Jesus Testimony
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Intro:
I love my brother, he is a pretty awesome dude and I have the privileged to see him grow up in life. Look my brother is not a saint by any means and he would be the first to admit this. Hey bro if your watching, love ya man, but I am going to tattle on ya a bit. He made just about every mistake a person can make in their lives, but he persevered. And I still love my brother even through the tough stuff. But there was nothing me or my Dad could ever tell him that he would listen, he was the kind of guy that just went his own way. In a way he was like a pharisee, trust me brother it gets better at the end! But its just like what Jesus says to the Pharisees in
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
But can’t we all have a pharisitical heart. Sure its easy to pick on your big brother in a sermon, but I am not picking on him, what I am saying is that like him, I had my own pharisitical heart for sure. My sin looked different, but that’s only because I got good at hiding my sins from people. It was easy to look like the good son because I could follow the rules in public and sin in private, it was so easy and that’s what the Pharisees of Jesus day were doing, they were all good and proper in the light but in darkness their hearts were black as night. That’s why Jesus isn’t just proclaiming his witness in this passage but he is rebuking the men that were stealing and murdering their own people for their own gain.
Witness of Man
Witness of Man
“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
A. Testimony not Valid?
1. Cannot be sole witness
This is the third time I am coming to you. Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
a. Two or more witnesses bare weight
b. Person could not be accused without two or more witnesses
2. Jesus holds to the Law
a. Not as written but as God intended
b. Working within even the Pharisees frame work
c. They would no longer have an excuse
Who was Jesus human testimony?
Why not say one of the disciples - because he was God’s chosen witness
B. John Testified
“You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
1. Testified to the Truth
a. Truth of Christ
b. The Truth of the Word made flesh
And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
2. Not that I accept human testimony
a. Again to appease the crowds
b. That you may be saved
i. That you would listen
ii. The great lengths Jesus is going to present love
3. Listened to him for a time
a. Means they also rejected him
b. Even though he obviously was sent from God
i. But people who are just following will only do so for a while
Who do we follow? We love to go to Branson and Silver Dollar City. One of my favorite things to watch is the glass blowing. I could sit and watch that all day probably. But, we never do get to do it ourselves and you will see the crowds diminish after the first one and then the second and even I walk away after a while. And its because we are merely spectator watching and not participating.
Witness of Works
Witness of Works
“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.
What are the works Jesus has done?
A. Not just miracles
1. Standing up to the Pharisees
a. Not just anyone stood up to them
b. They were the Spiritual leaders
2. Tossing temple tables
a. Actually causing a fuss in the temple
b. Like doing it here in the sanctuary on a Sunday
3. Speaking to Samaritans
B. But the Signs as well
1. Healing and water
2. What do signs point to?
3. All these things are from the Father
C. His Teaching
1. This is the true work of Christ
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
a. Bring the message of salvation
b. Though his words and works
2. They were powerful
a. Just like this conversation with the Spiritual authorities
b. Pointing out the flaws in their logic
c. Moving them to repentance
They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.
d. His teaching had authority
i. Why they had trouble getting ahold of him
Witnessed of the Father
Witnessed of the Father
“And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. “You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.
A. The Authority
1. Not on His own
a. But by the Father
b. Who sent Him
B. You Have not Hear Him
1. They aren’t paying attention
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
a. They had the Law and the Prophets
b. They were looking for a savior
i. They were looking for THEIR idea of a savior
ii. Forsaking the Prophets for the sake of their tradition
2. They only cared for tradition
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
a. It was about holding on to power
i. Glad we don’t have that problem anymore
b. They had put a strangle hold on the people
i. For money
ii. For control
Witness of the Word
Witness of the Word
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
A. Read the Scriptures
1. They sought out the Law for benefit
not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
a. There is a reason for these in the Paul’s Writing
b. People sought best places
i. Because they could gain off the people
ii. Back then the Priest had the money and power
iii. Temple tables getting thrown
2. They Cherry picked
a. The verses that could impose their will
Watch what I say, then check it against the Word. Hold me accountable all of you, but especially the elders in the Church. Keep me humble.
b. Cannot use the Bible to benefit me and ignore the rest
c. Why we have moved to this style of teaching
B. Love of God
“I do not accept glory from human beings, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
1. Don’t seek men’s praise
a. Value God over people
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
b. Fearing people is vanity
i. We cease to hear the Word of God.
ii. This leads to death
2. Seek God’s praise
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
a. It will bring humility
b. It will lead to life
c. You share in the Joy of the Lord, which is true happiness and joy
C. Beware the Accuser
“Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
1. It is the Word of God
2. Jesus warning
a. Remember who He is talking to
b. They were leading people astray
i. one of the worst things a person can do
Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
3. Hope in the warning
a. Don’t live like this
i. dishonest gain
ii. Improper use of the Word
iii. Seeking your gain instead of God’s
b. Live for Christ
i. For the Gospel
ii. You will see blessings like never before
Conclusion:
I want to come back to my story about my brother, he has come so far in his life and I am so proud of the man he has become. Sure we still aren’t saints and we both still sin, but I was able to learn so much from my brother. I learned so much from his mistakes and I don’t know that I was ever able to say thanks my brother, but today I say thank you. Because like me learning from him, we get to learn from the mistakes of the Pharisees today. We can abide in the witness of so many, we abide in the witness of John and in the Witness of the Father and the Witness of the Works and the Witness of the Word. We get to benefit from 2000 years of learning and we are blessed for it. So thank you brother and thanks to all who have come before willing to teach us and lead us, even when you didn’t think we were listening. And thank you Lord most for the lessons we get to read about here and learn from so that we might find life.
Pray