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People Who Were Lost and Did Not Know It John 8:52-59 Wrap-up message in our series called Jesus In the Present Tense...I AM. Sunday, September 11, 2011 Speaker: Doug Virgint. Lost and did not know it !. 1) Introduction 2) The context
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People Who Were Lost and Did Not Know ItJohn 8:52-59Wrap-up message in our series calledJesus In the Present Tense...I AM • Sunday, September 11, 2011 • Speaker: Doug Virgint
Lost and did not know it ! • 1) Introduction • 2) The context • 3) They misunderstood what it meant to be Abraham’s descendants. • 4) They misunderstood who Jesus really was. • 5) Conclusion
Lost and did not know it ! • 1) Introduction • 2) The context • 3) They misunderstood what it meant to be Abraham’s descendants. • 4) They misunderstood who Jesus really was. • 5) Conclusion
1) Introduction • A question to the men : • Are you ever lost but don’t know it? • Are you ever lost but won’t admit it?
Lost and did not know it! • 1) Introduction • 2) The context • 3) They misunderstood what it meant to be Abraham’s descendants. • 4) They misunderstood who Jesus really was. • 5) Conclusion
2) Context • In the Gospel of John : • Chapters 1 - 4 • – Jesus favourably accepted • Chapters 5 - 8 • – Jesus progressively rejected
2) Context • In this chapter : • Abraham is named 11 times • not mentioned in the other 20 chapters • “We are Abraham’s descendants and • have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free ? (8:33)
Lost and did not know it! • 1) Introduction • 2) The context • 3) They misunderstood what it meant to be Abraham’s descendants. • 4) They misunderstood who Jesus really was. • 5) Conclusion
3) Abraham’s descendants • Their thinking: • Abraham is blessed by God • God promised to bless Abraham’s descendents • We are Abraham’s descendants • There is nothing for us to worry about!
3) Abraham’s descendants • Jesus’ answer: • God is interested in spiritual lineage, not physical lineage. • Are you descended from Abraham spiritually? • Do you do as Abraham did?
3) Abraham’s descendants • Abraham: • A) placed the calling of God above earthly considerations • B) believed God in spite of circumstances • C) placed his ultimate hope in the coming of the Lord Jesus as Messiah, and rejoiced in His coming
3) Abraham’s descendants • A) He placed the calling of God above earthly considerations : • Abraham was rich • He did not allow Ur or Haran to detain him • He left the past behind and set out to obey God • He sought only the honour that came from God.
3) Abraham’s descendants • A) placed the calling of God above earthly considerations : • These men in John 8 were only concerned with man’s respect and honour • They rejected Christ because they wanted to maintain their position and honour
3) Abraham’s descendants • “It is not difficult to honour oneself. One can quite easily surround oneself with a kind of synthetic halo. It is easy enough - in fact it is fatally easy – to bask in the sunshine of one’s own approval. It is not overly difficult to win honour from men… • … But the real honour is the honour which only eternity can reveal, and the verdicts of eternity are not the verdicts of men.”(William Barclay)
3) Abraham’s descendants • B) believed God in spite of circumstances : • And they were difficult circumstances • Famines • Family problems • Attacks from armies • And there was sterility
3) Abraham’s descendants • C) placed his ultimate hope in the coming of the Lord Jesus as Messiah, and rejoiced in His coming. • “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” (8: 56)
3) Abraham’s descendants • When did Abraham see Christ’s day? • By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sac-rifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so … he did receive Isaac back from death. (Heb 11:17-19)
3) Abraham’s descendants • When did Abraham see Christ’s day? • When God provided a substitute sacrifice for Isaac, Abraham clearly saw with the eyes of his faith the coming of Christ, and the meaning of His death and resurrection. • And he rejoiced in that coming!
3) Abraham’s descendants • When did Abraham see Christ’s day? • But here, these religious people were seeing Christ with there own physical eyes. • They saw His miracles and heard his teaching. • And they rejected him!
3) Abraham’s descendants • Have you really seen Christ’s day? • Have you rejoiced in Christ? • Have you received Christ? • Or is something stopping you from receiving Christ?
3) Abraham’s descendants • Have you really seen Christ’s day? • Pride • Preferring your own goals • Looking for man’s honour • Refusing to believe
3) Abraham’s descendants • Have you really seen Christ’s day? • “The sun did stand still” • “The iron did swim” • “This God is our God” (Leland Wang)
Lost and did not know it! • 1) Introduction • 2) The context • 3) They misunderstood what it meant to be Abraham’s descendants. • 4) They misunderstood who Jesus really was. • 5) Conclusion
4) Who Christ is • “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad. • “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” • “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him,” (8:56-59)
4) Who Christ is • Two important questions: • Who am I? • Where am I going?
4) Who Christ is • Two much more important questions: • Who is Jesus-Christ? • Is Jesus-Christ God? On these questions hang our destiny
4) Who Christ is • The Gospel of John starts with this verse: • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
4) Who Christ is • The Gospel of John ends with this verse: • “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)
4) Who Christ is • In between these verses: • Much evidence is given to support Christ’s claim that He is God.
4) Who Christ is • In chapter 8 the question is not: • about Jesus’ teaching • about Sabbath keeping • or about Jesus’ good deeds (or evil)
4) Who Christ is • The question is: • Who is Jesus? • Is He God?
4) Who Christ is • If Jesus is God: • He has the right to our allegiance • We must follow Him as Lord and God • We can not be indifferent to Him • Which will it be?
4) Who Christ is • “Before Abraham was born, I am”(58) “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites:‘I AM has sent me to you.’” “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.”(Exodus 3:14,15)
4) Who Christ is • God revealed himself to Moses by his personal name: • Jehovah or Yahveh • YHVH – the tetragrammaton • from the Hebrew verb “hovah” - The one who is - The absolute and unchangeable one - The existing, ever-living
4) Who Christ is • An additional point here: • The reaction of the Jewish leaders • They tried to stone Him • The penalty for blasphemy “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” (John 10:34)
Lost and did not know it! • 1) Introduction • 2) The context • 3) They misunderstood what it meant to be Abraham’s descendants. • 4) They misunderstood who Jesus really was. • 5) Conclusion
5) Conclusion • Jesus’ reaction to those who rejected Him: “Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (John 8:59) “going through the midst of them, and so passed by” (KJV)
5) Conclusion • Jesus’ reaction to those who rejected Him: • They rejected Christ • So Christ rejected them • He passed them by
People who were lostand did not know it John 8: 52-59