The Gospel of John - What is Saving Trust/Faith - Pt6 - Knowledge Alone brings death But trust brings life.
The Gospel of John - What is Saving Trust/Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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GREET EVERYONE-
Good Morning Loved Ones
If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.
LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND
Open it to the Gospel of John - Chapter 7 and Verse 24 as we come to the conclusion of our current preaching series which: is part of our overall verse by verse walk through the Gospel of John!
A Series that we have been exposing a serious Answers an enormous question, from the scriptures, that everyone must ask “What is Saving Faith?”
And as A reminder - in the original language of the New Testament - Faith means “TRUST”
SO
The question that this series will expose from the Bible how God answers the question “What is Saving Trust?”
NOW IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BIBLE OR WOULD SIMPLY LIKE A NEW ONE
PRAYER OVER SERIES
is and has been that we would understand the importance of faith - i.e. TRUST in how we live our life out as Jesus Followers.
and Trust - Saving Trust is Eternally important!
Not only this idea of trust but the depth and severity of trusting Him.
I want all of us to hear this this morning - Loved ones pay attention to me.
There are lots of people in this world that would claim the Identity of “Christian” and there are even more that would not claim the identity of Christian, but rather some other identity -
If you claim the Identity of “Christian” and you have No idea what that is supposed to mean in your life with any sort of Historical/Biblical accuracy.
You are in danger!
If you are trusting in a prayer you prayed or some work you did or something that you did way back when - back when you were younger - and you are gauging if you were sincere back then and trust that as your salvation in what you did and your sincerity - You might be in danger!
According to the Bible the confirmation of your salvation is based on three things.
1- There is fruit of salvation - Fruit that indicates new creation - Fruit that leads to initial, continual and growing life altering obedience to Christ.
2 - A Steadfastness of Faith of trust that lays all hope on Jesus - A trust that Endures till then end.
3- The Confirmation of the Holy Spirit.
My prayer is that our trust in Jesus - our faith - A faith that saves - A faith that goes so far beyond just agreeing to a set of historical facts that Jesus died and was raised - but our faith would be a trust that alters our life and what we do in this life completely.
OR maybe you are someone who does not claim the identity of Christ at all but you claim, Agnostic, You claim Atheist - or buddist or Hinu or Musslim.
My prayer is for you is that you would come to a saving Trust in Jesus Christ, Be adopted by His spirit - Regenerated unto knew life, saved by grace through faith from the very wrath of God that every human being is under, in their natural state because we are all sinners by nature and by choice!
MY PRAYER OVER THIS MESSAGE
is that what we see and head and experience in this passage of text would bring us to a clear understanding that knowledge by it self brings death
and knowledge that brings about trust, brings life.
And not just a Trust that says: “I trust” “Yea I trust Him” But a living trust! A trust that lives out of our trust in Him!
LIKE THE MAN AT NIAGRA FALLS WITH THE WHEEL BARROW! -
A Trust that is from God -
A trust that Changes the direction of our life!
A Trust that Alters us and our desires and our hopes!
A trust that alters our agendas and our plans and our strategic goals for this life.
A Trust that transforms!
A Trust that changes and makes us markedly different from the culture around us.
A Trust that makes us more and more live Jesus every day as we live FOR him because He died for us and was raised.
ENGAGEMENT –
Knowledge and Knowing is so very important to our life -
It is a reality that in our free market economy of if we can still call it a free market society - In order for for people to flourish they must have a skill - A marketable skill that someone is willing to pay for.
Either a company that you employ or a customer or client that will employ you.
And what seems to be accurate is that the more specified and demanded skill sett you have the more money that people are willing to pay for that skill in the market place.
And what most if not all of us have experienced in our life throughout the last several generations is that one of the keys to having and developing that marketable skillset is getting an education.
And for years, there is this framework that the more education, in other words the more you know about the subject that your skill set is connected to - and the more demand that your skill set has - the more money you can make and the more money you made has been in this culture a direct correlation to the flourishing you can experience in your life.
Here is the funny thing -
On your way to getting an education -
we all learn things that we don’t use in the work place.
I don’t know how many people I have spoken to that use little or nothing that they learned in collage to do what they actually do.
Now that may not apply to you!
But here is what I think can apply to all of us.
All of us have come to know things, and I mean really know things and understand things in our education that we will never use in day to day life.
AS an example - I learned Algebra 2 in high school - I made a B in that class. - It corresponded with my Chemistry class in which I made another B. Loved the Chemistry Algebra 2 not so much!
The last 39 nine years of my life.
DO you know when the last time I used the atomic weight ratios of an element to understand the compound ratios of a complex material.
NEVER -
BUT - back when I was in school we all had to pass that subject or we were not going to graduate high school and we would never get into college without a high school diploma.
OR so we were taught.
The reason this was that way is because at some point in our history we felt it necessary as a culture to make education standardized for all Children -
So that everyone had an equal shot - an equal opportunity.
So we began teaching children the same thing across all spectrums of culture and demographics.
AND that was a good thing
TENSION
Here is what this has done to us in our culture.
IT has taught us that there are some things we can Know - There are some things we can come to know very well and understand very well -
But in the end that knowledge and understanding can actually exist and it changes nothing or very little about our individual life.
Because there are a lot of subjects that we know and understand but do not use and so they ultimatly make no difference to us in the long run.
and this has slowly moved us away from the necessity of having and holding onto objective truth - And ultemetly away from the aspect of Knowledge changing how we live.
Like its optional - We can let it change us or not and that is not a problem for anyone and perfectly legitimate for everyone.
and this is at large in our culture and for many of us in this room.
You might think - Well pastor, I’m not sure about all that!
Let me demonstrate -
IF you have never heard this it might be new to you, But I hope not!
Sugar is the number one killer of Americans of any substance in this country!
Sugar kills more people than anything else.
IT kills more people than phentanal -
More than alcholhal -
More than cigeretes -
More that all of the class 1 narcotics combined.
But here is the deal - One average - depending on who you ask -
On average - the average American citizen consumes 250-350 lbs of sugar a year.
and this is widely known information - Not hidden in some dark place on the internet - Widely known by the medical community.
AND YET - we keep eating it.
you see - we know that information and yet the knowledge doesn’t change anything we do -
WE know its deadly - We know that it causes all sorts of disease and yet we consume it by the pound everyday.
what we will hear and see in this text is just like sugar consumption- when it comes to Jesus - Knowledge alone will being death - and Knowledge with Trust brings life.
A Trust that changes how we live.
BACKGROUND
A A reminder where we are in this narrative discourse -
Jesus was up in the northern area of Galallee - He had done some amazing things over the better part of a year or so.
Water into wine -
Healed a man at a pool -
Dealt with officials and others
Fed 5000 men plus women and Children
Walked on water to catch up to the disciples.
Spoken if the ONE THING that God requires of all people.
The ONE work - Believe AKA Trust the one whom God had sent. That was Jesus!
Made the first of 9 “I am” Statements
I am the bread of life -
Spoke of Him being the very sustenence and nourishment for Life.
His brothers - not his disciples - told him to go up to Jerusalem to the Jewish Feast of Booths.
He goes but not with them - He goes Privately -
The crowds are looking for Him - and saying all kinds of things about Him -
He heads to the temple and is doing some teaching - The Rabbis and other Jewish leaders are Amazed at His teaching.
And This is where verse 25 pick up - Jesus is in the Big temple doing some teaching
and What Jesus has done is confronted these Jewish people in the temple about they Knowing a lot about Jesus and not believing in Him as the one whom God has sent.
And the fact that they confronted Jesus and Accused Jesus of breaking the law of the sabbath because He healed a man who had been lame for 24 years on the sabbath and then told the man to pick up His mat.
and it caused the leaders to want to Kill Him
UNPACKING
VSS24
AS Jesus is speaking these things - The People - Citizens of Jerusalem Ask a very important question about Jesus and their own leadership.
1st Question is about Jesus: Is not this man who our leader are seeking to Kill?
They all knew the answer to the question - They already knew that the Jewish Leaders believe Jesus to not only be a law breaker but also leading others astray -
In General terms they wanted the perception that Jesus was a false teacher they they were right to want to kill to be out in the public form.
Look back a VVS12
And were in the temple and everyone in the temple knows that the Jewish leaders want to Kill Jesus - They have not kept this a secret necessairly - In fact people have been afraid of the leaders to speak about Jesus.
VSS 26
The people now ask the second question this time about their leaders:
“and here he is speaking openly, and they say nothing to him?”
You see what they have just done is noticed a huge inconstancy in the leadership.
Then they ask a question of Speculation: “Can these leaders really know that this is the Christ?”
VSS27 they conclude that is not very likely -
But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.”
Now here is what is interesting about that statement -
They know about Him but something HUGE is missing.
Watch and listen to what Jesus says:
Its always interesting to me that Jesus always knows what to say and what people are thinking.
VSS28 - 29
Jesus teaching in the temple - Speaks to these people and to the religious leaders and watch what Jesus says to the,
So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
Jesus is just going to AMMP it up.
You see these are Jewish people - The people who for a couple of thousand years at this point were the chosen people of GOD - The People of the inheritance
The People of the covenant promise.
And these people Know Jesus -
Jesus says “You know me and you know where I am from”
This is where Jesus amps it up .
I have not come on my own accord. He who sent me is true and you do not know Him, I come from Him and He Sent me.
Now Here is what Jesus has just said to the chosen people of God.
“You know me” and that is not doing you ANY good - Because you do not know GOD.
He just told a huge room full of people and of Jewish religious leaders most if not all of whom Have the whole old testament of the Bible Mempized and they Know a ton of scripture and they certainly know who Jesus is.
He just told them that their knowledge is doing them no good because they do not know God.
VSS30
They are NOW seeking to arrest Him, but not yet.
VSS31 there is this side note -
This identification of a group of people that seem to be separate from the other Jewish people and leaders.
Believers -
People who Trust Him - People who trust what He has done and the claims He has made to be true
and they will live out loud as a testimony.
Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
VSS32
The religious leader set out a plan to arrest Jesus.
and Jesus begins to talk to the people who are in the Temple - and He is going to speak of His journey to the cross and His ressurrection
Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”
You see Jesus is speaking to a group of people that know Him and yet do not believe Him.
Proof is in the Puddin as they say
Look at VSS35-36
The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
and so far in these 12 verses what the scripture has done is divided two groups of people - ONE - who know Him and don’t believe Asking questions, Making assumptions, and not getting it.
and the other group back in VVS31 believers.
VSS37
begins with “on the last day of the feast”
This is the feast of Booths - This is a celebration of God’s provision in a harvest and they were to live in tents for 7 days.
This is Day 7
Now what we are not clear on is the setting - Were not really sure if Jesus is in the Market place out in public or if He is still in the temple.
What we can assume based on the fact that this is day 7 - is that he is now in the market place speaking.
John Recorded for us that Jesus Stands-up and cries out.
Standing up and yelling is what that means.
and what Jesus is doing is He is grabbing the attention of as many people as he could.
and What he says is the difference between life and death
what Jesus cries out is the declaration of His promise in the sermon on the mount.
What He says if the same promise that He declared to the women at the well when She believed.
In this passage there are many who believed in Him, who placed their trust in Him, and yet there are many many many who do not.
Jesus lays down the Paradigm of eternity and throws open the Gospel who ANYONE.
notice loved ones - Jesus Cries out ANAYONE
ANYONE who thirsts -
Come and drink. That word in the context of the language means to move towards him - Approach Him - Drink - To take - TO receive.
Then Jesus reiterates the openness of His invitation the Openness of His declaration - the openness of the Gospel -
WHOEVER - WHO EVER believes in me as the Scripture has said.
The scripture - What Jesus has just done is say that the words of God - I.e. the old testament have declared that Trusting in Him - Trusting in Jesus - changes things - Trusting in Him has a promise from God that would differenciated ANYONE and EVERYONE from the rest of the world -
Out of His heart would flow rivers of living water.
What this directly implies is that not believing in him, not trusting in Him, everyone in their natural state, there is not life in them, there is no life in you
WHY?
John Explains for us in verse 39
VSS39
Because the Holy Spirit had not yet come to dwell in those who trusted Jesus.
But this is the promise of Salvation that Jesus declared -
This is the reality of salvation, repentance and surrender.
This is the reality of Regeneration, being made new, becoming Gods workmanship created in Christ.
This is what happens when whoever and anyone Trusts Jesus for life.
VSS40-51
these passages of text give us the opposite reaction of some of the leaders.
these passages of scripture give us the clear declaration of the fact that there was a large number of people who knew who Jesus was,
Clearly knew and understood what He said.
Saw and experienced what He had done.
Knew his words as He spoke them directly to them.
and although the KNEW -
Although they had Knowledge - It was knowledge alone -
and with knowledge alone … comes death to the soul -
Knowledge alone their come the desire to dismantle - the desire to divide - the desire to tear down - The deire for death.
Watch and listed to those that do not trust him.
All sorts of rational thinking.
All sorts of reasoning and thinking of many any reasons not to trust in Him.
NOW There were people who believed him -
But watch those who didn’t
VSS40
some who think Jesus words are important say “This really is the prophet”
Some who hear the words of Jesus think he is a great teacher, a wise man, a prophet or even “The prophet” that has come back into the world.
VSS41
Those that Believe in Him ask those who do not.
“Is the Christ to come from Galilee?
the answer is YES
You see they knew Jesus but they did not trust him.
VSS42
“Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David and comes from bethleham the village where David was?
The answer to that question is YES - but they had knowledge and did not believe.
VSS43
says “there was a division among the people over Him”
Listen loved ones there will always be division around the person and topic of Jesus - Around faith in Him around trust and repenting to Him and trusting Him as master lord and savior.
Jesus actually said that. He warns every one about this.
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
So there is division.
Jesus has said things that brings division.
and the rest of this passage displays the depth of the spirit of death from among those who knew Jesus but did not and would not trust Him.
It displays that Knowledge alone simply belongs death.
Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
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!” The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
VSS50
Nicodemus - A leader - who wasn’t quite sure of Jesus just quite yet tries to slow the roll of these other people.
Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”
VSS51
They turn against one of their own!
Nicodemus was a Pharacee - He was one of them!
He is reminding them of their own law -and the turn against Him over Jesus.
“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”
VSS52
They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
THE GOSPEL CONNECTION
Loved ones - Jesus has declared the Gospel to us in these passages of text in one of two ways -
ONE - the Gospel is open to anyone and everyone.
Trust in Him - Let the Knowledge that you have of Him, infuse you mind and heart, to come to him and take him in.
Drink -
Thirsty for the world to be made right?
Thirsty for justice to be done or meated out?
Thirsty because you know things are not right and it feels like death is all around.
Thirsty because of the pain in this world?
Thirsty because of the brokenness of our humanity has caused pain and suffering in this life for you.
Jesus says to all of us this morning in this text - ANYONE who trusts?
Whoever comes to Him - Whoever approaches - Whoever moves towards Him.
DRINK - Take him in - Let Him live His life through you.
and your life will change - your life will become a wellspring - Spring up to life.
APPLICATION OR IMAGINE
Loved ones
If you are here this morning or watching on live stream and you Claim Christ - you claim the identity of Christian.
Please Please Please take a fearless moral inventory of your life.
Test your self - Examine yourself?
Examine your life to make sure you are truly trusting in Jesus.
Is their fruit of trust in your life?
Is there fruit of obedience to Jesus commands in your life.
If there Fruit that is multiplying 30x60x100x because the word of God - Jesus is planted in your life and you are found to be Good soil.
Has the Love of God, on public display for you on the cross of Calvary, and the power of God in Jesus being raised from the dead: compelled you to surrender daily more and more and more to His will and His ways.
Examine your self loved ones - to make sure you are not thinking you are OK with God because You have Knowledge alone -
Because Knowledge alone brings death.
Make sure loved ones. Examine daily loved ones.
Are you trusting in Him and in Him alone every day and is that trust reflected in your life in what you do because your life is a wellspring of life to others around you?
LETS STAND and Worship
Mike and Crystal -
