Seek the Applause of God Before the Applause of Man
Notes
Transcript
Unbelievers
Unbelievers
Jesus had performed many miracles that the Jews witnessed but they were not believing. God knew this would happen and used Isaiah to proclaim that it would happen John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.”
We must ask why God would blind their eyes and harden their hearts. There are three reasons that are pertinent to us today. First it was God’s plan to open salvation to the entire world. Second it demonstrates God’s judgment against unbelief. Thirdly it shows the danger of unbelief.
God’s plan to open salvation to the world.
God’s plan to open salvation to the world.
I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
God used the rejection of the Jews to bring salvation to the Gentiles for the purpose of saving the Jews. The Gentiles receive the riches of heaven through Jesus Christ. They have reconciliation with God, salvation from sin, and eternal life in their belief in Christ. The unbelieving Jews do not have these riches. However, when the Jews do see through their jealousy of the Gentiles, they too will receive the riches of heaven. They will receive life from the dead.
Today you can have the riches of Heaven if you will believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!
Judgement against unbelief.
Judgement against unbelief.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is like a two edge sword. It has the power to save and the power to destroy. For those who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, they receive eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
For those who reject the gospel of Jesus Christ it judges them to everlasting punishment.
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
This is why the presentation of the gospel is so powerful. It forces the person who hears it to do something with it. You can either believe and receive or reject the gospel. Your decision affects your eternity.
Danger of Unbelief
Danger of Unbelief
We see that God hardened the hearts of the unbelieving Jews. We may ask why God would do such a thing. Romans 1 answers this question.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools,
and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
When people consistently reject God, they go deeper into their sin. At a point where they suppress the truth, do not honor God or give thanks, become futile in their speculations, and worship anything other than God, God will give them over to a depraved heart.
This is what happened to the unbelieving Jews. They wanted their religion and lifestyle more than they wanted the truth. God gave them the desires of their heart.
Friend when if your continue on unbelief, your desires will become less and less for the one true God and more for the things of this world. God will turn you over to the desires of your heart and you will not be able to saved!
Silent Believers
Silent Believers
There were some that believed in Jesus, but didn’t want anyone to know that they believed. The reason is that they were fearful that they would be put out of the synagogue and lose there reputations among the Pharisees. John 12:42-43
Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;
for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
The people didn’t want to be put out of the synagogue because of the benefits the synagogue provided. They wanted the blessing of Christ salvation without the cost of following Christ
John Phillips says : But there was a problem with these budding converts. John says that while they had believed in Jesus, “for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue” (John 12:42). This reminds us that there is a price to following Jesus. Jesus offers a free salvation, but it comes with the possibility of the world’s rejection. These budding believers were reluctant to be cast out of Jewish society, which was what expulsion from the synagogue entailed. But Christ demands that his followers not be secret disciples; sooner rather than later, a true believer must go public with his faith in Jesus, regardless of the cost. Jesus had said, “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).
Moreover, John tells us that these men remained silent because “they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:43). This is a particular temptation to those who are high in the eyes of the world; John Calvin writes that “earthly honours may be called golden shackles binding a man.” A. W. Pink comments of these compromised believers:
They preferred the good will of other sinners above the approval of God. O the shortsighted folly of these wretched men! O the madness of their miserable choice! Of what avail would the good opinion of the Pharisees be when the hour of death overtook them? In what stead will it stand them when they appear before the judgment-throne of God? “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Many, if not most, Christians struggle with these same temptations. This is one of the reasons why we are tempted to blend in with the world in our manner of living. We fear to be ostracized if we live openly and boldly as followers of Christ. We are reluctant to speak to people about the only Savior who can redeem their souls. What will break this spell of our fear of man and love of the world?
Richard D. Phillips, John, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, 1st ed., vol. 2, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2014), 118–119.
John, Volumes 1 & 2 The Challenge of Faith
As a result, Isaiah no longer feared the world or stood in thrall to its tarnished glory. He would stand against the world with Jesus and speak to the world for Jesus. If the same is not true of us, then the logical explanation is that we have not seen what Isaiah saw. We are more concerned with our lifestyle, our comfort, with getting by in the unholy world. This is why we are more interested in “practical matters” and consider theology boring and irrelevant. This is why we fear the world and love its glory.
This shows that our greatest need is to see the glory of Christ, as Isaiah did. J. C. Ryle comments: “The expulsive power of a new principle, making us see God, Christ, heaven, hell, judgment, eternity, as realities, is the grand secret of getting the victory over the fear of man.”
Many people today are secret Christians. They will come to church or listen to sermons. They may even agree with the Sermons and the Bible. They may even change their lives. This falls short of Christ commands. To be a Christian your must be a disciple maker. Tell story about shoe manufacturer. How many shoes did you produce? How many disciples did you make?
Following Believers
Following Believers
Jesus demand that we believe, see, and hear in him.
Believe in Jesus
Believe in Jesus
And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.
To believe in Christ is to believe in God. Jesus is the only person to claim to be the Son of God. We must believe as the Son of God, He could pay the penalty for our sin. He died on the cross as a substitute for our sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
His death satisfied the wrath of God against or sin. He was resurrected from the dead. This is His defeat of Satan, sin, and death. He will come back again and establish His kingdom on earth and will reign for 1000 years. Then will create a new heaven and earth.
See Jesus
See Jesus
“He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.
“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
Those who see Jesus see God. He is the exact representation of God. Hebrews 1:3
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
We must see Jesus for who he is. When we do, we will not remain in darkness. To see Jesus radically transforms our lives. He creates within us a desire to please and worship Him. We will have a desire to be conformed into His image.
Hear Jesus
Hear Jesus
The way we are conformed into His image is to hear and receive His word. John 12:47-50
“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
“I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”
People that refuse to receive Jesus words are judged by His words because they fail to live by them. Those that hear and receive his words are saved by them.
Jesus speaks the Words of God. His words bring about eternal life.