of his points were good, he said that it doesn’t matter if there is sin in your life, God still accepts you. Now while He does accept us as we are, He never allows us to remain as we are. And what we cannot miss in the Gospels is that Christ’s call to follow Him is a call to be like Him in His nature and character.

Forgiveness The 1st Step To Becoming New Creatures-- Dr. Dennis Kinlaw put it so succinctly when he said: [God not only wants to forgive us; he also wants to regenerate us, make us new creatures. Forgiveness is the first step. It removes the things that alienate us from each other. God forgives our offenses against him and forgets them. Therefore, when he sees us he is not offended. We accept that forgiveness. Then when we turn to God, we are not afraid or loaded with guilt. The personal relationship between us and God is wholesome, good, and free. But he wants to do more. He wants to transform us to fit us for a future very different from our past. Forgiveness and regeneration are like two sides of the same coin. They cannot be separated. Salvation is more than a change of record. It is a change of us. It deals with our sin, the bent within our nature that causes us to commit our sins. It affects who we are as well as what we do.]

Our Transformation-- That is the kind of transformation Peter experienced; and he experienced it at Pentecost, when God poured out His Holy Spirit during that festival and birthed the Christian Church; and those upon whom the Holy Spirit came were completely and utterly transformed. This was the moment Peter (the unstable person who had denied and abandoned Jesus) became SO transformed that the very first time he preached with that anointing of the fire of the Holy Spirit of God upon his life, it says three thousand were added to their number that day. You see, Jesus’ name for Simon (Peter) was a promise; a promise that Jesus was faithful to keep. And what this means for us is that when WE meet Jesus and enter into an abiding relationship with Him, that same promise of transformation extends to us as well. Can He REALLY change us? Apparently you can’t get past the very first words of Jesus without being confronted with the reality that not only can He, but He has determined to change us; He expects it; not just in heaven, but now. Jesus has a new identity for us NOW!That is why so many Christians throughout history, when they became Christians, they took new “Christian” names; because they were embracing a new identity in Jesus and were trusting in Him for His promise of working in them a mighty transformation work. And the message of the Gospel is that any one of us can experience that transformation.
    God wants permission not only to save you, but to give you a new name; a new identity. The question is, how are we going to respond to Christ’s question to us, “What are you seeking?” What do we truly want Jesus to do for and in us? John reveals an amazing promise from God to each and every one of us in…

Revelation 2:17 (ESV)-- 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Are We Willing?-- God has a new name; a new identity for you and for me. But we have to choose how we are going to respond. Are we willing to let Jesus change who we really are?…..Jesus has big expectations for every man, woman, boy, and girl listening today; expectations that we ourselves might be rocks He can use to build His kingdom. But we have to let Him give us a new life and purpose and be willing to leave the former identity behind. And God is calling to every single one of us to do that today. Whether you are 5 years old or 95 years old, Jesus wants you to allow Him to remake you. He can do it, if we but let Him.

And so today, I want to invite you to do that; to allow Him to become your starting point for a complete change in identity and purpose. Give your old self to Him and allow Him to transform you and make you altogether new. Follow His leading this morning in embracing His name; His calling upon your life. Do this today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #53 "Channels of Grace" (Mark 1:16) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. Our passage today comes from the book of Mark; chapter 1, verse 16. It reads…

Mark 1:16 (ESV)-- 16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

A Key Location-- You know, in talking about the calling of Jesus’ first disciples, we often times focus on their occupation (fishermen) but overlook the location. And yet this location (the Sea of Galilee) had huge significance for Jesus and His ministry, as we find it the common backdrop for much of His preaching and teaching. As I was going through the opening chapters of the gospel of Mark this week, I kept seeing how often Mark highlights the Sea of Galilee as the place Jesus taught by and often even on (as the crowds were often so large he had to get in a boat and stand in the water just to avoid being crushed by the crowds. But what made the Sea of Galilee so important? And why is it important to us?

Seeing The Sea of Galilee-- Several years ago I got to go on a pilgrimage to Israel. And it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before in my life. For 10 intense days we traversed the land of Israel from early morning until night. And though we traversed many many places and got to see many incredible things (even the temple mount in Jerusalem), my favorite place that we visited (and we spent several days there) was Galilee. Seeing where Jesus taught along those peaceful shores amidst those quiet fishing villages was one of the most exciting and moving moments of my life. And I remember that The Sea of Galilee was full of life. You could see fisherman still (over 2,000 years later) still netting and pulling in multitudes of fish. There were many beautiful trees and luscious green plant life growing around that beautiful sea. But moving on from there, we went to another body of water to the south, at the other end of the Jordan River. And that body of water was of course the Dead Sea. 

The Dead Sea— Now the Dead Sea, though connected to the Sea of Galilee by the same river, was anything but like The Sea of Galilee. While the Sea of Galilee was full of life, the Dead Sea was not. As its name implies, it is dead. Why? Because it is filled with salt. In fact, it is one of the saltiest bodies of water on this planet, being about ten times saltier than the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In fact, it is so salty that the water gives you buoyancy, meaning you can't sink in it. We laid down in the water and the sensation was that of something lifting you up as you try to push down. It felt kind of like laying down on a liquid couch. But the salt content is so high that no life can exist either in or around it. No trees are around the Sea. No plant life whatsoever. Though it is much much larger than the Sea of Galilee, not a single fish lives inside it's waters. It is so salty, only minuscule amounts of bacteria can even survive in the water. And though it is known by different names, The Dead Sea is no doubt the best title for it because there is no life whatsoever in or around it. It is a place void of life. It is a truly dead, lifeless, fruitless place.

Which Sea Are You?-- Now if you wanted your life to be like one of these places, you would no doubt say, "I want my life to be like the Sea of Galilee!" I want to be filled with life and want to be a source of life to others. But if you were to be honest in giving an evaluation of your life, which Sea would you say you are most like right now? Do you have true life inside of you or do you feel Dead inside? Do others walk away from interactions with you more dead or alive? That's a tough evaluation to make. And that may be something you want to ask those around you this week. And most of all maybe we need to ask Christ Jesus Himself to give us His evaluation of our lives. If He describes Himself as being "Living Water" (water that brings life; and our lives are to model His), how much do we really reflect Him by bringing life to those around us?

The Difference-- There is something you should know about the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, and that is what makes one of them alive and the other one Dead. While both seas have fresh water pouring into them, the Sea of Galilee has an outlet but the Dead Sea does not. With the Sea of Galilee, fresh water pours into it and then it pours out. But the Dead Sea only has water pouring into it. And because it has no outlet (because it is too far below sea level) you have all this water pouring into it that just sits and then evaporates, leaving behind its minerals. [It is estimated that over a million tons of water evaporate from the Dead Sea every day, leaving it salty, full of minerals and unfit for any … life”.] And one of the ladies on our trip really highlighted this, saying that this is what makes all the difference in the Christian life. If everything is inflow with you and you never have any outflow you will become in your heart and to those around you a place of death. But if you receive from the Lord and also invest what He has given into the lives of others, you will be a source of life for many. I have never forgotten that imagery. And that is why people flocked to Jesus; and why people eventually came to flock to the apostles; because people found them to be sources of life. 

It’s A Wonderful Life— Not long ago my wife and I again watched the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”. And many of you have probably seen it many times. But I think that that movie really shows just how much the few good actions of a righteous man can have on a community and the lives of others. James Stuart saves his brothers life as a young kid and, after they grow up, his brother goes to war and ends up shooting down some planes before they slam into the ship and kill many of his comrades. James Stuart also manages to keep his local family bank afloat. But, you know the story. His clerk misplaces a large sum of money and he is on the verge of being thrown into prison and he goes to the local bridge and gets ready to kill himself. But an angel appears to him and he tells the angel that it would have been better if he had never been born. And the angel (Clarence) begins to show him what the town and community would have been like if he had never been born. And the difference is tremendous. Those things that he thought were the most insignificant turned out to change the course of the whole town.

Small Acts of Faithfulness— And similarly, I don’t think we will ever know the impact that our “small acts of faithfulness” might have on another persons life or even (for that matter) in our relationship with the Lord. And I think we often times get thrown off track when we think that all God wants us to be some kind of spiritual super-heroes. But that is not what God wants. Never in scripture does He call someone who is a superhero or would even think of themselves as spiritual giants. He chose men like Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Noah and what made them super was the fact that they were obedient in the small things; not just the big things.

Dwight L. Moody once said: “There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.”

“Why The Halfling?”-- Not long ago I watched the movie the Hobbit. And there is this very powerful scene in which the Lady Galadriel is talking with Gandalf the Wizard and this very subject comes up when talking about Bilbo Baggins, a small (seemingly insignificant) Hobbit.
Galadriel: Mithrandir... Why the halfling?
Gandalf: Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? I don't know. Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage.

From Trickles to Streams— Everything you and I are called to do as Christians is important. Those little investments we make in the lives of other people may seem like a trickle now, but who knows what rivers they will turn into later down the road. And I think that is important for us to remember. It’s not great deeds of powerful righteousness that God is looking for. It’s the small, everyday obedience in doing those things He has called us to do in the here and now. Abraham was a nobody. He knew the surrounding world was in a spiritual hell. He saw what separation from God had caused on the earth. God didn’t say, “Hey, go change the world.” He called him to follow Him. And from him came Isaac; from Isaac came Jacob (called Israel) and from him came the people Israel. From Israel came the Messiah; from the Messiah came the redemption of the world. That trickle of obedience shaped the course of human history and influenced the spiritual change of the entire world. Joseph was sent to Egypt. He remained faithful to God in the little things; showing integrity and responsibility in the workplace and not fooling around with another man’s wife. And it was Joseph, because of those little acts of obedience, that God chose to place over all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. And he ended up saving not only Egypt, but many nations from starvation and hunger. 

​Hidden Springs-- Now there is one more thing that I would like to tell you about the Sea of Galilee. If you look at a map, you will notice that all of the fishing villages during the time of Christ were located on the north-western side of the Sea of Galilee. Now the reason for this was because the Sea of Galilee is naturally saltwater; not as salty as the Dead Sea; but salty enough to make it hard for tilapia and sardines (the fish living in the Sea of Galilee during that time) difficult to live in. But interestingly, the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee was fed fresh water by hidden underground springs. Now what this says to us is that if we want to be life-giving people, we in a similar way need to have a life-giving stream flowing into us. And that stream is nothing less than He who called Himself the Living water. You have to maintain fellowship with Him. You have to abide with Him. Because it’s not your spirituality that changes people; it is Christ changing people through you because you have allowed yourself to become a channel of grace rather than a Dead Sea of grace. And that is my challenge to you today. Draw near to Him and (in Him) be a Channel of Grace in somebody else’s life this week. Bring the life-giving water of Jesus to somebody who needs to hear about Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lechem Panim #52 "The Love of The Father" (Luke 15) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show today! It’s good to have you with us on this Father’s Day as we talk (at least a little) about this thing we call Fatherhood!

Picture of God— And I’d like to open up out time together with a story. [An elementary school teacher was giving a drawing class to a group of six-year-old children. At the back of the classroom sat a little girl who normally didn't pay much attention in school. In the drawing class she did. For more than twenty minutes, the girl sat with her arms curled around her paper, totally absorbed in what she was doing. The teacher found this fascinating. Eventually, she asked the girl what she was drawing. Without looking up, the girl said, “I'm drawing a picture of God.” Surprised, the teacher said, “But nobody knows what God looks like.
The girl said, “They will in a minute.”]

If you were to draw a picture of God this today, what would He look like? Would He be transcendent and unreachable? Would He be close and personal. Would He be angry or patient? You know, it is interesting the different ways we view God; particularly God the Father. And how we view Him can affect how we choose to relate to Him in our day to day lives. And in our passage today (Luke 15) we find a series of parables Jesus gives in a particular social gathering (probably in a house); parables that are meant to give His listeners a picture of who the Father is and how He wants to relate to us. 

Luke’s Unique Section— Now in Luke chapter 15, which is part of Luke’s unique section (not found in any of the other Gospels), Jesus is hitting his Jewish audience with perhaps the most unsettling (if not outright offensive) sermon series He could have ever preached in that culture, trying to reveal to them not only what kind of relationship that they are to have with the Father, but what lengths the Father is willing to go to make that relationship possible. And the first of these is of a shepherd and a lost sheep….

A Strange Shepherd— A shepherd is tending to your sheep one day. And at the end of the day he leads his sheep back to their sheep pen. And he starts counting them. But as he does, he realizes that (out of the hundred sheep) only 99 made it in. The other one is still out there. And at this point he does something Jesus’ audience would have thought ridiculous. He leaves the 99 sheep in their pen and go and look for that lost sheep; not a pleasant experience, especially if you had to do it in the heat of summer, which was absolutely scorching in Israel. So imagine being in the middle of nowhere chasing after a stinking sheep that has run off. If you're like me you would be thinking, "Just wait until I get my hands on that sheep. I'm gonna smack that sheep silly." But what is interesting is that the shepherd in Jesus' story never has that attitude. He is eager to find the sheep; and when He does, He has a spirit of love and rejoicing.

Shepherds’ Status— Now when it comes to this first parable about the lost sheep, we always look at this as being a nice, pretty, Psalm 23 kind of picture. But in ancient Middle Eastern culture, being a shepherd was not some beautiful, honorable thing. Shepherds were not only not impressive; they were not the kind of people you would ever want to associate with. In fact many of them were ex-cons. It was just about the lowest, worst job you could have in society; the most depleted life you could have was the life of a shepherd. So this comparison Jesus makes, picturing God the Father (the Creator of the universe) as a poor, dirty shepherd in the middle of nowhere that nobody cares about chasing after stinking ignorant sheep is not at all the picture Jesus' Jewish audience wanted to have of their God. Even while Jesus is sharing this parable, people in the audience are probably getting uncomfortable. That the God of the universe would be likened to an erratic, irrational, shepherd leaving his entire flock to chase after one single sheep; a sheep he could easily make up the loss for in a month or two? Jesus is giving His most important revelation to us by saying, “Your Father in heaven is so in love with you that He is willing to degrade Himself that much; to make Himself that low; to chase after you.”

Woman and Coin— And the next parable steps on even more toes. He says that our Father in heaven is like a woman who, having lost a wedding coin, is searching for it. Remember that Jewish girls, when they were proposed to, they were either given a ring or a special coin. Well that is probably what this coin was. Jewish women would wear it on their head. But sometimes it would fall out. And that is exactly what happened here. Now for us, finding something on our hardwood floors is pretty easy. And you would think she would find that coin pretty easily because houses were so small in those days. But when I went to Israel I got to go into some of these houses. And the first thing you notice is all these stones within the house. And there are all kinds of nooks and crannies that a coin could fall into. And I remember looking at the floor of the kind of house she would have lived in and I thought to myself, "My goodness, you could look for hours in this place and not find that coin. And that seems to be what this woman did. And when she finds it, she (like the shepherd) celebrates.

Not Equals— Now nobody in Jesus' audience would have liked this story. In our culture women are treated as equals. Now that doesn’t always happen, but that is the ideal. But in the Middle East you didn’t have that kind of philosophy at all. In fact it is appalling how most cultures in the ancient world treated women. Now God made immense provisions for women in Jewish culture that protected them, but they were never treated like equals. In fact, a woman’s testimony would not even be considered reliable (if considered at all) in court, which is is why Jesus’ choosing women to be the first witnesses to His resurrection is so powerful. But Jesus says here that Yahweh, the Lord of the heavens and the earth; the Blessed Eternal One who spoke the universe into existence; is compared to the like of a frantic woman, scurrying around a dingy house looking for a lost wedding coin? Even some of the women in Jesus’ audience are probably getting uncomfortable with Jesus’ imagery. Why are you trying to bring God down; and make Him low? And I think Jesus is saying, “If this imagery doesn’t sit well with you, then you have no idea who the Father is.” There is no depth He’s not willing to stoop to; no barrier He won’t cross’ (every pun intended) there’s no amount of dignity He’s not willing to give up if only to find you. This is how desperate the God of the Universe is to have a relationship with you and me. 

The Prodigal Son— And then comes perhaps Jesus’ most offensive parable yet; the parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus begins telling the story. It says...

Luke 15:11-12 (ESV)— 11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.

What the boy was asking for— Now that word for property is more than just wealth or money. It is the Greek word “ousia” which means “essence” or "life". So the boy is asking for the essence (or the very life) of the Father. This boy wants his father’s life. “I’m not willing to wait for my inheritance until you die. I want it now.” And what he’s really saying to his Father is, “You’re worth more to me dead than alive.” 

No tolerance for this— Now just remember the context this parable was written in. If a young man were to do in that culture what this young man did, he would have literally been killed (by stoning) immediately. There was no tolerance whatsoever in Jewish culture for this kind of rebellion. And throughout Jesus’ sharing of this parable, fathers in the group would be shaking their fingers at their sons, saying, “Don’t you dare try anything like this. It will cost you your life.”

What this did to the Father— And what this would do to the father was scandalous. Not only would the boy be dishonoring his father, but would also be dishonoring the town. Not only that, but the father would suffer financial loss, not only in the loss of much of his estate, but the fruit that that half of his estate would have produced over the years had he kept it. And in that time you had no life insurance policy; you had no nursing homes. Your kids were it. They were your insurance. They were the ones who would take care of you. If they leave you, then your life could be placed in jeopardy. Yet that is exactly what this son does. And what is amazing is that the father never utters one hint of argument or rebuke. He pretty much just says, “Ok. If that’s what you want, here you go.” And every person in the room listening to Jesus’ parable is growing angry. “What are you saying, Jesus? Are you saying God the Father; the Almighty Sovereign of the Universe; is like a dishonored man willing to have his child spit into His face again and again; take His life and the wealth and the richness of His blessings and still turn his heart in rebellion towards Him?” And Jesus probably said, “That’s exactly what I’m saying. The Father doesn’t give you the punishment you deserve because He craves a personal relationship with you.” And there is no other God like that in any other religion. 

Pakistani Woman’s Conversion— Some time ago I read about the conversion experience of a woman from the Muslim nation of Pakistan. And [For many years, her husband had been a major figure in the Pakistani government. She told about reading the New Testament and how impossible it was for her to believe that people could begin a prayer with the words “Our Father.” One thing she knew about Allah was that he was not like humans. He was greater than human beings and infinitely different; human categories could never be used to describe him, certainly not one as personal and direct as “father.”
She said that when she came to faith in Jesus Christ, her first response was to lift her heart and say, “Father,” and the moment she uttered the word, she fell on the floor in absolute terror of being killed for her impertinence. But instead, the heavenly Father came to her in all his love and compassion, and she heard one word: “Daughter.” She recalled, “I wept uncontrollably at the reality that God in his sovereignty and greatness could belong to me in that kind of relationship.”]

​Knowing The Father— In leu of Father’s Day today, I just think it is amazing that the primary picture the first person of the Trinity wants to be addressed is “Father”; not king; not Lord; not master; but Father. A Father who loves us intimately; a Father who is willing to suffer abuse and disobedience and rebellion from us if by any means He can restore us back into His family. And Jesus came to make that restoration possible. He wants to take us home to His Father’s house so that we can be a part of the family of God. Do you know Christ today? If not, ask Him into your life today, and He will make you a part of His family. It’s as simple as saying, “Jesus, come into my life. I receive you today. Forgive my sins; I receive you as my Lord and Savior.” If you’ve never prayed that prayer, do so today. And His family will become yours. Receive Him today.