Behold the Lamb #2

Let that trial be to you. Defining point in life where you say yes Lord, I will follow you no matter what you say it through sorrow you say it through tears, but you say Lord no matter what else happened. I'm not leaving, and rejoice through the tears. My faith Israel welcome again to the truth that with Don Gray, founding pastor of truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I bill right and Don is continuing a message titled, behold the Lamb part of a series of four portraits of Christ as painted. If you will buy each of the Gospels. Last time Don began John's account of our Lord and we were reminded that receiving Christ consists of three distinct aspects to life, new law and new Lord we saw that new life means being born again. Out with the old and in with a new creature in Christ today. Don continues expounding on that and also explains what new law looks like to the true believer. So open your Bible to the book of John as we join Don now in the truthful. Here's the question. Beloved, as you examine yourself in light of God's word and you young people, you old people, for that matter. Let's be clear and straight and honest with one another. Have you come to Christ as your self confession in the presence of Jesus Christ, who is to judge the living and the dead is your self confession, one that I come to you as one who is utterly dead in sin. I have no merit of my own.

I have no life of my own. If I am to be saved, it must be that you're going to give life to me and I receive you on those terms that I need life. I don't have anything to offer to you, used to work in pharmacy and they had pestle and mortar thing really grind up the medicine put it in and you you grind it until it's a fine dust look. That's a picture of what should be your understanding of your human pride in your merit and your deserving of salvation is at the recognition that you must be born again grind all of that into the dust of humility until there is nothing left for you to boast about. Paul said in Galatians. I will not presume to boast about anything except Jesus Christ, except in the cross of Christ all post not in anything else sentencing printers. We preach Christ, not ourselves. Your view toward your own soul should be. It's gotta be Christ it's not about me.

So I ask you is one appointed to buy the providence of God to be the one speaking here today you hear appointed to hear this today. Have you come to Christ like that.

Have you come to him in utter spiritual brokenness and bankrupt of any spiritual claim of your own.

Have you come to Christ as one dead in sin and said I must have new life from you.

I must receive new life from you or are you just nice girl with a lot of religion at a Bible teaching church. Don't miss the difference. Don't miss the distinction because eternal destiny hangs in the balance of how you respond to this teaching of God's word from the gospel to receive Christ means that you receive new life to receive new life realizes that you are willing to openly and without reservation confess yourself to be one who is dead in sin nor a whole lot more people want to say good things about Jesus out of the subset of those there's a small or a much smaller group that says all say good things about Jesus and I won't say anything good about myself because human pride of your heart wants to reserve some kind of credit for yourself can happen.

You have your pride. You can have Christ you can't have it both ways. So it's going to be where are you at before this one. Who says you must be born again. Christ doesn't need a proud man to flatter him fact, he rejects them and I can't look into your heart, all I can do is open the word of God to and plead with you to listen in to heat it. Have you believed in Christ as one who needs new life.

Secondly, new law new law. I'll explain what I mean by that new law what rules your thinking what is that, by which you determine truth what is it that helps you decide what's true and what's false. What is the defining standard of authority in the way that you define your worldview and your view of yourself. True faith true saving faith receives Christ receives his word as the final authority in all things, and someone who is not willing to submit himself completely to that authority has no reason to believe that he's a true Christian. And this is extraordinarily searching and yeah I can tell you, beloved, and those of you who are true Christians in the audience. I can assure you that if you wrestle through these things as a believer the spiritual clarity that it brings to your mind, and the sense of deep, profound assurance that it gives to you as you wrestle through these areas is worth every ounce of spiritual effort that it takes to do so.

There is clarity there is courage there is confidence to be found in one who is seriously interacted with God's word on these points in the difference blood. We talked about subsets right. Think about the world of those who would follow Christ.

Those who are in in a church today like ours maybe not like ours gather around a big entertainment show all supposedly in the name of Jesus.

Bunch of them.

There, look look understand that understand as a first point of discernment that not all of them are saved that with the sheep or goats that with the wheat or tears and that mere external affiliation with the church, even a church like ours is no guarantee is no statement of where a man is truly at with Christ whether he is a true Christian or not mere external affiliation with Christ means nothing if that's all the further it goes. Look at John chapter 6, verse 10, and you'll see exactly what I mean. This is consistent with everything else that Christ has said before, John chapter 6 this is the chapter where Jesus fed the 5000.

I just want to give you a little bit of context were going to skip over John six and will say that for sometime down the road when we teach through the gospel of John, Lord willing.

I just want you to see one simple thing the crowds were attracted to Jesus because he could feed them. They like the fact that he could fill their belly in an age where food was not as readily accessible as it is to us today to have somebody who could make food happen was cool and that alleviated a lot of problems that otherwise are in a vase so I just want you to see the numbers John chapter 6 verse 10 Jesus said, have the people sit down now. There was much grass in the place and so the men sat down in number about 5000. So Jesus takes these five barley loaves. These two fish. You know the story. I don't need to rehearse it for you starts breaking the bread. The disciples distributed 5000 people eat with a whole lot left over.

That was a sign that was a display of utter deity to make food out of nothing to take a little loaf of bread and just multiply it is utterly outside the ability of human power.

Okay so there you are. You got this huge massive audience that has been hearing is teaching this massive audience it's been on the receiving end of one of his miracles. One of his signs and Jesus goes on and continues to teach them and so again, if a 21st-century church guru showed up there and say Jesus is doing everything right man. The people are showing up there calling themselves Disciples of Christ.

What a remarkable revival were seeing in our midst. People praise be to God that what was happening. No, so what was happening at all, which is what you see as you continue to read on.

In the gospel John six verse 53 here's the point which said new law receiving the word of Christ is utter authority being the mark of a true disciple.

Watch what happens. Note how this separates the wheat from the chaff. Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves, it life's word is authority, not making this up. That's the key thing for you to understand. That's the key thing for you to understand I am not making this up in anything that I say today, you can see it with your own eyes from the pages of Scripture and I've take my word for. I'm not a three-year-old kid went to heaven and came back and tell you fancy tales.

We have the word of God in front of us. That's our authority. Verse 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, you internalizes me. In other words, I will raise him up on the last day my flesh is true food. My blood is true drink you eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him, verse 58 this is the bread which came down out of heaven, not as the father Satan died, he will eats this bread will live forever. These things he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum, verse 60 therefore watch this now out of this massive momentum of this supposedly great external crowd.

It was a great external crowd but out of that momentum. Verse 60 many of his disciples, which is simply a word for those who were learning from him is not a statement, especially in this context that they are necessarily converted in fact, it will be shown that they're not converted many of his disciples when they heard this said, this is a difficult statement who can listen to it there objecting to the word of Christ. Can you imagine having Jesus Christ right in front of you and say that I don't know. I don't think I except that Jesus were 61 conscious that they grumbled said to them, this is cause you to stumble, but if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before.

It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and our life. Notice how is putting the emphasis on the authority of his words verse 64 says, but there are some of you who do not believe wow wow there they are learning from him, having seen the miracles.

A disciple at one level. Yet Jesus pierces to the spiritual reality and says some of you don't believe verse 64. Jesus knew from the beginning who they were, who did not believe in who it was, it would betray him, and he was saying verse 65. For this reason I've said to you that no one can come to me unless it is been granted him from the father but was a result of that verse 66 as a result of this, many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore. Beloved. Here's a point from external Association. It looked for all the world like these people were true Disciples of Christ genuine followers of him.

The reality of it was much different because follow me here when Christ taught them things that they did not like they walked away they wanted nothing to do with what he taught really. They accepted it. Think about it this way.

This is so very, very important. Oh, you must examine yourself in light of what I'm about to say they followed Christ only as long as he said what they agreed with. When Christ spoke and said things they did not like they said I'm out here I'm parting ways. That's not what I signed up for. They did not believe despite their love for his signs and wonders they just up and walked away when the teaching no longer suited them while what an exposure of the wickedness of the human heart were parallel to the modern signs and wonders movement. Lord, all take all of the signs and wonders out that the real today, but that's another point. Lord, all take what you can give me.

But I reserve not that anyone necessarily thinks is consciously about it, but circumstances in teaching expose it in time, but all reserve final judgment about what I will accept and what I won't accept when the pressure of truth is put on the soul. They turn and walk away. You know what, that's a mark of someone who was never saved to begin with their external association with Christ was simply a go, being amongst the shape was real. They were not truly converted in the reality of the falseness condition of their soul will be expose on the final judgment day. And then, though, Crile Boulevard is a wire you call me Lord, you walked away when my truth was explained to you in what sense was I Lord, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I say.

Jesus said why this sham why this insult of my holy authority. Why you see beloved true faith can be recognized by the fact that it receives the word of God.

The inscription rated word of God and the 66 books of the Bible. It can be recognized by the fact that it receives the word of Christ and brings itself under its authority.

Mark this without condition, what rules your thinking. Don't answer that superficially, but the only thing that could possibly be true about a true Christian is the recognition that my thinking. My understanding of right and wrong. My understanding of truth.

My understanding about sin and holiness in the character of God is ruled exclusively by the holy word of God and that which contradicts the word of God. I reject out of hand. If I have a different opinion. I will conform my opinion to the clear word of God and not stand in opposition to it. Look what Peter said in John chapter 6 Jesus said to the 12 chapter 6 were 67 what you see, the clarity and the purpose of the word of God. The word of Christ receiving it as law. Receiving it as final authority to your soul. Jesus said to the 12. You don't want to go away. Also, do you Simon Peter answered and Lord, to whom shall we go. You have words of eternal life.

We have believed have come to know that you are the holy one of God. There they were standing, having gone from a crowd that would fill an arena to a crowd that would fit on this platform and Peter shows the mark of a true disciple when he says, Lord.

There's nowhere else to go.

I'm all in on your word. Where else would I go is a recognition of the authority of Christ and in utter submission to it. Let me say word pastoral encouragement to you to at this point is you're walking through trials are testing you to the limit. There something going on besides the trial in that time when you're tempted to wonder what God is doing. You're tempted to question it. Some of you, as I've done in times gone by.

One time in particular, am I even going to continue to follow if this is the trial and sorrow. The following Christ is going to bring the feel it would. I have let me help you understand what's going on at that point. Trial is not about trial. The trial is exposing for you to see whether you are truly willing to subject yourself completely to the word of Christ and close the back door and lock it so that you can't walk out. Have you received the word of Christ.

With that level of final unconditional submission or are you do you have these mental places where you give yourself an out, see when we call people to Christ were calling them not simply to to him as the Savior who can save them from sin were calling them to come under the authority of the word of God as their final disposition of what is true and unless we tell people that that is what is at stake. We are leaving the door open for them to be deceived. You don't have that door open to you anymore. The question is do you unconditionally receive the word of God.

The word of Christ as your defining spiritual authority and if you're in that trial that I alluded to listen let that trial BTU. The defining point in life where you say yes Lord, I will follow you no matter what you say it through sorrow you say it through tears, but you say Lord no matter what else happens I'm not leaving. Where else could I go, you have words of eternal life that is what that profound trial in your life is intended to bring you to to clarify your attitude of trust and submission in Christ.

And if that result is produced by that trial than that trial has become an avenue of God's blessing to you. You can say and rejoice through the tears. My faith is real. God is done a real work in my life because otherwise I would've left long time ago. See true disciples continue in the word.

Let's go through these next few passages quickly.

John chapter 8 verse 31 the priority of the word. In true faith. The submission to the word in true faith. John 831 Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed in him.

If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free, is that you have to continue having just seen people walk away because they rejected certain aspects of his teaching, ironically when he said you can come to me unless the father calls you less father draws electric off.

Jesus said if you continue, then you are truly disciples of mine. This is the mark of a true disciple.

They continue in my word, those who have taken an exit ramp off someplace disciples. They were disciples, they were never disciples to begin with.

They were never true Christians in one of the apostle John's other writings. First John 219 said they went out from us, but they weren't really of us. For if they had been others, they would have remained with us, but they went out so that it would be shown that they all are not of departure is the design not only of defection but of someone was never saved to begin with will have to pause right there but Don Greene will have the conclusion to both this message and John at our series portraits of Christ. Next time on the truth. Pulpit join us then as we study God's precious word together will done on this radio broadcast is indeed a valuable tool to help increase biblical understanding, but we have other great tools available to don't wait, no, that's right Bill, we do friend. We want to do everything we can to help you receive God's word into your life and so there's a lot of resources available for you to take advantage of on our website. We broadcast our church services, Sunday and Tuesday over our live stream all of my weekly sermons are available for easy access via our podcast and there are also free study guides for some messages to help you or your church group study God's word on your own.

You can find all of those things when you go to the place the bills going to point you to right now. Just visit the truth. Pulpit.com and follow the links.

That's the truth.

Pulpit.com and if you haven't yet found on Facebook find a link at the website as well get to know Don a little bit better and post some comments while you're there. I built like we thank you for listening and will see you next time on the truth pulpit with Don Greene