Who Is Jesus? - [John]

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Pastor Mike preaches: Who Is Jesus? - [John]

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Well, you've heard of 20 questions before This morning. I ask you seven questions not 20.
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Here are the seven Christmas morning Christmas Eve morning questions
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Number one, how can you find true? satisfaction and fulfillment Question two, how can you find guidance in your life?
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Question three, how can you be certain of the right religion? Four how can you have your sins forgiven?
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Five how can you find hope in death? Six how can you grieve with hope and Number seven and finally, how can you have a vibrant relationship with God?
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Good questions. I wonder what the answers to those questions are Where would we look to find such answers?
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I guess you could Google the answers and look on the internet Maybe you could find them in some time machine or go back in time somehow
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But as you know this morning we celebrate a baby in a manger and that's where it all starts today
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We're going to look at not just the birth of Jesus Not just what he came to do which was die on the cross for sinners and be raised from the dead
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But also what did Jesus say when he was on earth? Jesus was not just a king.
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He was a king, but not just a king He was not just a king and a priest although he is a priest in the
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King, but he was also a prophet He came to speak he came to preach. I love to ask people.
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Who's your favorite preacher? And sometimes they'll say Martin Lloyd -Jones or Conrad Mbewe or someone like that And I say well you think maybe your favorite preacher should be
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Jesus and then they go. Oh, yes, that's right Jesus is my favorite preacher So we've been going through the gospel of Jesus according to Luke, but we've been looking at the birth narratives of Jesus So I thought we'd do something different this morning
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If you have your Bible turn to the gospel according to John the gospel of Jesus according to John And we are going to answer those seven questions that we started off with through the words of preacher
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Prophet Jesus himself the baby came to die. That's true
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But he also came to proclaim truth to tell us what God expects and to tell us who
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Jesus himself is matter of fact When I preach I'm supposed to preach about another person the
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Lord Jesus when he preached he preached about Himself and so this morning the outline simple in the gospel of Jesus according to John We're going to look at those seven questions
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And we're going to find out that the answer to every one of those questions is the Sunday school answer and that is
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Jesus Jesus is the answer to every one of those questions that if you're a thinking person you should be asking
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You should say to yourself what will happen for instance when I die. How can I have fulfillment in this life?
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How can I have guidance in this life? Etc. So we're going to look at the seven. I am
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Statements of the Lord Jesus he would say things like I am the bread of life. We'll look at those seven
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I am statements that will give us the answer to the questions that we started off with and Maybe you have not read the
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Bible much before in your life But this book the gospel of Jesus according to John is exciting and it's full of truths that you just read and you think there's no one like Jesus and It's been called even
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God's love letter to the world so much in here. That's full of truth and encouragement and And an exaltation of Jesus Martin Luther the
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Reformer said about this book Quote this is the unique tender chief gospel should a tyrant succeed in destroying the holy scriptures and Only a single copy of the epistle to the
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Romans and the gospel according to John escape him Christianity would be saved in other words
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If you'd like to know exactly what's happening in in the world and about Jesus if you could have Romans and John You would be safe So we're going to look today at this book called the gospel of Jesus according to John and my purpose is pretty simple
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I want you to hear Jesus's words So that if you're a Christian you keep believing and if you're not a
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Christian so that you might believe Matter of fact John chapter 20 at the end of the this gospel
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The whole purpose of the book is revealed that you might believe that you might believe that the
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Lord Jesus is the Savior Actually says in John 20 verse 31 These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the
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Christ the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name Probably 100 times the word belief is used so that you are focused on believing
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The Lord Jesus Christ and certainly he did things on earth He in this gospel turned water into wine.
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He walked on water. He raised the dead But today we're going to look at the most profound preacher in all the world
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And what did he say and why was it important? Of course, it's important that he was born and that he died and he was raised
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But it's also important to say to ourselves. What did he say? Well, why don't you turn to chapter 1 and let's just have a quick introduction before we get to one of those seven
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I am Statements that answer the questions we posed at the beginning of the message
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John chapter 1 verse 1 In the beginning was the word the word is a name for Jesus and the word was with God So we have the
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Son with the Father and the word was God to make sure you understand. He's not a created being
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He's nothing less than God the Father. Jesus is God He was in the beginning with God So we have the eternal triune
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God God the Father eternal God the Son eternal God the Holy Spirit eternal And he's also the creator.
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Jesus is can you imagine Jesus created everything verse 3? All things were made through him and without him was not any thing made that was made
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And by the way, that includes you you were made by the eternal Son Jesus and if you skip down to verse 14
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We see what Christmas is all about the Incarnation and the word the eternal
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God Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us
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That's language of put a tent up or put a tabernacle up and he dwelt among us and we have seen his glory glory of the only begotten
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Son from the Father full of grace and truth and So John helps us with a little genealogy people love to study genealogies and ancestral trees
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And where did I come from my son Luke and my daughter -in -law Hannah are now in England kind of exploring
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Kim's heritage They'll soon go to the Netherlands to explore Hannah's heritage and then off to Germany to explore mine
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We love to learn about genealogies. Well here we just read the divine genealogy
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Not the human genealogy where Jesus Comes from Mary spirit of God hovering over etc.
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No, this is the divine genealogy and Jesus comes to rescue and to save sinners because he loves sinners and we are
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Unresponsive because of sin we're spiritually dead and blind and we're ungodly We're rebels and we're unable to come to Christ.
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So he has to come rescue us. He's the initiator so to this morning, let's
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Look at question number one, how can you find true satisfaction found in John chapter 6?
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So now let's jump ahead to John 6 asking questions to learn about Jesus the greatest preacher
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Alive and what he said on the way to Calvary Question one. How can you find true satisfaction?
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And the answer is going to be Jesus is the bread of life and when you're looking for satisfaction all you have to do is look around the culture and you find what
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I describe as a Hungry culture. The culture is hungry for satisfaction and fulfillment
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Things are fleeting when it comes to true satisfaction and so people try to find it over and over and over from friendships on social media to business relationships
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Music clothes sex etc. But at the end of the day those things are fleeting and they are indeed very empty
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My background with music somehow you just get musical lines stuck in your your head and they just keep repeating over and over and I Sometimes still haven't found what
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I'm looking for and and I can't find no satisfaction I mean those lines are just there and they echo do they not the culture right culture knows that they're needy
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They just don't know where the answer is found. They can't find fulfillment And so Jesus with this first I am statement says
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I'm the bread of life. I'm true nourishment I'm true fulfillment if you're looking for that that that desire to be quenched in your life where you can say
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I Have spiritual fulfillment. It's through Jesus the bread of life Let's pick it up in John chapter 6 verse 8
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And basically what I'm going to do today is just read seven sections of Scripture in John So that you can see from Scripture itself that Jesus is the answer to all these problems and all these questions pretty much anybody could preach this sermon just get up and read seven sections of the gospel of John and The power is in the
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Word of God and I want you to see that very thing The Bible teaches that Jesus is the prophet priest and king and here in John 6
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He is going to give true fulfillment Verse 8 one of his disciples Andrew Simon Peter's brother said to him
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There's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?
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Jesus said have the people sit down There was much grass in the place. So the men sit down about 5 ,000 a number so that's counting the men.
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So we have children and women most likely probably 10 ,000 people Sitting down to have a meal with five barley loaves and two fish
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I guess we're really going to have to divide those up It's gonna be like a little tiny bit of food almost like a communion sacramental meal.
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Maybe let's find out Jesus took the loaves verse 11 and when he had given thanks he distributed them to them to those who were seated
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So also the fish as much as they wanted and when they had eaten their fill
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He told his disciples gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost So they gathered them up filled 12 baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves
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Left by those who had eaten and the people saw the sign that he had done They said this is indeed the prophet the preacher who is come into the world
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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
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Jesus feeds Supernaturally all these people and then they thought you know what we should keep this man around and we could just have him dispense food
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Any time we need him, so they tried to grab him as it were And here we have the supernatural miracle the compassionate shepherd feeds 10 ,000 could be up to 20 ,000 people
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He walked on water next in the segment and then we realized down in verse 24 something else is happening
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John 6 24 so when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there nor his disciples They themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum the city on the
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Sea of Galilee Seeking Jesus and when they found him on the other side they said to him rabbi. Where'd you come here?
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How did when did you come here? Truly truly I say to you you are seeking me not because you saw signs
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But because you ate your fill of the loaves Do not work for the food that perishes and you can see the turn here from physical to spiritual
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You can see what Jesus is doing Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the
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Son of Man will give to you For on him God the Father has set his seal
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They said to him what must we do to be doing the works of God? This is the work of God Not just for those men, but for everyone in this congregation today
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This is the work of God that you believe in him who whom he has sent
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So they said to him then what sign do you do that? We just that we may see and believe you what work do you perform?
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I Guess they're not really impressed with the feeding of the 5 ,000. Yes, 10 ,000, maybe 20 ,000
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What are you going to do? And you know what's in the background the Jews knew the background that for how many years did
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God feed the Israelites? Manna in the wilderness it was a lot more than one day if you calculate it out
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It's probably about 14 ,600 days that God fed Israel in the wilderness with the bread like thing that came down out of the heaven
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And it was called manna. You know what Hebrew for manna means. What is this? And I've told you before that when
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I go to West Boylston We have a little restaurant called the man or ma and or and if you're not careful
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You order food from the man or and you don't know what it is. And you're like, what is this? It's the manna It's the manna in the manner,
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I mean Moses fed us for 14 ,000 days plus and you Do one day if you're gonna be the king show us if you're gonna believe on you show us, you know
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Give us a sign verse 32 Jesus then said to them
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Truly truly I say to you it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven But my father gives you the true bread from heaven.
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See how Jesus is moving from temporal to spiritual It's not really about bread is it the bread is just an idea of nourishment and and sustenance
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You're going to need spiritual sustenance. Not just temporal not just earthly. It's going to be Jesus himself.
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He's come from heaven Remember in John chapter 1 we read early on that Jesus was the word and the word became flesh and dwelt among us
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This is all just a spiritual illustration by the great preacher verse 33 for the bread of God Let's make it very specific is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world
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The real bread from God is not the manna that's floating down six days a week. It's God himself the
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Son That's the real bread. That's real fulfillment real nourishment. They said give us this bread then always
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And here comes the first I am clearly stated Jesus said to them
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I am the bread of life Whoever comes to me shall not hunger.
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We're not talking about Calories here fat and protein. You see the spiritual connection shall not hunger and Whoever believes in me shall never thirst
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That is Jesus making himself perfectly clear as bread is able to satisfy your stomach and your craving for physical food and So to the
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Lord Jesus Satisfies in a spiritual fashion and you might ask yourself the question.
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Why do I have that longing for meaning? Why do I have that longing for transcendence? why do I have that longing for belonging because you dear friend were made in the likeness and image of God and You have a desire for something that is not just on this earth for something that's greater and bigger and more grand
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Did you know the Bible teaches that God has put eternity in your heart? Because then you can have everything on earth and still not have everything you're to be searching for something
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That's not just with your eyes and with your senses. There's something more and that is
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Obviously the Lord Jesus verse 36, but I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe
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Thankfully though God the Father is involved and even though stubborn human hearts might reject
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Jesus The father is going to do a great work and it says in verse 37 all that the father gives me will come to me
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And whoever comes to me, I will never cast out Jesus's mission will come to completion.
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There will be success in this rescue mission Verse 38
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I've come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me and this is the will
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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
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This is the will of my father that everyone who looks on the Sun you too dear congregation and believes in him
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Should have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day
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Do you see it down in verse 47? It's the same thing truly truly. I say to you whoever believes has eternal life
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I am the bread of life true nourishment real satisfaction Simply by believing
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Bread sustenance bread a staple of life
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Bread something to eat. That's a basic element for life And how much more now the
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Lord Jesus spiritual bread not Moses not religion not trying to be good Think I I just have this yearning for for something more
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Well, the answer is the Lord Jesus the bread of life. How can you find true satisfaction? The answer is the
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Lord Jesus number two How can you find guidance in life?
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How can you find guidance in life? I Mean it's kind of a confusing world.
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You can find some guidance in life, I guess online But it's difficult who's telling the truth who can guide me in this dark world
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One of the things I have done in my life is I've sold Duracell batteries and we also sold flashlights
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So I like flashlights in every room. You probably do too. You didn't have to work for Duracell You could work for Energizer for all we know
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By the way We had a war between Energizer and Duracell when the two sales reps came into the same store
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And I saw they were Energizer people. I'm thinking. Oh, this is a battle royale right now
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Flashlights everywhere why because I need to see now I need to put reading glasses in every room with the flashlights because one doesn't work without the other and And just imagine walking in the dark and stubbing your big toe and You're just like I mean, that's the world by the way running around in spiritual darkness stubbing their proverbial toes because they have no idea where to go who's right and They heap up teachers after their own desires.
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They want certain things So they find teachers who teach those certain things and they have a in their mind a nice marriage.
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I Love spiritual ignorance Just look at the news look at the Middle East look at overseas look at what different wars look with public policies people are ignorant spiritually
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Probably ignorant in other ways too, but spiritually we need guidance and so if you go to John chapter 8
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Not only is Jesus bread sustenance Fulfillment. He's also the light of the world to shine in Spiritual darkness and again, we're not talking about literal light.
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We're talking about as literal light gives Guidance as literal light
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Shines as literal light Exposes so to Jesus in the spiritual fashion does the same thing verse 12 of John 8 then
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Jesus again spoke to them saying I Am the light of the world He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life
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Now we have certain festivals in America that we celebrate and the Jews had festivals that they celebrate to including something called the
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Feast of Booths and In the Feast of Booths they had certain things that they would do according to the Bible and as tradition went on There would have been large menorahs near the temple in Jerusalem and these large menorahs, of course would light up the night sky and Most likely
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Jesus is standing before one of these super large menorahs Anybody know what a menorah is?
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It's like a candlestick. How many lights does a menorah have? Who said that?
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Who what young person just said eight? Oh He did all right good job parents
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Wow, see they listen By the way as soon as you can get your children to set through sermons
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It's a good idea for them to do that, right? And we just train our children to sit at home on the couch and we start with one minute
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We worked with 20 minutes We worked at 330 minutes and then we work to like my sermon to date 90 minutes and they can
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And can you imagine it's night it's during this festival. There's all these people and Jesus says well, yeah, there's big menorahs.
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They're lighting up the night sky The festival is going to go out and they're going to be extinguished but there's a light that's not going to go out and I Am the light of the world and even when he talks about who follows me you can see the illusions
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Can't you you know what's going on as the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud?
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Led Israel through the wilderness and they followed the pillar of fire. They followed the pillar of cloud
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Just like that you follow me You're going to have guidance
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John 1 for in him was life and the life was the light of men. This is a religious metaphor light
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First John 1 this is the message we have heard from him and proclaimed to you that God is light and in him
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There's no darkness at all The Jews associated light with God's presence with God's creative power with God's guidance with God's protective
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Nature Just imagine Jesus standing there and Seeing I'm the light of the world.
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I Love Revelation 21 the city has no need of Sun or moon to shine on it for the glory of God gives it light and its
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Lamp is the lamb. That's Jesus The menorah will be extinguished but the
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Lord Jesus won't be Matter of fact, sometimes people even called
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God in those days light John the Baptist shows up and says this
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Jesus the light he's going to give you guidance for your feet guidance for your path
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John chapter 9 Jesus said it again. I'm the light of the world This is coming from the
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Old Testament in Isaiah 42. I will lead them spiritually I will lead the spiritually blind by the way.
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They do not know in paths that they do not know. I will guide them And here's Jesus says it says he's the light of the world essentially saying he's
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God. How did the Jews respond? John 8 13 so the Pharisees said to them him rather you're bearing witness about yourself.
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Your testimony is not true Mocking Jesus that's not true.
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You're not you're not saying the right thing Skip down to verse 23. He said to them Johnny 23.
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You're from below. I'm from above You are of this world. I'm not of this world I told you that you would die in your sins for unless you believe there it is again that I am he that I'm God You will die in your sins.
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That's true for everybody here as well So they said to him. Who are you? Jesus said to them just what
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I've been telling you from the beginning I have much to say about you and much to judge But he who sent me is true and I can declare to the world that I have heard from him
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They did not understand They had been speaking to them about the father. So Jesus said to them
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Let me just make it clear in other words when you have lifted up the Son of Man That's crucifixion language.
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Then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing of my own authority But speak just as the father taught me and he who sent me is with me
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He has not left me alone for I always do the things that are pleasing to him And he was saying these things as he was many believed in him
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And verse 31, you know this passage Verses 31 through 33. So Jesus was saying to those
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Jews who had believed him if you continue in my word Then you're truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free
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And they answer we're Abraham's descendants. We've never been enslaved to anyone while they're under Roman occupation
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PS How is it that you say you will become free? So what Jesus is doing?
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He makes a statement of deity I'm the light of the world and I light up spiritual darkness as it were and as you see the fire on top of Sinai That's God.
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That's me. If you see the pillar of fire in the wilderness, who's representative
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God that's me and You think I'm just bearing witness of myself. It's the father who sent me
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I love verse 46 of the same chapter which one of you convicts me of sin if I speak the truth Why do you not believe me?
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When at the end of the chapter they pick up stones to throw at it if you need guidance dear one
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The Lord Jesus gives the guidance and he gives it through his own words and through the words of his apostles and Prophets and teachers, how can you find true satisfaction?
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The answer is Jesus. How can you have guidance in this world? The answer is Jesus Third I am answering the question.
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How can I be safe in this world is found in John chapter 10? What we're doing this morning is simply going through the gospel of Jesus according to John and picking out the
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I am Statements you could pick out his miracles or you could pick out other things We're picking out the I am statements because I want you to hear from Jesus himself
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How he preaches I am supposed to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified and that's exactly who
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Jesus preached himself and him Crucified the third I am statement. How can we be safe in this world?
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This is kind of a dangerous world. Did you lock your doors today? By the way, did you set the alarm? You're just looking at me
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Yes, they're rhetorical questions except Peter might say I did How can we be safe in such a world
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Not just physically, but spiritually. Did you know there are invisible forces called demons?
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Do you know Satan is real? you know Satan is Marching back and forth as it were seeking to devour people
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How can you be safe John 10 answers the question? Truly truly verse 1 I say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in another way that man is a thief and a robber now if you go watch shepherds in Israel even today
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You will notice that they have a lot of sheep and at night they need to guard those sheep
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And so they have some rocks that they could put in this little kind of semicircle
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And they put all the sheep in there and then the open area of the semicircle It's tighter than a semicircle, but the open area they would lay down Across there.
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They don't have a door. They're the door and they would protect the sheep That's what's going on one of my favorite things to do as a
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Bible student is to get books on manners and customs because otherwise without Understanding what they did 2 ,000 years ago.
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I wouldn't know But now I would even see that today in Israel and what they did back then They would have these sheep pens it could be brick could be rocks and The sheep would go in there at night and there would be thieves and robbers
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Animals predators and they would have to go through the door the person to get to the sheep
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Verse 2 he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep So you've got a guard
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You've got the real shepherd to him the gatekeeper opens the sheep hear his voice
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He calls out his sheep by name and leads them out When he's brought out all his own he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice a stranger
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They will not follow, but they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers This figure of speech
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Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying Jesus is going to say in verse 7
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Truly truly I say to you I am the door of the sheep
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See I protect them. I guard them I close them in all who became became before me are
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Thieves and robbers all those false teachers in it for themselves And it to get rich and it to get more sheep for themselves to devour all of them were thieves and robbers
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But the sheep did not listen to them. I'm the door If anyone enters by me he will be saved.
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He'll be safe. He'll be secure He'll be protected and will go in and out and find pasture the thief
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Satan and his hordes and his emissaries comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy
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I Came that they may have life and have it abundantly
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Jesus the only Savior protects his own Don't you love
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Psalm 23 in times of trouble where you think I just need someone to guide me
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I need someone to protect me. I need someone to watch over me. That's what shepherds do and Jesus is
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The door Jesus is the guard and you say wait a second. I know where that is going
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Mike I know where that's going pastor Mike. That means there's no other ways to get into the sheepfold of God There's no other way to heaven.
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It's only Jesus That's the right deduction to make think that's so arrogant of Christianity that Christianity says there's only one way to heaven
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Well, would it be more humble if Jesus said I'm wrong Are you looking for humility of people to say?
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Oh, there's many ways no No, there's only one way because the father sends his only son and his only son is the way
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He's the only one qualified to protect to save it's not arrogant to be exclusive How can you be safe in this world
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Jesus protects and Right on the heels of that. We have the fourth. I am
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Jesus is the Good Shepherd Which answers the question? How can you have your sins forgiven? Which means you have sins to be forgiven.
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I've sinned You've sinned God's holy. What are we going to do about it?
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We're going to need help because we can't get ourselves out of the situation. We can't extract ourselves out of sins grip
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Jesus the Good Shepherd Read verse 10 again or I will the thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy
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I came that they may have life and have it abundantly Here we have it verse 11. You know the passage.
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I am the Good Shepherd How good is this Good Shepherd? The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep
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How good is the Good Shepherd? He dies on behalf of the sheep He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in him verse 12 of John 10
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He was a hired hand you just in it for the money You got minimum wage and not a shepherd who does not own the sheep
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Sees the wolf coming. What do you think they do some hired hand when the wolf comes? Can you imagine the wolf just think about the teeth think about the the the the look of the wolf?
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Here comes the wolf it's either gonna eat you or the sheep Like I'm just getting minimum wage.
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What am I doing? He leaves the sheep and flees and the wolf snatches them you can almost hear and Scatters them you can almost see he flees because he's a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep
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He's in it for the money these false teachers. They're in it for the money. They're in it for the fame They're in for themselves and we'll push comes a shove and when there's enemies they're going to leave they're going to run
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Unlike the Lord Jesus who will stay and take the brunt of it all he says it again in verse 14
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I'm the Good Shepherd. They're bad shepherds Matter of fact, I don't know if you know this.
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I think it's Psalm 19 Psalm 49. Excuse me That the Bible says for unbelievers people that aren't trusting in this great
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Savior the bread of life That death is their shepherd How would you like to have death for your shepherd?
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If you're not a believer, that's who you have for your shepherd Would you rather have a Good Shepherd one that at his own risk?
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protects guides forgives Jesus is the Good Shepherd Verse 14.
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I know my own and my own know me Just as my father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep unlike these hirelings
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Unlike the Pharisees, you know, that's the backdrop of this what happened in John chapter 9.
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There was a man born what? blind, oh If anybody needed a shepherd, it'd be a man who was blind
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Maybe his parents would be a good shepherd They weren't maybe the religious leaders would be good shepherds they weren't if any person needed a good shepherd a protective shepherd a shepherd to pity and to protect and to provide and to oversee and To care for at his own expense.
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It would be this man born blind in John chapter 10 And of course the Pharisees weren't the
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Good Shepherd the parents weren't the Good Shepherd and So one of the great things about theology is an example here
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John chapter 10 follows John chapter 9 pretty insightful, I know It's a key and hurting it for interpretation, but it's true that man needed a
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Good Shepherd And Jesus said Those Pharisees those false teachers
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They're not the Good Shepherd. I am By the way, I've got lots of other sheep Verse 16
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I have other sheep that are not of this fold For this reason verse 17 my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it up again
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That's why Jesus was sent The Father and the Son with the Spirit there made an agreement to do this very thing before Genesis before creation
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No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own accord. Jesus is in charge I have authority to lay it down Jesus is in charge not
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Pilate not Herod not anyone else and I have authority to take it up again Which he did on the third day this charge
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I've received from my father Verse 27 could there be better verses in all the
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Bible for security for comfort? My sheep hear my voice and I know them.
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I know them and they follow me I give them eternal life. They'll never perish.
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No one will snatch them out of my hand. I'm not a hireling I'm not somebody just in it for the money
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I'm not a false teacher like these Pharisees scribes hypocrites lawyers My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand
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I and the father are one we could have a whole sermon on eternal security where You can't out sin
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God's grace. Do I want you to sin? Of course not. We don't want to sin But we're safe False teachers can't take you your own sins can't take you
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No one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand Wolves can snatch sheeps
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Can snatch sheep out of hirelings hands, but not out of the father's hand
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Jesus lays down his life for the sheep Oh if I could have a shepherd like that and we do in Christ Jesus number five number five and by the way
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Homiletically The last few go faster than the first few just FYI. It's just the way it works, right?
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If you've ever taught the Bible, that's what happens true satisfaction Jesus guidance
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Jesus right religion Jesus sins forgiven Jesus How can you find hope in death?
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Jesus John chapter 11 How can you find hope in death
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Spending time in Dana -Farber the last couple of weeks Seeing the people there.
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I'm almost feeling kind of sad and I don't know how to even describe it
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I think I'm not even really that sick and I'm there and so these other people need more attention than I do and I just saw on Wednesday of this week in the cafeteria a man probably 40 years old in a wheelchair bald gray not gray hair, but gray face and His wife doting on him
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Kissing him Being sweet to him And I'm thinking death is so awful sin
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Causes all these things in life and then now cancer and death and I'm thinking
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It was sweet that she was sweet to him and and I was glad for that But what about death?
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What happens after you die and everybody's dying not only just a day to Farber but everywhere we're all going to die
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Where's the hope of eternal life, where's the hope of the resurrection is this it we're just going to live and die.
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This is it Or is it John chapter 11 asks answers the question
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There's a man who was a friend of Jesus and his name was Lazarus and he died and so the sisters of Lazarus called for him because Jesus Can help verse 17 now when
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Jesus came he found Lazarus had been in the tomb four days So he's dead
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Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother
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So in Martha heard that Jesus was coming. She went and met him and Mary remained seated in the house
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Martha said to Jesus Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died But even now
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I know that whatever you ask from God God will give you Your brother will rise again
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Now Martha had good enough theology to realize from the Old Testament There was a general resurrection on that day on that last day.
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Everybody's going to be raised Martha said him. I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day
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John 11 25 is there hope beyond the grave verse 25
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Jesus said to her I am The resurrection Definite article the only resurrection and the life definite article only life whoever works hard Whoever gets baptized
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Whoever does more good than bad No, no, no Everyone are whoever believes in me though he die
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Yet he shall live what in the world you die and you live because there's life after death.
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There's eternal life We have spirits our bodies dying they go in the grave our spirits live on and one day are reunited with the body everyone who lives verse 26
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Sounds like that's probably everyone in this room and believes in me Shall never die.
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He's not talking about temporal death Because we will all die the ways of sin is death
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It's appointed for man wants to die and then judgment. But what is he talking about eternal death?
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Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die and then he asked the question
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That pastors ask of you and I'm asking you through Jesus's words
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Do you believe this? Do you believe this she said to him and I hope this is your answer as well
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Yes, Lord. I believe that you're the Christ the Son of God who is coming into The world yes
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It's you Where have you laid in verse 34 come and see they said to the
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Lord Jesus verse 35 Truly God yet truly men man and men weep
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At times like this and so did Jesus Jesus wept so the Jews Said I mean, this is a powerful sentence right here that we could talk about for a long time and we will one day
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See how Jesus loved him Could not he open the eyes of the blind man also kept this man from dying
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So what did Jesus do, you know the answer Jesus deeply moved again came to the tomb verse 38
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It was a cave a stone lay against it. Take away the stone Lord by this time. There'll be an odor for he has been dead four days
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Did I not tell you that if you what? Believed you would see the glory of God.
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You want to see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. He lifted up his eyes He prays to the father and he cries out with a loud voice
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Lazarus come out remember dead for four days And the man who died came out his hands and his feet bound with linen strips
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Space wrapped with the cloth and Jesus said unbind him and let him go. I mean what a picture just imagine you were there
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Your brother your friend Dead and out they come just with all this garb on and I think as Corey said on Thanksgiving Eve service
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Good thing Jesus just said Lazarus come out because if he didn't say Lazarus everybody would have come out
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The power of the voice and by the way, this is how God saves people not just from physical death
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But also spiritual death just by the words You're saved Lazarus didn't say let me take the first step
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I do this and you do that and and you do most of the work and I'll do some of the work and 99 % you
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And 1 % of of me. No. No, we are spiritually dead like Lazarus was physically dead How did
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Lazarus come alive physically by the power of the spoken word? How do we come to life?
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spiritually by the power of the word And then two more quickly number six.
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How can you grieve with hope? How can you grieve with hope? found in John chapter 14 as We said earlier and just saw
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Jesus Crying and even in our own congregation this week with loved ones dying wife's dying
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Parents dying is there any hope in the midst of grief?
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Well, the answer is found in John chapter 14 verses 1 and following Does this talk about the exclusivity of Jesus being the only way that's true
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But more than that it talks about Jesus giving encouragement to grieving people And he says in John 14 verse 1 and I say to you as you have struggled this week many of you
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Let not your hearts be troubled Believe in God, right?
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I talked to someone yesterday and I said we believe in a supernatural God We believe in a
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God who is not just natural but supernatural Powerful speaking the world into existence
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There's a God in the midst of pain and grief and sorrow we're not to have our hearts be troubled as Christian people believe in God God is real and God is in front of them believe also in me
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Jesus said How great is the comfort here? He uses language of marriage and he says in my father's house are many rooms
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If it were not so I would have told you that I go and prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you in other words as I would marry someone on earth
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I'd go to my father's house and prepare a home for them. Not just a house, but a home There'd be a room in my father's house we all live together as the same family and I'd have my own room and I'd come back for you as As the bridegroom comes and gets the bride and I'll take you to my father's house.
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You're safe. You're secure I'll do all the work and it's not you do this first. It's look at what he says if I go
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I Will come again. I will be there also Thomas said to him verse 5
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Lord. We do not know where you're going. How can we know the way and Jesus said You can figure it out
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Jesus said just pray harder Jesus said if you live a holy life, I'll tell you maybe
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What does he say? Thomas, I'm the way I'm the truth
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I'm the life and No one comes to the father except through me. And since you have me you come to the father
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And even Peter who just sinned in chapter 13 he goes to If you'd known me you had known my father also from now on you know him and have seen him
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You're Christian. I say with Paul Jesus is Apostle. I do not want you to be in uninformed brothers about those who are asleep
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That you may not grieve as others who do not have hope We have hope for since we believe
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Jesus died and rose again Even so through Jesus God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep are died for the
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Lord himself will descend from heaven with the cry of command with the voice of an archangel with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we who are alive who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
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Lord in the air And so we will always be with the Lord therefore encourage one another with these words and number 7
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John 15 what is the source of vitality and a vibrant relationship?
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With God the answer is well Jesus. He's the answer I Am the true vine
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John 15 and my father is the vine dresser Jesus says if you want a
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Relationship with me that's vibrant. That's nourishing It's through me.
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I want you to know that Jesus although. He came to die. He also came to preach and to proclaim the way
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And if you say to yourself Who else has the words of eternal life who else can guide me who else can give me satisfaction?
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Who else can give me hope in death? You're asking the right questions Jesus is the answer for every one of these
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PS Did you know that God requires perfection to get into heaven
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Did you know God requires perfection And I say that because a it's true and be
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I want to impress upon you Your need if you're not a Christian to have
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Jesus Because if Jesus requires perfection to get into heaven You know along with me.
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I'm not perfect. You're not perfect and so we're going to need a Savior Jesus didn't come only to preach.
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He did come to preach. That's true But he also came to die and so Jesus comes to die and to preach and also to live
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And so Jesus lives the perfect life the father says this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased and when you believe on Jesus for the forgiveness of sins you get
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Jesus's perfect law -keeping God sees you as perfect and Jesus gets your sin
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Sins paid for it is finished gone and You have the hope of heaven because as God sees you he sees you as perfect in The eyes of Jesus and in the father's eyes
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What's your response the Bible teaches whoever believes in Jesus may have eternal life. Do you believe you must believe?
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How could you hear someone preach like this and do these things and say no, I don't think so And even if you're a child today today's a good day to believe in the
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Lord Jesus Christ Right Peter. He just lifted his head up and looked right at me.
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Amen. Let's pray. Thank you father for this word Your son is awesome your son is
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I Want to say unbelievable, but he is very believable because no one talks like him
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No one did the things like he did and no one will do the things that he's going to do when he comes back
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And I pray for the Christians today That we might be reminded
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That there's a God who so loved the world And he gave his only begotten
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Son That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life
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Father for us as Christians life is hard Increase our belief increase our faith
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Help us to keep believing with tears in our eyes And father for those that are here today that are not born again,