Transcribed by Beluga AI.
Good afternoon, everybody. I’d like to welcome those who are here in person and also a handful of those who are joining online. Even if you’re not here, you’re all invited to my house for the Super Bowl.
The birds are chirping and eagles are soaring today. It’s a good day. Daniel Lim, he texted me from Hawaii. He said, God bless the Eagles. And I said, this year I don’t need to pray for the Eagles. They’re that good. This is not going to be a close game. I think the Eagles will win very easily. That’s my prediction.
So please turn with me to John, chapter five. We’ll read a couple of verses and then we’ll pray.
John 5:35-36. This is Jesus speaking about John the Baptist. He, John the Baptist, was a burning and shining lamp. And you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. (John 5:35-36, ESV)
Okay, let’s pray.
Father, we honor you. We lift up the Name of Jesus. Thank you, Father, for sending Jesus to us. Thank you for proving over and over throughout Scripture in human history that you are who you say you are. You are the Son of God.
We lift up your name. We pray that you would meet us. We open up our hearts wide. We want to encounter you, want to meet you. We ask you to change us. Burn away all the things that are in us that are not of you.
We want to be more and more like you, changed from one degree of glory to the next. Thank you, Lord. Pray that you meet us and be with us in this service. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
There are five groups of people in life that I believe that we can put people in these categories. One is people who are in the world. Jesus is not familiar to them. They don’t care about Jesus. In fact, Jesus is an obscenity that comes out of their mouth at times. And it’s an odd thing, like people who don’t believe in Jesus, suddenly in their time of anger, they curse the Name of Jesus. I think that is an indication that deep down inside everybody knows Jesus is Lord.
And when they are not living for Jesus, there is a rebelliousness that just comes out in those moments. It’s very interesting that people curse the Name of Jesus, the name that we revere above every name.
The second group of people are churchgoers. And this is not all churchgoers, but a good number, a good proportion, maybe even the majority of churchgoers, you could say, are not actually interested in meeting Jesus, although He is the Word of God and He wants to meet us.
Many churchgoers are more interested in their doctrine, their teaching, small group ministry. Friends, there’s many reasons to go to church, but that can’t be the main reason. It has to be meeting Jesus.
And then you have the seekers, and whether they are attending church or not, they know that deep down something is missing, something is not right, and that you are asking questions like, is this going to make me happy or is that going to make me happy?
And why can’t I be a better person? Why can’t I be more kind, more considerate, more loving? There are questions that come from the heart of a seeker, and I pray that none of us fall into these three categories. Eventually we move on to category number four.
You are a believer. You believe in Jesus, but you still can’t stop there. Because many people meet Jesus once, and because they only meet him once, they don’t change. And they assume they are a follower of Jesus, when actually they only met him once.
And he becomes more and more unfamiliar to them. His voice becomes more unfamiliar to them. Over time, they drift into other pursuits, and the heart grows cold. And then there is a disciple, somebody who is following Jesus closely,passionately.
And I think that’s the main difference between a believer and a disciple. So we want to talk today about being a disciple of Jesus. In John 3:36, we read, this is John the Baptist speaking. He says, whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.
Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life,but the wrath of God remains on him. If you believe in the Son, maybe based on this verse there can be some assurance that you will inherit eternal life. But if you look a little more carefully, it says, whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. And then he says, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life.
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36, ESV)
If you boil down Christianity to just a belief, a doctrine, I believe he is a Son of God. I believe he died for my sins. I believe he rose again. Does that guarantee eternal life? Maybe. But can it be said of that person who limits Jesus to a doctrinal statement? Could it be said of them that they obey the Son?
How do you obey the Son? You hear the voice of the shepherd, and as sheep, you follow his voice. That’s a little bit different to say, I obey Jesus. And that is the mark of a disciple. He obeys the voice of the Shepherd.
John 2:23. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus, on his part, did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people (John 2:23-24, ESV)
And the word for entrust there in verse 24 is the same word for believe in verse 23. So to believe equals to have faith equals to trust. I like the definition trust the best because trust is different than you believe.
Like you believe this person is good, but will you really entrust this person and marry this person? That’s a different matter altogether.
And Jesus, he sees the heart and he’s talking about the hearts of people who believe. But Jesus says, I don’t trust them because he knows all people. He knows what’s in the hearts of the people because trust is two way.
There are many people in church; they believe. But does Jesus entrust himself to them? Because trust is two way. I trust Jesus. Does he trust me? Am I a trustworthy person? Am I a reliable person? Am I a truthful person? Or am I a hypocritical person?
Am I just playing a part? Do I have idols in my heart?Jesus sees it all. And there’s only a subset of the believers,the true disciples, that Jesus says, I entrust myself to them.
It’s all about the heart. You know, Jackie trusts me when I say I’m going to the gym because she knows I’m not going to the bar. I am actually going to the gym because there’s trust. So I can just say something. She trusts me, she knows me, she knows my heart. I’ve proven myself, my actions, over 25 years of marriage.
Same thing with Jesus. He sees the heart. Can he trust us? Can he entrust himself to us? We say, I believe, I trust Jesus. Does Jesus trust us in return? It’s a two-way relationship.
John 4. It’s an official whose son was ill at Capernaum in verse 46. So he came to Cana in Galilee, where he made the water wine. And at Capernaum, there was an official whose son was ill.
When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. (John 4:46-47, ESV)
So Jesus said to him, unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. The official said to him, sir, come down before my child dies. So Jesus said to him, go, your son will live. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. (John 4:48-50, ESV)
Do you notice the faith of this official whose son was at the point of death? He wants Jesus to visit his house and pray over his son.But Jesus says, your son will live. And based on that word that he heard, he had faith.
Okay, I believe because Jesus said it. Because I believe in Jesus and his words. I trust him at his words. I’m going to go home. I believe my son is going to be healed.
And then we read on. Verse 51. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better.
And they said to him, yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever left him. The Father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, your son will live. And he himself believed in all his household.
51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. (John 4:51-53, ESV)
Anytime you take Jesus at his word, you’re expressing your trust in him. And it can happen in a moment that that word is going to be accomplished, or it can happen many years later. But it doesn’t change your faith, your trust. Jesus spoke. I received this word. This thing is going to happen.
And there are many prayer requests we’ve uttered, but deep down, we know Jesus heard us. He gave us a word.We hold on to the answer. We trust him. We take him at his word. But for this man,not only did Jesus say it, he got proof.
When he went home at the very hour Jesus said, your son will live, he got confirmation. That’s when the fever left. And this is faith that he had at the beginning based on the Word, now is leveling up.
How much more faith would he have when he knew an exact hour, the seventh hour, Jesus healed my boy. Believers, we take Jesus at his word. That takes faith. We hear something on a Sunday, we read something in our Bibles, and Jesus comes to us. He speaks to us, and we know he’s there.
It’s not all the time that we read a verse about healing, and we have an illness in our family. We have a crisis in our family. I had a crisis yesterday, and it was life or death, it was heaven or hell. But Jesus came through in a miraculous way. One day I will share a testimony about it.
But in those moments, you know Jesus was there, you know the Savior came. And we have moments when we take Jesus at his word, and he might show up in that moment, and the answered prayer request comes.
But the faith is, even when it doesn’t come, I believe. I trust Jesus. He knows what he’s doing, and the answer will surely come. Maybe not in this life, but certainly in the next life, all the explanation will be given why this thing happened. The answer will come, and how great it is.
When signs happen, miracles happen, wonders happen, answered prayers that are miraculous happen. Like what I experienced yesterday. I experienced Jesus coming through in a miraculous way. And all those answered prayers, it boosts our faith. But even without that, look at this man.
He believed he didn’t have to see it. The answer. He believed that’s where we want to be. Just on His Word alone, not the answered prayer necessarily. But I take Jesus at His word. I have faith in His Word. That is the baseline for a believer. I believe, I trust Jesus.
But let’s go beyond being a believer. Let’s start moving into discipleship. John 3:25. Now, a discussion arose among some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification.
And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he, speaking of Jesus, who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him. Jesus answered,a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. (John 3:25-27, ESV)
So John the Baptist, he was a big deal before Jesus came. His ministry was thriving. People were coming to the Jordan River, the wilderness. They were hearing a message about repentance. And people were cut to the heart. They were repenting.
They were saying, I need to meet this God that I thought I knew. I need to meet him over again. And this Messiah, I too want to prepare myself to meet Him. And this ministry was thriving. But here people are coming to John the Baptist and saying, all of your disciples are leaving you and they’re going to Jesus.
And John the Baptist, he says, a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. (John 3:27, ESV)
So here we’re getting into the heart of a disciple. Heart of a disciple understands. Everything I have in life is a gift from above. For John the Baptist, this ministry, this assignment, this calling, the fact that it was thriving for a season, he understands it’s not him. It was a gift from above.
The fact that we were born, the fact that we have health, the fact that we have parents, the fact that we have resources, the fact that we have a brain, we can think.
The fact that we have hands and we can serve, the fact that we have legs, we can move, the fact that we have a car, we can drive here, all of these things a disciple understands.
Everything I have has been a gift from above. You didn’t do anything to birth yourself. You didn’t do anything to have your set of genes, to have your IQ, to have your resources by being born in the country that you were born in. It was all a gift.
The fact that you’re living here now in America, arguably the wealthiest, the best country in the world, everybody wants to come to America. All of this is a gift from above.
A disciple in his heart, in her heart, knows everything is from above. I take no credit for it. I take no credit for everything as a gift from above.
And he goes on, in verse 28, you yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom.
The friend of the bridegroom, which stands and hears, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete.He must increase, but I must decrease.
28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:28-30, ESV)
John the Baptist is a perfect example of a disciple of Jesus Christ. It’s like a wedding, and your best friend is getting married. And you are one of the groomsmen. In fact, you are the best man. You love your friend. You would do anything for your friend. you’re standing there, and this day is not about you.
Groomsmen, bridesmaid, even the best man, or what’s the maid of honor. It’s not your day. you’re there to support the bridegroom and the bride, and you’re happy. The joy. If you truly love your friend, your joy is complete because they are the center of attention that day.
It’s not about you. It’s really about your friend. And this is the heart of a disciple. It’s not about me. My ministry, my personality, my name, my legacy. Imagine if I wanted to start a ministry and I call it Ray International Ministries, Rim. Something like that.
It’s not about Ray, please. A disciple is happy when Jesus is at the center. I’m the best man. I’m off to the side. I’m not even getting any attention. All my disciples are leaving me. It’s okay. It was supposed to be this way. They’re going to Jesus. Yes, I’m happy for that. Because I am not the bridegroom. I’m just the best man. I’m off to the side.
And we see the secret of John’s greatness,which I alluded to earlier. He said, I must decrease.Jesus must increase.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30, ESV)
That’s the attitude of a disciple. How do we do that? Through repentance, through humility. You have to choose if you have a big personality.That big personality cannot overshadow Jesus. The boring personality can’t hide Jesus.Jesus needs to increase. Needs to be more pronounced.
No matter what personality you have, it doesn’t matter. The personality, the. The big, the small, the extrovert, introvert, the gifting, the talents or no talents or no gifts, it doesn’t matter. The point is, is Jesus increasing through your life? And you, Ray Choi? Is Ray Choi decreasing?
Because I humble myself, because I repent of all that defines Ray Choi, I need to die to Ray Choi because I don’t want you to see me when you hear me on a Sunday. I want you to see Jesus.
So as best as I can, I’m trying to move myself out of the way. Jesus must increase. How do I get there? Through repentance of all that defines me, that characterizes me, all my personality flaws, all my brokenness that needs to be repented of. And I choose to humble myself, to go lower and lower.
That’s my choice. I’m sure you know church leaders who do the opposite. They elevate themselves. They always want their name in lights. They always want to be mentioned and praised. That is the opposite of a disciple. A disciple says Jesus, I lift up your name. Let me decrease. Let me humble myself.
If you’ve ever been at a campfire and you’re one of the ones who start the fire,in the beginning, it just smolders. you’ve lit the flame,but it’s smoldering. And what do you see come out? It’s not a clean smoke.
It is black because the wood is wet. There’s impurities in the wood. That’s the blackness that has to be burned out before the fire burns bright.
To me, this is a description of a Christian. We are actually. Let me read John 5. I got ahead of myself. John 5:32. Let’s listen to Jesus’s commendation of John the Baptist.
There’s another who bears witness about me. And I know that the testimony he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he was born witness to the truth. Now, not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.
He, John the Baptist, was a burning and shining lamp, and you’re willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony I have is greater than that of John, for the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I’m doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. (John 5:32-36, ESV)
And Jesus goes on to say, people have an affinity to glorifying other people. It is so natural. It’s so easy, easy to glorify other people. And many people in this moment are glorifying John the Baptist and giving him all the glory and the attention.
And it’s natural. Like, if you have a pastor you respect, there is a tendency, a temptation to lift up the name of the pastor or to lift up your favorite YouTuber, and you start glorifying this man, this person who seems to have some charisma, some influence, a big personality.
And Jesus is saying, I am greater than John the Baptist. In the John the Baptist, he fulfilled his mission well. He was a burning and a shining lamp. Where was he? Who was he shining toward? Or what was he? What was he shining?
What was he pointing toward as a lamp? He is pointing to Jesus Christ. He’s saying, look to him. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29, ESV)
This is the heart of a disciple. Don’t look to me. I am disappearing. Hopefully. I’m invisible. I’m a burning and a shining lamp, shining, pointing toward Jesus Christ. This is a disciple.
But the people who are coming to John the Baptist and saying all of these things and now interacting with Jesus, they still want to give glory to John the Baptist.
And Jesus saying, I’m greater. I’m greater than John the Baptist. The works that he did were impressive, but my works are even more impressive.
Why are you always glorifying man? Can you lift up your eyes and see who’s standing before you? You think I’m an ordinary man, but no, I am the Son of God. I deserve glory.
Going back to the campfire analogy, if we’re too full of ourselves, if we’re too full of sins and idols and character flaws and personality issues, the light might be in us, but what comes out is this black smoke.
And it’s actually not even that hot. Like when you first start the fire or when the fire is about to go out, there’s not much heat there. There’s a flicker of light, but there’s not much heat. And the smoke just blinds you.
And so when you meet Jesus and you stay a believer and do not progress to becoming a disciple, the fire could be there, but it’s just a little spark, a little ember. It’s about to die. And because we’re so full of ourselves, what comes out is this black smoke. People can’t see Jesus in us.
But John the Baptist, his secret was, Jesus must increase, I must decrease. I must be passionate for Jesus.I must shine and point people to Jesus. That’s why Jesus says, there is no person greater than John. The Baptist, he is a disciple worthy of imitation.
How do we get on fire for Jesus? Like, I’m fired up today for the Eagles, but it’s just a football game. Tomorrow, I’ll forget who won. I’ll be happy for a few hours; tomorrow, it’ll be a new day.
But people are so fired up about their team, so fired up about their job, so fired up about whatever they’re passionate about, whatever they’re distracted with, it doesn’t last. It really doesn’t last.
In my spark. Wait a day, wait a month, wait a year. It’s all going to burn away. It’s all going to fizzle out. How do we stay fired up for Jesus?
Luke 24:32. This is the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They witnessed the crucifixion. They did not know Jesus rose again. So they were a believer of sorts. They had some level of faith. They didn’t see how the story ended with the resurrection.
They’re going back to their city, Emmaus. And Jesus, the resurrected Christ, meets them on the road, but he veils himself. They can’t. They don’t understand. They don’t see that Jesus is talking to them on the road.
But at the end of the conversation, after he leads them through a Bible study, and he connects the dots and shows how all of these things that they’ve learned about in the synagogue, it all points to Jesus.
45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, (Luke 24:45, ESV)
Then the veil comes down. The eyes open, they see Jesus, and then Jesus disappears. And this is their confession of faith. Luke 24:32.They said to each other, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road,while he opened to us the Scriptures?
32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32, ESV)
What is the secret to being on fire for Jesus is first you have to have the understanding that Jesus is the Word. And so when you open up the Bible, you’re not just learning principles or truths because Jesus is the truth.
And if you approach the Word of God academically, your heart can remain disengaged and cold.
But if you open up your heart and you say, Jesus, I want to meet you, there will be moments as you go through Scripture that your heart will light on fire because your eyes open.
And Jesus, you didn’t see him before. Suddenly he reveals himself. I’m right here. I’m right next to you. Here’s the truth of this verse. And your hearts burn.
That’s how we stay on fire. Every time you open up Scripture, you’re waiting for that heart to burn. That’s a sign that Jesus came to you.
Sometimes it’s through a miraculous answer to prayer, like I experienced yesterday on a phone call. But many times it’s through the Word of God.
I remember when I came to faith. I was a college student, a sophomore, 1993. I grew up in the church, but my heart was cold. Just Jesus was so boring. And then I started to see Jesus. He was exposing my heart.
I didn’t know I was a sinner. I didn’t know I was lost. I didn’t know I had pride in my heart. I didn’t know I was selfish. I didn’t know I was rebellious. And God started softening my heart toward the truth of His Word and my condition as a person. And then one day, he opened up my eyes.
And maybe you can. Maybe. If you are a believer or disciple, think back to the last time, either at a service or at your home, when you’re opening up Scripture, when your heart burned. That’s how you know something is happening to you. And in that service, my heart was burning.
Sunday morning is like college students, you’re half asleep on a Sunday morning. You’re up late doing who knows what the night before. And my heart was burning. My heartbeat was racing, like beating out of my chest.
And I knew the invitation to come forward and accept Christ was given. And I didn’t. I’m so shy. I don’t want to come forward. A room full of strangers, hundreds of people, I don’t want to do that.
That’s the last thing I would want to do. But when the heart burns like I have no choice, Jesus calls me by name. And I just heard his voice,and I went forward. That was a season, those early years, when my heart burned frequently.
Another season of my life where my heart burned was when I was graduating from college, 96, 97. Every sermon about giving your life to Jesus, living for Jesus—maybe other people, their heart was not stirred by those messages. But for me, I knew God was calling me to be a pastor.
And so as I’m thinking about my future as a senior in college, my heart was burning again. I knew Jesus was there.
But over the years, Scripture becomes familiar. And those moments where things jump out at you in the beginning, like everything’s new, everything jumps out. your heart burns. Often, regularly. But as things get familiar, doesn’t our hearts grow cold? Maybe. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold. And what is that? That’s lukewarm.
So what’s our spiritual temperature? Are we fired up for Jesus? I pray we can all be fired up. I’ll end with a Samaritan woman. An example of somebody whose heart was totally cold.
A religious woman, but by the end, her heart was burning. John 4:4. And Jesus, he had to pass through Samaria.Why did Jesus have to pass through Samaria? Because Jesus had to save this woman.
4 And he had to pass through Samaria. (John 4:4, ESV)
Think back to the time Jesus saved you. He had the same heart. I had to be there in Berkeley. I had to be there and fill in the city that you were in when Jesus saved you. I had to be there in Bellflower because I was going for you. I was coming to save you. Jesus has that heart.
You can think it’s a waste of talent. Like, why are you going for one woman?Why don’t you go for the masses? Why don’t you do this big ministry and keep on gathering thousands upon thousands and feed them bread and grow this large ministry in the wilderness?
Why are you going after one person? Because that’s his heart out of hundreds of people. Ninth November,1993. He was looking at me. He visited that church in Berkeley because he wanted to save me.
He had to be there. He had to be there. John 4:13. Jesus said to her, everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again.
13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, (John 4:13, ESV)
So this is an encounter at a water well. And this woman is going there because maybe she’s embarrassed. She’s going in midday. And Jesus deliberately meets her when they’re by themselves at this water well. And he says, everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again.
Verse 14. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. Again, the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The water said to him, sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.
13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:13-15, ESV)
Before you meet Jesus, you’re constantly thirsty, constantly thirsty. And you’re wondering, will this satisfy me? Will this quench me? And every time you try it, it might quench you for a moment.
But my experience for 19 years before I knew Jesus, everything I tried, nothing quenched my thirst until I met him. And it’s my, and maybe Jackie can be my witness.
From the time that I met Jesus, at least Jackie can testify for 25 years, once I met Jesus, I have no more thirst in the truest sense. I have no other desire, no other bucket list like I need this.
Sometimes I joke, if Easy Cloud grows, I’d love to have a helicopter. It’d be nice to fly around because I hate sitting in traffic. I mean, I say these things, but deep down, I really. I don’t need anything.
Before I knew Jesus, I was trying to have everything I wanted, everything I want. It’s like, what can I fill this empty heart with? I was so thirsty after I met him. My thirst problem was solved eternally.
I don’t need anything else. I have what I need. God has blessed me with more. But if he takes it all away, if he takes it all away, I pray that I would stand and still testify. I’m not thirsty for more. I have all that I need in Christ.
And if you hear a man who says you’ll never be thirsty again, you’re really intrigued. And she says, sir, give me this water. She thinks it’s some magical physical water, some vitamin water that will quench her thirst. She’ll never have to physically go to this well.
But of course, Jesus is talking about a deep spiritual thirst that we all have,and we’re all trying to fill it with the wrong thing. Jesus says, verse 16, Jesus said to her, go call your husband and come here. The woman answered him, I have no husband.
Jesus said to her, you’re right in saying I have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (John 4:16-18, ESV)
For you to meet Jesus, you have to come to grips with who you are on the inside. We all project a certain image. I got it all figured out. I’m okay on the inside, but Jesus sees it.
The fact that this person is on her sixth man. Five failed marriages, nothing works. This sixth man, I’m not even bothering with the ceremony.
I’m just living with this guy. I don’t. I don’t. It’s like, I don’t have much hope, but I don’t want to be by myself. You have to come to this realization.
Jesus knows me and he’s showing me who I am. And for me to come to faith in Christ, I had to say, I was so bankrupt, I’m so lost. I need Jesus.
They start speaking about worship. Do you worship on this mountain, Mount Gerasene, where the Samaritans worship? Do I worship in Jerusalem? That’s what the Jews say. We need to worship.
And Jesus says, John 4:24, God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming.He who is called Christ. When he comes, he will tell us all things. And then Jesus answered, I who speak to you, am he.
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:24-25, ESV)
The one you’ve been waiting for, I’m here. Anybody who’s thirsty. Jesus saying, I am the only one who can quench that thirst. I have living waters that do not exist in this world. Only I can baptize you in the Holy Spirit. And you will be totally satisfied with me for all eternity.
And from that moment, her heart began to burn. How do we know this? Verse 28. So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, come see a man who told me all that I ever did.Can this be the Christ?
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:28-29, ESV)
Not only is her heart burning,she is shining to everybody in her town. To save this world, we don’t need many disciples. We just need a few people who are fired up for Jesus. Because one person equals many in the town being saved.
It doesn’t take many of us. Just a few people is all that God needs to save many more people in this world. People who are burning with passion for Jesus, who are shining the light of Jesus.
This woman was one person fired up many in her town. They came to Jesus. We read. They heard Jesus for himself, so they’re not taking her word for it. They came and spoke with Jesus themselves. And they came to believe. Oh, yes. He is the Messiah.
In John 1, as soon as Andrew met Jesus, what did he do? He went to his brother, Simon Peter. You got to meet the Messiah. When Philip met Jesus in John 1, what was the next thing that he did? Because he was on fire, because he was shining, he went to visit his friend Nathaniel. You gotta meet Jesus.
Hill Community Church. Our name is named Hill Community because I believe one day we will be a city on a hill. A lamp should not be under a bowl. It should not be hidden, but should be put on a high place and shine in a city like Bellflower,like LA, for all the world to see Jesus.
It only takes a few of us who are burning with passion for Jesus, who lift up the Name of Jesus, who say, I must decrease, let Jesus’ Name increase, and who meet Jesus over and over again. Because a fire can burn for a moment.
Tomorrow it’s already out. You got to meet him again, get on fire again, and then shine. That’s how we can save Bellflower. That’s how we can save LA. That’s how we can save this world.
Okay, let’s pray.
Father, we want to progress beyond merely being a believer who meets you one time or once in a long time. We want to be people who regularly meet you, either through signs and wonders and answers to prayer. When you move and you heal and you deliver and you save.
But more regularly, may it happen as we read your word. As the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were talking to you,and you were revealing the truth of Scripture, how everything pointed to you. You are the Messiah. You are the Son of God.
We thank you for the life of John the Baptist. Thank you that he knew that his ministry, everything, was a gift from above. He was the best man who was overjoyed at the wedding ceremony where Jesus, the bridegroom, would get all the glory and the attention.
It is our heart’s confession. Jesus must increase, we must decrease. We humble ourselves, we repent, we surrender. We repent of all our personality flaws, all our inconsistencies, all our sins, all our pride, all our arrogance, all our harshness, everything that defines who we are, we repent of them.
When we step out into this world, may people not see those things. It’s just black smoke. May we passionately meet you regularly. May all the impurities be burned up in your fiery presence. You are consuming fire. May all the sins, all the apathy, all the cold heart be burned up. May we be lit ablaze for your name.
May we be fired up for Jesus. May we shine for all of Bellflower to see, all of LA, and all the world. Lord, help us to have a heart to want to tell family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers about Jesus.
It starts with an encounter with Jesus that causes our hearts to burn. May it happen today, may it happen regularly. Thank you, Lord, for Your Body that was broken for us and your blood that was shed. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
