 Reading from verses 14 through 24. John chapter 7 verse 14 through 24. So if you will please stand with the Bible in your hand so we read God's word together. This is the Gospel of John chapter 7 verses 14 through 24 where the Bible reads now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught and the Jews marveled saying how does this man know letters having Jesus answered them and said my doctrine is not mine but his who sent me if anyone wills to do his will he shall know concerning the doctrine whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority he who speaks from himself seeks his own glory but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true and no unrighteousness is in him did not Moses give you the law yet none of you keeps the law why do you seek to kill me the people answered and said you have a demon who is seeking to kill you and Jesus answered and said to them I did one work and you all marvel Moses therefore gave you circumcision not that it is from Moses but from the fathers and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath if a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses should not be broken are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath do not judge according to appearance but judge with a righteous judgment this is the word of God amen amen let's take a few moments in silent prayer and just ask the Lord that he would bless this word our hearts this morning let's pray father in heaven will we praise you and thank you for your word of truth will we pray to you this morning that we would be sanctified by your truth your word is truth we praise you and worship you and thank you for the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of wicked sinners like us thank you that you have rescued us from bondage to our sin that you have set us free and placed our feet in the heavenlies in Jesus Christ or that you have adopted us as sons and daughters of the kingdom or that you would have given us an eternal hope in heaven in Jesus Christ our Lord I'd thank you for the excellencies and the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and the fact that he stood in the place of sinners accepting the wrath the punishment that we rightly deserve they paid the price Lord that we couldn't possibly pay we praise you and thank you for that and Lord I pray that if there's anyone here today who isn't saved who hasn't just clung to the cross of Jesus Christ for hoping him to trust him alone God I pray that you would open their eyes open their ears their hearts God and save them for your glory give them an understanding of their own condition before you and may they judge with the righteous judgment themselves that they might not be judged with the world and for this Christian here today my brothers and sisters got edified the saints with your word may we live in light of heaven we are on a wilderness pilgrimage and we need you Lord and we acknowledge our need of you we pray God that you would strengthen us by your spirit to live for you faithfully Lord and to live in light of the hope that we have in Christ for being with him at all eternity in heaven worshipping and praising you as you rightly deserve it's for your glory God in Jesus name we pray these things amen you may be seated our sermon title this morning is judge according to truth judge according to truth and comes from our text in John chapter 7 verses 14 through 24 and this is the account of the Lord Jesus Christ now in Jerusalem and teaching in the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles up in the temple and over the last several weeks now as we've been examining the gospel of John working verse by verse through the gospel we have seen if you will or studied what you could call a treatise on unbelief a study on unbelief in contrast to the astounding claims of Christ all the evidence here that John the evangelist is building up to support the fact that Jesus is the Christ the Messiah the astounding works of Christ and all that he has done all that he's come to do and knowing that Christ is inexorably facing this opposition on his way to the cross in contrast to all that this dark world simply does not comprehend him does not receive him does not understand will not understand and reject the Lord Jesus Christ out of hand light has come into the world as John has said and men love darkness more than the light because their deeds are evil and we see that the truth of that statement in the reaction of many over the course of the last couple of chapters many that we've looked at see the contrast of who Jesus Christ is the grace of God in Christ and knowing what Christ has come to do knowing that he has come to die in the place of sinners and yet in contrast to that truth we see those in John chapter 6 that went away and walked with him no more we saw that in the contrast with the unbelief of his brothers last week the the unbelief the confusion the grumbling and complaining sometimes the hostility of the crowds now that are gathered around him and following him around and certainly we see that in the reaction if you will of the Jews the opposition that are against him the scribes the Pharisees the lawyers and so all of this rejection all of this hostility and we certainly see it in their plots now to kill him knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ is on his way to his death John the Baptist said of Christ that what he has seen and heard that he testifies and no one receives his testimony is it any different today there are many many many despite the testimony of God's word despite the witness the eyewitness accounts of his disciples those that were with him all the way to the end despite all the evidence that we have there are many many many on the broad road to destruction there are few who find the narrow way to life and it's tragic here in the gospel of John that knowing that as we see the hostility against him just ramping up continuing to ramp up it's tragic knowing that this is going to eventuate in violence that hostility will erupt in violence and culminate in his death and in his crucifixion everything this world needs everything that you and I need is provided by the gracious hand of God in Christ you need Christ this morning we need Christ we need the grace of God we need to live in an understanding of a constant need of the grace of God in Christ if you're here today you're not saved you need Christ you're hanging over a precipice you're standing on the edge God has said you are condemned already you need Christ your most urgent need your most pressing need your most important need is Christ and it's right now in John chapter 7 they're in Jerusalem many are in the temple and they're celebrating the feast of tabernacles the feast of tabernacles God says in Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 15 that the purpose of the feast the purpose of the feast that they're celebrating is so that the people will remember their God they didn't bring themselves into this world they don't provide for themselves food they don't provide for themselves clothing they don't provide for themselves the the summer grain they don't provide themselves a harvest of grapes and olives they lived off of they don't provide their own deliverance they didn't provide for themselves deliverance out of Egypt they didn't provide their own deliverance across the Red Sea across the River Jordan they didn't provide for themselves a man out of heaven the clothes on their back were given to them they're not to act as if they hadn't received anything they've received everything and they've received everything from the gracious hand of God in Christ Jesus our Lord everything they have has been given to them by God and yet what they ultimately needed more than anything else what they have greatest need of what this world most needs is here at this point in John chapter 7 being offered it to them in the gospel and they don't believe it they won't take it they just reject it it's true if you're here today we preach verse by verse through the Bible and some of you come week in and week out hearing the words of God and yet you flatly reject it if not by your words certainly by your life and this is the greatest provision for your greatest need there's no greater ignorance there's no greater rebellion there's no greater tragedy than the world wallowing in the filth of its greatest need while rejecting the very hand of God extended to offer you your greatest provision grace and mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ these examples John chapter 6 John chapter 7 other places in the Bible all written for your example for our admonition they're given to us that we might consider how those hard-hearted people responded to the Lord Jesus Christ so that we would not respond the same way why will you persist in being rebellious why will you persist why will you persist in your hard-heartedness why would you persist in your unbelief why would you persist living life for yourself how will you respond to Christ don't respond as they did don't wallow in unbelief as they did don't think to yourself I'll have my life and I'll not have that man to rule over me don't respond in hard-hearted unbelief just as they did in listening to the claims of Christ just as they did in seeing his works in seeing the hand of God just as they did you have to judge for yourself you have to examine the evidence you have to judge according to the truth of God's word and you have to judge yourself that you might not be judged with the world you have to judge is he merely a good man is he just a good example that you get the pattern in your life after is he just someone to believe in rather than someone to submit to is it just something you can do to placate a guilty conscience are you just going to week in and week out go through the motions thinking somehow it's all gonna work out in the end you don't know how but you're gonna have your cake and eat it too and you're gonna live in your sin or or will you judge according to a righteous judgment and say that he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and having given all to redeem us you will give all to be his redeemed judge according to truth don't be superficial don't play games with the Lord Jesus Christ don't play games with your internal soul judge according to a righteous judgment if you profess to be a Christian how are you responding to Christ now in your day-to-day life when you wake up in the morning when you lie down at night when you go to work when you go to school how are you living your life now don't be a hypocrite and don't lie to yourself your heart is deceitful above all things don't lie to yourself about it don't twist your theology to justify your wicked lifestyle where does the evidence lead how will you respond judge with a righteous judgment don't wind up in hell clinging to your own opinions your own ideas about how things work judge with a righteous judgment judge according to the truth of God make a judgment according to the truth of God if you're here today you've never turned from your sin to put faith in the Lord Jesus Christ then today is the day don't harden your heart it leads to your damn nation it leads to your eternal condemnation your eternal punishment consider your sinned and rebellion against the one who created you and give him the glory that is rightly do his name don't judge in a superficial way think about your life how will you spend eternity is it worth it for a few vaporous pleasures this side of eternity to spend the extended eons of eternity in hell certainly not it's an absurd choice judge with a righteous judgment judge according to the truth of God's word and follow him turn from your sin and today is the day don't wait there's nothing more important there's nothing more urgent there's nothing more eternally significant for you than that so let's consider truth together this morning let's consider truth from the word of God and as we consider what the Lord has done for us in Christ judge according to truth judge with a righteous judgment the Lord's call to you this morning from John chapter 7 is that you would make a sober judgment about him based upon the facts of God's word based upon who Jesus Christ claims to be how he lived his life what he came to do what God has accomplished in him and then to make a sober judgment about yourself your condition before him your continuous sin repeated and without remorse your apathy your indifference your ungodliness your indwelling sin the fights that you have in your marriage the the way that you've neglected bringing up your kids the lost opportunities to share the gospel with lost people the the many sins that we have we sin repeatedly and without remorse will you not judge according to the truth of God's word about yourself and listen we need to listen to God's word God's truth with the intent that we would not stay as we are if you're lost then be converted that your sins may be blotted out if you're here today and you're a Christian then look to Christ and live for him and let's pursue our sanctification in his word the first thing I want you to see from John chapter 7 is the content of truth the content of truth the content of truth comes clearly from the revealed word of God everything that we know as truth revealed to us in the word of God here they're celebrating a feast that's described in the word of God this feast is commanded by God to the people of God in his word that he gives to his people and in obedience to the revealed word of God Jesus now in John chapter 7 verse 14 it's going up into the temple going up to observe the feast as well we're in verse 14 the Bible says now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught he didn't go up into the temple or go up into Jerusalem the way that his brothers wanted him to back in verses 3 and 4 that would have created this unnecessary spectacle and it wasn't according to God's timing he goes up now in accord with God's providence God's will at just the right time according to God's predetermined plan and that happened to be at this point in the middle of the feast the first thing that he does when he goes up into Jerusalem is he goes straight into the temple to teach directly into the temple to teach now contrast to those that say that Jesus Christ was expressing a fear of man or was somehow cowardly by not going up with his brothers this dispels all of that you can't get any more public then going straight into the temple and teaching publicly in the temple that was as public as you could get no attempt to conceal here the Lord goes into the temple and he begins to teach the verse 14 doesn't tell us exactly what he taught but in our context we can draw some conclusions and I want you to see that we don't know exactly what what he taught but we can draw some conclusions about that from our context from John chapter 12 verse 49 Jesus says I have not spoken on my own authority but the father who sent me gave me a command what I should say and what I should speak so when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to teach he's teaching and preaching God's words right God's words and God's words are true from John 1838 when we listen in on his conversation with Pilate Jesus said that he came to bear witness to the truth he bears witness to the truth he speaks the truth in John 17 verse 17 he says that God's word is truth and he's preaching God's words so we know that wherever Jesus is wherever Jesus is preaching and teaching he's teaching the truth that is comprised of the word of God where do we find truth today exact same place from the word of God this word is true this word is assured you can take it to the bank it is God's word it is true it is sure it's a sure guide to our feet that truth doesn't come to us from dreams that truth doesn't come to us through revelations doesn't come to us through visions it comes from God's infallible inerrant inspired truth your dreams are not inspired your revelation is not inspired your visions are not inspired there's nothing inspired other than the word of Almighty God so our truth is some total of truth comes to us revealed in God's word we're to judge a righteous judgment according to truth during this feast in Jerusalem think about it at this time in John chapter 7 they're celebrating the feast of tabernacles we talked about that a little bit last week the feast of tabernacles established to commemorate or to remember God's great deliverance of the people out of their oppression out of their bondage in Egypt during that feast there were many traditions that were celebrated during the eight days that they were there there were seven days as part of the feast and an added eighth day for emphasis and there were many traditions many practices rituals that ceremonies that were done during that week during all seven days all eight days that they were there there was a procession that took place in the temple and this was just a traditional ceremony that the people participated in they would each day in rejoicing before the Lord for God's provision of a harvest for God's provision of grapes and figs and the summer grain the wheat harvest because God provided for them the people would go into the temple complex and thank the Lord praising the Lord rejoicing in the Lord for his provision the people were to be reminded incessantly that none of that came from their power or their might or their ingenuity or their wisdom it all came by the gracious hand of God and so they were to be reminded of this and they went into the temple and they were to form a procession around the temple around the court around the altar in the center so they form a parade so to speak in the parade they would all carry their palm branches right the bowels the leafy branches they made their shelters from and they would wave those before the Lord as they marched around the temple complex on the seventh day they were to march around the temple complex around the altar seven times that was to in a sense remember marching around Jericho where the walls came down here it was the walls of their own iniquity the walls of their own oppression that God would bring down just like he brought down the walls of Jericho so on the seventh day they would march around seven times while they were marching they would pray they would sing hymns together one of the hymns that they would sing would be Psalm 118 Psalm 118 is a messianic Psalm messianic references in Psalm 118 they would pray what was called the Hoshana Hoshana is a prayer based on the word Hoshana Hosanna meaning save now and they would pray this prayer in the temple complex as they paraded around the altar to God in order for God to save them from their sin and I want you to look with me at the what they prayed look back at Isaiah chapter 12 as they prayed this prayer the high priest would recite Isaiah chapter 12 particularly verses 1 through 3 and listen to this it's a it's a hymn of praise to God for God's deliverance in verse 1 it says in that day you will say oh Lord I will praise you though you were angry with me your anger has turned away and you comfort me behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for jaw the Lord is my strength and song he also has become my salvation therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation this was a psalm a hymn a praise of God for his great deliverance and a prayer that God would deliver the people Psalm 118 by the way spoke of the stone which the builders rejected that has become the chief cornerstone all the while the chief cornerstone is in the temple teaching the people interesting isn't it while this procession was going on around the altar at the same time there was a water ceremony that took place and during the water ceremony the priests would go out of the temple complex through the Watergate that's where the Watergate gets its name they would go down to the pool of Siloam and they would draw water into a golden pitcher out of the pool of Siloam as they came back up into the temple complex back through the Watergate so far trumpets would sound they'd have a trumpet fanfare as they were coming through the gate and the priests would take a pitcher of water from the pool of Siloam and they had a pitcher of wine and another golden pitcher and they would pour both out together across the altar what that was to signify before the people as they celebrated and rejoiced in the Lord's provision for them was the pouring out of the Holy Spirit from Joel chapter 2 I think about that for a moment all that was going on this at time the Lord commanded great rejoicing to take place so oftentimes during the the weeks between the Sabbaths during this festival you literally had flutes and instruments playing you had trumpets blasting they even said that you had some of the temple complex doing acrobatics and they were rejoicing before the Lord this was to be joy in fact one right rabbi said that you didn't know joy if you hadn't been to what they call Hashanah Raba the celebration in the temple of the Feast of Tabernacles it was a time of joy in the Lord think about that context for a moment and now in John chapter 7 drop down to verse 37 imagine this going on the people singing praise to God singing of their coming Messiah anticipating their coming Messiah asking God Almighty to save them from their sin that they would rend their heart and not their garments and that through the repentance of the people the Messiah would come and deliver them from their iniquity in the midst of all this the Lord Jesus Christ on the last day they called it the great save of Hashanah Raba the great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried out saying if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink he who believes in me as the Scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of living water you know what they called the water that they drew into the picture out of the pool of Siloam they called it living water living water because it was a promise a hope and anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit a pouring out of the Holy Spirit and here the Messiah is in the temple and crying out can you imagine the priests listening to that and their angry response their hostility against them the people listening to that they're hearing great anticipation of their Messiah and the Messiah is there and yet they miss it it was clear that from this that Jesus Christ in the temple that week teaching the word of God teaching better than anyone else ever could the true meaning of the feast the true meaning of the feast and he was there would you miss it what about today all of these accounts for us in Scripture all of the examples given to us do you just sit and miss it need to judge with the righteous judgment certainly the Lord Jesus Christ would have taught that week the real meaning of the feast the real direction of the feast what the feast was pointing to he would have preached the gospel he would have preached the coming of the kingdom certainly he would have preached the feast of tabernacles turn with me and let's take a look at where that's taught in Scripture Leviticus chapter 23 Leviticus chapter 23 what would have been the content of his message how would the people have responded Leviticus chapter 23 I want you to look down beginning at verse 39 verse 39 this is the feast of tabernacles says in verse 39 also on the 15th day of the seventh month when you've gathered in the fruit of the land you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days on the first day there shall be a Sabbath rest and on the eighth day a Sabbath rest you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees branches of palm trees the bows of leafy trees willows of the brook you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days why are they rejoicing God's provision God's deliverance all that God has done for them verse 41 you shall keep it as a feast of the Lord for seven days in the year it shall be a statute forever in your generations you shall celebrate it in the seventh month you shall dwell in booths for seven days all who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt I am the Lord your God several lessons here the Lord Jesus Christ certainly would have taught several lessons here for us we're descendants of Abraham aren't we by faith in Christ we are descendants of Abraham we have the faith of Abraham if you're in Christ and so just like this was made for the Israelites to remember it's given in scripture for us to remember for us to think about the first object lesson I want you to see comes from verse 41 he says you're gonna keep the feast of the Lord for seven days in the year it shall be a statute forever in your generations this feast was to be a permanent reminder of God's deliverance a permanent year by year reminder of how God with his mighty arm pulled them out of bondage in Egypt and rescued them the people of God were to never ever forget that he rescued them from bondage from start to finish soup to nuts it's God who saves it's God who delivers he's the one that made provision it wasn't their hand that brought them out remember he says when I brought you out with a mighty hand and delivered you into the land of promise and that from verse 40 that remembrance should be done with great rejoicing before the Lord there should be great rejoicing just like there wasn't the Feast of Tabernacles at this time great rejoicing in all of that verse 39 bookended by a Sabbath rest at Sabbath rest being a time where we're to remember the Lord we're to rest in him we're to delight ourselves in him we're to meditate on him an entire day on either end of this celebration to just think and to meditate on the goodness and greatness of God I think about that for a moment this feast this remembrance this festival if you will that deliverance of God was to be a filter through which they saw everything their entire lives examined through the filter of God's provision for them God's grace to them God's deliverance of them everything viewed through that filter all of their difficulties God is our deliverer all of our trials God is the one who rescued us with a mighty arm out of Egypt everything that we face God is our provider when we face potential death God is our salvation when we face danger God is our refuge when we face hunger God is the one who provides the grain when our crops aren't growing it's God that provides the rain God provides everything and this commemoration of this festival would was to be that kind of a an informant the filter through which they saw their lives God is our great deliverer it's no different for you today you are the people of God if you're in Christ and what does God rescued you from everything God has rescued you from eternal damnation God has rescued you from the filth of your flesh the filth of your sin rescued you from rebellion against him rescued you from being an offense to him rescued you from his own wrath which would rightly be poured out on you God has rescued you from far greater than bondage in Egypt God has rescued you from your sin God is our great deliverer when you face trial God is your savior when you face difficult it's God in whom you place your trust when you face danger God is your refuge when you don't have the next paycheck coming in you're wondering how you're gonna put food on the table God is the one who provides when you obey him even though it is to your hurt God is the one who blesses obedience God is our deliverer we're to remember that too and we're to remember it constantly God's deliverance of us from the wrath of God from our sin should be the filter through which we see everything on this side of eternity everything about our lives it is no longer I who live Paul says but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me that's no idle statement everything that we go through God is our deliverer God is our savior we are not our own we were bought at a price the permanent reminder of God's salvation but also the feast would have taught them something else would have taught them not to be content out there in the wilderness not to be content in the wilderness in other words don't get comfortable in this world look at verse 42 you shall dwell in booths for seven days all who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I bought brought them out of the land of Egypt why why is that listen these booths these tabernacles were all temporary they were temporary these weren't permanent residences and you know what their wilderness want their wilderness wanderings were to be temporary to that wilderness was not their home God brought them out of the land of Egypt to kill them by the hand of the Emirates no no they grumbled and complained about that the entire time they were in the wilderness God brought them out of the land of Egypt to give them a land to give them a blessing to give them a seed to give them a promise to fulfill his promises to them because they were God's people and he was their God it was temporary they were merely passing through they should have trusted God when they had opportunity to go into the promised land they didn't do it they complained against him he made them dwell in temporary tabernacles in other words this is all temporary you can't settle down in the wilderness the wilderness didn't produce food for them God did it the wilderness wasn't going to produce water for them God had to strike the rock and have water come out the wilderness wasn't a land flowing with milk and honey it wasn't their home they were just passing through the wilderness was a barren wasteland not their home the wilderness those booths the tabernacles they dwelt in all communicating that this is brief this is testament temporary this is not gonna last forever this is a frail life that we live many today live in this world like the world is all that there is think about the way that you live the ends for which you live the way that what you think about the way in which you live many grasp and clutch the things of this world as if this is the end as if everything terminates here and now for our pleasure cling on to 401k's retirement plans health plans as if our security comes from them our security doesn't come from them we grasp and clutch on to the next biggest house we grasp and clutch on to family to friends as if the ends of our existence terminates on our family or on our friends and not to be in the glory of God this world is a tent a makeshift lean to it will all burn with a fervent heat it is going away it is temporary it is a vapor you and I are pilgrims just like those in the wilderness who are now celebrating this feast of tabernacles in John chapter 7 praising and thanking God for his provision looking forward with great anticipation to the coming of the Messiah and their eventual rule and reign with Christ forever we are on a pilgrimage ourselves we're just like those in the wilderness we have an inheritance to look forward to this barren wasteland we're living in is not our home our citizenship isn't here our citizenship is in heaven why be so earthly minded and focused on the things of this world when we have heaven to look forward to and it will come in an instant think about this short brief frail life in relationship to all of eternity it is here one day gone the next we're headed in a direction we're on a wilderness journey will you acknowledge that truth before God will you acknowledge that and live like it if that's true he who has this hope in him what purifies himself we're to be holy as he is holy if you have this hope in him then it should affect how you live should affect how you think should affect how you pray should affect how you make decisions should impact every thought that you have it's it is to be the filter through which we live this life it should impact the way that we see everything we're not to live as if this wilderness is our home this wilderness is not our home you're living in a makeshift tent compare your house to the mansions that the Lord is preparing for you in glory is it not a makeshift tent that's nice don't despise the gift of God but come on I mean we've got inheritance in heaven this world is passing away and the things of it you can't settle here in this wilderness are you gonna live like those who are living the wilderness are you gonna grumble and complain you know when times get tough are you gonna lie cheat steal to get out of them when you want something are you gonna sin to get it adultery right what are you gonna do or are you gonna follow Christ judge according to truth judge according to a righteous judgment is that what you're doing are you living like that now simply living day today fulfilling your selfish pleasures indulging yourself in sinful desires sinful lusts sinful thinking in covetousness thinking that you're all that living life for yourself and then you grumble and complain with things don't go exactly the way that you want them to and ultimately that grumbling and complaining being against God you are just like those wicked Israelites who died in the wilderness and they died because what they saw what they said they believed wasn't mixed with genuine saving faith in him who is your provider we're just passing through I want you to turn keep a finger in Leviticus and turn to Hebrews chapter 13 Hebrews chapter 13 and allow the truth of God to change your mind to change your heart change the way that you think change the way that you live and if you've not put faith in Christ let him change your eternity Hebrews chapter 13 and look down at verse 10 for those of us in Christ listen we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat for the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned outside the camp therefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood he suffered outside the gate listen verse 13 therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp bearing his reproach for we have no continuing city but we seek the one to come amen we have no continuing city here we seek the one that is to come we have a continuing city set up for us in the heavenlies therefore by him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name amen we have Christ now in dwelling the hearts of his people you know John 1 says that the word became flesh and that word for dwelt actually is the word for tabernacled better translation would be he dwelt he tabernacled among us the word became flesh tabernacled among us here they are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles but lastly the point from Leviticus back in Leviticus chapter 23 is that this passage this explanation of the Feast of Tabernacles would have reminded them of their relationship to God their responsibility to him if you look at the very end Leviticus chapter 23 verse 43 he says I brought them out of the land of Egypt and then God says to them I am the Lord your God he reminds them of that often I am the Lord your God we need to remind ourselves of that now I am the Lord your God God says he did everything for them again they didn't deliver themselves you aren't delivering yourselves you can't deliver yourself no amount of good works matters an ounce matters not you can't deliver yourselves they were completely dependent upon him for everything he should have been their entire confidence their entire hope as they wandered through the wilderness and as a picture of our own indwelling sin today they weren't he wasn't living in their tents in that barren wilderness they didn't produce their own food and water should have brought them to understand their total dependency upon God you don't give yourself bread today if you have bread to eat it's because the Lord gave you bread to eat and yet man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and his word is truth your only hope in all this is to judge according to that truth those lessons taught by the Feast of Tabernacles are lessons for us today they were given for our admonition for our example you're not merely wandering through just the wilderness of that time either just as much as there was a wilderness they wanted through you have a wilderness in your own heart your own heart is a barren wilderness a barren wasteland mark chapter 7 verse 20 says that what comes out of a man that defiles him think about what is within you in your flesh verse 21 for from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications murders thefts covetousness wickedness deceit lewdness an evil eye blasphemy pride and foolishness and that's just a representative list right he says all these evil things come from within and defile a man you have to turn from that wilderness turn from the wilderness of this world turn from the wilderness that is within your own heart everything that you are everything that you have give it up for Christ everything that you think everything that you do give it up for Christ don't let it be your life that you lead and lead yourself to hell let yourself be found in Christ your life hidden with Christ the life that you're now living in the flesh being lived for Christ who died for you forget everything turn to Christ Luke chapter 14 verse 33 whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple have you done that examine yourselves judge according to truth you're never going to deliver yourself he says in verse 25 if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother wife and children brothers and sisters yes and hate his own life also he cannot be my disciple and whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple you're to forsake everything in this world if you forsake and almost everything and you're clutching cleaning on this he says everything everything forsake this wilderness and hope in Christ forsake living for yourself forsake the desires of your flesh forsake the desires of your heart forsake the plans of your own wicked mind and be found in Christ you say to yourself soul I have many goods stored up I'll build myself bigger barns more places to store my stuff and when the Lord comes he calls you a fool the truth is that God gave everything to redeem you were to give everything to be redeemed is that a salvation by works no it's a salvation that works it's the heart of someone who's been genuinely transformed by the truth of God the word of God by the spirit of God that's the content of the truth that Christ taught we can see it clearly in his word right it's a truth that he taught that day of the feast that truth has a source and the source of that truth is God look at verse 15 John chapter 7 verse 15 and the Jews marveled saying how does this man know letters having never studied and Jesus answered them and said my doctrine is not mine but his who sent me you know it's interesting there when we hear the wicked doctrines of this world the wicked doctrines of false teachers those things that deceive and damn and lead astray it's always in the plural right it's always in the plural it's those wicked doctrines of demons those doctrine they don't harmonize like the Bible they're not inerrant infallibly unified like the Bible the Bible is so purely the word of God is referred to as the doctrine my doctrine is not my own Jesus says but his who sent me all those other things are just doctrines of demons and doesn't it cause us to marvel now here in verse 15 we marvel differently than these did here in Jerusalem at the time of the feast those that were saying this had contempt for the Lord Jesus Christ no respect whatsoever for the Lord Jesus Christ and they marveled at what he knew marveled at what he was saying only the sense that who is this guy who does he think he is and why should we listen to him he's never studied but we marvel differently don't we if you're in Christ we have much to marvel at does Christ cause you to marvel does the word of God cause you to marvel marvel at his grace and marvel at his mercy I'm just reminded of the hymn by Charles Wesley it's a hymn called and can it be and can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood died he for me who caused his pain for me who him to death pursued amazing love how can it be that thou my God should die for me you think about our state what is man that he is even mindful of us right he left his father's throne above so free so infinite his grace emptied himself of all but love and bled for Adam's helpless race to his mercy all immense and free for oh my God it found out me long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night nine I defused the quickening ray I woke the dungeon flamed with light my chains fell off my heart was free I rose went forth and followed thee no condemnation now I dread Jesus and all in him is mine alive in him my living head and clothed in righteousness divine bold I approach the eternal throne and claim the crown though Christ through Christ my own we have much to marvel at amen is a staggering picture of grace which is a staggering picture of mercy the extremes that we see in the cross the mercy and grace of God the justice of God Christianity has always been a cause of amazement a cause of marveling it's cause of marveling on the side of those that would oppose Christ and see him crucified but a cause of astonishment a cause of amazement on the part of Christ's people God's people transformed by his grace where is the sense of marvel among those that profess to be God's people today where is it in your life where's that sense of marvel has your heart grown dull such you such as you don't marvel any longer at what Christ has done it's one of the wicked tendencies of our flesh to take things for granted right you know self help motivational speakers can say great things you listen to excellent CEOs and great speakers of our day great orders of our day and they can speak nice platitudes and they may garner respect but they don't garner marvel the way that Christ does they don't garner marvel the way the Word of God does is there a coldness in your heart that keeps you from marveling think about his his life his perfect life his death his teaching his work his crucifixion the virgin birth the resurrection his ascension many think that Christianity is something that men do to please God that we pray we read our Bibles we go to church we try to obey the Word of God but the marvelous thing is it is nothing that we do is everything that is done already in Christ it isn't living a good life it's what God has done in Christ Christ living the perfect life it's not delivering yourself it's that God in Christ has delivered you when the fullness of time had come God sent forth his son it is a free gift of God in Christ that you can be saved and delivered and worshiping and praising him for all eternity leaving behind the wilderness of this world the wilderness of your own heart and being found complete in him worshiping and praising God forever it's a glorious gift and yet if you will just turn from your sin if you will just trust him he would do that for you just like he's done it to many in this room amen amen let's pray father in heaven God I pray that you would do your saving work you're the only one who can God I pray that you would grant repentance and faith or that you would grant understanding that you would grant sight we love you Lord and we thank you for the glorious salvation that you've given us thank you Lord we praise you that Christ went to the cross to die on behalf of sinners what are we that you're even mindful of us and yet you sent your son to die in our place we praise you and worship you Lord for that glorious truth in Jesus name amen