Sermon notes:

Love makes all things easy (John 15:9-17)

The Definition of love: ________________________ (1 John 4:16).

Sin is a turning ____________________ on oneself (St. Augustine; Martin Luther).

Love is a turning ____________________ toward others (1 Corinthians 13:4-9).

The Source of love: ________________________ (v.9; 1 John 4:19).

The Mediator of love: ________________________ (v.9).

The nature of love: ____________________________________________ (v.10; Matthew 22:34-39; Romans 13:10).

The result of love: ________________________ and __________________________ (v.11; 1 Peter 4:8).

The revelation of love: ______________________________ (v.13; John 3:16).

The implication of love: ________________________ (v.16a).

The goal of love: _____________________________________________ (v.16b).

The ease of love (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 John 3:5).

Sermon notes:

The Master Gardener (John 15:1-8)

I. Jesus is the true Vine (as opposed to __________________ Israel) (v.1; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21, etc.).

II. Our Father (Vinedresser) does two things to produce fruit:

A. He _____________________ fruitless branches (vv.2a,6).

1. Jesus arouses our anxiety.

2. His goal is our ___________________.

B. He _______________ fruitful branches (v.2b).

1. We’ve been ________________ into the Vine (Romans 6:3-5; 11:17).

2. Pruning involves both ____________ and ____________ (vv.2b,3,5,7-8).

III. To _____________________ in Christ guarantees:

A. fruitfulness (vv.4-5);

B. effective prayer (v.7).

IV. The true Vine’s gracious invitation: “_____________________” (vv.4-7)!

A. Don’t go wild!

B. Only _________________ can branches live (v.6)!

Sermon notes:

What’s so good about this Shepherd? (John 10:11-18)

I. It is our nature to flee a crisis. It is the nature of Jesus to _______________________________(v.11b; John 18:4).

A. Ordinary shepherds protect their sheep by avoiding death; the Good Shepherd protects the sheep ___________________________ His death.

B. The death of an ordinary shepherd means disaster for the sheep. The death of the Good Shepherd means ________________________ for the sheep (John 10:10).

C. The death of an ordinary shepherd leaves the sheep exposed and scattered (v.13). The Good Shepherd’s death ______________________ the flock and draws it to Himself (v.16; John 12:32).

II. He knows us __________________________ (John 10:3).

A. Knowing is evidence of ______________________ (vv.14-15).

B. Knowing another involves _____________________________ (Exodus 6:7).

1. God loves; we are the ones loved.

2. God saves; we are the ones saved.

C. The Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world (John 17:24), but His Father loves Him all the more for ____________________________ (vv.17-18).

D. We know Christ (and, therefore, the Father) _________________________ when we believe that He lays down His life for us all (vv.11,16).

Sermon notes:

Living God’s Story (Luke 24:36-49)

I. ____________________ alone is not sufficient to produce faith.

A. It can produce terror (v.37).

B. It can seem “too good to be true” (v.41).

II. Faith comes by _________________________ God’s story [i.e. the Scriptures] (vv.45-47; Romans 10:17).

A. _________________________ is more than entertainment. It is a fundamental part of being human.

1. We live inside stories. We ___________________ in stories.

2. Stories enable us to make ___________________ of the world.

B. The Old Testament predicts/anticipates Christ’s death and resurrection less in _______________________ and more in _____________________ (vv.44-47; John 5:39).

1. Adam (Genesis 2:7).

2. Isaac, raised on the third day (Genesis 22:1-4; Hebrews 11: 19).

3. Joseph (Genesis 37:33; 45:28).

4. Israel, raised on the third day (Hosea 6:1-2).

5. Dry bones (Israel) brought to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14).

6. Jonah, raised on the third day (Jonah 1:17).

7. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego (Daniel 3:12-27).

8. Daniel (Daniel 6:16-22).

III. God’s (Christ’s) story shapes and gives meaning to our own.

A. _____________________ connects us to Christ’s story (Romans 6:3-4).

B. We daily die to self and live a new life (Galatians 2:20).

Sermon notes:

How to hear God speaking to you (John 20:23)

I. Know ______________ Jesus is.

A. Jesus is not bound, but He has bound us to His Word.

B. The church (MaƩhew 18:20; John 20:19,26; Ephesians 1:22-23).

II. Know ______________ Jesus speaks.

A. What is “the Office of the Keys?”

1. It is the unique authority given to the church on earth to

________________ and _______________ sins (v.23).

a. Unknown in the Old Testament.

b. This authority is given to ___________________ (MaƩhew 9:8; 18:18).

2. The Keys are administered publicly by the

_________________________ (Preaching, BapƟsm, Lord’s Supper,

AbsoluƟon) and privately by the ________________________

(AbsoluƟon).

a. “A Jesus without grace is unthinkable, but a Jesus without warnings

is all too __________________” (Frederick Dale Bruner).

b. “This sentence [v.23] lays down the duty of the church to proclaim

forgiveness to the penitent in heart, and the warn the impenitent

that they are __________________ the mercy of God” (William

Barclay).

B. What is confession?

1. First, we confess our sins (Mark 1:5; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9).

2. Second, we receive absoluƟon/forgiveness from the pastor as from God

Himself.

a. When someone speaks forgiveness to you, it is the

____________________ speaking to you (v.23; MaƩhew 16:19; 18:18-20;

Luke 10:16).

b. No one should be forced to go to confession. I would rather have

____________ choose to come than to have ______________

forced to come.

III. Know ____________ Jesus speaks (John 20:31; Luke 19:10; James 5:19-20)

Sermon notes:

The Crucified One; He has risen! (Mark 16:1-8)

I. Fact (____________________) + meaning (____________________) = the Gospel (v.6; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:7-20).

A. “Seeking” Jesus is not a _________________ in Mark’s Gospel (v.6; cf. 1:32; 3:32; 8:11-12; 11:18; 12:12; 14:1,11; 14:55)

B. Not “who was crucified” but, literally, “the crucified one” (v.6, a perfect passive participle, referring to something that happened in the past and continues in the present; Luke 24:40; 1 Corinthians 2:2).

II. The resurrection does not eclipse the crucifixion, it ___________________ it (Romans 4:25).

A. God raised not just anyone, but the One ____________________ for us all (v.6).

B. The _____________________ gives the cross its power (Romans 1:4; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Colossians 2:13-14).

III. Application: Failure isn’t final!

A. Even if no one else is ___________________, Jesus is (v.7; 2 Timothy 2:13).

B. The first act of His public ministry is to gather disciples (Mark 1:16-20), and the first act of His resurrected life is to __________________ them (v.7).

C. Christ builds His church despite human failure, and it is human failure makes the church, and its ministry of forgiveness, ____________________.

D. For us and our salvation, He remains the _______________________ (v.6; Romans