Choose To Follow Christ! Series

Choose to Follow Christ!

The Gospel of John

John 7:1-13

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - November 9, 2016

(Revised August 19, 2019)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to John chapter 7. Before we begin to explore this chapter, notice that it begins by saying:

1. After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

2. Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.

*"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee," that is, after He had fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fish, after He had that long conversation at Capernaum about being the Bread of Life, and after many more things John did not report.

*There is a time gap here in John's Gospel between chapters 6 and 7. Bible scholars estimate that it was months long, based on the 6-month time period between the second Passover of Christ's ministry and this last Feast of the Tabernacles. (1)

*We will go into very interesting detail about this feast when we get to "the last day, that great day of the feast" in John 7:37. But right now, it's important to stress that John went into great detail about the events that centered around this Feast of the Tabernacles. John Phillips tells us that this part of John's Gospel stretches from John 7:1 all the way to John 10:21. (2)

*It's a mystery how the Holy Spirit led the different Gospel writers to include different events in the Lord's ministry. And we can't be sure how that worked. But we can be sure about the most important things of God! He always knows what He's doing, and He always does the right thing! We can also be sure that the Holy Spirit of God inspired those chosen men to write exactly what God wanted us to know.

*We can be sure that there is more than enough spiritual food for us here in God's Word! More than enough for us to be saved, more than enough to show us how to live. And Christians: There is more than enough to feed our souls until the Lord takes us home to Heaven.

*It's also sure that the cross of Christ is now 6 months away, because the Feast of the Tabernacles was midway between the Passover Feasts. And it is sure that everyone should choose to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

*With this background in mind, let's read John 7:1-13, and as we read, please think about following Jesus.

MESSAGE:

*Who are you following these days? It makes all the difference in the world. Stephen Fournier told about a night when his mother-in-law was driving home in a nasty storm. It was one of those blinding rains like we get around here from time to time. It was super hard for her to see. But she could just make out the tail lights on the car ahead, so, she followed as closely as she could.

*All of sudden the car in front of her came to stop. She began wonder what had happened. And she was real nervous, because of course, stopping in the middle of the road can cause a wreck.

*Much to her alarm the car in front turned off their lights! Now she was getting mad. Why in the world did he do that? Then, there was a tap on her window. And there was a man standing in the pouring rain wanting to speak to her.

*She cracked open the window and said, "What’s the problem?" The man said he wanted to ask her the same thing.

*She said, "I’m not the one who stopped in the middle of the road and turned off the lights." He said, "Lady, you’re not in the road. You’re in my driveway." (3)

*Stephen’s mother-in-law was following the wrong leader. That will always take us to the wrong place, and this is especially true when it comes to spiritual matters. Everyone should choose to follow the right leader, the only perfect leader: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

1. AND WHEN WE CHOOSE TO FOLLOW CHRIST, WE WILL AVOID THE DISASTER OF DISBELIEF.

*Most of the people in this passage were unbelievers, and the Lord helps us to see the disaster of their disbelief.

[1] NOTICE THAT UNBELIEF LEADS TO MANIPULATION.

*We see this truth in the Lord's brothers who at this point did not believe that their older brother Jesus was the promised Christ and Savior of the world. Verses 1-5 say:

1. After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

2. Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.

3. His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.