Glory and Belief

Illustration: Last week we had our Christmas program and one of the songs included all of the little kids from junior church. I love those kinds of specials, because you never know what those kids are going to do when they stand up in front of people. One of them is twirling around, the other one is starring at the kid’s ear next to him. One of them is looking up at the ceiling. Meanwhile, the poor teacher is stressing out trying to get these kids to look forward and sing. Why do kids act that way? Because they don’t care what you think about them. Little kids don’t care what adults think about them, they don’t strive after the glory of other people. They are in their own little world. And it is a vivid illustration of just how much the glory of other people change change us and motivate us and make us do things as we grow older.

A problem with that is if we are too motivated by the glory of other people it can change the way we follow and obey God. It can damage our belief or our walk of faith. Seeking after the glory of men is one of the most damaging things to coming to Jesus, and receiving him, and believing him. Even for believers it can stunt our spiritual growth because rather than living for God and His glory, we become consumed by living for the glory of one another.

Perhaps no place is this more vividly described than in John 5:39-47.

In this paragraph Jesus brings three severe indictments to bear against the Jewish leaders. These three indictments are all tied to the idea of seeking the glory of men.

What seeking after the glory of one another cause to happen in our spiritual lives?

I. When we are seeking the glory of one another it can cause us to be unwilling to come to Jesus (vv. 39-40)

John 5:39–40 KJV 1900

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

39 ἐραυνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς,

You (constantly) search the Scriptures

What Scriptures is Jesus talking about?

ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν·*

because in them you think you have eternal life;

Why are they searching the Scriptures?

Isn’t that where we should go to seek after eternal life?

καὶ ἐκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ·

and it is these which testify concerning me;

What conclusion should a serious student of the OT come to when thinking about eternal life? Why?

What conclusion did the Pharisees come to on how to obtain eternal life?

Whose glory did this conclusion cause them to seek?

40 καὶ οὐ θέλετε ἐλθεῖν πρός με

And (yet) you are unwilling (you do not wish / you have no desire) to come to me

What does Jesus mean- they would not come to Him?

Can you give an example? From this context? Healing of the lame man.

ἵνα ζωὴν ⸆ ἔχητε.

that you might have life.

What would have happened for them if they had some to Jesus?

Why didn’t they? He was right there in front of them! He had just performed a miracle? Why didn’t they come to Jesus?

II. When we are seeking the glory of one another it can cause us to be unwilling to receive Jesus (vv. 41-43)

John 5:41–43 KJV 1900

41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

41 Δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων οὐ λαμβάνω,*

I do not receive glory from men,

What does Jesus mean? I thought that is why God created us so that we can give glory to God. Why does Jesus say he does not receive glory from men?

42 ἀλλʼ ἔγνωκα ὑμᾶς

BUT I have been knowing you

ὅτι ⸉τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔχετε⸊ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς.

that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

Did Jesus receive any honor or glory from the Jewish leaders?

What was the reason that Jesus gives for why he did not receive any glory from them?

43 ἐγὼ ⸆ ἐλήλυθα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρός μου,

I have come in the name of my Father,

What does it mean to come in someone’s name?

What does it mean to come in the Father’s name?

What evidence does Jesus provide that he comes in the name of his Father?

καὶ οὐ λαμβάνετέ με·*

and you do not receive me.

Did the Jews accept this evidence?

How do we know?

ἐὰν ἄλλος ἔλθῃ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἰδίῳ,

if another might come in his own name,

ἐκεῖνον λήμψεσθε.*

him you will receive.

What does Jesus mean- another? Another what?

Why would they receive someone else with less evidence, and yet they would not receive Jesus?

III. When we are seeking the glory of one another it can cause us to be unwilling to believe Jesus (vv. 44-47)

John 5:44–47 KJV 1900

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

44 πῶς δύνασθε ὑμεῖς πιστεῦσαι δόξαν παρὰ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες,*

How are you able to believe, when you are receiving glory from one another,

What is the core question that Jesus is asking here? How are you able to believe? Believe what?

What is the main obstacle to belief that Jesus lists here?

What does it look like to receive glory from one another? (Example from context- the lame man rats Jesus out- why? To get on the good side of the Pharisees.)

What are some ways we are tempted to receive glory from one another?

How would that impair our ability to believe?

καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου °θεοῦ οὐ ζητεῖτε;

and the glory from the one and only God you are not seeking?

What kind of glory should we be seeking?

What does it mean to be seeking the glory of the one and only God?

45 μὴ δοκεῖτε ὅτι ἐγὼ κατηγορήσω ⸀ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα· ἔστιν ὁ κατηγορῶν ὑμῶν ⸆ Μωϋσῆς, εἰς ὃν ὑμεῖς ἠλπίκατε.*

John 5:45 KJV 1900

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

What does it mean to accuse someone?

How will Moses accuse the Jews one day before the Father?

Romans 3:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

46 εἰ γὰρ ἐπιστεύετε Μωϋσεῖ,* ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοί· περὶ γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος ἔγραψεν.

John 5:46 KJV 1900

46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

47 εἰ δὲ τοῖς ἐκείνου γράμμασιν οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς τοῖς ἐμοῖς ῥήμασιν ⸀πιστεύσετε;

John 5:47 KJV 1900

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

This is an incredible statement of the sufficiency of Scripture!

What do we mean when we say the Scripture is sufficient for all things? It is all we need.

Have you ever wished that Jesus could be here today, performing miracles in front of people because then we would have world wide revival?

Isn’t that exactly what the Jews had? They had Jesus right there, he just performed a miracle and yet the would not believe.

What reason does Jesus give?

What does that say about how Jesus thought about the Word of God?

Luke 16:27–31 ESV

27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

Hebrews 4:12–13 KJV 1900

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

And yet the Jewish leaders would not obey Jesus, they would not come to Him, they would not receive Him, they would not believe in Him. They had the Scriptures, they even diligently studied the Scriptures- but they did not believe. And what was the major obstacle that kept them from believing?

John 5:44 KJV 1900

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

How serious is it when we live our lives seeking after the glory of one another, and we do not seek after the honor of the one and only God?

Can that still impair the spiritual lives of believers? Can it cause us to reject the word of God?

What is your glory? What is your joy?

This morning we saw the life of one who lived for the glory of the one and only God. This afternoon we see the lives of those who lived for the glory of one another. How about your life? Whose glory are you living for?

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