The Weight of Unbelief
Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Key Texts:
Key Texts:
REFLECTION: John 3:16-18
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
SERMON READING: John 12:37-50
MEMORY: Matthew 7:11-12
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
BENEDICTION / CLOSING: 1 Peter 3:15
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
INTRODUCTION
What does it mean to reject Jesus?
To say,
“I don’t really believe in Jesus.”
“I’m spiritual, but not religious.”
“I believe in God, but I don’t think the Bible is necessarily His revelation.”
“I like the idea of God and a positive energy…but I reject the Bible’s teaching on God’s wrath.”
“Good people go to Heaven when they die.”
“Everybody eventually makes it to Heaven.”
“It doesn’t really matter what you believe.”
You can probably add to that list…some responses you heard.
TRANSITIONS
Jesus deals with the weight and reality of rejecting Him - it’s not good.
The impending state of our unbelieving friends and neighbors should move us to action:
cause us to passionately pray for them
and live on mission in front of them
all with the hope that Jesus would save them as they cast themselves on Him alone.
Today’s text has in it some of the saddest, most painful parts of the Gospel of John.
There is a trace of this sadness in the Christmas story if you recall.
Remember when Simeon encountered the baby Jesus for his circumcision in the temple?
One of his last words to the family was this in Luke 2:34-35
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Our passage today is one of the many fulfillments of the very sad part of that prophecy.
“Jesus will cause many to fall.”
You know, sometimes we encounter sad and dark things in Scripture.
It’s important to remember that they are there, in the end to point us to glad things.
(Someone wrote - Piper)
Dark things are spoken for the sake of light
ugly things are spoken for the sake of beauty
painful things are spoken for the sake of comfort
sorrowful things are spoken for the sake of joy
and conflict is pictured for the sake of peace
Here, we encounter the dark, ugly, painful, sorrowful reality of unbelief.
You would think that once Jesus showed up, that the best half of Simeon’s prophecy would come true?
"He will cause the rise of many...””
But this rejection, this unbelief was predicted.
That’s our first point.
Unbelief was Predicted
Unbelief was Predicted
37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.
Christ is predicted in the OT,
present in the Gospels,
proclaimed in the Acts,
possessed in the Epistles,
and predominant in the Revelation.
Warren W. Wiersbe
Not only was Christ predicted…so was His rejection.
Paul would bring out this same scripture in Romans 10:16
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”
Isaiah prophesied not only a description of Israel’s rejection, but of all humanity when he wrote:
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
God knows rejection.
In plain terms, John Owen tells us that if the sin of Old Testament times was the rejection of God the Father,
and the sin of New Testament times was the rejection of God the Son,
then the sin of our times is the rejection of God the Holy Spirit.
[Dr. Stephen F. Olford; David Olford]
While we who have tasted and seen that the LORD is good struggle to see how anyone could reject such a loving God, this is part of humanity’s story.
It is a sad, dark, ugly, painful, sorrowful reality - but it is the reality.
We have to understand the Bible is true - it was prophesied that Jesus would be rejected…and He was.
From that rejection came the trail of tears up Calvary’s mountain where
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
Let’s notice this strange passage in verses 42-43.
42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Partial Belief was Problematic
Partial Belief was Problematic
John 12:42-43
I appreciate that some have written that this is an indication that the situation was not ALL hopeless.
That not everyone was totally rejecting Jesus.
BEST CASE SCENARIO - these high ranking officials were in fact “saved”…but had a terrible testimony and cut themselves off from Spiritual blessing in Christ.
I’m struck by the black & white description of Spurgeon when as notes,
There was a man who was almost saved in a fire, but he was burned. There was another who was almost healed of a disease, but he died. There was one who was almost reprieved, but he was hanged. And there are many in hell who were almost saved
Charles Spurgeon
Jesus would say,
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Rom 10.9-10 reads
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Even the preacher in Hebrews 10:35 cautions us...
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
BE ALL IN WITH JESUS!
Unbelief was predicted!
Partial Belief is problematic -
it leaves people scratching their heads at your funeral, having to spin your life for lack of fruit. Making it transactional since there was little evidence of a relationship - DON’T BE THAT MAN OR WOMAN!
Finally this morning…let’s let the text play itself out.
It doesn’t need much amplifying here:
Notice...
The Power in the Promise of Jesus
The Power in the Promise of Jesus
John 12:44-50
Look with me at verse 44
44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.
Secondly you can note there...
- Believing in Jesus = Believing in God
- Believing in Jesus = Believing in God
Let’s read on…in verses 45-46
45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
- Seeing Jesus = Seeing God
- Seeing Jesus = Seeing God
John’s gospel has reminded us over and over again that Jesus has been claiming that he and the Father are one.
30 I and the Father are one.”
This is central to this Gospel and to our Christian faith.
If you don’t have Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then YOU DO NOT have God as your Father.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
What you do with Jesus is the clearest test of what you do with God.
What do we do with His words?
- Hearing Jesus = Hearing God
- Hearing Jesus = Hearing God
John 12.47,49
47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.
In John’s Gospel, these are the last words he says to gathered crowds. The rest are words to his disciples and those individuals persecuting Him all the way to Calvary.
For two thousand years we have had exactly what we need: the words of Jesus.
The word of God.
This is how we know him.
This is how we receive him.
This is how we fellowship with him.
The precious living word of our precious living Savior!
O, precious word. O precious Christ.
Finally, we come to the full weight of this unbelief in these final words...!
- Rejecting Jesus = Rejecting God
- Rejecting Jesus = Rejecting God
--Judged by the Word John 12:48
--Judged by the Word John 12:48
48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
—Won’t Escape God’s Authority John 12:49-50
—Won’t Escape God’s Authority John 12:49-50
49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
New City Catechism asks the question, “What happens after death to those not united to Christ by faith?”
At the day of judgment they will receive the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them. They will be cast out from the favorable presence of God, into hell, to be justly and grievously punished, forever.
So, Jesus is addressing those of you and those of our friends and family who would say,
“I don’t really believe in Jesus.”
“I believe in God, but I don’t think the Bible is necessary to know Him.”
“I like the idea of God and a positive energy…but I reject the Bible.”
“Good people go to Heaven when they die.”
“It doesn’t really matter what you believe.”
Jesus makes it clear…God’s Word makes it clear...
To reject Jesus Christ is matter of eternal consequence.
Jesus is NOT simply an upgrade to your otherwise okay life.
Jesus is NOT your ticket to a better you.
Jesus Christ - God’s only Son - the perfect Lamb died in our place so we can be saved from God’s righteous wrath against our sins.
The only right response to that is to respond with repentance and faith.
Your friends and family must repent of their sins which means to turn away from our rebellion against God.
Repentance doesn’t mean we’ll bring an immediate end to our sinning.
It does mean, though, that we’ll never again live at peace with our sins.
This happens as we turn to God in faith.
Faith is reliance.
It’s a promise-founded trust in the risen Jesus to save you from your sins.
“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned…he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree…the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (John 3:17, 18; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18).
I wonder, do we want those around us to feel the weight of their unbelief - to understand that they are in a state of hostile rebellion against the Holy King of Kings & Lord of Lords?
Do we want to see them saved?
Then their names should be on the tips of our tongues as we are moved to action!
The weight of their unbelief should:
cause us to passionately pray for them
and live on mission in front of them
pray for an open door to tell them that Jesus will save them as they cast themselves on Him alone.
If Jesus saves them…if He saves you today, then you have a whole life of getting to know Jesus ahead of you, beginning right now!
Let’s pray and ask the Lord this morning to help us rejoice that the weight of our unbelief has been lifted.
…ask the Lord to help you agonize in seasons of prayer over your friends and loved ones who are in the awful, perilous grips of unbelief.
----
Lord,
Save our loved ones today
Turn their darkness into light because of your Gospel
their ugliness into beauty
their pain into comfort
their sorrow into joy
their war with you into peace with and from you.
in Jesus name