Truly, I Tell You

Have you ever heard the saying, “I am so poor, I can’t even pay attention.”

People have a difficult time paying attention.

I know I have had to learn to pay attention. My family says that I have a touch, or a fist full, of ADHD. So I have had to learn techniques to be able to pay attention. And like my sweet KarKar, I can get over stimulated when there is so much to take in. I am sure I am not alone in this.

When speaking to my wife in the car, if the radio is on, I have to turn it off so I can pay attention to her. And then she knows, she has about 5 minutes tops to tell me the important stuff, before I am off to the races on something else.

This past three weeks, I have been going through orientation training at work. It was a slog fest. There were times that going through water board torture would have been more fun. It was so hard to pay attention, but I knew that the information they were giving us was extremely important. So I had to pay attention. I literally had to use every technique of pay attention I learned.

You will see at the start of our text today, Christ saying, Truly, I tell you. This statement is meant to say, hey couhon pay attention, what I am about to say is very important. It is the equivalent of your dad saying, hold the light here and you know if you move a fraction of an inch from not pay attention, you will miss what he is doing.

So today, before we start, let’s pray for revelation in his word, but that we pay attention to the important matters dealing with heaven and hell issues.

1. Hear His Life-Giving Voice

John 5:24–25 CSB

“Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life. “Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

There is transformative power in hearing and believing in the words of Jesus. His words can give life, but ignoring them bring eternal death. What he is saying, if you pay attention to my words, you will escape hell and be with me in heaven.

Jesus promises eternal life to those who listen to His voice and believe in the One who sent Him.

Congregation, let me encourage you to cultivate a practice of listening for Christ's voice amidst the world's distractions, affirming that eternal life begins now as we respond to His call.

There is a meme that has been going around of this guy looking up to heaven saying God, I want to hear your voice. And all of a sudden a hand comes down from heaven holding a bible.

I have said it before and I will say it a thousand times more, the way to hear God’s voice is through worship, prayer, and bible study. And I am not talking about here at church, I am talking about you doing it at home.

People believe that Christianity begins and ends when the church doors are open and close.

The hour has come for the Christians to face this dark world with the power of worship, prayer and the very Word of God as there backbone. Not to just be a Sunday church attender.

We must pay attention so we can hear his life giving voice and share it with the world. And this brings us to our next pay attention moment. we must pay attention to...

2. His Sovereign Judgment

John 5:26–27 CSB

For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. And he has granted him the right to pass judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

Jesus has the authority to judge as granted by the Father.

Explain how Jesus, possessing life in Himself, exercises divine judgment.

Congregation we must reflect on the significance of Jesus' authority over life and death, and we live each day in the light of His sovereignty.

It is his sovereign judgement that should spur us to live our lives according to his teachings and commands.

I am not talking about a works type faith. For the bible says obedience is greater than sacrifice.

Charles Spurgeon has been quoted in saying...

Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God, trusts God, and he that trusts God, obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith. Do not oppose faith and good works to one another, for there is a blessed relationship between them; and if you abound in obedience your faith shall grow exceedingly.

Charles Spurgeon

Christ gives us a blue print on what to look for and things to do to show our faith to Him and to the world.

Matthew 25:35–46 CSB

“ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’ “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’ “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’ “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Powerful, especially in today’s American society.

Finally we must also pay attention to the ....

3. Hope in Resurrection Power

John 5:28–30 CSB

Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation. “I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

Eventually, every person on this planet, will have to face judgement.

His call,will be where all will hear His voice and be raised to judgment.

That is why it is so important to pay attention and to respond to Jesus now, embracing His offer of life and preparing for the day of resurrection.

In all our favorite book of the bible Revelation, it say that one day the book of life will be opened and all will be judged. And we know that only the ones who have prayed the prayer of repentance and accepted Christ as Lord and Savior in their lives will be allowed into the resurrection of life and the rest will be resurrected into condemnation.

So I want to leave you with a few questions and only you can answer.

We know that those written in the book of life will be judged by their faith first and their works second...so I ask

does the book have your name and next to it says “said a prayer” or does it say well done good and faithful servant...you were faithful with little, now be in charge of so much more”

Or does the book have your name and next to it is says “said a prayer” and then it says depart from me for I do not know you.

It is not about just a prayer you pray, it is about a relationship with Christ, to a point that you pay attention to his voice, his judgement, and live your life worthy to have the hope in his resurrection power.

Truly, I tell you!