Nov. 29, 2020 - The Blessings of God
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We all, at some point or another in our lives, have held a job.
For the most part, most people consider it a blessing to have a job that you don’t really consider - WORK
Every year, our society compiles what it deems - THE BEST PLACES TO WORK...
For this year (2019)...
The list was compiled by analyzing company reviews and ratings from both current job incumbents as well as former employees. Winners were determined by examining millions of reviews. Researchers looked at the quantity, quality, and consistency of the reviews to evaluate which companies made the list.
Starting with #10...
10. Southwest Airlines
9. Lululemon
8. Google
7. Facebook
6. Linkedin
5. Boston Consulting Group
4. Procore Technologies
3. In-N-Out Burger
2. Zoom Video Communications
1. Bain & Company
I feel blessed to be able to work where I work (IMARC Research)...
I hope you feel that way about where you work...
BUT now - why do companies make this list?
They make this list because of - what they OFFER their employees
What are some things that people LOOK FOR in a company?
pay / compensation
benefits
what’s the culture like (empowering, learning, growth)
Is their a path to GROW in the company
is it steady work / longevity
all sorts of things go into this
And we as humans - we PURSUE places that provide the most of these things to us...
TYPICALLY - we VALUE these things…and we PURSUE them!
And if we just view these things in light of Spiritual things...
We can look at these things as - BLESSINGS...
We seek to BE BLESSED!
WHO can bless us - the most...
“OK - I’ll work for you!”
What we’re going to see today in our text…is the BLESSINGS offered to the SHEEP of Jesus Christ!
If the FLOCK of Christ was a - PLACE of EMPLOYMENT - what would be the BLESSINGS He would offer?
THIS is what we’ll be seeing today!
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.”
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
As we’ve seen so far in this chapter 10 of John...
Jesus has been laying claim that HE Himself is the WAY to God...
That if you want to GET TO GOD - then you must GO THROUGH HIM...
And today’s text is no different - Christ continues to beat the SAME DRUM!
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
And what we see here is - Jesus Christ - distinguishing His followers as - HIS FOLLOWERS...
See the Jewish Leaders at the time - they couldn’t STAND that the people might begin to FOLLOW Jesus!
See these leaders - as we spoke about weeks ago - were NOT AT ALL concerned for the people...
They were only concerned with MAINTAINING the POWER they had over the people!
(if you remember, people were being HEALED by Jesus (lame guy, blind man)…and...
…the leaders couldn’t care less that they were healed...
THEY INSTEAD COMPLAINED that the healing happened on the - SABBATH!
So Jesus here - He’s REITERATING the fact that - YES - these people are beginning to FOLLOW ME...
AND - they’re on the right path to GOD - because ONLY thru Me can mankind get to GOD
REMEMBER what this entire book of John is about...
It’s about ESTABLISHING - WHO JESUS CHRIST truly is...
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
This is the purpose of this book...
And yet - in v27 Christ takes it even further than that...
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
The Jewish leaders couldn’t say the same about their FOLLOWERS...
They didn’t KNOW - their followers...
Christ here - is REVEALING the intimate relationship He has with His sheep!!
HE KNOWS - them
And it’s the first BLESSING we’ll see in the next verse...
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Here we have the list of BLESSINGS that come with - JOINING the Jesus Team!
Earlier - we looked at the different BENEFITS that people look for in an EMPLOYER...
Well here is our list today - of the BLESSINGS that come with being a part of THE FLOCK of CHRIST!
And the first blessing we see is that IN CHRIST - we receive ETERNAL LIFE...
But I’m going to use the DEFINITION of Eternal Life that Christ gives to us in Scripture...
We might think - Ok - Eternal life means - LIFE that doesn’t end...
Well - it COULD mean that - but according to Christ - it means...
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
SLIDE: Blessing of the Sheep: Knowing God (Eternal Life)
Blessing of the Sheep
Blessing of the Sheep
Ok - so Christ tells us that Eternal Life EQUATES to - Knowing God…
but we can’t just nod our heads and say - OK…
We need to dig deeper to understand what - KNOWING GOD means
What does it mean to KNOW GOD?
This isn’t about Head Knowledge,
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
God clearly has KNOWLEDGE of all men - so this KNOWLEDGE that IS Eternal Life must be something else…
And we see in 1 Cor 1:21 that KNOWING God doesn’t come about through worldly wisdom…
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
So we don’t THINK our way to God!
You can’t REASON your way to God!
There is a SUPERNATURAL knowing of God that comes ONLY through the TRUTH of God!
Knowing God begins with Spiritual Life
SLIDE: Blessing of the Sheep: To Know God (Made Alive)
Blessing of the Sheep
Blessing of the Sheep
The Bible makes it crystal clear what our STATE is in this world…
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Death is our STATE in this world…apart from Christ…
Let this HIT HOME…
Our family members who don’t know Christ…they’re spiritually dead
Friends….spiritually dead
Our neighbors…spiritually dead
Co-workers…spiritually dead
This isn’t a SMALL problem!
But for us who are followers of Christ…
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
When Jesus says to the Jewish leaders in our text today that…
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
He’s saying He will GRANT us to KNOW God…
By the MERCY of God we come to KNOW God…
Which IS TO SAY - By the mercy of God we receive Spiritual Life…
And I think a GREAT representation of this in Scripture is the story of Lazarus…
Let’s summarize…
We all know the story - how Lazarus got sick…He dies…
and 4 days later…Jesus comes and RAISES him from the dead…
Jesus gave him PHYSICAL life - to show that He has power over the spiritual!
This is an ingredient of ETERNAL LIFE (KNOWING GOD)…
spiritual life
But what else?
If spiritual LIFE is given…then surely LOVE must be present!
SLIDE: Blessing of the Sheep: To Know God (Foundation of Love) - All of this still a part of Eternal Life
Blessing of the Sheep
Blessing of the Sheep
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Not KNOWING God is the same as - - Not Having Love…
But to KNOW God - is TO LOVE…
to LOVE with the LOVE of Christ…
So when Jesus says to the Jewish Leaders in our text today…
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
I give MY SHEEP eternal life…I grant them to KNOW GOD - He’s saying - I’m laying down a FOUNDATION of Love between God and my sheep!
And LISTEN to how GOOD this is…
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Do you see how [this] calling by God - produces LOVE FOR GOD?...
And this LOVE flows both ways...
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The demonstration of God’s love for you was DISPLAYED in Him coming and:
Living the perfect life…fulfilling the Law for us...
Going to the cross…shedding His blood for the forgiveness of our sins...
And rising again…CONQUERING death!! FOR US!!
HIS LOVE - toward us...
NOW - our love toward Him...
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
WOW - so when Jesus says..
I give my sheep - ETERNAL LIFE...
He’s granting us - to KNOW GOD...
And TO KNOW GOD brings with it:
Spiritual Life
Love FROM and FOR God
And...
SLIDE: Blessing of the Sheep: To Know God (Peace With God)
Blessing of the Sheep
Blessing of the Sheep
Just look around this world!!
Is there peace in our world? - NOT a CHANCE~
Is there peace...
in our country?
in our politics?
in our schools?
in our institutions?
online?
how about in our marriages?
how about - in US?
We ALL deal with a LACK of peace…in our world…in ourselves...
Are you at peace with God? right now?
There’s a way to know!
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus - through FAITH in Jesus...
We obtain - PEACE with God!
Why is this a GOOD thing?
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Before FAITH in CHRIST....the wrath of GOD REMAINS over us...
We DESERVE God’s wrath…due to sin!
BUT - THRU faith in Christ - that wrath is REMOVED…and put in it’s place - PEACE!
What a blessing it is to have ETERNAL PEACE with God…our maker!
So back to our main text today...
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Jesus says -
I give them ETERNAL LIFE -
I give them Spiritual Life
the LOVE OF God and Love FOR God...
And…i give them PEACE with God!
But what’s next?
He says - “and they will never perish” - they will NEVER DIE
SLIDE: Blessing of the Sheep: Everlasting Life
Blessing of the Sheep
Blessing of the Sheep
NOW - who in here knows that LIFE can be HARD?
All of us right?!!
SO - it’s one thing to be told - OK, you can live forever on this earth...
…and deal with all the things you deal with now...
Sleepless nights...
Sickness
Disease
It’s ANOTHER thing to have the EVERLASTING LIFE that Christ offers!!
See - the everlasting life that Christ offers IS VOID of - sorrow…pain…weariness...
AND FULL OF -
The BIBLE says - For the JOY set before Him - He endured the cross!!
There is an UNSPEAKABLE JOY that awaits us...
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Everlasting LIFE - given to us by Christ…thru FAITH in Him...
And that LIFE consisting of EVERLASTING - JOY!
what a BLESSING!!
*sit down for an interview with a potential employer and you ask - what kind of benefits do you have?
We have EVERLASTING JOY
But Christ’s not done!!
He will grant us:
Eternal Life - To KNOW God...
Everlasting Life - full of JOY
AND
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
No one will snatch them out of my hand!!
SLIDE: Blessing of the Sheep: Eternal Security
Blessing of the Sheep
Blessing of the Sheep
When we come to Christ - in Faith - we are brought into an eternally secure relationship
Listen - everyone on this planet right now - HAS a relationship with Jesus Christ...
it's either a positive relationship or a negative one
But thru faith - we're brought into an eternally positive relationship...
And this relationship cannot be lost...cannot be broken.
Once saved, ALWAYS saved
And this is true BECAUSE of the power of God...and His keeping
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
Do you see how it's ON GOD to present us BLAMELESS before His glorious presence...It's not on us...but due to His keeping power
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
It says - we are sealed - unto when?
The day of REDEMPTION...
If eternal security wasn't true....it would only be unto the day of sinning...
Our eternal security is purchased by Christ, promised by the Father, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
NOW...we see these Blessings of the Sheep:
To Know God (Life, Love, Peace)
Everlasting Life
Eternal Security
these blessing will never go away...
BUT - think about the lost world...
(your family member, friend, coworker, neighbor)
By rejecting Jesus Christ - they REJECT all of these things...
They exchange spiritual life for - eternal death
They exchange God’s love - for rebellion
Peace with God - for the Wrath of God
They exchange everlasting life - for everlasting guilt
Eternal security - for eternal punishment
And what this SHOULD do for us - is to AWAKEN in us a DEEP understanding that what I just said - IS REAL!
We saw this verse last week - but it’s worth pointing out again...
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Do we understand what Paul’s saying here?
WHY was Paul able to live the life he lived?
Beaten...
Stoned…for Jesus....WHY?
Because THIS was true of Paul.
He LIVED his life - with this ANGUISH - UNCEASING anguish in his heart!
FOR the lost...
Are you there yet???
It was that ANGUISH that allowed Paul to get back up - and go BACK into the city to preach Christ
Christ died for the Roman soldier who shoved that spear in his side...
And so FOR US - we have to ask ourselves…and examine ourselves…!
Is there a DISCONNECT in our lives...
Can we actually say:
I am SO concerned for the lost of this world that I NEVER speak the name of Christ to those around me.
I am SO concerned for the lost of this world that I NEVER reprioritize my time so that I can help TAKE the name of Christ to the poor…my neighbors…my friends....coworkers.
DO you HEAR the disconnect?
Because in church…in our lives…we’ll say the right things...
Yes - i care for the lost...
But when it comes to actually DOING something about it…we keep silent
What have we seen today?
We’ve seen that...
SLIDE: The Blessings of the Sheep:
To Know God (Spiritual Life, Foundation of Love, Peace with God)
Everlasting Life
Eternal Security
In light of these realities, we must ask ourselves these questions… Do we LOVE the world enough to take the name of Christ TO IT?
BECAUSE - the world TODAY will respond to Jesus the way they did back then...
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
EVEN though Jesus offers LIFE itself...
The world HATES Him...
BUT His sheep are OUT there…and we must BRING them to Him...
May we make ourselves available…to Him.
Let’s pray!