John, pt. 43 | John 7:40-52

Giving an Invitation Through the Spirit’s Fruit

All right, if you will at this time, take your copy of the Scriptures. We're going to be in the Gospel of John, chapter 7, verses 37 through 39. I know I said we'd try to get through the rest of the chapter, but that did not happen.

So we added a verse, and that's progress, so John chapter 7, 37 through 39, and this is our 40th second message in this glorious Gospel. Let me pray. Oh God, Lord, I come to you in the name of Jesus, the Christ, your Son, who is at your right hand, putting all of his enemies under his feet.

Lord, we live in his reign, and Lord, we ask that today, Lord, as you're reigning over all the earth, that you reign in our mind and hearts right now as we are about to hear this message, and Lord, I pray for conviction.

As I studied this week, I was so convicted, and Lord, I pray that you will continue to convict me throughout this message, and everyone here, and everyone who listens by way of online. Lord, we want to see the power of your Holy Spirit in our lives and in your church.

Please use me this day to speak forth your word, in Christ's name, amen. So let's begin with the text, John chapter 7, verses 37 through 39. Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

He who believes in me, as the scriptures said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. With this, he spoke of the Spirit whom those who believed in him were going to receive. For the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Our theme for this Lord's Day is giving an invitation. Those who have been filled with the Spirit of God are to give an invitation to those who have not been filled with the Spirit of God. We are to go and compel men, to compel women to come and eat for free, come and drink.

Those who have no money come and eat. Evangelism is a command. It is not a requirement for salvation, nor is it a suggestion. Likewise, love is a command. It is not a requirement for salvation, nor is it a suggestion.

You do not, excuse me, you do not have to love your neighbors to become a Christian. Don't get anything twisted of what I'm saying. You do not have to love your neighbor to become a Christian. But guess what Christians are called to do?

Yeah, you guessed it. We're called to love our neighbors. James speaks about a faith that does not love their neighbors, and he calls it a dead faith. He says, show me, he says, I'll show you my faith by what I do.

This is a justification before man. This is not a justification before God. Loving your neighbor does not get you into heaven. But guess what people who are going to heaven do? They love their neighbor.

Faith without works is dead. Faith without love for your neighbor is dead. You're showing that you do not believe in Jesus Christ. Now, I'm about to say something. I think it's warrant from the text. Faith without evangelism is in the same camp as dead faith.

What's the most loving thing that we could do for our neighbors? I was speaking to my wife this past week about generational wealth, and how so-called famous people in Hollywood, or even famous Christians, who are storing up wealth for generational wealth, are going to be judged.

They're storing up wealth for that which we have on earth, where the moth and rust can destroy it. We're called to store up treasures in heaven. In heaven! And we have the greatest treasure of all, eternal life.

And listen, Christian, speaking to myself, we're not to keep it to ourselves. We have the greatest treasure, and we're called to give it to the world. You might be thinking, I'm going a little hard on this, but the Scriptures go harder than I'm presenting it.

The Scriptures go harder than I'm presenting it. We are called to love our neighbors, and the greatest love we could ever give them is from this generational wealth that the church has been storing up for years and years and years, and not giving it to the people.

I mentioned this before, we're living in the unfruitful nature and unworthiness of Christians from 50 years, 100 years ago, who thought that Jesus was coming next week, so why should we witness? Let's just hunker down and hold this to ourselves.

We bought the bucket, the survival bucket, right? We bought the survival bucket. We have food for us, but not food for them. Ladies and gentlemen, this is terrible. It's terrible. Think about that with the Gospel.

We have the survival bucket. We have the Gospel, but we're not giving it to people. In all honesty, I wanted to, I mentioned this earlier, I wanted to just wrap up Chapter 7. When I was looking at Chapter 7, I thought maybe two messages.

Isn't that what I told you, Pastor Gail? Maybe two messages, and that's about it. Surface level. I wanted to wrap this up, but after going back and listening to the message this week, I was convicted from Verse 38.

Look at Verse 38. This is Jesus. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Verse 38. He who believes in me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. Beginning of Verse 38.

But this he spoke of the Holy Spirit. Those who believe in Jesus receive the Holy Spirit. And he says, if you receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is going to come forth from you. And I am so guilty of harboring, hoarding, kidnapping the Holy Spirit and not letting him help.

I'm guilty of that. And I was convicted. What goes in us, Holy Spirit, comes out of us, Holy Spirit. So in our outline today, I want to show the different ways that the Holy Spirit flows from the believer.

Look at three points. Of course, three points because I'm a Baptist. We'll see the fruit, forgiveness, and invitation. Point number one, the fruit. Point number two, forgiveness. And point number three, the invitation.

And as we transition two of these concepts, fruit and forgiveness, we've talked about concern and believers. So today I want to flip it around and focus on these ideas to the unbeliever. The hardest thing about this subject, speaking of evangelism, is not being offended when we are attacked for our faith.

It's really hard. I've told this story before I was downtown preaching. Every time I've been downtown preaching, I was attacked in some way, right? Whether, you know, a group of people walk by, yell at me or say something, or try to knock me off the box.

But this one thing was really funny because I got to see the Holy Spirit protect me in a way. This woman, she tried to light me on fire. And so she'd light her lighters. She grabs my clothing. She's trying to set me on fire as I'm speaking.

And every time she'd light the lighter, the wind would put the lighter out. And she backed it off and she lit the lighter and it was going. Wasn't no wind. And she put it to me and it would go out. And she was getting very frustrated.

And finally, she grabs her friend's drink and she grabs it and she throws it at my face. And the wind came like a gush and no liquid landed on me. This is truth. I've experienced so much of this. Finally, her friend grabs her from behind and drags her with her heels, scraping the concrete away from me.

That was one day that someone was trying to attack me that the Holy Spirit would not let it happen. There'd be a crowd of elderly women walk by and give me the finger, right, the middle finger. And five minutes later, a crowd full of bikers walk by.

Looked like they could eat you and give me a hug, right? Nothing bad has ever happened to the point to where something good didn't come from it as I was being attacked. But the hardest thing about this subject, evangelism, is not being offended when you're being attacked.

It's hard. Someone walks by and you're doing something for the Lord and they tell you to go, you know, yourself. It's hard not to say it back. It's hard not to, when someone attacks you, not to attack back.

It's hard. As Christians, that's what we're called to do. Also, as Christians, we should be more concerned when we're not being attacked than when we are being attacked. Because if you're not being attacked for your faith, that means you're, I'm going to say it, not sharing your faith.

You're not being attacked for your faith just because you're not sharing your faith. If you're sharing your faith, you will be attacked. If you share your faith regularly, as I know some of you do, you know what I am talking about.

You will be attacked. And in that attack, you have to not hold that against them. It's hard to do. So point number one, fruit. Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit will, listen, display the fruit of the Spirit.

So let's look at the fruit of the Spirit. It's taken from Galatians chapter 5. This is going to play a big role in our message today. Galatians 5, verse 22. Let's see. Let's read verse 25. But the fruit of the Spirit, notice it ain't fruits, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in step with the Spirit. What does that look like?

It says fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Who here thinks that's hard? I do. Are we honest? That's tough. These things are to be done with the believer.

So when you're dealing with believers, the fruit of the Spirit. When you're dealing with unbelievers, the fruit of the Spirit. Does that make sense? The fruit of the Spirit. That's how we are to conduct ourselves.

If we love our neighbor, we will tell them the gospel. Right? I'm so convicted with this right here. I'm surrounded by people that I haven't spoke with and I'm terrified to speak with. Yes, there's been days I've knocked on their door and no one's answered.

And sometimes a part of me is, my heart's beating so fast. Ain't that right, Robert? Like our heart's beating. We don't know what to expect. So many of my neighbors I haven't spoke to. We should see this as a joy.

See what is a joy? Loving them. Preaching the gospel to them. Not as a burden. We should not see evangelizing for Jesus as a burden. We will, as much as it depends on us, have peace with them, our neighbors, and all men.

And not see them as our enemies. Not see those who are attacking us as our enemies. We should be patient with them, knowing that salvation can be a process. Some plant, some water, but God gives the growth.

Just because you speak to them and you reject it, doesn't mean they're going to fully reject the message. Some plant, some water, God gives the growth. How many times did you hear the gospel before God gave the growth?

We can have a poll on that. I heard it many times before God gave the growth. We are called to be kind to all men. I'm guilty of not being. We are to show them our goodness and our faithfulness to the Lord.

I'm guilty of not doing those things. We're to show gentleness to our neighbors as well as self-control in our conduct. And I am guilty of not doing those things. And I know you are too. We're guilty.

I walked out of my office earlier during the Sunday school class and Tony was quoting from a passage I want to take you to. Romans chapter 12. We're going to look at verses 14 through 21. Romans 12, 14 through 21.

Paul's speaking. Bless those who persecute you. Well, that goes against our flesh. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Did you know that's even harder?

Rejoicing with those who rejoice. That goes against your flesh. Be happy and celebrate for someone who is succeeding in life. That means that you probably are not... You could be someone who's not succeeding and you're called to rejoice with them.

Not to covet, but to rejoice. Weep with those who weep. That's really hard for me. All right. Men, come on. I know there's some men that it's not. It's hard for me. When I see my wife crying, I just want to fix the problem.

I don't want to sit there and weep with her. I don't know. I don't have that in me, and I wished I did. Weep with those who weep by being in the same mind toward one another. Not being halty. See, that's my problem in mind, but associate with the humble.

Do not be wise in your own mind. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. To certain ones or anyone, right? Anyone. Never pay back evil to anyone. Respecting what is good in the sight of all men. If possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Never take in your own revenge, beloved. Instead, leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. But if your enemy, this is hard, is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you'll reap heap burning coals on his head. Do not overcome, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Does that clear as mud? Right?

It's hard. It's hard. Do you think if we could do these things on ourselves, we would need the Spirit? What goes in us, the Holy Spirit comes out of us. And the Bible tells us what the fruit that is. And sometimes I feel as a Christian, I'm more guilty of not suppressing the truth of God and unrighteousness, but suppressing the Holy Spirit and trying to be comfortable with my life.

I feel like I should quote Bodie Bauckham right here. I say, if you can't say amen, you should say out. Am I the only one? Man, I'm so guilty of this. In the Mosaic Law, God gives instructions to the Jews on how to conduct themselves in order to not be like other nations, such as the clothing they wore, the foods that they ate, and the penal code for justice.

I could name more, but these were instructions for them to not be like the other nations. Our instruction to not be like the other nations. We are to be loving and have joy and be patient and to display the fruit of the Spirit.

But also in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus gives us instructions on how to love our enemies. Turn with me to the Gospel of Luke 6. We'll begin in verse 27. The Gospel of Luke 6, beginning in verse 27. Jesus speaking, but I say to you who hear, are you hearing today?

If you are, He's speaking to you. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who discourage you. Whoever hits you, this is hard, whoever hits you on your cheek, offer him the other also.

And whoever takes away your garment, do not withhold your tunic from him either. Give to everyone who asks you and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Oh, how we struggle there, right?

Amen. And treat others the same way you want them to treat you. And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. I can testify for that. Verse 33.

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.

But love your enemies. Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return. And you will have great reward. And you will be sons of the Most High. For he himself is kind to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

This is telling us that God is kind to the ungrateful and evil. And so we are called to be unkind, to be kind to the ungrateful and evil. We are called to be different. This is how we are to look set apart.

Same way with the Israelites. I mentioned the law that they had certain clothings they could wear and could not wear, certain foods they could eat and could not eat, and they had their penal code. Certain things for the Jews that God gave them that set them aside, that made them different from other nations.

He doesn't leave us off the hook. We're to be different in other ways. We're to love those who hate us, bless those that persecute us. Sinners don't love their enemies. Christians are to love their enemies.

Sinners don't lend and not respect and to receive. Sinners lend and expect to receive, not so for the Christian. It's hard to hear. Point number two, forgiveness. This is probably the toughest one. Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit will display forgiveness.

Let me tell you how. We love our enemies. We lend and we do not expect it back. We love the ungrateful and the evil. We do something for someone, they're ungrateful, we forgive them. We do something for someone, they do evil, we forgive them.

It's not popular in the reformed world. Matthew 6, verses 17 -15. If you can go there for a second. I just want to point out some things concerning forgiveness. This is in the context of the Lord's Prayer.

Look at verse 7. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do. So in the context, we're looking at Gentiles and religious leaders. For they suppose that they will be heard for their many words, therefore do not be like them.

For your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask. Pray then this way. Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil, from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Verse 14. For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others, then your Heavenly Father will not forgive you of your trespasses. We see the if this, then this. If you forgive others, then your Heavenly Father will forgive you. But there's no way to dance around that.

That's what it says. Verses 14 and 15 are actually touching on verse 12. Look at verse 12 again. And forgive us our debts.