Incarnation 40 - Gospel of John - Nate Prazuch

[00:00:00] As we begin here, we're wrapping up John 12 today and for the next month we'll be taking a break from John a couple of different things we'll be doing. One is the park, message will be hopefully all the messages

[00:00:34] here are Gospel centered but it'll be a little different at the park and then the next week August 11th Jacob is picking up his Hebrews series and then I have a couple other messages that I've kind of been out there that I wanted to focus on

[00:00:47] so probably for the rest of August we'll be taking a break from John but for today we're going to finish up John chapter 12 and as we mentioned at the beginning of our journey through John

[00:00:59] John's point his whole purpose of writing his Gospel which we find in John chapter 20 where he writes, now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book

[00:01:11] but these are written so that you may believe that's his purpose, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name. This John's purpose of writing his Gospel

[00:01:23] so that you may believe so that whoever hears this may believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God here in John chapter 12 we've come to the end of Christ's ministry publicly

[00:01:35] and John gives us a little status report kind of an assessment of how it all went. Jesus has been publicly ministering for about three and a half years and we see John's assessment here

[00:01:48] of how that went. John chapter 12 verse 37 says, though he had done so many signs before them they still did not believe in him. He's still did not believe in him. Jesus did so many signs

[00:02:07] preached the Gospel so many times and they've heard it over and over and they still did not believe and this reminded me of an old myth. Maybe some of you have heard it's called the

[00:02:20] invisible ships myth or phenomenon. Reportedly when Captain Cook arrived at the coast of Australia the native people completely ignored them presumably because huge ships were so alien to their experience that their highly filtered perceptions could not register what was happening and they

[00:02:41] literally failed to see the ships. The story seems to have originated with Joseph Banks Cook's botanist on the 1770 voyage. On several occasions while they were off the coast of Australia he commented that the natives paid virtually no attention to the 106 foot long endeavor. On April 28th

[00:03:04] sailing north along the east coast of Australia he recorded this in his diary that Fisherman quote seemed to be totally engaged in what they were about. The ship passed within a quarter of a mile of

[00:03:16] them and yet they scarce lifted their eyes from their employment. Banks seemed to be troubled by not being the star attraction. Not one was once observed to stop and look toward the ship. They pursued their way in all appearance entirely unmoved by the neighborhood of Sol remarkable

[00:03:39] an object as a ship must necessarily be to people who have never seen one. He said this amazing ship that we built were coming into the new land and native people have never seen a ship. They must

[00:03:54] be in an amored by this when they see it. They're going to be amazed and they didn't really pay it any attention. According to various versions of the myth, Native Americans or Australians could not see

[00:04:06] the ships because they did not have a concept for such an object or because they did not fit into their experience. Philosophy J.R. Hustowett referred to this theory that quote objects which are so

[00:04:21] unfamiliar to people could essentially be coded in some sort of cognitive teflon making such objects in all practical effects invisible. Have you ever heard of this phenomenon? The indigenous peoples of Australia or North America when seeing these amazing European ships for the first time pay

[00:04:45] a no attention as if they didn't even see them, they couldn't see them and they didn't fit into their construct mentally. It's too far out of bounds. And it made me I thought of this because of how

[00:04:58] the people reacted after Jesus ministered to them in person as God in the flesh for three and a half years or how pilot looked Jesus in the eyes and he said what is truth and he was looking

[00:05:12] the truth in face and he couldn't see it. And this is like how people today I think view the gospel message or messages from Christian believers to them they just can't seem to see it.

[00:05:26] They still don't believe. And in this verse for today the first verse verse 37 which says though he had done so many signs before them they still did not believe in him there's more to

[00:05:40] that report and there's a reason for that report by John and we look forward to the next verses to show us. I'll go on verse 38 I'm going to start in 37 though he had done so many signs before

[00:05:55] them they still did not believe in him here it is so that the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled. There's a point to this, a purpose of this didn't believe why because

[00:06:08] by them not believing the word of Isaiah is fulfilled and then John quotes from Isaiah in verse 38 Lord who has believed what he heard from us and to whom has the arm of the Lord

[00:06:22] been revealed. Therefore they could not believe for again Isaiah said he has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, less they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn and I

[00:06:35] would heal them. Isaiah said these things because he saw the glory his glory in spoke of him will pray. During Lord Jesus we're coming to the end of your public ministry is recorded by the

[00:06:52] apostle John and there's some good clear messages here today from your lips. Prepare our hearts as we hear them and help us to take them and apply them to our lives to those who we love around us

[00:07:06] we pray that your blessing is upon the service in Jesus' name Amen. Now in this passage and after John's assessment that they still did not believe in him John refers back to the prophet

[00:07:20] Isaiah and this happens a lot in the scripture and now it's easier for us to realize that we're in the 21st century if we have a study Bible or a Bible with footnotes or a little

[00:07:33] or they come footnotes or cross references and so if you look at a cross reference here it'll have a little A or B it'll say look up Isaiah 6 he's referring to Isaiah 6 so we're going to go

[00:07:45] and see what Isaiah has to say about this. John gives us a clue here because he mentions Isaiah but he refers to Isaiah 6 and this is an renowned passage in Isaiah it's where Isaiah has his vision of

[00:07:58] God and his throne and it's where Isaiah realizes just how holy God is and just how far away from God Isaiah or mankind is it's something we should all really understand and be reminded of often

[00:08:16] sometimes we puff ourselves up too much and we don't understand how far away without Christ we are to God so let's go over to Isaiah John refers us there and we'll look at Isaiah chapter 6 verse 8 says

[00:08:30] this is Isaiah speaking he says and I heard the voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send and who will go for us then I said here I am send me and he said go and say to this people

[00:08:46] and commentators many commentators will say notice how the Lord says go and say to this people whereas before he would say go and say to my people so there's a distinction that God is making here that these people as we'll see

[00:09:06] have gone so far from God that now it's as if they don't even know God anymore and so now he's almost saying Isaiah go tell this group of people that group of people where before and these are Israelites

[00:09:18] before God would say go tell my people so commentators say this is important God says go tell this people what I'm about to tell you he says tell them this keep on hearing but do not understand

[00:09:34] keep on seeing but do not perceive like the ships showing up in the shore they're right there the people on the ships know they're there the people on the shore do not see them or don't care

[00:09:48] about them so God says as a judgment fine keep on hearing keep on listening but don't understand keep on seeing but don't perceive I think that's how many people live today in the world

[00:10:08] there's a lot of Christians out there and they're hearing the message a lot they don't see it or they don't want to see it or it doesn't fit their mental construct almost like they have

[00:10:17] a cognitive kept on over their mind they can't see it they need God to open their hearts and their minds and their eyes to be able to see it and that comes through us praying for them for that

[00:10:28] to happen how hard is it to open someone's eyes to a truth it's hard sometimes in so in verse 10 of Isaiah 6 the Lord gives Isaiah further instructions he says to Isaiah make the

[00:10:42] heart of this people dull and their ears heavy and blind their eyes let's see what their eyes and hear what their ears understand what the hearts in turn and be healed then I said how long

[00:10:56] a Lord how long young had preached to them they're not going to listen and he said until city's lie waste without inhabitant and houses without people and the land is a desolate waste

[00:11:09] and the Lord removes people far away and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land he says preach and tell it's all destroyed preach and tell they've all been in an exile preach

[00:11:20] and tell there's nobody left in verse 13 and though a tenth remain in it it will be burned again like a terribonth or an oak whose stump remains when it is feld the holy seed is its stump

[00:11:41] these are big words heavy words this is God speak and Isaiah to preach to a people that won't listen for a long time why I Isaiah says why for how long what's the point and at the land in

[00:11:54] the last verse here if Isaiah 6 that we have for today the Lord says the holy seed is its stump you see a nice beautiful big oak tree it's beautiful big branches you can climb in that thing

[00:12:09] I don't know how far they go up some of those big oak stones south are pretty big but it's almost as if the Lord is saying the portion of people who are going to believe in your

[00:12:20] word it's you take a huge tree it's it's really just going to be the stump that's it the holy seed is its stump so that might be what we feel like as pastors evangelists

[00:12:38] any Christian we're all told to go and preach the gospel to everyone why most aren't going to believe Lord you know that what's the point remember for our Bible study we had this graphic this is a picture of the Bible okay so this is what's happening in John 12

[00:12:58] you see the lines across the bottom are each chapter of the Bible and they go down depending on how long the chapter is the one in the center saw him on 18 the longest chapter of the Bible

[00:13:09] but the arcs in between these chapters are where the Bible refers to itself either looking forward in the future and prophecy you're looking backwards to refer upon itself the Bible refers to itself over 64,000 times and people say the author of scripture is not divine this is one of

[00:13:29] those places one of those arcs in John 12 he's referring back to Isaiah six and Isaiah six is also pointing to something we see this many times in scripture Jesus did this on the cross

[00:13:43] when he said my god my god why have you first taken me he was referring back to Psalm 22 he was reciting the first line of Psalm 22 so the hears will recognize that if they know their word

[00:13:56] and say I'm going to go read Psalm 22 but what Psalm 22 it's a messianic Psalm and if you read through Psalm 22 it won't just talk about Jesus hanging on the cross it'll talk about

[00:14:09] the soldiers dividing the garments for him how none of his bones are broken when he was giving his life for others it's a messianic song and so we're seeing this here too in John 12 he says go

[00:14:23] back and look at Isaiah six something's happening there that I'm fulfilling here you're first note if you're taking notes says god always has a purpose even in things we don't understand if we heard Jesus speaking on this last day of his public ministry he mentions Isaiah

[00:14:48] we may not know why we'll not understand why but there's a definite purpose to it and so now we go back and read Isaiah six and we'll see the purpose or the people on the shore seeing the

[00:15:00] ships come in they don't understand they don't understand they don't understand what's happening but there was a purpose for those ships to be there whether good or bad there's a purpose behind it

[00:15:11] okay so what's going on in Isaiah six well for the first five chapters of Isaiah if you read through them we see an impending doom coming on Israel because they were an adulterous nation

[00:15:25] they were going after idols they were entertaining pagan practices and going the way from God and God is warning them for five chapters up to Isaiah six and then Isaiah six God calls Isaiah

[00:15:37] to be the prophet to go tell these people of this impending doom less you repent and in chapter six Isaiah has this famous vision of God and a strong he perceives God's unmatched holiness he's called by God and he's given a message to convey to a people

[00:15:59] of coming judgment why because they don't believe they haven't been believing but they thought they were believing he was sent to a people to tell them about the impending doom because they

[00:16:17] wouldn't they weren't believing even though they thought they were they thought it was okay to kind of synergize their religion and bring in a little a few of the pagan practices and do their thing

[00:16:29] and maybe practice this thing over here and I know God said this thing over here but we're going to do we're going to keep people happy and do the other thing and time goes by and no one has too much of

[00:16:41] a fit and the next thing you know God says where do y'all go I told you this is how you're supposed to worship me and they left God and so God says well I'm a judge God and I'm going to punish

[00:16:56] sin and I'm going to warn my people so we've had the five chapters of warning now he's sending Isaiah to warn them even more and your next note here says the most dangerous thing to believe

[00:17:08] which is what these people were meddling in the most dangerous thing to believe is that you're a Christian when you're not the most dangerous thing it's almost like saying it is just to believe

[00:17:19] that you have your seat belt buckled when you don't the most dangerous thing to believe is that you think your parish it's connected when you jump out of the plane but it's not you see the point

[00:17:33] to believe that you're saved what you're not why would you ever think you're saved what you're not well maybe maybe you were taught wrong maybe you misunderstood something in God's word well how will I know Paul charges professing Christians about this in second Corinthians 13

[00:17:55] he tells us examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith test yourselves or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail to meet the test well there are many ways to examine yourselves or test

[00:18:17] yourself to see whether you're in the faith and this isn't meant to scare anyone about our faith the wonder if we're saved or not I believe that a Christian knows a true Christian knows it's mean it's really meant as an indictment on the culture it's an indictment on

[00:18:33] the cultural Christianity it's an indictment on the israelite culture of that day telling people you're good your fine just do what we tell it and you'll be fine but they weren't the same today Christian culture in western cultures probably more so people think their Christians but they've

[00:18:52] never heard the gospel I met a man last week I told me the same 25 years he said I served in a big church I served in every capacity you could think of many ministry teams and he said I

[00:19:03] heard a sermon and I heard the gospel he said for the first time he said that's when I came to Jesus I couldn't believe he's my new friend on Facebook now but I couldn't believe I mean

[00:19:16] these are these are happening because he said I thought I was a Christian for decades we want to give people the simple gospel and if we need a little cheat sheet here's one this is a simple gospel message it's a meant on as an indictment on cultural Christianity

[00:19:36] it's an indictment on churches and pastors who don't want to talk about sin that's where the gospel starts got us holy great well you're sinful that's where we start that's where the problem

[00:19:46] comes in where how can I get out of this mess some pastors don't talk about sin and they're proud of it sin is the reason we need a Savior pastors like this and I've heard them say this

[00:20:03] we don't talk about sin people know they're they're sinful enough but they'd rather entertain as the Bible calls them goats entertain goats rather than feed sheep which is what we're

[00:20:14] called to do and in churches we're supposed to feed God sheep how do I know I'm in the faith well we'll know God's word we'll know the gospel that God is holy and I'm not I need help

[00:20:30] to fix that God love us enough to send his son Jesus to live the perfect life because God only accepts perfection Jesus says I'll live the perfect life God accepts Jesus righteousness

[00:20:43] not yours or mine he accepts Jesus righteousness and Jesus gives it to anyone who trusts in him alone for salvation that's it that's the gospel that's the message how can we know we're in the faith

[00:20:58] we've heard the gospel we've tested it through scripture do you love the things of God do you love God do you want to obey his laws it's one piece of evidence to let you know

[00:21:12] whether you're in the faith do you hate your sin do you war against your sin or do you indulge your sin another test because these two things I just mentioned are things that unbelievers don't do

[00:21:30] they don't love God what do I always say man in his unsaid state wants to be the Lord of his life I want to be the boss of me I don't want to follow hit some some fun drools and do you love God the

[00:21:43] things of God are you humble do you say God I don't I can't bring anything I'm at your mercy or you're proud so I can do it I don't need God do you hate your sin and war against it or do you indulge in

[00:21:59] a Christian will strive to be holy even though we stumble and when a Christian sins we have that that sorrow that that heavenly sorrow the Bible talks about a worldly sorrow if you hurt someone and you're an unbeliever you still feel bad because I hurt my friend

[00:22:18] and I feel bad about that but if you're a Christian and you hurt someone there's a different kind of sorrow it's a godly sorrow that leads to repentance and you realize that I hurt my friend but I really

[00:22:29] offended God Almighty and I don't want to be that person I don't want to do that anymore and I war against that sin for the sake of God unbelievers don't care about these things

[00:22:42] another test to see whether you're in the faith your next note is really just that verse that says from second Corinthians examine yourselves to see whether you're in the faith test yourselves Paul tells us keep getting sharper keep getting closer because it's almost like

[00:23:03] in this culture the mainstream Christian belief seems like that once you hear the gospel and you say yes to Jesus and raise your hand okay that's good I got that not what's next

[00:23:16] and you leave the gospel behind but you need to keep getting sharper and getting closer and testing yourself is what my mom told me scriptural or was it just some nice traditions

[00:23:30] test yourselves where can you find them in scripture how can you back up your beliefs from the word we're going through scripture every week here at Christ of Word and so back to John 12 countless times in scripture we see this happening we see the

[00:23:44] Old Testament foreshadowing things in the new John refers back to Isaiah 6 from John 12 because Isaiah 6 is pointing to John 12 and both John 12 and Isaiah 6 are both pointing toward another thing judgment day these things are connected that's one of the reasons we know that God's hand is in

[00:24:11] the creation of his word the Bible so what will we take from this message that God gave to Isaiah that they why why is it relevant relevant to us today well the Lord was commanding

[00:24:23] Isaiah to go preach to a rebellious wayward unbelieving people that would not believe for a long time makes kind of sound like the world today that's sound like you trying to tell your brother for 25 Jesus loves you the gospel message you need Jesus and He still doesn't believe

[00:24:49] it's like we're banging our heads against the wall sometimes for people we love we could put our feet inside Isaiah sandals here to some degree and say God how long do you want me to

[00:25:03] pray for him and He says until there's no one left until he's dead that's how long even though most may never believe we're supposed to continue to preach knowing and expecting that on mass most will never believe so why did God I tell you

[00:25:25] Isaiah to go preach to them and why does God command us to do the same we feel like we're talking to a wall we're being rejected at every corner why does he still command this why because

[00:25:38] some will believe and He knows exactly who they are and it might be less than a tenth the big oak tree of everyone we've ever preached to or shared the gospel with gets

[00:25:52] will done will down branches come off and the next thing you know is just a stump you could barely see it in the ground he says those are the ones I'm after some are gonna believe

[00:26:03] they're not all gonna believe in fact most probably won't but there's some in there that are gonna believe that's why I need you to go preach to all of them all the time

[00:26:14] I think your next note says persevere it's a good word for today persevere in sharing the gospel keep praying and proclaiming it because some will believe we probably all maybe gun fishing once or twice in our lives and isn't in the great feeling that you cast

[00:26:34] and one cast and a fish bites it and it feels good because the last 150 cast nothing happened nothing nothing nothing finally that feeling is amazing hey I got one just like when someone

[00:26:48] finally does come to Christ after you've talked to a hundred other people and they say no I don't need that no I'm good one says I need that that's what I need it's like you say yes we got one

[00:27:02] God knows who those people are we don't so we preached everybody always look at the next verse from John 12 verse 42 here's the proof nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him there you go the assessment after three and

[00:27:19] half years Jesus teaching and preaching John said even though he did all the signs and he preached the gospel all every day to them they still didn't believe the next line nevertheless many even of the authorities didn't believe there's some that did amen

[00:27:36] but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it so that they would not be put out of the synagogue for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God

[00:27:48] don't we know about that about that feeling about loving the glory that comes from man boy we love that I don't care who you are we love that because we're human beings I want to be

[00:28:00] I want approval right just in our core maybe we've grown above that a little more now in more matureing years but as a kid boy you want to be accepted you're in high school you

[00:28:10] want to be on the team you want to be on the top cheerleading squad or whatever it is where that glory is that's what we want and we're taught that in America gotta be at the top

[00:28:22] so we can relate to these people yeah I believe but I don't want to lose my position on all my stuff because I'm gonna have bad reputation but if I'm found out to be a Christian that's what

[00:28:34] they said in the last chapter John 11 the Pharisees loved their place in their nation instead of we go after Jesus we're gonna lose our place the temple our nation Rome is going

[00:28:44] to come and destroy us because if we view Christ as King the Romans say there's only one king and that Caesar we might lose it all remember that they loved their stuff and the way of life

[00:28:58] and they were hesitant or to use the word for last week apprehensive to lose it all but let me tell you something your next song says it's worth losing it all if what we receive in return is the glory that comes from God it's worth losing it all

[00:29:19] whatever all is because you know in a hundred years or so no one's gonna remember anything you or I ever did no one's gonna remember that 68 Corvette that's in your garage that you

[00:29:32] why put down with a diaper no one's gonna remember that what matters is our relationship with God Almighty it's worth losing it all whatever you think it all is because all that's not worth

[00:29:50] your soul and when it says we we see the glory that comes from God how many things does God give glory to not many his his son his word his people that's it he's not going wrong given out his

[00:30:10] glory to much we can receive the glory that comes from God by faith in Christ the Son to me that's worth losing whatever it all is and the same way that I say was warning

[00:30:25] the Israelites about God's impending doom so Jesus is warning us here in John 12 about God's impending doom look at verse 44 and Jesus cried out and said whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me and whoever sees me sees him who sent me

[00:30:46] Jesus lays it out here for the Jews for the last time he says if you believe in me you believe in the Father and if you've seen me you've seen the Father he's saying if you've seen me you've seen God

[00:31:04] he's saying I'm God in the flesh it's me the big reveal at the end of his public ministry Jesus is saying in his last message I am God if you believe me who you're really blaming in his God if you've seen me who you're really seeing is God

[00:31:20] he's saying I'm God believe in me here's the judgment and it's simple just like the gospel simple whoever believes receives life whoever does not believe receives judgment two choices there's that dichotomy again we saw back in the King of God series two choices not three

[00:31:50] not 100 to all the way in all the way out and it hinges on one thing I keep pulling this card up where is it it hinges on one thing the gospel

[00:32:03] do you believe or not put it this way do you trust Christ to save you alone or not two categories it depends on one thing is your faith in Christ or is not is it not

[00:32:24] and you might notice what it doesn't depend on what salvation doesn't depend on our things like this being a good person I heard someone say that to me about a month ago I'm a good person I just have to be a good person what Mormons are good people

[00:32:43] Hindus are good people atheist are some good people doing good works good deeds they pay their taxes they eat their vegetables they're good people whatever that means that's not what it depends on

[00:32:58] it doesn't depend on doing better or trying harder you can do better and try harder all you want you never gonna reach perfection and God says be perfect for your God is perfect

[00:33:09] that's where we should say I can't and you'd be right that's why the answer is you need Jesus to be perfect for you it depends on Jesus so there are things it doesn't depend on as having an emotional experience or not you know some people express emotion is

[00:33:29] differently don't we all I saw a picture of the old coach of the Carolina Panthers he won he won a trip to the Super Bowl he won the NSC Championship and looking as face was just like his

[00:33:41] cat died he was very stoic man I'm sure inside he was excited I would hope so that's why you're in the business but some people express excitement differently than others say well I know I'm close to God

[00:33:56] because I had that emotional experience don't let people judge you one way or the other because it doesn't depend on that but it doesn't depend on also as things like speaking in tongues

[00:34:12] some people put a lot of emphasis on that some denominations say you're not even saved unless you do it's not what Jesus says your salvation doesn't depend on that your salvation doesn't depend on

[00:34:26] some things like being a Calvinist or having the right view of the end times or whether you baptize babies are not these are different issues we can talk about it in the body of Christ and

[00:34:38] be brothers and sisters what it depends on is you have faith alone in Jesus Christ to save you period amen and it also doesn't depend on anything else that's not the grace of God

[00:34:51] it's the grace of God only you didn't help him he doesn't need your help to save you look at Ephesians 2 other famous passage Paul says by grace you've been saved through faith by God's grace he gives you something you don't deserve something good you don't deserve

[00:35:12] that's grace by faith because you put your faith in your trust in Jesus and this is not your own doing it's the gift of God not a result of works you didn't do any work here you just received the grace of God

[00:35:27] because you believed by so no one can boast because you know we'd be right there boasting about it look how much I did I help more than you did I help more than you did he says no no there's no room for

[00:35:36] boasting salvation is of the Lord you next note here is that verse Ephesians 2 basically we are saved only by God's grace by putting our faith in Christ alone and if we don't will pay for our own sins and God will be just to carry that punishment out

[00:36:02] verse 46 Jesus says I've come into the world as light so whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness if anyone hears my words and does not keep them I do not judge him for I did not

[00:36:15] come to judge the world but to save the world the one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge the word that I've spoken will judge him on the last day why did Jesus come into the

[00:36:28] world to bring light to bring awareness so that people could understand the gospel see it here it recognized Christ as Savior and come to Him and so that they could be saved came to save us

[00:36:43] with light you know he didn't have to do that God doesn't always say anything but he did it he did it because he loves his people Jesus said I did not come into the world that judge the

[00:37:03] world and that's true we all know John 3 16 what is John 3 17 and 18c says forgot did not send us something in the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him whoever believes in him is not condemned we know that but whoever

[00:37:22] does not believe is condemned already under condemned already they don't need a judge they're already guilty Jesus says in his first coming to the earth I didn't come for that this time

[00:37:38] this time I come to save people there'll be a time for me coming to judge but not no this time in his life now is a time for me to save they're from guilty it's also interesting that we're at the end of

[00:37:57] Jesus public ministry at the beginning of his ministry Jesus also quotes from Isaiah if you look at John 4 or I'm sorry Luke chapter 4 at the beginning of his ministry right after being tempted

[00:38:10] he comes and he sits in the synagogue and and Luke writes and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him unrolling it he found the place where it is written the spirit of the Lord is on me because

[00:38:22] he has a knighted me to proclaim good news to the poor in n he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners yes and recovery of sight for the blind in n these are all good things to set the

[00:38:35] oppressed free yes to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor then he rolled up the scroll gave it back to the attendant and sat down the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him he

[00:38:47] began began by saying to them today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing those are great scriptures and they're being fulfilled this day in my hearing from Isaiah 61 beginning his ministry

[00:39:05] note the next line says for Isaiah that Jesus did not read that Jesus Jesus did not come to fulfill that time it says end the day of vengeance of our God and the day of vengeance of our God

[00:39:29] you see that day that day where Jesus was kicking off his ministry was not the time for God's vengeance Jesus had come to set the captives free from sin and death and he'll come again and next time he's bringing the vengeance of God he's coming again

[00:39:53] in that time he's bringing the vengeance of God and that should be sobering for all of us so even here in John 12 it wasn't time for that the final judgment of the period comes later

[00:40:08] we're told that in verse 48 he says the word that I've spoken will judge him on the last day but there's still time for those who don't believe that we know and love

[00:40:18] we know that we're covered by the blood of Christ our sins have been paid for and Ben judge but we have people that they don't believe yes and the last two verses verse 49

[00:40:31] for I have not spoken I may own authority but the father who sent me has himself given me a command a commandment what to say and what to speak and I know that his commandment is eternal life

[00:40:42] what I say therefore I say as the father has told me again Jesus gives us one last seal of approval from the father affirmation from on high what he says is true believe it he says are face the coming judgment because it's coming

[00:41:00] and he's warning us fair warning and shouldn't that fair warning of God's impending judgment be a part of any gospel presentation it should be a part of warning people hey your your prayer should not on before you jump

[00:41:18] you love your your brother hey your seatbelts not on we're about to get into an accident you're warning them you love them you're you know to hear says the gospel isn't that God loves you and has an amazing plan for your life that's just one one example

[00:41:38] everyone agrees with that everyone in the world agrees with that all God loves me great I love me too we talked about this last week in small group always got a great plan for my life me too

[00:41:47] I got a great plan for my life I'm also ready to be a Christian that's not the gospel the gospel isn't that Jesus loves you or asking someone to quote say yes to Jesus whatever that might mean might mean something different

[00:42:03] everybody it's not an offer to try Jesus out for a while it's not an option about a different way to live your life Christianity no it's the way it's the way the gospel's a declaration

[00:42:18] the gospel is a proclamation Christ is King the kingdom's here obey your king submit to your king obey the gospel what does Christ say coming out of being bad doesn't repent and believe

[00:42:33] it's a command it's a communication from God to us that God as Isaiah puts it in chapter six God is holy holy holy and that man is eternally separated from him by our sin hopeless helpless without God intervening you see you don't accept God

[00:43:06] God accepts you God accepts perfection and righteousness and Paul says I thank God that I don't enter heavens gigs with a righteousness of my own we don't enter God heaven with a righteousness of our own

[00:43:22] because we wouldn't cut it but we do enter glory with a righteousness where that come from from Christ we enter because recovered in his righteousness and that's the only righteousness that God accepts

[00:43:36] because it's perfect we put man on top of God when we say I accept God no he accepts you and not by your righteousness by Christ righteousness and he endures that death in the cross for

[00:43:55] your sin none of us deserve that the gospel's not a selling point God's was not a sales pitch we're not selling anything we're letting people know the news that they may never have heard

[00:44:09] about and it's so hard for some people to see like the ships on the shore I've never heard of anything like that it's hard for me to see I can't even comprehend it keep telling them

[00:44:19] keep loving them keep showing them keep showing up in your ship on their shore someday they're going to understand by God's grace because in the last line here God has given Christ a hopeful

[00:44:34] command here that Christ gives us he gives us hope in the last verse he says I know that my father's commandment is eternal life if you believe in Christ if your friend says I believe in Jesus I need

[00:44:44] to save you I'm sinful I need to save you by God's commandment he will receive eternal life because God's commanded that everyone who believes in Christ will have that that's hopeful

[00:44:55] that's hopeful but only if you believe in Jesus but if you do you'll have it you'll have it amen