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That's connectwithskip.com. Now let's get into today's teaching from Pastor Skip Heitzig. At the moment of his death and subsequent to his death, believed and knew that he is who he claimed to be and that I do nothing of myself. But as my father taught me, I speak these things. And he who sent me is with me. The father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him. How I wish I could say that.
There's only one person who can say that. Now I have run into people who have told me that they have stopped sinning. That really is the proper response. What you just did, that's the right reaction because that's what I did.
They believe in a place that you can come to of total sanctification here on earth. So when somebody has told me that, I get my obnoxious gear going and I think of ways I could get them to get angry or just, I want to test it. I want to probe it.
I want to see if indeed this is true. Oh, really? You're sinless now.
Okay, this will be fun. I know that's bad because I shouldn't cause anybody to stumble, but that's the gear that I go into. Jesus said, I always do those things that please him. I can't claim that.
I wish I could. That is our heart, is it not? It's a good thing to aim for. It's what Paul said when he said, whether we are present or we are absent, we make it our aim to always be pleasing to him. Whether we are absent from the body or we are in the body, we want to plea it. That's our aim. We don't always achieve it.
We have good days and we have bad days. But it suggests to us at least the possibility of a life lived with that motive to please God. The psalmist said, delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. We were created to please God. If you ever wonder, well, I have a question. Why am I here? I can answer that.
You are here on this earth to bring pleasure to God. Well, that's not fair. Okay, when you can make your own universe, you can make your own rules.
How's that? Until then, really, you can't complain because you've just been made by somebody who made you and said, I made you to please me. Okay, he's God. He can do that. That's why we praise him. That's why we glorify him. Revelation chapter four, for you created all things and for thy pleasure they are and have been created.
I always do those things that please him. Jesus could say, I can't say, I want to say. And by God's grace, more and more, as we grow in holiness, we're able to say that. As he spoke these words, many believed in him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. Now, I have to clarify something.
You may not notice it, but you have maybe noticed it, and so you wondered about it, but I don't mind bringing it up to you even if you haven't noticed it. Jesus is speaking to people who believe him. He's going to speak some very harsh words. And you would naturally say, is that any way to speak to people who believe in you?
So now that you've come to me, bam, bam, I beat you up a little bit. So to clarify this, and this has been a linguistic problem within the text. I want you to look at the text a little more carefully, and I think you will see there isn't just a homogenous group.
There are different levels of people in this group. There are almost two different groups he is addressing. So notice, he spoke verse 30, these words, as he spoke these, many believed in him.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, it's different now. The first group seems to be those who are placing their faith in him. The others are going, yeah, okay, what he just said, yeah, okay, I believe that. I'm more interested.
I'm buying in, but I'm not bought in. I don't believe in him, but I believe him. So they're open to it, and that's how it is with any group, by the way. Do you think that every single person right here in this room is an authentic believer? Maybe, and I'm not going to get into some weird trip or anything, but Jesus did say, was he gave the parable of the sower and the seed, that of the people that hear the truth, only 25% of them were true believers bearing forth fruit. Others, they fell on rocks, and they fell away, and so they weren't really true. Others got choked up.
Others, the enemy immediately took. So at any given time, is every single person here in this room right with God and going to heaven if they die? I wouldn't raise my hand and say, oh, yeah, sure, I believe that. So he's speaking to a crowd, and then he believed in him. To those who believed him, they're going, yeah, okay, I'm with you.
What do you got to say? He said, if you abide in my word. Now, have you noticed this word, abide?
Can I just tell you to notice it from now on? Because it's mentioned a lot in the Bible. Do you know in the New Testament it's mentioned 34 times, and John takes 31 of them? He likes that word, abide. Meno is the Greek word.
Meno means to remain or to continue. Stay at it. Stick with it. Don't give it up.
Don't be sporadic. Yeah, you know, his word is important. I go to church every Easter. Okay, Christmas too. Come on, give me a break.
Twice a year, that's pretty good. You know, whatever. Then there are those people who are like in it and with it and on it, and they're all over, and the word, they remain in it. If you abide in my word, remain, continue, stick with it, stay with it. You are my mathetes, my followers, learners, disciplined ones, disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Don't you love that verse? Do you know that universities love that verse too? Do you know the colleges love that verse too? You will find this verse, this saying, emblazoned, embossed, written in many of the great badges and symbols of American universities.
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. But what they mean by that is simply when you know academic truth, you will be set free. I laugh at that.
I smile at that. Because if professors, learned professors, are behind the placing of that college emblem, it makes me wonder how smart they are. Because any good professor should know that a text taken out of context becomes a pretext. And to say that it's referring to academic knowledge and they rip it out of the Bible is to make it a pretext. Jesus does not mean if you just get smart and get a degree, the truth will set you free. That's not what he means. You know what he means? The truth about him will set you free.
Specifically about him. How do I know this? Verse 36, therefore if the son makes you free, you will be free indeed. That's the context. It's the truth about the son. It's the truth about him. That's the truth about him. It's not just, you know, you're a smart person. You're so enlightened. Yeah, you can be a smart person on their way to an eternal hell. That's not that smart in the eternal sense. You could do better than that.
You can get higher grades than that. They answered him and said, we are Abraham's descendants and we have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say you will make us free?
Really? You're going to make that statement publicly in front of Jesus and everybody else? You're going to say that we've never been in bondage to anyone? Because you're Jews? Because you're Abraham's descendants? Have you forgotten all about Egypt? 400 years of slavery in Egypt?
You were in bondage to them? And did you forget about the Assyrian captivity in 722 BC? Have you forgotten that already? When the Assyrians put hooks into the mouths of captives and led them away into Assyria?
Did you forget that? Have you forgotten the 70 years in Babylon, the Babylonian captivity? Have you forgotten about the Macedonian-Grecian wars and Antiochus Epiphanes taking you captive and setting up that pig in the altar and killing millions of you and making more of you slaves?
And have you forgotten where you are right now? Rome is in charge of you. You are slaves of Rome. So it's crazy.
I admire their nationalistic zeal, I suppose, to say, I live in perfect denial. Here I am. I've never been a slave to anyone. Let me move my chain a little bit when I say that. Okay, now, that's better. The shackles feel better now. I'm not a slave to anyone. Okay. You've always been a slave to somebody.
Now, look at this. Jesus answered and said, most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. There's a slavery far worse than an Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Macedonian, Greek, Roman slavery, and that's slavery to sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
You know, some slaves had it good if they worked in the big house, but a slave can get kicked out and put on the streets. A son abides forever. Jesus is the son of the father. He will abide forever. And all sons and daughters of God will abide forever. Slaves get kicked out of the house. Therefore, if the son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
That clears it up. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we return to Skip's teaching, generous friends like you keep this ministry going strong, sharing verse by verse teaching from Scripture with people all around the world. And as we prepare to close out another year of ministry, we need your help to meet a $120,000 need by December 31st so that in the new year, more people can connect with the God who loves them and wants to be known by them. Your tax deductible gift today will have an eternal impact, transforming lives, as together we share the unchanging truth of God's word in an ever changing world. You'll help ensure Connect with Skip Heitzig can continue expanding to reach new audiences through new radio stations in major cities and with the translation of Pastor Skip's messages into Spanish.
To give your year end gift to help meet the $120,000 need, go to connectwithskip.com slash give or call 800-922-1888 and make an investment that will have eternal returns. Now let's get back to Skip for more of today's teaching. I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father. They answered and said, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.
But you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. First of all, Abraham was a man of faith, right? Genesis 15. Abraham believed God and God accounted it to him for righteousness. He was a man of faith. Number two, Abraham received God's emissaries.
In Genesis 18, when the two angels and the Lord himself in human form appeared to Abraham at his tent, and Abraham received them in and made them a meal on their way to Sodom. Abraham received those God that God had sent. They have not received the one God has sent. They're not acting in faith like their father Abraham. Verse 41, you do the deeds of your father. They said, we were not born of fornication. We have one father, God. Now that is a slur.
That is a slam. They're insinuating that Jesus was illegitimately born. He was born of illegitimate birth, a bastard birth.
That's what they're saying point blank. And you can still find in the Jewish Talmud that Jesus was the illegitimate son of Mary who learned magical arts from Egypt and started a rebellion and insurrection. So already his virgin birth, not believed by the majority of them, was discounted saying, we're not born of fornication like you are.
That's their point. We have one father, God. Jesus said to them, if God were your father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God. Nor have I come of myself, but he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Because you are not able to listen to my word. You are of your father, the devil. How's that for being blunt?
How's that for being unmistakable in what you are saying to a person? You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth because there is no truth in him.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources or his own native language, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin?
And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Remember, those people came back. They were supposed to arrest Jesus and they said, wow, nobody ever spoke like that guy.
No man ever spake like that. When Jesus will stand before Pontius Pilate, Pilate will say, I find no fault in him at all. Which of you convicts me of sin?
The problem is I lose my place. He who is of God hears God's words. Therefore, you do not hear because you are not of God. Then the Jews answered and said to him, do we not rightly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?
Now they're off the charts now. They're just saying stupid stuff. You're a Samaritan.
Why would they say that? Because that's like the worst thing you could say to somebody in Judea. Samaritans were half-breeds.
Samaritans were not a pure bloodline. There was a rival religion, a rival temple, as we've already noted, going on up in Samaria. It's like when I heard a couple arguing where I grew up in Huntington Beach, right before I moved here. There was a husband and wife arguing, I've told you the story, and they were hurling insults and cuss words back and forth to each other, having just a full-on fight right there on the beach. And her husband finally said, you tourist. He was thinking, what is the worst possible thing I can say to a native Southern Californian on the beach? You're a tourist. And she just turned bright red and just, she had no words.
She just stomped off. I thought, that's classic. What's the worst thing you can say to a native-born California?
You're a tourist. Back then it was, you're a Samaritan. And imagine saying this to Jesus, and you're demon-possessed. They said, Abraham is dead. And the prophets.
And you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father, Abraham? What's the answer to that? Is he? Yeah.
Now they're getting it. Are you greater than our father, Abraham? Who does that sound like? Woman at the well, right? Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who made this well? Uh-huh. Are you greater than Abraham? Yeah.
Now the fog is clearing. Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who is dead? So Abraham believed God. He's dead. You say, if anybody believes you, he won't die.
It's like, what? Who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus said, if I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father who honors me, of whom you say that he is your God. Yet you have not known him, but I know him. And if I say I do not know him, then I'd be a liar like you.
But I know him, and I keep his word. Your father, Abraham, rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. The Jews said to him, you're not yet 50 years old, and you've seen Abraham?
Jesus said, most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, there it is again, what does it say? I am. Ego, I'm me.
I am. Before Abraham was, I am. Or as some translations just put it out there, before Abraham was born, I existed. I lived, I existed before Abraham was born. He's speaking of his pre-existence.
It is undeniable who he's claiming to be. Now, here's the big question really quickly. When did Abraham ever see Jesus' day? It's a good question.
It's not answered for us. It's really not the important part of the text. The most important part of the text is, before Abraham was, I am. That's his point. That's the big part of the text.
But it is a fun study. So some believe that he was rejoicing to see Jesus' day when God gave him the promise that in you and in your seed, all the nations of the world will be blessed, Genesis chapter 12, a prediction of the blessing that will come from the seed of Abraham, the Messiah. So in that promise, he was able to see him. But another idea, postulated by many, is that it was Melchizedek. When Abraham went to rescue his son Lot after the Battle of the Five Kings, when he was going home, Lot in tow, he was met by the king of Salem, Jerusalem originally, and it was Melchizedek. Melchizedek means king of righteousness. He's the king of righteousness. He's the king of Salem, which means peace. So he's the king of righteousness. He's the king of peace.
The Bible says, having neither father nor mother, no genealogy in the past, no end in the future. So he has no beginning, no end. He's the king of righteousness.
He's the king of peace. And he comes and he pays tithes to Abraham and gives him bread and wine. It serves up communion. Many have seen this as a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before he came to the earth, it was a Christophany or a theophany that that was the Lord Jesus Christ who made that special appearance to Abraham at that time. It could be. But at some point, Abraham rejoiced to see his day.
Don't know exactly what he is thinking of specifically. But he said, wait a minute. You're not even 50 years old yet.
Isn't that interesting? Jesus was early 30s. Why didn't they say, you're not even 40? Or you're not even 35. It's interesting that they said you're not yet 50 years old, which could indicate possibly that Jesus looked older than 32, 33. I wouldn't deny that, and that wouldn't surprise me. I mean, all of the weight of sin, all of the struggle that was being placed on his shoulder, the battle in the heavenlies, the battle with Satan, it could be that that would age a person, that would wear on a person.
It's just interesting that they use that 50 years old. Before Abraham was, I am. Now, verse 59, we made it, but that's not the best part. The best part is the verse itself.
You ready? Then they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. Why would they take up stones to kill him? They thought he committed what? Blasphemy because he claimed he was God. So if anybody ever says, well, Jesus never claimed to be God, take him to that verse. Show them this verse.
Because it shows me that the people who first heard him thought that's what he was saying. They understood clearly that he claimed to be God. Otherwise, they wouldn't have picked up stones to kill him. But you don't make claims like that and walk out of the temple. Well, he did because it wasn't his time, but they wanted to kill him.
They wanted to stone him. It's interesting, and I had a conversation with someone today, and I said, who is Jesus to you? Oh, Jesus is the Son of God. I said, is Jesus God?
And he said, I can't answer that. Now, I've had many conversations with folks like that who have said, well, the Bible never says he's God. Jesus never claimed to be God. And I often say, have you read the Bible? Or what Bible are you reading?
Is it just the Old Testament you're reading? Because there's even plenty there that would predict what he would be like. But, boy, the one that I read, especially John's Gospel, is pretty unmistakable because even his enemies claimed that he was God or that he claimed to be God.
They understood what he was saying. Jesus said he's the light of the world, man. He'll light up your life. He can make that promise because he is God. He said, I'm the bread of life.
He'll satisfy you. He can make that claim because he is God in human flesh. He said, if you come and drink from me, you'll never thirst. He can make that claim because he's God. Anybody who makes those claims and isn't God is just making a bunch of empty claims.
But if God makes those claims and people have been satisfied by coming to him, I think there's something to it. And if you don't know him personally, it's your chance to do something about it. We're glad you joined us today. Before you go, if you've been blessed by this ministry and want to bless others with the kind of teaching you've heard today, please consider a generous year-end gift to help meet our financial goal by December 31st. Through your support, you'll help encourage and equip more people with solid biblical teaching that takes them verse by verse through Scripture and connects them with Jesus. To give a tax-deductible year-end gift today, call 800-922-1888.
That's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash give. For more from Skip, be sure to download the Connect with Skip Heitzig app where you can access messages and more content right at your fingertips. 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 crossing. Cast all 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.
