Amen. Amen. You may be seated, kids. You may go to your King's Kids class.
And I just want to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who labored around the building yesterday,
! who poured out sweat as you spread mulch and other things. So thank you so much for all of you who did that.
You know, I was, if you would open up your Bibles to John 8,
we're going to be looking at John 8, verses 30 through 38. It's on page 1063 of your Pew Bible.
As you're turning there, I just want to share with you, early this month I was at a
pastor's gathering. Great bunch of guys from all around southeastern Wisconsin,
different denominations represented all of Jesus. And as a part of introducing ourselves,
because that's what you do when you get together as pastors. We are supposed to say our name,
our church, our role, the number of years you're at your church, and your favorite major league
baseball team. Truth in advertising, I am not an MLB fan. I like watching highlights from time to time.
And so when it came around to me, I was just honest. I'm like, I don't really have a major
league baseball team. But there was this other pastor. He introduced himself,
shared all of his information. And then he claimed that he was a Milwaukee Brewers fan.
Immediately, another pastor from on the other side of the circle,
a circle that's supposed to be unifying. The other pastor says, oh yeah, what was last night's score?
To which this pastor, shocked, said, I don't know. And what quickly became apparent to all of us pastors
is that we had a imposter. An imposter in our presence. A false fan. Someone who claimed to be a
Brewers fan, but didn't even know the score. The truth of the Milwaukee Brewers was not abiding in him.
It was so funny. We all laughed for a long time over that.
But as you know,
there are also pseudo-believers in Jesus Christ.
Imposters. Christians in name only.
False believers. And this morning, what we will see
are some people who claim to be believers in Jesus,
but are actually imposters.
And Jesus
shows it.
He confronts it.
And what we're going to see in John 8,
it's going to raise some questions in us.
Some very appropriate questions.
So, how do I know
that I am a true
disciple of Jesus Christ?
Jesus is going to tell us
in this passage. He's going to share
with us what is the defining characteristic
of a disciple of Jesus,
a Christian.
Second,
how do we flourish
as true disciples of Jesus?
How do we live in this freedom
that Jesus has accomplished
for us?
What does that look like?
So, with those questions in mind,
let me read
John 8,
30-38.
As he was saying these things,
many believed in him.
Verse 30.
Many Jews.
Verse 31.
So, Jesus said to the Jews
who had believed in him,
If you abide in my word,
you are truly my disciples,
and you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.
They answered him,
We are offspring of Abraham
and have never been enslaved
to anyone.
How is it that you say
you will become free?
Jesus answered them,
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
everyone who practices sin
is a slave to sin.
The slave does not remain
in the house forever.
The son remains forever.
So, if the son
sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
I know that you are
the offspring of Abraham,
yet you seek to kill me,
because my word
finds no place in you.
I speak of what I have seen
with my father,
and you do what you have heard,
from your father.
So, we're going to walk through this.
I'm going to point out
three things along the way.
True discipleship,
verses 30 through 32.
Jesus defines that for us.
We're going to see in verse 33,
a very revealing objection.
And then,
in 34 through 38,
Jesus lays out
two ways to live.
Slavery or sonship.
So, let's dig in.
Let's look at
what Jesus has to say
about true discipleship
in verses 30 through 32.
In John 8,
Jesus has just made
this big,
brilliant,
God-sized claim,
I am the light of the world.
He claims to be
the son of man,
verse 28.
And when you lift up
the son of man,
talking about the cross,
you will know
that I am he,
the great I am,
incarnate.
You will know
that I am.
And we're told
in verse 30 by John
that many of the Jews
who were listening to him
believed in him.
Does anybody know
who Debbie Boone is?
1970s?
You got it.
You light up my life.
You can finish it.
Make me whole.
It's like this.
Jesus has just shared
I'm the light of the world
and we have these Jews
who are listening
and they're like,
you light up my life.
Quite a response.
If this was like
an evangelistic crusade,
we would have had
a lot of decisions.
But Jesus knows
what's in the heart
of a man.
John 2.
And so in verse 31,
Jesus says,
time out.
Time out.
He tells these Jews
who have professed
faith in him,
if you abide in my word,
you are truly my disciples.
It's a major clarification.
It's a major pumping
of the brakes.
He knows something else
is going on here.
And so he's clarifying
to these professing disciples
of what it really means
to become his disciples.
So here we have
in verse 31,
God incarnate,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will die and be raised,
who's reigning on high,
he himself is going
to help us understand
what it means
to be his true disciple.
Anybody want to know?
Truly my disciple.
Truly just means genuine,
legit,
all the way through.
And a disciple
was back in the first century,
someone who was a learner,
someone who was a follower.
They would follow
their master around,
listen to their master's teachers,
watch how they lived
that teaching out,
and imitate them
to become like them.
And so what Jesus is saying,
hey, if you want to be
my true disciple,
a genuine follower of me,
a genuine Christian,
here's the good life.
He says,
if you abide in my word.
Abiding in his word
is the distinguishing mark
of a genuine disciple
of Jesus Christ.
The word is a reference
to Jesus' teaching.
His teaching on all things,
the truth of the matter,
what reality is.
So whatever Jesus has to say
about God,
God his Father,
whatever he has to say
about himself,
whatever he has to say
about our condition,
it's part of living
in this world,
our greatest need.
What is the good life?
Whatever Jesus says
is the good life.
I'm to abide in that.
We're to abide in that.
But we're to abide in that.
And it will set us free.
That word abide
is an important word
in the gospel of John.
You know it,
many of you,
by heart,
from John 15,
5,
where Jesus says,
I'm the vine
and you are the branches.
If you abide in me
and I in you,
you will bear much fruit.
But apart from me,
you can do nothing.
This sense of abiding
is purposeful.
It's,
Jesus selects it for a reason.
It's not accidental.
And this sense of abiding
carries this sense
of ongoing dependence.
It's not just like,
check,
I believe in Jesus.
Now I move on
with the rest of my life.
What it is,
is a purposeful,
ongoing dependence
on Jesus
from here on out.
So when you hear the word
abide,
think in terms of
ongoing dependence.
And when you hear
the word dependence,
think of vital dependence.
I need him
to live.
I need him
for life.
He's the bread of life.
And not just
a dependence
for life,
a dependence
for light.
As by way of like
explanation.
What Jesus has to say
is the final word on it.
Whatever he has to say
on anything
is the final word on it.
How Jesus makes sense
of the world
when it comes to
our sexuality,
when it comes to
how we're to relate
to money and success
and to others,
that's the word
we're to abide in.
To depend on.
What Jesus is talking
about here is
another way of
making Jesus
the controlling center
of your life.
Where he is
the central operating
system of your being.
Where he's the sun
of your solar system.
And you orbit him.
He doesn't orbit you.
And this abiding
too carries the sense
of ongoing
dependence
on Jesus
for light
and life.
In other English
versions,
this word abide
gets translated
remain.
If my words
remain in you.
and it's
emphasizing
this kind of
persevering in,
staying in
all the way
through,
depending on
Jesus,
his person
and his words
for light
and life
until the end.
As Jesus says
in Matthew 24,
and those who
endure to the end
will be saved.
A genuine faith
is a persevering
faith.
So what Jesus
is essentially
saying here
is we never
outgrow our
need for him.
So these words,
if you abide
in my word,
you are truly
my disciples.
This is the
distinguishing mark
of a true
disciple of
Jesus Christ.
And the result
is that you know
the truth
and the truth
will set you free.
Is that you're
living in reality.
You recognize
that what Jesus
has to say
rings true.
And you are now
living in the
good life.
To abide in
his word
is to live
the good life.
It's to
actually be
free.
One of the
illustrations I
use to
describe
conversion
and ongoing
dependence
is good
old
Nicholas
Copernicus.
Before
Nicholas
Copernicus
showed up
in the
1600s,
everyone
believed
that
the sun
orbited
the earth.
But what
Copernicus
discovered is
that the
earth orbits
the sun.
And what
conversion is
is essentially
this.
You are
born,
you come
out of
your mama
and you're
like,
in your
sinful
deadness,
you just
think
everything's
about you.
I'm the
center of my
solar system.
But when
you come
to hear
the greatest
news ever
declared,
that Jesus
died and
was raised
from the
dead,
and you
are brought
into reality
that Jesus
is actually
the controlling
center of all
things,
and he's
always been the
controlling center
of all things.
it's not
new when
you were
converted.
It's always
been true.
That is
being brought
into reality.
That is being
set free.
That's the
truth of it.
And there's
fullness of
joy in it.
This is the
good life.
And might
I just
say,
there is
this misconception
out there
that freedom
means
independence.
That's not
what Jesus
means by
freedom.
To be set
free is
to be brought
into a
life-giving
relationship
with the
living God.
It's a
life of
dependence.
So here
is Jesus
clarifying for
these imposter
disciples what
a true
disciple of
his really
is, what
he's really
marked by,
what she's
really marked
by.
And that
is an
ongoing
dependence
on Jesus.
Jesus
isn't
interested in
drawing a
crowd.
What Jesus
is interested
in is
people
genuinely
understanding
what it
means to
become his
follower.
So we've
looked at
this true
discipleship.
Now in
verse 33
we have a
revealing
objection.
Let me
just read
it.
Jesus
just said,
hey, you'll
know the
truth and
the truth
will set
you free.
And the
Jews answered
back, the
Jews who
believed in
him, we
are offspring
of Abraham
and have
never been
enslaved to
anyone.
How is it
that you
say you
will become
free?
What this
objection
reveals is
the truth
of Jesus
is not
abiding
in them.
They
show their
defining
relationship.
they
just
professed
with
their
mouth
the
relationship
which
means
most
to
them.
They're
offspring
of
Abraham.
We
are
physical
descendants
of
Abraham
and
therefore
we've
not been
enslaved
to anyone
or anything
at any
time.
That's
their
claim.
They
respond to
Jesus'
words to
be set
free and
they're
saying
but hey
we're
offspring of
Abraham.
What are you
talking about?
And it
seems to
be that
they're
hearing Jesus
say something
politically.
You've never
been a
politic.
You need to be
set free from
being politically
oppressed.
That's not what
Jesus is saying
but that's what
it sounds like
they're thinking
but they
have forgotten
that they've
actually been
enslaved to
Egypt and
to Babylon
Shadrach
Meshach
and Abednego.
What's
going on
here is
we're
seeing
pride in
them.
They are
holding
up
the
thing
that
defines
them.
They're
thinking too
highly of
themselves
that they
ought.
And this
is a
huge
red
flag.
Because what
Jesus has
just said
is if
you abide
in my
word
you are
truly my
disciples.
They are
not abiding
in his
word.
If they
were abiding
in his
word they
would say
Jesus you
are everything.
When
reality is
they think
Abraham's
are everything.
what defines
you
rules you.
And you
can only be
ruled by
one thing.
If
something or
someone other
than Jesus
is giving
you primary
meaning in
life,
primary purpose
for life,
the primary
definition of
your life,
you got to
understand that
is there's
no life
there.
There's no
light there or
just very
limited life,
very limited
light.
So if your
job is what
defines you,
it's not
going to last.
You can't live
off that.
if your
health is what
defines you,
the primary
kind of
the relationship
that governs
all other
relationships,
if that's
your health,
marital status,
your race,
your ethnicity,
a cause
that you
are undertaking.
If you're a
Packers fan
and your
Packers
fan-ness
defines
everything about
you,
or if
you're a
Bears fan
and your
Bears fan-ness
defines everything
about you,
it's not
big enough.
Ease,
entertainment,
storing up
treasure in
heaven,
Matthew 6.
Jesus in
Matthew 6
talks about
that you
can't serve
two masters.
You'll love
one and hate
the other.
You'll despise
one and be
devoted to
the other.
You can't
serve both
God and
mammon.
You can't
serve both
God and
your job.
You can't
serve both
God and
your health.
It's one or
the other.
So this
objection,
we are
offspring of
Abraham.
These Jews
have totally
missed what
Jesus has been
saying.
We're not
enslaved.
They're
enslaved.
They're blind
in their sin.
This pride
blinds them.
It gives
them a
selective
memory.
It's a
spiritual
forgetfulness
of what
my history
is,
of what
I've done.
Jesus is
saying
something
completely
radical here
and they
miss it.
You see,
our greatest
need,
the greatest
need of
every person
in this
room
is not
some kind
of freedom
from political
slavery or
racial slavery
or cultural
slavery or
economic
slavery.
our greatest
need is to
be rescued
from the
slavery to
sin.
The penalty
of sin,
which is
God's wrath
poured out
on sinners
justly.
From the
power of
sin,
which is
sin's grip
on you to
make you
obey its
desires.
That's
our greatest
need.
Now,
this slavery
to sin,
it creeps
into all
those
different
spheres.
It creeps
into
politics
and race
and culture
and economics,
no doubt.
But at the
heart of this
is a pride.
Not seeing
your true
need.
They don't
see that
they need
to be set
free from
sin.
They're
spiritually
blind.
Maybe you've
experienced this.
You're sharing
the gospel
with a
friend of
yours,
and you've
just broached
the topic
of sin.
You're
explaining
that we're
all sinners
and that
our sin
carries
this
just
penalty,
that God
is just
and pouring
out his
wrath on
this.
And you
turn to
your friend
and you're
like,
are you
tracking with
me?
And your
friend says
something like
this,
what do I
need to be
saved from?
They're like,
don't hear you.
Like, what's the
problem?
I'm okay.
I don't need to
be rescued.
They're
spiritually
blind.
They haven't
been given
ears to hear
or a heart
to understand.
And that's
what's going
on in
these Jews
who have
professed
belief in
Jesus.
What the
objection reveals
is that
they're not
true disciples.
The word of
Jesus is not
abiding in
them.
because a
true disciple
sees their
very real
need to be
set free
from sin.
Now, the
question is,
how is Jesus
going to
respond to
this objection?
And in
verses 34
through 38,
Jesus says
there are two
ways to
live.
Slavery
or sonship.
so to
this
objection
of these
pseudo
believers,
Jesus in
34 drops
another
truly,
truly.
Truly,
truly,
I say to
you.
We've
bumped into
a number
of these
truly,
I say to
you's.
It's
Jesus saying
something like,
listen carefully
because I am
going to set
the record
straight.
that's the
kind of
emphasis he's
leading with.
He's like,
listen up.
Truly,
truly,
I say to
you.
And what
does he
say?
Everyone who
practices sin
is a
slave to
sin.
And what
happens here
in 34
through 38
is a
contrast
between
those who
are slaves
to sin
and those
who are
sons and
daughters of
God.
Who've been
made sons
and daughters
of God
by faith
in Jesus.
They've been
born again.
And so
there's this
contrast
that follows
here because
Jesus is just
spelling it out
for these
people who
have just
objected to
him.
It's like,
just to be
clear,
there's only
two ways
to live.
Back in the
first century,
in one
household,
you could
have slaves
and free
men and
women living
under the
same roof.
You could
have children
of slaves
who have
no promise
of inheritance,
very little
rights,
growing up
with children
of a free
man or a
free woman,
and that
child has
the promise
of an
inheritance,
that child
has rights,
and they're
growing up
in the same
household
together,
and the
major difference
between the
two is
their
relationship
to the
head of
the home,
whether they
call him
father or
not.
And this
contrast gets
spelled out
by Jesus.
He's not
saying that
slavery is
okay.
He's using
it as an
illustration.
So let me
just point you
to a few of
the contrasts
that get
developed here.
There's a
contrast of
nature.
The nature
of someone
who's a
slave to sin
and someone
who is a
son or
daughter of
God.
In verse
34, Jesus
says, whoever
practices sin
is a slave
to sin.
And if you
are a
Christian in
the room
and you're
like, oh
no, I
think that
might mean
me because
I keep on
doing the
same sin.
Have you
been repenting
of that sin?
Have you
been seeking
to change
from that
sin?
Have you
been confessing
that and
seeking help
on that?
Are you being
honest about
it?
Because those
who practice
sin are
those people
who don't
care, who
are unrepentant
in their sin.
They hear the
name of Jesus,
they say,
you light up
my life, but
their lives
don't change.
They're still
enslaved to the
power of sin
because they
obey sinful
desires.
They are
enslaved to
the penalty
of sin.
They're under
God's wrath.
They are
living in
darkness
because they're
unrepentant.
They have not
been born
again.
These are
those who are
slaves to sin.
It's by nature
they are children
of wrath,
under God's
wrath.
Contrast that
with those
who've been
set free.
true disciples.
If you flip
back in your
Bible to
John chapter
1.
In John
chapter 1,
starting in
11,
this is the
prologue,
and John
writes this.
Speaking of
Jesus, the
word, the
true light,
came to his
own.
He came to
the Jewish
people and
He came to
his own,
and his own
people did not
receive him.
That's what we're
seeing going on
right here.
They don't
believe in him.
But to all
who did receive
him, who
believed in
his name,
he gave the
right to become
children of
God, who
were born not
of blood, nor
of the will of
the flesh, nor
of the will of
man, but of
God.
Children of
God are born
of God.
They're born of
the Holy Spirit.
They've been
regenerated by the
Holy Spirit.
They have a
whole new nature.
The Spirit has
come and
indwelt them, and
now there's this
holy conflict in
you with your
desire to sin.
There's a desire
to walk in
holiness, to
share in the
divine nature,
1 Peter 3,
1-3.
So what we
have here are
a contrast of
people, a
contrast of
natures, and
the freedom that
the sons of God
and the daughters
of God have
been given, is
not freedom to
go on sinning.
It's not freedom
to live independently.
It's the freedom
to now live for
God with joy and
fullness of the
Holy Spirit.
Because we are
now dead to sin and
alive to God in
Christ Jesus.
another contrast is evidence
evidence of slavery to sin
versus evidence of sonship
in verse 37
we see
Jesus say I know that you are offspring of Abraham
I know that you're genetically
descendant from Abraham
yet you seek to kill me
because my word finds no place in you
do you see what Jesus is saying there
he's saying you're a slave to sin
here's how I know
you still want to kill me
you're still murderous
you're still practicing sin
you haven't changed
and so Jesus is able to point to something
very specific and concrete
that shows them something has not changed
not so those who've been born of God
those who are children of God
they've been set free
and because
the word
Christ's word abides in them
they want to please God
they're not perfect
but they're changing
they're being changed by God's grace
whereas
those who are living in slavery
to sin want to kill other people
they're murderous
they're hateful
it's the complete opposite
for those who belong to Jesus
in just a few chapters
Jesus after dinner
is going to wash his disciples feet
and then he's going to say to them
a new commandment I give to you
that you love one another
just as I have loved you
you are to love one another
it is a mark
of a true follower of Jesus
to love others
even your enemies
evidence
when we are living
a life of dependence
on Jesus
we are
transformed into his image
there's a result
in verse 35
the slave does not remain
in the house forever
the son remains forever
if you're a slave to sin
the penalty of God's wrath
is over your head
the power of sin
reigns in your life
unchecked
and because of that
you will not remain
in the house of God forever
that's just another way
of saying
you're going to be cast out
but for those
who are sons and daughters
of God
those who have been born of God
it's all by grace
nothing that they have done
they remain in the house forever
because they're sons and daughters
they've been brought into
the family of faith
and that can never be undone
which brings us
to the third contrast
contrasting daddies
contrasting parents
Jesus says in verse 38
I speak of what I have seen
with my father
and you do what you have heard
from your father
so if Jesus' father
is God most high
and he brings us
into his family
by faith
through his blood
we are adopted
by that same father
and so we are adopted
sons and daughters
of God most high
it's all by God's grace
he is our dad
he's our father now
so we call out to him
but Jesus says
to these Jews
and you do what you have heard
from your father
now given the context
we've just read
when they say
we are the offspring
of Abraham
you might think
Jesus is talking about Abraham
Jesus is not talking
about Abraham
if you
if your eye
just tracks down
the column
to verses
let's see here
42
Jesus said to them
if God were your father
you would love me
for I came from God
and I am here
I came not of my
I came not of my own accord
but he sent me
why do you not understand
what I say
it is because
you cannot bear
to hear my word
it's not abiding in them
and he goes on
you are of your father
the devil
and your will
is to do
your father's desires
he was a murderer
from the beginning
and he does not stand
in the truth
because there is no truth
in him
when he lies
he speaks out
of his own character
for he is a liar
and the father of lies
how's that
for a confrontation
contrasting parents
so there is a series
of contrasts
by which Jesus
responds to their objection
he is saying
there are
there are slaves
to sin
and there are
children of God
by nature
fundamentally different
by the grace of God
there is
there is a contrast
of evidence
the slaves
to sin
hate
they are murderous
but those who are
children of God
they abide
in the word
of Jesus
they love
the result
slaves to sin
are forever
out of God's house
but those who are
children of God
by his grace
remain in his house
forever
because
slaves to sin
their daddy
is the devil
but those
who are children
of God
have God the father
as their father
quite a contrast
isn't it
here's the point
anyone
can say
that they believe
in Jesus
anyone can
those who
continually
depend
on Jesus
are his
true disciples
those who
have been
adopted
by grace
as sons
and daughters
set free
from sin
in order
to live
for Christ
and they
live for Christ
all the way
to the end
they are the
true disciples
of Jesus
so let's ask
two questions
how do you know
if you're a true
disciple of Jesus
Christ
how do you know
if you're legit
well let me
just ask you
what is governing
your life
who is governing
your life
what
relationship
is governing
all of your
other relationships
who matters
most to you
what are you
willing to
sacrifice for
does your
relationship
with Jesus
define you
is your
knowledge of
Jesus increasing
is your
delight in
Jesus
increasing
is your
obedience to
Jesus increasing
is your
praying to
Jesus increasing
is your
witnessing to
Jesus increasing
maybe you're in
the room
you're like
no
and I don't
want to
thank you
I don't need
to be saved
I don't need
any of that
you're responsible
for your own
decision before
the Lord
but maybe
you're in the
room
and you
are realizing
oh no
I have not
been
continually
abiding in
Jesus
but I want
to start
that that
sounds
glorious
that that
that sounds
like something
I was made
for
and you were
today's the
day you
become a
follower of
Jesus
here's what
you do
you just
pray
you say
Lord Jesus
I realize
I've been a
slave to
sin
but you've
died to
set me
free
to live
for you
and by
your death
you've made
me a son
or daughter
of God
it's all
by your
grace
thank you
that's how
you start
another
question is
if you
are
a true
disciple
of Jesus
maybe you're
asking
well how do I
live out this
freedom that
Christ has
accomplished for
us
what does that
look like
how do I
do that
well just to
remind you
the freedom
with which
Jesus has
set you
free
is not a
life of
independence
to do
whatever you
want
it's not
freeing you
from sin
to sin
more
that doesn't
make any
sense
no Jesus
has set us
free at the
cost of his
own blood
so that
we would
live for
him
the freedom
Jesus speaks
of
is freedom
from the
penalty and
power of
sin
in order to
live for
Christ
that's the
good life
life
that is
the abundant
life
John 10
10
that is
the spirit
filled
life
that is
what the
Holy Spirit
is seeking
to accomplish
in us
think about
it
if you
have become
a Christian
the penalty
of your sin
has been
paid in full
by Jesus
on that
Friday
all of
God's
wrath
was poured
out on
Jesus
once and
for all
done
and so
there is
no penalty
of sin
past
present
future
hanging
over
your
head
there's
no
condemnation
for you
but
even
beyond
that
God
the moment
you
believed
thought
he
considered
all
of
Christ's
obedience
as being
deposited
into your
account
so not
only you
are fully
forgiven
of all
your
sin
you
are
fully
accepted
by God
on high
because
you've
been
given
the
righteousness
of
Christ
glory
what a
savior
you've
also
been
rescued
from
the
power
of
sin
it's
been
broken
Romans
6
makes
this
beautiful
argument
because
we've
been
united
to
death
with
Christ
and his
death
and
resurrection
we
are
no
longer
slaves
to
sin
but
we
have
been
freed
to
live
for
God
consider
yourself
dead
to
sin
and
alive
to
God
in
Christ
Jesus
and
now
present
the
members
of
your
body
to
Christ
to
God
as
instruments
of
righteousness
that's
what
we
do
now
and
it's
not
burdensome
it
is
joy
to
offer
myself
to
God
daily
for
the
glory
of
his
name
that's
freedom
that's
what
you
were
created
for
that's
what
you
were
redeemed
for
now
there
is
this
thing
called
the
sinful
nature
that
we
still
deal
with
as
Christians
the
presence
of
sin
and
so
your
obedience
will
be
contested
so
our
freedom
is
an
exercise
of
faith
where
we're
saying
to
temptation
you
have
no
dominion
over
me
based
on
what
Jesus
has
done
as
we
grow
in
godliness
as
we
bear
the
fruit
of
the
spirit
we
will
be
free
indeed
we
will
experience
we
will
be
set
free
and we
will
know
the
truth
and the
truth
will
set
us
free
and we
will
know
it
so
for
those
of
you
who
want
some
specific
steps
let me
give you
two
steps
step
one
it's
summertime
start
reading a
gospel
you've
got
four
Matthew
Mark
Luke
and
John
start
reading a
gospel
daily
and
before
you
open
up
that
gospel
you
just
pray
out
to
God
you
say
show
me
show
me
the
glory
of
Jesus
just
light
me
up
start
reading
just
take
a
chapter
a
day
maybe
you're
looking
for
some
more
specific
instruction
of
Jesus
when
you
hear
about
Jesus
commands
it's
kind
of
vague
in
your
mind
go
to
Matthew
5
6
and
7
where
Jesus
lays
out
what
it
looks
like
his
commands
for
the
citizens
of his
and as
you're
going
through
these
things
step
number
two
is
this
start
telling
Jesus
how
wonderful
he
is
start
telling
him
as you
read
about
him
tell
him
how
wonderful
he
is
that
there's
nobody
like
him
he's
glorious
back
in
the
1800s
during
the
California
gold
rush
prospectors
would
regularly
discover
what
they
thought
was
gold
Eureka
they
would
cry
out
only
to
find
out
that
what
they
had
found
was
fool's
gold
pyrite
often
found
in
the
same
places
it's
an
imposter
gold
and
so
they
learned
to
do
tests
they
learned
to
do
the
scratch
test
and
the
streak
test
and
the
weight
test
because
true
gold
is
weightier
than
fool's
gold
so
let me
ask
you
is
your
trust
in
Jesus
your
belief
in
Jesus
more
like
fool's
gold
or
true
gold
are
you
ongoingly
dependent
on
Jesus
remember
his
words
if
you
abide
in
my
word
you
are
truly
my
disciples
let's
pray
Lord
Jesus
we're
so
thankful
that
you
give
us
the
clarity
that
our
hearts
long
for
would
you
help
us
to
abide
in
your
word
for
the
glory
of
your
name
and
for
the
good
of
others
it's
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
!
Amen
Thank you.