John 3 (4)
Why we should listen to Jesus
Yesterday I was working in the the high lift, decorating the bay tree in the field. I checked the gas one time and thought, I can finish this before I refuel it. I ended up running out of gas and getting stuck in the air. I started thinking of Elmer Fudd in the opera with Buggs Bunny when he starts singing, “What have I done?” My brother Dusty was kind enough to remember another cartoon where the character says, “Well, that was a stupid thing to do.”
Let me tell you my friend, as unenlightened as what I did yesterday was, let me tell you. There are much worse. Let me show you. Turn with me please to John chapter 3.
- Read John 3:31-36
The stupidest thing a person can do is reject the Son.
The Bible tells us in verse 16 of this same chapter:
> John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but hath everlasting life.
> Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
> Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All have sinned, without exception. There is a punishment for that sin, eternal separation from God. But there is an option. There is an alternative. God sent His Son.
1. Jesus came from Heaven - v31.
Jesus came to earth in human form, born as a baby in Bethlehem. We celebrate that birth every year. But, unlike you and I, Jesus didn’t start as a baby. Jesus has always existed. He has always been. There has never been a time when Jesus was not.
John chapter 1 tells us, “IN the beginning was the Word, And the Word was with God and the Word was God, and same was in the beginning with God.
Jehovah’s false witnesses will tell you that we all began in heaven. Nonsense. There is none Who has His preexistence before human birth in heaven but Jesus Christ Himself.
John tells us in verse 31, Jesus comes from heaven.
2. Jesus is above everything else
- v 31
Jesus is above everything.
> Hebrews 1 we read, “Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
There are those who contend that there are many ways to heaven, and that there have been many Saviors along the way. Ain’t no way.
Buddha was a man, and only a man. Muhammad was a man, and only a man. Joseph Smith was a man, and only a man. But Jesus is above everyone and everything else.
In Matthew Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Him.”
> Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved.”
> Philippians 2:9-11 For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
3. Jesus has a heavenly message
a. He was an eyewitness to it - 32a
Jesus told Pilate that He came to testify to the Truth. Verse 32 tells us that He testifies to what He has seen and heard. He didn’t come and make things up. He didn’t come to make people feel good, to stroke them so they wouldn’t get upset. He didn’t come to comfort people in their sins. He came from heaven, with a message from heaven, and He tells it like it is.
For a number of years, the Lord and I had an arrangement. We had an understanding. If I saw a hitchhiker I would stop and pick him up. I understood that seeing the person, indicated that the Lord had set up an appointment for me to witness to that person. As you can imagine, I had the opportunity to meet some interesting folks over the years.
I remember picking up a guy in Memphis one night. He and I began to discuss the Bible, and religion, and the Lord. He told me that Jesus was very courteous, and polite, and that He would never do anything to upset His host, or to intentionally upset someone.
Sadly, many in our country, and perhaps some of you have the same mistaken idea. What a bunch of hogwash.
- Read Luke 7:36-50
Where in the world did you get the idea that Jesus came to make people happy? Where did we get the idea that Jesus came to go along and get along?
Do you think the religious leaders were happy when Jesus called them white-washed tombs filled with dead men’s bones?
- Read Luke 13:1-5
These people were feeling pretty good about themselves and thought other folks must be more sinful because they had been killed. Jesus told them, Look, you’re no better than they are and I’ll tell you right now, if you don’t all repent you will die also.
- Read Luke 13:10-17
What did it say in verse 17? All of His adversaries were humiliated. They were embarrassed.
We need to get over the idea that Jesus came to tip toe around subjects so that He wouldn’t offend anyone. No, He came to tell the truth. Some folks hated Him for it.
They did not crucify our Savior because they were bored and had nothing to do on a Friday. They didn’t crucify Him because they’d had a fight at home and were having a bad day. They crucified Him because they hated Him. They hated what He stood for. They hated the truth He shared.
Jesus has a heavenly message.
b. His message doesn’t come from public opinion. 32b-33.
You don’t get truth from a poll.
There is a debate, a fight going on right now in another denomination over whether or not homosexuals should be ordained. Other denominations have already argued and fought over that issue.
Look, some folks are going to accept the truth, and others are not, but truth does not come through polls or public opinion.
There are some things we can debate because we don’t know for sure. Paul himself says that right now we see dimly, as through a glass. But one day we will see clearly. One day we will understand all things. Until then, we can discuss and agree to disagree on the second coming of Christ. We can debate whether all of the conditions have been met for Him to return right now, or is we must wait for people of every language to have heard the Gospel.
There are things we can debate, but there are others we cannot. Sin is sin. If the Bible says something is wrong, it’s wrong. You know what’s not up for debate, Heaven is sweet, and hell is not; and those are our 2 options whether we like it or not.
His message didn’t come from public opinion.
4. Jesus had a heavenly Helper - 3:34
Jesus is the Son of God. He is God in the flesh, God with Us. But, while on earth, Philippians 2 tells us that He emptied Himself. He voluntarily limited Himself. So He had a Helper. The same Helper available to you and me.
Verse 34, He had God’s Spirit without measure. Jesus received direction on earth the same way you and I do, through the directing of the Holy Spirit; through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
So the question comes to this, why did Jesus become God in the flesh? Why did He leave the glories of heaven and come to earth with a message, a message so repugnant to some that they crucified Him for it?
It’s because your eternal destination depends on listening to Jesus.
5. Your eternal destination depends on Listening to Jesus - 3:36.
The one who believes in the Son has life, but the one who doesn’t, the wrath of God remains on him.
The wrath of God is on him! Can you imagine anything more terrible than having the wrath of God on you?
The Bible tells us God is love, and He is, but true love demands justice. True love requires wrath. How in the world can you love someone, and yet you have no wrath, no anger for someone who hurts the one you claim to love?
Some have the mistaken idea that God is a benevolent grandfather, sitting in heaven, smiling, and just loving on everyone. While God is love, there is a side you don’t want to see as well.
a) God’s wrath has been shown on earth.
1. It was shown in the Flood. God said, “Every thought of man is on evil. I’m tired of this. He flooded the world and killed every man, woman, and child in it, except for 8.
2. It was shown in Egypt.
For 400 years the Egyptians used the Israelites as slaves. When they got concerned that the Israelites were growing too large, that there were too many of them, the Egyptians made them kill their baby boys.
Then the Lord sent Moses to deliver them. IN HIs wrath, what did God do to the Egyptians after the way they had treated His people? He sent plagues. He sent 10 of them. He sent flies, and frogs in such large numbers that they couldn’t eat without the frogs getting in their food. He turned their water into blood, and killing hail falling from the sky, and locus to destroy the crops, and the firstborn in every family killed. What of the soldiers, just following orders, who were killed when the Red Sea closed back over them?
And, when the Israelites went to leave Egypt, the Lord had therm plunder the people, so the Israelites ended up with all of the Egyptians’ wealth.
3. It was shown in the exodus
- Numbers 16:1-3, 17-24, 31-35, 41-42, 46-49.
The Lord had the land swallow the rebels, and fire came from heaven and burned up another 250; and then the next day when the people stupidly decided they were going to try to mess with God’s man, He sent a plague among them and destroyed thousands.
God’s wrath has been shown on earth, and it will be shown in the next life.
- Luke 16:19-27. The rich man. A man accustomed to eating the finest food and drinking the best wine. When he got to Hades, he was no longer thinking of the fine things. He cried out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.
Abraham answered that he couldn’t because of the separation that was between them. Verse 27, “Then I beg you. Send Lazarus to my father’s house to warn my 5 brothers so they will not end up in this place of torment.
Why? Because the wrath of God was on him.
My friends, Why do we do Christmas in the Country? Why did those in the parking lot, keep parking cars? Why did folks keep telling jokes in the wagons, and Santa have nearly 1000 kids sit in his lap, and people build fires . . . to help them avoid the wrath of God.
Why do folks come out here and blow out this pavilion week after week, and others mow the grass? Why does Mark lead singing and Tom teach? Why do people buy things for the MPC store, and others work on the concourse, and others clean bathrooms. Why do folks do all of this? It’s because we want to help people avoid the wrath of God.
We live in a day and age where folks practice Division politics. You’re this kind of minority and you’re this kind . . .
You’re a man, you’re a woman, you’re a Jew. You’re a Gentile. You’re an Arab. You’re an American.
> Galatians 3:27-29 For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.
The things the world uses to divide people, don’t matter. There is 1 important division in the world, making up 2 groups. There are the saved and the lost. Those walking in the light, and those in darkness. Those who are children of the Devil and those who are children of God. Those enjoying the grace of God, and those awaiting the wrath of God.
WHAT DO WE DO?
1. Make sure you’re ready to meet the Lord.
Plan of salvation.
2. Pray for others. -
> Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
3. Serve others -
You are ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. What are you doing to help reach people?
"Must I go, and empty-handed,"
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?
"Must I go, and empty-handed?"
Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him:
Must I empty-handed go?
Not at death I shrink nor falter,
For my Savior saves me now;
But to meet Him empty-handed,
Thought of that now clouds my brow.
O the years in sinning wasted;
Could I but recall them now,
I would give them to my Savior,
To His will I'd gladly bow.
O ye saints, arouse, be earnest,
Up and work while yet 'tis day;
Ere the night of death o'ertake thee,
Strive for souls while still you may.
Copyright: Lyrics © Original Writer and Publisher
source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/christianlyrics/mustigoandemptyhandedlyrics.html
