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Sermon Style Sheet

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Sermon Text

Sermon Text: Scripture

Call to Worship

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Psalm 72:18–19 CSB

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wonders. 19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; the whole earth is filled with his glory. Amen and amen.

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Passage:

Formation Journal Page Number: 4:07-4:32 11:07-11:42

John 7:1–24 CSB

1 After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee, fsince he did not want to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to kill him. 2 The Jewish Festival of Shelters was near. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples can see your works that you are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he’s seeking public recognition. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.) 6 Jesus told them, “My time has not yet arrived, but your time is always at hand. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I testify about it—that its works are evil. 8 Go up to the festival yourselves. I’m not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After he had said these things, he stayed in Galilee. 10 After his brothers had gone up to the festival, then he also went up, not openly but secretly. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was a lot of murmuring about him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” Others were saying, “No, on the contrary, he’s deceiving the people.” 13 Still, nobody was talking publicly about him for fear of the Jews. 14 When the festival was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. 15 Then the Jews were amazed and said, “How is this man so learned, since he hasn’t been trained?” 16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t mine but is from the one who sent me. 17 If anyone wants to do his will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. 18 The one who speaks on his own seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 19 Didn’t Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” 20 “You have a demon!” the crowd responded. “Who is trying to kill you?” 21 “I performed one work, and you are all amazed,” Jesus answered. 22 “This is why Moses has given you circumcision—not that it comes from Moses but from the fathers—and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses won’t be broken, are you angry at me because I made a man entirely well on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”

Opening Illustration:

This is a man named Count of anjou Fulk Nerra. 970-1040

He was an interesting figure because he would go and do some attrocity and then do a pilgrimadge to pay for it.

IMage of Fulk

Map on Anjoy

anjou

Burned his wife at the stake - pilgrimage to jerusalem

Kill a bunch of people assassinated another guy- visit jerusalem

Kill some more - visit Jerusalem again this time allowing his servant to drag him through the street for penance

Earthly, Unspiritual and demonic

He didn’t want to stop killing people but on the other hand he didn’t go to hell

[We have to decide WHOSE kingdom we will build] We don’t live on our terms, we lie on God’s terms

time

Getting into the Sermon

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Background

John 1- Jesus is baptized and chooses his disciples

John 2 - Turns water into wine at Cana and goes to jersualem

John 3 - has a conversation with Nicodemus (john 3:16)

John 4- he meets the woman at the well and is back in Cana where he heals an officials son from a distance

John 5- Heals a paralyzed man and tells him to carry his mat on the sabath

John 6 - feeds 5,000 & walks on water but at the end of chapter 6, he says some things that offend the people and most of his disciples leave him

So now we pick up the story

John 7:1–5 CSB

1 After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee, since he did not want to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to kill him. 2 The Jewish Festival of Shelters was near. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples can see your works that you are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he’s seeking public recognition. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.)

[They wanted the SIGNS but not the SAVIOR]

Everyone left him - they want the signs - but not the teaching

Nothing about the teaching

They were seeking themselves - if you were reading james - it actually says that seeking yourself and your way is earthly, unspiritual and demonic - not that you are demon possessed but that it is a demonic activity. It’s really pretty gross.

Selfish ambition

If I had to guess, I would think that this is a class of sin that we don’t really think to much about. We want to use God for the things we want in life. He’ll give us health, he’ll give us money, he’ll fix my husband or my wife. That’s what we want.

And so we want God to be exalted only to the degree that we get to ride his coattails. That’s what’s happening here.

John 7:6–7 CSB

6 Jesus told them, “My time has not yet arrived, but your time is always at hand. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I testify about it—that its works are evil.

Now what his he saying

[Jesus was COMMITTED to the Father’s plan]

One theologian said that he was committed to the father’s destiny.

But there is a plan, a purpose. Jesus was committed to that living it out. His life was devoted to it.

As Christians, we are to live that same way. God has a plan and purpose and a goal. Our lives should be in line with seeing him glorified, him lifted up. That’s what we do. And so we always have to fight the unbelief that puts us as the center. Us in the spotlight.

Jesus wasn’t having any of it.

John 7:10 CSB

10 After his brothers had gone up to the festival, then he also went up, not openly but secretly.

John 7:14 CSB

14 When the festival was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach.

Look at what happened - they wanted signs not a savior but Jesus was working out the Father’s plan. He didn’t go in publicly, he went in quietly, He didn’t go doing major signs, he went in teaching them.

The brothers wanted selfish ambition Jesus wanted the father’s glory

But there was another group of people that didn’t believe. The crowd didn’t believe.

John 7:11–13 CSB

11 The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was a lot of murmuring about him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” Others were saying, “No, on the contrary, he’s deceiving the people.” 13 Still, nobody was talking publicly about him for fear of the Jews.

There are people who don’t want to be bothered by Jesus. Some take an antagonist view. They say he is just deceiving people.

SPECIAL FORCES in Iraq - the grey man

the brothers were self seeking by seeking glory, they are trying to avoid negativity

But then there are some who think Jesus is true but don’t want to be bothered about it.

These are people who claim to have faith but it’s a private faith. In fact, some people’s faith is so private even the devil doesn’t know they have it!

Look this is just another form of self- promotion. It’s just lay low, don’t bring attention to yourself, be quiet and it will all be ok. The bad people won’t come after you if you don’t say anything!

But that is no wisdom. It’s still neglecting to live for God’s glory.

Matthew 10:33 CSB

33 But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven.

That’s still in there.

Here’s what you need to know - [There are only two kingdoms and no one is UNAFFILIATED.]

You are either pursuing God’s kingdom or the devil’s. But you say, no I’m not, I’m just trying to build my own kingdom. There are only two kingdoms

So there where the brothers, there was the crowd but there where also the jewish leaders.

They have unbelief too. They were self-seeking as well. See here’s what they were doing - they were trying to manipulate the Jewish law to make them feel good about themselves. -

[Man made morality is used to EXCUSE the sins we enjoy]

SURE I’M KILLING PEOPLE BUT I WENT TO JERUSALME

John 7:18–19 CSB

18 The one who speaks on his own seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 19 Didn’t Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

John 7:23 CSB

23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses won’t be broken, are you angry at me because I made a man entirely well on the Sabbath?

THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE KEEPERS OF THE LAW OF MOSES BUT THEY ARE ANGRY AND JESUS’ GOOD WORKS AND ARE PLOTTING MURDER - They don’t care about the poor guy

THEY ARE USING THEIR MORALITY TO EXCUSE THE SINS THAT THEY ENJOY

You know why they hated him? You know why they wanted to kill him?

[Self-seeking MASKS a deeper darkness.]

Let’s go back to verse 15 and 16

John 7:15–16 CSB

15 Then the Jews were amazed and said, “How is this man so learned, since he hasn’t been trained?” 16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t mine but is from the one who sent me.

They were upset because he wasn’t following their teaching. He wasn’t promoting them.

They want to kill him because he won’t honor them.

See they were the ones on top but Jesus wasn’t affirming themselves. They were insecure. They were using unspiritual, earthly and demonic wisdom to stay at the top. So much that the people who are supposed to be upholding God’s law are trying to kill him.

But how do they take this? Remember, Jesus said that the world was going to hate them.

[Love gives truth REGARDLESS of the consequences]

He isn’t going to allow them to live in their delusions. He wants them to know the truth.

Look at this.

John 7:20 CSB

20 “You have a demon!” the crowd responded. “Who is trying to kill you?”

[It’s PAINFUL to see your sin]

manmade morality creates insecurity.

it’s trying to hide your shame.

They were upset. BARRICADED THE DOOR WITH THE THINGS YOU LIKE

Now this is important because some people say this, they say “I like Jesus but I don’t like Christians”

See in their mind, jesus would never push them, ask them to do anything different. He would never challenge them.

We want to be a church that helps people cultivate a vibrant relationship with God - we are going to face opposition.

People aren’t going to like it!

But why does it matter? Why do we care what people believe?

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

He places salvation with belief. The tragedy of the people who don’t believe, isn’t just that they miss out on the earthly benefits, it that they are doomed to perish. That’s what Jesus is teaching. That’s why he cares. He wants people to believe.

Jesus was living for the Father’s glory!

Gospel

{ABC’s of Repentance}

So here’s the question- is it worth it. Is it worth the trouble and the potential headaches?

Does it even work?

[Living for God’s Kingdom pays off IN TIME.]

James, the author we are reading now, the man who said that self seeking wisdom is demonic was one of those brothers.

As you are praying that God uses you in a big way, as you are praying for the people to invite and when you get push back and you think, “this will never work!” Just remember that two books of the bible were written by Jesus’ brothers. James and Jude.

But it pays off in time, as a little play on words, because there is an eternal signficance to all this.

Keep praying and don’t give up!

Lord’s Supper:

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

Benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD makes his face shine upon you and be gracious to you:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.