Whose Child are You?

Good Morning,

The Title of this morning message is

Whose Child are you?

Our text this morning is John 8:37-59.

Now, within this text we will see Jesus

Still scraping with the “Jews” over things like his origin, truth, and sin

Jesus is going to continue

laying it all there

holding nothing back so that they know the truth

of who he is, and who they are without him

So let us stand, and read this weeks text

it is longer so if you do not stand that is ok

But I believe in the public reading of scripture

so, here we go

Text

John 8:37–59 CSB

I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you. I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father; so then, you do what you have heard from your father.” “Our father is Abraham,” they replied. “If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You’re doing what your father does.” “We weren’t born of sexual immorality,” they said. “We have one Father—God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on my own, but he sent me. Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Who among you can convict me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.” The Jews responded to him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan and have a demon?” “I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and judges. Truly I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” Then the Jews said, “Now we know you have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets died. Who do you claim to be?” “If I glorify myself,” Jesus answered, “my glory is nothing. My Father—about whom you say, ‘He is our God’—he is the one who glorifies me. You do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” The Jews replied, “You aren’t fifty years old yet, and you’ve seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple.

Illustration

Whose Child are You?

You know, there is something special about bringing a child into this world

Do you know that a new born baby recognizes it’s mothers voice

immediately after birth

and not only that but they also are even drawn to her scent

and that first hour after birth something amazing happens

as the mother holds her baby with skin to skin contact

where the mother of the child holds the new born baby tightly

Do you know during this special time

that it isn’t only about bonding

breathing in rhythm

it gets their heart beat in rhythm

it stimulates the regulation of their core temperature

which kickstarts their metabolism

to life outside of the womb

and not only that but this close contact exposes the baby to beneficial bacteria from their mothers skin

which begins to build the immune system

Then hormones get released due to this close contact

that supports feeding

that supports bonding

and that supports the feeling of safety and security

The immediate bond that occurs between mother and child is simply amazing

As this new born baby is completely dependent upon its parents

And the love of the parents is completely unconditional for this baby

And soon this child will be able to learn by observing their parents

by imitating their parents

And no doubt in most cases the bond between parents and their children deepen over time

especially when they get children of their own

Now, there is a reason that God set up this example in his master plan

Because that is exactly How he operates

See through faith in Christ, we are adopted into God's family, becoming His beloved children.

And the process is similar with Him

as we come into His family

our breathing aligns with his

as we come into his family

our hearts begin to beat for him

as we come into his family

we feel a sense of security and safety

and we learn to imitate him

But, notice this bond only occurs between children and their parents

And the the children hear their parents voice

The children are in step with the parents

the children depend on the parents

Much like we should be with God

Each day, we are pulled in different directions—

tempted by the world’s desires and distractions,

yet called by Christ to a life of purpose and truth.

In John 8:37-59, Jesus speaks directly to the heart of this struggle.

He challenges the religious leaders of His time by revealing that their allegiance to worldly power and tradition blinds them to the truth.

He calls them out,

not for their heritage or lineage,

but for their failure to recognize Him as the Son of the Father

The son of God

So this morning we are going to explore the question

whose child are you?

Does your heavenly father recognize your voice

Do you recognize his?

Do you imitate him?

Or is there no connection at all?

and are you simply a child of man

do you follow yourself or someone you have placed upon a pedestal

Or do you follow this world and its leader

This can be summed up in our 3 points this morning

Children of Abraham

Children of the Devil

Children of God

Lets get started with our first point of the morning

Children of Abraham

If we remember where we left off last week

The Jews thought they were saved due to their lineage

how could they be slaves when their “father” is Abraham

So, who is Abraham?

We all may know, but I want to recap on a couple of things so that you fully understand what Jesus is about to say

See Abraham, who was originally named Abram, he is a central biblical figure our story of redemption

He is regarded as the father of the Jewish nation

He is found in Hebrews 11 which is the hall of faith

See Abraham was called to leave his homeland when God promised to make him a great nation

Then God promised to him

that all of the nations that came through him would be blessed

And Abraham, on faith, believed this and followed God

Now, he had his imperfections as we all do right

But in the same vein he had a willingness to obey God

even to the point of sacrificing his son Isaac,

remember, his one and only son

and when he was just about to follow through with it

God intervened

by sending a ram to be slain in his place

Now, here is what I am getting at

Abraham exemplified

unwavering trust

complete obedience

and a legacy of faith

And through that

a lineage was created that would provide salvation

However, this lineage was not based on the nation

as these jews thought

This lineage was based on the fact that the messiah would come from his family

and Jesus is the true messiah

A descendant of Abraham

and he would be that salvation for all nations

So, salvation is based on Abrahams lineage yes

But because of Jesus

not because of Abraham

Now with all that said remember this

Abraham was a man of great faith

Abraham was a man of obedience

Abraham was a man known for doing what was right

So, lets just back into our conversation from last week

Lets start by looking at both V37 & V40

Jesus tells them your trying to kill me…

Now, do you think that if Abraham were standing there

do you think he would be trying to kill Jesus?

I don’t think so,

so that’s interesting isn’t it

They say they are from Abraham

but it sure doesn’t sound like they are acting like him

Abraham was a man of faith,

a man of integrity

a man set apart due to his ability to obey God

Throughout all of this conversation

have we seen these Jews show any of those attributes

not that I can remember

They sure aren’t representing the one they lay claim to very well at all are they

So far we have seen these “Jews”

Be-little Jesus

doubt his teachings

dismiss him

interrupt his teachings

Reject his claims

insult where he came from

call him a Samaritan (which was an insult)

call him a liar

mock him

call him demon possessed

attempt to have him arrested

attempt to stone him

and plot to and try to kill

Again, that doesn’t sound like someone that claims to be Abrahams children would do..

right

I mean in V39 they say their father is Abraham

So to drive the point home that they are Abrahams children they again insult Jesus by saying

we know who our father is

unlike you Jesus

We know you were born of sexual immorality

we know that Mary was pregnant before she wed Joseph

you have no right to tell us who our father is

when you yourself are illegitimate

Really….

they say an insult like that and follow it up with

“We have one father-God”

Talk about talking out of both sides of your mouth

And this is exactly what Jesus is arguing here

That is why he says His word has no place in them

that is why he says that the truth he has told them is life

yet they are trying to kill them for it

and that is why he told them his word has no place among them

Because as Jesus tells them in John 8:39 “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did”

And because they don’t do what Abraham did

because they do not represent the one in whom they claim lineage from

They are in fact denying God

That is why when Jesus also told them

if God were your father, you would love me

But see God isn’t their father

and while they may be physical descendants of Abrahams

their hearts and their spiritual life couldn’t be any further away from that

See, these Jews were following their own ways

these Jews were wrapping their own ideals

philosophies, laws, and standards

actions

they were taking all these things that were not of God

slapping Abrahams name and God’s image on them

and calling it good

thinking, that they could find salvation in this

But that couldn’t be any further from the truth

the very truth we discussed so deeply last week

And that is exactly what is happening today

so many try to take their man made ideas

their man made philosophies

their privilege

their pride

wrap them in lies

slap the name of Jesus on them

and call it religion

then, what is even worse is they get people to follow them

Just look at how popular the prosperity gospel

I mean just look at all the cults out there

and maybe we can study these more in depth some Sunday evening but

Heaven’s Gate created by the man

Marshall Applewhite

The cult believed that Earth was about to be "recycled" and that the only way to survive was to leave the planet. In 1997, 39 members died in a mass suicide, believing they were entering a spacecraft following the Hale-Bopp comet.

The Peoples Temple - Jim Jones (thought he was messiah)

this was the group that commited mass murder suicide by drinking cyanide laced Kool-Aid

900 souls lost

Brand Davidians - Dave Koresh

he claimed to be the final prophet

this ended with that famous standoff in Waco

Or the Manson family

do I really need to say any more about them

But let us not forget Mormonism

and Joseph Smith

thats a scary deep dive

or even Jehovah Witnesses

Every single one of these groups mascarade as Christian in some form or fashion

all started by men, following their own desires

and slapping the name of Jesus or God on it

But let me bring this a little closer to home

you know what one of the biggest limiting factors in Christianity is?

Christians

See if we want to be honest with ourselves we must ask ourselves

are we representing Jesus, the way he deserves to be represented?

when people look at us

at our lives

do they see Jesus and his love

do they see his grace

do they see his mercy

do they see a life changed due to the impact of

His sacrifice

or do they see

Hypocrisy?

do we say and preach one thing but LIVE another

or do they see legalism?

are we so focused on the rules, rituals, and traditions

that even Jesus wouldn’t fell comfortable worshiping

do they see a lack in love and compassion within the congreagation

or do they see folks merely participating in Christianity

See this text may look like some lines on the page where Jesus is arguing with the Jews some 2000+ years ago

but the fact of the matter is that many are still doing this today

so many today misrepresent Christ and claim to be his child

when they couldn’t be any further from the that

and we must sit back as honestly ask ourselves are we representing the one in whom we claim

and if we aren’t

then who are we representing

who are we truly following

ourselves

a great preacher

a great author

1 Corinthians 1:12–13“12 What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name?”

See brothers and sisters we must follow the one that was crucified for us

we must follow the one in who’s name we are baptized

because anything else

is just a mis-representation

Sure, we are not going to follow him perfectly

sure, we are going to fall short

and I pray that we recognize when this happens

and we pray for Him to help us align our ways

Because I can assure you?

if you are not following and modeling your life after Christs and his teachings

then you may be in the same boat as these Jews

Following yourself

and being a child of man

Which leads us to our second point of the morning

Children of the Devil

Now, I am not accusing anyone in this room of being a child of the devil

but I am trying to draw a line

Just how last week we talked about truth

and the truth is

that you

either embrace Christ as your savior

or you reject him as your savior

one leads you to heaven and

the other leads you to eternal seperation from him

which, if you reject him

is exactly what you asked for

and that line is the fact that if we are not serving Christ

if we are not children of God

Then that only leads to one the other option right

you are following the ways of this world

and the one whose hand holds the influence of this world

John 8:43–45 now this is Jesus talking… just in case your starting to get mad at me… “43 Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”

I didn’t point it out in our last point but during that entire exchange Jesus was implying that

they were not doing as Abraham did

but instead

they were doing as their father did

what did I say they were doing to Jesus?

oh yea..

here’s just two of them

they were lying to

others about him

and they were trying to kill him

and what did Jesus just say devil does..

oh yea

he is a murder and a liar

Jesus was there when Satan fell right

Luke 10:18 “He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”

As we will see soon Jesus is eternal right, and he was there when satan fell

he knew how is happened

and in that moment Satan denied the truth

and followed his own ways

his pride led him to follow his own ways

and because of that

he speaks

and thinks from his own nature

and Jesus is saying this spiritual nature

is that of lies and deceit

and you that perform lies and deceit

act more like satan than you do Abraham

He’s saying sure, your physical lineage is of Abraham

but Abraham didn’t act like this

You actually have more in common with your spiritual father

the devil

Because you lie and deceive just like he did and still does

And you know why?

Because you do not believe that I am the truth that I have been telling you about

He says can any of you convict me of sin?

sure, they could accuse him

but they could not convict him

why?

Because he knew no sin

he was sinless and they knew it

So why wouldn't they believe who he is?

Because they did not understand his word

because they had closed their hearts off

to the true things of God

and therefore, were lead to the things of this world

which is again dominated by the devil

John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”

John 14:30 “I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me.”

John 16:11 “and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”

2 Corinthians 4:4“In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Ephesians 2:2“in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.”

Don’t think for a second that there isn’t a spiritual war going on above our heads this very second

Don’t think that our enemy is one that we can see

No, our enemy is the enemy of truth

and boy he is good at bending that truth

he is good at convincing us that we should follow him

and do any of us willingly follow him

i hope not

but, when we do not follow Christ

guess who we are following?

Yes, he is that good

You know how good the devil is at tricking us

Rev. 12 tells us about a great battle in heaven

a great battle between that great dragon, Satan

and Michael the angel

and you know what

when Michael threw the devil out of heaven

1/3 of the angels went with him

The devil is so good at deceiving that he convinced 1/3 of the angels to go against God

1/3 of the angels that dwelt in the

powerful presence of our father

that knew his glory first had

1/3 of them

which is a number we cannot pretend to know

but its a big one

He was able to deceive 1/3 of the angels into falling from heaven

if he is that good

what makes us think that we can out smart Him

what makes us think that we can resist his ways better than the angels

And the answer is we can’t

not by ourselves

See if we try to go about this world on our own

if we are pretending in the game of Christianity

if we are merly going through the motions

without any, real connection with God

how in the world do you think we will be able to resist him

The fact of the matter is that we cannot

without abiding in Christ

without being bathed in the truth that he gives

without having the Holy Spirit fight these battles for us

we lose

Our only victory is in and through Christ

Because not only do we misrepresent Christ when our

actions contradict the things of God

but we also side with the devil

when our hearts are far from him

But praise God that he is good

Because as we will see in our final point of the morning

God gave us the opportunity seek refuge from the ways of this world

and the schemes of the devil

through his son

we can become

Children of God

Children of God

Lets start with V48

Now that we have seen the “Jews” theological arguments fail

they turn to personal abuse

they say Jesus is the one that has the demon

and then they step it up by saying

John 8:48 “48 The Jews responded to him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan and have a demon?””

now there is a lot going on with this insult so we will briefly scratch the surface

see they hated the Samaritans right

they thought them to be half breeds

and what else, yea sorcery was prevalent in Samaria

we see that in the book of Acts with Simon the Sorcerer

so now they are saying that Jesus is a demon possessed, half breed, sorcerer

You remember when you were young and you lost an argument so the best thing you could come up with was

yea well, I’m rubber and your glue, what you say bounces off of me and sticks to you

Yea, this was all they had,

Sad isn’t it, well… thats where we are

So its time for Jesus to put this to bed

He doesn’t even acknowledge the Samaritan thing

He simply begins again by saying

John 8:49–51 “49 “I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and judges.

Jesus is bringing this home now

He is from the Father

Im sure he really emphasized the MY FATHER part

But Jesus never sought glory

in fact it is the father that glorifies Him

And here is our kicker,

Jesus says 51 Truly I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.””

You know who died,

Abraham

you know who else died

Muhamed

You know who else died

Budda

Cofusios

list anyone you want

And I can assure they have or will die

and so will Satan (well, not in the terms or ceasing to exist)

but he will be cast into the lake of fire

But do you know who will not die?

Jesus Christ

and anyone that keeps the word of Christ…

anyone that believes in Christ

Us, the children of God

see when we are adopted into his family

we get all of the benefits of the father

we will never parish

we will have eternal life

never to be let go

we will be held firmly in the hand of God

the creator of the universe

Now, of course the jews and many today object to that

they say you cant live forever

they tell Jesus he cant live forever

they again accuse him of being crazy!

And I can almost see the half grin of Jesus when he tells them

in John 8:56 “56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.””

and in John 8:58 “58 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.””

John 8:59 “59 So they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple.”

Brothers and sisters,

why is this so profound?

By Jesus saying I AM he is saying

I am divine

He is connecting his name with Gods name

He is claiming eternal existence

Thats how he Abraham knew him

and that is how he saw Satan Fall

And our assurance as children of God

falls under his divine authority as the eternal son of God

see Jesus is supreme over

Abraham

He is supreme over this world

He is supreme of Satan

He is supreme over anything

anyone could ever throw at us

He is supreme over

depression

anger

anxiety

lust

greed

fill in the blank

He is supreme over these things because he existed before these things

and before these things even came about he knew

that one day he would hang on that tree for you!

For me

and for anyone that believes in his word

and his truth

Conclusion

As followers of Jesus, we are not merely children of Abraham,

nor are we defined by our earthly lineage or status.

No, we are children of the eternal Son of God,

called to live in a way that reflects this profound truth.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are adopted into God’s family

and given the privilege of being called His children.

The Apostle John writes in John 1:12, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

This identity is not earned or achieved by our efforts but is a gift of grace through faith in Jesus.

We are not children of this world,

nor are we bound by its values and priorities.

Our identity as children of God calls us to a higher standard of living.

We are called to be salt and light in a world

that desperately needs the love and truth of Christ.

Our lives should reflect the character of our heavenly Father,

demonstrating His love, grace, and compassion to those around us.

This means showing grace to those who have wronged us,

extending compassion to the hurting,

and loving others as Christ loves us.

Our lives should be marked by the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

So,If you are here today and have not yet experienced the joy of being a child of God,

I invite you to receive this incredible gift.

The gospel message is simple yet profound:

God loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus,

to die for your sins and rise again,

offering you eternal life.

Through faith in Jesus,

you can be forgiven,

adopted into God's family,

and receive the gift of eternal life.

Romans 10:9 declares, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

This invitation is open to all.

No matter your past,

no matter your background,

or where you find yourself today,

God is ready to welcome you into His family.

so that you will no longer be a child of this world

or a child of the ruler of this world

Let us Pray!

Closing Prayer

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the incredible privilege of being called Your children. Help us to live in a way that reflects Your love, grace, and compassion to a world in need. For those who have not yet experienced the joy of being Your child, I pray that You would open their hearts to receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. May we all walk in the truth of our identity as Your children, bringing glory to Your name. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

Time of Invitation