1. Life of St. John in Outline
St. John's life and ministry were characterized by his simple faith, heroic spirit, and effective communication, which were rooted in his personal experience and revelation of Jesus Christ.
Daniel Steele preaches about the life of the apostle John, highlighting his close relationship with Jesus as a first cousin, his youthful enthusiasm, intense insight, and special favor from the Lord. John, along with his brother James, possessed a fiery temperament and were known as 'sons of thunder' for their swift and vehement proclamation of the truth. John's perspective was focused on the divine side of events, seeing everything as contributing to the manifestation of the sons of God, the hope of the world, based on his personal experiences and revelations of the Son of God.
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THE facts relating to this eminent apostle which are recorded in the New Testament are soon told. He was the son, apparently the youngest son, of Zebedee and Salome, the sister of the Virgin Mary, "the mother of the Lord." Hence he was a first cousin to Jesus, the Messiah. There is reason for the widely spread belief that he was the junior of the other apostles, and by reason of his near kinship, his youth and his natural enthusiasm, his intensity of thought, of speech, of insight, and of life, he became the special favorite of our Lord Jesus.
Like the other apostles, except Judas, the traitor, John was a Galilean. The fact has a moral value, inasmuch as it separated him from the political intrigues and demoralizing speculations rife in Jerusalem. He retained the simple faith and stern heroism of earlier times. With his brother James he shared the ardor of the Galllean temperament fitly described by the epithet Boanerges, sons of thunder; which their Master early applied to them. From this we understand that they were very effective speakers, swift, startling and vehement in the utterance of the truth like fire shut up in their bones.
John regards everything on its divine side. He sees all events, the past and the future, contributing to the manifestation of the sons of God, the sole hope of the world. Of this he had himself been assured by ocular evidence and inward revelation of the Son of God, like that which thrust Paul into the Christian ministry. He could say: "We have seen and do testify." He produced conviction not by labored argument, but by confident affirmation
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to St. John
- A. Family background and relationships
- B. His youth and special favor with Jesus
- II. Characteristics of St. John
- A. Simple faith and heroism
- B. Effective speaker and communicator
- III. St. John's Perspective
- A. Seeing everything from a divine side
- B. Understanding events as contributing to God's plan
- IV. St. John's Conviction
- A. Based on personal experience and revelation
- B. Communicated through confident affirmation
Key Quotes
“He retained the simple faith and stern heroism of earlier times.” — Daniel Steele
“He produced conviction not by labored argument, but by confident affirmation.” — Daniel Steele
Application Points
- We can learn from St. John's example of simple faith and heroic spirit, which allowed him to stand out in a world filled with complexity and uncertainty.
- Effective communication is not about using persuasive arguments, but about confidently affirming the truth of God's Word.
- Viewing the world from a divine perspective can help us see the bigger picture and understand our place in God's plan.