WEBVTT

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 I tell you, being an emotional person is a load to carry.

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 It's hard.

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 But it's the way God wired me and so just here I am.

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 You must be informed by the Scripture.

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 In fact, you can't really sing great songs apart from the Scripture.

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 Tell your ma, tell your pa, our loves are going to grow.

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 Nothing, right?

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 But when we sing such a song as we just finished singing, your love never fails.

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 I don't know about you, but I was thinking about passages of Scripture.

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 And so we move from singing the Word to being instructed by the Word.

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 And allowing the Word to be the thing that frames our life, our worship, and our ambitions for eternity.

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 Isn't that right?

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 Turn in your Bible to John chapter 7.

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 And I want you to look at the clock, the watch.

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 We don't have a clock in the front or the back.

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 There's a very good reason for that.

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 All I'm saying is I do want you to know that when John finished our time of singing together,

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 we're going to find out whether I can stomp on the throttle and get it done in fewer minutes.

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 And don't hold that against me and bring it up ever again.

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 So, John 7, verse 1.

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 After this, Jesus went in Galilee.

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 About in Galilee, he would not go about in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill him.

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 Now, the feast, the Jews' feast of the booths was at hand.

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 So his brothers said to him,

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 Leave here and go to Judea that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.

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 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly.

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 If you do these things, show yourself to the world.

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 For not even his brothers believed in him.

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 Jesus said to them,

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 My time has not yet come,

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 but your time is always here.

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 Let's pray.

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 And here's what I want you to do as I am praying.

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 I would ask that you pray as well.

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 God, conscious, deliberate expression of your dependence upon the Spirit of God,

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 helping me as I preach,

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 and you as you attend to the Word of God.

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 Father,

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 this morning we are gathered together because of the Lord Jesus Christ,

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 and because you have given to us your Word,

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 which is entirely sufficient,

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 that we who are your children would be completely furnished for all good work.

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 We pray for the enabling of the Spirit of God both in my preaching

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 that you would allow me through your enabling to be clear,

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 to be simple in communication,

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 to be passionate for the things that exalt the Savior

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 and that your Spirit would take the word that you have here in the Scriptures

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 and weave it into our heart that the thing that stands out to us

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 would be the glory and the sufficiency and the supremacy of the Lord Jesus,

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 that we, having not yet seen Him, would grow to care about Him more

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 and long for the day that we will see our Savior face to face.

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 Let that be the ambition and affection of our life

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 and let our time in the Word of God strengthen that desire.

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 We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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 Now, it is important when we take a small piece of passage

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 to actually understand the larger context.

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 context. And today is no exception to that rule.

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 So if I were to ask you,

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 what is one verse that gives you an overview of what the book of John is about?

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 How many of you would say,

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 well, I'm thinking right now of John chapter 21, verse 31.

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 Would you say that?

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 These things are written, what?

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 So that you may know or that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

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 and that by believing you may have life in His name.

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 When we take the book of John and we are working our way through it,

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 we understand that one of the characteristics of this book

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 is that there's a lot of detail in Christ's life that's left out.

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 There are actually only seven major little pictures that are given to us.

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 This is different than the synoptic gospels that give us lots of detail.

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 And so when John limits his lessons to seven particular pictures,

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 it's appropriate for us to really pay careful attention.

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 And our text this morning stays on that theme of making it clear to us who Jesus is

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 so that we may believe in Him as the Son of God.

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 I do want you to understand that Jesus, at this point in John chapter 7,

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 is still away from Jerusalem.

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 You'll remember what had happened as He'd started His public ministry

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 in Jerusalem, the city of God.

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 And how had He actually begun?

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 How did He start?

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 Does anybody remember?

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 Wave at me if you remember what He did

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 for His first public demonstration of His authority and power.

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 What did He do?

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 That was actually a little more private.

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 You're not doing bad because that's how John starts.

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 But what was the big smackdown event in Jerusalem?

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 Cleaning the temple, right?

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 I mean, here is a nobody comes bopping out of the...

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 I am having trouble with this.

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 Does anyone have chewing gum to stick on my ear here?

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 Bear with me.

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 It's like masking tape might be good.

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 Okay.

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 Remember, He walks into Jerusalem and He goes into the temple

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 and one lone guy cleans house.

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 I mean, that's just unbelievable.

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 And you remember, it was such an impressive act

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 that all the scribes and Pharisees and all the leaders of Jerusalem

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 could do as they kind of whine a little bit and say,

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 yeah, and where do you get the right to do this?

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 You know, it's like, meh, meh, meh.

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 And they're intimidated.

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 Well, following that, Jesus ends up sensing adequate pushback

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 from what He had done that He moved away from Jerusalem,

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 went back towards Galilee.

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 And in that journey, you remember, He stopped and met the woman at the well,

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 Samaritan woman.

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 She came to Christ.

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 And later, there we have John chapter 6.

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 And that extended passage is really an early picture

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 of what was developing in the ministry.

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 And we find that Christ's miracles were drawing lots of people

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 to be interested in Him.

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 But Christ's teaching was leading to more and more people

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 deciding that they didn't want what He really had to offer.

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 And so we are now in John 7.

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 And I might encourage you to actually pencil a note in your margin of your Bible.

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 We are six months from the cross.

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 I think that's important.

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 Six months from the cross.

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 And what we find in John chapter 7,

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 and we're going to look at verses 1 through 13,

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 is really the widening gap

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 between the people that Christ came to minister to

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 and what His purpose and His calling really was.

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 So let's kind of take the passage and break it up

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 and realize that what we find, first of all,

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 is how most people actually saw Jesus.

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 You look there in John chapter 7,

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 and I want you to pick up with me there, if you will, at verse 2.

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 And it was the timing of the Feast of Booths.

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 And for the nation of Israel,

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 there were three public celebrations

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 that all the nation of Israel was actually to be involved in.

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 One of them was a Passover,

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 and we know that was a pretty big deal.

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 But the Feast of Booths, in some ways,

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 was the most spectacular, the most joyful.

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 And it was one...

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 By the way, I do want to tell you that I'm going to be on vacation starting...

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 Actually, Pastor Saul is going to be preaching for two weeks in a row.

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 You get to do one of my special passages.

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 I'm like, shoot.

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 But hey, that always happens.

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 He is going to be preaching on John chapter 14,

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 carrying on, and I will be back about two weeks later.

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 Judith and I, I have to confess this,

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 I'm going deer hunting.

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 I shouldn't say that publicly.

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 But then after that, we're going down to Norris Lake,

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 and we're going to spend a little time down there together.

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 And we will come back and address John chapter 7, verse 37.

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 The Feast of Booths, a great party for a nation of Israel,

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 was a time in which they reminded themselves of what God had done

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 in bringing them out of the land of Egypt and slavery.

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 But it was also a time of great spiritual intent or import.

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 It was where they actually, on the great day of the feast,

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 and we're going to see this in John chapter 7, verse 37,

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 they would actually take large pots of water

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 and pour them down the steps of the temple.

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 And that was an indication of the promised coming of the Holy Spirit.

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 It was a spectacular festival and a feast,

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 and everybody loved coming to it.

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 In that context, we find that the brothers, here in verse 4,

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 so his brothers said to him,

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 leave here and go to Judea,

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 that your disciples also may see the works that you're doing.

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 I want you to understand that the brothers were impressed

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 by what they saw Jesus doing,

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 and they, along with many,

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 were actually impressed with Christ's power,

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 but they were completely tone deaf to his truth.

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 They saw the miracles,

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 they saw the evidence of his authority and power,

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 but the truth of the matter is,

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 is they weren't the least bit moved

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 by the reality of what his message was all about.

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 I do want you to know,

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 if you're stopping to think carefully,

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 that what this passage tells us

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 is that Jesus actually did have half-brothers.

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 What does that tell you about Mary?

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 It tells you that she did not remain a perpetual virgin.

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 It tells you that she had other children besides Jesus.

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 And if you will keep your finger there in John,

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 because of the false teaching

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 regarding the perpetual virginity of Mary,

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 I want you to turn in your Bible.

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 At the end of the day,

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 the question is,

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 what does the Bible,

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 what?

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 What's it say?

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 Okay.

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 So we're thinking here,

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 Jesus had brothers?

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 Actually, they were half-brothers.

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 But turn to Matthew chapter 13.

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 Matthew chapter 13, verse 35 and 36.

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 Wow, I can hear all those pages rustling.

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 And I am discovering that I have tracked the wrong passage.

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 That means one of you deacons is going to have to save me.

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 35 and 36.

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 Where does it...

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 How did I do this?

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 Okay.

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 John...

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 I mean, Tom,

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 would you run the search engine that you have?

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 And...

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 Is it 55 and 56?

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 There we go.

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 Okay.

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 Is not...

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 Yes.

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 Three should be five.

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 John 13, 55 and 56.

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 Okay, here we go.

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 Is not this the carpenter's son?

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 Is not his mother called Mary?

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 Are not his brothers,

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 James, Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?

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 And are not his sisters among us.

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 What does this tell us?

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 I mean, common sense, right?

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 Mary had more children, quite a few actually, besides Jesus.

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 And so here we find that, going back to John chapter 7,

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 his brothers, they were impressed with the power that Jesus was displaying.

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 It was undeniable.

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 They could see the things that were being done.

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 But they didn't believe in him at all.

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 And while they recognized that he was doing exceptional things,

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 they really didn't see the value of those exceptional things

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 in relationship to their own soul.

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 I kind of imagine what they were saying here.

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 In the passage, he said, listen.

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 He says, no one...verse 4...

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 No one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly.

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 If you do these things, evident, obvious,

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 show yourself to the world.

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 You see, in essence, what the brothers were saying is,

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 hey, we recognize that you are displaying some exceptional power,

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 and you might as well make something of yourself.

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 Make a name.

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 Let other people know what you can do.

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 You've done some pretty spectacular stuff out here in the countryside,

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 but take your game to another level.

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 Go up to Jerusalem and let everybody see what you can do.

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 It's interesting that while they recognized Christ's power,

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 they had no sensitivity to what his message really was about.

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 And I'm afraid that there are many, many people today

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 that, like Christ's brothers, are all caught up in the superficial.

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 They like good works.

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 They like nice deeds.

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 And they've completely missed the message of sin and repentance.

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 I was struck last week by listening to a short clip of President Obama

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 kind of talking very favorably about the Pope,

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 and he was just waxing eloquent about how the Pope was such a messenger

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 for the disadvantaged.

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 And he said this,

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 and the Pope has made it clear that the central tenet of Christianity is mercy.

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 I thought to myself, hmm,

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 the greatest disadvantage of the human race is not a need for mercy,

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 but the greatest disadvantage of the human race is sin.

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 And the truth of the matter is,

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 is that God in His mercy sent Christ to be the substitution for our sin

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 and to die in our place that we might have salvation through faith in Him.

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 So I recognize here at first that John is giving us a picture of,

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 so what did people think about Jesus?

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 Well, they kind of liked His miracles, okay.

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 There's a second group that we find,

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 and you'll pick up at the hostility.

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 First of all, in verse 1, it says,

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 the Jews were seeking to kill Him.

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 Again, in verse 11, it says this,

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 the Jews were looking for Him at the feast,

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 saying, where is He?

00:16:24.539 --> 00:16:25.479
 You know, they were interested,

00:16:25.939 --> 00:16:29.399
 not because they wanted help from Him,

00:16:29.579 --> 00:16:30.459
 spiritually speaking,

00:16:30.699 --> 00:16:32.299
 but they were kind of put off by,

00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:35.419
 is He going to show up and cause a problem for our party,

00:16:35.479 --> 00:16:36.279
 you know, that kind of thing.

00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:40.980
 And you read that they had gone out of their way,

00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:42.399
 actually, the Jewish leadership,

00:16:42.779 --> 00:16:46.879
 to tamp down public conversations about Jesus.

00:16:48.379 --> 00:16:51.539
 You find out that when Jesus showed up,

00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:53.459
 it says here that the people,

00:16:53.579 --> 00:16:55.100
 though they were muttering about Him,

00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:57.039
 they were very careful that they didn't do it openly

00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.259
 because they knew they would get kind of pushed back

00:16:59.259 --> 00:16:59.899
 from the leadership.

00:17:01.659 --> 00:17:03.559
 And so you have to recognize this,

00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:05.799
 that when the world goes out of its way

00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:06.940
 to suppress the truth,

00:17:07.639 --> 00:17:09.960
 you can be sure that what is going on

00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:11.899
 is that conviction is being resisted.

00:17:13.259 --> 00:17:14.460
 I read an article,

00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:16.819
 again last week,

00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:18.559
 being that this is the first day of the week,

00:17:19.019 --> 00:17:21.000
 I read of an esteemed doctor

00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:22.179
 who was part of Harvard

00:17:22.179 --> 00:17:24.240
 or was on the staff of faculty at Harvard

00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:26.659
 who also had visiting privileges

00:17:26.659 --> 00:17:29.700
 at a Boston hospital.

00:17:31.159 --> 00:17:33.419
 And several years ago, actually,

00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:35.660
 he put together a private research paper

00:17:35.660 --> 00:17:39.060
 that talked about the medical risks of sodomy.

00:17:40.600 --> 00:17:42.100
 When he published this,

00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:45.360
 among the other physicians in the hospital,

00:17:45.740 --> 00:17:47.860
 it led to his actually being censured

00:17:47.860 --> 00:17:49.420
 and eventually fired by the hospital.

00:17:49.539 --> 00:17:49.860
 Why?

00:17:50.980 --> 00:17:53.039
 Because he pointed out

00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:57.259
 that sin creates unintended consequences

00:17:57.259 --> 00:17:58.019
 and heartache,

00:17:58.259 --> 00:18:00.240
 and when in that private community,

00:18:00.380 --> 00:18:00.660
 he said,

00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:00.980
 listen,

00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:03.080
 has anybody ever stopped to think

00:18:03.080 --> 00:18:06.300
 that when we endorse all this kind of misbehavior

00:18:06.300 --> 00:18:08.120
 that we actually end up creating

00:18:08.120 --> 00:18:10.120
 greater public health needs?

00:18:11.019 --> 00:18:12.040
 He was fired for that.

00:18:13.600 --> 00:18:14.820
 I got to tell you that

00:18:14.820 --> 00:18:15.960
 you can be sure that

00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:17.960
 when the truth is spoken clearly

00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:18.779
 and carefully,

00:18:19.340 --> 00:18:21.300
 however kindly it is said,

00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:23.340
 it ends up being offensive

00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:25.240
 to those who hate the truth.

00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:29.139
 And you can be sure that Jesus here,

00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:33.319
 as he spoke about the need of man's soul

00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:35.059
 and the realities of sin,

00:18:35.439 --> 00:18:38.059
 he ended up deeply offending the Jewish leaders

00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:39.899
 who had proposed that ultimately

00:18:39.899 --> 00:18:42.259
 the way to solve sin problems

00:18:42.259 --> 00:18:43.939
 was just to do good works.

00:18:43.940 --> 00:18:46.799
 And you and I bump into people all the time

00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:47.640
 that are of the mind

00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:50.220
 that really the issue in their life

00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:52.200
 can be improved by a little more effort

00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:52.900
 on their part

00:18:52.900 --> 00:18:55.519
 or it's just some guy taking care of some issues

00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:56.820
 and it'll be okay.

00:18:57.680 --> 00:18:59.039
 So why are you going to go to heaven?

00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:00.519
 Well, because I'm a pretty good person.

00:19:01.660 --> 00:19:03.640
 Now, all of us have a tendency

00:19:03.640 --> 00:19:05.200
 when we're smiling in public

00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:06.840
 to say we're a pretty good person.

00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:07.420
 Isn't that right?

00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:08.900
 But the fact of the matter is

00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:10.400
 that our conscience plagues us at night

00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:11.059
 when we're alone.

00:19:11.059 --> 00:19:14.099
 And so I want you to recognize

00:19:14.099 --> 00:19:15.559
 that the Jewish hostility

00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:17.779
 over Christ's clear teaching

00:19:17.779 --> 00:19:20.039
 was understandable.

00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:22.419
 Now, there's a third group

00:19:22.419 --> 00:19:23.779
 that I want you to recognize

00:19:23.779 --> 00:19:25.500
 and you look there in verse 12

00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:27.519
 and there was much muttering

00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:28.940
 about him among the people.

00:19:30.679 --> 00:19:32.940
 They were muttering back and forth

00:19:32.940 --> 00:19:34.179
 and that word muttering here

00:19:34.179 --> 00:19:35.659
 is a word in the Greek

00:19:35.659 --> 00:19:36.639
 that actually talks about

00:19:36.639 --> 00:19:37.859
 complaining or bickering.

00:19:37.859 --> 00:19:41.379
 No one in the bickering crowd

00:19:41.379 --> 00:19:43.399
 really had a remedy

00:19:43.399 --> 00:19:44.899
 or a conclusion.

00:19:45.459 --> 00:19:46.379
 What they were doing

00:19:46.379 --> 00:19:48.319
 was just kind of going back and forth

00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:50.939
 about the issues of who Jesus was.

00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:52.599
 And so you look there at verse 12

00:19:52.599 --> 00:19:53.899
 and some said he's a good man.

00:19:55.179 --> 00:19:56.579
 Some said, well, no,

00:19:56.659 --> 00:19:58.019
 he's leading the people astray.

00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:00.539
 And back and forth they went

00:20:00.539 --> 00:20:01.919
 just kind of throwing their ideas

00:20:01.919 --> 00:20:02.679
 back and forth

00:20:02.679 --> 00:20:04.439
 and they really weren't settled

00:20:04.439 --> 00:20:05.119
 in any way

00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:06.419
 with what the reality

00:20:06.419 --> 00:20:07.759
 of who Jesus was

00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:09.579
 and what his ministry was.

00:20:09.739 --> 00:20:11.179
 They didn't get that part at all.

00:20:11.939 --> 00:20:13.599
 So instead of being humble enough

00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:16.319
 to admit what their need was,

00:20:17.139 --> 00:20:18.639
 the vast majority of people

00:20:18.639 --> 00:20:20.899
 just chose to kind of muddle along

00:20:20.899 --> 00:20:23.339
 and complain among themselves

00:20:23.339 --> 00:20:25.159
 and be uncomfortable

00:20:25.159 --> 00:20:26.699
 with the reality

00:20:26.699 --> 00:20:28.199
 that on one hand

00:20:28.199 --> 00:20:29.399
 you had the evidence

00:20:29.399 --> 00:20:32.619
 of Christ doing spectacular miracles,

00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:33.639
 undeniable,

00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:35.500
 and on the other hand,

00:20:35.660 --> 00:20:37.160
 well, he was teaching things

00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:39.140
 that were really hard to swallow.

00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:41.100
 Remember what happened

00:20:41.100 --> 00:20:42.180
 in John chapter 6?

00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:44.480
 After he had finished his sermon

00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:45.360
 and as they were playing

00:20:45.360 --> 00:20:47.220
 verse 1 and only verse 1

00:20:47.220 --> 00:20:48.460
 of just as I am,

00:20:48.540 --> 00:20:49.020
 what happened?

00:20:50.460 --> 00:20:53.060
 All of you who need

00:20:53.060 --> 00:20:54.100
 to recognize Christ

00:20:54.100 --> 00:20:54.700
 as your Savior

00:20:54.700 --> 00:20:55.660
 and confess your sins

00:20:55.660 --> 00:20:56.520
 come towards the front.

00:20:57.380 --> 00:20:58.320
 Nobody came.

00:20:58.500 --> 00:20:59.380
 They all walked out.

00:20:59.460 --> 00:21:00.320
 They didn't want to hear it.

00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:01.259
 They were offended.

00:21:01.259 --> 00:21:01.320
 They were offended.

00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:04.880
 And so here we are,

00:21:05.640 --> 00:21:06.300
 John 7,

00:21:06.980 --> 00:21:08.860
 and it tells us

00:21:08.860 --> 00:21:10.580
 that the people

00:21:10.580 --> 00:21:11.540
 kind of just kind of

00:21:11.540 --> 00:21:12.480
 muttered and grumbled

00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:13.800
 and fussed a little bit

00:21:13.800 --> 00:21:15.400
 but never came to a conscious

00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:16.620
 and deliberate choice.

00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:19.720
 I'm reminded of actually

00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:20.380
 what happened

00:21:20.380 --> 00:21:22.680
 over in 1 Kings chapter 18,

00:21:22.780 --> 00:21:23.360
 verse 21.

00:21:23.780 --> 00:21:24.759
 Don't need to turn to it,

00:21:24.800 --> 00:21:25.580
 but you'll remember there

00:21:25.580 --> 00:21:26.600
 that Elijah,

00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:27.580
 it had not rained

00:21:27.580 --> 00:21:28.320
 for three years

00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:29.960
 and so Elijah called

00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:30.799
 for a smackdown

00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:32.119
 between him alone,

00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:33.960
 the God of the universe,

00:21:34.299 --> 00:21:36.559
 and the 450 prophets of Baal.

00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:37.659
 And when they all came together

00:21:37.659 --> 00:21:38.799
 on top of that little hill,

00:21:39.299 --> 00:21:39.839
 he said,

00:21:39.899 --> 00:21:40.480
 hey guys,

00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:41.599
 what's the problem with you?

00:21:41.639 --> 00:21:42.359
 Listen to what he said.

00:21:43.220 --> 00:21:44.019
 Elijah came near

00:21:44.019 --> 00:21:44.700
 to all the people

00:21:44.700 --> 00:21:45.539
 and said,

00:21:45.659 --> 00:21:47.740
 how long will you go limping

00:21:47.740 --> 00:21:50.519
 between two different opinions?

00:21:51.220 --> 00:21:52.019
 I like that.

00:21:52.740 --> 00:21:54.900
 How long will you go limping

00:21:54.900 --> 00:21:56.039
 between two different,

00:21:56.440 --> 00:21:56.879
 well,

00:21:57.500 --> 00:21:58.480
 on the other hand,

00:21:58.819 --> 00:21:59.160
 well,

00:21:59.299 --> 00:21:59.480
 you know,

00:21:59.819 --> 00:22:00.339
 he said,

00:22:00.440 --> 00:22:01.319
 if the Lord is God,

00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:02.059
 follow him.

00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:03.680
 But if Baal,

00:22:04.039 --> 00:22:04.859
 then follow him.

00:22:05.180 --> 00:22:06.680
 And here's what the people did.

00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:07.160
 Does anybody know

00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:07.740
 what the people did?

00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:10.420
 They didn't say a word.

00:22:12.299 --> 00:22:13.639
 And the truth of the matter is

00:22:13.639 --> 00:22:14.319
 there are some of you

00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:15.059
 here this morning

00:22:15.059 --> 00:22:16.079
 in the hearing

00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:17.019
 of the word of God

00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:18.119
 that are going to take

00:22:18.119 --> 00:22:19.079
 that passive,

00:22:19.639 --> 00:22:21.839
 non-responsive role

00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:23.459
 and play it out this way.

00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:24.740
 You heard the word,

00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:26.139
 you understand that Christ

00:22:26.139 --> 00:22:27.139
 put you on the spot

00:22:27.139 --> 00:22:28.240
 of saying yes or no

00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.259
 and you're just going to

00:22:29.259 --> 00:22:30.199
 kind of keep on

00:22:30.199 --> 00:22:31.139
 doing your own thing.

00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:33.759
 I would plead with you

00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:34.279
 this morning,

00:22:35.339 --> 00:22:36.579
 understand that the purpose

00:22:36.579 --> 00:22:37.079
 of preaching

00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:38.259
 is to put you on the spot

00:22:38.259 --> 00:22:39.119
 of saying yes or no

00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:39.659
 to Christ.

00:22:40.220 --> 00:22:41.699
 And understand this morning

00:22:41.699 --> 00:22:43.299
 that Jesus is the Christ,

00:22:43.399 --> 00:22:45.439
 the Son of the living God

00:22:45.439 --> 00:22:47.039
 and the one through whom

00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:48.139
 salvation comes.

00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:49.480
 And he calls you

00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:50.459
 to believe in him

00:22:50.460 --> 00:22:51.600
 and you who have

00:22:51.600 --> 00:22:52.380
 believed in him,

00:22:52.380 --> 00:22:53.140
 he calls you

00:22:53.140 --> 00:22:53.880
 to live a life

00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:56.100
 that is a stellar example

00:22:56.100 --> 00:22:58.000
 of his power to save.

00:22:59.840 --> 00:23:00.600
 That brings us

00:23:00.600 --> 00:23:01.259
 to one other thing

00:23:01.259 --> 00:23:01.759
 that I want us

00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:02.460
 to see this morning.

00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:03.140
 What is the truth

00:23:03.140 --> 00:23:03.700
 about Jesus?

00:23:07.059 --> 00:23:07.700
 First of all,

00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:08.319
 let's recognize

00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.079
 that he understood

00:23:09.079 --> 00:23:09.960
 his life's mission.

00:23:11.140 --> 00:23:11.880
 He understood

00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:12.759
 his life's mission.

00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:15.279
 His brothers wanted him

00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:16.240
 to go up to Jerusalem

00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:17.299
 and show his stuff,

00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:18.500
 make a name for yourself,

00:23:18.759 --> 00:23:20.140
 do something pretty spectacular,

00:23:20.460 --> 00:23:21.640
 heal people.

00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:23.240
 Let everybody be impressed.

00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:26.579
 Christ understood

00:23:26.579 --> 00:23:27.360
 his life's mission

00:23:27.360 --> 00:23:28.299
 was not just about

00:23:28.299 --> 00:23:29.299
 taking care of

00:23:29.299 --> 00:23:29.799
 the physiological

00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:30.980
 needs of people.

00:23:32.100 --> 00:23:32.340
 You know,

00:23:32.420 --> 00:23:33.980
 I've been sobered

00:23:33.980 --> 00:23:34.799
 when I stop and think

00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:36.200
 about all the adulation,

00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:38.559
 the praise and adoration

00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:39.380
 that our culture

00:23:39.380 --> 00:23:41.319
 has heaped on the Pope

00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:44.140
 when I am struck

00:23:44.140 --> 00:23:44.819
 by the fact

00:23:44.819 --> 00:23:46.799
 that not in a single instance

00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:48.340
 did he ever make

00:23:48.339 --> 00:23:49.859
 the gospel clear.

00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:52.379
 That's stunning.

00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:54.359
 I mean,

00:23:54.459 --> 00:23:55.559
 what would you think

00:23:55.559 --> 00:23:56.279
 of a pastor

00:23:56.279 --> 00:23:57.639
 that you listened to

00:23:57.639 --> 00:23:59.159
 for longer than an hour

00:23:59.159 --> 00:24:00.639
 and he never told you

00:24:00.639 --> 00:24:01.679
 how to get to heaven?

00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:09.299
 John chapter 7,

00:24:09.360 --> 00:24:09.820
 verse 7,

00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:10.820
 just in case you wonder

00:24:10.820 --> 00:24:11.820
 how Jesus handled

00:24:11.820 --> 00:24:12.400
 this issue,

00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:13.580
 here's what it says,

00:24:13.660 --> 00:24:14.779
 the world cannot hate you

00:24:14.779 --> 00:24:15.660
 but it hates me

00:24:15.660 --> 00:24:17.759
 because I testify

00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:19.380
 about the things,

00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:21.120
 or I testify it

00:24:21.120 --> 00:24:22.320
 that its works are evil.

00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:24.039
 Turn over in your Bible

00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:24.420
 if you would

00:24:24.420 --> 00:24:25.460
 to Luke chapter 6.

00:24:25.460 --> 00:24:29.579
 Thank you, Tom,

00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:30.220
 for helping me

00:24:30.220 --> 00:24:32.059
 with that fall earlier.

00:24:32.539 --> 00:24:33.299
 I think I've got

00:24:33.299 --> 00:24:33.920
 this one right.

00:24:35.120 --> 00:24:36.700
 Luke chapter 6,

00:24:37.579 --> 00:24:39.100
 verse 26.

00:24:43.100 --> 00:24:45.900
 Woe to you, Tim.

00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:49.680
 Woe to you, Francis.

00:24:50.440 --> 00:24:51.860
 When all people

00:24:51.860 --> 00:24:53.000
 speak well of you,

00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:56.440
 for so their fathers did

00:24:56.440 --> 00:24:58.140
 to the false prophets.

00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:01.200
 Hey,

00:25:01.539 --> 00:25:03.240
 if I had one shot

00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:03.960
 at Congress,

00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:06.940
 does anybody want to guess

00:25:06.940 --> 00:25:07.859
 what I would say?

00:25:09.339 --> 00:25:09.599
 Huh?

00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:12.200
 It would be this.

00:25:13.220 --> 00:25:14.940
 Christ Jesus came into the world

00:25:14.940 --> 00:25:15.799
 to save sinners

00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:17.740
 and the hope

00:25:17.740 --> 00:25:19.380
 of eternal life

00:25:19.380 --> 00:25:20.960
 rests in believing

00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:22.680
 in his finished work

00:25:22.680 --> 00:25:24.299
 upon the cross.

00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:27.080
 The greatest problem

00:25:27.080 --> 00:25:29.779
 in mankind's existence

00:25:29.779 --> 00:25:31.660
 is a sinful,

00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:33.440
 wicked heart

00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:34.720
 that rejects

00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:35.620
 the glory

00:25:35.620 --> 00:25:36.660
 and the holiness

00:25:36.660 --> 00:25:37.380
 of God

00:25:37.380 --> 00:25:38.860
 and there is salvation

00:25:38.860 --> 00:25:40.480
 in no other person

00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:41.560
 but in the work

00:25:41.560 --> 00:25:42.560
 of Christ on the cross.

00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:43.120
 Isn't that true?

00:25:44.120 --> 00:25:45.680
 That is our one

00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:47.460
 singular message

00:25:47.460 --> 00:25:48.460
 that we have.

00:25:49.500 --> 00:25:50.360
 And if you wonder

00:25:50.360 --> 00:25:51.519
 what Jesus was all about,

00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:52.019
 he understood

00:25:52.019 --> 00:25:52.879
 his life's mission,

00:25:52.879 --> 00:25:54.480
 it was to draw attention

00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:55.779
 to the desperate need

00:25:55.779 --> 00:25:57.420
 of mankind's heart

00:25:57.420 --> 00:25:58.559
 and let them know

00:25:58.559 --> 00:25:59.720
 they couldn't save themselves

00:25:59.720 --> 00:26:00.920
 by their own efforts.

00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:03.059
 For another,

00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:04.079
 as you think about it,

00:26:04.639 --> 00:26:05.859
 Jesus was profoundly

00:26:05.859 --> 00:26:06.980
 merciful and gentle

00:26:06.980 --> 00:26:07.940
 but at the same time

00:26:07.940 --> 00:26:08.940
 he was also clear

00:26:08.940 --> 00:26:10.379
 that sin is man's

00:26:10.379 --> 00:26:11.200
 greatest problem.

00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:13.160
 Sin is man's

00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:13.940
 greatest problem.

00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:15.220
 I got to tell you,

00:26:15.579 --> 00:26:16.680
 Jesus in many

00:26:16.680 --> 00:26:17.660
 different instances

00:26:17.660 --> 00:26:19.600
 could have chosen

00:26:19.600 --> 00:26:20.560
 to accommodate

00:26:20.560 --> 00:26:22.340
 the world that he was in

00:26:22.340 --> 00:26:23.400
 and the people that

00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:24.759
 for a period of time

00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:25.920
 just loved his

00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:27.000
 spectacular behavior.

00:26:28.300 --> 00:26:28.640
 I mean,

00:26:28.680 --> 00:26:29.200
 what we know

00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:30.360
 in John chapter 6,

00:26:30.580 --> 00:26:31.420
 it tells us

00:26:31.420 --> 00:26:32.400
 that the crowd

00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:33.540
 wanted to take him

00:26:33.540 --> 00:26:34.880
 and force him

00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:35.920
 to be their king.

00:26:37.820 --> 00:26:38.880
 He didn't do it.

00:26:39.940 --> 00:26:41.400
 And Satan comes to him

00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:42.740
 and Satan earlier,

00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:44.360
 if you're back in Matthew

00:26:44.360 --> 00:26:45.040
 or in Mark,

00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:45.819
 I believe you'll find

00:26:45.819 --> 00:26:46.539
 that when Satan

00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:47.539
 came to tempt Jesus,

00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:47.920
 it was,

00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:48.319
 hey listen,

00:26:48.619 --> 00:26:49.500
 I can give you

00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:50.420
 all this power,

00:26:50.539 --> 00:26:51.159
 all you have to do

00:26:51.159 --> 00:26:51.700
 is bow down

00:26:51.700 --> 00:26:52.379
 and say that I'm,

00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:53.720
 worship me.

00:26:54.680 --> 00:26:55.420
 No way.

00:26:57.859 --> 00:26:58.639
 So I want you

00:26:58.639 --> 00:26:59.200
 to understand

00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:00.779
 that here is Jesus

00:27:00.779 --> 00:27:03.480
 invited nowhere

00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:06.480
 to speak in Washington

00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:07.259
 or Jerusalem

00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:08.379
 other than

00:27:08.379 --> 00:27:09.460
 on his own initiative

00:27:09.460 --> 00:27:10.720
 and the thing

00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:11.299
 that he makes

00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:12.379
 undeniably clear

00:27:12.379 --> 00:27:13.539
 is that he came

00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:15.220
 to be the Lamb of God

00:27:15.220 --> 00:27:15.839
 and take away

00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:16.879
 the sins of the world

00:27:16.879 --> 00:27:17.859
 and I want you

00:27:17.859 --> 00:27:18.319
 to understand

00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:19.119
 that Christ made

00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:20.259
 that undeniably clear

00:27:20.259 --> 00:27:20.960
 over and over

00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:21.539
 and over again.

00:27:21.859 --> 00:27:22.440
 No one listened

00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:23.420
 to him for very long

00:27:23.420 --> 00:27:24.839
 and didn't understand

00:27:24.839 --> 00:27:25.879
 that the issue

00:27:25.879 --> 00:27:27.200
 of the heart

00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:28.440
 was most important.

00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:33.440
 There's a third thing

00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:33.920
 that I want you

00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:34.740
 to see this morning.

00:27:36.180 --> 00:27:37.220
 I want you to know

00:27:37.220 --> 00:27:38.200
 that Jesus knew

00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:39.079
 that his call

00:27:39.079 --> 00:27:40.240
 was to the cross.

00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:42.380
 You look there

00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:44.019
 in John chapter 7

00:27:44.019 --> 00:27:44.700
 verse 6

00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:45.559
 Jesus says

00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:48.279
 my time has not

00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:49.480
 yet come.

00:27:51.420 --> 00:27:52.599
 Look at verse 8

00:27:52.599 --> 00:27:54.720
 you go up to the feast

00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:55.920
 for I am not going

00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:56.759
 up to this feast

00:27:56.759 --> 00:27:57.559
 for my time

00:27:57.559 --> 00:27:59.480
 has not yet

00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:01.599
 fully come.

00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:04.440
 You know what?

00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:07.559
 Jesus knew

00:28:07.559 --> 00:28:08.960
 exactly

00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:09.900
 what

00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:11.559
 the plan was.

00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:13.039
 He knew

00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:14.380
 what his mission

00:28:14.380 --> 00:28:14.940
 was

00:28:14.940 --> 00:28:16.299
 and his life

00:28:16.299 --> 00:28:17.140
 was framed

00:28:17.140 --> 00:28:18.400
 by that singular

00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:19.380
 understanding

00:28:19.380 --> 00:28:20.980
 of what he was

00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:21.900
 there to do

00:28:21.900 --> 00:28:22.940
 and that it was

00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:23.860
 in the control

00:28:23.860 --> 00:28:24.580
 and direction

00:28:24.580 --> 00:28:25.420
 of his father

00:28:25.420 --> 00:28:26.880
 and he completely

00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:27.620
 got it.

00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:28.620
 He was focused

00:28:28.620 --> 00:28:29.759
 on his mission.

00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:32.900
 So let me ask

00:28:32.900 --> 00:28:33.379
 you a question

00:28:33.379 --> 00:28:33.879
 this morning

00:28:33.879 --> 00:28:34.379
 as you think

00:28:34.379 --> 00:28:35.119
 about the issue.

00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:36.720
 What are you

00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:37.000
 going to do

00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:37.460
 with Jesus?

00:28:38.859 --> 00:28:39.680
 The obvious

00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:40.539
 question that we

00:28:40.539 --> 00:28:41.660
 find playing out

00:28:41.660 --> 00:28:43.000
 in John chapter 7

00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:44.099
 in these 13 verses

00:28:44.099 --> 00:28:45.059
 that we kind of

00:28:45.059 --> 00:28:46.000
 look at in an overview

00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:47.240
 is that we've given

00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:48.200
 we've been able

00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:49.119
 to see this picture

00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:50.559
 of how most people

00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:51.500
 saw Jesus.

00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:54.339
 Pretty good

00:28:54.339 --> 00:28:54.900
 with miracles

00:28:54.900 --> 00:28:56.339
 but I'm not

00:28:56.339 --> 00:28:56.960
 interested in what

00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:57.440
 he has to say

00:28:57.440 --> 00:28:58.140
 about my soul.

00:28:58.140 --> 00:29:00.360
 Pretty irritating

00:29:00.360 --> 00:29:01.020
 in that he

00:29:01.020 --> 00:29:02.100
 draws attention

00:29:02.100 --> 00:29:02.580
 to the fact

00:29:02.580 --> 00:29:03.660
 that self-righteousness

00:29:03.660 --> 00:29:04.580
 doesn't cut it

00:29:04.580 --> 00:29:06.800
 and

00:29:06.800 --> 00:29:08.480
 kind of confusing

00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:09.580
 because

00:29:09.580 --> 00:29:10.080
 you know

00:29:10.080 --> 00:29:10.880
 on the one hand

00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:12.140
 I see that he's

00:29:12.140 --> 00:29:12.620
 doing some

00:29:12.620 --> 00:29:13.880
 pretty big things

00:29:13.880 --> 00:29:15.020
 but on the other hand

00:29:15.020 --> 00:29:15.660
 he's really making

00:29:15.660 --> 00:29:16.460
 me uncomfortable

00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:17.600
 when he's talking

00:29:17.600 --> 00:29:18.840
 about my soul.

00:29:19.100 --> 00:29:19.300
 No,

00:29:19.360 --> 00:29:20.060
 just kind of wait.

00:29:22.120 --> 00:29:22.759
 John 7

00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:23.540
 gives us a picture

00:29:23.540 --> 00:29:24.940
 of how the majority

00:29:24.940 --> 00:29:25.600
 of people

00:29:25.600 --> 00:29:26.740
 actually looked

00:29:26.740 --> 00:29:27.220
 at Jesus.

00:29:28.140 --> 00:29:30.480
 On the other hand

00:29:30.480 --> 00:29:31.320
 we have Jesus

00:29:31.320 --> 00:29:34.000
 with a very,

00:29:34.200 --> 00:29:35.380
 very clear point

00:29:35.380 --> 00:29:36.759
 saying to everyone

00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:37.600
 that he came

00:29:37.600 --> 00:29:38.880
 in contact with

00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:41.200
 the desperate

00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:43.440
 need of your heart.

00:29:45.660 --> 00:29:46.180
 Sinful,

00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:48.540
 justly condemned

00:29:48.540 --> 00:29:49.759
 before a holy God.

00:29:51.600 --> 00:29:52.240
 Hardened,

00:29:53.140 --> 00:29:53.580
 resistant

00:29:53.579 --> 00:29:55.839
 is that there

00:29:55.839 --> 00:29:56.480
 really is

00:29:56.480 --> 00:29:57.179
 no remedy

00:29:57.179 --> 00:29:57.960
 for the ugly

00:29:57.960 --> 00:29:58.419
 darkness

00:29:58.419 --> 00:29:59.199
 of your soul

00:29:59.199 --> 00:30:00.279
 apart from me.

00:30:02.339 --> 00:30:03.039
 I want you

00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:03.839
 to think about that

00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:06.639
 because here's

00:30:06.639 --> 00:30:07.199
 the truth.

00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:09.539
 There's some of you

00:30:09.539 --> 00:30:10.099
 sitting here

00:30:10.099 --> 00:30:10.559
 today

00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:12.799
 and I think

00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:13.539
 that this passage

00:30:13.539 --> 00:30:14.699
 in John chapter 7

00:30:14.699 --> 00:30:15.119
 kind of,

00:30:15.539 --> 00:30:16.159
 everybody look up

00:30:16.159 --> 00:30:16.500
 so you know

00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:17.159
 I'm talking to you,

00:30:17.220 --> 00:30:17.339
 right?

00:30:17.539 --> 00:30:18.460
 Everybody look up.

00:30:19.179 --> 00:30:19.899
 I'm talking to you.

00:30:20.339 --> 00:30:21.000
 I really am.

00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:22.680
 There's some of you

00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:23.539
 sitting here today

00:30:23.539 --> 00:30:25.059
 that are actually

00:30:25.059 --> 00:30:26.319
 pushing off Jesus

00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:27.460
 just like

00:30:27.460 --> 00:30:28.339
 that crowd

00:30:28.339 --> 00:30:28.819
 did.

00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:31.319
 Some of you

00:30:31.319 --> 00:30:31.700
 have grown up

00:30:31.700 --> 00:30:32.400
 in Christian homes.

00:30:33.799 --> 00:30:34.380
 You've heard

00:30:34.380 --> 00:30:34.960
 all the Bible

00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:35.319
 verses

00:30:35.319 --> 00:30:36.339
 and you're kind

00:30:36.339 --> 00:30:36.839
 of irritated

00:30:36.839 --> 00:30:37.480
 by some of the

00:30:37.480 --> 00:30:38.339
 idiosyncrasies

00:30:38.339 --> 00:30:38.920
 that you're having

00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:40.539
 in your context,

00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:40.759
 right?

00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:41.440
 Your parents want

00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:42.019
 this or your parents,

00:30:42.180 --> 00:30:43.259
 I'm not going to do that.

00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:43.619
 Really?

00:30:44.479 --> 00:30:45.359
 The main issue

00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:45.879
 is not what

00:30:45.879 --> 00:30:46.459
 your parents want.

00:30:46.539 --> 00:30:47.079
 The main issue

00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:47.579
 is what about

00:30:47.579 --> 00:30:48.039
 the darkness

00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:48.779
 of your heart?

00:30:49.959 --> 00:30:50.699
 Are you listening

00:30:50.699 --> 00:30:51.039
 to me?

00:30:52.439 --> 00:30:53.699
 There is no remedy

00:30:53.699 --> 00:30:54.659
 for that dark

00:30:54.659 --> 00:30:56.179
 and unhappy heart

00:30:56.179 --> 00:30:57.559
 apart from what

00:30:57.559 --> 00:30:58.799
 Jesus did on the cross

00:30:58.799 --> 00:30:59.959
 in dying for

00:30:59.959 --> 00:31:01.219
 your sins.

00:31:02.679 --> 00:31:03.979
 And when a person

00:31:03.979 --> 00:31:05.779
 comes to genuine

00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:07.019
 faith in Christ,

00:31:07.119 --> 00:31:07.419
 you know what

00:31:07.419 --> 00:31:08.199
 the Bible says?

00:31:08.379 --> 00:31:09.019
 It says they're

00:31:09.019 --> 00:31:09.539
 born again.

00:31:09.859 --> 00:31:10.599
 They stop being

00:31:10.599 --> 00:31:11.559
 who they used to be

00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:12.239
 and they are

00:31:12.240 --> 00:31:13.680
 somebody completely

00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:14.620
 different.

00:31:16.059 --> 00:31:17.039
 I get excited

00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:17.620
 about that.

00:31:20.359 --> 00:31:21.339
 I was in the car

00:31:21.339 --> 00:31:21.940
 last week

00:31:21.940 --> 00:31:22.620
 with an individual.

00:31:23.660 --> 00:31:24.180
 I tell you,

00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:24.740
 I bump into

00:31:24.740 --> 00:31:25.460
 so many people

00:31:25.460 --> 00:31:26.380
 who think they're saved.

00:31:29.299 --> 00:31:29.819
 I mean,

00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:30.019
 you know,

00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:30.420
 after all,

00:31:30.460 --> 00:31:30.859
 they find out

00:31:30.859 --> 00:31:31.720
 I'm a Baptist pastor

00:31:31.720 --> 00:31:32.140
 and they think

00:31:32.140 --> 00:31:33.019
 the safeguard is

00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:33.940
 I'm saved.

00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:38.220
 And I love

00:31:38.220 --> 00:31:38.720
 telling them,

00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:39.859
 if you're saved,

00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:41.319
 you don't have

00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:42.059
 to stay the way

00:31:42.059 --> 00:31:42.579
 you are.

00:31:44.919 --> 00:31:45.579
 In fact,

00:31:45.679 --> 00:31:47.000
 Jesus died on the cross

00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:48.659
 to guarantee

00:31:48.659 --> 00:31:50.139
 the absolute certainty

00:31:50.139 --> 00:31:50.859
 that not only

00:31:50.859 --> 00:31:51.740
 do you go to heaven,

00:31:51.919 --> 00:31:53.159
 but you get different.

00:31:54.659 --> 00:31:55.599
 I was reading this

00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:56.379
 morning in devotions

00:31:56.379 --> 00:31:57.759
 where Jesus talked

00:31:57.759 --> 00:31:59.000
 about salvation

00:31:59.000 --> 00:31:59.460
 and He kind of

00:31:59.460 --> 00:32:00.259
 compared it to,

00:32:00.740 --> 00:32:00.940
 you know,

00:32:00.980 --> 00:32:01.679
 when you plant a seed,

00:32:01.779 --> 00:32:02.359
 something happens,

00:32:02.419 --> 00:32:02.639
 right?

00:32:03.759 --> 00:32:04.839
 When you put leaven

00:32:04.839 --> 00:32:05.399
 in dough,

00:32:05.500 --> 00:32:06.139
 what happens?

00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:08.460
 If the leaven is there,

00:32:08.779 --> 00:32:09.940
 the dough does what?

00:32:09.940 --> 00:32:12.019
 I know,

00:32:12.100 --> 00:32:12.779
 some of you scientists

00:32:12.779 --> 00:32:13.299
 want to tell me

00:32:13.299 --> 00:32:13.860
 that you have to have

00:32:13.860 --> 00:32:14.559
 the right humidity

00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:15.240
 and you have to have

00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:15.960
 the right temperature.

00:32:16.100 --> 00:32:16.740
 Stop all that.

00:32:16.900 --> 00:32:17.000
 Okay?

00:32:17.100 --> 00:32:18.660
 Just dough does its thing

00:32:18.660 --> 00:32:20.180
 when there's yeast in it.

00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:21.799
 Listen to me.

00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:23.660
 There are some of you

00:32:23.660 --> 00:32:24.539
 sitting here today

00:32:24.539 --> 00:32:26.000
 that really can't

00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:27.559
 give me any evidence

00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:28.600
 or your own conscience

00:32:28.600 --> 00:32:29.740
 can't give you any evidence

00:32:29.740 --> 00:32:31.160
 that your profession

00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:31.920
 of faith

00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:32.720
 has made

00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:34.160
 any difference

00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:34.960
 in your life.

00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:38.519
 So ask yourself

00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:39.039
 the question,

00:32:39.319 --> 00:32:40.480
 which pile am I in?

00:32:41.980 --> 00:32:43.039
 If any man be

00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:43.960
 in Christ Jesus,

00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:45.660
 he is a

00:32:45.660 --> 00:32:48.039
 new creation.

00:32:52.120 --> 00:32:53.140
 And there's some of you

00:32:53.140 --> 00:32:53.600
 here today

00:32:53.600 --> 00:32:54.980
 that desperately need Christ

00:32:54.980 --> 00:32:56.220
 and you think

00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:57.100
 your problem

00:32:57.100 --> 00:32:58.720
 is other people.

00:32:58.840 --> 00:32:59.779
 It's not the case.

00:32:59.779 --> 00:33:05.160
 On the other hand,

00:33:05.660 --> 00:33:08.379
 to you who are believers,

00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:09.399
 can I tell you something?

00:33:11.779 --> 00:33:14.539
 A good picture of Jesus

00:33:14.539 --> 00:33:16.799
 ought to absolutely inspire you

00:33:16.799 --> 00:33:18.420
 to live every moment

00:33:18.420 --> 00:33:19.180
 of your life

00:33:19.180 --> 00:33:21.299
 with every breath you draw

00:33:21.299 --> 00:33:23.259
 to make the spectacular

00:33:23.259 --> 00:33:24.500
 Lord and Savior

00:33:24.500 --> 00:33:26.019
 of this world evident.

00:33:26.019 --> 00:33:30.480
 Why are you here

00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:31.339
 and not up there?

00:33:32.660 --> 00:33:33.819
 For one reason,

00:33:34.660 --> 00:33:36.019
 that Christ might be

00:33:36.019 --> 00:33:37.599
 exalted in my life

00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:40.019
 until he takes me home.

00:33:42.819 --> 00:33:45.160
 And anything less than that,

00:33:45.779 --> 00:33:49.019
 anything less than that,

00:33:51.019 --> 00:33:53.859
 dishonors the glory

00:33:53.859 --> 00:33:55.480
 of the cross.

00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:59.000
 And so I would plead

00:33:59.000 --> 00:33:59.779
 with you this morning,

00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:00.700
 if you are a believer,

00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:03.740
 glory in his name,

00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:06.759
 live your life

00:34:06.759 --> 00:34:07.500
 like he did

00:34:07.500 --> 00:34:08.300
 with his mission

00:34:08.300 --> 00:34:09.099
 clear in view

00:34:09.099 --> 00:34:12.380
 and long for the day

00:34:12.380 --> 00:34:13.559
 that you will see him

00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:15.139
 face to face.

00:34:17.239 --> 00:34:18.300
 Let's close in prayer.

00:34:18.300 --> 00:34:18.360
 Amen.