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Sermon Notes: notes.cornerstonesj.org
Family Conflict
Thank you for joining Cornerstone this morning. My name is Michael. If you are new here, I want to welcome you
Cornerstone One of the things that we just launched this week was the new and improved
Church weekly newsletter pastor Graham called the stone tablet.
If you're not on our weekly Church email list You need to go to contact
Cornerstone SJ contact Cornerstone SJ And you can just fill out the information there check off the box that says add me to your email
List and you will get that each week So I wanted to highlight that for you
Format and we want to get everybody online. So they know all the announcements all the things that are registering
Coming up in our church. So thank you for your attention John I Am so used to calling it a pastor.
I know Can I still call it? Well, you know on the on the email I even put in parentheses.
No the pastor They do they really do yeah, so Here pastor
Graham. That is the email. Okay, so I can say either. Yeah. Okay. Thank you I Do want to I want to acknowledge some work as we were here
Getting ready for the nine o 'clock service the the gremlins the the
AV gremlins were hard at work and So we we do need to at least acknowledge the work that that Matt did because we do have a functioning speaker of the house here
Thank you, I'll be here all week How do
I turn this back out I better go to scripture Psalm 62 to He alone is my rock and my salvation my fortress
I shall not be greatly shaken Satan is alive and well He's called the prince of the power of the air
He is always on the attack, but I my brothers and sisters I want to proclaim to you and you know this along with the psalmist that he alone is my rock
He alone is my salvation my fortress. I shall not be shaken the spiritual warfare that goes on Here greater is he who's in you than he who's in the world.
He is our rock We have some announcements so much going on right now. First of all
Starting today during first service. I have a new word.
I can use Sunday school Yes, it's no longer ABF. It's now Sunday school The Women's Sunday School was launched back again today during first service for those of you who are interested in the
Women's Sunday school you can be here during first service in one of the classrooms come back here for for the worship service a
Second announcement is tomorrow morning Gentlemen at six o 'clock, please come back and join us for our time of fellowship
We get together at six o 'clock to pray together to be together to fellowship together six o 'clock tomorrow morning
Our weekly schedule is back on at full force Which is to say tonight's our prayer meeting
We have our small groups are all going on the women's studies the men's studies during the week drew.
Are you here? I'm gonna ask you to come up and talk about the men's study on Monday And thank you everybody good morning and We have been having a wonderful time on Monday nights
It's called the apologetic series and we've gone through many many things so far But the reason we want to make an announcement this morning is because I feel like this is kind of a special Topic that's going to be tackled over the next few weeks
Matt Hoke is going to be teaching on creation and evolution and we all know that that's a hot topic and the evidence for the biblical creation is
Incredible and we don't have to back down from the culture that would tell us otherwise
It's a tremendous faith builder and we want to be able to give a defense to all those that ask us for the hope that is in us and I think this is going to equip a lot of guys if you come on Monday nights seven o 'clock here
To be part of this and I would especially encourage the young guys if you guys can make it here your parents can get you here
That would be great Teenagers and up that would be fantastic and we're really looking forward to it.
So I hope we see you there. Thank you Thank you for that Wednesday we resume our
Wednesday study in Ephesians So if you've been attending it, we have taken a couple of weeks off, but we will be resuming
Starting in a couple of weeks. We will have a second service Sunday school.
This would be for all We're going to be doing short term classes and actually the first one that's going to be launched and it will be on the 22nd and the 29th
My understanding is that Eric Meyer is going to be teaching a youth Sunday school not if I'm right.
Thank you. Okay, so for a couple of weeks we will have after that We will be doing things like starting point.
We will have classes perhaps a series of Topics for new believers perhaps something on spiritual gifts
So we will be rotating various classes during second service as a Sunday school offering
This coming Saturday is our love love life prayer walk outside the Women's Center in Cherry Hill It's an opportunity for us to go before the throne of God praying for those
Women who are perhaps making decisions that that would be very detrimental Saving the lives of the unborn.
It's very important is Charles Swanson here yes, I'd like to ask you to come up now and talk to us about the
Options, please Thanks pastor
John appreciate the opportunity to be here. I'm Chuck Swanson. I'm the CEO at options for women If you've been here for a while, you you know that this church has been wonderfully supportive of our ministry
Just let me tell you a little bit about what our ministry is We are a Christian pregnancy network.
We take care of women who have what we'll Call unplanned pregnancies and many women who are anywhere from 15 into their 40s
Become pregnant without planning it and perhaps they are without resources and without the means to to have a baby and one of the choices that our society says that they should have is
To terminate the life of the child We believe that God sees every one of us as made in his image
And we want to make sure that Every woman knows that God loves them and their unborn children and try to help them to make a choice for life
Many of you support us Financially through prayer and other other ways and we're very grateful for all the ways that that you do that It's been a pretty exciting couple of years for us in 2021 we
You know, we have an office in Cherry Hill we started a second office in Trenton We are literally just a few blocks from the statehouse
And we just found out the other day from a state police officer That the governor has to drive to go to his home has to go up the street past our office
So we're very glad to have a presence a big sign that says, you know You have options and we are serving the
Lord here in in Trenton We also acquired two centers down at the shore ones in Ocean City and the others in North Cape May and God has been using them
Very fruitfully to to help women to find their way to to good decisions about the babies that they're carrying
In the past few months. We've also received a brand new custom -built mobile medical unit
Everything that we can do in our office and that would be pregnancy tests counseling ultrasounds and more
We can do on our mobile unit, so we'll be deploying this all over South Jersey, especially to the shore
Areas where there are you know concentrations of very very level high levels of poverty.
So we we thank you for your support You know Our mission is to you know to help women and families to to make good choices
About the babies that they've created that are in the image of God and we hope that they will preserve that life
I don't know how much you know, but the environment around abortion has changed dramatically in the last
Six or eight months, you know Roe versus Wade was overturned. Hallelujah. What did that mean in New Jersey?
nothing It literally meant nothing the government had put into place all the things that they wanted to do
That Roe would have overturned had they had they been able to do that. So abortions available through the entire
Gestation period all the way up to 40 weeks from anyone including a doctor a Nurse practitioner a physician assistant or a certified midwife and you can do it all over the phone
You don't even have to have your abortion in a in a surgical office I do thank you for for your presence at the
Cherry Hill Women's Center it is It's an abomination to to our community that there would be a place like that Do you know how many abortions are done in Cherry Hill every year?
Ten thousand Ten thousand so your presence there is so meaningful I really
I want to you know kudos to you guys for all the work that you do there So thank you for your support
We are ready to serve God is using our staff in each of our centers and we are and in the new year going to be even more aggressive about approaching and communicating with Abortion minded abortion vulnerable women and we hope that our presence in this area will be very important The big news and I almost forgot it in the first service was
God has blessed us with a new building on Route 70 so we'll be able to move from our little, you know
Corner side street in Cherry Hill to a very vivid presence right on Route 70 in Cherry Hill Over the next few months
We'll be able to consolidate all of our our people and our services in a wonderful facility
That is really almost custom -made for us. So Thank you for your support.
It's it's the support of folks like you that makes our ministry possible And I would ask you if you wouldn't mind we have baby bottles here
And I know many of you have participated in our baby bottle program If you take a baby bottle fill it up with your spare change and return it to the church over the next few weeks
We'll turn that money into a baby It's like magic but not We also have donation envelopes that you can use to just mail in your gifts
So we thank you so much for your support really want to thank you all you are such a wonderful church And we are very grateful.
Thank you Church let's pray for Chuck Father God, we thank you for our brother -in -arms who is willing to go on the front lines to rescue
Those who are being taken away to the slaughter Thank you God for your word to us and the power of your word and we pray for courage in this man that you would give him
Just a forehead of steel that you would just make him firm and resolute and unbending
With the truth of your word and we thank you for him Lord And we pray that you give him wisdom in the decisions that he makes
Lord. Thank you for the blessing Thank you for these Pens of thousands of cars that will drive by route 70 and see the sign and we pray that you would use that To bring conviction of sin and then faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ and rescue many babies through this Lord We thank you Lord that we could have some small part in this
Lord and we just bless and pray for this ministry in Jesus Name Amen Thank you
Chuck thank you so much.
It is our privilege to go in front of the throne to pray But it's also our privilege to support ministries like yours
Who are providing the practical solutions answers to these women two more announcements more on the fellowship side or that type?
We are going to be launching this Wednesday and it will be every up twice a month On one
Wednesday, it will be a game night and another Wednesday. It will be a movie night So come this this
Wednesday at 630. It's an opportunity to bring family neighbors friends Into an environment where they'll be with Christians and God's Word is honored
But this Wednesday at 630 here in the building I also want to encourage you to remember on the 23rd two weeks from tomorrow is our congregational meeting
We want you to attend whether you're a member or not we'll be talking issues including voting for members and I want you to anticipate that we will actually be talking about a
Topic related to our bylaws. So please come for that. Let's go to prayer
Lord we profess with the psalmist that he you
Lord Yahweh You alone are my rock and my salvation my fortress
I shall not be greatly shaken Pray Lord this year that we would by the grace of God know
God Not just be satisfied with knowing about him, but that we would know
God this personal This personal God the God who looked to Peter and said who do you say that I am that our profession would be?
Now at the Christ the Son of the Living God we desire to grow in worship of you
We desire to grow in being your disciples Help us to see you Lord and all that we do all that we experience and to be bold To tell others about it
Lord we continue to raise those in our midst in need of prayer physically emotionally
And we pray Lord that we would always stand by them We pray that we would know you well as we profess that you are my rock my salvation and my fortress
Lord as we gather together with your word We pray that you would anoint Pastor Jeff give him the words that your spirit would speak through him and prepare our hearts to hear
We pray in Jesus name. Amen It says hallelujah
That's translated praise you the Lord Lord is all capitalized because it refers to Jehovah Yahweh Another version of that is the shortened.
Yeah Let me read from the Legacy Standard Bible Psalm 113 Praise Yah Praise of slaves of Yahweh Praise the name of Yahweh May the name of Yahweh be blessed from now until forever
From the rising of the Sun to its setting the name of Yahweh is to be praised
Yahweh is above all nations. His glory is above the heavens Who is like Yahweh our
God the one who sits on high the one who brings? Himself low to see the things in heaven and on earth
Who raises the poor from the dust and lifts high the needy from the ash? To make them sit with nobles with the nobles of his people
He shall make barren the women of the house They sit as a glad mother of children praise
Let's sing together a new song who is like the Lord All creation
Oh Oh Beside us
Nation he is Nation He That question who is like our
God no one no one is like our God He is the Lord is a great man. He is greatly to be praised.
Let's sing together. He is our God lifting our voices I'll burn
I To the king on the throne who was and is to come and to the lamb who was slain be your glory
Now to the king on the throne who was and is to come and to the lamb who was slain be your glory now to the king on the throne who was and is to come and to the lamb who was slain be your glory
Holy You Lord we stand before you knowing that you are holy that you are a mighty and you are
Our God and Isaiah 6 3 it says, holy.
Holy. Holy The earth is filled with his glory God is saying there to open your eyes.
Look at the sky. Look at the oceans I'm like that but even better That's what you can look at and see
My glory which points to my holiness, let's sing together.
You are home You are
Peace and I will live my life for you Continue to sing holiness and raising his name
You are Peace and I will live my prince of peace
You're my prince of peace and I will live my life for you
Great scene this morning. Praise the Lord Well, it's good to see you all
I haven't seen y 'all in a year I Was down in Florida visiting
My family and it was a blessed time In fact, I have an aunt who says that when certain things happen.
She calls them God winks Anybody heard of God winks? Where something happens you think well
God had to have been in that and that happened a number of times while I was in, Florida Just on the flight down, of course, we had to stop at Chick -fil -a before getting in the plane
Don't judge me all of you do that, right? and I was wearing a John 3 16 shirt and I wear
Christian shirts almost all the time and Very rarely does anybody comment on it, but the
Chick -fil -a worker She said to me what does your shirt mean? Tell me about that and I began to tell her
John 3 16 and then I asked her Do you believe that and she said
I used to but I can't believe it anymore She said the things that have happened in my family and things that I can't believe
God would let this happen to me So I had the opportunity to tell her Where else would you go?
Where else would you turn he alone has the words of life and I got to tell her that he alone resurrects the dead and her eyes got big and she was listening and then
I noticed that the other Chick -fil -a workers were listening and the One was nodding as if he had been trying to tell her this and it was a beautiful moment
But the most beautiful thing I saw last week Was in a memory care unit
Where my mom is unable to speak and her eyes Engaged she notices someone is there but my dad
Goes every day to feed her and to care for her and to serve her and It is the most beautiful thing the most perfect picture of the gospel
Where he as a husband has been faithful to his wife in sickness and in hell you know, they told me about Christ when
I was growing up and they lived it and now I see it even in their their elderly years
That's the kind of beauty of the gospel and a picture of what Christ is like for us. Isn't he faithful to us?
And we are the bride of Christ Then on the way back Went to the airport and once again,
I was craving an orange Fanta So I went and started to pay for it and she said what does your shirt mean?
And I had the chance again to tell this young girl I said John 3 16 and I quoted it to her and explained it and I said have you ever heard that she said no nothing like it and It reminded me and I did get the chance with her because there was no line in this case to really go into the gospel and share
More in depth, but the Lord was opening doors. These were God winks as my aunt calls them but you know the thing is
I'm blessed to have a family that Told me about the Lord Jesus Christ and each of you who have that blessing and even if you don't you are part of the
Family of God through faith in his name. Amen Let's pray So father, I am so thankful for the opportunity to stand in this pulpit and Lord I realize that I am
NOT equal to that task. There's nothing in me Capable of speaking to the hearts of men and women but Lord you have given us your word and your your word is sharper than a two -edged sword and it penetrates even to the dividing of joints and marrow
Bone and marrow and the thoughts and intentions of our hearts and I pray Lord as we read your word today
You would you would speak into our situations into our families Into our very hearts that your word would go forth this morning in Jesus name.
We pray. Amen Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers
They were incredibly jealous of him because he was clearly the father's favorite
I mean after all didn't Jacob make him a coat of many colors and Do nothing of the sort for the other ten older brothers
So he wore his coat of colors, but then God began to speak to Joseph through dreams but that only exacerbated the problem with the brothers because now he was having dreams of them bowing down to him and So they began to hate him and talk about him all the time.
Well, well, they were Tending the sheep the father Jacob sent Joseph To meet with them and to bring them food and when they saw him coming they plotted to kill him instead they decided to throw him in a pit and then sell him into slavery and as they pulled him out of that pit and Sold him into slavery.
We learned later in the story that they could see his distress and How he begged them not to do this and pled with them and yet they were so cold -hearted
So evil That they sold their own brother into slavery
There's a picture of family conflict now sadly families are often in conflict a
Sister might accuse you of doing things you never did some brother or sister might blame you and Then when you create boundaries
Hate you all the more Some brothers and sisters have not allowed their siblings to see their children feigning some reason like kovat a
Brother will undermine your parenting in other countries Brothers and sisters hand over their own siblings to be killed
For example if someone leaves Islam to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, it's their own family
Who often puts them to death a man's enemies will be the members of his own household
It's a sad But this is to be expected according to the words of Jesus for not all have faith and even within families not all have faith the real division is not between bloodlines, but between the household of faith and those who have not faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ and Families are designed by God as A place for close relationship where people can hold one another up where there can be unity and love
But because of that families are brought in close proximity Which means that strife and conflict is often the most intense in families
Because you're so close sometimes living under the same roof Jesus experienced family conflict
Turn with me to John chapter 7 before we read it recognize that John chapter 5 through 12 is the section of the book that deals with conflict
In this world you will have trouble you will have conflict But Christ has overcome the world in chapter 5 the conflict is in Jerusalem.
He heals The man at the pool of Bethesda, but he's accused of healing on the
Sabbath and being there for a Sabbath breaker and He does not back down from what he has claimed about himself instead.
He says to the Jews in Jerusalem If you would have believed Moses you would believe me because he wrote of me.
Well, that is about The hardest thing he could say to the
Jews because all of their hope the Pharisees all of their hope was built in their faith in Moses and Yet he says that they don't believe
Moses and that's why they don't believe him So understand by chapter 5 things have become very heated in Jerusalem Conflict has happened back up in Galilee chapter 6
Even though he multiplies the bread and they follow him in masses when he teaches about his own divinity that he is the bread come from heaven and That he would ascend as he came
Everybody deserts him except 12 and even one of them is a devil chapter 7 verses 1 to 10
After this Jesus went about in Galilee He would not go about in Judea Because the
Jews Were seeking to kill him Now the
Jews feast of booths was at hand So his brother said to him
Leave here and go to Judea that your disciples also may see the works you are doing
For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly if you do these things show yourself to the world
For not even his brothers Believed in him Jesus said to them
My time has not yet come but your time is always here The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil
You go up to the feast. I am NOT going up to this feast for my time has not yet come fully come
After saying this he remained in Galilee But after his brothers had gone up to the feast then he also went up not publicly but in private chapter 7 verse 1 and 2
Opens by setting the stage for the conflict that we're reading about today
Verse 1 Gives the background Reminding us of chapter 5 that the
Jews in Jerusalem are already planning to kill him Verse 2 says now the feast of booths was at hand
After first service somebody came up to me and said were you saying feast of booze? I?
Said no, that's a very different kind of festival. This is not this is booths Make sure I enunciate clearly here.
It is the feast of tabernacles Sukkot It was the one of three major festivals in which all the males of Israel were required to go up to Jerusalem We learn about it in Leviticus 23.
It was instituted by God the feast of booths commemorates When the
Israelites had to live in tabernacles in little booths because they had come out of Egypt and they're living in the wilderness
They're moving they're wanderers. They're sojourners in a wilderness But when
Joshua brings them into the promised land now, they have found deliverance victory they've come home to the promised land and so they are to remember their wandering and Celebrate the victory
So this was a celebratory festival the feast of booths and for this reason
This particular festival was the most popular of all three So you're wondering in case you you might not know
What are the three festivals? His uncle rich here he would know right the three festivals are
Passover Pentecost and booths Passover was when the
Jews came out of Egypt by the blood of the Lamb and the angel of death passed over and so they Were to commemorate that with that feast of unleavened bread
Passover. That would be the first one in the calendar year 50 days later came
Pentecost and Pentecost was the in gathering this is where the first fruits of the harvest were coming in and they celebrated and gave glory to God and then later in the fall was
The feast of tabernacles and this included the day of atonement trumpets this lighting ceremony
It was a seven -day festival and all the while they would live in little tents like literally
They would build little huts and families would come together and live under these booths in Jerusalem and celebrate
Now I would tell you that every one of those festivals points to Christ.
I Think that's why John in chapter 5 chapter 6 and Chapter 7 begins each chapter by referencing the festivals
He's pointing us to the fulfillment that is Christ. How does Christ fulfill the first one the
Passover? He is the Passover lamb He was killed in order that the punishment of death would pass over us and By the blood just like the blood of the
Lamb marked the doorposts of the houses of Israel So the blood of the Lamb Jesus is blood marks us that we would not fall under condemnation
And be killed for our sin the wages of sin is death but that death passes over because of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross and so When did
Jesus die on? Passover fulfilling what all of those lambs pointed forward to Pentecost is fulfilled the 50th day after Jesus died.
He rises on a Sunday and on the 50th day the Holy Spirit falls and the in -gathering begins
Now Jew and Gentile come into this new thing called the church brought in By the power of the
Holy Spirit and so we read about about Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 lastly booths booths pictures the second coming when
Christ coming for his church Will will reign and we will finally be home with him in the
Millennial Kingdom Turn with me to Zechariah to see this pictured as The second coming in the book of Zechariah very near the end of your
Old Testament There are two sections to the book 1 to 8 and then 9 to 14 in that second section of the book of Zechariah We have many prophetic pictures of the coming
King the Messiah in chapter 9 He is the king who enters
Jerusalem riding on a donkey Humble and having salvation
Zechariah 9 9 in chapter 10 verse 4. He is the cornerstone
You heard of a church that might be named after that cornerstone Zechariah 10 for in chapter 11.
We see the betrayal of Jesus by Judas pictured in Zechariah's betrayal
Zechariah 11 verses 12 and 13 where he is betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
Which then he takes that and throws the money to the potter Which of course pictures
Jesus taking 30 pieces of silver and throwing it and it is used to buy the potter's field
Zechariah 11 12 and 13 chapter 12 verse 10 says they will look upon the one they pierced
Jesus was pierced on the cross through his hands and through his feet and by a spear in his side
They look upon the one they pierced chapter 13 verse 1 Speaks of a fountain of cleansing being opened through this and that of course is the cleansing of our sin
Through the blood of Jesus and the shepherd in verse 7. So now we are in Zechariah 14 and Here we have the second coming of Christ verse 4 on that day
His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east and the
Mount of Olives shall be split in two From east to west by a very wide valley
So that one half of the Mount shall be moved northward and the other half southward
The second coming of Christ when Christ rose from the dead He gathered his followers to the
Mount of Olives and there he ascended Right in their sight and then was hidden from them by a cloud.
Remember the two men that appeared these angels They said why do you stand here looking into the sky as he ascended?
So he is coming back again and Zechariah tells us when
Christ comes back his foot will be planted on that Mount of Olives and he comes with so much force
So much power that the mountain itself is split in two Zechariah 14 for the second coming and Then we see in verse 9 of Zechariah 14
The Lord at this time will be King not only of Jerusalem but over all the earth
The millennial reign where Christ reigns in Jerusalem and his name is one the
Lord Jesus Christ The world knows it. There's only one King It's a theocracy for a thousand years
I bring all this up relative to the Feast of Booths because once Christ comes
I take this very literally. I Know there are post -millennialists and amillennialists who thinks that think that this is rather figurative of the church age
But I'm reading this very literally that Christ comes and then what follows in verses 16 to 18
Will be fulfilled It says Zechariah 14 16 to 18 then everyone who survives of All the nations that have come up against Jerusalem If you want more detail on that read the book of Revelation all the nations coming to to Israel to destroy the
Jewish remnant the 144 ,000 that are marked Now it says they shall go up year after year to worship the king
Those who make it into the millennium must come up and worship The king the
Lord of hosts and See it you're reading ahead to keep the
Feast of Booths The festival in Jerusalem will be kept during the millennial reign of Christ If you're living in New Jersey, you got to take a boat
Or a plane or maybe in the millennium we have even greater modes of transportation Than what we have in this church age, but we go to Jerusalem and there we tabernacle
Now what happens if someone says it's a little bit too much of a hassle I'm not gonna go worship Jesus at the
Feast of Booths 17 if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the king the
Lord of hosts There will be no rain on them. He's compelling this worship during the millennium.
Now, what happens at the end of the millennium? there's one final rebellion and then all unbelievers are
Our crush and there's a final great white throne judgment but here The king is to be worshipped with the
Feast of Booths verse 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves then on them there shall be no rain there shall be the plague
With which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. Okay. Now we have some context, right?
Let's go back to John chapter 7 verse 2 where we left off this
Feast of Booths Should have been a family reunion as They would go up to the festival of booths.
They would sing the Psalms of ascent One of them was Psalm 133
It's only three verses long how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity
It is like the oil dripping down the beard of Aaron This beautiful picture of unity when brothers who all believe in Yahweh get to go and worship the king
They're singing together. They're loving it It's a family time and then they build a tabernacle in Jerusalem and they laugh and they spend time together
It was the most popular festival so Jerusalem filled to more than a million people
Beautiful time of unity Introduce the problem now in verse 3
These brothers who ought to be unified with their elder brother Joseph at this time in the story has died
So there's no family head to lead them. It would fall to the older brother to lead and yet His brother said to him
Now understand this is not helpful Sincere Loving advice look at verse 5
John gives us why they said it for Not even his brothers believed in him.
Everybody knows that if he goes to Jerusalem he's likely to die and They're sending him to Jerusalem say, you know, don't hang out here in Galilee like a big fish in a small pond you need to get down to Jerusalem where everybody can see you and They said that because they did not believe he's the
Messiah They did not believe that. He is the Christ the promised one that Zechariah foretold and that all the prophets spoke of They wanted to see him exposed as a fraud
And they'd be content to see him dead sound like Joseph's brothers a spirit of jealousy a
Rift within the family. They said this because they did not believe Church is important for us to realize that just because you are born into a
Christian family This does not indicate that you are yet a child of God the family of God Is made up of those who have been born again?
Not merely born into a Christian family. Now if you're born into a Christian family, what blessing that is an incredible blessing on your life
I thank God for the parents. I have and the brothers I have But being born into a
Christian family does not make you a child of God Here you have the physical half brothers of Jesus not believing in him
And many people want to find their core identity in their family or their ethnicity
Extending beyond their earthly family to those who might look like them There was an entire movement in 2020 based on the color of people's skin one was to identify by the color of one's skin and Therefore live their life
Let's tell you there are people who might live a few houses down from me in the same neighborhood And in their yard, they have a sign that says hate has no home here
And the meaning of that sign is entirely political saying if you have a particular
Political persuasion you don't have a home here. It's virtue signaling With the yard sign physically planted on the yard, and I would say that my brother
Who lives in Malawi and who grew up as an orphan? Not a brother of the flesh but a brother of the
Spirit whose name is Hamilton who's starting orphanages and providing a home for little children to believe the gospel and to be cared for That this brother is my brother
Because we share the same book. We have the same values. We believe in the same
God. We were born again With the same new birth and we have the same spirit of the
Living God living in us and so he Hamilton as far away as Malawi is my brother and a neighbor down the street who hates our
God and is willing to murder babies and Mutilate children and oppose all that is right is
No more connected to me Than a zebra or a giraffe Because the color of skin means nothing
What matters is the new birth? Do you see this in verses three and four? They're physical brothers, but they do not believe and so they're sent they want him to go and die
Now you may be in a family where some believe and some do not and It is incumbent on us as Christians to live at peace with all men as far as it depends on us
Romans 14 Blessed are the peacemakers not those who stir the pot
We are to love peace and make peace and do what we can as far as it depends on us but what
I want you to notice now as the text goes on is That avoiding conflicts in the family is not how
Jesus operates In Fact if you just avoid the conflict you're only pushing it off and making it worse for later
You're escalating it What's needed is to speak the truth and love look at verse six and seven
Jesus said to them he spoke My time has not yet come but your time is always here
The world cannot hate you But it hates me because I testify about it that its works are
Evil, what's he saying? My time has not yet come. It's not that he's afraid to go and die.
He knows that's his destiny That's God's plan for his life, but it's in God's time.
He is submitted to the will of God They have no such concern
They're Domineering and they're controlling they're bossing him around leave go do this.
It has to be this way But he refuses to submit to that. In fact, he exposes their hearts
He essentially says that they're worldly The reason that they're not hated by the world
Is because they're of the world Friendship with the world is
Enmity toward God if they're of the world, then of course the world loves them
But why is it that the world will be at enmity with Christians?
Well, it is because we do the will of God Let's say you're a teenager at a party hanging out with friends and suddenly somebody brings in a keg of beer and Everybody is happy to partake
Except you wanting to honor God and do the will of God You decide it's time for you to leave.
I Can assure you that as soon as you walk out the conversation turns
To how you are holier than now and how judge he thinks he's better than us
The one who makes a break with the world will be hated by the world The brothers had never made that break they had never chosen to stand and do the will of God and so the world loved them and Jesus is willing to point this out and it seems a little harsh
But notice the fruit that will come and we'll get to that at the end of the sermon lastly though He speaks the truth.
He doesn't avoid it and likewise. We should not avoid conflict lastly verses 8 to 10.
He says to them You go up to the feast I Am not going up to this feast for my time has not yet fully come
After saying this he remained in Galilee, but after his brothers had gone up to the feast then he also went up And stop right there
Those who oppose the Word of God Will say hey look Jesus is a liar. He can't be sinless.
He said he wasn't going up and Then he went up The Bible must be in error.
Well when John recorded these words from Jesus Do you think he knew that problem you think he would have chosen to record this if that's what he was communicating
Obviously, he wasn't presenting Jesus as a liar read on it says at the end of verse 2 verse 10 not publicly but in private
All that all that Jesus is saying is I'm not going to go and lead the family in a public procession
Up singing the songs of ascent boothing tabernacling together and presenting myself as the
Messiah The time has not yet come He's not lying about whether he would ever go
He's saying he's not making his public profession. The time has not yet come and so John Underscores the point not publicly
But in private he didn't lie Here's what happens in this case all of the family
Goes without him James and Jude and the brothers Celebrating singing laughing and going with the crowd.
It just seems right there obey God, right? They're going to the festival and Jesus travels alone
Yes with his disciples probably following But making a break from his family and what does that instruct us?
That even if your own family Turns away from the Living God Even if everyone but you turns away from the will of God you must be willing to stand even if you're the only one
Think of that Eleazar was one of David's mighty men and all of Israel retreated but Eleazar He said
I will stand and it says in the Word of God that he held his sword so tight in that battle that his hand
Froze to the Word of God. He stood alone Daniel, where were all the other
Israelites? When they were told to pray to no other God, but Nebuchadnezzar Daniel alone prayed in front of that window and Daniel alone went into the lion's den
Shama in the field of lentils when all of Israel retreated he stood firm and he fought live or die
Uriah was willing to go to the front line My question to you is if you are the only one in your family the only one
Would you continue to hold on to this sword to grip it till your hand freezes to it?
Would anything deter you lastly in closing?
There's some good news the very brothers Who like Joseph brothers wanted to see him dead
To send him to Jerusalem to die James and Jude the very brothers who rejected his claim to be
Messiah After Jesus rose from the dead came to believe that Jesus is the
Christ the Son of the Living God How do I know that? They wrote two books of our
New Testament flip there for just a moment James 1 1 and then the second to last book is
Jude They came to believe in their earthly brother as The Messiah the king of the
Jews Want you to notice how they identify just the first couple verses here how they identify themselves
They could have kind of claimed their special place in the physical family of God Wouldn't you be tempted to do that?
James half brother of the king of kings That would have that would be kind of some clout right?
But look how James identifies himself. I Think it's because he's the half -brother.
He's focusing on this James 1 1 James a servant of God and of the
Lord Jesus Christ and he'll again and again call
Jesus Lord Flip over to Jude. It's the second to last
Book just before Revelation Jude is even more interesting in how he introduces himself he again says
Jude a servant of Jesus Christ and then he identifies himself as brother of James That's how he indicates that he is
Jesus's half -brother because Jesus and James Were known to be brothers, so he identifies himself as the brother of James, but notice how he regards
Jesus verse 4 Certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designed for this condemnation ungodly people who pervert the grace of our
God into sensuality and deny our only master and Lord Jesus Christ Do you see how they humble themselves to exalt
God and listen church if you've had some family conflict and What family in here hasn't?
I'm sure everyone has because it's to be expected. It is to be expected if you have
Read the book of James and Jude Because they went from domineering and harsh wrong -headed
To humble servants of the Lord Jesus Christ and they teach us to do the same each one should be slow to speak
Quick to listen slow to become angry We're encouraged towards gentleness and humility
James chapter 4 is about that Jude 1 2 focuses on that mercy and that grace
And at the end of Jude how to snatch some from the fire, but show mercy and compassion
James and Jude Used to be on the wrong side of the fence and now they're on the right side a few other verses just quickly
Maybe you'll make note of these for resolving conflicts in the family 2nd
Timothy 3 12 will help you that you won't be surprised when it happens
Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
Persecuted it's in it's in your notes. If you if you have the app
Or we'll send them out through the email another important verse
Proverbs 3033 for pressing milk produces curds pressing the nose produces blood and pressing anger produces strife
Just like if you push somebody's nose with your finger you can expect Blood in the same way if you stir up strife if you if you're instigating you can expect them to be angry
So we're to be humble and not not pressing these things Proverbs 1911 good sense makes one slow to anger and it is his glory to overlook an offense
Quick to overlook love covers a multitude of sins first Peter 4 8
This being the case we are gentle peacemakers, but that does not mean that we ought to avoid conflict as Jesus modeled with his own brothers.
These are the very seeds that will ultimately lead to conversion When they observe your good behavior in Christ Jesus that you live what you're preaching
The words that you speak the truth of God Will ultimately be used by God to bring those to faith whom he would call to himself so don't be a
Conflict avoider be like Jesus and speak and say the things that need to be said Lastly just wanted to say because there might be someone here
That hasn't yet believed in Christ maybe you're one of those family members and You've been angry with a brother or a sister or a mother or a father or someone
Who to you appears like a Bible thumper? Could it be that you need to submit and bow your knee to the
Lordship of Jesus Christ the brothers of Joseph ultimately bowed their knee to him in a type in a shadow of Jesus and his brothers that all who call upon the name of the
Lord will be saved if you will humble yourself and call on Him and think about how true the Bible is all of these festivals
Passover and Pentecost and booths Pointing to the first coming of Christ in his sacrifice and the
Holy Spirit in the in -gathering of the church And then the second coming in glory and in power and will finally be home
The days of our sojourning will finally be over when we tabernacle in the
New Jerusalem All of this points to Christ Joseph points to Jesus Betrayed by brothers
But then also ultimately elevated and those bow the knee to him all of these things point that it's true
But even consider this the reliability of the New Testament witnesses
Paul persecuted the church and hated the church and he's the one that wrote 13 of the 27 books of the
New Testament James and Jude did not believe what could convince them that Jesus really is the
Messiah Perhaps is rising from the dead. So anybody listening to this sermon?
You can believe based on the evidence the eyewitness testimony and the prophecies that point to Christ that this message is not just what the preacher says or what my parents told me or your family told you this is the very truth of God and If you believe you will be saved and you will be a part of the family of God church have hope
You might have a brother or a sister or someone a son a daughter
That it seems to you by all earthly equation. They will never be saved I'm sure that's what it looked like to the brothers of Jesus Christ and yet they came
God is able to save he's mighty and strong to save Zephaniah Talks about chapter 3 the mighty the one who is mighty to save and let's pray to him now
God we thank you for our families Lords you put children in families you give us fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and Those who would be close to us in this life
To meet needs to to be encouragers and to have unity as psalm 133 reads but Lord, it's also a source of some of our deepest pain and Struggle and strife in the home and Lord it breaks our hearts.
We can only imagine how it breaks your heart You are a God of compassion So Lord, we pray that you would look upon the families of this church and you would heal the rifts that exist between brothers and sisters and mothers and their children fathers and their children
An extended family turn the hearts of the children back to the parents Lord We pray that you would give faith to those who doubt snatch some from the fire
With others mercy mixed with fear Lord.
We do pray that you would heal Family conflict and let that be through faith in the
Son of God reconciliation vertically with God Which will result in horizontal reconciliation?
God you alone can save and so we pray for our families We pray for the prodigals those who have wandered away from the faith that you would bring them back call their hearts home to you
You're able to do it God. Please do that By the inner conviction of the
Spirit draw them back to yourself Cause them to remember the gospel
I think of that girl in Chick -fil -a who once believed and now is doubting I pray for her
God that you would save her You're mighty to save For our family members that are lost
Bring them home Lord help us to hold our peace and to be gentle to overlook offenses
To be kind and loving Compassionate but also to speak the truth where we need to Thank you for this time in your word and for speaking to our hearts now help us to go and live
By the word that we've read in Jesus name You will come before us you will lead the way we have found a refuge
Sing with joy now our God is for us Raise your voice now
Oh Oh Oh Our benediction comes from Jude James's brother and a servant of the
Lord Jesus Christ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy
To the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord Be glory majesty dominion and authority before all time and now and forever