Untitled Sermon

Doing it right

John 7:14-24

November 19, 2023

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I have taught many people how to ride a dirt bike. You know the number one thing that I worry about is not them crashing. Matter of fact, that is just going to happen so you might as well get accustomed to hitting the ground. The number one thing I worry about is something worse. It has a slang term called “whisky throttle”.

Whisky throttle is when the rider twists the throttle back and the violence of the engine and their body position pulls them back forcing the throttle further open. The problem is that they do not know why the engine is revving and they panic only to add more throttle. They hear the engine start to scream and all they can do is hold on tighter all the while giving the bike more throttle. The result can be broken bones, broken bike and scared riders.

The issue is that the riders are not thinking through the problem. They do not know that it is them that is causing the eminent wreck. When the dust settles and they are picking themselves up off the ground, I usually say, “remember what I told you? DO NOT panic and lock the throttle!”

It seems like no matter how hard I intentionally tell people, show people and even demonstrate it to people, they all do it anyway. I picked this obscure analogy for a point. We often approach our Spiritual walk just like this. We get into the midst of life and due to the violence of our problems, we panic, lock the throttle open and hang on for the impending doom all the while Christ is standing there instructing us on how to proceed. Unfortunately, even as He is telling us, even as He is teaching us, even as HE has SHOWN us, we are still dead set on doing it our way.

Ever say things like, “I wish I knew what God wanted for life.” Or “I wish I knew what God’s will was for my life.” Or “Where is God leading me in my life?” Or “I wonder if God wants me to go to school or go into the work force.” Or, “What career do I peruse?” Or “Is this the right person to marry?” Or “What if I mess this up? How do I know what God’s will is?”

All of these questions are good, I guess. It shows that we may want God’s will. But do we really? The problem that these questions are demonstrating is classic a “whisky throttle” approach. When we ask these questions, we are so distracted with the questions in our minds and miss the instruction from the Lord. Today we are going to see that Christ has the authority and origin to offer believers knowledge of truth while directing us to sound judgement.

You may say, “man Von you got all that from 14-24?” Just hold on and get ready for the riding lesson.

JOHN 7 REVIEW:

Feast of booths (1 of 3 mandatory festivals required) Ex 23:17; 34:23 Deut 16:13-15

He goes: He is being obedient to the will of Father by going to the feast.

Jews were seeking to kill him (5:16; 18)

Jesus comes to the feast at perfect time (vs 14 in the middle, or midst of a 7 day harvest party) meaning less chaos.

Remember, last Sunday we talked about His perfect timing and how important it is. When He told His brothers that He was not going to go to the feast, but did, He was saying, He was going to go on HIS own timing, not theirs.

When He came to the feast, He went up into the temple and began to teach. This is very important because the temple grounds were a very large place. It was custom that rabis would come and take a corner of the temple ground and start teaching their disciples. People would move from teacher to teacher to hear what they had to say. This was a common approach for the rabi’s of the time.

The crowd would come and hear teachings and the volume of crowd would usually be determined based on the teaching credentials of the rabi. Meaning, where did they get educated or who did they learn from? Who was it that taught them. Some of the big-name educators of the time was the school of Hillel, Shammmai, John the Baptizer, or Gamaliel. Now, Gamaliel is an interesting and very well-respected teacher. He no doubt pulled men and crowds to hear him. One of his students became the author of 13 of our New Testament books and still the education he provided was nothing compared to what God offered.

This was why Jesus caused such a stir at first. He was a nobody. He did not come with a resume or college transcript to prove His authority. This is why the Jews said:

“How is it that this man has learning, when he is never studied?”

It is important to see, who was it that was throwing the fit? Not the crowd, it was the Jews. Something was unique about Jesus; He came with His own qualifications.

1. Jesus came with 4 major qualifications:

a. Teaching from the Father.

There were many rabis of the time. Many voices that came and went during Jesus’s times. Every generation seems to have their smart people, smart colleges and thought leaders. For Jesus’s time though, the Rabis would come together and teach the people. They would quote and use each other as proof texts. For example, one rabi would say, according to …. All the while that the other rabi would quote the one who just quoted him.

It was a circle of regurgitated content. In the end, it was who could recycle the same content with their own personal spin on it. But Jesus did NON of that. He quoted no person, no thought leader, no college, and no traditional system.

This was what really shock the Jews and those around them. Later, when we study the ending of John 7 we will see that when the Jews sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus, they returned saying:

John 7:45-47 “The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”

I often wondered about that verse. The word spoke is not a special word. It just means, I speak or chatter. The simplicity is what is so profound. Jesus spoke with no help from quoting others. He preached the Gospel, because He was the Gospel.

If we looked at the greatest preacher of all time, do you know what made His speech so impressive? Christ preached:

i. Heart repentance: “Change your heart” was His key theme.

ii. Relentless determination: Everywhere He went, no matter the cost. Look where He was! Even when He knew that the Jews were seeking to kill Him.

iii. He preached a heart religion, not intellect only: He addressed the purity of heart. Rabis of the time were looking for the wrong thing and Greeks only wanted intellect.

1 Cor 1:22 “For the Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to Gentiles.”

iv. He preached the Divine Word: He preached the full council of God, not picking and choosing verses for popularity. We even see this today!

v. He preached perfect righteousness: Be ye Holy as He is Holy. This was crazy to the crowd.

vi. He preached the Moral Law even though it is un popular.

vii. He demanded obedience: He demonstrated it, showed it and taught it.

viii. He always showed application: He always got to the “YOU” in every sermon. What this mean to YOU. The “so what” of every message. Think of the woman at the well, the rich young ruler, Nicodemus etc.

ix. He confronted false teachings: He violently defended the truth (whipped money changers).

x. He taught and threatened judgment. (I come to judge the living and the dead)

xi. He gave constant invitations to come to Him. (Come to me all who are heavy laden…)

xii. He preached all of the doctrines of Grace.

xiii. He preached about the reality of Hell while showing people to Heaven.

xiv. He preached the cross, even before the cross.

Church, the greatest preacher who ever opened His mouth did all this and so much more. In doing so, He demonstrated the Will of the Father.

b. The will of the Father

The main test for His authority, according to Jesus Himself is found here. Look at verse 16:

16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.[1]” and then in verse 18:

18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.[2]”

It was the will of the Father in His speaking that proved His ultimate credential. The will of the Father is that you, sinner come to a saving knowledge of the Son. It is this will in Jesus’s preaching and teaching that sealed the authority of His ministry. Christ’s purpose was to execute the will of the Father. He executed it in perfect humility and obedience.

c. Humbly and in obedience to the Father

When you peruse the praise of men, you are a false preacher and a false prophet. Guys, this is something that all preachers and teachers must guard against. The perfect example of who does it right is none other then our Lord.

John 5:19 “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing.”

Here is some application for me, teachers and parents, we can do nothing unless it is given by the Father. A pastor that I love and respect was once asked, “what authority do you have in this church.” (mind you it is a very large church). He said, “I have NO authority except to preach the Word of God.” This should and must be our perspective in all things. Meaning, as your pastor, as Tracy leads the adult class and as the youth are lead, we must never peruse our own glory but always point to the Father.

d. Authority of the Father

Even in perfect humility, He still held the authority of the Father. This authority He had to judge sin and sinners.

Vs 19-23

When I read this portion, I was wondering, why is that here? Why shift to Moses Lord? The reason is what the Jews were so upset about. He (Jesus) was claiming authority over the Law. Back in John 5 Jesus healing the man by the pool of Bethesda. I remember saying that this was the catalyst for what the Jews were intending to do to Jesus. In John 5:18 “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him…”

This event led us to our text today. The Jews were dead set on killing Jesus because of the authority Jesus was showing over the Law, and subsequently, them. When He said, this about Moses, he was calling them out on their hypocrisy. He was saying that their tradition and mental gymnastics to justify circumcision was more important than healing an entire man?

Vs 21: “Jesus answered them ‘I did one work, and you all marveled at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers).”

Jesus knew His history perfectly! Circumcision actually did NOT come from Mosaic law! It came from the “fathers”. Meaning before the Law. What the Jews were doing was imposing tradition into the moral Law and using it to convict Christ! In reality Christ uses this to paint them into a moral corner.

What is worse, you “Jews” are planning to MURDER and that does not bother you? You literally are breaking the explicit Law for the sake of your tradition? Really?

When we read this section of passage, it is important to know that there are three groups of people here.

1. The disciples (this is implied, we know John was there because he is recording it).

2. The crowd (masses that may or may not know the true intent of the Jews, yet) “you have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you”. Their comment in today’s words: “You are nuts/out of your mind, conspiracy theorists…” These are the same crowd that in just a short 6 months will actually be screaming for Christ’s death. Thy are saying He’s nuts now, but will fulfill this very scenario in less then 6 months.

3. The jews (legitimately seeking to kill Him.)

It is important to keep that in mind because Jesus is calling all of them to understand that they are looking at the wrong thing. They are preoccupied with traditions and missing the main point. They are whisky throttling their spiritual walk when they could have truth if they would only “…not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Jesus is calling them and us to judge right, think right and hear right. He is mandating us today to do something that the crowd and Jews missed. He is directing us to do the Will of the Father.

2. DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER (HP)

Doing the Will of the Father: you may ask, “Isn’t this obvious?” Well, I don’t think it is. We say it in our heads all day long in one breath and yet, we still wonder “what is God’s will for my life?” We will walk out of this senior center today and forget the application of these words “Do the will of the Father.” We will start Monday wondering about the same questions and same priorities and forget that our Spiritual walk is running off the track because we have the throttle lock on.

Jesus is saying, get your heads up! Ask the right questions! What does that look like? Show me how preacher? Okay, I’ll teach you what it looks like to be doing the will of the Father. You wil recognize it when you have it. It comes in four important and measurable outcomes.

a. Creates a new being with a new desire: Spirit (vs 17)

“If anyone’s will is to do God’s will he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”

When we do/seek the Will of the Father, He creates in us a new being, and new desire. Look at the prophet Ezekiel. Circle the “I wills”

Ezekiel 36:25-32

“25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. 30 I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. [3]”

Is this written to Israel? Yes, but look at how many times He said “I Will” and what “WILL” did he do? He created a new spirit, one that is obedient, and aligned to Him. DO you want to know why you are whisky throttling your life? Maybe, just maybe, you are keeping God from doing this work in your heart. His Word is clearly teaching that for HIS sake, He wants to do this in you. For His sake, He wants to give you the answers but it comes from a new Spirit, His.

b. Creates a heart of obedience (1 John 5)

Obedience is like a four-letter word in our cultures. But in 1 John 5:2-3

“2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.[4]

The words are very clear hear. When we Love God, we obey God. When we Obey God, his commandments are not burdensome. This is how the Psalmist can write in 119:17, 18

“Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderous things out of your law.”

When we can honestly say that His law is “wonderous” then we have that new spirit that is a gift from God! No logical person of the world would say, God, your Law is wonderous! You Law is like a warm blanket and I wish to meditate on it day and night. When my feet hit the floor, I want to think on and pray on your law. When I lay down at night, I want it written in my mind.

When we have this new heart, it then:

c. Creates proper judgement: Discernment, and direction.

I cannot stress this enough for today’s issues you face. Wisdom does have a personality. One only needs to read the book of proverbs. Young people, you want to know God’s plan for your life, commit the book of Proverbs to memory, read them daily, and wisdom will present herself to you. She cries from the streets to those who will hear. Those who looks to her will find her. Proverbs 1:20-23

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you turn at my reproof,

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you. [5]

But, do we listen? Is this applicable yet to you? Look, I am not going to tell you what to do in your life because you are not asking the right question when it is you focused. The right question is to see what God is saying. He guides the steps of the simple. You may say, I am not smart enough to understand or make this decision.

Yea, you are right, you aren’t smart enough. Neither am I!

1 Cor 1:26-29

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.[6]

He uses not smart people to accomplish His plan. Does that mean we are not to pursue education? No, but do we use that to paint us as the victim and paralyze us from seeking out His will? NO! That is a perfect example of whisky throttle! You and I must pursue His will and the clouds will fade from our eyes. We will see where HE is leading.

To be perfectly clear, to seek God’s revealed will is in your laps or on the tables in front of you.

You want to know you are on the right track?

d. Creates assurance of truth (vs 24, 26; “little children I write these things, so you know)

“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement.”

Jesus is giving you and me the measuring tape, the thermometer, the speedometer or whatever ruler you want to use. He is showing us how to know if we are on the right track or making the right decisions. Paul actually takes it one step further with real application for us today.

Romans 12:1,2:

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. [7]

We wonder why we don’t’ hear from God on big decisions, let me ask, what are you conforming to? What is it that you have given your mind, spirit and will to?

The word “conform” means to shape one’s behavior. Let me ask, has the world shaped your behavior? What alters your behavior? I can answer that if I looked at your screen time verses your Bible time. The word conform stands in complete contrast to “sacrifice”. The word sacrifice there is “offering”. What are you offering God? The left overs or all of it?

We struggle because of this part right there. We are quick to conform while slow to offer. And we wonder why we whisky throttle our entire lives? Why we are paralyzed to make decisions and why our brains are always in a fog? It isn’t rocket science. God gives us clear guidance and yet we are still ask the wrong questions. Instead of what should I do in this situation, we should be asking, how can I surrender this situation to you LORD?

UNBELIEVER ASSIDE

Hey unbeliever, you want to know the most important thing about being in the will of the Father? It is something we can rest in. Something we can trust in. Something that gives such peace.

e. Creates assurance of the source of your salvation:

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. [8]

I can not do it any better. If we are IN Christ, He is a payment for our sin. And by this we KNOW that we are IN Him if we keep His commandments. No one would want to unless they are IN Him. This little preposition of being "in" Christ. This should help us understand that He wants all of us. Remember eat my flesh and drink my blood? Jesus demands our unconditional surrender. We will never regret surrendering to such a good King!

But if we do, we are in Him. Vs 5, address the hypocrite, you may say you know Him but if you walk right past His commandments, you are NOT in HIM. You are living a lie. But, whoever keeps His word, you must then KNOW that you are in Him.

Look at verse 6: “whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.”Christ’s demands on our lives are not unreasonable. He will never ask of you anything that He has not already enabled you to do. Jesus KNEW the will of the Father and that was to save you. By sending His Son as a payment for you. Rest in that assurance! Stop running your own throttle, and allow Him to!

"Jesus had to come as He did, in order to be what He was, in order to do what He did"

Let me clarify....

"Jesus had to come as He did, to be born of a virgin, to be what He was, sinless, to do what He did, to die upon the cross in the place of sinners like you and I"

Dr Steven Lawson

CONCLUSION

Church, how often do we run our own speed in life? We get on the bike of life and think we know how to ride it. We think we have it figured out and then proceed to ask all the wrong questions. It is like me teaching the little kid who only wants to know how to make it go fast without learning how to make it stop.

What happens should never be surprising. We want God to magically show us the direction and how to make decisions and God is saying, you are asking it all wrong! He is telling us, to know the will of the Father is to know the Son. To know the Son means you do not conform to the world and offer yourself as an offering to Him.

In so doing, you take your hand off the throttle, allow Him to run it and He will show you the course of your life. The result is you “do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.