Right Belief
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
“After This” — When John uses this phrase it is not an indicator of exact time. It does not mean they left the wedding fora road trip to Capernaum. It simply means after a period of time Jesus, His disciples, mother and brothers went to Capernaum. Capernaum would become the home base of His ministry. He was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth but lived His ministry years in Capernaum
After the wedding at Cana Jesus, His disciples, mother and brothers went to Capernaum which would become the base of His ministry. He was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth but lived His ministry years in Capernaum
John records the cleansing of the Temple as if it happened at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. The other Gospels record this event at the end of His ministry on earth. Were there two events or only one? The answer is in the purpose of John’s writing. This is not a chronological story written like a newspaper reporter.
After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John is simply doing what the writers of “This is US” do every week! He is telling the story of Jesus using events to capture the readers attention while offering information that develops the character…the picture of who Jesus is. With the end in mind that one might believe in Jesus for salvation when that picture comes fully into view.
The reason John tells us this particular story at the beginning of his Gospel is important…He is establishing the importance of the Passover to the life and story of Jesus. The Passover is going to be a central theme throughout the Gospel as it is a picture of who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish. Jesus is the true and final Passover Lamb.
Passover — During the time of the plagues in Egypt, God determined the tenth plague would involve the death of all the first born in the land. However, this was not intended for those who were followers of Jehovah. God told His people to take a lamb…sacrifice it for the sins of the people it was to represent…each house was to have its own animal to sacrifice or join with a neighboring house…take hysop and paint the blood from the sacrifice on the doorpost…then later that night…when the death angel came…he would see the blood…recognize the relationship with God of those inside on the basis of their faith and sacrifice for their sin…and not kill the first born of that house.
Life was in the sacrifice for sin and Jesus was to become the ultimate sacrifice and atonement as His blood was shed on the cross…but it would only be effectual for those who have faith.
Faith and Right Belief — It wasn’t enough to kill the lamb…or to believe its blood would save those inside from death…there had to be a moment when those in the house took hyssop and smeared the blood on the doorposts…Unless you are marked by faith in the blood of Jesus by repentance, asking forgiveness and giving of your life to Him…you are not saved from death.
This is what John intends with his gospel…that people would understand Jesus to be our Passover lamb…that we would repent of sin…receive His payment for our sins and give our life to Him.
The Cleansing
The Cleansing
Jesus goes “up” to Jerusalem from Capernaum. He goes into the temple and sees men selling animals for sacrifice and money changers exchanging foreign currency for the type which could be used to pay the temple tax. Basically the temple area had ceased to be a place of prayer and worship and had become a place of banking and trade.
Church in the 21st century, just as the temple in the day of Jesus. Is meant to be a place of worship. God is not happy when it becomes about something other than Him…And this jealousy for our worship isn’t just for Him…He is concerned about what it is for us as well…He loves us so much that He wants us to experience Himself in worship!
William Temple: For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose -- and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.
During the tenure of the great orator Henry Ward Beecher, a visiting minister (Beecher's brother) once substituted for the popular pastor. A large audience had already assembled to hear Beecher, and when the substitute pastor stepped into the pulpit, several disappointed listeners began to move toward the exits.
During the tenure of the great orator Henry Ward Beecher, a visiting minister (Beecher's brother) once substituted for the popular pastor. A large audience had already assembled to hear Beecher, and when the substitute pastor stepped into the pulpit, several disappointed listeners began to move toward the exits. That's when the minister stood and said loudly, "All who have come here today to worship Henry Ward Beecher may now withdraw from the church. All who have come to worship God keep your seats!"
That's when the minister stood and said loudly, "All who have come here today to worship Henry Ward Beecher may now withdraw from the church. All who have come to worship God keep your seats!"
After attending church one Sunday morning, a little boy knelt at his bedside that night and prayed, "Dear God, we had a good time at church today--but I wish you had been there!"
So Jesus makes a whip and drives out those selling animals and turns over the tables of the money changers. The disciples later (the book was written post resurrection and is from that perspective) saw this act as a fulfillment of what was written in
For zeal for your house has consumed me,
and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
Zeal — Anger, jealousy Jesus was angry. The emotion can be felt and not lead to sin. It is not a sin to be angry but anger certainly can lead to sin. Such was not the case with Jesus.
A Sign — The Jewish officials wanted to know by what authority Jesus was doing these things. Jesus refused to become a magician and do tricks in order to demonstrate authority for His actions. Instead He offered a prediction concerning destruction and rising. If they had ears to hear it they would understand the prediction actually serves as a sign.
Destroy this temple — The temple had already been worked on for 46 years and still wasn’t near completion. It would not be completed till the year AD 63. It would then stand completed only 7 years prior to its destruction at the hands of the Romans in AD 70. Jesus says, destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days…but it was a play on words…the temple He spoke of was His body.
Jesus was the embodiment of the glory of God because He is God…He was the really temple…dwelling place of the glory of God.
The Jews completely misunderstood what Jesus was saying as they were looking only to the temple building itself not the person of Jesus. This misunderstanding is restated emphatically when we see the mocking of Jesus at the Cross in
and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’ ”
John, writing post resurrection, writes that the disciples understood Jesus meant His body. Doubtful that the disciples really understood this any better than the Jews when His words were originally spoke. After Jesus rose from the dead the entire New Testament comes alive to those who read through the lens of the victory of the Cross…and this is how the disciples now viewed both the life of Jesus and the OT.
John, writing post resurrection, writes that the disciples understood that Jesus meant His body. Doubtful that the disciples really understood this any better than the Jews when His words were originally spoke.
But there were other signs Jesus did which are not written here in the Gospel. The people saw these signs and “believed” in Jesus. But their belief was not all it seemed to be...
Right Belief
Right Belief
You can say you believe in Jesus but Jesus has something to say about that belief. Simple profession of belief in something does not make one a believer. Jesus knows your heart. He knows whether or not you genuinely believe in Him.
Believe — What these people were experiencing was an intellectual and emotional kind of faith. They saw miracles and were “wow’d” by them so they began to believe Jesus was someone special. Maybe a prophet or magician but special indeed.
This is not the kind of belief Jesus was looking for in those to whom He revealed Himself. He was looking for intellectual, emotional and volitional faith. He was looking for men and women who would believe He is the Messiah, were moved by such a belief to the point that they repented of sin, placed trust in Him for the forgiveness of their sin and gave their life to Him.
Entrusted Himself — Jesus does not commit Himself, His Cross, His life to the person who lacks genuine faith in Him.
Needed no one to bear witness — Jesus was not impressed by flattery nor was He impressed with false professions of devotion. He is not moved by it at all. Jesus only gives His life to those who have genuinely placed their faith in Him…a faith which leads to repentance and commitment.
Once again we are at the place where we see the difference between the three types of faith and the necessity for all three to be present in our life: intellectual, emotional and volitional.
We all want Jesus to move in our life. We all want to be saved and walk by faith. However, all too often what begins genuinely is shipwrecked and devastated because faith becomes intellectual theory and heartfelt emotion with no real application which might give it life…faith without works is dead.
Conclusion
Conclusion
There is a lot of talk now days about authenticity. People want something that is authentic and real. Jesus wants that for us and from us. He will settle for nothing less. Once we have genuine faith in Christ for our salvation and life He gives us that authenticity we have been looking for…Once we have Right Belief we have Jesus...
A test of whether or not you have authentic faith is often found in the answer to a simple question...How do you feel about sin? Are you horrified by it? Do you think it something everyone does and you can just ask forgiveness for so you go ahead and do it? Do you detest it? Do you want to avoid it with all your heart? Do you hate sin?
There's an old story about a man who tried to save the city of Sodom from destruction by warning the citizens. But the people ignored him. One day someone asked, "Why bother everyone? You can't change them." "Maybe I can't," the man replied, "but I still shout and scream to prevent them from changing me!
There's an old story about a man who tried to save the city of Sodom from destruction by warning the citizens. But the people ignored him. One day someone asked, "Why bother everyone? You can't change them." "Maybe I can't," the man replied, "but I still shout and scream to prevent them from changing me! He hated sin! He feared it…loathed it…wanted no part of it for himself and wanted no part of it in the life of others either.
How you feel about sin will tell you whether you are an admirer of Jesus or a follower of Jesus? Someone who has repented of sin and given their life to Jesus feels about life, death, holiness and sin the way He does.
Those who have genuine faith in Jesus for their salvation and life are concerned about the things He is concerned about and love Him with all their heart…they have a passion for Him and the things He is passionate about.
Some are actually believers but your life has become shipwrecked by your lack of authentic faith for the rest of your life here on earth…
You have become an admirer of what God can or could do with your life but haven’t the volitional faith to realize any of it
says that obedience to Christ is something produced by our faith in Him. Are you a Christian but living like the world because you haven’t the faith to have a life bigger than the one you can accomplish on your own apart from Him?
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,
says that obedience to Christ is something produced by our faith in Him. Are you a Christian but living like the world because you haven’t the faith to have a life bigger than the one you can accomplish on your own apart from Him?
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Christ gives us His life. He begins to live His life in and through us as we walk by faith. The only explanation for our life is God! This is what the Gospel is about…the exchange of our life for His! We live by faith…real faith and He gives us His life…real life.
Have you had genuine faith in Jesus? The kind that saves? Not just an appreciation for Jesus…or an affection for Him but a genuine repentance, believing of His forgiveness is for your sins on the Cross and giving of your life to Him? Are you walking by faith for your every day on earth?
Paul said in that he was a bond servant of Christ Jesus…His life was lost in Jesus…His will, ambition, desires, passions, everything was now lost into the life of Jesus…He now was only concerned with Jesus’ ambitions, passions, desires…the things that concerned the heart of God came first
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
Paul said in that he was a bond servant of Christ Jesus…His life was lost in Jesus…His will, ambition, desires, passions, everything was now lost into the life of Jesus…He now was only concerned with Jesus’ ambitions, passions, desires…the things that concerned the heart of God came first
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
Is your life lost in the life of Jesus? Have you given up yourself so that you might live in Him? So that your life might be found in Him…consumed by Him?
Are you saved? Are you, Christian, living in and by faith? Do you see yourself as crucified with Christ? Are you a living sacrifice? Are you a bond servant of His? Does He come first the way you know He is meant to do so in your life?