APPROVED

“Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 CSB)

The commendation of a pastor by the congregation is important.  However, the truth is that a shepherd of God’s flock has a higher pursuit— approval by the Great Shepherd.  Commitment in the study of God’s Word with a passion to be correct in the sharing of God’s Word is the elders’ great assignment.  He must do many other things, but feeding the flock of God is paramount.  If he fails here, then he fails.  Hopefully, the sheep will appreciate the meal, but even if they turn their noses up at it or look for another pasture where more sweet treats are offered, the man of God must dig into the Word of God, stand upon it, and speak it with accuracy and authority.  For this, he will give account to God.

Pole Creek is a good church.  Not a perfect church, but a good one.  We have been favored of God by men who have been devoted to preach the Word and a membership largely that has received it with joy and sought to apply it in daily living.  I have sought to be faithful for the quarter century I have been with you.  I have every reason to believe that the next man up will do the same.

It is important to recognize your pastors for their efforts to be sharper swords in God’s hands.  They would not seek such recognition, but I think it appropriate.  During 2019, your staff has been diligent in study.

In June, Ben Heise received his Associate of Arts in Religion/Christian Ministry from Fruitland Baptist Bible College.  He drove back and forth to Hendersonville—often at night for classes—and yet was faithful to his work here at Pole Creek.  Now, he is pursuing his BA from Spurgeon College.

In December, Chase Harris completed his Master of Arts in Christian Leadership from Luther Rice Seminary.  Chase did all that while still building a vibrant student ministry.  His availability for young people and their needs has been undiminished by the volume of study he has had to do.

I appreciate all of our staff—paid and volunteer—who are making an eternal difference.  I thought it appropriate to acknowledge the commitment of these men to diligence in study in correctly teaching the Word of God.

Let me mention in closing that our music ministry is directed by one faithful to God’s Word—Steve Schultz.  You will not get fluff, but truth in the songs that we sing.  He is always concerned about sound theology and not just how a song sounds.  You may not be aware that Steve holds a Master of Christian Education from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

What about this old head?  I have enrolled in Southeastern to complete my Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership!  I hope to knock that out this year, being only four courses needed.  It has been a while since I have been in school, so pray for me!

Happy New Year!  May God give us 2020 vision!

Pastor Dennis

JESUS, THE TRUE VINE: Abiding in Joy

The Christian life is often misrepresented as one of solemn servitude. Too often we do behave like sad sacks, whose favorite verse is, “Woe is me.”  That is not what Jesus offers.

Yes, there is sacrifice, but it is giving up momentary pleasure for eternal delight.  Satan wants you to think you are losing something. What you can avoid with a holy life is a hangover,  addiction, sexually transmitted disease, unwanted pregnancy, prison, death, and hell—a place of eternal suffering and sorrow.

There is service in the Christian life, but it is not drudgery—it is delight!  Peter expressed this as, “joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

When we abide in Christ, His joy abides in us!  Even in the face of the deepest sorrow and deadly suffering on the cross, Jesus maintained His joy. “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Heb.12:2). Thus, Christ’s joy is seen to be independent of circumstances—more than an emotion. Don’t get me wrong—feelings matter, but they are fickle things. Jesus offers abiding joy by abiding in Him.

We abide in Him in the Word and in prayer.  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7). The old hymn says it well:

I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.  (Austin Miles)

JESUS, THE TRUE VINE: Abiding in Love

Jesus tells us that the Christian life is about a relationship with Him. This vital connection brings His life into ours and the evidence is the fruit that we bear. At the forefront of that fruit is love.  We are to abide in love.

We are given examples of this in John 15:9, 13 in the Father’s love for the Son and the Son’s love for us. The Father’s love for the Son was demonstrated by sharing all that He is and has with Him (see John 3:35; 5:20; 17:24). The Son’s love for us was demonstrated by sacrificing all He had to save us—laying down His life for His friends (15:13). When I abide in love I follow that example in sharing and sacrifice.

We further note evidences of this in John 15:10, 12, 17. There will be the evidence of love for God (v.10) and man (v.12,17). This sums up the law of God. Jesus said elsewhere it is the Great Commandment (see Matt.22:35-40).

Then, consider the effects of this in John 15:12, 14, 16). There will be intimacy (v.14). Imagine, we are called friends of Jesus!  That suggests the closest of connections. There will be impact (v.16). The life that loves is one of eternal significance.  Our prayer life will be potent as God is pleased to answer those who pray out of a motivation of love.

Why don’t you open your Bible at 1 Cor.13, get on your knees and pray for that kind of love?  It will be life-changing!

JESUS, THE TRUE VINE: Abiding in Fruitfulness

“‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.’” (‭‭John‬ ‭15:1-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

This is the seventh and last of the “I AM” statements in John’s Gospel. Jesus declares that He is the True Vine in contrast to Israel that claimed to be God’s vine, yet were a false vine because they were not a fruitful vine. It is through Christ that all the covenant blessings promised to Abraham’s seed are fulfilled.

True followers of Christ are those branches that are vitally connected to Him. Christianity is not the dead branch of religion that may appear good, but has no eternal fruitfulness for there is no real relationship with Jesus. Such branches are destined for the fire. Jesus said that His followers are recognized by their fruit (Matt.7:16-20).

There will be varying degrees of fruitfulness, but there will be genuine fruit (Gal.5:22-23). Our aim is to see increasing fruitfulness and thus to glorify God.

The first essential is a saving connection. The word, “abide” is used eleven times in eleven verses. This is a relationship that comes by faith and is manifested by fruit. You never see a branch on a grape vine straining to produce fruit. It is the connection that makes the difference.  Apart from Christ, you can do nothing (v.5b)—zip, zero, zilch!

The second essential is the pruning action. Jesus is the Vine, but the Father is the Vinedresser. The way branches become productive is by pruning. Good branches are cut back and that makes them produce more fruit rather than more foliage. That it increases is seen in the progression from “fruit” to “more fruit,” (John 15:2), to “much fruit,” (v.5).    

The third essential is the spiritual transformation. This happens as we abide daily in God’s Word until it abides in us and abide in prayer with Him (v.7).  We often have scant and shriveled fruit because we spend little time in hearing from Christ in His Word and conversing with Him in prayer. You cannot expect to be fruitful for Christ in public if you are not faithful with Christ in private.

BAD NEWS; GOOD NEWS

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
— ‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬‬

Our spiritual condition is a bad news, good news scenario. The bad news is that we are sinners separated from God—a universal condition that we are born in and throughout a lifetime of rebellious choices become entrenched in. Our final destination on that path is hell. Where is the good news?  It is this—God did not leave us in that state without remedy. We can be born again!  That second birth enables us to be in a right relationship with God and repentance brings us to right choices on a path that ends in heaven.

Without Christ, you are lost.  We are wandering farther and farther from God and closer and closer to the Abyss. That’s the bad news.  The good news is Christ is the Way.  Jesus came to be the bridge across the great divide between us and Holy God.

Without Christ, you are deceived.  That’s the bad news.  Our minds are twisted by error. The good news is Christ is the Truth.  His life that He demonstrated and the lessons that He declared revealed the truth about God and His ways.

Without Christ, you are dead in sin.  You are not merely sick, but dead, and dead people cannot fix themselves. That’s the bad news.  The good news is Christ is the Life.  He possesses resurrection power and by His Spirit will summon you through the Word of God to life.

If you have come to Christ, then rejoice and give Him praise. It was not because of anything good you have done, but the good in Him. That’s grace!

If you have not come to Him, will you hear His voice, and respond to His call today?

JESUS IS THE LIFE OF REGENERATION

 “I am the…life…”  (John 14:6).

Apart from Christ, the Bible describes us as dead in trespasses and sins. We are the walking dead.  Our bodies degrade and decay—we die physically.  Even worse, there is the second death—the Lake of Fire—eternal death, for those who reject Christ.

That is why we must be born again—regenerated and becoming a new creation in Christ!  Jesus is the source of life. It comes through a personal relationship with Christ where we receive Him by faith.

Jesus is not only the source, but the substance of life.  Paul put it this way, “For to me to live is Christ...” (Phil.1:21). The Christian life is Christ living in me—not just a changed life, but an exchanged life. Paul described it in Galatians 2:20,  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
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Jesus is the source, substance and the sum of life.  When it’s all been said and done, all life is summed up in Jesus—to live eternally with Him.  That’s why Paul could say, “For to me to live is Christ, AND TO DIE IS GAIN.”  [Phil.1:21, emphasis added].

See how Jesus put it, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3).

Here is the promise of eternal life “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John‬ ‭14:18-20‬)

JESUS IS THE TRUTH OF REVELATION

 “I am the…truth…”  (John 14:6).

That Baby born in Bethlehem’s manger was Truth Incarnate. He did not just come with the revelation of God’s truth in His teaching, but that teaching was true because He was the personification of God’s truth in His being.

The religions of the world claim to present truth concerning whatever deity they proclaim.  They claim to have heard from eternity and now declare the message on earth. Someone came to them—an angel, whatever—but, in Jesus we have one who came from eternity and declared Himself to be God on earth!

We are born brain damaged.  Sin has degraded our thinking.  Our eyes are blind to the truth.  The truth is diluted and distorted by the world.  Scripture warns of those ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

You cannot reach God on the ladder of logic or get to heaven on the rocket of reason.  It is logical and reasonable to believe the truth concerning God that is revealed in creation, conscience, and communication in Scripture. Yet, that is not enough. It takes the revelation of the Holy Spirit through the power of the Gospel. It isn’t that logic and reason don’t apply, but that God has ultimate truth that transcends all else. You must move beyond knowing about Jesus, to knowing Him personally!

Jesus did more than speak about God—He showed us God!  His whole life was a revelation of the Father.

“‘If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.’ Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father”?’” (John 14:7-9).

If you ever want to know God, then come and meet Jesus!

JESUS IS THE WAY OF RECONCILIATION

 “I am the way…no one comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6)

There is a great gulf fixed between sinful humanity and sinless Deity.  Jesus is the Bridge across that chasm.  We are estranged from God because of our sin—our rebellion against Him. We need to be reconciled to God—and there is a way.

Jesus has opened up the way to God, but we must choose that way.  He has come to us as the Way, but we must come to the Father through Him.

He is the only way, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  The Bible pictures us as sheep gone astray who cannot find our way.  We may think we are on the right path and yet the Bible warns, “There is a way that seems right unto a man, but its end is the way of death.”  Jesus said there was a broad way that leads to destruction—sadly, most are on that way—maybe you are.

But, there is another way—a narrow way.  Jesus says, “I am the way.”  Through Him alone, we can be reconciled to God.  I pray the Holy Spirit will confirm in your heart that you are truly following Christ, or show you the way of salvation in Christ if you are on the wrong way.

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John‬ ‭14:6‬‬)

A picture is worth a thousand words. That’s why Jesus gave us object lessons to teach us the truth we dare not miss, nor forget—"that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor.15:3b-4).

When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, the elements remind us of this Gospel message. So, does baptism, as we bury and raise people in the water, declaring the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus also painted for us seven word pictures to teach us that He is the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection, and this week we will see Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Next week, we plan to consider the final “I Am,” statement—the Vine.

So, get ready to dive into this study. Jesus is the Way to God, the Truth about God, and the Life from God.  This is why Jesus came to earth—His mission to mankind.

THE TEARS OF JESUS

It is the shortest verse in the Bible—“Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Yet, how profound are those two words.

The obvious reason for why He cried is that He was in the presence of those who were mourning—especially his dear friends Mary and Martha, whose brother Lazarus has died. If Christmas means anything, it means that God entered the world as a helpless babe—who despite Luther’s well-intended sentiment, “the little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes,”—likely announced His arrival the same way all do—by crying. Scripture speaks of Jesus’, “vehement cries and tears,” (Heb.5:7) and stresses that He, “sympathizes with our weaknesses,” (Heb.4:15). Jesus knew what it was like to grieve at a graveside. When you cry those bitter tears, be assured that He has too.

Another factor, which may have led Him to weep, was that He was in the presence of those who refused to believe in Him and Jesus knew that the reason for death was unbelief and disobedience. The world had been under the curse ever since man rejected paradise by deciding he knew more than God and could handle things better himself. Jesus came to bring us back to paradise—but, many standing there that day rejected Him still. In fact, the presence of Lazarus after his resurrection provided an impetus to deal with Jesus’ threat to the religious leaders.  “From that day on, they plotted to put Him to death” (John 11:53).

Let me offer another suggestion for Christ’s tears. He knew what Lazarus was enjoying in heaven, and He was summoning Him back into a world of suffering and sorrow!  Lazarus would not be resurrected in the fullest sense, but would be restored to physical life. Since he would not be glorified, he would continue to age and die again!  That is a heartbreaking thought. Unlike many who have made movies and money sharing their journey to heaven and back, we have no recorded words of Lazarus about the experience. We know Paul was forbidden to speak of his trip to Paradise (2 Cor.12:1-4).  No wonder he lived in light of eternity and said, “to depart and be with Christ...is far better” (Phil.1:23).

The next time you go the funeral of a Christian, grieve with the family, and be broken-hearted for living in a broken world, but shed no tears for the departed. They are happier than they have ever been!  When we enter the world we cry and others rejoice, but when we depart they cry and we rejoice.

ULTIMATE FREEDOM

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.””
‭‭John‬ ‭11:25, 43-44‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Lazarus still had a problem. He had been summoned from death, yet he was bound in his grave clothes. He shuffles to the doorway of the tomb and Jesus commands, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:44).

This body can become a prison, as we long for freedom.  I have eternal life as Jesus has summoned me from the graveyard of sin and death. Yet, each day I struggle with these grave clothes. This old body I dwell in is still subject to the bondage of the curse. But, one day, I will break out and soar!

The late Dottie Rambo used to sing it this way:

The holy hills of Heaven call me
To mansions bright across the sea
Where loved ones wait and crowns are given
When the hills of home start calling me

This house of clay is but a prison
Bars of bone hold my soul
But the doors of clay are gonna burst wide open
When the angel sets my spirit free
I'll take my flight like a mighty eagle
When the hills of home start calling me

I see loved ones over yonder
Tears are gone and hearts are free
And from the throne of my Savior beckons
And the hills of home are calling me

This house of clay is but a prison
Bars of bone hold my soul
But the doors of clay are gonna burst wide open
When the angel sets my spirit free
I'll take my flight like a mighty eagle
When the hills of home start calling me
Calling me
 (You can listen on the link below)

Are you afraid of death?  The reality is that you are going to die and after this the judgment.  Listen: “God…now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained, He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30b-31)
https://youtu.be/jXrL-Z44KHc

THE GRACIOUS FULNESS OF DELIVERANCE: A Powerful Liberty

Read John 11:37-44.

Facing death, it is comforting that Jesus cares, but our greatest consolation is that Jesus conquered!  He turned every funeral into a celebration—as He does here.

There was an authoritative cry of command.  It has been well said that if Jesus had not called Lazarus personally, every dead person in the graveyard would have risen!  Some day, maybe soon, that resurrection voice will speak again.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess.4:13-18).

Those words do comfort us.  We know that in Christ, our loved ones gone before us will be waiting for our arrival. Happy reunion day! We will be fully delivered from suffering, sorrow, and sin! This is the powerful liberty we find in the resurrection. Can you imagine the joyful embrace between the sisters and their brother when Lazarus arose?  This is what we are so eager for!

When our other grandchildren are opening Christmas presents this year, we will miss our little Mya’s squeals of delight. But we will hear her laughter again, when we see her in heaven! My father used to sing much about heaven, but then disease took his music as dementia took his mind.  His voice was silenced when death came.  Now, he sings with the saints in glory and I’ll join him in the song of Moses and the Lamb someday.  “When this poor, lisping stammering tongue, lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save.”  (William Cowper)

Do you have that hope of heaven, firmly fixed in your faith in Christ?

THE GLORIOUS FREEDOM FROM DEATH: A Promised Victory

Read John 11:17-36.

The victory is in the Victor (v.25).  One day, Jesus would not just be raising someone else from the dead—incredible as that was—but, He would lie lifeless in a tomb, dead for days.  The earth trembled and the skies grew dark as midnight, as He died.  The demons laughed in that darkness as the chains of death were wrapped around the Son of God.  Yet, Jesus shattered those shackles, and Light burst forth from the tomb, as Jesus conquered!

As He spoke at Lazarus’ tomb, He knew that time was coming, and would face it unflinching. So may we. Look at the promise (v.26).

The very nature of death has been transformed.  Did you hear how Jesus described it earlier? As sleep (v.11-14).

Sleep is harmless.  We aren’t anxious about it, but anticipate it!

Sleep is restful.  “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ “ “Yes, says the Spirit, “that they may have rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Rev.14:13).

Sleep is temporary.  We shall rise!  The body slumbers in the soil, while our spirit soars to God—then comes that great gettin’ up mornin’ when our eternal soul is united with a glorified body!

Death is just moving day.  When I speak of my grandchildren, I say, “I have thirteen—one is in heaven.” My granddaughter Mya is more alive today than she’s ever been.  She’s just in a different location.  She lives because of Jesus!

Have you placed your faith in the Son of God?  You can have that same hope!

THE GRIM FACT OF DEATH: A Present Reality

Read John 11:1-16.

There is nowhere we can run to escape the grim reaper. He will track us down.  Scripture affirms, “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Heb.9:27)

Isn’t it remarkable that the Bible says that Jesus loved Lazarus, but His love did not prevent his sickness and death?  Though He had power to heal, He chose to delay with the result being Lazarus’ death.

Joni Eareckson Tada was paralyzed as a teen in a diving accident—a quadriplegic, who now is plagued by chronic pain.  Her faith is tested, but triumphant.  She says, “God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.”

Why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die?  He tells the disciples that it was foremost for the glory of the Father (John 11:4) and then for the grounding of their faith (v.15, 41-42).

The disciples didn’t get it.  Martha and Mary were dismayed (v.21, 32).  Later they would know.  We see the whole story.  We live life forward, but understand it backward.  Only heaven may bring answers to our deepest questions.  That is where our faith must kick in (see 2 Cor.4:16-18; 5:6-7).

What Jesus did was share their sorrow (v.33-36).  As we face the grim fact of death, the words of this song are poignant:

“Does Jesus care, when I’ve said goodbye to the dearest on earth to me?  When my sad heart aches, till it nearly breaks, does Jesus know, can He see?  Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares.  His heart is touched by my pain.  When the days are dreary, the long night’s weary, I know my Savior cares.”

I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)

There are many fears that people face.  There is acrophobia—the fear of heights; agoraphobia—the fear of crowds; arachnophobia—the fear of spiders.  By the time we get to the z’s—we end with zoophobia—the fear of animals.

You might laugh at some of those, but there is one fear that plagues us all—necrophobia—the fear of death.  That grim specter haunts humanity.

It is not only our greatest fear, but our greatest foe—rightfully so.  We all must face it, and we cannot fight it.  Yet, one Man battled it and beat it! Christ has conquered death!  Because He lives, we shall live also.  The story of Christ raising Lazarus from the dead—a story documented in the eleventh chapter of John—will be our focus this week. I hope you will join us for the study each day!

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE FATHER

We conclude this week’s study of Christ as the Good Shepherd today. There are three relationships Jesus identifies in John 10:11-42. Two of these that we have previously considered are Christ’s relationship to the false shepherds and to His flock. Today, we will ponder His relationship to His Father.

We know that the Father identifies Himself as the LORD, our Shepherd, in the twenty-third Psalm. Now, in John 10, Jesus identifies Himself with Yahweh Rohi of Psalm 23.

Jesus and the Father are UNITED AS ONE. “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30). This is a direct claim to Deity. The Father and Son are not the same Person, but One in essence.   The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father, but the Son is as much God as God the Father.

Jesus is UNIQUE AS THE ONLY ONE. “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, ‘Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?’ The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said, ‘You are gods’?” If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, “You are blaspheming,” because I said, “I am the Son of God”? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.’ Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.” (John‬ ‭10:31-39).

Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6.  There, human judges, as God’s representatives, are referred to as “gods,”—the Hebrew word, “elohim”—thus, expected to judge righteously, as God does (for further study see: https://www.gotquestions.org/you-are-gods.html ). The thought is that since a human judge can be called a “god,” how much more proper is it for the Son of God to claim to be God. Yet, He was uniquely, the Son of God—not just God’s representative as an elohim, but Elohim in the flesh!  Jesus deserves our worship and demands our allegiance.

Are you a sheep or a goat? Are you part of Christ’s flock and following Him?  It is the difference between heaven and hell.

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE FLOCK: A Lasting Relationship

In previous studies, we have seen that the Good Shepherd has a loving and living relationship with His sheep. He loved them enough to save them by His crucifixion. He laid down His life for the sheep. He loved them enough to seal them by His resurrection. We have a living Shepherd because He arose!  Today, we will consider that we have a lasting relationship with the Good Shepherd, for He loves us enough to secure us by His intercession. As the writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (7:25)

But, what if we wander?  According to the parable in Luke 11, Jesus will relentlessly pursue one stray sheep.  Eternal life is promised and eternal means unending.  Could you have it and lose it, then how might it be said to be eternal?

If we aren’t saved by good works, we can’t be lost by bad ones.  Nothing can pry us from His hands!  The Good Shepherd has a rod and staff. The staff will reach out to us and pull us back. Though the rod is used primarily to club the wolf that attacks and protect the flock, there are times when it becomes a chastening rod to painfully teach the sheep a lesson. That temporal pain, lovingly inflicted by the Shepherd, is for our eternal gain. 

Our security doesn’t give an excuse for sin.  Grace is not a justification for doing what we want, but the power for doing what God wants. If you are looking for an excuse to sin that means you aren’t one of His sheep, for Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

‭‭(John‬ ‭10:27‬). That doesn’t mean we won’t ever stray away, but we cannot stay away. The Good Shepherd will see to that!

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE FLOCK: A Living Relationship

A dead shepherd can offer no real hope for eternal life as heroic as His death might be.  Jesus, however, speaks of His power to seize His life again.  He not only died to save us, but lives to secure us!  I can assert today, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” and it is true!

He knows us (John 10:14). That meant intimacy to the Hebrew mind, as “Adam knew his wife.”  Warren Wiersbe points out in his “Bible Exposition Commentary,” that Jesus knows our names, nature, and needs. Let me expand on that.

He Knows Our Names (v.3).  Jesus knew Simon, and summoned him by name.  He even gave the fisherman a new name—Peter, the Rock.  Jesus walked by a tax collector’s office and called him by name, “Levi,” who took a new name, “Matthew,” which means, “the gift of God.”  This is what Jesus did for the man in calling him to salvation—a gift of forgiveness for him, and what the man became in his call to service—a gift of God to the church.  He looked up in a tree and called, “Zaccheus,” to salvation.  He called Lazarus from the dead.  After His resurrection, Mary came to the empty tomb and did not recognize Jesus, blinded by her grief.  That is until Jesus spoke her name, “Mary.”  Our impersonal, computerized society has reduced us to a number.  We wait in line for service by taking a number. But Jesus calls us by name!

He Knows Our Nature.  If I looked at a bunch of sheep today, I would have a hard time distinguishing among them.  A shepherd, however, knows each one—they are all different.  God doesn’t expect me to be a clone of someone else.  He isn’t surprised by my individual wants and weaknesses.

Also He Knows Our Needs.  Recall what David said, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Want what?  Nothing!  Fill in the blank!  I read the story of John Morgan, pastor of Sagemont Baptist Church in Texas. He and his son were out and their old Chevy Blazer wouldn’t start.  He told his son not to leave the car. During that time, the river flooded and Morgan got back to rescue his son, just in time. The boy said, “Daddy, I knew I could count on you!” You can count on your Good Shepherd!

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE FLOCK: A Loving Relationship

If you are ever tempted to think that God doesn’t love you, just look at the cross.  Roman power did not nail Him there, but love held Him on the tree!

This meant that His death was voluntary. He said, “I lay down My life,” (v.15b, 17-18).  He could have summoned the armies of angel warriors to swoop from heaven with fiery swords and slay His foes.  He, that by a cry of command, summoned a dead friend from a tomb, could speak a word and kill His enemies. Yet, He did not!

And notice it wasn’t just His love for the flock, but His love for the Father that moved Him to obedience, “This command I have received from My Father.” (v.18c). So, it is for the true shepherds—the spiritual leaders of the church today (Read John 21:15-19).

His death was voluntary and vicarious, “I lay down My life for the sheep.” (v.15b).  “Vicarious” means, “taking the place of another.”  Jesus suffered and was sacrificed for the sheep.

“Crown of thorns, the spear, deep in His side;
And all the pain should have been mine.
Those rusty nails were meant for me,
But Jesus took them, and let me go free!
And I should have been crucified,
I should have suffered and died.
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace,
But Jesus, God’s Son, took my place.” (Gordon Jensen).

CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE FALSE SHEPHERDS

In the Bible, any leader of God’s people might be referred to as a shepherd—whether it be a prince, prophet, or priest.  In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees had taken the position of being spiritual shepherds in Israel.  Jesus calls them, “hirelings,” or as the ESV renders it, “hired hands.”  It was a labor to perform and not a love to pursue.  They were about prestige, power, and possessions.

In contrast, we see Jesus as FAITHFUL RATHER THAN FAITHLESS.  A good shepherd would be loyal to the flock when a predator attacked, but a hired hand would leave the flock to save their own skin.  I think about so many so-called shepherds today who are fleecing the sheep for their own benefit rather than feeding the sheep for the flock’s blessing.  They get on TV and tearfully plead with poor widows to help fund their ministry and feed the needy, while they live in luxury.  What a contrast to Jesus, who was a giver and not a taker!

Another way to describe the contrast is SACRIFICIAL RATHER THAN SELFISH.  Jesus would lay down His life for the sheep.  The hired hands run for their lives.  Jesus described His mission in Mark 10:45, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Here is a strategic difference: the Good Shepherd loves the sheep for He has paid a price—a ransom for them—His own life.

Look at what Jesus says about these hired hands:  “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.” (John‬ ‭10:12).  Every one of His sheep are precious to Jesus.

Do you love the church?  That is His flock.  How do you respond when called to serve the sheep?  If you are a leader, do you do it in love?  Be careful how you criticize one of Christ’s sheep and how you treat them. The Good Shepherd is watching!

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

We tend to identify ourselves by what we do.  When asked about yourself, you might tell your name, something about your family or where you are from—but, very quickly you will get to what you do for a living.  We say, “I am a baker;  I am a banker;  I am a builder,” or some such.

Jesus identifies Himself in John 10:11 as, “The Good Shepherd.”  Bible teacher, Warren Wiersbe points out that some of the greatest people in the Bible were shepherds by occupation—people like Abel, Moses, and David.  But, as the stars vanish at the rising of the sun, so Jesus outshines them all.

In the Bible, Jesus is called, “the Good Shepherd,” here, “the Great Shepherd,” (Heb.13:20), and “the Chief Shepherd,” (1 Pet.5:4).  As such, Jesus seeks and saves His lost lambs and then shepherds His flock. There are three relationships of the Good Shepherd we want to discuss this week. I hope you will join us each day.

THE ONLY DOOR

The Methodist missionary, E. Stanley Jones, was once lost in the jungles of India. He secured a native to guide him back to civilization.  For many hours the man cut through the bush, and Jones became worried. He asked, “Where’s the path?”  The guide answered, “I am the path!”  

Jesus says that to you today. He is the door—you must come through Him.  There is no other entrance to heaven. Christ declared, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” (John‬ ‭10:1‬)

Yes, there is only one door, but because of the grace of God, there is a door!

JESUS IS A SECURE DOOR

Doors offer protection.  They are a way in for friends and family, but a way to close access by fiends and foes.  Jesus as our door offers us protection.

This suggests that there is PERIL.  Our text speaks of a thief come to steal, kill, and destroy.  Sheep are in danger of rustlers who will steal them and ravenous beasts who will slay them.  This symbolizes Satan and his henchmen.  Jesus warned in the Sermon on the Mount about false teachers—“wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

Remember the setting of this teaching.  Jesus has healed a man blind from birth, but because it was done on the Sabbath Day, the religious leaders attacked Jesus (see John 9:26-34).  Jesus condemned these religious teachers as being spiritually blind (9:39-41).  Elsewhere Jesus called them blind guides, leading those blind in sin—and both would end in a ditch of doom!

Their kind are still around today. They show up at your door peddling their poison or gain access to your mind through TV, radio, and the internet.  Sadly, some stand in pulpits. Be careful who you listen to! Don’t be led astray!

There is peril, but thankfully PROTECTION.  The true flock of God are said to recognize the shepherd’s voice and follow Him, while also recognizing a stranger’s voice and fleeing him (10:3-5).  By this inner witness—a spiritual alarm goes off when you hear deception.  You are kept safe.  You run to Christ as your refuge.

Satan has to go through Christ to get to you.  Whether you are in the fold or in the field, He is there to watch over you.  Christ is our protection—a secure door.

JESUS IS A SATISFYING DOOR

Jesus promises a door that leads His sheep into the safety of His care and the satisfaction of His pasture.  What He gives us is real, deep, abiding satisfaction—the abundant life!

IN HIM THERE IS SATISFYING FREEDOM.  We can go in and out.  Once we were sheep penned up and destined for the slaughter.  Jesus set us free!  Maybe you’ve heard the story told by Pastor S.D. Gordon about running into a small boy with a cage full of birds. He planned to play with them, then feed them to his cat.  Gordon bought them and set them free.  Satan had us caged, and playing with us, at last planning to doom us, but Jesus paid the price to set us free!

IN HIM THERE IS SATISFYING FOOD.  This is the promise of pasture.  What Satan will feed you can never satisfy you.  The stuff of this world is junk food, that rather than nourishing you, will kill you.  What Jesus offers is peace, joy, love, forgiveness, hope, and ultimately heaven!

IN HIM THERE IS SATISFYING FULNESS.  We have abundant life.  The word abundance comes from a Latin expression meaning, “to rise in waves; to overflow.”  It pictures the waves of God’s blessing rolling in—one after another—until our life is flooded with His fulness!

Why would you not want to enter that Door?

JESUS IS A SINGULAR DOOR

Jesus claimed to be “the Door”—the one and only (John 10:9a).

On one hand, doors are commonplace.  There are ornate doors at the Biltmore House, steel doors in a bank vault, canvas doors in a tent, glass doors in greenhouses.

How many doors do you have at your house?  Whatever kind of door we talk about, they serve basically two purposes: entrance when open and exclusion when closed.

• ENTRANCE.  In the days of Noah, God said He would judge the wicked populace with a flood.  He told Noah in grace to build an ark.  It had a single door.  When the time for judgment came, God invited Noah and his family into that door and to bring the various species of animals to preserve them.  Noah had been warning sinners to repent and inviting them into the ark—the door was wide open, but it was the one way.  You could not be saved unless you entered that one door.  Jesus is the one way to escape God’s wrath.  Today the invitation is open to all—just step inside and come to Christ!

• EXCLUSION.  The door that Noah entered was closed by God—securing him in, but shutting others out.  So, Jesus pleads with you to come to Him today, but tomorrow might be too late.  How many will climb in a car today for a trip and never reach their destination—dying suddenly in a fiery car crash?  You might leave your house today for the last time—and before the night is out a heart attack brings you face to face with God. We don’t know when, but we know that day is coming.  Are you ready?

There is a singular door to salvation—Jesus!

I AM THE DOOR

“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.’” (John‬ ‭10:7‬‬)

They called us the Jesus People. In the late 1960’s and early 70’s, a number of hippies were turning off to drugs and turning on to Jesus.  A lot of these former flower children became evangelists, missionaries, and pastors.  I was one.

A popular expression of the time was an index finger pointing skyward and declaring “One Way.”  I had a patch that proclaimed that on the back pocket of my bell-bottom jeans.

That message, whether expressed by a teen in jeans or a pastor in a suit is still true. There is but one door into eternal life and Jesus is that Door.  Jesus Himself declared that here.  This week we will dig deeper into that claim of Christ.

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REFLECTED

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”  (John 8:12a). But, in another place, He declared, “You are the light of the world.” (Matt.5:14a). This is what it means to be a disciple—a Christ-follower. “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. “ (John 8:12b).

Our light is a reflected light. Think in terms of the light of our sun and moon. The sun is the source of light. The moon does not generate its own light, but reflects the light of the sun. Thus, the Son of God is the source of any light we have, but we are designed to radiate His glory to the world.

Jesus is in heaven. If He is to be seen on earth, it will be through His church. The glory of God that was manifested in His human body on earth is now meant to be revealed in His spiritual body—the church.

Our world is a dark place. The night of sin has fallen upon the planet. Yet, that makes the need for light all the greater, and causes our light in contrast to be so bright—just like a full moon in a clear sky.

Maintain fellowship with the Lord. Spend time in His presence. In a lunar eclipse, the shadow of earth comes between the moon and sun, and the light of the moon is obscured. If we are not careful, this world can have that effect on us.

In your showing of good works and the sharing of Gospel words, let your light shine today!

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REJECTED

So many reject the Light because of an obstinate darkness.

“The Pharisees therefore said to Him, ‘You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Where is Your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.’” (John 8:13-19).

The darkness of unbelief is a stubborn thing.

 “And He said to them, ‘You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.’” (‭‭John‬ ‭8:23-24‬)

 At last, these who spurned the Light and sought the darkness committed the sin for which there is no forgiveness. ‘Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’” (John‬ ‭8:48‬)

Christ offered Himself as their King, and they would cry, “We have no king but Caesar!” (19:15).  Jesus demonstrated the credibility of His claims by the miracles He performed, but they attributed it to the power of Satan.  Their obstinate darkness would take them into outer darkness.  That is how Jesus described hell—a dark pit of torment where the light of life is shut off—a second death; a place where the light of love is shut out—away from God’s gracious presence.

I beg you—don’t reject the Light of the World!

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD RECEIVED

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬).

Consider the context of John 8:12.  

As the Kingdom of God is defined by light, the kingdom of Satan is dominated by darkness.  The previous verses (v.1-11) tell the story of a woman caught in the act of adultery, but the light of Christ shone upon her and changed her life forever.  The dominion of sin was overthrown. Jesus also exposed the self-righteous in His light, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (v.7‬). They all had to drop their rocks. The only One sinless who could have condemned her, chose to forgive her (v.11) and called her to a life of walking in the light.

In the next chapter, we read of a man blind from birth (9:1ff).  The Kingdom of God is defined by life, while the kingdom of Satan is dominated by death. That is the spiritual condition of all in this world by virtue of their physical birth who need a spiritual birth to open their eyes to the light of truth and life (see John 1:4-13).  We dwell in a shadowland of sin, spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. When the blind man received Christ, he became a new person.  Christ can break the bondage of darkness in your life and bring you into new life in Him!  It is the dawn of a new day.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph.‭5:8‬).

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REVEALED

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬)

The purpose of light is to reveal—to shine out and to show up a thing.  This revelation is the outshining of God’s very glory.

Christ shines out the person of God.  When He claims to be the Light, He claims to be God.  Is He a liar, lunatic, or Lord?  Those are the only options.  He is either a deceiver, delusional, or Deity.  John was an eyewitness to His glory revealed on the Mountain of Transfiguration and testified, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John‬ ‭1:14‬).  Paul saw that Light and said Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Col.1:15). Hebrews 1:3 speaks of, “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person….”

Christ shows up the path to God.  The Lord had just attended the Feast of Tabernacles (7:2). This feast celebrated the pilgrimage of the Jews through the wilderness. You may recall the glory cloud—a pillar of cloud that directed them by day and a pillar of fire by night. This glory cloud rested above the tabernacle. When it moved, they moved. As the glory cloud led the Israelites through the wilderness, so Christ is the Light of the world to guide us to God and in the path of His will day by day until we reach the eternal light of glory.

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor.4:6).

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬)

Seven times, in John’s Gospel, Jesus identified Himself with metaphors in which He connected Himself with Yahweh, “I AM.”  The one we will consider this week is Jesus claim, “I am the light of the world.”

Light means life. Without it, living things would die. The plants would shrivel and decay, and with that animals and humans would perish.

Jesus uses that to illustrate that He as the Light of the World gives life to the world. He is the source and sustainer of life—real life, eternal life. We cannot have it apart from Him.

Without that light we stumble in the darkness—lost and headed into the Abyss, and a doom that is the deepest darkness of utter despair. Yet, today the Light of the World beckons us to come to Him, and by following that Light we find eternal life.

There shines the Beacon of Hope. Do you see it?  Have you come?  There is a way out of the darkness!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Come to the Table

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John‬ ‭6:27‬)

I have heard this story several times, and now share it with you:

Years ago, in the Midwest, there lived an ungodly German farmer named Klein.  His house was across from a Lutheran church, yet he wouldn’t cross the road to attend.  But one day, he heard some Bible school children singing, “Jesus died for all mankind.”  He thought they were singing, “Jesus died for old man Klein.”  The thought that Jesus died for him personally melted his icy heart and he gave his life to Christ.

Jesus is the Bread for the world, but I want you to now He is Bread for you.  Jesus died for the sins of the world, but specifically, He died for Betsy, John, Susie, James—put your name in there.  The table is set. Eternal life is as simple as reaching out a hand of faith and receiving Christ.  There is no goodness you must attain and no works you must do, for this is God’s work: “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John‬ ‭6:29‬‬)

Will you come to the table? BREAD OF LIFE: Come to the Table

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John‬ ‭6:27‬)

I have heard this story several times, and now share it with you:

Years ago, in the Midwest, there lived an ungodly German farmer named Klein.  His house was across from a Lutheran church, yet he wouldn’t cross the road to attend.  But one day, he heard some Bible school children singing, “Jesus died for all mankind.”  He thought they were singing, “Jesus died for old man Klein.”  The thought that Jesus died for him personally melted his icy heart and he gave his life to Christ.

Jesus is the Bread for the world, but I want you to now He is Bread for you.  Jesus died for the sins of the world, but specifically, He died for Betsy, John, Susie, James—put your name in there.  The table is set. Eternal life is as simple as reaching out a hand of faith and receiving Christ.  There is no goodness you must attain and no works you must do, for this is God’s work: “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John‬ ‭6:29‬‬)

Will you come to the table?

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus as the Security of Life

The focus in John 6:37 is preservation.  “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

God’s seal of approval has been placed on Christ and we are accepted in Him, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (27‬)

If I come to Him, I will never be cast out and never thirst (v.35-37), yet to die in sin is to be cast out and suffer everlasting thirst in unquenchable fire.   Now, I must truly believe in Him. Many just fake it, “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.” (v.36)‬. Such frauds will be exposed in the end (see Matt.7:21-23).

So how are we to understand this?  How are we to be sure?You may say, “Pastor I thought you were talking about the assurance of salvation; I’m not being more assured, but becoming more anxious. What am I supposed to do?”

Let’s dive back into our text.  The first century audience had the same question, “Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’” (v.28).  Look at Jesus’ answer, “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (v.29).

Jesus is the Bread.  He promises eternal life if we receive Him.  Do you believe Him?  That is how we receive Him. Reach out a hand of faith—feeble and trembling though it may be—and take it!  Trust Him!

How many will Jesus lose who come to Him?  “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”(v.39).   Jesus loses NONE!  He gives us everlasting life , “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (v.40).  All who truly come to Him will be raised to Heaven!  Everlasting means lasting forever. You cannot have it and lose it. If you lose it, you never had it, for that would not be everlasting!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus as the Sustainer of Life

Read John 6:48-58.

The focus here is provision.  As the Jews fed daily on the manna and it sustained them, so Jesus is to be the nourishment of our soul. Only as we feed on Him can we have satisfaction, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (v.27).

Consider the context of this teaching.  In chapter 6, thousands gathered to hear Jesus.  They become hungry, and all the food they could find was five loaves of bread and a couple of fish (v.9).  Then Jesus performs a miracle and multiplies the loaves and fish till all are fed and twelve baskets of leftovers are collected—one for each disciple!

The crowd went wild and wanted to crown Jesus as king (v.14-15).  Instead, Jesus walked away. Why?  He had not come to be a celebrity.  He had not come to be a Bread King for people who only cared about their physical life and had no concern for their soul (v.26).

Most people labor for the food that perishes—for the material things of this world. Jesus asked, “For what does it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). You can cram all this world offers into that hole in your soul, and nothing will satisfy you, for it is a God-shaped hole only He can fill.  Augustine said, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.”

Taking in Jesus day by day—abiding in Him as our very life—not only is our source of satisfaction, but of strength.  His life produces power and productivity, just as bread sustains our physical life.  Look to Him, lean on Him today; Jesus is your life!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus As The Source of Life

Read John 6:27-47.

Jesus identifies Himself as the Bread of Life. The focus in these verses is predestination.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ...This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. ...No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (v.37, 39, 44‬)

Let us not avoid a doctrine clearly taught in Scripture because some have taken this doctrine to extremes.  Some emphasize the freewill of man to the neglect of God’s sovereignty, while others stress predestination to the neglect of human responsibility. We must choose both, for both are taught in Scripture—and in this text for one.  They are not contradictory, but complementary—two sides of the same coin of salvation.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. ...All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ...Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.’” (v.35, 37, 47‬). God calls, but I must come. God speaks, but I must believe.

You may argue, “I can’t reconcile the two ideas.”  The great Baptist Pastor of the 19th century, Charles Spurgeon, was asked how to reconcile these and he answered, “I never try to reconcile friends.”

These ideas have been the source of debate among theologians for 2000 years of church history, and so we won’t solve the puzzle today.  The issue is that God is God and we are not.  We are not omniscient.  “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut.29:29)

Here’s what is revealed—Salvation is of the Lord.  The Bible portrays us as spiritually blind.  The Spirit must open our eyes to see.  We are scripturally deaf—and God must enable us to hear.  We are dead in sin, and God must give us life.  Lost sheep cannot find their way home, but the Good Shepherd seeks them.  Jesus came down for us, when we could not go where He was.  He is the Bread from Heaven.

Bread is made when living grain is cut down, crushed, and the flour thrust into an oven.  So, Jesus suffered for our salvation.  But God doesn’t cram the bread down my throat.  I must receive it.  Have you?

THE BREAD OF LIFE

“I am the bread of life.” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:48‬‬)

Jesus uses seven metaphorical, “I am,” statements that are recorded in John’s Gospel to describe Himself. That Jesus would identify Himself as, “I am,” shows His intention to connect Himself with the great I AM of the Old Testament—that Jesus and Yahweh—Father and Son—are one. Jesus is fully God, and this fits John’s purpose in presenting Christ’s deity. In these final seven weeks of 2019, with God’s help, we will examine each of these, “I am,” expressions. The first is His claim, “I am the bread of life.”

Ponce DeLeon traversed Florida in 1512 searching for the fountain of youth.  That search, though fruitless, was neither new nor novel.  Engraved in the human heart is a desire to live forever. It is the deep hunger of our soul. In answer to that hunger we hear Jesus claim in John 6:51, “‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’”

As bread feeds our body and sustains our physical life, so Jesus feeds our soul and sustains our spiritual life.  When we, by faith, receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we feed on this Living Bread. This is eternal life. Then, it is our privilege to have a feast on Him, day after day. Is Jesus your Bread of Life?

IS THERE STUBBORN REJECTION OR SCRIPTURAL RECEPTION?

“‘But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.’” (Zechariah‬ ‭7:11-14‬‬)

If you were to ask me about how many responded to the sermon last Sunday, I would tell you, “100% !  Everyone responded. Some said, ‘Yes,’ and some said, ‘No,’ but all responded.” Each time you walk out of the meeting house doors, you leave better or worse—closer to God or farther away.

Notice in these verses how the rejection of the Word became more pronounced. Truth makes a heart healthy or hard.

Arteriosclerosis is a physical malady where the arteries that carry the life-giving flow of blood become hard and clogged by cholesterol.  The result can be stroke, heart-attack, even death.  It is all the more deadly because the development of the disease is slow, gradual, almost imperceptible.

Spiritual arteriosclerosis is the hardening of our heart against the Word and the Lord. Likewise, the sinister, subtle nature of it can be deadly to the state of our soul. There is a way back to God. Repentance can be the surgical scalpel to open our heart and begin restoring our health.

What you have just read will be helpful or hurtful, depending on your response. Don’t shrug your shoulders, stop your ears, and stiffen your neck against the Word, as these did in Zechariah’s day.

IS THERE PROFESSED FAITH OR PRACTICAL FRUIT?

“Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.”’”
(Zechariah‬ ‭7:8-10‬‬)

Outwardly, we come to worship, and profess our faith, but far too often, inwardly, our hearts are far from God.  Our hearts have not been prepared for encountering God.

These verses in Zechariah connect the two. Justice, mercy and compassion are essential heart preparations for worship.  If we are not in a right relationship with people we aren’t in a right relationship with God. Jesus told us when we bring our gift to the altar and remember our brother has ought against us, we must first go to them, and attempt reconciliation, before our worship will be acceptable.  John said that if we can’t love our brother whom we can see, how can we claim to love a God we cannot see?

The fact is that where bitterness, anger, and an unforgiving spirit are manifest, God will not manifest His presence.  Yet, it is not enough to seek to remove these relational cancers. We must actively pursue justice, mercy, and compassion.

IS THERE SELF-CENTEREDNESS OR GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS?

“Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, ‘Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?”’” (Zechariah‬ ‭7:4-7‬‬)

What they were doing was worthless.  It wasn’t worship, for it was not directed to God.  They were trying to earn points with Him.  That isn’t love.

The attitude in marriage would be, “I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine.”  We expect a quid pro quo. That’s a contractual partnership, not a covenant relationship!

With the Lord, it may be expressed this way, “Well God, I went to church today!  How many points do I get for that?”

God’s answer is, “Zero!”  Worship isn’t about us; it’s about God!  Yet, so much of our worship is about our preferences, our style of music, and how many spiritual goose bumps we get.

A man was leaving the church, complaining about the music.  “I didn’t like the hymns you chose today.”  The pastor simply said, “That’s okay; we weren’t singing them for you.”

The late William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, said, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God.”  Let us seek to offer that kind of worship!

IS THERE EMPTY RITUAL OR EXCITING REALITY?

“Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the LORD, and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, ‘Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?’” (‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭7:1-3‬‬)

Since the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple 70 years before, the people had a time of weeping and fasting for the judgment they had experienced.  Now, God in His grace, had returned them to the land.  The pressure was off and they wanted to focus their attention elsewhere.

How often we have been guilty of the same!  Difficulties drove us to God, but when they eased, our hearts turned from God.  Remember that sunny September 11, 2001, when the skies turned black from the smoke of jet fuel and ash as the twin towers were brought down by terrorists? Remember that first weekend as churches were filled?  How quickly we have forgotten!

Think about the implications of their questions: they were going through the motions of worship but were bored with it all.  It is like a mother waking a kid on Sunday morning and telling them it’s time to get ready for church.  “Aw, Mom, do I have to?”

Has the fire gone out of your relationship with God?  If it has, should you weep and fast—seeking the Lord—and the rekindling of that flame you once had?  Yes—and urgently!

THE STATE OF YOUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH

“Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah‬ ‭7:12‬‬)

Each year, I have a physical.  At my age you get poked and prodded—not something I look forward to—but, very important.  The doctor will examine me to determine the state of my physical health.

As we head into the final months of 2019, what is the state of your spiritual health?  It is an opportune time for us to take an examination.

Not only are we to be concerned about our spiritual health, but the health of the church—the body of Christ.  A healthy church has five focal points: worship, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship and ministry.  These are the vital signs we must evaluate.

This week we are going to get under the X-ray of the Word of God.  The place to begin is in the area of worship—so crucial to spiritual health.  If we aren’t healthy here, we won’t be anywhere for this is the matter of the heart.  As you can see in the passage in Zechariah, the people had spiritual heart trouble.

Have you checked your pulse lately?  Does your heart beat with a passion for love for God?  Or, is there a hardening of the arteries—clogged with concern for the things of the world?

YAHWEH OUR MASTER

“Hear, all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple.” (Micah‬ ‭1:2‬‬)

As we conclude our study of the names of God found in the Old Testament, we consider the Hebrew word Adonai. In the English translation it is differentiated from Yahweh by being rendered with lower case, “Lord,” in contrast to, “LORD,” all in the upper case or as in the passage here, GOD (Yahweh), rather than God (Elohim).

Adon is the singular form and can refer to men and angels, as lords and princes. Adonai is the plural, literally, “Lords,” and most Bible scholars think it points to the manifold majesty of God, but I believe is also suggestive of God’s Triune being.

It is a name used hundreds of times in the Old Testament and points to God’s sovereign reign. He is the Master, Owner, and Ruler of all as the name suggests. Adonai is also seen in conjunction with Yahweh as in the text in Micah 1:2. In this passage, Yahweh, is translated GOD—all in capital letters. The Great I AM is Lord of all.

We should be reminded today that God is sovereign over all things. Nothing happens but by His permission and He has decreed that the end result will be for His glorious purposes. It is comforting to know in a world that often appears out of control that the Lord is firmly in control.

We can fall in brokenness and submission upon the Rock of God’s will and receive His grace, or we can resist and have that Rock of His will fall on us and break us in His judgment. In this we have a choice, but in God accomplishing what He has decreed there is no choice.

Paul assures us in Philippians 2:9-11 that someday every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. The holy angels of heaven will bow, the saints and sinners of men will bow, and even the demons of hell will bow. But, the only ones who will be saved then are those who confess He is Lord now.