Jesus is the True Vine
Youtube Link - John 15:1-6 Jesus is the True Vine
The following transcript is a direct copy from the Youtube automatic transcript. It may not be 100% accurate but it is being provided until we can produce a better and more accurate transcript of the sermon.
1:24
how are you this morning Fair to Midland that's an old time saying you're a
1:31
little young to say that one aren't you well if you would open your Bibles with
1:37
me to John chapter 8. um a couple of things if you notice
1:43
Becky's not singing this morning she said she didn't want to sing she didn't like you guys and so she wasn't singing
1:48
this morning oh wait that's not what she said she she really wasn't supposed to sing
1:54
this morning it was in the bulletin on accident so but also one other thing one other note
1:59
and I forgot to tell it to Mike this morning but um we have uh started work on a brand new
2:05
website for the church and so it's going to be a lot more Dynamic it's hosted on
2:11
Squarespace so it's going to give us a lot more opportunity to put tools up there and and information up there and
2:18
things so one of the things that we need though if you're interested is if you'd like to help with that website we could
2:25
use other people who are willing to help build content add content help us design
2:30
it if you're even interested in that kind of thing so just let me know get with me and let me know if you want you
2:37
know a little role a big role some role we could use a lot of help on that because we want it to be nice and we
2:43
want it to be a useful resource for our membership but also for the community to be able to know who we are know who
2:49
Christ is and you know learn the word of God and have helpful tools to Endeavor
2:55
down that road so anyway I won't take up any more time with that let me ask a couple of questions we're
3:01
here in John 8 we've been in John 8 here for a little while John 7 and 8 are a conversation Jesus has been having with
3:08
religious leaders for you know a long time in our minds because it's taking
3:15
your pastor a few a few what a couple of months two or three months to work
3:20
through chapter seven and eight which is important but it is one continuous
3:26
conversation Jesus is having and so we're dealing with all of the minute details and all of the things he said
3:32
and tracing them down in other parts of the scripture and all of that um you you may have lost sight of some
3:38
of the conversation but hopefully we'll be able to press into this portion of
3:45
scripture today and we're going to start in verse 37 and then work our way down
3:50
to 47 and the primary focus is going to be what the title is and again Jesus is going to show the
3:58
Jews who he's talking to these religious leaders especially that they aren't obeying God so they shouldn't consider
4:05
themselves to be gods not not Gods themselves but belong to God
4:10
and again I think it's something we wrestle with quite a bit is we think we're God's just because we
4:16
pray to prayer or we did this or that or we went to church or our family was in church or
4:22
we're going to wrestle with all that stuff today because the truth is and it's why I
4:28
wrapped Matthew 7 in here it doesn't matter what you think about yourself it doesn't matter what your heritage is and
4:35
again we'll wrestle with a lot of this but it only matters if you're obedient to
4:40
God you believe what he says and you do what he says because of your belief
4:47
so again I want to preface that and then I want to ask you a few questions before we pray
4:52
so again the first question here it's along the exact same lines is what I was just talking about do you trust God
5:03
now I know what many of you have started to think already well of course I do
5:09
but again this is a loaded question and it's loaded with a lot of what I've already told you
5:14
it's loaded because your perception of you trusting God may not be accurate
5:22
it's a loaded question the question is genuine in that do you
5:28
actually trust God in reality not just what you think in your mind
5:35
because remember we're very good at self-deception all right
5:41
if you do think that you trust God are you obedient to What God Says
5:49
you knew that was going to be the next question didn't you that's an obvious one on the heels of everything I've
5:54
prefaced even the title of the sermon do you do what God says are you obedient
6:00
to God because again if you're not then your perception is wrong
6:07
if you are praise the Lord third question
6:13
and and this one really goes to whichever Camp you're in you could be in either of those two camps based on what
6:18
we've just discussed do you consider yourself wise or foolish
6:25
and you can kind of see how that Matthew passage really really chimes in here doesn't it
6:30
and again this is another loaded question your own perception of this may
6:36
be tainted it may be a self-deception
6:42
do you consider yourself to be wise or foolish let's pray together
6:48
and hopefully Lord willing we will talk about all of this I had next in there to read that passage but I already read it
6:54
to you so it should be fresh in your mind let's pray
7:00
father you are an amazing God we are humbled to come into your
7:07
presence when we bow in worship like this when we vow to talk to you and speak to
7:12
you we are we are aware that father you are the almighty God
7:19
you are the God who has created the universe you are The God Who has loved us enough
7:25
to send your own son down into the world to pay for sin to pay for our rebellion
7:32
and our wickedness so father your love is not in question
7:39
we often question it in our Behavior but your love cannot be questioned it's
7:44
clear that you would pay for sin yourself through the son of God
7:51
and you would do the work of reconciling men to you through his blood
7:57
father it is an amazing thing and we pray now asking father that you
8:02
would change every heart who hears this message who hears the truth about Jesus and his sacrifice
8:09
that you would change every heart and you would cause each of us to enter into a faith-based relationship with you
8:16
one where we trust you and we believe your word to the point where we do it
8:22
immediately we don't hear your word and dismiss it we don't hear your word and make up
8:29
justification as to why we can't but we just simply submit
8:35
so God help each one of us because we are all sinners some of us have trusted Christ and yet
8:42
we are still sinners we still fail but the practice of sin
8:48
is something you've been teaching us throughout the Book of John is not only wrong it is detrimental to
8:56
our lives to the lives of the people around us it is detrimental to the plan of God
9:03
father help us not to be sinful to practice sin give us hearts that are truly driven to
9:10
your word to understand it and to live by it father I pray for each person here I
9:17
thank you for them I thank you God that they have come out to hear from you to hear from your word and to worship you
9:24
and bow their hearts and their minds before you into fellowship with the body of Christ your people
9:31
God put it into our hearts not to be here only for selfish reasons but to be here for you to worship you to
9:38
be here for others to help them to support them to encourage them and God we pray that you would be
9:45
glorified in all of this this morning and that as we open your word you will be the one speaking through your Holy
9:51
Spirit I'm just a mouthpiece father use me for your will and your
9:57
purposes today God speak through me we praise you we praise you for our
10:04
church and we pray that you would bind our church together in unity and in love allow us to be at peace with one another
10:11
and not fighting and bickering and father help us to go out into the world
10:16
where it is dark with the Light of Christ the light of life and share the gospel with all people
10:24
we look for your spirit to do that in us as well and through us we love you and praise you in Jesus's
10:30
holy name for your glory amen okay John chapter 8.
10:37
we're going to start in verse 37. follow along as I read
10:44
I know that you are Abraham's descendants but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you I
10:51
speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father
10:57
they answered and said to him Abraham is our father Jesus said to them if you
11:03
were Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham
11:08
but now you seek to kill me you seek to kill me a man who has told
11:15
you the truth which I heard from God Abraham did not do this
11:22
you do the Deeds of your father then they said to him we were not born
11:27
of fornication we have one father God Jesus said to them if God were your
11:35
father you would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God
11:41
nor have I come of myself but he sent me why do you not understand my speech
11:49
because you are not able to listen to my word you are of your father the devil
11:57
and the desires of your father you want to do he was a murderer from the beginning and
12:04
does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaks a lie he speaks from his
12:11
own resources for he is a liar and the father of it but because I tell the
12:17
truth you do not believe me which of you convicts me of sin and if I tell the
12:23
truth why do you not believe me he who is of God hears God's words
12:30
therefore you do not hear because you are not of God
12:38
that's harsh isn't it I mean in my sermon which is three pages long
12:45
we aren't even going to deal with the final two verses but I think you and I
12:50
can both recognize that Jesus is being very clear there whoever hears the words of God and what
12:58
he means by hears is hears and obeys here's the words of gods they are of God
13:04
but those who don't who won't listen to God they won't hear him and they won't
13:10
obey him they're not gods you need to make sure you understand
13:16
that Jesus said those words he drew that line the pastor is but a voice you can get as
13:23
mad at me as you want for preaching that if you won't listen to the word of God and Obey it that you're not Gods you can
13:31
get as mad as you want those words did not come from me I'm not your judge we've been over this
13:37
lots of times haven't we both here and on Sunday on Wednesday nights when we've talked about judging you know the real
13:45
use of judging and how God perceives judging and the right kind of judging these aren't my words do I believe them
13:52
with all my heart I couldn't preach them to you if I didn't I wouldn't feel comfortable standing
13:58
here lying to you about something I don't truly believe I
14:04
I think you know me well enough that if I were going to say something that were untrue or I didn't believe I would be
14:10
very nervous right now you would hear um uh uh and in the uh
14:17
you don't detect any of that do you you don't detect that because I believe
14:23
this stuff with all of my heart back to the beginning of this text verse 37.
14:28
he says I know that you are Abraham's descendants and this is true we've we've talked
14:34
about this a few times in this these sermons in these last couple of chapters the Jews are descendants of Abraham
14:41
physically right Abraham begot Isaac Isaac begot Jacob Jacob is the guy whose
14:48
name became Israel he has 12 sons and all 12 Tribes of the Israeli people
14:54
generate out from a man named Israel or Jacob okay so they are Abraham's
15:00
descendants there's no question and Jesus noticed he doesn't say you're not
15:06
Abraham's descendants he says I know you are so that's important right
15:12
but again all he's talking about there is they are physical descendants of Abraham
15:18
the rest of what we've already read I think you know good and well he's demonstrating they do not belong to the
15:25
household of faith they're seeking to kill him the Jews are the descendants of Abraham
15:31
but they also believe that they're the spiritual descendants of Abraham
15:37
now why do I bring it up and why do I press the point well it's in the text but also the questions we asked at the
15:45
beginning about our own view of us our own view of self
15:50
see the Jews believe they are gods they believe God is fine with them because they obey the law of God or at least
15:56
that's their perception but the truth is they don't obey the law of God they don't follow God because
16:04
they don't hear God's words the very Son of God the embodiment of the word of God
16:09
is standing in front of them and they don't want to receive him they want him
16:15
dead how about you do you like the application of the word
16:21
of God in your life or do you reject it we're going to talk more as this goes on
16:28
about that but you seek to kill me he says and we've seen this over and over they've
16:34
picked up stones at different times they want Jesus dead his words do not land
16:40
well with this Jewish religious group they don't land well
16:45
they are not happy he's here they're upset they want him dead Jesus is claiming to
16:51
them that people should follow him and believe his words because he came down from heaven God himself has God the
16:59
Father himself has sent Jesus to share these words and to obviously
17:05
what's going to come as he continues his ministry to go to a cross to pay for sin and he is trying to demonstrate and to
17:13
Proclaim all of this and all they do is reject
17:18
all they do is reject so Jesus makes a statement there look look what he says
17:24
at the end of verse 37 my word has no place in you
17:31
does any person who believes themselves to be a Christian or a Believer or a Jew back in that day do any of those people
17:39
want to hear Jesus say my word has no place in you
17:45
do you want to hear that is that something you would be happy Jesus saying to you
17:50
you'd be happy with that no but they do not believe Jesus
17:56
and so what he's saying is true my words have no place in you
18:01
they don't believe that that's what Jesus is telling them their perception is skewed about who
18:08
they are this is the same today all who reject Jesus God's word has no place in them
18:17
you need to understand that it doesn't matter what you do believe or what your
18:25
opinion is it only matters that you don't believe God
18:30
when when the word of God is spoken to you what kind of heart does it fall on
18:37
you know I started this illustration I think last week right Matthew 13 the parable of the sower A sower went out to
18:44
sow what is he sowing well it tells us right in that passage which if you'll remember was read to us last week he's
18:52
sowing the word of God and the word of God is falling on all four sorts of
18:58
soils now there's one type of ground that is a path that path is tamped down over and
19:06
over by horses and people and that path is really hard and Seed does not go into
19:12
it it just lays on top of it right so the seed doesn't do anything it just remains seed and immediately it says the
19:20
birds of the air come and what do they do they eat the seed that means it's stolen right out of the
19:27
heart that it entered immediately there's a there's a quickness to it there's an immediate rejection God said
19:34
that I don't care do you see I don't care what God Said
19:42
that's one reaction the Same Heart may just be like it doesn't matter if I care or not because
19:48
I don't believe it I don't trust God I don't trust him so I don't believe
19:55
it's gone like that it's taken off the path well there's another kind of soil see
20:02
right along the edge of that path there might be some Stony ground there there's some dirt there there's some
20:07
topsoil but there's a lot of rocks and dirt in that so it falls in there now
20:13
it's got some soil so that seed can start to take root that seed can start
20:18
to grow and its roots can start to spread out but what happens to Roots When they hit Rocky and Stony soil
20:25
they they stop or they have to find new paths around makes for a very low and shallow root
20:34
system on that plant so that plant never matures and becomes what it can because it can't receive the nutrients from the
20:40
ground it needs to grow right that's an unbelieving heart too
20:46
and what does it say well it's a Stony heart it believes immediately oh yeah
20:52
that sounds great but when the sun comes up and a little pressure is applied to that life little heat is added and that
21:00
sun is backing down God said not to lie man if I if I don't lie here then
21:06
everybody's gonna know I'm a phony everybody is going to know I'm a sinner everybody's going to know that I've been
21:13
lying for years a little pressures applied
21:18
I'm going to tell them a lie because I can't handle the feedback I can't can't handle people knowing that about me
21:25
so you like you're not a Believer when you yield up to sin like this over and over and over
21:33
so Stony ground doesn't matter how the word enters your head it only matters it
21:40
it only matters when heat is applied to your life and to your walk
21:45
we find out you're not real because you don't do wait I gotta go to church every
21:51
Sunday every Sunday are you mad
21:57
that's four days out of the month maybe five and some months
22:03
are you on drugs you must be you must be smoking that
22:08
wacky stuff the kids smoke four or five days a month and I gotta
22:15
show what is wrong with you I got football to watch
22:20
you see now it doesn't matter which scent I use or which I could mock all of them right but we all know we're like
22:27
that we all know it's easy for sin to to happen imagine in the heart of an
22:32
unbeliever who said oh yeah I like the word of God I'm not about to live it though
22:42
Wednesday night bible study
22:47
you're from planet Mars or something anyway you get what's being said those
22:53
are just two types of soil now there's the third type of soil and I think it's really important for the conversation
23:00
because this might be where you and I live sometimes even Believers I think
23:06
live in this one sometimes the word is thrown and the ground is
23:11
perfectly fine it starts to spring up and man a plant is growing full force but then what
23:19
happens you gardeners what happens around that lovely plant that tomato plant or that lettuce or
23:26
whatever you're growing out there God forbid you try to grow blueberries around here but that plant what happens
23:33
all around it all these Weeds start coming up with it and what do weeds do
23:39
to that plant well they choke it out in a couple of ways one they block light because generally they sprout up bigger
23:46
and stronger and more bold than that thing but other otherwise they take the nutrients from the soil that that plant
23:53
could be using they consume all those nutrients so you have a weak plant in
23:58
the middle and what happens if you let those weeds just stay there
24:04
they choke it out it never gets to the fruit part does it it's just a plant
24:09
never yields blueberries and we tried a couple different times to glow grow
24:14
blueberries Cherry did in our garden it didn't work for some reason we could not get those
24:20
things to grow and again even but think of the illustration the weeds
24:26
are choking it out now those weeds in that passage are called the cares of this world
24:32
see a person cares a lot more about what's going on in their own life and their things and their hobbies and their
24:38
stuff and their job and their money and them their their them them there you can
24:43
hear it no matter what I say it's all about me it's all about us
24:50
it's all about what we do and what we want has nothing to do with God or his kingdom
24:55
and so again the fruit of that life is choked out and
25:01
does not appear because of the cares of the world that is three soils out of the four that
25:08
yield no fruit not a little bit of fruit none
25:16
what is going to be fruit in heaven what is a reward laid up in heaven
25:24
I mean most prominently based on everything we see in the Bible it's a soul saved
25:31
so if there isn't some significant portion of your life going into saving Souls which again you can't save them
25:38
personally but you can do ministry work with the gospel with discipleship
25:44
if you're not doing a a good amount of that you're wasting your life even
25:50
Believers you're wasting your life and you might as well just be another
25:56
one of these weed ridden plants
26:03
this is a big deal because Jesus is saying my word has no place in you see the fourth soil is the
26:10
only one that yields fruit and put that in combination with Matthew 7 the fourth soil it yields a crop
26:19
some 30 some 60. some a hundred fold
26:24
imagine that you plant one seed and how much fruit do you get from it how many
26:29
tomatoes do you get from one tomato plant is it is it one tomato
26:36
is it ten tomatoes could be could be 30 tomatoes you know you may get a bumper crop and
26:42
you may get 50 tomatoes out of a tomato plant because you can keep re-harvesting tomatoes for several months
26:49
think about this that's your life if you're on good ground if the word of God
26:55
hits you in the good place where you belong to God and His word has an actual
27:00
place in you otherwise the fruit of your life is meaningless I don't care if it's the
27:07
path the Stony ground or the weedy ground you don't bear fruit
27:13
you're not a Believer plain and simple it's an easy interpretation
27:18
and that's exactly what Jesus illustrates then he in Matthew 7 he makes the statement you will know them
27:25
by their fruits how are you going to know what a life is
27:30
like with what I think it has to do with over the Long Haul the
27:36
course where is the fruit of their life I belong to Jesus great
27:44
I'm gonna watch for the next five years and see what happens are you yielding fruit
27:50
or are you staying stagnant is your life getting better every day for Christ or is it just staying in the
27:56
same place are you more Kingdom focused today than you were yesterday see again there's
28:02
another process in the scripture called sanctification where God grows a life from a new
28:10
believer to the image of his son and if that process is not getting better and better along the way the
28:17
problem is not with God
28:24
Jesus says keep going back in the text I speak what I have seen with my father
28:31
Jesus is speaking from personal experience in heaven remember from John
28:36
chapter 1 Jesus came out of heaven in the beginning was the word and the
28:41
Word was with God and the Word was God Jesus was with God in the beginning what's he referring to in the beginning
28:48
because God doesn't have a beginning with the creation that we are part of it
28:54
had a beginning Genesis 1 1 in the beginning God created
28:59
the heavens and the Earth in the beginning Jesus was already there
29:05
he's already there he's not new he didn't come into the world at a particular time and just start there
29:13
he's speaking from what he saw and heard in Heaven from the father directly this
29:19
is one of the Jews biggest issues with Jesus they believe he's a Man from Nazareth of Galilee
29:26
they believe he becomes from a town of Nazareth and they're like we know you we
29:31
know your parents we know your family your brothers and sisters we know where you grew up stop saying you came down
29:38
from God this is one of their main arguments but Jesus is trying to tell them
29:45
I didn't start there I didn't start there this is where faith is required by the
29:52
way this is the place where faith is required in any person because could any Jew in that day or
29:59
could any Christian in this day say for sure could you say and provide evidence
30:08
that Jesus came out of Heaven before the foundation of the world before it was created
30:14
now there is some evidence but again yeah exactly you'd have to raise this up and that would require
30:21
that you believe God that you actually believe God's words
30:28
but you only either believe what God's word says or you don't or you won't
30:34
there is no gray area there's no middle line where you can believe some of what God Said and not other things either God
30:42
is entirely true or God is a liar there's no middle ground
30:50
so there is no justification for their behavior there's no justification for our bad behavior
30:57
God is either true or he isn't it is that black and white
31:04
he goes on to say you do what you have seen with your father now he doesn't identify who he is
31:11
saying as their father here it's a few verses down in verse 44. hopefully you caught it while we were reading it he
31:17
says very clearly that their father is not God it is the devil
31:23
that's a strong statement how many of you would be okay if I said because you don't trust God you are following your
31:29
father the devil now you might be okay with me preaching that but if you and I were having a
31:34
one-on-one conversation and I look at you and say your father's the devil you'd get very uncomfortable very
31:42
quickly and probably angry but notice Jesus doesn't shy away from that because the truth is the truth
31:50
and and again if I said that to someone it might be an insult that I'm trying to make that's not good and that's not what
31:56
Jesus is doing Jesus is dividing Humanity up into two categories
32:01
and spiritually that's all there are you can look at people however you want
32:07
you can have all the biases and bigotry that you want about everything it doesn't matter
32:13
the truth of the matter is you're either God's God is your father through the
32:18
blood of Jesus Through spiritual transformation that God has worked in you or you are of your father the devil
32:27
you're his and you listen to what he says he's your father that's what they mean
32:34
that sorry that's what he means your father who speaks to you from Heaven you either listen to him
32:41
or your father who speaks to you here on the earth is Satan and you listen to him
32:47
that's what he's saying they don't like that and they don't like it any better than we would
32:52
we would not want somebody telling us that but does our Behavior reveal such a thing
32:58
look at their look at their response Abraham is our father they insist that they are Abraham's
33:05
children but Jesus is trying to show them that they do not follow God the way Abraham
33:10
did do you notice that they don't do what Abraham did let me show you this is one
33:17
of those places where I have to show it to you from the scripture so that you're clear on this illustration of what Jesus
33:23
is saying to them Genesis 12 so this is the first place where we see
33:29
God talk to Abraham in the Book of Genesis Genesis 12 right at the very beginning verse starting in verse 1.
33:37
it says now Yahweh had said to Abram notice here his name is still Abram at this point
33:43
this is when God is first coming down and talking to him now Yahweh has said to Abram get out of your country from
33:51
your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you God doesn't even tell him where he's going
33:57
he just says get up and go and I'll eventually show it to you I will make you a great nation I will bless you and
34:04
make your name great and you shall be a blessing I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you
34:12
and in you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed and then listen to verse 4. this is why
34:19
you know that Abraham is different than these people so Abraham departed as Yahweh or it says the Lord in the
34:26
English translation has spoken to him and lot went with him and Abraham or
34:32
Abram was 75 years old when he departed from haran notice this God said get up and go to a
34:39
land that I'll show you and Abraham did not say why Abraham did not say well explain to me
34:45
God what you're going to do no Abraham got up and he took his family and he left
34:51
and he headed for Canaan a land that God was going to reveal to him later he just
34:56
said get up and start moving and Abraham did it see you can listen to God's word and you
35:03
can believe God's word and then a right heart will follow what God has said God
35:09
said to do that so that's what I'm going to do oh yeah let me remind you guys Hebrews
35:16
10 Mike brings this up a lot start in verse 24 and read verse 25
35:21
after it and go look what it says to do do not forsake the assembling of yourselves
35:28
together if you thought my whole rant about coming to church on Sunday was just oh that's just the pastor's opinion
35:34
he thinks you should be a church so you'll hear him preach no I don't I want you to come to church
35:40
because it's what God has told you to do I don't want you to forsake like some do
35:45
because it goes on to say as is the manner of some who forsake the assembly they forsake
35:52
the Gatherings shouldn't be doing that one you're supposed to be encouraging one another
35:58
two you're supposed to be worshiping god corporately with the body of Christ three you need this
36:05
you personally individually need this
36:11
I need it we need it and there's a lot more to be said in
36:16
Hebrews 10. but look what they say Abraham's our father they insist over and over so so
36:22
we have Genesis 12 showing us exactly what Abraham did now let me read to you
36:28
from the book of Hebrews also with the next chapter Hebrews 11 we call it the chapter of faith
36:34
verse 8 in Hebrews 11 says by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go
36:41
out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going see I know
36:48
somebody thought well he's just making this up no I'm not by faith he dwelt in the land of promise
36:55
as in a foreign country dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob The Heirs
37:01
with him of the same promise for he waited for the city which has foundations whose Builder and maker is
37:08
God see Abraham was such a faithful man that
37:14
he went to the place God told him was his inheritance and the guy believed so
37:19
strongly that God would build it into what he was going to make it the man himself never lived in a house
37:28
he dwelt for his entire life which by the way that man lived to be
37:33
175 years old that means from the time he left when he was 75 he lived for 100
37:41
more years intense in a land as a pilgrim not even thinking
37:47
that it was ready for him to take the inheritance to himself but waiting on the city that God would one day build
37:55
and in one way we could say that was the city of Jerusalem but in another way some of us might say well that's
38:02
actually the city that God has yet to build we're still waiting on the New Jerusalem to come down out of heaven
38:09
someday but however you look at that Abraham was faithful he went there dwelt as a
38:16
pilgrim and obeyed God for 100 years are you that kind of a person
38:23
are you now and have you been and will you moving forward obey the voice of
38:29
almighty God or not are you his or are you not his
38:35
do you worship your father in Heaven and do what he says or do you listen to the voice of yourself and Satan and you do
38:42
what you want this is Jesus's question
38:48
let's finalize this thought on Abraham from Galatians chapter 3.
38:53
it's a wonder that the scripture talks so much about this isn't it
38:58
it's just coincidence I'm sure pure coincidence Galatians chapter 3 verses 5 through 7
39:05
says this therefore he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among
39:12
you does he do it by The Works of the law or by the hearing of faith
39:18
now that's a big question because you might be asking yourself well Rodney you're saying over and over that we got
39:23
to do what God says yes but that's not where it starts see a heart that belongs to God first
39:31
before they do anything they believe what God has said listen to the rest verse six just as Abraham believed God
39:40
and it was accounted to him for righteousness therefore
39:45
this is verse 7 in Galatians 3. therefore know that only those who are
39:51
of faith are sons of Abraham now the Jews would have done well to
39:58
have that text wouldn't they they didn't that was written by the Apostle Apostle Paul many years after Jesus was in
40:06
conversation in John chapter 8 with these Jewish leaders but notice what the Apostle Paul through
40:12
the power of the holy spirit says there only those who are of faith meaning only
40:18
those who believe God only those who trust God they're the only ones who are
40:23
Abraham's seed in a spiritual sense I don't care what nation you came from I
40:31
don't care what nationality or religious system you come out of none of it means
40:36
anything I don't care if your parents were Christians your grandparents their
40:43
parents and on and on and on all the way back to the time of Christ if you
40:48
personally do not have faith in God and do not believe the word of God you
40:55
aren't his and you're not a descendant in the household of faith of Abraham because Abraham did what God Said
41:04
but he started with belief when God spoke he believed God God I
41:10
believe you his actions came after not first
41:15
The Works didn't justify Abraham you noticed that don't you Galatians is really clear he's not
41:22
justified by any work that he did Abraham going to Canaan does not justify
41:29
him but the fact that he believed God and what God had said that justified him
41:37
how about you When God says Thou shalt not lie and yes I memorized all this in the King
41:44
James so when I say the Ten Commandments I always do it with the D's and nouns but you
41:50
shall not lie do you believe God that you shouldn't lie
41:58
so you're not justified by the action you're justified by your belief and if you continue on lying and you practice
42:05
lying you're saying I don't believe God I don't believe that lies are a problem
42:11
I don't believe that lying is wrong and I'm using a very gentle
42:17
you know we would all consider lies to be one of the gentlest of the sins wouldn't we
42:23
I mean it can lead to major problems but in our minds we all have the the idea that a lie is a little sin
42:32
but to God no sin is little and we know what lies do they don't stop
42:38
with one lie it's kind of like Lay's potato chips right you can't eat just one you gotta keep adding more chips how
42:46
many of you can sit down and have one or two or maybe three chips and then stop
42:51
we got to sit there until like half the bag is gone sometimes we think to ourselves I don't even know why I'm
42:57
still doing this you stop being hungry you've already satisfied the flavor thing and you just
43:04
keep popping chips
43:11
so again we all know the behavior and with sin it can be the same way if we're
43:16
not careful One Lie begets another lie begets another life it gets another lie if it
43:24
gets a bad behavior begets you know how this goes
43:31
Jesus moves on moves on 40. but now you seek to kill me
43:38
a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God
43:43
Abraham did not do this notice notice what he's saying to them
43:49
look you're trying to kill me because I told you the truth I've revealed the truth of Who You Are
43:56
I've revealed the truths that I heard from heaven I'm telling you to believe the truth
44:01
that God has spoken you don't like it
44:06
and in fact you don't like it so much you want me dead you want to kill me
44:12
you know this has been one of the most tragic things in my life to be honest as a Christian in my Christian Life
44:19
is that sometimes the very people who claim to be gods the minute you share truth with them
44:25
about themselves they often get very angry about it I often get so upset that they they either
44:32
break the conversation off or call you all sorts of names or refuse to go any
44:38
further in a relationship with you because you've told them the truth
44:44
I've seen this over and over in my Christian walk and it is one of the saddest things
44:49
that I've had to deal with I expect an unbeliever to reject God
44:55
outright I expect it every time there there is you know I mean everybody
45:00
gets upset if somebody calls them names or something but if an unbeliever does that to me it doesn't strike at the very
45:06
soul of me because I know they're in darkness I know they don't believe the light but when somebody says I'm a
45:12
Christian and then you tell them the truth of something or you deal with something in their lives
45:17
the minute they start getting mad who are you to tell me what to do
45:23
they almost sound like their father don't they I don't know if he has a big deep voice
45:28
but I just assume Satan has a really you know raspy kind of deep anyway
45:34
people claim all the time to be something I don't think they are and it doesn't matter what I think I I
45:41
mean obviously by their life by their behavior they don't do what God says so
45:47
they can't to be his will God's spirit allow you to keep sinning over and over and over will he
45:54
allow you to just be comfortable walking in opposition to him as an ambassador of his kingdom God's
46:01
going to be okay with his Ambassador operating in Satan's world for Satan's
46:06
benefit instead of Gods none of that makes sense you and I both
46:11
know it but it seems like the angriest and the most hurt hurtful responses to God and
46:18
to God's word are from those who say I'm a Christian oh I believe God I love God
46:25
I love God really then why do you hate his people so much
46:30
why do you hate his word when we open it why do you get so upset when we try to deal with sin
46:36
we try to talk about good behavior why
46:42
it may very well be you don't belong to God if that's your case notice he says Abraham did not do this
46:49
Abraham believed God and did what God Said those who do not obey God's word are not
46:55
following God but the devil that's just plain and simple I've said it a couple of times now but that is plain and
47:01
simple Jesus made the exact same statement listen to this interaction with Jesus
47:06
and Peter because I think this hits home and every one of you are going to gonna recognize this most likely but I want
47:13
you to listen to a conversation between Jesus and Peter a man we know at one
47:19
point trusts God and follows God with all of his life even to the point where
47:24
history tells us the man was crucified upside down for the faith
47:30
okay listen to this conversation because at this moment in time
47:35
listen to what Jesus says to him this is Mark eight and actually this is
47:40
in in a few of the gospels but I'm going to read the one out of Mark Mark 8 starting in verse 31 and he began to
47:46
teach them that the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes
47:53
and be killed notice that he's teaching his disciples that he must be killed and
47:59
after three days rise again so he's saying I'm going to be killed but I'm going to rise from the dead and he starts teaching his disciples this at
48:06
one point he spoke this word openly so he spoke it to all of his disciples not not just to
48:12
a few not even just to the twelve but all of his disciples that are following and Peter took him aside and began to
48:20
rebuke him could you imagine pulling Jesus aside
48:26
and rebuking him the Lord From Heaven the Son of God the
48:32
sinless one the Messiah could you imagine pulling him aside and saying Lord
48:38
Lord this is wrong let me correct you on something this is Peter
48:44
Peter ready fire aim Peter all right verse 33. but when he had turned around and looked
48:51
at his disciples he rebuked Peter saying look at this Jesus is facing Peter when
48:56
Peter tells him the thing the disciples must be back behind right remember Peter pulled him off to the side Jesus doesn't
49:02
keep facing Peter he turns around and faces the other disciples
49:07
and listen to what he says he turns around he rebuked Peter saying
49:13
get behind me Satan exclamation point this is Peter one of the greatest
49:20
apostles really a man that Jesus trusted relied on had lots of good things going on
49:28
get behind me Satan for you are not mindful of the things of God but the
49:35
things of men that's telling isn't it
49:41
Peter's a Believer guys but this means that you and I we can go
49:48
against God's word we can go against God's plan see Peter's saying Lord far be it from
49:56
you that you would die and Jesus is saying get behind me Satan because Jesus knew his mission
50:03
but you you are mindful of the things of the men when he had called the people to himself with his disciples also he said
50:09
to them whoever desires to come after me let him deny himself
50:15
take up his cross and follow me for whoever desires to save his life will
50:22
lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it
50:31
for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own
50:37
soul or what will a man give in exchange for
50:43
his soul for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful
50:50
generation of him the son of man also will be ashamed when he comes in the
50:57
glory of his father with the Holy Angels and you need to hear those words
51:04
that comes right on the heels of him rebuking Peter and calling him to his face well to his
51:12
back behind him Satan get behind me
51:17
you Satan that's a title by the way
51:25
did you hear all of that did you really listen I tried to read it very emphatically so that it would hit
51:32
you in a certain way but what I want you to note there is Jesus is not playing games with us
51:39
he is not playing games about salvation not at all
51:45
there is no part of Jesus that is okay with our hypocrisy even Believers he is
51:50
not okay with your hypocrisy he's not okay with the stuff that you get wrong or say wrong
51:57
and if he were right in front of you when you do it he would say the same to you get behind me Satan you're an
52:03
impediment to the kingdom of God you care about the world and the things in the world and not God's Kingdom
52:10
that's a big deal that is a big deal he teaches in this very serious manner that we need to
52:17
believe and obey the word of God Jesus had already told his disciples look I'm
52:24
going to suffer many things die three days later I'm going to rise from the dead and Peter couldn't imagine that
52:30
happening to the Messiah that's not what he was taught by the rabbis it's not what the Jews believe
52:36
they believed that Jesus that the Messiah would come and set up a kingdom the Messiah can't die
52:43
what you think what you've been taught none of it matters unless
52:50
it comes out of this unless it comes from the mouth of God
52:55
then it matters that's what you are to that is what you are to do
53:01
today he said look you do back here in John Inc you do the Deeds of your father
53:07
he reiterates there's only two fathers you can have God or the devil you're only on one of two sides you're on team
53:14
God and you you can put your shirt on like you do with you know many other things your team God or your team devil
53:22
that's it there are only two teams playing in the game of life and they say we were not born of
53:29
fornication we have one father and it's God see self-deception goes a long way to
53:36
keeping a lot of people away from the true God and his word
53:42
you might very well be deceiving yourselves as the Jews did and if you'll hearken back to Matthew 7 remember
53:48
there'll be lots of people it says many in that day meaning after judgment or in
53:55
the Kingdom in that day many are going to come Lord Lord we prophesied in Your
54:00
Name Lord we cast out demons in Your Name Lord we did many wonders in your
54:06
name and Jesus is not going to say oh you're right I was wrong
54:12
you've heard me use that illustration before oh I was wrong I messed up you were the
54:19
one person I forgot to put on the list no he's not going to do that he's going
54:25
to be honest with you and he's going to say look I never knew you you never actually followed me you kept
54:32
saying you followed me you kept doing works and proclaiming that this is from God this is in the name of Jesus Oh in
54:40
the name of Jesus I say this Mercedes is mine oh let me March around that house seven
54:46
times and claim it
54:52
I think that's funny but there are people out here doing it every day let me Proclaim what God is going to do
55:01
and Jesus is going to say depart from me you workers of lawlessness
55:08
or iniquity or sin whatever you want to in fact so that word in the Greek I looked at it
55:15
because it struck me in a very strange way I knew that the word for law in Greek was Nomas
55:22
that word is anomia in the Greek that he's using there in that word for
55:29
Lawless ah nomia and ah at the beginning of a word in Greek negates the word it
55:36
means the opposite of the thing so without law
55:41
lawlessness without law meaning they're a breaker of the law
55:46
they don't follow the law they don't do the law there's no law
55:52
and again that means they don't obey God they don't listen to God look at Jesus if God were your father
56:00
you would love me why do you not understand my speech
56:05
and and they can't hear it can they they can't hear it it's not that they don't
56:11
want to they cannot because again salvation requires that
56:17
God changed the heart salvation is only a matter that God can reconcile inside of a person
56:24
you can know or think or have a perception of anything you want but if God doesn't change your heart you're not
56:31
really his and you cannot and you will not hear God's word otherwise
56:38
Jesus makes this statement to them look what he says these next few statements
56:43
you are of your father the devil the desires of your father the devil you
56:48
want to do he was a murderer from the beginning he does not stand in the truth
56:53
because there is no truth in him he is a liar and the father of it
56:59
do you notice these statements I want you to hear this so what's he talking about go back to Genesis 3 you can
57:06
either turn there just listen I'm just going to read you verses one through five from Genesis 3. this is the
57:11
fall this is where sin enters the world now the serpent was more cunning than
57:16
any beast of the field which the Lord or Yahweh God had made and he said to the woman has God indeed said You shall not
57:25
eat of every tree of the garden can you imagine the nice astute British
57:31
voice Satan would have in that moment every tree of the garden
57:38
you know that's what he sounded like maybe verse 2.
57:45
and the woman said to the serpent we may eat of every fruit of the Trees of the garden I I should have given her a
57:51
California voice shouldn't I like a ditzy Airhead kind of thing but I won't
57:57
verse 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God
58:02
has said You shall not eat it nor shall you touch it lest you die so she says
58:08
back to him pretty much what God Said then the serpent said to the woman
58:14
they will not surely die
58:19
I mean you can imagine it can't you for God knows that in the day you eat of
58:25
it then I'll stop doing the voice your eyes will be open and you will be
58:32
like God knowing Good and Evil
58:37
now God didn't mean you've died just knows when you eat of that tree you're going to be like he is you're
58:44
going to know the true secrets of this world you're going to know good and evil which God knows and he doesn't want you
58:50
to have the knowledge he doesn't want you to have everything God is pressing
58:55
you down God is oppressing your life he wants to keep you down
59:01
how many people live their lives believing that very thing that God wants to oppress them but
59:07
notice that Satan he is incapable of telling the truth
59:12
because in fact that's exactly what God Said and the minute they sinned what happened
59:18
they died spiritually they died spiritually in fact they were
59:23
afraid to walk with God in the garden which they had already been doing for however much time they had been there
59:29
they had walked arm and arm with him in the garden in perfect Unity and then all of a sudden they hid
59:36
themselves God says why did you hide yourself because we were afraid
59:43
why were they afraid because now they knew they had done wrong and knowledge of Good and Evil had
59:49
entered their minds they knew they were naked they knew they were sinful they knew they had rebelled against God they
59:55
had done what God had said not to do but Satan he was incapable of telling
1:00:02
the truth consider that this is very much what Satan is
1:00:08
doing to people today I don't know how to make this any more clear to you but what Satan is telling
1:00:15
the world today is exactly the same thing don't listen to what God Said God wants
1:00:22
to keep you down if you're a woman and you want to be a man don't listen to what God Said God
1:00:28
created you as a woman but only in part you could be a man if you want go ahead
1:00:35
oh if you don't want to enter into a proper male and female marriage don't worry about it just say marriage can be
1:00:41
between any two people and a man and a man or a woman and a woman can and it's fine
1:00:49
it's the same thing Satan's doing today it's not true none of his lies are true
1:00:56
hey you don't need to go to church you can be a Christian and not go to church
1:01:01
isn't that great we don't have to go there anymore
1:01:07
I don't have to get up on a Sunday morning I could sleep in
1:01:12
all of his lies are just like that they're going to lead you away from God
1:01:17
but they'll always give you what you want I guarantee it you want more sleep on a Sunday morning just listen to Satan
1:01:24
you don't want to come to Sunday school or church hey it's fine you'll be all right be okay your life will be just fine
1:01:34
fine it's not true what is what God's telling the Earth what Satan's telling you
1:01:40
look at Jesus we're going to end here because I tell you the truth you do not
1:01:47
believe me Jesus tells them the truth not like Satan who isn't capable of telling the
1:01:54
truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth Jesus tells them the truth in all of it
1:02:00
all that he's seen and heard all that the father said to say and they reject it
1:02:06
we better learn to trust God's word and Obey God's word doing anything else will lead to God's
1:02:12
punishment in his chastisement and ultimately his judgment and his Wrath
1:02:19
if you for your whole life are disobedient to God's word and God himself about his son and the nature of
1:02:25
Salvation and the nature of who you are and how you should live you will suffer an eternal punishment
1:02:33
from God but you will also suffer punishment right here and now for your disobedience
1:02:40
again let me ask this question we ask it at the beginning who do you obey
1:02:45
God or the devil day by day action by action thought by
1:02:50
thought word by word who do you obey God
1:02:57
or the devil verse 47 7 tells us plainly God's people
1:03:02
hear his word but the ungodly do not which are you
1:03:07
if you did not hear the word of God with gladness and follow it you need to question your sincerity as a
1:03:15
follower of God you need to do that it's not for me to come to tell you that
1:03:21
you're off base now I will if I see you do actions that aren't Godly I will as a
1:03:26
brother in Christ come alongside you and say hey this isn't right and I expect you to do the same in my
1:03:32
life brother this isn't right when we get off track but I already know many times when I do
1:03:39
that it's going to be an argument it's going to be a fight it's going to be painful in fact it's
1:03:45
going to lead to some people not coming to church for a while or maybe not again
1:03:51
right in this very church I've had conversations that people did not come back after we talked
1:03:56
it did not come back was it because I told them a bunch of lies and I was mean to them
1:04:03
no but the truth the truth does something in the heart of a person who loves God it will unlock a lot of
1:04:10
freedom and a lot of joy and a lot of peace through the process of dealing with sin
1:04:16
but in an unbeliever rejection hatred
1:04:23
Jesus said they hated me they will hate you if you're you stand up as a person of
1:04:28
Truth people will hate you and they will hate everything you say that comes out of God's word
1:04:35
listen to this statement and then I'll pray Jesus died to pay for the sin of those
1:04:40
who follow him and he is working a process of sanctification in their lives so if you aren't better today than you
1:04:47
were yesterday God is not the problem I said that earlier you are challenge yourself with the teachings in
1:04:55
The Sermon on the Mount so today I wanted to give you something tangible that you personally can go and
1:05:02
do that doesn't have anything to do with me it doesn't have anything to do with your neighbor in the Pew or the seat
1:05:08
go home and take Matthew's Matthew chapters five through seven
1:05:13
and I want you to go through everything Jesus says in there write it down list every one of the do's or don'ts that
1:05:21
Jesus deals with in there and then I want you personally just by yourself you don't have to even share it with anyone
1:05:27
just do a checklist and see how you're doing which you obey and which you ignore day by day in your life
1:05:35
and I think this will answer the question for you if you're honest with yourself if you find that most of those things
1:05:41
you don't even care about or think about or spend any time on then I think the
1:05:46
answer is clear who you belong to because if you want to list out on another piece of paper the things you do
1:05:52
care about the things you spend your time on I think you're going to find that the two are in stark contrast to
1:05:59
one another some of you may find hey I do follow this stuff because I genuinely belong to
1:06:05
God and I genuinely believe what God has said now that's in your hands that's a
1:06:11
homework assignment but I don't need the answers that's a homework assignment for you to weigh with God and yourself
1:06:17
and if you'll do it I think you'll find more than you think you'll find let's pray together
1:06:25
father you are a good and gracious God father we pray each one of us knowing
1:06:31
that we're all sinners that you would help us to see the truth help us to know the truth help us to
1:06:37
believe the truth and then help us to live lives according to the truth
1:06:43
father allow us to see your word and hear it and believe it and then do it
1:06:48
help us grow us commit us to to a process of discipline
1:06:55
and faith and service and love help us to encourage one another to
1:07:01
build up one another and not cut one another down all the time father help us to do this work for the glory of the
1:07:08
Kingdom For Your Glory plus press us into the kingdom of God
1:07:14
press Us in in a good way that we might serve you in store of treasure for heaven and father we do all
1:07:21
this again willingly and For Your Glory we love you and praise you
1:07:26
we ask father that you would bless and keep blessing but for your glory and when we're
1:07:32
faithful we pray Jesus's holy name amen thank you very much
