 We're going to look today at John chapter 8 verses 37 through 59 and so allow me to begin by reading in John chapter 8 at verse 37 and I'll read verses 37 38 and we'll get into our study John chapter 8 beginning at verse 37 reading to verse 38 Jesus said I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father And so Jesus begins and let me lay a foundation for you. Jesus begins with these words. I know that you're Abraham's descendants Now the reason he says that let me refresh your memory is that they had just stated in verse 33 that they the Jews are Abraham's descendants They had said in verse 33 We are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say you'll be made free? So they just declared themselves to be descendants of father Abraham the father of the nation of Israel and So as they're making that declaration Jesus is now Responding to it because they had just stated we are Abraham's descendants and therefore he says in verse 37 I know that you are Abraham's descendants and So the point he's about to make you're gonna see this in a moment is that they are physically descended From Abraham, but the reality is though they are his physical descendants They have a different spirit than father Abraham and he makes that clear by saying you seek to kill me So when he says that I realize that you are physically descended From Abraham the nations of Israel look to him as father Abraham the nation of Israel does The reality is you have a different spirit because you desire to kill me and that makes you different than him Now John has already recorded that the Jewish authorities wanted Jesus dead We see it in in John 5 verse 16 if you take note You might want to remember this because that verse tells us that they persecuted him and sought to kill him for healing on a Sabbath in John 5 18 that verse says that they wanted to kill him because he made himself equal with God Later on in chapter 7 verse 19 We read did not Moses give you the law yet? None of you keeps the law and then Jesus says why do you seek to kill me and Then finally in John 7 25 some of them from Jerusalem said is this not he whom they seek to kill? And so Jesus is simply responding and speaking of that which is commonly no Now that they are denying a desire to kill him But Jesus once again states that they do desire to kill him and now he gives us in verse 37 The reason that they are seeking to kill him and notice what he says in verse 37 You seek to kill me because so he gives you the reason because My word has no place in you You want to kill me because my word has no place in you Now here's something to look at and to think about with me for just a moment remember John had made the statement that these were Jews who believed in him It says in verse 31 Jesus said to those Jews who believed him. This is interesting John had said these were Jews who believed him and yet Jesus is saying you seek to kill me and my word has no place in you These are the ones who at first had been described as those who believed him, but now these same Jews who are Spoken of as believing him are arguing with him That reveals something to us that reveals the rejection of him Because this automatically in their argument aligns them with his opponents Notice what he says you seek to kill me because you are rejecting my message My word has no place in you When he says my word has no place in you my word is not Advancing my word is not gaining ground in you is what that literally means Your faith is not permanent Why because you do not abide in my word again remember verse 31 if you abide in my word You are my disciples indeed Context is he speaking to some who? John's statement was believed in him, but it shows us that belief has different degrees and These are people who have a belief in a very superficial way who are following and listening but have not entrusted themselves to him and so he's saying you reject the message of salvation and That message of salvation is founded on me and as already declared is Built on my sacrifice for you. I'm gonna die for you. John 3 16. God so loved the world He already said that they gave it's only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting He's he's pointing something out. It's very important for us to remember this He's speaking to people who are rejecting the heart of the message The heart of the message there's a phrase that we use sometimes you may hear them They'll say it's the crux of the matter. We've all heard that term They'll say it's the crux of the matter the word crux is the cross it speaks of the center What what is the most important element of it and for us the crux of the matter is the cross and he's saying you're Rejecting the message of the cross There are other things that are attracting you, but the centrality of it my death on the cross for your salvation Is what you're rejecting you like other things But you haven't entrusted yourself all the way back in the first chapter in in chapter 1 verses 11 and 12 John said it like this. He said he came to his own and his own did not receive him But he went on to say as as many as received him to them He gave the right to become children of God and they he clarifies that to those who believe in his name So his own people and his own nation rejected him, but the ones who receive him They're the ones who are his children And so Jesus is saying your life priorities have crowded your heart and there is no room in you for my word My teachings and my invitations have had no effect or influence upon you Why because you prefer your life of sin You see people people today even today will say things like yeah I think it's cool and Jesus is cool in this and that I Looking at Kanye West right now and what's taking place with Kanye, you know people like his music They like the things he he speaks about I I'm obviously not somebody who's familiar with that. That's not my style That's not what I do. I don't know how to do that What he does is is kind of like foreign to somebody like me but what I've been looking at is I've been looking at the fruit and and And we need to keep that that that man in prayer because I'm concerned Not for him in particular, you know, I know he's being discipled by somebody who is a very strong believer in scripture And and that's what he needs what I get most concerned about Is people who will take advantage of him to profit and the ones who do that normally the church Normally the a pastor with a big budget who'll give him a lot of money So we can draw a lot of people and they're the ones who undermine the faith of the young They're the ones that I'm concerned with the most these pastors who will manipulate and use men like Kanye And when he loses his luster to them then they find the latest thing because they're building the church with their ambition And they're throwing people aside on the road and that bothers me a lot We need to keep Kanye in prayer because I frankly I'm I'm blessed to see somebody standing up and speaking so loudly But he at the same time he really needs to know that he's not the disseminator of the gospel He needs to learn it. He needs to have somebody who's there who can Communicate what the truth of the gospel is he needs that and he needs to be mentored and developed Because if he's not then he will find himself cast away later because the church has a tendency of casting away those They can't use anymore and that concerns me greatly for him We need to keep that man in prayer without that without you know with with that said Jesus is saying you don't have room in your heart for my word You prefer the things of your life. You prefer your sin over salvation Somebody said a heart filled with the love of the world is not fit to receive the seed of the word And that's true in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 2 it says indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them But the word which they heard did not profit them not being mixed with faith and those who heard it And so when you hear the word you don't just hear it You mix it with faith you receive it by faith and act upon it by faith and that's what Jesus is speaking about You see the word of God requires a heart that's open and receptive to the things of the kingdom In Romans 10 17 it says it it says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God And that's why in Luke 8 18 Jesus said something and I think sometimes if you read your Bible You may you may not notice what he said he said in Luke 8 18 take heed how you hear Take heed how you hear am I receiving the word with faith is the is is my heart the soil of my heart Receptive so that it can it can produce fruit and and it can be evidence and people can see my good works and glorify my father Who's in heaven and so be careful how you hear because sometimes people listen to Bible studies really with a mind to argue Against what they're hearing I'm not saying that we should put aside discernment by the way We need to have discernment as we listen we have to be careful that we don't take in everything That's that simply because it said we have to have discernment But at the same time am I receiving with faith saying God here am I your servant speak? I'm listening or am I there just because there's nothing else to do tonight So here I am we're on a Sunday or so here I am but I really have no intent to hear I Hear but I don't do well. Jesus is speaking to these people who are hearing but not doing they're not receiving it And so as he's speaking to them again He says that he says I know that you're Abraham's descendants. You seek to kill me Because my word has no place in you you're not receiving it by faith so that your life can be changed And verse 38 I speak what I have seen with my father. I'm an eyewitness. I've been with my father I'm speaking that which I've seen with him, but you you do what you've seen with your father I'm an eyewitness. I can accurately communicate my father's will to you in John 6 we saw at verse 46 that We read not that anyone has seen the father except he who is from God He has seen the father and that's what Jesus is saying. I'm an eyewitness So I'm able to communicate my father's mind and I can communicate my father's will Because I'm at one with it, and I know it completely But verse 38 on the other hand you do what you've seen with your father So this contrasts what he's saying with what they're doing. You see their actions are consistent with their father's character They're trying to kill him and so as this is taking place verse 39 they answered and they said to him Abraham's our father and Jesus said to them if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham So again, they claim descent from Abraham But he's saying no if you were his sons you would do his work now When you look at Abraham you can see things about him. You can see that he was merciful You can see that Abraham was loving. He was charitable. He was hospitable You can see just by reading his story. He was obedient and he was a man who was justified by faith And so the point he's making is if you were really like Abraham and he really were your father Then then you would receive me You would act on that you see in Galatians 3 6 and 7 the Bible says that Abraham believed God It was accounted to him for righteousness and therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham Only those who are of faith are children of our sons of Abraham And so he's making it very clear You really are not children even though of Abraham even though you're saying he's your father Because if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham verse 40 But now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God Abraham did not do this. You seek to kill me If you were his children, you would accept me Because I've told you truth but instead you're looking for a way to kill me and Abraham never did anything like that and that's why he says in verse 41 you do the deeds of your father Now at this point he has not disclosed to them who their father is yet But there is a family resemblance And that's what he's speaking about. I saw a picture of my mother's dad my grandfather And I was just just yet my son You know showed it to me. It's on his phone. I Never really noticed it as I've grown older. I look like my mother's father. I thought well, you know There's a family resemblance my son David's got a little girl a little boy and his wife Des is pregnant with their third baby and He sent me a picture of that that sonogram You know and boy, that's amazing now. I'll be honest with you how clear it is and he wrote And he said Des is mad because the baby looks just like David, you know ugly and and The family resemblance there's a family resemblance and so if you were like it if you were Abraham's kid You'd be like him. That's what Jesus is saying and you're nothing like him You have a different father and you'll make that clear in a moment But as he says that to them if you were Abraham's children you do the works of Abraham You now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God Abraham didn't do this Then verse 41 you do the deeds of your father and they said to him. We were not born a fornication. We have one father God let's look at that for just a moment We were not born a fornication. We have one father God now the commentators like to point out the nuances of this the variety of ways that you can view this when it says we are not born a fornication in The Old Testament the Old Testament prophets Were inspired to use that image to to be a type of or a picture of of idolatry of idolatry In Jeremiah in the Old Testament Jeremiah 3 8 and 9 It reads I saw That for all the adulteries of faithless Israel I Had sent her away Given her a writ of divorce yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear She went and was a harlot also Because of the lightness of her harlotry. She polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees It's a picture of committing adultery at stones and trees is a picture of idol worship and so God is saying there are children that are polluting the land that are actually born a fornication That's the image you see the same kind of picture in the book of Ozea in chapter 1 verse 2 Which says when the Lord first spoke to Israel through Josea he said to Ozea Go and get married your wife will be unfaithful and your children will be just like her in the same way My people have left me and become unfaithful. And so when they say here, we have not been born of fornication commentators Older commentators say this is a way of saying we are not idolatrous We are children of Abraham remained faithful to to the covenant that Abraham had With with God so they're saying we haven't been born of spiritual fornication So we are genuine Jews. We are followers of God. We are to postates Our father is God when you look in the Old Testament Deuteronomy 32 verse 6 It reads do you thus deal with the Lord oh foolish and unwise people is he not your father who bought you Has he not made you and established you and so they're saying we're not born of fornication God is our father Abraham is the one who brought the faith to us and we've remained faithful So that's one way the commentators say that that this couldn't be applied But there's another they may be saying that they have kept records their lineage is is is pure that they are they are nationally and they are ethnically Jewish you see that in in in Paul's Philippians 3 when Paul is giving his genealogy and he speaks of his descent and the Jews did keep their genealogies and So there are other commentators who say they may simply be saying that they are factually ethnically Jewish, but then there's another way to look at it and we need to remember this Remember that Jesus's conception had been called into question remember that and remember how that his mom had gone to spend time with Elizabeth and Her her relative and had returned. She's an unmarried woman and yet came back to Nazareth Pregnant And I've shared this with you recently Nazareth was a small village when you think of the city of Nazareth don't think in terms of Cities here in California because you'll be wrong Nazareth was a small village There are some commentators who say that the population of that village could be it could have been as little as 40 to 60 people There are others who say that the the village of Nazareth during the time of Christ could have been no more than 200 And so that's a small village, you know, if you have a church of 40 people. Do you think everybody knows your business? Yeah, they do Yeah, they do even a church of 200 they'll pretty much know your business and if you're living in a village Day in and day out They're gonna know everything about you and in a small village when Mary comes back and she hasn't been you know formerly married to Joseph We are not born a fornication. We have one father and There are those myself included who think that this is at least an inference in that that they're slamming Christ We have purity morality Who are you to tell us anything and so I can't help but see a hint at least a hint of that This could be an Intimation that they believed him to have been born of fornication and they say we're not born of fornication We have one father God verse 42 Jesus said to them if God were your father You would love me For I proceeded forth and came from God Nor have I come of myself But he sent me if God were your father You would love me Keep that in mind Because there are those who say oh, I love God, but they don't love Jesus You can't love the father and not love the son You can't Jesus is making it clear if you love the father you would love me So when you encounter people who will say I love God, but I have nothing to do with Jesus Jesus would say no if God were your father you'd love me and That's a very clear statement. You see to love God is to love the son in first John chapter 4 verses 14 and 15 John said we have seen and testify that the father has sent the son as savior of the world Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God God abides in him and he in God When you have the son you have the father when you have the son who's the savior of the world Then you have relationship with the father. So when someone is a believer love for Jesus is implanted within them You see where there's no love for Jesus. There's no regeneration in the life of that person and first John 5 1 everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and Everyone who loves a father loves his child as well And so Jesus is saying that so whenever you encounter somebody who says oh, I I'm a lover of God You know, and I don't mean it in a disrespectful way I really don't and I when I speak to people and have spoken to people who make comments like that I certainly don't disrespect them. I don't I believe that every person Under normal circumstances at least deserves the respectful hearing and without an arrogance on my part to try and You know make them look dumb or whatever or have arguments That's not what scripture teaches us to do and I I don't do that. I respect them So if they say well, I love God then well then the conversation I'd have to bring up Well, Jesus said to love the father is to love the son. Do you love the son? What do you mean love the son? Well, Jesus said if you have the father you have the son also and do you love The son What do you mean? And now I can share the gospel. Well, this is why you would love the son Look what the father did. He sent his son to die in a cross for you. Look what the son did for you How can you not love him? How can you not? How can you not be grateful to him for all that he's done? Amen? That's that's true and he goes on he goes on and he says I proceeded forth and came from God So when he says I proceeded forth and came from God there in verse 42 It speaks of Jesus being what has been referred to theologically as the eternal son The eternal son of God He is the only begotten and it causes us to think of the scriptures that we recite and and sing In the Christmas season Micah 5 to you Bethlehem if rata Though you are little among the thousands of Judah yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel Who's goings forth are from old of old from everlasting? I proceeded forth and came from God. I am the eternal son Isaiah 9 verse 6 unto us a child is born unto us the son is given the government will be upon his shoulder His name will be called wonderful counselor mighty God Everlasting father prince of peace so I proceeded forth and came from God He says nor have I come of myself, but he sent me My ministry is not self-initiated. I did not take the office of Messiah upon myself I Have come because my father sent me he sent me to perform the work of salvation and He says in verse 43. Well, why do you not understand my speech? Here it is because you are not able to listen to my word You cannot follow my train of thought You cannot understand my language Because you cannot follow my train of thought you cannot follow my train of thought and here's the key Because you cannot tolerate what I'm saying That gives you insight for those of you who share your faith that gives you insight When you're trying to talk to somebody about what God has done in your life And they begin to want to argue and fight and find nitpicks sometimes, you know Ask you questions that they think are going to stump you just because if God is so great Can he can he create a God greater than himself? If God is so great, can he can he create a rock that's too heavy for him to pick up? Just just because you put the word God in a question doesn't make the question smart And God does not do anything that doesn't correspond to his essential Unity of purpose. He doesn't do nonsensical things He's a God of logic. He's a God of order And so just because somebody uses the word God doesn't make the question a good question But sometimes people want to debate and argue with you and and again They're arguing and all of that because they don't understand and and the scriptures very clear about that that That the the non-saved person doesn't receive the things of the spirit of God Paul says in first Corinthians 2 14 because their foolish foolishness to them and neither can he know them because They are spiritually discerned it takes a holy spirit Jesus had said that now when we get into chapters 14 through 16 You'll see this clearly and I'll be pointing this out to you But he speaks concerning the role of the Holy Spirit and how he's going to take what he has said and he's going to make It plain to us and so when people don't have a relationship with God It's nonsensical it makes no sense to them at all because God's ways are above their ways In Isaiah 55 8 and 9 he says that he says my thoughts are not your thoughts Nor are my ways are your ways my ways say at the Lord as the heavens are higher than the earth And so are my ways higher than your ways and and my thoughts than your thoughts In Romans 11 33. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways has finding out? Yeah, there's this is there's no way that my puny brain can ever Understand the ways of God. That's why he reveals himself to us Because we could never figure him out because if you could figure God out then you're God yourself And you can't his ways are not your ways his thoughts are not your thoughts The higher is the heavens then the heavens as high as the heavens are his thoughts are above ours And then that's who's he the Paul also asked the Romans. He said who's been God's counselor? When God's in a problem does he ever call you up or text you or is he one of your Facebook friends? I know that God friended me as a show, but has he ever friended you? I mean does he call you up and say look at you know, I'm having a tough time with China So can you help me you know, I mean that's the arrogance of man We actually we actually think we can advise God and that's what Jesus by the way is approaching with these people here He says this see my word has no no place in you. You're not hungry for truth You're curious to the degree of how how Athenians perhaps were in act 17 where they were always looking for some new thing and arguing amongst themselves about it You want to know certain things, but not to the point of actually entrusting yourself to them You want to know God a lot of people say yes, but what happens when the gospel is presented that shows you something Because when you give the first word of the gospel the first word of the gospel is repent And so when you say well you need to repent. Oh No, no, no, no. I'm not that bad How many of us have said that I've said that I'm not that bad. I'm not that bad Now you want to know bad. I've got some friends Let me introduce you to some of my friends and you'll see I'm a saint compared to them Because a lot, you know, I used to say it like this a lot of us keep somebody handy as a friend that we can point to when Everybody's convicting us like oh you think I'm bad. You don't know this guy over here That's bad. I mean if you look up the word evil in the dictionary just his picture That's evil, you know, but there are those who speak about wanting to know God But when they hear him speak They reveal that they really don't want to know him why because the first thing he says is your life is messed up You're you're you're you're really messed up. You're in sin. I'm not that bad I didn't say that you were that bad. I said you're in sin and your sin makes a separation between you and your God We will not hear you. There is a distance between you a chasm And your sin is created and you have God on one side and you're on the other and This chasm of sin has got to be there's got to be a bridge of some sort or else You're gonna be on this side. He's on that side and there's no way you can have relations And that's where Jesus comes in and that's why we call him the bridge He's the one who is bridging man and God and and and he's the one who does that and he has ways That he can do that and it's amazing because one of the things that we need to always remember is that the Lord? has a desire to save people and And if you are sharing with someone you can pray and say God in Jesus name Would you please reach this person and and God so often answers those prayers because his desires to say Them are more than you want them to be saved when our church was new I didn't I didn't give invitations and I knew everybody it was you know I knew everybody in the church pretty much and we started getting Visitors and and a lady approached me after a Sunday morning and said to me You know I I come from a church where the pastor gives invitations Have you ever considered giving an invitation and I smiled at her? I said, you know, I know all of these people, you know She says well you ought to consider it And I did so the next week I thought why not Maybe God's telling me to and I still remember the very first invitation that I gave in this church It was in a place called Church of God seventh day on Vine Street a small building that sat 120 people and we had about 60 people or so 70 people in church and I I gave an invitation and a person came forward Oh young lady named Tracy and I stepped down and I talked to her after she had prayed with me and she says to me You know she goes my boyfriend. I have a boyfriend. His name is Frankie and he's in Oregon She said he's not a believer I I gave my heart to Christ I want to be a follower of Jesus. What should I do I? Said well Tracy the Bible is pretty clear. You're not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever I said share the gospel with Frankie and if Frankie gives his heart to Christ, you know Then you can date but if he refuses Jesus, you're gonna have to make a difficult decision Because the scripture teaches us not to be unequally yoked. You shouldn't be dating an unbeliever Now that's kind of a that's that's what the Bible teaches and my responsibility with I laid it on her She comes to church the next week. She says Pastor David. She goes I I want I want to tell you something She said I went home from church and and I prayed and I said God help me and I got to talk to Frankie She says I call Frankie up and I said Frankie. Hi. How are you and he says trace? Got to tell you something. He said I went to church today and gave my heart to Jesus Christ Yeah, I went to church today and gave my heart to Jesus Christ and I performed their wedding Dedicated their children. So it's a God. God Answers prayer, you know if you have a heart that's open to receive But when you want to argue with them point by point and that's what Jesus is dealing with right here You don't understand my speech. My word isn't you're not able to listen to my word Why verse 44 because you're you're now he tells him you are of your father the devil No, Jesus that's mean, but he says it You are of your father the devil and the desires of your father You want to do and he goes on and is even more kind He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there's no truth in him When he speaks a lie he speaks from his own resources for he's a liar and the father of it. That's pretty strong Yeah, you have a father. You want to say Abraham is your father. You just said it Abraham is our father No, you have a father. It's not Abraham and it's not God. It's the devil Now it's interesting how the climate changed Because when you see earlier as mentioned John had said these people who these were people who believed him But look at how they're treating him Even sympathetic listeners show their true colors when provoked see the actual fact is their children of the devil and Naturally disposed to sin in Ephesians 2 1 and 2 it says it like this as for you You were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and Of the ruler of the kingdom of the air the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient So he was a murderer from the beginning Jesus said doesn't stand in the truth In other words Satan from the beginning was a deceiver a liar He deceived our first parents Adam and Eve and through that deception death entered into the world Romans 5 12 By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin So he was he was a liar He was an instigator of murder remember that he instigated the first murder in 1st John 3 11 and 12 This is the message that you heard from the beginning that we should love one another Not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother And why did he murder him because his works were evil and his brother's righteous? So Satan is the one who inspires murder and he's the one who inspires and provokes lying In verse 45, but because I tell the truth you do not believe me their opposition to him is because he tells him the truth and They resisted by the way that is a sign of the last days in 2nd Timothy 4 3 and 4 The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine or healthy teaching But according to their own desire because they have itching ears. They will heap up for themselves teachers They will turn their ears away from the truth. They will be turned aside to fables They don't have a heart to receive what is true So he goes on and makes an even deeper statement verse 46 and 47 which of you convicts me of sin And if I tell the truth Why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears God's words Therefore you do not hear This is something you underline you do not hear because you are not of God That's powerful Which of you convicts me of sin Jesus is claiming to be sinless First John 3 5 says you know that he was manifested to take away our sins in him There is no sin first Peter 2 22 speaks says that Jesus committed no sin Nor was deceit found in his mouth Hebrews 4 15 says we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses But one who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin 2nd Corinthians 5 21 He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him Which of you convicts me of sin Jesus was sinless Now he claims to be without sin, but notice they don't respond He exposes the falseness of the charges of blasphemy and Sabbath breaking as he's doing this But notice verse 47 he who is of God hears God's words. You don't hear because you're not of God He gives the reason for the constant opposition to him You do not hear God's word because you are not of God again was mentioning this a moment ago Why are not your friends interested in the Bible? Why do they not listen to you? You have that You have that don't you? You have friends That don't listen when you talk to them. Why why not? Sometimes they'll tell you I already have a church. I'm going to right You invite them to church out of come to church come visit my job. I already got a church. When's the last time you went? Well, you know I already got a church They never go, you know when's the last thing you know, I'll be going next month It's Christmas Everybody goes and then a few months later. I go again, you know, I'm not a fanatic, you know that kind of thing Why don't they listen to you? This is an answer for you. I'll be honest with you I have to say it quickly because my time's running short This when I was first saved this this is one of the verses that stood out to me Johnny 47 It's one of the verses You don't listen because you don't believe That's why You're not of God God's word and I I have to be careful because I could go for a while on this and I don't want to I'll tell you this when I've gone through a sorrow of heart. I Have had people Come up and and give me human comfort and be honest with you. I appreciate that I do I appreciate I Appreciate that a brother or sister. He says, you know, I I love you and you know, I appreciate that I do But what has ministered to me most deeply is when someone is got there on my my shoulder and they say, you know The Lord put this on my heart for you and they give me a scripture Because my heart is hungry for God's comfort not just human comfort And and and I think that sometimes we may we may not be wise and how we approach that Sometimes we'll just say all things work for the good of those who love God that kind of thing and not taking into consideration the pain they're going through So I'm not one who dump scripture on you like that. I'm not that though I probably could find a scripture for your situation and I do want to love you But there's a certain point where you know, let's just remember who's in charge Let's remember that my God is the defender and he's with us now. He has said I will never leave you No, well, I forsake you So know that today and that'll bring you comfort and and when you're sharing your faith with people and you bring the word out And they don't want to hear it. That's because they're not saved and that word is foreign to them in this particular Context Jesus is saying you don't want to hear what I'm saying because though you're claiming to be Abraham's Children and and that God is your father The fact is if you loved him, you'd love me if you loved me, you'd love my word My word isn't something I invented. It's the word my father gave the word of salvation called the gospel You would receive that you'd know who I am your life would be transformed But because you want to argue it's telling me you're not born for an occasion Abraham is your father It's only revealing to me that you're rejecting the message of the gospel and that's the point that he's making Now as he says that to them that really gets under their skin the Jews answered and said to him Do we not say rightly that you're a Samaritan and have a demon and Jesus answered I don't have a demon. I honor my father and you dishonor me and And I don't seek my own glory There is one who seeks in judges most assuredly I say to you if anyone keeps my word He shall never see death and so This comment Do we not rightly say that you're a Samaritan? That's not found anywhere else in scripture. That was a common statement that is being Mentioned but isn't recorded anywhere else. It's a well-known thing So what are they doing while they're calling into question his loyalty to the Word of God and his pure purity of the Jewish faith Samaritans when they said don't we say you're a Samaritans remember Samaritans combined Jewish ritual with their pagan gods In second king 1733 it says they feared the Lord yet serve their own gods According to the rituals of the nations some from among whom they were carried away So they were looked at as being disloyal to God and they also are saying that he's in league with and empowered by Satan They're not they're not arguing with this message They're attacking him as a person and and that's why in verse 49 Jesus says I don't have a demon. I honor my father You dishonor me So he ignores a charge that he's a Samaritan. He denies that he's demon possessed. He's simply saying I honor my father and He is with me and he has not left me in verse 49 he says you've dishonored me So this reveals how Jesus responded to their treatment of him in his claims They wounded him in their unbelief and by their attacks and accusations and Psalm 69 verses 7 through 9 it reads because for your sake I have borne reproach Shame has covered my face. I've become a stranger to my brothers an alien to my mother's children Because zeal for your house has eaten me up the reproaches of those who reproach you have Fallen on me You dishonor me But in your dishonoring of me you dishonor my father Remember John 5 23 all should honor the son just as they honor the father He who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him I'm gonna close here because I don't want to rush through the last verses Because there's a whole lot that I wanted to share and I'm looking at my notes right now And I'm not going to be able to fully do justice to this because when we get to verses 58 and 59 I want to spend time with you there and I'll pick that up next week, but let me close with a couple of thoughts He says in verse 50. I do not seek my own glory There is one who seeks and judges most assuredly. I say to you if anyone keeps my word, he shall never see death Jesus didn't come to seek his own glory, but to bring glory Brought glory to his father and the glory that he brought to his father was related to his sacrifice When he yielded himself up, he satisfied his father's commands He paid the ultimate price. He appeased his father's wrath and he provided salvation for us So we when I say you do not honor me Jesus is saying ultimately I'm not seeking glory from you. My father is the judge My father is the one who will glorify me In John 17 he says the time has come father glorify your son that your son may glorify you Never look I'll close with this as an application and again. I'll pick up next week You want to be used by the Lord don't do anything to get man's attention That's easy. We can close with that, right? Don't do anything to take attention from God The ones who have impacted me the most are the ones that you would probably say are the most invisible Pastor Chuck Smith my pastor impacted me more than any other pastor. I had a guy some of you There's a lot of young people in here right now. I you may have not heard of this guy. His name was Was Duffy he used to have a program on KKLA years ago Warren Duffy How many of you even remember that name see a few of you did Warren Duffy Warren Duffy called me up one time he was talking to me at my house and he called me up and Actually a couple times Asking for I can say this this sounds as I'm saying but it's true. It's true So I'll just say what it's true and let you think I'm bragging or posting or being weird And it's true. He said David. I wanted to talk to you And he wanted advice and that's kind of funny because because he's a lot older than me And yet he was calling me up at my house saying I want some advice for me because he knew of my ministry And he knew that that I that I have a love for my wife and he was asking advice on that And so Warren called me up at my house and was talking to me and as he was speaking to me just you know He's gonna later on who's gonna interview me on the radio. He he says He says David. He says Who's your pastor? he says I have two and He's he gave me the name of his pastors, you know Jack Hayford and Chuck Smith and He says who's who are your pastors and I said Warren I only have one I've only got one. I don't have many pastors. I have one pastor. His name is Chuck Smith See, I was not and still I'm not one of those sheep that said oh I have a pastor on Sunday night when I go to this church And then I have a pastor on Wednesday when I go to this church And then I have another pastor on Sunday morning when I go to that church I was never that guy. I had one pastor. I had one pastor Chuck Smith You know, I'm what I'm a one person guy. Let's face it. I got one wife. I don't need 15 others You know, I've got one wife. My heart is sold out to one person. That's me. My loyalties are that way And so that's how it was with me as a Christian. That's how I am as a Christian. I have one Pastor Chuck Smith. He's in heaven, but he's still Ministers to me through his tapes and his ministry his books. He's still my pastor He'll always be and when I go to heaven He's pastor Chuck to me even though he's he used to tell me no, I'm just Chuck. We're brothers. No, no, no You're pastor Chuck, you know, you're my pastor. I really think it's important for us to know who pours into our life and and to to to give honor in that way but to always keep in mind that When it's all said and done at the very end that that Jesus Christ is the one who brings honor to his father and I as a minister am supposed to be out of the way So that you can glorify God That's how it works. And sometimes I stumble into the way I realize that I tell a story here or bring something up there and I regret it later I took away from you Jesus today. I try to illustrate it, but But here's your bottom line. We'll stop here. We'll pick up next week and I'll develop this with you Jesus came to bring honor to his father and we are supposed to bring honor to ours and May we live in such a way that our father is honored and Yes, there'll be those who won't want to hear But may we do the best that we can in Christ to glorify him Because Jesus came so that he might glorify his father and you and I benefited from what he did Because we now through him can do the same and may our lives bring glory to him Again, we'll pick up next week as we go through this passage