Why People Reject Christ — John 8-12

0:05 We had a technological emergency today. So... Yes. I'm using a computer and there are power points and flash drives involved and all kinds of craziness that I'm not altogether that comfortable with. Can we solve the overhead?

0:26 No. The overhead is going to stay. In fact, the only reason I'm not using the overhead projector is that they took our keys and our, you know, with our difficulties that we're having with Westlake Board of Education. They took our keys and badges and all those things so we can't get into the school, which is where I normally work to get ready. So, the pot that the overhead will be back.

0:47 So, for those of you that are fan of the overhead, be okay. So, well, he's getting set up. Before I before I open prayer, let's I want to ask this question and give you a minute to think about it. I don't know if the best time to do this while I'm praying but the question that I want to start out with today is what is the theme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation? If you had to narrow it down to one sentence, phrase, theme, what is it?

1:15 And just think about that for a minute and then let's let's open up in prayer and then we'll we'll get started. Heavenly father, we thank you and praise you for who you are and for what you've done for us and as we've been considering these things this morning already what it meant for the lord Jesus to die on our behalf. We just want to thank you and give you all the glory and praise this morning. We pray lord that as we open up your word and and consider the the power of the gospel this morning and what it what it meant to all of us and what it means to the world. That will be convicted and challenged by these things today in your name.

1:57 Amen. Conviction is challenges. I know Art mentioned last week that he was convicted by the preparation and and as was I tremendously as we look at chapter 12 of John this morning. So, you can go there. I'm not going to be flipping around too much outside of John.

2:15 Most of what we talk about is going to kind of remain within that and and I see we've already started, and I just have to hit an arrow button, right, to make it go to the next one? Great. And I don't see it on my screen here. Is that not going to happen? It's not going happen.

2:32 Okay. Great. Thank you. I was hoping I'd see it on my screen, but that's okay. I'm going to open up to John too.

2:41 Okay, so the theme. Any volunteers? I know it's terrible because, you know, I'm only going to really respond to the one that I like that's most like what I thought it was. So, yeah, no, I'm just kidding. It's a lot of pressure.

2:57 I'll give you one. I've been thinking about this for a while and and it's Proverbs fourteen twenty five, the first part of it, a true witness saves souls. I I believe that that is the theme of the entire Bible. A true witness saves souls. Very good.

3:13 We else is going to... This is interactive. Yes. I'm playing off your verse up there. Jesus is the Christ, the son of god.

3:21 Certainly, yeah, certainly but from Genesis on, right? Jesus Christ, the son of god. I mean, you know, from Genesis on, that that is absolutely the case. Anybody else? Yeah.

3:32 You didn't ask for one word and I'd say redemption. No, not one thing. Not one word but just a phrase, sentence, whatever that you think is the theme. I'd say redemption. You know, this is this is why English, teaching English is so much better than some other things.

3:43 In math, two plus two is four. That's it's that's the answer. Period. You know what I mean? But in English, you could talk about themes and things like that and everybody can be right.

3:51 You know what I mean? And and no, and I knew that there's going to be some different things this morning that people would come up with. What is the theme of the Bible from Genesis to to Revelation and I've been considering that myself as I look at what the theme of John is and I and I I have to come back to it. Ray opened up this whole series with in John and that is that Jesus Christ, the son of god and that was the point of John was to prove this, to show this, to demonstrate this, and part of what I was challenged on was as a Christian, I know the gospel. I could tell you the gospel.

4:23 I could do those things but but as we see in Peter and I would bring it up there again, can I defend it? Can I defend it well? And and that's where as we come to this culmination in in chapter 12 which is the Jesus is this is his last time that he's talking in John to the public and and those types of things. His ministry to the world based on what he was going to say and what he was going to tell them was done. This is it.

4:51 He's going to meet with the disciples, private ministry takes place, and then he he dies. So, I thought about that myself. Am I ready to defend? And my theme, if I had to, if I had, you know, and this is, you know, changed 15 times, I'm not even, I'm going to quote myself because it's, you know, I keep re paraphrasing it over and over again but to me, the theme from Genesis to Revelation is a righteous and holy god provides a way of salvation through his son, the lord Jesus Christ. Redemption, if you put in one word, it's redemption.

5:42 That that was the that was the point from Genesis to the end to Genesis to Malachi. It was the redemption of man and that continued and is perfectly continued through the lord Jesus Christ. Perfectly continued through the lord Jesus Christ. There's no break in that action. He is the answer to that, right?

5:59 He is the answer to that and so, here, we're to try this. Wrong one. There it is. But this is why I was convicted about it. As I've been reading through this, I read, and I'm not a reader, don't pretend to be an intellectual.

6:15 I know it wasn't going to hear any gasps from the audience there, but I'm not an intellectual and I'm not as well read as I'd like to be but that was part of the conviction. This is I need to be better read because as I was thinking about all of our study in John and reading that book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. Boy, you want to talk about conviction. If has anybody read that book? You read a few people?

6:39 Yeah, I know. I actually my copy came from you, I think originally. But you want to talk about a fantastic book where a guy, a guy, a Muslim is seeking god and he and so over the course of years and I don't remember how many eight, eight years I think, nine years it took for him to study and research and put the time in. He said, I don't care what I was brought up in. I want to know the truth and so he started out to defend his own beliefs and ended up finding Christ.

7:08 Pretty cool. Very cool but he put in a tremendous amount of study and in fact, in the book, he talks about how he read this is why I have notes, because I'm gonna have those moments where I just lose my train of thought. And this is why I have glasses because I'm blind. Evidence that demands a verdict, and I'm sure many of you read that. Right?

7:35 And I felt guilty as I'm reading this guy talking about how he, you know, studied all these different things and read evidence that demands a verdict and and, you know, all these things that, sitting on my shelf collecting dust that I've I've opened it up and peeked through it and it's not a, I wouldn't call it a smooth read. It's not. It's not a smooth read. It's not like you glide through it. It doesn't work that way.

7:57 And so I've never really been drawn, but now I'm reading it cover to cover because I'm I'm like I convicted that I need to know more about how do I defend this gospel. Why? By defend, I don't mean that that god needs any defense, does he? He doesn't but but to be able to answer questions, to be able to to explain the gospel and answer those questions from people that that don't necessarily believe and don't want to believe. So, that's why I looked at that theme and and so how does that how does that fit into this theme of John?

8:30 John is proving that Jesus Christ was the son of god. He's proving it and it goes down through what Jesus said about himself and and we have to go to a point where we say that either Jesus was a liar, that he was crazy, or that he's the son of god. It's one of those three, isn't it? There's no other choices. He's either a liar, he's crazy, or he's the son of god.

8:52 So, what did Jesus say about himself? And I'm going have to pick up here every once in a while to to know what thing is coming up but so, he claimed to be the son of man and he claimed that on many occasions but I I just give a reference to the first one. He claimed to be the son of god. And he claimed that and this is one of the things that there's a lot of contention in other religions. They look at Christianity and say, well, Jesus never even said he was the son of god.

9:17 He most certainly did. He most certainly did say he was the son of god and and if you read that that seeking out of finding Jesus, that's one of the claims that the Muslim community makes is that that Jesus never really claimed to be the son of god. Well, he most certainly did. He said, for god so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, his only begotten son, right? And then we see again in John five where where Jesus refers to himself as the son.

9:45 Right? The son, not a son. It it's not just a, you know, like we're all sons of god if we not know. He says, the son, right? So, he is the son of god.

10:19 They're a big fan of that. How do we know that that's what he meant? Well, I would think the fact that they wanted to stone him immediately is pretty good indication that he was claiming to be god, one with god. This is better and then the good shepherd as we learn in chapter 10, he is the good shepherd and the resurrection and the life. I was thinking about that one.

10:42 What does it mean that god said that Jesus said, I am the life. I am the life. Well, he says a couple times. Doesn't he? In 14, he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

10:52 I'm the life. Consider that for a moment. I, that one, I had to sit sat and meditated on that for a little bit. I am the life. It's all through him.

11:01 Whether it's our physical presence here on this planet or our spiritual life in the hereafter, it is all because of Jesus Christ. I am the life. It is a it is really a perfect term for for our lord and savior. So then, so how does he... Now, he backs this up.

11:20 He doesn't just say, I am all these things. I'm the good shepherd. I'm the light. I am the he doesn't say that and there's I didn't that wasn't a complete list. He says, he's the door and there's other things you can come up with in John but I just took examples from John a a few of em that would fit on the screen nicely and and and we, you know, try to use those but he he doesn't just say this.

11:39 He backs it up. How does he back it up? Well, with signs and wonder. So, we see in chapter two that he turns water into wine. These are the seven signs of John and obviously, there's many more in chapter two John even says, there's many more things that people witnessed and and believed in him.

11:56 Healing an old man's son in chapter four and we healed the crippled man in chapter five, the feeding of the 5,000. In chapter six, walking on water. In six, healing the blind man. In chapter two, that's some typo. Wow.

12:14 That is a typo. Healing the blind man wasn't in chapter two. Healing the blind man would have been in chapter eight, nine, thank you and then the last one raising Lazarus was was chapter 11. So, excuse the typo there. Apologize.

12:32 So, anyways, these things Jesus did to demonstrate his power and as we know, for most, it didn't matter. Some believed, we know that some believed that there were, I'm sure Lazarus was a believer, wasn't he? I'm sure he was a believer and Mary and Martha and there were there were plenty of others that you think that of all those people that that came in on Palm Sunday and threw those palms down before him as he rode in on the donkey in chapter 11. You know, there were people that that believed that that that he was something special. I don't know if they saw him as the son of god but they believed that he was a king and that he was something special for sure.

13:15 Unfortunately, we learned at the time of the feeding of the 5,000 that there's lots that that followed him around and thought he did cool stuff but they didn't really buy into it. They didn't really believe, did they? They turned it down. So, one of the things that as I went through this was I kept asking myself, why? Because in chapter 12 is we're going to read in just a moment.

13:36 In chapter 12, we see again this rejection of Christ in the face of overwhelming evidence and so why? Why did they reject? And then I asked myself the question, why do people reject now? And this is where some of the conviction came in, you know, because as we read this morning, it's our job to to go out and and and share the word with people and we have to be able to do it confidently. We we don't save anybody.

14:06 Only Christ saves but but our presentation, the way we do it, the way we what we know about, the way we can answer questions certainly matters and that's this is all personal conviction for me in this. Okay. So, we're going to go ahead and turn chapter 12 and we're going start at verse 20. Now, there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then, they came to Philip who was from Betheda of Galilee and asked him saying, sir, we wish to see Jesus.

15:23 If anyone serves me, let him follow me and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, him, my father, will honor. Now, my soul is troubled and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose, I came to this hour.

15:43 Father, glorify your name. Then, a voice came from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Therefore, the people who stood by and heard it said that it thundered. Another said, or others said, an angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered and said, this voice did not come because of me but for your sake.

16:05 Now is the judgment of this world. Now, the rule of this world will be cast out and if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw and if I, I'm sorry, and I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself. We're going stop there for just a second. Okay. So, here's the request.

16:33 Sir, we wish to see Jesus and why I got caught up in this for a while and I did. I'm not going to lie to you. It took me a long time. The Greeks come and make that request. Sir, we wish to see Jesus.

16:51 The disciples were constantly confused by what Jesus said, right? I mean, we know that they rarely understand. In fact, I'm convinced after reading the gospels that John the Baptist is probably the only guy that had a pretty good clue what was going on and why Jesus was even there, right? I I think he was the only one that got it, right? I don't know that the disciples ever caught on and they say it over and over again.

17:13 We didn't realize this until he died. We didn't realize this until later. We didn't understand what he meant until he said this. So, as I read it over and over again, I said, is he answering the question? You know what I mean?

17:27 The Greeks want to see him and what was his answer? Well, if you're Philip, I'm sure Philip is like at at the by the time the whole thing was over, he goes, by the time Jesus was done talking, he said, yeah. Are you going to are you going to talk to the Greeks or not? Like, because I don't know what that, I don't know what that means and so, I read it over and over again and I'm I'm thinking and I so I look at William McDonald and go to some other sources. What do they say about this?

17:53 They go right past it like William McDonald doesn't even address it and I'm like, oh no. I gotta talk about this. What am I going to do? And so, thank you for the holy spirit, right? Because I I don't know if I'm right and I would love for your take on it afterwards if you have if you have a take on this but my the way I read it is he does answer the question.

18:14 He most certainly answer the question. He replies in the NIV it says, he replied, right? He replied. He's rep to that question that they asked. Hey, can you come see these Greeks?

18:24 He replies to him and so what is that reply though? And that's where it gets a little confusing. Basically, he says, No. Right? The not yet but soon.

18:41 I'm not going to talk to him yet but soon, they're going to be included in what's going on here. Jesus came to seek his own, right? He came for the Jews. He came for his nation, for god's people. And through this, as we read it again and take a look at particularly Verse 31, 32, now is the judgment of this world.

19:09 Now, the rule of this world will be cast out. He's going to defeat Satan pretty soon and when he does, what's going to happen? And I, if I'm lifted up from the earth, obviously signifying my how he's going to die on the cross. We'll draw all peoples to myself. This ladies and gentlemen, he refers to in in chapter 10 as well, doesn't he?

19:30 As the good shepherd, he's going to draw sheep to him that were not of his fold, right? He said that all people were going to be invited in this. I don't think sometimes we appreciate that the fact that for how many centuries and centuries, there there was god's people and then there was everybody else, right? And the fact that we live in a time that we are counted amongst that as god's people. What an incredible thing and so he's saying to those Greeks, he's saying to John or to Philip, listen, I'm not going to talk to them right now but their time is coming.

20:03 Their time, there's a time that they're going to be able to approach me uninhibited, right? That they're going to be able to approach me with boldness as we read in Hebrews, right? So, I thought that was I don't know, we'll see. You guys, somebody can tell me later whether I'm on the right track with that. Okay, there's a little overlap there.

20:26 This is on a Mac, and and I didn't produce mine on a Mac. So, there's going be some things that are are not quite right but it was for this purpose that Jesus came. Okay. We're going to that's that's just a minute earlier but that's okay. So, the next section of John as he talks about this history that we talk about the the the Jews and how they they continually rejected Christ and so, his purpose to come was to draw all people to himself and regardless of that throughout history, the things that he had done to try to draw his own people to himself.

21:05 He talks about Jerusalem. He says, boy, like a hen gathering her chicks, right? I want to bring in, protect you under my wings and he'd been doing that over and over again as we see so many times in the Old Testament that that god had tried to redeem his people and demonstrate his grace and his love and his mercy to them and they just said, no, thanks. We don't want it. Considering all those times and I'm going to we'll get into that in just a minute but there's this history of rejection and if you look in the Old Testament, god continually forgives, redeems, forgives, redeems, and and goes through that rejection.

22:13 We're going talk about the Pharisees and those guys just a second but so we read in Isaiah, god says, I've stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in a way that is not good according to their own thoughts. A people who provoke me to anger continually in my face. This is what he's dealt with. And this is who he's coming to die for. Let's read the next section.

22:44 Verse 34. Don't worry, we're going to go back and talk about verse twenty five and twenty four a little bit more later. The people answered him, we have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever and how can you say the son of man must be lifted up? So, they understood, didn't they? They understood what that meant.

23:04 They understood the reference just like Jesus mentioned in John three fourteen that he would be lifted up like like the serpent in the wilderness, right? They understood this reference. So, who is the son of man? Then, Jesus said to them, a little while longer, the light is with you. Walk while you have the light.

23:26 Lest darkness overtake you. This is he's referring this to all the people. He who walks in darkness does not know where he's going. While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become the sons of light. These things Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them but although he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him.

23:51 That the word of Isaiah, the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke, Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore, they could not believe because Isaiah said again, he has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts. Lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them. These things Isaiah said, when he saw his glory and spoke of him.

24:21 Nevertheless, even among the rulers who believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, I'm sorry, nevertheless, even among the rulers, many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they love the praise of men, more than the praise of god and so you try to understand how is it that the people that followed Christ that saw him turn feed 5,000 and really more. We know that it was really more because that just counted the men, didn't it? And feed 5,000 out of a few loaves and fishes and yet, they followed Christ not because they saw this wondrous sign and said, this must be the son of god but they followed Christ because they had their bellies filled. Jesus knew what their real intent was and he says it, right? How come the Pharisees, they know that Lazarus was raised to the dead.

25:17 You don't see anything in the gospels that says, they they discounted this that this miracle took place. They knew that it happened and they even hated Lazarus for it. So, they wanted in in the chapter 11, right? They want to kill Lazarus because he was raised from the dead because he was proof of the power of the son of god and so how do they reject this in the face of overwhelming evidence? How do they reject it?

26:01 In chapter 11, they say, hey, if we let this guy, if we let this guy continue, we're going to lose our place, we're going to lose our authority, we're going to lose our spot at the head tables, at the fancy banquets, we're going to we're going to lose everything we have here. Romans are going to come in, they're going to take it over. If we let this guy go, I don't I don't know, you know, I don't know that they thought that this was maybe a trick, a ploy but but the blind, the lame, every all these people being healed around them and it has no effect whatsoever on most of em. There are few who believed, right? But they didn't stand up and say anything.

26:43 They certainly weren't going to test that which means they feared the Pharisees more than they feared god. It's crazy. They did it. We see it again with the other Jewish leaders here in 12. They feared the Pharisees more than they feared god and they love the praise of man more than they love the praise from god and so they too rejected what they had seen and known to be true.

27:12 It's hard to imagine So, why? So, I was trying to think like what are some of the reasons? We're not talking about people here that that don't know the lord and haven't heard and you know, are are willing to respond and you think about who Jesus went to when he was here on the Earth. He went to the downtrodden, the sick, the poor, the those are the people that he went to and and talked to because they were more willing to accept. Jesus even says, for a rich man, what, how hard is it?

27:43 How hard is it for a rich man to come? What? Camel gets to the eye of a needle than for rich man and it's not because that rich people can't be saved. I hope they can be. We might have a president.

27:54 I want her to be saved. You know what I mean? It'd be a lot better. Anyways, I won't get into that. It's a whole another debate but but rich people can be saved but it's hard for him.

28:07 Why? Well, because they have everything. I got, I got everything. What do I need? I don't need god and so, I was trying to think like, why why do people absolutely just reject it?

28:19 And certainly, misguided faith is that's a tough one, right? There's people that that strongly believe in one thing and and that's what they're brought up and that one, whatever and they just misguided, right? People and this happens all the time. People want to create a god of their own creation. They don't, the god of the Bible, that's rough.

28:37 There's a lot of expectations and and things that I gotta do if I gotta follow that god. You know, that's that's a whole different thing. I don't want that god. I want that god that kind of lets me do my thing. You know, but as long as I'm not killing anybody, I'm okay.

28:51 There's a lot of that, isn't there? Then, there's the rebellious. Those people that just rejected outright. Reject it. I'm I'm not saying they don't believe that there is a god.

28:59 They might think that there is a god but they don't care. I'm not doing what that guy wants me to. I'm not doing it the way he wants me to. I reject the Bible. I reject that.

29:08 I don't want a part of it. I see that. There's couple guys in school that I try to talk to and they walk out every time. If I even get that much spiritual, they're out the door. You know what I mean?

29:18 And they both go to church every week. You know, they both go to church every week but they're out the door every time I try to bring up anything spiritual with them and they just, no, no, thanks. Don't want to talk about it. How about this one? This is the one I think covers.

29:32 We we're in Westlake and people are pretty well-to-do. You know, you got your Quail Hollows and all that stuff, right, Kipper? I'm just kidding. Kip grew up on the main streets of Quail Hollow. I give him a hard time about it.

29:45 The main streets, we joke about that a lot but the thing that I see in a community like this is satisfied. Everything's pretty good the way it is. I don't need anything else and so, why would I stir up the pot when it's already, things are going pretty well. I don't need it. I'm gonna say this too, it it really what it comes down to and the atheist thing, I don't know because I I have trouble believing that atheist really exist but I I really do.

30:12 I don't I don't I don't know. I think there are people that claim it and say it and will go, you know, to their deathbed saying but I think at that last moment, they're going to think, oh wait, They do not seek god and the truth. That's the bottom line. I think, you know, just like we read, Ray, you brought up this morning your prayer, right? Psalm 14.

30:30 They don't even seek god. They don't even want to know god. They don't care. Period. They just, they don't even care.

30:39 You could tell em all day long the good news of Jesus Christ and they don't care and what our job is is like if you consider Thank you. I'm so glad you're there. I'm foaming at the mouth, right? And you're there to tell me. At least we're not shooting daggers, right?

30:56 Yep. I'm I'm good with that. Okay. So, what was I saying? No, I'm just kidding.

31:33 They don't care. We gotta convince them to care that it matters. That you don't know your loss but you're lost. We gotta do it and then and that's where it come for me, it came down to a place where I said, am I, am I in a place where I have the capacity to explain to someone who doesn't care and doesn't want to know about it, why they need a savior? Am I in a place where I could take someone who asked a question whether it was really just science or history or whatever the case may be?

32:03 Am I in a place that I know intellectually what I need to know to be able to explain to somebody why they need Jesus Christ. Why he's the only answer? Why there is no one else to go to? Why he's the way, the truth, the life? Am I prepared to do that?

32:18 I know the gospel. I know the story. I know all that. But there's a lot of things that I've been reading especially as I'm convicted about John and John saying over and over again, I'm proving to you that this is Jesus Christ. What do I have for that proof?

32:32 What do I have for that? What's going to answer the person that says, well, you know, these galaxies are so many light years, billions of light years away. How is that possible that the Earth was created in six days in this, right? Do I have the answers for that? Do I have the answers for the people that say, when it comes to the history, is there any question that Jesus Christ walked the Earth?

32:57 I'm talking about whether you're secular, biblical, whatever you're using. Is there any question that Jesus Christ walked the Earth? Is there any question that disciples, Peter, John, that these people existed and wrote what they wrote, right? So, once again, Jesus existed. It's not about whether or not he was here and did what he says he did and right?

33:16 All those things happen. We know that they happened. It's was he really the son of god? Which is John's point, isn't it? Was he really the son of god?

33:25 Yes, he was and here's why. Here's how I'm going to demonstrate it to you and we have to be prepared with the same thing. How do we demonstrate those things to people that Jesus was the son of god? How do we demonstrate that John that what he wrote was legitimate? You know, John is probably one of the most debated and conflicted books in the New Testament in terms of whether it's validity, in term, compared to the other three gospels, right?

33:51 It's the most challenged because it had it was written much later, it was written, it it's not in the same format, it's a different style, it's all those things, right? And so that that John is debated more than anyone. How do we demonstrate that John was truly inspired by god? Those are things that I think we have to be able to do, and I know I'm sorely and painfully inadequate in that area. I know that I am.

34:19 And so, you know, this is the verse that kept coming to me as I was going through this and Jesus says, in Matthew 22, Jesus says, love the lord your god. He's answering the Pharisees and the sadducees and they're they're questioning him. He's he's answering back and this one was to the scribes when they said, they said, which one is the most important commandment? And he says, love the lord your god with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, right? And I found it easy to get to a place where I love the lord with all my heart and I do.

34:51 Do you know where I've had problems? In the soul too, right? The mind. Now, some people, some people can approach these things and on an intellectual basis, they're good. They love to talk about things and debate and read and study and all these different theories and you know what I mean?

35:05 Like and I I look at that and I go, okay, exit left even, right? I I don't I don't I don't think that way and I'm not, like I said, I'm not an intellectual but but the place that I know that I'm sorely lacking is in the mind and why? Because it's work, isn't it? Isn't it work? It's work.

35:27 Reading the Bible is work sometimes, isn't it? It's work because it it challenges you. It's it's thought provoking. It it changes the way you think and the way you respond and there's lots of good things like evidence that demands a verdict. That is not a fun read.

35:44 It's not a fun read But I've already, I'm only a few chapters in or sections in and and it's already been challenging for me and and and beneficial in the way that I think about how would I respond to these questions, how would I respond to these things? And those are things that I know. I was convicted to this. Why don't people accept it? This is what I need to be better at.

36:07 Let's continue reading. Verse 44, then Jesus cried out and said, he who believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me, and he who sees me, sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. Why would anybody want to abide in darkness? And if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him for I do not come to judge the world but to save the world and he says, hey, take a breath.

37:00 Check the next verse. He rejects me and does not receive my words, has that which judges him. The word that I've spoken will judge him in the last day. Yeah, I didn't come right now to judge the world. I came right now to die and save it, to defeat Satan.

37:21 To gather all peoples to myself. That's why I came. That's why I came. But that judgment is going to come. And you best be ready for it.

37:35 For I have not spoken on my own authority And here we see that relationship with the father and his submission to the father. But the father who sent me gave me a command what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the father has told me, so I speak. He's come as a light to shine in the darkness.

38:10 I think of that and I haven't introduced you yet, Celine. Christ is the light, right? Celine here is a friend. She's a light at at Westlake High School. Celine is going be running the Bible study this year.

38:24 I invited her to come this morning. So, I'm glad you came. But Celine's running that Bible study and I think about how we don't have too many lights there at Westlake, do we? Not too many lights in there. But why would they reject?

38:37 Why would they want to walk in the darkness and and reject the light? Well, they're going to some of that comes through. What do we demonstrate? What are we doing to show that the light's a better place to be, right? So come on.

38:56 Am I having a technical difficulty here? Or did it freeze? Okay. We'll just leave that one up. Let's go back to verse 25 real quick.

39:15 Because I think these two verses go together. I I don't I look at verse 48. He who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him. The word that I've spoken will judge him in the last day. You look back at verse 25, he who loves his life will lose it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

39:39 He who rejects me does not receive my word. This is the difference. This is the difference. Do we accept what the world has to offer? And are we satisfied with it?

39:57 Like those people we talked about that reject Christ. Are we satisfied with what the world has to offer? Well, when I watch the news and I don't know about you but the the the more I grow in my relationship with the lord, the more I'm sickened by the world. The more that I realize that I'm not a citizen here, I don't fit in. I tell my kids all the time.

40:21 If you fit in, you're probably doing something wrong. If you're at school, you're in public school, you fit in, that's probably a problem. We don't fit here and we shouldn't fit here and it's about convincing a sinful world that what they follow, they follow, they're they're they're rulers, the ruler of darkness, right? That they don't know they're in the darkness but that's their ruler. See, it's those two things.

40:52 You either are following Christ who is light or you are following Satan who is, no, I'm not saying you're a Satan worshiper if you don't believe but you really are. You're on, you're in his stable, if you will and so, that is your ruler. Whether you know it or not. There's one of those two and so, it comes down to a point where we have to make that choice. Do we love this world and what it has to offer?

41:17 Are we satisfied with what this gives us? Or do we want something better? Do we want what the lord Jesus has to offer? And then for us, those of us who know the lord and are in the light, where are we in terms of our capacity to convince these folks that reject it that they need a savior, that they're in darkness, to let them know that they're even there. Some don't know.

42:42 And how powerful this gospel is that we have to share with others. Help us to be more willing to do that. More willing to share and certainly with greater knowledge of how to answer those questions and defend it. We thank you and praise you in your name. Amen.