 So the Gospel according to John chapter 7 beginning in verse 14 ending in verse 24 Bible says 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 never studied And 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 and 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 So 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 Ask the lord to prepare our hearts to hear a word from him this morning. Let's pray Father in heaven Lord, we come to you this morning in prayer as your people called by your name And pray lord based entirely in the finished work of our great god and savior the lord jesus christ Thank you lord Thank you for your mercy and your grace in christ Thank you for his shed blood Thank you for his perfect life God, thank you for the work that he now does interceding for us. God. Thank you for your spirit That intercedes for us even in our prayer god with groanings unable to be uttered God, thank you for this time together to study your word. Thank you for the truths contained in this passage Lord, we acknowledge our need of you now lord. We acknowledge our dependence upon you God attend the preaching of your word with your spirit and help us to understand god and then to move from Understanding to application god help us to apply the truths that we learn here to our hearts that we might live for you more faithfully Live for you more fervently because you are worthy god You're worthy of our lives We praise and worship you god for your everlasting praise and worship. We pray amen. You may be seated Our sermon title this morning is judge according to truth Judge according to truth and it comes from our text in john chapter 7 Versus 14 through 24 where as we continue from last week We're basically going through our study Or our treatise on unbelief. Here's we've looked at the end of john chapter 6 and now into john chapter 7 We've seen many glorious truths about the lord jesus christ as the lord is revealed in the gospel And that's the purpose for john's writing that he might be revealed as the christ as the son of god So that those who would come to believe upon him in saving faith would have everlasting life But here as john the evangelist in his gospel Displays truth about christ. He's revealing to us at the end of chapter 6 and now into chapter 7 a study or a portrait if you will of unbelief of hard-hearted depraved unbelief and Knowing that at the end of chapter 6 into chapter 7 that now as we progress through the gospel this unbelief This response of the jews the response of the crowds Just going to grow more and more and more hostile and Eventuate finally in the crucifixion of the lord jesus christ But that hostility doesn't end there. It's it's tragic and at the same time amazing But that hostility just continues and we see that same hostility today. Don't we? In many cases, it's not that the hostility could increase any more Given their own way many a depraved man would see christ crucified But that hostility more and more today as we progress just being brazenly demonstrated, you know that which we would have thought would have been scandalous 50 years ago just Overtly sinful 50 years ago now is just accepted as mainstream today And just that sin that rebellion that hard-hearted defiance of god's law Hard-hearted defiance of the lord jesus christ becoming more and more brazenly and rebelliously displayed today Than it ever has been we're reminded that we in our time are not without our own hostility without our sin against god No greater tragedy No greater ignorance no greater rebellion than to think on the fact that Mankind in his depravity wallows in the filth of his own sin While christ extends a hand of free grace and mercy for them to be saved It's just a tragedy we have to remind ourselves in going through this passage that john chapter 6 john chapter 7 and these examples of unbelief Written for our admonition the written for our example We're to take lessons from this and not respond as they did We're to see this hard-hearted unbelief and we're to respond differently Our only hope if you are to be saved If you're to go to heaven when you die your only hope is found in the revelation of jesus christ our lord We're to put our faith and trust alone in christ alone to save us so we can be in heaven with him when we die Just as they did just as they were confronted here in john chapter 7 with the facts of the gospel Just as they were confronted with the facts of who jesus christ is what jesus christ came to do They had to make a judgment on those facts and decide for themselves You and I here today are no different Judge with a righteous judgment. You're presented with the facts from john's gospel of who the lord jesus christ is He's made audacious and staggering claims. He claims to be god in the flesh We're not to take that lightly You this morning have to contend with the lord jesus christ And you have to make a judgment for yourself just as they did. Is he merely a good man? A good man would not Engender this kind of reverence this kind of respect this kind of marvel. Is he simply a good example to pattern your life after? That good man might not make any demands on your life or is he lord Is he god incarnate your creator and does he have the right and authority to rule? Judge according to truth judge according to a righteous judgment The lord's call to you this morning is that you would make a sober judgment about him The purpose of the gospel of john is to reveal Jesus as the christ so that if you believe upon him, you might have everlasting life Make a judgment about the lord jesus christ this morning. Will you believe him? Will you follow him with your life? Will you turn from your sin? And listen with the intent that you won't stay as you are That revelation his word is to bring about a change in you It's to bring about repentance. It's to bring about faith So judge all things according to the truth of god and allow his truth to Transform you the last week as we began this passage working verse by verse by verse through the gospel of john We looked at verse 14 at the content of truth The lord jesus christ went up to the temple in jerusalem the middle of the feast of tabernacles To teach in the temple and we looked at our context to determine what he taught What is the content of truth and we know here That both the lord jesus christ taught the truth and that that truth is comprised of the very words of god Sometimes just it's marvelous to think about that that in your lap in your hands You have the very words of all mighty god That you can learn of him That you can know him That you can know what you are to believe what he expects from you how to live for him And all just the joyous truth of the mercy and grace of god in christ You have the very words of god in your hands It's a glorious glorious blessing. That's what jesus taught when he went up into the temple that day He taught the truth of god And we looked at the content of that truth, but this morning now beginning in verse 15 I want you to see the source of that truth. Where does that truth originate from in verse 15 in john chapter 7 The bible says this The jews marveled They 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 They marveled they marveled the people were always marveling at christ. He is marvelous People today marvel at christ It says throughout the new testament they were astonished at his teaching Amazed at him if you remember the men in the boat with him in matthew chapter 8 Marveled at him that even the winds and the sea obey his voice right those who Were there when he was confronted by the Pharisees and matthew chapter 22 over paying taxes They marveled at his words The economy of words the the gracious words that came out of his mouth the arguments that he presented jesus christ is omniscient Of course they would marvel amen They marveled at him And to them just a carpenter Just a simple minded galleon, you know from out in the sticks like juliota They marveled at him a marveled at the words that came out of his mouth certainly The words that he taught caused marvel the knowledge that he had caused marvel here in verse 15 They're marveling over his knowledge having never studied But in addition to his words You can't separate the words of the lord jesus christ from the person of the lord jesus christ And as much as they marveled over his words They marveled over him and we're to marvel over him as well If he were just another man teaching just another truth He might engender respect but not marvel Those that teach islam some imam Teaching out of the koran might engine well, maybe not it might engender respect But he's certainly not going to engender marvel from the people when you teach the doctrine of Mormonism Or you teach the doctrine of buddhism or hinduism or any other ism It may engender respect, but it's not going to engender marvel What engenders marvel is the lord jesus christ and the words of the lord jesus christ that have their source in god almighty Many have marveled through the centuries over both the truth and its source they marvel at the lord jesus christ You may hear a great ceo Teach about leadership and you might get something from it, but it's not going to cause marvel Zig ziggler a great salesman. It might cause respect, but it's not going to cause marvel The lord jesus christ is marvelous amazing astonishment Timothy says great is the mystery of godliness that god Was manifest in the flesh. These are the words of god incarnate. These are the words of the lord jesus christ Hebrew says god who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days Marvelously spoken to us by his son whom he has appointed heir of all things through whom he also made the worlds Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power When he had by himself purged our sins He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high Having become So much better than the angels He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they it's marvelous Worthy of marvel the wonderful works of god the wonderful works of the lord jesus christ in saving a people to himself redeeming wicked sinners like you and i From cover to cover in the bible He just causes marvel The new testament full of marvel at the revelation of the lord jesus christ You know one of the tests One of the tests that this is the word of god And that this truth comes from god almighty. One of the tests is that it causes marvel We have the words of god And this is no light manner you think about the scripture that we've been given 1500 years 40 different authors Perfectly harmonizing together. It's marvelous. This is not written by man This is god breathe holy men spoke as they were moved along by the holy spirit and it is marvelous This is the truth of almighty god This is a test that it's god's words. They are marvelous There's only two issues two options two options available There's that which comes from man And that which comes from god that which comes from god is marvelous That which comes from man has the stench of man all over it, right? You read some of those texts you read some of that doctrine and it's just Man's wickedness man's feeble imagination Right man's feeble wisdom. It is the wisdom of this world the wisdom of the rulers of this age But it is not and obviously not the wisdom of god The wisdom of god causes marvel But it's interesting here in john chapter 7 verse 15. Who is it in this passage that is marveling right now Or is it believers is it the disciples? No, it's the jews and again, we're introduced to that phrase the jews Represents the opposition against christ the scribes the Pharisees the sanhedrin those that were opposed to him They are marveling the opposition those who are seeking to kill him It's those hard-hearted rebellious people that are marveling at the lord jesus christ And isn't it interesting to note From this that those unbelievers those Stealed in unbelief are here marveling at the words coming out of the lord's mouth Marvelling at the teaching of god the source of that truth being from god himself and yet they remain in their unbelief We can marvel at that can't we It's astounding who jesus christ here the lord jesus christ More perfectly than anyone could ever conceive or imagine Preaching the truths of god work god's word and yet there are those in hard-hearted rebellious unbelief in opposition to him seeking to kill him That causes marvel too You'll hear they're marveling at his knowledge They're not just marveling at his knowledge, but they're marveling at his wisdom knowledge applied And in their eyes, he's just an upstart from the sticks out in galilee He's never studied with a rabbi They thought of themselves. We're the academics Right. We're the intellectuals. Who is this upstart from galilee? He's never been with a rabbi. He's never been through our schools He's not been through our system. How does he know these letters having never studied? They couldn't figure him out And we remember from luke chapter two at age 12 in the temple He caused marvel didn't he when he went in and they were amazed astonished at his understanding and at his answers They couldn't figure him out dropped down into chapter seven to verse 45. Look at 40 45 quickly They're in that same chapter chapter seven The Pharisees the scribes had instructed the authorities to bring him in We're gonna question the lord jesus christ bring him in we want to see him and they wanted to kill him And look at 45 the officers Came to the chief priests and Pharisees and they said to them Why have you not brought him? And the officers answered no man ever spoke like this man They marveled at his teaching. They were fearful of the people to bring him in it caused marvel They marveled too And yet remained in their sin Should cause marvel in you and I today shouldn't it The son of man Came into this world to give his life a ransom for many Should cause marvel For wicked sinners like you and I To redeem sinners to himself that the lord of glory Stepped out of heaven Took on the mud of this earth the mud of our existence Walked this earth for 33 and a half years Suffered and died allowed himself to be spat upon allowed himself to be mocked Allowed himself to be scourged and crucified Bore the wrath of god on the tree for three hours in the place of sinners Should cause marvel It's marvelous that the tomb was empty Marvelous that he was raised from the dead Marvelous that he is ascended marvelous that he now provides intercession for his people Marvelous that he's coming back and coming back to judge Should cause marvel Great marvel we marvel don't we at the power of the gospel to change a life That you go from loving the things of this world and hating christ To loving christ loving his word and hating your sin A wondrous marvelous transformation That you love the things that you once hate hate the things that you once love that you hunger and thirst for righteousness That same one that used to hunger and thirst and make provision for your sin It's glorious the transformation the power of the gospel to change a heart to change a life There are many today the preaching and teaching of god's word that wants to strip the gospel from its power to change you And it's a radical transformation We marvel at the power of the gospel to change the heart We marvel at the power of god to take out that heart of stone and to replace it with a heart of flesh To plow up the stony ground of a wicked sinner's heart and replace it with a soft, furl heart that's Ready for the implantation of god's word, right? peter and john if you remember In acts chapter three heal a lame man And in acts chapter four there before the sanhedrin giving a defense Of the sanhedrin in chapter four verse 13 said this when they saw the boldness of peter and john And perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men They marveled and realized that they had been with jesus Those who've been with jesus are changed amen Think about your own life, right? If you're in christ There's been a work of grace in your heart that you can't explain other than the fact that god has done it And he's done it based in his grace and his mercy in the lord jesus christ Based entirely in all that the lord jesus christ is and all that the lord jesus christ has done And is done on behalf of those at the same time who were enemies of his by their wicked works It's marvelous We have to remember that if we're ashamed of him and his words He'll be ashamed of us before the father We're to glory in the lord We're to marvel at the lord. We're to praise and worship the lord We're to proclaim his truth If you don't believe upon him This lord the lord of glory your creator If you don't believe upon him for eternal life put your faith and trust in him turn from your sin Then you will marvel at your own hard-hearted unbelief for all of eternity You will marvel at your own condemnation. You'll marvel at the terror of hell And acts paul quoting the lord says this behold you despisers Marvel and perish He says for I work a work in your days a work Which you will know by no means believe though one were to declare it to you Even that is a cause of awe But that which is from god always causes marvel Back in john chapter 7 jesus explains this in verse 16 In verse 16. He says jesus answered them and said My doctrine is not mine But his who sent me So jesus answers the jews Who in verse 15 were just dismissing him out of hand? They dismissed him who is this guy never studied. How does he know letters? They just dismiss him in disrespect And so he answers them in verse 15 and says the source of all this truth Did not originate with me alone It originated in heaven with god and he's saying basically that both i he's claimed to be from god to have come down from heaven And now the source of this truth is not from him originating on the earth It comes from god also my doctrine is not mine the lord says but his who sent me jesus answers those who were dismissing him This didn't come from man in other words. This is not the wisdom of this age Nor of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing This is the wisdom of god in a mystery paul says the hidden wisdom which god ordained before the ages for our glory The natural man can't even receive this doctrine the bible says that this is foolishness to him. It's foolishness to him This truth didn't come from man. It is god breathe and holy men spoke as they were moved by the holy spirit jesus says This truth did not originate with me alone. I've been sent In verse 16. It is his who sent me I am the word and i've been sent there are many who take a look at this passage and believe that jesus christ before the sanhedrin Or before the authorities here was merely trying to shirk responsibility Before his enemies wasn't willing to accept responsibility that he was shirking it with this statement It's precisely the opposite Jesus christ has claimed to come down from heaven has claimed to be the son of god to have been from god Now he's claiming that this message his words are from god He's claiming precisely the evidence precisely the opposite. He was claiming himself to come from god as well So now as we've considered the content of this truth. We've looked at the source of the truth I want you to see next here a test of this truth. The lord is claiming That this truth comes from god How do we know that how do you know whether or not the truth is from god? Jesus christ in verse 17 gives us a test of truth A test of truth and it says there in verse 17 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 One test of the truth is this the person that truly And diligently faithfully fervently from the heart Who desires to do his will? That person will know that the doctrine is from god That's important. Let that sink in for a moment the person that truly desires And seeks to do the will of god It is that person that will know Whether or not the doctrine is from god a test of truth then is expressed by godliness If the doctrine is from god Then it is a doctrine that accords with Godliness that's right. That's what the bible teaches If the doctrine is from god, then it is a doctrine that accords with godliness If the doctrine is from man, it will produce ungodliness It's a test of the truth. There are many doctrines being produced today By people in and out of pulp. It's all around the world that are producing Ungodliness that is not from god that which comes from god is the truth that accords with godliness You call yourself a christian and you're living in ungodliness. That's not a doctrine that comes from god That is a lie from the pit of hell The doctrine that comes from god is that doctrine which accords with godliness now the scribes and Pharisees Had just dismissed him out of hand in verse 15 for not being intellectual Basically for not being academic like they were for not having gone through their system right their schools of thought But now in verse 17 Jesus is now rebuking them And listen to this now. What are you saying here in verse 17? You can't get to god Merely through your intellect You can't get to god merely through academics Those that draw near to god are those that fervently faithfully desire to seek his will. Do you get that? Here the jews not really interested in doing his will. We'll see that more in a moment They're not really interested in seeking god in that sense They're interested in their intellectual pursuits their academics And so they couldn't recognize the truth that the lord was preaching here They may have drawn near to him with their mouths. They may have honored him with their lips But their heart was far from him. They weren't earnestly And faithfully seeking god's glory. They were after their own glory and that was demonstrated in their teaching And how much they had learned and they're teaching and they're learning and they're teaching and they're learning And yet the test of true doctrine from god is not intellectual The test of truth is earnestly doing the will of god from the heart Holy living as the bible would say loving him heart soul mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself the key To truly understanding the word of god the truth of god is not found in a classroom It's a matter of your heart So i want you to get this now if you are here today earnestly seeking To live for christ If you're under the preaching of god's word under the teaching of god's word if you're studying god's word for yourself And you are earnestly seeking to do his will earnestly seeking to live for him Then you're not going to be sitting here today arguing with your with me in your mind over what's being taught You're not going to be studying the word of god arguing with the word of god over what the word of god says You're going to humble yourself You're going to seek to obey it. You're going to seek to apply it You're not going to be arguing about what it says. You're not going to be arguing about what the bible teaches You're not going to twist it to your own destruction if you're humbly Seeking to do his will People often exhibit this kind of arrogance this pride today, right? They memorize entire books of the bible and they live like the devil at home They study and study diligently study doctrine and then in pride use that study to be divisive among god's people In pride they place themselves In the position of a teacher when we're all students of god's word amen When you go to them in love They're self-willed Self-indulgent they're not interested in the will of god and so they don't recognize the truth of god That you're bringing to them and they're gone That's the way that we need to approach the truth from the very beginning a deep Desire to live for the lord a deep desire a hunger and a thirst for righteousness Do you see the difference? Do you see the difference between that approach to god and that vain prideful empty intellectual academic approach to god Is it good to understand god's word and to learn amen? But you can't that that's not where it ends That knowledge that wisdom from god should lead you on to greater Feats of righteousness for his name a greater understanding of his word is going to sanctify you and cleanse you It's going to lead to holy living. It's going to have an effect in your life It is not merely Knowledge for the sake of knowledge. It is information for transformation It's a transformation. This is the information that will change your life if you'll let it This is god's word If you approach it like this, this is god's very word in my hands Knowing that this is god's word. I know that it is true because god cannot lie And so if I commit myself to the truth of god seek to do his will Resolve in my heart and my mind to find him here and to obey him here to live for him faithfully here Then god think of this christian will lead you into truth You'll have a deeper and deeper understanding of god's word as god leads you into truth because if you seek to know His will you'll know the doctrine is from god Take this verse as a promise. This is a blessing for you if you're in christ Resolve it in your heart and mind to seek to do his will The key to beginning that if you're here today and have not done so The key is first understanding Exactly what god intends by what he says And then humbling yourself and applying that to your life When you do that god will lead you into truth Earnestly desire to do his will. Where do you start? Where do you start? You start by first admitting and acknowledging what god's word says about you What's god's word says about your condition? You have to admit that apart from the lord jesus christ, you've never done anything according to the will of god The bible says that even the plowing of the wicked is what? sin sin Apart from the lord jesus christ, you can't do anything to please him apart from the help of his spirit You can't do anything that he wills for you to do But if you will begin by acknowledging what the scripture says about you what the scripture says about your condition And earnestly seek him when the bible says when you seek him with all your heart, you'll find him Desire to do his will set about to do it How humble yourself over your sin How do you become humble over sin you cultivate a humility over your sin by reading god's word? By seeing you revealed there on the pages of scripture By humbling yourself over your sin Cultivate a marvel of the lord jesus christ and what he has done to save wicked sinners It is astounding that while we were yet Sinners the lord jesus christ died for the ungodly Cultivate a marvel from christ. How do you do that? How do you cultivate a marvel of the lord jesus christ all that he came to do all that he is? By reading his word by seeing christ revealed on the pages of scripture Think on what he has done to redeem your wretched soul and place your faith and trust in him to save you Trust him Believe in him Commit yourself to him Then when you've placed your faith in christ Be willing to cut off your hand and pluck out your eye Be willing to leave everything behind to follow him He does not give up all that he has cannot be my disciple the bible says Leave everything behind to follow him The bible says Blessed are the intellectuals No, the bible doesn't say that the bible says blessed are the poor in spirit, right Blessed are those who know everything No, it's blessed are those who mourn Blessed are the hard hearted in the self-willed No, blessed are the meek Blessed are those that hunger and thirst to be right No, it's blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness Here the jews weren't doing any of that The jews quote-unquote Weren't doing any of that They had set aside the commandments of god and here they were teaching as doctrine the commandments of men In teaching the commandments or the traditions of men, they're making the word of god of no effect They weren't interested in the will of god at all Paul says seeking to establish their own righteousness. They did not submit to the righteousness of god Here they're raising objections over the competence of the lord jesus christ as a teacher and he's Exposing their incompetence as hypocrites Their incompetence with respect to the will of god i want you to see that i want you to see what they're doing Go with me to mark chapter seven mark chapter seven Mark seven gives us insight and do exactly what the Pharisees and scribes were doing here What's the basis of their error? Mark chapter seven. I want you to drop down with me to verse five mark chapter seven Begin looking at verse five Here they are. This is the crew. This is the jews so to speak the Pharisees and the scribes And they ask him in verse five Why do your disciples not walk according to the law of god? No, the tradition of the elders But eat bread with unwashed hands So he answered them verse six and said to them Well, did isiah prophesy of you you hypocrites as it is written This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me and in vain They worship me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. Here it is in verse eight I want you to see what they're doing verse eight They first they lay aside the commandment of god verse eight For laying aside the commandment of god you hold the tradition of men The washing of pitchers and cups and many other such things as you do First step lay aside the commandment of god They weren't interested in the will of god as much as they were interested in their own glory And so what do they do they lay aside the commandment of god When you lay aside the commandment of god doesn't just sit there. It progresses look at verse nine So he said to them all too well now look at it. You reject the commandment of god They lay it aside and then they reject it all together Simply not going to pay attention to it any longer And they reject the commandment of god in order that they may keep their tradition. Do you see that? You start teaching as doctrines the commandments of men pretty soon the the word of god becomes of no effect You lay aside the word of god you reject the word of god in lieu of your own Traditions, why is that why do they do that? pride They do that because of pride they seek their own glory They don't seek the glory of god. They desire to do their own will They're not earnestly seeking to do the will of the father look at verse 10 For moses said Honor your father and your mother and he who curses father and mother let him be put to death And it's interesting contrast verse 11, but you say We let that never ever be said of us That what is written on the pages of this word that we teach and we preach what is written in the word of god And it's not a but you say here's the word of god says But you say god, please protect us from that wickedness verse 11 But you say if a man says to his father or mother whatever prophet you might have received from me is korban That is a gift to god Then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother verse 13 and here it is They have set it aside. They have rejected it. They have replaced it with their own traditions and verse 13 They make the word of god of no effect through their tradition that you have handed down and many such things you do That's what the Pharisees and scribes had done here They had laid aside god's glory in the truth of his word for their own commandments. Why? It's because of pride It's pride the great obstacle to truth the great obstacle to your salvation is pride I want you to see that in verse 18. We have looked at the content of truth We've looked at the source of that truth We've been given a test of that truth from the lord jesus christ himself I want you to see the obstacle of truth in verse 18 The obstacle of truth he who speaks from himself the bible says back in john chapter 7 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 I think for a moment on this. This is an observation It's an axiomatic truth that the lord is placing before the scribes and Pharisees so that they can judge according to a righteous judgment They can judge according to the truth and they know from this example What's right and what's not okay? The great obstacle to truth from verse 18 is pride And the jews quote unquote can see it just like we can today. It's pride There is the truth of god And the feeble wicked imaginations of men. That's our two propositions, right? The truth of god and the feeble imaginations of men men Either speak from themselves Or they speak from god If they speak from themselves, they're after their own glory Here's what I believe Here's my opinion here are my thoughts on the subject I think the people of god need to hear this and so i'm gonna go to the word of god I'm gonna pull out from the word of god all I can find to support my premise These are my opinions my ideas That's not speaking from god. That's speaking of your own that's speaking from your own imagination from your own thoughts your own desires It's not speaking the truth of god It's what comes out of the heart of man He either speaks of himself And if he speaks of himself he seeks after his own glory But if he's seeking the will of god the glory of the one who sent him Then he's gonna be preaching god's truth There are preachers in pulpits and so-called churches all over the world today That are preaching from themselves. They're not preaching the truth from the word of god. How do you know it? You know it because they're glorying in themselves. They're seeking their own glory, but you know it because it doesn't accord with godliness You look around those churches and they are filled with unrighteousness factories for false conversion You're either preaching of yourself or you're preaching from god We have no business preaching anything in the pulpits of our country, but the word of god They have no business preaching to anyone anything, but what god's word clearly says Then seek god's glory seek that people would follow him that they would put their faith in christ and turn from their sin There are many today The lord says out of the mouth of jeremiah the prophet Of false teachers that from the least of them to the greatest of them many are given to covetousness Right. I saw a news report last week of creflo dollar Calling his his they're not the lord's followers. They're his followers calling his followers quote unquote To send in money so that he can buy himself a 65 million dollar jet Now that is textbook covetousness He's not speaking or seeking the lord's glory the lord's will He's seeking to pad his own wallet and fleece the flock to do it Here's a test of truth in this. He's not speaking for god That's textbook false teacher Those that teach anything but god's word are simply after their own glory There are many that speak from pride. I was reminded of an example from charles spurgeon where charles spurgeon was stepping down from the pulpit And a lady came up to him up to charles spurgeon and said, you know, I think you're the greatest preacher who's ever lived And charles spurgeon said I know that I am Nice lady because satan was whispering in that ear as I was walking down out of the pulpit Whispering that in his ear Just we can't speak out of pride or out of self interest or selfishness or covetousness We can't speak seeking our own glory when you preach the gospel to someone You're preaching the very words of god seeking his glory seeking his worship seeking his praise Seeking that the word of god might find a space for truth in your own heart We teach anything but god's word anything but christ and him crucified We're simply seeking our own glory not god's glory But the person here in verse 18 That is only concerned with the glory of god only concerned with the message that god gives to speak If he's seeking only the glory of god then that one is going to be true We seek only the the glory of god god cannot lie There is no falsehood in him And we'll speak only the truth that one who is true Has no unrighteousness in him. He is consumed entirely with the glory of god He speaks only that which god has given him to speak And therefore he does not lie and he is filled with righteousness his only concern is god and him glorified And he wants to live and preach and speak in a way that glorifies him That's the lord jesus christ here But isn't it true of god's people The same thing is true of god's people when you seek the glory of god you seek to do his will The spirit of god in you sanctifies you and cleanses you and matures you and grows you and slowly But surely conforms you it's the word of god has promised conforms you into the image of christ You become more and more christlike Isn't it an awesome marvelous truth? That one lord would save us Marvelous two that he would employ us in the ministry giving us opportunity to preach his truth to a lost world And that three we can do anything that pleases him considering our sin It is a marvelous Blood-bought truth of the gospel. They were so grateful for Here contrast all of that with quote-unquote again The jews here who are filled verse 18 filled with all unrighteousness because they seek their own glory So it is with all those who don't submit to the truth of god in pride They seek their own glory before men you know Men may not see you for who you really are You may put a good show on before your brothers. You may look Polished before your sisters But god sees you God sees into your heart. He sees every dark corner. He sees every thought. He sees every intent. God sees you God sees your heart. God knows your heart Those who do not submit to the truth of god are self-willed. They're self-indulgent. They're selfish. They're self centered Man-centered not god-centered Are you more concerned about yourself than you are about the truth? You've been put in this position where you could lie To get out from under the truth coming out about you Why when someone brings up the gospel with you are you defensive? Are you argumentative? If you're a known a christian a genuine christian Who didn't like talking about the gospel? I've never met one They don't exist But that's why people get defensive argumentative or self-justifying or lying When someone exposes them according to the word of god That's why Because you won't submit to the truth of god is why you won't see your true condition before god The condition of your own heart why you won't accept the bible's diagnosis of who you are Why you won't see the evil of your sin you need to cultivate in your heart a sensitivity to the evil of evil And you do that by investing yourself devoting yourself into the word of god It's why you don't see how Deserving you are of the wages of your sin. It's why you reject the truth of god and the gospel Because you won't submit yourself to the truth of god job In chapter nine Ask this question. He asks how can a man be righteous before god? If one wished to contend with him he could not answer him one time out of a thousand God is wise in heart and mighty in strength Who has hardened himself against god and prospered the rhetorical answer is no one He removes the mountains and they do not know when he overturns them in his anger He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble. He commands the sun and it does not rise He seals off the stars. He alone spreads out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea He made the bear orion and the pleides and the chambers of the south He does great things past finding out. Yes wonders without number if he goes by me I do not see him if he moves past. I do not perceive him if he takes away Who can hinder him? Who can say to him? What are you doing? God will not withdraw his anger the allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath him Will you humble yourself before the word of god today? Will you humble yourself? Before what the word of god says of you with meekness will you receive the implanted word which is able to save your soul Or will you sit there in proud hard-hearted unbelief and go to hell when you die? It's absurd Apart from seeking the glory of god Everyone seeks the glory of self Outside of christ everyone seeks the glory of self It is impossible It is impossible To seek self and find christ You may have others think well of you in this life They don't see your every thought. They don't see your every imagination. They don't see the darkness in your heart But god does god sees all of it There is no creature hidden from his sight But all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account There is a day coming In which you will give account the books will be opened and you'll be judged according to what is written in them By your works what is done in the body whether good or evil Those that would judge according to truth those that would judge with a righteous judgment will judge god worthy of glory above all Will judge christ worthy of exaltation Above anything in their lives even their own lives also It's because the chief end of man is to what? Glorify god. That's right. Enjoy him forever His glory Is reflected in our love for him when you come to christ his glory is reflected in your love for his word When you come to christ his glory is reflected in your faithfulness in your obedience to his word There is no such thing as a carnal christian There are those christians that struggle with sin We obey the lord obey his word as a fruit of faith if you are in christ Then a fruit of saving faith is obedience to his word not perfect. It's not perfection. It's direction We obey the lord god His glory will be reflected in your humility and your repentance your lifestyle of repentance It'll be reflect reflected in your ever-growing faith and trust in him It'll be reflected in your preaching of the gospel. It'll be reflected in your testimony before the world Listen when the gospel is preached in most churches, they're producing so-called christians that don't look any different from the world But you are to let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven Seek the lord's glory with your life See the test of that truth we see the Glory of god in that truth, but I want you to see the verdict of that truth The verdict of truth look at verse 19 the verdict of truth 19 says 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 It was a tremendous source of pride to the jews That they were recipients of the law the gentiles didn't have it Canaanites didn't have it the malachites didn't have it the hittites didn't have it the jews had it They debate it they study it. They toss it around they teach it. They learn it. They memorize it They glory in it. They pride themselves in it and yet they don't keep it There's a big difference between receiving and keeping and unless you think that's any different then than it is today There's a big difference between hearing and doing Same concept many of those who are hearers Don't do and they deceive themselves Any man who sets out to do his will Finds that he cannot keep it Here far from keeping the law. They're actually seeking to kill him And so in that being recipients of the law they're hypocrites And notice here also the reply in verse 20 comes from the people now not just from the jews I want you to see this in verse 19 the jews Sat in judgment on the lord jesus christ. Who is this man? Teaching these letters and he's never studied not been through our schools not been with the rabbi They sit in judgment of the lord jesus christ here in verse 20 now the people Sit in judgment of the lord jesus christ and as they're listening to him teach and they even go so far as to say that he has a demon So the jews standing in judgment of the lord jesus christ now the people standing in judgment of the lord jesus christ when all Along it's the law of god god himself standing in judgment of them john says they're condemned already And while all the while they're sitting under the judgment of god touting in pride the very law of god that condemns them Paul says this romans 2 Indeed you are called a jew and rest on the law make your boast in god And you know as will you approve the things that are excellent being instructed out of the law And are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind a light to those who are in darkness An instructor of the foolish a teacher of babes having the form of knowledge and truth in the law You therefore who teach another now listen Do you not teach yourself? Don't be a hypocrite You who preach that a man should not steal Do you steal? You who say do not commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You committing adultery in your heart Lust in your heart for another You who abhor idols. Do you rob temples you who make your boast in the law? We have the law of god. We've got the right gospel here. We've got the right doctrine here Do you dishonor god through breaking the law? In other words, are you a hypocrite? For the name of god is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you When you claim to be a christian When you claim to be a christian and you don't live for the lord The name of god is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you You're a hypocrite You claim to be a christian live for christ Follow him This animosity That exists here between the people between the jews and the lord jesus christ all began back in chapter five When we study chapter five, we saw the lord in the temple complex in jerusalem healing a lame man And what day did he heal him on the Sabbath? That's right They accused here the lord jesus christ of being a lawbreaker Yet they were the ones entrusted according to paul entrusted with the oracles of god and yet they're not keeping it They're being a bunch of hypocrites He reminded them in chapter five verse 45 Do not think that i shall accuse you to the father lord jesus christ says i'm not the one accusing you before the father right now There is one who accuses you jesus says Moses in whom you trust the law of god stands in judgment over the hypocrite Here again, we're reminded that lord jesus christ knows their heart He says why do you seek to kill me because he knows what's in their heart? He sees the murderous plots there the people don't know that yet claim he has a demon who's seeking to kill you People didn't know what was in the heart of the jews, but he did their thoughts were exposed before he read them like a book He reads you like a book too He knows your heart Allow the law of god allow the law of god to do its work in you today Judge yourself that you might not be judged with the world allow the law of god to expose the truth that is in your heart Allow the god the law of god To expose your wickedness your depravity your heart before you stand before him in judgment He who has eyes of a flame of fire And plead with him now for mercy the bible says there is none righteous. No not one. You think you're a good person the bible says otherwise You're not a good person think of the iniquity in your own heart It's what comes out of the heart of man that defiles a man. There's none righteous. No not one There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after god. They've all turned aside. They have all All turned aside. They have together become Unprofitable. There is none who does good. No not one Lord here exposes them as hypocrites and yet they presume to stand in judgment of him for healing a man on the Sabbath See where blind hypocrisy leads Blind ignorance to the heart of the law. You see where it leads They are nat strainers and hair splitters when it came to the truth of god Have no idea what is in the heart of god the heart of his truth Quickly the heart of truth in verse 21 Jesus answered and said to them i did one work and you all marvel. What did he do? He healed the man on the Sabbath Verse 22 moses therefore gave you circumcision not that it's from moses, but from the fathers It went all the way back to abraham right and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath When a male child is born the law says that he must be circumcised on the eighth day What if the eighth day falls on the Sabbath? What then? Well, they would circumcise that young male child on the Sabbath they would do that work to make him and Parents so to speak ceremonial ceremonially clean they would perform that work on the Sabbath so that the child would be ceremonially clean It's a simple ceremony so verse 23 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? You see the argument there They're busy straining gnats and they miss the heart of god Jesus christ isn't breaking the law here by healing a man on the Sabbath. He is fulfilling its intended meaning from god He's doing that which god has obligated us to do mercy and love Verse 24 so Do not judge according to appearance judge with a righteous judgment Don't judge superficially don't judge without all the facts Don't judge without considering all the positions Don't judge without considering the word of god the whole counsel of god Don't judge according to appearance judge with a righteous judgment based on their practice Jesus calls them here to judge themselves They are woefully superficial. They're not thinking They're not thinking and the fact that they're not thinking being precise with the text of scripture They're inconsistent in their application of the word of god in order to avoid error You must be precise with the text a diligent workman Approved to god cutting straight the word of god. You've got to be precise Here do not judge there is a command. It's an imperative verb basically saying listen stop Judging that way stop judging superficially stop Judging according to your thoughts your beliefs your opinions Judge with a righteous judgment the command there is to judge with a righteous judgment. They need to stop They were guilty of wrong judgment and he commands here a righteous judgment We're to judge according to truth You this morning You're here today and you've never placed your faith in christ Judge with a righteous judgment Be earnest and honest with yourself Don't lie to yourself deceive yourself so you can sort of have your cake with your sin and eat it too The lord jesus christ has been revealed here in john chapter seven judge with a righteous judgment Your heart has been revealed here in john chapter seven judge with a righteous judgment At least be honest with yourself and say listen. I know who jesus christ is I know what the bible says is true. These are the words from god who created me and you know what? I just want my sin I mean at least be honest with yourself. Don't deceive yourself But what an absurd proposition right god who created you who penned these words who gave you breath And now you'll turn with that breath breath and blaspheme him by rejecting the lord jesus christ These words are written so you might believe And believing you might have eternal life Or one day Marvel of marvels despite the astounding Offer of grace and mercy from god in christ marvel of marvels You will drop into hell when you die and you'll be tormented for all eternity god says I don't desire the death of the wicked But the wicked should turn from his sin and live god says Turn to christ put your faith and trust in him christian Brother sister you're here today You know who the lord jesus christ is you've seen what he's done This is a wilderness that we are walking through we have a home waiting for us in heaven Live for him now Follow him heart soul mind and strength. This is a temporary place This is a temporary time and we have Eternity to look forward to praising almighty god praising and worshiping christ free from sin forever. Amen Let's live for him put your faith in him walking trusting him amen Let's pray Father in heaven, thank you lord for this text of scripture Thank you lord for the truth that you've taught here. Thank you lord for the gospel. Thank you lord for jesus christ We're so grateful to you lord for These examples that we have I pray god you would protect us from responding as they did god that you would buy your spirit enable us to judge with a righteous judgment That we might see The horrendous depravity of our own heart our own condition that we might see the excellencies and the glorious Jesus christ a mercy and grace offered in christ that we might turn from our sin Turn from our sin place our faith and trust alone in him to save us Order that you would for your great namesake and dwell us with your spirit causes to walk in your statutes Trophies of your grace for all eternity It's in the blessed name of our great god and savior the lord jesus christ that we pray these things amen