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May 1, 2022 6:00 am
Jesus is the creator the light the life he came to his world. He came to his nation. He came to his place is city. This temple did not recognize him and they did not receive him even though for centuries Jews predicted waited for Messiah to come. Read the Old Testament and and it's like there's a flicker of light here) a trace of light here next race of life. There they get their hopes up and then it's like the sun itself. The light comes to the earth. I woke up to connect with Skip weekend edition, you may not remember, but when you were little. Did you have a nightlight in your room for the Jericho camping where you want to make sure you get the flashlight near your sleeping bag just in case you needed it dark can be pretty scary for light is comforting, what, when Jesus talks about being the light of the world should have the same effect should be very comforting will examine that more today with Skip Heitzig but before we begin, we have an excellent resource for you this month. I connectwithskip.com stands between you and a more fruitful walk with Jesus health for prominent women in the Bible thinks their struggle to meet teaching theories from my comp Queens of the Bible on the Queen of Sheba hearing is the first step toward spiritual life right now, hearing that blessing as faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God hear more from when she exploits the faith in the failings of four different queens in Scripture. The Queens of the Bible collection of teaching saying thank you $35 or more today to support this Bible teaching ministry following Christ is to go wherever healing your copy of these unique teachings when you call 898 or give online securely connectwithskip.com/offer connectwithskip.com/offer. John just triggered your Bible will join Skip can people look at you and us.
You see Christ is just a wall to see you all basic are you pointing people to save us the highest goal one can have a man or woman sent from God. So the light was represented by John. Look what happened. Verse nine that was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. Notice now the light is rejected. He was in the world and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive. Did you know that Jesus whole life is summed up in those two or three verses Jesus life is one of rejection. This whole story was the story of rejection. He came to the very world he created and the world didn't get and you know what they still don't get the word know him is the word good.
No skull, which has the idea of recognition. The creator came in human form and they did not recognize him, they didn't connect the dots.
I've discovered that if there's one thing this world consistently gets wrong. You notice the identity of Christ. They get that answer wrong all the time when I picture Jesus is just a good man or I think he was just a wonderful prophet who had a lot find things to say and I'll say a lot of things about Jesus and their consistently wrong and you should not be surprised. It is the story of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and all those four Gospels. There's individuals or there's groups of people who thought certain things about Jesus and they were not right is sampling in John seven. Some said he was just a good man, while others said he was a deceiver. They got that wrong you push the button and answer wrong. In Matthew 16.
Some said he was John the Baptist others, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets and got the answer wrong. You would not in John chapter 6 after Jesus makes them a free lunch.
They wanted taken by force and make him what a king human earthly king. A monarch dictator what Matt Luke 23 they called him a taxi later. Imagine Jesus against the IRS. I won't go there and they said he is subverting the government and got the answer wrong. There John chapter 610.
They said he has a demon and got the answer wrong. There and did you know in Mark chapter 3, even his own family got the answer wrong in Mark chapter 3, his mother and his brothers go to Capernaum to take him away because they said and I quote he is out of his mind and got the answer wrong.
There now nothing has changed. And every year right about this time, Christmas and Easter you find these magazines will put out various articles about the true identity of Jesus. It's predictable comes every Christmas, every one of these lame magazines will come out with an article and were not so tragic. It would be laughable.
This steady stream of what people say Jesus was. I've collected a few of them.
Some have written and said Jesus Christ was a magician who practiced illusion and hypnosis and others that he was a zealot or a guru or a world traveler. Some believe he was the husband of Mary Magdalene, who procreated a secret lineage to rule the world. These are things that make articles in time and Newsweek magazine, according to the Jesus seminar a group out of Arizona who tells you what is really Scripture, and what is not Scripture said and I quote Jesus was probably just an illiterate from a low cast of artisans, John allegro, a somatic scholar, wrote a book called the sacred mushroom and the cross and he said Jesus Christ was not a historical man at all. But Jesus was a codename for a sacred hallucinogenic mushroom allegedly used by the first Christians that puts a whole new spin on a duty when Jesus a French-Canadian cult said Jesus resurrection was a cloning performed by aliens who made humans in the laboratory DNA experiment 25,000 years ago and what we said all that, and people write articles about this stuff that there's one thing the world consistently gets wrong. It's who Jesus was. He was in the world and the world was made by him in the world did not know him. But John gets more specific. Look at verse 11. He came to his own and his own did not receive what I think John is doing his thing. Okay generally you put Jesus in the world and generally the world doesn't recognize them but specifically his own people. The Jewish nation didn't receive. That's what I think he's referring to in verse 11 and his wife. He came into his own.
The first word own and that sentence is in the neuter gender, and refers to things like place or land or home but the second own in that sentence is masculine and gender and refers to people so it could be literally translated, he came to his own place or nation but his own people did not receive.
That's why the new living translation renders it that way. Even in his own land, and among his own people. He was not accepted yet what the Jewish Talmud said Jesus was is a quote right out of the town.
He was the illegitimate son of Mary, the illegitimate son of Mary, whom they fancy. Mary was a hairdresser where they got that I don't know but it also says Jesus was called Panthera and he learned magical arts in Egypt and then came to Israel to instigate a rebellion so you see what John is saying Jesus is the creator the light the life he came to his world. He came to his nation.
He came to his place, his city, this temple and they did not recognize him and they did not receive him, even though for centuries the Jews had predicted, and waited for a Messiah to come and you read the Old Testament and and it's like there's a flicker of light here in a flicker of light there in a trace of light here and a trace of life there and they get their hopes up and then it's like the sun itself. The light comes to the earth and John the Baptist was that that's the light, not me, I'm just a preacher. That's the light and they said turn off the light or in the words of Scripture, crucify him his blood be on us and our children.
That was the response they hated the light was too bright for them. Imagine the very hands that he created with a very hands that picked up nails and a hammer and drove his own hands. Those sacred onto across now that's can happen again can happen again in a few weeks. Skull Christmas excuse me holidays the winter holidays. You'll hear the debates they will be on television.
Somebody in some cities, some public display or decoration got to Christ out of Christmas and you know just make about Santa and reindeer's a little snow and gifts and smiles and winter holiday but take Christ out of that or they'll say well you can have on the manger scene but just make sure that you just keep Jesus as a little baby.
We don't mind a little baby Jesus, we just don't want them to grow up as when he grows up.
He's very unstable and unpredictable, and says things like, you better believe in me because I'm the way the truth and the life and I'm going to a cross to die for the sins of the world. We don't want that. We just want a little baby one that stays a baby every year and brings good cheer. He came to his own and his own did not receive that is the position of the world and you'll see it over and over again in believe 8792 the gospel of John. However, there's good news. The light was represented by John. The light was rejected by most, but the light was received by some verse 12, but if ever I was glad to see that word begin a sentence. It's right about now. Even though my English teacher said never begin a sentence with the word but I'm so glad that John the apostle didn't go to my English class because this little conjunction negative conjunction is a huge fulcrum that shifts it now a whole another direction, but as many as received him, to them he gave the right or literally power or authority to become children of God, to those who believe in his name who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Do you notice how John goes from very wide to very narrow from very general population to individual person and he talked about the world. First of all in the world. It didn't recognize him and then he came to his own people. The Jewish people and they didn't receive them. But now, to the individual, but as many as received. In other words, any anyone any individual. So from wide to narrow.
I think what he saying could be summed up in this world and want him his own people didn't want them. Hey, do you want them. Do you want him as many as received him, he gave them the power to become his children the world and one of his nation didn't want him hey do you want them as if you want them you know what you have to receive him as many as received him, it's another word for believe grammatically their appositional terms.
One means the other to receive Christ is to believe in him it's more than intellectual. Yes, I believe God exists in the sending Jesus.
I believe that appear. The idea is to receive it. To make a personal to make it personal to surrender to commit Mr. like a gift if if you get a gift this Christmas and it's not really your gift until you receive it you have to take the gift, open it up and chores if it just sits in the closet on open on received. It's really not your gift yet you have to receive it. Same with Christ you have to receive him something.
I know it's obvious but we should note this notice that you're not born a child of God you become a child of God, as many as received him, he gave them the right to become children of God, you'll get born a Christian you get born again Christian, born of God is what it says in the next verse I tell you why this is important. This becomes the issue today because the prevailing belief system is this called the fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man were all children of God. Everybody in the world, a child of God by creation.
Now that may be good on Oprah that is Oprah theology but it is not biblical theology. Your child of God, not by creation, but by redemption. You receive Christ and you have the right, the power to become God's children. Verse 13 spells it out, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God doesn't come by bloodline member, the Jews, some of them tried that the civil we have Abraham as our father and they tried it with John the Baptist and John the Baptist said I know what you guys are thinking you guys are thinking will your children of Abraham. You have this right of salvation by birth, but you ought to know something John the Baptist said God can be children of Abraham out of these rocks. He was very direct and yet you can ask people that they will hate you a Christian. Sure I was born a Christian I was born into a Christian family.
My parents are strong Christians know what, I ask you, and you didn't answer my question God has no grandchildren. He only has children born your born-again into his family. You become a child of God, and you do it by believing by receiving so there's two possible responses to the light. The sunlight shines and one response is a majority response and it's the wrong response.
The second responses. The minority response and it's the right one.
Have you ever stop to think that the majority is not right.
I know that sounds so un-American. But the majority is wrong. I want you to consider with John the apostle wrote in first John chapter 5 verse 19 1/4 for we are of God, dear children and we know that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked sews the world. By and large write about Jesus my not minority Jesus and why does the gate that leads to destruction, and most people enter therein. Narrow is the gate that leads to life and very few enter therein. His words so the light is come.
John represented them. Most of the world rejects him, but some will receive some will receive them. And Jesus said you're either for me or against me.
I heard a story about a man who lost his car keys. When I first read it I thought it was a summary writing about me but this guy lost his car keys.
I do it all the time and he's looking for an outside on the street under the streetlight at night is the converse case is neighbor. The seas was going on.
Feel sorry for them goes out to help him. They search for about 20 minutes until the neighbor finally says, do you remember exactly where you drop your car keys because we been looking for 20 minutes. The guy said yeah I lost them in the garage elastomer in the garage. What we doing looking for them out here in the guy said will the lights better out here. Well I have a hunch that some of you here today.
You don't exactly know where or when you lost your way, but you lost your way, you come here because the lights better. The lights better here you're around people who enjoy and bask in the light of Jesus and they love him and you feel it and you love to come but there's a step that must be made a single step out of darkness into sun light SOM light and all I've done is give a message. I've just been a man pointing to the light. I can't save anybody I can help anybody at a lady came up to me the other day and she said she want to thank you for saving me and I said I appreciate what you're saying but I I've I save no one I've been saved. Jesus will save and friend. He will save you. It will enlighten you. He will make your way clear crystal clear, but it comes by believing in and thus receiving the gift person if you'd like to talk to someone about how to do that you have you explain to you what it means to receive the gift of God's grace comes through doing exactly what our current series is titled, believing if you'd like to believe in Jesus and always done for you, but aren't sure what that really means or what it should look like these don't hesitate to call us at 1-800-922-1888 and were almost out of time for today but before we go your script and willing to talk a bit more about what the purpose of our current series is so were getting started in this new series on the book of John we can't believe 879 why you collect that because there's 879 verses in the Gospel of John in the core theme is believed that you might believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that by believing you would have life in his name sell enough you are having a struggle with your faith or doubt or questions. John's of feeling the Gospel of John's a great player you know and we usually steer people in the direction of the gospel of John as their first Bible book that they read because of that reason, it simply put, it exalt Christ to present some is God in human flesh is sacrifice God's plan and it increases people's faith in time we get of course Jesus the gospel that sets out grazing is just that. Just give me Jesus and it's an opportunity and mean it's not that the whole Bible isn't about God or the Messiah coming. But just spending a saturated amount of time studying the Messiah in Jesus, I find so exciting. I'm glad you said that because I felt it exciting as well. The reason I wanted to do it is for that reason, what would it be like to saturate myself and as a church saturate ourselves for a prolonged period of time in the gospel of John, with just looking at the life of Jesus. What took us 2 1/2 years to do that but it was so rewarding for that purpose where it will take every single paragraph and exegete it and apply it and you know set up for the mile markers along the way to this where we come from this world were going, but the result of that I believe is a faith filled church that you may believe that Jesus is the son of God, and not only that, but it increases the amount of spiritual life we enjoy that by believing you would have life in his name and then that life is reproductive all life is, and so we've seen people bring their friends bring their relatives and the Lord reproduces life through their lives. It's neat because in the book of John there so many of those I am statements to set out he is revealing himself that I am the lighter I am the shepherd. I am out of line yes and asked I love that it's a it's an opportunity for him to express who he is and as so anyway that's exciting. I can't wait to hear about the fruit at the listeners as they go through believe 879. If you'd like to get a copy of today's teaching it's available for just four dollars plus shipping. When you call us at 1-800-922-1888 or when you visit our website connect was gift.com sure to come back and join us again next time. As we continue with our series through the book of John called believe 879) connect with weekend edition the presentation of connection