The Heavenly Scholar (Part 4)

Redeeming Grace Church

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May 11, 2025

John 7:10-24

00:00: Well, in this Lord's Day I'd like to conclude, or should
00:05: I say continue our study series, and conclude it actually with this particular section in John chapter 7.
00:14: As we conclude this, this is our series, and it's ended up to be a four -part series altogether on the heavenly scholar.
00:23: And that heavenly scholar is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the
00:29: Messiah who came from heaven to teach men who God is, because He is
00:36: God teaching men. Now, by all outward appearances, as we've been looking at in chapter 7, what
00:49: I'd like to do here is give you an overview, a quick overview, a very brief introduction, some content to the last point, and then we're going to look at some application, personal application, bring application to this message in which we've been looking at, and actually the point in which the
01:11: Lord Jesus Christ comes to in this particular section. Now, by all outward appearances, let me say this before we dive in.
01:22: Jesus' ministry is in serious jeopardy by outward appearances, by the appearances of men.
01:29: Not only has He seen a significant apostasy, a falling away, a defection with many of His disciples in Galilee in John chapter 6, verse 66, in which we looked at, many,
01:42: Scripture says that many from that time of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
01:51: Here Jesus is, it appears that His ministry is losing ground.
01:57: It appears that way, doesn't it? The Jewish leaders in Judea are still seeking to kill
02:02: Him. We see that in John chapter 7, verse 1. All because He had not only healed a crippled lame man on the
02:13: Sabbath day, which was a serious offense, supposedly breaking the law of God, which
02:21: He didn't, to the Jewish people, but He also claimed that He was equal with God by calling
02:28: God His Father, as you read in John chapter 5, verse 18.
02:34: Jesus has been able, in the providence of God, to escape the authorities by remaining in Galilee so far, but as the
02:48: Feast of Booths approaches, as we have been looking at, the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus must return to Jerusalem, and that is by God's timetable, and that is what the
03:02: Scripture actually says. This is a quick overview. So as He goes into Jerusalem, going straight into the danger which awaits
03:12: Him, two important questions that arises
03:17: I'd like to draw your attention to. First is this, should Jesus attempt a course of correction to His ministry at this point after so many defections, after so many forsook
03:30: Him? Should He do this? Second, moreover, how does He address the challenges to His ministry with such serious threats against His own life?
03:44: And let me add a third question here. How does He defend
03:50: Himself against those who seek to kill Him? Those are pretty serious questions.
03:58: But I'd like to bring your attention to what one commentator says on this, on these questions.
04:08: If Jesus, and this is not original, this is with a Bible commentator, if Jesus at this point hired a public relations representative, he says, a marketing consultant, a political strategist, or a fundraising expert,
04:26: He could get the best advice on the smartest, most effective next steps for Him to take the turn around those losses in His ministry that He has suffered and the bad momentum of His campaign, end quote.
04:45: I thought that is an excellent quote. So often, it is this sad today that you see so many within the churches and evangelists, so -called evangelists, and they're so caught up in the ministry, as Brother Keith brought out very wonderfully this morning about Martha, and it's not that God is against service by no means, because the
05:12: Lord will draw attention to our faithful service in the last day, but isn't it sad that so many ministers, or so -called ministers, get caught up in their ministry?
05:25: While all along when John the Baptist and Jesus, it was among, speaking of Mother's Day, among men that's been born of women, there's none greater than John, because John decreased and Christ increased, and that was
05:42: His ministry. That is the example of all ministers, is ministry.
05:50: We're to decrease so that God may have all the glory, that Jesus may be exalted, that Jesus may increase.
06:00: God help us all. But Jesus, however, refuses, let's look at it,
06:06: He refuses to do anything of a sort. This is the man, as Brother Zach mentioned in Philippians, great verse,
06:17: Brother Zach, Philippians, that Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death, even to the point of the death of a cross.
06:27: There's never been an act of humility like that, and there's been many people that died on crosses, but we're talking about God.
06:35: Doesn't that humble us? It humbles me to the dirt to just think of it.
06:42: That God came in flesh, the second person of the Trinity, and He humbled Himself to the point of death, to the point of dying on a cross.
06:51: And that's exactly what He did. He refuses to do anything of a sort, because He's not concerned about Himself, He's not concerned about His ministry.
07:05: And it's not because He desires to do things His way either. No matter where it might lead
07:13: Him, and keep in mind here that concerning the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, His reasons for rejecting human wisdom has nothing to do with the lack of humility, by no means.
07:26: He is the humble one. He is humility. He says, come to me, all you labor and heavy laden,
07:33: I am meek. I am humble in heart. So it's not that.
07:41: So it has nothing to do with the lack of humility, since Jesus loves the glory of His Father more than anything else in this world.
07:49: Actually, Jesus is completely consumed with honoring His Father, and obeying
07:55: His Father's command, and we see this in John chapter 7. He's willing to lose everything in His life, even to lay
08:03: His life, His own life down, so long as He glorifies
08:08: His Father. If you could sum up the life of Jesus Christ, it's all
08:13: His life was of act of true humility to glorify His Father in heaven, to obey
08:20: His Father, to honor His Father, and He said, I came to do whatever the Father has commanded me to do.
08:27: Such a great example of giving perfect submission, as Fanny Crosby wrote, to His Father.
08:38: So long as He glorifies His Father by accomplishing every bit of the work that His Father sent Him to accomplish.
08:45: This is the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. He sets the perfect, ultimate example for us to follow in His footsteps.
08:53: He has not come to seek His own glory. He has not come to glorify
08:59: Himself. He comes to glorify and honor
09:07: His Father. In this concluding message today, we will see that Jesus demonstrates that human glory seeking is wicked, willful, and it's weak.
09:23: Let me read our text very quickly in John chapter 7, and I'd like to begin with verse 1 and read it to verse 24, for this will be the conclusion of this, because the text is what we need to really hear very attentively.
09:38: What is the text saying? What is the Word of God saying, to get the whole picture? So hear the
09:43: Word of God, beginning with verse 1 to verse 24 in this concluding section.
09:50: After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee, for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the
09:57: Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
10:03: His brothers therefore said to Him, Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.
10:12: For no one does anything secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show
10:19: Yourself to the world. For even His brothers did not believe in Him. And then
10:25: Jesus said to them, My time has not yet come, but Your time is always ready. The world cannot hate
10:31: You, but it hates Me, because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast,
10:39: I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.
10:46: And when He said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. But when
10:51: His brothers had gone up, then also He went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
10:57: Then the Jews sought Him at the feast and said, Where is He? And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.
11:04: Some said, He's good, He is good. Others said, No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.
11:11: However, no one spoke openly of Him for the fear of the Jews. Now, about the middle of the feast,
11:17: Jesus went up into the temple and talked. And the Jews marveled, saying,
11:22: How does this man know letters, having never studied? And Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not
11:28: Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do his will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak of my own authority.
11:40: He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
11:51: Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill
11:57: Me? The people answered and said, You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill you?
12:04: Jesus answered and said to them, I did one work, and you all marveled.
12:10: Moses therefore gave you circumcision, not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers. And you circumcise a man on the
12:18: Sabbath? If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses should be not broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the
12:28: Sabbath? And he drives it home right here in verse 24. Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.
12:40: Amen to the reading of God's Word. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven,
12:46: Lord, we bow in Your presence now. We thank You for the
12:51: Word that we've already heard, the exhortations. Lord, we thank You for Your Word here in chapter 7, all that it teaches us, and everything that Your Word says to us this morning.
13:06: Lord, may we be captivated, may we be submitted to it completely.
13:13: God, may we humble ourselves before Your Word and give reverence to it.
13:19: Thank You, Father, for Your Word. It goes forth and it does not return forward, but at the same time, Lord, it's a fire, it's a hammer.
13:28: It's powerful, it's living, it's sharp, it's active, it's quick, and it cuts, but yet it heals.
13:35: And Father, we thank You for this this morning of Your Word. Help us, O God, to never take it for granted.
13:42: Save us from coldness and apathy of it. Lord, I would pray that You ignite a fire within us by Your Spirit this morning, that when we hear
13:54: Your Word, when we read Your Word, when we receive Your Word, that our hearts will burn within us as it did as the
14:02: Lord Jesus, after His resurrection, spoke to the disciples on the road of Emmaus, and they said, oh, did not our hearts burn within us?
14:10: May it burn that we may worship You and serve You and love You and honor
14:16: You. We ask this for Your glory. In Jesus' name
14:21: I pray. Amen. Within the past messages of John chapter 7, we've seen much, very much, concerning the life and ministry of our
14:32: Lord Jesus Christ. I just now gave a quick overview, pretty much, that what we have covered, and it's covered so much, but actually recounts
14:42: Jesus' journey to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, the
14:47: Feast of the Booths, His public teaching, His reactions to the people, and the religious leaders.
14:55: These all play a great part and a role here among Jesus and His ministry.
15:04: It highlights the opposition as well that He faced on the division it caused among the people, and it did cause a lot of division.
15:10: We looked at that, that Jesus came to send a sword, not necessarily peace. He said that to divide.
15:21: And that sword divides, that sword cuts. His ministry focusing on the importance of discerning.
15:29: Discernment is a big word here, because He speaks about righteous judgment, not judging according to appearance, truth, seeking
15:45: God's glory, rather than man's approval and man's praises. And now you can mark this down anytime you see a false teacher within the church, or wherever they may be, if they are heralding the
16:00: Word of God in public and to people, if they have anything to do with the love of money and the praises of men, you can just about mark that down as a false teacher.
16:13: Much could be said about that, I won't go there this morning, but in short, that's how
16:19: Jesus identifies those that seek glory for themselves. The passage also emphasizes the significance here of Jesus' teaching and the need to understand the source of His awesome authority, which comes from the
16:33: Father. The Father sent Christ, and this is
16:39: His mission. He humbles Himself, but yet He's the one that has all authority.
16:49: Within the passage, within the text, we've seen here and we read that our Lord Jesus is our great prophet, we've looked at that.
16:57: He is our one perfect law keeper, we saw that, and today
17:02: I'd like to close it with, He is the great physician, as He says. So, Jesus' religious leader is here.
17:17: If you look at verse 19, let me just pick up right there.
17:26: We ended this last Lord's Day with the question, did not, this is Jesus speaking, did not
17:32: Moses give you the law and yet none of you keeps the law? He is the perfect law keeper.
17:40: He has fulfilled the law. Then He asked the question, why do you seek to kill me, to the religious leaders?
17:51: Keep in mind, this is a direct accusation to these people. Why do you seek to kill me?
18:02: As Jesus reminds them that Moses gave them the law. Verse 20, the people answered and said, you have a demon.
18:13: You have a demon. And many times they said, you cast out demons by the prince of demons,
18:21: Beelzebub. And Jesus warned them about the seriousness of blaspheming the
18:26: Holy Spirit. Many times they said this. You have a demon.
18:34: Who is seeking to kill you? So here we read, the people felt the sharp two -edged sword in which
18:41: Jesus gave and spoke Jesus' accusation.
18:49: But rather than admitting that He was right and which, because of their pride, they would not dare humble themselves before Him, they began to abuse
18:58: Him verbally by calling Him, He had a demon. So in another way, that was saying, you're crazy.
19:06: You're out of your mind. You're a madman. That's what they're saying. You're absolutely out of your mind.
19:12: You're crazy. You're full of madness. Because madness, craziness, out of your mind, was often in that day associated with demon possession.
19:24: Then just to prove how wicked their hearts were, they even challenged Jesus' statement by saying, who is seeking to kill you?
19:32: How dare them. How dare them. Such evil hearts of unbelief.
19:40: And since the evil world system, the world system, I'm not talking about the cosmos, the world system, you know what
19:46: I'm talking about. When the Apostle John spoke of it, he says, if you love the world, the world will love its own.
19:55: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the
20:01: Father is not in him. He's talking about the world system. Let's look at this. The world loves its own.
20:10: The world system loves its own. And its hatred toward Christ demonstrates that he came from God.
20:19: John 15, verse 18 and 19, the word of God says this, and this is Jesus himself speaking.
20:25: He says this about the world. If the world hates you, you're in good company, folks.
20:35: You know that it hated me before it hated you. That's actually what he said.
20:42: The reason they hate you is because of him. Then he says, if you speak the truth, love the truth, give people the truth and love, they hate you because of the truth.
20:53: Jesus goes on to say, if you were of the world, the world would love its own, yet because you are not of the world.
21:00: But I have chose you out of the world. He's talking to his disciples. But I have chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
21:11: They hate you because of Christ. Not because we're so righteous, not because of who we are.
21:18: It's because of Jesus and who he is and what he says. He attacks the evil within the hearts of all of us.
21:30: So, why all this hatred towards the
21:36: Lord Jesus Christ? Why all this hatred toward the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, I can say a whole sermon,
21:43: I can preach a whole sermon on this, but I want to just try to keep it short and sweet as much as possible. From the biblical viewpoint, let me give you that answer in a nutshell from the
21:53: Bible. I'm not going to give you my opinion, but first of all, I want to give you what comes to my mind from 2
22:03: Corinthians 4, chapter 4, verse 3 and 4, the Apostle Paul. Actually, Satan is of the
22:12: God of this world, this world's system. Paul says it like this through the
22:18: Holy Spirit. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
22:30: And then he says this, whose minds the God of this world or the
22:36: God of this age has blinded. Who do not believe.
22:43: Lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is in the image of God, should shine on them.
22:53: As a result of the world hating Jesus, who is the truth. He made that claim and He is the truth.
23:03: Satan and the world system hates the truth. Hates anyone who also follows the truth,
23:12: Jesus Christ. How do we know this? Well, the
23:17: Apostle Paul says again in 2 Timothy, a pastoral epistle, chapter 3, verse 12. He says, yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
23:38: Suffering goes along with it. That's part of the cost of discipleship. I really believe within the church and the ranks of the church, people have no idea what it entails to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
23:54: There is a tremendous cost to follow Christ. And He's worth it all, but they have no idea of the cost, what they signed up for.
24:05: Beloved, this is the high cost of being a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, and it means to suffer persecution.
24:12: Don't hear much of this spoken of today because everybody wants people to join ranks in the church and fill the pews up.
24:22: Get numbers. Cheap grace. Preach a cheap grace.
24:28: People accept it. Of course! It appeals to the flesh! But don't you dare mention about suffering persecution for Jesus' sake at the hands of a
24:43: Christ -rejecting world. Not very popular today, is it? It's not.
24:52: Here recently I even posted this, and I mentioned this to some of you. I sent a picture about a faithful pastor overseas in Uganda, a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.
25:07: His name was Evangelist David Washam, in Uganda, devoted to Jesus Christ.
25:19: Here recently, this is recently, was tragically stabbed to death after a powerful three -day open -air campaign where several
25:27: Muslims received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. You think the Muslims love that? You think
25:33: Satan loves that? Here are Muslims being converted to Christianity. This is exactly what the article said here, quote,
25:44: Despite threats and rising tensions, Brother David Washam boldly preached the divinity of Christ.
25:56: He boldly preached the divinity of Christ and called people to put sin to death by repentance.
26:02: This is what he preached. On his way to his home, he was ambushed by mass assailants, by Muslim terrorists, who targeted him for his faith and ministry and stabbed him to death.
26:20: His sacrifice highlights the ongoing persecution, as it says here, faced by Christians in Uganda and the courage and the courageous witness of those sharing the gospel in hostile environments.
26:33: Let us remember David's legacy and pray for the strength and protection for believers worldwide and also in Uganda, end quote.
26:48: Persecution in third world countries is very real, folks. And it may surprise you, but it may not.
26:54: But there's more persecution in third world countries now than there is ever before, even in the beginning of the church.
27:05: It has increased. What does that tell us about America? There's a false
27:12: Christianity over here, folks. And I'm telling you, if you stand for the truth and if I stand for the truth, if we stand up and preach
27:20: Jesus Christ and the truth and repentance and call people to turn from their wicked ways, they are not going to like it.
27:29: But remember this, you're doing the right thing for the glory of God and you're preaching Jesus Christ and you're preaching the truth and be faithful to Him to the very end.
27:40: God will give you courage, will give me courage, as we tell this world, this lost and dying world, about Jesus Christ and about them.
27:50: God commands all men to repent. Very serious, isn't it? There's a judgment day coming.
27:59: Judgment day is on the horizon. Christ is coming back. We do not have time to waste.
28:07: So if there's things out there that is distracting you and pulling you away from the
28:12: Word of God and in prayer, resist it, beloved. Pull away from it.
28:19: I believe it was A .W. Tozer that said this, whatever keeps me from my Bible and God in prayer is my enemy.
28:28: Bottom line, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
28:35: Did you hear that? To live godly, to live god -like, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
28:43: If we desire that, if we live it out, because this evil world hates the truth and it hates
28:50: Christ, if they persecuted the
28:56: Master, how much more are they going to persecute us? Our text back in John 7 and verse 21, listen to what it says,
29:05: Jesus answered and said to them, I did one work and you all marveled.
29:14: Let's look at this one work. What was this one work? Well, it's obvious that the context makes it very clear in verse 22 and 23 that Jesus was referring to the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda.
29:27: No doubt about it. I believe that's to the context. Beloved, do you realize that this evoked the beginning of persecution against Jesus by the
29:37: Jewish authorities? This is what really got their attention because he healed this man on the
29:45: Sabbath and they didn't like it.
29:51: They hated him for it. They also hated him because of his claims, but mainly because he healed on the
30:00: Sabbath day. Back in John 5, verse 16 says this,
30:09: For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the
30:20: Sabbath. That's the word of God. Pastor John MacArthur says this and he notes,
30:29: The verb tense means that the Jews repeatedly persecuted
30:35: Jesus. Repeatedly. Continued hostile activity, he goes on to say, this was not an isolated incident of their hatred toward him because of his healings on the
30:50: Sabbath. You can read Mark 3, 1 -6. Jesus did not break God's law since in it there was no prohibition of doing good on that day.
31:03: Mark 2, verse 27. However, Jesus disregarded the oral law of the
31:14: Jews that had developed. MacArthur goes on to say, The traditions have been, according to Matthew 15, 1 -9, most likely
31:23: Jesus deliberately practiced such healing on the
31:29: Sabbath to provoke a confrontation with their religious hypocrisy, play acting, that blinded them to the true worship of God.
31:45: Amen. Jesus deliberately did this.
31:51: He attacked their religious machine. And it was big.
31:59: But it wasn't bigger than God. Actually, if you want to see how this kind of hypocrisy looks like, right along with what is being said here in John chapter 7,
32:13: John chapter 5, go with me very quickly to Isaiah chapter 1. You know something?
32:21: Isaiah chapter 1 says very clearly, and this is God's view on dead orthodox, dead religion, without the spirit of the living
32:32: God. Listen to what he says here. And I was looking at this.
32:38: Give me one quote from MacArthur here. I like this. He says this.
32:43: This kind of hypocrisy looks like, and how God views that, that's me. But MacArthur says this.
32:49: Look with me as we look at chapter 1. He says, quote, This is a courtroom.
32:57: I like this. This is a courtroom scene in which the Lord Yahweh is the plaintiff and the nation of Israel is the defendant, end quote.
33:08: And I like that. I couldn't leave that out because it's so true. But listen to what God says in His word concerning the wickedness of Judah and the way they worshipped
33:19: God. And their worship was false. It wasn't true.
33:27: It wasn't genuine. It wasn't from the heart to love God. It was all externalism.
33:35: And folks, the Bible says a lot about this. We need to really watch out for hypocrisy. This is wicked.
33:44: Listen to what the Word of God says, verse 2. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth.
33:49: The prophet speaks. For the Lord has spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
33:56: The ox knows its owner. The donkey its master's crib. But Israel does not know.
34:01: My people do not consider. Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corruptors, they have forsaken the
34:16: Lord. They have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel. They have turned away backward.
34:27: Why should you be stricken again, God says? You will revolt more and more.
34:34: The whole head is sick. And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head.
34:45: There is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores.
34:53: They have not been closed or bound up or soothed with ointment. Your country is desolate.
35:01: This is judgment, folks. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land and your presence.
35:10: And it is desolate as overthrown by strangers. So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a hut in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
35:22: Unless the Lord of hosts had left us to a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom and we would have become made like Gomorrah.
35:31: Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom. Give ear to the law of our
35:37: God, you people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?
35:45: Listen to these questions. To what purpose is your multitude of your sacrifices to me?
35:55: Says the Lord. God answers it. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle.
36:07: I do not delight in the blood of bulls or lambs or goats.
36:14: When you come to appear before me, who has required this from your hand and to trample my courts?
36:22: This is serious. To come before the living God. Bring no more futile sacrifices, incenses and abomination to me.
36:34: Sounds like today at the Roman Catholic Church as well, doesn't it? The new moons, the
36:40: Sabbaths, the calling of the assemblies. I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
36:50: Your new moons and your appointed feast, my soul hates.
36:57: They are a trouble to me. I am weary of bearing them. Listen to what he says in verse 15.
37:06: When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. And even though you make many prayers,
37:16: I will not hear. Didn't David say, if I regard iniquity in my heart,
37:22: I will not hear you? God will not hear. He goes on to say, your hands are full of blood.
37:29: Listen to this. In other words, they're all about show. They really didn't live out the life as God called them to be.
37:36: And their heart was with them. Jesus actually said it to the religious Pharisees in his day. He says, you honor me with your lips, but your heart is far from me.
37:46: And this is what God's saying here to Israel. But you know, he doesn't leave them there as he smote them with the truth, in which he rightly does so because he's
37:58: God, right? He doesn't leave them there. He gives them a solution. Verse 16.
38:06: Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes.
38:14: That's repentance, folks. Cease to do evil. Stop it. Learn to do good.
38:21: Seek justice. Rebuke the oppressor. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.
38:28: In verse 18, a beautiful, beautiful verse of promise. Come now.
38:34: Today's the day of salvation, right? God says, come now and let us reason together, says the
38:43: Lord. God says, come. Let's reason. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.
38:54: Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. What a loving God. What a merciful
39:00: God. Oh, he's a just God. He's a holy God. But he's merciful, compassionate, and he desires to forgive.
39:08: Even though they are hypocritical. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.
39:16: Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. And if you are willing and obedient.
39:25: There is the key right there. Are you willing? Are you obedient? You shall eat the good of the land.
39:34: That's the promise. But, God doesn't leave nothing.
39:40: No stone unturned, folks. Listen to this. But if you refuse and rebel, here's the warning.
39:48: You shall be devoured by the sword. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.
39:55: Folks, I think about what's going on here. In many churches in America, what calls themselves churches, we just...
40:02: Brother Ben, as he was leading us today in Sunday School, we just touched on some of the... all the nonsense and the sin and the iniquity that floods this nation.
40:12: How much more that we don't see that God sees. But yet,
40:18: God continues to give us time and people time to repent. Oh, God, give us people.
40:25: And may it come out of redeeming grace church here that we may be bold as a lion to tell the people the truth and love and grace to repent of their sins.
40:36: I tell you where the mission field is, folks. It's just not out there in the highways and byways, which it is, but it's within the church.
40:45: That's the mission field. Rise and shine, folks. It's time for the church to be the church.
40:53: And I pray this little band at redeeming grace church will call out ones as we are the church, that little as much that God's in it, that God can use just little here and make a big difference.
41:07: And God can do that. Isaiah chapter 1 is a powerful, powerful warning there about how
41:15: He hates hypocrisy and false worship. Now, back to John chapter 7.
41:24: Jesus defends His claim, by the way, that they wanted to kill Him. For He brings up the instance when
41:32: He healed the lame man's whole body. Listen closely now. He heals this man's whole body on the
41:42: Sabbath day and commanded him to take up his bed and walk, which was back in John chapter 5.
41:52: You read the story from verse 15 to 18. But now here,
41:59: John chapter 7. Let me read it real quick.
42:04: Let's go back to chapter 5. I think we need to refresh ourselves. It's just a few verses here, but look at what
42:10: Jesus does to this lame man in 15 to 18. Let me back up a little bit.
42:28: Verse 13. Well, let me go back further. Verse 10.
42:35: I'll let it go back further. Verse 6. When Jesus saw him lying there, He knew that he had already been in that condition a long time.
42:43: He said to him, Do you want to be made well? The sick man answered Him, Sir, I have no man to put me in the pool where the water was stirred up.
42:52: But while I was coming, another stepped down before. And Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed and walk.
42:58: Jesus speaks the Word. That's all it says. He is the Word, the power of the Word of God. And what happened?
43:04: What does the Scripture say? Verse 9. Immediately, immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, walked, and there's this reason that John says this, and that day was the
43:16: Sabbath. See that? The Jews therefore said to him,
43:21: Who was cured? You would think these Jewish people said, Praise God, you are whole.
43:28: You've been a lame man for 38 years and He healed you. Praise God. No, they didn't say that.
43:39: The Jews therefore said to him, Who was cured? It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry your bed.
43:48: Good night. What kind of nonsense is that? He answered them,
43:57: And who made me well said to me, Take up your bed and walk. He just basically made a simple statement.
44:04: And then they asked him, Who is the man who said to you, Take up your bed and walk?
44:10: They want to know. You know why they want to know? They wanted to go after him. They said, This man broke the
44:15: Sabbath. He is going to get death. But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn in a multitude being in that place.
44:28: And afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, And I love this, See, you have been made well.
44:34: Sin no more. This man must have been doing some sinning. Jesus said,
44:41: Sin no more. Stop it. Lest a worse thing come upon you. That is a serious warning, but it is a warning from a loving master.
44:53: The man departed, told the Jews that it was Jesus who made him well. He is an ingrate, unfortunately.
45:03: He is not too thankful, is he? To give an honor and glory to Jesus, and then verse 16,
45:10: For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the
45:15: Sabbath. That is the reason I read that. Because now you go to verse 21 to verse 24.
45:24: Let me read it. Of chapter 7. This is very important.
45:33: Jesus answered and said to them after the people answered him and said, You have a demon who is seeking to kill you.
45:41: Jesus says, I did one work and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision, not that it is from Moses, but that it is from the fathers.
45:53: And you circumcised a man on the Sabbath. If a man received circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken,
46:01: Are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Then he says, do not judge according to righteous,
46:11: I'm sorry to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. You know what he's saying?
46:17: If the law allowed for a work of necessity, would it not also allow a work of mercy?
46:27: Because that's what verse 23 says. The law required that circumcision occur on the eighth day according to Leviticus 12, 1 -3.
46:35: Yes. And if a child was born on the Sabbath, then the eighth day would fall again on the subsequent
46:44: Sabbath, the next week, when the Jews would circumcise the child on the eighth day.
46:53: So what's Jesus' point in this verse? This is very critical. His point was this, that the
47:01: Jews broke their own Sabbath. In other words, they're hypocrites.
47:09: They broke their own Sabbath with the circumcision of the child. So what's the deal here?
47:18: Well, the hypocrisy is evident, and Jesus says, so basically, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, you're angry with me because I made a man completely well on the
47:29: Sabbath? You know folks, we understand the
47:35: Lord's Day, and it's very critical, but I'm telling you what, we need to be very careful in the Reformed circles not to get so caught up in the
47:42: Lord's Day and putting it above Jesus' acts of mercy.
47:48: If we truly see what the context of the Lord's Day is, it is mercy, grace, healing, it's all those things.
47:59: But in that day, to carry a bed, to do an act of mercy, it was a crime to deserve someone to be put to death.
48:14: So here Jesus used an argument of the lesser to the greater. If the ceremony of cleansing of the one part of the body is permitted on the
48:22: Sabbath, though the act of circumcision is the less.
48:27: You see what's going on here? How much more should the actual healing of an entire body be permitted on the
48:36: Sabbath that is the greater? You see what they're doing?
48:43: Jesus said this about hypocrites. What did they do? They cannot see the forest because of the trees.
48:55: Jesus said, before you remove, what did he say? The speck in someone else's eye, remove the plank out of your own.
49:07: Hypocrites focus on things, and we all have a hypocrite in us in one way or another, a
49:12: Pharisee. And like I said, I know this is strong to all of us, but we need to search our own hearts. God help, and I'm speaking to me first, okay?
49:20: I really mean this. If I'm blindsided to hypocrisy and to something of being a
49:26: Pharisee, God help me because it's the flesh really. It's not walking in the spirit.
49:32: It's me being concerned about myself and about my own prejudices and comforts rather than thinking of my brother.
49:46: In verse 24, Jesus brings the whole point and drives it home. He says, do not judge according to appearance.
49:53: Listen to that. But a judge with righteous judgment.
50:00: I think that's the key, isn't it? Righteous judgment. Trouble with self -righteous
50:06: Jews, it was exactly that. They were self -righteous. Folks, we've been made righteous in Jesus Christ.
50:14: That means we're gracious. That means we're kind. That means we're loving.
50:20: That doesn't mean we're compromising. We're to be bold as a lion for the truth, but we need to be careful to getting into this mold of being, this is about me.
50:31: This is about my righteousness. This is about the church. This is about the Sabbath. You see what I'm saying?
50:39: Yes, we are to defend the word of God and people, you know, how they disdain the
50:44: Lord's day. I get that. But we need to be gracious about it, don't we? And we need to tell people the truth.
50:52: Tell the truth in love. What does 1 Samuel 16, 7 say? That's a good verse.
50:58: But the Lord said to Samuel, he's a priest. Samuel's a priest. He's a man of God. And God even reminds
51:06: Samuel, which I think is really an important point for us.
51:11: We need to be reminded. We're no better than Samuel, or no less than Samuel, because Samuel was within the household of faith in that time period.
51:22: God says to him, do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him.
51:30: For the Lord does not see as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the
51:36: Lord looks at the heart. God sees the heart. God knows our hearts.
51:44: He knows your heart, my heart. And by the way, the Hebrew concept of heart here embodies the emotions, the will, the intellect, the desires.
51:54: It's the whole being. Even the way we think comes from the heart. You see that?
52:01: As a man thinketh, so is he. But it comes from the heart. Guard your heart, for out of it is what?
52:07: The issues of life. The whole life of the man will reflect his heart.
52:13: His heart. Let me give you some strong verses on this in conclusion. Then I got application.
52:20: Jesus said in Matthew 12, 34, 37, and these passages here, folks, just tear me up every time
52:29: I read it. But it examines my heart, and I think this is good. Conviction's our friend. And I love you too much, redeeming grace church, not to withhold this from you because I'm going to tell you what the
52:40: Word of God says. Jesus said, Neither make the tree good, and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad, or its fruit bad.
52:49: For a tree is known by its fruit. That's pretty simple, isn't it?
52:58: It is. Verse 34, listen to what Jesus calls these religious
53:05: Pharisees, a brood of vipers. That means you're an offspring of vipers. He called them snakes.
53:12: How can you, being evil, speak good things? How can you, being evil, speak good things?
53:21: For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Calvin said it,
53:27: God has given us tongues to reveal our hearts. I believe that. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what?
53:36: Good things. And the evil man out of the treasure brings forth evil things.
53:43: Verse 36, this is so convicting, but I say to you, this is the words of Jesus, that for every idle, careless word, watch what you say, folks, men may speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment.
54:03: For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
54:09: No wonder David says, put a guard on my mouth before the wicked.
54:17: Oh, God, and it speaks in Ecclesiastes, let my words be few.
54:24: Let us be quick to hear and slow to speak and think before we speak. And I'm preaching to myself, okay, folks, because I've said things,
54:34: I'm telling you, and you know this, I remember a preacher saying this, and it convicted me so much, he said, words are words hit harder than fists.
54:45: I believe that. You can't take those words back. I can't take it back.
54:51: So let's be careful with what we say and make sure that when we do speak to people, whoever it is, children, to your friends, to your enemies, be careful what you say.
55:04: We're going to be given an account on the day of judgment for this every careless word. Very serious, isn't it?
55:14: It makes me think there's no small sins to God, right? And one Puritan said it like this, if you've got a small sin, then you've got a small
55:22: God. Even the most seemingly insignificant small sin, even a slip of the tongue carries with it the full potential of all hell's evil.
55:33: What about James 3 .6? The tongue is like a fire, a world of iniquity, a world of unrighteousness.
55:43: And the tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature and is set on fire by hell and is such a small member.
55:57: I believe Calvin also says the reason why we need to keep the tongue behind our teeth, keep it caged in.
56:02: It's like fire. And you know this, as the fire has been in parts of the nation here in the previous time in California, it's all set by one spark.
56:16: If an arsonist gets a hold of it, it's by one spark and then look at the damage it does. And that should remind us what our tongues do.
56:24: Well, it can show ruin and damage even though it's a small member.
56:31: Let me give some application here. I got four applications. I'm going to try to get through this as fast as I can.
56:37: But I think it's very important. The first one is, love the truth and seek righteous discernment.
56:47: Love the truth and seek righteous discernment. Let us all, again,
56:53: I'm preaching to myself on this, be diligent in seeking to understand the truth and knowing the truth and loving the truth, guarding the truth and discern between what is of God and what is not of God.
57:07: And how do we know the truth? How do we do these things? It's by meditating on the truth, by spending time in this book.
57:15: It's our communion time. As Brother Keith mentioned this morning, we need to spend time at the feet of Jesus and open up this book.
57:23: And Moody put it very, very simple. I love that man's Christianity. It's just simple
57:29: Christianity 101. When I open the Bible and read God's Word, it's God speaking to me.
57:35: When I go to God in prayer, it's me speaking to God. It's that simple. But how important is that?
57:42: It's everything, isn't it? Our communion time with God. Let me give you some scripture.
57:49: Proverbs chapter 1, verse 1 -7, tells us how we can do this.
57:56: To know wisdom and instruction. To perceive the words of understanding. To receive the instruction of wisdom.
58:04: Justice, judgment, equity. To give prudence to the simple. To the young man, knowledge and discretion.
58:10: A wise man will hear and increase in learning. A man of understanding will attain wise counsel.
58:20: To understand a proverb and an enigma. The words of the wise and their riddles.
58:26: And here's the key, folks. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
58:35: The fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord. Very critical.
58:44: There's many more scriptures I can have. 1 John 4. But I'm going to go to the second application.
58:54: The second application is to avoid hypocrisy. We must hate it. Like the plague.
59:03: We must hate this plague. God help us to search our own hearts.
59:12: We must be careful not to judge others based on appearance or to engage in hypocrisy.
59:20: I like what Tozer says here and this is very convicting. He basically said be hard on yourself and easy on others.
59:29: The Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself. And the spiritual man is hard on himself and easy on others.
59:36: That's convicting. God help us to practice this by the
59:42: Spirit. Let us be careful not to be like the
59:47: Pharisee. Hate hypocrisy. What about the word of God, Pastor? Go with me to Romans chapter 12.
59:54: This is a great passage here. Romans 12.
01:00:01: Here you have the duties and how Christianity looks like and this is the way the
01:00:08: Christian is to behave. Our behavior. Verse 9.
01:00:15: Notice what he says here. Let love be without what?
01:00:24: Hypocrisy. No play acting. Abhor what is evil.
01:00:30: Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor given preference to one another not lagging in diligence fervent in spirit serving the
01:00:44: Lord rejoicing in hope patient in tribulation continuing steadfastly in prayer distributing to the needs of the saints given to hospitality bless those who persecute you bless those and do not curse.
01:01:00: He gets this from the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ, of course. Verse 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice weep with those who weep be of the same mind toward one another.
01:01:12: Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble.
01:01:18: God has no respecters of persons, does he? We're not to show any partiality. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble.
01:01:28: Do not be wise in your own eyes, your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil.
01:01:36: Have regard for good things in the sight of man and if it is possible if it is possible because he says basically what he's saying there's sometimes some people are not possible to do this but do everything you can to pursue peace with all men and holiness without which no one shall see the
01:01:53: Lord. He says if it is possible as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men.
01:02:01: Beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it is written vengeance is mine
01:02:07: I will repay says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy is hungry feed him.
01:02:13: If he is thirsty give him a drink and in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.
01:02:21: Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.
01:02:27: That's the way the Christian is to behave folks. As I was telling
01:02:33: Brother Keith earlier and I've used this illustration I love Vince Lombardi tells the
01:02:40: Green Bay Packers in a training session man he holds it up this is a football this is a football these are professional football players this is a football when he gave that profound speech there he was encouraging him he was going back to basics.
01:03:01: Isn't this what we need in Christianity today? 101 get back to basics this is a football.
01:03:08: Folks this is a Bible I got a pair of knees go to God in prayer humble yourselves before the sight of the
01:03:20: Lord and he will lift you up. Much could be said there I got to close this.
01:03:27: By the way in that section of the categories under Romans 12 the first is personal duties the second section is family duties the third section is duties to others and the third section is duties to those who consider us our enemies so God's order is perfect did you see that?
01:03:45: It starts with your personal then it goes to family then it goes to others and then the extension goes to your enemies.
01:03:53: The third application is I think as I said about the football as Lombardi said is a simple one but it's profound and I think it's the most profound and this is the one we do not need to forget.
01:04:09: What is it pastor? Everything I've said to this point we must be willing to follow
01:04:16: Jesus no matter what the cost. Oh pastor that sounds so simple. Folks Jesus said, this is what
01:04:23: Jesus said to his disciples follow me. He didn't say follow a pastor even though pastors are the shepherd the flock of God but there's nowhere in the scripture
01:04:34: Paul says follow me as imitate me as I imitate Christ but Jesus is the one that says follow me we have to follow
01:04:42: Jesus Christ. He is the one we have to follow. Actually Jesus is the one that told the disciples you to take up your cross and follow me.
01:04:55: Deny yourself. Isn't that what he said in Mark I believe in chapter 8
01:05:02: I think verse 34 to 38 when he had called the people to himself with his disciples also he said to them whoever desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me whoever desires to save his life will lose it whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul what will a man give in exchange of his soul
01:05:39: I really believe we're here for two reasons number one
01:05:44: God created us to love him and worship him and the only way we can be reconciled to God is through Jesus Christ through the gospel that Jesus is the gospel and as we worship him as Augustine says what is the chief end to man the catechism
01:06:03: I should say is to enjoy God to love
01:06:08: God to enjoy him forever to worship him basically the chief end to man
01:06:13: Augustine said something to that effect that's the catechism but what's the second reason that's the first reason
01:06:21: God created you and I to worship him to love him to adore him and the second reason is why are we on here on this earth is to love souls we need to reach out to lost people
01:06:35: Jesus that's the mission folks we're all sent ones in a sense as disciples
01:06:43: Jesus said in verse 38 forever is a shame to me in my words in this adulterous and sinful generation we can say this of this generation of him the son of man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels so at the resurrection of life we want to stand faithful before him well let me close this out how do we do this
01:07:15: I think there's several ways I think one of the most important thing is what
01:07:22: David said search me oh God in Psalm 139 search me oh
01:07:29: God try me and see if there's any evil way in me test me
01:07:34: Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 13 5 examine yourselves to see if you're in the faith examine yourselves as whether you are in the faith test yourselves do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you're disqualified and then he says this but I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified do you have that kind of assurance today
01:08:09: God works all things together for the good to them that love him to those that are called according to his purpose that's
01:08:21: Romans 8 28 but what about Romans 8 29 and I'll close with this for whom he foreknew he also predestined that means he marked out and to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among the brethren did you get that that's the reason why you're saved is to be like Jesus if I actually were to summarize what sanctification is it is this it's being made more into the image of Jesus Christ being made more into the likeness of Jesus Christ yes mortify the sin by the spirit mortify put it to death but all together the purpose of that is what is to be like Jesus it's not to be a monk it's not to be a holy person so called we are holy in Christ we're set apart in Christ but to be sanctified is to be like Jesus repent repent
01:09:28: Calvin is so right that repentance continues all the way to the grave folks every day as we examine ourselves and I see my own heart and I see my failures and I see my weaknesses before God and I see the
01:09:43: Pharisee in me and I say oh God help me cleanse me wash me gouge this thing out of me that I could be more lovely and beautiful like Christ and may
01:09:57: I demonstrate it in a tangible way in my home before my wife before my children before my brethren before my church you know this is not about hearing pretty sermons right this is about living the
01:10:12: Christ like life this is like the sermon is to exhort you
01:10:18: I'm doing everything I can to exhort you and the only way I could do that as a faithful minister of the gospel is to take you to the word of God and what
01:10:27: I read this morning some really powerful scriptures that folks aren't you glad that God smites it to the heart to gouge it to pull it out of us by spirit may we do this may it be our aim and our goal as believers is to be more like Jesus Christ Amen Amen let's pray
01:10:54: Father so much more can be said on this great important text Lord help us truly to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the
01:11:07: Lord Jesus Christ that growth that growth that growth is so critical and Lord that growth cannot be possible unless we're first saved and redeemed regenerated we thank you
01:11:22: Lord for what you're doing Lord we have far to go and Lord help us all the way in which you promised to by your spirit you never leave us nor forsake us
01:11:35: Lord as your word says given diligence all diligence add to our faith virtue virtue knowledge to knowledge self control to self control perseverance to perseverance godliness to godliness brotherly kindness to brotherly kindness love and Lord like you said in your word for if these things are yours and abound you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the
01:12:07: Lord Jesus Christ Lord save us from being short sighted if we lack these things even to blindness as you said and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins and therefore
01:12:29: Lord we are to be more diligent to make our call and election sure for if we do these things we will never stumble that is your promise and for so an entrance will be supplied to us abundantly in the everlasting kingdom of our
01:12:47: Lord Jesus Christ we give you praise Lord and we thank you and we want to glorify you in all that we say and do