Sunday Sermons | Evergreen Church

With his earthly life almost complete, John speaks of another remarkable encounter with Jesus.  Inspiration for faithfulness comes from an accurate vision of Jesus as He is.  Heavenly realities begin to replace earthly counterfeits.  This understanding is key to life as a Jesus-follower.

Jesus now settles the matter of Peter’s denial with a resurrection interview. This piercing conversation removes the last traces of Peter’s self-confidence and secures a trustworthy leader for the coming church. Likewise, in a postscript, John settles his own standing as well. The call of Christ always follows examination by Christ. 

This passage is the longest account of any appearance of the risen Lord in Galilee. The disciples, still uncertain about the implications of His resurrection for their future, have been instructed to carry out His mission. But how? When? Where? With what resources? Much remains for them before gaining the confidence eventually displayed at Pentecost.

Morning revelations now give way to evening revelations. What a day it had been, that first Easter—consternation among the Lord’s enemies and appearances to His friends! He was seen by Mary Magdalene and other women, two disciples traveling to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-36), and privately to Peter (Luke 24:34). Now, it only remains for the rest of the Twelve to see.

Burial is not the end of this drama. The tomb is only a punctuation mark in a story that began before the foundation of the world. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the proof that satisfies human intellect and comforts human emotion. Easter is always the answer!

Cicero called crucifixion, “the cruelest and foulest of punishments.” The physical agony of the cross combined with shame and mockery to make one’s final hours unbearable. John’s account is recorded matter-of-factly; yet it is replete with pathos and humanity amidst the evil.

As the nighttime trials of Jesus transition into day, the wicked machinations of His godless enemies become more blatant and despicable. No moment in human history can compare to when God Incarnate is declared “Guilty!” by evil men and their complicit lackeys. All creation certainly looked on that day in utter horror and righteous anger.

The arrest took place in the dead of night, cowardly in its execution. The Jewish trials were sham affairs meant to cover a previously determined verdict with a façade of legality. Roman confirmation of guilt involved a gutless politician taking the path of least inconvenience. In each encounter, Jesus was confident, unintimidated and in command.

Now we move into the unfolding drama of the passion of Jesus Christ, beginning with His nighttime arrest. Peter continues to act as representative of the band of disciples, although not with the best results. What do these encounters teach us about the spiritual battle that inevitably confronts all true Jesus-followers?

“One day as I was reading the second chapter of 1 John, I realized that my personal life’s objective regarding holiness was less than that of John’s. He was saying, ‘Make it your aim not to sin.’ I realized that deep within my heart my real aim was not to sin ‘very much.’ Can you imagine a soldier going into battle with the aim of ‘not getting hit very much?’” (Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holine...

As Jesus transitions from instruction to intercession, He reminds the disciples again who He is (the Son from the Father) and who they are (followers in need of peace and courage). His teaching is complete for now, and the greatest prayer in the Bible is about to begin.

Having completed His teaching about the Holy Spirit, Jesus returns to the subject of His departure. Imagine the difficulty of comprehending this statement from the other side of the cross—they could not fathom what He meant. But soon enough, immediate sorrow is transformed into permanent joy!

As the moment of His departure approaches, Jesus spends more time teaching about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is our Helper (John 14:15-17) and our Interpreter (John 14:25-31); but now Jesus unveils even more of the Spirit’s work around us and through us. Through Him, the Christian life is possible and our impact in the world is made tangible.

Moving from the image of vine and branches, Jesus now encourages His followers with reminders of all that they have in Him and preparations for the troubles that relationship will produce for them in the world. The contrast is unmistakable; so why would we ever choose the wrong object of our deepest affections?

More than at any other time in history, our generation is searching for influence. The temptation that the people of God face today is to see our relationship with others the way the world does. But God’s wisdom is always contrary to the world’s perspective. The challenge for us is to cultivate a heart that is tuned to hear the voice of God and walk in obedience to it.

Paul completes his survey of the Christian life by exploring the everyday implications of the Spirit-filled life for human relationships; and then he turns to that same life played out in the invisible realm. The clear implication is that spiritual warfare is not to be seen as some esoteric or unusual feature of Christianity, but rather, the common concern of followers.

Ephesians pulsates with a double desire: that believers have a fuller comprehension of what God in Christ is doing in them and for them, and that their lives measure up to His work of grace. The theology of salvation now becomes intensely practical as Paul offers detailed instruction about becoming “imitators of God.”

Flowing out of the grand discussion of God’s purposes in chapter one, Paul now reviews the spiritual history and future of every believer. He describes how new life in Jesus is possible because Jesus provides a way into the unapproachable presence of God. These chapters comprise the Bible’s finest description of who we are as the people of God.

Ephesians is the pinnacle of the Apostle Paul’s writing career. It is a letter for all times and peoples. Ephesians serves as an explanation of God’s purpose for the entire universe, especially the people of God known as the Church. It is also the perfect manual for 2023—Evergreen’s Year of Advance.

With the solitude of the upper room now over and the agony ahead, Jesus talked as He walked. The next conversations are crucial to the life and activity of a Jesus-follower. The intensity of the moment lends incredible weight to these revelations and instructions for His disciples then, and no less for us now.

Here in the Upper Room, Jesus now begins to explain the gift and ministry of the Holy Spirit. As He prepares the disciples for His absence, He explains why the loss of His visible presence is a good thing for them (and for us). His Spirit will not only be with them, but in them!

The opening words of Jesus’ final evening with His friends give us both the clearest description of heaven found in the New Testament AND an incredible invitation to live this earthly life as a personal representative of Jesus Christ Himself! Future and present…the Christian life in a nutshell.

At an insignificant location, one of the most significant events of the Gospels occurs. Peter leads the way by proclaiming who Jesus really is, and the nascent church receives her authority to impact the world. Evergreen stands on this confession and this authority as we advance boldly into the future before us.

The most familiar Bible stories often hold the most profound lessons. In the Christmas story, deep truths may be re-discovered by meditating on characters very different from us: angels and shepherds. Apart from gifts and food, can you recall why Christmas is such a big deal?

Eight hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah saw God’s promise to mankind. To a troubled world, the promise of Christmas is perfect peace forever. Christmas is not an end in itself; it is a declaration of future hope, a declaration renewed every Christmas.