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God Among Us 06 DECEMBER 2020 | TRADITIONAL Service | Rev ADRIAN ng

God Among Us

06 DECEMBER 2020 | TRADITIONAL SERVICES

Rev Adrian Ng

Scripture Passage: John 1:14 (NIV)

WATCH | SERMON (Video)

(Click on video below)

READ | SERMON NOTES

Summary | As we reflect on Christmas, don’t look for “something new”. Instead, recover the “something familiar” that was lost and allow it to transform our hearts, that is, the simple truth that Jesus is the God among the Beginning, He is the God among Creation, and the God who dwells Among us. Our scripture passage today contains many explosive statements including God being the following:

1. God among the Beginning – Jesus (Word – LOGOS) (John 1:1-3) Christianity had a Jewish beginning. To the Jews, God’s Word (or Logos) wasn’t just a sound, but referencing from the beginning in Genesis, it had power and authority over all aspects of creation. It was also commonly used to refer to the names of God and closely connected to wisdom for life. Many of us are like the ancient Jews, familiar with the concept of God but let us also reflect upon these questions - What’s our concept of God and Logos? Does the Word of God have power and authority over all aspects of our life? Is it embodied in our lifestyle? Is it the source of wisdom in life?

2. God among Creation – Jesus (Life and Light of ALL) (John 1:4-5) By the time the gospel of John was written, the number of Christian Greeks far outnumbered the Messianic Jews a number of years after Jesus’s death by 100,000 to 1. That’s how explosive the gospel was. However, the Greeks could not relate to the concept of messiah, instead they embraced the concept of order & control of chaos in the universe. And that entity of “control” to them was “logos” i.e. “word/reason” by which the mind of a supreme deity controlled the world. What about us? The ancient Greeks could also describe the belief of some of us too! Do we struggle to believe in God? Do we wonder if God is in control amongst the chaos in our universe? Or is he a remote “god” similar to other Greek gods?

3. God among Us – Jesus (Became Flesh & Dwelling with Us) (John 1:9-11; 14) It is clear here that God became flesh to dwell among us in the form of Jesus. The author was saying to both Greeks and Jews in v.14 was that we don’t have to guess anymore. To the ancient Jews, Jesus met all the conditions of Jewish traditions. To the Gentile Greeks, God was not a remote, distant imposter. He is real and can be experienced as He dwells among us even today! Most importantly, John 1:12-13 powerfully states that the only way we can experience God, is when we receive and believe in Jesus. And the invitation goes out to ALL who are similar to the ancient Jews and Greeks alike. This is the real story of Christmas.

Reflection If we have missed out this familiar truth, don’t let it slip by this Christmas. God is the Beginning, among Creation, and He is still inviting us to experience Him today because He is Among us.

(Sermon Notes by Desley Khew)

PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What does Christmas mean to you?

2. Which concept of God’s Word (Logos) do you identify with - The ancient Jewish understanding or the ancient Greek’s view?

3. How would you describe the place and authority of God’s Word (Logos) in your life?

4. How will the knowledge & awareness of the very real presence of “God among us” transform your lifestyle?

5. What do you think you can do to help you grow in your experience with the “God among us” starting this Christmas?