Uncommitted! - Part B

When you read in verse 23 the work leave that does not necessarily mean committed. Space does not necessarily mean there is a faith that the Bible speaks about the fall short of being genuine saving James chapter 2 say you say you believe in God, but even the demons believe and they tremble see one thing to have a recognition of who Jesus is and they all as Christ as Messiah son of God to hold another thing to have an appropriation woke up to critically Skip weekend division. One of the definitions for commitment is an obligation pledge or promises that switch one's freedom of action. With that definition in mind, it's no wonder there's a stereotype of many guys being afraid of commitment. After all, who wants the freedom of action restricted. However, when it comes to our relationship with God. Commitment is something that's not restrictive, but that which will truly set us free will and why that's the case today here and connect with Skip weekend division first. This update from the connect with Skip resource Center's world record has again confirmed that the Bible is the best-selling of all time, research, and portions of Scripture then translated into nearly 3500 different languages but there's a big difference between having access to and allowing it to change your life. Listen to this practical Bible study from skip. I think observation was legal interpretation which must lead to application somebody wants. But if you want to meet in the street. Bible truths and shoe leather on the rubber meets the road.

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This practical guide is thanking you when you get $25 or more to help keep his teaching ministry on the get your copy today and take the mystery out of studying Scripture, 819 to 1888, or get online securely connect.com/offer study of John chapter 2 that's part of your Bible destroyed Skip when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw signs. Okay, here's what's interesting is WHEN he was in the temple overturned the tables and the leaders that we want sign show assignment after doing what you just did give us some miraculous sign that Jesus give him a sign example no.

In fact, he spoke cryptically about his own resurrection destroy this temple in three days all rise up and leave the temple without giving him a sign and goes all around Jerusalem doing signs do a whole other group of people so many that it says many believed what happened is got their attention and for many people listen carefully. Not all but many people the signs and wonders was the beginning of their faith.

The beginning of their faith journey. Nicodemus was one of them. In chapter 3 will be drawn in by the signs and hell of a private interview with Jesus in his life will change but when you read in verse 23 the word believed that does not necessarily mean committed faith does not necessarily mean committed faith. There is a faith that the Bible speaks about that fall short of being genuine saving faith right James chapter 2 say you say you believe in God, but even the demons believe and they tremble see one thing to have a recognition of who Jesus is and they all recognize Jesus as Christ as Messiah is the son of God.

It's a whole another thing to have an appropriation of that truth. In fact, I think James helps us out by telling us there's three kinds of faith that are possible. One is a demonic faith. Even the devil believed in Trumbull number two is a bad faith faith without works is dead.

You can talk about what you believe all day long, but if there's no correspondent life change its dead faith in the third kind is dynamic faith. It's real it's authentic and it lives on. Now notice what it says in verse 23 that they believed in his name. They believed in his name.

The amplified version translates it. Many identified themselves with his party so they're willing to accept him as long as it's on their own terms, they'll accept him as a miracle worker that Alex accept him as a healer.

He's are kinda guy. Look what he does. The cow powerfully as you like a genie in a bottle so they're willing to accept him as the healer of their bodies, not as the Savior from their sin.

This will be evident later on were and where is because this group unsaved believers met an interesting term unsaved believers drawn to Jesus by his miracles, but they will not commit himself or themselves to him. I want you to see the difference. Here's one instance turn with me to John chapter 8. Turn in your Bibles to John chapter 8 look at two verses. This is going to help John chapter 8 verse 3031 as he Jesus spoke these words, many believed in him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him.

If you abide continue keep going in my word that is obey what I say you are my disciples indeed you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free to the difference it's readily apparent.

One more passage turn to acts chapter 8 just go to the right. One book acts.

The eighth chapter. This Time Story Takes Pl. in Samaria. There up there preaching the gospel. It's were Philip is look what happens. Acts chapter 8 verse 13 then Simon, that's not Simon Peter, a different guy in Samaria. Then Simon himself also believed and when he was baptized.

He continued with Philip and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Says he believed what when the apostles were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit for as yet he had fallen upon none of them they'd only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they receive the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that through the laying out of hand of the apostles hands, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, give me this power also that anyone, in whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him your money perish with you. Watch this because you thought the gift of God could be purchased with money. You have neither partner portion in this matter. For your heart is not right in the sight of God. Huge difference. Repent therefore of this. Your wickedness and pray God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven.

You huge difference going to be aware of a movement that is happening in the gospel of John. You see it beginning here, but you're gonna see a movement in the life of Jesus happen in the gospel of John, where Jesus moves out of the bright light of popularity into the dark shadows of rejection. More and more and more. First, like here at the beginning. It's a bandwagon approach. Everybody's amazing the crowds rushed to him because of the miracles that he performs, but pretty soon he's gonna talk. He's in a speak and when he speaks, things like if you follow me, you have to die daily to yourself, take up your cross and follow me.

The words that Jesus will share with him, bring deep conviction to the heart and conviction will eventuate in one of two possibilities conversion or contention. They will be divided over him and he's gonna move from being very, very popular to being rejected ultimately by the nation. A good example that you don't return their John chapter 6 he feeds the 5000 were told this when they had seen the sign Jesus did, they were about to come and take him by force and make him their king Jesus escapes out of that and then he talks to the crowds has some very, very difficult hard things so some of the disciples said this is a hard saying cooking here from that time many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more of you know they're there for a free lunch, and I'll come back later on hopefully for a free dinner, but when he starts telling them truth. Many of them will walk away from. They want the signs, not the Savior.

So there's a problem with signs if you base your faith on signs.

There never enough there, never enough, you will be upset by the one that didn't happen.

You'll be upset by the prayer that wasn't answered by the person who wasn't healed by the payment didn't arrive.

Never enough.

That's the reason. Faith needs to be based not in what Jesus does. But on who Jesus is. Please see the difference.

You can say you believe in him there's a big difference between recognizing him and appropriating him a difference between knowing who he is annoying and personally I guess will be sort of like when I was living in California.

I remember the mailman to deliver my mail I recognized.

In fact, I've never met him but I could tell you a lot about I could take et al. he was roughly what color hair. He had on how we walk 40 typically dress like certain mannerisms. I knew a lot of facts about them.

One day I decided to put my hand out and actually meet the guy we struck up a conversation and eventually a relationship and I came to know him personally big difference between knowing the him and knowing him personally.

That's the difference here, not takes us to the last and final thought. The uncommitted Christ. Verse 24 and 25. These are words that stop us in our tracks. But Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all the word man is italicized, it's implied but it's not there.

He knew all he knew everything and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. What we have here in these two verses is how Jesus responds to nominal Christianity sobering is that you notice in verse 23 the word believe in verse 24 the word commit to different words in English and Greek. It's the same exact word. In fact, in the Greek language. It's a play on words. It would sound to our ears.

More like this. They believed in him, but he did not believe in them, or many trusted him but he would not entrust himself to them.

The Tyndale New Testament says he would not put himself into their hands so they believe, but what kind of faith that they have stony ground faith stony ground faith. This is what Jesus said in Matthew 13. The seed fell on stony places, where we did not have much earth and immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. This is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, but he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while, but when tribulation and persecution arises because of the word, he stumbles with.

This puts a whole new light on you committed yourself to Christ because the big question is has Christ committed himself to you in the reason Jesus didn't commit himself to them.

It says because because he knew all men yet spiritual, x-ray vision. He could look at a person and know every motive that they were dealing with. While so verse 23, 24 and 25 is an editorial comment by John summing up what happened in Jerusalem this what he wants us to know this. Jesus had an attribute of God called omniscience.

He knew everything he could look at you with penetrating eyes and no past, present what you're thinking. Why why you there where you're going to go what's gonna happen. He knew it all until you dealing with a kind of a person.

As I mentioned can be very unsettling and we don't like it in a restaurant.

If we see Sammy staring at us from across the restaurant we get really nervous.

We really want our privacy but imagine somebody like Jesus when he looks at you sees everything that you think is hidden. That's an attribute of God. Hebrews 413 tells us know creatures hidden from his site.

All things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account, so some of the large point here in chapter 2 is that no one with artificial faith in Jesus presence could get away with it.

They could see could see right through. So to put it bluntly, you can't pull the wool over his eyes. So don't try it, here's here's the bottom line point be real, be honest, if you don't feel like this don't do that. Spurgeon said your ordinary face will do be genuinely who you are because living before God with any kind of a façade is stupid. He knows everything. So now let me close today by just giving you three quick things to go home with three important summary principles number one since he knows everything.

That means that he knows the worst about you. You know how good that feels because in human relationships.

You come in. The relationship of the person, especially a dating relationship and and and you get awfully afraid that that person finds out about the skeleton in your closet can reject you talking and God knows all about the skeletons in your closet already.

He's not shocked someone 03 says God knows our frame and he remembers the word dust to tell you something God did have a high expectation of dust. He knows all about you. He knows the worst about you already number two because he knows everything. He also knows the best about you. He knows what other people don't know they might know about one little thing you did wrong.

One problem you had dinner know about all the other good stuff that you've done and they certainly don't know the motivation of your heart. God's God's first John says if our heart condemns us.

God is greater than our hearts and he knows all things in is the worst about you knows the best about you and here's the third and final principle to walk away with since he knows everything.

He knows what is to make out of you in the future. He knows that when he looks at you. He didn't just see imperfections and you he also sees the finished product. The Bible says we are his workmanship, he sees the finished work of art is a bumper sticker that says I'm Christians aren't perfect, just what forgiven. Some people put that on their car so they can speed and get away with it. I guess, but there's much more than that Christians are God's project he's working on you and he knows what you're going to become with his hands in her life. The best example of that is Nicodemus. In chapter 3 verse one, by the way chapter 3 shouldn't be there. What I mean by that is the chapter breaks were added much later after the Bible was written and people thought that it was sort of a new thought. It's not a new thought would John want to know is that is the difference or Jesus knew all men. He did need that anybody need to testify to him of man because he knows what is in man chapter 3 verse one there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, he's a different man is a different reason for coming to Jesus he's can be changed. Jesus is gonna work on this guy change. I remember when I heard the gospel very plainly and simply, first by watching it on television with Dr. Graham second was some time before that when a friend of mine named Gino after being saved. One Saturday night came to me on a Sunday and told me that I was a center I needed to be saved and he accepted Christ. My response was to pick him up by the shirt and thrown against the wall, and Satan never tell me that ever again and I said don't you know I've been raised in a church all my life.

I went onto talk about how I believed I was like this crowd, I believed in that I recognized who Jesus was, but it wasn't genuine from the heart believe I had not received Christ. Huge difference. When I did when I decided to put my faith in Jesus.

It was so weak and it was so frail and it was so faltering, but it was real.

I really wanted to be forgiven. I really wanted to have hope in my life in Jesus took me on his his project and began working on and and what followed were signs, not all my diseases being healed. But the greatest sign of all my life being changed. You could ask my friend, you could ask my family that say here, he's a different dude today. They couldn't explain why they just knew things had changed and what I thought was impossible have my life changed.

Jesus changed.

He not only saw the worst of me in the best of me.

He saw what I would be calm and am still becoming by his grace. I pray that if you haven't genuinely believed committed wholeheartedly that today would be the day that you do. Let's pray together.

Heavenly father you know all men all women all thoughts, all motives, you know, the genuine from the false. As Paul said to Timothy, the Lord knows those who are his, you know that, far better than we do. We don't know the person sitting next to us is really a believer or not. We might think we do. We don't know the human heart. You do the Lord forget about them for a minute, at least we should were thinking about ourselves right now is. Or maybe some of us who have been religious have been well-meaning come to church to sing the songs we say we believe, but that's a faith that is short of saving faith and maybe we just know that because our whole life and faith in experiencing so cold and we want it warmed up.

We want the richness of what it is to have a relationship with you personally, authentically through your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray for anybody here who is never yielded their life to Christ. They've never surrendered. They've never said I give up and I want to live for you and I turn and repent of my sins and I turned to you completely. They've never done that yet or others are confused because they they went to a camper they went to a meeting and they did something they just they just don't exactly know what that was certainly don't see that in their experience today. I pray father for anyone who is in a those camps or third Somebody knows that they walk with you. It is backsliding. I pray that today they come back home. Well if you like to do that you like to make that commitment see how Jesus can change your life. Physical here who can help you understand what it means to live a committed life you choose how to start doing that today. Here's the number 1-800-922-1880, as you do that just about out of time for today but before we go.

Here's a unique opportunity to grow in your knowledge of the Lord think taking classes in physical studies can't get your life your scale for college student Krista after years of wanting training in ministry.

I found company, now I can keep in my walk with the Lord and I can go as little boys often is my schedule is our great schedule around my work and family. Learn more about God and the Bible on your schedule with Calvin College apply to the Calvary church college.com will continue through a series believe 879 with more from the gospel of John. Next time so I hope you can join us, right here in weekend edition connection