John 7:1-36 - Part C

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That's connectwithskip.com. Now let's get started with today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig. Pastor Skip Heitzig is a preacher who proclaimed, it was, and I see preaching primarily as making a proclamation of truth to win the unsaved into the kingdom. Then I see teaching as once they have been preached to and they respond and come into the kingdom, now they are to be taught. Now preaching is exciting.

You see immediate results. I was back in New Jersey and Sunday night, we had a meeting. I asked people to come forward. It was at a Methodist camp and, you know, they said we don't see a lot of it, but we want more of it. And so just to watch people come forward, you see an immediate response. You know what it's like. We see it a lot around here.

It's awesome. That's preaching. But now once they respond, you need to be teaching them. Whereas preaching is exciting and you see immediate results.

Ah, teaching is a bit slower. You don't see immediate results, but you see long term results. Think of the difference being between a house going up. You know, you can pour a cement slab and you can put up the framing in a couple days. It's awfully exciting to see it go up. It takes shape.

You go, wow, look at it. But then building from that point on to finishing date, closing date takes a long time. Got to put the drywall up, insulation in, got to be electrical has to come in. You know, you have to do all the detail work, et cetera. The process takes a long time, but you are building on the foundation. And we love to preach the gospel, but we also love to teach the Bible.

Because we want to build solidity on the foundation that you have received and see you grow deep and grow strong. And it's a slower process. It's verse by verse. It's chapter by chapter. It's book by book. It's an hour at a time, but eventually you find your faith growing.

And it's solid and it's unshakable. So Jesus went to the temple and he taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, how does this man, this Jesus, how does this man know letters having never studied? Now, you just need to understand that that is the equivalent of saying, how does this guy know so much stuff without a seminary degree, without a college education?

They're not saying Jesus is not educated, but he didn't go to one of our seminaries, one of our recognized schools. In Jerusalem at that time, there were about 30 what are called yeshivas. And a yeshiva, if you know anything about Judaism, are schools of learning. And you go to a yeshiva to be taught the Torah and now the Talmud and the writings of the sages, the wisdom. And the yeshivas would teach young men how to be rabbis. Jesus didn't go to any of them, but he had such a depth and such a wisdom, but these leaders, they marvel.

How did he get this wisdom without us giving it to him? Who were Jesus' disciples? They were fishermen.

They were blue collar workers. He didn't go to seminaries. He didn't go to yeshivas. He didn't go to the Sanhedrin.

He didn't knock on Nicodemus' door saying, you know what, man, you're just like so amazing. You're so brilliant. You're a teacher of the law.

I need you on my team. You've got Peter and John and you know the story of these guys. Fishermen. And in Acts chapter 4, when the fishermen, the disciples, get arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leaders, it says that they marveled at them like this. They marveled at them because they knew that they were, listen to what it says, uneducated and untrained men, but they had perceived that they had been with Jesus. Now I would rather have people who are with Jesus than those who are formally trained and educated.

I know a lot of people who are formally trained and educated. They don't spend much time with Jesus. But people who spend a lot of time with Jesus and don't have the education, give me those guys. And so you have these fishermen who had been with Jesus for three years.

Talk about a seminary education. You're with the master. You're hearing him. You're watching him. You're observing him. Oh, by the way, do you remember Matthew chapter 11, Jesus praying, Father, I thank you that you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and you have revealed them to babes. Isn't that beautiful? It seems that the Lord is looking for just open vessels, humble people who would say, I want to learn.

I want to grow. And God will reveal himself to you. And oftentimes he'll hide some of the most profound truths from some of the most erudite individuals. Jesus answered verse 16 and said to them, my doctrine, my doctrine, my teaching, my doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone wills to do his will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority.

He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true and no unrighteousness is in him. Now I want to ask you two questions. These really bring up two good questions for us. Do you want to do his will? That's the first question. Do you want to do his will?

That's an important question because Saul of Tarsus, who was Jewish, rabbinical, knew the law, was knocked off his horse on the way to Damascus. And once God got his attention, the first question he said is, Lord, what do you want me to do? What do you want me to do?

It's a good question. Do you want to do what he wants you to do? Now I ask the question because it seems that there is a lot of people who say, I want to know the will of God, but tell me what it is first.

Before I really say yes, I want to tell me what it is first. Barnhouse, Donald Gray Barnhouse once said, 95 percent of knowing the will of God is being willing to do it before you know what it is. Are you willing to do what he wants? He who is he anyone wills to and here it is. Do his will, not just study it, not just underline it, not just hear it, but do it.

Do it. The key to learning is obeying. Or if you prefer, the key to learning is living. I am going to live by God's grace. What is revealed to me? So that's the first question.

Do you really want to do as well? The second thing in verse 18. The second question is whose glory is it that you're after? Whose glory is it that you're after?

God's glory or your glory? Do you want to be in the limelight? Hey, you didn't recognize me. You didn't you didn't mention my name. You didn't thank me for that. People need to know how good I am.

You need to exonerate me. And some people want to serve the Lord in a way that they get glory. They're noticed.

They're always in the limelight. I love Moses. Moses didn't even want the job. I'm not even qualified for the job. He said, I can't even speak. God said, I want you. You're going to be my spokesperson. But I stutter. You're the man.

This is going to work because I'm pretty good at fixing guys like you. But he just didn't want it. And I love finding those who are sort of reluctant to be in the ministry.

I'm not saying that. Well, let me put it this way. I had a good friend of mine who helped me start this fellowship in its early stages. And I remember him saying specifically to me, don't put me in front of people. I'm not good at it.

I hate it. I like to be the guy who's turning on the lights, making sure the air is okay, getting coffee going for people after the Bible study. So I knew that next time I was out of town, that's the guy I'm going to ask to fill the pulpit for me. And I did. And he was nervous. And he hated me for it. Until he did it. And when he did it, it was so well received and people were so blessed and he had such a very unique gift of communicating.

And he grew out of it. But it's always an important question. Whose glory is it that you're after? You see, God is looking for vessels, right?

Vessels to use. But have you ever taken something from a container, a vessel, and when you eat it or drink it, you can taste the vessel that it's been in? It's like, that's that funny taste. Oh, that's the taste of the container.

Sometimes if you have like canned peaches, you're tasting the can along with the peaches. Just saying. And I remember my mom had this little tub that she used to put milk in and she'd mix powdered milk in it in those days.

Yeah, I know. So we did that. And then when she ever tried to use it for anything else to put orange juice inside, it was polluted.

You just, it tasted like powdered milk. So some people are vessels of God, but you taste the vessel. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we get back to Skip's teaching, Nate Heitzig has written a children's book just in time for Christmas, and this month we're offering it to you as thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig. Christmas Under the Tree follows the timeless story of Jesus Christ from the cradle to the cross through the eyes of an unlikely character, a humble tree. This beautifully illustrated book, which includes a companion audio experience, is a wonderful way to tell the Christmas story and the story of Christ to the children in your life. This resource is our thanks for your gift of just $25 or more today to help share biblical teaching with more people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig.

Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your copy when you give $25 or more today to reach people all around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig. Let's continue with today's teaching with Pastor Skip. The Bible says we have this treasure in, do you remember what the verse says? Earthen vessels, clay pots. Make sure that people don't taste the pot. I'm too close to Colorado, let me say it a different way.

Make sure that they don't taste the vessel as much as the contents of the vessel. Verse 19, did not Moses give you the law? And yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me? Now he's pointing out their irony. These leaders, these lovers of the law, lovers of the Torah, speaking about touting how great the law of Moses is and the law says this and quoting this rabbi and that rabbi about the law, the law, the law.

Jesus said, you know, you tout the law, but you're trying to break the sixth commandment. That is killing me. They're plotting to kill him. Now that is a reality that is going on and will say that as much very shortly, but not everybody is aware of that or they're denying that, for notice it says in verse 20, the people answered and said, you have a demon. You're crazy.

Who is seeking to kill you? Now what's interesting, that's what they said about John the Baptist as well, that he was demon-possessed. Jesus answered and said to them, I did one work and you all marvel. He's referring to the miracle in chapter 5, about a year before that, when he was at another feast, probably the Feast of Tabernacles a year prior.

He's at the pool of Bethesda. There was a man who had been laid there for 38 years. You know the story, right? Jesus healed him. Do you want to be made well? And he was made well. And it happened around the temple courts because the man went into the temple to worship God, so it was a notable miracle. That's what he's referring to.

I did one work and you all marvel. Moses, therefore, gave you circumcision, not that it was from Moses, but from the fathers, and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. Why does he bring up the Sabbath?

Because when Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5, they were all bummed out that the man was healed on the Sabbath. I mean, what they should have said is, a dude got healed? We've never seen that before, ever.

We've never done that. It happened? Wow. They said, it happened on the Sabbath.

I mean, they're so rigid. So he's bringing up the Sabbath. He said, do you circumcise on the Sabbath? If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, a man being a male child, an eight-day-old baby, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?

Do you see what he's doing? This is the classic argument from lesser to greater. Now, they had the ritual of circumcision. Every male Jew on the eighth day of that child's life went through the ritual of circumcision, cutting around the foreskin of the flesh, as a sign of the covenant to God. Mentioned in Genesis 17, Leviticus chapter 12, and other places. Well, you can't control when the baby's going to be born, which means the eighth day might fall on the Sabbath day. Oh, but you can't break the Sabbath, can you?

Well, they did. In effect, they circumcised on the Sabbath day, which you're not supposed to do ordinary things, ordinary work on the Sabbath. But they circumcised a child.

Why? Because circumcision takes precedence over the Sabbath. So Jesus, in arguing from lesser to greater, okay then, you cleanse one member of a male baby's body on the Sabbath day to circumcise them, and you're mad at me that I make a whole person healed on the Sabbath day? In fact, you by circumcision are taking away something from that person.

And I am giving to a person wholeness, newness of life, a fresh start. Very powerful argument. Do not judge, verse 24, do not judge according to appearance, but judge with the righteous judgment. Now that is the flip side to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus said, judge not that you be not judged.

And I find everybody loves to quote that when you're saying, when you're holding somebody accountable for something in their life, and they go, don't judge, bro. Judge not that you be not judged. Well, Jesus, on the other hand, said, judge a righteous judgment. You can't sensoriously, hypocritically judge someone and consign them to eternal damnation, but you can make an evaluation if you know all the facts and circumstances. In fact, he calls you to make a righteous judgment.

Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Now, some of them from Jerusalem said, is this not he whom they seek to kill? See, Jesus said, you're trying to kill me.

You have a demon. Nobody's trying to kill you. And they're going, hey, isn't this a guy they're trying to off, right? They're trying to bounce this guy away. But look, he speaks boldly, and they say nothing to him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? In other words, you have a crowd that is utterly confused because of their leaders. Their leaders have not taken a public stand because they're afraid of the crowd. Just as people won't speak up because they're afraid of the Jewish leaders, the Jewish leaders are afraid of crowd control because lots of people love Jesus. So the leaders have been ambiguous to put their flag down and say, we're for him.

You ought to be for him, too, or to say he's wrong. But that's going to change. Again, there's a growing animosity as we go through. However, we know where this man is from, but when the Messiah comes, when Christ comes, no one knows where he is from.

Now, you need to understand what that means. There was a misconception. There was a tradition based upon misinterpretations of Old Testament Scripture.

The tradition was this. Messiah's going to come. Nobody's going to know where he's from. He's going to come all of a sudden.

Nobody's going to know, and then suddenly, bam, here he is. That was their tradition. Why was that their tradition? Because they misinterpreted two Old Testament texts. One was Isaiah chapter 53, I think it was around verse 8, where Isaiah says, but who will declare his generation? They misinterpreted that question, who will declare his generation?

I mean, nobody will know where he's from. The other scripture was Malachi chapter 3, the Old Testament book of Malachi. Malachi chapter 3. It says, but the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. So based on the misinterpretation of those two texts, a superstitious tradition developed that the Messiah will just pop out of nowhere, show up, and deliver the Jews from the oppression and take over the world, basically.

Now, that wasn't scriptural. The Bible tells us exactly where the Messiah's going to come from, Micah chapter 5, verse 2. But you Bethlehem, down in Judah, the Messiah's going to come from you. You know the verse. Enough said on that.

Now I've got to find my place. Ah, but we know where he is from. Then Jesus cried out as he taught in the temple. He raised his voice. Now he's yelling.

He's giving everybody's attention. You both know me, and you know where I am from. And I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know. But I know him, for I am from him, and he sent me. Therefore, they sought to take him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. And many of the people believed in him and said, When Christ comes, will he do more signs than these, which this man has done? The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests, or the leading priests, sent officers to take him, to apprehend him, to arrest him. Then Jesus said to them, I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to him who sent me.

Now we understand what that means, because we understand who Jesus is, and we know that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. But they have a different view of Messiah. They don't believe he's the Messiah. He's just a dude in the temple making these claims, so they don't really get what he's saying. You will seek me, and you will not find me. And where I am, you cannot come. Then the Jews said among themselves, Where does he intend to go that we shall not find him? Does he intend to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?

What is this thing that he has said? You will seek me and not find me. And where I am, you cannot come. Now you see the term dispersion in your Bibles? The technical term for that, in fact the term from which we get the word dispersion is the Greek word diaspora.

And some of you are familiar with the term. The diaspora were Jews who were scattered all over the world. They weren't in Jerusalem. They weren't in Israel. They weren't locals. And so they're thinking, is he planning a trip outside of the borders of Israel to speak to Jews in Gentile regions and even to Gentiles themselves?

Now why would they ask the question? Because if he's leaving here, if he's planning a trip outside and he's going to be speaking to Gentiles, well this is a further reason to reject him. He can't be our Messiah if he's going to include Gentiles. I mean even Jews living in Gentile regions, some of them were sketchy. Galileans were sketchy to people down in Jerusalem.

They were very, very narrow. So they asked the question, what does he mean by this? They're longing to find out. This is taking place six months before Jesus will do what this communion signifies. The breaking of his body, the shedding of his blood, the sacrifice upon the cross, the Feast of Tabernacles taking place about six months before the next Feast of Passover. This is where the dominoes tip down in Judea and they will plot how they might destroy him. He will be back at the Passover and when he's back at the Passover, he's going to heal his friend, the most incredible healing ever. He's going to raise Lazarus from the dead. And that will be the trigger that causes them to say we've got to get him and we've got to nail him to a cross and get rid of him as soon as possible. What they do not realize is that it has always been the plan of God to send his son into the world to die the cruel death of a sacrificial crucifixion to atone for our sins.

Revelation 13, he is the Lamb crucified from the foundations of the earth. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We hope you've been strengthened in your walk with Jesus by today's program. Before we let you go, we want to remind you about this month's resource that will help you and the children in your life see the timeless story of Christ with fresh eyes.

Nate Heitzig's book, Christmas Under the Tree with Forward by Levi Lusko is our thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig today. Request your copy when you give $25 or more. Call 800-922-1888.

That's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. And did you know that you can find full message series and libraries of content from Skip Heitzig on YouTube? Simply visit the Connect with Skip Heitzig channel on YouTube and be sure to subscribe to the channel so you never miss any new content. Come back next time for more verse-by-verse teaching of God's word here on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Make a connection, make a connection at the foot of the cross and cast your burdens on His word. Make a connection, connection. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever-changing times.