Seeking and Finding
Notes
Transcript
ILLUST Where are you from? Who’s “from” the farthest away?
Can you tell when people “ain’t from around here”?
Where are you going? The most important question you need to answer
Seeking and Finding Jesus
Seeking and Finding Jesus
READ John 7: 32-52 (v. 53 part of 8)
1) Jesus’ Origin and Destination
1) Jesus’ Origin and Destination
In question:
Where He is from?
Where He is going?
The naysayers and opponents challenge Jesus on these points - even though the answers are clear
Origin - Heaven
Destination - Heaven
The Jewish rulers send their guard to arrest Him (wanting no trouble from Rome - “let’s just get rid of this trouble-maker and get on with life”)
They wanted Him to go to some land of Gentiles, away from them (and that would only mean more spread of the Gospel, if you think about it)
A recurring theme: Most had already made up their mind and rejected Jesus - He threatened their selfish way of life
2) The Thirsty
2) The Thirsty
Recall this feast - elements of bread, water, desert
The last day (extra day) - water ceremony
Priests carried pitchers of water to pool of Siloam, very low at this time, and prayed for provision
Cisterns were likely empty or near empty
They are eagerly seeking God’s help and provision, wanting to thank and praise Him for the blessing
Oh, the irony
JESUS IS RIGHT THERE! - The living water!
He comes at a time of a feast about bread, water, wilderness
Offering to save those who recognize they are wandering, thirsty and hungry for truth
They miss the spiritual by focusing on the physical
Jesus has used water and bread in the past
Satan’s temptation - “make bread”
Woman at the well - living water
To this people
The wilderness of their ancestors
Water from a rock
Bitter water turned safe
6 days of parade, then parade seven times on day - 8th day, pray for provision
And there is Jesus! LOVE IT!
“You thirsty? I bet you are! I’m right here, let Me satisfy that thirst, FOREVER!”
He says “from within” (v. 38) - The thirst is internal, never ceasing until satisfied
3) Genuinely Seeking
3) Genuinely Seeking
Must truly seek to truly see
Again, a challenge to Jesus’ Messiah-ship arises
Most ignore Him, He’s not from where He should be from
(It appears that His birth in Bethlehem may have been erased from official records, even though many still knew that)
Those around Herod at Jesus’ birth knew quickly where to find the information then, this is merely 30 years later
John could refute this in His Gospel
Why doesn’t he?
To John, his Gospel, the most important aspect of Jesus is that He is from above, He is God
Jesus’ story does not begin at Bethlehem
Jesus has no beginning, in the beginning the Word was God
THAT is the origin of Jesus
Opponents of Jesus are teaming up to oppose Him
The guard returns to the Sanhedrin, the Council, with no Jesus
Jesus made an impression on them
Because they got up close and personal with Him
THEN….Nicodemus…
He knows the Law, and the Law says we don’t render a verdict without hearing from the accused and examining the evidence
That’s FAIR
Those hating Jesus, and the disruption of the status quo, do not want fairness
And how do they treat one of their own, Nicodemus?
“Are you from Galilee, too?” meant to be an insult, showing ignorance, stupidity, hatred, and spiritual blindness on multiple levels
ASIDE - No prophet came from Galilee, even though Jonah did. Oh, never mind!
They were seeking the Messiah, on their own terms
And when Jesus does not match those terms, they are faced with a choice
Stick to their incorrect belief…OR…
Change
POINTS FOR US TO APPLY
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
“I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.
1) So where are you from? Where are you going?
“Ain’t from around here” should fit the life we live for Christ
If we live like this world is our forever home, we, and others, will thirst and thirst, spiritually
We, and others we interact with, will live with Jesus right in front of us, fully available to us
And still struggle, be depressed, feel hopeless, not needing to
I’m from Southern Illinois, and now I belong to Heaven as a citizen there, which is where I am going
THAT needs to shape how I deal with “here”
2) John (v. 39) sees a time when the Holy Spirit will be active, poured out like water is poured out
After Jesus is “glorified” (dead and resurrected)
This is US! We as believers have the Holy Spirit - we are living proof, evidence of this very Gospel
What we do with that shows
What we offer people when we talk “Jesus” to them - shows
People know if we are satisfied or not
YOU know if you are satisfied or not
People live each day, hoping to find peace, satisfaction, hoping tomorrow will be better
People don’t know it, but they need Jesus
People don’t accept this truth
But……They are actually seeking what He provides, just in the wrong places
- so we need to speak His name to them
The world wants to get rid of Jesus, silence us, and move on with their lives - and we are letting them
Shift from “where are you from?” to “where are you going?”
What they need is right in front of them - in plain sight
3) How clear is Jesus today? People are confused, and the Church must step up and clarify - speaking truth
I get frustrated when Christians are not treated fairly
Truth is, closed minds don’t care about fairness
They label us as extremists, closed-minded
I CANNOT HAVE AN OPEN MIND TO A TEACHING OPPOSING THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD
There IS truth, and people rejecting that are wrong
So call me intolerant - I am
OUR JOB?
“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
This is the reality of the mindset of the world around us
God hasn’t given up on our society, but He will allow people to live in rebellion against Him, and they will lose
So what can we do?
Speak Jesus
Say His name, pray in His name
Speak and share His Word
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Tell people they need the love of Jesus
That He is right in front of them
And that is YOU
That is US - the church
Romans 10:9-13 passage for invitation
God put us HERE, to be in front of the people who need us to be
So we can show them Jesus!
And if it is important to us, we will.
And it will be important to us, if we are finding satisfaction in Jesus
Let’s go find those people in front of us, who need to find Jesus