John Chapter 7:1-19

Jesus calls us to the reality of a life in God is about relationship is not about religion and it's about God being real.

God is really today, but not of his God really give is it just something you do on Sunday morning because there's the games that started welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina today on our verse by verse journey through the book of John we are in chapter 7, with the message. Reality we also have DA Brown in the studio with his welcome brother Bob decided be here said about God's doing to his teachings in our fast-paced world were often looking for an escape from our reality, movies, television, Jesus calls us to the reality of life God Pastor David can explain it.

So here's David McGee with his teaching reality or in John chapter 7 verse 13 says, however, no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews is speaking of Jesus member Jesus is going up to the feast in our getting ready to go up to the face right now his brothers are up there and nobody speaking about Jesus want because there is a fear of the Jewish people.

The Jewish leadership if you will not just use because some of the people that were following Jesus were Jewish.

Most of not all of in this verse is, convicting, and is a master question. Do you speak openly of Jesus. And if you don't, why do you not speak openly of Jesus.

We have opportunities and every week now understand something. Some people go you know Pastor Dave and I'm not. I'm not like you in that. I'm kind of afraid. I get fearful to speak about the Lord to somebody else in her mind.

Sometimes we think okay if I'm afraid that I'm not going to speak about Jesus ointment limit. Don't assume that anybody that does speak about Jesus is not afraid, but they don't let that fear rule. They don't let that fear keep them quiet until you sometimes 101 and in situations like that you can get anxious in the bowels is don't be anxious for anything but you can be like all here is here. It is there and I still to this day feel at some is my fact to point transparent let you in on something. Sometimes I feel that to such a degree, but I know I'm supposed to share that I do this will countdown thing and it forces me – like okay on that… 321. Have you heard the good news about Jesus Christ.

That's afraid to use that little thing because then you're like one don't keep quiet.

Just because you're intimidated or afraid because let me ask a question if the enemy can keep you quiet, by making you fearful what he think he's going to he's going to make you fearful when we come up with all sorts of well they might do this and I do that they might shoot me. They might hit me they might call me a bad name or whatever.

That's never happened to me will think about things, but that the other part about hidden the note and all that stuff and it's interesting because it's like, well, they might think might think I'm weird to limit let you down easy on this thing. I already think that here we are, so why not use that to the glory of God.

A man because you know what people understand the term Jesus freaks and understand that that's kinda cool because we want to be different but you know what my experience has been Jesus doesn't make freaks out a people he makes people out of freaks now. I used to be freaking let me assure you, I used to be as freaky as for you guys. But God has changed me into a person that loves the Lord and and wants to glorify his name because he hears the reality.

If you fear man above God.

That's simply wrong brothers and sisters that that's just wrong see one day we will stand in front of the Lord. We will give an account of our lives as believers, what would you be saying at that point that they use common. Let me encourage you to live for the Lord now and and so you have to choose who you're going to fear.

I have a reverence and awesome reference for the Lord because he's the creator God, King of Kings Gunderson King of Kings understand what he is arcane, all-powerful, all-knowing and not feared. As in running from but fear is in a reverence for in Proverbs chapter 29, 25 tells us the fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe to the question is who are you fearing this morning Sharon man are you fearing God is there a reverence for God that far outweighs your fear of me. There should be because at no point in our lives will we really stand before a man and have to give full account of our lives.

No work were called into accountability at different times but not on the scale that will be called from the Lord to be accountable seen understand right now is insane is your goal while exactly exactly. That's what we need to walk around with because here's another opportunity to glorify God to somebody in the Bible has a lot to say about the fear of the Lord. Job 2828 and the man he said to hold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.

Psalm 111 10 says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding have all those who do his commandments. His praise endures forever. Proverbs 17 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. You hear how wisdom and knowledge are tied to a fear of the Lord. See when you begin to reverence God.

Things begin to change in your life and also you begin to understand the things of God but why you're not walking in that reverence of God you can understand the deep things of God. Proverbs 1027 says the fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Proverbs 1427 the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn away from the snares of death after going now notice that all those are from the Hebrew Scriptures all those are in the Old Testament while yeah they are but here's a couple New Testament once acts chapter 9 verse 31 says in the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

That's the church that's first generation church. There they had a fear for the Lord in Matthew 1028 says and do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy those soul and body in hell.

Fractures in your goal limit limit.

I thought God was a God of love.

God is definitely a God of love, no doubt about it.

That's overwhelming characteristic of him. He loved us so much.

The Bible says he sent his son to die for us. That's how much he loves us but understand we need to walk in that and for those who choose to reject Jesus. They should be afraid should be very afraid. What a merciful God that allows us to define our relationship with him to a certain degree now, but I'm not saying we get to imagine who God is no God tells us in his word. Julio's but seek you get to pick and choose.

You get to choose whether you meet him here for the first time let me highly suggest that option are to meeting their for the first time you feel that sense of awe and reverence that should motivate you that should move you. I should drive you in our behavior and the way that we proclaim the word of the Lord. Verse 14 now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and tall here we go again. Jesus is teaching. Teaching. Teaching. Teaching the looks of the whole Gospel of John. What's he doing teaching. What's he doing in the gospel speech and so we should be doing the things that Jesus did so, how much your church's teaching these days. Not a lot, only a year you get a snippet here and there but there's an integration of man's wisdom man's philosophy with the truth of God's word.

We focus on the truth of God's word and understand you want to talk about a possible figure of people with this temple that he went up to it was an incredible place when you see pictures not not photographs of it because not exist, but when you see paintings and what not of this temple is just all inspiring. When you go down to the Western Wall and realize that's just a small little portion. It goes much deeper into the ground. You begin to get a scope and a feel of how awesome a place that it was. It was huge. Herod built it for 18,000 people working on it for nine years and then continued building for the next 37 years.

Place was huge. Jesus went right up in the middle of started teaching.

Teaching was an important ministry of Jesus, and I believe it should be an important ministry of any church. Again, this is a teaching church and all over the church this morning. Everybody's been taught the word of God. I think crafts are really cool kids. I think games are really cool with kids but are they receive in the word of God.

That's the real question because that's what's going to change your life. Let me assure you, all the children that are over there in the children's ministries are being taught the word of God and they come to an understanding that Jesus loves him. Jesus died for them and it's going to direct the door life because you know the word will not return void reaching and teaching about. We need to keep that in front of us will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown hey Bob Luna pray for listeners in the cities in Colorado. Sterling in Yuma and some cities in Florida, Eastport Gulf breeze, Jacksonville, Key West and Largo, God, thank you for everyone listening today we pray that they would look forward to hearing from you directly through your word. We prayed that they would share this word that you give them with others in their life.

And Lord, that they wouldn't fear that they're going to make too many mistakes to folly, but trusted you're going to do the work in them and help them get plugged into a Bible teaching church Lord, not one that's gonna be full of hate or anger, but of love and compassion.

In Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse verse 15 and the Jews marveled, saying, how does this man know letters, having never studied in it. Amazing how far from this statement was, now let me say as I've said many times before. I am not anti-education in the Bible's plainness is study to be approved unto God, that's not just me that's all of us we should be studying the word of God. But how did we get to the place where we think that a decree always has to come before people get into ministry. Many of you thought that read this verse. Think about the fact that in the book of acts least they said that Peter and Johnny said you know what these are unlearned men. But they've been with Jesus makes all the difference it makes all the difference in so I spent a lifetime studying the Bible and in digging into the original languages and what you're not going to hear from this platform is how the educational process will move only you could get is the thing you might go to the store with the Lord. Has that ever encouraged anybody. Most people sit out there go all pomegranate I got you never really one of the bollard artist over seven years, nine years. That doesn't encourage anybody but in a twisted sense. When I talk about sometimes. What an idiot I used to be. And now that God usually people go out he was. It was a really you know and yet God is using him in there so that I can use him. Maybe I can use you should. He can use everybody in this room. What an awesome thing one and all.

Something in again.

I'm not. I'm not anti-education, but I do think sometimes we over value that educational process. I think we do when in terms of ministry acts 413 now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceive that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled, and they realize that they had been with Jesus. This is the bottom line it's not education or no education. It has that teacher been with Jesus and see why I can't sit up here until you have got my doctorate in this doctrine, I can tell you spent a lot of time with Jesus.

I can tell you I've been broken more times than I care to remember at the feet of Jesus can tell you those things that it's possible that there's also an insinuation that there there surprise that Jesus knows Hebrews Hebrews because of the that he knows letters in these possibly speaking to them in Hebrew with verse 16 Jesus answered them and said, my doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me, my doctrine is not bond but his who sent me. You know what this tells us, people say well I believe in God, I still believe in Jesus.

Claimant if you believe in God. This verse is saying you need to believe in his doctrine and his doctrine includes Jesus so that's not really an option for you to say I believe in God but I don't believe in Jesus. I believe in God but I don't believe Jesus was the Messiah at that's not an option to certainly say I don't believe God, but you can't pick and choose which parts you believe is to reject Jesus is to reject God's mercy, to reject Jesus is to reject God's mercy. This is Jesus is the personification he eased the expression of the love of God the mercy of God, and if you reject that what you're saying is you're willing to stand on your own righteousness in front of a holy God.

Don't do verse 17 if anyone wills to do his will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority. I think when he when he started about doctrine. He's not just talking about a mental sensor intellectual knowledge. He's talking about a heart sense the new living translation. I think says it who wants to do his will see when we open up and say Lord what you want to do with my life. God will tell you, but so many times we didn't do last thing you ask us to do try to move onto the next thing and got so when you know you you didn't yet do that that I ask you to do before some of you may need to revisit that place.

The place where the Lord ask you to do something that you've not yet done. I had times. It was a time in my life and I went up at the spiritual retreat to the family up into the mountains of North Carolina.

It was going be up there a few days to go up there to hear from the Lord and spend time with the Lord just to get away.

It was also my everybody went to bed. I got a piece of paper out and then you got some right will hear from the Lord and write down some things of vision and what the Lord was going to speak to me and no one set down the right you know I heard that you know the still small voice, Lord, Lord said, you know I'm not until you do anything to you. The last thing assorted knows it now. Enjoy the next couple days put my purpose been sorted and that I was won't hear from the Lord and see that's what goes on in her life. Sometimes Lord tell me more tell me more tell me more. What if you done with what a sorry told you. Are you walking and that I'm not talking about never failing and walking in perfection, but I'm talking about applying the truth of God into our lives because of you have a knowledge of Jesus. If you have a love for Jesus and you should understand Jesus is called you to be a servant to be in ministry to be a part of what he has for your life and are you being obedient to the, let me just put a real frankly, we don't anymore armchair quarterbacks. We need people to get involved people to do stuff people to become not part of the problem but part of the solution. See that's what the Lord calls us to. As part of the body were also to be working together to wonderful sample and it is beautiful when it works and when it doesn't. It's tragic. It is tragic.

I can use the analogy before but you know I sometimes don't sit there and I'm studying over doing some euro month seems like more and more, but you know my leg will go to sleep and it just how to live. It bothers you that just that really bothered me just bums me out because then you go to get a get a decently go somewhere else in building your you don't write out non-fathers are what's wrong with her like nothing from a ligament in her the body.

Some of her sleep and then to wake up. We need to be part of the body.

Because we not other people are dragging us around.

There's too much to do. There's too many people to reach the two. Verse 18 he who speaks from himself seeks his own glory but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

He who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true understand that what what Jesus is doing is he's calling us to a reality of a life in God.

Jesus calls us to the reality of a life in God is about relationship. It's not about religion and it's about God being real understand God is real. Amen God is real and he said AAA is God real you is it just something you do on Sunday morning because there's the games and started God is real. God wants to become real to you, and it's interesting because you history reveals that religious systems always persecuted the person who came in talking about the reality of life in God. Why because it kind of toppled their king, and this is what's going on here Jesus is coming any being radical in his you know hey this is a different thing going on, calling us to a reality in him just like he was then calling people to reality in him and sad thing is, that's not always received well. But that's okay that's okay history set the president.

The president that it will always be received well. Verse 19. Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me me so here's Jesus being seeker friendly again. I guess don't get me wrong when I say we want to reach people there certain things that the church is done that makes it difficult for them to reach people. Now that the wonderful thing is understand when I say teach. That's also important what I say that because churches have some places have emphasized reach so much. They forgot to teach the emphasized reach so much that you know their whole Sunday morning is built around seeing people get saved. Only problem with that is 80 9095, 98% of the people that are listening already saved what he given them. If it is given in the Gospels are not getting milk are not getting me so it's important to have that balance in and things are getting better nonessentials that are in the way of reaching I got to go guys. They gotta go, and I don't want any walls built so you know I want comfortable chairs or good coffee or whatever the thing is good. I'm not going to water down the truth, I'm not going to make it. Well, you know, to put it.

Just like such a certain way, it will be easier to swallow.

Can't do that because then I betrayed my king, Jesus is here. None of you keeps the law. He said that two people who were very very understand very religious, very devout, but Jesus that you don't yet none of you guys are keeping the law in understand same word applies this morning. None of us are keeping the law, none of us all of us are missing it or messing up in one area or another everyone of us and I don't understand well to understand how to do church go from what Jesus said the people thinking that it's about their goodness that if they're good enough for long enough they get in and if you think this is a misconception asked people around you. Ask other people who go to church hey you think you're going to have it all.

You batch of 20 think that while you know because a very good person that's very un-biblical or while I go to church all okay my good go to church.

You must be aggression analogy, it is going to church major Christian that I guess going to Krispy Kreme make you don't it doesn't want Most the 10 Commandments. Most of it says that if you've offended if you broken the law in one place you broken everyplace.

Romans 310 says that as it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.

Nobody in here guys is righteous. Nobody that you can think of. Not even men of power in ministry.

Not one Romans 323 says for all of send and fall short of the glory of God that look at the word all you know the word all means in the Greek means all that's right all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Understand that understand every single one of us under the law stands condemned that he should nevertheless not very affirming pastor David, I'm not feeling good about me right now.

That's the bad news, good news has to start with the bad news. If you don't realize you condemned under the law, you will realize you need a Savior. But if you realize that there is none righteous, no not one.

You need a Savior.

Then you begin to look okay insanely was only one that's Jesus and you know it's awesome. He's willing friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Jenna short, simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sinned, and I'm sorry.

Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you.

All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous to congratulations bring you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you.

You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life will DA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day.

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That sounds good pastor day and again.

It's been great to have you with us on the program today but tell us what else can a listers find on cross the bridge.com. If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday. Why not join us for our life for 10 AM Eastern time or on Thursday night 7 PM this visit, cross the bridge.com and click on a lifestream link.

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The bridge North Carolina again. That website is cross the bridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the Gospel of John