John 7:14-30 4 Now about the middle of the
feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews
marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” Jesus
answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent
Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine,
whether it is from God or whether I speak on My
own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He
who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no
unrighteousness is in Him. Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you
keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” The people answered and
said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?” Jesus answered
and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses
therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the
fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives
circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are
you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the
Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous
judgment.” Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek
to kill? But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to
Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the
Christ? However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ
comes, no one knows where He is from.” Then Jesus cried out, as He taught
in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from;
and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom
you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent
Me.” Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand
on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
Last Sunday was Father’s Day
and Pastor Kyle reminded us that there is nothing quite as prosperous then
having and emulating a great father as an example for our life. Our
relationship with our earthly fathers is linked with our relationship with our
heavenly Father. It is important to have someone worth following. Likewise, it
is important to be someone worth following. It is like rainfall in a dry land;
life-giving water to the soul. Jesus said in John 7:38, “He who believes in Me, as the
Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Commentator
Matthew Henry states that “if any man
desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled
by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which
nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of
the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called on them to
come to Him and drink. The comfort flows plentifully and constantly as a river;
strong as a stream to bear down the opposition of doubts and fears. There is a
fullness in Christ, of grace for grace. The Spirit dwelling and working in
believers, is as a fountain of living, running water, out of which plentiful
streams flow, cooling and cleansing as water.” Where water flows, life
grows and God controls the facet.
Pastor Kyle told us of four
choices that will make us someone worth following. (1) Choose to believe God’s
opinion about anything more than the secular world’s opinion. Rejection is hard
on all of us, but the Lord Jesus did not let the approval of the world affect
His mission and work to reach the goal, and neither should we. The Messiah
didn’t have to prove anything. The naturalistic world’s opinion is not as
important as God’s. The Savior of the world, Jesus, was leading people astray
from what; the ungodliness and unrighteousness of sin? The Word of God says
that we have a future and our best days are ahead of us in Heaven with the
Lord. To people who do not know their Maker, ungodliness and unrighteousness
seem to be a waste of time and not taking care their selves and their hearts
desires. But, in reality the Holy Bible teaches and shows us how life should
rightly be. The Word of God has always been divisive to a God-rejecting and
lawless culture.
Let's continue Pastor Kyle message in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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