Chardon church of Christ

Fighting Against the Flames

Fighting Against the Flames
Daniel 3:1–30

A person once said that there are only two things that you need to worry about:

Whether you are healthy, or whether you are sick!

 

If you are healthy, you have nothing to worry about BUT if you are sick you have two things to worry about:

Whether you are going to get better, or

whether you are going to get worse!

 

If you get better, you have nothing to worry about BUT if you get worse you have two things to worry about:

Whether you’re going to live, or

whether you're going to die.

 

If you live then you have nothing to worry about, BUT if you die then you have two things to worry about:

Whether you're going to heaven, or

whether you're going to hell.

 

If you're going to heaven, you have nothing to worry about, BUT if you're going to hell, you have two things:

WHETHER IN Utter darkness or IN THE MIDST OF THE FIRE!

 

This morning, we will be addressing the idea of fighting against the flames. I would like to look at an event that we are all familiar with that happened many years ago. Our text this morning will be from the 3^rd chapter of Daniel.

 

Daniel 3 beginning in Verse

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image

which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 

This is a little bold, isn’t it? What purpose is this going to have? Look at the size of it. It’s made to brag…. TO SHOWOFF.

He invites all these people to come see it. The king doesn’t want anyone to miss this monument that is being set up for him.

We think about our own lives.

I’m sure we come in contact with people today that view themselves a little more important than others. More importantly, they view their own actions as important. Anytime they say to you, “I can do whatever, I want.”

What are they saying about God in their lives? They’re viewing themselves more important than anyone else—including God, our creator.

In verse 4 Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,

5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image

that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;

6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

 

When you hear these instruments playing, you need to fall down and worship the golden image.

Notice how PERSONALLY the King gets involved in this. He goes to all the trouble of having a HUGE idol built where everybody can see it. That’s pretty plain. Not only is the image there, you are to be in awe: O, Nebuchadnezzar, how powerful you are! There are examples of false gods, but this king, Nebuchadnezzar, himself has made this image that he wants people to worship.

We think about people in our lives today who may value their car more than anything. They value their jobs more than anything. It would really be the same thing as this golden image. If we let something stand in our lives that is more important than our worship to God, if it is more important than what we realize what God deserves.

Then he sets aside a special day when everybody is to come and bow down to that idol. And then he makes a major musical production to announce when everyone should bow down. This musical extravaganza was all about glorifying an idol.

Apparently Nebuchadnezzar isn’t sure that his command will be obeyed. He’s not sure everybody is going to bow down to his idol, so he makes absolutely sure that everybody

knows that if they DON’T bow down to this idol...

there’s a price to be paid. You see, this isn’t just about an idol. This is about a King and his desire to force his VALUE SYSTEM on his people.

 

at verse 7: So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages

fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
He’s IMPOSING his pagan lifestyle on an entire people.

And he’s doing it because he can. He’s rich and powerful and he can definitely hurt you if you oppose him. It’s kind of like the powerful people of our day who say –
You WILL accept homosexuality.
You WILL accept foul language in everyday conversation.
You WILL accept public shaming, sarcasm, and acts of revenge.
You WILL accept all kinds of immorality.

Because if you don’t except these things then... there will be a price to be paid. You’ll do it or it’ll cost you your job or maybe your business or maybe your income.

The rich and powerful in our society tell us that if we don’t bow down to THEIR altar... they WILL DESTROY YOU.

 

And so everybody bows down. It’s not worth the hassle and they don’t want to pay that kind of price for saying “NO”. Everybody bows down. Everybody, that is, except 3 YOUNG MEN from Judah – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
REMEMBER WHAT Isaiah 5:20 SAYS: They call evil good, and good evil!

Now, I’m going to drop down to verse 12 of our text in Daniel 3 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Hum? Tattletales! People saying, “Do you know what they’re doing over there? There are people that don’t worship.” So Obviously…. there are some people blabbing to the king. Basically, they’re saying, “Do you know that there are people who don’t follow your god.”

Notice Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction in verse 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So, they brought these men before the king.

 

If you’re Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and you’re brought before the king you might be thinking “Uh oh!”

He is the king.

 

So, I am sure we would immediately start thinking about REASONS WHY WE DIDN’T OBEY THE KING’s DECREE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!

We didn’t because…

You’d be thinking of all different kinds of reasons why you didn’t do it.

Things like -

We didn’t because we didn’t hear the sound.

Or, we didn’t know the decree APPLIED TO US ALSO.

 

We think about people today.

They give every reason why they do what they do.
In verse 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them,

“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?

SO HERE YOU ARE in front of the king.

You’re asked a straight forward question.

Is it true that you chose to ignore my decree?

What would your response be?

 

Today we may be asked

just a simple question by our own friends—are you a Christian?

Or, do you think that you really need to attend services?

Or, just any type of question like this?

The king is asking: Did you ignore my decree?
In verse 15, Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship

the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

 

Notice again the question King Nebuchadnezzar asked Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – at the end of verse 15.

This question and how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answer that question is the focus of the entire story.
“Who is the God who will deliver you?”
And how did they answer the question?

 

Their SO IMPORTANT ANSWER to the KING is found in Verse 17 “OUR GOD whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king”
(PAUSE)
Do you believe that?

Do you believe that your God is mighty to save?

Do you believe that your God is able to deliver you?

When the king threatens them, their response is one of the most powerful declarations in Scripture:

“Our God is able to deliver us… But even if He does not, we will not bow.”

This is mature faith:

• Faith that trusts God’s power
• Faith that submits to God’s will
• Faith that refuses to compromise

 

The reason why so many church goers struggle in their faith is because ... they don’t. They don’t believe in a God who will have their back. They don’t believe in a God who cares.
They don’t believe in a God who is able TO DO ANYTHING, so when trials and struggles come along they can’t stand up.

All they can do is kneel in submission.

If you don’t believe God can do things in your life... you can’t win. You have already lost. And Satan has already won.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were saying in vs 18 “We may not win... but we WILL NOT lose. Our God IS able to deliver us.

 

And then they said: “BUT IF NOT (if God decides that He isn’t going to save us today) be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Even if God decides not to rescue us from our fiery furnace we will not bow down. We will NOT surrender. We will NOT dishonor our God no matter what the price.
Our God is mighty to save. Our God is able to deliver us.

And when God steps up to defend us, there’s no power on the face of the earth that can withstand Him.

Romans 8:39 ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I can visualize Nebuchadnezzar sitting in his throne smugly watching as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are thrown in the fiery furnace. I can see him smile as he believes he has won. He was so angry with them for choosing to obey THEIR GOD instead of him he had the furnace increased to seven times its normal heat BUT then he glances through an opening in the furnace and ... he begins to rise from his seat. A look of shock crosses his face as he asks if they’d only thrown 3 men into the fire.

Someone says “yes, only 3.” But as he looks into the furnace and he sees FOUR MEN. Where’d the 4th guy come from?

 

The king heats the furnace seven times hotter — because the world always increases pressure when you refuse to bow.

But notice what happens:

1. They are thrown in bound… but the fire sets them free. The ropes burn off, but their bodies are untouched.

Sometimes God uses the fire to burn away what was holding you.

2. A fourth man appears in the fire.

Nebuchadnezzar sees someone “like a son of GOD.”

God doesn’t just rescue from the fire — He joins His people in it.

 

 

You may feel like you’re in a furnace right now:

• A furnace of stress
• A furnace of grief
• A furnace of pressure
• A furnace of uncertainty

But the God of Daniel 3 still steps into furnaces.

 

We read in verse 25 of the text “He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth

is like the Son of God.”

The Bible tell us, when we’re faced with our own fiery trial, God will be there beside us.

Here in THIS BIBLICAL ACCOUNT is a king basically saying, who is that God that shall deliver you?

He was putting fear into them. There’s no way that your God is going to deliver you from what I can do to you!!!

Isn’t it ironic that the TITANIC which had the statement made about it that even God Himself couldn’t sink it? This ship never made it to its destination on its maiden voyage. Hum? A little irony there.

 

In verse 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

We are going to do what God wants us to do.

 

How would you answer the question

who is your God that is going to help you?

Do they know the final ending?

Do they know that there will be no harm to them? No.

Do they know that the king is going to be upset? Yes.

Do they know that there’s a decree saying they will be thrown into a fiery furnace? Yes.

 

I can only IMAGINE what the heat would be like IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRE.

This was a “God moment” – this was a time when I believe God was setting them up. He was putting these guys in a position where they had to make a choice.

And God does that a lot in Scripture.

 

I hope you noticed that they come out without even the smell of smoke.

God doesn’t just deliver — He restores.

Some people go through fire and carry the scars forever. These men walked out without the smell of what they survived.

God can bring you through something so completely that people won’t believe you ever went through it.

 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were faced with a harsh decision, a time when God

had set them up to endure for righteousness.

Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us of a promise that God makes repeatedly throughout the Bible

“It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

 

This is a promise you can rely on. But this promise is only yours if you are His child. If you’ve sensed the need for a God who will stand there beside you.

God’s offer is simple to accept:

Believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, confess Jesus as your Lord and Master and then be buried with Christ in the waters of Christian baptism In the name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT for the REMISSION of your SINS.

 

 

INVITATION

The All-Providing King

The All-Providing King

John 6:1-15

 

INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. We completed our study of chapter 5 last time and as we return to John's Gospel, I want to spend a few minutes reminding ourselves of some of the important concepts that John has set forward in this Gospel.

 

First, we need to remember the purpose John stated for writing. It is always important as we study the Gospels to keep in mind the inspired author's purpose. There's a reason behind these things. It's not just simply four narratives, but it is an argument based on the author concerning Jesus. John said that he wrote “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Now we are going to go on to the 6^th chapter where John records for us the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.

 

Second, we have observed in this Gospel, that John is showing us that Jesus does what God has already done. Remember the parallel between how the Bible begins, the first book, Genesis, in the beginning God, and then we have John's Gospel in the beginning the Word. Right at the start John tells us the Word is God. Then he continues in the following chapters showing us Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, by observing how Jesus is accomplishing and doing what God has already done.

 

Third, keep in mind that in this Gospel John has been talking about signs. His Gospel is unique in how John emphasizes the necessity of signs. He only records seven miracles and he calls those miracles signs, which means that we are not supposed to step back and just say, wow, that was a neat miracle. The miracle is to communicate something deeper. There is a deeper message, a deeper concept than just simply, He did a miracle and that makes Him God.

 

There is something intrinsic in the miracle that causes it to be a sign. It is a symbol, it is a communicating device to the reader, so that you will know that Jesus is the Christ, not only by His power, but also in what He does.

 

Please keep those things in mind as we study this 6^th chapter. This chapter is one solid story, but to do 71 verses in one lesson is just not going to happen. We need to break it into pieces. First, there is the fourth great sign (John 6:1-14); then the people's efforts to make him King (John 6:15); the fifth of the seven signs (John 6:16-21); next the discussions on the other side of the lake and the extended metaphor of the bread of life (John 6:22-51); then the "hard saying" regarding the eating of His flesh, etc. (John 6:52-59); and the downward turn in the Lord's popularity (John 6:60-71).

 

As we go through this chapter, please keep in your mind that this is one story, one event that John has put together concerning who Jesus is.

Before we introduce this chapter, let's read the first 15 verses, get a feel of what John is recording for us, and then we'll break it down into the pieces that John wants us to understand.

 

John 6:1-15 – “After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.”

 

“When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”

 

“Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all.” Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”

 

“So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”[ESV]

 

I. Overview – Let’s first have an overview of what is going on. We want to make some observations before we get into the details of what John is teaching us.

A. The first thing I think worthy of observation is that this is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. The synoptics record this sign as the culmination of a series of wonders, but John seems to have presented it for the sake of the discussions that flowed out of it; and it also fitted his objective of stressing Jesus' deity.

1. Since this is the only miracle that gets treatment by all four, what makes John’s viewpoint distinct? What is different about this recording of the miracle than the synoptic Gospels? I believe we do a great disservice when we take the Gospel accounts and try to harmonize them, to blend them together and make them one. If God wanted one singular narrative, He certainly could have given us one singular narrative.

2. There is a reason that John's Gospel has some different details, that are not found in the other Gospels. As I read I often wonder, why did John say that here? How come this is different than Matthew, Mark and Luke's Gospels? What is John trying to get us to understand?

B. The second thing that we need to see is this is filled with Exodus overtones. Notice all the Exodus imagery that is found here. For example, John goes out of his way in verse 4 to point out it's the Passover that's coming. The Passover was given to Moses and the people of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt, and it was observed the night before the Exodus. The great Passover when God struck down the firstborn who did not have the mark on the doors. The Passover is memorial about the Exodus and how God had led the people by a mighty hand from their slavery.

1. We also notice the picture how Jesus crosses the sea and goes up the mountain. Which is exactly what Moses does in the Exodus as he crosses the Red Sea and then goes up to Mount Sinai. John records this but none of the other Gospels do.

2. John also tells us that there's a great multitude following Him as He goes. Which is what Moses did. Moses led the mighty number of Israel as he takes them across the Red Sea to Mount Sinai and into the wilderness.

C. The wilderness is the third parallel. Jesus goes to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias). That is the side of the sea that is known for its barren hillside. The other Gospel accounts just say it's a desolate place.

1. This is observable geographically and doesn't have to be stated by John. We know that's not like the west side where there's Capernaum and there's all those cities and towns.

2. This is a desolate area as is made clear by Jesus’ question to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread…” The point is they are in the middle of nowhere and there is no place near to buy food. It's a desolate place. Just as when Moses leads the people into the wilderness.

D. The Exodus symbolism continues with Jesus’ question. None of the other Gospel accounts tell us that Jesus asks the question, “Where are we to buy bread…”. It is always the question of the disciples. This is a strong parallel to what Moses asks in Numbers 11:13 – “Where am I to get meat to give to all this people?...”

1. We can see what John is showing us here, feel the weight of Passover, of Sinai and wilderness as we read this chapter. It's only going to get stronger as we read and I suggest you read the whole chapter and see for yourself though we will not get past verse John 6:15 today.

2. John is setting this up for us in the very beginning with Jesus crossing the sea, going up on the mountain. The crowds follow. They're in a desolate place. Jesus is acting just like Moses not only in His actions, but also in His words. We'll see the people draw that conclusion in verse 14. This is the one. This is the prophet like Moses that Moses said the Lord would raise up. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

E. One other thing I note here is the story also gives a warning for future trouble. Notice verse 2, “A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.” The crowds were following Him because of the signs. We have observed that this has been a problem many times in the Gospel of John. The issue was first highlighted for us in John 2:23-25. “Many believed when they saw the signs he was doing but Jesus did not believe in or entrust himself to them because he knew what was in their hearts.” They believe because they see the signs. But there is not an inward faith that comes from seeing the signs.

1. Jesus condemned the people for this specifically in John 4:48, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” John has shown us the false, non-saving belief of Nicodemus in chapter 3 and the true, saving faith of the Samaritan woman in chapter 4. Now John is foreshadowing this same issue. He sets us the scene with the crowds coming for the wrong reason. Jesus must deal with the problem that their belief is shallow. It is not true saving faith.

2. They just simply are coming because of external events. Now let's get into the story and look at some of the things that are going on. In verse 5 we see Jesus asking the question.

II. The Test – John 6:5 Jesus asks Phillip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” John tells us the number of men were about 5,000 and Matthew says about 5,000 besides women and children. Feel the enormity of the situation! That is a lot of people and there is no place nearby to get supplies. Visualize thousands of people streaming toward Jesus and His disciples. That is a huge number of people. Can you picture the faces of the disciples when Jesus asks that question? You've got to be kidding me! Look at all these people.

A. Now we consider what Jesus is doing as verse 6 continues, “He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.” Jesus is asking a question to see what the response of His disciples is going to be. This is a testing of faith; would they turn to Jesus and declare that He can resolve this situation. “You are the Son of God and you can do all things”.

1. Recall what Ezekiel said when God asked him something seemingly impossible, “can these bones live?” Ezekiel responds, “O Lord God, you know.”

2. Rather than looking to Jesus for the answer and trusting Him to provide, the disciples look to self-reliance. We don’t have enough money to fix the problem. We don’t have enough food to solve the situation.

3. Consider what Jesus is doing here. I suspect Jesus is not asking His disciples to solve this problem. He's not asking His disciples to look to themselves and come up with some kind of answer. He's looking for them to see Jesus as the answer. He wants them to turn to Him and say, we don't have an answer, but You can solve the problem. You are able to deal with the situation. You are the all-providing King, You can do something. — This is the test.

B. There is something important for us to recognize, we need to see our insufficiency. It's ultimately why we are tested isn’t it? It really doesn't matter what we're going through. It doesn't matter if it is the severest of severe trials. It doesn't matter if it's a minor ordeal. Ultimately, everything boils down to recognizing in the trial we are completely insufficient. We do not possess all the answers. We do not know how things are going to turn out. We cannot change the circumstances the way we would like in any event.

1. I need to recognize that I am insufficient but there is One who is all-sufficient. I am not to first turn to myself and say, well, let me see how I can solve my problem. Then if I can't solve my problem, shrug my shoulders and say, well, maybe God can do something.

2. Sad but true many of us, myself well included, turn to our own insufficiency first instead of God first. The disciples say they do not have enough money to buy the amount of food needed even if there was a place to get it from. As far as the food on hand they say; “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

C. The scene continues in verse 10, and we see something interesting; “Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”” Then John writes, “Now there was much grass in the place…” I read that and wondered. Matthew, Mark and Luke call this a desolate place, yet several of the gospels mention the grass where the people could sit. I think there is something that is being declared here in this highly symbolic gospel. It's desolate. But where Jesus is, there's green grass. Interesting.

1. Jesus has the people sit down. With the five small loaves and two small fish available, Jesus takes the loaves and fish, gives thanks to the Father, and then distributed the bread and fish. With 5000 men and an unknown number of women and children, the disciples begin to hand out the food. The disciples keep passing out the food until the crowd had eaten “as much as they wanted.”

2. This is not a snack. This is dinner for the crowd. The crowd eats until they are satisfied. He takes the loaves and gives thanks and distributes them to those who were seated. I try to imagine a grassy hillside with 5,000 men plus women and children all seated around and the disciples distributing the fish and loaves. How long does it take to feed a few thousand people? Visualize what's going on here. This must have taken quite some time, and it says they have as much as they wanted.

D. Then notice the emphasis is made in verse 12. “And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”” They ate until they were full! Jesus supplied an abundance of food. It's a great picture because it tells us that only Jesus can satisfy. There's a great image as the disciples see Jesus is the one who is sufficient. They are not sufficient for the problem in front of them. But here is the all-sufficient King who truly satisfies.

1. Everyone eats all that they want. They are completely satisfied. They are completely filled. It is a beautiful picture. It teaches us everything else is emptiness.

2. That void in your life you feel, that emptiness you have, only God fills. Here is that picture being done in the symbol. He is trying to communicate it to them in this imagery that He has come, and He brings satisfaction to the hungry and thirsty no one else can satisfy. Only Jesus can provide. Only Jesus is sufficient. Only Jesus can satisfy.

III. Nothing Lost - In verse 12 after they had eaten their fill, He told His disciples gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost. This command is not recorded in the other accounts. There is a symbolism that exists here, and I want to stress I do not think the point is “even in abundance don't be wasteful”. Not the point at all. I want you to recognize the imagery that's being given to us.

A. That nothing may be lost. The bread that Jesus has offered to the people. He has come for the people so that no one will be lost. There is a deep meaning behind what has happened. He is accomplishing something here.

1. Look at verse 13, “So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.” Jesus has come so that life would be given and none would be lost. You ever wondered why Jesus made sure it was 12 baskets that were filled and not 4 or 7 or 10 or 40.

2. Why 12? Because Jesus has come to Israel and so that none of Israel will be lost. He has come to offer them life, to save them from their sins. Now, you might be thinking that this is reading too much into the text. But look at verse 14: this is a sign. “When the people saw the sign that he had done,…”

3. John identifies that there is a deeper symbolic message in the feeding of the 5,000 than the mere fact that Jesus used His divine power to fill bellies. Something greater is being taught and this message sets the tone for the chapter as Jesus will declare himself to be the bread of life. Jesus has come so that no one may be lost. He has come to gather Israel in for its salvation. All who are gathered to him will be saved. Those who are satisfied in Jesus are gathered in and will not be lost.

4. Jesus has come to offer the satisfaction that cannot be found anywhere else. Jesus has come to solve the problem of sin that we have and so desperately need someone to deal with. Jesus has come to solve that problem for us.

5. All who belong to Him will be saved or to put it another way, those who are satisfied in Jesus are gathered in and they are not lost. This is a tremendous message that we're going to see repeated in John's gospel over the next few chapters.

6. He has come to save. He has come so that none need to be lost. He has come to redeem. There is no reason for anyone to be lost because He is all sufficient, and He provides exactly what we need.

IV. False Expectations – Verse 14. “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!””

A. They see the symbolism. All that John laid out about Passover and Exodus and crossing the sea and how he's just like Moses. He's the one. That's what Deuteronomy says. Moses said there'd be somebody like me who would rise up. The Jewish expectation was there would be another Moses who would deliver the people. He's doing it. He is the one. He is that deliverer. He is the prophet.

B. Then we see what Jesus does. Verse 15 - “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” Now, wait a minute. I thought they got it right. They're saying you're the new Moses, the new Exodus. You're the deliverer. You're the one, right? They've got it. But we've been told that Jesus knew the hearts of the people, He's able to read that they're drawing the wrong conclusion.

1. They do recognize an important truth. They have seen the sign that He is sent by God, and He is the prophet that Moses spoke of. Yet they are drawing a false conclusion because rather than coming to Him seeing Him as the savior from their sins and the life giver, they're coming to Him because they're wowed by the sign.

2. Wow, that was neat. Which is what we've seen repeatedly in this gospel. In fact, verse 26 of this chapter tells us that when they come to him, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves…”. You are coming for the wrong reason. You're seeing the signs, but you're drawing the wrong conclusion. You're not seeing me as the one who provides what you need spiritually.

3. You're seeing me as somebody who provides for you materially. Somebody who provides for you physically. Now we can have the food that we want. They are thinking physically and materially rather than spiritually. This has happened throughout this gospel. Think of the woman at the well. Jesus says “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” She says, “Give me that water so I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

C. When Jesus feeds the 5000, they want to make Jesus a physical king who will give them all that they want. We see this point clearly stated in John 6:26. This is why Jesus withdraws from them and returns to the mountain. Just as when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the tablets of stone only to find the people acting sinful and returned to the mountain to receive the Law again, Jesus finds the wrong hearts in these people and returns to the mountain.

D. Jesus has come to be their lasting eternal satisfaction. The people just want to be fed. We will leave that thought there and consider it with greater depth in the future lessons from this chapter as Jesus will explore this problem with the people’s hearts.

 

CONCLUSION: That's what's being displayed for us here. Unfortunately, the people just simply wanted to be fed. By that I mean they just want their desires met. They want their physical needs confirmed and addressed. They do not see that their spiritual needs must be dealt with. How often God tests us to see if we will trust Jesus to be our all-providing king.

 

How often He will test us and stand back and see, will the first thing on our lips be, Jesus, you are the all-satisfying king, You can do all things. You have satisfied my needs to the utmost. You have come and dealt with my sins. You have set me free from that which I enslaved myself. You have taken my defilement and corruption and cleansed me. You have placed me in your glorious kingdom and made me to be a servant of yours. In fact, a glorious servant so that you call me brother and God our father. Unbelievable.

 

Will we see him as that, and have the heart to trust God, no matter what happens physically in this life? No matter what transpires in difficulty and hardship? Will we see Him as the one to trust? Or do we only turn to Him for the physical, wanting Him as a God of comfort and ease.

 

The Lord is looking for us to turn to Him in every circumstance, whether good or bad, so that we can belong to Him and receive the true life that we need. That's what Jesus is looking for. Looking for those who will have a true, transformed life, a true saving belief in who Jesus is, and not just merely a shell, a facade, a simple, yes, He's the one who does neat things.

 

I want to leave you with the words of the Apostle Peter, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,…” That's the message of John. He has given us everything we need for godliness, for life, to give us all that we need. He called us so that none would be lost.

 

He has come to save you from your own foolish life and sinful ways. He’s come to redeem you and make you a child of God. That's what we need to pursue. If we keep that in our mind's eye, and keep that in our sight, that will lead to transforming faith. That will lead to the true belief that Jesus is looking for, to see Him as the one who provides everything we need.

 

Are you ready to do that? Turn away from your sins. Be immersed in the water for the forgiveness of your sins. Accept Him as the King. Submit to Him and turn everything to Him. Yield to Him and look to Him for all you need. Won't you come while we stand and sing?

 

 

# ???

 

Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

 

More Than Just a Story

More Than Just a Story
Mark 16:1–20

There’s a story about a wealthy man who was terminally ill. The doctor said, "There’s only “one thing” that will save you. “A brain transplant.” - It’s an experimental operation. And it’s very expensive." The wealthy guy said, - "Money is no object. Can you get me a brain?"

The doctor said, - "We have three available right now. The first one was from a college professor. But it’ll cost you $10,000." The guy said, "Don’t worry. I can pay; it will make me much wiser. What about the second brain?"

 

The doctor said, "It was from a rocket scientist. It’ll cost you $100,000." The man said, "I have the money. And I’d be a lot smarter too. But tell me about the third brain."

The doctor said, "The third brain is from a Politician. But it would set you back a million dollars." The man said, "A million dollars? Why so much for his brain?" The doctor said, "It is RARELY used."

We too have unused power in us, above us, around us, it is called The GOSPEL!
My wife keeps telling me I’m losing my hearing. Some husbands call it “selective hearing.”

 

An older couple was sitting outside in their rocking chairs one afternoon.

The wife looked at her husband of 60 years and said,

“I’m proud of you.” He turned to her and said,

“I’m tired of you, too.” She said, “Thanks!”

She looked around at the trees moving and said,

“It’s windy today.” He said, “No it’s not. It’s Thursday.”

She said, “Me too, I’ll go get us some lemonade!”

Hopefully we won’t be hard of hearing when it comes to listening to God’s Word. It says in Mathew 11:15  “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The resurrection story of Jesus:
• Is either the biggest fairy TALE ever invented;
• Or the greatest miracle and the most significant event in human history!

I believe it is the greatest miracle that the world has or will ever see!
• I don’t know if you have noticed this observation.
• But in the Old Testament when talking about the power of God;
• The writers always refer to creation.
• The miracle of God creating the world out of nothing.
• In the New Testament when talking about the power of God;
• The writers always refer to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!
• Because there is nothing greater that you can compare with it!

So when you talk about the life of Jesus Christ words like WONDERFUL, UNBELIEVABLE, PRICELESS, AND “MIRACLE” are used.
• He entered our world in a miraculous way;
• Conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
• During his three years of ministry, the four gospels record 37 miracles of Jesus.
• Remember that John 21:25 tells us

^“25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
• This means that Jesus performed many other miracles to these 37 that were not recorded.
• So Jesus entered our world in a miraculous way;
• He lived a miraculous life;
• And even in death, he has that word ‘miracle’ attributed to him!
Peter Larson writes:
• "Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes.
• The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin's womb and an empty tomb.
• Jesus entered our world through a door marked 'No Entrance';
• And left through a door marked 'No Exit’”

 

Mark shows Jesus appearing to people in different emotional states:

• Mary Magdalene — grieving
• Two disciples — confused
• The Eleven — doubting and discouraged

Jesus doesn’t wait for them to “get it together.” He steps into their grief, confusion, and unbelief.

This is the heart of the gospel: The risen Christ meets us in our real condition, not our ideal condition.

He doesn’t shame them for their fear or doubt.

He calls them forward. He transforms them.

Resurrection power doesn’t just raise Jesus from the dead—it raises His followers from despair.

 

Our text this morning is found in Mark 16:1-20.
Because the empty tomb was discovered on a Sunday morning, every Sunday should be a resurrection celebration.

The title of this message is “MORE THAN JUST A STORY”

The resurrection is more than just an historical event.

Jesus is a risen Savior, and salvation comes by

believing in Him and being obedient to his will.

 

Verses 1-8 of our TEXT tells us:

“Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene,

Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices,

that they might come and anoint Him.

2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week,

they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3 And they said among themselves,

“Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone

had been rolled away—for it was very large.

5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man

clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side;

and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.

He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is

going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him,

as He said to you.”
8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb,

for they trembled and were amazed.

And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

It was The Dawn That Changed Everything

The 3 women were walking to the tomb at sunrise.

They carry spices, not hope.

They expect a corpse, not a resurrection.

Their biggest concern is the stone, not the Savior.

But God had already moved the stone.

 

Note: God works while we worry.

The women were anxious about a barrier that heaven had already removed.

Inside the tomb, they meet a messenger who declares the greatest announcement in history: “He is risen; He is not here.”

 

Those words didn’t just change their morning—

Those words changed the world.

And yet, verse 8 says they fled in fear.

Even good news can overwhelm us when it’s bigger than our expectations.

The resurrection is not just a doctrine; it’s a disruption.

It overturns despair, rewrites reality, and demands a response.

 

Then the angel gave them two sets of instructions.

These are the same instructions we should follow today.

He invited them to examine the tomb and look for the evidence. The tomb was empty, but it was full of significance.

In John’s account (Chapt. 20), we’re told the strips of cloth that had covered the body of Jesus were stacked up along with the sheet covering His body.

 

These women had to be wondering if this was a dream. They had seen the torture and crucifixion of Jesus. They watched as His body was removed from the cross and placed in the tomb. They knew He was dead.

But they were confronted with an empty tomb.

In Acts 1:3 the Bible says Jesus offered the disciples many more “convincing proofs” that He was alive. If you are going to examine the evidence of the resurrection, you have to start with the empty tomb. Even the enemies of Jesus admitted the tomb was empty.

 

The angel told the women to go tell the disciples

that Jesus was alive and He would meet them in Galilee. However, as we mentioned, verse eight of the text tells us: trembling and bewildered they fled:

They didn’t tell anyone because they were afraid. I can’t really blame them. They were in shock. A little while later Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene

and she delivered the message.

 

We’ve been given the same command to “go tell” the world that Jesus is alive. How often have we been guilty of the initial behavior of the women? Like them, we are too often too afraid to share the Good News.

The best tool to use is our personal faith story. Just tell people naturally what the risen Lord has done in our life.

 

Verses 9-14 of the TEXT

“9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.”

 

Mark mentions that later two other people show up claiming they had seen Jesus alive. In Luke 24 we read the story of Jesus appearing to two isciples who were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a distance of about eleven miles. They didn’t recognize Jesus.

I would have loved to have been on that original walk to Emmaus, because the Bible says Jesus started with Moses (that’s Genesis) and took them all the way through the Old Testament telling how all the scriptures predicted the Messiah would suffer and die.

 

When they finally arrived at their house, they invited their companion to join them for dinner. Jesus, who was the guest, became the host, because the Bible says when He broke the bread, their eyes were opened and they recognized it was Jesus.

 

They were so excited they turned around and traveled eleven miles back to tell the disciples. I imagine they ran this time. Out of breath, I can hear one of them telling Peter, “We saw the Lord! He’s alive!” Mary probably chimed in, “See I told you!” But it says the disciples still didn’t believe.

 

I think we learn an important lesson from this episode.

The best proof of the resurrection isn’t an empty tomb.

The best proof of the resurrection is when you meet Jesus.
I know Jesus is alive not because of any of the arguments about the historical resurrection. I know He’s alive because He lives inside of me and I talk to Him all the time.We can say that Jesus feels alive because:

• We sense His presence in prayer
• Ww see changes in their our lives
• We experience peace, forgiveness, or purpose we can’t explain

 

“As true Christians, Jesus feels alive because we experience Him, not just read about Him.” The fact that billions of people across centuries have claimed life change through Jesus is part of the explanation.

 

For example:

• “If someone changes your life, they feel real to you.”
• “If someone’s influence continues long after their death,

we say their legacy lives on.

Christians go further—they believe Jesus Himself lives on.”

 

Now, back to Verses 15-18 of the text

Where Jesus then gives a mission that matches the magnitude of His victory:

“15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.””

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

This is not a suggestion. It’s a sending.

Notice the scope:

• All the world — no boundaries
• Every creature — no exclusions

The resurrection is not private news. It’s public truth. It’s not for a select few. It’s for everyone. Jesus promises signs that will accompany believers—

not to glorify the believer, but to confirm the message. The point is not the spectacular; the point is the Savior. The power of God follows the proclamation of God.

 

The chapter ends with Jesus ascending to the right hand of God—a position of authority, victory, and intercession.

But the story doesn’t end with Jesus leaving.

It ends with the disciples going.

“They went out and preached everywhere,

the Lord working with them.”

That’s the pattern of the church:

• We go.
• He works.
• Lives change.

The resurrection leads to mission.

The ascension leads to empowerment.

The gospel leads to action.

 

What This Means for Us Today

A. God still moves stones.

The obstacles that intimidate us are often already handled by God.

B. Jesus meets us in our real struggles.

Doubt, fear, grief—none of these disqualify us from encountering the risen Christ.

C. We are called to go.

Every believer is sent.

D. We don’t go alone.

The Lord works with us. The resurrection is not just a past event—it’s a present power.

Conclusion: The Story Continues With Us

Mark 16 begins with fear and ends with boldness.

It begins with a sealed tomb and ends with an open world. It begins with omen carrying spices and ends with disciples carrying the gospel. The resurrection is not the end of Jesus’ story—it’s the beginning of ours.

He is risen. He is reigning. He is working with us still.

So let us go—into our homes, our workplaces, our communities—and proclaim the good news that changed everything.
Salvation isn’t knowing about Jesus; it is knowing Jesus.
JESUS GAVE US A JOB TO DO
In these final words of Mark’s writing, Jesus has given us three tasks to do.
Jesus said in Mathew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom

will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

The Bible says our days are numbered and it is appointed once for a person to die.

GOD IS alive! Do you believe Him? Do you know Him?

Will you follow Him?

Things to Ponder

Things to Ponder
Ephesians 5:15–21

The text for this morning’s lesson is found in Ephesians 5 verses 15 thru 21. These few verses are very familiar to many of us because they remind us to:

Be careful how you live; don’t live foolishly but wisely. Use every opportunity because the days are urgent. Don’t be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, giving thanks to God, and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

A man named Bob heard a sermon on “walking wisely” and decided to take it literally.

The next morning he stared at his feet all day to make sure every step was “wise.” He was so focused on his walking that he walked straight into a mailbox. He apologized to it.

Later, he saw a grocery store sign that said, “SPIRITS ON SALE.” He gasped, “Revival has hit aisle 9!” Then he realized it was the liquor aisle and backed away like it was radioactive.

Determined to obey the verse about “speaking in psalms and hymns,” he answered every question in hymns for the rest of the day. At the checkout, the cashier asked, “Paper or plastic?” Harold sang, “I surrender all…” The cashier quietly chose paper.

That evening he tripped over his cat, spilled his groceries, and dropped his keys through the porch slats. But remembering “give thanks always,” he sighed and said, “Lord, thank You that the cat survived, the groceries mostly survived, and the keys… well… You know where they are.”

Did you realize all the things we do with time?
We “MAKE” time,
and we TAKE time, for things that are important to us.
We “SAVE” time with all kinds of gadgets and doodads.
We “MARK” time,
we “KILL” time,
we “RACE AGAINST” time.
AND (someone noted) that the worst thing you can do with time, is “WASTE” time.

As I mentioned earlier… Our text today is found in Ephesians 5:15–21

The first two verses of this text tells us:

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

 

Wisdom is not merely knowledge; it is careful living. To “be careful how you live” is to pay attention to the small choices that shape character—how we speak, whom we trust, how we spend time and money. Wisdom notices the long-term consequences of short-term pleasures.

The world presses us with distractions that promise fulfillment but steal our days. Paul calls us to invest our hours in what lasts: love, justice, discipleship, and gospel witness.

Paul tells us to redeem the time…. but why? What’s so critical about time that it must be redeemed?
Most of us would think the reason time is valuable because we only have so much of it. Sooner or later, we’re all gonna die. Now, if you’re blessed you may live 80 or 90 or100 years, but sooner or later your time is gonna run out. So don’t waste your time!!! But that is not really what Paul says here. “Redeem the time... because the days are evil.”

ILLUS: What does that mean? Well, think about it this way. Do you have a bucket list? A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.” Please take a moment to think about what items you would put on your bucket list.

You might have things like travel to Europe or Australia with a friend, swim with dolphins or go deep sea fishing, meet a famous person, make a HOLE IN ONE, go parasailing or jump out of an airplane.

There are all kinds of things you could put on your “bucket list” - and there’s nothing wrong with those things (except maybe jumping out of an airplane 😊).

And what people have on their bucket list tells you a lot about their priorities.

It’s a wish list, and I think that God is OK with that kind of thing. But He warns us not to be foolish. He warns us THAT THERE IS ONE THING THAT WE MUST MAKE SURE TO NOT LEAVE OFF that list.

What is that ONE THING we must not leave off our bucket list?

We find that one thing in verse 17 of our text this morning. Ephesians 5:17 “Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Everything else you put on your bucket list is just for fun, but this one – this “understanding the will of the Lord... this one is serious. We live in a world of evil, and the choices we make have eternal consequences. And since God has saved you and I.... he asks us to shine our light into this dark world.

Ephesians 5:8 & 10 tells us “At one time you were darkness, but now you are LIGHT in the Lord. Walk as children of light... and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”

Jesus said “You are the light of the world”. That means you and I are called to reflect HIS LIGHT into this dark world, and the only way we’re going to do that effectively is to UNDERSTAND what God’s will is.

So, how do we do that? How do we learn God’s will?
Well, you’d think the answer would be - read your Bible. Memorize huge passages of Scripture. Meditate on God’s Word day and night. And that is good stuff because that’s what God expects of us.

But the problem is, if that’s all you do (immerse yourself in Scripture) you could end up like the Pharisees.

The Pharisees knew more of their Bible than most of us, but there was something missing in their lives. And so, in place of asking us to Memorize and Meditate... Paul writes this in verse 18 of our text Ephesians 5:18:
“... do not get drunk with wine, for that is sin, but be filled with the Spirit”

What? What’s he talking about here?

Well, he’s saying that in order for us to fully understand God’s will, we must be totally controlled by God’s Spirit. And then he makes an odd comparison: “don’t get drunk on wine” he says. That seems illogical until you understand what he’s trying to say.

The command to be filled with the Spirit contrasts two masters: intoxication and inspiration.

Paul’s image contrasts being controlled by wine with being controlled by the Spirit. One leads to loss of self and harm, the other leads to life, clarity, and communal worship.

ILLUS: Have you ever seen someone who’s been drunk?

How can you tell if they’re drunk if you’ve never seen them take a drink? Well, you can tell they’re drunk by how they walk, by how they talk, by how they think and by how they act.
Everything about their drunkenness is obvious by their behavior. They are FILLED with alcohol... and it controls them.

By contrast Paul says, don’t be filled with alcohol (don’t get drunk) but be FILLED with the Spirit. In other words, the Spirit should so fill you that it controls how you walk and talk and think and act.

That is crucial for Christians - we need to be so filled with the Spirit of God that people know it when they see our behavior!

The Christian life is not a set of isolated acts but a pattern. Small changes to your daily lifestyle become habits; small disciplines become sanctifying rhythms.

So, how do we get FILLED with the Holy Spirit?
Well, first we need to understand that we already have the Spirit inside of us. Acts 2:38 promises us "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.”

This is important to us as Christians because Spiritual fullness is not a private emotion; it produces public fruit—joy, gratitude, mutual encouragement, and submission rooted in Christlike love.

May we begin each day with a short prayer asking for the Spirit’s guidance.

Ephesians 1:14 tells us - God’s Spirit “is THE GUARANTEE of our inheritance.” You can’t be a Christian without God’s Spirit inside of you. So, first we need to realize we already have the Spirit inside of us.

But here in Ephesians it says we need to be “refilled” with Spirit. What’s that all about? Well, first let’s examine what Paul tells us to do, and then I’ll try to explain WHY this is so important.
First, Paul says in verse 19 of our text that in order for us to be filled with God’s Spirit we need to... SING. We should be “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” Ephesians 5:19

Paul instructs believers to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs—language that builds up, teaches, and reminds.

One of the greatest singers in the Bible was a little shepherd boy named David. The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs (or Psalms) that the Jews sang, and David wrote half of them.
He was so good at singing that people began to pay attention long before David ever confronted Goliath.
In the meantime, King Saul (the King of Israel) had decided to stop listening to God, and run his kingdom his own way.

So, God withdrew His Spirit from him and the King became plagued with an evil Spirit. He plunged into depression, and that EVIL SPIRIT so tormented King Saul that (on the advice of one of his friends) he sent for David to sing for him. And we’re told in 1^st Samuel 16:23 that “David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.”

Music has power over evil. And it has the power to bring peace to the heart and soul. So, when you’re depressed or struggling - find a song that glorifies God and sing it. I grew up with my grandma singing throughout the day various hymns as she completed housework.

ILLUS: One song we could sing in most any situation in life is “This World Is Not My Home.”
“This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue; The angels beckon me from heaven's open door. And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.”

The chorus “O Lord, you know I have no friend like you, if heaven's not my home, dear Lord what will I do? The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.”
Now, it doesn’t matter if you can sing well and with much power. The point is: find a song that glorifies God... and sing it.

Use the power of GOD’S music to lift your soul out of despair and sadness.

The gospel forms a community where worship is both vertical (to God) and horizontal (to one another). Our songs and words shape both holiness and practice.

 

Secondly - Paul tells us in verse 20, that in order to be filled with God’s Spirit, we need to be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 5:20

Now, quiz time: HOW OFTEN do should give thanks?

(ALWAYS)

and FOR WHAT should we give thanks?

(EVERTHING).

There’s a lot of people who have a hard time doing that.

 

ILLUS: Rudyard Kipling was a great writer and poet who made a lot of money for his writings. One time a newspaper reporter came up to him and said, “Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over a hundred dollars a word; Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, “Really, I certainly wasn’t aware of that.” The reporter cynically reached down into his pocket and pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said, “Here’s a hundred-dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now, you give me one of your hundred-dollar words.”

Mr. Kipling looked at that hundred-dollar bill for a moment, took it, folded it up, and put it in his pocket and said, “Thanks.”

He’s right! The word ‘thanks’ is certainly more than a hundred-dollar word. I would say it is more like a million-dollar word. Thank you is one word that is too seldom heard, too rarely spoken, and too often forgotten.

If we would all adopt an attitude of thanksgiving into our lives – our lives would be changed. We would cherish each day.

ILLUS: Studies have been done over the years where people have been asked to write down 10 things they’re thankful for and after an extended period of time the list is often still incomplete. Many people become so negative they struggle think of 10 things they’re thankful for. BUT, when given a tablet of paper and asked to write down things they were unhappy about, or disappointed with, or frustrated about, they could fill out an entire tablet of paper... and ask for another.

Why? Why are they so unhappy? Well, because most folks aren’t used to being thankful for what they have. For example, they don’t express thankfulness for the fact that they have 2 hands. Why should they? They’ve ALWAYS had those two hands.
And they’ve always had the ability to run and laugh and hear and see and sing. Why be grateful for those things?

As we say our evening prayers let’s try listing three things we thank God for each evening.

By contrast, these folks tend to focus instead on what they DON’T HAVE.
They dwell on the wanting of a better job, or a better car, or a better spouse, or a better ... whatever. And that’s why they’re so depressed – there is ALWAYS going to be stuff that they don’t have, or that they can’t possess! So they end up being miserable/unhappy people.

Philippians 4:4-7 says “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice... do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Learn to be grateful for what you have (and quit focusing on what you don’t have) and you’ll be so filled with God’s Spirit that it will change how you think and how you behave. And the world around you will notice.

CLOSE: I want to close by explaining WHY it’s so important to be “Filled” with Holy Spirit. We talked about HOW we could do that, but I promised to tell you why it was so critical to do that.
The Bible tells us that Spirit is a very powerful force. He teaches us, He comforts us, He helps us in our prayers when we don’t know what to say.

Romans 8:11 tells us that We have the same power living in us... that raised Jesus from the dead!!!! “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Being “filled with the Spirit” is all about laying hold of the full power of the Spirit God has given us. You see, in order for the Spirit to operate fully in our lives, we’ve got to make our hearts decent places for Him to reside.

Gracious God, grant us eyes to see how we live, courage to redeem our time, and the fullness of your Spirit to shape our words and deeds. Teach us to sing to one another, to serve one another, and to submit to one another in reverence for Christ. Fill our homes, our workplaces, and our church with your wisdom and your joy. And it is in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Acts 2:38 tells us "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

 

 

Sermon Contributor : David Dykes

Witnesses to The Deity of Jesus

Witnesses to The Deity of Jesus

John 5:30-47

 

INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. In this section of John’s Gospel Jesus is proving that He is God. We started this chapter where Jesus healed the disabled man on the Sabbath. We saw that rather than the religious leaders being overjoyed seeing the sign and believing, they are concerned that He has healed on the Sabbath and begin to persecute Him.

Jesus responded to that by saying, of course I'm working on the Sabbath because God works on the Sabbath and I'm God. That led them to want to kill Him. Thinking of Mark’s lesson last week, we realize these leaders have already determined what they will do with Jesus. Not based on who He is or the good He has done but based on their own concepts.

 

The rest of this chapter is Jesus’ testimony that He is God. Jesus showed that He is equal to the Father in person, works, power, judgment, and honor. Further, Jesus has the power to determine who will be given life and who will be raised to life or raised to judgment. Jesus rounds out His argument for His deity by presenting witnesses to His Godhood.

 

Let’s begin then at John 5:30-32 – “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.” Jesus changes His approach to the closed minds of the priests, still trying to induce them to believe. He can see that nothing He can say has any weight with them, but they should interpret the sign as Nicodemus did.

 

Then Jesus declares "My witness of myself is absolutely true, because I am doing the will of God who sent me." He knows they are rejecting His witness of Himself because He is the one witnessing. The Law of Moses called for one’s testimony concerning a crime committed be validated by two or three witnesses (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). Jesus does not need to provide any witnesses for He has not committed a crime. However, Jesus is going to offer witnesses so that His testimony will not be rejected.

 

I. John the Baptist - The witnesses that Jesus offers are not the witnesses that we might expect. Jesus is not just going to use witnesses to prove that He is God, but to show that those people, as well as us, have an enormous deficiency in their relationship with God. Jesus does not just say let me prove to you who I am.

A. John 5:32-34 – “There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.” In verse 33 He reminds them that they sent people to John and John bore witness to the truth. Carefully look at verse 34. That's not the witness He wants to call to the stand, however. John is a witness, and that is a point that is made quite clear in John 1.

B. Remember the Pharisees send various people to John to find out who John is. We saw in chapter 1; No, I'm not Elijah. No, I'm not the prophet. I am the voice crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord.

1. That is the message that John was giving, the Lord is coming and you need to get ready. Make every way straight, get your lives in order. You sent priests and Levites to John, and He bore witness to that truth, but I don't need John's testimony. In fact, I don't need the testimony of any human, He says.

2. Then Jesus says in verse 34, “but I say these things so that you may be saved”. I bring John to the stand, not because I need John to prove who I am or to act as a witness on my part. You should have listened to what John had to say. I remind you of John and what his testimony was because he spoke about Me. He said the Lord was coming. The Lord now has come. I am the One.

C. John 5:35 – “He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” This is a reference back to Psalm 132:17, where we read of the burning lamp that will come before the anointed. That burning lamp has come. That was John, and now the anointed has arrived, and that's Jesus.

1. You were so interested in John for a while, but something happened and you stopped rejoicing in that message. You heard John. You heard what he had to say. He's proclaiming the arrival of the Lord.

2. They heard John, listened to the message and rejoiced in it for a little while… for a little while. Then I believe as is common to the human condition, people go back doing the same things they were always doing. They heard the message to prepare for the coming of the Lord. They heard the message to get your life right before the arrival of God, and rejoiced in it for a little while. Then they stopped rejoicing in that message, stopped proclaiming what was about to occur. They forgot the witness of John.

3. I believe that is an important reminder for us. It is so easy for us to rejoice in the message of the Lord, to hear the good news of salvation, forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the resurrection as we've seen in this chapter. We rejoice in it for a little while, and then go right on back doing the things that we've always been doing. It's life back to normal. We forget the glorious message that we have received, the great hope that we have in His Word, and we return to doing what we've always done.

D. Jesus tells them, I say these things so that you can be saved. Hear what John says, Jesus is God. He is the Lord who has come. Don’t forget that glorious teaching of John, of this great One who has come to save us from our sins. That brings us to verse 36.

II. Jesus’ Works Are a Witness – “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.” His first witness to the stand is obvious and clear. He says all that you need to do is see what I'm doing. All that you need to do is see these works that I'm doing.

A. These things should be evidence to us that Jesus is clearly God. No one else can do what Jesus has done.

1. No one can do these kinds of work. If you remember the framework of this Gospel, John has written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and he has selected seven signs in this Gospel, only seven. He's neglected all kinds of signs and miracles that could have been selected and chose only seven.

2. In fact, before John tells us the reason he wrote this Gospel, he says Jesus did many other signs which are not written in this book. Then he says, but these things I've chosen that you may believe. John has selected these signs because these are to generate faith that Jesus is God.

B. These miracles we read about are not simply wow-factor miracles. Wow, He healed this guy who'd been disabled for 38 years! While certainly amazing, there's something far more that Jesus wants everybody to see. It is to generate faith that He must be God, and He is God because He's doing what only God can do.

1. His actions replicate what God has done in time past. We read about these in the Scriptures. That's one of the beautiful things that we're going to see as we continue our study through John. We are going to read about Jesus doing things that the Father had done in the past.

2. Jesus in one simple sentence, verse 36, says, I have greater testimony than John, a far greater witness, My works. If that is not enough, let's bring another witness to the stand. Verse 37.

III. The Father’s Witness – John 5:37-38 - “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.”

A. The next one to the witness stand is the Father. Jesus says, I've got someone else who testifies as to who I am. We certainly have John, but I don't need him. First I have my works, and then I have the Father who bears witness about me as well.

1. We might think that what would happen next is John would show through the words of Jesus how the Father gives His testimony to the Son. However instead Jesus says, His voice you've never heard, His form you've never seen, and you do not have His Word abiding in you, for you do not believe in the One who was sent.

2. We read that and say, what kind of testimony is that? Where's the testimony of the Father? We expect the testimony to be what you read in John 1. At the baptism of Jesus, the heavens open and here is the Father speaking. This is My beloved Son. The Holy Spirit descends upon Him, and this is what we might think of as the witness of the Father. That is not the argument given here.

3. Instead, Jesus tells them you don't know God. You don't know who the Father is. That's why you don't comprehend the witness of the Father.
You don't even know who He is. This is a shattering, shocking declaration for Jesus to tell a bunch of Israelites, Jewish leaders, these religious leaders, His voice you have never heard.

4. Jesus saying to us, “you haven't seen Him and you haven't heard Him”, we'd probably say, we know we haven't seen Him or heard Him. However, that's not the point that Jesus is making here. The point that Jesus is making to them is you have rejected the Father.

B. Look at the three statements tied together here; “(1) His voice you have never heard, (2) his form you have never seen, and (3) you do not have his word abiding in you,” Whose voice did they hear at Mount Sinai? God’s voice. Some patriarchs saw the form of God, Jacob for example. They claimed to follow God’s word. These three things Israel held on to.

1. Yet Jesus is saying you have no relationship to the Father at all. You don't know who I am because you don't know God the Father. You aren't hearing His voice, and you aren't seeing who He is. His words are not in you. A greater messenger has come, One greater than Moses, One who is the revealer of God, and you reject Me.

2. For you to reject Me means you don't know God at all. That is a powerful statement, and in verse 38 He says, this is the reason you do not believe the One whom He has sent. You are worshiping God, believing in God, trying to do the things of God. I tell you, you don't know God. You have not heard Him or seen Him and His words are not in you. You're not children of God at all.

3. If the Father were to take the stand, His words are, you don't know me. The reason I know you don't know me is because you don't know my Son. The witness of the Father is, if you knew me, you'd know my Son. If you don't know the Son, you don't know Me.

IV. The Scriptures’ Witness – Look back at John 5:39-44, “39. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40. yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41. I do not receive glory from people. 42. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”

A. Jesus brings another witness to the stand. Every piece of Scripture speaks to Jesus. Think about the weight of that statement. “You search the Scriptures because you think in them that they have eternal life. It is they that bear witness about me.”

1. The scriptures in Jesus’ day are what we call the Old Testament. Everything from Genesis to Malachi bears witness to Jesus. He says, you're reading looking for life and you're failing to see Me when you read.

2. The paradox of knowing the Scriptures and yet not knowing them still exists; and it is imperative for us to know the word of the Lord truly. Knowing the common traditions with reference to it is not enough. Simply knowing what is written without believing cannot avail. Familiarity with sacred words may exist in a foul and degenerate heart. Those people to whom Jesus spoke these teachings had perverted their knowledge of the word of God in such a manner as to remove all true knowledge of it.

B. How had they done this?

1. They had made the word of God of no effect by their traditions; and a perfect example of that is in this incident. These men have substituted their own petty rules in place of God's true Sabbath law.

2. They had also changed the meaning of the words God had given them. God had promised a Messiah whose qualities of glory and humiliation should have been sufficient to identify Him when He came; but some of the hierarchy instead projected two Messiahs, making one of them the lowly and suffering priest, and the other the mighty conqueror who would chase out the Romans and restore the Solomonic empire. (rabbinic literature)

3. They rejected out of hand many of the plainest prophecies, especially those projecting the call of the Gentiles to salvation (Romans 9:25-29). True knowledge of God's word is a far different thing from familiarity with Scriptural texts. The Old Testament contains hundreds of references to Christ. Scholars note at least 300-350 distinct prophecies, covering His birth, ministry, and crucifixion, with many more foreshadowing’s.

C. If we want to get to know Jesus, we need to read the Old Testament because those books testify about Jesus. One reason we do not know our Lord and why we remain weak Christians is because we do not know the whole of scriptures. We come along and decide to ignore the Old Testament and wonder why we can’t figure God’s word out. Every book is speaking about Jesus. Jesus says that you can read the scriptures all that you want, but if you do not see Me in the scriptures, then you are not going to find life.

1. Worse, we might do what these Jewish leaders did. We search the scriptures, but we do not read the scriptures for what they say. We turn the scriptures into a doctrine finding mission. We memorize places where baptism is taught or where we are commanded to assembly together. We know the places to turn to so we can have an argument with people who disagree with us.

2. We do not read and take in the scriptures to find life. We study what we think we need to know. We try to boil down the scriptures to simple statements and memorize clichés. We need to read the scriptures to get to know Jesus. We do not need to read the scriptures to prove what we have always known or see what we have always seen or confirm what we already believe.

3. These leaders are criticized for how they are searching the scriptures. There is a wrong way to read the Bible. Read to learn about your God and let His word transform your life.

D. In John 5:41 Jesus says, “I do not receive glory from people.” He is not interested in their approval, or in meeting their expectations. Jesus is not going to change what He is doing to satisfy the expectations of the religious leaders. He came in the name of the Father and does what the Father has given Him to do.

1. Then He says in verse 42, “But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.” Wow, I’m sure they were insulted. Verse 43, “I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.”

2. You have expectations of what you want your Messiah to be. I'm not here to be what you want Me to be, to meet your expectations, or to fulfill your wants and desires of this world. I have come in the Father's name, I am who I am, I am God.

3. He tells them, you’ll accept anybody else who comes along because they will tickle your ears and make you happy and give you what you want. You'll listen to other people because they give you what you're looking for in this life. I fear Jesus would say the same thing to people today.

4. I wonder sometimes if we want a Jesus who does for us, and we do not want a Jesus that we have to sacrifice for or give for or do anything for. He's supposed to do things for us.

E. Then in verse 44 Jesus askes a question. “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” How can you believe when all that you're concerned about is what everybody else thinks? They want the glory of other people. We will see in John 12:42 that "They loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God."

1. I suspect sometimes that is one of the reasons that we fail to draw closer to God. We need to find Jesus in the Scriptures and belong to Him. Instead, we seek the glory from people rather than the glory from God.

2. We are concerned about the approval of others—family, friends, or our community. We want everybody to pat us on the back, and we will do whatever it takes for them to approve of us.

3. The ways of God are not the ways of our family, our friends, or our community. Too often we can become so focused on being people pleasers and not realizing that our effort to please people is keeping us from pleasing God. We're trying to do everything else for everybody else and not seeking the approval and glory that comes from the only God. It is easy to slip into, easy to focus on, all the wrong things.

V. Moses’ Witness - The final witness is Moses, John 5:45, “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father…” I'm not going to be your accuser, Jesus says. Remember He's already preached about the resurrection, that one day the graves are going to be opened and everybody is going to be raised either to resurrection of life or to a resurrection of judgment.

A. Jesus says, I'm not the one pointing the finger at you. “… There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.” The great leader of Israel, the great giver of the law, Moses is the one who accuses you.

B. John 5:46-47, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” For Moses to be the accuser of the people is unbelievable.

1. Read Exodus through Deuteronomy. What is the role that Moses played on behalf of the people repeatedly? Intercessor. He always stood and protected the people and would pray to God on their behalf over and over again. Jesus says, He's not your intercessor, he's your accuser.

2. How strange that those leaders, thinking so strongly that they had eternal life through Moses, were unbelievers of the writings of the great lawgiver. Such is the deceptiveness of sin, that people who truly imagine themselves to be believers are in fact no such thing! There were many prophecies in "Moses," regarding Christ. As Hovey said: "This is a perfectly clear testimony on the part of Christ to a Messianic element in the Pentateuch, as well as to the Mosaic authorship of the same."

3. Moses wrote about Jesus through direct prophecies, symbolic types, and foundational stories in the Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy). Some key references include the promised "Seed" who crushes the serpent (Genesis 3:15), Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18) the prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), the bronze snake (Numbers 21:4-9) the Star from Jacob (Numbers 24:17) and the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12).

C. The significance of the testimony of Christ here is great. God is the author of the Old Testament, no less than of the New Testament; and there is no way by which a true believer in Christ can avoid full acceptance of God's word as revealed in the Old Testament. It is true now, as it was then, that if men do not believe Moses, they will not believe Christ either.

 

CONCLUSION: It's a frightening warning to us that it is entirely possible for us to be able to quote this Bible backward and forward and not know one bit of our Lord and not see Him for who He is.

 

Well, the witnesses have been presented. Jesus is God according to John the Baptizer, according to His own miraculous works, according to the Father, according to the scriptures, and according to Moses. We must search all the scriptures, not just the New Testament, and find Jesus to which all of God’s word points. Then with open hearts we see the glory of God, not the glory of people, so that we will believe in Jesus and put our hope in Him. He is the giver of life and His very words will give life to those who hear Him and obey Him. Today is the day to accept Jesus as the Lord and submit to His words to receive life.

 

Pull your song books out. We'll sing the Invitation Song. We're inviting you to come to Jesus. He is God. He came to this world and He died for sins. God came in the flesh and died because of our sins.

 

He allowed that to happen so that we could have forgiveness of sins, so that we could be reconciled back to Him, and so that we could be redeemed, that we could have hope. One day we'd get to be with God and see Him as He is. What a great blessing that He was willing to do this. God takes on the form of a servant, and human flesh, and dies for the people that He created. There’s no greater love.

 

Turn to Him by repenting of your sins and be immersed in water to have your sins washed away and walk in newness of life with Him until the day that He calls you home.

Won't you come while we stand and sing?

 

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Reference: Brent Kercheville, James Burton Coffman

Two of Life's Most Important Questions

Two Of Life’s Most Important Questions
Mark 15:1-20

 

This morning I would like to focus on the topic of questions.

Questions fill our lives on a daily basis.

Of course there are the meaningless questions:

• “If tomatoes are a fruit, does that make ketchup a smoothie?”
• “Why do we say ‘slept like a baby’ when babies wake up every two hours?”
• “Why is it called a building if it’s already built?”
• “If you’re waiting for the waiter… doesn’t that make you the waiter?”

• “If two mind readers read each other’s minds, whose mind are they reading?”
• “If Cinderella’s shoe fit perfectly, why did it fall off?”
• “If money doesn’t grow on trees, why do banks have branches?”

 

And, there are the questions that get you nowhere:

·         How old do you think I am?

·         Does this dress make me look fat?

·         I don’t know, what do you want to do?

 

If you have an iPhone you can ask Siri questions. She’s pretty smart at math. One day I asked Siri:

“What is zero divided by zero.” Her answer was,

“Imagine that you have zero cookies and you divide them between zero friends. See it makes no sense.

And Cookie Monster is sad that there are no cookies, and you are sad because you have no friends.”

And, of course The Bible contains many questions.

In fact the first recorded word of Satan in Genesis 3 was a question to Eve about God’s character.

He asked, “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the Garden?”

That wasn’t what God said at all, but the devil is still trying to get people to question God’s character.
In the same chapter, God’s first question in the Bible was when He asked Adam, “Where are you?” Of course, He knew where Adam was; He just wanted Adam to admit it. God said to man, “Where are you?”

 

And the first question of the New Testament is man asking where God is. In Matthew 2:2, the Magi asked Herod, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?”

There are many other important questions in the Bible.

Job asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?”

Jesus asked, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?”

Paul asked, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

The writer of Hebrews asks, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.”

But of all the questions in the Bible, I believe the most important question is the one we are going to hear Pontius Pilate ask. I believe this is Life’s Most Important Question.

In Matthew’s account, Pilate asks, “What then shall I do with Jesus?” (Matthew 27:22)

I have to answer that question. You have to answer that question.

In fact, that is a question that every person who has ever lived must answer.

 

Mark 15:1–20 describes Jesus before Pilate, the crowd choosing Barabbas, and the soldiers mocking Jesus. Several questions are asked in this passage, but one stands out as the most theologically significant: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Mark 15:2)

This question matters most because:

• It goes straight to Jesus’ identity, which is the central theme of Mark’s Gospel.
• It forces the reader to confront the same issue:

Who is Jesus really?

• Pilate’s question becomes the pivot for the entire trial and crucifixion narrative.
• Jesus’ answer — “You say so” — is subtle but affirming, and it sets the stage for the charges against Him.

 

Pilate asks this question to the crowd standing before him: “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?”

“Crucify him!” they shouted.

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

 

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”

Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they finished mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

I’m going to have you each answer Pilate’s question: “What will I do with Jesus?” It’s a personal question; it’s not “What will WE do with Jesus?”

It’s a pressing question, because it’s one you must answer before you die and stand before God.
Life is full of choices. There have never been more choices.

 

When I grew up, we had NBC, CBS, and ABC, we had to move the antennae to pick up those different stations.

 

Today, with cable, satellite, and streaming services you have thousands of viewing choices.

We used to have vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream, and today there are thousands of different flavors including peanut butter ice cream, pickle ice cream, and bacon ice cream.

 

But those are relatively insignificant choices.

Life is full of important choices.

Will you get married? Who will you marry?

Where will you go to college?

What career will you choose?

Those are big decisions.

 

But the biggest choice you’ll ever make is,

“What will I do with Jesus?”

The good news is that God gives you a choice about what you will do with Jesus. God is too much of a gentleman to force anyone to accept His love.

 

 

In Deuteronomy 30 when Moses was poised with the second generation of Israelites ready to enter the Promised Land, he said, “God has placed before you life and death, blessings and curses, now CHOOSE LIFE!”

As Joshua faced the nation after they had taken much of the Promised Land he said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24:15).

 

When Elijah faced a nation devoted to Baal worship, He declared a God contest on Mt. Carmel. He said, “No more sitting on the fence. If Baal is God, then choose to worship him. If Yahweh is God,

choose to worship Him!”

In this message I want to present five different choices you can make about how you answer the question, “What Shall I do with Jesus?”

1. PILATE: You may choose to reject Him
After Pilate interviewed Jesus, the Bible says, “He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.” (Mark 15:15)

 

Pilate was the ultimate Roman authority on this case.

He had the power to release Jesus or to have Him crucified.

Luke tells us Pilate went back to the Jewish leaders three times and said, “This man has done nothing wrong. He doesn’t deserve the death penalty.”

 

It seems clear that Pilate wanted to pardon Jesus and set Him free. But He gave into the mob mentality. In John’s account the Jewish leaders find Pilate’s soft spot. They said, “If you let Him go, you are no friend of Caesar. We heard Him claim to be a king and anyone who claims to be a king is no friend of Caesar.”

 

Pilate only had one boss, Caesar, and he didn’t want these pesky Jews to threaten his job. So, he gave into the political pressure and he chose his career over Christ.

There are people in our culture who seem interested in Jesus. They are fascinated by His claims. But it is not politically correct to say Jesus is the only way to heaven. And some people think if they followed Jesus, it would cost them their momentum on their career track. So like, Pilate, many people reject Jesus and choose their careers over Christ.

2. HEROD: You may choose to admire Him
When Pilate learned Jesus was from Galilee, he wanted to shift some of the responsibility, so he had Jesus sent to Herod Antipas, who was the governor of Galilee. This was the same Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist. The Bible says in Luke 23:8, “When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.” Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus just stood there silently. This frustrated Herod, so he started mocking Jesus and put an elegant robe on Him and sent Him back to Pilate.

Herod represents those people who simply admire Jesus as a great moral teacher, like Socrates or Confucius.

 

3. THE MOB: You may choose to replace Him
Pilate was still trying to figure out a way to release Jesus. Since there was a custom to pardon a prisoner at Passover, Pilate suggested they allow him to release Jesus. But the crowd would have none of it. The Bible says, “But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.” (Matthew 27:20)

We’re told in the text that Barabbas had committed murder. So, the crowd was faced with setting free a miracle worker, or a murderer. And they chose Barabbas. By this time, Jesus’ approval rating among the Jewish elite was so low, that they preferred a hardened criminal to a teacher who preached love and forgiveness.

Today, millions choose a replacement for Jesus. Even non-religious people have replaced Christ.

Many atheists have replaced Christ with human reason and worship at the altar of science. Many greedy American consumers have replaced Christ with their ongoing passion to have more and more

and the newest and the best.

 

If Jesus isn’t #1 on a list of 1 in your life, you have replaced Him with someone or something else.

4. THE SOLDIERS: You may choose to mock Him
The Bible says, “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said. They spit on him and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.” (Matthew 27:28-30)

Christ and Christianity are being mocked today like never before. On one hand we are seeing some Christian movies like God’s Not Dead, War Room, Captive, and Risen.
But at the same time, we live in a culture that is becoming more and more hostile toward Jesus and Christians. There has been a rise in television shows that make a mockery of our faith. Not long ago Saturday Night Live presented a vulgar spoof of the movie, “God’s Not Dead.”

There are many people who will join the Roman soldiers and continue to make a mockery of Jesus and His followers. That’s their choice.

5. GOD: You may choose to crown Him as Lord
So the most important question you’ll ever answer in your life is this: What will I do with Jesus? You have to answer that question. If you say, “I just won’t answer it, I won’t do anything with Jesus.” That is doing something with Jesus.

Basically all of the responses fall into two categories: Rejecting Christ or Receiving Christ; Crucifying Jesus or Crowning Jesus as Lord. Turning your back on Him, or Trusting Him.

God gives us the only correct answer. The only choice that will lead to eternal life is to crown Him as Lord. Have you chosen to do that?

The Bible says in Ephesians 1 that “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world

to be holy and blameless in His sight.” (Ephesians 1:4)
God made a choice about what to do with His Son. And it’s the choice we should make. All around the world, there are people who are bowing down.

Some are bowing beside their beds looking to heaven.

Some are bowing down facing Mecca.

Some are bowing down and praying to a statue of Buddha.

But God makes it clear that one day every knee will bow to Jesus.
The Bible says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11).

 

CONCLUSION:

There are some important questions that need answers, and God provides the answer.

 

Everybody wants to know, “How can I go to heaven?”

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.

The Bible says, “There is no other name except Jesus under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved.”

“For God so love the world that he gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Mark 16:15-16 “15 And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

Acts 2:37-38 “37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

We need to realize that today, Satan is still trying to put question marks where God puts a period.

I believe there are many statements in the Bible that deserve the strong emotion of an exclamation point.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus, I don’t think he said,

“Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

I believe he said, “Look! The Lamb of God

who takes away the sin of the world!”

John wrote, “Behold what manner of love the father has shown us that we should be called

children of God!” On that morning after Jesus appeared to Mary in the Garden she ran back to the disciples.

Do you think she said, “I have seen the Lord.”?

No, I believe she said, “I have seen the Lord!!!!!!!”

As Christians, we should be living in the exclamation points of the Bible.!”
One day, the question, “What DID I do with Jesus?” will have an eternal impact on our life.

 

Two Resurrections

Two Resurrections

John 5:25-29

 

INTRODUCTION: Good morning church. One of the big questions that life holds for us is what happens after all is said and done. What happens next? When our time on this earth is done, what happens then? Everybody wants to know the answer to that. The world is full of speculations and philosophies about it.

 

We're in a section of John’s Gospel where Jesus is proclaiming His deity, proclaiming that He is God. Jesus also is proclaiming two powers that He has, the power of life, we read that in verse 21, and the power of judgment, verse 22. Then in verse 24 He says “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

 

Next Jesus discusses a truth that there are two resurrections. One is a voluntary resurrection and the other is an involuntary resurrection. Let’s look at Jesus explanation of the two resurrections.

 

I.     Resurrection #1 – We will read John 5:25-27. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”

A.   Jesus is saying this is an absolute certainty. “truly, truly”, indicates an absolute. Then He says “an hour is coming, and is now here” which is a phrase that Jesus used in John 4:23 where the Samaritan woman is asking about the place to worship. She wants to know if they should be worshipping on this mountain like her ancestors have taught, or whether they should be worshipping in Jerusalem at the temple as the Jews taught.

1.    Jesus' answer was there is an hour coming and now is, where worshippers are going to be worshipping in spirit and in truth. The idea of this time marker is that the time has come now, but it's going to be more obvious, clearer in the times to come. It would become clear, after Jesus' resurrection, and after the arrival of the kingdom as we read in Acts 2.

2.    Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that true worship is no longer restricted to a specific place (like Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim) but is now centered in "spirit and truth" through His presence.

3.    In the same way, I suspect this is the same time marker that Jesus is giving here. The time has already come in terms of the resurrection, and will become clearer. He says in verse 25, “… when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”

4.    It means the spiritually dead can immediately hear His voice and receive life, while also pointing to the future bodily resurrection. This suggests that the fulfillment of God’s promises was already occurring in Jesus ministry ("now is"), while the full, complete manifestation of that reality was still being realized ("coming").

B.   Verse 24 tells us the context (I paraphrase); those who hear My words and they believe in Him who sent Me—they're the ones receiving eternal life. They do not come into judgment, but they have passed from death to life. This is a picture of spiritual life. There's a time coming, in fact, the hour is now, where the dead are hearing the voice of the Son of God and those who hear that voice, are coming to life.

1.    Jesus and the Apostles are teaching and reminding people that they are dead. You are dead and now is the time for the dead to hear the voice of the Son of God and come into life.

2.    The time has come for them to hear the Word of God and to be moved from the realm of perishing in their sins and move into the new kingdom and new realm of life, of spiritual life, of eternal life. The hour is now, I am here, God has given Me the power of life.

3.    That reminds me of verse 21, “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” Unfortunately, I think this reminder that we are dead was not received then, or even now.

4.    We like to look at ourselves and think we're alive. We have a life going on, we're going to do this and that and we've got our schedules and plans and visions of the future. Here's how life is going to go. We are unable so many times to see how devastatingly, spiritually dead we are, and the same was true then. We forget our spiritual condition, just look at life, think we're fine, and then go on our way.

C.   Do you recall Ezekiel 37? Ezekiel 37:1, “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.” Imagine you are in a valley and you are surrounded by bones. Starting in verse 2, “And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4. Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.””

D.   Ezekiel, here's what I want you to do. Speak the word of the Lord and when you do you are going to see these bones come to life. Then you're going to know that I'm God. At verse 7, “So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.” Can you imagine standing there watching that happen? Verse 8, “And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12. Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.””

E.   Jesus comes on the scene and says, the hour is coming, and now is here, where the dead are hearing the voice of God, and they are coming to life. What an amazing time! People are now able to receive life into their dead bones. God is picturing throughout time that we are dead in our sins. We are those dry, brittle bones. God says, I will speak my words, and when I speak those words, life is going to enter.

1.    Is it any wonder then that Jesus is saying at the time, let those who have ears to hear, let them hear? He is speaking the powerful words of life, listen to what He has to say. Verse 25 says, “the dead are going to hear the voice of the Son of God”, but see the next part, “And those who hear will live.”

2.    Are we listening to the life-giving voice of the Son of God?

Are we hearing what our Lord has to say?

Are we listening to the things that He is telling us to do?

It is the voice of the Son of God that gives life. There's no other place to find it. It is through His words that life is going to be found, that life is put back into these dead bones.

F.    John 5:26 – “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” That is almost a reiteration of verse 21. Jesus possesses life and He gives life to whom He wills, and He wills to give life to those who hear Him.

1.    When we stop listening, stop growing, we fall back to becoming dead, dry bones in the valley with no life at all. Oh, we think we are alive without Jesus when in fact we are as dead as we could be, unable to see our condition.

2.    “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14. This is the Voluntary Resurrection. The voice of the life-giving Son is speaking. Are you willing to listen so that you can arise from death to life?

G.   In verse 27 we read – “And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” We saw that in verse 22, He is the giver of life, and He gives it to whoever hears Him. He has authority to execute judgment and that brings us to the second resurrection.

 

II.    Resurrection #2 – We can imagine the audience with their mouths open, hearing the news that they are dead and that Jesus is God, the giver of life to those who hear His voice. These people should have known they were dead, but Jesus is teaching them, as He must teach us, that we are dead in our sins and need the life that can only be found in Jesus.

A.   John 5:28-29 – “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming…” He says don’t be surprised that I have the power and authority. Notice this time He does not say “and is now”. This is something different. Jesus is looking forward to a coming hour. This is not an event that is already occurring… rather it is an event that will occur in the future. There is a time coming but it is not now, and He continues, “… when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, …”

1.    There is a time coming when everybody who is in the grave is going to hear the powerful voice of Jesus and they are going to come out. This is The Involuntary Resurrection. Think about what this looks like. Every single person who has ever lived, at the powerful word of Jesus, is going to come to life. Every person who has ever lived will hear the voice of Jesus when He returns and there will be resurrection.

2.    We are being told how powerful the words of Jesus are. The voice of Jesus is able to give life to our spiritually dead souls and is able to raise our bodies from the grave. Verse 27 performs a bridge to this thought. In verse 26 we are told that the Son has life in Himself. We see in verse 21 He gives life to whom He wills, and we have been told He gives life to those who hear His voice.

3.    We are spiritually dead but the words of Jesus will bring us life. Jesus also has the authority to execute judgment. The hour is coming when every person in the grave will hear the voice of the Lord and will come out to judgment. In this resurrection you are going to be called from your grave. Everyone who has ever died will be raised. All people who have ever lived are going to be raised from the dead.

B.   We see little glimpses of that in the Old Testament. We just read one in Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones, God gives life and everyone is going to stand before Him.

1.    We see in the New Testament, further along in John’s gospel, that Jesus is going to walk up to the tomb of one of His very good friends and He is going to say… “Lazarus, come out”. There is a day that is coming where we will all stand before God.

2.    We see this again in Matthew’s account of the crucifixion, at the death of Jesus “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”

C.   Verse 29 continues, “… those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” No one is excluded and there are two outcomes… either to the resurrection of life or to the resurrection of judgment. Verse 29 tells us how this will be determined. We know how this is going to go for us. Jesus tells us it is based upon what we are doing right now.

1.    Jesus is very clear about whom He gives life to and how that resurrection sequence is going to go. Our good works function as evidence, that we have truly heard the voice of Jesus. If we have done what we have seen here in verses 25 and 26, if we have heard the powerful word of Jesus and it has taken our dead bones and caused them to move to life, we are no longer spiritually dead, but we have received eternal life.

2.    Here is Jesus making a promise. When I come back, the hour is coming that all the souls are going to hear My voice. Those who have heard My voice and believed have moved from death to life; they will be raised to be with God.

3.    Our good works, our actions, function as the proof, the evidence, that we have heard Him and have been raised to life. When we lack those things it is a reflection on us. It shows that we truly have not heard the voice of God and have not moved from death to life.

4.    Perhaps this is a challenge and a test to ourselves. How do I know what will happen when everything is said and done? What is going to happen to you and to me when our Lord returns?

D.   Perhaps use 1^st Thessalonians 4 where we read, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” Ask ourselves, will I be going to the resurrection of life or will I be going to the resurrection of judgment?

1.    Here's how you know. Jesus says, I give life to whomever I will, and I give life to those who hear my voice. Those who hear My voice—do good works. There is a life transformation that occurs.

2.    This goes back to John chapter 3. In chapter 3, Jesus is teaching that we are all the condemned. Jesus came so that none would have to perish, but that all could be raised to life.

3.    We know what our outcome will be. There is no question. This teaching is not here so that people would walk away and say I don't know what's going to happen. We know exactly what's going to happen. It is based upon if we have heard the words of Jesus, believed in what He said, and have converted our lives and transformed our actions to follow Him. Based upon that, we will know if we are going to the resurrection of life or the resurrection of judgment.

4.    It is important for us then to look back on our lives, to look back at our actions, to look upon our words carefully and decide what does it look like for us? To which will we be raised? All of us are going to stand before God.

5.    True faith in our Lord will not leave us dead. It will lead to transformed living. It will cause us to have lives that are very different than what we've had before we came to Jesus.

 

CONCLUSION: I suggest that these verses are among the most instructive in the whole word of God. This is nothing less than the first resurrection, and the contrast of it with the final resurrection. The first is a spiritual rekindling of life, and the second a physical resurrection from the grave. Significantly, the Lord announced that the spiritual resurrection was already in progress, that the Son of God is the author of it, that His word is the means of it, that to receive His word was life, and to reject His word was death.

What a terrible warning to those foes who at that very moment were rejecting His word, not allowing even for a moment His true interpretation of God's sabbath law, but plotting to maintain their own interpretations. Further, by rejecting Jesus' word in such a subordinate area as the sabbath regulations, the priests were light years away from receiving the profound teachings recorded here. They would remain in a state of spiritual death, and the voice of the Lord of life would sound in vain upon their stopped ears. Jesus spoke calling men to spiritual resurrection and they would not hear; but He shall speak again at the final judgment, and then they will hear!

 

For our Involuntary Resurrection to be favorable and enjoyable and to be going to eternal life rather than eternal punishment, it is of the utmost importance that we experience the Voluntary Resurrection now.

 

I would like to look at something from Colossians. In Colossians 2, the Apostle Paul uses, as he does in many places, this idea of being dead and coming to life.

At Colossians 2:11, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,”. There is a cutting that is going on, a cutting off of sins that Christ is accomplishing in our lives.

 

Next, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

Our life is always connected to the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. If He was raised from the dead, then you're rising from the dead. Paul is not talking about the Involuntary Resurrection here. He means the voluntary one. Because He raised from the dead, you now can have life. In verse 13, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,” Paul says the same thing as Jesus. You're dead. You're dead in your sins. You are the dry, dead bones scattered in the valley. You have no hope unless you have the Lord. Only when the word of God is spoken over those dead bones can there be life. You were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. God made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of death that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.

 

If we want life, he says you need to be joined to Jesus. Life will come if we are joined to His death and His resurrection.

 

Paul does not leave it there. Colossians 3:1, “If then you have been raised with Christ,… ” He says if that's the case, if you've been raised with Him then here's what it's supposed to look like. “… seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

If you've received this life, if you are hearing the life-giving voice of Jesus, then what people will see in you and in me is not us, but Jesus. Our life is hidden in Him, you can't see us anymore, you just see Jesus.

Our life, because our mind is put on the things that are above, our actions are in seeking Him, a life that is changed to follow Him and pursue Him. That's how we know that we've passed from death to life. That is why John wrote his epistle of 1^st John, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

 

We can know, just look and see. Have I been joined with Jesus and is my life hidden with Him? If it is, there is reason for rejoicing because it doesn't matter what's going to happen to these physical bodies from here on. It doesn't matter what happens to us in this life. It doesn't matter how long it takes for the Lord to return.

The hope stands firm, one day we will be raised to a resurrection of life. One day the powerful voice of Jesus will be spoken, and we will go to be with our God.

 

If we have not put our life in Christ, if we have not been buried with Him in baptism, if we have not put our faith in the powerful working of God, then there is reason for great concern because Jesus says, you are still dead in your sins, and on the day that He returns, you will be raised to judgment. Don't let that be the result of your life.

 

The answer is clear. There is something that happens after death. There is something that awaits all of us. Every single human will stand before the judgment seat of God, giving an account for the things that are done in the body.

 

Choose today to have life. Choose today to have hope of resurrection to life rather than the depressing thought of resurrection to judgment.

Come to Jesus. Believe in Him with all your heart. Confess Him as the son of God and hear His powerful words and obey those words and follow Him and serve Him.

Won't you come while we stand and while we sing?

 

 

# ???

 

Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

 

Should I Hang-On or Let-Go?

Should I Hang-On or Let-Go?
Matthew 16:24-26

 

Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ring-tailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s simple. They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method Zulus use is based on knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the seeds inside. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. This he cannot do. His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and pull BUT as hard as he tries… he cannot free himself if he holds on to the seeds!

 

And there is the story of the PIRATE who obtained a great chest full of treasure. The pirate held on tightly to that chest because he saw in that chest the fulfillment of his dreams, hopes and aspirations.

 

He knew that the treasure was the key to his “good life”. Having already obtained a great fortune, the pirate decided to return home and after boarding the ship and having traveled a great distance from shore… a storm arose.

It did not take long for the storm to overtake the ship and eventually break the ship into pieces. Eventually, the pirate and his treasure plunged into the sea.

He began to sink holding tightly to his treasure. As he was sinking, all that went through his mind was how he could get his treasure safely to shore.

 

However, he began to realize that if he continued to hold onto that chest, he would not be able to make it to shore, and that same chest which he saw as his life... was now causing him to face death.

 

Reluctantly the pirate let go of that chest and began to swim towards shore.

We are a lot like that pirate. We hold on to our agenda and ego thinking that they are bringing us life, however, that is not the reality. They are really pulling us towards our death and at some point, we must let go.

 

Sometimes we think we know what is best for our lives. Sometimes we think that we do not need someone else to control us because we are capable of making those good decisions on our own. However, I do not think we always know what is best. I believe our idea of good has been tainted by sin.
Jeremiah says, “The heart is exceeding deceitful above all things.” I believe it is that deception that allows us to think we on our own can know what is best for our lives.

We need to learn plainly that the power of a good and godly life is not in us alone, but it comes from Christ. We need to trust that Jesus knows what is best for us

even better than we do.

 

Letting go can be a very difficult thing. When we let go we become vulnerable. Many people refuse to let go of things in their life because they are afraid of doing so.

Whether it be a sin, some negative trait, bitterness, pride or worry we are often reluctant to simply let go. We have those things we are clinging to and refuse to let go of, however before we can get to Jesus we must let go.

 

What is it today that is holding you back from letting go?

Is it fear of the unknown?

Is it a fear of what others may think of you?

Perhaps some never change because they don’t want others to think less of them. Is it unwillingness to change?

Is it your pride?

Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:24–26 are among the most challenging—and liberating—in all of Scripture.

 

They confront our instincts for comfort, control, and self-preservation, and they invite us into a life that is deeper, truer, and more eternal than anything we could build on our own.

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

 

Jesus begins with a word that cuts against the grain of our culture: deny yourself.

This does not mean:

• Hating yourself
• Ignoring your needs
• Becoming passive or joyless

It means:

• Laying down the illusion that we are the center
• Surrendering our will to God’s will
• Letting Christ—not our desires—set the direction of our lives

Self-denial is not self-destruction; it is self-surrender.

It is saying, “Lord, You lead.

I trust You more than I trust myself.”

 

To Jesus’ first listeners, the cross was not a metaphor.

It was an instrument of death. So when Jesus said, “Take up your cross,” He meant:

• Be willing to die to the old life
• Let go of sin that clings
• Accept that following Him will cost something
• Embrace obedience even when it is uncomfortable

The cross is not a minor inconvenience. It is the place where our old self is crucified so a new life can rise.

 

Jesus does not say, “Go figure it out.” He says, “Follow Me.”

 

 

This means:

• Walking where He walks
• Loving as He loves
• Serving as He serves
• Trusting as He trusts
• Obeying even when we don’t understand

Christianity is not merely believing in Jesus; it is becoming like Jesus.

 

Jesus reveals a spiritual truth that seems upside-down:

• If you cling to your life—your plans, your comfort,

your control—you lose it.

• If you surrender your life to Christ,

you find the life you were created for.

 

The world says:

“Protect yourself. Promote yourself. Preserve yourself.”

Jesus says:

“Give yourself away, and you will discover who you truly are.”

The life Jesus offers is not smaller—it is fuller, freer, and eternal.

 

Jesus asks a question that echoes through every generation:

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world BUT forfeits his soul?”

You MAY can gain:

• Wealth
• Success
• Influence
• Comfort
• Applause

But if your soul is empty, lost, or disconnected from God, you have gained nothing that lasts.

 

The world can fill your hands, but only Christ can fill your soul.

Jesus is not trying to take life from us—He is trying to give us real life.

 

Following Him means:

• Purpose instead of aimlessness
• Peace instead of anxiety
• Identity instead of insecurity
• Hope instead of despair
• Eternal life instead of temporary satisfaction

The cross leads to resurrection. Surrender leads to freedom. Losing your life leads to finding it.

Jesus taught that we cannot serve two masters.

A ship cannot fly two countries’ flags.

When we deny ourselves and take up our cross, we are allowing Jesus to take over as Lord of our lives.

When Jesus is Lord it means He sets the rules. It means that we are willing to submit ourselves under His authority.

Jesus taught in Matthew 7 , “Many will say to me on that day Lord, Lord, but not enter the kingdom of Heaven.”

When Jesus becomes Lord, it means we concede control of our lives over to Him.

 

Romans 6:6-7

⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin.
We learn that at our baptism we not only received the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we died. We died with Christ and our old self was crucified in Him.

As Christians we do not gratify our sinful desires any longer. In other words, as a Christian there are still things that are sinful that I would LIKE to do.

I am still TEMPTED to do wrong things; however, I REFUSE doing them because I am not going to gratify those desires any longer because I am not living to myself.

 

Colossians 3:5-10

⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 

⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

⁷ In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 

⁸ But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 

⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

If we have really died to self, then we will not give into those temptations and desires we have. The new self should be increasingly more God-like in its actions.

 

Ephesians 4:22-24

²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
We No Longer Live to Ourselves

 

Galatians 2:20

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
We need to understand that we no longer live to ourselves.

We have died.
Let us remember that dying to self means that WE no longer live, but it is CHRIST living in us.

 

Why Is Letting Go of Self So Difficult?

The idea of Heaven and eternity with God sounds great and perhaps many would volunteer to receive that, however the idea of signing your life away doesn’t sound too appealing, does it?

We love those feel-good verses of Scripture, but we begin to squirm a little when we read of the cost of following Jesus.

 

We love to be in control. We get a little uncomfortable when we read about denying ourselves and taking up our cross. That doesn’t sound too appealing.

William Ernest Henley in his famous poem entitled “Invictus” said, “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”

Many of us have bought into this philosophy that we are the master of our lives. We like to be in control. I would much rather be in control of a situation than have someone else in control of the situation.

 

I am one of those people that would rather do it myself than entrust it to someone else. That is not a good attribute.

We need to learn to allow Jesus to be the master of our fate and the captain of my soul. Perhaps some feel like it is a violation of their freedoms to lay aside themselves and let Jesus take control. Perhaps they feel that this is the sign of somebody being weak and vulnerable.

 

Jesus taught that we must lose our lives to really find it.

By that He means that we give up the project of making OURSELVES the ultimate reference point in our world. We are not number one. The universe does not revolve around us.

We live in a very selfish society. The idea of sacrificing and giving up something

doesn’t sound appealing to many people. We are people that want to know the price of everything and the cost of nothing. We want to get as much as we can while doing as little as possible to get it.

The idea of delaying gratification seems ridiculous to many. We live by the philosophy, “if it feels good it must be right.”

 

What Must We do to Let go of Self? We must step down.
Perhaps we need to have the mindset that John the Baptist had when he said I must decrease and Christ must increase.

 

We must be willing to step aside and let Him have the glory and honor of all that we do or accomplish.

We must step down from our position of authority over our lives and give Him the reins.

There are many tools we can use such as prayer, Bible study, service, worship, and fellowship, but the reality is we must train ourselves to be godly.

 

Jesus is calling you to deny yourself today!

What cross is He asking you to pick up?

What part of your life is He inviting you to surrender so He can give you something better?

The call of Jesus is costly—but the reward is eternal.

 

Jesus Is God

Jesus Is God

John 5:15-24

 

INTRO: Good morning church. In our study of John 5 we read about Jesus healing a disabled man on a Sabbath. This man had been in this condition for 38 years, equal to the time of the helplessness and hopelessness of the Israelites as they were punished for their sins in the wilderness during the days of Moses. We suggested this maybe the reason that Jesus selects this man over all the other people who are in this covered porch area. The man's inability to move contrasts with Jesus' command, showing that spiritual life comes through Christ's word (grace) rather than human effort or strict observance (law).

 

Verse 9 tells us that this was the Sabbath and problems are going to arise for Jesus from the Jewish leadership. The religious leaders, focused on Sabbath rules, were spiritually blind, and couldn't see the miracle. They question the healed man about whom it was that healed him, but he did not know who it was. Later, Jesus finds this healed man at the temple and tells him to sin no more so that no worse thing will happen to him.

 

John 5:15-16, “The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.” These verses tell us that the healed man, goes to the Jewish leaders and tells them that it was Jesus who had healed him. This ignites a persecution against Jesus because He was healing on the Sabbath. Jesus responds to this persecution by teaching that He is equal to God… because He is God. What we are about to read is Jesus’ own defense of His deity.

 

I. Jesus Is Equal with God in His Person (John 5:17-18) – Jesus’ answer is fascinating. The Jewish persecution is because they are charging Jesus with doing work on the Sabbath. Rather than teaching them that healing is not work and not a violation of the Sabbath, Jesus goes the other direction and argues that He is working on the Sabbath and why that is acceptable. This is not at all what we would expect to read, and I would imagine it took the Jewish leaders by surprise.

A. Listen to the statement Jesus makes in verse 17. “But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”[ESV] Jesus says, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” He is saying, “You’re right, I'm working.

1. Consider what Jesus is doing by saying those words and agreeing with them that He is working on the Sabbath. He is also making the observation that what He is doing is acceptable. It is right for Him to work on the Sabbath.

2. To understand that let’s consider Genesis 2:2-3. “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” It is not stated here that God rested from all activity, but that He rested from creation, "His work that He had done," an expression twice repeated in verse 2. In verse 3 here also, the specific thing from which it is stated that God rested is the work of creation.

3. Jewish sources acknowledge God's ongoing work (providence, sustaining life) but distinguish it from human general activity, i.e. creative, productive labor. Priests did not stop working when the Sabbath day came but were in the sanctuary working for the Lord (Matthew 12:5).

4. It was acceptable for God since He is the creator of all things, to then, “violate the Sabbath”, because He's over all things. I just think this is an interesting aside. I mean, if you must justify God for doing anything, you are probably working from a lousy position in the first place. Of course, God is working. He is sustaining all things.

5. Notice what Jesus does in verse 17. He places Himself in a unique relationship with the Father. He doesn't say our Father is working. He says, my Father is working. He excludes everybody else from this. The idea is of course; humans are under the requirements of the Sabbath Law… but God is not. Therefore, Jesus must be working. To put it another way, if you recognize that God the Father is working, then I must be working as well, because I'm God. That's exactly how the Jews understand it.

B. John 5:18, “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” It is not only the persecution of verse 16, now they want to kill Him. Jesus makes the claim that He is equal with God. This is the thrust of the argument Jesus is making. My Father is still working continually, and so am I.

1. An aside here. We're living in a time where some people say that in the scriptures Jesus never claimed to be God. We will see that He claims to be God five times in this text and the first is right here. God's working: therefore, I must be working. There's no option. I must work because I'm God. God works on the Sabbath, and so do I, because I'm God.

2. Jesus does not tell them that they misunderstood, instead He is going to offer four more proofs that He is God and is equal to God in every way.

II. Jesus Is Equal to God in His Works (John 5:19-20) – “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.”

A. Look at the two parts of this amazing answer that Jesus gives. First, the Son does not do things with His own initiative, but only what He sees the Father doing. Please underline the word “see.” Who can see what the Father is doing? Do you see what God the Father is doing right now?

1. No human can see what God is doing. In fact, John made that argument at the very beginning of this gospel. “No one has seen God at any time.” Here Jesus is making an extraordinary statement. I see what the Father is doing. I am able to observe His actions.

2. Humans cannot observe those actions. Humans cannot see God, nor see everything that He does. Jesus says, I see what the Father is doing. I'm not doing my own works. I'm doing everything I see God do.

3. Jesus is saying that His action has been in harmony with the will of God. That places Him in a very important state of privilege. That makes Him God, because He can see God and humans cannot see God.

4. Not only does He say that He sees God, but He says He does what the Father does. No human can do what God does. Can you be holy and pure and right so that every action you take is the same action as God in holiness and purity?

·         Can you do what God does?

·         Can you speak worlds into existence?

·         Can you say, let there be light and there is light?

·         Can you create anything? Humans do a great job at making all kinds of things, but we cannot create something out of nothing.

5. He says, I see what my Father does, and I do exactly what He does. Nobody else can do that.

B. Then Jesus adds in verse 20, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” Not only does Jesus see what the Father does, not only does He then do what the Father does, He goes further and says that the Father reveals to Jesus everything that He's doing, everything that is going on.

1. He has full knowledge of the Father in every aspect, in every category, full understanding, because the Father has revealed it to Him. Think back to John 1:1, it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That is very important to us, Jesus is the Word. He reveals the very message of God. Jesus reveals everything to us about the Father. He is the revealer of who God is.

2. The Son is obedient to the Father in every way and acts in such a way as to reveal who the Father is and does the Father's works and performs the Father's will. It is why Jesus later in this gospel says, if you've seen me, you've seen the father. Why? Because I do what He does.

3. He reveals everything to me; therefore, since I'm obedient to Him, everything that I do reflects the Father. Everything that I say reflects the very words of God himself. He is taking this to another level and is telling them, I'm not human. I'm God. That's why I'm working because God is working.

C. Notice how verse 20 tacks on the end of that—you're going to see greater works than these. I'm going to do greater things than this. Greater signs than healing this disabled man are going to come from the Father through the Son. Of course, His greatest sign will be when He is lifted up on the cross to His death only to rise from the dead three days later. That then is the second proof. He's equal to God because He does the works of God.

III. Jesus Is Equal to God in Power (John 5:21) – The third is verse 21 – “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.”

A. Jesus’ claim to be able to raise the dead and give life to whomever He wills, is startling. Raising the dead and giving life are the sole works… and choices, of God.

1. Carefully observe what Jesus is arguing. He's not just simply saying, “I can raise people from the dead.” If we look back to the Old Testament, we can see the dead raised and life given. Elijah prayed to God and raised the widow’s son from the dead. Here Jesus is not claiming to be God’s instrument through which resurrection and life come. Notice how that verse ended – “… the Son gives life to whom he will.”

2. Can Elijah say that? No. No one has that power. The prophets could not give life to whoever they wanted. They all relied upon the power of God to perform those miracles, but Jesus is not an instrument through which God was healing. Jesus is the healer.

B. Go back to John 1:4, “In him was life!” This is an important truth to the lesson Jesus is teaching, and the direction Jesus wants to lead His audience. Jesus gives life to whoever He wants. Jesus makes the choice. It is the prerogative of Jesus to make that determination.

IV. Jesus is Equal to God in Judgment (John 5:22) – “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, ”. Just like the power to raise from the dead and give life, so also is the assertion of judgment. Who alone can judge? Only God can judge. All judgment is given to the Son. Therefore, Jesus is God because He has the power to judge.

A. This is another important truth to the lesson Jesus is teaching. Jesus is the determiner of life and Jesus is the judge. Jesus deals with the two realities confessed in the Jewish faith. Only God gives life at the beginning and only God gives judgment at the end. Jesus has just laid claim to both of those prerogatives, claiming them for His own.

B. This then is the fourth – Jesus is the one who brings judgment. Paul in 2^nd Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day…”

V. Jesus Is Equal to God in Honor (John 5:23) – Why has all life-giving and judgment-related authority been given to the Son? Jesus explains in verse 23: “that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father…”

A. The reason Jesus has all life-giving authority, and the reason that He has the authority and the power to judge, is so that everybody on earth, all peoples, will honor the Son as He ought to be honored, just as they honor the Father.

1. Conversely, to not give Jesus equal honor is to not honor the Father. Anyone who fails to acknowledge the authority of the Son is rejecting the Sender, the Father. To say that Jesus is just a prophet, just a good guy, just somebody you should follow, an interesting figure in history, is to not honor the Father. Those who say Jesus is not the Christ, but a prophet is anti-Christ. 1^st John 2:22.

2. Jesus is saying, You must honor me on an equal level as God or you are not honoring the Father. You are not honoring the one who sent me. That is important today. Everybody is all “yea God”, but not everybody is “yea Jesus”. It’s just too polarizing to bring up Jesus they say, just say God.

3. You cannot honor the Father unless you honor the son. You cannot honor the Father unless you honor Jesus. It is not possible. Jesus makes that argument crystal clear right here. There is no way to honor Him unless you honor the One and only Son. You cannot leave Him out, and if you do so, that is an insult to the Father. To fail to acknowledge the authority of the Son is to reject the authority of the Father.

B. Therefore, in contrast with the Jewish leaders’ charge of blasphemy, Jesus is honoring the Father because He is doing the Father’s will. His acts honor the Father. However, by them dishonoring Jesus they are dishonoring the Father. In a great turn of events, it is they, not Him, who is dishonoring God.

VI. Concluding Call (John 5:24) – In verse 24, the fifth point, Jesus ties together who He is and what this means to these people and to the world. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” I suggest what Jesus just said is calling upon them to bow the knee, to submit and to serve and to worship Jesus as God. He says, “…hears my word and believes…”

A. We can take those two things as passive concepts. He is not being passive with His audience. When you say that your child never listens, what do you mean by that? That they are deaf and can't hear? No, you mean they are disobedient. They do not do as they are told.

1. Hearing and believing Christ's word is equivalent to believing God who sent Him. Believing Jesus is believing God!

2. Here is another skillful advocacy of His deity. This focuses upon the true mission of our Lord's coming into the world—to bring men eternal life. The Pharisees, had they been interested in such a blessing, might have been convinced by this promise; but they were too busy with their earthly concerns to pay any attention to the great hope shown in these words.

B. Jesus says, “…hears my word AND believes him who sent me…” Remember Nicodemus? Nicodemus comes to Jesus and says we know that you are from God.

1. Sounds like belief. Jesus says to him unless you are born again you will not see the kingdom of God. Then Jesus spends time trying to teach him about the need for life transformation. In John’s gospel we have been reading of people who have shallow, simple belief that has not led to life transformation. Jesus is working in each of those cases to try to get them to see that is not enough.

2. If we have experienced this life change, if we hear the words of Jesus and believe, submitting and doing what He says, believing in Him, we are experiencing that transformation from His words.

C. Jesus determines the destiny of every soul. Jesus determines the judgment of every person. Jesus decides to whom He will give life. Jesus calls for the ears of everyone to carefully hear as He says, “Truly, truly” to begin this glorious teaching. Listen carefully to the words of our Lord because they are true. Whoever hears the words of Jesus believes in Him and believes in the One who sent Him has eternal life.

1. The call is to bow the knee and worship Jesus as God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is divine and has come to this world with the power of life and the power of judgment. Listen to the words of Jesus, which does not mean to merely hear what He says but to do what He says. We are to listen to the words of Jesus and believe.

2. We saw in chapter 3, and we will continue to remind ourselves of this as we go through this gospel, that saving faith is not just acknowledgment, but to be born again. Hearing and believing is to obey the words of Jesus and experience radical life transformation from His word. Those are the people who have eternal life.

3. Listen to the wonderful words at the end of verse 24: “… He (the person who hears and believes) does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” Life is defined as a person having crossed over from death to life. To pass from death to life is to be born from above. It implies a line of demarcation between those who have returned to God’s side and those who remain against Him.

 

CONCLUSION:

Please note that this is not in the future tense. Notice how John describes this as our current condition. Jesus is the judge because the Father has given all judgment into His hand. We do not come into judgment when we hear the words of Jesus and believe. In fact, we have passed from death to life already. To use the words of the apostle Paul, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness (death) and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (life) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

 

You have life now when you come to Jesus. You will pass from death to life when you listen to Jesus and give your life to Him in submission.

 

Jesus gives life to whom He wills (John 5:21). Jesus gives life to those who hear Him and believe Him (John 5:24). All judgment has been given to Jesus (John 5:22). Whoever dishonors Jesus also dishonors the Father (John 5:23).

How do you honor the king? The only way to honor the king is to bow the knee and submit to His authority. We honor the king by worshiping the king. We honor the king by praising the king. We honor the king by doing what the king commands. Jesus is God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Submit to your king and your God.

If you have not accepted Jesus and believed in Him and submitted your life to Him, that is your starting point—believe that Jesus is the son of God who came to this world and died for your sins. Be immersed in water to have your sins washed away to enter a relationship with Him so that you can know that you have eternal life.

 

If you've already begun there, don't stop. Do not think you can put your life in neutral and you're good to go. Deepen the relationship. See Him as the treasure.

Recognize Him and honor Him for who He is. We invite you to come while we stand and while we sing.

 

 

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Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

Life's Trials - Sinking or Staying Afloat

LIFE’S TRIALS: SINKING or STAYING AFLOAT?
Matthew 14: 22–33

There are moments in every believer’s life when Jesus calls us out of what is familiar and safe.

Sometimes it’s a new ministry, a hard conversation, a step of repentance, or a season of suffering. And in those moments, we often feel like Peter—caught between faith and fear, between the comfort of the boat and the invitation of Christ.

 

Once there was a tourist who was taking a tour of biblical sites, when he came to a beach on the Sea of Galilee, he saw a boat and a sign advertising, “FREE BOAT RIDE TO THE EXACT PLACE WHERE JESUS AND PETER WALKED ON WATER!!!”

He boarded the boat and enjoyed the ride to the middle of the lake where the boat captain stopped the boat and announced that this was the spot where they had walked on the water.
After spending a few minutes at that spot, the tourist said to the boat captain, “Ok, I’ve seen enough, I’m ready to back to shore.”

 

The boat captain pointing to the sign, and said, “The boat ride to the exact place where Jesus and Peter walked on the water was free, but the ride back to shore is not free, it will cost you $50 for the ride back to shore.”
The tourist, shocked by the charge, exclaimed, “No wonder Peter got out and walked!”

 

Today we are going to examine this moment in Peter’s life when he walked on the water.
We all know that he didn’t walk on the water because the boat captain was going to charge him too much for the trip back to shore.
But why did Peter walk on the water?

And, how did Peter walk on the water?
And most importantly, what did Peter learn from the experience and what can we learn from it?

 

This story is not just about a man walking on water.

It’s about a Savior who meets us in the storm, calls us beyond our limits, and refuses to let us drown.

Please turn with me to our text for this morning’s lesson found in Matthew 14: 22–33

 

The 1^st thing I noticed is that Jesus Sends Them Into the Storm Matthew tells us that in verse 22, Jesus “made the disciples get into the boat”.

They didn’t drift into trouble. They were sent.

Note: Obedience does not prevent storms. Sometimes it leads us straight into them.

 

So, I ask the question:

Did the storm take the disciples by surprise?

Absolutely! (They didn’t have a weather app). Did the storm take Jesus by surprise? Absolutely Not.
So, why did Jesus tell them to get in a boat and cross the lake when He knew a storm was coming? Do you think there were some lessons they needed to learn that could only be learned in the midst of a storm?

Sometimes the storms we face are the result of our disobedience and God’s correction and discipline. Other times, the storms we face come not because we have been disobedient, but because we have been obedient and we are in God’s will.

Another thing to keep in mind about the storms we face have to do with God’s knowledge. While Jesus was in prayer on the mountain, do you think He was aware of what the disciples were experiencing in the storm?

I believe Jesus knew and could see exactly where they were and what they were going through. But, if Jesus knew, then why didn’t He come to their rescue sooner? I trust that Jesus came to their rescue at precisely the very best time and not a moment before.

Even though we can’t always see God in the midst of our storms, we can trust that God sees us and that God has a plan for our rescue.

 

Let’s turn our attention back to the story. Let’s see what happened when Jesus showed up.

The disciples were exactly where Jesus told them to be, doing exactly what He told them to do — and still the wind was against them. Many believers assume that hardship means they’ve done something wrong. But sometimes the storm is the classroom where Christ teaches us what calm seas never could.

 

The 2^nd thing I want to note is that Jesus Comes to Them in the Darkest Watch. It was the fourth watch of the night — between 3 and 6 a.m. The darkest, coldest, most exhausted moment. And that’s when Jesus came. Not early. Not when they still had strength. Not when the waves were manageable.

A Lesson to us is that: Jesus often shows Himself most clearly when our strength is gone. He walks on the very thing that threatens to destroy them. What terrifies them is under His feet.

 

The 3^rd thing to note is Peter’s Bold Request: “Lord, if it is You, command me…”

 

Peter gets criticized for sinking, but let’s be honest — he’s the only one who got out of the boat. He doesn’t move on impulse. He doesn’t test Jesus. He asks for a command.

Key lesson here is: Faith is not reckless. Faith responds to the voice of Jesus. Peter doesn’t walk on water. He walks on the word of Christ.

 

Peter Walks — Until He Looks Away. As long as his eyes are on Jesus, he does the impossible. But when he shifts his focus to the wind, fear floods in.

The main note for us is that: Fear grows when we meditate on the storm instead of the Savior.

The wind had been there the whole time. Nothing changed except Peter’s focus.

And yet — even in his failure — Peter does the most important thing he could do:

He cries out, “Lord, save me!”

 

Another thing to note is that: Jesus Immediately Reaches Out. Not eventually. Not after a lecture. Not after Peter proves himself. Immediately.

Jesus doesn’t let His children drown in their own weakness. He lifts Peter up and asks, “Why did you doubt?”

Not to shame him, but to teach him. May we realize that Jesus uses our sinking moments to deepen our faith, not to condemn us.

 

The wind doesn’t stop when Peter walks. It stops when Jesus steps into the boat. The presence of Christ brings peace that circumstances cannot. And the disciples respond the only way that makes sense: They worship Him.

 

 

 

Over the years, some people have criticized Peter and reacted negatively to what Peter did. Some have said that Peter was conceited and was trying to be a showoff – “Hey look at me, no hands!” But Peter asked for permission and then waited for permission to be granted.

 

If Jesus had said, “No,” then I’m sure Peter would have stayed in the boat.
But Jesus didn’t say, “No,” rather, Jesus said, “Come on.” At that moment, the smartest thing Peter could do was get out of the boat. Once Jesus commanded that Peter come, then he had better obey, and he did obey. And so, Peter got out of the boat – how can anyone criticize him for that?

In some respects, I wish the story ended right there... Peter walked on the water, period!
But the story doesn’t end there – we all know what happened next.
The Bible says in verse 30 of our text: But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

Peter was fully walking on the water... walking away from the boat...walking toward Jesus. Everything was going great, then came the “but” – “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid.” Everything went just fine until Peter took his focus off Jesus and began to focus on the storm.

How long did it take for Peter to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus? Only a second!
Keep in mind that the storm never stopped raging while Peter walked on the water. The wind was still blowing, and the waves were tossing the boat about and the rain was coming down in sheets.

 

Many old time ministers define faith as “concentration on Jesus.” That is a great definition – how easy is it for us to be distracted by life and the storms and challenges of life, and when we do our faith can waver.
But when, through faith, we concentrate on Jesus and focus on Him, then we can have peace and power, even when the storm rages around us. Just because we focus on Christ does not mean that the wind and waves are going to stop.

Peter began to sink into the water, but when it happened, he immediately cried out for Jesus to help him. Do you think Peter was a swimmer? I’m sure Peter was a pretty good swimmer, he had spent his life around or on the water but isn’t it interesting that he didn’t attempt to swim. His first thought wasn’t, “I can handle this, or do it on my own,” rather his first thought was to pray and ask for help.

 

Peter prayed one of the shortest prayers in the Bible, “Lord, save me.”
Sometimes there isn’t time for a long prayer – like when you are about to drown. Prayers don’t need to be long or detailed – they just need to be sincere and specific. No sooner than the words were spoken, Jesus’ help arrived.

Verses 31–33 of our text, ^“31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? ³² And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. ³³ Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”

Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter because he wanted to walk on the water, but He did rebuke him for his lack of faith. Peter had the faith to get out of the boat but then didn’t have the faith to sustain him. There’s a difference between short faith and long faith, or shallow faith and deep faith.
But in spite of Peter’s lack of faith, Jesus was willing to help him. While Jesus continued to stand on the water, He took hold of Peter and pulled him back up on top of the water and together they walked over and got into the boat.

Jesus used this teachable moment with Peter and the other disciples. And the moment they were back in the boat the wind and rain subsided and those in the boat worshiped Jesus.

What aspect of the Christian life have you lacked the faith to be able to step out of the boat and try? If we are never willing to take a chance and step out of the boat, then we will never walk on water and discover what living by faith is all about.

So, Let’s step out of the boat, obeying the command to walk by faith. Let’s not play it safe like the disciples who stayed in the boat, but let’s be like Peter who took a risk and walked on water and 2000 years later we are still talking about it.

 

But unlike Peter, we don’t have to sink, if we will keep walking by faith, keeping our eyes on the Lord.
I pray that we will be great risk-takers for the kingdom of God. I pray that God will help us shake ourselves loose from the security of staying in the boat.
And I pray that God will help us continue to walk on the waters of faith because we trust in God’s power and wisdom to uphold us.

 

Conclusion: What Is Jesus Calling You to Step Out Into?

Every believer has a “boat” — a place of comfort, predictability, and control. And every believer hears the voice of Jesus saying, “Come.”

• Maybe He’s calling you to forgive someone
• Maybe He’s calling you to trust Him in a diagnosis
• Maybe He’s calling you to serve in a new way
• Maybe He’s calling you to walk through grief with faith
• Maybe He’s calling you to surrender a fear

you’ve carried for years

 

The question is not whether the wind is strong. It always is. The question is: Will you keep your eyes on Jesus?

 

Today, if you feel the storm, if you feel the wind, if you feel like you’re sinking — cry out like Peter: “Lord, save me.” And the One who walks on waves will reach out His hand. Immediately. Faithfully. Powerfully.

 

The Lesson is yours as we stand and sing!