Chardon church of Christ

Responding to The Bread of Life John 6:60-71 INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. A quick review of where we are in John 6. We're at a point in John's Gospel where we have been reading of the light coming into the world, light revealing itself to darkness, and darkness not receiving it, not comprehending it, and rejecting it. That has been the thesis of John's Gospel. As we saw in chapter 1, He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. We have seen that illustrated throughout this section in John 6. After the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, the people seek Him with only selfish motivation, the physical motivation of having their bellies filled. At this point many disciples are turning away from Jesus, and it is not just the hard-hearted people that are rejecting Him. Even disciples who have been following Jesus are turning away. Why are these disciples turning away? What has happened to cause them to turn from following Jesus? We are going to look at John 6:60-71 and consider why these disciples are leaving and the warning for us. John 6:60-71. “60. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61. But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62. Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65. And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66.After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69. and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70. Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71. He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.”[ESV] We will look at this final scene in the chapter that spends time on the bread of life, and we're going to notice two aspects. I. Reaction of the False Disciples - The first aspect that we're going to notice is the reaction of the false disciples. We have seen in this story how there is a mirror to the wilderness wandering. A. Jesus made the parallel that - I am the true bread that has come down from heaven. I am the one who gives you true life. Those who were in the wilderness, ate the manna and they died in the wilderness. Another parallel that is just as strong is the reaction of the people. Grumbling. There has been disputing and grumbling. 1. We saw in verse 41, the Jews are grumbling about what Jesus said, that He is the bread of life that has come down from heaven. It happens again in verse 61. Jesus knows within Himself that His disciples are also grumbling. They say in verse 60. “This is a hard saying and who can listen to it?” 2. What they are saying is not… Jesus just said something that I do not comprehend. -- What they're saying is what Jesus just taught is unacceptable. We do not receive what He has just told us. The reason why we know that is because of Jesus' response to it. He says, “Do you take offense at this?” 3. They understood exactly what Jesus is saying. The problem is they don't like what He's saying. Do you take offense at this? Is this a problem for you? Is this too difficult for you to recognize and accept Me as the bread of life? B. Recognize what Jesus is doing here. Jesus has been, throughout this chapter, underlining what the true call of discipleship looks like. Jesus has repeatedly shown that you are not able to casually seek Him to simply consume the blessings that He has to offer. 1. That's how this all started. These people have come looking for Jesus because they want Him to feed them again. Jesus simply will not cave into that because their motive, their heart is wrong. They are not seeking Him for the right reason. 2. He is showing that being a disciple is not simply just looking for Jesus and enjoying His blessings. True discipleship is not about obeying the part of what Jesus is saying that you like, and then disregarding and ignoring the things He says that you don't like. 3. Jesus has said, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you're not going to inherit eternal life. You're not going to be part of the kingdom of God. You're not going to be raised up on the last day. He has taught that our lives are to be consumed with Christ, that we are to eat, drink, breathe, live Christ, that everything about us is all about Christ. People say that's too much. What you have called for us to do is unacceptable. Jesus is showing that true discipleship is not about obeying the laws we like and disregarding the laws that we don't like. 4. It seems to me that many people today think that is the way Christianity is. Find the church where you like the rules they keep, the preaching is easy, and then go there, and you'll be happy. If you don't like what they say, that's OK too. Just find someplace else where they have what you like. That is not how discipleship works. You don't get to pick and choose how you follow Him. We are seeing in this that discipleship is not just saying you're a follower. C. These people seem to be disciples. The text even calls them disciples. How long have they been following Jesus? We don't know, but here they are simply different than the rest of the group. They are not unbelievers. They are not of the world. They have been following him. They've been listening to him. They have seen the miracles. 1. Yet, we see that simply saying that we are a follower and belonging to a group of disciples does not make us a disciple. What Jesus says here is going to thin the herd in a hurry as many turn away. Jesus is looking for faith. He's looking for trust, obedience, love, and service. Even in the face of challenging teachings and the difficult concepts that He would give. 2. In the scriptures we sometimes highlight the things that are important to us. We tend to focus on the things that are easy for us. However to talk about things that are difficult and zero in on texts that give us trouble, that point out our sins, that is hard. Both Mark and I find we profit the most when we work on lessons that are more difficult. 3. Also, it's important for us to recognize that Jesus is calling us to have Him as the only answer. He is the bread of life, even when what He says is not popular, is seemingly unacceptable, and is very difficult to obey. There's a lot of things that Jesus tells us to do that are very difficult. Things like forsaking your father and your mother, putting Christ first and leaving all else behind. Very difficult things, and yet this is the call for true disciples. D. Here is the picture of disciples who do not accept what Jesus is saying. With Jesus response in verse 61, John clues us in with some interesting information. “But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?” I recall that in John 2:23-25 we read; many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. He knows they're not true disciples. This is another group where He knows what is in their hearts, and He does not entrust Himself to them. 1. Jesus does not simplify His message. He does not water down His teaching to make sure that these disciples don't leave. The message is the message. The results of that message are what they are. I love how He says it at verse 62, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” You think it's hard to consider Jesus as the bread of life, how about Him being the eternal divine God? Watching Him return to the very place where He belongs, and sitting down on the throne that He deserves, and taking up the glory that is rightly due to Him. He makes it more difficult. Rather than simplifying the message, He is trying to break through our spiritual dullness. 2. In verse 63 Jesus explains why His disciples are turning away from Him. He says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.” Here's the reason why you're turning away from me. You don't understand what it means to be a disciple. The flesh is of no help at all in this matter. It is about the Spirit who gives life. We recall earlier in this chapter that He's expressed this idea twice. In John 6:28. “Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”” What are the works that we need to be doing? Here's the work of God, believe in Him whom He sent, believe in Jesus. 3. Then again in verse 44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Now He gives a similar statement. The Spirit is what gives life. The flesh is of no help at all. He's trying to help them see what they are lacking, and I believe He is referencing Ezekiel 36. E. If you put a marker in John 6 and turn to Ezekiel 36, I’m going to look at a couple of verses, but I think the whole paragraph is important. 1. The context in Ezekiel 36 is a declaration of the wickedness of the people. You can look back to verse 17, where He speaks of how they've defiled the land with their sins and their wicked ways. God says, now because of your sins, here's what I'm going to do. It is not because you are good people deserving of anything, but for My own sake. You see that in verse 21. 2. Then continue reading at verse 22 and I’m not going to read this entire text because of time constraints. 3. In verse 22-23 God begins with; this isn't about you. This is about God. God's name must be vindicated, and God's holiness must be seen. You've desecrated My name with your sins, and I'm going to act for My namesake and not for you. 4. Continue to read the powerful message Ezekiel gives in verses 24-32. F. Thinking about what Jesus is doing in John and what is here in Ezekiel, we see the concept of the spirit being put within people. An extremely rare concept in the Old Testament. Note the message, particularly from verses Ezekiel 36:27-28 where God says, I'm going to put a new heart in these people. There's going to be a new heart and a new spirit within them. 1. We also notice in verse 27, that God says He would cause His people to walk in His statues. What God is going to do is put His laws in their hearts and cause them to obey Him. This is going lead to a whole new, different kind of people, not like the people that He's dealing with in Ezekiel. 2. God is going to do something resulting in a new heart in these people, a new spirit will be within them, His laws will be on their hearts, and it will cause them to walk in His ways. Think about that along with what we're reading in John 6. The Scriptures indicate many times that we're not going to find life by simply willing the flesh to “do” the law. 3. Why do we have the idea that if we tried a little harder, we'd be able to obey all the laws of God? The Old Testament has given us a record of how that doesn't work. Part of what the law of Moses does is show we can't keep it perfectly. We should, but we don't. Hebrews 8:7-8. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.” What was the fault? “For he finds fault with them…” verse 8. The problem is us. The problem is we don't do it. a) The problem is we listen to our flesh. Our flesh does not want to do the will of God. Our flesh wants to do the will of the world, the will of Satan, the will of sin. We have a problem. We come to Christ and then say; isn't it wonderful that Christ has saved us? Now perfectly obey the law. b) That's a great ideal, something to strive for, but it's not going to happen. It didn't happen before, and it's not going to happen now. Something radical must take place that goes beyond just saying, okay, today I'm going to obey the law of God. c) If that's all that is needed, then why are we failing so much and so often? Because we have a flesh problem. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Paul in the book of Romans talks about the war that goes on within us and the issues that stand before us. I think this is exactly what it means in verse 63 when it says, it is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is no help at all. It's recognizing where we stand. We need God's intervention. G. Jesus is talking to Jews who are coming from the law of Moses who think that they are good, righteous, moral people. They're doing A-OK, and they don't need a Savior. But they are not ok. They, and we, need God to intervene. What Jesus is teaching here is valuable. He says it is the Spirit who gives life. Think about what Ezekiel said. What is going to happen? I'm going to have a new group of people in this new covenant. 1. These people are going to have a heart that is responsive to the laws of God. They are going to listen to what God has to say so that God will be able to etch His laws onto their heart. These people in the old covenant haven't done that. They have not been listening to God. They have not been responsive to God and their sins are filled to the uttermost. 2. Imagine if you were there in the days of the law of Moses and under that covenant, how is that going to happen? What is God going to do that's going to radically change everything so that we will obey? So that we will have His law on our hearts and we will follow Him? Verse 63 gives the answer. “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” That is a powerful statement. 3. Jesus says, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” my words are spirit and life. Christ was going to come and teach the ways of God and exemplify the laws and ways of God and act in such a way so that we will be compelled to want to follow Him. It's the essence of the cross. H. Every week we look at the cross and think about what He's done. We remember, and that is such a massive motivation. It's no longer we'll do the law because God said to do the law. That's pretty hard. Just do it. Okay, but I fail constantly. 1. What is going to be the transforming act that would cause me to want to obey God's law? Christ is. His love, His death, His resurrection, and in particular what Jesus is highlighting here, His words. Ezekiel says God's going to put His spirit in His people. How's God going to put His spirit in His people? Magically? Mystically? No. Jesus gives a clear answer. By His teachings. My words are spirit and life. 2. Never underestimate the power of the words of Christ. We need to let the words of Jesus rest in our heart. Meditate on them, focus on them, so that we will desire Him and want to consume our lives with Him. This is the means that God has given. We know that when you tell people - what you need to do is read your Bible more, that usually is turn-off. But it is the answer to; What do I need to have deeper faith? What do I need to do to draw closer to God? What do I need to do to feel like I'm in His graces? What do I need to do to experience His mercy? What do I need to do to be part of His grace? What do I need to do to experience the Kingdom of God? – His words are spirit and life. 3. People don't often like that answer. We want magic pills or a list of, do this, say this, act like that, and it will all be easier. Throughout this chapter, God is underlining over and over again the way that you belong to Christ, have a relationship with the Father and participate in His Kingdom, is to consume the bread of life and that life comes through His Word. That is how God writes on your hearts. I. The more you learn about Him and grasp His love, listening to what He has to say, the more you will be compelled to follow Him. It will no longer be simply; there's the rules I've got to keep the rules. Rule keeping does not work with human beings very well. 1. What's going to change? God is going to display His immense love through His Son on the cross and reveal the amazing message of grace to radically change people's lives to desire Him and follow Him. If we do not have this love to consume him, then it shows that we are merely practicing external righteousness which does not give life. Jesus and His words alone give life. 2. False disciples of Jesus do not cling to God’s word. They do not recognize how wonderful it is to consume Christ. If we do not respond to the bread of life by desiring him, consuming him, and having His law in our heart, then we are not true disciples but false. The words of Jesus are the vehicle of the transformation of the heart from stone to flesh that gives us life and spirit. 3. If we're not desiring God, not consuming Him, and if our life is not wrapped up in Him, desiring His laws, desiring to learn about Him and consume all that He has to say, it is an enormous red flag for discipleship. We may think and say we are a follower of Him but simply practicing external righteousness, without the heart that seeks Him and desires Him and loves Him - will not bring us life. We cannot turn what Christ has done for us into simply saying, if I do X, Y, and Z, I'm A-OK. J. That's what this is about and Jesus highlights this in John 6:65-64. 1. First reading verse 65. “And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”” He said that in verse 44. It's not going to be possible for us to come to Christ unless the Father does something. Then shows how are we drawn by the Father to Christ. They will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 2. We need God to give us a solution, and that is Christ, in Christ's sacrifice, and in His words. It is the Word of God that does it. Look at verse 64. “But there are some of you who do not believe…” John then explains; “For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.” Judas. What made Judas different from the rest of the apostles? Why talk about him right now? We are talking about false and true disciples. 3. Judas heard the teachings of Christ, just like the other 11. He saw the miracles of Christ. How could Judas do what he did? He was right there. 4. He did not allow himself to be taught by God. There is a way to hear the message of Christ, hear His words, and yet it will do absolutely nothing to our lives. It can just be words on a page, and it doesn't penetrate the heart. Think of the parable of the different types of soil. 5. The Word of God is seed that's being cast everywhere, and it in those who are the good soil where it begins to sprout and grow and bring in the fruit. Judas listened, He's seen, but he hasn't been taught by God. He hasn't allowed it to become transformative to him, and the point in verse 66 is the same. “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” K. A grave warning to us. Is consuming Christ too much to ask? The disciples that leave say; Who can listen to this? It's too difficult. Who can receive what He's just taught? The answer is… many cannot. This is a serious challenge. What they wanted, Jesus was not going to give. They wanted things to be easy. They wanted the physical. What Jesus is willing to offer, they won't receive. He wants to give them life, and they will not take it. II. Reaction of True Disciples – The second aspect we look at is the reaction of the true disciples. Verse 67, “So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”” Imagine watching this throng of disciples all just quitting and walking away. I wonder what the twelve felt like as they watched this enormous crowd just dwindle down. A. Jesus is asking, has My call for discipleship been too difficult for you too? I love Peter's response. Verse 68. “… “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”” B. Peter's answer. Where are we going to find eternal life but in you? Who are we going to turn to but you? It doesn't matter how challenging Jesus is. There's nowhere else to go. What a great statement that Peter makes. He understands exactly where he stands. I know they're all leaving Lord, but you have the words of life. Where else are we going to go? Your words give life transformation. Your words give us hope. Where are we going to turn? – We must believe that truth. There is nowhere else to go but Christ. CONCLUSION: We are looking at the distinction between the false disciples and the true disciples. What can we do to see Jesus as the bread of life and let God write His law on our hearts? First - we need more prayer. Pray to God for a softening of your heart. Prayer is so important to the Christian walk. Pray to God the words a father declared to Jesus. “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Tell God your weaknesses and your struggles. Second - what we've seen throughout this chapter is read the Word of God, but don't just read the Word of God. Read it with purpose. Read it with great intention. Take just a few verses, read them and think about them. Meditate on them. Pray about them. I suggest that is important to letting the Word of God into your heart. It is so easy to treat the Bible like a novel. Read it as fast as you can. Don't do that. Slow down. Pick a Gospel and read through it slowly. Read a few verses and think about what is being said there. Don't just read over it, let it soak in. What does that mean? What is happening here? What is God trying to teach you? These are the things that God has given us for greater faith. Give yourself more time in prayer and give yourself more time in God's Word. You will deepen your faith. His words bring us to faith, and His words help us grow. May we see that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness through a knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. # ??? Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

Back to The Garden — Forever Revelation. 22:1-5 What do you think about when you think about heaven? I read the story of a little girl who was outside with her dad one night. The only lights were the dazzling stars in the sky. And she turned to her dad and said “If this the wrong side of heaven, and it’s so beautiful, what do you think the right side of heaven will look like?” Now the book of Revelation tries to paint a picture of the beauty of heaven, it speaks of streets paved with gold, and gates and walls of precious stones and jewels. And the point of all that imagery was to help us understand that – heaven is going to be one of the coolest places you’ve ever seen. Today, numerous songs we sing declare that same excitement: One of those songs is “I'm satisfied with just a cottage below, a little silver and a little gold. But in that city where the ransomed will shine. I want a gold one that's silver lined. (Chorus) I've got a mansion just over the hilltop, in that bright land where we'll never grow old. And some day yonder we will never more wander, but walk on streets that are purest gold.” When we hear songs like that - there’s something about the music and the words of those songs that declares: HEAVEN IS A PLACE TO GET EXCITED ABOUT. Revelation 22:1–5 reveals the end of the story — and it looks strikingly like the beginning. God restores what was lost in Eden, but greater, eternal, and unbreakable. Humanity is healed, creation is renewed, and God dwells with His people face to face. 1 “The river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”      • The river is a symbol of God’s life-giving presence      • In Eden, a river watered the garden; here, it flows from God Himself      • No barriers, no distance, no drought — pure, unfiltered life 2 “On each side of the river stood the tree of life… yielding fruit every month.”      • Humanity was banished from the tree in Genesis      • Now the tree is accessible, abundant, and eternal      • Its fruit never runs out; its leaves bring healing to the nations God doesn’t just forgive — He heals. He doesn’t just restore — He multiplies. 3 “No longer will there be any curse.”      • The curse of Genesis 3 is fully reversed      • No more decay, division, disease, or death      • The world is finally as God intended We live in a world still groaning, but Revelation promises the curse has an expiration date. 4 “They will see His face.”      • The deepest longing of the human soul is fulfilled      • No veil, no temple, no separation      • God’s name on our foreheads means identity, belonging, and ownership Heaven is not about a place — it’s about a Person. 5 “And they will reign for ever and ever.”      • Humanity’s original calling (Genesis 1:26–28) is restored      • Not passive existence, but active partnership with God      • Eternal purpose, eternal joy, eternal authority God doesn’t just save us from something — He saves us for something. Revelation 22:1–5 is God’s final promise: The story ends in life, not loss. In healing, not hurt. In glory, not grief. Eden is not just restored — it is perfected. A little 6-yr-old girl came home from VBS one day and excitedly said: “Mom, God’s so neat, and heaven’s so great. Could me and Gloria go there for a sleep-over on Saturday?” That little girl understood what heaven’s all about – GOD’S NEAT… AND HEAVEN’S GONNA BE GREAT. Now there are some people who don’t believe that. They say they believe Heaven will be boring, monotonous, and dreary. A popular Irish Playwright named George Bernard Shaw, observed, “Heaven, as conventionally conceived, is a place so inane, so dull, so useless, so miserable, that nobody has ever ventured to describe a whole day in heaven…” Revelation 19:1-7 tells us “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just” … And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" And from the throne came a voice saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great." Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready…” People pay good money to go to concerts where things like that happen. Concerts where people are just jumping up and down with excitement. I mean - that kind of thing is not boring… UNLESS you don’t like the music, or unless you don’t like who’s onstage. There are many in the world today who aren’t going to like the music in heaven – because it’s all about Jesus and worshipping God. And they won’t like who’s onstage - because that would be Jesus. So, of course they’re going to be bored. They’ll be bored out of their minds. But, there’s going to be a lot more than singing & rejoicing going on in heaven. Revelation 22:5 says that “(We) will see his face, and his name will be on (our) foreheads. And night will be no more. (We) will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be (our) light, and (we) will reign forever and ever.” We’re going to REIGN, and that means we’re going to be doing SOMETHING. I don’t know what exactly WHAT we’ll be doing, but I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be enjoyable. Back in the book of Genesis, we read that “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:15-16 WHAT’S THAT SAYING? It’s saying that God gave Adam and Eve work to do. And God gave them the Garden of Eden … which was THEIR place to look after and to take care of. In that Garden, they REIGNED as King and Queen. Now, is that what’s going to happen in Heaven? I don’t know. But I DO know this: when God gave Adam and Eve a place to reign… it wasn’t boring. It was a time of joy and pleasure. And when Jesus returns God promises we will REIGN, and that will be a time of joy and pleasure. ILLUS: Randy Alcorn — wrote a book called Heaven … and he wrote “Our belief that Heaven will be boring betrays a heresy — that God is boring. There’s no greater nonsense. Our desire for pleasure and the experience of joy come directly from God’s hand. He made our taste buds, our adrenaline, our nerve endings, etc. which convey pleasure to our brains. Likewise, our imaginations and our capacity for joy and excitement were made by the very God we accuse of being boring. Are we so arrogant as to imagine that human beings came up with the idea of having FUN?” OF COURSE NOT! There’s an old hymn that says “Heaven is WONDERFUL place, filled with glory and grace. I’m gonna see my Savior’s face, cause heaven is a wonderful place.” And heaven’s going to be a wonderful place… partly because of what’s NOT going to be there; and partly because of what WILL be there! So, what’s NOT going to be there in heaven? Well, Revelation gives us a list. Revelations 21:3-5 “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" We can keep a list of things he know WON’T be in heaven. In heaven “there’ll be no more cancer. No more divorce. No more rejection or loneliness. No more depression. No more wheelchairs or pacemakers. No more radiation or chemotherapy. No more crosses along the side of the road. No more child abuse. No more rape. No more funeral homes or orphanages or nursing homes. No more treatment centers. No more Pink slips or foreclosures. No more quarantines or face masks or social distancing.” That’s a lot of stuff that’s NOT going to be going on in heaven. Now, there’s going to be ONE thing in heaven that will make it all worthwhile. BACK TO VERSES 3-5 of our TEXT “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.” What’s going to be there in heaven? GOD! The one thing that will make everything worthwhile in heaven will be God. He will be there waiting for us, and He’ll make EVERYTHING new! Jesus said “Let not your hearts be troubled.” But why would we be troubled? Because this is a hard world… and it hurts to live here. But then Jesus goes on to say: “Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3 What Jesus was saying was this: I’m coming back for you. And when I come, I’ll have a place prepared JUST FOR YOU. One of the main themes of Revelation is this: God’s coming back. And He’s coming back for you. And when He comes back you’re going to have everything you didn’t have on earth. CLOSE: The story is told of the days when doctors visited their patients at home. It was obvious the patient didn’t have long to live and as the doctor was about to leave, the sick man called out to him: "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Can you tell me what lies on the other side?" The doctor was very quiet for a moment and then said, "I don’t know." "You do not know? You are a Christian and you do not know what is on the other side?" The doctor’s hand was on the doorknob… and on the other side of the door there was the sound of scratching and whining. It was the doctor’s dog which he had brought with him. And as he opened the door the dog leaped into the room and jumped up on him… and eagerly licked his face. Suddenly the Doctor realized how to answer the man’s question. "Did you see what my dog just did? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside. He just knew that I was here … and that was enough. When the door opened, he pushed through – excited that I was here. Now, I know very little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing: I know my Master is there, and that is enough. And when the door opens, I’m going in.”

Patience and Kindness John 8:1-20 Good morning, I hope everybody's enjoying the weather. It's starting to get hot, so I should take advantage of it. It's been a cold June, and it's been annoying. Over the spring, I had the opportunity to work with 6th graders in a math class at Eisenhower Intermediate School near Toledo, Ohio. This was one of my placements. During that time, I was told to make a lesson and instruct it with these students. I grouped them up and had them go through various activities. At one of these activities, there was a group of 6. They were all working on a problem. The problem required them to get a tape measure, write down all their different heights, and find the answer to the question doing that. There was this one group of about 6 students, who was getting really heated. They were arguing, going back and forth about how to get the answer. I tried not to step in unless it seemed like I really needed or they asked me a question. The arguments go on for a few minutes. They ask Professor, Mr. Allen, will you come and help us out? I come over, and there's are two different camps that have different ideas on how to solve this question. I come over, and I see all of them are wrong. Not one of them is on the right track. They all are missing the mark and failing to answer the question right. I helped them out. That's just a good point that we are not just like those children. We, as people, often are wrong. We will bicker and argue, do this and that, and we will often still not be close to the mark. Today, this sermon will be going over John 8:1-20 specifically. If you'd like to turn to there, that is where the bulk of this sermon will be. To start, I will read verses 1-4. Now, early in the morning, He came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. And He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to him, Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. The first thing that came to my mind when I was reading this passage was when Jesus was with the woman at the well in John 4. This was the Samaritan woman He had shown grace when He was talking to her, and it was very out of place because she was a Samaritan. He's not supposed to be seen with her, yet He was with her. In verses John 4:16-18, it says, I have no husband, she replied. Jesus said to her, you are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true. This shows that Jesus, before this point in the Bible, had already dealt with adulterous women, women who were with men that were not their husband. He had already shown how He was going to act with these kind of women before. When He was with the woman at the well, He showed patience, kindness. He was not quick to condemn her. He merely pointed out her sin. And here in John 8, a group of men had brought Him a woman in a similar position. Moving on, verses 5-6 say, Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. What do you say? This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stopped, stooped down, and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. From what I can find, this is likely referencing Deuteronomy 17:1-7. What the Jews are telling Him is Moses' law. That says, and it is told you, and you if hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses. He shall not be put to death on the testimony of one. The hands of the witness shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil among you. This shows what the old law commanded. You have more than one witness to put to death people that do these types of sins, adultery, idol worship, the old law was ruthless and clear. Destroy the sin from your society. That is why God flooded the world, or just why He decimated Sodom and Gomorrah for their transgressions, so should His people destroy the sin. Let's move on. Verses 8 through 9 say, so when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. And again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground, Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest, even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. None of them threw stones. Why? In Deuteronomy it's very clear we should be stoning these people. They should be killed for their transgressions. Let's quickly look at Matthew 7:1-5. When all the time there is a plank in your own, you hypocrite. First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from others. This is not too dissimilar to those children who were bickering and arguing and calling each other names because they thought they were right and their other classmates were wrong. Are we, like those little kids when we were pointing our fingers at our fellow man. How horrible of you to commit this sin. How awful of you to do this thing. That same finger could be turned around and pointed at you. In Romans 3:23 it says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That is all. It is very clear. All of us have fallen short. Imagine one day the Cleveland Browns called you and asked you if you wanted to be their new GM. Or a restaurant asked you to come in and be their chef. I don't know about you, but I have no idea how to run either of those things. I'm not qualified to do that. How am I qualified to do those things when I have no idea? None of us have any idea on how to go through life in a pure and perfect way by ourselves. Let’s move on again, to verses 10-11, when Jesus had raised himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? She said, no one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. Jesus did the same thing here that He did with the woman at the well. He didn't deny her sin. He didn't say this didn't happen or you're not wrong for doing this thing, but He showed patience. He showed understanding. He showed that though you may have done this, there is hope for you yet. There is salvation. He asked her to go and commit no more sin. I want to focus on something she said too. No one, Lord. She is acknowledging who He is. That is something many of the Jews that were coming to Him would not do as we will see later in this very chapter. They question Him and who He is, but this sinner, this adulterer, is the one that is clearly showing that she believes who He says He is. She believes what He says. Let's look at John 3:16-21 real quick. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict. Light has come into the world, but people love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. Jesus did not come down here to stone each and every one of us for the sins we have committed. He has not come down here to set us afire and call in a great flood to wipe us all away. He has come here to save us. He has come here to wash away our sins in His blood. He has come here to take our punishment for us so that we might be saved and offer us the gift of life. When Jesus came to the earth, that old law, that old creed that stood, that told people to stone the adulterers was done. All have sinned. If people don't come to him, they will be condemned regardless. Why would you want to rush it? Why do it now when you could give those people time and they could be saved? Moving on to verse 12. Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life. Verse 13 says, the Pharisees therefore said to him, you bear witness of yourself. Your witness is not true. He bears witness of himself. He's the one saying these things. He's the one saying I am the son of God. How can we just believe your word? How can we take your word for truth and fact? How can we trust you? Back in the Deuteronomy, it said do not convict someone with one witness. You need two or three. Jesus is not just one person. At this point in His life, He had already committed dozens of miracles. He had already turned water into wine. He had already healed many individuals. Let's look to see how Jesus answered in verses 14 through 18. Jesus answered and said to them, Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judged according to the flesh. I judged no one. And yet if I do judge, my judgment is true. For I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am one who bears witness of myself and the Father who sent me bears witness to me. It's not just His word. It's not just His eyes that bear witness. As He says Himself, His Father bears witness as well. Let's look back at verse 15. You judged according to the flesh. You judged based off your own earthly beliefs, based off your own earthly impulses. You were letting the flesh guide you, not the spirit, not the soul. Jesus said, I judged no one. I did not judge by the flesh, yet if I do judge, my judgment is true. Because He is with the Father. Jesus has made it clear at this point that He is the Son of God. Moving on again, in verses 19 it says, then they said to Him, Where is your Father? Jesus answered you know neither me nor my Father. If you have known me, you have known my Father also. I wonder what Jesus felt at this moment. Do you think He was annoyed or confused by the question? Was He just tired of their constant redundancy because they keep asking the same thing over and over again. This isn't the first time He's been questioned like this. I'm quite sure this isn't the first time that these very people have asked this question. Was it not made clear that He was the Son of God before this? When He had turned water into wine, when He had healed the lame? Were the miracles He performed in the Father's name not enough to satisfy? Whenever I read passages like this one, I just think of all the Christmas movies I watched as a kid with Santa Claus. Where people would be like, Oh Santa, why don't you just show yourself to the world? Then everyone would believe in you. Then all their problems would be fixed. They would always respond with seeing is not the same as believing. Many of these people that questioned Jesus in that time got to see these miracles, see His works firsthand. They bore witness to His greatness and who He was, yet they did not believe. They were the ones to cast the stones. I guess that just tells me that I must be diligent. Because if people who were there in that day could not overcome their own flesh, could not let go of their own earthly desires for the Lord that was standing right in front of them, how easy of a time will I as a sinner with just the Bible in front of me have as well? How diligent do I need to be to properly follow the Lord my God? Even the apostles struggled at points. Very much so. Moving back to verse 20 says, These words Jesus spoke in the treasury as He taught in the temple, and no one laid hands on him, for His hour had not come yet. I want to look at Joshua 1:9 real quick. It says, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For your Lord, your God, will be with you wherever you go. Jesus and the Lord will be with you as you go through life. Jesus knew He was safe here. He could keep on preaching, keep on saying His word, keep on professing the Lord's commands. He knew He'd be safe because He knew that the Lord was with Him and that it was not His time. He knew He still had time on this earth. Do not be afraid as we go through life. Do not be afraid as we go through trials and tribulations. We can be assured that God is with us. We may not be capable of making the right decision. We may get into arguments. We may point each other and say, We are right. We have the answer. We have the solution. Then God will come around like I did to those sixth graders and say, No, you're both wrong. But with God in our ear, with God on our side, we have a guide and an advisor greater than any other. We will be wrong. If we listen to His word, to His testament, to His guidance, we can be confident that He will point us in the right direction. We can be confident that He will witness it all. When the time comes for us to stand before judgment, Jesus will stand with us proclaiming that we proclaimed His name. I ask, If you have not come to the Lord in baptism, why wait any longer? He has already given you so much time, more than many others. Thankfully, this is not the day where if they found you guilty of a certain sin, they would stone you. You have more time than that. You have more time to come to him. If you have not been baptized for the remission of your sins, I ask that you do not wait, that you come to the Lord. If you wait too long, it may be too late.

Feed On My Flesh John 6:48-59 INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. John chapter 6. John has told us that his purpose in writing has been to instill true saving belief in the reader. We left off last time in John 6:47 where Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”[ESV] This is what John wants the reader to see. John is also teaching us what false faith looks like. Our observation has included various people in encounters with Jesus, the Samaritan woman, Nicodemus and the paralyzed man at the pool. Jesus is now in the synagogue at Capernaum. The crowds have come across the Sea of Galilee to be fed just like they had been fed miraculously the day before with the miracle that fed the 5000. Jesus tells them that He is the bread of life who has come down from heaven and the reason they do not come to Jesus is because the Father has not drawn them (6:44). In John 6:47-52 we're in the middle of this story as Jesus is having this discussion, and He has an audience that is full of unbelief. They are disputing against Him because of describing Himself as, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” For Him to have come down from heaven as the bread of life means He's the son of God. He is the Messiah. I. Continuing Unbelief (John 6:48-52) – “48. I am the bread of life. 49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52. The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”” Let's stop there. This first section shows us the problem of continuing unbelief. A. They still are not listening to what Jesus is saying as He continues to try to teach them. He's trying to bring them into a spiritual understanding, trying to get them to understand that the ultimate problem is their spiritual death. Notice how He words that in verse 51 – “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” Obviously, He is not talking about physical life here. 1. If you will see Me as the bread of life, if you will understand who I am, you will have spiritual life, eternal life. You will live forever if you comprehend this. 2. He's trying to show them the superiority of who He is as “the bread of life” in contrast to what the Israelites received in the wilderness under Moses. Those people all died. B. Let’s think about the wilderness for a moment. Why did the fathers who ate manna in the wilderness die? Obviously, they were going to die physically anyway. I don't care if they ate the manna in the wilderness or not, everybody is going to die at one point or another. Why they died in the wilderness is what Jesus is driving at. 1. I’m sure you remember the story. Read with me Hebrews 3:16-19, “For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” 2. When we read the story of them in the wilderness what is the thing that we read about them doing over and over? They are complaining and grumbling. a) They come to the Red Sea and complain - Moses, you took us the wrong way. We are all going to die out here. Then the miracle of the Red Sea. b) What are we going to eat? We are in the middle of nowhere. Here comes the manna. c) We are sick and tired of eating mana, here comes the quail. There is no water. 3. They are complaining constantly, why? Because they are filled with unbelief. They don't believe that God is going to provide what they need. Unbelief is why they are grumbling. We can make a couple of observations here. II. Grumbling is a symptom of continuing unbelief – Back in verse 41, what are the people doing about Jesus? It says “So the Jews grumbled about Him…” Why are they grumbling? They are grumbling because of their unbelief. A. John 6:36. “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” John in his gospel continues to use imagery from Israel’s history recorded in the Old Testament to show Jesus is the Son of God. Here we see Israel is acting toward Jesus the exact same way it acted toward God when they were in the wilderness in the days of Moses. 1. The people are persisting in unbelief as seen in their grumbling and… the result will be the same. They will miss out on the life the Father is offering through Jesus. 2. Grumbling is symptomatic of unbelief because it shows that we do not have faith in God. It shows that we do not believe that God will provide, do not believe that God has our best interests at heart and that God is not paying attention to our circumstances. That is what we are saying to God when we grumble and complain. B. Verse 51 sums up the message. Jesus is the living bread that came down from heaven. Jesus has said this more then once but now He is going to be very direct about what it means for Him to be the living bread. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus is going to give His body as the means of life for the world. This throws the crowd completely out of sorts. C. Verse 52. “The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”” Every time Jesus gives a declaration in this chapter the response is; you've got to be kidding me. Here they do it again. How can He say that we're supposed to eat His flesh? Again, we are seeing the author showing us the lack of spiritual depth in this audience. Repeatedly throughout these six chapters we are observing people whose minds and hearts are in darkness, do not care about God and cannot receive what God is teaching because they're blinded by the world. D. They're unwilling to think through what Jesus is saying. Jesus shows this in so many places. 1. We see that when we study the parables. Remember when the disciples come up to Jesus and say why do you always tell these parables? His response is “I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” 2. Parables acted as a sort of spiritual filter. People with calloused hearts and preconceived notions could hear the literal story and dismiss it, while the humble would be drawn in and seek for deeper meaning. I'm seeing who is going to try to learn and understand what I'm saying. E. Jesus does not explain Himself here in a way that makes this scene simpler. Verse 53. “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”” Did that make it easier to understand? 1. Watch how it keeps going. “54. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59. Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.” 2. Did Jesus make it easier to understand? He just made it even harder and more challenging. They are continuing to take it at surface level, not thinking, not receiving, not listening to what Jesus is saying. Which leads us to our second observation. III. Lack of spiritual seeking and spiritual depth - Our first observation was grumbling, complaining is symptomatic of continuing unbelief. A lack of spiritual seeking and a lack of spiritual depth - is also a symptom of continuing unbelief. The inability to want to dig in and try to figure out what Jesus is saying. A. Sometimes people need the sledgehammer of the word of God to knock us out of this shallow, physical, material existence and perception and to open our eyes to something far bigger. Life is busy and at times intense, and focused on that, we are not seeing the greater thing. We're not seeing the spiritual plane. We're not listening to the word of God with spiritual ears and spiritual hearts. B. We take scripture on the basic level of just the words and do not see what it is telling us, (often more plainly than we think), as an aggregate. God did not make His word so hard that people can not understand it, but it can be challenging. 1. Nicodemus, you must be born again. How can I go back into my mother's womb? Come on now Nicodemus, get off the physical plane here. Come up to the spiritual level and think this through. 2. Woman at the well. Wouldn't it be great to not ever have to take a bucket and go to get water out of the well? Come on lady, come on up to the spiritual level. We are talking about the fountain of living water. C. There is an important lesson here before we continue. We learn that the goal is not to dumb down the scriptures and oversimplify everything God said. God’s word is challenging not because God makes things hard but because our hearts are spiritually dull. When we hear things that are hard or confusing, we should not give up but dig deeper. We should not want sermons dumbed down to watery mush. D. We don’t want our Bible classes to be plain and basic. Jesus never did that. He never dumbed down God’s teaching. I know there are times when the teaching feels like it is over our heads. Don’t let that be discouraging but awe-inspiring and fill you with a desire to learn it. That is why I really like our type of bible class where everyone is involved and can ask questions about anything. IV. What True Belief Looks Like (John 6:53-59) - Let's look at what Jesus means by all this because in this final section from verses 53 to 59, Jesus is now explaining what true belief looks like. A. He's done it in a way that on the surface looks complicated. “… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” What do you mean by that? Far from modifying the startling metaphor Jesus had adopted, He extended and restated it dogmatically. 1. Taken literally, the passage would be cannibalistic and repulsive, therefore requiring a spiritual understanding of it. 2. What He's doing is showing symptoms of continuing unbelief. You're grumbling and complaining and you lack spiritual depth and insight when I'm trying to teach you these things. B. Over the years many well-respected commentators have voiced differing views about these verses. One popular opinion is that Jesus is talking about the Lord’s Supper. We can quickly see why this would be an attractive interpretation. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood sounds very much like the memorial of the Lord’s Supper where we take the bread to remember Christ’s body and take the fruit of the vine to remember Christ’s blood that was shed to establish the new covenant. Others say that is not the case. C. Let’s look at this idea for a moment. Jesus in these verses is referring to bread and saying I am the bread of life. 1. In Hebrew “bread” has two meanings. First a food composed of flour mixed with water and baked and second meaning is food of any kind. What does food do? It sustains life. We can readily see that He is comparing Himself as the bread of life with something we all know, food to support physical life. After all, they came to Him looking for more food as with the feeding of the 5000. 2. He also tells them to seek the food that endures for eternal life, and He says the Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The implication is this has something to do with the spiritual. Jesus is metaphorically comparing the food we take into our bodies which the body then uses to support physical life with Himself as spiritual food which supports our spiritual life unto eternity. Simplistically, and I think more accurately stated, we need food for physical life, and we need Christ for spiritual life. D. Next, we see Jesus is using the idea for how we take in physical food to describe our need to take Him in. How do we take in spiritual food? To start with Peter writes in 1st Peter 2:2, “like a newborn baby, desire the pure milk of the word. Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation,”. The Hebrews writer in Hebrews 5:13-14 says, “Everyone who lives on milk is not used to the word of righteousness, because they are babies. But solid food is for the mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between good and evil.” E. Next let’s look at the Lord’s Supper. Jesus instituted this with His followers, “Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take and eat. This is my body.” He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many so that their sins may be forgiven.” (Matthew 26:26f) And with the command “Do this in remembrance of me”. F. In the 6th chapter of John Jesus is using the Metaphor of taking in food for physical sustenance to taking in Him for spiritual sustenance. In the Lord’s Supper Jesus is instituting for His followers, an ordinance to remember His sacrifice and death. You might say the first illustrates a need and the second is a reminder of what is accomplished by fulfilling that need. G. He says in verse 53, “… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” The subject is still eating, still food and it is a spiritual subject. True faith is a life that is completely consumed by Christ. That's what He's simply expressing. H. In verse 40, Jesus said that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life. Same construction when then He says here, whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. Are these two different ideas? Not at all. 1. It is a metaphorical reference to the soul-saving benefit procured on behalf of the human family by Christ's atoning death on the cross and the shedding of His blood. The eating and drinking refer to the soul's proper appropriation of that benefit. 2. If you understood who I am, you would consume me. You would just eat, drink, breathe and live everything about Jesus because He is the one who will give you eternal life. V. True Food - That's what verse 55 continues with. “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.” Jesus is truly what you need. He is what you need for living now. He is what you need for eternal life. He is what your soul needs. He is everything you need. He is that true food and for Jesus to say I'm the true food means there's no other food that's of any value or usefulness. A. I thought about it like this, what would happen to us if all we ever ate were donuts? I mean besides the smile on our face that is. If all you ever ate were donuts, is that true food? It's food, but it is incomplete, and things are not likely to go well for you. It might be delicious and you might enjoy it, but your health is likely to suffer and, in the end, shorten your life. Yet, it is food. 1. There are all kinds of things in this world that are food. Jesus says I'm the true food. If you immerse yourself in all those other foods and all those other things that this world has to offer and you engage in that in this life, you might think you're satisfied just like eating donuts. 2. Eating donuts makes me happy and comfortable. I have joy from that, but it's not true food. Sooner or later, it's going to kill you. You're going down the wrong path. 3. Jesus comes along and says He is the bread of life that comes down from heaven. He says I'm the true food. There is nothing else but me. I'm the only thing that will satisfy your life. I'm the only thing that will give you life. I'm the only thing that will spare you from the disaster to come. Consume me. Follow me. B. He is telling them to be immersed in Him. Eat, Drink, Live, and Breathe Jesus. 1. That's what true belief looks like. Verse 56 continues that. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them.” This is a great picture. It shows you are in a relationship. 2. Jesus told them earlier that the reason they could not believe was because the father had not drawn them, they had not been taught of God. They have not learned. We talked about that last week. C. You have no relationship with me. You think you're close, but you're far away. You haven't been taught by me. Now apply what we see in these verses. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood, whoever eats, drinks, breathes, lives Christ, abides in Christ and Christ abides in them. This teaches us that the life of Christ is not about externals. 1. We cannot point to something in our life and say, I was baptized on X date and since I'm baptized, therefore I'm saved and I'm fine and I'm good. No. Your life must be consumed with Christ. That's what true saving faith looks like. Breathe Christ. Live Christ. That is the picture of what a true disciple looks like. D. The message that He wants them to understand is they think they have a relationship with God. They think that they have true saving faith, but they do not because they do not see Jesus as the all-satisfying God who provides all that you need for life and godliness. 1. Instead, they are consumed by the things of this world. Therefore, Jesus says, feed on my flesh and drink my blood so that you can abide in me. If you do that you have a relationship with the father. 2. There's a relationship with Jesus when we are consumed by Christ. Notice verse 57 amplifies that. It gives the explanation perfectly. “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father,…” Stop right there in this parallel. How does Jesus live because of the father? What He's saying is my life is completely consumed in the will of my father. I live because of my father. Everything I do is about my father. What my father says, what my father wills, my father's purpose, I live for that. I live because of that. 3. Apply that to us and that's what He's telling us as well. Our life is to be consumed in Christ. 4. Think back to chapter 4. They are in Samaria and the disciples have gone away into the city to buy food. Remember when the disciples come back and they're bringing Him food and Jesus says I've already eaten. They ask each other, who brought Him food? Notice the spiritual boldness that John points out repeatedly. Jesus says some amazing words here, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” 5. That's how Christ lives. That's how we live and everything about our life is completely about Christ. That we live and we are consumed in Him and our joy and satisfaction are found in Christ alone. CONCLUSION: That's what true saving faith looks like. A couple thoughts from verse 53 where He says, “… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Unless we are consuming Christ we have no life. We have nothing to stand on by ourselves. The only way we can possibly have life, the only hope that we have of life, is to be consumed with Christ. It is not our righteousness; it is not our goodness that gives us life. When we attach ourselves to a relationship with Jesus, everything changes. We need the bread of life. We're dead in our sins. We are in the misery of our sins, but complaining and grumbling shows unbelief. We need to look at our lives and be cautious about this. All the terrible difficulties that sometimes we complain about are really nothing. Or as Paul said, they're nothing to be compared with the glory that's to be revealed to us. Do we believe that God will carry us through? Do we truly believe that God is with us? Do we believe that He will carry us home? Of course, He will. Second, lacking spiritual depth reveals our unbelief as well. Faith is all about a life consumed in Christ. Faith is all about obedience to him, loving Him, consumed by Him, because He is more precious than anything. He is true food. We must open our eyes and recognize there is nothing else more valuable, more useful, or more important than Jesus. He is your life. We're singing an invitation song. Those who have come to Jesus as well as those who have not, take stock of your life. Do you see Him as the all-satisfying God? Do you see Him as your bread of life? The world tells us there's all kinds of good food. God says, my son is true life. He is true bread. He is true food. Eat, breathe, and live Jesus Christ. Lift up your eyes from the things of this world. Pray to God to say, I need to see you as all-satisfying. I need to see you as the bread of life. Read His word and see how good the Lord is. Start moving toward a deeper relationship with Him. To stop remaining on the present level that we may be spiritually. If you have not seen Jesus as the all-satisfying bread of life, we invite you to turn away from your sins. Be immersed in water to have your sins washed away and begin that walk with Him. A walk that gives you eternal life. A walk that gives you hope and life that you do not have otherwise. Whatever your need we invite you to come while we stand and while we sing. # ??? Reference: Brent Kercheville

They Will All Be Taught by God John 6:41-47 INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. We are in the midst of a study of the sixth chapter of John’s gospel. Jesus is teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum telling the people that He is the bread of life. Jesus has come to give life, but the people have come to Jesus for the wrong reason. They have come for free food. They have come for what He will do for them, and not because of who Jesus. They are so consumed in their physical desires that they cannot see their spiritual needs. They do not recognize their spiritual hunger and are blind to the offer Jesus is making. In verse 40 Jesus has made a tremendous statement and an amazing offer. “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Whoever will come to Jesus will never be cast out, will not be lost, and will be raised up on the last day. Let’s notice the people’s response to this amazing offer. I. The People Complain – John 6:41-42 “So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”” A. Verse 41 tells us the Jews grumbled. Here is Jesus saying I'm going to give you everything you need and they just start complaining because He said I am the bread that came down from heaven. We know His father Joseph so how can He can say I've come down from heaven? They reject that idea. They do not believe and we have seen this before in John's gospel, people will not believe. B. The light has come into the world. The Life has come into the world. I am the bread of life, and their response is in unbelief. They don’t want to believe who this Jesus is and what He is offering. II. Drawn By The Father – John 6:43-44. Jesus answer to this I think is quite amazing and I submit to you quite challenging. I ask for you to bear with me as we go through this response that Jesus gives, verse 43, “Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.” Jesus did not answer their grumbling by performing some kind of miracle. He could do something to deal with this unbelief. Instead, He says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” A. There is a challenge in what Jesus just said. I'm going to read that again. I want the challenge of what Jesus said to sink in. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him. That was a very big statement, and He continues, and I will raise him up on the last day. 1. This phrase has caused all kinds of writings and divisions. Take a moment and recognize that we just cannot pass these words off. We cannot come across a scripture that doesn’t fit easily into our mind’s view and just simply pass it off. 2. There is an answer here that we need to look at. Look at it as a challenge to our understanding. Jesus is saying something very bold to these people. He's telling them, you can't come to me on your own. The Father has to draw you in. Our problem is what He's trying to explain to them. 3. What is at stake? He is trying to get them to grasp where their unbelief comes from. I know in my own study when I find something like this I have a tendency to kind of whiz over those statements and pay attention to other parts of the sentences. B. I also notice that in my own studies, and you might too, when reading a verse you've known all your life, you might miss particular details because you're used to hearing a certain point. 1. For example, Acts 2:38, one you probably know very well. “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off,…” Don't just end the sentence there. Keep looking, “everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”” 2. It's the same thing Jesus just said here in John 6. You can't come to me unless the father draws you to me. Peter describes it in his sermon, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. 3. Galatians 1:6 says, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel" 4. 1st Corinthians 1:2 says – “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:” and in verse 9 “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 5. We have been studying Jude. How does Jude begin? “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:” There are statements that are being made here, that we have been called by God. Christ comes to these people who are in unbelief and says, I don't want you to grumble. I want you to recognize there is a problem. C. The problem is you can't come to Me unless the father draws you. What does that mean? How are we drawn? What does that look like? What is He trying to teach them? 1. There are those who use this sovereign act of God’s calling, to suppose that God draws some and not others. Doing that however would be to suppose that God is partial and unjust (see Acts 10:34). The murmurers in this passage had rejected the teaching of God relative to the lowliness of the Messiah, thus denying God's drawing of them unto Himself. The fact of rejection by some does not nullify the promise; the ones who respond will still be raised up on the last day. What is important for us to do in our study is to not stop studying here in verse 44 and build our doctrine. This whole chapter must be considered because it is one conversation with the Jews who saw the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. III. How Are We Drawn? – He's explaining what this means in verse 45. “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— then he gives this almost parenthetical comment—not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.” A. We might put it this way; Understand what I mean, “taught by God” is not talking about God directly teaching you. No one has seen the father. I'm not talking about that kind of teaching, but only those who have been taught by the father can come to Christ. B. In verse 44 Jesus makes this important declaration. Nobody comes to Christ unless the father draws him. When you look at the next verse what He is saying is; The people who come to Christ, are those who have heard and learned from the father. In other words, everybody who does come to Christ will have learned from God, have been taught by God. Jesus then quotes the prophets. 1. He uses Isaiah 54:13 as His proof text. “All your children shall be taught by the Lord,…” They will all be taught of God. The point is; He is saying that being taught by God is how a person is drawn by the father to Christ. 2. What does that look like? What exactly does that mean? Those who have heard and learned from the Father come to Christ. Hearing and learning from the Father is how the Father draws us to Christ, and how we come to salvation. C. Listen to 2nd Thessalonians 2:13-14. “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, (Notice that same kind of language) through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you (How?) through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1. Paul says I give thanks always about you because you have been taught by God. How did that happen? He called you through our gospel. We proclaimed the gospel to you and that is how you were drawn by the father. That is how you came to faith. 2. Think of that familiar verse, Romans 10:17. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Faith only comes one way. Through the hearing of the word of God. That's the only way faith comes. Mark talked about hearing recently and quoted “He who has ears to hear, let them hear” meaning to listen not just as to sound but for the meaning. In Matthew 15:10 when Jesus was teaching a multitude, He said “Hear and understand:” D. These Jews believe that they are part of God's family, that they are in a covenant relationship with God, and Jesus is telling them, there is a problem. You haven't been taught by God. You have not been drawn by the father. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. No one in this room came to faith without the word of God. Nobody. 1. You can't have faith in Christ without the word of God. That's the way the world wants to have it though. If you just go up on a mountain somewhere and meditate for a while, you can know all you need to know about God and you'd be on your way to spiritual salvation and enlightenment. No, you won't. 2. If you would just do these exercises, if you do this, that or whatever, then you would have spiritual enlightenment. If you'd watch this or that TV personality enough, then you'd have all the enlightenment that you could possibly need. 3. Jesus said, nobody comes to Me unless the father draws him. Paul worded it by saying; It’s the gospel that called you. He would write to the Romans, Your faith came by hearing the word of Christ. That's how your faith came. You had to know the word of God. I think that's very important to understanding what verses 44 and 45 are saying. E. Jesus words make quite a comment about these people’s knowledge of the scriptures. You are not coming to me because you have not been taught by the father. To say that to a Jew is a very big deal. Having somebody tell you haven't been taught by God at all, is quite insulting and quite challenging. 1. We can put these two sentences side by side and see clearly what Jesus is saying. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (6:44). “Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me” (6:45). 2. Therefore, being taught by God is how the Father draws us to Christ. Hearing and learning from the Father is how the Father draws us. This is also what the rest of the scriptures teach. F. By the way, this is exactly Jesus’ point in John 5:46 – “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”” You are the people of God. You were given the oracles of God. You should know scriptures. You were given all those things, and you haven't been taught by God. 1. Did they know the law? Did they have it memorized? Did they have the scrolls? Did they have the teachings? Did they recite the law? Did they read it in the synagogue on a regular basis? Did they worship and offer sacrifices? 2. All this yet Jesus says, you haven't been drawn by the father, you haven't been taught of God. Why? Because you haven't learned from the father. That is why you don't come to me. It's why you can't see Me as the savior, why you can't see Me as the bread of life. G. God revealed His will, nature, and commandments to humanity by speaking through chosen prophets. This is exactly what Jesus is trying to get across. This is really the message. God, even in the scriptures, as He spoke in the prophets, said, this is the way I'm going to bring people to myself. Imagine if God had not done that. If God had not revealed one word to humanity, would we be able to come to the father? No. God had to intervene. That's the issue. He's trying to tell these people you're not okay. You're not right with God. In fact, you're far away from God. H. I’d like to look now at Jeremiah 31 where through the prophet God tells of the New Covenant. Jeremiah 31:31, where Jeremiah writes, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.” I. He says, new covenant, not like the law of Moses. Here's what this covenant is going to look like. Verse 33, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”” J. What does it mean that God himself would put His law within them and write His law on their hearts? You will be taught by God. You will hear and learn from the Father. Think of what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…” He is describing the ability of the word of God to penetrate the complex inward nature of man, to convict him of sin, to expose his hidden motives, and to judge the very nature of life itself. 1. Paul says in 1st Thessalonians 4:9, “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,” – The word of God is living and active. 2. God is drawing people to Christ through these words because this is where the power lies. These are the words of the father that are given to bring life and those who do not know these words will not find life. They will not come to the son. How have those Thessalonians been taught by God? Paul preached to them. He proclaimed to them the word of God. K. Let me ask the question the other way so that we can see what Jesus is doing with these Jews. If Paul had not proclaimed the gospel to the Thessalonians would they have been loving one another as God commanded? To put it another way, do you of your own nature without knowing anything about God, love one another like you're supposed to? No. You love because God showed you how. This is His revelation to the world. Here's what love looks like. Here's how we're supposed to live. Here's what we're supposed to do. 1. On our own we don't do that. Even though we have the word of God, do we do exactly what He says? No, we still don't and if He had not revealed it to us, we certainly wouldn't have. 2. Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” We've all separated ourselves from God. There's none righteous no, not one. We've all walked away from God. 3. Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way;” If God did not intervene first, we are utterly lost. L. Growing up I heard the idea that if I was really good and did right, that's what got God to love me. Everything was OK. God loved me because I loved Him first. No. God loved me first and intervened and revealed His will and sent His son. It is because of those things that I come to faith, and how I come to know God. That's how I have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 1. Remember in Luke 18: how the ruler comes up to Jesus and says; “Good Teacher…” “And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God” 2. When we don't see our sinfulness, when we don't see that we are far away from God, then we will never come to him. This is what Jesus was dealing with. You say you've come down from heaven. You're offering salvation and forgiveness of sins and life. They don't see that they need that. M. He doesn't have to do a miracle to prove that He is the bread of life that comes from heaven. Jesus' argument is simply this. If you know the Scriptures properly and it is written on your heart the way it ought to be, you would know who I am and you would see me as the bread of life. 1. Peter in 1st Peter 1:23 writes, “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, (how?) through the living and abiding word of God;” 2. That is how you find salvation. That is how you are taught by God. That is how you hear and learn from the Father. 3. Peter goes on, “for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls," No one likes to hear that, "but the word of the Lord remains forever.” Now look at the end, "And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” How did you come to faith? The word of God. The word of God was preached to you. N. This tells us something so important about the nature of the word of God, and it gives us a responsibility to proclaim it. People are not going to wake up in their homes today, and out of the blue say; I believe in Jesus and I'm going to go to church and I'm going to follow Him with all my heart. They must hear the word of God. 1. We have a great responsibility before us to understand the power of God's word, to see what it does, because this is God's means of revelation to save the world. It's not going to come in a dream, it's not going to come in a vision, nor will you hear some kind of whisper in your ear. You're not going to see something or think something out of the blue. We are all taught by God because He has revealed Himself and that revelation brings us to faith. 2. Jesus is telling them don't grumble because the problem is you don't know the scriptures. He is not the problem; their problem is not knowing the scriptures beyond just the words. CONCLUSION: As I spent more time in John’s gospel, I saw it would be easy to read of the people Jesus met and think, “Wow! How did they miss that?” Then I realized we could memorize this book, come on Sunday and worship and still not be taught of God. There is a way to come every Sunday, sit in the pew, read the Bible every day, pray every day, try to be moral and right and still not be taught by God. That was their problem. They knew the law but were not taught by God. Jesus is trying to teach them, when you believe you will have eternal life, and that is going to come from the knowledge of the scriptures. That saving faith is generated from knowing His word. A preacher put it this way; “I learned the scriptures from my youth, and I could quote to you every verse, but I had not been taught by God. These words were not yet written on my heart. They were not put within me. They were words on a page that did not have strength that I had not given it yet. It is not just merely academic knowledge. The Jews certainly had that.” Consider: were the Jews ignorant of the scriptures? Of course not. They could quote the Torah. They knew the law of God. While they were worshiping God, offering their sacrifices, and reciting the law in the synagogue, they were not taught of God. Many today worship the same way. They attend, they participate, and they contribute. God is drawing you through the scriptures to His Son. Why should you read the Bible? Reading and listening to the scriptures, gaining the knowledge they offer is how God’s law is written onto our hearts. If the Father is not drawing you to Christ, then you are wandering away. Will you listen to God’s drawing you to Him and receive Jesus as the bread of life, becoming your only pursuit? Hear His words, listen to His calling. Listen to the great hope. Let us not be like these people who heard the great message of salvation and forgiveness of sins and eternal life and pursue false satisfaction saying to Him, Jesus I want a meal today, what are you going to do for me physically? I see Jesus shaking His head and saying, I am giving you the food to live an eternal life. Take your eyes off the physical and come to the bread of life. Turn away from your sins and be immersed in water to enter that relationship with Him. Won't you come while we stand and sing. # ??? Reference: Brent Kercheville

The Bread of Life John 6:30-40 INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. A quick review of where we are in John 6. On the previous day Jesus performed an amazing miracle, the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels, the feeding of the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish, and at least 5,000 men were there. The next day, these people who were on the east side of Galilee, came back in the morning wanting to be fed, and did not find Jesus there. They cross the Sea of Galilee, find Jesus in the synagogue in Capernaum, and they say basically, hey, we want to eat some more, perform some more signs for us. Jesus, in verse 26, identified that the reason that they had come was not because they understood who Jesus was, it's not because they understood the meaning of the sign that Jesus is the Savior, that He is the Messiah, come to redeem the world. They've only come for what Jesus will give them, and that is physical bread. They've come for breakfast and they want it free. It was on the basis of this that Jesus enters into a discussion with them. He told them not to put their effort or their labor into the food that perishes, but to labor for eternal life… labor for that food. He calls on them to believe in verse 29, saying that, this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. What Jesus is calling for them to do, is to recognize that God has accomplished a great work, He has accomplished their salvation, and by necessity they are to then put their faith in the one whom God has sent—Jesus. That is where we pick up the story now, and we'll find that Jesus and this crowd have a lot more to say about these things. John 6:30. I. Demanding Christ’s Service – Let’s start with John 6:30-31, “So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”” I think we can see what they are doing in this fascinating question and statement to Jesus. A. What sign do you do so that we may believe you? We need a sign so that we may see for ourselves and know who you are and believe you. I suspect any of us who have read the story would think that what they had seen the day before was a really big sign! Five loaves and two fish, feeding thousands and thousands of people. This makes me think of Bill Engvall’s book, “Here’s Your Sign”. B. What they are asking for, and what we see in what they're saying, is something more. It is not simply that they did not remember what happened yesterday. Remember what the people have observed in him. In John 6:14 they recognized this is indeed the prophet who has come into the world. This is the one that Moses prophesied about. There would be one like him, that would rise and deliver the people. 1. What the people are saying is that Moses gave the people food to eat every day for 40 years. Moses provided manna every day. If Jesus is the new deliverer and savior of the people, then at least He could feed them every day with bread like Moses did. 2. It can even be argued that they would expect something greater than what Moses did since He claims to be the Son of God. If you are the new Moses, then you should at least do this for us. That is the implication behind them saying we want to see a sign. John is showing us their thinking. If you are just like Moses, then every day we can come out here and you will give us food. C. Jesus' response to this is interesting. John 6:32-33. “Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”” 1. This is an interesting response because it corrects and contrasts with what they said. They said in verse 31, quoting the scripture, “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 2. Jesus responds to that with a number of statements in this sentence that defy the understanding of these people. He tells them Moses didn't give you bread. Yet, that's not the whole point. You will notice there's a changing of tenses. “… it was not Moses who gave you the bread…”, but then He doesn't say, the father gave you bread. That's was not the point. 3. He says, “but my father, present tense, gives you the true bread from heaven.” The implication is not to say, it wasn't Moses, it was God. The implication is; what you received then wasn't the true bread at all. The father is giving you that bread now. 4. The father gives you the true bread. What Moses gave you wasn't the real bread. That was only for your physical need. The father is offering you the real bread, the true bread that you ought to be looking for. It is the bread that sustains the soul, provides spiritual growth and leads to eternal life. 5. Jesus drives that very carefully and says in verse 33, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” I see another implied contrast here. The manna was not for the world, that manna was for the people of Israel, and was not the true sustenance. The father is going to give you true bread and it will not be only for you as the physical bread in the wilderness was. It will be for the whole world. D. There is something subtle in what Jesus says, and it seems the audience misses it. Notice in verse 33 that the bread of God “… is he who comes down from heaven…” Jesus speaks about Himself and declares that He gives life to the world. Jesus is offering something far greater and far superior to what was given in the wilderness… Himself. Notice the people completely miss this. II. I Am The Bread of Life – John 6:34, “They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”” As we read that, we see they don’t get it. We should not be surprised though because throughout this gospel we have seen the spiritual blindness of people that Jesus has encountered. A. It's almost as if they didn't hear that part. What they heard was the bread of God is what comes down from heaven and gives life. That sounds great! Bread comes down and gives us life! Sir, give us this bread always. 1. John continues to paint these audiences in spiritual blindness, darkened in the heart. We saw this with the Samaritan woman in 4:15. Jesus speaks of the living water, then she says to him, sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty or need to come and draw water. 2. Notice the parallel. 4:15, Sir, give me this water. 6:34, Sir, give us this bread. They are simply not understanding what Jesus is offering. 3. There is a consistent theme in this gospel. The people are spiritually blind and so consumed by pursuing their physical desires, wants and needs that they fail to recognize what is being offered to them. 4. The crowd wants this bread every day so that they can be physically fed by doing nothing. Are people like that today? Something for nothing? Something for minimum effort? Certainly. Advertisers know it, politicians know it. - Satan knows it. B. Jesus is trying to get their minds on a spiritual plane. Stop laboring for the food that perishes. Stop worrying about your physical desires. Stop concerning yourselves with materialistic pursuits. Don't pursue Jesus for what He can give you. Pursue Him for who He is. Labor for the food that leads to eternal life. Here Jesus gets blunt, just as He did with the Samaritan woman, and He gets to the point. III. Believing – Verse 35, “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” What a beautiful picture that He's trying to get them to understand. A. He's trying to help them understand what Jesus offers them. He says, whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. I think we can recognize those statements are parallel. He is describing the answers to needs, spiritual needs, and He's offering them true satisfaction of those needs. If you will come to Me not for what I will give you, but for who I am, the bread of life, you will never hunger and thirst again after righteousness. 1. This is the same concept as with the woman at the well in chapter 4. John wants us to think about that concept again. When you come to Jesus, all that your soul, spirit and mind yearn for, require, need, look for, clamor for—will be completely satisfied. 2. He will fill what you truly need so that you won't look everywhere else in the world for it. Jesus says in verse 35, I am the bread of life. He doesn't say, I give the bread. He says, I am the bread. This is the first of seven “I am” statements in this gospel. B. Jesus is your bread - Jesus is communicating; I am not the giver of bread to satisfy your whims, physical needs and desires, not your genie in the bottle for whatever you need. He has been sent by God from heaven. He parallels the manna. Just as God rained down manna in the wilderness in the days of Moses, now the father has sent His Son to be the bread of life. Those who truly believe and will come to Him understand who He is. 1. The implications of this “I am” statement are far reaching and we must come to Jesus with our eyes open recognizing Him. He is the place where thirst is quenched, and where hunger is filled. 2. We do not come to Him to satisfy all our desires. We've already seen that in the last lesson. It is not, I need this or that and I have these desires and there’s God; He can give me all the happiness and all the joy of life that I want. Fill up my wallet and give me good health and I'll serve you. 3. Think about this, when are you comfortable? When you're not hungry, and you're not thirsty. When you're hungry, or thirsty, you do something about it don’t you? Otherwise, you're uncomfortable. You address those needs, so you are no longer hungry or thirsty. 4. Jesus uses that picture. Until you come to Jesus as the bread of life, as the fountain of living water, you will never be satisfied. You'll always be in discomfort. Seeking something and looking in philosophy, astrology, fortune telling, other people and a myriad of places that never satisfy. You're not going to find what you're looking for because only He can satisfy. Nothing else in life can. C. We could say we were built to find our satisfaction in God. That's how we were created. We were created to find our satisfaction in God and Satan uses this lack of satisfaction as an opportunity to lead us to try to find that satisfaction elsewhere. You will be happy and have a good life if you will just do this. 1. If you made a lot of money. If you only had more power, if you had a promotion, if you were married, if you had children, if you lived in a different place. All the things that we hear in our ears that we need and would satisfy us. The point is, there is nothing that compares to Jesus. He's the only thing that satisfies. 2. Let me make a silly illustration. Let’s say you feel hungry. Should you go out to the garage and try to eat a tire or go to the refrigerator and eat some food? Obviously, you eat the food. All right, if you want true satisfaction, you go to the only source, Christ. If you go anywhere else, it doesn't make any sense. It won't work. It won't satisfy. D. That's what He wants them to see. They've come to Him on the physical plane looking for other things to satisfy them. He's telling us that we cannot live for the bread of this world. It's not true bread. 1. Look at Isaiah 55:1-3, “1. Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” 2. Isaiah poses this in the form of a question. Why would we take these other avenues looking for satisfaction? Why go elsewhere when Christ is the one who satisfies? He is the one that offers the true bread of life for He is the true bread. Why would we labor for that which does not satisfy? It is an amazing concept; what Jesus wants them to understand is that nothing else is really bread but him. The world offers no satisfaction and any satisfaction they claim is a lie. That should be pretty life changing. E. Deuteronomy 8:2-3, Moses explains about their hunger in the wilderness, “… the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” 1. Sound familiar? It should. In Matthew 4:4 when Satan tried to use Jesus’ hunger as a weapon it says, “But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”” This highlights that there is more to human existence than simply fulfilling basic, material needs. It means we stop seeking peripheral things, no longer focus on the physical, the things that we see with our eyes or think that we need for our flesh. Solomon finally figured that out didn’t he. Ecclesiastes 12. 2. John 6:36 is staggering. “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” How often does this happen! Jesus says, I'm standing right here in front of you and I'm willing to give you the very life that you need, yet you do not believe even though you've seen me. They see Jesus, but they don't really see Him for who He is. 3. That crowd has witnessed God at work. They've seen the divine revealer right there in their midst, but rather than having their faith aroused and seeking Him because of who He is, all that has been aroused is curiosity, their appetites, desires and political ambitions to make Him king over Judea. 4. There's a world of people who see Jesus that do not see Jesus. There is a world of people that have heard of Jesus, recognize Jesus, sit in pews every Sunday believing that they believe in Jesus, but they do not believe in Jesus because they do not see Him as the bread of life. IV. Receiving Life – We continue with verses 37-40. “37. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”” A. That’s a great finale. Here's what we look at today. At John 3:35 we were told – “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life;…” Now Jesus says in 6:37; “. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” Then in verse 39 He says; “this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” 1. He's driving at a point here to His audience, a very important point. If you belong to the father, if you truly belong to God, then you will come to Jesus. Here you are in the audience of people who have come to Him simply seeking physical bread. 2. Conversely, since you won't come to Jesus, you don't belong to the father because the father has given all to Jesus. Refusing to come to Jesus proves you do not belong to the father. He gives them this warning: these Jews could not claim any allegiance or any life in God because they were not coming to Jesus as the bread of life. B. We see a great hope given in verse 37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” He goes on to emphasize this point in the next few verses. 1. The son isn't driving anybody away. Those who will come to Him as the bread of life and see Him for who He really is, He does not cast away. He has come to do the father’s will, and it is God’s will that He lose nothing of all that God has given Him but raise it up on the last day. 2. This has been, I submit to you, the primary message of this miracle. This miracle of the loaves and the fish is that Jesus is the bread of life and those who come to Him will not be lost. Remember John records this strange command when He tells His disciples to go gather all the fragments so none may be lost. 3. There is a great confidence for those who have come to Jesus, He will never cast them out. There will not be any concern, nor should anyone fret about their salvation if they understand what this is saying. C. I think that leads to the final question; who has been given to Jesus? He is very clear, verse 37, All that the Father gives me… refers to all who shall be saved, none being excluded, so long as they truly come to Christ, that is the thrust of the second clause. Significantly, this verse makes no reference to faith like the previous verse; but this does not exclude faith, the verses are supplementary to each other. One must believe and come to Jesus to be saved. Coming to Jesus is equivalent to entering His kingdom; and entering requires one be born of water and of the spirit (John 3:5). Therefore, coming to Jesus means being born again. No subjective experience can be substituted for the new birth. "Coming" is something that one does, not something that he thinks, believes, or feels. D. Notice that verses 39 and 40 are parallel statements. For example, verse 39, And this is the will of him who sent me… Who sent Jesus? The father. Verse 40, For this is the will of my Father… Verse 39, …but raise it up on the last day. Verse 40, … I will raise him up on the last day 1. These two verses are in concert with one another and verse 40 explains verse 39. 2. What Jesus is describing for them, trying to get them to recognize is… who are truly in the kingdom, who truly belong to Jesus, who will endure to the end? Who are the ones that are going to hear the words of salvation? Who are the ones that will not be cast out? 3. The answer is; those who see Jesus as the bread of life, those who come to Him and do not look for their satisfaction in the world, do not labor for the food that perishes, but labor for the bread that leads to eternal life. E. We notice this next phrasing in verse 40, …everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him… and that takes us back to John 3:14-15. “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” You must look to Him in faith. You must fully believe in Him. 1. We wonder, hadn't these people come to him? They've crossed the sea, they have traveled far to come to Jesus. Haven't they come to Him? Jesus' answer is no. John has expressed this before. 2. In chapter 3 Nicodemus has come to Jesus, but he hasn't come to Jesus. These people have come to Jesus, but they have not come to Jesus as the bread of life. They have not come to Him in faith. They do not see him as the way to eternal life. He's just Jesus. What will He do for me? That's what Nicodemus did, that is what the Samaritan woman asked. That's the response of the crowd. CONCLUSION: As you go through this week, think about the implications of what it means for Jesus to be your bread. What should that look like in our lives if He is truly the bread that will give us eternal life? What does that mean I will do? What does that change in how I think and how I live? If He is the one who gives all satisfaction, what does that change for me as I go about my day? How does that change my attitude, how I handle trials? How does that change how I deal with difficulties and distress? How does that change how I deal with the people of the world? How does that change my pursuits in life? Will I pursue God above all else? Will I see life in His words? Jesus says, I'm that life. I'm the bread of life. Find your satisfaction in me. All that has been offered in the physical realm does not satisfy. It does not give life. God has sent down His son as bread, bread that you can respond to. You can receive life if you will put your faith in Him, if you will look to Him, come to Him, receive Him, believe in Him and put your very life in His hands, believing that He is the son of God. Knowing therefore that He is your everything that nothing else in this life matters. The only thing that matters, the only thing that gives true joy is the pursuit of Jesus with all your heart. That is the call that Jesus is making to the crowd. It's the call that He made to the Samaritan woman. If you knew who I was, you'd be asking me for that living water and I'd give it to you. It's the same call He gave to Nicodemus. You need to be born again. You need radical transformation. Jesus’ call is still ringing. We invite you to come while we stand and while we sing. # ??? Reference: Brent Kercheville

Watchfulness in a World on the Brink Revelation 16:15 A woman was taking her mother out for a drive and her mother scolded her every time she went over the speed limit. But it was HER car, and she was determined to drive as fast as she wanted to. Then she saw the flashing red and blue lights in the rearview mirror, and the policeman pulled her over and gave her a ticket. After the policeman left, she complained to her mother “That the policeman should have let me OFF WITH A WARNING.” But her mother smiled and said: “Joan - I gave you the warning. He gave you the ticket.” Today, we’re beginning a series on the book of Revelation. Revelation is a massive book talking about the war between Good and Evil - between the forces of Satan, and the forces of Christ. And just in case you’ve never read the book… I’m gonna give the plot away – JESUS wins… Satan loses! Now Revelation is also a book dedicated to assuring us that Jesus is coming back - and when He does, we who belong to Him, will live in a beautiful world where “(God) will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.” Revelation 21:4 WE LIKE THAT! WE WANT THAT! But we need to understand that Revelation is not just a book of comfort - it’s also a book of warning. In the first 3 chapters Jesus warns several churches about some of the bad choices they’ve made. And now - right here in the middle of Revelation – Revelation 16:15 you and I are being WARNED. Addressing Christians, Jesus declared: “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” How do I know that Jesus is addressing Christians? Well, because this is one of 4 times in the New Testament That talks about this. In Matthew 24:42-44: “Jesus tells His followers: “Stay awake, for you do not know on what day YOUR LORD IS COMING. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.  Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” And in 2nd Peter 3:42-44 we Christians are told: “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought YOU to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise – we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” ILLUS: I read the story of a Mother who caught her young son eating out of the sugar bowl. She told him: “Don’t you ever let me catch you doing that again.” And her boy innocently replied: “I’ll try Mommy. But you often quietly sneak up on me.” THAT LITTLE BOY HAD BEEN CAUGHT BY SURPRISE! And when Jesus comes back, He’s gonna catch a lot of people by surprise. Now, it’s true that NON-Christians will be caught by surprise when Jesus returns because they’re basically not looking for Him to come back anyway. But it’s the church goers - the people who SAY that they believe in Christ - who need to realize that Jesus will come back when they’re not looking for Him. And for some of these folks, that’s NOT GOING TO BE a pleasant experience. Again, I refer to Revelation 16:15: “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” This verse calls believers to watchfulness, readiness, and faithful living in a world that is spiritually dark and morally chaotic. The blessing is not for the clever, the powerful, or the well-connected—but for the one who stays awake and keeps his garments. Right in the middle of demonic deception, global conflict, and the gathering at Armageddon, Jesus breaks in with a personal warning: “Behold, I come as a thief.” This echoes His earlier warnings In 1st Thessalonians 5:2-3 we read: "2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." AND Mark 13:33-36: 32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake.[a] For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants[b] in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows,[c] or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” A thief does not announce his arrival. A thief does not give a countdown. A thief comes when people are distracted, sleeping, or unprepared. Jesus is not calling us to fear His coming—He is calling us to be ready for it. “Blessed Is He That Watcheth” To watch means      • Staying spiritually awake in a world that lulls people to sleep with comfort, entertainment, and compromise.      • Living with expectation, not lack of concern. Commentators note that this warning is given because the powers of evil are active and subtle. Watching is not passive—it is active, intentional, disciplined. How Do We “Watch” Today? A. Guard Your Heart Stay alert to the subtle drift of sin, compromise, and spiritual laziness. B. Stay in the Word Scripture keeps your garments clean and your eyes open. C. Pray with Expectation Prayer keeps your heart awake and your spirit aligned. D. Live as if Jesus Could Come Today Not in fear—but in readiness, joy, and purpose. Revelation 16:15 is not a threat—it is an invitation. An invitation to:      • Wake up      • Clean up      • Look up      • Stand up      • Live up to your calling in Christ—Blessed is the one who watches. Blessed is the one who keeps his garments. Blessed is the one who is ready when the King appears. I read the story of a little girl who’d heard in church about the Jesus’ return and she asked her mother: “Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back?” “Yes dear.” “Could he come this week?” “Well, yes.” “Could He come today?” “Yes honey.” “Could he come in the next hour?” “Yes, He could that.” “In a few minutes?” About this time the mother kind of laughed: “Of course, dear.” The little girl paused and then said: “Mommy, would you comb my hair?” Now notice, that little girl took Jesus coming back seriously. She was AWAKE to the truth that Jesus was gonna return, and she wanted to be ready for Him when He did. But she wasn’t afraid of Jesus coming back. She had a sweet gentle faith that EAGERLY anticipated Jesus’ coming. She literally had a child-like faith. I find it intriguing that in Revelation 16:15: we are told that we should be keeping (our) garments on, that (we) may not go about naked and be seen exposed!" In other words, don’t get caught with your pants down! Now, what’s that all about? Why is Jesus talking about what we wear? Jesus is talking about the SPIRITUAL clothes we wear. In Scripture, garments symbolize:      • Righteousness (Revelation 19:8)      • Character      • Faithfulness      • Identity in Christ To “keep your garments” means:      • Maintaining purity      • Walking in obedience      • Staying clothed in Christ’s righteousness, not your own John Gill notes that to be found “naked” means to be exposed as one who lacked genuine righteousness or abandoned good works. In other words: Don’t let the world strip you of what Christ has clothed you with. The Shame of Nakedness — A Warning to the Complacent “Lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” This is not about physical nakedness—it is spiritual exposure. It is the shame of:      • A wasted life      • A faith that was only outward This is the shame of being unprepared when Christ returns. So, what kind of SPIRITUAL garments should we be wearing? Well, we should be wearing the Breastplate of FAITH and LOVE, and the helmet of the HOPE of our salvation. In other words – when people look at you and I - those are the messages they ought to see in our lives. When they look at us they should see our FAITH in Christ… and our LOVE for others. And they should be impressed by the fact that our HOPE of salvation isn’t based on our own personal righteousness… but on the blood of Jesus. In 1st Thessalonians 5:4-9 we’re told “You are not in darkness, brothers, for that day will surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober… Let us… put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” A preacher told about working in a machine shop for 4 1/2 years alongside a fellow named George. George’s job was to sweep and clean the shop. And he said George loved Jesus, and he loved singing hymns as he worked. Many of them had to do with the 2nd coming of Christ, such as “In the Sweet By and By” and “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.” Well, late one Friday afternoon about 10 minutes to quitting time, the preacher said he looked at George and said, “George, are you ready?” And George said “Uh-huh.” But he was all dirty. He was just obviously not ready. And the preacher said, “Just look at you. You’re not ready to go home” And George said, “Yeah, I’m ready.” I said “Look at you! Man, you’re not ready. You’ve gotta go clean up.” And George said, “let me show you something”… and he unzipped his coveralls and underneath the coveralls were the neatest, cleanest clothes you ever saw. HE WAS READY. All he had to do when the whistle blew was just unzip and step out of that coverall and walk over, and punch the clock… and he was gone. He said, “You see, I stay ready to keep from having to get ready – just like I’m ready for Jesus!” Well, how do you get ready to go to heaven? What garments do you put on… so that, when the whistle blows and you punch that final time clock you’ll be ready go home to be with Jesus? Well, you need to believe that Jesus is who He said He was. He’s the God in the flesh who became a man so that He could die for our sin. And you should repent of your past and determine not to live like that anymore. And you should confess Jesus as Lord and Master and turn your whole life over to Him. And then you get baptized into Christ. As Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” INVITATION:

What Kind of Soil Am I? Mark 4: 1 – 20   ·       Why do different people respond differently to the same message? ·         Why do some reject the Gospel of Christ and others accept it and live Christian lives? Jesus provides an answer to this question in our text today. As we begin to read Mark 4, we find Jesus teaching a large crowd from a boat. We are told Jesus taught them many things by parables. A parable is a comparison.   The same environment that breaks some things can strengthen others. Just like when the same seed falls on different soils, or how the same boiling water can affect each object differently. A young person came to a mentor overwhelmed by life—pressure, trials, disappointments. “Why is life so hard?” they asked. “Why do I feel like I’m falling apart?” The mentor didn’t answer with words. Instead, they placed a carrot, an egg, and a handful of coffee beans into three separate pots of boiling water. After a few minutes, they pulled them out.     The carrot went in strong, firm, confident. But after facing the boiling water, it came out soft, weakened, and easily broken. Some hearts are like this. Life’s heat makes them lose their strength. They become discouraged, defeated, spiritually limp. This is the rocky soil—it springs up quickly but withers under heat.     The egg went in fragile, with a soft heart inside. But after the boiling water, the inside became hard. Some people go through trials and become bitter, closed off, hardened. Pain calcifies their heart. This is the path soil—the heart becomes so hard that the seed cannot penetrate.     But the coffee bean did something different. It didn’t become weak like the carrot. It didn’t become hard like the egg. Instead, it changed the water. The same boiling water that weakened the carrot and hardened the egg released the fragrance and flavor of the coffee bean. It transformed its environment. This is the good soil—the heart that receives the Word, grows through adversity, and produces a harvest that blesses others.     Jesus says the seed is the Word. The soil is the heart. The heat of life—pressure, trials, temptation—reveals what kind of soil we truly are. Some hearts break down like the carrot. Some hearts harden like the egg. But some hearts transform like the coffee bean—bearing fruit 30, 60, 100‑fold. The difference is not the heat. The difference is the heart. When life heats up, which one are you? The carrot that loses strength The egg that becomes hard Or the coffee bean that transforms the world around it And even more importantly: Which soil are you today? I challenge each one of us today to really evaluate which soil Jesus would say we are … and which soil do we want to be.   IN MARK 4:1-20… Jesus’ parable teaches that the condition of the heart determines the fruitfulness of the Word. The parable is not just about four different kinds of people. It’s also about four conditions that can exist in the same person at different times. You can be good soil on Sunday morning and thorny soil by Wednesday afternoon. The question is not “Which soil am I permanently?” The question is “Which soil am I today?”     Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: “Hearken” and “Behold” – he’s using two Words to communicate that whatever you are doing you need to stop right now and listen to what I’m about to say. Pay attention. Notice also that the sower “went out”. This was a purposeful decision. What is my point? When it comes to sowing the Word, it’s not something we do haphazardly. We do it on purpose. And when you do something on purpose you make time for it. It’s not a passing fancy. You make time because you are doing it for a reason.     Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. When a sower sows he reaches into his bag and flings out the Seed. He’s scattering the Seed. (5) some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: (6) But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. (7) And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. (8) And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. (9) And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.     The Four Soils show the Four Heart Conditions The 1st is a Hardened Path The seed falls on the path—packed down, walked on, impenetrable. Birds snatch it away. This is the heart that hears but cannot receive. Life has trampled it. Pain, cynicism, disappointment, pride—something has made it resistant. Jesus says Satan steals the Word before it can even sink in. Someone hears a sermon, nods politely, but nothing enters. The heart is closed for business.     The 2nd is a Rocky Ground There’s a thin layer of soil over stone. The seed sprouts quickly but has no root. When heat comes, it withers. This is the emotional but shallow heart. It loves inspiration but avoids transformation. Someone gets excited about God—until following Him costs something. Faith without depth collapses under pressure.     The 3rd is a Thorny Soil The seed grows, but so do the thorns. They choke the life out of the plant. Jesus names the thorns: Worries of life Deceitfulness of wealth Desires for other things This is the crowded heart—not hard, not shallow, just overgrown. Someone loves God but is too busy, too distracted, too entangled to bear fruit.     And, the 4th is the Good Soil This soil receives the seed, protects it, nourishes it, and produces a harvest—30, 60, 100 times what was sown. This is the open, honest, surrendered heart. Fruitfulness is not about talent, intelligence, or background. It’s about receptivity. Good soil is not found. Good soil is formed. So, How Do I Cultivate Good Soil? Break up the hard ground — through repentance, honesty, and vulnerability before God. Remove the rocks — commit to deeper discipleship, not just emotional moments. Pull the thorns — simplify your life, reorder your priorities, and confront what is choking your soul. Stay open to the seed — keep listening, keep responding, keep obeying. If Jesus walked into your life today and looked at your heart, what soil would He see? Not what soil you wish you had. Not what soil others think you have. What soil is actually there? In the New Testament it says that “I (Jesus) am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” And in Timothy it says God wants all men to be saved and come a knowledge of the truth. Remember back in Mark 4:9 it says “let them who have ears to hear, let them hear”? Let them hear. We all have ears, right? So, we are either making a decision to hear or not hear. Why are their eyes seeing and their ears hearing? It’s because they are letting their eyes see and their ears hear. So when we read these verses in Mark 4, Jesus is not the one preventing them from seeing, Jesus is not the one preventing them from hearing. They are not seeing and they are not hearing because of the hardness of their hearts. Satan can steal the Word when we refuse to hear. What does Jesus say in verse 9? “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” In other Words, let him hear and let him hold on to it.     So, if this is the criteria for hearing then what we see here in verse 15 are those who have heard the Word but refused to hold on to it. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. (16) And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness; (17) And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended. Again, these individuals did not trust the Seed. One of our greatest problems as Christians is that we read the Bible but we truly don’t believe what we read. When you don’t believe what you read, when persecution comes and people come against you and disagree with what the Bible says, you are not going to fight for what the Bible says. The person who has not root in himself, they have no scriptural foundation. Why? He has ears… but is not hearing. (18) And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the Word, (19) And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful. Again, they did not trust the Seed. They did not trust that the Word would do for them what the Word says it will do. And so the world came in and replaced the Word. (23) If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.     Several years ago the following advertisement was placed in a New England area newspaper: "Unknown item for sale. We know it's valuable; we just don't know what it is. If you can identify it, we'll sell it for $250.” Sometimes it’s hard to decide what something is worth. Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay you for it. About 10 years ago, a man was browsing at a Music City Thrift Shop in Nashville. He found an old yellowed rolled-up document that had the Declaration of Independence written on it. It was priced at $2.48, so he bought it. But he was curious about it because it looked so old, and so he did some online research. It turned out it was one of the 200 “official copies of the Declaration that had been commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1820. The firm that examined it determined he could sell it for about $250,000. The man ended up selling it to an investment firm for almost ½ a million dollars. So, how much was that old, yellowed scroll worth? Well... it was worth whatever someone was willing to pay for it. Now, here’s a question: What are YOU worth? Jesus compared your worth to a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost Son. The Bible says you were worth so much that God gave His only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That’s how much you are worth to God. In this parable we are told that the sower is doing his job. He’s throwing the seed EVERYWHERE and he’s doing what he’s expected to do. He’s not wasting his time and he’s not wasting the seed. He’s doing his JOB! But who is the sower? Who is this person in the parable who’s throwing all that seed around? Well, we’re not told, but I’ve got a pretty good idea. I think it’s YOU... and it’s ME. Anybody who LOVES Jesus is the sower of the seed. So, it’s YOUR job. And it’s MY job to sow the seed. I want to close with a story of a Christian who was on his honeymoon in the Bahamas. He said a man walked up to him and said, "Would you like to buy some cocaine? After taking it … You can tell everyone how much you really enjoyed the Bahamas." He said a curt "No!"   But then he began to think about how Jesus would have responded if someone came up to him selling drugs. Later that day, someone else came up to him also selling drugs and that gave him a chance to share Jesus with them in a most creative way. After the drug dealer told him that he had the "good-stuff," the Christian asked him, "What have you got?" The dealer replied that he had some "Smooth Cocaine!" The Christian man then asked him: "Is that all you have? I'm disappointed! I was hoping you would have something better than that. You see, I've got the real thing! What I have is all natural, pure and very powerful. And it makes me feel great all day and all night. And get this, it may be illegal in some countries, but not in this one, so you can't get arrested for having it!" By this time the drug dealer was very curious and asked the christian... “what is this incredible "stuff" you’re was talking about?” The Christian replied, "I'm talking about having Jesus in your heart! It's awesome what He will do for you when you get Him inside of you! No drug in all the world is as good as having Jesus in you." The man STOPPED SMILING and got this real serious look on his face and said, "I want what you have. How do I get it?" INVITATION  

Failure is Part of Success Mark 14:27-31, 66-72 Famous People Who Became Successful After Numerous Failures. Did you know that even the great inventor Thomas Edison had his fair share of blunders? It took him over 1,000 tries to invent the light bulb. When asked about his failures, he quipped, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  1. Abraham Lincoln Lincoln endured multiple business failures, bankruptcy, and 26 political defeats before eventually becoming one of America’s most respected presidents. 2. J.K. Rowling Before Harry Potter became a global phenomenon, Rowling was penniless, depressed, and rejected by 12 publishers. Her persistence turned her into one of the world’s most successful authors. 3. Oprah Winfrey Oprah was fired from her first TV job and told she was “unfit for television.” She later built a media empire and became one of the most influential women in the world. 4. Thomas Edison Edison famously failed thousands of times while trying to invent the light bulb. His philosophy: each failure was simply a step toward success. 5. Walt Disney Disney was fired for “lacking creativity” and faced bankruptcy before creating one of the most iconic entertainment empires in history. 6. Michael Jordan Cut from his high‑school basketball team, Jordan used failure as fuel to become one of the greatest athletes of all time. 7. Steve Jobs Jobs was fired from Apple, the company he co‑founded. Years later, he returned and transformed it into one of the most valuable companies in the world. 8. James Dyson Dyson created 5,127 failed prototypes over 15 years before finally producing the vacuum design that made him a billionaire.   What These Stories Teach Us Failure is not the opposite of success — it’s part of it. Persistence is the common thread across all great achievers. Rejection and setbacks often precede breakthroughs. Resilience, not perfection, defines long‑term success.   The Fail-tastic Proverb. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”    Simon Peter was a leader among the twelve disciples. He was one of the first disciples Jesus called, and after Jesus ascended back into heaven, he was one of the leaders of the early church. However, I want you to imagine that night when Peter was sitting around the fire at the house of Caiaphas. He was brave enough to follow the mob that arrested Jesus, but he was too afraid to identify himself as a companion of Jesus. While the illegal Jewish trial of Jesus was being conducted Peter was asked three times if he knew Jesus. And three times, he denied Jesus. When we look at Peter’s life, we can see there were at least three steps on the downward path of failure. Simon says there are three steps that lead to failure. We need to know these steps, because they are the same steps to denial followers of Jesus take today. A. His first downward step was disagreement with God’s Word. When Jesus took the disciples on a retreat to Caesarea Philippi, He asked them what people were saying. They said, “Some say you are John the Baptist, Jeremiah, Elijah, or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus said, “But who do YOU say that I am?” There was probably silence for a moment or two when Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus complimented Peter on his good understanding. Then Jesus began to tell them He would be going to Jerusalem where He would be put to death. That was God’s revelation. But Peter disagreed with God’s word. The Bible says in Matthew 16:22-23 “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me.’” Peter heard God’s plan straight from the mouth of Jesus, but he thought he knew better. He said, “None of this business about dying!” In the same way, we are headed for failure when we start disagreeing with this book. When a person no longer consults this book for personal morality, then that person is heading for a fall. So, I challenge each of us personally to read and obey God’s Word. There was a time when our national morality was based upon the morality of the Bible, but we have long since forsaken God’s Word as a source of right and wrong—and that’s one main reason we are in the mess we’re in. B. Peter’s second step toward failure was overconfidence. When Jesus predicted that all the disciples would leave him, Peter bragged that he would stick with Jesus. He said, “EVEN If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” But Jesus said, “Peter, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” Peter said, “Never! Not me, Lord!” The Bible has a strong warning against overconfidence in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride is a condition that blinds the person who has it. Pride is an attitude that causes you to think you are incapable of sin. But we need to understand that any of us are capable of denying the Lord at any time.   C. The third step on the pathway to failure was peer pressure from the wrong crowd. Peter sat and warmed himself at the fire with those who were hostile toward Jesus and anyone associated with Jesus. It’s hard to stand up and confess Jesus when you are with people who don’t share your beliefs.   We read in Mark 14:54 that Peter followed Jesus at a distance to the courtyard of Caiaphas’ house. That’s an indication that we find ourselves in trouble when we don’t follow the Lord closely. Some of us may have at one time followed the Lord closely, but we have hung back and now we follow the Lord at a distance. And before long we find ourself hanging out with the wrong crowd. Soon we find ourself doing the wrong thing. Falling away from the Lord doesn’t happen overnight. It happens gradually over a period of time. I’ve always loved the words in the opening verse of psalms that talk about the characteristics of a righteous person. It starts by revealing what a righteous person doesn’t do. Notice the progression. Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the one who does not WALK in step with the wicked or STAND in the way that sinners take or SIT in the company of mockers...”   Peter found himself walking with the wrong crowd. Then he stood with them, and then he sat down by the fire with them. If you find yourself walking with the wrong crowd, turn around. And for sure, don’t sit down with them. Peter took those three steps: 1) disagreement with God’s word, 2) overconfidence and 3) he submitted to peer pressure until he denied the Lord. A little servant girl said, “I’ve seen you with Jesus; you’re one of His disciples!” Peter said, “I am NOT!” A second person said, “Yes you are, you are one of the disciples of Jesus.” The second time, Peter said, “You are wrong, I don’t know Jesus.” Then one of them recognized his accent. One man said, “I can tell by the way you talk, you’re from Galilee. You are with Jesus.” At that moment Peter lost it, AND a nearby rooster let out a cock-a-doodle do to end all cock-a-doodle do’s! Then it crowed again, just to make sure Peter had heard it. Then Peter remembered the words of the Lord. The very thing Peter said would never happen had happened. Peter had denied his Lord. He was at rock bottom.   Maybe that’s where you’ve been before. Maybe it’s where you are now. Or you are afraid you may find yourself there soon. Rock bottom is a bad place to be, but it’s a good place to meet the Lord, because there’s only one direction you can go from there. If you are a human creature, you’re going to fail and make mistakes. When we have sinned, we must recognize it and repent. God’s forgiveness doesn’t save us from the consequences of our conduct, but if we’ve abandoned the behavior and are willing to accept the consequences, God will still use us. The thing that reveals the strength of your character is what you do AFTER you fall. If you stay down, then you wallow in your failure. But if you get up and keep trying to follow God, He can still use you. We looked at the steps that lead to failure. Now let’s consider how to move toward restoration. Peter says there are three steps on the pathway to restoration.   A.    The first step is to admit your failure. As soon as the rooster crowed, Peter realized he had failed the Lord. The Danish artist, Carl Bloch, captured a scene from the night when Peter denied Jesus. Luke tells us as Jesus was being led out of the courtroom, he looked across the courtyard and looked into the eyes of Peter. Peter would see Jesus’ face was already beaten, his eyes swollen, and blood caked in his beard. That look must have made Peter’s blood freeze.   But I don’t think Jesus had a look of anger or disappointment toward Peter. I think it was a look of love. It was as if Jesus was saying, “I told you what would happen, now what are you going to do?”   In this moment you see the rooster crowing as Peter turns his head away from the gaze of Jesus. When it comes to failure and sin in your life, you have two options. You can try to hide it, or you can admit it. The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”   Someone said, “To err is human; and to cover it up is too.” Once we have made a mistake one of the hardest things to do is to come clean and admit it. Is there an area of your life where you have failed the Lord, and you are in denial? Remember these three phrases do deal with sin. Admit it. Quit it, then Forget it. Admit it: confess it to God. Quit it: stop sinning; then forget it: accept God’s cleansing. Admit it. Quit it, Forget it—it still works.   B. The second step is to repent of your sin. The Bible says Peter went out and wept bitterly. The word “repent” means to have a change of heart that leads to a change of behavior. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, it is often a painful experience. That’s why Peter wept. He was ashamed of his behavior. When was the last time you wept over your sins? Sorrow and repentance often go together. The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 7:10 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”   C. The third step is to return to serve with God’s people. Do you know the difference between Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter? Judas was sorry for what he did. He had regret, but there was no repentance. He went out and hung himself. After Peter went out and wept, he repented and then he joined the disciples. Jesus not only predicted Peter would deny Him, but He also predicted Peter would get back on track and would be the one to strengthen the other disciples.   In Luke 22:31-32 Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Peter failed the Lord when he denied Jesus, but his faith didn’t fail. Jesus wasn’t finished with Peter. In John 21 Peter and the disciples were out on the lake in Galilee fishing. They had fished all night and caught nothing. They saw a man standing on the shore who called out, “Caught any fish?” They grumbled, “Nope.” The man said, “Throw your net on the other side of the boat.” That should have rung a bell. Sure enough they toss the net and it is so full of fish that they have to drag it to shore. John said, “It’s the Lord!”   Peter, who had denied Jesus a few nights earlier couldn’t wait for the boat to get to shore. When the disciples arrived, Jesus already had a fire going with fish cooking. So once again, Peter is looking at Jesus across a fire. Jesus asks Peter a question three times. Peter do you love me more than these? John 21:15-17, “15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.””   And four weeks later, we see Peter filled with the Holy Spirit standing up and preaching the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost. He had failed… BUT, he used this event to strengthen his life. He went on to become one of the leaders of the early church. CONCLUSION: John Maxwell wrote, “Failing doesn’t mean I’m a failure; it just means I have not yet succeeded.   It doesn’t mean I’ve accomplished nothing; it just means I’ve learned something.   It doesn’t mean I’ll never make it; it just means I have a reason to start over again.   It doesn’t mean God has abandoned me; it just means He has a better idea!” The Bible is full of stories of people who loved God and failed Him on a grand scale, but they returned to God and God used them in a mighty way. Remember, failure is NOT THE OPPOSITE OF SUCCESS BUT is often the thing that LEADS TO SUCCESS!!!!       Sermon Contributor : David Dykes  

The Food That Perishes John 6:16-29   INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. We said at the beginning of this series that John’s focus was writing so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in His name. We want to put effort in learning from John, for within this gospel is much information we can use when we teach others about the Lord.   Today we will continue our study with the second part of John’s lesson in chapter 6. Please keep in mind that this is one story John records for us. In the first 15 verses, we saw the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. These thousands now have been fed. 5,000 men, and who knows how many women and children.   This amazing miracle has taken place. Now let’s read John 6:16-21 – “16. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17. got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21. Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”   I wondered why this story is in this location, it seems out of place. This chapter is about the bread of life. Yet, right in the middle, we have this story about Jesus’ walking on the water. Why is this here? Why did John record it? On the surface it seems out of place, other than depicting it as what happened next.   We will note John’s account of this is extremely brief and leaves out key parts like Peter walking on the water and sinking. There is nothing about Jesus stilling the storm. But somehow this story of Jesus on the water is useful and part of the story about Jesus as the bread of life. We need to be wise students, understanding that God did not give just one narrative and John writes with purpose. Too many commentators say this is just stuck in here and it is out of place. We know better than that. Far greater things are being developed.   Thinking back on what we have learned so far, remember that our story is colored by the Passover - exodus sequence. We noted the parallels to the Passover and exodus in the first three verses of this chapter. We noticed how the exodus scene is very much imaged, with Jesus crossing the sea, going to the other side, going up on the mountain, and then feeding the people in the wilderness—just like the exodus.   We've said before as we study John's Gospel that John is showing us that Jesus is the Son of God, so that all may believe, because Jesus does what God has already accomplished before. He's mirroring God.   The sea does play a major role in the exodus account. God rescues Israel at the Red Sea and shows His power and deliverance in that miracle. The psalmist, in recording the exodus scene at the Red Sea in Psalm 77:19, writes these words of God’s deliverance: “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.” The deliverance from Egypt and parting of the Red Sea is pictured as God walking through the sea and the great waters. This is how the Jewish people, the Israelites, understood the exodus scene. Jesus walking on the water would have brought that to mind.   It was a concept of God leading the people, and the idea that He passed through the waters. God walked through the sea as He led them into the promised land. There is a connection to what's happening here. It is again looking to the exodus, a connection to show that it is a time of deliverance. Jesus has come, and He has come to save. He is going to deliver His people. As we look at the story now, we can see how that is played out.   I. Jesus Has Come To Save – We start with verses 16-17, “When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.” You will remember the crowds intended to make Him king. Jesus withdraws and goes up on the mountain. He has not returned and the disciples leave in a boat. They are going back across the sea to Capernaum. A. Verses 18-19, “The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.” Here is the picture. It is late, and it says they've rowed three or four miles. They're about halfway across. They are in the middle of the sea and now the wind comes up, and the sea becomes rough. Then they see Jesus’ walking on this turbulent sea, and they are afraid. B. Verses 20-21, “But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” The story here focuses on the disciples. It doesn't focus on Peter walking on the water or Jesus stilling the winds and sea. Not the point of the story. The point of the story is in verse 21. When they knew who Jesus was, they received Him into the boat. C. That's the whole story. Once they knew who this person was who was walking on the sea, their response was… they gladly received Him into the boat. That's what John wants us to focus on. Then notice in verse 21 something that none of the other gospel accounts tell us. Immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. D. John says in these verses, they're in the middle of the lake, and now suddenly they've come to their destination. I believe this connects with what Jesus is trying to teach. In verse 12 after the 5,000 are fed, Jesus gave this command only recorded in John's gospel. “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” This is the thread being carried here in this chapter. E. Jesus has come to save so that none may be lost, and He may bring them to their final destination. 1. He has come to save, He has come to deliver. John leaves out the walking on water by Peter because he's not concerned about how Jesus stills the sea and quiets the wind. He just wants you to focus on two things. When the disciples knew it was Jesus, they welcomed Him into the boat, and as soon as He was in, they got to port. 2. I find this a fascinating sequence in the way John records it. He presents this to us so we can contrast this with what's about to happen in the rest of the story. Those who are true followers of Jesus, those who have true faith, when they see Jesus, they welcome Him. By doing so, they are delivered and brought to their final destination. 3. The rest of the story is going to show how most people don't do that. It's a contrast between those who are truly disciples and those who seem to be disciples. They claim they are followers, but they're not really followers. Watch what happens now at verse 22, and you'll see why John has shown this and how it connects together. II. Love The Savior – The crowd is still on the East side of the sea where Jesus fed the 5000. John 6:22-25 - “On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”” A. When they found Him, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 1. Think about this scene. No doubt they know Jesus did not get in the boat and go with the disciples. The disciples have left on their own. They probably saw Jesus go up on the mountain and they watched the disciples leave. 2. They get in boats and go to Capernaum and somehow Jesus is there, and they are certain He didn't take a boat! They also know He couldn't have walked all the way around the sea. So, they asked that question, when did you get here? B. Listen to how Jesus responds to this mass of people following Him in verse 26. “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” He clearly identifies a problem, and it is a problem that John has observed for us many times in this gospel. Jesus knows the hearts of the people, and there are those not following Him for the right reason. Those people did not see Jesus as God-with-us. They did not see Jesus as the light coming into the darkness. Rather, they are following Him because they want to be fed. 1. Here is the sign, but you do not understand it. Instead, you saw the sign, and you said, Wow, that was great, we got a free lunch. We know they saw the sign of feeding of the 5,000. But He's saying, you don't really see the sign. Yeah, you see the outcome, but you aren't getting the connection. 2. You don't grasp what this means. You don't understand who I am. You're into it simply because you can get something out of it. 3. They say we're going to follow you. Jesus is saying, truly, you aren't following Me. You are not true disciples. Their enthusiasm is not for who Jesus is. Their enthusiasm is for what He gives. Jesus is identifying them by saying, you're not coming to Me because you understand who I am. They do not understand Him to be the Messiah, the Christ, the Lord, the Savior, the Deliverer, the prophesied one who was going to save the people from their sins. C. Jesus does not accept that. Jesus does not accept people coming to Him for what they are going to receive. We need to consider that there is a great difference. A great difference between wanting Jesus and wanting what materialistic things Jesus gives. 1. Let me illustrate. Do you want your spouse to love you because of who you are, the person that you are, or because of all the things that you do for them? There is a big difference. 2. How about your children. Do you want your children to love you for who you are, or do you want your children to love you because of all the things you do for them? There is a big difference isn’t there? This is what Jesus is pointing out to this crowd. You're coming to me for what I can give you. 3. If we are in a relationship with God, with our spouse, for what we receive… that is, by definition, selfishness. If I am married for the only reason of what I get out of it, then it is selfishness. If I am obedient to my parents only for what they will do for me, then it is selfishness. If I only serve God because of the perceived physical benefits, then I serve out of selfishness. What someone gives—cannot be the object of our affection. 4. I submit to you this is an enormous truth, and it explains massive failures in marriage. So many marriages fall apart because the commitment is not to the person. The commitment is to what they will receive from the person. When they stop receiving from that person what they expect, they give up. True love is in the person, not in what that person does for you. D. Jesus identifies this problem to them to get them to understand. Will you love me for Me or will you love Me only for the gifts that I give? Is that the only reason you are going to follow me? Is that the only reason you are going to seek after Me? This is, I think, such an important truth today because so much so-called Christianity has been built on the idea that Jesus is here for all your whims. He is here to fulfill all your needs. 1. Jesus came to change your focus from physical desires to spiritual desires so you would seek after Him properly. Changing the selfish seeking of physical comfort and desires to godly desires. We cannot turn God into “what will He do for me?” Yet, we know that's the primary motive of many who claim to be “followers of God” these days. 2. What is God going to do for me? What is my benefit? What is God going to accomplish for me? What program is there for me? That's selfishness. That's not what God seeks. I submit to you that Jesus will give you nothing if that's the only reason you seek him. 3. Look at what happens here. Does Jesus perform another miracle and give them the bread that they are looking for? No. You're not coming to Him for the right reason... If you are coming to him for the selfish purpose of fulfilling your physical desires, Jesus does not respond to that. We need to love Him for who He is. E. This chapter is all about the concept of seeing who Jesus is and loving Him for who He is. Not just what He will give us. I wish people would hear this truth! It seems so often it is all about our self-interest. What will Jesus do for me, what will Jesus give to me? He will give you nothing if you are seeking Him for what He gives. Do not love Him for His material gifts. Love Him for He is our loving Savior and Lord. 1. If this truth were to sink into people’s hearts, then it would end any notion of asking; if we have to assemble at all services: if we have to worship: if we have to serve: if we have to give, and so forth. Those questions represent a heart that is not in love with who Jesus is, but merely in love with what Jesus gives. 2. You all have heard these things. -- Why should I have to do anything? Why do I have to get baptized? Do I really have to do good to my neighbor? Do I really have to serve somebody? Do I have to attend worship services instead of just praying at home? What do those questions suggest about a person’s personal relationship with God? 3. We are not the focal point, He is the focal point, and that's what leads into what Jesus says in verse 27. III. Labor For Lasting Food – “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Do not work for the food that perishes. That makes me stop and ask an obvious question. A. What are we working for? What is our purpose? Why are we here? What is our quest? What are we doing? What are you laboring for? What is all your effort geared after? What are you doing here on this earth? That's a very important question and it is very important to answer this honestly. What are we doing here? 1. Jesus is calling for us to stop focusing on the physical. Stop focusing on the material. That is… stop focusing on the things of this world. To truly receive Jesus, to truly be a follower of Him we need to move away from trying to fulfill physical and material wants. Don't labor for the food that perishes He says. That labor is not going to give you the joy that God is looking to give you. 2. Isaiah prophesied of that in Isaiah 55:2 when he asked the question, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.”[NASB] When we see who Jesus is and we understand why we are following Him, and we don't follow out of selfishness, then that is going to change everything about how we live our lives. 3. We are no longer going to be driven by occupation, wealth, comfort, lust, position, power, or success. We're not going to be driven by any of those things because we'll recognize that that is food that perishes. 4. Why would we labor for those things? Why would we put so much effort into getting those things when they do not give us the joy that we think they're going to give us? Do not labor for the food that perishes. Why put effort into these things that are not of value to your soul? B. Verse 27 continues; but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. There's only one food, only one thing that will satisfy eternally and that is Jesus. Jesus is the only one that satisfies. Jesus is the only one who gives true bread. It cannot be found anywhere else. C. For on him God the Father has set his seal. The Father has authenticated and declared this is where true life is. John 5:26, “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” [ESV] He has given authority to the Son to give life to whomever He wills. True life, true joy, true satisfaction is only found in Christ. D. This causes those people to ask the really important question in verse 28. “Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”” 1. All right. Don't labor for the food that perishes, labor for the eternal food, so what work must we do to be able to do that? What work must I do to have this eternal life? I think the NIV words this very well, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 2. Important question. Since we're not supposed to labor for the food that perishes, the physical things, the material things, what must we do? E. Notice the answer that He gives here in verse 29. “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”” That's quite an answer. You will note that He doesn't give them a long list. I want you to notice how He words that. 1. They said, what's the work that we need to do to do the works of God? Jesus replies, “This is the work of God…” God's already accomplished this. God has already done the work. There's no amount of work that you're going to accomplish to be able to say… now I have eternal life because I've done A, B, C, D, X, Y, and Z. See, He's working with this Jewish mind set of, what must we do? 2. No, you don't understand. You don't understand that God has already accomplished a mighty work through His Son. He has accomplished the work. I love how the Apostle Paul words that in Colossians chapter 2 when he speaks of the circumcision not made with hands and how you're buried with Him in baptism through faith in the powerful working of God. It's God's work. God's done the work. We haven't done the work. God has accomplished the work. F. What then is expected of His people? What is He looking for in these people? The rest of verse 29. “… that you believe in him whom he has sent.” What have we learned about believing? We might put it this way; “This is the work of God: that you believe [i.e. adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.”” 1. He's getting at seeing Jesus for who He is. To recognize that this is the Savior, and let that change who you are. All that I do is for nothing if it doesn't come from the knowledge, and love, that Jesus is precious and that He is all I need. That must be the basis. 2. He is the Savior, He is the treasure, and now I labor for Him and not for the food that perishes. I do so because God has accomplished an amazing act of mercy and grace through the sacrifice of His Son. Therefore, I will labor for Him, I will give my life to Him, and I will not work for the things of this world. I will work for that which truly satisfies.   CONCLUSION: We see how this thread all came together and why the walking on the water scene was important to John defining the need to receive Jesus. The disciples on the Sea of Galilee saw Jesus as the Savior and received Him into their boat and they arrived at their destination. The crowds saw Jesus as a means to fulfill their physical desires and therefore did not have true saving faith in Him.   There's a distinction being made between His disciples and the crowd that seems to be following but they're not really disciples. Think about how that relates throughout the book. In John 1:12 we learned that believing in Jesus is to receive Him into your life. We learned that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). In the context of chapter 3 Jesus is describing being born again. We learned we must have a spiritual birth, being born from above, to have eternal life. Only when we see Jesus for who He is, will we truly receive Him into our lives. By receiving Him into our lives we experience the new birth that leads to eternal life from the Son.   A very important concept that John has been driving at. It is not just simply, I believe. He becomes everything to your life. You follow Him and nothing else. He is the treasure and nothing else. Go back to chapter 1 and read these sorrowful lines and see how John has been working with this. John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehended it.” Notice it again a few verses later. John 1:10. “He was in the world and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.”   This has been the theme of this Gospel. Will you see that He is the light and will you receive Him for who He is? Or will you just simply look at Him as somebody who does some neat things, who satisfies my desires, who makes my life a little better, and so therefore I use Him that way. Jesus wants people who will follow Him for who He is.   The object of our affection is not the gifts. It is the giver of the gifts. We love Him and serve Him for Him. May we develop that strong faith, and may we work to have that kind of love to see Him as He truly is and love Him for who He really is. The message is yours. If you are in need of baptism or prayers we invite you to come while we stand and sing the invitation song.     # ??? Reference: Brent Kercheville

Fighting Against the Flames Daniel 3:1–30 A person once said that there are only two things that you need to worry about: Whether you are healthy, or whether you are sick!   If you are healthy, you have nothing to worry about BUT if you are sick you have two things to worry about: Whether you are going to get better, or whether you are going to get worse!   If you get better, you have nothing to worry about BUT if you get worse you have two things to worry about: Whether you’re going to live, or whether you're going to die.   If you live then you have nothing to worry about, BUT if you die then you have two things to worry about: Whether you're going to heaven, or whether you're going to hell.   If you're going to heaven, you have nothing to worry about, BUT if you're going to hell, you have two things: WHETHER IN Utter darkness or IN THE MIDST OF THE FIRE!   This morning, we will be addressing the idea of fighting against the flames. I would like to look at an event that we are all familiar with that happened many years ago. Our text this morning will be from the 3rd chapter of Daniel.   Daniel 3 beginning in Verse 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.   This is a little bold, isn’t it? What purpose is this going to have? Look at the size of it. It’s made to brag…. TO SHOWOFF. He invites all these people to come see it. The king doesn’t want anyone to miss this monument that is being set up for him. We think about our own lives. I’m sure we come in contact with people today that view themselves a little more important than others. More importantly, they view their own actions as important. Anytime they say to you, “I can do whatever, I want.” What are they saying about God in their lives? They’re viewing themselves more important than anyone else—including God, our creator. In verse 4 Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”   When you hear these instruments playing, you need to fall down and worship the golden image. Notice how PERSONALLY the King gets involved in this. He goes to all the trouble of having a HUGE idol built where everybody can see it. That’s pretty plain. Not only is the image there, you are to be in awe: O, Nebuchadnezzar, how powerful you are! There are examples of false gods, but this king, Nebuchadnezzar, himself has made this image that he wants people to worship. We think about people in our lives today who may value their car more than anything. They value their jobs more than anything. It would really be the same thing as this golden image. If we let something stand in our lives that is more important than our worship to God, if it is more important than what we realize what God deserves. Then he sets aside a special day when everybody is to come and bow down to that idol. And then he makes a major musical production to announce when everyone should bow down. This musical extravaganza was all about glorifying an idol. Apparently Nebuchadnezzar isn’t sure that his command will be obeyed. He’s not sure everybody is going to bow down to his idol, so he makes absolutely sure that everybody knows that if they DON’T bow down to this idol... there’s a price to be paid. You see, this isn’t just about an idol. This is about a King and his desire to force his VALUE SYSTEM on his people.   at verse 7: So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. He’s IMPOSING his pagan lifestyle on an entire people. And he’s doing it because he can. He’s rich and powerful and he can definitely hurt you if you oppose him. It’s kind of like the powerful people of our day who say – You WILL accept homosexuality. You WILL accept foul language in everyday conversation. You WILL accept public shaming, sarcasm, and acts of revenge. You WILL accept all kinds of immorality. Because if you don’t except these things then... there will be a price to be paid. You’ll do it or it’ll cost you your job or maybe your business or maybe your income. The rich and powerful in our society tell us that if we don’t bow down to THEIR altar... they WILL DESTROY YOU.   And so everybody bows down. It’s not worth the hassle and they don’t want to pay that kind of price for saying “NO”. Everybody bows down. Everybody, that is, except 3 YOUNG MEN from Judah – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. REMEMBER WHAT Isaiah 5:20 SAYS: They call evil good, and good evil! Now, I’m going to drop down to verse 12 of our text in Daniel 3 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” Hum? Tattletales! People saying, “Do you know what they’re doing over there? There are people that don’t worship.” So Obviously…. there are some people blabbing to the king. Basically, they’re saying, “Do you know that there are people who don’t follow your god.” Notice Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction in verse 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So, they brought these men before the king.   If you’re Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and you’re brought before the king you might be thinking “Uh oh!” He is the king.   So, I am sure we would immediately start thinking about REASONS WHY WE DIDN’T OBEY THE KING’s DECREE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! We didn’t because… You’d be thinking of all different kinds of reasons why you didn’t do it. Things like - We didn’t because we didn’t hear the sound. Or, we didn’t know the decree APPLIED TO US ALSO.   We think about people today. They give every reason why they do what they do. In verse 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? SO HERE YOU ARE in front of the king. You’re asked a straight forward question. Is it true that you chose to ignore my decree? What would your response be?   Today we may be asked just a simple question by our own friends—are you a Christian? Or, do you think that you really need to attend services? Or, just any type of question like this? The king is asking: Did you ignore my decree? In verse 15, Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”   Notice again the question King Nebuchadnezzar asked Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – at the end of verse 15. This question and how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answer that question is the focus of the entire story. “Who is the God who will deliver you?” And how did they answer the question?   Their SO IMPORTANT ANSWER to the KING is found in Verse 17 “OUR GOD whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king” (PAUSE) Do you believe that? Do you believe that your God is mighty to save? Do you believe that your God is able to deliver you? When the king threatens them, their response is one of the most powerful declarations in Scripture: “Our God is able to deliver us… But even if He does not, we will not bow.” This is mature faith: Faith that trusts God’s power Faith that submits to God’s will Faith that refuses to compromise   The reason why so many church goers struggle in their faith is because ... they don’t. They don’t believe in a God who will have their back. They don’t believe in a God who cares. They don’t believe in a God who is able TO DO ANYTHING, so when trials and struggles come along they can’t stand up. All they can do is kneel in submission. If you don’t believe God can do things in your life... you can’t win. You have already lost. And Satan has already won. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were saying in vs 18 “We may not win... but we WILL NOT lose. Our God IS able to deliver us.   And then they said: “BUT IF NOT (if God decides that He isn’t going to save us today) be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Even if God decides not to rescue us from our fiery furnace we will not bow down. We will NOT surrender. We will NOT dishonor our God no matter what the price. Our God is mighty to save. Our God is able to deliver us. And when God steps up to defend us, there’s no power on the face of the earth that can withstand Him. Romans 8:39 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I can visualize Nebuchadnezzar sitting in his throne smugly watching as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are thrown in the fiery furnace. I can see him smile as he believes he has won. He was so angry with them for choosing to obey THEIR GOD instead of him he had the furnace increased to seven times its normal heat BUT then he glances through an opening in the furnace and ... he begins to rise from his seat. A look of shock crosses his face as he asks if they’d only thrown 3 men into the fire. Someone says “yes, only 3.” But as he looks into the furnace and he sees FOUR MEN. Where’d the 4th guy come from?   The king heats the furnace seven times hotter — because the world always increases pressure when you refuse to bow. But notice what happens: 1. They are thrown in bound… but the fire sets them free. The ropes burn off, but their bodies are untouched. Sometimes God uses the fire to burn away what was holding you. 2. A fourth man appears in the fire. Nebuchadnezzar sees someone “like a son of GOD.” God doesn’t just rescue from the fire — He joins His people in it.     You may feel like you’re in a furnace right now: A furnace of stress A furnace of grief A furnace of pressure A furnace of uncertainty But the God of Daniel 3 still steps into furnaces.   We read in verse 25 of the text “He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” The Bible tell us, when we’re faced with our own fiery trial, God will be there beside us. Here in THIS BIBLICAL ACCOUNT is a king basically saying, who is that God that shall deliver you? He was putting fear into them. There’s no way that your God is going to deliver you from what I can do to you!!! Isn’t it ironic that the TITANIC which had the statement made about it that even God Himself couldn’t sink it? This ship never made it to its destination on its maiden voyage. Hum? A little irony there.   In verse 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. We are going to do what God wants us to do.   How would you answer the question who is your God that is going to help you? Do they know the final ending? Do they know that there will be no harm to them? No. Do they know that the king is going to be upset? Yes. Do they know that there’s a decree saying they will be thrown into a fiery furnace? Yes.   I can only IMAGINE what the heat would be like IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRE. This was a “God moment” – this was a time when I believe God was setting them up. He was putting these guys in a position where they had to make a choice. And God does that a lot in Scripture.   I hope you noticed that they come out without even the smell of smoke. God doesn’t just deliver — He restores. Some people go through fire and carry the scars forever. These men walked out without the smell of what they survived. God can bring you through something so completely that people won’t believe you ever went through it.   Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were faced with a harsh decision, a time when God had set them up to endure for righteousness. Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us of a promise that God makes repeatedly throughout the Bible “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."   This is a promise you can rely on. But this promise is only yours if you are His child. If you’ve sensed the need for a God who will stand there beside you. God’s offer is simple to accept: Believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, confess Jesus as your Lord and Master and then be buried with Christ in the waters of Christian baptism In the name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT for the REMISSION of your SINS.     INVITATION

The All-Providing King John 6:1-15   INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. We completed our study of chapter 5 last time and as we return to John's Gospel, I want to spend a few minutes reminding ourselves of some of the important concepts that John has set forward in this Gospel.   First, we need to remember the purpose John stated for writing. It is always important as we study the Gospels to keep in mind the inspired author's purpose. There's a reason behind these things. It's not just simply four narratives, but it is an argument based on the author concerning Jesus. John said that he wrote “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Now we are going to go on to the 6th chapter where John records for us the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.   Second, we have observed in this Gospel, that John is showing us that Jesus does what God has already done. Remember the parallel between how the Bible begins, the first book, Genesis, in the beginning God, and then we have John's Gospel in the beginning the Word. Right at the start John tells us the Word is God. Then he continues in the following chapters showing us Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, by observing how Jesus is accomplishing and doing what God has already done.   Third, keep in mind that in this Gospel John has been talking about signs. His Gospel is unique in how John emphasizes the necessity of signs. He only records seven miracles and he calls those miracles signs, which means that we are not supposed to step back and just say, wow, that was a neat miracle. The miracle is to communicate something deeper. There is a deeper message, a deeper concept than just simply, He did a miracle and that makes Him God.   There is something intrinsic in the miracle that causes it to be a sign. It is a symbol, it is a communicating device to the reader, so that you will know that Jesus is the Christ, not only by His power, but also in what He does.   Please keep those things in mind as we study this 6th chapter. This chapter is one solid story, but to do 71 verses in one lesson is just not going to happen. We need to break it into pieces. First, there is the fourth great sign (John 6:1-14); then the people's efforts to make him King (John 6:15); the fifth of the seven signs (John 6:16-21); next the discussions on the other side of the lake and the extended metaphor of the bread of life (John 6:22-51); then the "hard saying" regarding the eating of His flesh, etc. (John 6:52-59); and the downward turn in the Lord's popularity (John 6:60-71).   As we go through this chapter, please keep in your mind that this is one story, one event that John has put together concerning who Jesus is. Before we introduce this chapter, let's read the first 15 verses, get a feel of what John is recording for us, and then we'll break it down into the pieces that John wants us to understand.   John 6:1-15 – “After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.”   “When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”   “Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all.” Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”   “So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”[ESV]   I. Overview – Let’s first have an overview of what is going on. We want to make some observations before we get into the details of what John is teaching us. A. The first thing I think worthy of observation is that this is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. The synoptics record this sign as the culmination of a series of wonders, but John seems to have presented it for the sake of the discussions that flowed out of it; and it also fitted his objective of stressing Jesus' deity. 1. Since this is the only miracle that gets treatment by all four, what makes John’s viewpoint distinct? What is different about this recording of the miracle than the synoptic Gospels? I believe we do a great disservice when we take the Gospel accounts and try to harmonize them, to blend them together and make them one. If God wanted one singular narrative, He certainly could have given us one singular narrative. 2. There is a reason that John's Gospel has some different details, that are not found in the other Gospels. As I read I often wonder, why did John say that here? How come this is different than Matthew, Mark and Luke's Gospels? What is John trying to get us to understand? B. The second thing that we need to see is this is filled with Exodus overtones. Notice all the Exodus imagery that is found here. For example, John goes out of his way in verse 4 to point out it's the Passover that's coming. The Passover was given to Moses and the people of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt, and it was observed the night before the Exodus. The great Passover when God struck down the firstborn who did not have the mark on the doors. The Passover is memorial about the Exodus and how God had led the people by a mighty hand from their slavery. 1. We also notice the picture how Jesus crosses the sea and goes up the mountain. Which is exactly what Moses does in the Exodus as he crosses the Red Sea and then goes up to Mount Sinai. John records this but none of the other Gospels do. 2. John also tells us that there's a great multitude following Him as He goes. Which is what Moses did. Moses led the mighty number of Israel as he takes them across the Red Sea to Mount Sinai and into the wilderness. C. The wilderness is the third parallel. Jesus goes to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias). That is the side of the sea that is known for its barren hillside. The other Gospel accounts just say it's a desolate place. 1. This is observable geographically and doesn't have to be stated by John. We know that's not like the west side where there's Capernaum and there's all those cities and towns. 2. This is a desolate area as is made clear by Jesus’ question to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread…” The point is they are in the middle of nowhere and there is no place near to buy food. It's a desolate place. Just as when Moses leads the people into the wilderness. D. The Exodus symbolism continues with Jesus’ question. None of the other Gospel accounts tell us that Jesus asks the question, “Where are we to buy bread…”. It is always the question of the disciples. This is a strong parallel to what Moses asks in Numbers 11:13 – “Where am I to get meat to give to all this people?...” 1. We can see what John is showing us here, feel the weight of Passover, of Sinai and wilderness as we read this chapter. It's only going to get stronger as we read and I suggest you read the whole chapter and see for yourself though we will not get past verse John 6:15 today. 2. John is setting this up for us in the very beginning with Jesus crossing the sea, going up on the mountain. The crowds follow. They're in a desolate place. Jesus is acting just like Moses not only in His actions, but also in His words. We'll see the people draw that conclusion in verse 14. This is the one. This is the prophet like Moses that Moses said the Lord would raise up. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). E. One other thing I note here is the story also gives a warning for future trouble. Notice verse 2, “A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.” The crowds were following Him because of the signs. We have observed that this has been a problem many times in the Gospel of John. The issue was first highlighted for us in John 2:23-25. “Many believed when they saw the signs he was doing but Jesus did not believe in or entrust himself to them because he knew what was in their hearts.” They believe because they see the signs. But there is not an inward faith that comes from seeing the signs. 1. Jesus condemned the people for this specifically in John 4:48, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” John has shown us the false, non-saving belief of Nicodemus in chapter 3 and the true, saving faith of the Samaritan woman in chapter 4. Now John is foreshadowing this same issue. He sets us the scene with the crowds coming for the wrong reason. Jesus must deal with the problem that their belief is shallow. It is not true saving faith. 2. They just simply are coming because of external events. Now let's get into the story and look at some of the things that are going on. In verse 5 we see Jesus asking the question. II. The Test – John 6:5 Jesus asks Phillip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” John tells us the number of men were about 5,000 and Matthew says about 5,000 besides women and children. Feel the enormity of the situation! That is a lot of people and there is no place nearby to get supplies. Visualize thousands of people streaming toward Jesus and His disciples. That is a huge number of people. Can you picture the faces of the disciples when Jesus asks that question? You've got to be kidding me! Look at all these people. A. Now we consider what Jesus is doing as verse 6 continues, “He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.” Jesus is asking a question to see what the response of His disciples is going to be. This is a testing of faith; would they turn to Jesus and declare that He can resolve this situation. “You are the Son of God and you can do all things”. 1. Recall what Ezekiel said when God asked him something seemingly impossible, “can these bones live?” Ezekiel responds, “O Lord God, you know.” 2. Rather than looking to Jesus for the answer and trusting Him to provide, the disciples look to self-reliance. We don’t have enough money to fix the problem. We don’t have enough food to solve the situation. 3. Consider what Jesus is doing here. I suspect Jesus is not asking His disciples to solve this problem. He's not asking His disciples to look to themselves and come up with some kind of answer. He's looking for them to see Jesus as the answer. He wants them to turn to Him and say, we don't have an answer, but You can solve the problem. You are able to deal with the situation. You are the all-providing King, You can do something. — This is the test. B. There is something important for us to recognize, we need to see our insufficiency. It's ultimately why we are tested isn’t it? It really doesn't matter what we're going through. It doesn't matter if it is the severest of severe trials. It doesn't matter if it's a minor ordeal. Ultimately, everything boils down to recognizing in the trial we are completely insufficient. We do not possess all the answers. We do not know how things are going to turn out. We cannot change the circumstances the way we would like in any event. 1. I need to recognize that I am insufficient but there is One who is all-sufficient. I am not to first turn to myself and say, well, let me see how I can solve my problem. Then if I can't solve my problem, shrug my shoulders and say, well, maybe God can do something. 2. Sad but true many of us, myself well included, turn to our own insufficiency first instead of God first. The disciples say they do not have enough money to buy the amount of food needed even if there was a place to get it from. As far as the food on hand they say; “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” C. The scene continues in verse 10, and we see something interesting; “Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”” Then John writes, “Now there was much grass in the place…” I read that and wondered. Matthew, Mark and Luke call this a desolate place, yet several of the gospels mention the grass where the people could sit. I think there is something that is being declared here in this highly symbolic gospel. It's desolate. But where Jesus is, there's green grass. Interesting. 1. Jesus has the people sit down. With the five small loaves and two small fish available, Jesus takes the loaves and fish, gives thanks to the Father, and then distributed the bread and fish. With 5000 men and an unknown number of women and children, the disciples begin to hand out the food. The disciples keep passing out the food until the crowd had eaten “as much as they wanted.” 2. This is not a snack. This is dinner for the crowd. The crowd eats until they are satisfied. He takes the loaves and gives thanks and distributes them to those who were seated. I try to imagine a grassy hillside with 5,000 men plus women and children all seated around and the disciples distributing the fish and loaves. How long does it take to feed a few thousand people? Visualize what's going on here. This must have taken quite some time, and it says they have as much as they wanted. D. Then notice the emphasis is made in verse 12. “And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”” They ate until they were full! Jesus supplied an abundance of food. It's a great picture because it tells us that only Jesus can satisfy. There's a great image as the disciples see Jesus is the one who is sufficient. They are not sufficient for the problem in front of them. But here is the all-sufficient King who truly satisfies. 1. Everyone eats all that they want. They are completely satisfied. They are completely filled. It is a beautiful picture. It teaches us everything else is emptiness. 2. That void in your life you feel, that emptiness you have, only God fills. Here is that picture being done in the symbol. He is trying to communicate it to them in this imagery that He has come, and He brings satisfaction to the hungry and thirsty no one else can satisfy. Only Jesus can provide. Only Jesus is sufficient. Only Jesus can satisfy. III. Nothing Lost - In verse 12 after they had eaten their fill, He told His disciples gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost. This command is not recorded in the other accounts. There is a symbolism that exists here, and I want to stress I do not think the point is “even in abundance don't be wasteful”. Not the point at all. I want you to recognize the imagery that's being given to us. A. That nothing may be lost. The bread that Jesus has offered to the people. He has come for the people so that no one will be lost. There is a deep meaning behind what has happened. He is accomplishing something here. 1. Look at verse 13, “So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.” Jesus has come so that life would be given and none would be lost. You ever wondered why Jesus made sure it was 12 baskets that were filled and not 4 or 7 or 10 or 40. 2. Why 12? Because Jesus has come to Israel and so that none of Israel will be lost. He has come to offer them life, to save them from their sins. Now, you might be thinking that this is reading too much into the text. But look at verse 14: this is a sign. “When the people saw the sign that he had done,…” 3. John identifies that there is a deeper symbolic message in the feeding of the 5,000 than the mere fact that Jesus used His divine power to fill bellies. Something greater is being taught and this message sets the tone for the chapter as Jesus will declare himself to be the bread of life. Jesus has come so that no one may be lost. He has come to gather Israel in for its salvation. All who are gathered to him will be saved. Those who are satisfied in Jesus are gathered in and will not be lost. 4. Jesus has come to offer the satisfaction that cannot be found anywhere else. Jesus has come to solve the problem of sin that we have and so desperately need someone to deal with. Jesus has come to solve that problem for us. 5. All who belong to Him will be saved or to put it another way, those who are satisfied in Jesus are gathered in and they are not lost. This is a tremendous message that we're going to see repeated in John's gospel over the next few chapters. 6. He has come to save. He has come so that none need to be lost. He has come to redeem. There is no reason for anyone to be lost because He is all sufficient, and He provides exactly what we need. IV. False Expectations – Verse 14. “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”” A. They see the symbolism. All that John laid out about Passover and Exodus and crossing the sea and how he's just like Moses. He's the one. That's what Deuteronomy says. Moses said there'd be somebody like me who would rise up. The Jewish expectation was there would be another Moses who would deliver the people. He's doing it. He is the one. He is that deliverer. He is the prophet. B. Then we see what Jesus does. Verse 15 - “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” Now, wait a minute. I thought they got it right. They're saying you're the new Moses, the new Exodus. You're the deliverer. You're the one, right? They've got it. But we've been told that Jesus knew the hearts of the people, He's able to read that they're drawing the wrong conclusion. 1. They do recognize an important truth. They have seen the sign that He is sent by God, and He is the prophet that Moses spoke of. Yet they are drawing a false conclusion because rather than coming to Him seeing Him as the savior from their sins and the life giver, they're coming to Him because they're wowed by the sign. 2. Wow, that was neat. Which is what we've seen repeatedly in this gospel. In fact, verse 26 of this chapter tells us that when they come to him, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves…”. You are coming for the wrong reason. You're seeing the signs, but you're drawing the wrong conclusion. You're not seeing me as the one who provides what you need spiritually. 3. You're seeing me as somebody who provides for you materially. Somebody who provides for you physically. Now we can have the food that we want. They are thinking physically and materially rather than spiritually. This has happened throughout this gospel. Think of the woman at the well. Jesus says “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” She says, “Give me that water so I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” C. When Jesus feeds the 5000, they want to make Jesus a physical king who will give them all that they want. We see this point clearly stated in John 6:26. This is why Jesus withdraws from them and returns to the mountain. Just as when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the tablets of stone only to find the people acting sinful and returned to the mountain to receive the Law again, Jesus finds the wrong hearts in these people and returns to the mountain. D. Jesus has come to be their lasting eternal satisfaction. The people just want to be fed. We will leave that thought there and consider it with greater depth in the future lessons from this chapter as Jesus will explore this problem with the people’s hearts.   CONCLUSION: That's what's being displayed for us here. Unfortunately, the people just simply wanted to be fed. By that I mean they just want their desires met. They want their physical needs confirmed and addressed. They do not see that their spiritual needs must be dealt with. How often God tests us to see if we will trust Jesus to be our all-providing king.   How often He will test us and stand back and see, will the first thing on our lips be, Jesus, you are the all-satisfying king, You can do all things. You have satisfied my needs to the utmost. You have come and dealt with my sins. You have set me free from that which I enslaved myself. You have taken my defilement and corruption and cleansed me. You have placed me in your glorious kingdom and made me to be a servant of yours. In fact, a glorious servant so that you call me brother and God our father. Unbelievable.   Will we see him as that, and have the heart to trust God, no matter what happens physically in this life? No matter what transpires in difficulty and hardship? Will we see Him as the one to trust? Or do we only turn to Him for the physical, wanting Him as a God of comfort and ease.   The Lord is looking for us to turn to Him in every circumstance, whether good or bad, so that we can belong to Him and receive the true life that we need. That's what Jesus is looking for. Looking for those who will have a true, transformed life, a true saving belief in who Jesus is, and not just merely a shell, a facade, a simple, yes, He's the one who does neat things.   I want to leave you with the words of the Apostle Peter, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,…” That's the message of John. He has given us everything we need for godliness, for life, to give us all that we need. He called us so that none would be lost.   He has come to save you from your own foolish life and sinful ways. He’s come to redeem you and make you a child of God. That's what we need to pursue. If we keep that in our mind's eye, and keep that in our sight, that will lead to transforming faith. That will lead to the true belief that Jesus is looking for, to see Him as the one who provides everything we need.   Are you ready to do that? Turn away from your sins. Be immersed in the water for the forgiveness of your sins. Accept Him as the King. Submit to Him and turn everything to Him. Yield to Him and look to Him for all you need. Won't you come while we stand and sing?     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville  

More Than Just a Story Mark 16:1–20 There’s a story about a wealthy man who was terminally ill. The doctor said, "There’s only “one thing” that will save you. “A brain transplant.” - It’s an experimental operation. And it’s very expensive." The wealthy guy said, - "Money is no object. Can you get me a brain?" The doctor said, - "We have three available right now. The first one was from a college professor. But it’ll cost you $10,000." The guy said, "Don’t worry. I can pay; it will make me much wiser. What about the second brain?"   The doctor said, "It was from a rocket scientist. It’ll cost you $100,000." The man said, "I have the money. And I’d be a lot smarter too. But tell me about the third brain." The doctor said, "The third brain is from a Politician. But it would set you back a million dollars." The man said, "A million dollars? Why so much for his brain?" The doctor said, "It is RARELY used." We too have unused power in us, above us, around us, it is called The GOSPEL! My wife keeps telling me I’m losing my hearing. Some husbands call it “selective hearing.”   An older couple was sitting outside in their rocking chairs one afternoon. The wife looked at her husband of 60 years and said, “I’m proud of you.” He turned to her and said, “I’m tired of you, too.” She said, “Thanks!” She looked around at the trees moving and said, “It’s windy today.” He said, “No it’s not. It’s Thursday.” She said, “Me too, I’ll go get us some lemonade!” Hopefully we won’t be hard of hearing when it comes to listening to God’s Word. It says in Mathew 11:15  “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The resurrection story of Jesus: • Is either the biggest fairy TALE ever invented; • Or the greatest miracle and the most significant event in human history! I believe it is the greatest miracle that the world has or will ever see! • I don’t know if you have noticed this observation. • But in the Old Testament when talking about the power of God; • The writers always refer to creation. • The miracle of God creating the world out of nothing. • In the New Testament when talking about the power of God; • The writers always refer to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! • Because there is nothing greater that you can compare with it! So when you talk about the life of Jesus Christ words like WONDERFUL, UNBELIEVABLE, PRICELESS, AND “MIRACLE” are used. • He entered our world in a miraculous way; • Conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. • During his three years of ministry, the four gospels record 37 miracles of Jesus. • Remember that John 21:25 tells us “25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” • This means that Jesus performed many other miracles to these 37 that were not recorded. • So Jesus entered our world in a miraculous way; • He lived a miraculous life; • And even in death, he has that word ‘miracle’ attributed to him! Peter Larson writes: • "Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. • The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin's womb and an empty tomb. • Jesus entered our world through a door marked 'No Entrance'; • And left through a door marked 'No Exit’”   Mark shows Jesus appearing to people in different emotional states: Mary Magdalene — grieving Two disciples — confused The Eleven — doubting and discouraged Jesus doesn’t wait for them to “get it together.” He steps into their grief, confusion, and unbelief. This is the heart of the gospel: The risen Christ meets us in our real condition, not our ideal condition. He doesn’t shame them for their fear or doubt. He calls them forward. He transforms them. Resurrection power doesn’t just raise Jesus from the dead—it raises His followers from despair.   Our text this morning is found in Mark 16:1-20. Because the empty tomb was discovered on a Sunday morning, every Sunday should be a resurrection celebration. The title of this message is “MORE THAN JUST A STORY” The resurrection is more than just an historical event. Jesus is a risen Savior, and salvation comes by believing in Him and being obedient to his will.   Verses 1-8 of our TEXT tells us: “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” 8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” It was The Dawn That Changed Everything The 3 women were walking to the tomb at sunrise. They carry spices, not hope. They expect a corpse, not a resurrection. Their biggest concern is the stone, not the Savior. But God had already moved the stone.   Note: God works while we worry. The women were anxious about a barrier that heaven had already removed. Inside the tomb, they meet a messenger who declares the greatest announcement in history: “He is risen; He is not here.”   Those words didn’t just change their morning— Those words changed the world. And yet, verse 8 says they fled in fear. Even good news can overwhelm us when it’s bigger than our expectations. The resurrection is not just a doctrine; it’s a disruption. It overturns despair, rewrites reality, and demands a response.   Then the angel gave them two sets of instructions. These are the same instructions we should follow today. He invited them to examine the tomb and look for the evidence. The tomb was empty, but it was full of significance. In John’s account (Chapt. 20), we’re told the strips of cloth that had covered the body of Jesus were stacked up along with the sheet covering His body.   These women had to be wondering if this was a dream. They had seen the torture and crucifixion of Jesus. They watched as His body was removed from the cross and placed in the tomb. They knew He was dead. But they were confronted with an empty tomb. In Acts 1:3 the Bible says Jesus offered the disciples many more “convincing proofs” that He was alive. If you are going to examine the evidence of the resurrection, you have to start with the empty tomb. Even the enemies of Jesus admitted the tomb was empty.   The angel told the women to go tell the disciples that Jesus was alive and He would meet them in Galilee. However, as we mentioned, verse eight of the text tells us: trembling and bewildered they fled: They didn’t tell anyone because they were afraid. I can’t really blame them. They were in shock. A little while later Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and she delivered the message.   We’ve been given the same command to “go tell” the world that Jesus is alive. How often have we been guilty of the initial behavior of the women? Like them, we are too often too afraid to share the Good News. The best tool to use is our personal faith story. Just tell people naturally what the risen Lord has done in our life.   Verses 9-14 of the TEXT “9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. 14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.”   Mark mentions that later two other people show up claiming they had seen Jesus alive. In Luke 24 we read the story of Jesus appearing to two isciples who were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a distance of about eleven miles. They didn’t recognize Jesus. I would have loved to have been on that original walk to Emmaus, because the Bible says Jesus started with Moses (that’s Genesis) and took them all the way through the Old Testament telling how all the scriptures predicted the Messiah would suffer and die.   When they finally arrived at their house, they invited their companion to join them for dinner. Jesus, who was the guest, became the host, because the Bible says when He broke the bread, their eyes were opened and they recognized it was Jesus.   They were so excited they turned around and traveled eleven miles back to tell the disciples. I imagine they ran this time. Out of breath, I can hear one of them telling Peter, “We saw the Lord! He’s alive!” Mary probably chimed in, “See I told you!” But it says the disciples still didn’t believe.   I think we learn an important lesson from this episode. The best proof of the resurrection isn’t an empty tomb. The best proof of the resurrection is when you meet Jesus. I know Jesus is alive not because of any of the arguments about the historical resurrection. I know He’s alive because He lives inside of me and I talk to Him all the time.We can say that Jesus feels alive because: We sense His presence in prayer Ww see changes in their our lives We experience peace, forgiveness, or purpose we can’t explain   “As true Christians, Jesus feels alive because we experience Him, not just read about Him.” The fact that billions of people across centuries have claimed life change through Jesus is part of the explanation.   For example: “If someone changes your life, they feel real to you.” “If someone’s influence continues long after their death, we say their legacy lives on. Christians go further—they believe Jesus Himself lives on.”   Now, back to Verses 15-18 of the text Where Jesus then gives a mission that matches the magnitude of His victory: “15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”” “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” This is not a suggestion. It’s a sending. Notice the scope: All the world — no boundaries Every creature — no exclusions The resurrection is not private news. It’s public truth. It’s not for a select few. It’s for everyone. Jesus promises signs that will accompany believers— not to glorify the believer, but to confirm the message. The point is not the spectacular; the point is the Savior. The power of God follows the proclamation of God.   The chapter ends with Jesus ascending to the right hand of God—a position of authority, victory, and intercession. But the story doesn’t end with Jesus leaving. It ends with the disciples going. “They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them.” That’s the pattern of the church: We go. He works. Lives change. The resurrection leads to mission. The ascension leads to empowerment. The gospel leads to action.   What This Means for Us Today A. God still moves stones. The obstacles that intimidate us are often already handled by God. B. Jesus meets us in our real struggles. Doubt, fear, grief—none of these disqualify us from encountering the risen Christ. C. We are called to go. Every believer is sent. D. We don’t go alone. The Lord works with us. The resurrection is not just a past event—it’s a present power. Conclusion: The Story Continues With Us Mark 16 begins with fear and ends with boldness. It begins with a sealed tomb and ends with an open world. It begins with omen carrying spices and ends with disciples carrying the gospel. The resurrection is not the end of Jesus’ story—it’s the beginning of ours. He is risen. He is reigning. He is working with us still. So let us go—into our homes, our workplaces, our communities—and proclaim the good news that changed everything. Salvation isn’t knowing about Jesus; it is knowing Jesus. JESUS GAVE US A JOB TO DO In these final words of Mark’s writing, Jesus has given us three tasks to do. Jesus said in Mathew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The Bible says our days are numbered and it is appointed once for a person to die. GOD IS alive! Do you believe Him? Do you know Him? Will you follow Him?

Things to Ponder Ephesians 5:15–21 The text for this morning’s lesson is found in Ephesians 5 verses 15 thru 21. These few verses are very familiar to many of us because they remind us to: Be careful how you live; don’t live foolishly but wisely. Use every opportunity because the days are urgent. Don’t be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, giving thanks to God, and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. A man named Bob heard a sermon on “walking wisely” and decided to take it literally. The next morning he stared at his feet all day to make sure every step was “wise.” He was so focused on his walking that he walked straight into a mailbox. He apologized to it. Later, he saw a grocery store sign that said, “SPIRITS ON SALE.” He gasped, “Revival has hit aisle 9!” Then he realized it was the liquor aisle and backed away like it was radioactive. Determined to obey the verse about “speaking in psalms and hymns,” he answered every question in hymns for the rest of the day. At the checkout, the cashier asked, “Paper or plastic?” Harold sang, “I surrender all…” The cashier quietly chose paper. That evening he tripped over his cat, spilled his groceries, and dropped his keys through the porch slats. But remembering “give thanks always,” he sighed and said, “Lord, thank You that the cat survived, the groceries mostly survived, and the keys… well… You know where they are.” Did you realize all the things we do with time? We “MAKE” time, and we TAKE time, for things that are important to us. We “SAVE” time with all kinds of gadgets and doodads. We “MARK” time, we “KILL” time, we “RACE AGAINST” time. AND (someone noted) that the worst thing you can do with time, is “WASTE” time. As I mentioned earlier… Our text today is found in Ephesians 5:15–21 The first two verses of this text tells us: 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.   Wisdom is not merely knowledge; it is careful living. To “be careful how you live” is to pay attention to the small choices that shape character—how we speak, whom we trust, how we spend time and money. Wisdom notices the long-term consequences of short-term pleasures. The world presses us with distractions that promise fulfillment but steal our days. Paul calls us to invest our hours in what lasts: love, justice, discipleship, and gospel witness. Paul tells us to redeem the time…. but why? What’s so critical about time that it must be redeemed? Most of us would think the reason time is valuable because we only have so much of it. Sooner or later, we’re all gonna die. Now, if you’re blessed you may live 80 or 90 or100 years, but sooner or later your time is gonna run out. So don’t waste your time!!! But that is not really what Paul says here. “Redeem the time... because the days are evil.” ILLUS: What does that mean? Well, think about it this way. Do you have a bucket list? A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.” Please take a moment to think about what items you would put on your bucket list. You might have things like travel to Europe or Australia with a friend, swim with dolphins or go deep sea fishing, meet a famous person, make a HOLE IN ONE, go parasailing or jump out of an airplane. There are all kinds of things you could put on your “bucket list” - and there’s nothing wrong with those things (except maybe jumping out of an airplane 😊). And what people have on their bucket list tells you a lot about their priorities. It’s a wish list, and I think that God is OK with that kind of thing. But He warns us not to be foolish. He warns us THAT THERE IS ONE THING THAT WE MUST MAKE SURE TO NOT LEAVE OFF that list. What is that ONE THING we must not leave off our bucket list? We find that one thing in verse 17 of our text this morning. Ephesians 5:17 “Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Everything else you put on your bucket list is just for fun, but this one – this “understanding the will of the Lord... this one is serious. We live in a world of evil, and the choices we make have eternal consequences. And since God has saved you and I.... he asks us to shine our light into this dark world. Ephesians 5:8 & 10 tells us “At one time you were darkness, but now you are LIGHT in the Lord. Walk as children of light... and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” Jesus said “You are the light of the world”. That means you and I are called to reflect HIS LIGHT into this dark world, and the only way we’re going to do that effectively is to UNDERSTAND what God’s will is. So, how do we do that? How do we learn God’s will? Well, you’d think the answer would be - read your Bible. Memorize huge passages of Scripture. Meditate on God’s Word day and night. And that is good stuff because that’s what God expects of us. But the problem is, if that’s all you do (immerse yourself in Scripture) you could end up like the Pharisees. The Pharisees knew more of their Bible than most of us, but there was something missing in their lives. And so, in place of asking us to Memorize and Meditate... Paul writes this in verse 18 of our text Ephesians 5:18: “... do not get drunk with wine, for that is sin, but be filled with the Spirit” What? What’s he talking about here? Well, he’s saying that in order for us to fully understand God’s will, we must be totally controlled by God’s Spirit. And then he makes an odd comparison: “don’t get drunk on wine” he says. That seems illogical until you understand what he’s trying to say. The command to be filled with the Spirit contrasts two masters: intoxication and inspiration. Paul’s image contrasts being controlled by wine with being controlled by the Spirit. One leads to loss of self and harm, the other leads to life, clarity, and communal worship. ILLUS: Have you ever seen someone who’s been drunk? How can you tell if they’re drunk if you’ve never seen them take a drink? Well, you can tell they’re drunk by how they walk, by how they talk, by how they think and by how they act. Everything about their drunkenness is obvious by their behavior. They are FILLED with alcohol... and it controls them. By contrast Paul says, don’t be filled with alcohol (don’t get drunk) but be FILLED with the Spirit. In other words, the Spirit should so fill you that it controls how you walk and talk and think and act. That is crucial for Christians - we need to be so filled with the Spirit of God that people know it when they see our behavior! The Christian life is not a set of isolated acts but a pattern. Small changes to your daily lifestyle become habits; small disciplines become sanctifying rhythms. So, how do we get FILLED with the Holy Spirit? Well, first we need to understand that we already have the Spirit inside of us. Acts 2:38 promises us "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” This is important to us as Christians because Spiritual fullness is not a private emotion; it produces public fruit—joy, gratitude, mutual encouragement, and submission rooted in Christlike love. May we begin each day with a short prayer asking for the Spirit’s guidance. Ephesians 1:14 tells us - God’s Spirit “is THE GUARANTEE of our inheritance.” You can’t be a Christian without God’s Spirit inside of you. So, first we need to realize we already have the Spirit inside of us. But here in Ephesians it says we need to be “refilled” with Spirit. What’s that all about? Well, first let’s examine what Paul tells us to do, and then I’ll try to explain WHY this is so important. First, Paul says in verse 19 of our text that in order for us to be filled with God’s Spirit we need to... SING. We should be “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” Ephesians 5:19 Paul instructs believers to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs—language that builds up, teaches, and reminds. One of the greatest singers in the Bible was a little shepherd boy named David. The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs (or Psalms) that the Jews sang, and David wrote half of them. He was so good at singing that people began to pay attention long before David ever confronted Goliath. In the meantime, King Saul (the King of Israel) had decided to stop listening to God, and run his kingdom his own way. So, God withdrew His Spirit from him and the King became plagued with an evil Spirit. He plunged into depression, and that EVIL SPIRIT so tormented King Saul that (on the advice of one of his friends) he sent for David to sing for him. And we’re told in 1st Samuel 16:23 that “David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.” Music has power over evil. And it has the power to bring peace to the heart and soul. So, when you’re depressed or struggling - find a song that glorifies God and sing it. I grew up with my grandma singing throughout the day various hymns as she completed housework. ILLUS: One song we could sing in most any situation in life is “This World Is Not My Home.” “This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue; The angels beckon me from heaven's open door. And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.” The chorus “O Lord, you know I have no friend like you, if heaven's not my home, dear Lord what will I do? The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.” Now, it doesn’t matter if you can sing well and with much power. The point is: find a song that glorifies God... and sing it. Use the power of GOD’S music to lift your soul out of despair and sadness. The gospel forms a community where worship is both vertical (to God) and horizontal (to one another). Our songs and words shape both holiness and practice.   Secondly - Paul tells us in verse 20, that in order to be filled with God’s Spirit, we need to be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 5:20 Now, quiz time: HOW OFTEN do should give thanks? (ALWAYS) and FOR WHAT should we give thanks? (EVERTHING). There’s a lot of people who have a hard time doing that.   ILLUS: Rudyard Kipling was a great writer and poet who made a lot of money for his writings. One time a newspaper reporter came up to him and said, “Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over a hundred dollars a word; Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, “Really, I certainly wasn’t aware of that.” The reporter cynically reached down into his pocket and pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said, “Here’s a hundred-dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now, you give me one of your hundred-dollar words.” Mr. Kipling looked at that hundred-dollar bill for a moment, took it, folded it up, and put it in his pocket and said, “Thanks.” He’s right! The word ‘thanks’ is certainly more than a hundred-dollar word. I would say it is more like a million-dollar word. Thank you is one word that is too seldom heard, too rarely spoken, and too often forgotten. If we would all adopt an attitude of thanksgiving into our lives – our lives would be changed. We would cherish each day. ILLUS: Studies have been done over the years where people have been asked to write down 10 things they’re thankful for and after an extended period of time the list is often still incomplete. Many people become so negative they struggle think of 10 things they’re thankful for. BUT, when given a tablet of paper and asked to write down things they were unhappy about, or disappointed with, or frustrated about, they could fill out an entire tablet of paper... and ask for another. Why? Why are they so unhappy? Well, because most folks aren’t used to being thankful for what they have. For example, they don’t express thankfulness for the fact that they have 2 hands. Why should they? They’ve ALWAYS had those two hands. And they’ve always had the ability to run and laugh and hear and see and sing. Why be grateful for those things? As we say our evening prayers let’s try listing three things we thank God for each evening. By contrast, these folks tend to focus instead on what they DON’T HAVE. They dwell on the wanting of a better job, or a better car, or a better spouse, or a better ... whatever. And that’s why they’re so depressed – there is ALWAYS going to be stuff that they don’t have, or that they can’t possess! So they end up being miserable/unhappy people. Philippians 4:4-7 says “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice... do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Learn to be grateful for what you have (and quit focusing on what you don’t have) and you’ll be so filled with God’s Spirit that it will change how you think and how you behave. And the world around you will notice. CLOSE: I want to close by explaining WHY it’s so important to be “Filled” with Holy Spirit. We talked about HOW we could do that, but I promised to tell you why it was so critical to do that. The Bible tells us that Spirit is a very powerful force. He teaches us, He comforts us, He helps us in our prayers when we don’t know what to say. Romans 8:11 tells us that We have the same power living in us... that raised Jesus from the dead!!!! “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Being “filled with the Spirit” is all about laying hold of the full power of the Spirit God has given us. You see, in order for the Spirit to operate fully in our lives, we’ve got to make our hearts decent places for Him to reside. Gracious God, grant us eyes to see how we live, courage to redeem our time, and the fullness of your Spirit to shape our words and deeds. Teach us to sing to one another, to serve one another, and to submit to one another in reverence for Christ. Fill our homes, our workplaces, and our church with your wisdom and your joy. And it is in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Acts 2:38 tells us "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”     Sermon Contributor : David Dykes

Witnesses to The Deity of Jesus John 5:30-47   INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. In this section of John’s Gospel Jesus is proving that He is God. We started this chapter where Jesus healed the disabled man on the Sabbath. We saw that rather than the religious leaders being overjoyed seeing the sign and believing, they are concerned that He has healed on the Sabbath and begin to persecute Him. Jesus responded to that by saying, of course I'm working on the Sabbath because God works on the Sabbath and I'm God. That led them to want to kill Him. Thinking of Mark’s lesson last week, we realize these leaders have already determined what they will do with Jesus. Not based on who He is or the good He has done but based on their own concepts.   The rest of this chapter is Jesus’ testimony that He is God. Jesus showed that He is equal to the Father in person, works, power, judgment, and honor. Further, Jesus has the power to determine who will be given life and who will be raised to life or raised to judgment. Jesus rounds out His argument for His deity by presenting witnesses to His Godhood.   Let’s begin then at John 5:30-32 – “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.” Jesus changes His approach to the closed minds of the priests, still trying to induce them to believe. He can see that nothing He can say has any weight with them, but they should interpret the sign as Nicodemus did.   Then Jesus declares "My witness of myself is absolutely true, because I am doing the will of God who sent me." He knows they are rejecting His witness of Himself because He is the one witnessing. The Law of Moses called for one’s testimony concerning a crime committed be validated by two or three witnesses (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). Jesus does not need to provide any witnesses for He has not committed a crime. However, Jesus is going to offer witnesses so that His testimony will not be rejected.   I. John the Baptist - The witnesses that Jesus offers are not the witnesses that we might expect. Jesus is not just going to use witnesses to prove that He is God, but to show that those people, as well as us, have an enormous deficiency in their relationship with God. Jesus does not just say let me prove to you who I am. A. John 5:32-34 – “There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.” In verse 33 He reminds them that they sent people to John and John bore witness to the truth. Carefully look at verse 34. That's not the witness He wants to call to the stand, however. John is a witness, and that is a point that is made quite clear in John 1. B. Remember the Pharisees send various people to John to find out who John is. We saw in chapter 1; No, I'm not Elijah. No, I'm not the prophet. I am the voice crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord. 1. That is the message that John was giving, the Lord is coming and you need to get ready. Make every way straight, get your lives in order. You sent priests and Levites to John, and He bore witness to that truth, but I don't need John's testimony. In fact, I don't need the testimony of any human, He says. 2. Then Jesus says in verse 34, “but I say these things so that you may be saved”. I bring John to the stand, not because I need John to prove who I am or to act as a witness on my part. You should have listened to what John had to say. I remind you of John and what his testimony was because he spoke about Me. He said the Lord was coming. The Lord now has come. I am the One. C. John 5:35 – “He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” This is a reference back to Psalm 132:17, where we read of the burning lamp that will come before the anointed. That burning lamp has come. That was John, and now the anointed has arrived, and that's Jesus. 1. You were so interested in John for a while, but something happened and you stopped rejoicing in that message. You heard John. You heard what he had to say. He's proclaiming the arrival of the Lord. 2. They heard John, listened to the message and rejoiced in it for a little while… for a little while. Then I believe as is common to the human condition, people go back doing the same things they were always doing. They heard the message to prepare for the coming of the Lord. They heard the message to get your life right before the arrival of God, and rejoiced in it for a little while. Then they stopped rejoicing in that message, stopped proclaiming what was about to occur. They forgot the witness of John. 3. I believe that is an important reminder for us. It is so easy for us to rejoice in the message of the Lord, to hear the good news of salvation, forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the resurrection as we've seen in this chapter. We rejoice in it for a little while, and then go right on back doing the things that we've always been doing. It's life back to normal. We forget the glorious message that we have received, the great hope that we have in His Word, and we return to doing what we've always done. D. Jesus tells them, I say these things so that you can be saved. Hear what John says, Jesus is God. He is the Lord who has come. Don’t forget that glorious teaching of John, of this great One who has come to save us from our sins. That brings us to verse 36. II. Jesus’ Works Are a Witness – “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.” His first witness to the stand is obvious and clear. He says all that you need to do is see what I'm doing. All that you need to do is see these works that I'm doing. A. These things should be evidence to us that Jesus is clearly God. No one else can do what Jesus has done. 1. No one can do these kinds of work. If you remember the framework of this Gospel, John has written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and he has selected seven signs in this Gospel, only seven. He's neglected all kinds of signs and miracles that could have been selected and chose only seven. 2. In fact, before John tells us the reason he wrote this Gospel, he says Jesus did many other signs which are not written in this book. Then he says, but these things I've chosen that you may believe. John has selected these signs because these are to generate faith that Jesus is God. B. These miracles we read about are not simply wow-factor miracles. Wow, He healed this guy who'd been disabled for 38 years! While certainly amazing, there's something far more that Jesus wants everybody to see. It is to generate faith that He must be God, and He is God because He's doing what only God can do. 1. His actions replicate what God has done in time past. We read about these in the Scriptures. That's one of the beautiful things that we're going to see as we continue our study through John. We are going to read about Jesus doing things that the Father had done in the past. 2. Jesus in one simple sentence, verse 36, says, I have greater testimony than John, a far greater witness, My works. If that is not enough, let's bring another witness to the stand. Verse 37. III. The Father’s Witness – John 5:37-38 - “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.” A. The next one to the witness stand is the Father. Jesus says, I've got someone else who testifies as to who I am. We certainly have John, but I don't need him. First I have my works, and then I have the Father who bears witness about me as well. 1. We might think that what would happen next is John would show through the words of Jesus how the Father gives His testimony to the Son. However instead Jesus says, His voice you've never heard, His form you've never seen, and you do not have His Word abiding in you, for you do not believe in the One who was sent. 2. We read that and say, what kind of testimony is that? Where's the testimony of the Father? We expect the testimony to be what you read in John 1. At the baptism of Jesus, the heavens open and here is the Father speaking. This is My beloved Son. The Holy Spirit descends upon Him, and this is what we might think of as the witness of the Father. That is not the argument given here. 3. Instead, Jesus tells them you don't know God. You don't know who the Father is. That's why you don't comprehend the witness of the Father. You don't even know who He is. This is a shattering, shocking declaration for Jesus to tell a bunch of Israelites, Jewish leaders, these religious leaders, His voice you have never heard. 4. Jesus saying to us, “you haven't seen Him and you haven't heard Him”, we'd probably say, we know we haven't seen Him or heard Him. However, that's not the point that Jesus is making here. The point that Jesus is making to them is you have rejected the Father. B. Look at the three statements tied together here; “(1) His voice you have never heard, (2) his form you have never seen, and (3) you do not have his word abiding in you,” Whose voice did they hear at Mount Sinai? God’s voice. Some patriarchs saw the form of God, Jacob for example. They claimed to follow God’s word. These three things Israel held on to. 1. Yet Jesus is saying you have no relationship to the Father at all. You don't know who I am because you don't know God the Father. You aren't hearing His voice, and you aren't seeing who He is. His words are not in you. A greater messenger has come, One greater than Moses, One who is the revealer of God, and you reject Me. 2. For you to reject Me means you don't know God at all. That is a powerful statement, and in verse 38 He says, this is the reason you do not believe the One whom He has sent. You are worshiping God, believing in God, trying to do the things of God. I tell you, you don't know God. You have not heard Him or seen Him and His words are not in you. You're not children of God at all. 3. If the Father were to take the stand, His words are, you don't know me. The reason I know you don't know me is because you don't know my Son. The witness of the Father is, if you knew me, you'd know my Son. If you don't know the Son, you don't know Me. IV. The Scriptures’ Witness – Look back at John 5:39-44, “39. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40. yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41. I do not receive glory from people. 42. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” A. Jesus brings another witness to the stand. Every piece of Scripture speaks to Jesus. Think about the weight of that statement. “You search the Scriptures because you think in them that they have eternal life. It is they that bear witness about me.” 1. The scriptures in Jesus’ day are what we call the Old Testament. Everything from Genesis to Malachi bears witness to Jesus. He says, you're reading looking for life and you're failing to see Me when you read. 2. The paradox of knowing the Scriptures and yet not knowing them still exists; and it is imperative for us to know the word of the Lord truly. Knowing the common traditions with reference to it is not enough. Simply knowing what is written without believing cannot avail. Familiarity with sacred words may exist in a foul and degenerate heart. Those people to whom Jesus spoke these teachings had perverted their knowledge of the word of God in such a manner as to remove all true knowledge of it. B. How had they done this? 1. They had made the word of God of no effect by their traditions; and a perfect example of that is in this incident. These men have substituted their own petty rules in place of God's true Sabbath law. 2. They had also changed the meaning of the words God had given them. God had promised a Messiah whose qualities of glory and humiliation should have been sufficient to identify Him when He came; but some of the hierarchy instead projected two Messiahs, making one of them the lowly and suffering priest, and the other the mighty conqueror who would chase out the Romans and restore the Solomonic empire. (rabbinic literature) 3. They rejected out of hand many of the plainest prophecies, especially those projecting the call of the Gentiles to salvation (Romans 9:25-29). True knowledge of God's word is a far different thing from familiarity with Scriptural texts. The Old Testament contains hundreds of references to Christ. Scholars note at least 300-350 distinct prophecies, covering His birth, ministry, and crucifixion, with many more foreshadowing’s. C. If we want to get to know Jesus, we need to read the Old Testament because those books testify about Jesus. One reason we do not know our Lord and why we remain weak Christians is because we do not know the whole of scriptures. We come along and decide to ignore the Old Testament and wonder why we can’t figure God’s word out. Every book is speaking about Jesus. Jesus says that you can read the scriptures all that you want, but if you do not see Me in the scriptures, then you are not going to find life. 1. Worse, we might do what these Jewish leaders did. We search the scriptures, but we do not read the scriptures for what they say. We turn the scriptures into a doctrine finding mission. We memorize places where baptism is taught or where we are commanded to assembly together. We know the places to turn to so we can have an argument with people who disagree with us. 2. We do not read and take in the scriptures to find life. We study what we think we need to know. We try to boil down the scriptures to simple statements and memorize clichés. We need to read the scriptures to get to know Jesus. We do not need to read the scriptures to prove what we have always known or see what we have always seen or confirm what we already believe. 3. These leaders are criticized for how they are searching the scriptures. There is a wrong way to read the Bible. Read to learn about your God and let His word transform your life. D. In John 5:41 Jesus says, “I do not receive glory from people.” He is not interested in their approval, or in meeting their expectations. Jesus is not going to change what He is doing to satisfy the expectations of the religious leaders. He came in the name of the Father and does what the Father has given Him to do. 1. Then He says in verse 42, “But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.” Wow, I’m sure they were insulted. Verse 43, “I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.” 2. You have expectations of what you want your Messiah to be. I'm not here to be what you want Me to be, to meet your expectations, or to fulfill your wants and desires of this world. I have come in the Father's name, I am who I am, I am God. 3. He tells them, you’ll accept anybody else who comes along because they will tickle your ears and make you happy and give you what you want. You'll listen to other people because they give you what you're looking for in this life. I fear Jesus would say the same thing to people today. 4. I wonder sometimes if we want a Jesus who does for us, and we do not want a Jesus that we have to sacrifice for or give for or do anything for. He's supposed to do things for us. E. Then in verse 44 Jesus askes a question. “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” How can you believe when all that you're concerned about is what everybody else thinks? They want the glory of other people. We will see in John 12:42 that "They loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God." 1. I suspect sometimes that is one of the reasons that we fail to draw closer to God. We need to find Jesus in the Scriptures and belong to Him. Instead, we seek the glory from people rather than the glory from God. 2. We are concerned about the approval of others—family, friends, or our community. We want everybody to pat us on the back, and we will do whatever it takes for them to approve of us. 3. The ways of God are not the ways of our family, our friends, or our community. Too often we can become so focused on being people pleasers and not realizing that our effort to please people is keeping us from pleasing God. We're trying to do everything else for everybody else and not seeking the approval and glory that comes from the only God. It is easy to slip into, easy to focus on, all the wrong things. V. Moses’ Witness - The final witness is Moses, John 5:45, “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father…” I'm not going to be your accuser, Jesus says. Remember He's already preached about the resurrection, that one day the graves are going to be opened and everybody is going to be raised either to resurrection of life or to a resurrection of judgment. A. Jesus says, I'm not the one pointing the finger at you. “… There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.” The great leader of Israel, the great giver of the law, Moses is the one who accuses you. B. John 5:46-47, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” For Moses to be the accuser of the people is unbelievable. 1. Read Exodus through Deuteronomy. What is the role that Moses played on behalf of the people repeatedly? Intercessor. He always stood and protected the people and would pray to God on their behalf over and over again. Jesus says, He's not your intercessor, he's your accuser. 2. How strange that those leaders, thinking so strongly that they had eternal life through Moses, were unbelievers of the writings of the great lawgiver. Such is the deceptiveness of sin, that people who truly imagine themselves to be believers are in fact no such thing! There were many prophecies in "Moses," regarding Christ. As Hovey said: "This is a perfectly clear testimony on the part of Christ to a Messianic element in the Pentateuch, as well as to the Mosaic authorship of the same." 3. Moses wrote about Jesus through direct prophecies, symbolic types, and foundational stories in the Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy). Some key references include the promised "Seed" who crushes the serpent (Genesis 3:15), Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18) the prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), the bronze snake (Numbers 21:4-9) the Star from Jacob (Numbers 24:17) and the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12). C. The significance of the testimony of Christ here is great. God is the author of the Old Testament, no less than of the New Testament; and there is no way by which a true believer in Christ can avoid full acceptance of God's word as revealed in the Old Testament. It is true now, as it was then, that if men do not believe Moses, they will not believe Christ either.   CONCLUSION: It's a frightening warning to us that it is entirely possible for us to be able to quote this Bible backward and forward and not know one bit of our Lord and not see Him for who He is.   Well, the witnesses have been presented. Jesus is God according to John the Baptizer, according to His own miraculous works, according to the Father, according to the scriptures, and according to Moses. We must search all the scriptures, not just the New Testament, and find Jesus to which all of God’s word points. Then with open hearts we see the glory of God, not the glory of people, so that we will believe in Jesus and put our hope in Him. He is the giver of life and His very words will give life to those who hear Him and obey Him. Today is the day to accept Jesus as the Lord and submit to His words to receive life.   Pull your song books out. We'll sing the Invitation Song. We're inviting you to come to Jesus. He is God. He came to this world and He died for sins. God came in the flesh and died because of our sins.   He allowed that to happen so that we could have forgiveness of sins, so that we could be reconciled back to Him, and so that we could be redeemed, that we could have hope. One day we'd get to be with God and see Him as He is. What a great blessing that He was willing to do this. God takes on the form of a servant, and human flesh, and dies for the people that He created. There’s no greater love.   Turn to Him by repenting of your sins and be immersed in water to have your sins washed away and walk in newness of life with Him until the day that He calls you home. Won't you come while we stand and sing?   # ??? Reference: Brent Kercheville, James Burton Coffman

Two Of Life’s Most Important Questions Mark 15:1-20   This morning I would like to focus on the topic of questions. Questions fill our lives on a daily basis. Of course there are the meaningless questions: “If tomatoes are a fruit, does that make ketchup a smoothie?” “Why do we say ‘slept like a baby’ when babies wake up every two hours?” “Why is it called a building if it’s already built?” “If you’re waiting for the waiter… doesn’t that make you the waiter?” “If two mind readers read each other’s minds, whose mind are they reading?” “If Cinderella’s shoe fit perfectly, why did it fall off?” “If money doesn’t grow on trees, why do banks have branches?”   And, there are the questions that get you nowhere: ·         How old do you think I am? ·         Does this dress make me look fat? ·         I don’t know, what do you want to do?   If you have an iPhone you can ask Siri questions. She’s pretty smart at math. One day I asked Siri: “What is zero divided by zero.” Her answer was, “Imagine that you have zero cookies and you divide them between zero friends. See it makes no sense. And Cookie Monster is sad that there are no cookies, and you are sad because you have no friends.” And, of course The Bible contains many questions. In fact the first recorded word of Satan in Genesis 3 was a question to Eve about God’s character. He asked, “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the Garden?” That wasn’t what God said at all, but the devil is still trying to get people to question God’s character. In the same chapter, God’s first question in the Bible was when He asked Adam, “Where are you?” Of course, He knew where Adam was; He just wanted Adam to admit it. God said to man, “Where are you?”   And the first question of the New Testament is man asking where God is. In Matthew 2:2, the Magi asked Herod, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?” There are many other important questions in the Bible. Job asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” Jesus asked, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Paul asked, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The writer of Hebrews asks, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.” But of all the questions in the Bible, I believe the most important question is the one we are going to hear Pontius Pilate ask. I believe this is Life’s Most Important Question. In Matthew’s account, Pilate asks, “What then shall I do with Jesus?” (Matthew 27:22) I have to answer that question. You have to answer that question. In fact, that is a question that every person who has ever lived must answer.   Mark 15:1–20 describes Jesus before Pilate, the crowd choosing Barabbas, and the soldiers mocking Jesus. Several questions are asked in this passage, but one stands out as the most theologically significant: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Mark 15:2) This question matters most because: It goes straight to Jesus’ identity, which is the central theme of Mark’s Gospel. It forces the reader to confront the same issue: Who is Jesus really? Pilate’s question becomes the pivot for the entire trial and crucifixion narrative. Jesus’ answer — “You say so” — is subtle but affirming, and it sets the stage for the charges against Him.   Pilate asks this question to the crowd standing before him: “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”   Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they finished mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. I’m going to have you each answer Pilate’s question: “What will I do with Jesus?” It’s a personal question; it’s not “What will WE do with Jesus?” It’s a pressing question, because it’s one you must answer before you die and stand before God. Life is full of choices. There have never been more choices.   When I grew up, we had NBC, CBS, and ABC, we had to move the antennae to pick up those different stations.   Today, with cable, satellite, and streaming services you have thousands of viewing choices. We used to have vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream, and today there are thousands of different flavors including peanut butter ice cream, pickle ice cream, and bacon ice cream.   But those are relatively insignificant choices. Life is full of important choices. Will you get married? Who will you marry? Where will you go to college? What career will you choose? Those are big decisions.   But the biggest choice you’ll ever make is, “What will I do with Jesus?” The good news is that God gives you a choice about what you will do with Jesus. God is too much of a gentleman to force anyone to accept His love.     In Deuteronomy 30 when Moses was poised with the second generation of Israelites ready to enter the Promised Land, he said, “God has placed before you life and death, blessings and curses, now CHOOSE LIFE!” As Joshua faced the nation after they had taken much of the Promised Land he said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24:15).   When Elijah faced a nation devoted to Baal worship, He declared a God contest on Mt. Carmel. He said, “No more sitting on the fence. If Baal is God, then choose to worship him. If Yahweh is God, choose to worship Him!” In this message I want to present five different choices you can make about how you answer the question, “What Shall I do with Jesus?” 1. PILATE: You may choose to reject Him After Pilate interviewed Jesus, the Bible says, “He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.” (Mark 15:15)   Pilate was the ultimate Roman authority on this case. He had the power to release Jesus or to have Him crucified. Luke tells us Pilate went back to the Jewish leaders three times and said, “This man has done nothing wrong. He doesn’t deserve the death penalty.”   It seems clear that Pilate wanted to pardon Jesus and set Him free. But He gave into the mob mentality. In John’s account the Jewish leaders find Pilate’s soft spot. They said, “If you let Him go, you are no friend of Caesar. We heard Him claim to be a king and anyone who claims to be a king is no friend of Caesar.”   Pilate only had one boss, Caesar, and he didn’t want these pesky Jews to threaten his job. So, he gave into the political pressure and he chose his career over Christ. There are people in our culture who seem interested in Jesus. They are fascinated by His claims. But it is not politically correct to say Jesus is the only way to heaven. And some people think if they followed Jesus, it would cost them their momentum on their career track. So like, Pilate, many people reject Jesus and choose their careers over Christ. 2. HEROD: You may choose to admire Him When Pilate learned Jesus was from Galilee, he wanted to shift some of the responsibility, so he had Jesus sent to Herod Antipas, who was the governor of Galilee. This was the same Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist. The Bible says in Luke 23:8, “When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.” Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus just stood there silently. This frustrated Herod, so he started mocking Jesus and put an elegant robe on Him and sent Him back to Pilate. Herod represents those people who simply admire Jesus as a great moral teacher, like Socrates or Confucius.   3. THE MOB: You may choose to replace Him Pilate was still trying to figure out a way to release Jesus. Since there was a custom to pardon a prisoner at Passover, Pilate suggested they allow him to release Jesus. But the crowd would have none of it. The Bible says, “But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.” (Matthew 27:20) We’re told in the text that Barabbas had committed murder. So, the crowd was faced with setting free a miracle worker, or a murderer. And they chose Barabbas. By this time, Jesus’ approval rating among the Jewish elite was so low, that they preferred a hardened criminal to a teacher who preached love and forgiveness. Today, millions choose a replacement for Jesus. Even non-religious people have replaced Christ. Many atheists have replaced Christ with human reason and worship at the altar of science. Many greedy American consumers have replaced Christ with their ongoing passion to have more and more and the newest and the best.   If Jesus isn’t #1 on a list of 1 in your life, you have replaced Him with someone or something else. 4. THE SOLDIERS: You may choose to mock Him The Bible says, “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said. They spit on him and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.” (Matthew 27:28-30) Christ and Christianity are being mocked today like never before. On one hand we are seeing some Christian movies like God’s Not Dead, War Room, Captive, and Risen. But at the same time, we live in a culture that is becoming more and more hostile toward Jesus and Christians. There has been a rise in television shows that make a mockery of our faith. Not long ago Saturday Night Live presented a vulgar spoof of the movie, “God’s Not Dead.” There are many people who will join the Roman soldiers and continue to make a mockery of Jesus and His followers. That’s their choice. 5. GOD: You may choose to crown Him as Lord So the most important question you’ll ever answer in your life is this: What will I do with Jesus? You have to answer that question. If you say, “I just won’t answer it, I won’t do anything with Jesus.” That is doing something with Jesus. Basically all of the responses fall into two categories: Rejecting Christ or Receiving Christ; Crucifying Jesus or Crowning Jesus as Lord. Turning your back on Him, or Trusting Him. God gives us the only correct answer. The only choice that will lead to eternal life is to crown Him as Lord. Have you chosen to do that? The Bible says in Ephesians 1 that “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” (Ephesians 1:4) God made a choice about what to do with His Son. And it’s the choice we should make. All around the world, there are people who are bowing down. Some are bowing beside their beds looking to heaven. Some are bowing down facing Mecca. Some are bowing down and praying to a statue of Buddha. But God makes it clear that one day every knee will bow to Jesus. The Bible says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11).   CONCLUSION: There are some important questions that need answers, and God provides the answer.   Everybody wants to know, “How can I go to heaven?” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. The Bible says, “There is no other name except Jesus under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved.” “For God so love the world that he gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Mark 16:15-16 “15 And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Acts 2:37-38 “37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” We need to realize that today, Satan is still trying to put question marks where God puts a period. I believe there are many statements in the Bible that deserve the strong emotion of an exclamation point. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, I don’t think he said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” I believe he said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John wrote, “Behold what manner of love the father has shown us that we should be called children of God!” On that morning after Jesus appeared to Mary in the Garden she ran back to the disciples. Do you think she said, “I have seen the Lord.”? No, I believe she said, “I have seen the Lord!!!!!!!” As Christians, we should be living in the exclamation points of the Bible.!” One day, the question, “What DID I do with Jesus?” will have an eternal impact on our life.  

Two Resurrections John 5:25-29   INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. One of the big questions that life holds for us is what happens after all is said and done. What happens next? When our time on this earth is done, what happens then? Everybody wants to know the answer to that. The world is full of speculations and philosophies about it.   We're in a section of John’s Gospel where Jesus is proclaiming His deity, proclaiming that He is God. Jesus also is proclaiming two powers that He has, the power of life, we read that in verse 21, and the power of judgment, verse 22. Then in verse 24 He says “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”   Next Jesus discusses a truth that there are two resurrections. One is a voluntary resurrection and the other is an involuntary resurrection. Let’s look at Jesus explanation of the two resurrections.   I.     Resurrection #1 – We will read John 5:25-27. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” A.   Jesus is saying this is an absolute certainty. “truly, truly”, indicates an absolute. Then He says “an hour is coming, and is now here” which is a phrase that Jesus used in John 4:23 where the Samaritan woman is asking about the place to worship. She wants to know if they should be worshipping on this mountain like her ancestors have taught, or whether they should be worshipping in Jerusalem at the temple as the Jews taught. 1.    Jesus' answer was there is an hour coming and now is, where worshippers are going to be worshipping in spirit and in truth. The idea of this time marker is that the time has come now, but it's going to be more obvious, clearer in the times to come. It would become clear, after Jesus' resurrection, and after the arrival of the kingdom as we read in Acts 2. 2.    Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that true worship is no longer restricted to a specific place (like Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim) but is now centered in "spirit and truth" through His presence. 3.    In the same way, I suspect this is the same time marker that Jesus is giving here. The time has already come in terms of the resurrection, and will become clearer. He says in verse 25, “… when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” 4.    It means the spiritually dead can immediately hear His voice and receive life, while also pointing to the future bodily resurrection. This suggests that the fulfillment of God’s promises was already occurring in Jesus ministry ("now is"), while the full, complete manifestation of that reality was still being realized ("coming"). B.   Verse 24 tells us the context (I paraphrase); those who hear My words and they believe in Him who sent Me—they're the ones receiving eternal life. They do not come into judgment, but they have passed from death to life. This is a picture of spiritual life. There's a time coming, in fact, the hour is now, where the dead are hearing the voice of the Son of God and those who hear that voice, are coming to life. 1.    Jesus and the Apostles are teaching and reminding people that they are dead. You are dead and now is the time for the dead to hear the voice of the Son of God and come into life. 2.    The time has come for them to hear the Word of God and to be moved from the realm of perishing in their sins and move into the new kingdom and new realm of life, of spiritual life, of eternal life. The hour is now, I am here, God has given Me the power of life. 3.    That reminds me of verse 21, “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” Unfortunately, I think this reminder that we are dead was not received then, or even now. 4.    We like to look at ourselves and think we're alive. We have a life going on, we're going to do this and that and we've got our schedules and plans and visions of the future. Here's how life is going to go. We are unable so many times to see how devastatingly, spiritually dead we are, and the same was true then. We forget our spiritual condition, just look at life, think we're fine, and then go on our way. C.   Do you recall Ezekiel 37? Ezekiel 37:1, “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.” Imagine you are in a valley and you are surrounded by bones. Starting in verse 2, “And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4. Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”” D.   Ezekiel, here's what I want you to do. Speak the word of the Lord and when you do you are going to see these bones come to life. Then you're going to know that I'm God. At verse 7, “So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.” Can you imagine standing there watching that happen? Verse 8, “And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12. Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”” E.   Jesus comes on the scene and says, the hour is coming, and now is here, where the dead are hearing the voice of God, and they are coming to life. What an amazing time! People are now able to receive life into their dead bones. God is picturing throughout time that we are dead in our sins. We are those dry, brittle bones. God says, I will speak my words, and when I speak those words, life is going to enter. 1.    Is it any wonder then that Jesus is saying at the time, let those who have ears to hear, let them hear? He is speaking the powerful words of life, listen to what He has to say. Verse 25 says, “the dead are going to hear the voice of the Son of God”, but see the next part, “And those who hear will live.” 2.    Are we listening to the life-giving voice of the Son of God? Are we hearing what our Lord has to say? Are we listening to the things that He is telling us to do? It is the voice of the Son of God that gives life. There's no other place to find it. It is through His words that life is going to be found, that life is put back into these dead bones. F.    John 5:26 – “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” That is almost a reiteration of verse 21. Jesus possesses life and He gives life to whom He wills, and He wills to give life to those who hear Him. 1.    When we stop listening, stop growing, we fall back to becoming dead, dry bones in the valley with no life at all. Oh, we think we are alive without Jesus when in fact we are as dead as we could be, unable to see our condition. 2.    “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14. This is the Voluntary Resurrection. The voice of the life-giving Son is speaking. Are you willing to listen so that you can arise from death to life? G.   In verse 27 we read – “And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” We saw that in verse 22, He is the giver of life, and He gives it to whoever hears Him. He has authority to execute judgment and that brings us to the second resurrection.   II.    Resurrection #2 – We can imagine the audience with their mouths open, hearing the news that they are dead and that Jesus is God, the giver of life to those who hear His voice. These people should have known they were dead, but Jesus is teaching them, as He must teach us, that we are dead in our sins and need the life that can only be found in Jesus. A.   John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming…” He says don’t be surprised that I have the power and authority. Notice this time He does not say “and is now”. This is something different. Jesus is looking forward to a coming hour. This is not an event that is already occurring… rather it is an event that will occur in the future. There is a time coming but it is not now, and He continues, “… when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, …” 1.    There is a time coming when everybody who is in the grave is going to hear the powerful voice of Jesus and they are going to come out. This is The Involuntary Resurrection. Think about what this looks like. Every single person who has ever lived, at the powerful word of Jesus, is going to come to life. Every person who has ever lived will hear the voice of Jesus when He returns and there will be resurrection. 2.    We are being told how powerful the words of Jesus are. The voice of Jesus is able to give life to our spiritually dead souls and is able to raise our bodies from the grave. Verse 27 performs a bridge to this thought. In verse 26 we are told that the Son has life in Himself. We see in verse 21 He gives life to whom He wills, and we have been told He gives life to those who hear His voice. 3.    We are spiritually dead but the words of Jesus will bring us life. Jesus also has the authority to execute judgment. The hour is coming when every person in the grave will hear the voice of the Lord and will come out to judgment. In this resurrection you are going to be called from your grave. Everyone who has ever died will be raised. All people who have ever lived are going to be raised from the dead. B.   We see little glimpses of that in the Old Testament. We just read one in Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones, God gives life and everyone is going to stand before Him. 1.    We see in the New Testament, further along in John’s gospel, that Jesus is going to walk up to the tomb of one of His very good friends and He is going to say… “Lazarus, come out”. There is a day that is coming where we will all stand before God. 2.    We see this again in Matthew’s account of the crucifixion, at the death of Jesus “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” C.   Verse 29 continues, “… those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” No one is excluded and there are two outcomes… either to the resurrection of life or to the resurrection of judgment. Verse 29 tells us how this will be determined. We know how this is going to go for us. Jesus tells us it is based upon what we are doing right now. 1.    Jesus is very clear about whom He gives life to and how that resurrection sequence is going to go. Our good works function as evidence, that we have truly heard the voice of Jesus. If we have done what we have seen here in verses 25 and 26, if we have heard the powerful word of Jesus and it has taken our dead bones and caused them to move to life, we are no longer spiritually dead, but we have received eternal life. 2.    Here is Jesus making a promise. When I come back, the hour is coming that all the souls are going to hear My voice. Those who have heard My voice and believed have moved from death to life; they will be raised to be with God. 3.    Our good works, our actions, function as the proof, the evidence, that we have heard Him and have been raised to life. When we lack those things it is a reflection on us. It shows that we truly have not heard the voice of God and have not moved from death to life. 4.    Perhaps this is a challenge and a test to ourselves. How do I know what will happen when everything is said and done? What is going to happen to you and to me when our Lord returns? D.   Perhaps use 1st Thessalonians 4 where we read, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” Ask ourselves, will I be going to the resurrection of life or will I be going to the resurrection of judgment? 1.    Here's how you know. Jesus says, I give life to whomever I will, and I give life to those who hear my voice. Those who hear My voice—do good works. There is a life transformation that occurs. 2.    This goes back to John chapter 3. In chapter 3, Jesus is teaching that we are all the condemned. Jesus came so that none would have to perish, but that all could be raised to life. 3.    We know what our outcome will be. There is no question. This teaching is not here so that people would walk away and say I don't know what's going to happen. We know exactly what's going to happen. It is based upon if we have heard the words of Jesus, believed in what He said, and have converted our lives and transformed our actions to follow Him. Based upon that, we will know if we are going to the resurrection of life or the resurrection of judgment. 4.    It is important for us then to look back on our lives, to look back at our actions, to look upon our words carefully and decide what does it look like for us? To which will we be raised? All of us are going to stand before God. 5.    True faith in our Lord will not leave us dead. It will lead to transformed living. It will cause us to have lives that are very different than what we've had before we came to Jesus.   CONCLUSION: I suggest that these verses are among the most instructive in the whole word of God. This is nothing less than the first resurrection, and the contrast of it with the final resurrection. The first is a spiritual rekindling of life, and the second a physical resurrection from the grave. Significantly, the Lord announced that the spiritual resurrection was already in progress, that the Son of God is the author of it, that His word is the means of it, that to receive His word was life, and to reject His word was death. What a terrible warning to those foes who at that very moment were rejecting His word, not allowing even for a moment His true interpretation of God's sabbath law, but plotting to maintain their own interpretations. Further, by rejecting Jesus' word in such a subordinate area as the sabbath regulations, the priests were light years away from receiving the profound teachings recorded here. They would remain in a state of spiritual death, and the voice of the Lord of life would sound in vain upon their stopped ears. Jesus spoke calling men to spiritual resurrection and they would not hear; but He shall speak again at the final judgment, and then they will hear!   For our Involuntary Resurrection to be favorable and enjoyable and to be going to eternal life rather than eternal punishment, it is of the utmost importance that we experience the Voluntary Resurrection now.   I would like to look at something from Colossians. In Colossians 2, the Apostle Paul uses, as he does in many places, this idea of being dead and coming to life. At Colossians 2:11, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,”. There is a cutting that is going on, a cutting off of sins that Christ is accomplishing in our lives.   Next, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Our life is always connected to the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. If He was raised from the dead, then you're rising from the dead. Paul is not talking about the Involuntary Resurrection here. He means the voluntary one. Because He raised from the dead, you now can have life. In verse 13, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,” Paul says the same thing as Jesus. You're dead. You're dead in your sins. You are the dry, dead bones scattered in the valley. You have no hope unless you have the Lord. Only when the word of God is spoken over those dead bones can there be life. You were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. God made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of death that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.   If we want life, he says you need to be joined to Jesus. Life will come if we are joined to His death and His resurrection.   Paul does not leave it there. Colossians 3:1, “If then you have been raised with Christ,… ” He says if that's the case, if you've been raised with Him then here's what it's supposed to look like. “… seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” If you've received this life, if you are hearing the life-giving voice of Jesus, then what people will see in you and in me is not us, but Jesus. Our life is hidden in Him, you can't see us anymore, you just see Jesus. Our life, because our mind is put on the things that are above, our actions are in seeking Him, a life that is changed to follow Him and pursue Him. That's how we know that we've passed from death to life. That is why John wrote his epistle of 1st John, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”   We can know, just look and see. Have I been joined with Jesus and is my life hidden with Him? If it is, there is reason for rejoicing because it doesn't matter what's going to happen to these physical bodies from here on. It doesn't matter what happens to us in this life. It doesn't matter how long it takes for the Lord to return. The hope stands firm, one day we will be raised to a resurrection of life. One day the powerful voice of Jesus will be spoken, and we will go to be with our God.   If we have not put our life in Christ, if we have not been buried with Him in baptism, if we have not put our faith in the powerful working of God, then there is reason for great concern because Jesus says, you are still dead in your sins, and on the day that He returns, you will be raised to judgment. Don't let that be the result of your life.   The answer is clear. There is something that happens after death. There is something that awaits all of us. Every single human will stand before the judgment seat of God, giving an account for the things that are done in the body.   Choose today to have life. Choose today to have hope of resurrection to life rather than the depressing thought of resurrection to judgment. Come to Jesus. Believe in Him with all your heart. Confess Him as the son of God and hear His powerful words and obey those words and follow Him and serve Him. Won't you come while we stand and while we sing?     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville  

Should I Hang-On or Let-Go? Matthew 16:24-26   Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ring-tailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s simple. They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method Zulus use is based on knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the seeds inside. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. This he cannot do. His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and pull BUT as hard as he tries… he cannot free himself if he holds on to the seeds!   And there is the story of the PIRATE who obtained a great chest full of treasure. The pirate held on tightly to that chest because he saw in that chest the fulfillment of his dreams, hopes and aspirations.   He knew that the treasure was the key to his “good life”. Having already obtained a great fortune, the pirate decided to return home and after boarding the ship and having traveled a great distance from shore… a storm arose. It did not take long for the storm to overtake the ship and eventually break the ship into pieces. Eventually, the pirate and his treasure plunged into the sea. He began to sink holding tightly to his treasure. As he was sinking, all that went through his mind was how he could get his treasure safely to shore.   However, he began to realize that if he continued to hold onto that chest, he would not be able to make it to shore, and that same chest which he saw as his life... was now causing him to face death.   Reluctantly the pirate let go of that chest and began to swim towards shore. We are a lot like that pirate. We hold on to our agenda and ego thinking that they are bringing us life, however, that is not the reality. They are really pulling us towards our death and at some point, we must let go.   Sometimes we think we know what is best for our lives. Sometimes we think that we do not need someone else to control us because we are capable of making those good decisions on our own. However, I do not think we always know what is best. I believe our idea of good has been tainted by sin. Jeremiah says, “The heart is exceeding deceitful above all things.” I believe it is that deception that allows us to think we on our own can know what is best for our lives. We need to learn plainly that the power of a good and godly life is not in us alone, but it comes from Christ. We need to trust that Jesus knows what is best for us even better than we do.   Letting go can be a very difficult thing. When we let go we become vulnerable. Many people refuse to let go of things in their life because they are afraid of doing so. Whether it be a sin, some negative trait, bitterness, pride or worry we are often reluctant to simply let go. We have those things we are clinging to and refuse to let go of, however before we can get to Jesus we must let go.   What is it today that is holding you back from letting go? Is it fear of the unknown? Is it a fear of what others may think of you? Perhaps some never change because they don’t want others to think less of them. Is it unwillingness to change? Is it your pride? Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:24–26 are among the most challenging—and liberating—in all of Scripture.   They confront our instincts for comfort, control, and self-preservation, and they invite us into a life that is deeper, truer, and more eternal than anything we could build on our own. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”   Jesus begins with a word that cuts against the grain of our culture: deny yourself. This does not mean: Hating yourself Ignoring your needs Becoming passive or joyless It means: Laying down the illusion that we are the center Surrendering our will to God’s will Letting Christ—not our desires—set the direction of our lives Self-denial is not self-destruction; it is self-surrender. It is saying, “Lord, You lead. I trust You more than I trust myself.”   To Jesus’ first listeners, the cross was not a metaphor. It was an instrument of death. So when Jesus said, “Take up your cross,” He meant: Be willing to die to the old life Let go of sin that clings Accept that following Him will cost something Embrace obedience even when it is uncomfortable The cross is not a minor inconvenience. It is the place where our old self is crucified so a new life can rise.   Jesus does not say, “Go figure it out.” He says, “Follow Me.”     This means: Walking where He walks Loving as He loves Serving as He serves Trusting as He trusts Obeying even when we don’t understand Christianity is not merely believing in Jesus; it is becoming like Jesus.   Jesus reveals a spiritual truth that seems upside-down: If you cling to your life—your plans, your comfort, your control—you lose it. If you surrender your life to Christ, you find the life you were created for.   The world says: “Protect yourself. Promote yourself. Preserve yourself.” Jesus says: “Give yourself away, and you will discover who you truly are.” The life Jesus offers is not smaller—it is fuller, freer, and eternal.   Jesus asks a question that echoes through every generation: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world BUT forfeits his soul?” You MAY can gain: Wealth Success Influence Comfort Applause But if your soul is empty, lost, or disconnected from God, you have gained nothing that lasts.   The world can fill your hands, but only Christ can fill your soul. Jesus is not trying to take life from us—He is trying to give us real life.   Following Him means: Purpose instead of aimlessness Peace instead of anxiety Identity instead of insecurity Hope instead of despair Eternal life instead of temporary satisfaction The cross leads to resurrection. Surrender leads to freedom. Losing your life leads to finding it. Jesus taught that we cannot serve two masters. A ship cannot fly two countries’ flags. When we deny ourselves and take up our cross, we are allowing Jesus to take over as Lord of our lives. When Jesus is Lord it means He sets the rules. It means that we are willing to submit ourselves under His authority. Jesus taught in Matthew 7 , “Many will say to me on that day Lord, Lord, but not enter the kingdom of Heaven.” When Jesus becomes Lord, it means we concede control of our lives over to Him.   Romans 6:6-7 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. We learn that at our baptism we not only received the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we died. We died with Christ and our old self was crucified in Him. As Christians we do not gratify our sinful desires any longer. In other words, as a Christian there are still things that are sinful that I would LIKE to do. I am still TEMPTED to do wrong things; however, I REFUSE doing them because I am not going to gratify those desires any longer because I am not living to myself.   Colossians 3:5-10 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.  9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. If we have really died to self, then we will not give into those temptations and desires we have. The new self should be increasingly more God-like in its actions.   Ephesians 4:22-24 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. We No Longer Live to Ourselves   Galatians 2:20 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. We need to understand that we no longer live to ourselves. We have died. Let us remember that dying to self means that WE no longer live, but it is CHRIST living in us.   Why Is Letting Go of Self So Difficult? The idea of Heaven and eternity with God sounds great and perhaps many would volunteer to receive that, however the idea of signing your life away doesn’t sound too appealing, does it? We love those feel-good verses of Scripture, but we begin to squirm a little when we read of the cost of following Jesus.   We love to be in control. We get a little uncomfortable when we read about denying ourselves and taking up our cross. That doesn’t sound too appealing. William Ernest Henley in his famous poem entitled “Invictus” said, “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” Many of us have bought into this philosophy that we are the master of our lives. We like to be in control. I would much rather be in control of a situation than have someone else in control of the situation.   I am one of those people that would rather do it myself than entrust it to someone else. That is not a good attribute. We need to learn to allow Jesus to be the master of our fate and the captain of my soul. Perhaps some feel like it is a violation of their freedoms to lay aside themselves and let Jesus take control. Perhaps they feel that this is the sign of somebody being weak and vulnerable.   Jesus taught that we must lose our lives to really find it. By that He means that we give up the project of making OURSELVES the ultimate reference point in our world. We are not number one. The universe does not revolve around us. We live in a very selfish society. The idea of sacrificing and giving up something doesn’t sound appealing to many people. We are people that want to know the price of everything and the cost of nothing. We want to get as much as we can while doing as little as possible to get it. The idea of delaying gratification seems ridiculous to many. We live by the philosophy, “if it feels good it must be right.”   What Must We do to Let go of Self? We must step down. Perhaps we need to have the mindset that John the Baptist had when he said I must decrease and Christ must increase.   We must be willing to step aside and let Him have the glory and honor of all that we do or accomplish. We must step down from our position of authority over our lives and give Him the reins. There are many tools we can use such as prayer, Bible study, service, worship, and fellowship, but the reality is we must train ourselves to be godly.   Jesus is calling you to deny yourself today! What cross is He asking you to pick up? What part of your life is He inviting you to surrender so He can give you something better? The call of Jesus is costly—but the reward is eternal.  

Jesus Is God John 5:15-24   INTRO: Good morning church. In our study of John 5 we read about Jesus healing a disabled man on a Sabbath. This man had been in this condition for 38 years, equal to the time of the helplessness and hopelessness of the Israelites as they were punished for their sins in the wilderness during the days of Moses. We suggested this maybe the reason that Jesus selects this man over all the other people who are in this covered porch area. The man's inability to move contrasts with Jesus' command, showing that spiritual life comes through Christ's word (grace) rather than human effort or strict observance (law).   Verse 9 tells us that this was the Sabbath and problems are going to arise for Jesus from the Jewish leadership. The religious leaders, focused on Sabbath rules, were spiritually blind, and couldn't see the miracle. They question the healed man about whom it was that healed him, but he did not know who it was. Later, Jesus finds this healed man at the temple and tells him to sin no more so that no worse thing will happen to him.   John 5:15-16, “The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.” These verses tell us that the healed man, goes to the Jewish leaders and tells them that it was Jesus who had healed him. This ignites a persecution against Jesus because He was healing on the Sabbath. Jesus responds to this persecution by teaching that He is equal to God… because He is God. What we are about to read is Jesus’ own defense of His deity.   I. Jesus Is Equal with God in His Person (John 5:17-18) – Jesus’ answer is fascinating. The Jewish persecution is because they are charging Jesus with doing work on the Sabbath. Rather than teaching them that healing is not work and not a violation of the Sabbath, Jesus goes the other direction and argues that He is working on the Sabbath and why that is acceptable. This is not at all what we would expect to read, and I would imagine it took the Jewish leaders by surprise. A. Listen to the statement Jesus makes in verse 17. “But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”[ESV] Jesus says, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” He is saying, “You’re right, I'm working. 1. Consider what Jesus is doing by saying those words and agreeing with them that He is working on the Sabbath. He is also making the observation that what He is doing is acceptable. It is right for Him to work on the Sabbath. 2. To understand that let’s consider Genesis 2:2-3. “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” It is not stated here that God rested from all activity, but that He rested from creation, "His work that He had done," an expression twice repeated in verse 2. In verse 3 here also, the specific thing from which it is stated that God rested is the work of creation. 3. Jewish sources acknowledge God's ongoing work (providence, sustaining life) but distinguish it from human general activity, i.e. creative, productive labor. Priests did not stop working when the Sabbath day came but were in the sanctuary working for the Lord (Matthew 12:5). 4. It was acceptable for God since He is the creator of all things, to then, “violate the Sabbath”, because He's over all things. I just think this is an interesting aside. I mean, if you must justify God for doing anything, you are probably working from a lousy position in the first place. Of course, God is working. He is sustaining all things. 5. Notice what Jesus does in verse 17. He places Himself in a unique relationship with the Father. He doesn't say our Father is working. He says, my Father is working. He excludes everybody else from this. The idea is of course; humans are under the requirements of the Sabbath Law… but God is not. Therefore, Jesus must be working. To put it another way, if you recognize that God the Father is working, then I must be working as well, because I'm God. That's exactly how the Jews understand it. B. John 5:18, “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” It is not only the persecution of verse 16, now they want to kill Him. Jesus makes the claim that He is equal with God. This is the thrust of the argument Jesus is making. My Father is still working continually, and so am I. 1. An aside here. We're living in a time where some people say that in the scriptures Jesus never claimed to be God. We will see that He claims to be God five times in this text and the first is right here. God's working: therefore, I must be working. There's no option. I must work because I'm God. God works on the Sabbath, and so do I, because I'm God. 2. Jesus does not tell them that they misunderstood, instead He is going to offer four more proofs that He is God and is equal to God in every way. II. Jesus Is Equal to God in His Works (John 5:19-20) – “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” A. Look at the two parts of this amazing answer that Jesus gives. First, the Son does not do things with His own initiative, but only what He sees the Father doing. Please underline the word “see.” Who can see what the Father is doing? Do you see what God the Father is doing right now? 1. No human can see what God is doing. In fact, John made that argument at the very beginning of this gospel. “No one has seen God at any time.” Here Jesus is making an extraordinary statement. I see what the Father is doing. I am able to observe His actions. 2. Humans cannot observe those actions. Humans cannot see God, nor see everything that He does. Jesus says, I see what the Father is doing. I'm not doing my own works. I'm doing everything I see God do. 3. Jesus is saying that His action has been in harmony with the will of God. That places Him in a very important state of privilege. That makes Him God, because He can see God and humans cannot see God. 4. Not only does He say that He sees God, but He says He does what the Father does. No human can do what God does. Can you be holy and pure and right so that every action you take is the same action as God in holiness and purity? ·         Can you do what God does? ·         Can you speak worlds into existence? ·         Can you say, let there be light and there is light? ·         Can you create anything? Humans do a great job at making all kinds of things, but we cannot create something out of nothing. 5. He says, I see what my Father does, and I do exactly what He does. Nobody else can do that. B. Then Jesus adds in verse 20, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” Not only does Jesus see what the Father does, not only does He then do what the Father does, He goes further and says that the Father reveals to Jesus everything that He's doing, everything that is going on. 1. He has full knowledge of the Father in every aspect, in every category, full understanding, because the Father has revealed it to Him. Think back to John 1:1, it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That is very important to us, Jesus is the Word. He reveals the very message of God. Jesus reveals everything to us about the Father. He is the revealer of who God is. 2. The Son is obedient to the Father in every way and acts in such a way as to reveal who the Father is and does the Father's works and performs the Father's will. It is why Jesus later in this gospel says, if you've seen me, you've seen the father. Why? Because I do what He does. 3. He reveals everything to me; therefore, since I'm obedient to Him, everything that I do reflects the Father. Everything that I say reflects the very words of God himself. He is taking this to another level and is telling them, I'm not human. I'm God. That's why I'm working because God is working. C. Notice how verse 20 tacks on the end of that—you're going to see greater works than these. I'm going to do greater things than this. Greater signs than healing this disabled man are going to come from the Father through the Son. Of course, His greatest sign will be when He is lifted up on the cross to His death only to rise from the dead three days later. That then is the second proof. He's equal to God because He does the works of God. III. Jesus Is Equal to God in Power (John 5:21) – The third is verse 21 – “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” A. Jesus’ claim to be able to raise the dead and give life to whomever He wills, is startling. Raising the dead and giving life are the sole works… and choices, of God. 1. Carefully observe what Jesus is arguing. He's not just simply saying, “I can raise people from the dead.” If we look back to the Old Testament, we can see the dead raised and life given. Elijah prayed to God and raised the widow’s son from the dead. Here Jesus is not claiming to be God’s instrument through which resurrection and life come. Notice how that verse ended – “… the Son gives life to whom he will.” 2. Can Elijah say that? No. No one has that power. The prophets could not give life to whoever they wanted. They all relied upon the power of God to perform those miracles, but Jesus is not an instrument through which God was healing. Jesus is the healer. B. Go back to John 1:4, “In him was life!” This is an important truth to the lesson Jesus is teaching, and the direction Jesus wants to lead His audience. Jesus gives life to whoever He wants. Jesus makes the choice. It is the prerogative of Jesus to make that determination. IV. Jesus is Equal to God in Judgment (John 5:22) – “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, ”. Just like the power to raise from the dead and give life, so also is the assertion of judgment. Who alone can judge? Only God can judge. All judgment is given to the Son. Therefore, Jesus is God because He has the power to judge. A. This is another important truth to the lesson Jesus is teaching. Jesus is the determiner of life and Jesus is the judge. Jesus deals with the two realities confessed in the Jewish faith. Only God gives life at the beginning and only God gives judgment at the end. Jesus has just laid claim to both of those prerogatives, claiming them for His own. B. This then is the fourth – Jesus is the one who brings judgment. Paul in 2nd Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day…” V. Jesus Is Equal to God in Honor (John 5:23) – Why has all life-giving and judgment-related authority been given to the Son? Jesus explains in verse 23: “that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father…” A. The reason Jesus has all life-giving authority, and the reason that He has the authority and the power to judge, is so that everybody on earth, all peoples, will honor the Son as He ought to be honored, just as they honor the Father. 1. Conversely, to not give Jesus equal honor is to not honor the Father. Anyone who fails to acknowledge the authority of the Son is rejecting the Sender, the Father. To say that Jesus is just a prophet, just a good guy, just somebody you should follow, an interesting figure in history, is to not honor the Father. Those who say Jesus is not the Christ, but a prophet is anti-Christ. 1st John 2:22. 2. Jesus is saying, You must honor me on an equal level as God or you are not honoring the Father. You are not honoring the one who sent me. That is important today. Everybody is all “yea God”, but not everybody is “yea Jesus”. It’s just too polarizing to bring up Jesus they say, just say God. 3. You cannot honor the Father unless you honor the son. You cannot honor the Father unless you honor Jesus. It is not possible. Jesus makes that argument crystal clear right here. There is no way to honor Him unless you honor the One and only Son. You cannot leave Him out, and if you do so, that is an insult to the Father. To fail to acknowledge the authority of the Son is to reject the authority of the Father. B. Therefore, in contrast with the Jewish leaders’ charge of blasphemy, Jesus is honoring the Father because He is doing the Father’s will. His acts honor the Father. However, by them dishonoring Jesus they are dishonoring the Father. In a great turn of events, it is they, not Him, who is dishonoring God. VI. Concluding Call (John 5:24) – In verse 24, the fifth point, Jesus ties together who He is and what this means to these people and to the world. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” I suggest what Jesus just said is calling upon them to bow the knee, to submit and to serve and to worship Jesus as God. He says, “…hears my word and believes…” A. We can take those two things as passive concepts. He is not being passive with His audience. When you say that your child never listens, what do you mean by that? That they are deaf and can't hear? No, you mean they are disobedient. They do not do as they are told. 1. Hearing and believing Christ's word is equivalent to believing God who sent Him. Believing Jesus is believing God! 2. Here is another skillful advocacy of His deity. This focuses upon the true mission of our Lord's coming into the world—to bring men eternal life. The Pharisees, had they been interested in such a blessing, might have been convinced by this promise; but they were too busy with their earthly concerns to pay any attention to the great hope shown in these words. B. Jesus says, “…hears my word AND believes him who sent me…” Remember Nicodemus? Nicodemus comes to Jesus and says we know that you are from God. 1. Sounds like belief. Jesus says to him unless you are born again you will not see the kingdom of God. Then Jesus spends time trying to teach him about the need for life transformation. In John’s gospel we have been reading of people who have shallow, simple belief that has not led to life transformation. Jesus is working in each of those cases to try to get them to see that is not enough. 2. If we have experienced this life change, if we hear the words of Jesus and believe, submitting and doing what He says, believing in Him, we are experiencing that transformation from His words. C. Jesus determines the destiny of every soul. Jesus determines the judgment of every person. Jesus decides to whom He will give life. Jesus calls for the ears of everyone to carefully hear as He says, “Truly, truly” to begin this glorious teaching. Listen carefully to the words of our Lord because they are true. Whoever hears the words of Jesus believes in Him and believes in the One who sent Him has eternal life. 1. The call is to bow the knee and worship Jesus as God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is divine and has come to this world with the power of life and the power of judgment. Listen to the words of Jesus, which does not mean to merely hear what He says but to do what He says. We are to listen to the words of Jesus and believe. 2. We saw in chapter 3, and we will continue to remind ourselves of this as we go through this gospel, that saving faith is not just acknowledgment, but to be born again. Hearing and believing is to obey the words of Jesus and experience radical life transformation from His word. Those are the people who have eternal life. 3. Listen to the wonderful words at the end of verse 24: “… He (the person who hears and believes) does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” Life is defined as a person having crossed over from death to life. To pass from death to life is to be born from above. It implies a line of demarcation between those who have returned to God’s side and those who remain against Him.   CONCLUSION: Please note that this is not in the future tense. Notice how John describes this as our current condition. Jesus is the judge because the Father has given all judgment into His hand. We do not come into judgment when we hear the words of Jesus and believe. In fact, we have passed from death to life already. To use the words of the apostle Paul, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness (death) and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (life) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).   You have life now when you come to Jesus. You will pass from death to life when you listen to Jesus and give your life to Him in submission.   Jesus gives life to whom He wills (John 5:21). Jesus gives life to those who hear Him and believe Him (John 5:24). All judgment has been given to Jesus (John 5:22). Whoever dishonors Jesus also dishonors the Father (John 5:23). How do you honor the king? The only way to honor the king is to bow the knee and submit to His authority. We honor the king by worshiping the king. We honor the king by praising the king. We honor the king by doing what the king commands. Jesus is God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Submit to your king and your God. If you have not accepted Jesus and believed in Him and submitted your life to Him, that is your starting point—believe that Jesus is the son of God who came to this world and died for your sins. Be immersed in water to have your sins washed away to enter a relationship with Him so that you can know that you have eternal life.   If you've already begun there, don't stop. Do not think you can put your life in neutral and you're good to go. Deepen the relationship. See Him as the treasure. Recognize Him and honor Him for who He is. We invite you to come while we stand and while we sing.     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

LIFE’S TRIALS: SINKING or STAYING AFLOAT? Matthew 14: 22–33 There are moments in every believer’s life when Jesus calls us out of what is familiar and safe. Sometimes it’s a new ministry, a hard conversation, a step of repentance, or a season of suffering. And in those moments, we often feel like Peter—caught between faith and fear, between the comfort of the boat and the invitation of Christ.   Once there was a tourist who was taking a tour of biblical sites, when he came to a beach on the Sea of Galilee, he saw a boat and a sign advertising, “FREE BOAT RIDE TO THE EXACT PLACE WHERE JESUS AND PETER WALKED ON WATER!!!” He boarded the boat and enjoyed the ride to the middle of the lake where the boat captain stopped the boat and announced that this was the spot where they had walked on the water. After spending a few minutes at that spot, the tourist said to the boat captain, “Ok, I’ve seen enough, I’m ready to back to shore.”   The boat captain pointing to the sign, and said, “The boat ride to the exact place where Jesus and Peter walked on the water was free, but the ride back to shore is not free, it will cost you $50 for the ride back to shore.” The tourist, shocked by the charge, exclaimed, “No wonder Peter got out and walked!”   Today we are going to examine this moment in Peter’s life when he walked on the water. We all know that he didn’t walk on the water because the boat captain was going to charge him too much for the trip back to shore. But why did Peter walk on the water? And, how did Peter walk on the water? And most importantly, what did Peter learn from the experience and what can we learn from it?   This story is not just about a man walking on water. It’s about a Savior who meets us in the storm, calls us beyond our limits, and refuses to let us drown. Please turn with me to our text for this morning’s lesson found in Matthew 14: 22–33   The 1st thing I noticed is that Jesus Sends Them Into the Storm Matthew tells us that in verse 22, Jesus “made the disciples get into the boat”. They didn’t drift into trouble. They were sent. Note: Obedience does not prevent storms. Sometimes it leads us straight into them.   So, I ask the question: Did the storm take the disciples by surprise? Absolutely! (They didn’t have a weather app). Did the storm take Jesus by surprise? Absolutely Not. So, why did Jesus tell them to get in a boat and cross the lake when He knew a storm was coming? Do you think there were some lessons they needed to learn that could only be learned in the midst of a storm? Sometimes the storms we face are the result of our disobedience and God’s correction and discipline. Other times, the storms we face come not because we have been disobedient, but because we have been obedient and we are in God’s will. Another thing to keep in mind about the storms we face have to do with God’s knowledge. While Jesus was in prayer on the mountain, do you think He was aware of what the disciples were experiencing in the storm? I believe Jesus knew and could see exactly where they were and what they were going through. But, if Jesus knew, then why didn’t He come to their rescue sooner? I trust that Jesus came to their rescue at precisely the very best time and not a moment before. Even though we can’t always see God in the midst of our storms, we can trust that God sees us and that God has a plan for our rescue.   Let’s turn our attention back to the story. Let’s see what happened when Jesus showed up. The disciples were exactly where Jesus told them to be, doing exactly what He told them to do — and still the wind was against them. Many believers assume that hardship means they’ve done something wrong. But sometimes the storm is the classroom where Christ teaches us what calm seas never could.   The 2nd thing I want to note is that Jesus Comes to Them in the Darkest Watch. It was the fourth watch of the night — between 3 and 6 a.m. The darkest, coldest, most exhausted moment. And that’s when Jesus came. Not early. Not when they still had strength. Not when the waves were manageable. A Lesson to us is that: Jesus often shows Himself most clearly when our strength is gone. He walks on the very thing that threatens to destroy them. What terrifies them is under His feet.   The 3rd thing to note is Peter’s Bold Request: “Lord, if it is You, command me…”   Peter gets criticized for sinking, but let’s be honest — he’s the only one who got out of the boat. He doesn’t move on impulse. He doesn’t test Jesus. He asks for a command. Key lesson here is: Faith is not reckless. Faith responds to the voice of Jesus. Peter doesn’t walk on water. He walks on the word of Christ.   Peter Walks — Until He Looks Away. As long as his eyes are on Jesus, he does the impossible. But when he shifts his focus to the wind, fear floods in. The main note for us is that: Fear grows when we meditate on the storm instead of the Savior. The wind had been there the whole time. Nothing changed except Peter’s focus. And yet — even in his failure — Peter does the most important thing he could do: He cries out, “Lord, save me!”   Another thing to note is that: Jesus Immediately Reaches Out. Not eventually. Not after a lecture. Not after Peter proves himself. Immediately. Jesus doesn’t let His children drown in their own weakness. He lifts Peter up and asks, “Why did you doubt?” Not to shame him, but to teach him. May we realize that Jesus uses our sinking moments to deepen our faith, not to condemn us.   The wind doesn’t stop when Peter walks. It stops when Jesus steps into the boat. The presence of Christ brings peace that circumstances cannot. And the disciples respond the only way that makes sense: They worship Him.       Over the years, some people have criticized Peter and reacted negatively to what Peter did. Some have said that Peter was conceited and was trying to be a showoff – “Hey look at me, no hands!” But Peter asked for permission and then waited for permission to be granted.   If Jesus had said, “No,” then I’m sure Peter would have stayed in the boat. But Jesus didn’t say, “No,” rather, Jesus said, “Come on.” At that moment, the smartest thing Peter could do was get out of the boat. Once Jesus commanded that Peter come, then he had better obey, and he did obey. And so, Peter got out of the boat – how can anyone criticize him for that? In some respects, I wish the story ended right there... Peter walked on the water, period! But the story doesn’t end there – we all know what happened next. The Bible says in verse 30 of our text: But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Peter was fully walking on the water... walking away from the boat...walking toward Jesus. Everything was going great, then came the “but” – “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid.” Everything went just fine until Peter took his focus off Jesus and began to focus on the storm. How long did it take for Peter to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus? Only a second! Keep in mind that the storm never stopped raging while Peter walked on the water. The wind was still blowing, and the waves were tossing the boat about and the rain was coming down in sheets.   Many old time ministers define faith as “concentration on Jesus.” That is a great definition – how easy is it for us to be distracted by life and the storms and challenges of life, and when we do our faith can waver. But when, through faith, we concentrate on Jesus and focus on Him, then we can have peace and power, even when the storm rages around us. Just because we focus on Christ does not mean that the wind and waves are going to stop. Peter began to sink into the water, but when it happened, he immediately cried out for Jesus to help him. Do you think Peter was a swimmer? I’m sure Peter was a pretty good swimmer, he had spent his life around or on the water but isn’t it interesting that he didn’t attempt to swim. His first thought wasn’t, “I can handle this, or do it on my own,” rather his first thought was to pray and ask for help.   Peter prayed one of the shortest prayers in the Bible, “Lord, save me.” Sometimes there isn’t time for a long prayer – like when you are about to drown. Prayers don’t need to be long or detailed – they just need to be sincere and specific. No sooner than the words were spoken, Jesus’ help arrived. Verses 31–33 of our text, “31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter because he wanted to walk on the water, but He did rebuke him for his lack of faith. Peter had the faith to get out of the boat but then didn’t have the faith to sustain him. There’s a difference between short faith and long faith, or shallow faith and deep faith. But in spite of Peter’s lack of faith, Jesus was willing to help him. While Jesus continued to stand on the water, He took hold of Peter and pulled him back up on top of the water and together they walked over and got into the boat. Jesus used this teachable moment with Peter and the other disciples. And the moment they were back in the boat the wind and rain subsided and those in the boat worshiped Jesus. What aspect of the Christian life have you lacked the faith to be able to step out of the boat and try? If we are never willing to take a chance and step out of the boat, then we will never walk on water and discover what living by faith is all about. So, Let’s step out of the boat, obeying the command to walk by faith. Let’s not play it safe like the disciples who stayed in the boat, but let’s be like Peter who took a risk and walked on water and 2000 years later we are still talking about it.   But unlike Peter, we don’t have to sink, if we will keep walking by faith, keeping our eyes on the Lord. I pray that we will be great risk-takers for the kingdom of God. I pray that God will help us shake ourselves loose from the security of staying in the boat. And I pray that God will help us continue to walk on the waters of faith because we trust in God’s power and wisdom to uphold us.   Conclusion: What Is Jesus Calling You to Step Out Into? Every believer has a “boat” — a place of comfort, predictability, and control. And every believer hears the voice of Jesus saying, “Come.” Maybe He’s calling you to forgive someone Maybe He’s calling you to trust Him in a diagnosis Maybe He’s calling you to serve in a new way Maybe He’s calling you to walk through grief with faith Maybe He’s calling you to surrender a fear you’ve carried for years   The question is not whether the wind is strong. It always is. The question is: Will you keep your eyes on Jesus?   Today, if you feel the storm, if you feel the wind, if you feel like you’re sinking — cry out like Peter: “Lord, save me.” And the One who walks on waves will reach out His hand. Immediately. Faithfully. Powerfully.   The Lesson is yours as we stand and sing!  

SUFFERING: ACCEPT IT OR AVOID IT? James 1:3-11 Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over. The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She had barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked in. The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie -- still alive, but stunned. Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . She reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him. A few days after the trauma, the reporter who had initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares." It’s hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . That’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart. “Sucked in, washed up, and Blown over” that about sums up how many of us feel at times isn’t it? It describes the certainty of trials and feelings of powerlessness that trials bring. An Army Chaplain had a sign on his door that said, “If you have troubles, come in and tell me all about them. If you don’t have troubles, come in and tell me how you do it.” James reminds us of the reality that even in the Christian life, there are trials and temptations. However, the Christian does not have to be a victim of his circumstance but can have victory even in times of trials and testing.   James tells us No matter what the trials on the outside, we can experience victory through faith in Christ. How do you respond when Life Deals You A Lemon?........   James doesn’t pretend suffering is imaginary or avoidable. Instead, he reframes it. He shows that suffering is not a sign of God’s absence but a space where something meaningful can grow. James says that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And perseverance leads to being mature and complete. Suffering isn’t pointless It shapes character It strengthens spiritual endurance It grows us into people who can stand firm   James is blunt: you cannot become spiritually mature without going through things that stretch you.   James connects trials with wisdom. Why? Because suffering exposes our limits. It forces us to ask questions we can’t answer alone. James says God gives wisdom generously and without finding fault. Suffering becomes the doorway to deeper dependence on God. For Christians to turn ‘tears of despair into tears of joy’ there are three things we need to obey.   And the 1st one is found in James 1:2 " Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." Now notice that James doesn't say "if" but "when". In other words you can just count on it, Christians must expect trials. Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, “I have told you this so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but be courageous-I have overcome the world!"   Some trials come simply because we are human, and this would be things like sickness, accidents, disappointments, and death. But other trials come because we are Christians. Peter tells us in 1st Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”   Paul also tells us in 2nd Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” And so, because Satan fights us, and the world opposes us, we can expect trials.   But how are we to respond to these trials? James says, "Count it all joy!" Remember in Acts 5 when the apostles were pulled in to stand before the Council, after being flogged, the Bible says in Acts 5:41 “They left the Council, rejoicing to have been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the Name.” Let me share a poem with you which I think will help us get the point.   Count your blessings instead of your crosses; Count your gains instead of your losses. Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead of your foes. Count your smiles instead of your tears; Count your courage instead of your fears. Count your full years instead of your lean; Count your kind deeds instead of your mean. Count your health instead of your wealth; Count on God instead of yourself.   And, look what James says next in James 1:3 "For you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure." James says if Christians have the right knowledge concerning the value of trials, it makes it possible to have a joyful attitude. In other words, when we finally understand that trials test our faith, then we can know that the testing of our faith brings the best out in us.   A severe rash prompted a man from a rural area to come to town to be examined by a doctor. After the usual history-taking followed by a series of tests, the physician advised the patient that he would have to get rid of the dog that was obviously causing the allergic reaction. As the man was preparing to leave the office, the doctor asked him out of curiosity if he planned to sell the animal or give it away. "Neither one," the patient replied. "I’m going to get me one of them second opinions I been reading about. It’s a lot easier to find a doctor than a good bird dog." Doctors can give prescriptions and treatment plans, but it is up to the patient to take the prescription and carry out the treatment plan.   In 1st Peter 1:7 we can read the following thought, “So that the genuineness of your faith, which is more valuable than gold that perishes when it is tested by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Any athlete will tell you that you cannot expect to win anything if you don’t train, but the more you train the stronger you get.   The 2nd point that James is telling us today is that we can have joy in our trials because we know that testing works for us, not against us. When our faith is tested it produces patience. Romans 5:3-4 “Not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope”.   In the Bible "Patience" is not a passive acceptance of circumstances. The Greek word for patience means the ability to exhibit steadfastness and constancy in the face of the most daunting difficulty. In other words, Christians need courage and perseverance in the face of suffering. Christians need to keep on keeping on...  even when life if getting rough, even when our circumstances are difficult. And make no mistake that kind of perseverance can come only through experiencing trials. And when Christians finally accept and understand what trials can accomplish in our lives, it’s then we can have a joyful attitude toward our trials. And please don’t think, ‘well that’s easy for James to say.’   We need to remember what James himself went through. Before James was killed for being a Christian, he experienced sorrow. Remember that James was one of the main leaders of the Christians in Jerusalem who continually faced persecution from those outside the Church. James also learned that difficulties can produce patience. He never tells us to pretend that a trial is nonexistent. Instead, he wants us to recognize and rejoice that any problem can be an occasion for God to work in and through us in a way that He otherwise wouldn’t. This is what the Bible calls a "testing of our faith"; it calls us to believe in the goodness of God, and to trust that He is not only willing but able to accomplish His purposes, no matter what befalls us. Any difficulty, whether great or small, is an occasion for joy, but only when we remind ourselves of the nature of the God who loves us.   But for us to really benefit from our trials, we need to understand James’ next point in James 1:4 "And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing." To truly turn our tears of despair into tears of joy, we need to let "patience" do its work. We often want to get our trials or difficulties over with quickly, don’t we? But there are times when the best thing for us to do is to bear up under the trial patiently.   And so instead of grumbling and complaining, we should patiently endure the trial, doing good despite the trial. Now remember that James is writing to a bunch of Christians who really need to grow up spiritually. And what he is saying here is that when patience has had an opportunity to work, it produces "maturity." When James uses the word perfect, he doesn’t mean sinlessness, but "completeness, wholeness, maturity, and commitment." Webster’s Dictionary tells me that - Commit means to entrust, to give charge, to perform, to pledge. In my search for the definition of Commit I actually looked at one dictionary which did not even have the word commit in it. I guess they were not committed to commitment. And if we as Christians want to run the race well spiritually speaking, we need to develop patience and commitment. And that is only going to happen when we train spiritually. In other words we can only grow into spiritual maturity if we allow ourselves to face trails which test our faith. And everyone here knows that letting patience have its perfect work is not easy. If anything, it requires wisdom which enables us to see the value of our trials. And, Our 3rd point is found in James 1:5-8 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways."   James says if we lack wisdom; ask for it from God because He has promised to give it generously. And please don’t think that God is going to rebuke us for making such a request, even Solomon's request for wisdom was well-pleasing to God as you can read in 1st Kings 3:7-12.   But what exactly is this "wisdom"? Because we need to be careful to distinguish "wisdom" from "knowledge." Knowledge involves information, facts, etc, whereas, wisdom is the ability or insight to properly use those facts quickly and in the right way. Knowledge comes only through His Word and we need to carefully study it if we want to know the Will of God. However, the wisdom to properly use His Word can be received through prayer. A proper prayer is a prayer asked in faith and with no doubt, otherwise, the prayer will not be answered by God. And this, according to James is the way that we can turn ‘our tears of despair into tears of joy.’ It’s having the knowledge and viewpoint that difficulties can accomplish a lot of good for a Christian. It’s being patient whilst enduring those difficulties to accomplish its work. And as we go through difficult times, it’s using the wisdom God gives us in answer to prayer to help us put it all together. And when we finally understand these things, it’s then that even trials can be seen as a source of joy for the Christian.   Solomon writes in Proverbs 30:7-9 “I ask you, God, to let me have two things before I die: keep me from lying, and let me be neither rich nor poor. So, give me only as much food as I need. If I have more, I might say that I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God”. Solomon tells us that when we are poor we may be tempted to curse God. Which is exactly what Job's wife wanted her husband to do, when they had lost everything Job 2:9 “His wife said to him, "You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?" And the problem with being wealthy is that we may be tempted to forget God. In Deuteronomy 8:10-14 before God gave the Israelites the Promised Land He warned Israel that they might forget God because of their wealth. And what happened? Hosea 13:5-6 “I took care of you in a dry, desert land. But when you entered the good land, you became full and satisfied, and then you grew proud and forgot me.”   So, here in James he’s going to share with us reasons to be joyous whether we’re poor or rich. James 1:9 “Those Christians who are poor must be glad when God lifts them up”. James says if we are "poor", then we can rejoice that we have been "lifted up." Then in James 2:5 he says “Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.” And so what James is telling us here is that even if you are poor, you can still be "spiritually rich" and on an equal par with all other Christians. Revelation 2:8-9 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: "This is the message from the one who is the first and the last, who died and lived again. I know your troubles; I know that you are poor---but really you are rich! I know the evil things said against you by those who claim to be Jews but are not; they are a group that belongs to Satan!” Now not only can the poor rejoice because God has lifted them up but if you are "rich", then you too can rejoice because you have been "humbled." Now how does God humble the rich?   James 1:10-11 tells us, “And the rich Christians must be glad when God brings them down. For the rich will pass awaylike the flower of a wild plant. The sun rises with its blazing heat and burns the plant; its flower falls off, and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way the rich will be destroyed while they go about their business.” In other words, the riches which the wealthy have are only temporary.   1st Timothy 6:17 “Tell those who are rich in the present world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, let them place their confidence in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” Now not only are riches temporary, but they are also unable to redeem our souls. Psalm 49:6-9 “By evil people who trust in their riches and boast of their great wealth. We can never redeem ourselves; we cannot pay God the price for our lives, because the payment for a human life is too great. What we could pay would never be enough to keep us from the grave, to let us live forever.” I don’t care how rich you are, you cannot buy your way into heaven. May our God bless us all as we allow Him to turn ‘our tears of despair into tears of joy.’ Let me leave you with the inspired words of a man who knew exactly what we’re talking about today. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13 “I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In each and every situation I have learned the secret of being full and of going hungry, of having too much and of having too little. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, it was kind of you to share my troubles.”     INVITATION  

The Need to Run the Race Hebrews 12:1-3 and Psalms 5:1-12 “If you see me running, you better run too because that would mean that something is chasing me.”   “I run every day for 30 minutes, if I miss a day I add 30 minutes to the next day. This has truly been a game changer, tomorrow I’m supposed to run for 3 weeks.”   “If you’re on the treadmill next to me, the answer is yes, we are racing.”   A few years ago, a young woman named Lois signed up for her first marathon. She trained hard, but halfway through the race, everything started to fall apart. Her legs cramped. Her breathing tightened. Her confidence evaporated. She slowed to a walk and eventually stopped altogether. She stood on the side of the road, hands on her knees, ready to quit. Then something unexpected happened. From behind her came an older runner — gray hair, steady stride, clearly someone who had run many races before. He slowed down, looked at her, and said, “Don’t stop here. You’ve come too far. Run with me.”   She tried to explain how tired she was, how much pain she felt, how she didn’t think she could finish. The man just smiled and said, “Pain means you’re still in the race. Keep your eyes on the finish line. I’ll stay with you.” So, she started running again — slowly at first, then stronger. Every time she wanted to quit, the man reminded her, “Look ahead. Don’t stare at your feet. Don’t stare at your pain. Look at where you’re going.” When they finally crossed the finish line, Lois turned to thank him… but he was gone. Lost in the crowd. She never saw him again. But she never forgot what he said: “Don’t stop here. Keep your eyes on the finish line.” This Illustrates Hebrews 12:1–3 As some of you know, the apostle Paul often compared the Christian life to athletic events, and he is doing so in this passage.   “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”   “We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.” Lois wasn’t running alone. Someone who had run the race before came alongside her. In the same way, the heroes of faith — and the faithful people in our own lives — cheer us on by their example. “Let us throw off everything that hinders.” Her pain, discouragement, and self‑doubt were the weights slowing her down. We carry our own: guilt, fear, distraction, sin. “Let us run with endurance.” Endurance isn’t glamorous. It’s choosing not to quit when quitting feels easier. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus.” Just as Lois had to lift her eyes from her pain to the finish line, we lift our eyes to Christ — the one who endured the cross and now stands at the finish, calling us forward.   I like to hear stories about people who won't give up.   Quitters aren't much of an inspiration, but people who stay with a commitment even though the going gets tough are a source of inspiration to us all.   Do you remember the man who came to Jesus and said, "I'll follow you wherever you go"? Jesus told him, "Before you make that kind of commitment, you need to realize that foxes have holes and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." "In other words, if you follow me, realize that there will be difficulties. There will be times when you will not know where you'll sleep, or where your next meal is coming from. There will be difficult and discouraging times. But after you realize that, and then put your hands to the plow," He said, "don't look back."   When people start the Christian life, and then quit when the going gets tough, they can become an object of ridicule to some, and a source of discouragement to others. That's the reason Hebrews 12:1-3 is so important. In this passage Paul is not comparing the Christian life to a wind sprint, but to a marathon.   In a wind sprint you run as fast as you can for a short distance, and speed is the critical factor. But in a marathon, endurance is the critical factor, and the concern is that over the long run the runner will not “grow weary and lose heart.” The Apostle Paul was faithful. In his last letter to Timothy, (2nd Timothy 4:7-8), he wrote,  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”   Finishing the race is critically important to all of us who would be followers of Jesus. And I believe that this morning’s text in Hebrews 12 contains at least 3 pieces of advice that will help each of us faithfully run the race that is before us.   The first piece of advice is to remember that you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, and that you can be inspired by those who have gone before.   Notice that chapter 12 begins with the word "Therefore." That connects it with the previous chapter. And in chapter 11 the writer of Hebrews gives a long list of people who have been found faithful.   1.    For instance, in vs. 7 he mentions Noah. We can hear Noah whispering in our ear, "How long do you say you've been waiting? It took me 100 years to build the ark, and it was never easy. I tried to warn the people, but no one would listen. Yet I kept on building, and when the floods came the ark was the vehicle of our salvation. You need to keep on, keeping on, also."   2.    Next, in vs. 8, is Abraham. Abraham, called from his home in Ur to a place where God would lead him; Abraham, who in his old age was told that his wife, Sara, would bear a son; Abraham, who was told to take this precious son and offer him as a sacrifice. It wasn’t easy, but Abraham passed every test!   So, when you become discouraged, here is Abraham whispering in your ear. "Listen," "if you obey God, the world will think you’re crazy because God's ways are not their ways. But listen carefully and be true to His will."   3.    Then go to vs. 22 and the story of Joseph. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. In Egypt he was accused of crimes he didn't commit and thrown into prison. He was about as low as a person can get. Yet he remained faithful to God. Then everything changes, and suddenly he is very powerful, Prime Minister of Egypt. He has control of money and grain and food and people. And yet, when he is at the top, he is still faithful to God.   So, listen to Joseph say, "Look, it doesn't take much to be faithful when things are going your way. But when you are at the bottom, and everything seems to be falling apart, make sure that you're still faithful."   4.    The list goes on. There's Moses and Samson and Samuel and David and more besides. There is a great cloud of witnesses to cheer us on. They whisper in our ear when we become discouraged, saying, "Don't lose heart! Don't give up. Don't quit, whatever you do."   Now when we get discouraged, we need to think of the great saints in Scripture, and of others who have inspired us.   WE sing Song #222, FAITH OF OUR FATHERS. When we are discouraged, we hear their voices saying, "If we can do it, then you can do it too." Be inspired by those who have gone before and realize that at the same time there will be others watching you. You will be their inspiration, their example, and their guide.   The second piece of advice from Hebrews is to prepare for the struggles you will face. “... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”   As I read the words, “…the sin that so easily entangles…” I think of the old Tarzan movies.   There was usually a scene where Tarzan, with his knife between his teeth, jumped into the water and swam to rescue Jane or boy or whoever was in the water. Then the music would intensify and you knew that at some point something bad was going to grab him. Oftentimes it was an enormous octopus. At first you could just see its eye. Then a tentacle would suddenly reach out and wrap around his ankle. But that’s no problem. Tarzan can get loose from that. But then here comes a second tentacle. It would grab the other ankle. Then another tentacle and another one, and soon he is all entangled and can’t get loose. Is this the end of Tarzan?   Oh no. Remember that knife in his teeth. Somehow, he is able to grab it and start cutting off the tentacles, and soon an inky cloud comes out of the octopus. And Tarzan is free! The writer of Hebrews says that sin is just like those tentacles, and that we must throw off “...the sin that so easily entangles, and …run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”   Now I'm obviously not a marathon runner. But marathon runners tell us that there are two critical times in the race. The first one is at the beginning. When you begin to run you feel so good, and the temptation is to run too fast too soon, depending upon your own strength and skill to pull you through.   The second critical time in a marathon is at the halfway point.   You suddenly realize that you still have as far to go as what you've already run, and your strength is giving out. Runners call it "hitting the wall." You've come to the end of your endurance and you're not sure if you can put one foot in front of the other anymore.   To keep that from happening in your life remember this promise, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) If you’ll trust Him, He will be the source of all you need to finish your race.   AND, the final piece of advice is this, Fix your eyes on Jesus. Listen again to a part of vs’s 2 and 3, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith… Consider Him… so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”   Jesus was opposed. Jesus was persecuted. And yet He stayed the course. He ran the race. He paid the price for our sins. Every Christian needs to hear this because it's so easy to quit. It's so easy to say, "I don't have to do this anymore."   But the writer of Hebrews says, “Fix your eyes on Jesus. He's the author and the perfecter of our faith,” and one day each one of us will stand before Him as our judge. Romans 3:23 says, “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” If you ever take the tour in historic Williamsburg, VA they will explain to you why, even to this day, we hold up our hand and swear that we will “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God" whenever we give testimony in court.   The story they tell goes all the way back to medieval times. When someone was being tried for a crime and the evidence seemed overwhelmingly against him, there was a way out. He could stand up and say, "I plead the benefit of clergy." Now when he pled "the benefit of clergy" everyone was shocked because that was the same as an admission of guilt. But it was the accused’s last hope, his last chance.   So, a clergyman would come in with a selected passage of Scripture, usually from Psalms 51, which tells of the confession of David for all the sins that he had committed. He would hand it to the accused and say, "Here, read this." It was kind of a forerunner of the lie detector test.   The law said that if the accused could read it without stammering or stuttering, he would be set free even though the evidence against him was overwhelming. But if he stumbled or stammered just one time, he was judged guilty. Usually, a guilty person could not read that passage without stammering or stuttering. So, they were found guilty. But when someone read it perfectly and was set free, they branded the palm of his hand with the brand of the cross. You see, you could only claim the benefit of clergy one time. So, whenever anyone testified in court he would have to hold up his hand so that all could see if the brand of the cross was there.   IN CONCLUSION: One day, folks, we're all going to stand before the judge of the universe, as guilty as we can be. The evidence is overwhelmingly against us. Satan, the accuser, will be there to accuse us of all the sins we have committed. Our only hope is to claim the benefit of the cross.   THAT IS WHY the writer of Hebrews says, “Fix your eyes upon Jesus because the only hope we have is our hope in Him.” So, run the race with patience. Don't lose heart. Don't become discouraged. Don't quit. Keep on running the race that has been set before us.   This morning if you're not a Christian, we invite you to come to Jesus and accept His mercy, His love, His grace, and His sacrifice on the cross. We offer you the opportunity to begin a whole new life in Him. Will you come as we stand and as we sing together?  

Be Healed, Be Holy John 5:1-14   Introduction: Good morning church. We have concluded our look at chapter four. Now we are continuing in the fifth chapter of John’s gospel which expresses proofs and evidence that Jesus is God. As you recall the purpose of John’s gospel was stated in John 20:31, “… That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name..”   Chapter 5 contains a concentrated effort of the Apostle John, going through a variety of proofs that Jesus is God. As we study through this chapter, we want to carefully analyze how John shows this to us. John sets things up with the first fourteen verses in the chapter.   The context of John 5:1-14 is the sign of the miraculous healing of a paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda. The Jews had a tradition that said an angel stirs the water at the pool, and the first person to enter the water after it's stirred, is healed.   I would like you to hold in mind this question and your response to it. What is the worst thing that can happen to you? I want you to just hold that in your mind as we move through this story. It's a point that Jesus is going to use with this man, and it is important for our consideration as we recognize who Jesus is.   I.     The Sign – Read with me starting in verse 1, “1, After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7. The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8. Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9. And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.” [ESV] (for verse 4 see other versions) A.   The narrative begins with revealing that this is one of the three feasts of the Law of Moses which compel the people to come to Jerusalem. Jesus came to Jerusalem, and He decided to go to a place that He does not have to go. It is not required that you walk through this gate as you come into the city. The Sheep Gate was built by the high priest as mentioned in Nehemiah 3:1, “Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate…” It was through this gate that the sheep were brought to the Temple for sacrifice. 1.    John 5:2-3 tell us He enters an area where there are five roofed colonnades by a pool of water. We are presented with a sad scene in verse 3. Here are a multitude of invalids hoping for healing if they can get into the pool when the water is disturbed. Jesus is going out of His way to walk through this area where these disabled people are lying all around. 2.    It is interesting to me that in this atmosphere, among all of people that are there, Jesus selects one to talk to. As He passes through all the people lying there, we are told He speaks to one person. Verse 5, “One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.” 3.    I can picture clearly the helplessness of all these people, the multitude of disabled people lying there. There is nothing glorious about this place. You can imagine the kind of atmosphere that would exist here. Jesus comes to this man and asks a very simple, and perhaps in our minds, obvious question. Verse 6, “Do you want to be healed?” B.   Years and years this man had been an invalid. Nothing has made him well and so hopelessness has set in. When Jesus asks him if he wants to be made well, listen to his answer: “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” These are words of hopelessness. Yes, he desired to be healed but he had desired this for so long that it seemed like there was no chance of it ever happening. To me it sounds like “of course, but it’s not going to happen”. 1.    That's what makes the next words so shocking and so powerful. Jesus says in verse 8, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Then in verse 9, “And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” 2.    What a picture is given here! There's no slow and painful physical therapy—no slow, and gradual improvement. Immediately he grabs his mat. This is a sign of victory. He's going to leave this area of all the paralyzed and the lame and the blind and the disabled. He is now able to grab his mat, carry it and walk through the city of Jerusalem. 3.    People would see him and some at least would recognize “there's somebody who has been lame and unable to walk for 38 years, yet he is walking.” It demonstrated his healing to all who saw him. The end of verse 9 records a forceful statement: It was the Sabbath! II.    The Conflict - Verse 10 reveals a conflict. “So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.”” The Jewish leaders see this man carrying his mat on this Sabbath day of rest and they reproach him. “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” A.   I suspect this is one reason we are told in the first verse that this was a feast day. When you read the Law of Moses, you'll find that these feast days had inherent within them, holy days, Sabbath days, days of rest. In Leviticus 23 starting in verse 2 you find “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.” These feast days often prescribed various days as holy days, and hence were considered Sabbaths because of the holy day (cf. Leviticus 23). It’s a feast day and therefore it is a Sabbath rest and not necessarily the seventh day of the week. 1.    The healed man responds in verse 11, “But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’”” He says, I'm just doing what I was told to do. I've been healed and the one who healed me told me to do this. 2.    Listen to what happens next. “They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”” 3.    Think about this for a minute. Rather than rejoice with this man who has been disabled for 38 long years, they want to know who told him to break the Sabbath by carrying his bed! They do not see the sign that the great healer of the people has come. They only see their traditions being broken. B.   Verse 13, “Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.” The healed man does not know who healed him. He did not know that the person he had been talking to was Jesus, and Jesus is not there at this moment. He has withdrawn and the crowds were forming around this man who had been healed. C.   We are at verse 14. Jesus finds this healed man in the temple. There is the man, most likely in the temple glorifying God for the healing he has received and participating in the feast day that he had not been able to enjoy previously. “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”” The first thing that strikes me, is Jesus indicates in this shocking statement, that something worse can happen! III.  Something worse can happen - Remember the question I asked you to hold in mind as we read? “What is the worst thing that could happen to you?” Stop for a moment and consider that. Picture the helplessness and hopelessness of this invalid. For 38 years he has been unable to walk and for a long time was left in this covered porch area in Jerusalem. Jesus says there is something worse that could happen to you. A.   We have a cliché of sorts that we say to one another when we are suffering. These are probably the least comforting words you can say to somebody at that moment. It is not a cliché we really like to hear, but based on Jesus’ words, the cliché is quite true. “It could always be worse.” Something worse could happen to us. As terrible as our suffering can be and as difficult as it can be to deal with the challenges we have in life, there is something worse… and that is eternal punishment. 1.    For all that we may go through in this life, all the challenges that we face, all the suffering we may endure, and for all the times that we may question God and say I don't understand the injustice that I am dealing with or the great amount of pain I am enduring… there is the reminder that there is something far worse. 2.    No matter how difficult things are, no matter how fierce the suffering is, and no matter how challenging our trials are—it is worth remaining faithful to God through those difficulties because there is something worse. It is worth maintaining our integrity as Mark taught last week. B.   It is worth maintaining our hope in God because if we do not, there is something far worse that awaits at the end, and that is the worst thing that can happen to us. C.   When I say there is something worse, I don’t mean, yes, things in this life could be worse, like “I could get hit by a bus”, which is the way we often use this cliché. There are horrible things in this world. There are horrible things that we experience. Things that will break us, crush our spirit, and seem to destroy us. There is something far, far worse than anything we can possibly experience in our bodies on this earth… Eternal punishment. IV.  Healed for holiness – I wondered, why the invalid was told to sin no more. He is to sin no more because he had been healed! A.   Let us have a visit with Isaiah for a bit, Isaiah 6. In this chapter Isaiah has a vision. In this vision Isaiah is in the throne room of God and sees the Lord sitting upon a throne with seraphim round about. Isaiah says in verse 5, “… “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”” We see Isaiah expressing his feeling of total ruin, of being undone before the holiness of God. Then we see one of the spiritual beings, the seraphim, fly to Isaiah with a coal from the altar, touching his lips, making him clean. 1.    Next in verse 8 we see the Lord asking “Whom shall I send?” and that caused Isaiah, now healed from his sins, to volunteer for service. Immediately he says before God, “Here am I, send me”. 2.    When we have been cleansed of our sins, forgiven, and see the gracious God we serve, it should move our hearts and compel us to service. It compels us to want to look to God and ask what can I do? B.   You have been healed for a purpose. You have not been healed to leave and go your own way. You have been healed to be holy. You have been healed to glorify God. You have been healed to go and sin no more. The life of holiness begins with seeing that we have been healed. This is the radical rebirth John has talked about. C.   Jesus has come to the world of spiritually disabled people and has healed you from your sins. In Isaiah we see the holiness of the Lord from the perspective of Isaiah. The seraphim are crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is filled with His glory.” God’s holiness and our healing are to lead us to service. Today we add to that thought, our healing will also lead us to changed living. We will seek pure lives because of the healing we have experienced. His healing is the catalyst for our turning our lives to Jesus. “See, you are well! Sin no more.” V.   The Meaning - Let’s step back as we conclude and consider why John chooses this miracle and what the sign is which we are supposed to learn. Why did Jesus pick this man among the multitude of disabled people? The text tells us that there was one man who had been in this condition for 38 years. A.   In John 3, we spent some time in verse 16, with the famous words that we all know so well, that God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Two verses before there was the connection that just as Moses put the bronze serpent on the pole, so also the son of man must be lifted up. John 3 paints with the wilderness wandering as a backdrop. B.   Chapters 5-6 of John are set to that historical backdrop. Chapter 6 is about the bread from heaven that God gave in the wilderness. The time marker is the Passover, when God set the people free from Egyptian slavery and took them through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. 1.    Chapter 5 began by noting that this was a feast of the Jews. We do not know which one, but all of them centered upon being slaves in Egypt and the freedom God gave to them as they passed through the waters of the Red Sea and walked in the wilderness on the way. 2.    In chapter 3 Jesus likened Himself as the bronze serpent on the pole which was erected in the wilderness because of the people’s sins, that all who look to Him would be healed. 3.    Jesus selects a man who has been an invalid for 38 years. He is utterly helpless and utterly hopeless. Thirty-Eight does not sound significant but in terms of the wilderness wanderings, it is extraordinarily symbolic. C.   Turn with me now to Deuteronomy 2:14-15. Here Moses is talking about their journey, “And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished.” [ESV] 1.    You will remember the 12 that went out to reconnoiter the land. Ten of them reported “We can’t take the land”. The people of Israel listen to the 10. They rebel and try to stone Moses and Aaron. God intervenes and says, because you won't believe in Me and you will not trust Me, here's what's going to happen to you. You will all die in this wilderness. 2.    We often hear of the 40 year wandering, but the 38 years spotlight a specific sub-interval between two landmarks (Kadesh-barnea and crossing the Brook Zered), while the full 40 years speak of the entire span of wandering. 3.    The 38 years is the time frame of the death of the Israelite people, as God shows His displeasure with extremely wicked men by cutting their lives short. The hand of the Lord was against them for their sins. That is why they were in the wilderness. A journey that should have been relatively short turns into a 38 year death march because the people sinned. They are helpless and hopeless. There is no one who can help. There is no one to deliver these sinful people from their condition. They were completely lost because of their sins, their failure to obey God, and because of that they will not enter the Promised Land. D.   You probably notice John keeps pointing out water in his gospel. Every time he points it out, he's showing how that has been ineffectual water compared to the living water that Jesus offers. We saw it with John's baptism. Jesus is greater than that and brings something greater. 1.    We saw it with the water turned to wine. Remember those Jewish ritual stone jars as Jesus takes that purification water and changes it. They're no longer going to be purifying themselves. 2.    We saw with Jacob's well, remember what the woman asked? Are you greater than our father, Jacob? The well provided water that filled a reoccurring need, but the living water Jesus offered filled an eternal need. 3.    Though this man wants to be healed, he simply cannot be healed. The pool water at Bethesda, like all the water seen in this gospel so far, is ineffectual, leaving the man paralyzed until Jesus comes to heal him. Jesus’ living waters of John 4 replace the water of John’s baptism (1:31-33), the ritual purifying waters (2:6), Jacob’s well (4:14), and now this popular healing pool. E.   Here is our Lord saying, I'm greater than these things. This is who you are. You are helpless and you are hopeless before your Lord. You don't have any way out. This is your spiritual condition. The parallel to Exodus is so powerful because Moses leads the people to take them to the Promised Land. Moses failed. The people sin, Moses sins, Moses does not enter. That generation does not enter. There is failure. 1.    There is longing and looking for one who will not fail. Someone who will come and take the people who are helpless and hopeless and give them what they need. Here is Jesus coming and giving that hope. He can give that healing. He selects a person whose time there fits so well with the imagery of the nation itself. 2.    The people, ever since the very beginning, have been helpless and hopeless before God. Lost, in rebellion and in need of somebody to come and heal. The history of the Old Testament reveals that one never came. That's why the New Testament repeatedly points to the fact that the Law of Moses shows you your sins. It does not show you your way out. It only shows you your problem. It does not give you the solution. It only reveals your sin, and shows how when you stand before God, you will come up short. 3.    John tells us, God in the flesh has come. To use the words of John 1, God with us. God has now taken on flesh. God is now walking the streets of Jerusalem and He is going about bringing healing to the nation… healing to the people. He is the only one who can bring life to those in sin. Or to put it another way to what we saw in verse 14, He is the only one that can make sure that something worse does not happen to each of us. Hope and healing now walk into the scene and here is somebody who experiences it and is now called to live a life of holiness as he praises God in the flesh.   CONCLUSION: Where have you been turning for healing? We are in a world where people try to find hope and healing in all kinds of avenues and places... from books and television to vices and addictions, always trying to fill the void, always trying to find hope, always trying to deal with our need to be healed.   The Bible shows us that the yearning and waiting, the hopelessness and the helplessness, have all been pointing to one person. There is one person who can deal with all the hurt, with all the sins, and can give you what you are longing for. Jesus has come, and He is able to take away sins. He can say to you, go and sin no more so that nothing worse happens to you. He can remove the wrath. He can remove the punishment if you come to Him for healing.   If you will come and have your sins taken away… and then you follow Him and serve Him with all your heart, you will experience the radical life transformation that John has been painting in this gospel. You can be born again. You can be raised to new life, and there will be a whole new you in the kingdom of God. That is the calling that John wants us to hear and he wants us to see that the answer to that calling is only found in Jesus. Jesus is where our hope lies.   If you have not accepted Jesus and believed in Him and submitted your life to Him, that is your starting point—believe that Jesus is the son of God who came to this world and died for your sins. Be immersed in water to have your sins washed away to enter a relationship with Him so that you can know that you have eternal life.   If you've already begun there, don't stop. Do not think you can now put your life in neutral and you're good to go. Deepen the relationship. See Him as the treasure. Recognize Him and honor Him for who He is. We invite you to come while we stand and while we sing.     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville   NOTES: Coffman’s commentary on verse 4: “Waiting for the moving of the water: for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water entered in was made whole, with whatsoever disease he was holden. Upon what would appear to be sufficient critical grounds, these words have been removed from the English Revised Version (1885); but it is well that they have been retained in the margin, because they explain the common conviction regarding the pool which resulted in its popularity. It would be no great thing to stumble at if indeed it was part of John's Gospel. Whatever healing ever occurred there would thus have been attributed to the power of an angel of the Lord, and what would be so unreasonable about that? The healing qualities of the waters at Hot Springs, for example; are they any less of God and his angels, merely because our chemists have analyzed them? Is there not here a tracing back to their true source phenomena which men are so ready to ascribe to secondary sources? Is not all healing of God; and do not the Scriptures teach that God's angels are servants sent forth to do service for them that shall be the heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14). The spurious nature of the words here cited, however, is not to be denied. They were probably added by some scribe at a very early date to explain what was meant by the cripple's having no one to help him get into the water at the propitious moment. If there had been any virtue in the waters of the pool, it seems highly incredible that they should have been efficacious only at indeterminate intervals, only for such a short while, and, even then, only for the person who got into them first. The cripple of this narrative had surely found them without any value to himself.   NOTE 2: The Sheep Gate was a historic gate in Jerusalem's wall, crucial for bringing sacrificial sheep into the city for the Temple, located near the Pool of Bethesda, and symbolized by its rebuilding first by priests as a sign of spiritual restoration, foreshadowing Jesus as the ultimate Lamb of God and "the gate" for salvation.   Historical & Geographical Significance   Location: In the northeast section of ancient Jerusalem, near the Temple Mount.   Function: It served as the entry point for sheep and other sacrificial animals, leading them to the Temple for worship.   Nehemiah: The first gate rebuilt by the High Priest Eliashib and fellow priests during the wall restoration, signifying spiritual priorities. It was consecrated by the high priest, symbolizing spiritual renewal and the reestablishment of proper worship after the Babylonian exile.   Pool of Bethesda: Near the Sheep Gate was the Pool of Bethesda, where the lame man was healed by Jesus (John 5:2).   Symbolic & Theological Significance   Sacrifice: Represents the sacrificial system and the need for atonement.   Jesus: A powerful foreshadowing of Jesus, the "Lamb of God," who takes away the world's sin (John 1:29).   Salvation: Jesus identified Himself as "the gate for the sheep," meaning He is the only way to salvation and abundant life (John 10:7-9). The gate is symbolic of access to God, protection, and eternal life, with Jesus as the exclusive way to salvation and safety.   Restoration: Its rebuilding first signifies that spiritual renewal and focus on God must come before other tasks, setting the tone for all restoration.

Living A Life Of Integrity Scripture: Romans 12:2 A lawyer is trying to call his clients. The phone rings and their little boy, in a whisper, says, "Hello." Lawyer: "Is your mommy there?" Boy: (whisper) "Yes." Lawyer: "Can I speak with her?" Boy: (whisper) "She's busy." Lawyer: "Is your daddy there?" Boy: (whisper) "Yes." Lawyer: "Can I speak with him?" Boy: (whisper) "He's busy." Lawyer: "Is there anyone else there?" Boy: (whisper) "The fire department." Lawyer: "Can I talk to one of them?" Boy: (whisper) "They're busy." Lawyer: "Is there anybody ELSE there?" Boy: (whisper) "The police department." Lawyer: "Well, can I talk to one of THEM?" Boy: (whisper) "They're busy." Lawyer: "Let me get this straight, your mother, father, the fire department AND the police department are ALL in your house, and they're ALL busy. WHAT are they doing?" Boy: (whisper) "They're looking for me." Many in the world today think they are able to hide from God. The ancient Chinese were So fearful of their enemies on the north that they built the Great Wall of China, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It was so high they knew no one could climb over it, and so thick that nothing could break it down. Then they settled back to enjoy their security. But during the first 100 years of the wall’s existence, China was invaded 3 times.   Not once did the enemy break down the wall or climb over its top. Each time they bribed a gatekeeper and THEN marched right through the gates. According to the historians, the Chinese were so busy relying upon the walls of stone that they forgot to teach integrity to their children.   The editor of a popular magazine, has written rather despairingly: "What is going on in North America?. . . We have no built-in beliefs, no ethical boundaries. `Cheat on your taxes, just don’t get caught. Cheat on your wife, just don’t get caught.’ Our high-tech society," he writes, "has given us everything - everything but a conscience," and integrity is a mangled casualty of our times.   Is this editor right? Have we lost all sense of decency in our nation today? Has our conscience been so damaged that we no longer recognize what is right and wrong? Is integrity simply an old﷓fashioned and out﷓of﷓favor virtue?   By the way, what is integrity? Simply put, integrity is more than just telling the truth. Integrity is doing what you said you would do. Integrity means keeping your promises. Integrity means that your words and your actions are the same. In other words, you practice what you preach. As someone has said, "Integrity is the foundation stone for eternal life."   So let’s look at ourselves this morning and ask the question, "Am I living a life of integrity?" If not, then I had better scrap my present value system, determine what is important, and change my lifestyle because my salvation depends upon it.     Remember, it was Jesus who said in Matthew 16:26, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"   So our first question is, "What is the source of my values? I’m getting them from someplace. Where am I getting them?" Now that is a very important question, because where I get my values determines how valuable they are. As a nation, we’re largely being molded as to what morality is, what decency is, what integrity is by what we see on the TV set.   Listen to what it says in 1st John 2:15&16. 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]— is not from the Father but is from the world.   It’s obvious, isn’t it, that the world’s value system has always remained the same. This verse tells us that there are 3 basic world values that are constantly being conveyed to us.   The first one is pleasure. John calls it "the lust for physical pleasure." We are a culture majoring in pleasure. Do you realize that the #1 industry in the U.S. is entertainment? We spend billions of dollars every year just trying to entertain ourselves.   LAST SUNDAY, on a cold snowy morning there were only a few of us that made it to the building for worship services while there was tens of thousands of people in Denver Colorado who paid 100’s of dollars each for the privilege of sitting on a snow covered seat and watching 22 guys beat each other up as they fight over an oblong ball on a frozen snow covered field. And in the name of entertainment these spectators will be saying, "Boy, am I having fun. This is really great. I’m freezing to death, but I’m having a wonderful time." All in the name of entertainment!   Here’s the second world value – earthly possessions. John calls it "the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you." We are a culture obsessed with buying things, getting more and more things. And we love to show off our possessions, our cars, our homes, our clothing, our jewelry. We love to show those things off because We believe these things say that we are someone important.   AND, the third one is prestige. John calls it "the pride that come from wealth and importance." We come up with little labels that brand us as successful people. "I’m a CEO," or "I’m an Executive Vice President. I am someone who is really, really important."   That’s why Paul writes in Romans 12:2, 2 Do not be conformed to this world,  but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.   So we begin here. We choose for ourselves. "Where am I going to get my values?" I have only two basic choices. I’m either going to get them from the Word of God or I’m going to get them from the world. Those are the choices that I have.     Secondly, we need to determine what is important.  Job 34:4 says, Let us choose what is right;     let us know among ourselves what is good. I want to give each of us a homework assignment. When we go home, get out a piece of paper and pen, and write down the 10 most important things in our life. Prioritize them. What’s the most important? What’s the second most important? The third most important, and so on. Make a list of our values in life.   Now it is important for us to do that for a couple of reasons. 1.   Most of our values we didn’t choose. You just assimilated them. You got them from your parents. You got them from what you read, or whatever. So, it is important for you to firm them up. "I’m going to determine now what’s really important for me. I’m not going to let someone else decide that, but I am going to decide what’s really important for me." AND, 2.   most of us never think about what’s important in life until it is too late. As long as we are just cruising through life and everything is falling into place, we never stop and ask the tough questions.   We never really ask ourselves, "What are my values? What’s really important to me?" until we are bankrupt. Or until we go through a divorce. Or until a loved one dies. Then we stop and ask, "Am I living the way I ought to? Are the really important things the things that I consider important in my life?"   It’s often not until tragedy comes that we begin to ask those kinds of questions. So what I’m encouraging you to do, is to do that before the pain, and save yourself some pain, because the pain will come but you will be better prepared for it if you have already determined what’s really important to you. So make a list. "Here are the things that are really important to me."   Now how are you going to decide what is really important and what is not? The key here is perspective. Now by perspective I mean, look at it and ask, "How long is this going to last?" If it is going to last for a long time, if it is going to last for eternity, then it is really important. If it is going to last 30 years it is kind of important. If it is going to last 10 years it’s kind of important, but not as important as 30 years. And if it is only going to last for a short time, then it is not very important at all.   Now when you use that standard and compare it to what the world says are values, then notice what you come up with. Here are the 3 valuable things according to the world: The first is pleasure. Listen to Hebrews 11:25. 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Did you know sin was fun? I thought so. Yes, sin is fun, and if it weren’t fun, no one would do it. Right?   1. The pleasures of sin are real. They’re described in Scripture. But how long does it last? A short time. Therefore it is not very valuable. The pleasures of sin last a short time. The pain of sin lasts a long, long time. So when you consider the first worldly value, it doesn’t last very long.   2. What about possessions? Paul writes in 1st Timothy 6:7, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and[a] we cannot take anything out of the world. Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U﷓Haul? And when a millionaire dies and someone asks, "How much did he leave?" The answer is always, "He left it all." He didn’t take anything with him because what you accumulate in life is only going to be yours for the span of your lifetime. You didn’t bring anything into this world. You’re not going to take anything out of this world.   So how valuable are possessions? Not very valuable, because they’re not going to last very long.   3. What about prestige? In Mark 10:31, Jesus tells us that many people who seem to be important now will be the least important then. When? In eternity. The King James version says, "The first shall be last, and the last shall be first." In other words, there is going to be a reversal in order. People who are in front of the line who really appear to be important now, are not going to be very important at all in eternity.   And the people who don’t appear to be very important at all, are going to be extremely important in heaven. So how important is power, position, and prestige in this life? Not very important because they are not going to last very long. In fact, 1st John 2:17 sums it up saying, 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.   WITH THIS IN MIND I’m going to look at the list of 10 things that I consider important and then ask myself, "Does my life match up? Am I living in accordance with my God﷓given values?"   Now that is an extremely important question, and we need to be honest with ourselves here because the Gallup poll says, "The #1 cause of stress in our lives today is not the lack of money, and it’s not the breaking down of relationships, it’s the inconsistencies in life. It’s saying one thing and doing something else. It’s constant conflict inside." Ephesians 4:17 tells us that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. That’s no life for you...Get rid of it. Then take on an entirely new way of life – a God fashioned life renewed from the inside and working out into your conduct as God reproduces His character in you."   We’re talking about a new life here. A life centered around Christ. But many of us find it hard in our extremely busy lives to also have time for what God wants us to do.   So, Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13, "I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me strength and power." With the strength and power of Jesus Christ, you can.   Paul writes to Timothy in 1st Timothy 4:16 and tells him to "keep a close watch on all that you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you, and He will use you to help other people."   I will close this morning with this story: While on summer vacation at his grandparent’s farm, Sammy accidentally shoots his grandma’s pet duck with his slingshot. In a panic, he hid it behind a pile of wood. Unknown to him, his sister Marie saw the entire thing. The next day, Grandma called on Marie to wash the dishes. However, instead of coming to help, Marie said, “Sammy said he wanted to help in the kitchen today, Grandma.” Sammy was surprised because he said no such thing. Marie walked up to him and whispered, “Remember the duck?” It was then that he realized Marie saw what had happened. This went on for several days until one day, Sammy couldn’t take it anymore! He went to Grandma and told her about everything that had happened. Instead of scolding him, his Grandma hugged him and said, “I knew all along. I was waiting to see how long before you tell me so Marie will stop blackmailing you.”   The Moral: Be honest about your mistakes. There will be others who will have no qualms about using this information against you. The more mistakes you make in secret, the heavier the burden on your conscience will be, and the easier it will for other people to take advantage of you.         

Praying Philippians 1:1-11 This MORNING I would like for us to go back nearly 2,000 years to the city of Rome. We find ourselves in a small city which has a grassroots community center started by a former volunteer who is now imprisoned for nonviolent activism. While the founder is behind bars, the center doesn’t close. Neighbors bring meals, a local church covers rent, and a group of young volunteers runs after‑school programs.   Every month the center posts a short video: the founder, through letters and recorded messages, thanks the supporters, celebrates small victories, and prays for the volunteers. The supporters respond with more donations, prayer chains, and visits. Months later the center launches a new outreach program that reaches more families than before the founder’s arrest.   It is an exciting time to be in Rome, a metropolis of gladiators, chariots, and palaces. But we’re not going to stop at the coliseum or the emperor’s palace. Instead, we’re going to look into a drab little room. Inside we see a man seated on the floor. He’s an older fellow, shoulders stooped and his head balding. Chains are on his hands and feet that are also attached by a longer chain to a Roman guard. It is the apostle Paul. The apostle who has traveled all over the world of his day. The apostle whose message has liberated people in almost every port. The apostle who was bound only by the will of God is now bound by chains, restricted by walls, accused by enemies, and scheduled for trial in the court of the cruelest of emperors, Nero. And Paul is writing a letter. I am sure it has to be a complaint letter to God, a list of grievances. No doubt he is writing the New Testament version of the book of Lamentations. You see, he has every reason to be bitter, to complain. When we face situations of what we feel are wrong doings like this we often have the urge to WRITE A LETTER to EXPRESS our feelings of anger and how we were treated UNFAIRLY!!! But PAUL doesn’t. Instead, he is writing a letter that now, 2,000 years later, is known as the “letter of joy.” And that is the letter we are going to be looking at this morning. Bobby Jones, a champion golfer, once said, "Have you ever noticed how much golfers practice? Smart businessmen have been quick to take advantage of that, developing public driving ranges where we can practice driving the ball, and putting greens where we can practice our putting." "But why hasn’t someone developed public sand traps? Sand traps are an inevitable part of the game of golf, and every golfer ought to practice ahead of time how to get out of trouble." I think that’s good advice for all of us.   Because, as we talk about being thankful for the blessings that come our way, we must admit that problems and troubles also come our way. It was Norman Vincent Peale who said, "Problems are a part of life. All of us are going to have problems right up to the moment we die. So it only makes sense, if we’re going to find ourselves in sand traps, that we learn how to get out of them. And the letter to the Philippians, written by the apostle Paul, can help us do just that.   He writes this letter while imprisoned in Rome under what we would call "house arrest." Today, courts enforce "house arrest" by attaching electronic monitors on the ankle of prisoners. But back then, they simply chained the prisoner to Roman soldiers 24 hours a day. Now that was usually better than being in a dungeon, but Roman soldiers could be cruel, and "house arrest" was not something to desire. Yet, Paul’s letter is filled with thanksgiving. And in it, Paul writes, “I always pray with joy..." (Philippians 1:3) So let’s look at the first 11 verses of Philippians 1, and see what they teach us about praying with joy. Paul begins by saying that prayer should be a first response rather than a last resort. Listen to vs. 3, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy..." Then, in chapter 4, vs. 6, he says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." What is Paul saying? He is saying that whenever anything happens to him, whether positive or negative, he prays. That’s his first response.   He prays, "God, thank you for the blessings that you give me. God, I even thank you for the troubles that come my way. Now teach me the lessons that I need to learn from them." Paul always started with prayer. But for many of us, we wait until we’re knee deep in the sand traps of life, and there seems to be no way out of our problems. Then we call upon God and cry, "Help me. I’m in trouble." We turn to prayer almost as a last resort. Years ago a US AIR airplane crashed near Pittsburgh. The cause of that crash was a mystery, because the plane just seemed to fall from the sky. So it was with great interest that the investigators listened to the information recorded in the plane’s black box. CNN played a portion of that recording on the air, revealing that there were just a few seconds from the time the pilot detected trouble until the plane crashed. The black box revealed sounds from the cockpit: First, there was an "Oh!" followed by some profanity and a string of curse words, then came the crash, and THEN SILENCE. If you suddenly discovered that you had just a few seconds left to live how would you react? Would you curse or would you pray? I’ll can tell you what you would do. You would respond instinctively.   You wouldn’t have time to think about it. You would just respond in the way that is most natural for you to respond. Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”   So what kind of habits have you developed in your life? A story is told of a soldier who was doing guard duty on the front line in WW1. After being relieved of duty, as a Christian, he wanted to pray, to thank God for protecting him, and to ask for His continued protection. But the enemy lines were very close, and he couldn’t go far, so he just walked a little ways away from where he had been standing guard, knelt and began to pray aloud.   The sentry who replaced him heard his voice and thought he was speaking to someone in the enemy lines. So, he reported him. The officer in charge confronted him and told him, "You’ve been accused of revealing secrets to the enemy. How do you respond?" The soldier said, "It’s not true. I wasn’t doing that." The officer replied, "Then what were you doing when you were out there near the enemy and talking?" He soldier immediately responded, "I was praying." "You were praying out loud?" "Yes, I was." The officer said, "Show me. Pray right now." So the young man knelt and prayed. And when he finished the officer dismissed the charges. "Because," he said, "nobody can pray like that unless he has been practicing." So what do you do naturally when troubles come your way? Paul says that prayer should be a first response and not a last resort. Secondly, prayer should be offered in an attitude of gratitude rather than as a complaint. Nothing inhibits prayer more than a grumbling, complaining spirit. In vs. 3. Paul writes, "I thank my God every time I remember you." Now that’s an amazing statement because if you go back and read in the Book of Acts about Paul’s first visit to Philippi you’ll find that some very bad things happened to him while he was there. He could have said, "I remember Philippi and that demon possessed slave girl who followed us around and harassed us.     I remember how they arrested us, and beat us, and put us into chains, and then tossed us deep into that dark and dirty dungeon. Oh yes, I remember the terrible experiences we had in Philippi." "But no," he said, "I remember Lydia and how she and all her household became Christians. I remember casting a demon out of a slave girl and seeing her set free. I remember the Philippian jailer and his family, and all those other people who are now followers of Jesus. And when I remember, I thank my God for you." Like Paul, we have a choice. BOTH Positive and negative things happen every day. You can focus on the negative and become an unhappy grumbler if you want. But if you’ll focus on gratitude, wonderful things can happen in your life. Now, Listen to vs. 6, "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God has a plan for your life, and for mine. There’s a task that He has called us to do, a place that He wants us to fill. And He’s not finished with us yet. Paul had developed some deep relationships with the people in Philippi. When we read his letter we sense that Paul really loves them. In vs. 5 he thanks them for their "partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." And in vs’s 7 and 8 he says, "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. “God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."   In other words, "I love you as Jesus loves you." When you’re in trouble it is important to have friends who will stand beside you, friends who will be there through thick and thin, that you can always count upon. You know they’ll never leave you nor forsake you. But if you’re always grumbling, self-centered and discontented, you may get attention, but it won’t last. People soon get tired of listening to complaints. Cleve McClary is an ex-marine who fought in Vietnam where he was badly wounded. He lost one eye and all of his teeth. He lost one arm and most of the fingers on his other hand. He lost hearing in one of his ears. When you look at him he’ll look back at you with that one eye and you know you have his undivided attention. He has a personality that just draws people to him.   And he’ll reach out with what’s left of his one good hand and grip your hand tightly as he exchanges greetings with you. Cleve McClary has an optimistic spirit, even though life has been tough for him. He has a special license plate on his car with the word "FIDO" on it F I D O. When asked what that means he says it means, "Forget it and drive on." "Forget it and drive on." There are times when we need to let go of our burdens and just drive on in life. So, we need to pray with an attitude of gratitude rather than complaining.   And now we come to vs’s 9-11 where Paul says, "This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." Linda Birtish literally gave herself away. Linda was an outstanding teacher who felt that someday, when she had the time, she would like to devote herself to painting and writing poetry. When she was 28, however, she began to get severe headaches. Her doctors discovered that she had an enormous brain tumor. They told her that her chances of surviving an operation were about 2%. Therefore, rather than operate immediately, they decided to wait for at least 6 months. She was convinced that her talent had been given for a reason.   So, during those 6 months she wrote and painted feverishly. All of her poetry, except her last poem, were published in magazines. All of her paintings, except for her last one, were shown and sold at some of the leading art galleries. At the end of 6 months, they scheduled the operation. The night before the operation, she decided literally to give herself away. In case of her death, she wrote a will in which she donated all of her usable body parts to those who needed them.   Unfortunately, Linda’s operation was not successful, and her will was carried out. Her eyes went to an eye bank in Bethesda, MD, and from there to a recipient in So. Carolina. As a result, a young man, age 28, went from darkness to sight. That young man was so profoundly grateful that he wrote to the eye bank thanking them for existing.     It was only the second "thank you" letter that the eye bank had ever received after giving out more than 30,000 eyes! Furthermore, he said he wanted to thank the parents of the donor. They must indeed be magnificent folks to have a child who would give away her eyes. He was given the name of the Birtish family and decided to fly up to see them. He arrived unannounced and rang the doorbell. After hearing who he was, Mrs. Birtish reached out and embraced him. After visiting with him for a while she said, "Young man, if it’s possible, my husband and I would love for you to spend the weekend with us." He stayed, and as he was looking around Linda’s room, he saw that she’d read Plato. He’d read Plato in Braille. She’d read Hegel. He’d read Hegel in Braille. The next morning Mrs. Birtish said, "You know, I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere before, but I don’t know where." All of a sudden she remembered.   She ran upstairs and pulled out the last picture Linda had ever painted. It was a portrait of her ideal man. The picture was virtually identical in appearance to this young man who had received Linda’s eyes. Then her mother read the last poem Linda had written. It said: "Two hearts passing in the night, falling in love, never able to gain each other’s sight." We sing an old hymn that says, "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to Him in prayer. Have you trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? You should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer." CONCL. Is prayer a first response to you? Or is it a last resort? Do you pray in an attitude of gratitude? Or are you always grumbling? When you pray, do you make sure that God receives the glory, and not you? If you’re here this morning outside of Jesus, you can change that. You can be baptized this morning to wash away your sins and to walk in newness of life. That’s why we extend an invitation. We give you the opportunity to come forward and either be baptized or to rededicate your life to the Lord. If you have either need .... Will you come as we stand and sing?                         Contributing Sermon Melvin Newland  

Continuing Education Mark 10:35-45   INTRO: Good morning church. We have reached the end of John chapter 4 in our lessons and before we start chapter 5, I thought we would take a break. As we study the Lord’s word and continue to grow, we will find we are in good company. Even the apostles had much to learn. Today we will read a bit of their continuing education. Open your Bibles to the 10th chapter of the gospel of Mark. From our text this morning I’m going to read a few verses at a time for context and then make some observations and comments. In this lesson I will occasionally refer to some scriptures without reading them. We will start with Mark 10:35-37 – “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”” [ESV] Then skipping down to Mark 10:41 – “And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.” [NKJV] Human ambition is a fact. Perhaps not all of us possess ambition to the same degree, but it does seem that in all of us, to some extent, is a desire for advancement, the desire for recognition. Add to that the fact that the desire for “more” is something that is characteristic from the lowliest to the greatest. When ambition exists in any sort of “closed system”, it can become a divisive thing. This can be seen in job situations. It can be seen in sports teams as Mark can probably tell you. It can be seen in club settings, and, yes, it can even be found within the Lord’s church. Our text for this morning presents us with a situation fraught with peril for the apostles. Ambition has reared its head and has been discovered by those who are being, “left out”, of the request that is made. Before I am misunderstood, I want to stress that being ambitious in and of itself is not wrong or sinful. I’m not saying that, but ambition must always be tempered by other qualities.   When I was working as a manager if I had an employee whose ambition was to do the best possible job in all cases, I considered that person valuable. On the other hand someone whose ambition was to find a job that allowed them to warm a chair all day listening to their favorite music, not so much. Unfortunately for the person with little ambition they probably would not even get in the door.   I have heard it said that ambition in life usually progresses through the following stages: to be like Dad... to be famous... to be a millionaire... to make enough to pay the bills... to hang on long enough to retire.   Our situation here today involves a request that is made by two brothers, James and John.   I.     THE REQUEST OF JAMES AND JOHN - Mark 10:37 clearly sets out their request - “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”[ESV] A.   Let’s start with what these two men must have believed. They have referred here to - “your glory”. Matthew, in his account of this request says the request was made by the mother of James and John. In Matthew 20:21 we read “your Kingdom”. Mark is more direct and shorter then Matthew in descriptions, so for me if the request came directly from the Apostles or via their mother it is not an issue. It is still a request to secure for these two Apostles a ranking place in the Kingdom that is to come. 1.    What is it that these brothers are asking? Although we do not think in terms of kingdoms and such things these days, what these brothers are requesting is that they be given the greatest places within the kingdom of God. 2.    This tells us one shining thing about them—bewildered as they might be, they still believed in Jesus. It is amazing that they could still connect glory with a Galilean carpenter who had incurred enmity and the bitter opposition of the orthodox religious leaders. There is amazing confidence and loyalty there. Misguided James and John might be, but their hearts were in the right place. They never doubted Jesus' ultimate triumph. 3.    It is equally evident that they are still concluding that Jesus is soon going to ascend an earthly throne. They think in terms of an earthly kingdom like those with which they were familiar. 4.    In Luke 18:34, not in a parallel passage, but in a passage closely akin to what we’re reading here. Jesus is teaching them about what will happen in Jerusalem and at verse 34 the writer observes, “But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them… ” It was not hidden in that Jesus did not want them to understand. It was hidden because they lacked the understanding to accept it. B.   They are asking a favor as the result of a relationship. 1.    They do not grasp currently all the things that are going on and they really do not understand the ramifications of what they are requesting, but they make the request nevertheless because of a close relationship they have with Jesus. 2.    We know that James and John were part of a kind of inner circle among the apostles. In Matthew 17:1 we see that along with Peter, James and John went with Jesus into the mount of transfiguration. In Matthew 26:37 we find the same three went with Jesus further into the garden in the hour of prayer. 3.    Beyond that, there is every indication in scripture that James and John are the cousins of Jesus. Matthew 27:56 indicates that their mother is one of the women who is at the cross. She is there with Mary. 4.    They see themselves as having a very favored relationship, and out of this relationship comes this request. 5.    It’s almost as if they are a little bit shy as they ask this, because in verse 35 they’re saying; “We just want You to agree to do something and then we will tell you what it is.” Of course, Jesus doesn’t do that, does He? He wants to know; “What is it that you request of me?” C.   I mentioned this earlier and it is interesting. Was it their mother, or was it they who made the request? 1.    In Matthew’s gospel it seems that it is the mother who makes the request. Mathew 20:20. 2.    I suspect it was likely that their mother is the one who makes the actual request. The request is made at the behest of her sons, James and John, who, in typical human fashion, may believe that Jesus will give greater weight to their request if it comes from their mother. This same logic is used today by some religious people to suggest that prayer to others can intercede for us. That is not what is taught in the Bible. Jesus is our intercessor. Hebrews 7:25 – “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” Romans 8:34 – “Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” 3.    I want to be sure that I commend again the confidence and the loyalty of James and John. D.   Let’s think about that for a moment. 1.    Their loyalty was well placed. They may have misunderstood about the kingdom, but I commend them for their loyalty to the Lord. 2.    That brings us to what I call a draught line: their need for more knowledge. II.    THE IGNORANCE OF JAMES AND JOHN A.   We go on and read in Mark10:38 – “Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”” 1.    They asked for this favor in ignorance of the nature of His kingdom. That is very evident. 2.    Furthermore, they were ignorant of the events that were going to transpire which would be cataclysmic, overwhelming events. 3.    Jesus refers to the cup and the baptism. These are descriptive words for experiences one is going to have which are serious, heavy and overwhelming. 4.    I’d like you to turn in your bibles to Matthew 26:37-39. In verse 37 we see that Peter, James and John went with Jesus further into the garden of Gethsemane “And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.” 5.    Listen as we read of the weight, the seriousness, the heaviness of this cup that Jesus is about to drink, this baptism with which He is about to be baptized. “Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”” 6.    Descriptive words. Of course, we know that in the texts of the New Testament baptism usually means an immersion in water, but baptism has a more general meaning than that, it something that overwhelms. Thayer’s first definition is: Baptism is used topically of calamities and afflictions with which one is quite overwhelmed: Mark 10:38; Matthew 20:22f; Luke 12:50. Indeed, in water when one is immersed the water overwhelms. Here Jesus refers to something that is going to overwhelm. 7.    It’s true that they do not understand in their ignorance what they ask. Jesus says, “Can you drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” “And they said to Him, "We can.''” 8.    They don’t really realize, YET, what has happened and what is going to happen. B.   Jesus acknowledged that they would experience the “cup” and “baptism”. “And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized,” 1.    We see what happens to James in Acts 12:1-2 – “About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword,” James was killed by Herod. I’m not sure how much time passed after Jesus told them that they would drink the cup and be baptized with the baptism with which He was baptized, but this event takes place, and James was killed for his faith. 2.    In Revelation 1:9 we discover that John, who apparently died a natural death was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, as he says, for the Word of God. He is in exile. He is drinking the cup. He is being baptized with the baptism, which is an overwhelming experience because of his faith, for the testimony which he held. 3.    At the time of their request these two men, coming to Jesus as they did, had no concept, no idea of the cup of which they would later be drinking. We’re confident that we can drink the cup. We can experience the overwhelming experience that you’re going to experience. 4.    They didn’t understand what they were saying. That was out there in the future. C.   We come in Mark’s gospel to Mark 10:40 and read this: “but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 1.    There is similar language to this in Matthew 20:23 – “He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.””. In other words, what Jesus said is that privilege in the kingdom of God is not based on favor and friendship. 2.    James and John see things from a worldly point of view. They see things like political appointments to be made, favors that are handed out by those in power to those who are their friends and relatives. Don’t we see a lot of that in our world today? 3.    Jesus said that’s not the way it is in the kingdom of God. Our future blessing in the kingdom of God rests upon His grace and our obedience to the Lord. III.  NIPPING THE PROBLEM IN THE BUD A.   Here’s the problem—human ambition—and Jesus must nip this problem in the bud. Let’s come back to verse 41 in Mark 10: when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. The ambition of James & John threatened apostolic unity. 1.    The feelings of the ten apostles isn’t all that unnatural! A request has been made of Jesus. I have a strong suspicion that the request was made in private, but somehow it becomes known to the other ten. 2.    Perhaps there’s a lesson in that. The lesson is this: It doesn’t matter how secret you believe the confidence you have shared may be, they have a way of being known, a way of getting out and becoming hurtful to people. In this situation that’s what happened. The ten apostles who are not part of this request are hurt. 3.    They’re upset, and I think we can understand why. Among the apostles neither explicitly nor implicitly was there a difference in rank. Never was it mentioned anywhere, as far as ranking was concerned. Did they have different responsibilities and roles? Yes, that happened, but as far as rank none of them was more important than the other. 4.    James and John, though they may have been the physical kin of Jesus, were not more important than Peter and Andrew and Phillip and the others. The situation is a threat to apostolic unity and Jesus must do something about it. B.   Jesus took immediate, and appropriate action to defuse the situation. 1.    I’d like you to notice Mark 10:42 – “And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.” He begins to solve the problem by describing the situation in the world. You know what goes on in the world He says. People who are considered great have power and authority, and they exercise that power and authority over others. 2.    Then He says in Mark 10:43-44 – “But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” The world has a standard, but Jesus lays down the standard for greatness in the kingdom. i.      He says here it is: Those who are great are those who become servants of all—willing servants. ii.    Those who are going to be considered chiefest (interesting word) are those who serve others. There is no place in His kingdom for power, position and pride! C.   Jesus makes one final argument nipping this problem in the bud. Mark 10:45 – 1.    “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Not only is the world view not to be the view in the kingdom, there’s not to be in the kingdom a desire for position and power growing out of pride. Not only that, He says, even I the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Savior, I did not come to be served. I came to minister to others. 2.    Even the Son of God. In John 13:13-15 are verses that so clearly illustrate this lesson. At the washing of the apostles’ feet, Jesus says: “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” 3.    It’s difficult for our modern, western minds to comprehend the significance of this. In that time when a person came into a house, servants would come and wash that person’s feet. He was walking in some serious dust and his feet were dirty. It was one of the marks of hospitality for him to have his feet washed by one of the servants in the house. 4.    On this occasion the Bible says that Jesus took off His outer robes, girded Himself with a towel, and begins to wash the feet of the apostles. In other words: I, your Lord and Master did not come to be served. I came to serve. I came to minister. I may be Lord and Master, yet I will kneel to the most menial task, the washing of the feet of my disciples. 5.    He adds in this final argument that He came to give His life a ransom for many. There is in that statement without doubt His reference to His own death. His substitutionary death. 6.    In your Bibles you might want to turn to a very familiar passage in First Peter. 1st Peter 2:24 – Peter writes this of Jesus; “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Then in 1st Peter 3:18 – “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,”. He came to give His life a ransom for many.   CONCLUSION: Human nature can at times become a problem even within the Lord’s church. Human ambition has no place among the saints of God. Zeal for the kingdom however does have a place. Repeatedly, Jesus teaches what’s real, great and good—to please and serve others. That’s the nature of life within the kingdom.   God wants us, his people, to grow in knowledge of the scriptures, both for our own understanding and so that we might accurately encourage others. Discipleship includes lifelong learning to better know God, i.e. rightly dividing the word of truth, applying His word, growing in character and serving others effectively. Let us not forget that not only are we to be learners, but we are also to be instructors and that is part of serving others. This admonition is repeated throughout the scriptures.   2 Peter 3:18: "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". 2 Peter 1:5: "Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge". Proverbs 10:14: "Wise people store up knowledge". 2 Timothy 2:15: "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth".      We’re going to sing the song which was announced a while ago and as we sing if there are those present needing to take this opportunity to publically make known needs in their lives, you may step into the aisle and make your way to the front and let us know that need.   If you need the prayers of brothers and sisters, we would be glad to pray with you. If you’ve never been baptized into Christ, your life in the kingdom has not yet begun and you need to do that. Come believing, penitent, confessing the name of Christ, submitting yourself in loving obedience to the commandment of Jesus Christ and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. You can do that today. Whatever the need, we invite you to come.     # ??? Reference sermon, Cecil A. Hutson, 06 April 2008  

ENCOUNTER with The WEE LITTLE MAN Luke 19:1-10   A man went for physical checkup and the nurse asked him how much he weighed. He held his stomach in and replied, "160 lbs." She got him on the scales, weighed him and said: "No, your weight is 176 lbs. The nurse then asked him how tall he was. Standing very straight he answered, "5 feet 10 inches." The nurse measured him and said, no - he was only 5’8".   Then the nurse asked him what his normal blood pressure was. After looking at her for a moment he said, "How can you expect my blood pressure to be normal??? I came in here a tall, slender man and you have already made me short and fat."   Our text is found in (Luke 19:1–10) He entered Jericho and was passing through.  2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.  4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”  6 So Zacchaeus hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “HE has gone in to be the guest of a man who is A SINNER.”  8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him,    “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”   Introduction: Jericho was bustling that day—crowds pressing in, voices rising, dust swirling. And in the middle of it all was a man who had everything money could buy and nothing his soul truly needed. Zacchaeus wasn’t just short in stature; he was short on friends, short on integrity, short on hope. Yet something in him longed to see Jesus. This is a story about a man who climbed a tree to see Jesus—and discovered that Jesus had already been looking for him.   Zacchaeus was A Man Defined by His Past Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. Not just a tax collector—but he was the chief tax collector. He was wealthy, but his wealth came from exploiting his own people.   And, Because of that He was socially rejected He was Spiritually isolated He was Morally compromised And Zacchaeus was Personally empty   The People of that time saw the negative label placed on Zacchaeus. Jesus saw his longing to belong and fit in. Every congregation has people like Zacchaeus— some hiding in plain sight, some hiding behind success, some hiding behind shame. And many of them are quietly climbing trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of grace.   When Zacchaeus Climbs the Sycamore Tree He is displaying A Picture of Spiritual Hunger Despite his reputation, Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree. Running was undignified. Climbing was childish. But desperation often looks foolish to the world. But in the actions displayed by Zacchaeus I believe he teaches us something essential: Spiritual hunger is the first step toward spiritual healing.   He didn’t know what he was looking for. But he knew what he had wasn’t enough.   Then we see Jesus Stop, Look Up, and Call His Name This is the turning point. Jesus stops under the tree. He looks up. He calls Zacchaeus by name. He invites Himself to Zacchaeus’s house. This is grace in motion.   Jesus doesn’t say: “Clean up your life, then I’ll come.” He says: “I’m coming in—and that will clean your life.” Grace always precedes transformation. And notice: Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see Jesus. But Jesus came to seek Zacchaeus.   I was very surprised by the reaction of the crowd that was present. The Crowd Grumbles: It seems that Grace for some reason… Offends the Self‑Righteous   When Jesus chooses Zacchaeus, the crowd mutters: “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” They weren’t wrong. They were just blind to their own need. The gospel appears to look scandalous to those who think they don’t need it.   But Zacchaeus Responds with Radical Repentance Zacchaeus stands and declares: “Half my possessions I give to the poor.” “If I have cheated anyone, I will repay fourfold.” This is not guilt. This is not religious pressure. This is joy‑filled repentance.   Grace doesn’t just forgive sin—it breaks its power. Zacchaeus didn’t change to earn Jesus’ love. He changed because he had already received it.   And then comes the declaration that “Today salvation has come to this house.” Not someday. Not after a probation period. Not once Zacchaeus proved himself. Today, right now…. Salvation has come. salvation is not a reward for good behavior. It is the presence of Jesus entering a life.   The Mission of Jesus is summed up in One Sentence “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” This is the heartbeat of the gospel. This is the mission of the church. This is the hope of every Zacchaeus in every generation. Jesus seeks. Jesus saves. Jesus restores.   Where Are We in the Story? Every person is somewhere in this narrative: Some are found In the crowd, curious but distant Some have climbed the tree, longing but unsure Some are sitting with Jesus In the house, receiving grace Some are In the middle of the transformation, living out repentance And then there are those who make up the crowd Grumbling, blaming others for their problems forgetting their own need for mercy   As I prepared this sermon a song from years back came to mind: It was sung by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel " I've built walls A fortress deep and mighty That none may penetrate I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain It's laughter and it's loving I disdain I am a rock, I am an island   I have my books And my poetry to protect me I am shielded in my armor Hiding in my room, safe within my womb, I touch no one and no one touches me. I am a rock, I am… an island ("I Am A Rock")   That’s how I picture Zacchaeus – a lonely, isolated man who has everything... except what he really wants. And then Jesus comes to town.   Now, the real question is… What does the story of Zacchaeus tell us?   It tells us there are people in this world that are hurting. And they are often men and women that behave in ways that aren’t particularly endearing. They’re often not cute puppy dog types with big soft eyes that say -"won’t you take me home?"   They are rough people. Hard edged and rude.   And they’ll try to swindle you in a business deal or rip you off when you’re not looking. Inside, they are little people who’ve built walls around themselves. Walls laced with barbed wire. They’re often NOT nice people.   AND even though they know that being like this isn’t right… They believe that’s what life has to offer… And If they let down the walls, if they are nice to someone for even a moment – they’ll get hurt and lose the protection that has for so long comforted them. Their walls are up and they know of nothing better for their lives… That is, until Jesus comes.   That’s what Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11  "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."   And, One last thing I want us to notice – Jesus came looking for Zacchaeus. He knew where he lived. He knew the turmoil in Zacchaeus’ heart.   He came to make a difference in the life a man who was small, petty and bitter. If Jesus would go to all that trouble for a man like Zacchaeus, wouldn’t he do the same for your life?   I will close today’s lesson with a story about a man named Big Jim. Big Jim was the head of an orphanage, & he had a great ability to make people feel good about themselves. If there was a little kid with unruly hair, he had the ability to make that child believe that everybody wanted unruly hair. If a kid had big feet, why he made him think that everybody envied him, that it was the "in" thing to have big feet. He just had the ability to make everybody feel good about themselves, regardless of their physical appearance. Well, one day when Big Jim was out buying groceries, the social worker brought a new boy to be cared for in the orphanage, a little boy about 9 years old who had an ugly birthmark on the side of his face.   The kid had been abused, nobody seemed to love or accept him, & he was filled with hostility. Well, when she left him, the boy began cursing her & everybody around him. Then he went over to the corner, sat down & sulked. He wouldn’t talk to anybody, not even the other kids. The kids wondered what Big Jim would do when he came back. Finally, they heard his old station wagon pull up, & they all rushed to the door, greeting him & hugging him as they always did. Big Jim walked into the room & there was this little boy crouched in the corner, with the ugly birthmark on his face. Big Jim said, "Well, what do we have here?" Someone replied, "The social worker just dropped him off.” "Well, well," said Big Jim. He walked over to that little boy & knelt down beside him. Then he swooped him up in his arms & kissed him right on that birthmark. All the kids started clapping, because they knew that if Big Jim kissed the birthmark it was all right. It made it beautiful, just because Big Jim said it was. People, that is what God has done. His love has covered us completely so that He doesn’t see the ugly parts of us any more. We are beautiful in God’s sight. He has made us beautiful. If you’re here & are experiencing the loneliness of rejection, then I want you to know that God looks beyond all those things that people might consider ugly & unattractive.   He looks at your heart. He looks for love. He looks for repentance. And He looks for commitment. If you have those things, you’re beautiful in God’s sight. If you don’t have them, God wants to take you in His arms, the same way that Big Jim took the little boy in his, & make you all new again.   The good news is this: Jesus is still stopping under trees. He is Still calling names. He is Still entering homes. He is Still saving the lost. And He still delights in turning sinners into sons, outcasts into disciples, and broken stories into testimonies of grace. We extend the Lord’s invitation. We invite you to come as we stand & sing.  

The Problem of Unbelief John 4:43-54   INTRO: The problem of belief and unbelief has really been a theme that John has been carrying in his gospel.   Part of the problem is that we often define unbelief as the total rejection of God. That's why if you take a general poll about if people believe in God, you get an extraordinarily high rating. Also if you ask people if they believe in Jesus, you get yet another extraordinarily high rating.   John, in a sense, is dealing with that and trying to show us what true belief really looks like, and in the process, exposes unbelief.   What is true belief? Who will believe in Jesus? Nicodemus came to Jesus with belief: “We know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus shows him that he has insufficient belief. Nicodemus must experience the new birth, total regeneration of the heart, to have saving faith. That same problem was illustrated in John 2:23-25. Many believed in His name when they saw the signs, but Jesus did not entrust Himself to them because He knew their hearts. Jesus is dealing with what true belief looks like and John is showing it to us. Many seem to have faith and belief in Jesus, but it is insufficient, shallow faith. John returns to this problem of unbelief in the final paragraph of chapter 4.   I. Unbelief Described – Verse 43, “After the two days he departed for Galilee.” Jesus has been in Samaria and He stayed there two days. Many in Samaria believed because of the words He was teaching. They no longer believed because of the woman’s testimony, but their faith had deepened to belief in Jesus because they heard Him for themselves. They confess Jesus to be the Savior of the world. A. Then Jesus leaves and continues to Galilee. Remember in John 4:3 that Jesus left Judea and was going to Galilee. The reason why is because the Pharisees' attention has turned away from John the Baptist and is now turning toward Jesus, recognizing that He needs to be the point of their opposition. 1. Jesus continues His journey to Galilee and a curious statement is made in verse 44. “(For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)” John tells us Jesus is going to Galilee (which was his own country) and then inserts this parenthetical comment that He had testified a prophet has no honor in his own country. Then John writes in verse 45 “So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.” 2. That does not seem to make any sense. He is going to Galilee, where He is not going to receive any honor, yet the Galileans welcome Him. What are you telling us John? I think the things John wants us to observe are still about what belief and what unbelief really looks like. B. The first is simply this, there is a contrast being drawn to the reaction of the Samaritans and the reaction of the Galileans. 1. In Samaria Jesus has enjoyed unqualified, unopposed, and open-hearted success. When the woman returned to the town, she told them of her experience and says, you need to come and see. Is this perhaps the Messiah? All the town comes to see Jesus, and we’re told there that they then believe on Him. 2. Next Jesus returns to His own people, the Jews, and the response is not going to be the same. Notice it is very carefully worded there in verse 45. The reason why the Galileans welcome Him is because of all the signs that He's done in Jerusalem. They are not welcoming Jesus based upon a true belief in Him. 3. Jesus finds acceptance with the Samaritans but rejection with His own people. The Samaritans believed because of what Jesus said (John 4:42). This belief has led to their salvation because they recognize Jesus to be the Savior of the world. They are experiencing the life changing faith that Jesus calls for. However, this is not true with his own people. 4. They are looking for the wow factor, to see something special occur. They saw all that He had done in Jerusalem at the feast, and they welcomed Him because of the signs. However, Jesus does not want “wow” belief but new birth. Jesus is not trying to generate in people’s hearts; a “wow, that was neat” belief. Jesus is trying to generate life-change, new birth, and fully transforming faith. C. We see this several times in John's Gospel. We will see it again in John 7:2f, “2. Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. 3. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5. For not even his brothers believed in him.” We're told Jesus' brothers do not believe, but what do they want Him to do? Go to Jerusalem and show who you are. Put on a big display. Show them a sign you are who you say you are. They don't truly believe, but they're saying He can do signs. 1. It is the same here. They welcome Jesus, but it is a very shallow welcoming. They only want to see some miracles. They want to see Him do something neat. 2. The despised Samaritans turn to Christ in faith and declare “You are the savior of the world”, while the historical covenant community of God either oppose Jesus or cannot progress beyond a fascination for miracles. This goes back to the point John made at the beginning of this gospel: “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11). 3. It has been a couple months but remember we read in John 2:23, “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” Jesus is not being honored for who He is but what He did. D. Do you think that this same false belief exists today? Are there those who believe in Jesus based on some shallow, physical benefit that can be derived from Him? Is there still the problem of people who are interested in Jesus and an association with Him, not to honor Him for who He is but for what they can get out of it? 1. I strongly suspect it is still very much an issue. That shallow belief, will leave them condemned. The pursuit of Jesus is often about, what does it mean for me? What am I going to get out of this? It’s not about, I'm going to follow you because I know who you are and I know how great you are and you are worthy of honor and praise. 2. It's about—I like this place because they've got good youth groups. They've got camps. They've got good music. They've got things that I really enjoy, good get-togethers, the church is nice, there's some kind of financial gain, the people take care of me. It is entertaining. 3. When we turn worship into what we get out of it or what we like, then we do not have the life transforming faith that Jesus expects. Bob Spence used to tell me that you only get out of it what you put in it. John tells us the people believe in Jesus because of what they can get from Him, and that happens today as well. People often think rather than Jesus being the treasure, the treasure is what we can get out of Jesus. 4. People are not coming to Jesus for mercy and salvation. They are coming to Him to divide inheritances, to tell others what to do, to justify their own lifestyle and decisions, and to gain something now. E. Jesus is not a hobby. Jesus is not an idol to be put on the shelf with all the other things we put up and take down at will. Jesus demands life change. Jesus calls for new birth. “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). 1. John is writing this gospel so that we will truly believe in Jesus. What John tells us should be causing us to ask the question: Why do we follow Jesus? Nearly everyone welcomes Jesus, but why do we welcome Jesus? Why do you follow Him? Why do you obey Him? What are you seeking with Jesus? Is it recognition of who Jesus is? Is He the treasure? 2. Or is it simply self-serving? What I get out of it, and the moment I don't receive the things that I think I ought to receive, I will no longer obey. I will no longer follow. I will no longer listen. 3. Often, that's what people want to do with God, isn’t it? We want Him just to be there in times of difficulty, in times of inconvenience, in times of suffering. I'll pull my Jesus idol down and He'll take care of me. God will not accept that. Jesus is looking for a life change. He's calling for new birth. II. Shallow Faith, Greater Grace – Watch how that moves into the story of the official’s son. John 4:46-47, “So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.” An official has an ill son in Capernaum. When he hears that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he goes to Cana (about 15 miles away) and asks Jesus to come with him to heal his son. A. Listen to the words of Jesus in verse 48, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” [ESV] We need to know that the word “you” is a plural “you.” Jesus is addressing the people, not simply this official. That is why several translations insert the word “people” into the text to help identify that the Greek indicates Jesus is not speaking to the official only. 1. Jesus did say it to this official, and Jesus is lumping him in with the rest of the Jews who are welcoming Him only because of the signs He performs. 2. The official persists in verse 49, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” The nobleman did not pretend to a faith he did not have but only poured out the agony of a broken heart before the only one who he knew could help. Such an outpouring of human sorrow was not lost upon "the Man of Sorrows." 3. Jesus then responds in a way that I find fascinating, compassionate and loving. “Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” Little faith had suddenly grown strong. In Jesus' presence, under the impact of His imperative word, and in the light of all he remembered from Jerusalem, the man believed the word of Jesus. Having believed, he obeyed at once, returning to Capernaum. 4. Rather than responding with the same words of how these people lack faith, reject him or ignore him, Jesus works on this official’s heart. Now the official goes down the journey of faith like we see the Samaritans doing earlier in this chapter. His faith is not complete, as we will see in a moment, but it is forming. The man does not disbelieve. He leaves Jesus and is going back home. B. John 4:51, “As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.” The reward of the nobleman's faith did not wait for his complete return but was brought by his servants who set out with the good news. 1. His servants meet him on the road and tell him that his son was getting better. Continuing, “So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live…”” Now listen to the end of verse 53, “… And he himself believed, and all his household.” 2. Had he not already believed back in verse 50? What John is showing us is the movement of belief. It all began with signs and wonders, then he believes in Jesus when He says, “Go; your son will live.” 3. His faith is forming. Then when he hears from his servant that the fever left his son at the same hour when Jesus said those words, it says he believed. Coming to full belief, resulting in the transformation that John has been proclaiming in these four chapters. The official’s faith has been growing and leads to the full transformation that Jesus is looking for. 4. Do we see that this is the same pattern as the Samaritans? The Samaritans first believe because they heard the testimony of the woman. Then they fully believe because they met Jesus and heard His teachings. C. John is showing us something through the actions and teaching of Jesus. Faith starts shallow. I submit to you that perhaps for most of us, if not all of us, we typically start with that very baseline belief. We didn't like the idea of eternal punishment. That was our primary motivator. That's not our motivation anymore. We may have started out of fear, and while that's a very real scare, it's moving to a love of Christ. We want to obey, not out of I don't want to go there, but out of I want to be with Him. 1. The problem is not that we start at the beginning point of belief. The problem is that so many remain there and never go any deeper to true, saving, life changing faith. We enter the first stage of belief and think it is enough. We declare that we believe in Jesus. 2. We believe He came to this world and died for our sins, but for some belief never expands beyond that. Think about how James identified this same problem, James 2:19, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”. The demons believe, but it is not a saving faith. They have the starting point of faith just like many others. 3. True belief is one that brings about radical life transformation in obedience to Jesus. This is exactly what James teaches in the rest of that paragraph. James 2:20-21, “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?” 4. Abraham’s faith was so deep that he was willing to offer his only son Isaac to God because God commanded it! That is true belief — radically transformed faith. True belief obeys God regardless of the cost. It is important to see what John is showing us so that we understand where the people we meet might be on their journey. We need to be able to relate so that we, in love, can encourage them. D. True belief does not leave God because of inconvenience and difficulty. True belief does not come to Jesus at night. True belief loves Jesus and seeks Him, not because of what He does for us, but because of who He is, how great He is, and how I owe Him everything. We encourage those we meet to not remain with basic, shallow belief that does not lead to life change. Take the road of faith. Let your faith grow. Grow deeper with your Savior. III. The Sign – In verse 54 John writes, “This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.” John calls this a sign so we need to pay attention to the meaning of the sign. John has a purpose in picking out the seven signs. There is a deeper meaning behind these than simply, He does miracles. John is driving at something. A. Jesus has come to Cana in Galilee, the location of His first miracle where He turned the water into wine. 1. Recall in John 2 that with this turning of the water to wine, Jesus was showing that what He brought were blessings of God which were greater, superior, and more abundant than the blessings which were found through the Law of Moses. 2. Jesus is shown as being superior to the things of the Old Testament, making Himself equal to God. He is God because He does what was done in the past. He does the very works of God. We saw that with the very first verse in the first chapter of John. “In the beginning was the Word.” Here is this equation made right out of the gate. Using the creation story, Jesus is God because He does what God does. B. Jesus returns to Cana and John tells us that this is the second sign he recorded there. I wondered why John included this sign? I suspect John did so to show that the physical presence of the Lord was not required in the performance of His signs, but that His Holy Will was effective from any distance whatsoever. 1. In 1st Kings 17 we see the widow’s son had become ill and there was not breath left in him. Elijah took the boy, and prayed to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again.” And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.” 2. Then in 1st Kings 17:23 we read, “And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.”” 3. Elijah was there and prayed to the Lord but in John 4:50 “Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”” With Jesus the spoken word was enough. Jesus is greater than Elijah. Jesus does what only God can do.   CONCLUSION: Jesus has the power to give life, and He can give it through His very words. This is what leads to our deeper level of belief. Jesus gives life. Notice the greatness of Jesus in the story. It is by His very words that this son lived. Jesus said simple words, “Your son will live” and the son lived. What power! When He tells you that you will live, then you will live! Listen to Jesus’ words: “… I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” [ESV] (John 11:25–26)   When you have experienced life transformation… when you go past the surface of superficial belief, come to know who Jesus is, and you love Him… here's what's going to happen. You will live. You have life. He has the power to declare it. He has promised that He will give it to all who believe in Him. This is what John is trying to get us to understand. The hanging question is, “Do you believe this?” Whoever believes in Jesus, though we die, will have life! Jesus has showed us that He has power over physical life. He therefore has power over spiritual life. Whoever believes in Jesus shall never die (i.e. be separated from God).   John said, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Life is not anywhere else. Follow Him because He is the Lord. He is worthy of our honor, worthy of our praise and worthy of us giving Him everything because He came and died for us.   Faith begins when we recognize Jesus as the son of God and recognize our need for forgiveness of sins. It is a belief that recognizes I need to escape eternal punishment because that is what I deserve because of my actions. Then it progresses, it presses on. It doesn't stay there.   If you have not accepted Jesus and believed in Him and submitted your life to Him, that is your starting point—believe that Jesus is the son of God who came to this world and died for your sins. Be immersed in water to have your sins washed away to enter a relationship with Him so that you can know that you have eternal life.   If you've already begun there, don't stop. Do not think you can now put your life in neutral and you're good to go. Deepen the relationship. See him as the treasure. Recognize Him and honor Him for who He is. We invite you to come while we stand and while we sing.     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

What Value Do You Place In A Year? Philippians 3:12-14   There is an old story about a happy little boy who went out into the field wearing a baseball cap. In one hand he carried a baseball, & in the other a baseball bat. His face bore a look of tremendous confidence. Cocking his bat, he tossed the ball into the air, saying, "I’m the greatest batter in the world!" Then he swung & missed. "Strike one," he said. He picked up the ball, examined it, & then threw it into the air again. As he swung, he repeated, "I’m the greatest batter in the world." Once again he missed. "Strike two," he said. This time, he stopped to examine his bat to make sure there wasn’t a hole in it. Then he picked up the ball, adjusted his cap, & tossed the ball into the air for the 3rd time. He repeated again, "I’m the greatest batter in the world," & swung with all his might & missed for the 3rd straight time. "Wow" he cried, "What a pitcher. I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!" As we start to prepare for a new year, & as we look back over the last 12 months, I’m not sure whether most of us would be considered pitchers or batters. One thing for sure, at times we have all struck out. What do you anticipate for this upcoming year? Are you full of enthusiasm, looking forward eagerly to what each day will bring? Or are you filled with a sense of dread, worried that this year will be worse than last year was for you? Like the little boy with the bat, may I suggest that your attitude, your frame of mind, your reaction to its events will largely determine whether this year is a year of victory or a year of defeat. The turning of a year brings a mix of relief, hope, and uncertainty. Whether you enter this time of year with joy, weariness, or cautious expectation, today is an invitation to pause, remember God’s faithfulness, and step forward with renewed purpose. Remember the ways God has led you; God makes all things new and calls us to walk forward in faith. Memory shapes our faith. Remembering God’s past faithfulness grounds our hope for the future. Faith without action remains idle. God’s grace calls for a response—small, steady steps of obedience that shape a life. A single seed planted consistently yields a harvest; so one faithful choice repeated becomes character. The Apostle Paul was never one to let circumstances conquer him. Rather, with the help of God, he was determined to win the victor’s crown. Listen as his attitude, dedication, determination shine through in these words found in Philippians 3:12-14. "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind & straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." With Paul’s words fresh in our minds, here are some suggestions to help us be all that we can be this year. First of all, recognize the value of time. How do we value ONE YEAR? To a parent, it’s watching a child grow in ways they never imagined. To a married couple of 50 years, it’s another chapter in a long story of faithfulness. To someone who is ill, it’s hope — the chance for recovery, treatment, or simply more time with loved ones. To someone who wasted a year, it’s a reminder that time is a gift not to be taken lightly.   How do we value ONE MONTH? Ask a Mother whose baby arrived prematurely. To a new parent, one month is the difference between a newborn who can barely focus and a baby who recognizes their voice. To someone waiting for medical results, a month is a long stretch of prayer and uncertainty. To someone rebuilding their life, it’s proof that change is possible in small, faithful increments.   How do we value ONE WEEK? To someone struggling, a week is proof that they made it through seven more days. To someone beginning a new habit, a week is the first sign that change is possible.     How do we value ONE HOUR? Ask someone who lies terminally ill waiting for a loved one who is late. To someone waiting for news, an hour is an eternity. To someone in prison, an hour is a chance to think, pray, or regret. To someone grieving, an hour can bring a wave of sorrow or a moment of peace. To someone you encourage in your letters, an hour might be the difference between despair and hope. And then I found this quote: A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life! Any ideas on where I found this quote? How do we value ONE MINUTE? Ask someone who missed a plane, a train, a very important engagement that would never be rescheduled. To someone receiving CPR, one minute is the difference between life and death. To someone waiting for a loved one to call, a minute is a small ache of hope. To someone in prison, a minute can be a moment of temptation or a moment of clarity. To someone grieving, a minute can bring a memory that breaks them or comforts them. To a married couple, a minute can be a kiss, a kind word, or a small act of grace. To someone you write to, a minute might be the moment they decide to keep going. How do we value ONE SECOND? Ask an Olympic Medalist, or someone who just missed having an accident, or someone saying “goodbye” to a loved one they will never see again. To a driver at an intersection, one second is the difference between safety and tragedy. To someone saying goodbye, a second is one more heartbeat together. To someone grieving, a second can bring a memory that softens or shatters. To someone you encourage, a second might be the instant they decide not to give up. The Bible says, "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, & a thousand years are like a day." (2 Peter 3:8) God deals with eternity, & therefore time is not an important factor with Him. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…” — God can transform everything. But time is important to us because we live in a limited time frame. We begin with initial stages, then go on to adolescence, adulthood, middle age, old age, & to everything that follows. We measure life in segments of time. Now, what makes something valuable? Oftentimes it is scarcity. If there is a scarcity, then that product quickly escalates in value. So, if something is rare, it is usually valuable. But if we have a lot of it, it loses its value. Now, the same is true with time. So those of us over 60 tend to look at those under 20 & say, "Don’t squander time, because it’s valuable." They reply, "No, it’s not. We have lots of time. So we can waste it any way we want." The Bible often speaks of the brevity of life. No wonder the Psalmist asks God, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:4) Statisticians tell us that the average life span is now around 76 years. If you’re under 30 then you think that is a long time. But if you’re nearing that age, you’re beginning to realize that’s not really very long at all. I ran across some interesting statistics a few years ago. Someone went to the trouble to research what people do with their time, & came up with these results: If we live to be 75, most of us will have spent 3 solid years, 24 hours a day, acquiring an education grade school, high school & college. We’ll have spent 7 years eating, 24 hours a day, some less, & some more, obviously. We’ll have spent 14 years, day & night, working. We’ll have spent 5 years riding in automobiles or airplanes. We’ll have spent 5 years talking with each other…again some more & some less. We’ll have spent 1 year sick or recovering from sickness. And get this, we’ll have spent 24 years of our life sleeping! We’ll have spent 3 years reading books, magazines & newspapers. And 12 years amusing ourselves watching TV, going to the movies, fishing, etc. That totals up to 75 years & that is what the researchers say, on average, most of us will have done with our lives. As I looked at these statistics I began thinking. Let’s suppose that you spent every Sunday of your life, for 75 years through infancy, childhood, adulthood, old age in God’s house worshiping during the Church Service. Now if you did that, how much time would you have spent worshiping God? For those of you who did the math… yes the answer is less than 5 1/2 months. But let’s double that, because you’ve always attended Bible Study. You’ve never missed Bible Study in all your life. That makes it 11 months. Think about those 5 years in an automobile & just 11 months in Church & Bible Study! Twelve years amusing ourselves in front of a TV, & just 11 months in Church & Bible Study And that is just if you always attended Bible Study & Church, & never missed! That tells us a little bit about the brevity of time, & it also tells us something about our priorities in life. The Bible also teaches us that life is uncertain. Time is like a valuable commodity in a very precious & delicate vessel. It might break at any moment & we might lose it all. So we have this moment. We don’t know anything about the future, but we have this moment & that is all that we really have. Because of the uncertainty of life, the Bible says, "Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2) Hebrews 3:15 says, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." Because life is uncertain, we must take advantage of the time that we have. Secondly, don’t be in bondage to the past. We are special beings in that God has given us the ability to remember. Your memory may be your friend or your enemy. When you remember, hopefully you’ll remember some very pleasant things about this past year, but chances are that you’ll also remember some negative things. Those negative things can cripple us & hold us in bondage to the past. That is why Paul said, "Forgetting what is behind..." Paul had a lot to forget. Paul had a very shaky past. He persecuted the church. He used his authority to kill Christians. By his own admission he said, "I am the chief of sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15) He could have walked around all his life with this tremendous burden of guilt crippling him & he would never have become the great apostle we know & love today. But Paul said, "Forgetting what is behind..." In other words, "God, I commit it to you. I seek your forgiveness for all the sins of the past, & I look forward to what lies ahead. And right now I’m going to live today the best I can." I believe that is good advice for us as well. Finally, I think that we need to establish a priority in our lives. Paul says it this way, "This one thing I do." Now Paul obviously did more than one thing. He made tents. He preached sermons & established churches. He healed the sick. He wrote books. He did a lot of different things. But he said, "The top priority in my life is to ‘press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ “ A while back an expert on the subject of time management was speaking to a group of business students. After speaking to them for a while, he said, “Okay, it’s time for a quiz.” He set a one-gallon, wide mouthed Mason jar on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks & carefully placed them, one at a time, inside the jar. When the jar was filled to the top & no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” “Really?” he said. Then he reached under the table & pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel into the jar & shook it, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled & asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them said. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table & brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in & it filled all the spaces between the rocks & the gravel. Once more he asked, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water & began to pour in the water until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked back at the class & asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand & said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit something more into it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.” What are the big rocks of your life? - They should include these: Each day drawing nearer to God, spending time with Him in prayer, & seeking His guidance for your life through reading His Word. Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all. It was Jesus who said, "Seek first His kingdom & His righteousness, & all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33) An old beggar woman ran out of money. She couldn’t pay her rent. She couldn’t pay any of her bills. The landlord had threatened to throw her out if she didn’t soon pay her rent. She had only a candle to keep her warm, & on Christmas Day she warmed her hands over the candle. There was a knocking at her door & she was afraid to answer for fear that it was the landlord coming to kick her out. She blew out her candle & sat quietly in the dark & waited for the intruder to leave. Two weeks later she found out that the knocking on her door was the knock of a friend who had come to bring her enough money to pay her rent & pay her debts. I wonder how many have from time to time heard the gentle knock of the Savior who wants so much to come in & free them from the burdens of their sin? But they have ignored His knocking. DEAR LORD of yesterday and tomorrow, we bring our memories and our hopes. Forgive what we have done that separates us from you. Renew our hearts where they are weary. Give us courage to live faithfully in both the large and small choices of each day. Make us instruments of your peace, and guide our feet into paths of justice and mercy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.   This morning God’s invitation is offered to any & all who would accept Him and be baptized for the remission of their sins. He came as a baby in the manger. But He also came as the Redeemer, & this morning He patiently waits for you. Whatever your need may be; whether to be baptized or to ask for the prayers of the congregation, will you come as we stand & as we sing?      

What is the Best Gift We Could Receive? Isaiah 8:11 – 9:7   It was the day after Christmas. An Elder of the church was looking over the manager display when he noticed that the baby Jesus was missing. Immediately he turned and saw a little boy with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant, Jesus. So the Elder walked up to the boy and asked, “Hey there! Where did you happen to find this baby figure?” The little boy replied, “I got him from the church.” “And why did you take him?” To which the boy quickly answered, “Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to the little Lord Jesus and I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas I would give him a ride around the block in it.   This time of year brings the question: WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR? We ask children, grandchildren, spouses, and friends to give us a list of items they might like for Christmas. I would like to start my lesson this morning by asking you …. if you could ask for just one thing this year … no matter the cost… what would it be?   I’m sure that as you look around this week you will see signs of Christmas rapidly approaching. And what I want us to consider this morning is– “Signs sent by God.” The Bible contains numerous passages that are signs from God. These signs can take various forms and are often seen as a means through which God communicates with humanity. Here are some examples: The Bible describes instances where God uses natural events to convey messages. For example, the parting of the Red Sea during the exodus of the Israelites is seen as a miraculous sign. (Exodus 14:21-22). Miracles, such as the healing of the sick, raising the dead, and turning water into wine, are often considered signs of God's intervention.   The fulfillment of prophecies is often seen as a sign of God's guidance and involvement. The Old Testament contains numerous prophecies that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. God was in the business of providing signs from the very beginning. After the flood, when the rainbow appeared, God told Noah it was a sign that He would not flood the entire earth like that again. So, whenever we see a rainbow, that sign reminds us of His promise. Through Moses & Aaron God gave very dramatic signs to Pharaoh to force him to set the Israelites free. And in the wilderness during the next 40 years God provided multiple signs of His power and His guidance & of His love for His people.   Isaiah 7:14 says,  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. A prophecy is a foretelling of a future event. The Prophet was given insight regarding something previously unknown. The fulfillment of prophecy would be proof & a sign that God could be believed & trusted. Sometimes a prophecy was fulfilled soon after it was made. Sometimes the fulfillment was hundreds of years later, like this one.   This prophecy was written 700 years before it was fulfilled. Matt. 1:21-23 tells us the angel told Joseph,  21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus,  for he will save his people from their sins.”  22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,     and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).    So, both Mary & Joseph received signs that confirmed what they were told. Jesus’ birth was not his beginning. It was his beginning in human form, but Jesus existed long prior - from the very beginning. In the year 1809 the world was in an upheaval. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria and soldiers from many countries were dying on the battlefield. The fate of entire kingdoms and nations hung in the balance and the world seemed on the very edge of collapse.   It was 1809... And in that same year several significant people were born. In Britain, there was William Gladstone born to become one of England’s finest statesmen. And Alfred Lord Tennyson, born to be a great author of his day. In the US - Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge. In Boston, Edgar Allen Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. It was also in that same year that Charles Darwin was born. And in a rugged cabin in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was born.   If there had been a news broadcast back in 1809 I am sure that these words would have been heard: “The destiny of the world is being shaped on an Austrian battlefield today.” But, history was actually being shaped in the cradles of England and America. Every age has its dangers. Eventually every nation faces difficulties. Even today in the US we’re concerned with financial troubles, international terrorism, and political uncertainty. Every nation, sooner or later, will face threats and perils that will make them believe that the destiny of the world is being shaped by that day’s events. And they will see their future as bleak, dark, and hopeless. And yet, in every age, the birth of a child can make a significant impact on their destiny. Back in the days of Isaiah, the world looked dark, and bleak, and hopeless. The nation of Israel had turned their back on God and God, in His turn, had turned His back on them. It was going to be a time of darkness. A time of hopelessness. But… just a few verses later, God said there will be a time of hope and light – hope and light brought by the birth of a child.   Look at Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness     have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,     on them has light shone. Yes, Israel, you have walked in darkness. Yes, Israel you have been living in the land of the shadow of death. But there will be hope.   And then in verse 6 He tells them why. For to us a child is born,     to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,     and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. A counselor is someone you listen to. Someone who gives you guidance or advice on things you think are important. Newspaper columnist and counselor George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. "I not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me."   Dr. Crane thought about that for a couple of moments and then suggested an ingenious plan. "Go home and act as if you really love your husband,” He told her. “Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind and considerate and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. After you’ve convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him… then drop the bomb. Tell him that you’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. For two months she acted "as if," she loved him. She was kind to him; she listened to him. She was constantly giving, reinforcing, sharing. Two months went by… and she didn’t return to her counselor, so Crane called her.   "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?" "Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." A counselor is someone you listen to. Someone you accept advice from. The problem for Israel is that they had gotten into the habit of listening to the wrong counselors. Look with me at Isaiah 9:19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts     the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire;     no one spares another. There were men in Israel who were giving the people bad advice. These men were advising Israelites to listen to someone other than God – mediums and spiritists and folks that said they talked to the dead. Apparently, these men were trusted enough by the people to be taken seriously. And because Israel listened to these counselors, their nation was going to suffer terribly. And so, God was telling His people: You’re walking in darkness, in the shadow of death, because you’ve listened to the wrong counselors. BUT REJOICE because unto you a child is born, unto you a son is given and He’s going to be a wonderful counselor. He’s going to be someone you can listen to and know His advice is right. You’ll be able to stake your life on what He tells you. No mortal man or woman is going to be able to be capable of giving you advice that will be anywhere as good as His. Now, I don’t want you to get the impression that I’m saying we are not to take advice. Proverbs 15:21-22 tells us, Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,     but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. Without counsel plans fail,     but with many advisers they succeed. A wise person heeds the advice of people he can trust. A wise Christian seeks the advice of his elders. A wise child looks to his parents for advice. A wise husband talks things over with his wife And a wise women listens to the counsel of her husband. There are many skilled and trained counselors that can help you with your finances, marriage, guilt, etc.. No matter what issue you need help with, there are people out there who are trained to help you. Counselors who sincerely want to help you. You see there are many “Good” counselors in this world. But none can compare with the “Wonderful counselor. That’s because - when Jesus came – He came fully understanding the basic problem we face. Matthew 1:21-22 says Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,     but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. Without counsel plans fail,     but with many advisers they succeed. One of the repeated pieces of advice Jesus gave people during his ministry was this: “Go and sin no more” (John 5:14; 8:11) Don’t make excuses for it. Don’t try to ignore it or explain it away. Sin isn’t going to go away on its own. We must deal with it. We must confront it. And the only way we can deal effectively with sin is to realize that only the Wonderful Counselor can help us remove sin’s power and guilt. Paul said it this way:  22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.—1st Corinthians 1:22-25 Jesus is the wonderful counselor because He IS the power and the wisdom of God. Jesus is the one who can give us the power to help us overcome sin… and the wisdom to know how to deal with our sins when we fall prey to them. The counselors of this world CAN help you with your problems. But they can only help you so much. By contrast, Jesus (the Wonderful Counselor) has the ability to help us deal with the root cause of our problems.   As Hebrews tells us: 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 You see: Jesus understands our problems. He’s sympathetic to our failure.   But He’s too good a counselor to just let us do what we want and ignore the consequences. He knows our problems and He has counsel to help us deal with our sins. The key of course is this: listen to… and follow His advice. So, have you done that? Have you let Jesus be your counselor? Have you asked for His guidance and His advice in your problems?   God is in the business of providing unmistakable signs. Unfortunately, some people pass God's signs off as just some weird coincidence. The religious leaders asked for signs out of skepticism & unbelief. Asking for a sign when we need clarification is one thing, but demanding a sign in order for God to prove Himself is not good. Pharisees and Sadducees often challenged Jesus with questions that tested his authority and knowledge of God’s will.   They did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah or the Son of God, but rather as a clever teacher or a false prophet. We can trust in Jesus’ words and deeds as sufficient signs of his identity and authority. We can also examine our own hearts and motives when we ask for signs or doubt God’s promises. Do we seek God out of love or fear? Do we believe in Jesus as the Son of God? Do we follow him with faithfulness or disobedience?   The shepherds believed the angel, followed the sign & saw the evidence. Because they did this, they experienced a joyous event that undoubtedly changed their lives forever. Those who ignore the signs miss out on the joy that would change their lives forever too.   INVITATION: Which do you value more, the toys & trinkets of this life that will eventually crumble into dust, or a relationship with Jesus Christ that will last forever? Do you want to find what you're looking for? Follow the signs to Jesus.  

The Savior of the World John 4:27-42   INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. When we looked at John chapter 4 last, we left off halfway through a scene in which Jesus encounters a woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well.   We saw Jesus engaging in conversation with this woman, and He's trying to move her from a physical, shallow mindset toward opening her spiritual mind and spiritual eyes. This has been a common sub-theme we've seen in John’s gospel: Jesus' need to awaken people from their spiritual blindness.   That was the setup for us in chapter 1 and has been shown to us in chapters 2 and 3. Interestingly, this is going to occur again.   To set our scene, Jesus and the woman are having this discussion about living water. Jesus desires to impart living water to her. She does not understand that what He is offering is something greater than a flowing river or stream. Her assumption at this point is that He is saying, you wouldn't have to draw a bucket out of a well in the heat of the day. Jesus next tries to awaken her spiritual senses by asking her a question about her husband to get her to recognize that He is a man of God.   Seeing Jesus knows her situation, she finally understands that Jesus is having more than just a casual conversation with her. She asks Jesus, “Then where are we supposed to worship God? Here on this mountain or in Jerusalem?”   At this point we see Jesus describing to her that neither of those locations is important. Location is not it, but God is looking for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.   Her answer to that was: when the Messiah comes, he'll answer all these things. “Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.””   I. True Satisfaction (John 4:27-34) – Read with me now, starting in verse 27, “27. Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28. So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29. “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30. They went out of the town and were coming to him.”[ESV] A. The disciples had gone into the city of Sychar to get food. I wondered if perhaps they went to get food with some foreknowledge by Jesus, to move them aside as He's going to engage this woman in a spiritual discussion. We are not told. 1. The disciples return and see Jesus speaking with this woman, and they are surprised at this. In their minds, they don't say it out loud; they marveled that He was talking with her. They don’t say anything, but it's on their minds, “What is He doing?” 2. We often see in the Gospels that Jesus knows the hearts and minds of people. Here, He uses this as an opportunity to teach the disciples. In verse 28, we read that the Samaritan woman, in her excitement, leaves her water jar, goes into the town, and tells the people to come and see a man who could be the Christ. She has been moved from her spiritual darkness and blindness. She now sees what Jesus is offering, and she is sharing the good news with the people in the town about her encounter. 3. She goes into that town, and she begins to tell the people, I have met somebody who knows my life history. When he asked me about my husband, I said I don't have a husband. He then went on and told me about all my past husbands. Is this the Christ? Has the Messiah truly arrived? Come and see. 4. That's all transpiring in the town. Notice that they are now leaving and heading toward the well where Jesus is. That scene is important to what Jesus is doing as He has this discussion with His disciples. B. The focus of the story then shifts away from the woman to how Jesus teaches these disciples. We're going to look at what Jesus is teaching and think about how we can apply it to ourselves. These are great lessons for us about what it means to be a true follower and disciple of Jesus. 1. Verse 31. “31. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32. But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33. So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34. Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” 2. Notice that Jesus is speaking to His disciples as the people from the town are beginning to make their approach. The disciples went into the town to get food. They have been on a long journey, and we saw at the beginning of the chapter that Jesus is weary. He is at the well, the disciples come back, and they are now concerned about their master and saying, “You need to eat”. 3. Jesus says something astounding to them. He says I have food to eat that you do not know about. Rightly, the disciples are mystified by this. Who got him something to eat? Has anybody seen him eat? How did he get food? C. This is the fourth time now that we've seen this kind of thing in John's gospel. They are considering only the physical and showing a lack of spiritual understanding. Jesus is attempting to move them to think beyond physical food. 1. That's why he says in verse 34, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. My food, my sustenance, my wellbeing, everything that sustains me is in doing the will of God and accomplishing His work. That is what it is all about. 2. What we see Jesus doing is exemplifying the very answer that He gave Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness. Man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Here that is on display. He wasn't just saying that as a scripture reference, but here it is in truth. Jesus’ concern is not about having a meal right now. 3. Jesus is teaching His disciples that there is no greater satisfaction in life. To the twelve He is saying; “you can't bring me anything better or more satisfying than what I am experiencing right now with teaching this woman”— as the multitudes are beginning to make their way to that well. D. We see an excitement, and a joy with Jesus, in trying to move His disciples to think in spiritual terms. It's not about the physical. It's not about looking for what will sustain us in this world. True life, true food, true satisfaction is only going to be found in doing the will of God. That should have a very profound impact on how we perceive and live our lives. 1. The true disciple finds their sustenance in doing the will of God. That is the most important thing, and that will be what sustains us. It is not our work, wealth, marriage, or food. There are many things we often perceive to be so important. These things do not satisfy and do not sustain us. 2. The most important thing, our highest priority, is to do the will of God. That's where our joy comes from, and that's what true life is all about. That's what Jesus is showing His disciples. Now the people from the town are coming, and this isn’t the time to sit down to eat. There are bigger things to do right now because an opportunity is approaching. This is the highest, the most important thing for the disciples of Jesus. 3. Jesus is leading them to consider the true priorities in life. What should be the most important thing to me is God's will and His work being done. It is not my own physical desires, nor fulfilling my needs. It is doing the will of God. That is what is going on in this story. Their concern when they came back was not asking about the conversation with the woman or wondering why the people were coming, but… we need to eat. 4. This is the same thing Jesus was showing the woman at the well, there's nothing else that satisfies. Jesus described to the woman; “When you drink from this well, you will be thirsty again. Of the water that I'm going to give you, you will never thirst again.” This is the only place for that kind of satisfaction. Jesus has been teaching the disciples the very thing He was teaching the woman. 5. He used water to teach the woman, and now uses food to teach the disciples. I have food, and I am satisfied. I do not need anything else because this is the most important thing. E. We, as disciples, are to understand that should be the thing to drive our lives. That is what sustains us, doing God's will, seeking God's will, accomplishing His work, and it should be our highest priority. II. True Urgency (John 4:35-38) – As Jesus leads His disciples, the next thing He shows them is a sense of urgency. Verse 35. “35. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38. I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”” In verse 35, we have a picture of urgency. A. Keep in mind what has just happened - The woman has told the people; Come and see, Is this the Messiah, is this the one? Then they went out of the town and were heading to Him while the discussion between Jesus and the disciples was going on. This is not simply a theoretical statement, the fields are ripe to harvest, get to work. Jesus tells them to lift their eyes and look. What do they see? The people are coming. Do you see that the field is ripe for harvest? 1. For me, that makes sense of the story. Jesus starts by saying you are used to waiting some months between planting the seed and the harvest. Then He says, Open your eyes, right now is the opportunity, it is now we're going to be doing something. 2. This is the food of Jesus: to do God’s will, which specifically is to teach these Samaritans so they can have eternal life. Verses 36-38 describe what is transpiring. The disciples have done none of the sowing, but they will be doing the reaping as the crowd comes to Jesus. Jesus and the woman have done the sowing. Their work has led to the reaping. 3. Look, do you see all these people? Do you see the souls? Now is the time, for the harvest is ready. The seed's been planted. Now is the time to reap. You have a saying at planting, we will wait four months, and then there's a harvest. But look, we have it now! 4. There's an urgency, an excitement, and that's the way Jesus' disciples are supposed to be. There is an urgency, an intensity in longing to save souls. When we understand that true satisfaction is in God, then we will have an urgency to share that good news and help save souls, because that is the very work of God. B. Thinking of John 3:16-17, where we are told God sent His Son to save people, to save the condemned… we realize that this is God’s will. If I understand that true satisfaction, true food is doing the will of God, and God's will is to save sinners, then I must have an urgency to accomplish the will and the work of God. That is what Jesus is leading His disciples to see. 1. They were not thinking along those lines but thinking of lunch. Jesus is teaching them, I'm here to do the will of God, to accomplish His work, and that is why I was talking with this woman, because I'm here to save the world. 2. That is what it is all about. Saving people happens by talking to them, not passing by them. The disciples would have just ignored this woman. They would have said Jesus, we’ve got the food and you need to eat. Jesus says, That's not food. My food is to do the will of God. C. It is absolutely our urgency and priority to open our mouths and speak the good news to people. It is important to understand that the good news of salvation cannot be transmitted or communicated any other way except by opening our mouths. 1. It's easy for us to be led into a misnomer; if I keep my nose clean, do good moral acts, everybody will see and follow Christ that way, right? Maybe, but more likely not. What if they don't know that you're glorifying God by your good works? They need to know the reason why you're doing the good that you're doing. Doing good is good, but we must let people know why we're doing the good that we're doing. 2. We must communicate to people the reason for our hope, the reason for our actions, and explain to them that it's because we are disciples of Christ. If we are quiet and do good, people may not know that we are His disciples, and that is the reason for our lifestyle. III. True Work (John 4:39-42) – The disciples did not understand why Jesus was talking to the woman, and the woman tells the whole town that she thinks she has found the Christ. She goes into the town proclaiming that there is a man at the well who knows her life story. Now we are at verse 39. “39. Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40. So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41. And many more believed because of his word. 42. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”” A. The woman had gone into the town and told them to come and see. I would like us to consider what she knew. Did she have a master's degree in Old Testament law? How much did she have to know to be able to be effective in reaching this town? Not an awful lot. All she had to do was say, I think I found something. Why don't you come check it out with me? That's all she does. 1. She grasps that she must share this good news, and that's what she's declaring in verse 29. “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” All that I've ever done. Next we read that people believe because of her testimony. 2. I want us to consider that this is a tremendous way that disciples can reach out to the world. Simply tell people, come and see. There are many ways we can present ‘come and see’ to people, and I’ll mention a few. 3. We can speak to them and say, Come and see where I worship God. By inviting them to join us as we worship God on the Lord's day. We can invite them and say, “I want you to come and see why my life is different. It's because of how Jesus has changed me. Come and see.” 4. Listen to the word of God online. Here are some interesting links. Come and see. Look what I found in scripture. We'll sit down and read the Bible together. I want you to check out what I've checked out. I want you to experience something that I've experienced myself. B. They believed based on her testimony. They came to see, and then later they say, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves.” We believe too. 1. All of us can tell people about how Jesus has changed our lives and ask them to come and experience the same. We can tell people about the new birth that is available. We must never underestimate what we are able to do because it is the power of God and His word that saves. We are simply inviting people to come and see. 2. Consider how Jesus did it in this story. It required a conversation that penetrated through the material, physical, darkened mind, to try to open the shades, to show the light so that they could see what God is doing for them. We must do the same thing. C. I think most of us grasp that we have a world that is steeped in darkness. A world so concentrating on the here and now, and the physical, that it does not think about eternity. It does not think about the final result. People do not like to think about questions like; What's going to happen when we die? Do you think that there's a God? 1. What makes you think that there's no God? Isn't it odd all the order that's in this system? Isn't it interesting that there's a natural rhythm to music? It's even mathematical. It's amazing to me the complexities of all kinds of things in life. Why is it that these things are like this? Is there a purpose to life? Why are we here? 2. There are lots of things that we can say to people to help chisel away that physical, darkened mind set and hopefully transform it into spiritual thinking. We need to look at what Jesus did with this woman and consider that kind of conversation. D. Really the pinnacle of the story is found there in verse 42. Notice that these are Samaritans. They are a people hated by the Jews. The Messiah was supposed to be a Messiah for the Jews. These Samaritans come to a great understanding... They understand He's not the Savior of the Jews. He's the Savior of the world. They come to an amazing reality. This is the One. This is who we've been looking for, and He is for all people. 1. Consider what we've seen in John's Gospel. Jesus has come to His own already in the first few chapters and His own have not received Him. Now He's in Samaria and this whole town is saying, We believe. We know that You're the Savior of the world. 2. Here are people that you might expect to be the least receptive to the Gospel. These people that you would suppose to be the least likely, the people that we, like the disciples, might check off the list and say, they wouldn't want to hear anything about this. Let's just get lunch. 3. We can't do that. We cannot filter people ourselves. The opportunity of the Gospel must be given to everybody. That's the theme of what this book has been about. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. He is the Savior of the world. E. Many more Samaritans come to believe as Jesus stays there in Samaria for two days. John records for us an important truth as this section ends. The Samaritans recognize that Jesus is the Savior of the world. Jesus is not the Savior for the Jews alone. He is not a Jewish Messiah. He is the Savior of the world. He has come to save every person, regardless of heritage and background, not just the Jewish people. The theme of universal redemption continues to be a key theme for John in this gospel.     CONCLUSION: Let’s do a bit of a review of what happens in this encounter. The "Living Water" Misunderstanding: Jesus offers the woman at the well "living water" (eternal life/the Holy Spirit). The woman, thinking literally about the physical well, asks for this water so she won't have to keep making the strenuous trip to draw water every day. The contrast between the profound spiritual offer and her practical, earthly response creates a moment of reflection for us.   The Disciples' Confusion Over "Food": After Jesus speaks with the woman, His disciples return with food and urge Him to eat. Jesus tells them, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of". The disciples, taking him literally, whisper among themselves, "Hath any man brought him ought to eat?". Jesus used their misunderstanding as a setup for a deeper spiritual lesson: "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me".   The "Five Husbands" Exchange: When Jesus brings up her private life ("Go, call your husband"), the woman replies, "I have no husband". Jesus' response, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband," has a certain sharp wit to it. It's a statement that is both entirely true and a profound revelation of His divine knowledge.   Breaking Social Norms: The entire scenario, where a Jewish man (Jesus) engages in a public conversation with a Samaritan woman (a social and ethnic taboo), is a source of tension and a "breaking of the rules" that challenges the expectations of the time. The disciples are surprised to find Him talking to her at all.   These elements highlight how Jesus used everyday situations and common misunderstandings to engage people and deliver profound spiritual truths, often with a subtle, effective communication style that involved some form of irony or wordplay.   The secret to satisfaction is to do the Will of the Father. Jesus told the woman that the water He offers will cause us to never thirst again. Jesus taught His disciples that He has food that they do not know about, because He is sustained by doing the Father’s Will.   The living water is to continue to flow, through us, from Jesus, to the rest of the world. Experiencing grace and recognizing God’s Will to save the world, compels us to tell others to come and see the changed life that can be found in Jesus. You are the light of the world, shining in the darkness, trying to open the eyes of the blind. Do not turn off your light. Do not hide your light.   The message is yours. We are about to sing our invitation song. If anyone here has the need to be baptized into Christ, or needs the prayers of faithful people, the invitation is there for you to come forward while we stand and sing.     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercherville

HOW DOES OUR REACTION AFFECT OUR OUTCOME? Proverbs 15:1   A few minutes before the church services started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running towards the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from this form of evil. Soon everyone had exited the church except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew without moving, seeming oblivious to the fact that God’s ultimate enemy was in his presence.   So, Satan walked up to the old man and said, “Don’t you know who I am?” The man replied, “Yep, sure do.” “Aren’t you afraid of me?” Satan asked. “Nope, sure ain’t.” said the man. “Don’t you realize I can kill you with a word?” asked Satan. “Don’t doubt it for a minute,” returned the old man, in an even tone. “Did you know that I could cause you profound, horrifying, physical AGONY for all eternity?” persisted Satan. “Yep,” was the calm reply. “And you’re still not afraid?” asked Satan. “Nope.” More than a little perturbed, Satan asked, “Well, why aren’t you afraid of me?” The man calmly replied, “Been married to your sister for over 48 years.”   This morning, we will look at how individuals handle items. As a math teacher, I have come across hundreds of equations over the years, and one stands out over all the rest… Experience plus Reaction equals Outcome. The way we react to a situation often shapes not just the immediate outcome, but also the long-term ripple effects.   If I had to put a title on this morning’s sermon, it would be our reaction decides our outcome. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).   Our reaction is often the only part of a situation we truly control. By choosing patience, humility, and wisdom, we can transform challenges into opportunities for growth — both for ourselves and those around us. Our reactions don’t just affect outcomes externally — they shape our own hearts and way of life.   For my sermon this morning I will be using verses and stories found throughout the Old and New Testament that are very familiar to most of us. This sermon is a follow-up to my sermon from LAST SUNDAY.   We know there’s a serpent that comes to Eve. In verse two, the woman said unto the serpent: We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God has said you shall not eat of it. Neither shall ye touch it lest ye shall die. We think about all that we have in our world today—so much we are blessed with. Yet, God has said there are certain things that we are not to do. Man says: Eat, drink, and be merry. Live unto the day for myself. That’s what Satan says, but it’s not what God says.   In verse four, the serpent says: You shall NOT surely die. There is no respect for God in this equation. Eve had an experience where she is tempted with someone saying, “God didn’t mean it.” God put you in this garden. You and Adam are here. He didn’t mean that you should die.   If you eat the fruit, you’ll be as wise as God. You’ll become smarter. BUT Actually, they become more foolish, don’t they? We have a lot of individuals in our world today who say the more they study, the more they understand. We must be mistaken. The world is much older than what God could have created, and that’s what science says must have happened and many buy into this way of reasoning. We take an experience and the question is what is our reaction to the experience. We could be like Adam and Eve. We could easily give in to the temptation, or we could say, “We know what God said and we will go by what God said.”   In Genesis chapter four, we have two individuals—Cain and Abel. We know that there are offerings that take place. In verse four, Abel brought the first of his flock, the best, and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. Going on in verse five, unto Cain’s offering He had not respect. Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell. The Lord said unto Cain, “Why are you wroth and why has your countenance fallen?”   We have different ways of worshiping God. There are individuals that say they don’t need to attend services. They can just read and believe what they want. They can be their own religion. They don’t need to gather together on the first day of the week like the examples we have of early Christians.   We have here two offerings. One is acceptable to God and one that’s not. How do we react to what God has said? We know God expects an offering, as the example shows. He expects us to give back our best. He expects the best of us. We have an example. How do we react to that? Based on our reaction we have an outcome.   We see that one individual that was pleasing to God, and all is well. We have the other individual whose offering was not pleasing to God. He ends up killing his brother. The outcome is not very good at all.   Let’s go on to Genesis chapter six. We have Noah. We have a time period in which it is said repent, repent. Turn unto the Lord. In verse eight Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and he walked with God. Can that be said of us?   You hear people talk about the dash in our lives. On our tombstones there will be a dash. You live from this date to that date. What is important is what you do with that dash. We know that Noah was a just man. It’s nice to note that he walked with God. His experience is that God meant what He said. That is how he reacted to God. God is the One that we need to follow. His outcome is good. In verse 13 God says to Noah: “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.   Remember back in verse five that God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of his heart was evil continually. We look at our society. We listen to the news. We see a lot of that in our society today. We have a chance, learned from our experiences, to turn to God—to help others turn to God before it’s too late. We need to look at the outcome.     Next we think of Gideon. Gideon had a lot of people to help him. I know that Jesus said go to all nations, teaching. Over the years, when I was younger, there were ministers that came for Gospel Meetings and wanted us to go door to door and knock. Aren’t we supposed to talk to individuals about Jesus? Yet, I remember sometimes knocking on a door and honestly not knowing if I wanted someone to answer the door or not. We might have been thinking that I did my job. I knocked on the door. Nobody answered so I left. Did we really knock? Were we excited if someone answered? We have Gideon who had numbers. We might be thinking, it would be nice if we had a bunch of people with us. Four or five of you go up to the house and knock on the door. You feel a little better. There’s more strength in numbers. BUT What did God do with Gideon? We are not going to show our numbers. We’re not going to give you strength in numbers as you approach your enemy. We are going to reduce the numbers. Can you imagine what Gideon’s first thought must have been? I know what mine would be. We’re going to do what?   I think that Gideon understood when God says to him, “We have to reduce the numbers to show that I am with you.” The strength and courage that Gideon must have had. Here we have an experience. When we look at our own lives, we’re faced with a lot of this.       These aren’t just stories in the Bible. We have temptations just like Adam and others. We are asked to offer of our best like Cain and Abel. We are faced with an evil generation like Noah was. We have the example of Gideon. We look around and think there are only a few of us. What did Jesus say? The fields are ripe unto harvest, but the laborers are few. We have a few of us. It is exhausting, but we need to move on to do that.   Then in I Samuel 17 we have David and Goliath. We’ve mentioned in other sermons about the man who trusted only in himself because of his size and strength. Goliath taunted the Israelites. We know a lot of individuals that feel they have everything. There are those who are wealthy.   In the New Testament there is a rich man who says, “I’ll rip down my barns and build new ones. I’ve got a lot. I’ve got it all.” Then he hears a voice saying, “Thou fool, tonight thy soul shall be required of thee.”   What would we give in exchange for our soul? We often talk about Solomon in all his greatness and wisdom. What was his final conclusion? To serve God.   When we think about our experiences, what is our reaction? We have examples in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. A lot of times we think those are just stories. Are they? If you can really relate to our own everyday experiences many are very similar to the Biblical experiences. With that in mind……….What is our reaction? In our examples some of the reactions were good and some were bad. Some were positive. We know that Noah was spoken of as walking with God. Adam and Eve—not so much. Cain and Abel, one favored in God’s sight and one not. David and Goliath—Goliath trusted himself. Many individuals trust in themselves. Look at David who trusted in the Lord.   Remember the ten spies? What would our report have been? We know that only two came back with a positive report. When we look at things, do we look at the positive, the potential that God gives us? Or do we look at fear? Do look at what only man would see. Without God we can be defeated. Picture Gideon having that attitude. What would happen if Gideon had looked at the 300 and said, “I don’t think so.”   What if Noah had said, “I’m going to build for how many years? How big is this ark? What about rain? I’ve never even seen rain.” How many times do we say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” When we look at what we’re blessed with, do we take the time to thank God?   We know that David was a humble man. David would bow down and thank God for what he had. Goliath, like many men in the world today, trusted in himself—his strength, his stature. How could he be defeated?   As we look at our experiences today, what is our reaction to them? Do we trust in man, or do we trust in God? In the example of the ten lepers who were healed ... Do we take the time to go back and thank JESUS?   Often in our society today we hear OK as a substitute for “thank you”. We try to teach our grandchildren that this is not acceptable. You do something nice for someone and they might just say, “Oh, OK,” instead of saying thank you and being appreciative. I think of that when we read about these ten. Can you imagine having a disease where your skin just falls off? I couldn’t even picture what that would be like. I can’t imagine the decay and uncleanness of it. The thankfulness you would feel for being healed of that. It’s not just putting a Band-Aid on a wound. Ten are healed of a terrible disease, but only one takes the time to go say thank you.   Jesus speaks about the few that will find that way. We think about the number of people who are appreciative for what they have.   In Daniel chapter six we have a description of what Daniel went through. My daughter had the opportunity to travel with her work. When she was in Italy she sent a photo of the ruins of a coliseum. I asked her if she saw any lions? Her response was “No, but I saw the doors they came through.”   I started to wonder what that would have been like. Daniel was in a pit, but it’s the same idea. Could you imagine an arena made for the purpose of watching people being eaten by lions? That was the entertainment they had, the experiences. Daniel had a choice, didn’t he? Daniel could have chosen NOT to pray to God and worship the statute like everyone else.   Yet, Daniel knew the strength he had in God, the faith he had in God. He did not know what God would do. God never said, “Don’t worry. I’ll seal the mouths of the lions.” Daniel was willing take the consequence. All he knew was that he may lose his life. It was possible that he would be devoured by those lions. This did not change his reaction to the experiences he had. His outcome was positive.   In Daniel chapter three, another popular scripture, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were told not to worship God. They ignore what everyone else was doing and continued to worship and pray. Because of this they are thrown into a fiery furnace.   Have you ever been around heat? I love to sit around a campfire as long as I have a little distance back from the fire. It starts to get pretty hot when you get up close.   Can you imagine what God has described our punishment to be? I can’t. What will it be like to be in fire like that? We know Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were safe. Their experience was to believe in God, again, not knowing what their outcome would be.   Their reaction was faith in God and His message. We know that their outcome was one of salvation. Let’s look at our own lives. We think about what has been promised.   He has promised us in Matthew chapter 25 a parting right and left, a judgment that will take place based on how we live our lives. Some will get a reward—a home with God in heaven. Others will have that fiery furnace—a lake of fire. We need to think about what the lake of fire will be like. What will the heat be like? There’s no cold water. There is no quenching of the thirst. There is no brightness. There is no light. I picture darkness.   The light will not be there. There will be constant pain and agony. I remind myself of that. We all want to think about pleasurable things. We must remember what God’s promise is, the outcome that we have. We have experiences. God, through His word, encourages us to have reaction. What is our reaction? In the book of Hebrews chapter 11, we have many experiences listed and the reaction that God expects. Look at what we have in our lives today. Look at the promise. Look at our experiences. We know that we cannot go through life avoiding all temptation. What will our reaction be? What is our path toward God? That is our R factor. We would want to have the positive. What will help us keep on that path? God’s word. As we read God’s word, we know what God wants us to do. It is a positive to keeping us on that path. Reading God’s word, praying to God, worshiping God, thanking Him for all we have, following Jesus’ example, are all items that will keep us on that path. What leads us to stray from that path? Man’s thoughts, temptation, Satan tempting us, feeling we can do it ourselves, feeling we don’t need God’s help, all can keep us from doing what we should. This morning we know Jesus asked what can we give in exchange for our souls? We know it’s a very important question to answer. What will we gain if we gain the whole world but lose our soul? Think about that this morning.  

The Lying Tongue Genesis 3: 1-8 Two little boys were at sitting together in a church during a wedding ceremony. As the couple said “I do”, one of the little boys leaned over to the other and asked, “I wonder how many wives can a man have?” The second little boy looked at his friend like he was an idiot and said, “He can have 16 wives.” “How do you know that?” The first little boy asked. “Weren’t you listening? The minister just said it. Four better, four worse, four richer, and four poorer.” I also heard of a boy in high school taking biology, and he struggled throughout the class.  He consistently received a D grade.   When the report card was mailed home, he quickly intercepted the mail and using his computer skills changed the D into a B.  He did that each grade period.   He forgot though that the end of the year report card showed the accumulated grades as well as the final.   This final report was sent out by email to his mother.   When questioned he said, "there must and been a mistake mom".  Look at the reports we got.  His mother believed him.  Ironically the teacher had retired at the end of the school year and left the school system.  Also, somehow in her leaving the file got lost.  The only record then was what the mother had, the reports that her son had handed her.  His mother took them to the school and asked why the final report differed from the reports of each grade period.   Since the school thought that was only record now available so they changed his grade from a D to a B.     The Bible tells us that God gave Adam and Eve every tree to eat from except one, and Genesis tell us there were plenty of other GOOD trees to eat from. “And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground— trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food." Genesis 2:9a So if that was true, (that they’d had all these other trees to eat from), then why did they do it? It would be easy to say “The Devil made them do it”... but it’s more than that. They picked the wrong item on the menu because they CHOSE to do so. Eve CHOSE to disobey God. Now Satan may have “talked her into it...” but SHE KNEW what God had said. She knew God didn’t want her to eat of the tree. She knew God had said that those who ate of the tree faced death. But she CHOSE to eat of the tree anyway. She made bad choices. And her first choice occurred before Satan even spoke a word. Satan said to the woman, "Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’" Genesis 3:1b-3 What did God say she couldn’t do? (EAT of the fruit) What does Eve say God said she couldn’t do? (EAT & TOUCH the fruit) God didn’t say she couldn’t touch the tree, He just said they couldn’t eat. But she CHOSE to add that little restriction. She CHOSE to add to God’s commandments. She CHOSE to improve on God’s will. And that was all the wiggle room Satan needed to begin playing with her mind. Why would that give Satan “wiggle room”? Because once you get used to the idea that you can improve on God’s Word... when you believe you can change it when you want to... when you accept that you can tinker with God’s will for your life... then it gets easier to improve on other things God commanded. There was a preacher named Wayne Smith who was something of a cut-up on stage. He mentioned once that in English Class they taught him that using 2 negatives in a sentence made a positive statement. And he said that, since that was true “The way I figure it, if I know I’m lying, and God knows I’m lying – I gotta be telling the truth!” Famous American Fibs - I'm almost there. - My phone died. - You look great. - That was delicious. - No, you haven't changed a bit. - I'll call you right back. - It wasn't that expensive. - It was on sale. - I was stuck in traffic. - I never got that message. - Your luggage isn't lost; it is only misplaced. - This hurts me more than it will hurt you. - I just need five minutes of your time. - Let's have lunch sometime.   Lying seems to be a way of life for many people. We lie at the drop of a hat. The book The Day American Told the Truth says that 91 percent of those surveyed lie routinely about matters they consider trivial, and 36 percent lie about important matters; 86 percent lie regularly to parents, 75 percent to friends, 73 percent to siblings, and 69 percent to spouses. A store manager heard his clerk tell a customer, “No, ma’am, we haven’t had any for a while, and it doesn’t look as if we’ll be getting any soon.” Horrified, the manager came running over to the customer and said, “Of course we’ll have some soon. We placed an order last week.” Then the manager drew the clerk aside. “Never,” he snarled, “Never, never, never say we’re out of anything- say we’ve got it on order and it’s coming. Now, what was it she wanted anyway?” The clerk said, “Rain!” Spouses lie to one another in the name of keeping the peace, parents lie to their own children and vice versa, employers and employees just the same. Advertisers lie to sell products. Politicians lie in order to spin things their way. But the Lord included the subject of lying in one of the 10 commandments of the Old Testament, and I believe He takes this sin very seriously. Revelation 21:8 ”But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 22:15 ”For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Mark Twain said a lie can travel halfway around the world while truth is still lacing up her boots. It’s natural to lie, and there’s something about our nature that enjoys it. We like reading tabloids, or hearing gossip. Lying is easy, but the truth is oftentimes hard. Are you known to be a truly honest person, or do people have to question you and wonder about your genuineness? Do you have a reputation as a liar, or do people know what you say is true? Is your word as good as your signature? Do you do what you say you will do? Do you tell the truth even when it will cost you something? The Bible has a lot to say about lying: Proverbs 6 lists lying as one of the 7 things the Lord hates. “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” The poet said, “You can fool the public and be a secret fraud, you can try to hide your lying, but you can’t fool God!” 1.   The Origin of lying. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” So we’re a lot like Satan when we lie. Almost every time we see the devil in Scripture he’s lying... The first time we see Satan in the Bible he lies about God to man. Lying about God to man: • Satan lies About the truthfulness of God—“Hath God said?” Questioning God’s Word is skating on thin ice. Yet many question God’s Word all the time today. We are not to stand in judgment w/ whether it makes sense or is PC or not. The Word is to stand in judgment of us, not the other way around. • Satan lies About the righteousness of God—“Ye shall not surely die”. In other words, God won’t judge you if you sin. • Satan lies About the goodness of God—“God is trying to keep back from you good things!” The next time Satan appears in the Bible is in the book of Job. This time he’s in the courts of heaven and he’s lying about man to God. Satan Lying about man to God: “The only reason Job obeys you is because you’re so good to him.” What a liar. To Adam and Eve he says that God isn’t good enough, and now he’s saying that God is too good! We see Satan again at the crucifixion. This time he lies to man, knowing that man will then lie about Jesus. He put it in the hearts of many to bear false witness against Jesus in the kangaroo court they put together. In Genesis he uses a lie to corrupt a godly man. In Job he uses a lie to criticize a good man. In the New Testament he uses a lie to crucify the God Man. In Revelation he embodies the antichrist, who tells a lie so big and believable that it brings about the end of the world. So, from beginning to end, Satan is a liar! And when we lie we align ourselves with everything that brings death, destruction, doom and damnation to this world. Sin is what leads to death, but that sin was brought about by a lie! Don’t take lying lightly. There’s no such thing as a little white lie. God is truth, and anything less than truth is wrong...IT IS SIN! 2.   The Operation of lying. Lying has many faces. Lying has many children in its family. Here’s 7 ways people often lie without even thinking about it: • Slander Psalm 101:5 “Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off:” This is lying with the intention of doing harm to another’s reputation. Some sins are worse than others in terms of damage done. If I steal from you I can return the item. But if I spread lies about you I may not be able to ever undo the far-reaching effects. There was a man who spread lies about his neighbor. Then one day he repented, and asked the minister how he could make it right. The minister told him to get some feather pillows and rip them open, and place one feather on every porch in their community. It seemed strange, but the man did what he was told. He went back to the preacher and said he was done. The preacher said, no, you’re not. Now go back and pick up all the feathers. “But I can’t” said the man. The wind has taken them who knows where!” To which the minister said, “So it is with the words you have spoken about your neighbor.” When we slander someone’s reputation we do irreparable damage. And we’ll answer to God for it! • Talebearing—this person loves to tell things. They share ‘news’. But they don’t care if their facts are correct or not. This is gossip. Rumors. Don’t spread it. Try to stop others from doing it. Don’t repeat gossip 1st Timothy 5:13 “And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.” Leviticus 19:16 “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people:” Next time you’re enjoying listening to someone gossip, remember this fact: Anyone who will gossip TO you, will gossip ABOUT you!   • Flattery—insincere praise...saying something to someone’s face that you would never say behind their back. Salesmen are often bad about this. Kids are too. Most of our children have learned how to compliment us first when they want something. Psalms 55:21 “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” When someone starts buttering you up, remember that they are probably about to have you for lunch! • Half truths—not telling the whole story. A parent asks their teen where they are going. “To Andy’s house.” That’s true, but they leave out where they’re going from there. You break the spirit of the law when you do this. This is why in court you swear to not just tell the truth, but ‘the whole truth.’ Half the truth equals a whole lie. • Excuses—they are just dressed up lies. The origin is Satan, the operation of lying...it comes in many forms... Now, how do we overcome Lying? Every negative command could be reworded positively. For instance. Thou shalt not commit adultery could be rephrased, Thou shalt be sexually pure. We could say today, Thou shalt tell the truth. And truth is the very character and nature of our God. Jesus said I am the truth. He called the Holy Spirit the spirit of truth. The truth sets us free! 3.   How to overcome lying: • Love the truth. This is a heart change. David spoke of ‘truth in the inward parts.’ You see, a person is not a liar because they tell lies...they tell lies because they are a liar. We need an inward change. 2nd Thessalonians 2:10 “...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” • Learn the truth. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Saturate your mind w/ good things, like the Word of God. The truth sets you free. It’s how Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness, with the truth of Scripture!   • Live the truth. Ephesians 4:25 “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour:” Be accountable to others. Be open to others stopping you when you gossip or slander. Immediately confess, immediately correct, and immediately commit yourself to the truth. Right now Satan wants to sell you a lie...don’t fall for it like Adam and Eve. He’ll tell you: there is no God, There is no heaven, There is no hell, OR that there is no hurry. But today we can read from Hebrews 3:12-15 ”12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”” And, Acts 2:36-38 tells us: 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “ So, we must NOT lie to God... WE need to admit our sins and be baptized!

Singing and Giving Thanks Text: Psalms 137: 1-4 & Ephesians 5: 18-19 A woman invited a group of her friends to Thanksgiving dinner. At the table, grandma turned to her six-year-old granddaughter and asked her, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the little girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," grandma said. The little girl bowed her head and said: "Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?" I would like to start by taking us on a trip down memory lane for a minute and go back to the Old Disney Movie - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. There is a famous song that says “Whistle While You Work” the Lyrics are - Just whistle while you work And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place So hum a merry tune It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace And as you sweep the room Imagine that the broom is someone that you love And soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work So whistle while you work.   This song written by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey is a perfect illustration of how we can emphasize the fun rather than the monotony of work. You might be asking yourself why am I talking about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is he reliving his childhood - NO - but I want to talk on the subject of “Singing.” Music has had a profound influence on the culture of the United States and the world. People all over the world love to sing. I for one love to sing. Most people love to sing whether or not they can carry a tune. You must understand that there’s something positive... something healthy in the act of raising our voices in song. In fact, there’s solid scientific evidence to prove that singing is, in fact, good for your body and your mind. Singing can lift our spirits and can create a heart of THANKSGIVING! In the Bible singing isn’t just good for us it is a command to us. So we need to Keep On Singing! SCRIPTURE: Psalm 137:1-4 says By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song, and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? James 5:13 says “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.” Singing provides a direct experience and feeling of happiness. It’s a mood lifter & anti-depressant with no side effects. Singing can be done to express any of the 12 different emotions interest, surprise, joy, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, hostility, fear, shame, shyness, and guilt. But when we find singing in the Bible it is usually pointing to times of joy and rejoicing and it is so vitally connected with our worship toward God. I remember some advice my grandmother Fidler would say when I had to do something I really didn’t want to do – I can hear her say “Sing a song while you are doing it and before you know it you will be done”. She was often heard singing church songs while working around the house. I didn’t understand it then ... but what she was instilling in me was wisdom because she knew that when you have a song in your heart and you sing that song... it will change your mood, affect your attitude, alter your altitude and carry you through whatever it is you are going through. In our text the Children of Israel had been captured and are now in captivity in a strange land in Babylon. While under the oppression of the Babylonians they thought of their homeland and longed to free. They thought of the former glory they once had and began to mourn and cry utterly for what they had been taken away from. They took their harps and hung them on the tree by the river and refused to sing because of the oppression they were under. They lost their song. Singing isn’t an option in Scripture. It’s a command: Colossians 3:16 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord”.   Ephesians 5:18-19 says “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” Paul lays out this exhortation to let God’s Word dwell in us richly, and then, he tells us how to live out that command. The first, of course, is teaching and admonishing but then he says singing! Singing is one of the two chief ways in which God’s Word dwells in us richly. We can study the Bible to learn about God. When we sing songs based on scripture... we also learn about God... for example: we all remember the Sunday School song “Jesus Loves Me this I know for the Bible tells me so little ones to Him belong they are weak, but He is strong”. From this song we learn that Jesus both loves and cares about us AND that He is STRONG ENOUGH to overcome anything we face in our daily lives. When we sing as a congregation, we build up each other. We are hearing the testimonies of faith all around us! Singing helps to build people up emotionally and spiritually. Psalm 105:2 says, “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works”. When we sing, we declare war against our adversary. In 2 Chronicles 20 we find King Jehoshaphat, who was an extraordinarily strong and wise man, and one who served the Lord with all his heart. He took away the idols that the people had been worshiping and turned the hearts of the people to the Lord. One day a message came to him that an enemy army was coming against his people. He at once did the right thing and turned to the Lord asking for help. He told all the people to pray and said that God would fight the battle for them. “The battle is not yours, but God’s. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD.” Early the next morning the people started out to the battle. Then he appointed certain ones as singers to go out in front of the soldiers.   This is the song they should sing, 2 Chronicles 20: 21-22 ...And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. Soon it was learned that the enemy had had a battle among themselves and had killed one another. The Lord had caused the enemy army to be destroyed before God’s people reached them. The king and his army went down to the battlefield and found so much spoil that it took three days to gather it all up and carry it home. They rejoiced and thanked the Lord for giving them the victory over their enemies that worshiped idols. When things seem to be going wrong all around you and the enemy threatens you sing praises to God and watch Him fight your battle? A singing heart... is a heart at war with the evil one and the power of sin. When you sing, you are spiritually strengthened for trials. In Acts 16 Paul and Silas are unjustly imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel, and while they are in prison they began to sing and pray and in the midnight hour God opened the prison doors. Now they didn’t leave but the prison guard and his whole family were saved. I said it is scientifically proven that singing is good for you. Well, you know I like the numbers and their meaning in scripture. The number 10 means Divine Order, there are the 10 commandments, the 10 plagues, 10 generations lived on earth before the flood, in Genesis Chapter 1 the phrase “God said” is found 10 times, the 10th day of the 7th month in the Jewish calendar is The Day of Atonement, etc. Now let me give you 10 scientifically proven benefits of singing. 1. It Relieves stress:- Singing appears to be a stress-reliever. A 2017 study measured the amount of cortisol, the stress hormone, in participant’s saliva before and after they sang. Researchers in that study found that the amount of cortisol was lower after singing, an indication that people felt more relaxed after they had sung. 2. It Stimulates the immune response:- Singing can be a form of exercise that works the lungs and other parts of the body required to project one's voice. Singing may lead to a stronger diaphragm and stimulation of circulation due to the greater amount of oxygen needed to carry a tune. There’s some evidence that singing may boost your immune system and help you fight off illnesses by producing higher levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody your body secretes to help you fend off infections. 3. It Increases the pain threshold:- When you sing in a group, whether it’s large or small, the act of collective singing causes your body to release endorphins. This hormone can help promote positive feelings, and even change your perception of pain. 4. It May improve snoring:- Regular singing may change the way you breathe, even when you’re not singing. Researchers in a 2008 study interviewed the spouses of singers, along with the spouses of people who don’t sing. The researchers found that significantly fewer active singers snored. This led them to recommend regular singing as a potential treatment for snoring. 5. It Improves lung function:- Because singing involves deep breathing and the controlled use of muscles in the respiratory system, it may be beneficial for certain lung and breathing conditions. Studies have shown that the breathing techniques used with singing may offer benefits for people with the following conditions: chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), asthma, cystic fibrosis, cancer, multiple sclerosis and others. While singing doesn’t treat or cure any of these conditions, you may benefit from gaining strength in your respiratory muscles. 6. It Develops a sense of belonging and connection:- When you sing together with others, you’re likely to feel the same kind of camaraderie and bonding that players on sports teams experience. One of the neurochemicals released when people feel bonded together is oxytocin. Spontaneous, improvised singing causes your body to release this feel-good hormone, which may help give you a heightened sense of connectedness and inclusion. 7. It Enhances memory in people with dementia:- People with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia experience a gradual loss of memory. Studies have shown that people with these conditions were able to recall song lyrics more easily than other words. Some the singers found they remembered more than just the lyrics. For some, singing familiar songs suddenly brought back life memories they had long forgotten. 8. It Helps with grief:- Singing in a group doesn’t just help you with physical pain; it may also help with the emotional pain you feel after you’ve lost someone you love. 9. It Improves mental health and mood:- A 2018 study done in the United Kingdom evaluated 20 people in a singing program known as The Sing Your Heart Out project. The participants included people with mental health conditions, as well as the general public. Researchers found that the participants reported improvements in their mental health, mood, sense of well-being, and feeling of belonging as a result of these singing workshops. 10. It Helps improve speaking abilities:- It has been proven that people who have a hard time with speech due to a neurological condition can benefit from singing. Scientist have found that singing improves the speaking ability for people with: autism, Parkinson’s disease, and even stuttering. Singing stimulates multiple areas of the brain at the same time. This may enable people with an impairment in one part of the brain to communicate using other areas of their brain. John 10:10 says “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. Don’t let the devil steal your song. Don't Let Persecution Take Away Your Song. John 16:33 says “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. There is going to be persecutions that will you’re your way because our adversary is determined to kill steal and destroy you and he will try whatever he can to do this, but when persecution comes our way keep on singing. Don't Let People Take Away Your Song. John 16:22 says, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you”. Living in this day and age we truly see the depravity of man! Depravity speaks of the fallen nature of mankind. People are constantly hurting each other, you cannot pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV without hearing of some atrocity someone has committed against another. Sadly, it isn't just the sinner who hurt others, even Christian people hurt one another! So many times, we find that they will lie and gossip about others. They will do what we would never have imagined that they would do. Don't let people take away your song! Sing anyway! - Some words of a Song by Kirk Franklin titled (Why I Sing) – Someone asked a question Why do we sing? When we lift our hands to Jesus What do we really mean? Someone may be wondering When we sing our song At times we may be cryin' And nothing's even wrong And when we cross that river We will sing our song to Jesus The one whom we adore I love Your name Jesus Glory Hallelujah For the rest of my life Jesus You'll be the reason why I sing. I pray that I have given you more reasons to sing. Remember when you sing, you glorify God. Singing has such a unique way of bringing our heart, soul, mind, and strength together to focus entirely and completely on God. In an age of distraction, singing grabs the attention of all our senses and focuses us on God. Psalms 5:11 says “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.” There is an awesome joy that comes upon us when we enter into that secret place of the most High.   often circumstances of our everyday lives literally become a yoke leading us down a path of despair, discouragement and defeat. Singing changes our perspective of our situation and begins to lead us to a place of hope. The Children of Israel lost their song during their captivity in Babylon, they even refused to sing I want to encourage you don’t lose your song. Revelation 7:9-10 says, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb”. This is just a glimpse of eternity when a great multitude of people from every tribe, peoples, and languages are singing before the Lamb. On that day, will you be one of the great multitude that no one can number, singing the song of the Lamb, singing his praises? Until then Keep On Singing.  

Living Water John 4:1-26   INTRODUCTION: Good morning church! The fourth chapter of John’s gospel tells a dramatic story of an encounter between Jesus and a woman from the area of Samaria. The point of the story is the same as all the stories we have seen thus far in this gospel: to show Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. John records this event for us as another convincing proof for who Jesus is.   The first six verses of this chapter set the scene of how this encounter comes about. John 4:1-6, “1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.”[ESV] Jesus learns that the Pharisees know that His popularity is greatly increasing. The Pharisees’ attention is turning away from John and now they focus against Jesus. Jesus left Judea and went north to Galilee, away from Jerusalem, the heart of the Jewish leadership and rule.   Before we move forward with our background of the story, I am compelled to spend a moment noting the parenthetical statement recorded in verse 2. This is a clarification of what was mentioned in John 3:22. It must be assumed that Jesus took up carrying forward God's work already seen in the labors of John the Baptist, and that the baptism administered by Jesus, (through his disciples), was God's baptism exactly like that of John. John was a servant carrying out God's orders; and Jesus was a Son doing the same thing; but in order not to mislead anyone, Jesus refrained from administering God's baptism personally, doing so only through His disciples.   Nothing should be made of the fact that Jesus did not baptize, but His disciples baptized. What one does through his agents he is lawfully said to do; therefore, Jesus baptized. Why did He refrain from doing so personally? We can think of two or three reasons, (1) to avoid any notion that Jesus was one of John's subordinates. Furthermore, although Jesus had submitted to God's baptism as preached by John, and for a time administered by Himself through His disciples, He was nevertheless above John's baptism in the sense that baptism in His name was designed to succeed it. (2) to avoid a rise of jealousies and strife later through some claiming greater privilege in having been baptized personally by the Lord. We saw this sort of thing occur in Corinth. “… one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos…”” (1st Corinthians 3:4)   I bring this up because some try to use this verse to say baptism is not necessary and they ignore other scriptures. To say baptism is not necessary doesn't make any sense when we read the New Testament, and it becomes clear that Jesus is being wise in using His disciples to baptize. I. The Scene – That brings us to this scene. Verse 3, “He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.” Jesus then leaves the southern region, Judea, and goes back to the northern region, back to Galilee. An undercurrent of opposition is growing, but it's not Jesus' time yet. I suspect that's why He's moving back to Galilee. A. We are told in verse 4, He had to pass through Samaria. Samaria was located between Jerusalem and Galilee and was the most direct route. The boundaries of Samaria varied in history; but in the time of Jesus, it was a small province about twenty miles wide and about thirty miles long. The eastern boundary was the Jordan River, and the southern line lay about seven miles south of Shechem. 1. The capital city, also called Samaria, was on an impressive butte some six miles northwest of the area where the events of this chapter happened. 2. I submit to you that Jesus did not have to go through Samaria due to geography and could have taken other routes. However, this was the selected route He took and has led some to speculate He did so for the encounter He is going to have here. We are not told. B. Next, we read, “… he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.” 1. We have enough experience with John’s gospel by now, that we know John is not just throwing out stuff about Jacob, Jacob's land, and Jacob's well. This is going to be a cog in the story, and that's why it's being laid out here for us. 2. Interesting also in verse 6 is we see a little bit of the humanity of Jesus. The apostles never denied that. In proving Jesus to be God, they never obscured or covered up the fact that He was also human, like us. Here we are told it's the sixth hour, high noon, and Jesus is weary. He is worn out, and He sits beside the well which is going to lead to this discussion with a Samaritan woman. 3. A great reminder to us about Jesus, that He is God in the flesh, experiencing everything that we would experience, going through weakness, going through difficulty, going through trial, going through temptation. He is not impervious to these things. He is worn out from walking in the heat of the sun, and is legitimately asking this woman for water, but is also going to use this as a way to draw her to salvation. C. Verse 7 begins our story. “A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”” 1. By these words, Jesus placed himself in the position of one requesting a favor, and by such a gesture assumed a social equality with her, which astonished her and led to the conversation that followed. 2. Jesus came from heaven to become a man, to take upon Him the form of a servant, and to die for the sins of the whole world. All this is fully known; but, in this specific instance of it, the humiliation of our Lord becomes epic in its depth and intensity.   II. The Discussion (John 4:9-24) -- The way this discussion unfolds is fascinating. We perceive the patience in this woman, if you consider how the dialogue goes. Jesus says, give me a drink, and she is stunned that He's talking to her. John explains why in verse 9, “The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)” A. What are you doing talking to me, she asks. Most Jews were very disdainful toward the Samaritans. This is why the parable of the good Samaritan is such a shocking parable. 1. She asks how it is that He would ask her for a drink. Jesus’ responds that she should ask Him for a drink. Think about how this discussion has started. Jesus asks her for a drink. She asks, “You are asking me for a drink?” Jesus responds, “You should ask me for a drink.” His reply to her in verse 10 is, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 2. I want us to feel the puzzlement of the beginning dialogue here. Jesus says, give me a drink. She says, “Why are you talking to me?” He responds, if you knew who I was, you would have asked me for a drink, and I would have given it to you. I can imagine her wondering, “Then why are you asking me for water if you're offering me water? What is going on here?” However she is very cordial toward Jesus. B. “If you knew the gift of God”. Here Jesus referred to himself, the gift of God to all the world. Amazingly, the supreme gift of God sat at that very moment at Jacob's well. This woman, coming to the well in the heat of the day, had suddenly confronted the Lord of life. Contemplate for a moment this woman standing face to face with God incarnate, and yet unaware of it. C. “Living water” is a reference to the water of life, the spiritual realities that lead to everlasting life in the presence of God. The metaphor was probably suggested by the thirst which had brought them both to the well. Just as the body requires water, just so the soul. If it is to live, it must drink at the everlasting fountain of God's word. D. Of course, she's intrigued. Verse 11, “The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?” She asks how He is going to provide water considering He does not have anything to draw water and the well is deep. 1. The woman's response shows that she did not understand what was meant by "living water," hence the question of its source, especially since Jesus had nothing with which to draw water. This indicates to me that the woman had already figured out that Jesus was not talking about the water of Jacob's well. 2. “Where do you get that living water?” she asks. Flowing water is called "living water" in many cultures and traditions, especially in a spiritual context. In the Middle East, water is scarce and precious, and very much needed for survival. Only a few months of the year does rain fall in Israel, and the rest of the time the ancient peoples survived on still water from wells or cisterns. 3. Jeremiah, when praying for deliverance in Jeremiah 17:13 says, “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.” E. The Samaritan woman continues in verse 12, “Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” The well is where they go to get water and tradition says it was provided by Jacob. The well is of great importance, and they appreciate Jacob for it. To obtain “living water” you would need to go beyond Jacob’s well. She is saying, “are you trying to say that you can find better water than what Jacob has given us?” We can see by Jesus’ response that's exactly the point that He wants to make. F. Verses 13-14. “Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” 1. What a great picture that is given here as Jesus explains. Here is what you have. You have a well, and when you drink from that well, you're going to be thirsty again, but when you drink from the water that I will give you; you will never be thirsty again. 2. Just imagine that idea for a moment — you will never thirst again. Then He says, it will become a spring that flows into eternal life. G. Verse 15 gives the woman’s response, “… “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”” 1. Give me this water so that I don't need to do this hard laborious work in the sun pulling up water out of this well. It's a lot of work to pull water out of a deep well. It is interesting that she is completely missing the prophetic cues that Jesus is dropping. 2. As with Nicodemus He's being subtle. He's playing the metaphor, but the metaphor is not unfounded. This is not like Jesus came up with this idea to blindside her so that she has no idea what He's talking about. The Old Testament prophets spoke significantly this way. 3. Isaiah 12:2f. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.” Jesus is resting on prophetic imagery. When the Messiah comes, guess what's going to happen? You're going to draw water out of the well of salvation. 4. Zechariah 14:5f. “5 …Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6 On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. 7 And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. 8 On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.” Same picture, living waters pouring from Jerusalem, filling the nations and filling the people. 5. In Ezekiel chapter 47 the writer describes water flowing from the temple growing deeper and wider as it goes and he says starting at 47:7, “7 As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. 9 And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.” H. If you knew who you were talking to, you would have the gift of God and receive this living water. She does not understand yet what's going on in His words. I think what's fascinating about this, is this is what happens throughout this gospel. 1. One of the features of what John the Apostle is doing is trying to show how we, the readers, are so spiritually blind and spiritually dense. When you go back to John 2, Jesus says, tear down this temple and I'll raise it up in three days. What do the people say? “They've been building the temple for 46 years.” 2. Spiritually blind. Chapter 3, Nicodemus. What? There must be a new birth? I must be born again? I don't understand. 3. Total lack of comprehension. Chapter 4, Samaritan woman, I'll give you living water. That would be great because then I don't have to carry a bucket anymore and do hard work in the sun. 4. Guess what happens at the end of this chapter? Jesus disciples come back with food and urge Him to eat. He's going to say, “I have food to eat that you do not know about”. They are going to wonder, where did he get food? How did He eat already? Failing to understand. 5. John is painting a picture for the reader. You can be spiritually blind, walking in darkness and failing to see you are walking before God. As we read this story, we are being placed as the Samaritan woman. We are the ones who do not comprehend, but we need eternal life, we need the living water. I. At this point Jesus attempts to move her heart from being physically minded to spiritually minded. He must open her eyes a little bit and lead her to understand He is not talking about material things. 1. It is important to see what Jesus does in this story, in trying to move her to see what is being offered. He is not offering an easy physical life but an eternal life. Jesus is trying to give us a spiritual life, something far greater than anything we can have or experience in this world. 2. The problem is that we are blinded by the world. Instead of seeing what Jesus has to offer, we look at Jesus and say, He's going to make things easy and comfortable, right? He's going to make it where I don't have to pull a bucket out of a well. He's going to make my life simple.   3. As we read verse 16 don’t be critical of her because Jesus must do that with us also. We get so spiritually lost, so spiritually darkened, so consumed by the things of this world. We get so caught up in all that is going on around us, so consumed by pleasures and convenience and work and joys and family—that we fail to see what the most important thing is. Jesus is offering eternal life. 4. We turn that into; you can have a good marriage and a good family, and you can have all kinds of wealth, and you can have everything that you want in this world. You can make it all comfortable and easy. That's not what we're talking about here. Jesus is trying to give you something better, and we turn it into something about comfort and convenience. J. That's why Jesus does what He does here in verse 16. “Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”” I wonder how she felt at that second where she's about to sputter out this answer, “I have no husband”. 1. Jesus responds, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” Why does Jesus do this? She responds, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.” Clearly, you're a man of God to know this. Jesus exposes our sins to wake us up. 2. It is a loving act on God's part, to come into this world and expose our sins. Sometimes it's the only way to wake up. We go along in life like everything's fine. We go to work, come home, watch TV, chill out, relax, and it is all good. Something must happen to startle us out of that, get us out of the darkness, out of our spiritual blindness. Get us to open our eyes and recognize we need something more than what this world has to offer. K. If God did not love us, He could leave us to our own devices, and say, I hope they figure it out. I hope they recognize one day that they're in total darkness, that they're spiritually blind, and that they need the light to come in. (By the way, this is all chapter one.) I sure hope they figure it all out… God's love is seen in exposing our sin. 1. You see we're just like this woman. We will take everything that God has to say and figure out how it works for me to make me happy, make me comfortable, make me have what I want to have and enjoy the things of this earth. When we are keenly aware of our sin, only then do we then begin to seek Him spiritually. Conversely, when we forget that we are sinners and we think we're good, moral people, then we go about enjoying the things of life without a care for God. 2. We turn “church” into—show up for an hour, pay our dues, then say leave me alone. I'll see you when I feel like being here. What an insult to our Lord who is trying to give us life. We turn around and say, “so what's the bare minimum that I need for that? Give me a list, and not a long one. What can I do to get by so I can get back to my stuff? I mean I’ve got things to do in the here and now.” L. The woman now perceives Jesus is from God and in verse 20 she asks a question, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” The implied question, where are we supposed to worship God? The Jews say that God must be worshipped in Jerusalem. Her Samaritan ancestors worshipped God on this mountain because Moses had commanded an altar be built here in Deuteronomy 27. Who is right? 1. Jesus' answer is great. Verse 21. “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” What a phenomenal answer that He gives. 2. God is going to be worshipped, not by location, but through Jesus. Here is the Apostle John bringing chapter 2 right back in. Jesus is speaking of Himself as the temple. You will access God, not through location any longer. You will not find atonement in Jerusalem anymore. The day is coming when you will find it through Me. You will meet God through Jesus. You will find atonement through Jesus. You will find salvation through Jesus. 3. Salvation comes from the Jews meaning that the Messiah would come from the Jewish people, He will be the source of eternal life, and He will be the one who is worshiped. Jerusalem is irrelevant, Jesus is what matters. The time will come when worshippers are not identified by their attachment to a shrine, but by the worship of the Lord. M. God is looking for people who will worship Him properly. The implication is that the worship in both places is not proper. Since God is spirit, proper worship of God is also a matter of the spirit rather than a physical location, physical posture, or external ritual. God wants worship from the heart because worship from the heart leads to proper worship. If I truly love the Lord and understand His grace toward me, then I will worship Him the way that He wants with the heart that He wants. She responds in verse 25, “… I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” She does not seem to fully accept Jesus answer. 1. Verse 26, “Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”” There is the main point of the story. Jesus is the Messiah. the one speaking to you. I know what I am talking about concerning worship because I am the Christ. I am here and that is why I can offer eternal life. 2. The light bulb clicks on. This is not an academic discussion any longer. Jesus is the Christ. Her mind must be reeling from all the things that Jesus has just said to her. If you knew who I was and the gift of God, you would have asked me and I would have given you living water. Jesus offered to give something to her so that she could experience full, true satisfaction.   CONCLUSION: Think about those words: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again” (4:14). What you are lacking in your life Jesus is supplying. We think in physical terms, we'll never thirst again. If you want to drink soda or water it will just be because you wanted to, just be for fun. It wouldn't be because you're parched.   We fail to realize that when our life is not right with God then we are thirsty and unsatisfied. This woman has had five husbands and now is on her sixth man. She is thirsting but the water she is drinking is only giving temporary relief. This is exactly the description of this world. We try something… find temporary enjoyment, only to thirst again.   What false well are we running to, only to find disappointment and loss? Jesus offers living water to the condemned, to call them to eternal life. We need to move our hearts from physical concerns to spiritual concerns. The light is shining in the world so that we do not have to be blinded by the darkness any longer. Satan blinds us with the things the world, and we do not see the treasure that is Jesus and the living water He provides. We need to see that what Jesus is offering is more valuable than anything this world has to offer. Jesus is the pearl of great value. Jesus is the treasure. He is worth everything.   The message is yours. We are about to sing our invitation song. If anyone here has the need to be baptized into Christ, or needs the prayers of faithful people, the invitation is there for you to come forward while we stand and sing.     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercherville  

He Must Increase John 3:22-36   INTRODUCTION: Good morning church! As we study the Gospel of John we should always keep in mind the main theme of John’s writing; So “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”   There are many threads or themes in this gospel that are woven together to present the picture of the greatness of Jesus. A reminder of all that Christ has done for us, this immense sacrifice, which reaches back to chapter 1 about how light had come into the world, the darkness did not comprehend it or overcome it. In chapter 3 that thought has been retraced, describing the greatness of the light coming, but the people did not receive Him, even though He came to heal the people of their sins.   Another strand we saw in chapter 2, the miracle of turning the water to wine. We noted in that symbolism what Jesus brings is greater than what the nation had before. They had wine, but it ran out. The Old Testament prophets described wine as the blessings that are poured out from God. Christ comes and He pours out this wine abundantly, overflowing, better than what the nation had ever received before.   Then we have Jesus describing the tearing down of the temple, but He's describing Himself. A greater temple is now among you, a superior temple. The place of contact with God, the place to worship God, and the place to find atonement is no longer in a physical structure, but in the body of Christ.   In this section we're going to talk about John the Baptist again, and we will see almost the same thing that we saw in the first chapter. I wondered why John would do that. We already talked about John the baptizer saying he is not worthy to untie the sandal strap of the one who is to come, and how the one to come must increase, and he must decrease.   What are we seeing? I think we're seeing this grand strand, this great theme, that Jesus is superior, and the reasoning why is going to be laid out here in this section.   I. Glory Belongs to Jesus — Our text will be John 3:22-36 and this has a convergence of all of the themes that we've been studying. We'll break this scene into two separate parts. The first part is in verses 22-30 with an emphasis on glory that belongs to Jesus. Let's read John 3:22-30. “22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon (EE-known) near Salim (suh-lime), because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).   25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”   27John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”” [ESV] A. The first thing we notice is that John does something curious, but very important. What do verses 22, 23 and 24, have to do with anything that we're talking about here? Jesus and His disciples are in Judea and they're baptizing. Then we are told that John is baptizing too, because there's some water and because John hasn’t been thrown in prison yet. Next there is a jump to a dispute between John's disciples and the Jew. What was that about? What are you telling us? 1. I suggest that what we observe is a connection being made between baptism and purification that can easily, I think, be missed. Yet it's very strongly being tied together because of what is being shown to us in verses 22, 23 and 24, the rise of what might seem to be a competition. 2. John the Baptist has been baptizing, and now Jesus is in the Judean area with His disciples and they're baptizing. Okay, Jesus is baptizing and John the baptizer is baptizing. What is going on around here? 3. John does not put things together at random. Verses 22,23, and 24 set the stage with verse 25 as the result of this scene. In verse 25 a discussion now occurs with some person or persons and the disciples of John. B. We notice it is not an argument over baptism. It says it's purification, but the context is that John is baptizing and Jesus is baptizing. We don't get any description about the details of this discussion. Then in the next verse, 26, we find that John’s disciples express concern that Jesus is baptizing as well as John. This verse also starts with a connecting word and refers to John’s disciples who were in the previous verse in the discussion with someone. 1. John's disciples now come to John and say, do you know the fellow you said we were supposed to pay attention to? Everybody's going after him now. They seem to think that's a problem. 2. What John says as a response to this is this, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” This is an amazing statement that John makes, and it is important to see, just like we saw in the first chapter, John is not caught up in a rivalry. John is not caught up in a competition. He's not trying to compare himself to Jesus. 3. He doesn't get involved in any of that. He just simply states, God gave me a particular task, a particular mission. My job was to point to Jesus. That's what my job was all about. I cannot assume for myself anything more or anything greater than what God has given me to do. That was my purpose. That's why I'm here. That's why I was sent. C. John is not going to take glory for himself. He's not going to claim to be somebody or claim himself to be important. That's not what this is about and there's no room for that in the kingdom of God. John simply says, my job, my purpose, is to point to Him. That's what has been given to me. I'm not the anointed one. I'm not the chosen one. He is, and I can only do what God has given me to do. 1. That is such a great reminder, especially when you contrast how John later in this gospel is going to describe the reaction of the Pharisees as they see Jesus going around teaching and healing. As Jesus continues to grow with numbers and disciples and multitudes, the Pharisees are going to be outraged. They will say the world has gone after Him and they are upset. 2. John's disciples are saying the world has gone after Him, and John's response is good, excellent, that is the way it should be. Remember in chapter one, John is talking with two of his disciples, Jesus walks by and John stops and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” What those two disciples then did was leave John and followed Jesus. 3. To John the baptizer this is victory! His job was successful. That's what he understands. He's not in a competition. Servants of God know their roles, know their purpose. Here John reveals that for us and we can find this elsewhere in scripture. D. A similar situation happens to Moses in Numbers 11:26f. “26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”” 1. Same idea isn’t it? A young man told Moses there are other people prophesying! Joshua, thinking this should be done by Moses only, tells Moses, “My lord Moses, stop them!” Moses says, I don't care, that's fine. I wish everybody could do what I was doing. 2. That's what John's does here. His disciples come to John, “John, John, everybody's following Jesus.” John goes, “That's good”. Servants of God know their role. Servants of God know their purpose. Servants of God know their job. It is so important for us to understand that. It is not about competition and we experience joy when God is glorified. 3. John's purpose was to point to Jesus, to give all the glory to Jesus and tell people, go follow him. John stayed directly on that task. We notice in verse 28, “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’” John has been saying this all along, I'm not the one. There is great joy in doing the task that God has given a servant to do. E. We see a beautiful picture in John 3:29. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom… Then he says, and I’ll paraphrase, “the best man of the groom who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice.” “Therefore, my joy is complete.” The job of the best man is not to take attention away. The best man stands back and is glad for the groom, his friend. All the glory belongs to the bride and the groom. The best man does not steal that glory, does not steal the time. He knows what his job is. 1. That's how John paints himself. I'm just the friend of the groom. My joy is complete to see this wedding occasion. My job is done. 2. Then he uses these beautiful words as a summary, He must increase, I must decrease. Isn’t that what John's disciples are saying? Jesus is out there baptizing, you're losing your followers. John goes, I know, that's exactly what's supposed to happen. People are supposed to go after Jesus and not after me. 3. This is what true success looks like. True success is not about pointing to us, bringing glory to ourselves, or drawing attention to ourselves. It is always in pointing to Jesus. That is what our task is. We have no other tasks than that. It is not about who we are, as if we're something important. It is all about deflecting the glory to Jesus. To put it another way, we don't elevate ourselves. F. We find this an amazing statement though because of what Jesus said about John in Matthew 11:11, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist…” Yet, here John saying, I must decrease, just the best man here, just doing my job, and my joy is complete because the glory belongs to Him. John gets it. 1. We do not elevate ourselves. We elevate Jesus and we elevate nothing else. Everything must belong to Him. He must receive our attention, our adoration. He must receive all of our efforts. 2. A great reminder here, there's no room for jealousy in the kingdom of God. There's no room for competition, no room for rivalry. Those things can happen on so many levels from the simplest task to the most complex ministry. But there should be no competition or rivalry within a local body of Christians. 3. We are all different members doing various things. I'm not more important than you. You're not more important than me. We all have important tasks and God given roles of what we can do as we work in this community. It's not about preachers competing about who is the better preacher. Not about who is the better song leader and not about who has a task this week that someone else had last week. 4. It's not about any of that. It is all about making sure we are pointing to Jesus in everything that we do, and we should be excited when other people do better than we do. That's what John's doing. 5. John is happy that Jesus has people following Him because that's where the glory belongs, and the same thing should happen for us. If other Christians are doing a great job in teaching, we should be like Moses. Great! Glad they can do it. It's not about me. It's about getting God's task done. It's about bringing glory to Him. 6. I like the way that Paul worded it. Paul wrote this in 2nd Corinthians 4:7 describing the apostles; “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” If the apostles could say that about themselves; “we have a treasure given to us, we have been given the revelation of God, we have been given insight into the great mystery, we have this great gospel… but we are nothing but clay jars”, – then we most certainly should have the very same attitude that we're just vessels carrying the gospel to the world. We deserve no glory, deserve no honor, it is not about us, it is about Jesus. Jesus must increase and we must decrease. II. Jesus Is God’s Supreme Representative – Read with me John 3:31-36 “31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” This is the second part of this two-part section. In this part John is showing why Jesus should increase and everybody else must decrease. Here we find descriptions about the superior nature of Jesus, so that we would see everything does point to Him. Notice what John does as he brings us each verse almost in rapid fire, describing the supreme nature of who Jesus is. A. Verse 31. “He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.” That's straightforward, Christ is from heaven. John is of the earth and he says; “who's more important?” Jesus is. Who has more authority? He does, because He's from heaven. 1. Therefore, He has authority over all things. All that is on the earth is subjugated to Him. Therefore, it is right and proper for all glory to go to Jesus, and none of the glory belongs to us because we are of the earth and are therefore of an earthly way. 2. Look at the comparison. I mean, how can we possibly compare? Look how great He is. He came from heaven and that sets Him apart from anybody else. Who else has come from heaven to this earth and revealed to us the mind of God? None, and therefore, He's above all. B. Look at verses 32-33. “He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.” 1. John is saying Jesus brings the testimony of heaven. That is very powerful. Who else has firsthand knowledge, firsthand revelation, and firsthand information about the spiritual and heavenly things of God? John's saying, He's got all that information, not me. He came from there. 2. John wants us to see that not only does Jesus have the authority, but we need to listen to Jesus because He has firsthand testimony. Jesus spoke with firsthand observation and knowledge. Since Jesus is from heaven, He can speak from knowledge, not theory. C. Notice what else he says there in verse 32. “He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.” We see this continuing thread in John's gospel, nobody's listening. In John 1:10-11 we read “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” In John chapter 3 we read God loved the world in this way that he gave his only son that whoever would believe in him would not perish. But the people did not receive him. 1. Here we're given that a different way. He came from heaven. He has all authority and all knowledge. He has firsthand information about the ways of God, because He came from there… but nobody's listening. 2. John continually is pointing out nobody's obeying. Nobody's listening. People are not receiving the words of Jesus. Nobody believes Him with belief that will transform their life. Instead, they're rejecting Him. 3. John continues to build this case of what Jesus is looking for in true belief and who will receive and who will believe in Him. Yet he says in the very absolute sense of verse 32, no one receives him. D. Verse 33, “Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.” That's a complicated statement in a very condensed way, but I think it's something to the effect of this; Jesus did and said everything that God told Him to do and say. He is giving the very witness of God. He did everything that God did because that's who He is. He is God. 1. Therefore, to believe in Jesus is to believe in God. To reject God is to reject the Son. Conversely, to not accept Jesus is to call God a liar because God said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” that's my Son. 2. To believe in Him is to say, yes, God is true. God is trustworthy. God is faithful. John is telling us, we need to receive the testimony. But unfortunately, so many are not listening. It was true then and true now, people refusing to come to the light, refusing to obey, refusing to receive His testimony. E. Look next at verse 34. “For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.” In these verses is clearly the descent of the dove alighting and remaining on Jesus (John 1:33). A measureless gift of the Spirit is received by Jesus, and the inevitable corollary is that Jesus spoke the true words of God. Jesus is in full possession of God's Spirit, not merely in some manifestation of it, or some portion of it, but to the fullest and total extent. 1. Not only is He from heaven, not only does He bear the testimony of heaven, of all that He has seen up there, but everything He said are the very words of God. He wasn't making it up. He is superior because He says God's words. 2. Then he says in verse 34, without measure. The contrast is, yes, the prophets spoke the words of God, but that was with limitation, by the measure of the spirit given to them. They were the mouthpiece of God. Not like Jesus, because Jesus is the full receiving of all that. 3. Not even the apostles possessed the Spirit in the total sense that Jesus did. John gives us a picture of Jesus superior nature. He utters the very words of God. He possesses the spirit without limitation, without measure. He distributes it to others as well. F. Verse 35, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” That pretty well sums it up, doesn’t it? He has supreme authority. How powerful it is when you get to the end of Matthew's gospel where Jesus utters those very words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” I have all authority, do as I say, is supreme in every way. 1. We can see how this fits with what John, the apostle, is doing. Of course, John, the baptizer must decrease. Jesus is the one sent from God, speaking the very words of God, who has observed heaven itself. He can describe to us and give His testimony to spiritual things because He has been given all authority by the Father. G. The seriousness of this is brought home to us in verse 36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” This wraps up the whole chapter of what John is trying to accomplish about the work of Jesus. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. That goes right back to John 3:16. 1. Here is Jesus. He is the author of life. Notice that belief and disobedience are contrasts. He that believes … whoever does not obey … These are among the most decisive words in the New Testament regarding what is meant by "believing," or "faith" as frequently used by New Testament writers. In all instances, it is an OBEDIENT FAITH that is meant and never is some special quality of faith apart from obedience intended. 2. Salvation by "faith alone" is an erroneous tenet of human creeds and is not the teaching of God's word. He who does not obey the Son, in the practical sense, is an unbeliever; and all faith, of whatever degree, is dead without obedience as James says. 3. Note also that for the one who does not obey… “… the wrath of God remains on him.” Folks, that goes back to John 3:17-18 that we talked about in a prior lesson, the one who does not have obedient faith is condemned already.   CONCLUSION: This confirms what we read in 2:23, where we saw people were coming to Jesus claiming to believe in Him, but Jesus did not believe in them because He knew their hearts.   That set the stage for Nicodemus who seemed to have belief. He says to Jesus, we know that you've come from God. Jesus tells him, no, “unless one is born again… unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”   This shows belief is not mere acknowledgement of what we have been talking about throughout these lessons, but about a radical life transformation and service to Jesus. Belief is now contrasted with disobedience. Believing is obeying. Believing is following Christ, and transforming your life, experiencing that new birth so that you do all He says. To disobey is to not believe, to go on our own path and to do our own thing. True belief desires to do what He says and to flee from sin.   When we consider that last part of verse 36, we see it's very similar to verse 18 where he says, “… whoever does not believe is condemned already…”   If faith in the Son is the only way to inherit eternal life, and is commanded by God, then failure to trust Him is as much disobedience as unbelief. Belief and obedience are used interchangeably in verse 36. This shows our observations throughout this chapter have been correct. Genuine belief is the new birth, life transformation, so that we will desire Jesus. We will desire to obey Him and desire to flee from sin, rebellion, and disobedience. True belief as seen in the new birth, leads to eternal life. John ends with the thought he declared in verse 18, we are the condemned. There is justice there, we are all disobedient, and we are all sinful. Jesus did not come to condemn the world because we were already condemned by our actions. Jesus came to rescue the world, but if we do not have a new birth through Jesus, the wrath of God remains on us. We are still condemned and therefore wrath still rests upon us. The wrath of God rests upon us until we come to Jesus for salvation. Jesus came to save.   The question is; Will we believe His heavenly testimony and be transformed into His children?   The message is yours. We are about to sing our invitation song. If anyone here has the need to be baptized into Christ, or needs the prayers of faithful people, the invitation is there for you to come forward while we stand and sing.     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercherville  

The Beginning & The End Revelation 22:13 – 14   There are Military Slogan’s which state that : “the overall decisions start and stop here.” Or we have heard the phrase, “The buck stops here!” And there is the famous quote from a parent … “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it!!!!!!”   When Hemingway famously wrote, "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn," he proved that an entire story can be told using a half dozen words. When the online storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers to submit six-word memoirs, they proved a whole, real life can be told this way too. The results are fascinating, hilarious, shocking, and moving.   People were asked to sum up their lives in 6 words. HERE ARE A FEW ENTRIES: “Not Quite What I Had Planned” “Well, I thought it was funny.” “Dad was Santa. Downhill from there.” “Never really finished anything, except cake.” "Followed yellow brick road. Disappointment ensued.”   One Life. Six Words. What's Yours? Jesus might have said: “I Am The Alpha And Omega.”  That 6 word statement literally sums up Jesus’ life. ALPHA was the first letter of the Greek alphabet and OMEGA was the last of that alphabet. So, Jesus (in Revelation 22) said: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”   This was literally, the last “I AM” statement by Jesus in Scripture. And it was how the Bible presents Jesus to us. Jesus was literally the beginning of all things: Colossians 1:17 says that Jesus "is before all things." And the Gospel of John describes Jesus as the “WORD” and tells us: “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-2   So Jesus was “THE BEGINNING” of all things… and Jesus will literally be THE END of all things. The last words of the book of Revelation are these: “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.  Revelation 22:20-21   Now, that’s all cool stuff, but what does that all mean to us? What does it mean to us that Jesus is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last?? The title connects Jesus to the God of creation, proclaiming His absolute sovereignty over history and destiny. the title means the Lord is present at the beginning and at the consummation of history; nothing lies outside His knowledge or reign. the phrase connects New Testament Christology to Old Testament declarations of God as “the first and the last,” affirming Jesus’ full divinity. And it reassures Christians that the one who began God’s plan will also bring it to completion, so the future is not unknown or abandoned. Placed at the very end of Scripture, the verse functions as a bookend: it frames the entire biblical narrative as the work of the same sovereign Lord who authored history and will bring its purposes to fulfillment. And, since the Lord claims authority over all time and the story’s end, believers can live with confidence that present suffering and unanswered questions sit within a completed divine purpose and that God will finish what He has begun.   There are Three applications for us today: Live with the end in view. If Jesus is both the beginning and the end, then every present choice matters for the final story. Let small daily acts be shaped by the final reality: worship, mercy, honesty, and faithfulness are investments in the city and in the life that flows from the throne. Embrace cleansing, not self-justification. The washing of robes points us away from self-righteous striving and toward repentance that receives divine cleansing. Encourage people to bring their failures to the Lamb and accept forgiveness rather than doubling down on excuse or despair. Open doors now as foretaste of the city. The gates of the city anticipate a community where holiness and hospitality meet. Practically, pursue communities that reflect tree-of-life values: justice for the weak, welcome for the outcast, truth-telling, and sacrificial care. These are the signs of people who already live toward that city.   In Isaiah 44:6 GOD declares “I am the first and the last” And Psalm 90:2 states: “from everlasting to everlasting You are God” And, in the first chapter of Revelation we find these words: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” Revelation 1:8   His story makes its way through Scripture like a common thread. Because JESUS IS the “Alpha and Omega” and the “Beginning and the End” - He IS IN CONTROL. And because He is before and behind and all around us, that makes it so that I can TRUST Him, therefore, I don’t have to be afraid.   Because Jesus is the Alpha & the Omega, the 1st and the Last, and the Beginning and the End, I don’t have to be afraid… because Jesus has it all under control.   ILLUS: As most of you know …. I have a 3-year-old granddaughter. She is cute and smart and whenever we’re together we have a great time. But one of the things that humbles me is how much she trusts me. One day while babysitting I’d only been gone from the room about 5 minutes when suddenly I hear her crying out in panic. I rushed to the kitchen to see that she’d pulled a dining room chair over to the kitchen counter and had crawled up – belly down – on the counter to reach something. And there she was - her belly on the counter, her butt in the air, and her legs dangling in space about a foot above the chair she had used. Now she wasn’t actually in any danger, but she didn’t know that. All she knew was that she was stuck, and she had no way to get down. And she was afraid!   When I got there and spoke to her, she seemed to relax. And after I helped her back down to the floor, she was happy again. But WHY did she suddenly relax when I got there? Because she believed that I had things under control. She saw that I was there to protect her – she trusted me.   When Jesus said “I am the Alpha and The Omega, the Beginning and the End…” He was saying “I am NEVER FAR AWAY from you. I have this under control, and I’ll always be on hand to protect you.” That’s how we should view the crisis we now face. In Jesus we have someone who is never far away and always has things under control.   In fact, that’s the kind of faith that David had about God back in the Old Testament. He wrote: “I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.” Psalm 17:6-9   Notice, David did face real danger, real enemies, and the very real possibility of death. And yet he believed God had things under control… and He could trust Him. THAT’s how we can view Jesus, because He IS God in the flesh. So Jesus - being the Alpha and Omega - tells us He has things under control and that we can trust Him, but in addition to that, Jesus is not only THE Alpha and Omega, and THE Beginning and End, Jesus is MY Beginning and End. He is MY Alpha and Omega. HE has re-MADE my life so I my life is re-NEWED. It has re-BEGUN. You see I could live my life without Jesus. I really could get along quite well without Him. But it wouldn’t really be living … it would only be simply EXISTING. I would simply be “getting by” with no future and no real purpose for life. But Jesus came so that my life would be changed. When I was baptized into Christ, Romans 6:4 tells me that “We were buried … with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE.” In Jesus I have a NEWNESS of life because Jesus is the BEGINNING of that new life.   Jesus came to CHANGE our lives and offer us a NEW BEGINNING. But Jesus didn’t just come to change us and walk away. One person observed: “Alpha and Omega” means that whatever Jesus starts, He finishes.  Hebrews 12:2 says we should be “looking unto Jesus, the author and FINISHER of our faith....”   And Paul reminds us that “He who BEGAN a good work in you will bring it to COMPLETION at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6   ILLUS: I’ve noticed that there are many craftsmen and artists in this world who do something, and then get to the point in their task where they’ll say “that’s good enough.” It’s not perfect, but it’s… GOOD ENOUGH. But Jesus is not like that. Jesus is kind of a perfectionist. When He works in our lives “good enough” is never good enough.     Jesus will never be satisfied with simply beginning a good work in us and then walk away saying “I’m done.” Jesus is such a perfectionist that He will never stop working on us until He’s satisfied.   ILLUS: Some of the world’s Greatest artists have been like that. Take Leonardo Da Vinci, for example. I’m going to give you a quiz this morning and see if you know the answer: What is the most valuable and praised painting in the world? Think about it for moment… if you guessed the “Mona Lisa” you were right!   This famous portrait by Da Vinci was commissioned by a patron to celebrate a birthday. If Leonardo had simply been interested in the money, he could have painted the portrait in a month and received his payment. But money was never the object with him. It took Da Vince 4 years to paint this masterpiece… and the painting (I read) has up to 30 different layers of paint!   But, why would Da Vinci do that? Why would he keep adding more and more paint to his artwork? Well, he did that because he kept working and reworking the image until he was pleased with it. And he loved this painting so much that he never gave it to his patron. He kept it for himself for years afterward.   And that’s what Jesus does with us. He is constantly working us and reworking us. Jesus will never quite be done with us, because to Jesus… you and I are the most valuable pieces of art in existence, and He wants us to be the best that He can create! And ultimately, He keeps us for Himself because He loves us so much. As Ephesians 2:10 tells us “We are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared in advance for us to do.”   Lastly - Jesus is not just MY Alpha - He’s MY Omega. He’s not just the beginning of my new life, He is the END… the completion of my existence.   In other words - ultimately we will be a FINISHED PRODUCT. As Ephesians 5:25-27 tells us: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”   Now, there are some people who have difficulty understanding what that means. Many may believe that the “finished product” is based on their OWN righteousness. But that’s not what is said here. The passage in Ephesians 5 says that Jesus GAVE Himself up for the church. Jesus sanctified her. Jesus cleansed her. HE DID THE WORK… not us. You can’t buy a ticket to get in because of your “sinlessness” because THAT doesn’t exist.   We are reminded of the parable Jesus told about two men who came to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee (the very essence of righteousness and holiness) and the other – a Tax Collector (the lowest rung on the moral ladder in Israel). Jesus said that the Pharisee prayed this way “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” (Luke 18:11-12) In other words, the Pharisee bragged to God that he’d never sinned as badly as the tax collector. But then, Jesus said, that the Tax Collector prayed: ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ And Jesus said “I tell you, this man (the tax collector) went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:13-14   Now, here’s the deal – you and I WILL NOT get into Heaven because of how righteous WE ARE. We’ll only get into heaven because of how righteous JESUS IS. It’s all about Jesus. If Jesus is not your ALPHA & OMEGA; if Jesus is not your BEGINNING & END; if Jesus is not your FIRST & LAST priorities … then you and I will not make it in through the gate. To depend upon our righteousness is a fool’s game.   Scripture says our righteousness will be like filthy rags unless we are washed in the blood of Christ. We do that by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. That He is our Alpha and Omega. And we do that by acknowledging that our own righteousness isn’t enough because we’ve sinned and fall short of God’s glory… therefore we need to repent of our sins and rely on Christ’s righteousness. And by confessing that Jesus is the true and only son of the father and that – He’s the one that we rely upon and trust. And lastly, we do this by allowing ourselves to imitate Christ by dying to our sins and being buried in the waters of baptism… and then rising up from those waters to walk in newness of life. May the Alpha and Omega raise and complete within us the life he began, may our robes be kept clean by his grace, and may we walk as citizens of the city toward which all history moves. Amen.

The Condemned John 3:17-21   INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. The apostle John continues his summary of the great news concerning God’s love toward the world. John 3:16 is the statement of fact concerning God’s love. This is the way God loved the world: he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. God’s love is stated in a factual manner. This is the way God loved us.   We have been talking about Jesus and Nicodemus and are continuing in that narrative this morning. Now the conclusion as Jesus wraps up His discussion. Jesus is trying to help him understand about the new birth, and what it means to see the kingdom of God, and what Nicodemus needs to do to be in the Kingdom.   Verse 17 continues from verse 16 identifying God’s purpose in sending His Son into the world. John is helping us grasp what God is doing through Jesus so that there is no confusion about the purpose of God’s love.   I. God’s Purpose: Salvation, Not Condemnation (3:17-18) – “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” God sent Jesus to redeem humanity, not in wrath against humanity. A. This is an important framework to have in our minds as we think about God. God did not come against us in anger. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world. This statement easily gets taken out of its context and is used to suggest that God does not condemn anyone. We're good to go because God didn't come to judge, to condemn, so we are all fine. That is not the point of what John is saying. B. Then we read verse 18. Why didn't Jesus come to condemn the world? Why did He have to come to save the world? Underline the word ‘already’. He didn't have to condemn the world for it was already condemned. There was no reason for Jesus to come to condemn the world. That's our problem. We are under condemnation, under judgment. That is the reason Jesus did not come to condemn, because we're already condemned. 1. This lesson is titled “The Condemned” for that is what we are, and that is the point Jesus is expressing to Nicodemus. He, and we, are reminded of where we stand before God. We are not inherently righteous people. 2. John 3 has made that point clear to us. There is nothing about us that God should have done anything. Think about verses 14 and 15, and ask, what should God have done to the people in the wilderness who were complaining about God's providence and Moses leadership? God should have let them die. Instead, God intervenes and saves the people from the poisonous snakes. He has Moses erect a bronze serpent, and whoever looked at it would find salvation from the venom. 3. That's where we are. We are the condemned and we will die in our sins without salvation. God didn't have to send His son to condemn the world as it was already condemned. Jesus is pointing that out and He came in order that the world might be saved through him, (That is the very purpose of Jesus’ coming, to bring salvation because of the judgment that we are under.) C. Carefully notice verse 18: not believing does not condemn us, because we are already condemned. John is moving our thinking away from believing that we are good people who deserve eternal life. Doing nothing does not mean we are in good relationship with God. We are condemned. Doing nothing maintains our condemnation. Something has to happen to change the outcome of our condemnation. If nothing else happens, then all of us will remain condemned for our sins and, according to verse 16, we will perish. 1. The problem with unbelief is it maintains your condemnation. The point Jesus is making is if you will believe, you can be set free from that condemnation. Jesus is showing us that He did not come into a morally neutral world. The first chapter showed us that light had come. Where? Into the darkness. The light did not come into something that was good and right and okay. The point is we are in sin and therefore Jesus had to come to the rescue. 2. Do not forget what we have learned in this chapter about belief. Belief is not acknowledgement or confession, but life transformation. Jesus described it as being “born again” and “born from above.” A new birth has occurred, which is also described as being born of water and the Spirit. This is the new heart and new life that seeks to obey and desires the ways of the Lord. We must experience new birth in Jesus. Jesus is the only way out of our mess. Jesus is the only way to be set free from our condemnation. Using the imagery of verses 14-15, Jesus is the only way to be healed from the death sentence of sin. 3. I imagine what Nicodemus must have felt. He thinks he's a good moral guy. He's a Jew, a Pharisee, a ruler, and a Sanhedrin member. He probably felt he was fine. He thinks he's in the kingdom of God. Then Jesus says, you're not going to see the kingdom of God unless you experience this new birth. Unless there is this radical life transformation, you are in the same boat with everyone else, condemned in sins. 4. We must understand there is nothing about us to cause God to look upon us with some great favor and say, “That's why I'm going to send Jesus”. No. We are fully condemned and it is our own doing. It is because of His great love that God sent His son to rescue us from that condemnation. D. Jesus is telling Nicodemus, you don't see your condition. You don't see that you're condemned. Until you appreciate condemnation, until you appreciate where you stand before the judge as the gavel falls, then you cannot appreciate being rescued. You can't appreciate salvation. 1. The person who doesn't know they're drowning does not appreciate the rescue. We have to see our sin and we must understand our condemnation to be able to grasp what is happening. That's why verse 19 is so powerful.   II. The Verdict (3:19-20) – Now John 3:19-20 and I’m going to use the NIV here. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”[NIV] The gavel has fallen, Judgment is now being passed and here is the verdict. A. Imagine being in the courtroom of God and listening to this verdict being declared in our trial. “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” [ESV]. I cannot think of more heart-wrenching words than this verdict. 1. The light has come, but we love the darkness because we are wicked, as seen by our actions. How sad! We would rather live for ourselves, than be saved from our condemnation. What staggering sinfulness! 2. The light has come into the world, and we still are living wickedly as if Jesus did not come. The light has come and there has not been life change in the hearts of the people. No transformation has occurred. B. Let’s relate this to the scene in the wilderness like Jesus did in verses 14-15. This would be like the people being bitten by the venomous snakes, the bronze snake being put on the pole to save them from the venom, and people rejecting that salvation. 1. They close their eyes and refuse to look at the bronze serpent in faith. They would rather complain and die in the wilderness than change their lives through God’s grace, and live. They would rather reject God as the source of their life and die in that desert than believe that God would heal them if they faithfully turned to him. 2. Can you imagine if the people hearing the words “look to the pole and you'll be healed”, said, “No”? “I think I'll close my eyes and just do what I want to do. I'd rather stare at the dirt and avert my eyes from that salvation”. 3. Who in their right mind is going to refuse the anti-venom? Who is going to reject the antidote to death? John says that we are. We are. We are rejecting the antidote to death because we love the darkness rather than the light. C. Jesus is the light who has entered the world of darkness. Did that darkness come to the light? It did not, the people remained in darkness. It is like the people said, “we would rather die of snake bite than love the Lord and be healed”. That's what is being declared here. That's the verdict that Jesus proclaims here. Shocking, and you have to ask: Why? 1. The answer is; the people loved the darkness rather than the light. We'd rather do what we want to do. We want to live how we want to live. We'll act how we want to act, and we'll be what we want to be. You can't tell us what to do. 2. You're right. Just stay there in the darkness and die of venom. What craziness! Yet isn’t this the very proclamation that we often make in our sins rather than turn to the Lord, our God, with all of our heart and obey Him and love him and serve Him? 3. It is saying, I would rather die in my sins because I want to be independent, and I want to live how I want to live. I hope we see what an absurd statement we are making before our God when we say that to him. 4. We’re being freed from sin. Jesus did not come to condemn us. He came to rescue us for we are already under condemnation. 5. It is when we see this condemnation that the words of the apostle Paul should spring to life in our hearts. In Romans 7:21-25, Paul described the weightiness of sin, the battle of sin, and how he says I do not do the things that I know I should do and want to do. I continue to be weighed down by my sins. Then Paul asks the question in verse 24, “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” D. Now when the gavel comes down there is a way for the condemnation to have been removed. There is a way to be saved from that awful verdict and that's what Jesus is trying to move Nicodemus to understand. The whole purpose of Jesus life as He walks on the earth, is to move people to understand their sinfulness, so that they can be rescued. 1. That's why I find this passage so weighty. I mean, why does Jesus have to tell people about the law of God? Why does He have to teach us about sin? Why does He have to teach us about what God demands of people? It’s not because He must condemn us, but so that we will see that we are condemned already. We need to understand the law of God so that we can see that we have fallen short. We need to see the character of God. 2. Jesus has to come as light to awaken our hearts, open our eyes, and get us to see our true spiritual condition as utterly, utterly lost in darkness. If Jesus does not do that, then no one will turn to Him for rescue. That is His purpose. 3. Jesus lays this out to Nicodemus. Do you see your condition before the Almighty God? God's love is so great that He would send His son to the rescue and deliver us from the death that comes from our sins. E. Then verse 20 becomes even tougher as He continues to speak of this verdict. “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” Why do people want to stay in darkness? Why do we refuse to come to the light, take the antidote, find salvation? He explains it very clearly. We like the condition we are in, we like how we are living and we enjoy what we are doing. What we are saying is that we prefer our sins over Jesus. We would prefer to complain and die in the wilderness than love Him and live. 1. In our desire to continue the way we are living, we try to somehow have a relationship with Jesus yet maintain our sinful ways, trying to hide them from others. Jesus is light and light exposes darkness. We cannot treasure our sins and prefer our wickedness over Jesus. When we choose evil, we hate the light. We are hating Jesus, and we run away from the light. 2. That's what He just told us, and God is calling us to do something frightening, to expose our works. God doesn't want us to hide our sins. No, God already knows them and that's why He sent His son. We're not really hiding anything, we're condemned. We cannot keep anything from Him. 3. He knows, yet what do we do? We hide them, try to conceal them and we think we're getting away with it. We don't see that we're the condemned and we think that we're fine. We're good, not as bad as other people. 4. God is calling us to expose our works. If we are doing what is true, then we will walk into the light and have our deeds exposed. Those who live by the truth willingly walk into the light, allow sin to be exposed, find cleansing, and begin the new birth / life transformation. To look at the bronze serpent on the pole, is to admit guilt and to admit the need for healing. We must humble ourselves to walk into the light of Jesus. 5. We must confess our sins and admit that we need a Savior. Stop hiding our sins. Stop pretending that our sinfulness is okay. Stop thinking that being lukewarm toward God is acceptable. Remember Mark’s lesson last week? Laodicea is a word which has come to stand for lukewarmness, indifference and compromise. Jesus also told them in Revelation 3:17, You say ““I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” They did not know their true condition. 6. Do not run from the light of Jesus. Let the light shine into your heart. Feel the weight of our common condemnation and turn from that darkness. We lay out our sins before God and expose them and stop pretending that we're okay, stop pretending that we're not the condemned for we are the condemned. 7. God knows that, yet we arrogantly will hang on to our lives, hang on to our sins and refuse to expose them to the almighty God. Stop thinking that we can have one foot in the light with Jesus and one foot in the darkness of this world. That's the picture that verses 19-20 give. III. Carried Out in God (3:21) – Verse 21 is such a great conclusion. From John 2:28 to John 3:21 there has been one thought. What a statement that is made to Nicodemus here! “But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” A. Jesus comes to a world of darkness. Here is God shining the light to us, revealing Himself, showing the love of God, being all that we need as a savior. Everything that we need to be saved, everything that we need for God as revelation, as light, as salvation, all being brought to us. 1. That is what propels us to do good works. My works, left to myself without God's intervention, continue in darkness. I'll continue to live how I want to live, do what I want to do. It is only when God reveals - this is what light is, this is what truth is, this is the way you ought to live, - that we have the desire to do what is true. 2. If we choose to walk in the darkness, we're going to continue to do the things of darkness. That is what He's telling us. Thus verse 21, “…whoever does what is true comes to the light…” You need to be part of the light. You must expose those sins. You must recognize what God has done for you. You must see the salvation that He has offered. That is what propels us to obedience. B. I’ll put it this way; fleeing sinful living is not about “I have to do this”, and it should never be presented that way. Ceasing sin is not about God being a cosmic killjoy who just won't let us do the things that we want to do. “I guess if I want to have eternal life and go to heaven, not burn in hell, then I suppose I'm going to have to stop doing all the stuff that I want to do. I'll just kind of grin and bear it. I'll just kind of put up with it and get there.” 1. So help us, if that's our attitude about God. It's about understanding everything that God has done so that I desire to get rid of all the folly of darkness living. 2. I need to grasp that I'm condemned, grasp that I deserve death, grasp that I'm dying in the wilderness, understand that I'm undeserving of any intervention on God's part. I am the creation and not the creator, I am the one who ought to give and God has no obligation to give me anything, understand that, yes He is God… Then when I see what He gave, I am compelled to good works. I am compelled to walk in the light. 3. I believe that's what he means verse 21 to say, so that it may be clearly seen that his works are carried out in God. It will become evident that our good works are being carried out in God because I see His glory, His goodness, His mercy, and I do what I am doing because of what He's done for me. All my goodness is because God has been so good to me. C. If he had not been good to me, then my actions would have remained in darkness, and I would remain in the camp of the condemned. There would have been no hope for you or for me. 1. Jesus wants us to comprehend the weight of that. It's not about what you have to do. It's about feeling the weight of God's love and goodness that will compel you to want to do what is true, compel you to leave behind sin. You will desire it. It will come from the heart, and it will no longer be, “I guess I have to do that kind of thing.” It is because of love, we serve our Savior because I see all that He has given for me. 2. Because God loved the world, He gave His only son so that we no longer have to be the condemned and perish, but can be healed and live.   CONCLUSION: The question for you this morning, what's your verdict? What's the sentence that you will receive? Such wonderful words by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” You don't have to be condemned any longer. Understand you are condemned now, but there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus.   If we will experience that life transformation, if we will turn away from the darkness because of what God has done for us, expose our sins to God, walk in the light, give Him everything that we have, sacrifice ourselves for Him because He sacrificed so much for us, - that is what will lead to the new birth. We will have the new birth, and that is what genuine belief is all about. That's what Jesus is moving Nicodemus to understand.   How can I know that my belief is a saving belief? How can I know that I have no condemnation now? Nicodemus believed Jesus was sent from God but was told he would not see the kingdom of God unless a new birth occurred. Genuine belief in Jesus reveals itself in humble obedience. This is what verse 21 is declaring to us. You can know what belief you have. Is the model of your life to come to the light in humble obedience and submission to the Lord, or is the model to hide your sins, stay away from the light, and live as you want?   Our life is in God. Our actions are in God. Our hope is in God. Everything we do is to be carried out in God. This is the new birth. This is life transformation. Jesus is the light. Come to the light.   It is not enough, as Nicodemus believed, to say Jesus is sent from God. Nicodemus uttered those words and was told, Nicodemus, you're not seeing the kingdom of God. Genuine belief comes from a recognition that we are the condemned and He has come to die for our sins.   I believe that He is the savior, and I will love and obey and follow Him with all my heart because He has taken me out of the domain of darkness and transferred me into the glorious kingdom of light.   That is the change that He's calling us to make. Don't try to hide your sins anymore. Expose them before God. Seek Him, surrender to Him as your king, as the ruler, as the savior. Our whole life is in God. Our hope is in God. Our salvation is in God. Everything is in God that it may be clearly seen that our works have been carried out in God.   That's what it should look like as we go out every single day.   The message is yours. We are about to sing our invitation song. If anyone here has the need to be baptized into Christ, or needs the prayers of faithful people, the invitation is there for you to come forward while we stand and sing.     # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercherville

AM I JUST LUKEWARM? Rev. 3: 14-22 A young woman went to her preacher and said, "Preacher, I have an annoying sin, and I want your help. I come to church on Sunday and can’t help thinking I’m the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I ought not to think that, but I can’t help it. I want you to help me with it." The preacher replied, "Mary, don’t worry about it. In your case it’s not a sin. It’s just a horrible mistake." Sometimes things are not how they seem or how we think they are. Sometimes we look at our lives through rose colored glasses and fail to see the faults that we may have. Perhaps we have deceived ourselves into thinking we are some sort of super saints, but in reality, we are barely hanging on spiritually.   It is important for us to regularly and honestly look at ourselves and see where we stand. That is why I want to ask you, What type of Christian are you? AND what type of Church is this?   In the 2nd & 3rd Chapters of Revelation, seven different churches are addressed. Some of the churches are harshly criticized for their shortcomings. This causes me to wonder if we were to receive a letter addressed to us what would it say? Would our faithfulness be questioned? Would we be rebuked for neglecting to do something that we should be doing.   What would the letter say to us? What sins would be confronted? What areas that have been neglected would be brought out into the open? What areas would we be commended for? In Revelation 3, we come to the address to the lukewarm church of Laodicea. I wonder if we will find any similarities between us and the church at Laodicea.   Text: Revelation 3:14-22 14“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  17For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.  19Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.  21The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.  22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”     Laodicea was in the Roman province of Asia (modern-day Turkey), near Colossae and Hierapolis, in the fertile Lycus Valley. It was a prosperous trade city, famous for: Banking and finance (a wealthy commercial hub). A medical school known for producing an eye salve. A textile industry producing glossy black wool. After an earthquake in AD 60, Laodicea rebuilt itself without Roman aid—showing its pride in independence. This self-reliance mirrors the church’s spiritual complacency.   Unlike nearby Hierapolis (hot springs) where people from distant regions came to soak in warm baths and seek healing for arthritis, skin diseases, and even abdominal problems.   And unlike Colossae (cold, refreshing water), Laodicea’s water was lukewarm by the time it reached the city via aqueducts, and full of minerals. It tasted so bad that it made people sick. In fact, it became a joke in the first century world about the nasty tasting lukewarm water of Laodicea.   This physical reality becomes the central metaphor in Jesus’ rebuke. Unlike other churches in Revelation, Laodicea receives no approval—only rebuke. They were spiritually “lukewarm,” neither fervent nor openly opposed, but complacent and self-deceived. Just as their water supply was indifferent and unappealing, their faith lacked vitality. This passage is often seen as a warning against comfortable, self-sufficient religion that lacks zeal and dependence on Christ. It challenges believers to examine whether their faith is vibrant or merely lukewarm.   It appears that Jesus is saying to the church at Laodicea, if you were hot, like the springs of Hierapolis, you would bring spiritual healing, restoration, and comfort to people who suffer. If you were cold, like the water in colossi, you would refresh and encourage people who are hurting. Instead, you are lukewarm. You don’t do anyone any good and you make me sick just like your own water makes you sick. Have you ever taken a sip of lukewarm water? Usually, lukewarm is not a good temperature. We like it either hot or cold. We like our drinks either hot or cold, but lukewarm is NOT a favorable temperature. We want hot showers and cold refreshing drinks. You RARELY if ever hear anyone say, “I am burning up; I would love a nice glass of lukewarm water”.   OR, how many times do you hear someone say, “I am tired and aching, I would love to take a lukewarm bath.” The picture of lukewarm is a picture of something that has minimal uses. The Laodicean Christians were lukewarm, they were indifferent, and they were NOT good for much.   Jesus says I wish you were either hot or cold. I wish you were either cold and refreshing or hot and healing. I wonder if that same thing couldn’t be said to the church of today? Wouldn’t God want us be like the hot waters which bring about spiritual healing to the spiritually sick? OR, Wouldn’t He rather that we were like the cold waters which bring about the refreshing that can only come in Christ? John 4:13-14 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” A church that is ineffective in the kingdom is worthless. It will be spewed out of the mouth of Jesus. Let us understand that the church is not just a social club. The church is not just a thing we do every so often, but the church has a distinct message and a distinct function. We are commissioned with the task of worshipping God, encouraging one another, and introducing others to Jesus. If we fail to be effective, we are lukewarm. I wonder if we took this to an individual level what could be said of us. Are we having an impact in the kingdom individually? Are we making a difference that will last for eternity? If not, then could we be designated as lukewarm. The designation of being a lukewarm Christian or a lukewarm church is not a compliment, but it reveals uselessness for anything significant. The lukewarm church of the lukewarm Christian might be classified by indifference or a lack of care. Are you lukewarm? Jesus would rather have us be hot or cold. Let us be aware that God knows our deeds whether bad or good. He knows if we have any value or use in the church. He knows if we are neither hot nor cold. Perhaps you can deceive yourself and others into thinking that you are doing more than you are or that you are better than you are, but there is no fooling God because He knows our deeds. The question we need to answer is, what does he see as he looks at us? We see in verses 17-19 of the text: Laodicea prided itself on its great wealth. Laodicea was so rich that following a devastating earthquake in the region they refused financial aide from the emperor saying they were rich and did not need his money.   Jesus plays on their assumptions about themselves. He says, “You say I am rich; I have acquired wealth and I do not need a thing.” The problem was that they did not realize the reality of their situation. The truth of the matter was that they were, “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.”   That doesn’t sound like the description I would want for the church. There are several problems at work here.   The first was that the church apparently was not very distinct from the culture in which they lived in. Laodicea was a wealthy city, so we can assume that there were some wealthy members of the church.   Often times as a person’s wealth increases so does their ego and their view of themselves. Laodicea thought they were something great, they thought they had it all together. They thought they were special because they had more things. Perhaps they interpreted their wealth as God’s blessing upon them. There was a problem though in Laodicea among the Christians. They... like the non-Christians surrounding them in the city... took great pride in the physical. We can see throughout history that churches often times take on the personality of their culture. Secondly, the church is Laodicea had a false view of themselves. They were self-deceived. They had confidence in themselves. Perhaps so much confidence in themselves that they lost their dependence upon God. Did you catch the reality of the church there? They thought they were rich, but really, they were poor.   The problem wasn’t that they were ignorant about their financial well-being; the problem was a spiritual problem. Though they were rich in the eyes of the world, spiritually speaking they were poor. Then there is a prescription given, a chance to remedy their problem.   He instructs them to buy refined gold, white clothes, and salve for the eyes. This would remedy the problem that was given to them earlier. The refined gold would solve their poverty problem. The white clothes would solve the nakedness problem, and the eye salve would remedy the blindness problem. However, I do not believe his instructions were merely physical advice to the Laodiceans.   Perhaps they would have read this and thought to themselves, we are already rich, why do we need to buy gold, we aren’t poor. However, spiritually speaking they were poor. Laodicea was a banking center for the province of Asia during this time, and it included a gold exchange. Perhaps this is what was being played upon when they were instructed to buy some refined gold. Notice though it wasn’t at the gold refinery that they were to purchase that gold, it was from Jesus himself that they were to go to.   He is saying that you are going to the wrong place to find your wealth. Perhaps the Christians had been frequent customers at the gold refineries. Perhaps they trusted that the gold they bought would be a good investment, but they were investing in the wrong place. Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. There isn’t anything wrong with investing or being wise about one’s finances, but the problem has to do with where their allegiance was. They were devoted to their riches. Their hope was in the things they had, but they needed to buy gold from Jesus.     They needed to learn where to go to find contentment, where to find something that will really last. Buying white clothes was in direct contrast to the well-known black wool that was prominent in the area. After all, white is symbolic of purity. He calls them to buy white clothes, which will cover the shame of their nakedness.   Nakedness is the badge of sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, they realized they were naked and wanted to clothe themselves. Jesus instructs them to find white clothes, which would stand out in a culture wearing dark clothes. Perhaps these Christians would have read that and thought to themselves that didn’t make any sense. They weren’t naked. However, spiritually they were unclothed.   Galatians 3:26-27 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.   Furthermore, Laodicea was the location of a major medical school known worldwide and was the location where an eye salve called Phrygian powder was made from a local stone. The salve was said to be a miracle remedy for weak eyes. I doubt that the problem in Laodicea was a physical blindness.   If you were to go there you would find that the people may have been able to see just fine. However, they were spiritually blind. We pick up on that same language in songs like “Amazing Grace” where we sing, “I once was blind, but now I see”. The Laodicean Christians had a seeing problem that no eye salve or eye doctor could cure. The reason why was because the problem did not root in the human eye, it was a spiritual blindness. They needed help that their famous eye school couldn’t provide them. Laodicea had a focus problem.   They could see, but they were blind. They couldn’t see the most elementary and most important things. They were blinded and needed their sight restored.   This is the charge that would be given to any lukewarm Christian today, for them to repent and be zealous. A lukewarm Christian has lost their zeal, they may be characterized by indifference, but they are called to be zealous. We live in a world which can get zealous and excited about different things.     Wouldn’t it be great if the church showed the same zeal for the Lord that they do at the football games or other sporting events? People cheer, they get excited at victories and upset at losses, they get mad when there is a bad call. We need to be zealous for the Lord. Are you lukewarm? If so, repent and be zealous. Get passionate about that which is really important and of value. And FINALLY in verses 20-22 of the text: The first picture we see is of Jesus standing at the door and knocking. This is actually quite an ironic picture. We see Jesus standing at the door knocking, seeking entrance into His church, which he is the Head of, which he purchased with His own blood. It reminds me of the story of a family that went to an art gallery. They stopped at the famous picture of Jesus knocking on the door, drawn from this passage. A little girl looked up at her Dad and said, “Daddy, we would let Him in, wouldn’t we?” I often wonder is Jesus really welcome in what we do or is He standing outside seeking entrance into the church or into our lives. Is He really welcome among us? And even more than that… is He welcome on His own terms? Or is He only welcome on our terms?

Making Wise Decisions Matthew 7:13-27   A store that sells new husbands has opened in New York City where a woman can go in and choose a husband. This is fictitious, by the way. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store only once. There are five floors and the value may increase as the shopper ascends from one floor to the next. The shopper may choose any item from that particular floor or they may choose to go up to the next floor, but once you go up you may not go back down.   A curious single woman enters and reads the sign hanging above floor number one. Floor one, these men have jobs. She is intrigued but continues to the next floor. Floor two, these men have jobs and love kids. Oh, that's nice, she thinks, but I want more. So, she continues up to the next floor. Floor three, these men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good looking. Wow, she thinks, but she feels compelled to move on. Floor four, these men have jobs, they love kids. They're drop dead gorgeous, and they help with housework. Oh, mercy me, she says, I can hardly stand it. She is tempted to stay. She doesn't know what to do. Finally, her curiosity gets to her. After a long period of time of wondering, she finally goes up to the final level, the fifth floor. With excitement, as she reaches the floor, she immediately sees an enormous sign that says, you are visitor number 31,456,012. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.   Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.   As Robert Frost wrote, “two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry, I could not travel both. And being one traveler alone, I stood and looked down as far as I could.” At the end, he says, “two roads diverged in a wood. And I took the one less traveled by. That has made all the difference.”   Looking that up, and of course, that was only just a snippet of the beginning and the end of that poem. It's a lengthy poem. He wrote that for a friend who was very indecisive in his life. That poem was actually written as a joke, if you look that up. It says it was kind of a humorous little joke to his friend who could never make up his mind.   Today, we're looking at facing life's daily questions. Throughout the Bible, we have numerous examples of choices made by a variety of individuals we think about some are good, as we read through the Bible. Some choices were good. Some were not so good. Some led to life. Some led to death.   The Book of Proverbs is almost entirely devoted to the comparison between the wise person and the foolish person.   Take Moses as an example. Deuteronomy 30:19-20. “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.”   That was Moses. We see in Joshua 24 verses we're very familiar with verses 14 and 15. This is Joshua speaking.   Now therefore, fear the Lord. Serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the river and in Egypt. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose this day for yourselves whom you shall serve this day. So choose you.   He's challenging them.   Choose who you will serve this day, whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you currently dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.   Every day, we're faced with decisions. We will be wise, or as the Bible says, we will be foolish in the decisions we make. The little funny story I tried to put at the beginning. You see, it was rather foolish to try to keep thinking you wanted more and more, but that's what human society does.   Jesus gives us three important questions to ask ourselves to ensure that we are following the way of the wise and not the way of the foolish.   I. WHICH PATH ARE YOU TRAVELING ON? Question number one, which path are you traveling on? You need to know where you're going. Do you ever have that? Do you ever have that feeling that, “Oh man, I'm on vacation. I'm making great time, but I'm not quite sure where we're at. I'm not sure if I'm on the right path or not.”   Matthew 7, Jesus speaking in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:13-14, “Jesus says, enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life. And there are few that find it.”   The foolish person says, “Hey, there are no boundaries. There's nothing keeping me back. I can do what I want.” The world thinks total freedom with no restrictions is the goal that we should live by.   Proverbs 14:12 tells us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”   We can look in Proverbs 3:5-6 that tells us, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.”   We compare these two ways—the broad way. The broad way is kind of like the interstate, the international highway. You can travel very fast. You can get cruising. When I travel on the PA Turnpike I have a moral obligation to travel the speed limit. As a Christian person, you think that limit's there for a reason. Many times though, I find that the flow of traffic is so fast that it's almost like you get caught in the current of the flow.   You think about, where's everybody going? You can travel fast, but where are you headed? You can get enticed by the many billboards along the way. You can quickly exit the highway, and at various points, as you drive along, you can quickly exit, you can partake in whatever pleasure without accountability, and get right back on the highway again.   That's what Jesus is talking about. Reminds me of that little phrase, your mother always asks you or somebody asks you, if people, if everybody else jumped off the bridge, would you jump too? In life, that's what it seems like, right? I remember as a teacher, whenever I asked a student, why they did it, well, everybody else is doing it. How many times do you hear that? That's what Jesus is referring to as the broad way everyone else is doing it, that doesn't make it right.   Then He speaks of the narrow road. It's more like that winding rural road. It's not easy to find, and therefore, it's not easy to get at. You have to be careful, and you have to look for it. I'm sure we've all done that on the GPS. You're driving along, and all of a sudden, it says, turn here, and you think, where? I mean, this is just a tiny road, are you kidding me? You have to be careful. You have to know that it's there, and you have to look for it. It's very restrictive.   The word translated narrow is from the Greek word, and from my understanding, that Greek word is tribulation, which usually means persecution, which tells us that we have to leave our baggage behind. The wise person realizes that the way to life is a very narrow way, as it's taught in the Bible.   John 14:6, Jesus says to him, what does Jesus say? I'm sure we're all familiar with this.   John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me.”   We go to 1st Timothy 2:5, “for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Lord Jesus Christ.”   We're pursuing that narrow path. Pursuing it is an ongoing decision. We enter the narrow way when we first decide to follow Jesus, but we must continue daily to make wise decisions in order to stay on that. You ask for directions.   Everybody wants you to take the road, the big road. Oh yeah, I know where that goes. No, we don't wanna do that. We gotta stay focused on taking the narrow road. To head on the wide pathway to hell requires you to do absolutely nothing…nothing in your life. I don't want to just sit and do nothing. Well, in the world, that's all you really have to do to head on that wide path. Simply follow the crowd.   The second question Jesus asks us.   The first question, what path are we on? How do we know which path? II. WHO ARE YOU LISTENING TO? The second question He gives us to ask ourselves is, who are you listening to?   Matthew 7:15-22. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly, they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit, you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name or in your name drive out demons or perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you.” Depart or away from me, you evildoers. Depart from me, you that work iniquity.   Jesus is condemning more than just false teaching. He is discouraging false behavior, impure motives, and inconsistent actions. Jesus points to the fruit as the essential method of discerning what is false and what is true.   In Israel, the buckthorn plant, from what I understand, produced little black berries that could initially be mistaken for grapes. There was also a thistle that produced a flower similar to the fig. So the idea of carefully examining the fruit of the plant, the plant that they were looking at, was a familiar one to those that were listening to Jesus.   How do we tell a false teacher from a true one? We should pay attention to the content of their teaching, to their motives. Is it true fruit from God's word or is it man-centered, appealing to the ears that want to be tickled?   III. WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING ON? The third question that we ask ourselves. Jesus gives us a question of what are we building on? What is the foundation? Robert's very familiar with that as he examines buildings and whatever. What is the foundation it is built on?   Matthew 7, verses 24, 25, 26, and 27. Jesus, again, speaking in the Sermon on the Mount. “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them is likened to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rains descended, the floods came, the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rains descended, the floods came, the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell. Great was the fall.”   When we were kids, we used to sing that. The wise man built his, the foolish man. And we couldn't wait to get to the end. You see the kids getting faster and faster. And that house went SPLAT! Sorry. We think about that and the excitement we had.   My wife and I just celebrated our anniversary, we went down to Hilton Head Island. We just recently started to do that to celebrate. It was one year from my heart surgery and our anniversary. But one of the things, it's called, if you ever go to the water, we love to see the water come in, but how dangerous it is. In the morning, early morning, you see the wave way out, and then you can see them start to come in.   Kids, if you don't pay attention, you know, the kids start putting their sandcastles, they start making the sandcastles and so on. One time when we were real young, we put our blanket and our, you know, put everything out, our chairs and everything all out. We wondered why everybody was way behind us. We thought, well, they don't want to enjoy the ocean? Yeah, and then you go up for lunch and you come back and you understand why. You're flooded, you know, everything's, the water comes in and then that's what I picture what Jesus is saying.   That sand, it's beautiful, but that water comes in and your sandcastles and so on just get washed away. There isn't substance to it. Whereas the rocks and so on, that foundation, what foundation are we building on? Jesus continues through the Sermon on the Mount to get people to think long-term.   Here's how Paul puts it in Galatians 6:7-8. Paul says, “do not be deceived. God is not mocked.”   You can fool some of the people some of the time and all of the people or whatever, but you can't fool Mom. God is really that way.   Paul says, do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that also he shall reap. For whoever sows to his flesh will reap flesh and that corruption. But whoever sows to the Spirit will, of the Spirit, reap everlasting life.   The wise person says, I'm going to plan for eternity.   What does James 1:22 tell us?   James 1:22 tells us, “but be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourself.”   I like to notice the similarities between these builders, the wise and the foolish. Notice the similarities. Both are building houses. Both have a similar life situation. They're going through storms of life. It's that storm that proves to be the difference though, isn't it? We have to understand that when we're building something, that that building is going to be tested. What are the differences between the two builders? They're two different kinds of people. They build on two different kinds of foundations. The first hears the word and builds upon it. The second hears the word, but chooses to ignore it.   The two have different outcomes. One house stands firm. The other is completely destroyed. We know that that parable is an inspiration for that great old gospel song. My hope is built on nothing less, song number 120, than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest fame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. And then we get to the chorus. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. So we have two different underlying principles.   If you're only hearing and reading the truth, but are not prepared for life's storms that come up, if your foundation is sure no storm will cause your life to collapse. Sister Mary asked for prayers for people that she knows. We all know people, I know, in our lives that need that reassurance. There are people constantly potent in life. We know that life is not friendly to us in general. Society, we have constant, face constant challenges in our lives. But God tries us and then sees what foundation we're building on.   Jesus didn't preach this message so it would sound nice or so that we could sit around and discuss it like this morning. He preached it so that we could act on it. He emphasized obedience.   I heard this the other day and I found this interesting. In the audience, I'd like just to offer you $1,440. Each one of you today--$1,440. I'd like you to ponder that. There are some stipulations though. I'm gonna give you $1,440 on your way out, maybe. But you cannot carry it past this evening. This $1,440 must be spent, used at the end of tonight, at midnight. It can be taken away from you at any time. Today, I offer you that money. But it could be taken away at any time. And you would have to spend it before midnight. And I only say that just to get your attention. Obviously, I'm not really gonna do that. I don't have that much money. But that's a comparison to what God gives us.   This person said, now that we got your attention, God gives us exactly 1,440 minutes a day. We can't go back. We have to use them during this day. At midnight, they're used up. And they can be taken from us at any time. Any time during the day, that time, those minutes can be spent. We think about, how do we use the minutes that God gives us?   My conclusion today.   Everything that is extremely valuable can be counterfeited. We think about all the things that are valuable in life. There's a counterfeit. Gold. Fool's gold. Gems. Fake gems. Gem buyers today must be aware of three types of gems that I understand. You have the synthetic gems that are lab-grown stones. They closely duplicate the natural gem's physical qualities and chemical properties. Or we have simulated gems that are man-made. The color of the simulated stone may be similar to that of a natural gem, but it is very different both physically and chemically. Or we have enhanced gems that are natural gems altered in some way to improve their look. I bring this up to say that experts advise buyers to verify a stone's value with gem testing labs.   I guess there's a Gemological Institute of America. And you can go there or have them verify before any final sales are made. It is the same with truth. Jesus is sharing throughout the Bible. We must ensure we are not falling to false teachers. On that day, we will stand alone before God. Every day, we are building a foundation in our lives based on which path we travel and who we listen to and what foundation we're building upon.   It's time for us this morning to make our decision. Have I chosen the right gate? Am I traveling the right road? Does my tree bear the correct good fruit? Am I following those who teach the truth? Is my faith being demonstrated in what I do? Do I truly know God and am I following the teachings of the New Testament?   The lesson is yours this morning to ponder those questions. And if you are in need in any way, if you are one that has not taken the steps to being baptized, becoming a Christian, we ask you to do that this morning, then consider that.   Or if you are in need of the prayers of the congregation, whatever your need is, you have the opportunity to come forward as together we stand and sing our song of invitation.

Amazing Love John 3:16   INTRO: Good morning church. We will be continuing our look at John’s Gospel and are reading this amazing message that John is teaching concerning salvation. We have reached John 3:16 which I think is probably one of the most recognized verses in scripture. It is frequently quoted, and so is Matthew 7:1, though these days Matthew 7:1 is probably quoted more and sadly, all too often by those who do not understand it.   Our focus today is John 3:16 which we all know well, though I hope not so well that it no longer has any impact. I want to talk about the significance of what is being summarized by John here.   We will start with a review of lessons on the New Birth to recall the context and remind ourselves what is going on in this scene. I’m not going to have a lot of new verses to look at today and mostly refer to what we have already learned in previous lessons.   We're still in Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus, and you will recall that as we ended chapter 2 John pointed out that there is “belief” on the part of the Jews, but it is insufficient belief. They are believing because they see the signs that Jesus is doing, but it is not leading to life transformation, so Jesus does not believe them or entrust Himself to them. Jesus knows their hearts and the shallowness of their belief.   Nicodemus comes to Jesus, and he shows some belief. He recognizes and admits, confesses - that Jesus has come from God. Jesus turns to Nicodemus and tells him, unless you experience the new birth, unless you're born again, born from above, you're by no means in the kingdom of God. This leads into a discussion back and forth about what this new birth is all about.   We looked at the imagery Jesus used in John 3:13 when He says no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the son of man. We then compared it to what Moses said in Deuteronomy 30 and Paul’s reference to Moses in Romans 10:5-8. We saw this salvation is going to come about by God bringing it to the world.   Next, we read John 3:14-15 and found the parallel in the Book of Numbers where the people of Israel are complaining and rebelling against God. There we see them dying in the wilderness, being bitten by serpents that have been sent to strike them for their error. The people cry out to Moses to do something, and God tells Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole, and those who would look upon it would be healed of the venom.   Jesus then parallels that to Himself in these verses, “… even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”   I. For God Loved The World In This Way – That brings us to John 3:16 and I’m going to read it from the Holman Christian Standard – “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” I think this is useful as it captures a little bit more of what Jesus is saying about salvation and what is being offered. A. The idea is not merely to describe the intensity of God's love, which is I suspect often how it's portrayed and read, God SO loved the world. Obviously, the intensity is there. God is clearly describing the depths of His love for His people. 1. However, the Greek word for “so” houtos, occurs over 200 times in the NT and almost without exception it is an adverb of manner, not degree. I suggest that intensity is not the full idea but that it is describing - this is the way that God shows His love. 2. If we are looking for any declaration to know that God loves people, that God loves His creation, this is what we are to look to… this magnificent event… that God sent His son. 3. That's the idea of ‘so loved the world’. This is the way that He loved the world. This is how He showed His love. This is the proof, the demonstration. The Apostle Paul would write about God’s love for us in Romans chapter 5, Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is how we know that God's love exists for us. This is how we can see it. 4. We may have experienced this ourselves or seen others wonder: how do I know that God loves me? We look for something contemporary that God is going to do. He is going to keep me alive, give me lots of money, make sure my dog never dies. People can come up with all kinds of things as to why I'm going to know that God cares. It is as if we are saying, God, if you'll just do this, then I'll know you love me. 5. How God shows He loves us though, is this one grand event that we can always point to. This is how you know the love of God. This is how it has been forever displayed… that He gave His only son. B. I submit that is a statement that should cause us to stop and wonder; how can it be possible for the infinite, all-powerful, Holy God to love finite, weak, sinful humanity? Have you ever thought, how can God do this? How about, why would He do this? We are awful, sinful, rebellious, wicked people who deserve absolutely nothing, and you are the holy, right, just, God. How can you possibly love us? We are a mess. 1. I mean, think about the scene in the wilderness, which is what Jesus connects to in verses 14 and 15. When we read the book of Numbers, I think all of us become a little shocked. The people are wandering in the wilderness and they are complaining at every turn. 2. They are complaining about what they are eating. They are complaining there is no water. They are complaining about the duration, complaining about Moses leadership. Complaining that they are not getting to keep the stuff that they had back in Egypt. They are complaining that Egypt was better than where they were going. They are complaining and complaining. 3. How can God be so good to these people? They are sinning, and then they are compounding their sins. They are essentially saying to God, you are a worthless God, you do not care about us. We would have been better off without you. We should have stayed in Egypt. Life was better there. How dare you be a God to us that would take us out of that place? You are just awful because you are not giving us what we want, your care is terrible. 4. In fact, your leader is terrible. Remember how they rise up and tried to stone Moses and Aaron so they could go back to Egypt. (Numbers 14:10). Why does God not just turn His back on them? Why not do that to us? 5. This is the verse. This is the summary statement of what it is all about. In such staggering words that God would love a wicked world. God. loves. us. He loves people. He loves His creation. C. It is important that we get to the heart of that. We must get a grasp of that—that kind of depth of love that God has for every single human being. 1. Paul tries to bring that to us in a number of ways when he writes in Ephesians - Ephesians 2:4, “4. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”. Rich in mercy because of the great love that He has for us. 2. Then in Ephesians 3:17f, “ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” 3. What Paul tells us here always strikes me whenever I read it. He says, “I want you to know what cannot be known. I want you to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. You are never going to find the end of the love of God.” 4. That is what John 3:16 does. It gives us this amazing thought that there is no boundary to God's love. His love is so vast, and it is so amazing. II. God Gave - Throughout the pages of scripture we see God loving and providing… and as we see here in verse 16… giving. He is giving to His people. A. That is something that should shock us as well. It is easy to read; God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. We kind of blow through that—but think about the concept of what that means. 1. It is the creation that ought to be giving to the creator. It is not the creator who ought to be giving. He is God. We are the ones who are in debt. We are the ones who should be giving everything. What staggering words! He is the one who gave. We are the ones who should be giving back to him. 2. Yet, we read that God gave. God sacrificed. In the face of the rebellion of this world…God gave. While people are sinning, while people are enemies of God, God is giving a means for salvation. God is giving a way to bring people back. B. I think that again connects us to the imagery of verses 14 and 15. As the people are dying in the wilderness because of the serpent bites, did God have to do anything? 1. I mean I look at it as, Why should God do anything? You are complaining. You don’t like the way I am taking you? You don't want to go to The Promised Land? You think you are better off dying? -- There you go. -- This is what you asked for. You don't want to be with Me, you don't want to have a relationship with Me, then why should I do anything for a rebellious people? 2. We can not just assume God. We must appreciate God. God is by no means needing to do anything on our behalf. He does not need to act in any way. The understanding that God would look at a corrupted, wicked, detestable creation like us and still love and give… should never grow old and fail to stagger our hearts. 3. It should be shocking when we see that in Numbers. The people are openly declaring their rebellion to God. God still gave them a means of salvation. If they looked at the bronze serpent on the pole, they would be healed. C. God made a promise hundreds of years before His Son's arrival. He would give. Isaiah in a fabulous prophecy wrote, “ For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6). Here is the picture that God, looking down time, is ready to give His only son. 1. That's what we have observed in our study of John. He is one of a kind. He is the unique one. That is the idea of being the only begotten—to be the one and only. He is unique in every way because He is God. He is divine. He has come and died for our sins. 2. That brings us in the middle of verse 16. III. Everyone Who Believes In Him - It's important not to take this part out of its context of what Jesus is doing with Nicodemus. Nicodemus has expressed belief. He's expressed acknowledgment of who Jesus is. You are come from God. Yet we see that Jesus then turns, tells him, no, you're not getting it. You don't have the belief that I am looking for. A. As John chapter 2 ended, we see people are believing, but Jesus is not entrusting or believing them because He knows their heart. This isn't the belief that He is looking for. He is not looking for some kind of confession. He's not looking for the recognition that Jesus came from heaven. Even the demons believe, that's basic belief. That does not fit the context of what John has been talking about. 1. What Jesus is teaching Nicodemus is about new birth. I know it's been a while, but remember new birth is about life transformation. That's what He is describing. There is a life transformation that occurs. It's like having a new birth. It's a whole new you. It's not minor modifications. 2. People readily accept reformation, the modification of the whole to remove an error. But restoration, the replacement of the whole? Not so much. (Matthew 18:3) 3. People who have true belief are those who experience this kind of radical, life transformation that's being pictured here. To be joined to Christ means that there is going to be a change. 4. I suggest what John does and what Jesus is driving at, and this is critically important for us to grasp, is that true belief means there is life change… otherwise it's not belief. It's unbelief. B. This verse has been used to suggest a person can have whatever kind of belief they want to have and it's going to be alright. 1. These words are really quite sharp. They should be very pointed to our hearts. Unless there is a massive life transformation in belonging to Jesus, it's not belief. It is simply unbelief. I think that’s what took Nicodemus back by what Jesus said. 2. Nicodemus is told you're not seeing the kingdom of God. Nicodemus is like you have to be kidding me. Look at me. I'm a religious guy. I'm doing all these things. Here is Jesus saying, you don't understand. It is about a massive change. We will have a transformation to follow Christ. 3. In essence then, Jesus is telling Nicodemus that there is no middle ground. There is no middle ground for us as we stand before God. We either have this life changing belief or it is unbelief altogether. True belief will always lead to this life transformation. 4. It is a critical condition that God then gives to us. I think that's what's important for us to see when we recognize what God has done. How can it not lead to life transformation when we get a handle on God’s love and what God gave? C. If we truly believe it, if we truly believe that God has given so much to wicked rebellious people like us, if we really hold on to that truth, we have to change our lives. 1. Otherwise, we don't believe it at all. We're simply saying I want to do what I want to do, and I don't care that you gave so much. I don't care that you love us so much. I don't care that you have provided a means of salvation. 2. That's what we are saying. Without life transformation it is a declaration of unbelief. We are saying to God it simply does not matter. IV. Perish Eternally - What is so fascinating about that, is what it teaches us. Not everybody is going to be saved. That's the implication of what He says in verse 16, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” There is a connection which needs to be made to Jesus—a true belief that must occur. We must connect to him… otherwise we're going to perish. A. Notice how He describes that in verse 16. Whoever believes in Him should not perish. This is the condemnation that we are under. Again tie this to the wilderness episode as we see Jesus does. Everybody in that wilderness is going to die. They're being bitten by poisonous serpents. They're done. There is no hope. They will all perish. Except - God then gives the offer of salvation. If you look at the serpent on the pole, you'll be saved. B. We usually come at this the wrong way I suspect. We think; I'm a good moral person so I’m going to be ok. I don’t do bad things. Those people over there, they are the really bad ones. They are the ones that are not going to be saved, but me, I’m not that bad. 1. We are coming at this from a completely wrong angle. We have to understand we have all been bitten by the serpent. Sin is coursing through our veins. The venom of death is over all of us. There is no “it’s going to be ok”, there is no “we are good people”. There is no “I’m not that bad”. — We are dead, it’s over. We are all going to perish. 2. Except - God so loves the world that He gave His Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish. We can not start from the basis I don’t need God, I’m ok. He is trying to get us to understand that we are in big, big, trouble just like those in the wilderness, who were going to die unless God intervened and we are going to die in our sins unless God intervenes. Thank God that He did intervene. C. In Ezekiel’s prophecy God relates through the prophet the relationship between sin and punishment, like in Ezekiel 18:24, “24. "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.” 1. We have done abominations. Can we live? We most certainly cannot. Sin has been committed. We shall surely die, and our blood be on us for it. We have nobody to point to but ourselves. The sin and the stain of guilt is resting right on our shoulders. 2. Is that what God wants though? In Ezekiel 18:23, “23. "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?'' says the Lord God, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” Here's God saying I don't want that. That's not what I want to have happen. Do I take pleasure in this condition? No. Do I want people to perish? No. God has done everything to make salvation possible. That's why we see the depths of God's love here. This is how we see what God has done for us. This is what is so magnificent about what has occurred. 3. We are perishing in our sins because of what we have done. We are destined to die because of our sins. We are under His wrath because of our actions. We have violated the holy laws of God. We have separated ourselves from him. D. God sent His son so that anybody who will believe in Him doesn't have to perish but can have eternal life. Does God want people to perish? If He did, He wouldn't have sent His son. 1. All God had to do was sit back and say, My law is holy, right and good. Do these things and you will live. He would have been right, just and good in every sense of it, to stand back and say there is nothing faulty with His law. Just do it and live. 2. God loves His creation. He knows that every single one of us will fall short. He has created a way for us to be saved. God had to intervene. God steps in. Those who will experience the new birth will have eternal life, will be saved from their sins. I want to leave you then with just one thought.   CONCLUSION: How can Jesus not be everything to us? How can He not be our treasure? Remember the parable of the treasure? That's the heart of what that parable was all about in Matthew 13:44. Jesus said “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”[ESV] Such a simple parable, teaching this very idea.   When you understand what God has done through Jesus, you will recognize that He is the treasure. You forsake everything to go get the treasure. You want to be with Him. You want that life transformation. You want to no longer be the sinner who does whatever they want to do. You want to transform into the image of His son. You want to be holy as He is holy. You want to love as He loves, because we see what He has done.   Superficial belief does absolutely nothing. That is what Nicodemus is hearing from Jesus. Life transformation is going to occur when we recognize Jesus as the treasure, because of what He has done for us.   I submit to you that when we sin, what we are saying is we have a greater treasure than Him. That is what idolatry is. We are placing something higher than God. We are saying this is more important to my heart, more important to my desire. Sin is the turning away from God as our treasure. Saying this is better for me. This is what I want to do.   The question is then, what is your treasure? What is keeping you from experiencing the life transforming belief that He is calling you to have? Look at what He has done. There is nothing else for God to do. We are dead in our sins. We are dying in the wilderness because of our own error.   God has intervened. God said if you will just believe in my Son, have a relationship with Him, come to Him and be changed, you’ll no longer live for self but make Jesus your treasure, serve Him and obey Him passionately.   Understanding what He has done is all about Him being your treasure. May this verse not be something that we easily buzz through, but feel the weight of the summary of what Jesus says. He has intervened. He has saved us from the weight of sin and death.   The message is yours. We are about to sing our invitation song. If anyone here has the need to be baptized into Christ, or needs the prayers of faithful people, the invitation is there for you to come forward while we stand and sing.   # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville  

CSI EVIDENCE OF THE EXTENDED DAY Joshua 10:1-16   SEEING IS BELIEVING “A 5th grade student called his teacher and said that he couldn’t come to school because snow had fallen from the roof and broke the awning, which fell down to the front door, and so they couldn’t get the door open. He said that his parents left for work through a window, but he had to stay at home because the window couldn’t be locked from the outside. The teacher gave him zeros in each subject that day for such a dumb excuse for not coming to school. The next day his parents came to school and presented photos of the 3 meter wide ice lump and a completely broken awning.”   For all of us who may at times contemplate the truths of the Bible ... here's something that shows God's awesome creation and shows that He is still in control. Did you know that the space program is busy proving that what has been called a "myth" in the Bible is actually true? Mr. Harold Hill, a consultant in the space program, relates the following development.   "I think one of the most amazing things that God has for us today happened recently to our astronauts and space scientists at GreenBelt, Maryland. They were checking the position of the sun, moon, and planets out in space and where they would be 100 years and 1000 years from now. We have to know this so we won't send up a satellite, and have it bump into something later on in its orbits. We have to lay out the orbits in terms of the life of the satellite, and where the planets will be so the whole thing will not bog down. They ran the computer measurement back and forth over the centuries and it came to a halt.   The computer stopped and put up a red signal, which meant that there was something wrong either with the information fed into it or with the results as compared to the standards. They called in the service department to check it out. They found there is a day missing in space in elapsed time. They scratched their heads and had no answer.   Finally, a Christian man on the team said, "You know, I remember the Bible mentioning about the sun standing still."   They didn't believe him, BUT they didn't have an answer either, so they said, "Show us." He got a Bible and went back to the book of Joshua. There they found the Lord saying to Joshua, "Fear them not, I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee."   Joshua was concerned because he was surrounded by the enemy and if darkness fell they would overpower him. So Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still! That's right — "The sun stood still and the moon stayed — and hasted not to go down about a whole day!"   (Joshua 10:12-13)   The astronauts and scientists said, "There is the missing day!" They checked the computers going back into the time that it was written and found it was close but not close enough. The elapsed time that was missing back in Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes — not a whole day.   They reread the Bible and there it was "about (approximately) a day" These little words in the Bible are important, but they were still in trouble because if you cannot account for 40 minutes you'll still be in trouble 1,000 years from now. Forty minutes had to be found because it can be multiplied many times over in orbits.   As the Christian employee thought about it, he remembered a different time in the Bible where it said the sun went BACKWARDS. The scientists told him he was out of his mind, but they once again got out the Book and read these words in 2 Kings that told of the following story: Hezekiah, on his deathbed, was visited by the prophet Isaiah who told him that he was not going to die. Hezekiah asked for a sign as proof. Isaiah said "Do you want the sun to go ahead 10 degrees?"   Hezekiah said "It is nothing for the sun to go ahead 10 degrees, but let the shadow return backward 10 degrees." Isaiah spoke to the Lord and the Lord brought the shadow ten degrees BACKWARD! Ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes! Twenty-three hours and 20 minutes in Joshua, plus 40 minutes in Second Kings make the missing day in the universe!" Isn't it amazing?   So, you have probably figured out that our text for this morning’s lesson is found in the 10th Chapter of Joshua: “There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.” Joshua 10:14 Joshua called out to God… and made an brave request. Joshua 10:12 says “At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, ‘Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.’”   Now why would Joshua make such a loud and public statement? Because he had a promise from God: The LORD had told Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you." Joshua 10:8 So Joshua had a PROMISE… but he also had a problem. The battle wasn’t finished yet, the enemy had not yet been conquered, and he was running out of daylight.   So Joshua called on God to do the unthinkable: Make the sun stand till until we’ve whipped the enemy.   ILLUS: In December of 1944, Adolf Hitler had launched a surprise attack known as the Battle of the Bulge… and 1000s of Nazi troops and tanks advanced through Allied lines, creating havoc and confusion. To make matters worse snow had been falling for days and a heavy fog blanketed the area, effectively shielding the Nazis from Allied air attack. General George Patton had wheeled his entire army to strike the southern shoulder of the enemy - but he realized that without air support, the Allies would be in trouble.   So, on December 22, on General George S. Patton’s order, Chaplain James H. O’Neill wrote a short prayer for fair weather that was printed on cards and distributed to the soldiers of the Third Army.   The next day, December 23, soldiers awoke to bright clear day and looked up to see the air filled with Allied planes attacking the Nazi forces below... and the war ended 19 weeks later.   A good general knows when to call on God for help. But now here’s the deal. If God DIDN’T make the sun stand still (as the Bible says) this story in Joshua 10 is just a story. If the sun didn’t stand still the Bible lied and verse 14 has no meaning for us.   As you might imagine, skeptics & atheists mercilessly mock this supposed miracle because it defies every known law of nature. Here’s the problem: The surface of the earth - at the equator – revolves at a speed of roughly 1,000 mph. And the Earth orbits the Sun at an average speed of 67,000 mph.   For the sun to stand still in the sky the earth would have to stop revolving, or at least slow down dramatically. Gravity would be suspended, and (in theory) the world would collapse.   Just to get a small idea of how that would work, imagine going down the road at 80 mph with your car loaded with all kind of boxes and loose materials. And suddenly you have to stop to avoid a deer in the road. If you can visualize the chaos… of items flying all over the place inside your car as it stops at that speed – well, you can have a vague idea of what would happen if the earth stopped and stood still in the heavens.   There are those who say that science doesn’t allow for things like that to happen. Things like the sun standing still in the sky! It would have been a bizarre miracle that defied all known laws of physics.   There is one small detail that these skeptics OVERLOOK! You see, we believe that our God Who created the world in 6 days, Who designed everything that exists, and Who holds everything in the palm of His hand, can do anything He wants anytime He wants to without asking our permission.   Hebrews 1:3 tells us Jesus “upholds the universe by the word of his power.” The problem for skeptics is that they can’t imagine a God who could defy the laws of physics. But, in fact, every miracle in Scripture defies the Laws of Physics: The Creation; Noah’s Flood; the parting of the Red Sea; the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in a fiery furnace, the feeding of the 5000, raising people from the dead; and (ultimately) the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.   THEY ALL DEFY the Laws of Physics. That’s why they’re called miracles. You see, the laws of physics aren’t really Laws. It’s not like some legislative body had gathered and passed laws that governed the universe that we need to obey or we get fined or pay a ticket. The laws of physics are essentially observations of what normally happens in nature. You can count on these things happening time after time.       Now, when it comes to BIBLICAL miracles, the laws of physics were violated over and over again because something “changed.” And what had changed was this: God showed up. God created the laws of physics, and so He CHANGED them as He desired. That said, is there any PROOF of the Biblical statement that the Sun actually stood still?   • The Greek historian Herodotus (more than 400 years before Christ) wrote that when he visited Egypt, the priests there showed him an ancient manuscript which told the story of a day which lasted about twice as long as a normal day.   • French intellectual, Fernand Crombette translated many of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and found that among those hieroglyphics is the story of Joshua’s long day.   • There was also a Chinese account from an ancient manuscript that recounted a period of time during the reign of Emperor Yau which coincides with the days of Joshua, that mentions a time when the sun stood still.   • And, on the other side of the world, the Aztecs and other ancient Indian cultures in Southern, Middle and Northern America ALL TELL OF A TIME when there was a “Long Night” where the sun refused to rise in the sky.   These accounts provide reasonable confirmation that those folks likely observed that miracle in their day. Jesus said: “If you have the faith of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20 Now, why would God include this story in Scripture? What can we learn from what happened that day? Well, it can be summed up in that one scripture: “There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.” Joshua 10:14 God heeded the voice of a man, AND GOD FOUGHT FOR HIS PEOPLE.   We live in a harsh world. People are gonna hurt us, insult us, persecute us, rob us. You name it, if an evil person can think of something evil to do they’ do it. Evil exists and we won’t entirely escape it. And Jesus was very honest about this: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 This story of Sun standing still is important to us because we need to realize that God stepped up and did a mighty thing all because Joshua asked Him to. So, what’s God trying to tell us? He’s telling us He’s powerful enough to do anything that needs to be done.   On a hill called Calvary there stood an old rugged cross – the emblem of suffering and shame. They crucified My Savior. They had beaten Him, and insulted Him, and mistreated Him, and then they nailed him to a Cross. And Bible says from the 6th until the 9th hour there was darkness in the land. From Noon until 3:00 pm…. the Sun REFUSED to Shine.   In Joshua’s day – in answer to prayer – God made the SUN to Stand Still, and that miracle gave His people victory over their enemy. And on that dreadful Friday when Jesus died on the cross, the Sun was in its place… but it refused to shine. It was on that day - God gave YOU and I the victory! What a Mighty God We Serve!”   God can do anything, from parting the crossing of the Jordan, to the destruction of Jericho, and even causing the Sun to stand still in the sky. But the most powerful miracle God ever did was when Jesus rose from the dead to give us hope for an eternal life with Him. “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  Romans 8:31-32   God can do anything… but He’s ALREADY done the most power thing He could possibly do for us. He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him (that’s you and me) shall have everlasting life. JOHN 3:16 There is more to come concerning that verse next week.   INVITATION     Reference Sermon : Jeff Strite

A New Birth – part 2 John 3:7-15   INTRO: Good morning church. Open your Bibles to John chapter 3. We're right in the middle of Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus. Recall also that as we ended chapter 2 John pointed out that there is “belief”, on the part of the Jews, but it is insufficient belief. They are believing because they see the signs that Jesus is doing, but it is not leading to life transformation. Therefore, we see Jesus does not believe them or entrust Himself to them. Though they believed in His name, they are still going to crucify Him. Their belief, based upon signs, is not causing them to turn to the Lord.   In chapter 3 we are introduced to Nicodemus. He is a Jew and a ruler of the Jews. He is a Pharisee. He is a member of the Sanhedrin, and we saw last time that later in the Gospel we will find out that Nicodemus has become a believer. That erases a lot of our skepticism about Nicodemus and causes us to consider that Nicodemus is sincerely seeking answers from Jesus.   Nicodemus comes to Jesus and in verse 2 says, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus turns to him and says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”[NKJV]   The last lesson left off in the middle of Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus about who will see the kingdom of God. That indicates to Nicodemus that all his righteous works and all the works of the Law which separated him as a Jew from the Gentiles are not enough to enter the kingdom. Instead, a new birth must occur to see the kingdom. Nicodemus cannot understand how this can be. How can he, as an adult, experience a new birth? How can a person start all over and go back to the beginning? It is impossible. Jesus agrees with the impossible nature of the flesh accomplishing this new birth. What is born of flesh is flesh, but what is born of Spirit is spiritual. This new birth though has been part of God’s plan as evidenced by the allusion to the prophecy of Ezekiel. In this prophecy God spoke though Ezekiel of the people being made clean by being sprinkled with clean water and receiving a new heart and new spirit. Life is being given to the people through the Spirit.   Nicodemus is taken aback by that. Nicodemus as well as the Jewish nation believe that they are part of the kingdom of God because they are Israel. They were “born into the kingdom”. They are children of Abraham. They have kept the various works of the law. They have been circumcised on the eighth day, separated themselves from the Gentiles, kept away from unclean foods and the like.   How can it be possible for Jesus to say to Nicodemus, he must be born again, that he must experience a new birth? In verse 4 you see this incredulous response by Nicodemus. How can a man be born when he is old? Are you suggesting that I need to start over and begin again, and that the things that I have done in the flesh toward God have been useless? We see in verse 5 that being born of water and born of spirit is what is necessary. Jesus reaches back to Ezekiel 36 where we see this new birth described as being born of water and born of spirit and pointing out in verse 6 that being born of flesh will only beget flesh. A spiritual birth is required to belong to the kingdom of God.   I. Life Through the Spirit (3:7-8) - We pick up in the middle of this discussion at verse 7. Jesus says, “Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born again.'”[NKJV] You can’t easily see it from this translation, but two different pronouns are used. The first is a phrase “to you”, Do not marvel that I said to you, referring to Nicodemus. The second “you”, You must be born again, is not singular but plural. Jesus is speaking broadly of the whole Jewish nation when He says “You must be born again.” A. He broadens it to the nation. You are all thinking you're in the kingdom of God. All of you think that you are children of Abraham and that you're fine. Don't be shocked that I just said you need to have a new birth. Don't be shocked that I said that you need to be born of spirit and born of water. You should not be surprised by these things because life is going to come through this new birth, and that's exactly what the scriptures prophesied. B. That brings us to verse 8, perhaps one of the more complicated verses. “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jesus tells him that he should not reject a doctrine merely because he does not understand it. 1. After all neither can the wind be seen, but its effects are well known, and no one doubts its existence or power. This is to help Nicodemus believe and understand the invisible power of the new birth. 2. We might put it like this; the act of baptism can be seen; but forgiveness, clean conscience, and receiving the Spirit cannot be seen. Like the wind, though invisible, its power is nevertheless profound. 3. Previously we suggested that Jesus is making a connection for Nicodemus to look back to the scriptures, to Ezekiel. Being born of water and being born of Spirit has a very strong allusion to Ezekiel 36. Remember what we read there in Ezekiel 36:26f – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” C. Let’s turn back to Ezekiel, and this time to chapter 37. Ezekiel 37:1-14 employs the vision of the valley of dry bones. As we learn in the first half of verse 11 this represents the state of Israel. “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel…” 1. One could not imagine in those days that a restoration of Israel was even possible. Their nation had been destroyed; their king had been captured, blinded and carried away to Babylon to die; countless thousands of the people had been slaughtered; most of the people had been carried captive to Babylon; their beloved Jerusalem was destroyed; the Temple had been plundered and burned. No words could describe how dead and hopeless the people felt. 11b “… They indeed say, `Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!'” 2. In verse 3 Ezekiel is asked the question – “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel answered, "O Lord God, You know.” The nation is gone. Jerusalem is destroyed, and the question is asked, can the people be revived? Can the nation exist yet one more time? 3. This vision of dry bones is an appropriate illustration, it is like a whole army had been slain, their bones left to bleach in the sun and are suddenly being raised to full life and strength! Ezekiel rightly answers, Lord, you know. 4. Ezekiel 37:5f – “`Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. "I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.'''” God is going to bring these bones back to life. D. Remember Nicodemus is a teacher, and I am going to suggest a connection to John’s gospel. In Ezekiel the Hebrew word, rûwach, (roo'-akh), can be translated wind, breath, or spirit. It's the same word all throughout this chapter and we see it in verse 5 as, “Behold, I will cause breath, (rûwach), to enter you, and you shall live”. Then in verse 14, “I will put My Spirit (rûwach) in you, and you shall live,…” It's the exact same word there. Breath, spirit, wind, it all comes together. God is saying, I am going to give you… life. 1. When the breath of God enters these bones, life is going to come. We can understand the imagery. How did Adam come to life in Genesis 2:7? As God breathes into man, what happens? Life comes into the body. It's that idea of breath, spirit, wind -- this is God giving life. 2. Look at Ezekiel 37:9, “9. Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, (rûwach) prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, (rûwach) `Thus says the Lord God: "Come from the four winds, (rûwach) O breath, (rûwach) and breathe (rûwach) on these slain, (why?) that they may live.'''''” Breath is life. Spirit is life. When the spirit comes, then there's life. 3. Going back to John 3:8, I think Jesus is making this connection to Ezekiel 37 for Nicodemus. John 3:8, “The wind, (pneuma) blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit (pneuma).” Guess what? In the Greek, same thing happens. Pneuma means, wind, breath, or spirit. 4. Notice what Jesus has done. Nicodemus said, how can this be? What Jesus does is take Nicodemus mind back to the scriptures to show him, no, this is something that God has said was always going to be needed. 5. You are part of a dead, broken nation that has no life. However, in Ezekiel 36, God spoke of a cleansing by water, sprinkling water on the people. There is hope, they will receive a new spirit, a new heart. They will desire the Lord and follow Him. The nation will live again. 6. Nicodemus, how can you ask; how is this possible? Think about what Ezekiel said. The nation is dead and it needs redemption. A new birth is necessary, and life will enter again. This is God’s doing—that is how. E. Jesus using these images, is going to chide Nicodemus. You're a teacher in Israel. You should know what the scriptures say about these things. That's why Jesus is using these Old Testament images to get him to see this is exactly what the prophets said was going to happen. 1. New birth has always been promised. Restoration has always been looked forward to. You will recall in the book of Amos, after blasting the nation for eight and a half chapters, he speaks of a restoration. Isaiah also speaks of restoration. 2. Jesus is indicating this is exactly what God said was going to happen. Why are you so unnerved that I say you need a new birth to see the kingdom of God? Ezekiel said this very thing. F. In John 3:8, please carefully read the end of that sentence. “… So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Read it carefully. 1. It does not say, “so it is with the Spirit”. That's not what is being said here. It says, “so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” He's not talking about the nature of the Holy Spirit. He's talking about those who've been born of the Spirit. This is describing them. 2. Jesus is pointing out the new birth comes by the power of God. This is what Nicodemus doesn’t understand. I've done everything I'm supposed to do. New birth is from God. Not by you being circumcised, staying away from Gentiles, eating only clean foods, and the like. 3. The point is that God's power is bringing people into the Kingdom of God. These dead bones can live. but these dead bones can't come to life by our power. That's what Jesus said back in verse 6. What's born of flesh is flesh. We're dead in our sins. We're not going to be able to bring ourselves back to life. We need God to do something to make life possible. 4. In Ezekiel God said, I'm not doing it for you, but for my glory. That's why this nation is brought back to life, it is to glorify God. That's the message that Jesus is now giving Nicodemus. This isn't by your words, nor by your actions. This isn't about what you can accomplish. Remember John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” It's not by your visible works, but by the invisible work of God. 5. It is a description of the transforming power of God in the lives and the hearts of people, and you see the outcome by their works. You see it in the transformed life. This is what the new birth is all about. What did Ezekiel 36 say? I'm going to give them a new heart and a new spirit. What are they going to do? They will keep My commands. They will obey. This is what can be observed in those who are born of God. II. The Means of the New Birth (3:9-15) - That brings us to verse 9 and I think Nicodemus is starting to grasp the impact. “Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?''” I submit to you the rest of this section is Jesus' answer to this question; how can these things be? A. John 3:10, “Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” Jesus’ response is indicating; I'm not telling you something new or something different. This is what the scriptures said was going to happen. B. Verse 11, “Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.”[NKJV] Notice we're still in the plural. You, all of you, (including Nicodemus), have not been listening. In fact, you haven't been listening to anything we've said. Notice Jesus uses “we” and “our”. We are teaching you what the scriptures have always said. We are teaching you what is truth. We're teaching you what we know, but what's the problem? You (plural), you do not receive our testimony… and guess what? That's been a historical problem. 1. The nation does not listen to the servants of God, and I believe Jesus is pointing that out right here and saying you're doing it again. You said that I've been sent from God. (Remember verse 2—“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God”) Then why aren't you listening, Nicodemus? If you say, “we know you're from God”, then why don’t you believe our testimony? Why aren't you doing what we teach? Jesus is saying something that Stephen would later use in the book of Acts. 2. That leads to verse 12. “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” Jesus says you people don't understand these earthly things. What does He mean by that? Here's Jesus talking to Nicodemus and saying, I just spoke of being born again and you took it as being born of the flesh. You did not understand it. You said, “Do I go back in the womb?” He speaks of the whole nation. You people don't understand the earthly things. 3. Consider how that connects to John 2:23-25. What did we see there? They're seeing the signs and the miracles, right? There's no life transformation. There's no life change. They're “believing”, but it is incomplete belief. They aren't doing what is needed to come to eternal life. 4. This is essentially what Jesus is saying in verse 12. I'm doing these signs, yet you all are still not coming to true faith, true belief, life transformation. If you don't have that happen, how are you going to understand the spiritual truths when I teach them? 5. If you can't understand based upon what I'm doing, by My works, understand that you need to get on board and change your life to follow me, then why should I suppose if I sit down and explain to you great spiritual truths that you'll understand any better? You won't. The point is their unbelief is perpetuating their spiritual ignorance. 6. How often do we see this in the parable accounts? We saw it in chapter 2, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” You don't understand the spiritual things I'm saying to you. You aren't grasping the truths that I'm giving to you. If you don't change your life based upon the signs, you're certainly not going to believe in the teachings. If you do not believe, you're not going to be able to change. 7. That's true today. Tons of people say they believe. Where are the changed lives? I think Jesus would say the same today. He has given us the witnesses, His word, and yet people don’t study, they do not try to understand, they’re bored with it, they are tired of hearing it. They claim belief and yet do not receive the spiritual teachings. It doesn't make any sense. C. That's what He's telling Nicodemus. I've done these signs. I've done these works you can see and yet you still don't truly believe. There's still no life change. That is why you are not in the kingdom of God. D. At verse 13, “13. "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15. "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”. I suggest there is something notable going on in this simple statement. Jesus connects this directly to Moses in verse 14 and we need to ask ourselves how does this connect with the conversation being held? 1. If verse 13 is saying, the only one who can understand these heavenly things is Me, the son of man, because I'm the only one who's ascended and is also descended, then why is He being so critical of Nicodemus and the Jewish nation for not knowing the spiritual things? 2. He just told Nicodemus you should have already known these things. Aren't you a teacher of Israel and you do not know? You can't even understand the earthly things. Even further, if Jesus were to say, no one has ascended into heaven except Himself, that hasn't happened at this point. E. I want us to consider there's something more going on here. The reason I suggest that is as we've seen throughout our study so far, nearly everything that John says has an Old Testament analogy, doesn't it? Every time He says something, we go back to the Old Testament, and we find the image there. We get to do it again here with this imagery as well. Where we need to go is Deuteronomy and in particular chapters 27 through 30. We are not going to be able to spend the time reading four chapters, however I suggest you take the time at some point to read it. 1. Here is a summary of what is going on. You will read of blessings and curses. This is the final speech by Moses, giving the law again and a description of blessings if you keep my commands and of curses if you do not. The curses for rebellion by Israel are very graphic, all laid out in the text. What Moses does in the middle of this is tell them… you're going to fail. 2. Deuteronomy 30:1, “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you,” Folks, it is going to happen and when it does, “ you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,” 3. Let’s turn to Deuteronomy 30:6, “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” You see how Moses sounds like he's in John 3 right now? There's going to be this change of heart, circumcision of heart, a new heart. 4. In verse 11 Moses says, “For this commandment which I command you today, it is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.” Then he immediately tells how that’s going to happen. “12. It is not in heaven, that you should say, `Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 13. "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, `Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 14. "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” 5. In the New Testament, Paul quotes Moses in Romans 10:5-8, “5. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);” 6. You were given that commandment, and you will fail, every single one of you. You'll be accountable for your sins. There's going to be a time, when my people will love the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their soul. It won't be impossible this time. You will not say who is going to ascend into heaven to make this possible. The word will be near you and these things will happen. 7. I submit to you that is what Jesus is doing in the imagery of John 3:13 when He says no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the son of man. F. Nicodemus knows Jesus is from God and admitted it. Yet he wonders; How can the new birth occur? How can this new life occur? How can radical transformation occur? We are unable to keep the law. Cursed is anyone who doesn't keep what is written in the book of the law. What are we going to do? 1. The Son of Man has descended to bring healing. No one will have to say “who is going to ascend into heaven to make it possible?” We can't do it ourselves. Jesus is saying no one must ascend into heaven. Why? Because the Son of Man has descended. That's why. 2. Next John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” G. There are two parallels here and the first is found in Numbers 21. The people were complaining, you brought us out here to die Moses! There is no belief in God in the slightest. God sends fiery serpents into the camp. The people are bitten and they begin to die. They turn to Moses and say, Entreat the Lord for us. Lest we all perish. God tells Moses “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 1. In the broad sense the serpent stood as a symbol of life for the dying Israelites. All of them should have perished, but it was by God's provision that He graciously offered new life. 2. All of them should have died. All of them were complaining. However, not based on them but based upon God's grace and goodness, He offers life to the nation again and gives them an opportunity to be saved—to have a solution. The same is true for what Jesus is describing. 3. God has graciously provided for us today, through His word, which is near us. There can be spiritual life, new birth, eternal life, for rebellious sinners. None of us should be able to be healed from our sins. None of us should be able to have life. It is completely undeserved. What is deserved is punishment for our sin. H. God intervened with life by sending the Son. Which brings up the second parallel. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent and all who looked upon it found life, Jesus says in verse 14 the Son of Man must be lifted up. Jesus says I'm going to the cross so that everybody who believes in me, with true belief, is going to find life. 1. We are dying with the poison of sin coursing through our veins. We need life. Jesus comes, and intervenes. He descends. We cannot help ourselves. 2. There is no way we can achieve new life on our own. We cannot ascend into heaven and find help. God descends from heaven and offers help. Jesus becomes the new birth. When we come to him that is how we find life. That is where we find healing. That's where the radical transformation begins.   CONCLUSION: I know this was a bit detailed and I ask you to please consider taking some time to study it on your own. When we look at what Moses said, we see that God promised life is going to come to the people. There's going to be a day when it wouldn't be physical Israel, but it will be His spiritual people. Life will enter dead bones. A new heart, a new spirit will be given to them and they will live. When we are reading about the Spirit we are not reading about something mystical, fantastic coming into our heart, whispering in our ear. It is just simply a message of life that comes to you.   New birth equals life. The Spirit comes, that is life. When we experience new birth life is given to us. It equals being in the Kingdom of God. We don't see the Spirit but we see the result. People born of God reveal life transformation, people desiring to obey God, and striving to keep His commands.   The message is yours. The invitation is there for any who have a need to be baptized into Christ, or those who need prayers of faithful people, to come forward while we stand and sing.   # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

A New Birth – part 1 John 2:23-3:7   INTRO: Good morning church. We are going to continue in our look at John’s Gospel today. We want to put some effort in learning from John for within this gospel is much information we can use when we teach others of the Lord. Remember John was an eyewitness to these events, and he writes as such. Our text is John 2:23 through John 3:7. This will be a two-part lesson with the focus on the conversation Jesus has with Nicodemus. Let’s start reading at John 2:23, “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”[ESV] A very curious kind of statement, especially as it sits between the cleansing of the temple and the discussion with Nicodemus. We will see though this is a connector to Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus as we continue.   In verses 23 and 24 the same Greek word is translated as believed when it says “many believed in his name”, and as entrust (or commit) when it says “Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them.” Another translation put it “…many trusted in His name when they saw the signs He was doing. Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them…”[HCSB] You might say Jesus is not believing them even though they're believing in Him.   Why does Jesus have this skepticism about people? The answer is that Jesus knows the heart of every person. He knows what is within them and He is able to determine their level of belief. They may have been enthusiastic over what He did, but Jesus saw beyond that, and He recognized they were not committed to Him in terms of faith. The language indicates to me that Jesus knew the reality of their trust, how deep it was, or more to the point, how shallow.   John is pointing out something important to describe what true belief is. True belief is not just merely an acknowledgement of “who” Jesus is because of the signs that He performs as we note… “many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.”[ESV] People see the miracles, they see the power that Jesus is wielding, and yet that is not enough to cause the people to have a change of heart that true belief calls for.   It is not simply recognition that; here is somebody special because he can do miracles. It should be “He's clearly from God, and therefore I should listen to Him, follow Him, and obey Him”. I think that is why John ties this to the Passover. It is going to be these very people who are believing in Jesus, who are going to turn around and crucify the Passover lamb.   Some of these very people in a short while are going to turn Him over for trial, and when given the opportunity to release him, they're not going to call for His release. John is observing that within their hearts, though they seem to be believing, they have not come to faith in Jesus. Their belief is shallow. Their hearts and their lives have not changed. They are just acknowledging the miracles that Jesus performed.   Jesus teaches this in the parable of the Sower. In that parable He speaks of the Word of God being sown on different kinds of hearts, and yet in many of those various soils, the Word of God doesn't take root and grow.   There is a hearing of the Word of God, and in some cases there's even some action toward God, and yet it does not last. We do not see the kind of change of heart and life that true faith calls for. I suspect John is setting us up with this thought before we read of Jesus and Nicodemus. Let’s see how Jesus is going to handle who Nicodemus is and who he represents.   We'll go ahead and read through verse 15 though we will not be able to discuss all of that today. John 3:1-15 – “1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.””   “3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.””   “7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.””   “9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.”   “12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”[ESV]. There is a lot going on here. Let’s examine what is being said, a section at a time, and see what we can learn from it.   I. The Necessity of the New Birth (3:1-4). We are introduced to Nicodemus in verse 1 and we learn a few things about him. First, he is a Pharisee. We have studied enough to know this is usually not a good thing. Second, he is described as a ruler of the Jews, and later in John's Gospel, we will become aware that he is part of the Sanhedrin, the religious ruling body of that day. Nicodemus is someone of importance and he wields a lot of power. A. We also see from verse 2 that it is his desire to speak to Jesus. Even though Nicodemus is a Pharisee, and a ruler of the Jews, we should withhold some skepticism, because when we get to the end of the Gospel, we find Nicodemus’ involvement. We are going to read that after the crucifixion Nicodemus brings the burial spices. Then he and Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus, bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews and placed it in the tomb. 1. We do not know if Nicodemus becomes a follower of Jesus at the end of this discussion, or if it is sometime later. But John makes it very clear in chapter 19, that this very man who has this conversation is going to have great concern for the body of Jesus and helps prepare His body for burial. 2. What Nicodemus says here in verse 2 is fascinating and fits very well with John 2:23-24. “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Here is a statement of belief—we know that you are from God. The words "we know" indicate the profound effect which the mighty signs of Jesus had produced in the very center of Judaism. These words admit others knew of the heavenly origin of Jesus. Though only one of the great signs John selected for this Gospel had been recorded at this point; Nicodemus' words, along with John 2:23, show that many signs had been wrought. 3. For no one can do these signs … How amazing that with such evidence before them, so few, were touched in their hearts sufficiently to eventually lead them to Jesus. 4. Why do these people believe? Because of the signs that are being done. However, there seems to be something lacking with Nicodemus. Remember Jesus knows what is in man. Notice what Jesus says to Nicodemus in verse 3. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” B. Imagine you are Nicodemus for a minute and consider what a shock this statement would be. You are a Pharisee. You are a careful follower of the Law of Moses. You are a dedicated person, a ruler of the Jews and a member of the Sanhedrin. Yet Jesus, who you know is from God just told you, you cannot see the kingdom of God. This is not the sort of statement Nicodemus would be expecting to hear! 1. What Jesus is beginning to reveal here and what John wants us to observe, is yes, you have some belief. We know you're from God. But that belief is incomplete. Jesus is telling him there is more needed. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you're born again, only then are you going to see the kingdom of God. 2. I think it is important for us to consider Nicodemus. A devote Jew at that time, with all of his obedience to the law, all that made him a Jew, circumcised on the eighth day, separation from the Gentiles, eating of clean and refusing unclean foods, all the various marks that set him apart as being a child of Abraham, being able to trace his lineage back and saying, this is who I am. As they would say, “we are the recipients of the promise.” 3. Then for Jesus to turn and indicate, no, you're not seeing the kingdom of God—had to rattle Nicodemus. I suspect that leads Nicodemus to ask in verse 9, “how can these things be?” We notice though that unlike the rich, young ruler who turned away when he was told he lacked, Nicodemus asks. He wants to know; What are you talking about? How can this possibly be the case? Surely I’m doing things right. What Jesus then describes is that there is a necessity for a new birth. C. Let's talk about the answer that Jesus gives here in verse 3 when He says, unless one is born again. There's an interesting word here which some translations render as born from above. This adverb actually means both. Strong defines the word (ἄνωθεν ánōthen, an'-o-then) as; “from above; by analogy, from the first; by implication, anew: -from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top. 1. This word is used later in John's gospel, in John 3:31 and John 19:11. We have this double meaning, and John continues to use it through this gospel, born again, born from above. 2. We also notice that Nicodemus understands this as being born again because in verse 4 he says, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” D. The idea is a recognition that something new must occur. That image of something new is used throughout the New Testament by almost all the writers. For example, Peter uses this image in 1st Peter 1:22-23. He says, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;” In this image though, Peter uses a different Greek word that means; begat again, born anew, born again. This word does not mean born from above. It's a different word. 1. This verb solidifies the idea of born again as something new. Ok, so listen to what the Apostle Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” He said you're a new creation. In Galatians 6:15 he told them, “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” What matters is being a new creature or a new creation. What is being described in this imagery of a physical birth, is your need for a spiritual birth. There is a new birth that is going to occur. 2. We don't hear the phrase “born again” quite as much as we used to. I suspect there has been a lot of misunderstanding of what was being described by that phrase. What we're talking about, a new life, new creation, new person, is that complete transformation that's found in Christ. So, we're not talking about physical birth, but about a spiritual birth. You are being born spiritually and if you are born it follows there is growing to do. E. Nicodemus response to this is interesting yet not unexpected in the literal sense. Verse 4, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” I can think of three potential ways to look at what Nicodemus is saying here. 1. One possibility is that what Nicodemus is doing is being sarcastic and dismissive. How can a person be born when he is old? What do you want me to do? Go back into my mother's womb? I think we can reject that explanation. I have a hard time thinking of Nicodemus completely throwing out Jesus' words and saying that's ridiculous, because of what Nicodemus does later. 2. Another possibility is he's being a bit dull. He does not grasp what the spiritual discussion is about and has no idea that Jesus is talking on a spiritual level. When Jesus says be born again, what Nicodemus hears is climb back into my mother's womb and be born again. a) Possible, I suppose, but this is a teacher, a ruler of the Jews, a religious leader. This is supposed to be a spiritually minded man. He is part of the Sanhedrin. He would have known the scriptures but of course knowing and understanding are not always the same thing. We see that all throughout the Gospels. b) The way the discussion unfolds though, I submit to you that what Nicodemus does is continue the metaphor in his response. That's what he says back to Jesus, you're talking about some kind of birth, but how is that going to be possible? 3. I think Nicodemus grasps what Jesus is saying and is recognizing the seeming impossible nature of Jesus’ teaching. In essence, Nicodemus is saying, “Isn’t it too late for such a change?” Jesus is teaching that you need to experience a whole new birth, become a whole new person, a new creation, being born from above to be in the kingdom of God. F. If this is true, then I need to start life all over again. How am I going to do this after so much life has already passed by? Nicodemus saying if I as a Jew, a child of Abraham, a careful follower of the law of Moses, a keeper of the works of the law, a Pharisee of Pharisees, (if we were to borrow Paul's words), a ruler and teacher of the Jews and a member of the Sanhedrin, am not in the kingdom of God, then how do you suppose that I'm going to participate in this new birth? How am I supposed to be born again? 1. Nicodemus has spent a large part of his life learning and growing in knowledge of the Law of Moses. He has dedicated himself to this path. I suspect to him within the idea of a new birth is the concept that all this is wasted and he must start over from scratch. 2. Nicodemus is having difficulty with what Jesus is saying, and I suggest to you that Nicodemus is not being obtuse or sarcastic with what he says in verse 4. He's not intentionally trying to be rude to Jesus but struggling to grasp the meaning. How can this be? What are you saying, that I must start completely over? Is that really going to be possible at this point in my life? 3. As we talk to people today, we find those who have difficulty grasping the call of the gospel. Consider how often that occurs when Jesus teaches people. For example, when Jesus says how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, remember the disciple’s reaction? It was, “Who then can be saved?” Here Jesus uses the idea of new birth to tell Nicodemus something is still lacking. Notice how Jesus expands upon that in an answer to try to help him understand. II. The Explanation of the New Birth (3:5-8). Verse 5, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Here Jesus expands on the explanation to Nicodemus. A. At verse 6 Jesus is agreeing with the impossibility Nicodemus states because Jesus says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 1. The first thing we notice is that being born of flesh always carries the idea of human weakness, it reminds us of our shortcomings in the flesh, and to speak of the flesh is always a reminder that we don't live up to God's standard. 2. Paul in Romans 7:14 – “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.” This new birth cannot be something physical; it must be something spiritual. All who are of the flesh recognize that we are under sin. We have fallen short, and we need something from God to help us. A spiritual birth is needed. That's what Jesus is pointing out. B. Being born of water and the spirit is an answer to the problem that Nicodemus faces. --- How is this going to work if, with all his achievements. all his obedience and all his accolades, he is not in the kingdom of God? How is it going to be possible to be part of the kingdom? What does it mean to be “born of water and the Spirit?” How is this an answer to Nicodemus’ confusion about how it is possible to experience a new birth? C. Let’s look at Nicodemus knowledge of the scriptures. This language of water and Spirit are found in the Old Testament as those prophets looked toward the restoration of God’s people. Please turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel 36:22-29. 1. There are a few places where the Old Testament speaks of a water birth or water regeneration, water cleansing along with a spirit cleansing, but not many, and Ezekiel 36 is perhaps the largest explanation of these two concepts being joined together. 2. Ezekiel is prophesying about what his people will become one day. God is explaining what is going to occur in verse 22f. “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.” Stop there for a moment and appreciate what God says. D. God says, what is about to occur is not because of you, it's not because you’re good, it's not because of anything useful to you, but because My name must be glorified. I must be considered holy among the nations, and you have ruined My reputation because of your sins. 1. Therefore, God says, I'm about to do something not for your sake, but for My glory, I'm going to vindicate My name. He lays this out - this isn't about us, this is about God. God's glory, that's always what it is about. 2. In the last analysis, salvation was undeserved by ancient Israel, as it is also undeserved in the New Israel. There is no such thing as salvation from God being merited, deserved, or earned by the ones saved. The reason for ancient Israel's return from captivity was not their merit, but the glory of God and His eternal purpose. E. Now verse 24 – “24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Here we see what God is going to do. In verse 25 there is a cleansing with clean water that is going to wash away all the filthiness, the defilements. 1. In verse 26 a whole transformation is going to occur within these people. They will be given a new heart and a new spirit. The heart of stone will be taken from them. God will put His Spirit in them which will lead them to carefully obey God’s laws (27). Notice the connection between water and Spirit. The imagery of spiritual birth and revival is filled through this paragraph. 2. The people saw themselves as being born into the covenant, children of Israel, the children of Abraham—we’re good… and they rebelled against God's law. People today say—“we’re good” and all the while they are in rebellion. God says no, those that are My people, My children, that will enter My house, are not going to be like that. 3. This picture of total transformation is the imagery of what this new birth is about and I believe Jesus is giving this to Nicodemus to help him understand. Nicodemus had the background of knowledge to understand that God spoke of what was going to happen. The days were coming when His people would experience a complete and radical transformation, becoming a new person through a new birth so that they would follow the Lord and be in a renewed relationship.   CONCLUSION: Entrance into the kingdom of God will not be just because of who you are or because of your achievements under the works of the law. There is to be a change of heart, a change of life, a radical transformation that will occur. Those who enter the Kingdom will be the ones who will obey.   The apostle writers all used these different descriptions of what the people of God would be like; new life, new heart, new spirit, new birth, new creation—people that would wholly follow the Lord. God would then take away that uncleanness. The idea is what would be within His people is not a spirit of wickedness or a spirit of rebellion or a spirit of worldliness… but a spirit of godliness.   We know many see the phrase “born of water” and say “oh, that just means be baptized” then think no more about it. Nicodemus cannot understand how he is not entering the kingdom of God. Nicodemus is a ruler of the Jews and a Pharisee, yet these things do not mean that Nicodemus is in the kingdom. It does not make any sense for Jesus to be telling Nicodemus that what he is lacking is baptism. “If you would just be baptized, then you would be in the kingdom.” That does not fit what Jesus is teaching, nor does this fit with what Ezekiel prophesied. What Jesus is talking about is bigger than baptism.   Revelation 7:14. Those who had “washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb” did not mean merely baptism, but stood for people who had given their lives wholly to Jesus and had died faithfully for him. The image included baptism but was not speaking exclusively of the baptism act. In the same way, baptism is included in the new birth, but Jesus is not saying just get baptized. Rather, the picture is bigger than baptism. The new birth is the change of heart from stone to flesh, the removal of uncleanness, and the faithful desire to obey all His laws. This is what Ezekiel is picturing, and this is what Jesus is saying is necessary to enter the kingdom of God. Therefore, a different birth is needed. A spiritual birth is needed, because what is born of the Spirit is spirit.   The message is yours. The invitation is there for any who have a need to be baptized into Christ, or those who need prayers of faithful people, to come forward while we stand and sing.   # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville  

And The Walls Came Tumbling Down Text: Joshua 6:6-20   Tom is 71years old and loves to fish.  Tom was sitting in his boat the other day when he heard a voice say,  ‘Pick me up.’ He looked around and couldn’t see anyone.  He thought he was dreaming when he heard the voice say again, ‘Pick me up.’  He looked in the water and there, floating on the top, was a frog. Tom said, ‘Are you talking to me?’ The frog said, ‘Yes, I’m talking to you. Pick me up… kiss me and I’ll turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. I’ll make sure that all your friends are envious and jealous because I will be your bride!’ Tom looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked it up carefully, and placed it in his front pocket. The frog said, ‘What, are you crazy? Didn’t you hear what I said? Kiss me and I will be your beautiful bride.’ Tom opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said,   ‘Nah, at my age I’d rather have a talking frog.’ With age comes wisdom.    “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.   You can talk about the men of Gideon, you can talk about old King Saul. But there's none like good old Joshua at the battle of Jericho.”   Jericho is commonly believed to be one of the oldest cities that had ever been built and it is said to be the oldest known WALLED city ever built. It was extremely daunting. Heavily fortified. Encircled by 2 rings of walls. The 1st wall stood between 12 to 15 feet high and the inner wall was 32 to 41 feet in height. The illusion created by the two walls from ground level, would have seemed to stand nearly 10 stories in height. Nobody would have thought that anybody could destroy it.   But then one day - the walls just came tumbling down. And the once mighty symbol of paganism was destroyed.   Sometimes a building just has to come down, and the bigger buildings require experts who know how to strategically place explosive material in just the right places, and those explosives are detonated in such a way that the structure collapses straight down in a matter of seconds!   But when the walls of Jericho fell, Joshua didn’t have a team of engineers. There were no explosive charges. In fact, Joshua didn’t have much to do with what actually brought those walls down. It was God that destroyed the city – all Joshua and the Israelites had to do was show up.   So, here’s a question – Did this really happen? Was Jericho destroyed the way the Bible says it was? You know, there are people who scoff at stories in the Bible like this, where something dramatic and miraculous occurs.   It doesn’t make any sense to them that the Israelites just marched around Jericho a few times and the walls collapsed. They just can’t believe that would happen, so they dismiss it as… a myth. BUT was it? Was it just a myth … or did it really happen?   Back in 1990, Time Magazine had an article that said: “Jericho’s fall was one of the most dramatic events recorded in the Old Testament. But for generations scholars have debated whether the Israelites’ assault on Jericho was a fact or a myth….   But, Recent discoveries at Jericho have been largely consistent with the Bible story.” One such article can be found in the March 5th, 1990 Issue of TIME MAGAZINE.   So WHAT did the Bible say that was consistent with the evidence? Well, for one thing, archaeologists found that the walls of Jericho fell straight down in a way that was suggestive of a sudden collapse. You see, when most cities were conquered – their enemies breached the walls from the outside so that the walls would be caved INWARD.   But archaeologists discovered Jericho’s wall FELL DOWN… not inward. Just as the Bible said. The Bible ALSO says that the Israelites were told to set the city on fire. Archaeologists found that much of Jericho was covered by a thick layer of soot. When they used radio-carbon dating on that soot, they found the soot was formed about 1400 B.C. The date the Bible indicates Israel invaded Canaan.   A question: How Long Did It Take Israel to Conquer Jericho? ANSWER: 7 DAYS. Now, one way to conquer an ancient walled city was to starve it out. Just surround the city and wait till they ran out of food. But the evidence shows that Jericho had plenty of food. Archaeologists found several jars full of barley throughout the city. In other words, they weren’t starved into submission. They had plenty of food to last for weeks. So, the city fell within days… just like the Bible said. So, Jericho fell just the way the Bible said it did. It’s a cool story but what did God want to teach us by destroying that city? Well, first - Jericho was a great city. It was imposing and it was virtually invincible. There was no city quite like it anywhere in Canaan. And yet God told Israel to destroy that city FIRST – BEFORE they did anything else.   WHY? Well, God had Jericho destroyed FIRST because it WAS an imposing and virtually invincible city. It was a little bit of SHOW and TELL. First, it was a little show and tell for Israel. If Israel could take Jericho nothing could stand before them. Conquering Jericho was to be a faith builder for them.   But, in order to build that faith, Israel had to act on faith.  Hebrews 11:30 “By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days”. It was their faith that brought the walls down.   Think about it… God gave Joshua specific instructions for the men of war to march in silence around the city -- once each day for six days. And they were carrying the ark of the covenant as a sign of God’s presence among them. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times. And at the appropriate signal, the priests would blow their trumpets, and the people were to give a mighty shout.” AND THE WALLS CRUMBLED.   In fact, there was ONE OTHER instruction:   “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout...” Joshua 6:10   Now, that was a good instruction, because if I’d been marching around Jericho with the Israelites, I know what I might have been tempted to say: THIS IS SILLY; “This doesn’t make any sense”; “WHY are we doing this?”   When Israel FIRST came to the Promised Land, there was a lot of talking going on. The 1st time they came to the Promised Land, 10 of the 12 spies began to TALK about how they couldn’t take the land. They TALKED about how big the Canaanites were. “They brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height… and we seemed liked GRASSHOPPERS’” Numbers 13:32-33   “Then, the people began to TALK. They grumbled in their tents saying, “The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.”” Deuteronomy 1:27   You know what these folks did? They TALKED themselves out of faith. They TALKED themselves out of the Promised Land. They even went so far as to say God hated them. So, they ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 yrs. And so, now, at the walls of Jericho, God said: “Don’t talk. Just do what I tell you to do.”   The only way they’d take the city was by faith, because “without faith, it’s impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6   You see, when we GRUMBLE – when we TALK about things that annoy us – that’s not a good thing. It shows that we’ve not prayed and not trusted God. It reflects our desire to play God, as if our grumbling could change the course of life.   Paul warned the church at Corinth: “Do not grumble as some of them did and were destroyed…  I Corinthians 10:10   We all tend to grumble when we get upset, get annoyed, get angry because things aren’t going the way we want them to and so we grumble. I’ve done it! You’ve done it… We’ve ALL Done it. But I’ve decided I’ve got to stop that. So, whenever I find myself beginning to grumble… I try to remember that I’m not God.   WORDS TO HANG ON THE MIRROR AND LIVE BY: ·         I Will Not Grumble. ·         I will pray ALL that I can; ·         I will do WHAT I can; ·         But I will trust God for ALL that happens because I have been called to be a Man of Faith. ·         And Men and Women of Faith don’t grumble… they trust God.   When we trust God to lead us in our lives; in our church; in our nation. We’ll begin to see God do mighty things and He will lead us in victory over our fears. When we determine NOT to Grumble, God will lead us to bring down the walls that challenge our faith. And the walls of Jericho will fall before us.   Conquering Jericho was a SHOW AND TELL for Israel to increase their faith. But it was also a SHOW AND TELL for the Canaanites to increase their FEAR. If Israel could destroy Jericho in such a dramatic way, no other tribe stood a chance. God intended to strike fear into the hearts of His enemies, and from that day on, the other tribes fell like dominos. And in a few short months, most of Canaan was in Israel’s hands.   But why was God so intent on destroying the people in Canaan? What had they done wrong? In 2 Peter 3:9 we’re told that “The Lord… is patient with us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”   But apparently, with the people Canaan… God’s patience had run out. God told the Israelites: “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”  Deuteronomy 9:5   The Canaanites were a morally corrupt society engaged in practices that were detestable to God, things like child sacrifice, temple prostitution, bestiality, and other forms of sexual immorality. God basically said “These folks don’t want to repent. And so God decreed that Jericho was to be destroyed. And ALL its people were to die. (PAUSE) Well, not quite ALL of them died.   Joshua 6:25 tells us “Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.”   Rahab had made a deal with the 2 spies Joshua sent into Jericho. And then she hid Israelite spies. But why would she do that? Why hide these men? Well, she hid them… because she had FAITH. She told the 2 spies: “I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts sank and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.” Joshua 2:9-12   She believed what she’d been told about the power of God at the Red Sea, and Hebrews 11:31 tells us “BY FAITH the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” She was saved from judgment because she had faith in God.   BUT WAIT A MINUTE. Rahab was a prostitute. She wasn’t a nice person. She’d been as sexually immoral as anyone else in Jericho, and yet… she received mercy. Why? Why would she be saved from destruction? Because she had FAITH in God and she was willing to honor Him in her decision to hide the spies. And when that happened… her past was forgotten. She ended up marrying a Jewish man named Salmon and became the mother of Boaz…who married Ruth. And Rahab the harlot became one of only 4 women who were listed in the Gospel of Matthew as one of Jesus’ ancestors. Rahab impressed God that much by her faith… that God honored her memory.   Now… here’s the point. Faith that changes us is all that matters to God. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done. All that matters is that you’re willing to have faith in Jesus and be willing to turn your life over to Him.   “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever BELIEVES (has Faith) in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”          

“Stepping Into the Miracle: Remembering What God Has Done” TEXT Joshua 3:7–4:11   An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely. “The front row please.” she answered. “You really don’t want to do that”, the usher said, “The pastor is really boring.” “Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired. “No.” he said. “I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly. “Do you know who I am?” he asked. “No.” she said. “Good,” he answered as he quickly exited to the back of the building.   Back in the 1920’s the US Govt began talking about controlling the flooding of a river in the West called the Colorado. They intended to build the largest dam ever constructed in the US, and they also wanted this dam to supply electricity and a stable water supply to the growing population in the 7 states in that surrounded this river.   Thus, in 1928 President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill authorizing the building of this dam … and work began in 1931. It took 5 years to build this huge project, involving 6.6 million tons of concrete (6.6 million tons of cement would be enough to pave a 16 foot wide highway from San Francisco to NYC). They also had to build a city from scratch just to house the 1000s of workers that were employed for the 5 years it took to complete the project. The Dam was such a monumental structure that it has stood for nearly 90 years and receives upwards of 7 million visitors every year.   I am obviously referring to the Hoover Dam. Now, remember … it took the US government 5 years, using 1000s of workers who laid 6.6 million tons of concrete to stop the flow the Colorado River. Do you realize, God could have done that in a single day. In fact, He did do something like that several 1000 years ago … at the Jordan River.   Imagine standing at the edge of the Jordan River. Behind you is the wilderness—years of wandering, waiting, and wondering. Ahead lies the Promised Land, the fulfillment of God’s covenant. But between the two is a river at flood stage. Impassable. Intimidating. And yet, God says, “Step in.” This is where Israel finds itself in Joshua 3. And it’s where many of us find ourselves today— on the brink of something new, something promised, but something that requires faith to cross.   “And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.’” — Joshua 3:7   God tells Joshua that He will exalt him before the people cross. Why? Because leadership in God’s kingdom is not about status—it’s about trust. God is affirming Joshua’s role so that the people will follow with confidence. NOTE: When God calls you to lead— whether in your family, workplace, or ministry— He equips you with affirmation and authority. But you must be willing to step forward before the waters part.   Just like the priests had to step into the Jordan River before it parted, we’re often called to move forward before we see results.   In our story today… the Israelites had been led by God to the edge of the Jordan. We’re told that when the priests carrying the Ark stepped into the flooded waters of the Jordan River the waters coming down from (upstream) stood and rose up in a heap quite a distance away. The waters literally stopped. It was as if someone had built an invisible dam that created a wall of water towering over the Israelites as they crossed on dry ground. The waters backed up as far back as a town named Adam which was about 10 miles North of them (the distance from here to the Painesville courthouse). And they walked across the riverbed of the Jordan like walking on dry ground.   For the next few months they’d be fighting Canaanite armies on their home turf, and Israel needed to be shown God’s power. So, God brought them to the Jordan river… for a little Show And Tell.   In Joshua 3:10- Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that THE LIVING GOD IS AMONG YOU and that he will without fail DRIVE OUT FROM BEFORE YOU the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan… and when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”   The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant had to step into the water before it stopped flowing. The miracle didn’t happen until their feet got wet. We often want confirmation before commitment. But God calls us to move in faith. The waters won’t part until we step in. What river are you standing before today? What step is God asking you to take?   So, as soon as they’re at the edge of the Jordan, God leads them into the waters. The feet of the priests touch the Jordan, and the waters pile up in a heap on their right. Then, the Priests stepped out into the middle of the riverbed - and that’s where the priests stood until all the Israelites crossed the river and reached the other side.       Then a man from each of the 12 tribes picked up a big rock from the riverbed and carried it out of the riverbed to be set up as a memorial to God’s power. And another 12 huge stones were piled at the place where the priests had stood in the riverbed and THAT pile of stones was also a memorial. Then Israel made camp at a place called Gilgal not far from the mighty city of Jericho.   Now, that’s a cool story… but what difference does it make to us? Why should we care what God did there? Well, Romans 15:4 tells us that “whatever was written in former days (the Old Testament) was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”   So, what could God possibly have meant to teach us in this story of the crossing of the Jordan. (PAUSE)   WE ARE TO ALWAYS Remember What God Has Done One group of 12 huge stones were picked up from the riverbed and made into a memorial on land… and there was another 12 stones set up in the middle of the Jordan – also as a memorial. And when this 2nd group of stones were placed IN the waters of the Jordan and the waters were released by God… those stones would be buried in water. And that part of the story bothered me.   Why would God want 12 stones in the river as a memorial? You’d never see them there! That didn’t make any sense. And so that troubled me, until another minister pointed out that when Israel crossed the Jordan… they left their past behind them. All the hardships of their former life were going be buried in the cold waters of the Jordan… just like those stones. After the crossing, God commands twelve stones to be taken from the riverbed and set up as a memorial. Why? Because we forget. We forget the miracles, the provision, the faithfulness. What are your memorial stones? What moments in your life testify to God’s power? The twelve stones taken from the riverbed were a physical reminder of God’s miracle. They told a story to future generations.   Years ago, an old time minister baptized a man in Lake Superior. It was late October and about 9:00 PM. The minister had been studying with the man and his wife about what the Bible taught about baptism The man was hesitant for a long time and then finally said, “Yes, I want to be baptized tonight – RIGHT NOW in Lake Superior.”   In case you don’t know… Lake Superior is a cold lake. Average temperature (year-round) is about 38 degrees AND this was late October. The waves were running 3 feet high. The water was very cold.   They intended to walk out waist deep into the water, but only made it about knee deep. The minister laid the man down into the water as the waves washed over him. And the man was baptized that night… into Christ.   When they got back to the man’s home for hot cocoa and a hot soak for their cold feet the minister asked the man why it was so important that he wanted baptized that night in Lake Superior. The man boldly answered: “I was in the army, an officer in the infantry during the Viet Nam war. I saw and did things that no man should see or do. And I wanted my sins buried in the deepest and coldest place…” ·         That’s what God told us takes place in baptism.  ·         Romans 6:3-4 tells us “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”   ·         When we rose from the waters of baptism, our sin and shame stayed in the water. And that’s why the 12 stones were set up under the waters of the Jordan. All of Israel’s past REMAINED under the waters of that mighty river. So that made sense. That explained why the stones were set up in the middle of the riverbed and would be buried under its waters.         ·         But then (the next question would be) ·         why set up the other 12 stones on land? ·         Well… Joshua told the 12 men who carried these stones: “take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, THAT THIS MAY BE A SIGN AMONG YOU. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel A MEMORIAL FOREVER." Joshua 4:5-7   So, what was the purpose of the 12 stones they brought out of the riverbed to set up on land? It was a Memorial. A place to remember what had been done that day at the Jordan. You know, Jesus gave us a way to REMEMBER what He had done for us. Paul wrote the Corinthians and told them that “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” I Corinthians 11:23-25   ·         COMMUNION IS OUR MEMORIAL. ·         When we take of it each week, we are REMINDED of what Jesus did for us. When we eat of the bread we should remember that Jesus’ body was broken for us. His body was wounded and bruised, and His flesh and skin were torn. As Isaiah 53:5 tells us “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.” And the bread reminds us of that suffering.   The priests stood in the middle of the river until everyone crossed. Their obedience created a path for others. REMEMBER: Your faith walk isn’t just about you. When you trust God, you create space for others to follow. Your courage can be someone else’s confirmation.   Conclusion: Joshua 4:11 says, “And when all the people had finished crossing over, the Ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side.”   The journey ends with God still in the center. This story isn’t just about a river—it’s about a rhythm. God calls. We step. He moves. We remember.     FINAL Questions What “Jordan River” are you facing right now? What step of faith is God asking you to take? What memorial stones can you set up to remember His faithfulness?   Closing Prayer “Lord, thank You for going before us. Help us to step into the waters with faith, knowing You will make a way. May we never forget the miracles You’ve done in our lives. Let our stories be stones that testify to Your goodness for generations to come. Amen.”    

Destroy This Temple John 2:18-22   INTRO: Good morning church. Today we will continue in John chapter 2, John 2:18-22. Last time we saw Jesus had declared that those who were ruling in the temple complex had profaned the temple because of the commerce that they have been conducting there.   Jesus has challenged their authority to do this, and He has driven out the animals, sellers, and the money changers from the temple courts. The Jews want to know by what authority Jesus is doing these things and that in and of itself is a pretty sad statement. They do not see Jesus’ cleansing as; Here is the Lord entering His temple, being zealous for pure worship, telling them this is my father's house and clearing out the traders, as we noted was predicted in Zachariah 14:21. Rather than being introspective about this, they want to get back to doing the things they've been doing.   They say, “Who gives you the right to do this? “Who do you think you are to come in here and upset things that we've been doing all this time? “Who says that you have any authority to overturn our tables and to drive out these animals?”   That's where we are in our text in John chapter 2. Let’s reread starting in verse 13 and then pick up in verse 18 to get the whole scene.   John 2:13-22, “13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”   18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”[ESV]   This is an interesting turn of events. The religious leaders say, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?”[NAS] In other words, “Who do you think you are? “We need some authority before we believe you.” This is certainly going at Jesus directly. That is why the disciples remember this phrase; zeal for your house will consume me. The leaders are challenging Jesus’ authority, wanting to justify their own actions, discredit Him, and get back to the ‘worship’ they want to have it in the temple courts. Therefore, Jesus says He will give them an appropriate sign for their problem.   I.     The Sign - Jesus’ response is fascinating. Verse 19, “…Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” A.   One of the things that we need to contextually consider is that John has quite a habit of marking out misunderstandings throughout this gospel. In particular he backs up a lot of them right here. 1.    Think about what we saw as a lack of understanding when Jesus performs the miracle of turning the water to wine at the wedding in Cana. Remember the master or steward of this feast had no idea where the wine was from. He said to the groom, “You have saved the best for last.” There we see a misunderstanding. Here again, the people, as this statement is made, do not understand what Jesus is talking about. 2.    When we get to chapter 3, we are going to see Jesus engage Nicodemus. Nicodemus does not understand what it means to be born again or born of the spirit. 3.    When we get to chapter 4, the woman at the well, does not understand what this living water is that Jesus is offering. B.   I suggest what John is pointing out is that people do not understand. They do not comprehend His purpose. They do not observe Him as the Son of God, yet. People do not understand who He is. We will see this misunderstanding again in chapter 6, and chapter 13. It is going to keep happening in John's Gospel for us to observe. Keep that in mind as we look at this text. 1.    What the Jews say in verse 20 is interesting. “The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”” Immediately they begin to think about the physical temple as Jesus is standing in the temple complex. They think Jesus is talking about this physical structure. 2.    Jesus knew the hearts of men and He knew what was precipitating from the temple cleansing. They think He is talking about the temple itself. Recorded elsewhere Jesus is going talk about the destruction of the temple. That is not the point here. At this point, we are given the picture of them not understanding. They do not realize what Jesus is talking about. 3.    I have read this expansion of the Temple was started around 18 B.C. by Herod the Great. The Temple itself was functional within three and a half years from the start of construction, allowing for dedication and worship. 4.    As an aside, while the main structures were largely completed during Herod's reign, construction at the complex continued for decades, possibly until the 60s AD, as reflected in Josephus' reference to additions under the procurator Lucceius Albinus (c. 62–64 AD). A year or so later the Jewish revolt against Rome begins in Judea. In response Titus leads in the Roman forces around 69 AD. Jerusalem is conquered and the temple (and much of the city) is destroyed in September of AD 70. C.   This misunderstanding is crucial in what John tells us. Repeatedly, this statement Jesus makes will be the linchpin to get Jesus killed. That's why verse 17, “zeal for your house will consume me”, is a critical, prophetic statement. A prophetic statement made by David in Psalm 69. The disciples are seeing the prophecy here as well and applying it to Jesus. 1.    Let’s look at where we see this; like in Matthew chapter 26, when Jesus is on trial and they're unable to find any witnesses to convict Him and put Him to death. Matthew 26:59f – “59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’””[ESV] That's not what Jesus said, not even close to what Jesus said. 2.    Then we see Jesus on the cross. What are the people saying as they go by Him in Matthew 27? Matthew 27:39f – “39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”” 3.    This statement by Jesus becomes a central peg to what the Jews are going to use against Him. He said the temple of God was going to be destroyed. That's the reason we should crucify Him. Then as the people go by, if you're really the Son of God, then come on down. You said you could do something miraculous like destroy our temple and raise it in three days. Here we are killing you. You're truly not God, are you? D.   When we look carefully at it, we see that Jesus doesn't say that He would destroy the temple. He said that they would. He says destroy this temple. That's what you are going to do, but I'm going to raise it up three days later. 1.    Jesus is telling the Jewish leaders questioning Him; You are in the destroying process. You are the ones that are destroying the temple. That might have caused them to understand things a bit differently if they had truly listened to what Jesus was saying. Unfortunately, they didn't. 2.    Jesus is prophesying His death and is referring to Himself as John narrates in verse 21, speaking about the temple of His body, and is making this prophetic statement. We see how closely that connects to the prophecy of David, zeal for your house will consume me. He says that to them; You're going to destroy this temple, but I'm going to raise it up in three days. E.   I strongly think this is the reason why John is so closely connecting this event to the Passover. We saw this in verse 13. John starts this by saying it’s the Passover to show us that this death is not accidental or merely an incident in history. Jesus is the prepared Passover lamb who is going to die for the sins of the world. 1.    His zeal for His Father, His desire for pure worship and a right relationship with God is going to get Him killed according to the plan of God because He is the lamb that is to be slaughtered. It is interesting to see John work this together. Here he is pointing out that Jesus is causing hostility. He is making enemies. They are going to consume Him because of His zeal. 2.    John is subtly saying that this is all according to the plan. He is the Passover lamb. Just because all this hostility is pouring upon Him does not mean that this is outside the bounds of God's purposes. Everything is going according to plan as the Passover lamb is being prepared to be sacrificed for the sins of the people. F.    I have a question right here. Why does Jesus call Himself the temple? Why does Jesus intentionally bring about this misunderstanding? If Jesus had only desired to predict the resurrection then He could have done so like He did in the other Gospel accounts. Matthew 12:39-40, Jesus answered them – “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” He could have emphasized resurrection alone. He doesn't do that here. He intentionally ties Himself to the temple by calling Himself the temple. II.    Destroy the temple. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Why is Jesus doing that? Why does Jesus want to connect Himself, His body, to the temple concept? A.   Let’s look in the Old Testament and put ourselves in the mind of Israel for a moment. Begin to feel the weight and the significance of what the temple meant to those people. 1.    The most obvious thing about the temple of God is, of course, this was where the presence of God was. This was the image of the relationship of God being with His people. The idea of the tabernacle and also of the temple, is that God is with us. His presence is with us. 2.    It symbolized a relationship with God, and that we are in His good graces. When we read those prophetic images, like the one in Ezekiel where God leaves the temple, it is meaningful to say that God is no longer with His people. He's no longer in relationship with them and judgment is due them. B.   We also should consider what made the temple extremely important is that this is where atonement was made. This is where people came for atonement. We've observed in Acts, and our study of the Old Testament, that there are three times the people had to come to Jerusalem to be able to give their offerings and sacrifices at the temple. Here we have atonement images in all three instances as a reminder of what God was doing for them. 1.    Atonement was made in the Holy of Holies. The high priest would go into that place where the Ark of the Covenant was, sprinkling blood on the mercy seat. This was the place where God was meeting His people, where atonement was being found and mercy would be dispensed. 2.    Consider also the significance of what was in the Ark of the Covenant. That imagery reaches into this as well. There's a reason why there are three things that are contained in that Ark of the Covenant. a.    The first thing that's always noted is the tablets of stone symbolizing the law of God. This is the memorial of God giving His laws. It is a memorial of the covenant with His people. b.    Remember also Aaron's rod is in the Ark of the Covenant. It played an important part in the miracles of God's deliverance of the people out of Egypt. It is a reminder of God's powerful hand, the miraculous deliverance that God would give the people. c.    Third, we also see a pot of manna. That showed God’s provision as they wandered through the wilderness. God miraculously is providing and taking care of His people. These three things were not just idle things in the Ark of the Covenant. 3.    From top to bottom, the temple has all kinds of symbolism. The place where God’s presence is symbolized. It was in there where mercy and atonement are found, where blood was sprinkled. Including what was inside the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing the covenant and the law, and God's deliverance, and God's blessings. The temple was a very important structure. It embodies all of what God had promised for Israel from His presence to His blessings to His deliverance. C.   Jesus transfers all of that imagery, all of that symbolism onto Himself. It is staggering to think of all that power, of what the temple stood for to Israel, and all that was included in that imagery. 1.    Jesus transfers all that meaning and places it directly upon Himself. This is where we come in contact with the Father and have a relationship with the Father. 2.    What we're going to observe is Jesus showing the irrelevance of the temple altogether. Jesus is saying by referring to Himself as the temple, this is where God is. This is where you come to the Father. This is where you learn about the Father. In Jesus you find a relationship with the Father. Coming to Jesus now rather than the temple is how one finds atonement. When you come to Jesus now, there is where you find mercy. 3.    Jesus is the embodiment of the law. The tablets of stone are not relevant and not necessary. Jesus embodies all of the law not only in His fulfillment, but also in His revelation. Hebrews 1:1-2, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” He is the embodiment of the law of God. He is the place where God miraculously delivers His people. He is a prophet like Moses who delivers people out of their spiritual bondage of slavery to sin and brings them deliverance and brings them into covenant relationship with God. 4.    It also pictures a pouring out of blessings. A picture Paul would use throughout Ephesians. Every spiritual blessing is in Christ. They are no longer tied to the temple. They are not being tied to a physical structure or being tied to the physical Israel. D.   Perhaps most important in what John is telling us is the temple was the place where you worship God. That's what this has been about. Their worship is corrupted. That is a warning for us today as well. Somebody once said when asked how to handle corruption in a congregation; “Remember What Would Jesus Do, and then consider—overturning the tables and making a whip of cords is within the realm of possibilities.” 1.    Jesus comes into the temple complex and what's the problem? It's a marketplace. It's not a place of prayer. It's not a place of thanksgiving. It's not truly a place of worship anymore. It's a place of buying and selling, and graft. It's about business. 2.    Jesus is the place of worship. If you're going to worship the Father, you must be in connection with Jesus. He is now that very location. I think that is the significance of what Jesus is doing, what He is driving at, and is so important for us to understand when we see He would be crucified and then raised from the dead three days later. 3.    I marvel at this imagery that the true temple of God is now going to be revealed in Jesus. Yes, they are going to destroy this temple in that they are going to destroy the human body, but Christ is the temple that can not be destroyed. This is the place where we come in contact with God. There's nothing that you can do to get rid of that. E.   What a contrast that is to the physical temple that would be overrun, rebelled against and destroyed again and again. All the problems that would happen in Jerusalem and the temple, even to what we see today, is completely irrelevant now because that has all been transferred to Jesus. Jesus is the location. 1.    What Jesus is doing is not merely cleansing the temple; He is replacing the whole thing. He is not cleansing the temple and getting the Old Law back on track. 2.    He says what you're doing is wrong. You're out of fellowship with God. Your worship is improper. He's eliminating the whole thing and replacing it and saying you need to come to me. F.    This is a theme that we will see again as we go forward in our look at John’s Gospel. Let me preview. 1.    Think about Nicodemus in chapter 3. What's He telling Nicodemus about being in the kingdom of God? You must believe in the Son. 2.    What's He telling the woman at the well? You have to come to me. He tells her that worship to God will not be on the mountain nor in Jerusalem. We don’t care about temples in Jerusalem anymore. Christ is the total replacement. 3.    Jesus is the true center of worship. The risen Lord is the place where God is revealed, where forgiveness is found, where the renewal is known, and where God's fellowship is experienced and forever maintained. G.   Jesus is doing something extraordinary here and we can see why the antagonism would be so great. I suspect, even if they had begun to understand what Jesus was saying, it probably would have pushed them faster to killing him. Jesus is showing them the true temple. When you worship Jesus, you're worshiping God. When you come to Jesus, you find the forgiveness of God. When you come to Jesus, you find the mercy of God. When you come to Jesus, you find the deliverance of God. When you come to Jesus, you find the blessings of God. When you come to Jesus, you find the covenant law of God. Zeal for your house will consume me is exactly the point that John observes for us.   CONCLUSION: I’ll mention a few points to consider as we wrap this up. The first, we see John noting that the Jews ask for a sign. They are asking, what authority do you have to come in here and cleanse the temple? Who do you think you are? The New American Standard says, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?”[NASB] Here Jesus uses resurrection as His authority. That is really important. You need to believe in who I am. When I rise from the dead that settles everything. It does, it proves that He is divine, that He is God, and that everything He said about His relationship with the Father is true. He has the right to say that these people are out of relationship with God. He has the right to tell people that the only way to come to the Father is through Him. The only way to worship God properly is through Him. He has the right to tell people if you seek any other path, you're going to destruction. The reason why He can do that is the resurrection. Destroy this temple, and I'll raise it up in three days. The resurrection becomes the proof.   We note verse 22. “When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”[ESV] After the resurrection, the disciples now understand this. When the resurrection happens, they think back to this and realize that is the authoritative moment.   That gives us great hope. Now if you want to know why you don't have to listen to anybody else, anybody else who claims to be a prophet or somebody sent from God or claiming to have a special revelation or thinks they have something that's worthy of sharing from God, it is because you can't trump resurrection. Matthew 17:5 – “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” You find this also in Mark 9:7 and Luke 9:35. The resurrection shows us this is the Son and we need to listen to what He has to say.   Second, what's John's purpose in this gospel? So that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. These events have that intended effect.   Remember what we saw at the wedding in Cana Jesus performs the miracle and verse 11 tells us, and His disciples believed him. Jesus reveals His glory, the disciples then believe in who He is. It does the same thing here, verse 22, when He's raised from the dead, what do they do? They believe the scripture and they believe everything that Jesus said.   Third, Jesus is the place where God comes to His people. Jesus is the place that we need to turn to. The more that I study this gospel, the more I am astounded by loose Christianity in the world that declares, you can find any way you want to God. When I hear this I realize they have not studied John very well because John is very adamant, scene after scene, driving home the point that Jesus is the one true way.   The only place to find worship in God is through His son, Jesus Christ. It is the only place that we find atonement, mercy, forgiveness, blessings, and deliverance. There's no other.   Jesus is that one place. John is placing the supremacy of Christ in our hearts. Teaching us to appreciate who He is, seeing Him as way more than just a man, far more than just a prophet. Not just somebody who did good works.   He is somebody to be obeyed, to be awestruck by, to be revered and to follow because He is the only way to God and there is no other.   The message is yours. The invitation is there for any who have a need to be baptized into Christ, or those who need prayers of faithful people, to come forward while we stand and sing.   # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville  

Matthew 5:7-16 A wealthy businessman lay on his deathbed. His preacher came to visit and talked about God’s healing power and prayed for the businessman. When the preacher was done, the businessman said, “Preacher, if God heals me, I’ll give the church a million dollars.” Miraculously, the businessman got better and within a few short weeks was out of the hospital. Several months later, the preacher bumped into this businessman on the sidewalk and said, “You know, when you were in the hospital dying, you promised to give the church a million dollars if you got well. We haven’t received it as of yet.” The businessman replied, “Did I say that? I guess that goes to show how sick I really was!”   A few years’ back two guys interviewed thousands of people, and they published their findings in a book called The Day America Told the Truth. Of those surveyed, 91% said that they lie on a regular basis. 86% said they lie to their parents regularly, 75% said they lie to their friends, 68% said they lie to their spouses. 50% said they regularly called in to work sick when they weren’t   Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” What is your reputation? Do people see you as someone who has set a good example to follow? Do they see a correlation between what you profess and how you live? Is your home, your place of employment, and your community influenced by how you live your life?   Listen to what Jesus said about how our relationship with Him should impact those that live around us; Matthew 5:13 – “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Salt has a number of uses. It adds taste to food, melts ice, creates thirst. But in the first century salt was used primarily as a preservative. Jesus’ audience didn’t have refrigeration—when they butchered meat or caught fish they packed the meat in salt to preserve it. You can still buy country hams that are salt-cured. When Jesus said that you are the salt of the earth, He acknowledged that decay is inevitable in a fallen world. Left alone, culture will always deteriorate, without Christ the world will rot. Jesus was saying that your job is to preserve truth and conserve Godly values in society. You permeate the world and help maintain wholesomeness in the culture. Jesus said that if salt loses its saltiness it’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and tromped on like sand in a path. Technically, Sodium Chloride cannot lose its saltiness, but the salt mined from the Dead Sea was so polluted with other minerals that it lost its preserving abilities. If a Christian becomes polluted by the sin and philosophy of the world we lose our preserving ability. Our job as Christians is to add flavor and create a thirst for God Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” Light does one particular thing: it dispels darkness. Light illuminates a potentially dangerous path and makes it safe. Christians are to be luminaries along the path to God. We’re to be spotlights showing the way to salvation. The role of God’s people has always been to be light in the darkness Isaiah 49:6 says, “I will...make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.   A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as if one problem was solved, but a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on the stove and soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last, she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.   In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘Tell me what you see.’ ‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ the daughter replied.   Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, ‘OK, BUT what is your point?’   Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. BUT each reacted in a different way.   The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to boiling water, it softened and became weak.   The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.   The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water.   ‘Which are you?’ she asked her daughter. ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?   THIS MORNING I WANT TO ASK EACH OF US… Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?   Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?   Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?   IN TODAY’s TEXT JESUS TELLS US A FEW WAYS TO HANDLE ADVERSITY 1st SHOW MERCY Matthew 5:7 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. One of the best ways to influence the world for Christ is to show mercy to the hurting. Jesus told a parable about a man who was mugged and left for dead along the Jericho highway. Two religious men came by, saw his condition, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, a man of despised race, came by and had mercy on him. He bandaged his wounds, took him to a nearby hotel and paid for all his medical expenses.   Jesus asked the crowd, “Who did the right thing?” Everyone in the audience agreed—the one who showed compassion on him. Even the most cynical skeptic instinctively knows mercy is good. Mercy is a bridge. It’s a bridge that God built so He can relate to you and me. It’s also a bridge we have to build if we’re going to relate lovingly to others. The greatest example of mercy is found in Jesus Christ at the cross. It’s a fulfillment of Psalm 85:10 – “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.”   2nd HAVE A PURITY OF HEART Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” The heart is the center of our being. It’s the master control area of life Proverbs 4:23 –“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”   The heart is the source of all of our trouble Matthew 15:19 – “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, and false testimony.” Psalm 19:14 – “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” The world respects people who are genuine and pure in heart. So, may we strive for a pure heart. To be pure in heart means to have pure thoughts and genuine motives. There is a consistency between your beliefs and behavior. A person who is pure in heart is sincere and authentic.   3rd … Jesus tells us to BE A PEACEMAKER Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” “Peacemakers release tension, they don’t intensify it. Peacemakers calm the waters, they don’t trouble them. Do you recall when David and his angry warriors were galloping toward the home of the rancher, Nabal, armed for battle? Nabal had arrogantly refused to pay David’s men what was due them. Nabal’s wife, Abigail, sized up the coming bloodshed and took action. She prepared a catered meal for David and his men; rode out to meet them, fed them, apologized for her husband’s ignorance, and pleaded for forgiveness. She defused the hostility and war was averted. David said, “May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day” (1 Samuel 25:33). Abigail was a peacemaker. She was perceptive to the problem. She sacrificed her pride and energy to avoid conflict and she facilitated reconciliation. David was so impressed that when Nabal died several days later, he asked Abigail to marry him. Sometimes you make peace by avoiding a potential conflict with someone else. A peacemaker absorbs the hurt and sacrifices self to maintain a positive relationship.   And 4th Jesus warns us that we should EXPECT PERSECUTION FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS Matthew 5:10-12 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Notice the reason for persecution: It is for the sake of righteousness. Sometimes when you’re merciful, pure, and peaceful, your standards tend to incriminate others and that may cause them to attack you. Jesus was perfect yet the world crucified Him. If we seek to follow Him we must anticipate some opposition. All around the world there are people who face life and death because of their faith. Sometimes when you try to be salt and light, you can be the victim of intense opposition. Jesus said, “If you are persecuted, don’t whine, don’t holler “foul,” and threaten to sue for every dime. We are to rejoice and be glad for three reasons: 1. First, you’re in good company—that’s the way God’s prophets were treated. 2. Second, your reward in heaven will be greater. 3. Third, when the world sees us respond with joy instead of anger, they will be attracted to Jesus Christ. Paul and Silas were arrested in Philippi, beaten by the jailer, and placed in stocks in a damp, inner dungeon. Instead of complaining to the jailer about their abuse, the Bible says, “Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God.” And the prisoners heard them.   I am sure they had heard all kinds of profanity from the inner dungeon, but never singing and praising. Then an earthquake shook the entire prison and everyone was freed. The jailer prepared to commit suicide because he was responsible for them. But Paul called out, “Don’t harm yourself, we’re all here! The jailer called out, “What must I do to be saved?”   Why was he so receptive to the gospel? Why did he listen to Paul’s instruction and then be baptized the same night? Because when Paul and Silas were persecuted, they rejoiced and praised God. Our reputation is important and it should reflect Christ. What we have as Christ followers is not because of what we’ve done but because of what Christ has done. We have salvation and an eternal inheritance not because of anything that we could do but because of the good name of Jesus Christ. We have a wonderful place to spend eternity because of a Savior who has gone there to prepare a place for us.  

  John 2:12-17   INTRO: Good morning church. Last week Mark began teaching on the section of scripture we call the beatitudes where Jesus sat down, His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them. Today we will look at Jesus teaching them in a different way.   Our text is John 2:12-17. The Apostle John begins this section, that we often describe as the cleansing of the temple, by calling it the Passover of the Jews. He concludes the section in verse 23 by again noting that it's the Passover feast of the Jews. I suspect that John noting this is the Passover twice indicates there's something important we should look for. There is some critical symbolism here in this observation that it is the time of the Passover. It is important to keep in mind that John's gospel is not in chronological sequence. That is not his purpose. This gospel is in theological sequence, in that John is choosing signs and events to argue a particular theological point. His focus is that all would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He's not just telling us about the life of Jesus, and not just recording various events. He's selecting events and selecting signs that will validate his point in this theology of who Jesus is as the Son of God.   That is important for a number of reasons. First of all, it is sometimes argued based upon John's gospel, that Jesus cleansed the temple twice. It has been suggested that what we see here in John 2 is an early cleansing, and then in Matthew 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19, we read about a cleansing that occurs near the end of His life. I am not sure about that. Instead I suspect what has occurred is that John has moved this event into the front of his gospel for some reason.   One reason for my thinking this is that none of the gospels record two of these events. If there had been two, the other gospels would probably have recorded them. We would expect to find two events in the gospels that describe a more chronological sequencing of Jesus' life. I note though, the other gospels only record a cleansing once.   I suspect John is pulling it forward and sticking it after the wedding at Cana and before the discussion with Nicodemus for some reason. Let’s start thinking about what John is doing here. What is his purpose? Keep that in mind.   We also note that the Gospel of John is probably the Gospel that was written last. The contents and the structure of this Gospel presuppose the reader's familiarity with the three synoptic gospels. According to tradition this Gospel was written at the end of the first century AD. Therefore John has no reason to recap and rehearse what are in the other gospels. He has a purpose. He has a point.   John does not have to write this gospel like a newspaper reporter recording all the facts in some particular sequence. He's already told us he has a purpose. John isn't marking Passover so that we would have time markers and know that three years went by.   When John mentions a Passover, I suspect he's got some kind of Passover symbolism that he's inserting with this sign or event.   With that in mind, let's read the whole story. I.        Temple Court Scene – John 2:13-17, “13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”” A.     It is the Passover time that tells us every male Jew from all over the land is coming. This is one of the three appointed times when male Jews had to come for their offering and sacrifices. It would have been a very busy scene. 1.      Verse 14 records that in the temple complex are found those selling animals and birds, and those changing money. These animals and birds were required offerings in the Jewish sacrifices; however, can you imagine a Jew who lived in Rome ensuring that his animal made the trip all the way to Jerusalem without any blemish? It became an element of convenience to purchase the offering when you arrived. I have also read at some point the worshipers were required to purchase them from the temple functionaries and were not allowed to bring their own. 2.      On top of that, the money changers are there because the scriptures describe what would be called a temple tax in first century times. Each person was to give what would be a half shekel as part of their census. You can find that described in Exodus 30:12-14. 3.      Also the only money allowed be used in such purchases or tax was the coinage controlled by the temple. The denarius and other coins were prohibited, probably due to the image on the coin. Thus, with the temple concessionaires having the only supply of animals and a supply of money by which they could have been purchased, there was ample opportunity for graft. II.      Jesus’ Response - Jesus does not simply scold them and say, you shouldn't be doing this; it is not an appropriate thing to do. This is a pretty ferocious act we see as He takes some cords, binds them together and drives them all out of the temple. Not only that, but He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. A.     This is quite a disturbance, quite a scene that is taking place in these temple courts. I suspect getting the attention of all the Jews coming there. They are looking to purchase these animals and pay their tax, and Jesus comes in like a tornado, completely obliterates the tables and runs the animals off. 1.      What are you doing Jesus? What is going on here? Aren’t they just providing a service of convenience to these people as they try to worship God? I think the description that Jesus gives in verse 16 is important to be able to understand what He is driving at. 2.      Notice in verse 16 He says, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” This is what John records, now let’s compare it with the other gospel accounts. In Matthew 21:13 “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” In Mark 11:17 “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Luke 19:46, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” It appears in the other gospel accounts; the problem emphasized is they are cheating the people. 3.      Apparently in the exchange rate of the coins and the purchasing of the animals they are making unfair profit. In the synoptic accounts it sound like they are taking advantage of this process. We notice that's not the point Jesus makes here as John highlights. B.     John does not emphasize Jesus’ point that the merchants have made this a den of robbers. Nor is Jesus criticizing not bringing their offerings from home. The issue is clear that the problem is business was being done in the temple courts! That's what He identifies. Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade. You've turned this into a marketplace. 1.      That's the idea Jesus drives at as John points out. What is at stake here is people are no longer focused on worshipping God in this complex. What should have been a place of reverence, a place of prayer, a place of praising God, has now turned into a supermarket. 2.      We can imagine all the hubbub that is going on with this trading. That is Jesus’ point. I think this offers us a reminder about the nature of our worship. I first want to make a caveat that it is important to recognize that the temple, or the church building, is not the point. The point is NOT to say, within these walls God lives and that’s why this merchandising shouldn't be happening. No, that is not the case. 3.      In fact even regarding the temple itself, God didn’t actually live there. Stephen said in Acts 7:48 – “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?”” Stephen referred to the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 66:1f. Even Solomon understood that for all the glory of what he built, God doesn’t actually live there. 4.      The parallel for us is not to suggest that God lives here. The parallel is that this is supposed to be a place of worship. The purpose wasn't for them to set up tables, make money, turn it into a marketplace, rip people off, if that's what they're doing. That's not what is supposed to be going on. This is supposed to be a place of devotion to God; of worship, of prayer, of encouragement, of fellowship, and of learning. It is where hearts are supposed to be turned to God in a focus that is strictly on God! C.    This is an important message in our day and time especially. In a time where churches are increasingly engaging in selling branded items like apparel, accessories, and study materials, driven by a desire to foster a sense of belonging, promote their activities, and _ generate _ revenue. I'm not kidding. Some are suggesting that selling merchandise can be a way to generate income to support their ministries and operations. 1.      This is a tremendous reminder that our purpose is not to come here and find a way to be comfortable, a way of convenience. That is not why we are here. Our purpose here is not to make money. Our purpose here is not to take your money. It's not about buying or selling. May we never do so. 2.      That's what these Jews had done to the temple courts. It had turned into a kind of marketplace and lost the singular focus of coming to worship God. That's what it should all be about. I believe that worship to God should be in our minds as the clear purpose of why we do the things that we do. 3.      Our singular focus should be worshiping God, and I believe that is what we learn from what John says. It's not about all the peripherals. When we come together, it should be coming to glorify God. D.    When we come together, let's and avoid focus on anything else. This is what Jesus is criticizing them about. What a massive distraction is going on in these temple courts. Here you are, you have come to worship together and you have this hubbub, this marketplace of buying and selling, vendors calling, animals and birds making racket, this massive distraction from worship. 1.      It is a reminder to us to put aside distractions and come to the fountain of living water. That is what we're supposed to be doing. It is so easy for us to get sidetracked and become distracted with so many other things. 2.      We can do it mentally as well, because we are so concerned about the things of the world and the cares of the world and the schedule of the day or of the week or our phones. 3.      Consider how often and how easy it is to turn the worship of the true and living God into a consumer-driven experience. A funny YouTube video that I've seen is a thing that is called “What if the church was run like Starbucks?” I don't know if you've ever seen it or not. It's quite funny when you start trying to turn church into a business and you recognize the foolishness of what occurs. 4.      This is not about a consumer experience. In fact, coming here is not about our comforts. It's not about our convenience, and it's certainly not about our desires. We come here because we are keenly aware that we want to serve and worship God, and that is our primary focus. 5.      Jesus is indicating that the distractions these Jews were bringing about was an enormous problem because it was turning the hearts of the people and turning their focus away from the worship that should have been going on. We need to take great care that what we are doing is not causing people to no longer be able to worship God in a focused way. E.     This cleansing of the temple is showing Jesus as the loyal son who has come to set right the worship that has gone wrong, to cleanse it of impure activity, to get people focused on the right thing. He does this in such an interesting way because what He does has messianic implications, though not directly stated. Yet, in the words “… My Father’s house…” we see the indication of the unique sonship of Jesus, and a focus on the messianic import of this event of cleansing. As A. M. Hunter noted, "The cleansing is far more than a Jewish reformer's act; it is a sign of the advent of the Messiah." 1.      Nowhere will we find in the Old Testament the direct statement saying when the Messiah comes, He will cleanse the temple. There are allusions to that idea however. Like In Zachariah 14 where he is talking of “The Coming Day of the Lord” and then in the very last line of Zechariah he says “And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.” Here's Zechariah making a curious prophecy of the wiping out of that kind of activity. 2.      Malachi begins Malachi 3 by speaking of the Lord coming to His temple and they will then begin to offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. What happened is they had allowed chaos to rule here rather than it being the place of coming to worship God. 3.      The church in Corinth was also admonished for letting chaos rule in 1st Corinthians 14 which concludes “… all things should be done decently and in order.” What Jesus is doing is removing the barriers that are interfering with true worship of the living God. 4.      If we are properly putting our hearts on God and worshiping Him the way that we should, then we can't help but come away encouraged and lifted up. They didn't understand that. They had put the cart before the horse. III.    The Disciples’ Reaction – John 2:17 - The disciples reaction is interesting. Look at what John says about this in verse 17. “His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”” The reason why I find this fascinating in light of what Jesus does, is they do not remember a scripture about God’s wrath. I find it interesting that it is not wrath that the disciples think of. A.     It's zeal that comes to their minds. I think that is important for us to observe, because too often this text has been used to suggest that Jesus is in a fit of fury. He went all Clint Eastwood on them… Not from the perspective of His disciples. 1.      They do not perceive what Jesus is doing as wrath, but rather a calculated approach on Jesus part of telling them, look, this isn't the way it ought to be. He is zealous for that. He is concerned about what is going on in the house of worship. 2.      The scripture the disciples remember is in Psalm 69. In Psalm 69:7-12 we see the cause of David’s suffering. King Saul had classified David as an outlaw and is seeking him. In Psalm 69:9 David says, “For zeal for your house has consumed me…” How had it consumed him, eaten him up? It had precipitated the murder of the high priest and his entire family (close friends of David), and it had launched Saul's army in their ruthless hunt to seek out and kill David. 3.      David in a statement of sadness is calling out to God for salvation. He is overwhelmed and this is a psalm of despair. Notice it in Psalm 69:7, “For it is for your sake (speaking of God) For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.” Why has this happened? Why are you enduring this hostility David? Why are you dealing with all of these reproaches and difficulties? Verse nine is the answer. “For zeal for your house has consumed me…” 4.      David is not saying he has an overwhelming emotion of zeal. That's not the point. David is enduring hostility because of the zeal he has for the Lord's house. The reference here is to the tabernacle of course. Had David been zealous for that? Certainly! Where did he take the sword of Goliath following his God-given victory over the Giant? He took it to the Lord's house, the tabernacle. That action, along with the sackcloth, the fasting, and the other acts of devotion adequately establish the truth that David did indeed exhibit a genuine "zeal for God's house." 5.      That's the point that's being described here by David. He wants others to understand that his zeal for the Lord's house has led to this intense hostility. This is the reason why he feels like he is suffering. This is the reason why he is sinking and has floodwaters overwhelming him. Others don’t seem to understand his commitment to the Lord. They don't understand his zeal and love for God. Because of that love for God, he is being eaten up and consumed by the hostility coming at him. They are trying to destroy him. They are trying to kill David. B.     That's the backdrop of Psalm 69 brought forward to Jesus and to what John tells us. Jesus in this temple cleansing, is putting things right with God. He is calling for a cleansing of heart and showing a concern for the true worship of God and calling for people to have a right relationship with God. 1.      Because of His zeal and His concern for this right relationship and the calling for the people to have a right heart, He's going to endure hostility. He is going to be consumed. That's the picture that is being offered here. That's what the disciples are thinking. It is going to bring about hostility. 2.      I suspect the hostility is already starting, and that’s one of John’s intentions in pulling this forward. It is for us to see the start of hostility that Jesus is going to receive because of His zeal and His love for the father. It was precisely this manifestation of the Savior’s zeal that set in motion the murderous animosity of the religious apparatus in Jerusalem, which never relented. It is only going to grow and intensify. 3.      Here in John's account the words of Psalm 69:9 are prophetic. Zeal for your house, it's going to consume me. It is looking forward and saying this is what is going to happen. John is putting it together now in this scene. Look at the His love for God; look at His zeal for right and true worship. It will consume Him. C.    The rest of Psalm 69 is also interesting. I intentionally cut that off the last part of Isaiah 69:9 which says in full, “For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.” God, I know I'm dealing with the hostility toward you because of my love for you, and my devotion for you. Their hatred for you now turns and comes upon me. Thus David expresses this in his love for God. He is enduring suffering and Jesus in His love for God will be enduring suffering as well. D.    This passage is quoted by the Apostle Paul in Romans 15:1-4. “1. We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4. For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”   CONCLUSION: There are two fallouts that will occur because of our zeal and our love for God. The first is; if we truly love the Father, then we are going to deal with one another appropriately, graciously and kindly. That's how Paul begins in Romans 15:1-2.   Jesus did not please himself. Because of that, we know we are not in the business of pleasing ourselves. We're in the business of watching out for one another. In the process, there will be issues. We will be in second place. We will be concerned about what our actions and what our words mean for other people.   My love for God, my zeal for him, will bring that about. We certainly see that in the life of Jesus. We absolutely observe this as we begin to go through the pages of John. We're going to read about His love for the Father that shows the kind of compassion He has for the people, how He could look at people who were going to be His enemies and crucify Him and still be moved with compassion for them and the desire for them to be saved. The reason why, is because of His great devotion to the Father.   The other side of that coin is that in our zeal for the Father and our love for the Father, there is an expectation of hostility. There is an expectation of resistance from those who do not understand. The disciples experienced it. Jesus experienced it.   That is exactly what the apostle Paul is teaching in Romans 15. When we display that same fervency and devotion to our Lord and in our worship to Him, then just like David, just like our Lord's disciples, and just like our Lord Jesus Christ, we are going to suffer for the cause. We will endure reproach; we will bear with suffering what will come upon us, in our zeal for the things of God.   It already occurs in many ways. How often people think you're strange because you came back here because of your zeal for God. They say, well, you know, that's kind of kooky. You just need to go every once in a while, right? You know what? You guys are just kind of over the top. It happens from very subtle levels to very extreme levels where you will stand face to face against someone who's an enemy of the cross.   You'll be called upon to stand in your faith and say, I confess Jesus and I love Him with all of my heart. I will not deny Him and I will not cower and I will not hide my faith and love for Him. There is a need for a reminder that when we do that, there is always a strong reaction to it. The world today continues to have a strong reaction to those who profess their faith openly and declare their love and devotion for Jesus. We should not be surprised by this, it was predicted. This is exactly what the prophet is saying. Zeal for our Lord will bring about these kinds of difficulties. I pray that as we wrap up, we all have zeal so that it will bring about right action, and right words with one another.   Second, it will firm your foundation to deal with those who will oppose you as you try to do what is right, holy, and good for the sake of Jesus Christ. Lord willing, next Sunday, we'll get to look at the rest of this section where Jesus is talking about the destruction of the temple.   The message is yours. The invitation is there for any who have a need to be baptized into Christ, or those Christians who need prayers of faithful people, to come forward while we stand and sing.   # ???   Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville    

MATTHEW 5:1-6 "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" With a timid voice and idolizing eyes, the little boy greeted his father as he returned from work. Greatly surprised, but giving his boy a glaring look, the father said: "Look, sonny, not even your mother knows that. Don't bother me now, I'm tired." "But Daddy, just tell me please! How much do you make an hour," the boy insisted. The father, finally giving up, replied: "Twenty dollars per hour." "Okay, Daddy. Could you loan me ten dollars?" the boy asked. Showing his restlessness and positively disturbed, the father yelled: "So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Go to sleep and don't bother me anymore!" It was already dark and the father was meditating on what he said and was feeling guilty. Maybe he thought , his son wanted to buy something. Finally, trying to ease his mind, the father went to his son's room. "Are you asleep, son?" asked the father. "No, Daddy. Why?" replied the boy, partially asleep. "Here's the money asked for earlier, " the father said. "Thanks, Daddy!" rejoiced the son, while putting his hand under his pillow and extracting some money. "Now I have enough! Now I have twenty dollars!" the boy said to his father, who was gazing at his son, confused at what his son had just said. "Daddy, could you spend with me one hour of your time?" Time is too precious to spend it all on work! Appreciate your loved ones. Don't take them for granted Several years ago there was a cartoon depicting a preacher standing at the back door of the worship auditorium shaking hands with people at the conclusion of the worship service. One man is shaking the preacher’s hand and looking very intently into the preacher’s eyes. As he does so, he says, “Powerful sermons, sir. Thoughtful, well-researched. I can always see myself in them ... and I want you to STOP using ME as an EXAMPLE!” Jesus preached those kinds of sermons His messages always hit home and people either loved Him or hated Him because of it. This morning, we start a study of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which is recorded in Matthew 5-7. --I’m calling it, “Words of Wisdom for Heavenly Living” Toward the beginning of His ministry, Jesus took His disciples to a mountain retreat and drilled them in the fundamentals of following Him. Matthew. 4:23-26 gives us a summary of Jesus’ ministry leading up to this point: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” Matthew 5:1-2 – “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying...” Jesus grabs a teachable moment with His disciples --There’s one theme that runs consistently through this entire teaching segment: Christ-followers are to think and act differently than the world around them. We’re not supposed to be thermometers adjusting to the moral climate of our environment. --We’re to be thermostats setting the standard for the culture. Jesus is calling those who claim to follow Him to be an authentic counter-culture (one that is the opposite of) the culture of the world He is asking us to live distinctive lives --showing others the joys of being part of the “royal family” We are to be a viable alternative to worldly living --So much so that we make goodness and integrity attractive The Sermon on the Mount is not a complete theology. --It is, however, practical theology. The message of the Sermon on the Mount is relevant for everyday living as a follower of Christ. It is not a system of laws for the Christian. --It’s about submission and obedience to the will of God. The Sermon on the Mount is not the requirements to enter the Kingdom. It’s not the plan of salvation But it is the guidelines to follow once you’re in the Kingdom The Sermon on the Mount is Christianity 101 for every believer The Bible reminds us that we’re in a battle between kingdoms: the kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God --We’re told which kingdom ultimately wins the battle. The important thing is who you chose to serve. I want this church here in Chardon to not just grow in number but to grow in integrity and character I want us to grow in maturity and become more like Christ I want us to be people who, in such a positive way, live differently from the world that people are drawn to Christ like a magnet The Sermon on the Mount is actually comprised of several sections This first section talks about seeking God’s blessing. It’s made up of short sayings called The Beatitudes It means to be content, to have an inner joy The Beatitudes are the right attitudes to have --They define the right mind set for the believer The Beatitudes are eight essential virtues to receive God’s blessing. These virtues should build on each other and become increasingly evident as we mature in the faith. They are a series of progressive steps The first four deal with our relationship with God and the last four with our relationship to others. --We’re going to look at the first four this morning --Mt. 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are the poor.” Jesus loved the poor such as the widow who only had two mites and Lazarus, the beggar who ate crumbs from the rich man’s table. But God doesn’t automatically favor the homeless or the bankrupt. --The book of Proverbs teaches that poverty is sometimes the result of laziness, drunkenness, gluttony, or indulgence in pleasure. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Blessed are those who recognize that they are spiritually impoverished. --This is an honest evaluation of ourselves realizing we’re not able to do much on our own.   There’s something worse than being broke and that is not knowing you’re broke. People who have no money and keep buying on credit are in deeper trouble than those who have no money and admit it. The very first step in coming to God is recognizing that you are spiritually broke. You have no resources of value to offer God. The Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags before God. Remember the parable of the Pharisee who worshipped next to a tax collector in the temple? The Pharisee boasted of his spiritual riches: “I fast, I tithe, I keep the law. I’m good! I’m better than that tax collector,” he said. The tax collector just humbly prayed, ”God be merciful to me a sinner.” Jesus said the tax collector went away justified; the Pharisee did not. As long as we’re proud of our goodness and feel self-sufficient we’re out of God’s favor. When we see ourselves as spiritually bankrupt we’re ready to turn to God for His help and receive His riches. Without a doubt, one of the most popular hymns in America is Amazing Grace. I know that you know the first stanza: Amazing grace! How sweet the sound! That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. One day a minister was addressing a group of men, he took a large piece of paper and made a black dot in the center of it with a marking pen. Then he held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw. One person quickly replied, "I see a black mark." "Right," the preacher replied. "What else do you see?" Complete silence prevailed. "Don't you see anything other than the dot?" he asked. A chorus of no’s came from the audience. "I'm really surprised," the speaker commented. "You have completely overlooked the most important thing of all ... the sheet of paper as a whole." Then he made the application. He said that in life we are often distracted by small, dot-like disappointments or painful experiences, and we are prone to forget the innumerable blessings we receive from the hand of the Lord. But like the sheet of paper, the good things are far more important than the adversities that monopolize our attention. Someone has written: "As you travel down life's pathway, may this ever be your goal: Keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole!" Yes, rather than concentrating on the trials of life, we should fix our attention upon the blessings being offered. Let us say with the psalmist, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits" (Psalm 68:19) If you fail to understand the poverty of your spirit, you cannot come to Christ for blessing. But what blessing we receive when we admit our poverty and depend on Christ’s provision. When you quit relying on your own goodness and turn to God, He forgives, He saves, He puts His righteousness in you. Then, and only then are you promised the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” What type of mourning and grieving is Jesus referring to? Is he talking about acceptable mourning over the loss of a loved one? Grieving over opportunities that we failed to take advantage of? Agonizing about things that didn’t go our way? No. Jesus is talking about mourning and grieving over our sin. One of the problems of our day is that we have failed to comprehend the seriousness of sin. Oh, there are people who strongly speak up against certain behaviors but they fail to examine their own lives. They’re quick to point to the sins of others but they are spiritually blinded to their own wickedness. They’re full of the deadly sins of pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, and a judgmental spirit. The word translated as “mourn” is a word that points to the heart-rending, soul-wracking , eyes- overflowing-with tears kind of mourning. It’s the strongest of all the words in the original language that refer to grief and sorrow. It recognizes the loss of something important. --It understands that there is a hole in the heart that needs to be repaired. We need to despise sin... so it follows that --We should especially despise our own sins. We’re told over and over in Scripture to repent of sin—to recognize how much it offends the heart of God and then grieve over it. James 4:8-10 – “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” Does it break your heart when you sin against God? Or do you superficially and nonchalantly say, “Yeah, I sinned. So what?” Do you experience a godly sorrow that leads to repentance? 2 Cor. 7:10 – “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” Repentance has become a neglected word in the church. We sit in our pews Sunday after Sunday, thinking that God ought to be glad that we have agreed to bless Him with our presence. One of the central events in our worship service is the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. The Bible tells us that when we do that, we proclaim the death of Christ. Why did He have to die? It’s because we are SINNERS! We aren’t good. We aren’t nice. There’s nothing about us that is lovely or attractive in the spiritual sense. Rom. 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It has been said: “Repentance precedes the blessing of God. A lack of repentance shuts off the power of God. There will be no revival or renewal without repentance. And there will be no repentance without godly sorrow. Until we come to the place where we truly mourn over our sin, we will never see the hand of God revealed.” The great thing is that when we show that godly sorrow and repent, God comforts us. Oh, what joy to know our sins are forgiven. We’ve come humbly before God in a godly sorrow that produces repentance. We want to change our life and God blesses our efforts. Not because of who we are, but because of what He has done! Not because of what we’ve done, but because of Who He is! God is a perfect, compassionate Father. He is sympathetic toward those who mourn for their sin. Charles Swindoll: “God loves the broken heart, the bent knee, and the wet eye.” AN ATTITUDE OF MEEKNESS Mt. 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” The world encourages aggressiveness They want to see someone fight for what they get They teach a culture of “Go for all the gusto you can” and worship the self-made person Atheist Friedrich Nietzsche said, "Assert yourself. Care for nothing except for yourself. The only vice is weakness, and the only virtue is strength. Be strong, be a superman. The world is yours if you can get it." What do you think of when you think of a meek person? You probably wouldn’t consider it a compliment if someone said, “You are the meekest person I know.” You probably think of someone who is insecure, unassertive, or timid That’s not what the Bible means by meekness. Meekness is not timidity or indecisiveness. The Biblical word ‘meekness’ means “strength under control.” It was a word used to describe a horse that had been taught how to respond well to the bridle and bit. When a powerful horse is under control of its rider, it’s a meek horse. It’s under the authority of the one who guides it. The meek animal surrenders himself and allows the rider to control him. Meekness is an inner attitude that results in controlled reactions. Consider these people whom the Bible describes as being meek: Abraham Moses David Jesus They all did brave and courageous things When Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek,” He was commending those who had surrendered their strong, self-will to the authority of God in their daily lives. The meek surrender to God’s will. They respond to the slightest tug of His rein, no matter how strong or powerful they may be. Someone: “Meekness is allowing the One who is meek and lowly at heart to rule our lives, our emotions, our behavior.” Jesus promised the meek would “inherit the earth.” Jesus was saying that the meek will share with Him as heirs of the Kingdom of God. We think the assertive – the self-promoting – are the ones who will get ahead. But Jesus promised that in His kingdom, those who are submissive to Him will inherit the leadership of the earth. A HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS Mt. 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Most of us in the United States have no real concept of real hunger or real thirst. God has blessed us with an ample supply of food and abundant water supplies. Is. 55:2 – “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what is does not satisfy?” What are you hungry for? What do you crave every day? If I could read your mind what thoughts would you be most focused on? Are you hungry for wealth, popularity, status, sex, pleasure, golf, fishing, shopping? What are you passionate about? Jesus said that we’re blessed when we hunger and thirst for righteousness. We receive God’s favor if we hunger and thirst to be close to Him and live like Him When you’re a spiritual child you don’t have much of an appetite for spiritually healthy food. You want junk food. You pig out on emotion and excitement. But when you mature spiritually, you hunger for the worship of God, the fellowship with Christian people, and the study of God’s Word. 1 Pet. 2:2-3 says that we ought to “crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Ps. 42:1-2 – “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” The Christian is hungry and thirsty to be close to the heart of God. Jn. 6:35 – “Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’” When Prodigal Son was hungry he turned to the husks that he was feeding the pigs. When he was starving he turned to his father. Even though Moses had a close relationship to God, he asks God in Ex. 33:13 – “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.” David in Ps. 63:1 – “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Moses, David and Paul already knew God in a very deep sense But what they meant was that they wanted to know Him more intimately, personally, and powerfully. They had a hunger and thirst for God. They had a passion for Him. CONCLUSION: A. Do you see how different the Christian is in attitude and spirit? The world says, “Blessed are the rich, the proud, the self confident, they will get ahead.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The world says, “Blessed are the funny, the light-hearted, the positive thinkers, they will be popular.” Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are genuinely sorry for their sins; I will comfort them with grace and forgiveness.” The world says, “Blessed are the independent thinkers, the assertive. They will gain respect from people and be powerful.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek who humbly submit their strengths to my authority; they will inherit the earth.” The world says, “Blessed are those who are hungry for success, the ‘Type A’ personalities who are ambitious enough to make their mark in the world.” Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are hungry for a relationship with me; they will be filled.” Everything the world has to offer you will leave you empty, guilty, but only Jesus forgives, saves, and satisfies. Ps. 34:8 – “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”