More Jesus
Joe Henseler · Faith Church · Sep 9, 2018
analyzing
Workbench
Words
4,653
Avg sentence
13.7 words
Vocabulary variety
0.72
moderately varied
Questions
40
Key ideas· repeated words and phrases
jesus97john59follow27god26people24love23book21life20john's13john chapter5follow jesus5front row5believe12james12hey12need11next11because11chapter11next week4eternal life4row seat4peter james4world10
Pacing
avg 148 wpm · peak 216 at 18:00
Rhetorical fingerprint · per 1,000 words · click to see examples · 7 scripture readings excluded
Repeated openers: “i want” (12), “i need” (6), “i mean” (6), “and you” (5), “and he” (5), “i don't” (4)
Sentence structure · diagram + recurring patterns
0.18 adjectives per noun
I want more prestige more recognition I want more power, I want more control, I want more.
We just don't have enough room.
You know, whatever you think -- I need more money.
Recurring structural signatures — click to read examples:
Argument map · logical progression through the sermon
Conclusion
3
Contrast
19
Cause
10
Condition
17
Example
3
Each step is a rhetorical move; the line follows the argument in order — click to read.
Style & content · click a tile to see examples
Voice · pronoun mix, % of all pronouns
I / me (personal)
25
we / us (communal)
13
you (direct address)
23
he / she / they
39
Language texture
Transitions by type
cause
72
sequence
23
contrast
20
addition
8
Non-English words
None detected
Theological claims · rough pattern match — subject + assertion
People mentioned
Jesus ·70John ·66Jesus. ·23James ·11Peter ·6Matthew ·5Mark ·5grace ·4Luke ·4John. ·3Jesus Christ ·2C.S. Lewis ·1
Places mentioned
Jersey. ·1kingdom of God ·1Poland Springs ·1Palestine ·1mountain." Jesus ·1
Rhythm & tone
Time orientation · % of verbs
past (narrative)
14
present (exhortation)
83
future (hope)
4
Story vs teaching: 2.7% narrative
Emotional tone
love
27
hope
4
joy
2
fear
1
lament
1
Repeated phrases & openers
sons of thunder ·7come follow me ·6james and john ·6jesus is the ·6grace and truth ·4john chapter 21 ·4front row seat ·4follow me and ·4i want ·12i need ·6i mean ·6and you ·5
Tone & pitch
median 178 Hz · range 126–262 Hz
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Transcript
So for letter word more more everyone wants it right you want more Isn't that what our lives revolve around actually more I want more things. I want more something so I dream about more I Spend my energy trying to get more my life revolves around these kinds of things so I want more Relationships I want more friendship. I want more prestige more recognition I want more power, I want more control, I want more. I want more bedrooms. We just don't have enough room. I want more bathrooms. Have you seen my husband? You know, whatever you think -- I need more money. I need more vacation. I only need more hours at work. If I just could get more education, I just want more. I want more food. I need more sex. I want more to drink. I want more high. I want more purpose. I need more peace. I mean, put the word more in front of most of the things we do. We're constantly seeking, chasing, dreaming, spending ourselves on getting more. It's kind of the human condition. It's what we do. So imagine for a moment that you got more of whatever your more is. Once you get more and you start enjoying more, what happens next? You want more again because there's something about it like I want this more because I think this more is gonna satisfy me It's gonna make life better. It's gonna make me feel good. I'm gonna be happy I'm gonna be filling the blank and then I get it and the new car smell wears off and I just can only get another one and I'm Trading I'm constantly seeking I'm chasing it's this endless cycle that we all go through all the time I dream of more I spend to get more I is for a long enough time so I just chase it again. I need more, I dream more, I get more, I enjoy more, I start over again. And we do this with people, we do this with possessions, we do this with technology, we do this with careers, we do this all the time. I don't think the issue is more. I don't believe the issue is our universal desire for more. That's not the issue. You know there's a guy named C.S. Lewis probably most famous, the Chronicles of Narnia, smart dude, and he says this about this desire. He says, "creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists." A baby feels hungry. Well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim. Well, there is such a thing as water. Well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. Track it with what he's saying. I've got this desire for more, and more is not the problem. Maybe I was created for something more, something beyond this world. Maybe just maybe seeking more sex, more money, more power, more relationships, more things. Isn't the issue? Those things just don't meet the need. Maybe the issue is I was created for something so much more, for someone so much more. that he's the more that God, just think of this probability that maybe God designed us to seek after more, that that's hardwired into all of us so this endless cycle of what we all do isn't an accident and isn't the problem, it's actually designed. And that he designed us to find our satisfaction in him. satisfaction. And you go, are you kidding me? Like, I can't touch him. I can't smell him. I can't taste him. I can't hear him. You're telling me that this God who is more feels better than an iPhone? This God who is more is better than sex, better than more What if he gets the fact that we struggle to comprehend this? Because he's this big thing that we can't see or touch or understand that he's so cosmically large that us finite humans, we can't get our minds around this. What if he gets that about us? So he designed us for more and he gets that he's way too big to fit into our world that in the person of Jesus Christ, to kind of human size, the super-sized, to humanize and come to us full of grace and truth, to show us the love of God, the power of God, the grace of God that we desperately long for. What if Jesus is the more, the more that we long for, the more that we'll satisfy, the more that we'll forgive and give peace and hope? with you over the next season at Faith Church. That is it possible that Jesus is the lasting satisfaction and that we all desperately want, and that when we lean into Him and know Him and try to understand Him and fall in love with Him, that He actually satisfies us beyond just the religious fix. That's kind of the exploration over this next season as we start into this sermon series called "Follow Me." So New Testament, if you have your Bibles, paper copy, electronic copy, use the app, download a copy, go to Walmart and buy one, Amazon. I don't really care. It would be great if you came with your textbook students. I'd love for you to come and follow along with me if you don't have one today. Great, come back next week and bring it. It's a good way for you to learn. I want you to turn to John, Chapter 21, actually the end of the book that he writes. This guy named John writes a book, a biography of Jesus. him in this next season. And John chapter 21 is where I want to start with you to kind of give you context. But what's interesting about Jesus is he invites everyone to follow him. It's a universal invitation. Follow me. Invite everyone. Follow me. And we then have a choice whether we will choose to follow him. And some of us start to follow him. And we find Go back. Some of us just ignore him. And what's incredible about Jesus, he's so confident in himself in a good way. That it's an invitation to follow him, not a command or a demand. Follow me, he invites the entire human race. So as we work our way through the book of John, I think what you're going to see is this invitation, follow me. And you have this book written by a guy named John and just a little background, a little background about John and this book. So the author who wrote this book, the Gospel of John or the biography of Jesus would be another way of putting it. You need to know that John wrote four other books. He wrote three letters to churches that are also titled John, first John, second John, third John. He also wrote the last book of the Bible called The Revelation of the Christ. So he's an author and he's always writing about Jesus. And I find this verse so intriguing, last words he writes at the end of his book. He just finishes this book and this is what he says in John chapter 21 verse 25. He says, "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 were written." He ends his 21 chapters by saying, "If I wrote all the things not even the whole world would be able to hold all that could be said about his life. I mean, do you know anybody like that? I know if you wrote the book of Joe, it would be like 14 and a half pages long. It would be really short because there's nothing very interesting to write about. You could say a couple of highlights. He's from Jersey. He does this. He acts like that. But that's it. Even the best leaders, the best actors, the most incredible humans that walk the face of the world? Who has that much information and snapshots of their life? Nobody. So this Jesus must be pretty unique. And that's how he ends his book. So great follow-up questions of how did he choose how to write what to write about in this book he wrote and he answers that question. So if you're in John chapter 21, go back to John He chose the things He did and added them in this book. John chapter 20 verse 30 says, Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. Tons to be said about this Jesus. And then He adds these words, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, in his name. John has so much to say about Jesus. Where does he even start? But he chooses these things. John writes so that you may believe in Jesus. And that by believing, you might find eternal life. Do you hear the invitation? Not the demand, the invitation. Where he's saying, I want to put in front of you Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, sent to give eternal I'm writing these things that you might believe in, Jesus, and by believing you might get eternal life. We hear eternal life and we think of heaven. That's not what John's talking about. John's not talking about heaven. When he talks about eternal life in this book, he's not talking about heaven. He's talking about something so much bigger than heaven. He's talking about abundant life, full life, and last forever. He's talking about something so much bigger than heaven, but starting today, for those who believe there is abundant life, full life, Jesus is the more that we're seeking. He's the more. And that's why John writes. So you might be thinking, well, why should I believe John? I know a lot of John's and I don't believe most of them. Why would I believe this John? couple of things again to kind of give you background about this guy. Here's John. John's a successful, passionate fisherman. I mean, just look at that. Successful, passionate fisherman. That describes like four of you here. There's people, right? So there's people here that you're a fisherman, but you're not successful or passionate or you know, whatever, there's variables. These specific variables about this guy named John that are so curious to me and he left his to follow Jesus. So both Matthew and Mark talk about John and say that John had a family business of fishing. And he's in this family business with his brother and his father. And it's a successful business. Mark chapter one says that John's business has hired workers. Means they were able to employ people to fish with them. And you might go, what's the big deal? In the first century, to have people hired to work for you, fishing means you know how to catch fish. because there are so many to be caught, you got to get other people. So this is a successful business guy. And one day he's working and Jesus walks along the road and says, he invites everyone, come follow me, come follow me, come follow me. And John and James, his brother, leave their business to go follow Jesus. Why would they do that? That's craziness. Imagine, you took a break from the landscape company and went to Wawa to get a cup of coffee in the middle of the day. and you went to Wawa to get a cup of coffee. And some dude says, "Hey, come follow me. "Leave your work and follow me." You're like, "Stranger danger. "I'm not following you, dude." (congregation laughing) But James and John leave their father's business to follow Jesus. Why? 'Cause maybe John realized that a successful business still left him wanting more. Maybe this Jesus could help him. could encourage him. And he took a chance and left his business to follow Jesus. And an interesting fact in Mark chapter 3 verse 17, John and James, these two brothers, they have a nickname. Do you like nicknames? How about a nickname that Jesus gave you? Jesus gave these two brothers a nickname. You ready for it? He calls them sons of thunder. Isn't that a rad nickname? Like if you're gonna get a nickname from Jesus, you want it to be I call you sons of thunder. Like that's awesome. you're happy to tell everybody that you are a son of thunder. Why would he give them that nickname? A couple of scenes in the Bible. Luke chapter 9 verse 54, at one point at the end of his ministry. So this is describing, this nickname is describing the personality of John, his character traits. So one point in Luke chapter 9, the end of his ministry, crowds of people are pushing around Jesus and the group of crowds kind of turns on Jesus and things are getting ugly in the crowd. and the sons of thunder have the way to fix this. So they say to Jesus, hey, we're gonna fix this problem, the crowd's turning on you, we're gonna call down fire from heaven to annihilate these people. What do you think Jesus? And he's like, no, sons of thunder, right? He's just like frustrated. Another scene at the end of Jesus' ministry, James and John, they're thinking about Jesus and they're saying, Jesus, you're gonna reign, you're the king of heaven. like when you come into your kingdom and you have the corner office with the glass and the big desk, we want the offices next to you. We want adequate life with the rest of the apostles. We want to be in the corner offices next to you. And Jesus is like sons of thunder. Like these guys are passionate. It's a passionate, successful fisherman that leaves everything to follow Jesus and his life begins to change. So John has this front row seat now to see Jesus and he becomes a close friend of Jesus. I mean this is intimate. He gets up front close to watch Jesus, to hear Jesus. He listens to Jesus, talk about the kingdom of God and Jesus talks in such a way. So real, he describes in the imagery and the power and the examples that John's on about the kingdom of heaven. And he doesn't just teach incredibly, this Jewish carpenter. He starts to do powerful things. And so John gets the front row seat to watch Poland Springs water turn into a beautiful Merlot. I mean, water to wine, right? And it's not just a little story. It's not a fairytale. John actually sees it, tastes it, experiences that moment. He watches his people that are sick come up to Jesus touch and they get well. John's on the front row watching every minute of that. More than just seeing those public things, he's invited backstage with Jesus and he gets to see all the private life, the quiet things that no one sees. He gets to see that Jesus is the same person publicly as he is privately. He gets a front row seat to all of this and he's looking at this Jewish carpenter that he left everything deeper and deeper because he's going, "Who does these things? Who teaches this way? Who loves like this? Who heals like this? Who is this guy? I got to keep following. I want to know more." And this fiery fisherman starts to love God and begins to love people. Now for reasons we don't know, he becomes also a very close friend of Jesus. So understand what goes on. Jesus has this universal invitation to around Palestine no matter what he's doing, he's saying, "Hey, you follow me. Hey, come follow me. Hey, come follow me." And out of the crowds come, John is part of that crowd. And then at one point, Jesus says, "I got to train up people to do what I do." So out of the crowds, he calls apostles. He calls people 12 to be with him all the time so he can teach him how to do ministry. And he calls John's name. This is John, "I don't want you just to follow me. I want you to be one of my apostles, one of my proteges." come with me, see behind the curtain. And then out of that, Jesus also has a group of friends closer. And he says to Peter, to James and John, hey, I got to show you more. I want you in with me. I need friends. So you have these snapshots in the scriptures like in Matthew chapter 5 where Peter, James and John, Jesus says, hey, Peter, James and John, you guys come with me and very early on in Jesus raised a little girl from the dead. In Matthew chapter 17, Jesus says, "Peter, James, John, come with me on a hike, and go up on a mountain." Jesus pulls back the curtain, and is able to show him his power, his divinity, and a voice comes from heaven. It's like, "That's my son." And John's right up front looking at that. The end of Jesus' life, and arrested. He says to his closest bros, "Peter, James, and John, come with me. I need you to pray with me. Come be with me." And then from the cross we know as Jesus is hanging there, he looks at John and says, "Hey, that's my mom. I'm going back to God. Can you take care of her?" I mean, this is a close the author of this book. So you know how an author will usually write, "Hey, this is the biography of Jesus by John." That's not what happens. Actually, what's unique about this book is he doesn't ever give his name. What he does do five times in this book is he calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. Think of that. He calls himself the disciple says, "Jesus loves you, but I'm his favorite." Right? So whenever you come in, you know, like where you stand. Jesus loves you, but I'm his favorite. Is that what this is? Is that what Peter, or excuse me, is that what John is saying? That I'm Jesus' favorite. No, no, he's not saying. It's not arrogant at all. It's actually accurate because John's entire existence revolves around the one identity, not fishermen, not successful, not a puzzle, not disciple, not founder of the church of Jesus Christ, the disciple whom Jesus loved. He's so connected and sees his identity in Christ that that's how he sees his total life. So even when Jesus ascends back to God, John finds a satisfaction in Jesus, finds his purpose which brings us back to this book he wrote and why he wrote it. You see John's love for Jesus compels him to right so that others would know who Jesus is. So this fiery successful fisherman that hangs out with Jesus for three and a half years, he can't not write and tell us who this Jesus is. His love is that he wants people to know the real version, 'cause there's all kinds of fake ones. Let me tell you the real one. I wanna tell you about my friend, my savior, my lord. His name is Jesus. Jesus dies and ascends back to God, and he tells his disciples, "Hey, you're my protege, "you're gonna now take this mission forward. "You're gonna tell people this good news. "You're gonna talk about who I am "so that people will know and find hope "and lasting forgiveness." But here's what you gotta know. Two things are gonna happen. even go back to God, I'm going to give you the Holy Spirit to live inside you. Because the only thing better than Jesus walking next to you is Jesus living in you. The only thing better than John having his best friend Jesus right there physically is that the Spirit of Jesus lives in him all the time, no matter where he is. And he says, I'm going to give you the Spirit and the Spirit is going to help you be my witnesses But here's what you also got to know. Persecution is going to take place. People killed me, they're going to try to kill you. Difficulty is going to happen. People try to kill love. People try to get rid of love. People don't want anything to do with love. They did that to Jesus. Hey guys, my protege is, I'm going to give you my spirit and guess what? People are going to try to persecute you, push on you, martyr you. John knew this. Jesus told them. And you remember the sons of thunder. Well, you know what happens to James very early on after Jesus died? James' brother gets killed for his faith in Jesus. James is martyred because he believed in Jesus. And you'd think, "Hey, sons of thunder are now broken up." And this guy, John, why doesn't he throw in the towel and say, "Well, I can't follow a God that my brother's going to die, but what does it cause him to do?" He doesn't hit the eject button on Jesus. He leans in more. He leans in more to Jesus and finds a satisfaction in this hope in Jesus. So we have all three Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the first three, which are very similar to each other. Matthew, Mark, Luke, very similar Gospels that have a similar style and feel, different purposes, but similar events they record, and then you have this fourth gospel, the Gospel of John, which is different. It's also different historians think that John's gospel was written the latest, probably something like 80 to 85 AD. So 50 years after Jesus died, John picks up his pen. He's older at this point. He's an older man. He's watched the persecution happen and the church scatter all over the Roman Empire. He's seen a lot, done a lot, and maybe just maybe the view of his friend Jesus, his Savior, his Lord is becoming distorted. at this point, he picks up his pen and he writes so that you may believe and find life in Jesus' name. That's why he writes. Here's a man who's so close to Jesus' front row seat, such love and affection for Jesus that changes him radically and he writes these things so that we might believe and find the So we're gonna spend time working through this. I don't know how long it'll take for us to get through the Gospel of John, but next week I'm gonna tackle the first five verses. So it's gonna take us some time. But John one, one through five, love for you to read that before you come next week. Just kind of have a framework because we're gonna jump into the deep end of the pool. The first opening lines of the book of John are pretty thick but incredible in that they portray Jesus in a cosmic way. So come back next week. one basic thing before we close today. And as I process John, as I read and research and try to understand this book, this is what just jumps out at me. It's those who know Jesus seek to love Jesus and people more. I mean, it just jumps off the page as I read Those who know Him love Him. And those who love Him love other people. It's so very basic. So very basic. So that maybe, just maybe today, Jesus is the more that you've been longing for. Maybe you know facts about Jesus. Maybe you've had Sunday school lessons about Jesus. Maybe you've gone through the gospels. And right now you might be going, well I've heard everything I need to know about Jesus. This is so boring. Maybe you're just like, I'm gonna check out, sturdy things than about Jesus. And I would just give you pause for a minute and say, if you think you know Him and you're bored, I wonder if you really know Him. But if you really know Him, the way you know Him is you love. Did you catch that? The way you know you know Him, the evidence that you're really seeing Him for who He is, it starts You start to love Him and you want to love Him more. And you want to learn about Him more. For not even all the world could hold the books that could be written about the Son of God, who came in flesh to show us grace and truth. And if you start to love Him, it starts to fall, spill out into love for other people. You want to know you know Him, you love Him, and you start loving other people. finish by reading to you the opening lines of John's gospel. It's John describing his friend, Jesus. He writes, "In the beginning was the Word." The Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made. Without Him Life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness is not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him all might believe. John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light, a true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. The world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of a husband's decision, or a husband's will, but born of God. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son, grace and truth. John testified concerning him. He cried out saying, "This is the one I spoke about when I said he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me." Out of his fullness we've all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, This is a racist relationship with the Father, has made God known. Pray with me. Incredible God that you would design us and you would know us. That you're strong enough to give us freedom of choice. to seek more in you. Thank you that you're patient with us, that you invite us, not force us to follow. Thank you that you're gracious to us, and that you have given us by the power of the Holy Spirit through the eyes of John, this gospel, that puts on display the love of one disciple for his friend and Savior and Lord also see that some might believe that we might know life eternal. Awaken our hearts. Guide us, we pray, into seeing more of who you are and loving you and loving others. More today than we did yesterday. In Christ's name, amen.
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