R248 How to Understand the Deeper Things of God

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton, and it's time to go deep. Today, Dr. Wilton takes us to John chapter 6 about understanding the deeper things of God.

As we connect, remember we're online all the time at www.tewonline.org. Now, let's open God's word together with Dr. Don Wilton. Please take a copy of God's word this morning and turn with me in God's word, the Bible, to John's gospel in chapter 6. John's gospel, chapter 6. Now, before we read from God's word, I want to say a few words about the subject that we're going to be looking at today. There is a real sense in which I should preach on this subject at least once every year. There is a real sense in which we should all mark our calendars this morning, and you should know that every year on this anniversary, your pastor is going to preach almost the same message because it is so important.

Here it is. How to understand the deeper things of God. How to understand the deeper things of God. Now, there are many, many, many, many, many issues in God's word from Genesis to Revelation that I'm going to guarantee you this morning.

It will probably take us a lifetime to try to understand them. Because there are things about God and that pertain to God that man will never know until we find ourselves face to face with Him in heaven. God is so great and He is so wonderful. Can you imagine that we worship a God who is so vast that He rules this mighty universe and yet He is so small that He dwells within our hearts and within our lives. And my friends today, there are many things in God's word that not all the degrees in the world, not all the Greek and Hebrew, not all the calling of God upon a man or woman's life, not all the Bible studies are ever going to enable us to fully and completely understand. And so the question must be asked of all of us. How do I understand the deeper things of God?

Is this a give up situation? Is there anything that God's word would throw light upon that would help me to walk a little bit closer toward an understanding of the deep things of God? Yes, there are. The Bible is filled with what God tells us to do and to be aware of. Now, we are preaching through John's gospel at this present time. And many times already in this great gospel, as we will discover in all of the books of the Bible, there have been many issues that keep coming up.

In fact, every time I prepare for a message, I find myself saying, you know, I really need to spend about six or seven weeks on this. And, you know, if I spend six or seven weeks on every issue that the word of God brings to our attention, well, it would be safe to say that in 30 years, we would probably be fortunate if we covered one book of the Bible. There is so much richness to the depth of who God is.

Experiencing God and knowing the mind of God is an unbelievable task about which we are called in our lifetime. Now, before I read a passage of scripture, I believe that amongst many others here in John chapter six, there are six major issues that Jesus brings to the fore in John chapter six. I'm going to list them for you.

Ready for this? You may want to write them down for you. But there are six things that happen in John chapter six that, quite frankly, are not all that easy to understand. Now, there are two categories of understanding that we've got to understand this morning. Number one, there are those who are outside of Christ. If you haven't given your heart to the Lord Jesus, the Bible says that you will understand nothing about God. You will have the most difficulty in understanding because you have not received the Spirit of God. It is only when you receive the Spirit of God that you begin that progressive journey into somewhat of an understanding of the mind of God.

That is a lifetime experience. That is why it is so critical and so important to be in God's house and to go to Sunday school and to study God's Word together. If you're outside of Christ, we're going to give you an opportunity today to invite Jesus to come into your heart and life. And to know that you know that one day when you die, if Jesus were to come, that you too will be transported by the angels to be seated at the feast table of the King.

But then there are those who have already done so, by far the majority in this great sanctuary this morning. But the Bible says as a born again believer, you and I are engaged in a progressive walk throughout life whereby through the inspiration of the Spirit of God, we begin to come to a deeper understanding of the mind of God. There are six things here that we would find a little difficult to understand depending on what stage we are in our spiritual walk.

Number one is found in John chapter 6 and verse 25. How in the world did Jesus get into the boat? The Bible says when they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, Rabbi, when did you get here? These people had been witness to the fact that Jesus went this way. They had been witness to the fact that the disciples went this way and all of a sudden the disciples arrive on the shore of Galilee with Jesus in the boat. It's a very good question. Jesus, how did you get into the boat?

Difficult to understand. The second one, how do you do the works of God? That's found right there in verse 28. Then they asked him, what must we do to do the works God requires? I suggested to you that this is probably the central question asked by all the religions of the world, both Christian and non-Christian. What must I do to do the works of God? How can I gain access to God? What do I need to do in order to be saved? It's something that not a lot of people understand. How do I do the works of God?

Number three, there's the third perplexing question that calls for spiritual understanding. How was it possible in verse 41, how was it possible for Jesus to be the bread of life? What did he mean by that? Look at verse 41, at this, the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. You know, I can just see those people looking at each other and saying, what in the world is he talking about?

What in the world does that mean? Jesus said, I am the bread of life. What's he meaning, I'm the bread of life? They demonstrated their lack of understanding in the very next, in verse 30 by saying, well, what he must be talking about is the manner which God sent to us that came down when we were wandering around in the wilderness. Surely God, you could give us more manner.

Jesus said, that manner that I sent from heaven is irrelevant. In fact, you ate of that manner and you died. I'm the bread of life. If you eat of me, you will never die.

You will have eternal life. What in the world did he mean by that? Number four, he has a big one.

You ready for this one? It's found in verse 52. How in the world can you eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ?

What does that mean? Jesus said, I'm the bread of life. In verse 51, I'm the living bread. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves and say, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? That's difficult to understand. How do you understand something like that? Number five, how do you understand how to believe in Jesus Christ?

What is meant by that? Verse 64, the Bible says very clearly, yet there are some of you who do not believe. Jesus said, believe in me. I and the Father are one, for Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe him and who would betray him.

He said in verse 67 to the disciples, are you wanting to leave? Are you wanting to refuse to believe in me? What do you mean believe in God? How do you understand this thing called belief?

You can go all over America today. Most people in America will tell you, I believe in God. But the Bible says it's not good enough just to believe in God. But here Jesus says, you must believe in me.

Surely there must be confusion here. Jesus told Nicodemus. He said, Nicodemus, you're an illustration of what I was talking about in John chapter two. That it's not good enough just to believe in God.

You must be born again. That's what it means to believe. Well, how do you understand that? Jesus said, well, it's like the wind that blows. You hear it, you see it, you feel it, but you don't understand it.

How do you understand what it means to believe in God? Number six, how in the world did Jesus know that someone would betray him? Look at verse 70. How did Jesus know that someone would betray him? In verse 70, Jesus replied, have I not chosen you, the 12, yet one of you is a devil.

He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who though one of the 12 was later to betray him. How did Jesus know this? Well, those of us who know and love the Lord Jesus will say, well, just because he's God, that's why.

But you see, friends, there's a basic fundamental theological issue involved in this. If I had been one of the 12 back in the time of the Lord Jesus, that would have scared me to death, wouldn't it have you? If Jesus had looked at the 12 of us, of which I was a number, and Jesus said, I know that you're following me, but one of you is a devil. How would the choir feel right now?

If I said, oh, this is a great choir, but one of you is a devil, I'd probably get stoned from the back. Just think about it. How did Jesus know something that was so significant and so serious that it was inextricably intertwined into that old rugged cross?

How can we understand these things? Well, let's read God's word together. John's gospel chapter six, and I'm going to begin reading at verse 41, just a few selected verses for the sake of time. At this, the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. They said, is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, I came down from heaven? Jesus answered, stop grumbling among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is written in the prophets, they will all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to the father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the father except he has seen the father, except the one who is from God.

Only he has seen the father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

So in verse 52, the Jews began to argue among themselves. In verse 53, Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth. Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living father sent me and I live because of the father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven.

Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever. And Jesus said this while teaching in the First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, I beg your pardon, in the synagogue in Capernaum. You see friends, all across America today, in churches, God's Word is being proclaimed. And the Bible says something very significant, albeit in parenthesis, at the conclusion of this particular sermon of our Saviour, that these things were being taught to the people in the centre of the house, which is the house of God. How do we understand the deeper things of God? I believe that in John chapter five and John chapter six, that there are amongst several other issues which I don't have time to get in today. I'm going to share with you six ways in which the Bible teaches us that you and I can understand more clearly the deeper things of God.

You may want to write these down, make a note of them. Number one, believe the Scriptures, believe the Scriptures. John chapter five and verse 39, if you would just go back there for a moment. John chapter five and verse 39, wonderful to hear all those pages rustling every time we turn in God's Word. Here's what Jesus said. He said in verse 39, you diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. And then Jesus says, you're quite right, because these are the Scriptures that testify about me. Jesus was saying to these sceptics, he was saying to them, men and women, if you are ever going to understand the deep things about who I am, you must believe the Word of God.

I believe that what Jesus was trying to say to these people, you will never understand the deep things of God if you're not willing to believe the Scriptures. It's a hallmark of this church. This is a church that believes the book. This book is preached in God's house. There ought never to be a time that this pastor ever stands that I don't open God's Word, that we don't carry God's Word, that we don't see one another on Sunday with Bibles in hand.

Why? Because this preacher does not have anything to say outside of the Word of God. The Bible says you must believe the Scriptures because they testify of the truth concerning Jesus Christ. But there's a second way in which we can understand the deeper things of God. We must be willing to take God at His Word.

Number two, be willing to take God at His Word. You know, every time I think about this, I think of our own families. I have a wonderful family. You know, all parents get to this point, don't they? There just come a time in our lives, my friend, when our children have to take us at our word. When it comes to the gospel of our Lord Jesus with the deep things of life, if you go with me to chapter 6 and verse 10, what do we read?

The Bible says that Jesus said to these people without apology, have the people sit down. Forgive the interruption. We'll be back with the rest of today's message, how to understand the deeper things of God with Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment. But it's Dr. Don that insists I remind you we are here for you, not just now during the broadcast, but 24 hours a day at this phone number, 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. We'd love to speak with you, pray with you, maybe connect you with some of the great resources like the new book from Laura's Story. You can take a peek right now. It's called I Give Up on our website at www.tewonline.org. Again, that's just one of the many resources available. I pray that you'll also consider signing up for the free email from Dr. Wilton while you're on our website at www.tewonline.org. A powerful insight to God's Word, an encouragement on how we can apply it to our lives. It's a perfect way to launch your day.

Again, sign up online at www.tewonline.org for the daily encouraging word with Dr. Don Wilton. Now back to today's broadcast. Oh, they were faced with unbelievable, insurmountable problems.

No food. Jesus said, tell them to sit down. You can go on with me to verse 20. What happened in verse 20? The Bible says that Jesus came walking on the water and these men were scared to death. But he said to them, it is I, be not afraid.

Go with me to verse 26. When they saw him coming, they said to him, Master, how did you get into the boat? Jesus answered and said, I tell you the truth.

You are looking for me for the wrong reasons. Jesus spoke to them. You go on with me to verse 29. They asked him, what must we do to do the works that God requires? Jesus answered and said, the work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent.

And on and on and on and on it goes. May I submit to you today, my dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that if we are ever going to understand the deep things of God, number one, we must believe the Scriptures. Number two, we must be willing to take God at his word. There's a saying that I believe in, God said it, that settles it.

God said it, that settles it. Believe the Scripture, take God at his word. Number three, rely on the Holy Spirit, rely completely upon the Holy Spirit. Look with me at verse 63. Jesus said, did you notice in verse 61, by the way, well, let's go back to verse 60. See, every time I announce one verse, I've got to go back another one. Verse 60, on hearing this, many of his disciples said, here it is, this is a hard teaching.

Who can accept it? If you all want to know how God spoke to me about this message, it was that verse. When I began to study that verse, and I began to understand that these people were having a hard time understanding and accepting the deep truths of God, I said to myself, no different to us, aware of this, that his disciples were grumbling. Jesus said to them, does this offend you?

What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before? And then he puts the nail on the head. He says, the Spirit gives life.

The flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life. Jesus was saying to these people, if you are ever going to understand the deep things about God, you have got to rely on the presence and the power and the indwelling of the Spirit of the living God.

Why? Because it is the Spirit of God through the manifestation of his word who breathes life upon his people. But there's a fourth dynamic involved in here. You need to listen to it carefully because it's rather complicated.

I had to think carefully about this. In order for us to understand the deep things of God, number four, we must pray for those who reject God. We must pray for those who reject God. You see, in verse 66 of John chapter six, the Bible says from this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

In verse 70, Jesus affirms that one of the 12 was going to betray him and one of the 12 was going to let him down. I believe what Jesus was saying is that in order for us to come to an understanding of the mind of God, we've got to understand, my beloved friends, that unbelievable spiritual choice that God has given to mankind, that some believed the word which was spoken and some believed not. And it is my conviction that the more we understand and pray for those who refuse to accept the deep things of God, the more within our own hearts and minds we begin to understand the incredible power of God that is made available to us to draw such people unto himself.

Why? Because nobody is beyond the grace of God. But there's a fifth dynamic involved in understanding the deeper things of God. We must not only pray for those who reject it, but we must rejoice with those who accept it. You see, the Bible says in verse 68, Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and we know that you are the Holy One of God. How in the world will that help me in my understanding of the deep things of God, to rejoice with those who have accepted the deep things of God? Here it is, because friends, right throughout Scripture, God admonishes us to connect ourselves with spiritual giants, to connect ourselves with people who are walking with God, to subject ourselves to the systematic teaching of the Word of God.

But there's one more point. Not only must we believe the Scriptures, take God at his word, rely on the Holy Spirit, pray for those who reject God, rejoice with those who receive him and who understand him. But number six, go to church.

Go to church. You see, right there in verse 59, the Bible says, Jesus said all of this while teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. Isn't it great to be in God's house? You see, friend, there's something about being in God's house, isn't there? Indeed there is, and something about being in God's family.

You've heard Dr. Wilton preach. Now as he comes into the studio, open your heart to what he's about to say next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner, and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today I repent of my sin, and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus' name. My friend, I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news. Welcome to the family of God.

I know some of you just gave your life to Jesus. You need to call us for some wonderful resources that will help you grow next. 866-899. Word is the number.

That's 866-899-9673. Or meet us online at www.tewonline.org. The New Year always starts with fireworks and fanfare, but it is lived out in the trenches, in the mundane struggles of everyday life. It is hard and it is messy. It requires lots of prayer. We believe in the power of prayer. This is where we meet with God daily. The encouraging word has a 24-hour prayer line. You can call 866-899.

Word. That's 866-899-9673 and talk to a live person who would be glad to pray with you. The encouraging word is a viewer and listener supported ministry.

Thank you for listening today. Our time's gone for today, but tomorrow it's John chapter 7 as Dr. Wilton talks about the marks of an unbeliever. I hope you'll join us and bring a friend. Between now and then, let's stay connected on our website, www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org. Remember to sign up for the free daily email from Dr. Wilton. It will encourage you undeniably. That's online at www.tewonline.org.