The passage should serve as a stern warning to all of us, because the reality is, you can talk about Jesus, even talk to Jesus, but never really know Jesus.

Through the simple act of washing His disciples' feet, Jesus demonstrated humble servanthood which should point us to three things: first, we see the depth of Christ’s love (vv. 1-5), second, we’re reminded of our need to be washed by him (vv. 6-11), and lastly, we’re instructed to wash each other’s feet as well (vv. 12-17).

Simply saying, “I believe in god” isn’t going to cut it on judgment day. This is what Jesus is telling us in John 12:44-50! Jesus is central to what we believe, of course, because he’s God.

But it’s not just that he’s God; He’s how we can experience peace with God. You have to rest in Christ’s atoning work on the cross. That his sacrifice on the cross was enough to pay for your sins so you can have communion with the living God.

Charles Spurgeon said, "The same sun which melts wax hardens clay. And the same Gospel which melts some persons to repentance hardens others in their sins."

Which are you?

There are some things in life that just aren’t worth it. We can anticipate the cost being far too high.

But what we see in this passage is that Jesus knew what was expected of him. He knew he was going to have to go to the cross, and yet, he did it.

For the Christian to truly live, he or she must first die.

Why the palm branches, why the cloaks, why the hosannas, why are they doing all of this? What do they know? Or the better question is, what do they expect from Jesus?

I think that’s really the key question. What do they expect from Jesus? Because if we put inaccurate or incorrect expectations on Jesus then we will miss him entirely. We have to accept him the way he presents himself. We have to expect him to do what he said he would do.

There are three things that must be included in one’s definition of worship. First it must be Christ-centered. Next, worship is a corporate activity. It’s something that Christians come together to do which is the apex of worship that’s been directed to us by God. But there’s also private or individual worship as well. I think all three of those things are necessary for a good definition of worship.

But what about this word as a descriptor for worship: Divisive?

There is no middle ground when it comes to Jesus Christ. There are only two options: trust in Christ for the salvation of your soul, or reject him in unbelief.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Reverend Doug Hart preach from John 11:38-44.

It’s in this passage that we learn something incredibly profound. Jesus doesn’t idly stand back and watch you grieve and suffer. Rather, Jesus shares in your grief, pain, sorrow, and it makes him angry. That may sound rather surprising, but don’t worry, I’ll do my best to explain what I mean!

There are three things we see from this passage: First, we discover that Jesus grieves with his followers (vv. 28-30). Second, we learn that we should take our pain and grief to him (vv. 31-32). And we learn lastly, that our grief, pain, and sorrow makes our Lord angry (33-37).

Perhaps you’ve heard someone say that past behavior is the greatest predictor of future behavior. It makes sense that a person’s previous actions are great indicators of what he or she may do in the future.

What we see in these verses is something similar, but with a slight twist: It’s not the past that predicts the Christian’s eternal future, it’s the present. It’s the here and now. Because your eternal future is secured by a present faith in Christ.

Lazarus is ill and near death when his sisters send an SOS to Jesus. But what’s most troubling about this whole story is the fact that Jesus drags his feet going to Judea.

It seems odd doesn’t it? Especially when you consider the fact that Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were good friends with Jesus.

No doubt, there are lessons for us in these initial sixteen verses, but one of the major things that I think we can take away from this passage is that we should not understand the Lord’s delays as his denials.

Why does it matter if you claim you believe in the Bible if your life doesn’t, in any way, reflect that claim? The Christian’s reliance upon God’s Word should be more than a skin deep verbal affirmation. As I heard one pastor put it, “Scripture should be in our bones.”

The Christian’s assurance isn’t grounded in themselves - it’s grounded in the Lord.

I think R.C. Sproul said it best in commentary on John: “We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us.”

This Sunday we had the privilege of having one of Providence’s temporary elders, Rev. Doug Hart, preach from Psalm 27.

Death, which is the thing that causes us the most pain and sadness in this life, the Christian can face with confident hope.

And of course that hope isn’t found in anything that you have done or in anything that you can do - rather the source of the Christian’s resurrection hope is only found in Jesus Christ.

When was the last time you were reminded of God’s love? When was the last time you really stopped to ponder the depth of God’s love?

This passage is densely theological but the theology really points us to Christ’s love for the sheep. After all, sacrifice, intimacy, inclusion, and voluntarism are expressions of love.

What we learn from this passage is that the good shepherd, Jesus, offers each of us abundant life. He is the door we must pass through in order to receive spiritual nourishment, protection, and guidance, because there are thieves and robbers who want to lead you and me astray. There are three points that I want to highlight this morning: First, we see the role of the shepherd (vv. 1-6), second, we see the threat of thieves (vv. 7-8), and lastly, we see the provision of the good shepherd (v. 9-10).

We live in a world that craves authenticity, and yet we somehow lack it. Social media encourages you and me to only post the highlights of our lives. The best vacations, the big graduations, and big promotions only those sorts of things find their way onto social media. But that doesn’t reflect real life! No one’s life is one perpetual highlight reel. In many ways, it’s disingenuous.

But God demands authenticity. In fact, he demands sincere authentic worship. And authentic worship is the result of a living and active faith in Christ.