Have you opened your Bibles with
me this morning to John chapter 7? What we begin reading, our pastor
is in Danville this morning and he'll be preaching in Lexington.
tonight, so let's keep him and Janet as they travel, as Frank
preaches in our prayers. We have no one to sing a special
this morning. I had thought about it, but I
was afraid no one would stick around for the preaching, so... John chapter 7, verse 43, this
will be our text. There was a division among the
people because of him. Let's go to our Lord in prayer
before we... Our God and Father in heaven,
Lord, we thank you for this day. Lord, we thank you for this opportunity
to gather together. Lord, we pray you'd bless us
here this morning. Lord, bless your word. Lord,
I pray that you would enable me to speak with boldness, with
compassion, Lord, to speak in love and truth. And Lord, bless
us all in hearing. Lord, give us ears to hear and
a heart to receive and rejoice in thy word. Lord, bless your
word here and in all places where thy people gather together. Bless the preacher here in the
world. Lord, above all things, teach us of Christ. Teach us
of our Savior. In His name we pray and give
Thee thanks. Amen. There was a division among the
people because of him. A division. I was thinking about
this yesterday, looking over my notes, I can't think of a time in my
lifetime when there has been so much division in our nation
as there is right now, right now as we sit here this morning.
And it certainly would be easy to
get caught up in it. But let's be careful. Let's be
careful. Our Lord, He said this in the
parable of the sower, talking about that seed being sown among
the thorns. And He said this, He said, They
are they that hear the word, but the cares of this world and
the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of this world, It gets choked out. The Word
gets choked out as a result of these things. This division we read of here
in God's Word, it was because of Him. Because of the Lord Jesus
Christ. I want to be taken up with Him. Here's the issue. What think
ye of Christ? Well, thank you again. And I'm
convinced that most division in this world, in our homes,
in marriages, in business, among families, it's insistent on my way. It's a desire to have things
my way. In the garden, go back all the
way to the garden. Adam sought his way. He disobeyed God. And though
division is common in this world, it is now and it always has been, among believers, it just shouldn't
be. In our homes, the scriptures
declare this, wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands. as fit
in the Lord. We read this, husbands, love
your wives, love them like Christ loved the church and gave himself
for it. Husbands, love your wives and
be not bitter against them. Children, children, obey your
parents in the Lord, for this is right. Fathers, provoke not your children
to wrath. Don't be overly harsh. We're
not to be overly harsh with our children. And I can certainly
speak from experience in this area. It's so easy to be overly
harsh with our children. How often do we forget just that,
that they are children? Easy to forget sometimes that
they're grown-ups. In the home, we read that the
husband and wife are heirs together. Hear that word? Together. Heirs
together of the grace of life. There should be no division in
our homes. Not in the home of two believers. What about in the church? What
about among God's people? Turn over to 1 Corinthians 12. Look at verse 25. but that the members should have
the same care one for another. That word, schism, it means division. And though members of the church
differ in gifts and personality and honor, we should all have
the same love and care for each other. When one member suffers,
we all suffer with them. When one is honored, we all rejoice
with them. were members of the body, one
body joined together. First Peter 3.8 says this, love
as brethren, be of one mind, have in compassion one another. Love one another as brethren. Turn to John chapter 13. John chapter 13, beginning with
verse 34. The Lord Jesus Christ, speaking
to His disciples, He said, a new commandment I give you, that
you love one another. As I have loved you, that you
also love one another by this. By this shall all men know that
you're my disciples if you love one another." No schism, no division
among God's people, no division in our homes. What about in this
world? What about our walk in this world? What did the scripture say about
that? Over in Romans chapter 12, I won't have you turn there,
but he says, if it be possible, if it be possible, as much as
life in you live peaceably with all men, The fruit of the Spirit is love,
is joy, is peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. But turn with me back to our
text here in John chapter 7, beginning with verse 37 of John
chapter 7. In the last day, That great day
of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst,
let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the
scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. But this spake he of the spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive. For the Holy
Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
Many look at verse 40, there are many of the people, therefore,
when they heard this saying, they said of a truth. This is
the prophet. Others said this is the Christ,
but some said, shall Christ come out of Galilee? Had not the scripture
said that Christ cometh out of the seat of David, out of the
town of Bethlehem where David was? Verse 40, so. There was a division among the
people because of him, a division because of him. The division
was because of him. And it can be seen throughout
God's Word. Starting in the Old Testament,
wasn't there with Noah? Wasn't there a division in the
days of Noah? Wasn't there a difference there?
Those that rebelled and those that had a refuge in the flood. There was those who had no refuge
and there was Noah and his family who had a refuge. Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah and his family, eight souls,
were saved by water. Outside the ark, there was death
and destruction, God's judgment for sin. But inside the ark,
peace, safety, life. How about Cain and Abel? Was
their division there? Cain brought the fruits of his
labor, the works of his hand. Abel brought that blood sacrifice,
that which pictured the Lord Jesus Christ. And Cain rose up
early and he slew his brother. That's truly division, wasn't
it? Over in Exodus 11, verse 7, we
read that God said this, He said, I'll put a difference between
my people, Israel, and the people of Egypt. He said, against the
children of Israel shall not a dog wag its tongue. Against
man or beast that you may know how the Lord hath put a difference
between the Egyptians and Israel. God sent those plagues on the
Egyptians. And over and over we read of this division between
His people and the people of Egypt. He sent moraine upon the
cattle. All the cattle of Egypt died,
but of the cattle of the children of Israel, not one. He put a difference between their
cattle, didn't He? God sent hail. Everything in the field was affected,
man, beast, herb. Every tree was smitten by that
hail and broken. But in Goshen, in the land of
Goshen where the children of Israel dwelt, not one little
bit of hell. God sent darkness, three days,
darkness that could be felt. But there were light. There was
light in the dwellings of the children of Israel. God put a
difference. And that final plague, death,
the death that would pass through. God passed through the land,
killed the firstborn from the Egyptians. And there was a great
cry that went out as a result of that. But among the children
of Israel, that blood was on the door. God put a difference. God passed over the children
of Israel. He said, when I see the blood,
I'll pass over you. A difference, a division because
of him. In Mark chapter 10, Peter speaking
to the Lord, he said, Lo, we've left all and we followed thee.
And the Lord said to him, he said, Verily I say unto you,
there's no man that has left house or brethren or sisters
or father or mother or wife or children or land. Why? Because I wanted things my way?
No, for my sake, for the sake of the gospel. The gospel, the
gospel divides. True gospel divides. In Luke
chapter 12, 51, our Lord, he said, suppose you have come to
give peace on earth. I tell you, nay, but rather division. In Second Corinthians two, he
said to one, we're a savor of death, unto death. and to the
other a savor of life to life. One hears and rejoices and one
lifts his fist and declares, I'll not have this man to reign
over me. Now quickly, I just want us to
look at just a few scriptures here this morning on this four
things, four things that divide men. It divided men when our
Lord walked this earth, and it divides men today. First turn
with me to John chapter 10. Look at verse 31 of John chapter
10. Here we read, then the Jews took
up stones again to stone him. Well, why? Why was that? Why the division? Why would these
so-called religious men seek to kill the Lord of Glories?
Why would they do that? Back in in verse 32, we read
that Jesus answered them. He said, Many good works have
I showed you from my father. For which of these works do you
stone me? Well, was it his good works?
Is that why they sought to stone him? He went about healing the
sick, giving sight to the blind, made lepers whole, the deaf to
hear. He turned water to wine. He fed
thousands with five loaves and two fishes. He raised the dead. For which of these, for which
of these good works did they desire to stone him? Well, if
you still have John 10, look back at beginning with verse
22. Here we read, it was at Jerusalem,
the Feast of the Dedication. It was winter. Jesus walked into
the temple in Solomon's porch, and then came the Jews round
about him and said to him, How long do you make us to doubt?
If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them. He said, I told you, and you
believe not. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear
witness of me. but you believe not, because you're not of my
sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give
unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them
to me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones
to stone him. Why the division? Why are these
so-called religious leaders going to stone the Lord Jesus Christ?
They said this, they said, Thou being a man, make us thyself
to be God. Look at verse 33. The Jews answered
him, they said, For a good work we stone thee not. Oh, we love
good works, don't we? He said, But for blasphemy. Because
thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus Christ is God. That statement divides. It divides
me. His name declares who he is. Emmanuel, behold, a virgin shall
be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, God. with us. Over in John 1 we read, in the
beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. He said this, the Lord Himself
said, He that has seen the Father, He that has seen Me has seen
the Father. Jesus Christ is God. He's God Almighty in human flesh. The world, the world loves Him. They love a man named Jesus.
They love him as a reformer. They loved it when he went about
doing good, when he worked his miracles, but they will not have
him as almighty God, as a sovereign God. They will not bow to him. Listen to first Timothy three
without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, believed in the world,
received up in glory. Jesus Christ is God. There was a division, wasn't
there? They sought to stone him. But if you read on, if you read
the rest of John chapter 10, there were those that sought
to stone him. But we'll read many, many believed on Him. Many believed on Him. Do you
believe that? Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is God Almighty? Second, turn to Luke chapter
4. Luke chapter 4, look at verse
29. Here we read that they rose up and they thrust
him out of the city and led him into the brow of the hill whereon
their city was built that they might cast him down headlong. That sounds like division again,
doesn't it? They're going to throw him over a cliff headfirst. Why? Why the division? What had he said? What had the
Lord Jesus Christ said that these men desired to carry him out
of the city and cast him over a cliff? Well, look beginning
back at verse 25. Our Lord speaking, he said, I tell you a truth. There were
many widows in Israel in the days of Elias. When the heaven
was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was
throughout all the land, but unto none of them was Elias sent,
save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was
a widow, that one little widow woman. He said many lepers were
in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. None of them was
cleansed, save in Naaman the Syrian. And when they heard this,
they that were in the synagogue, these weren't bad people, right?
These were people in the synagogue. They were filled with wrath.
Why? His sovereign, electing, distinguishing
grace. He said this, he said, I'll have
mercy on whom I will have Mercy. Moses asked God, he said, show
me your glory. Show me your glory. And what
did he say? He said, I'll make all my goodness
pass before thee. I'll proclaim the name of the
Lord before thee. I'll be gracious to whom I will
be gracious. And I'll show mercy on whom I
will show mercy. The natural man believes God
owes him something. Huh? Salvation for his good works,
for the good things he's contributed. But what did the Lord Jesus Christ
declare? Huh? He owes us something alright. The wages of sin is dead. If we want to talk about what
we've earned, there it is. The wages of sin is dead. And that offends the natural
man's pride, Listen, I'm a sinner. We need to fall at his feet as
sinners. And if God's pleased to save
me, it'll be because of his sovereign grace. It'll be because of his
mercy. It'll be because of the work
of Christ, not because what man has done. His sovereign grace, that creates
division. You want to get things stirred
up in the lunchroom, Earl, talk about that, right? His sovereign
grace, God saving whom he will. And listen, these folks, they
heard this, they were filled with wrath and they were going
to cast him over the cliff. But if you read on in verse 32
of Luke 4, it says, When he came to Capernaum, the city of Galilee,
and he taught on the Sabbath, There were others, they were
astonished at his doctrine because he spoke the Word with power. He didn't change his message,
did he? He didn't change what he was saying. For some, they
rose up to slay him. Others, they heard that and they
said, he speaks with power. One sin of God. Turn back with
me to John chapter 6. John chapter 6. Look at verse 60. It says, Many, when they heard this,
they said, This is a hard saying. Who can hear it? When Jesus knew
in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto
them, Does this offend you? He said, What I'm saying, does
this offend you? What did he say? What did he
say to the people? Look back in verse, beginning
in verse 53. John chapter six, look at verse
53. Jesus said unto them, barely,
barely, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the son
of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth
my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I'll raise
him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent
me, I live by the Father. So he that eateth me, even he
shall live by me. This is that bread which came
down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna
and are dead. He that eateth of this bread
shall live forever. They said that's a hard, that's
a hard saying. What's a hard saying? That's
my third point. Union with Christ. Union with
Him. Christ dwelling in us. Christ in you. The hope of glory. that living vital union that
the believer has with Christ and Christ has with His people. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood dwelleth in me and I in him. Union, communion, fellowship
with Christ. We're completely dependent upon
Him. And as the Father and Son are
one, Think about that. As the father and son are one,
he's one with his people. He's one with us. What he has,
we have. Where he is, we are. As he is, so are we in this world,
even right now. And we constantly feed upon him. We constantly look to him. What was it divided to him? What
was it that divided? It was union. with Christ. And some of them said, this is
a hard saying. Who can hear this? Scripture says that from that
time, many of his disciples, they followed him. They followed
him no more. They went back and walked with
him no more. But look at verse 67. You still
have John 6, verse 67. Then said Jesus unto them, to
the 12. Does that offend you? Is there going
to be a division there with us because of this? He said, he
said, he said, will you go away? Simon Peter, Simon Peter answered,
he said, Lord, whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ,
the son of the living God. And then the last point, what
what divides man? Look at John chapter 8 in verse 59. Then took they up
stones to cast at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the
people, out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and
so passed by. Why did they desire to stone
him here again? Well, look at verse 41. He told these people, he said,
you do the deeds of your father. They said to him, we be not born
of fornication. We have one father, even God. He told these men, he said, you're
sinners. You're sinners. And it upset him. It obviously upset him. They wanted to stone him. Does
that offend you to be called a sinner? He's revealed to you that's what
you are. It doesn't offend you, does it? I remember Brother Henry
telling a story one time about preaching on TV. And he said
that there was a fellow that heard him. But he said what he'd
said was, he said he pointed to the camera. Everybody on the
other end of the TV saw him pointing. And he said, we're sinners. We're
sinners. He said, I'm a sinner. And then he pointed the camera,
he said, and you're a sinner. And there was a fella, I don't know
if he called him or wrote him or showed up at the service,
and he said, listen, I don't have a problem with you calling
yourself a sinner, but I'm not a sinner. And by nature, the
natural man, that's what we think about ourselves, isn't it? That
we're not sinners. The scriptures declare, what
do the scriptures say about that? How would you respond to that?
I'm not a sinner. The Scriptures declare all, all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. And let's read a few more
verses here. Look at verse 42. Jesus said
to them, if you if God were your father, if that's true, if God
were your father, you'd love me. You'd love me. For I proceeded
forth and came from God, neither came I myself, but he sent me.
Why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot
hear my word. A natural man cannot hear. You're of your father, the devil. That's our nature, the children
of the devil. The lust of your father you'll
do. He was a murderer from the beginning. He abode not in truth
because there was no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own, for he's a liar and the father of it.
And because I tell you the truth, you believe me. By nature, we
will not believe the truth. He said, which of you convinces
me of sin, and if I say the truth, why do you not believe me? Man is without excuse. He that
is of God, heareth God's word, ye therefore hear them not, because
you're not my sheep. John 7, 43, there was a division. A division among the people because
of him. What did he declare? He declared
that Jesus Christ is God Almighty. He's God in human flesh. What
divides man? What creates division among men?
His sovereign, electing, distinguishing grace. His right to save whom
he will. What offends man? Union with
Christ. That I am, as a sinner, I am
completely, totally dependent upon Him. What offends the natural
flesh? What creates that division? Why
is there a division because of Him? Because man is a sinner. That's what He declared, that
man is sinful. No hope. No hope apart from Christ. A division because of Him. The gospel divides His people. from this world. And let me say
this one more time in closing. His people, we all have our differences,
but his people are not divided. We're members, we're members
one of another. Our Lord said this, this was
his prayer over in John 17. He said, Neither I pray for these
alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word. What do you pray? That they all
may be one. As the Father art in me and I
in thee, that they also may be one in us. That the world may
believe that thou hast sent me and the glory which thou gavest
me I've given them, that they may be one. One, even as we're
one. Turn with me to one more scripture.
Turn over to Ephesians chapter four. Everybody have Ephesians 4? Look
at verse 4. There is one body and one spirit,
even as you're called in one hope of your calling, one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above
all and through all, and in you all. One. One eternal, infinite,
omnipotent God of heaven and earth. He's our Father. He's the Father
of His people. And He delivers us in Christ. He's sovereign over all things. He cares for us. And He dwells
in us. And as believers, we have these
things common. One body, one spirit, one hope,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one Father who's above
all. There's no division there, is
there? Not one. One family joined together in
love, stronger than anything in this world, stronger than
anything we can even understand. And to disturb that unity would
be displeasing, dishonoring, displeasing and dishonoring to
God. So may He be pleased. May He be pleased to deliver
us from sin and self and doing anything that would bring reproach
upon the Lord. May God be pleased to bless his
word. You're dismissed.