Rossville Christian Church
Sunday, May 29th
- You Are The Lord (We Cry Holy)
- Great Is Thy Faithfulness
- Intro:Have you ever had to tell someone a hard truth? Something like, man you got a boog hanging. Or something even worse, like how we have to break up, this isn’t working out. Or perhaps it is the ultimate hard Truth, hey did you know you are dying spiritually? These can be some pretty hard truths to give to someone, but if we truly claim to love people, then we must be honest with them for their own good right? It’s what Jesus did to those who were supposed to know the Truth but didn’t as it says in John 8:39-40
John 8:39–40 NASB95 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.PrayJesus isn’t seeking to diminish them in a way that undoes their whole being and sends them into a depression, but He has to tear down in order to build them back up. He has to come at them with a hard Truth of the Gospel and that is that they are not well, they are sick and dying and serving the wrong master. But the Gospel is that, they can repent and come to know Him and know the Truth if they would but let their grip on the flesh go and cling to what is righteous in the Spirit, and it begins here in John 8 verses 30 through 32:Hold to My TeachingsJohn 8:30–32 NIV Even as he spoke, many believed in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”A. Truly Disciples of Min1. Possessive sentencea. belonging to Jesus aloneb. Cannot have split loyaltiesc. That is what faith is - loyalty to God’s purpose2. Set you freeB. Never been slavesJohn 8:33–34 NIV They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.1. But they are slaves to who?2. What are they truly slave toa. Sin and deathb. We are seeing this a lot in the world todayKids in school - only a demon could do such a thingi. That’s because these people’s father is satanii. We have to realize there is an urgency for the people in our communities3. If Jesus isn’t in the place something else isJohn 8:35–36 NASB95 “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.a. Jesus releases us from evili. takes up permanent residenceii. Nothing can overcome His Spirit withinb. But if the Spirit isn’t present, something else will come inMatthew 12:44–45 NIV Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”i. Must be filled with the Spirit, which is eternalii. He brings us lifeiii. if not death will fill that spotOur Father is AbrahamJohn 8:37–39 NIV I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did.A. Claiming the flesh1. Jesus confirms their flesh2. But then immediately dismisses their spiritual or eternal connection3. Just because my Daddy was something doesn’t mean I ama. Have to carve my own pathSomething parents struggle with in their kids. Trying to let them be their own person but within the confines of what they ought to be in God. Eternal struggle not to make them like me, but to make sure they know Christ as I do.B. Your True fatherJohn 8:39–41 NIV “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”1. Setting them up for the let down2. Telling them the truth in their own languagea. Using their speech against themb. Because what they speak is not truth3. Do the deeds of Abrahama. Abraham had faith and it was credited to himb. Devoted to God and His planGenesis 22:9–12 NASB95 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”c. Wasn’t just this story, but how he left and followed God no matter what4. They lost that in themselvesa. They followed their fleshly desires not God’s wordClaim What They Do not KnowJohn 8:41–43 NIV You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.A. Become offended and misunderstand1. Still clinging to the flesha. Riding the coat tails of fleshb. As if being related to Abraham gets you a free dinner2. But they used this as a crutcha. So they didn’t have to workb. Do we do that Church?I show up once and a while, I am associated with a congregation in town. Do we use our association in place of a true relationship? We have to test our hearts in this.James 1:22 NIV Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.B. Jesus proclaims their truthJohn 8:44–47 NIV You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”1. A hard teachinga. People thought they knew Godb. They were being deceived by the flesh and by lies2. Your father is the devila. Not what a person wants to hearb. But it is a wake up call to the Phariseesc. Their actions are proving what Jesus is saying is true3. They accuse him backa. But Jesus isn’t having it, he continues in the truthb. Me vs Youi. I don’t seek to glorify myself, but they didii. Jesus seeks God’s will, but they don’tc. Accusation without guilti. Cannot prove Him to be false4. Listen and see what you heara. Do I hear God or my own voiceb. Am I testing myself against the Scripture or following my own waysi. Who is my father?Conclusion:John 10:27 NASB95 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;What voice do I hear today? Is what I am following honoring God and the kingdom, is it leading me and my family to holiness in God, is it uplifting the body or only serving myself and my flesh? These are the test questions to answer, who is my Father. We must be willing to listen to God and give it all to Him. It will fly in the face of everything I hold dear. Sometimes the person who needs to hear the hardest truth in life is myself. Am I willing to tell myself that my father is the devil and repent or do I want to say, my Father is God and I will believe and follow Him. It will take courage to follow God because it is going to go against your flesh and the culture and people will think you are strange and weird and will think you are out of your mind, but then again the people thought that about Jesus too, which place do you want to stand in the end? John 8:39–40NIV2011
John 8:30–32NIV2011
John 8:33–34NIV2011
John 8:35–36NIV2011
Matthew 12:44–45NIV2011
John 8:37–39NIV2011
John 8:39–41NIV2011
Genesis 22:9–12NIV2011
John 8:41–43NIV2011
James 1:22NIV2011
John 8:44–47NIV2011
John 10:27NIV2011
- Awakening
- You Alone Can Rescue