Speaking this morning from the
book of John chapter 7 Now here's the scripture John 7 verse 40
just a few verses there 40 41 42 It says many of the people
therefore when they heard his saying Said of a truth. This is that prophet Now they
were referring to the prophecy of Moses who said that God would
send a prophet, raise up a prophet from among the people, and him
you shall hear Moses was talking about, and the Christ, the Messiah.
And when our Lord spoke, many of the people said, of a truth,
this is that prophet. This is the one of whom Moses
faith. And others said, this is the
Christ. This is the Christ, the Redeemer,
the anointed one, the Redeemer of Israel. But some said, shall
Christ come out of Galilee? Isn't it written in the scriptures
that he would be the son of David, born in Bethlehem, and so forth?
So, now listen, there was a division. There was a division among the
people because of him. There was a division among the
people. They couldn't agree. Some believed,
some didn't believe. Some said, this is that prophet.
Some said, this is the Christ. Some said, it's not. He's the
carpenter's son. We know his mother. We know his
brothers and sisters. He can't be the Christ. Can any
good thing come out of Nazareth? You see what I'm saying? There
was a division. Now, no true believer enjoys division. No true believer enjoys conflict
and strife and discord. Paul said in Romans 12, if it
be possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably with all
men. We want to. We covet that blessing
to live peaceably with all men. We don't like strife and division
and conflict, especially in matters of faith. And then in Romans
14, 19, Paul said again, Let us therefore follow after those
things which make for peace, and the things wherewith one
may edify, not do battle, not raise issues, but edify another. God has called us to peace, love,
and unity. We're commanded to turn the other
cheek. We're commanded to go the second
mile. We're commanded to love our enemies. We're commanded to pray for all
men. We're commanded to be kind and
gentle, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake,
has forgiven us. I want you to listen. I'll be
able to answer some questions for you today if you'll listen.
However, we're warned again and again and again in the scriptures
to expect conflict and division and be prepared, not only for
division and conflict and strife, but for hatred, out and out hatred
and persecution. for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Our Lord said in Matthew 10, 34, Do not think that I am come
to send peace on this earth. I came not to send peace, but
a sword. I've come to set at Baryon a
mother and a daughter, a father and a son. And a man's enemies
shall be those of his own household. Those are the words of our Lord
himself. Listen to him in John 16, too.
He's warning his disciples so that they will not be offended
when these things come to pass. He said, they'll put you out
of the temples and out of the synagogues and out of the churches.
Yea, the time will come. Now here's the conflict, not
with the world, not with those outside, but those in religious
circles. Yea, the time will come when
whosoever killeth you will think that he does God a favor. And there's one important thing
to remember. Where division and strife and conflict occur, there's
one point, most important, emphatic, I stress it as strongly as I
can, one important thing. We must remember, we are not
the issue. We must not become the issue.
We must not act as if we were the issue. We must not act like
martyrs and feel sorry for ourselves and seek pity because we're not
the issue. What did the scripture say I
read a moment ago? There was a division underlying
these three words, because of him. Because in Christ is the
issue. It's not you. The issue was here
before you were born, it'll be here when you're dead. I'm not
the issue. Men aren't angry with me, they're
angry with God. Men do not hate my words, they
hate his words. Christ is the issue. His truth
causes the division, not my speaking it. Listen to John 15, 21. Christ
said, But all these things will they do unto you for my name's
sake, because, good thing to listen when he says because,
isn't it, because they know not God who sent me. That's the issue. I'm not the issue. You're not
the issue. Christ is. Men do not hate you. You're not worthy of their time.
They hate Christ. There was a division because
of healing. And listen to this now. The division and hatred
was not so much for what he did. That's not the question. Healing
the sick. Somebody's always talking about
the world hates those who heal. No, they don't. No, they don't. That's not the issue. Healing's
not the issue. Speaking in tongues is not the
issue. Doing good works is not the issue. Sending missionaries
is not the issue. They didn't hate Christ for what
he did. They hated Christ because of what he said, what he taught. I can show you that. I can make
good on that. Now, you listen to this. The religionist does
not despise Jesus Christ for healing the sick or feeding the
hungry or even for raising the dead. They don't care if he raises
the dead, but the world will not receive his words His truth,
that's what brought the anger. That's what brought the hatred.
That's what brought down the wrath of the religionists upon
his head. In John 8, 37, he said, My word
hath no place in you. In Matthew 7, 28, the people
were astonished at his doctrine. They weren't astonished at his
deeds, at his doctrine. That's what offended them. You
know the reason most preachers' messages are not offensive today?
They're not saying anything. They're doing good things and
good works and humanitarian efforts and so forth, but not saying
anything. People ignoring them. In Luke 4, 28, when they heard
these words, they were filled with wrath. When they heard his
words. That's what made them angry.
John 6, verse 60, when they heard this, they said, that's a hard
saying. Who can hear it? The thousands of them had been
following him. He fed 5,000 men, not counting
the women and children. And they followed him all the
way across the sea. And he said, I know why you're
following me. You ate of the loaves and were
filled. And then he began to preach,
and they all left, every one of them. When they heard this,
they said, this is a hard thing. And from that time, John 6, verse
66, from that time, many of his disciples walked no more with
him. That's what he said. Am I sufficiently
emphasizing this point? I'm making my best effort. John
10, 19, listen. There was a division among the
people for these sayings. And many of them said, when he
finished preaching, he has a devil. He has a devil. They weren't
calling him a devil when he was healing the sick or feeding the
hungry. But when he began to preach, they said, well, he's
got a devil. He's mad. He's insane. Let's look carefully
this morning at what Christ said. I want to know what it is that
brought down the anger and wrath of these people upon him to such
an extent. What is it that brought forth
the anger of this religious multitude? Perhaps it's the same today.
Perhaps if I said what he said, I'd get the same treatment. Because
he said, if they hear not me, they won't hear you. He said,
you go into all the world and preach my gospel. Men haven't
changed. God's Word hasn't changed. So
if I say what Christ said, then it may be that I'll get the same
treatment. He said, the world marvel not,
my brethren, if the world hate you. They hated me before they
ever hated you. If the world loves you, woe unto
you if all men speak well of you. Paul said, if it please
men, I'm not the servant of Christ. And our Lord said, whosoever
shall be ashamed of me, now listen to this, whosoever shall be ashamed
of me and of my words in this sinful and adulterous generation,
of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in the
glory of his Father and the Holy His words. Let's look and find
out. What did He say? Now, do you
understand what I've said thus far? I believe you do. It's not
what He did. They didn't get angry with Him
for healing, or for raising the dead, or for feeding the multitudes.
They were astonished at His sayings. There was a division because
of these sayings. When they heard these things,
they walked no more with Him. When they heard these things,
they said, this is a hard saying. When they heard these words,
they said, He's got a devil. All right, John 10, 31, listen
to this. Then the Jews took up stones
to stone him. Now, brethren, when you get ready
to stone a man, now can you imagine this? And these were religious
men. These were men who held offices
in religious circles. And they reached down, they got
so angry and so beside themselves and so filled with wrath that
they actually reached down on the ground and picked up huge
stones and were going to stone Jesus Christ. They were going
to stone him, dash his brains out on the pavement with stones. What in the world had he said?
The lines evidently were drawn pretty straight. The hatred reached
a fever pitch. What had he said? What brought
forth this wrath? Well, let's go back and see.
John 10, back there at verse 23 or 24, they said to him, they
said they bated him. They said, now, if you be the
Christ, tell us plainly. Well, he said, I told you, I
told you, and you didn't believe me. You didn't believe me because
you're not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and they
follow me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
My Father which gave them these greater than all, and no man
is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. You see, I
and my Father are one. I and my Father are one. Then,
read that next verse, verse 31, then, then they took up stones
to stone him. What did he say? He said, I,
among other things, I and my Father are one. Now, they took
up stones to stone him, and Christ turned to them and said, Wait
a minute. Many good works have I done among you. For which of
these do you stone me? I want to know. For which of
the good works that I've done do you stone me?" They held their
stones in their hands and they said, we're not stoning you for
good works. That's not why we're stoning you. Don't accuse us
of being against good works. We're for morality. We're for
religion. We're for all these good things.
But I'll tell you why we're stoning you because you're a man and
you claim to be God and a man can't be God. That's what he
said. I and my father are one. The
world didn't then, and the world doesn't now. And the world never
will believe that Jesus of Nazareth is God Almighty. A son of God?
Yes. A messenger of God? Yes. A good
man? Yes. A moral reformer? Yes. A Messiah of a sort? Yes. But not God. God can't be a man. That's what
they say. God in human flesh? We don't
believe that. We don't believe it, but that's
what the Word of God says. Now, let me show you. The Scripture
says that Jesus Christ is none other than God himself down here
on the earth in human flesh. That's what the Bible says. It
says in Isaiah 7, 14, Behold, the Lord himself shall give you
a sign. A virgin shall conceive and bring
forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Immanuel. which is interpreted
by Matthew, God with us. Isaiah 9, 6, Under us a child
is born, a little baby, a little boy, a child, a son of man, a
seed of woman. Under us a son is given, not
born, given, a son who already existed is given. And his name,
the name of that child and that son in one, shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. That's what the Bible says about
Jesus Christ. It says in John 1, In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And all things were made by him,
and without him was not anything made that was made. And the Word
became flesh. Dwelt among us and we beheld
his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full
of grace and truth The angel said Mary you're gonna have a
son. She said can't don't know a man. Oh Yes, the angel said
you'll have a son and that holy thing There's no description
for it. It's a holy thing Which is born
of you shall be called the Son of God The angel said to the
shepherds, unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior
who is none other than Christ the Lord. In 1 Timothy 3.16 it
says, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in
human flesh. He said he's God. And they took
up stones to stone him. Now you can be a Jesus Christ,
you can be anything you want to, but you can't be God. You
can be a good fella, and you can be a great teacher, and you
can be a healer, and you can be a moral reformer, and you
can do whatever you want to, but you're not going to be God.
We won't put up with that. The Father said he's God. The
Father said when he was baptized, this is my son in whom I'm well
pleased. The Father said, under the sun,
thy throne, O God, is forever. Paul said he's God when he left
the elders at Ephesus. He said, feed the church of God,
which he purchased with his own blood. Whose blood? God has no
blood. He does when he's in human flesh.
The angel says he's God. The matter is so serious, my
friend. Here's how serious it is. If Jesus Christ is not God
Almighty, manifested in human flesh, incarnate, he's the biggest
liar that ever walked on this earth. Preacher, doesn't that
scare you to say things like that? No, sir. No, sir, not at
all. If he's not God, he's an imposter.
He's a liar. He's an evil man. Because he
said, I and my father are one. You see, that's what made them
angry then. That's what makes men angry now. If he's not God,
we're idolaters. And everybody who prays to him
and in his name, everybody who worships in the name of Jesus
Christ is an idolater. You might as well worship a golden
cow if he's not God. Because God said, thou shalt
have no other God before me. Thou shalt not bow down before
them. Thou shalt not make unto thee
any graven image. If he's not God, the Redeemer has not come,
because the Redeemer is God. We're yet in our sins. It's serious. And these men knew it was serious,
and that's the reason they got so angry. But Jesus Christ is
God Almighty, their God of their God, the Son of Man and the Son
of God, God in human flesh. And that's the way we're saved.
As God, he's satisfied. As man, he's suffered. All right? Here's the second incident. Luke
chapter 4, verse 28 through 30. Now listen to this. And all that
were in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled
with wrath. They were in the synagogue. They
were in church on the Sabbath morning. This is a gang of worshipers
turned into lynch mobs, what it turned into. When they heard
these things, they were filled with wrath, and they rose up
and thrust Jesus Christ out of their city. We don't even want
you in our city. And they led him to a cliff on
which the city was built, that they might cast him down headlong."
They were murderous men. Now, they were angry. What did
the Master say that brought forth from these Sabbath morning worshipers,
these people that had assembled in the temple to worship God
and read the scriptures? What had Christ said that brought
forth such terrible wrath from these good moral religionists?
Well, they were gathered that Sabbath morning to hear him speak.
He'd come back to Nazareth where he was brought up. As his custom
was, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. And he rose
up to speak. He read the scriptures, Isaiah
61. He said, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
But let's look at these people. They met together to go through
their rituals. They met together to go through
their ceremonies. They met together to go through
their traditions of religion. They were Jews. They were Israelites. They had the law. They had the
word of God. They had the prophets. They had
the heritage. They had the traditions. They
had all the ceremonies. They had all these things. And
because they had them, they felt that they had a claim on God.
They felt that God owed them his blessings. They were religious.
Their mothers and fathers were religious. They had built that
temple, those synagogues. They had kept the Sabbath day.
They had given their tithes. They had obeyed the laws that
they liked. And they had gone through the
motions of religion. And they were Jews. They were Israelites,
just like we are Presbyterians or Baptists or Catholics or something
else. We're religious people. And when our Lord stood up to
preach, he told them that salvation is not in heritage. It's not
in who mom and daddy were. Salvation is not in ceremony,
in sacrifice. Salvation is not in keeping holy
days and paying tithes. Salvation is not in ritual and
tradition. Salvation is by the grace of
God. It's the gift of a sovereign God who gives his mercy to whom
he will. And who a man is and what a man
has and what a man does has no influence upon God's mercy whatsoever. It's a free gift which he will
give to whom he will. And no man has a claim on God
or a corner on God. It's mercy if God does anything
for anybody. And he gave these illustrations.
He said, you're Israelites. Well, there were many widows
in Israel in the days of the prophet. And God didn't feed
any of them. He fed a Gentile woman. who claimed
nothing. And he passed by every one of
these Israelites who laid claim to all things. And he said again,
he said, I tell you the truth, there were many lepers in the
land of Israel in the days of the prophet, and God didn't heal
one of them, not one of them. But he went outside of the tribes
and healed a Gentile named Naaman. And when they heard these things,
they were filled with wrath. God owes us. Look what we've
done for God. Wait a minute, Lord, I preached
in your name and cast out devils and done many wonderful works.
Lord, I thank you I'm not like other men. I tithe and fast twice
a week and pay tithes of all that I have and give alms to
the poor. Well, I'm not an adulterer. I'm not an extortioner. I'm not
unjust. I'm not even like this publican.
I'm an Israelite. I'm a Baptist. I'm a Catholic.
God will show mercy to whom he will. And no man has a corner
on God. Mercy is sovereignly bestowed.
Grace is sovereignly given. God doesn't owe you anything.
I take that back. He does. He does owe you something. He
does owe me something. The wages of sin is death. I've earned
them. I deserve them. And if I'm not saved by the grace
of God, I'm going to get them too. The wages of sin, eternal
death. They were angry. They wouldn't
take that. You see, sovereign mercy offends man's pride. He
won't have it. God's going to be obligated.
He's going to make God a ballet, a servant. But God doesn't owe you anything
or me either. All right, listen, John 8, 59. Here's another incident. Then took they up stones to stone
him again. Again. Now here's that same wrath
and that same hatred so intense so intense that they wanted to
kill him again. Now what brought out this anger?
You know what brought it out? You ought to read the 8th chapter
of John. Our Lord wasn't too tender in the 8th chapter of
John. He was speaking, our Lord was
always tender to the publicans and harlots. He was always very
severe with religious, self-righteous Pharisees. You check up on that
and see if I'm not telling you the truth. And here he was talking
to a bunch of religious Pharisees that claimed to have a corner
on God, and he told them they were sinners. Sinners. He told them they were in bondage
to sin. They said, we've never been in
bondage to anybody. He said, you're in bondage to
the law, you're in bondage to sin, of your father, the devil,
the works of the devil, or what you do." That's what he said.
It's harsh, but it's true. They said, we being not in bondage,
he said, if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
He told them that they were under the influence and power of the
devil and did not know God. You neither know me, he said,
nor my father. He said, I'm preaching the truth,
and you won't have it. Let another come in his own name,
and him you will receive, because you are not of God." In other
words, the Lord told them that they were sinners, double-died
sinners, under the power of Satan, in bondage to sin and the law,
and they needed mercy and deliverance. And they wouldn't take it. They
took up stones to stone them. But I tell you today, my friend,
if you call people sinners, they get offended. They're not sinners. One man told me one time, he
said, well, I'm not a bad sinner. I may be a sinner, but I'm not
a bad, there's no other kind. What, you mean there's good sinners?
Sin is sin. Sin is a transgression of God's
law. To offend in one part is to be guilty of the whole law.
All right, last of all. Finally, they crucified him.
Finally, they nailed him to a cross. Finally, they did what they'd
been wanting to do all these years. He was delivered into
their hands by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. These wicked men with wicked hands crucified the Lord of Glory. Why? Well, let me show you. He said, My kingdom is not of
this world. In other words, in what character
was he accused? They said he said he's a king,
and we have no king but Caesar. We will not have this man reign
over us. In what character was he mocked of the soldiers? Now
you think a moment. These soldiers took him into
the soldiers' hall, and they mocked him and ridiculed him.
In what character? King. They put a crown of thorns
on his head. They put a red robe on his shoulders
and a reed as a scepter in his hand, and they bowed down in
front of him and mocked him and said, Hail, King of the Jews.
In what character was he tried before Pilate? He was brought
before Pilate, and here was Pilate's question. Are you a king? Are you a king? And the master
said, Thou sayest. And in what character was he
crucified? What was written above his cross
in Latin, Hebrew, and Greek? This is Jesus of Nazareth, the
King. The King. My friend, he's the
Savior. He's the King. He's the Redeemer. He's the King. He's the King.
And we will not have this man reign, but he will not be your
Savior if he's not your King. We will bow down. Every knee
will bow and every tongue will confess that he's the King.