Changes: Hard truth

This whole chapter is pretty confrontational. We don’t think of Jesus that way very often do we? We usually think of Jesus as loving, kind, shepherd, humble, prayerful. That’s not how He presents himself here as you will see… but first, let me set this up a bit.

WE talk a lot about freedom in the US, this is the land of the free right? But what does it mean to be free? Really free?

What does it mean to be free?

Truly free? Being able to choose, pursue, and obtain the life which I am designed best to live. It means not just free to choose… because I can choose things that I can afford. IT means being able to choose and pursue it… I can choose things but often am limited in my ability to pursue it… Freedom is being able to choose, free to pursue, and free to obtain… After I choose it, once I get there, will it be available? IF not… then I’m not really free, cause it’s not available to me.

But not only does freedom relate to my ability to choose it… and my ability to pursue it…and my ability to obtain it, but to be truly free means that I must be able to direct my freedom towards those things that are most ME. It makes no sense to be free to chose things I don’t like… or wouldn't be good for me, true they are part of freedom, but I want to be free to pursue and claim those things that I was created to most enjoy.

I want that freedom… freedom to have joy, peace, and self control; where I can freely speak and act in ways that don’t lead to regrets.

I want to be free to love…without thinking about what I’m getting back, what I might lose, how others might take advantage of me.

I want to be free from revenge, hate and retaliation… for the things others do and don’t do. I want to be able to forgive others no matter what.

I want to be free from manipulation…lies and deceit. I want to be able to trust the words of others and I want people to be able to trust in what I say as well.

I want to be free to be generous....To be able to give from an abundance without thinking about what I might get out of it.

I want to be free to live for more than here and now, to live my life daily as part of eternity…not from moment to moment.

I want to be free from stress, worry and anxiety.

I want to live free to treat others as I would want to be treated.

I want to be free to live my life as it was meant to live....not as the world tells me I should live it.

What about you? Does that sort of freedom sound attractive? I’m sure it does.

The good news is, I actually believe that that life is possible.

Just to put my cards on the table, I believe that life is what Jesus came to make possible.

In the bible, Genesis starts off… in the beginning God created.

All the animals, all the fish, all the beauty of creation, then God created men and women and the bible says they were naked and felt no shame. I love that picture of a man and his wife walking with God with no shame. They had nothing to hide from one another or from God. Things were perfect, then you turn the page and ham-mo..... sin enters the scene and everything changes.

Since that moment, we have been living under the curse of sin. Not just us, but all of creation. Every living thing wants to be, free from the curse and set right as God created us.

And in today’s passage we discover how that freedom comes about.

John 8:31–32 NIV

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

In the previous passage, Jesus had been arguing with the leaders of the temple remember, and as he was arguing, telling them where I go you can’t come” and “when you lift up the son of man you will know that I am he” and I do nothing but what the father teaches me and he is always with me because I am perfect”

It wasn’t his miracles, it was his direct and powerful teaching that made people believe…that was verse 30.

Then in vs 31 Jesus tells them that being my disciple isn’t about hearing and believing, but holding to my teaching…abiding... Hear it, believe it, sit at his feet, follow him, live under his authority. That’s what it meant to be a disciple.

This way you will come to know the truth. The Gospel is clear from page one that knowing the gospel comes only through doing. Not learning, memorizing, but encountering and submitting to it.

Truth as a concept vs. truth as an experience.

This word truth for a moment. At one time the word meant things that were objectively accurate. 2+2=4. Concrete truth statements that could be defended with logic and reason.

Then came the idea for experiential truth. Based on your experience. That scared me. That offended me.

Divine truth is both an intellectual activity and experiential reality… something we can know

John 8:33 NIV

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

This is so much like how we respond today. Jesus tells us… the world is a mess isn’t it. You struggle with sin don’t you? Well, the way to freedom isn't in believing...but in obeying...trusting...following me.

Our response is often...I'm good, really.

But that's a lie... we are actually slaves.

Now remember where they are… they are at the feast of tabernacles. Their Independence day festival. Remembering that God had been with them in the desert as they journeyed to the promised land from EGYPT where for 400 years they had lived as SLAVES.

Not only were they not thinking historically, they didn’t understand themselves spiritually.

Jesus came for us to be FREE

We are all slaves to sin. How do I know this?

ILL: Shooting chickens… not knowing why… no one’s perfect.

We would all agree with the phrase: “No one is perfect.” Every time we mess up, we say… well no one is perfect. It’s our way of claiming forgiveness for our short coming. It’s our standard excuse.

No one is perfect is proof that we are slaves to sin. If we weren’t then we could be perfect but we’re not because we are.

John 8:34–36 NIV

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:37–38 NIV

37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

They are making a biological claim as spiritual children of Abraham. But Jesus teaches that slaves don’t really have a choice about their behavior, but that as a son of God, he is here to set us free from this. Freedom is available, that’s the truth.

Their claim as spiriuttla children of Abraham isn’t far from one we make today. Well, I’m a christian… I’m a member of the church.

Yes we are, and just like the Israelites, our religion - and anything else - can keep us from following... if we don't keep it in proper perspective.

You see, satan has convinced them to use their religion to kill. We probably don’t do that, but we have in the past.

Religion has been the justification for death, in our nation it was the justification for slavery.

But religion isn’t a justification for anything, but that’s what it becomes. We worship this way, and it’s the right way, so we don’t want to change. Actually what we are doing is worshiping our religion, not the one who our religion is seeking to point us.

John 8:39–41 NIV

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

John 8:42–44 NIV

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:45–47 NIV

45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Identity / Behavior

Jesus is using that to show them that then their behavior should match their identity.

Satan tells us our identity comes from what we do

-the lie is that I'm good b/c I do good

-because I sin, i’m a sinner

Jesus tells us our identity comes from God.

-our identity determines our behavior

—Because I’m a ____ I _____

-we live in righteousness when we live in Christ

-we live in sin when we live into the lie

--I've got this

--It's not a problem

--I don't really have a problem with ___

-Because of who God says I am when I put my faith in Christ and follow him, I get to live in freedom. My identity determines my behavior.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

I wonder how many of Christians today are acting out of our identity in Christ.

I think one of the things that holds us back in our faith is we want our lives to makes sense. And that binds us to how the world thinks. We adopt it’s goals, it’s standards.

“an identity grounded in God would mean that when we think of who we are, the first thing that would come to mind is our status as someone who is deeply loved by God.” David Benner in The Gift of Being Yourself

But what if we lived our life so that Jesus made sense. So the world could see Jesus lived out in our life. I think that is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. DO I do that perfectly.... my wife and kids will tell you I do not. But that is the truth we are called to live into. That’s how living out of our identity would work. as opposed to trying to live into one.

Ephesians 1:13–14 NIV

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Jesus goes on to teach them the truth of his identity. Knowing that when they understand who he is, what he does will make more sense.

John 8:48-59

John 8:51 NIV

51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

John 8:58 NIV

58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

The Jews who at first believed, soon after found themselves living out a belief, grounded in religion, that actually leads to death…trying to kill Jesus.

How do we live out of the truth that leads to freedom and life?

Know Jesus

--Get to know him...reading his Word, prayer

Surrender

-Accept him as the Lord of your life. Let him be in control… Don’t let Jesus be your copilot, Let Jesus take the wheel! Commit your life to do what ever he asks you to do. This is a big step, because we are so trained to stay in control.

-Let's stop worrying about judging and being judged by one another, because the only one who’s judgement matters is the one who wants to set us free.

Take discipleship seriously

ABIDE IN HIM… LIVE IN Truth

—Don’t take your religion too seriously … I can’t earn freedom, it must be given to me. Should religion be a part of the life of a disciple, yes, but it’s a part… not the point. It should be a part of a healthy practice of faith.

--Don't lie to yourself anymore... We tell ourselves what makes us it is that bad, you can't control it, you have a foul mouth, you complain, you gossip, you have problems, you have hurts, you have hangups, you have destructive habits

--We come to Jesus just as we are...and Jesus refuses to leave us there

Do you want to be free?

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