the gospel of john: turning points… · 2015-02-12 ·...

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Transcript November 8/9, 2014

The Gospel of John: Turning Points Matt Hessel | John 7:37-52

Hey, go ahead and turn in your Bibles to John, chapter 7. John 7. If you don’t have a Bible there should be one in the seat back in front of you. And actually, take some time to stop by Connection Central on your way out. We would love to give you a Bible. So, when I was a senior in college, I experienced probably one of the most nerve-‐wracking events of my life up until that point. At the time I was just dating my wife and now it was the time to have a very specific conversation with her father. You know what I’m talking about? It’s time for me to ask him if I can marry his daughter. This is a big deal. Our relationship was about to get real and I’m as nervous as all get out. Now, I don’t know how these conversations are supposed to go. I don’t know if there is a script that you’re supposed to follow. I don’t know how this is going to go down. So, I decided to do something a little bit different because I had heard – just hearsay – that these things can end very badly if you’re not careful, especially if the timing is not right. So, I did something a little bit non-‐traditional. Instead of just talking to Kelly’s dad, I invited her mom to come to the conversation too because, well, she’s her daughter also. There were two reasons behind this. The first reason is that I really like Kelly’s mom and I knew that she would very much appreciate the gesture of being a part of that conversation. So, I wanted to honor her in that. But, being a 22-‐year-‐old college guy, there was a self-‐serving intention behind that also, right? Don’t judge me, I’m just being honest. The second reason was that Kelly’s mom liked me so I wanted her to be there in case things got out of hand and maybe she could bail me out. I’m just taking an insurance policy here. I don’t know how this is going to go down but I want to do this right. I want to do this the right way. I want to take them to a really, really nice restaurant. Some call that sucking up. I call that strategic. I wanted to take them to a really nice restaurant which meant for a broke college student – we’re going to Bravos. That’s where we’re going. So, I drive to Indianapolis from school and I meet them at the restaurant. I was nervous as all get out. I started having this pep talk to myself in the car which went something like this. Don’t say anything stupid, don’t start off with awkward small talk like, “What do you think of the weather?” Don’t spill anything. And oh yeah, don’t say anything stupid. I knew that they were going to ask me some very direct questions so I was kind of roll-‐playing my answers out in my head of what I thought they might ask because, I don’t know how this is going to go down. I want to be prepared. So, we get to the restaurant and now there’s no turning back. They know exactly why we are there. And they’re not going to start that conversation. That’s got to be me, right? I’m the one who invited them out. I’m the one who wants to marry their daughter. They’re not going to break the ice. They’re going let me do that. So, we sit down and here’s how I started off, “So, Don and Linda, what – what do you think of the weather?”

The Gospel of John: Turning Points November 8/9, 2014

Intellectual materials are the property of Traders Point Christian Church. All rights reserved. 2

“Well, Matt. It’s spring. It’s nice.” “Oh, yeah. Spring. It’s great…” (thinking I’m an idiot). Mistake number one. Mistake number two. I scheduled this dinner on the Friday night of the first round of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. Bad move. Some of you are like, “You fool.” I know, right? What’s even worse is that I was sitting facing the bar where all of the TVs are showing all of the games. So, now the entire night I have to tell myself, “Eye contact. Eye contact. Oh – that was a great shot! No – eye contact. Eye contact,” the whole time. We started off with some nice pleasantries and I remember that they asked me about school, how things were going. And I just kept putting off the conversation. The longer I waited, the more nervous I got. I was so nervous that I didn’t take one – not one – bite of my dinner. Instead I had 13 – not kidding – 13 Dr. Peppers. They just kept coming. I thought the server would cut me off but he didn’t. They just kept coming – 13 Dr. Peppers. Two hours after we sat down, I finally started the conversation. I don’t know if I waited that long because I was really nervous or because I had to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes. But I finally started it and I remember some of the questions they asked me. Like, they asked me, “Hey, Matt to you love Kelly?” “Yes, I do…(thinking, Yes! I nailed that one).” “Do you have a job?” “Ahhh, does part time at the campus rec center count? No? Okay.” From there I think it went as smoothly as possible. It was actually very encouraging and they gave me the green light. Kelly and I have been married for almost 10 years and we have three awesome kids. Now, I’m grateful that I can look back on that night and laugh. But that was a really big deal. That was a turning point in my relationship with Kelly. It was a turning point for our parents, too. Basically, I was going public to them with our relationship, with my intentions. I was asking them, “Hey, can I be a part of your family?” And then I was inviting them to be a part of mine. This was a big deal. They couldn’t just shrug me off. They couldn’t just shove their head in the sand. It was decision time for her family. It could have gone a couple of different ways. They could have been divided over me – one for me – clearly my mother-‐in-‐law, one against. They could have both rejected me, “No, Matt. You can’t marry her and here’s why.” Or, they both could have accepted me. There wasn’t another option. This was the turning point. That’s exactly where we are in chapter 7. Chapter 7 is kind of like the turning point in John’s gospel. We started last week – and this week we are going to continue as we close out the chapter. We’re really going to look at two verses. One is a cause and the other is an effect. Now, if you think the gospel has been good so far, and it has, chapter 7 is where John kind of shifts into fourth gear. He’s going to lay on the gas and he’s going to be on the gas the rest of the way through. It’s just going to keep building.



So, if you’re a guest, I’m really glad that you are here. If you haven’t figured it out already, we’re in the middle of a series going all the way through the Gospel of John. Let me lay out the scene for you. Imagine living in a time when there is just great anticipation, anticipation maybe on the border of desperation. People are just waiting for things to get better but it just seems like they are getting worse. Imagine living in a time of great tension – where there is a lot of unrest in the world. Imagine living in a time of violence both near and far – isolated incidences to full blown wars, world super-‐powers colliding. The world always at war or that it seems like it’s on the brink. Imagine living in a time where culture is a moving target, it shifts. One minute it’s peaceful and progressive the next minute it’s volatile and conforming. Imagine living in a time when there are a lot of voices speaking but nobody is saying anything. Now, I know that we are going to have to think really, really, really hard to imagine a time like that because nobody can relate to that context, right? That’s the back story of the Gospel of John. Really, that’s the back story of the entire New Testament. In this context is hope – hope is a luxury that most people can’t afford, “If I just sit around hoping all day – hoping for what? If I just sit around hoping then reality is going to swallow me alive. Hope is a crutch. Hope is for the weak. Hope is for people who can’t handle tough times, they can’t deal with tension. Hope is just a get-‐out-‐of-‐jail-‐free card. Hope is for people who can’t handle life.” What the Gospel of John is trying to teach us, one of the things that all Scripture is trying to teach us, is that hope is not for the secular. It’s not. Remember from last week that we said that “secularism” is simply “nowism”. That’s all it is. To be secular means, “I am focused in only on the now. All I care about is now. I look at the present. I have my blinders on. Nothing else matters. All I care about is right now.” But hope is never concerned with the present. Hope is always looking to the future. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” So the author of Hebrews is saying that faith and hope – they are not wishful thinking but they are a conviction, they are an assurance in someone or something not seen. It’s a conviction or an assurance that there is something off with this world – we would all agree with that – there is something fundamentally wrong with the world. Show me a person who thinks that there is nothing wrong with the world and that everything is the way it should be and I’ll show you somebody who needs medication. Hope and faith are assurances, convictions that there is a much greater purpose, that the extent of my life is not the shallow depth of my own self-‐gratification and happiness. No, there’s an assurance, there’s a conviction that there is something much more, something much greater at stake. John says in chapter 20, verse 31, “These things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, that He is the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you might have life in His name.” So the great purpose in this life is a person. It’s a person. Christian hope is attached to the promise of a transformationally different life than what we see offered by the world. It’s a life that is only in Jesus and a life only offered by Jesus. That is the purpose – that is the intent of John’s gospel. He writes in chapter 20, verse 29, “These things are written so that you may believe and blessed are you who believe and have not seen.” That doesn’t apply to John. That verse doesn’t apply to him because John saw. John saw Jesus in the flesh. John saw the resurrected Christ. That verse is meant for all of us



hearing this today. John says, “Hey, I know that you guys are going to struggle with belief, and faith, and hope at times because you don’t get to see Jesus. I got to see Him, but you don’t get to see Him. You’re not going to see Him until He comes back and that’s going to be hard for you. Blessed are those who have the conviction and the assurance and who believe even though they haven’t seen.” Hope isn’t a crutch. Hope is a conviction. And you’re only convicted by something that you’re drawn too and something you’ve experienced. And you can be drawn to something, you can experience something, without ever seeing it. So at the beginning of chapter 7 there is this hostility brewing up toward Jesus, “Yeah, the teaching’s been awesome, at times it’s been a little tough, but it’s been awesome.” The miracles – what John would call signs – undeniable, but now there are people who want to kill Jesus, now it’s getting real. And, because of that, He’s facing this pressure to go public with His ministry. People want Him to go public. He’s taught in public already. Yes, He’s performed miracles in public. But it’s one thing to go public in front of 5,000 people on the side of a remote mountain. It’s an entirely different thing to go public in the middle of Jerusalem – the heart of Israel. That’s the pressure that Jesus is now facing. But, to go public, to really lay it all out there – that can’t be forced by man. That has to be on Jesus’ timing and His timing is going to be very specific. It’s going to be very intentional. And His timing is going to be perfect. Well, now the time has come. Look at verse 37, “On the last day of the feast…,” so here’s the scene. In Jerusalem, in the temple, Jesus is in the temple and it’s during the feast of booths on the last day. The feast of booths was one of the three major Jewish festivals. There was Passover, there was the feast of weeks, aka Pentecost, and then there is the feast of booths. It was the requirement of every male living within 20 miles of Jerusalem to come to this festival. But, in all reality, people would come from all over the known world to this festival because it was probably the most popular of the three. The feast of booths was a time of great reflection and thanksgiving for what the Lord did for Israel and how He provided for them when they were in the desert for 40 years after the exodus from Egypt. It was a time of reflection when they gave thanksgiving. And by Jesus’ time this festival took on a new meaning also. Now it was a time of great expectation and anticipation for the Messiah to come and how the Lord would pour out His Spirit on the people when the Messiah came. This was the new meaning of the festival. So, the feast of booths was kind of like a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was a time of great reflection and thanksgiving and also a time of great hope and anticipation. It was the best of both worlds. On the last day of the feast here’s what the priest would do. He would lead this parade of people out of the temple, not just some dinky Congo line this was a legit parade of people, he would lead them out of the temple, down through Jerusalem, down to the pool of Siloam. And when he got to the pool he would take this golden pitcher and he would fill up the pitcher with water from the pool. And then he would lead the procession back through Jerusalem, back to the temple.



When he got to the temple, the temple trumpets would start to sound. They would start blaring. And all of the people, in unison, would start to sing Psalm 113 – Psalm 118. This is a really big deal. The excitement would have been brewing, the drama, the anticipation – it would have been palpable. The place would have been packed – standing room only. In fact, it was extremely difficult to even get in. So, the priest would get back to the temple and then he would go to the altar. He would take the golden pitcher and he would walk around the altar seven times, just like the walls of Jericho. He would walk around seven times and then he would walk up the ramp to the alter and stand up on top of the altar. Then he would stand up in front of all of the people with the golden pitcher and he would start to raise it up over his head. And as he raised it the people would shout, “Higher, higher, higher,” and he would do it. He would raise the pitcher as high as he possibly could, then pause. The moment is about to happen when the high priest would pour out the water onto the alter before the Lord as an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord for providing water in the desert and as a prayer of hope and a prayer for more water because this is a desert climate. This is an agricultural society. Water was vital. This moment that was about to happen – this was considered the highest joy of an Israelite’s life, if he or she had the chance to see the high priest pour out the water on the altar. This is a big deal. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to us, it’s hard for us to grasp, but this was a huge, huge moment. There was a hush, there was anticipation, there was drama, and there was excitement. This moment was a big deal. And this is the moment when Jesus goes public. Look at verse 37 again, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living Water”’” Whoa! Don’t miss the drama in this. If we can read verse 37 with no sense of drama, with no sense of emotion, with no sense of excitement – then we missed what had just happened. Jesus just dropped a bomb and nothing will ever be the same. And I’m not just talking about the narrative we’re reading, nothing will ever be the same in the Gospel of John, nothing will ever be the same in the New Testament, and nothing will ever be the same for us right now in 2014. Our current lives are being lived somewhere in the middle of the wake that Jesus created in John, chapter 7, verse 37. While all of Israel is hoping for and praying for rain, praying for water, and thanking God for water, Jesus stands up in front of all of them and says, “If you’re thirsty. If you want water – I’m right here. I’m right here. Everything that you need, all of your satisfaction, all of your purpose, all of your joy – it’s found right here in Me. If you want water, if you’re thirsty, I will give you water that will flow out of your heart like rivers. The Messiah that you have so anxiously waited for, the One who you’ve been waiting for four hundred years, the One that Moses promised, the One the Law pointed to, the One the prophets testified about, that Messiah – it’s Me. I’m right here. You don’t have to look anymore. I’m here.” He’s contextualizing the gospel. At a festival that celebrates water Jesus stands up and says, “I’m the One who you are looking for.” What does that sound like for us? “If you’re thirsty for status, I’m sufficient for you. I’ll give you My perfection as your new identity. If you want to be someone, you’ll be someone in My eyes. I’ll give you My character and will do great things through you because, building your kingdom – it’s exhausting. Isn’t it? Building my kingdom is exhilarating – exhilarating!”



“If you’re thirsty for stuff, I’ll sustain you.” Having stuff, material things, there’s nothing wrong with that but if you think that that will fulfill you – man, that’s a bottomless pit. It’s been that way your whole life. If you think stuff will satisfy you, if you think it will fulfill you – that’s a merry-‐go-‐round that never ends because you’re always going to want something else, “If I could only have this, if I could only have that, if I could only be here – then I would be set.” It’s an endless merry-‐go-‐round. But Jesus says, “I will sustain you. I will fully satisfy you by showing you that lasting joy is found in – not acquisition – but generosity.” “If you’re thirsty for sex, I am a much greater satisfaction. Yeah, sex is great. I know. I created it. I didn’t create Adam and Eve then go get a cup of coffee and come back to be surprised. ‘Hey, what are you guys doing? Stop that.’” That was supposed to be funny and now it’s just awkward. You all are leaving me hanging. “Yeah, sex is great and it’s meant to be enjoyed in the context in which I created it. But outside that context, if you think the pleasure you experience in sex, if you think that will fully satisfy you, whether that is sleeping around outside of marriage, whether that’s pornography, whether that is lust, whether that’s having an affair, how’s that working out for you? Are you really satisfied? Yeah, maybe for a moment but if sexual fulfillment is a driving goal that is a monster that only gets bigger as you feed it.” Jesus says, “Yeah, sex is great, it’s awesome, it’s meant to be enjoyed in the context in which I created it – but that hole in you that is empty, that space that you’re trying to fill, that’s missing true intimacy, that’s missing connection, that’s missing pleasure, that’s missing excitement and you’re trying to fill it with sex – it’s never going to happen. You might feel it a little bit but it’s going to go away and then you need to feel it again. And then the hole just gets bigger. I am the One who can fill that spot.” Now, that list isn’t exhaustive – not even close. Whatever it is in your life that you’re thirsty for, fill in the blank. Here’s the response. Jesus sufficiently sustains our greatest satisfaction. And Jesus, Himself, is the greatest satisfaction. Our unfulfilled desires become fully satisfied by virtue of the Spirit of Christ living in us, that’s how they are satisfied. Verse 39 says, “Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” This right here is the promise of the Holy Spirit, that’s what Jesus is promising. Later on He tells His disciples, He says, “Hey, guys. It’s better for you that I leave because when I leave then the real gift is going to come.” Think about how His disciples would have heard that. “Uh, Jesus, I’ve been with you in the flesh for three years now. I’ve heard you teach a lot. I’ve seen you do some crazy stuff that I’m still trying to process. I saw you walk on water. I saw you feed five thousand people. I saw you yell at a storm and it listened to you. I saw you tell a guy that he wasn’t allowed to be dead anymore and he listened. I’m cool with the set-‐up we have right here. You don’t need to leave, I’m good with this. Just stay.” And Jesus says, “No, no, no, no, no it’s better that I leave because when I leave then the Holy Spirit is going to come. I won’t live with you anymore, I will live in you.” So, here’s the question. What are you thirsty for? What are you thirsty for? If it’s status stuff, sexual stuff – whatever your list is, fill in the blank, that’s just surface level. Forget the surface level and at your core, what are you really thirsty for? What are you really thirsty for? Jesus says, “Anyone who comes to



Me and drinks, I will give them My Spirit, My Spirit will dwell in you. That is how whatever it is that you are thirsty for will be fully satisfied. If you have Me you will always be satisfied.” John says that this hasn’t happened yet. It had to happen after Jesus was glorified. What’s that all about? When is Jesus glorified? Jesus is glorified at the crucifixion and the resurrection. So just like God told Moses in the desert to strike the rock so that water would flow out to the people, Jesus had to be struck on the cross so that living water could flow out to all of us. So, for Jesus, glorification came with humiliation. And if He’s offering us this gift of the Holy Spirit through humility, is there really any other posture but humility to receive it? “Well, Matt – the text says if anyone comes, if you believe you will be given the gift. It doesn’t give a requirement for humility.” Yeah, I know. You’re right. But humility authenticates holiness, it authenticates it. If humility is not at the fiber of your belief – come on, really – do you really believe? Maybe if you’re trying to drink this water and there’s this dry spot, something’s not happening, maybe pride and arrogance are the road blocks. Humility before Christ always comes before blessing. So, have you humbled yourself before Christ? I don’t know what that looks like for you. Only you can answer what it means to humble yourself before Christ in your life. And if you don’t know what it is, if you’re confused, ask someone who knows you really well and loves you enough to tell you graciously, even though it might sting. So let’s break this down. What’s it look like to drink this water? That’s great, living water, let’s drink – what does that mean practically? Here’s the simplest breakdown I can give you. Number one: You have to realize that you are thirsty. You have to realize that you are thirsty. Everyone is thirsty for someone or something, maybe both. But whatever it is, that someone or that something that you’re drinking, if it’s not Christ, it only makes you thirstier. Let me ask you a question. Have you had something to drink that makes you thirstier? Has this happened to you or is this just me? I’m convinced that this is a real thing. For me it’s coffee. I love coffee, coffee’s great – love it this time of year on a chilly morning. I had a really nice, hot cup of coffee myself this morning. But whenever I drink coffee, I want water. I’ve never said to myself, “Man, I’m really thirsty. What will take care of this? Oh, I know – coffee.” Never happened for me. Here’s another one, soda. If I drink soda, I immediately want water. If I go to a restaurant and I order soda, I’m getting water also – that’s probably why I had to go to the bathroom so much, 13 Dr. Peppers plus water. That’s a lot. It makes me thirstier. There are things that we can drink and enjoy, even good things, but if we drink them expecting real fulfillment, if we drink them expecting satisfaction, and it’s other than Christ, all that does is enhance the thirst. It just makes you thirstier. So, do you want to keep drinking whatever it is in your life that you think will satisfy you but it only enhances the thirst, or do you want to go to the real source, the only source that will satisfy that thirst? That is Jesus. He is the living water. Number two: Have enough faith and enough courage to come to Christ. You can’t drink from far away. You have to go to the source. “Well, Matt. How do I know if I come to Christ, if I come and drink this water, how do I know that I’m going to be satisfied? What assurances can you give me?” Here’s a very direct answer. You don’t know. You’re not going to know until you come. You just won’t, but don’t let



yourself be hindered by hesitations. Jesus isn’t giving you an ultimatum. He’s offering you an invitation. There’s a big difference between the two. If you’re given an invitation to an awesome party, man you don’t hold on to that invitation and say, “Well, I don’t know. I may or may not be satisfied. I don’t know if I’ll go.” No, you don’t do that, especially when it comes from an incredible source. No, you RSVP yes. You go to the party with faith that it will deliver as advertised. But you have to have enough faith and courage to come to the source first. Here’s number three – it ties right in with number two: You have to realize that there is nothing you have within you that will condemn you to Christ. If you think that there is something within you or in your past that condemns you in Jesus’ eyes, then you’re view of yourself is too high and your view of the cross is too low. This is the classic tactic of Satan and our own sinful flesh, “You don’t deserve this. Do you remember who you are? Do you remember what you’ve done? Do you remember your past? You don’t deserve this. This living water is not for you.” It’s an easy trap to buy into, I’ve bought into that. Guilt and condemnation, those are powerful weapons. They are powerful. But they’re Satan’s weapons. Guilt and condemnation do not come from Christ. Jesus offers forgiveness and freedom. Why would you offer forgiveness and freedom to somebody who is already perfect and free? That doesn’t make any sense. No, you offer forgiveness and freedom to somebody who is guilty and somebody who is condemned. So if you think you’re guilty, if you think you’re condemned you’re a perfect candidate for the living water. Your guilt, your past, your shame, your sin, your condemnation – that doesn’t disqualify you, that qualifies you for the living water. Jesus says, “If anyone.” He doesn’t say, “Come to me all you who are perfect, all you who are put together, all of you who have no past.” That doesn’t describe anyone, does it? He says, “Anyone.” That covers everyone hearing this. And Christians, if you’re drinking the water don’t pull the cup away from your lips because you’re struggling here, or you’ve fallen here, or you’ve sinned there. Don’t pull the cup away from your lips. If you’re in Christ, then Jesus has declared you justified and innocent. That happens once and that’s for all. Don’t condemn yourself. Don’t do it. If you put the cup down, sin wins but if we really drink that water, if we’ve tasted that it should create in us a desire to turn from our sin. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy – to turn from our sin, to pick the cup back up, and drink from the Lord all the more. That’s Biblical repentance. Acts 3:19 says that repentance actually produces refreshment. There is nothing in you that can condemn you before Jesus. The cross is way too powerful for that. Here’s number four: Ask. It really is that simple. Ask daily and ask specifically. If you’re in Christ or when you do come to Christ, then you are sealed with the Holy Spirit. That happens one time and the seal will not be broken. That’s Ephesians 1. But you can be repeatedly filled with the Spirit. We see that modeled in the Book of Acts. So ask the Lord daily, “Hey, Lord fill me with Your Spirit today.” And then ask specifically. If my kids come to me and they ask, “Hey, Daddy. Can we have something to drink?” I’m going to say, “Sure.” Then, what am I going to ask them? “What do you want? Do you want water? Do you want milk? Do you want orange juice? Do you want apple juice? Do you want Red Bull? (Don’t tell mom). Do you



want lemonade? What do you want?” It’s the same way with Jesus. The answer is always, “Yes,” and then, “What do you want?” “Jesus, will you fill me with your patience today? Fill me with Your patience right now, I’m about ready to walk in the garage door. It’s been a really long week. It’s been a really long day. I know I’m going to walk in, probably step on a Lego, I know somebody is probably screaming, I know the other one needs to be disciplined, I know there’s a poopy diaper that needs to be changed. I know my wife has had just as long a week, if not longer, than me. Give me Your patience right now so that I can love my family well, so that they get the best of me not the less of me. I need Your patience, Jesus. Fill me.” “Jesus, fill me with Your love right now because I’m around some people who are very, very hard to love.” If you’re here with them, don’t look at them. So, you’re laughing because, “Oh, that’s not true of me.” Awkward. “But, Jesus, I know that you love them. So fill me with Your love and let that flow out of me like a river and bless those people.” “Jesus, fill me with Your joy, with Your comfort, with Your peace because I’m in a very dark spot right now and I need Your peace, I need Your joy, I need Your comfort, fill me. Fill me with Your humility, fill me with Your wisdom. I have to make some really tough decisions this week that You know about and I have no clue what to do. Give me Your wisdom.” Ask, and ask specifically. So, Jesus drops this bomb in verse 37 and says, “I’m the Messiah. I’m the One you’ve been waiting for. I’m the One who you are really thirsty for.” He drops this bomb. He gives us this incredible promise. He drives this monumental stake into the ground. So there has to be a reaction, right? Well, verse 37 is the cause. Let’s look at the effect. Verse 40, “When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture not said the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’” Verse 43, “So there was a division among the people over Him.” Verse 37 is the cause, verse 43 is the effect. Jesus gives this dramatic declaration to us and it’s immediately followed by division. The promise and the declaration that Jesus makes today is no less dramatic and the division is no less intense. Jesus is either the greatest liar the world has ever known, or He is who He says He is. And He says that He is God. So we have to decide. And there’s only one of two responses, absolute acceptance or absolute rejection and the division between those is as far as the east is from the west. And division always brings tension, doesn’t it? Everyone here, whether you’ve accepted Christ or you haven’t, you’ve probably felt the tension that comes from the name of Jesus. In the past, maybe you’re experiencing it right now, or I promise you that you will feel it sometime in the future. The fact that I’m saying right now, Jesus is God and He’s the only God, He’s the only way, He’s the only source of satisfaction and salvation – Jesus is Lord – even right now that’s going to create division. Right now, can you feel the tension in the room? That’s because there are people here who have and have not accepted Christ and praise God that both are here. Whether you’ve accepted Christ or you have not, you’re welcome here. I’m glad that you are here.



Jesus says in Luke 12:51 – this is a tough verse to swallow – He says, “Do you think that I’ve come to earth to bring peace? No, I tell you but rather division.” Why? Isn’t there enough division in the world right now? Why do we need more, Jesus? This sounds a little counter-‐productive, “I thought Jesus came to seek and save the lost. I thought Jesus came so that no one would perish. I thought Jesus came to give life and give it abundantly.” Yes, He did. Praise God. But the mention of Jesus’ name brings division. That’s always been true and it always will be true. And we know that to be true right now in our own lives. In our culture, it’s acceptable to talk about religious things as long as you do it dispassionately and in general. You can go to your office or your dorm room tomorrow and start talking about God, nobody is really going to bat an eye. They might roll their eyes at you, but most likely nobody is going to care all that much. You start talking about Jesus, the atmosphere drastically changes, doesn’t it? Personally, here’s something that I try to do when I’m talking to some of my non-‐Christian friends. In fact we actually try to do this at home too. I rarely say the name, God. Instead I try to make a point to say the name, Jesus. So instead of saying, “Here’s what my relationship with God looks like.” Or, “Here’s how I’m trying to serve God right now.” I’ll say, “Here’s what my relationship with Jesus looks like. Here’s how I’m trying to serve Jesus right now.” Now, don’t hear me saying that it’s not okay to say God. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m not saying that you’re JV if you say God and you’re varsity if you say Jesus. That’s not what I am saying at all. It’s just something I do, take it or leave it. But here’s the thought process behind it. The word god in our culture has gotten hi-‐jacked, hasn’t it? There is a lot of confusion around the word god. God means a whole lot of different things to a whole lot of different people. There’s confusion. But there is no confusion around the name of Jesus. That name is specific. That name is direct. And there is power in that name and with that there will be tension, there will be joy, maybe both. And because there is tension, because there is joy there is division, that’s where division comes from. Some of you know that all too well. Maybe you follow Christ but your spouse doesn’t. Maybe your family members don’t. Maybe close friends don’t. And your relationship with Christ has created division. Now, maybe you’re ostracized. Maybe you’re ridiculed. Maybe you’re ignored. Maybe you’re just almost forgotten. That pain is real. It’s real. Authentic devotion to Christ at some point is going to bring devotion or bring division and you’re just not sure how much more you can take. Let me just say this. At His darkest hour, in the garden praying, Jesus was abandoned by everyone who was closest to Him. They all took off because of who He is. So Hebrews says that we have a high priest in Jesus who understands. He says, “There is division in your life because of Me. There’s pain in your life because of Me, you’ve been abandoned, ignored, forgotten because of Me. I know how that hurts. I know exactly where you’re at. I know exactly what you’re going through. But here’s the thing, My Spirit dwells in you and we’re never going to be divided. You’re never going to be alone.” And on top of that, now that we have a high priest in Jesus who understands and cares, we also have an eternal family in the church. We’re not alone. That’s why it is vital to be connected to a local church if you’re a Christian – vital because when the world divides over Jesus, the church should cling to Him. And we should cling to each other. This walk with Christ that we do, we don’t do this by ourselves. So, as one



of your pastors I want you to be ready for the division that’s going to come with the name of Jesus because division is only going to increase and it’s only going to intensify. So when, not if, when you face that turning point of division, run from it if it comes from man – not from the Messiah. If the division is from the name of Jesus, then stand firm. Ask for courage. Ask for boldness. Ask for wisdom. Ask for grace. Don’t try to run and hide because Scripture says that we’ve been given a Spirit of power and love, not fear. But if the division is from man – leave. This is where we, as Christians, have to check ourselves. Let the division come from the name of Jesus, not the way you represent Him. The New Testament says over and over again things like, “Walk in a manner worthy of the gospel. Live a life worthy of that to which you have been called.” Translate that through John 7:37, when people see you they should want to drink the water that you’ve been drinking, not spit it out. And at the same time, if you’re not a follower of Christ, don’t make your decision about Jesus based upon the people who claim to follow Him. I didn’t choose Kelly to be my wife based upon the people who claimed to be her friends. No, I got to know her and I made my decision based upon who she was. If the population of heaven is determined by an examination of my life, heaven is going to be a ghost town. So, when you come to that turning point, make your decision about Jesus by examining Jesus and only Jesus. There’s no turning back from John 7:37. There was no turning back for Jesus. Jesus started in motion the crucifixion and the resurrection – no turning back. For some, this is pure lunacy. And for others, verse 37 is the greatest promise that will ever be given. But either way you have to decide. From the beginning of time to John 7 verse 36, you might have been able to claim ignorance about who Jesus is, although the Old Testament would disagree with you. But from John 7, verse 37 till now ignorance is a card we cannot play. You have to decide. Jesus is either God or He is not. If He is not, laugh Him off. But if He is, then He is more than worthy to follow. And, in fact, following Him – that’s the only response. It’s the only response. Jesus goes public in verse 37, some of you need to go public with Jesus. Maybe that means going public with family members and friends. Maybe that means going public by being connected to a local church. Maybe that means going public by being baptized in the name of Jesus. It’s time to go public. There’s someone here today, too, who needs to come to Jesus and drink the living water for the first time. Right now, today. Today is the turning point. And Christians, verse 37 is not just an evangelistic verse. This is for you who are in Christ just as much for those who are not in Christ. I was talking to a good friend of mine last week and he said, “You get to preach John 7:37? That’s one of my favorite verses!” That’s how we should respond to this verse. This should fire us up. We have the Spirit of Christ living in us and through us. We never have to be thirsty again. We won’t be thirsty any more. There’s no more time for a nominal faith. There’s no more time. Today is the turning point. Today is the turning point. Let’s pray.



Father, You are great, and mighty, and more than worthy for our praise. Jesus, I pray that You would unleash Your living waters today. That this church would be a church where they flow out like rivers and that everyone we come in contact with, with everyone who experiences You here, Christ, will be drowned in those waters. Jesus, give us a taste for that water, give us a hunger for it, and give us a zeal for it. Father, I pray that You would fill every one of those who are here who are Your sons and daughters, fill them with Your Spirit, fill them with living water. And I pray that they would bless other people with it. Jesus there are people here today, You know exactly who they are, I don’t know who they are but You do. They’ve never come to You. Jesus, draw them. Let us see it happen. You say that Your word does not come back void. We believe that promise. Now I selfishly ask that we get to see it too. Increase our faith. Fill us with Your Spirit. Father, Your word is powerful and mighty. I pray that You would strike anything that came from me and that Your words would stick true and that You would write them on our hearts and our minds. Thank You for grace. Thank You for Your Spirit. Thank You for Your Son. It’s in Jesus name that we pray. Amen.

the gospel of john: turning points… · 2015-02-12 ·...

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