Walking with Lions

Pastor Mike will be speaking on “Walking with Lions :”. He will be in John 7:14-24

If this God’s Word is true and it says that we’re to live this certain life then my friends I am all in and I’m for obeying God’s Word and I’m not for cutting corners and I don’t care how contemporary this world gets and I don’t care how modern the world gets I’m for being all that the Bible says I’m to be as a leader for Jesus Christ.

Are you ready? This is Pastor Mike Sanders. Are you ready for hope worth having? Because we are ready to bring you God’s truth today and we are so thankful that you have tuned in today. We’re looking forward to a great opportunity here to learn God’s Word.

We’re going to be in the Gospel of John chapter 7 and we’re going to be studying verses 14 through 24 and I’ve entitled this message walking with lions. You know Jesus faced a lot of opposition and many of those opponents who just wanted to stop him from his ministry were so devious that they wanted to plan to kill him and it’s so unfortunate so Jesus walking among these lions that wanted to devour him how God works in a powerful way when our enemies are all around us.

Remember the words of psalmist that he taught us in Psalm 23 and verse 5 and it teaches us that God will set up a table in the presence of our enemies. So let’s get into the study John chapter 7 walking with lions.

Thank you. We begin noting first that Jesus shares the source of his ministry. The source of his ministry. Go back to verse 14 and note again the Bible says that in the midst of the feast, meaning the tabernacle feast, Jesus went up into the temple and he began to teach.

He taught and the Jews marveled saying how knoweth this man letters having never learned. Jesus answered them and said my doctrine or my teaching is not mine but his that sent me if any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine or the teaching whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself as they were questioning Jesus’s credentials they’re saying what letters does he have what degree does he have what school did he go to who did Jesus learn from and how is it that he can stand in the pulpit at the synagogue in the temple and be able to articulate these truths on behalf of God who is this man what qualifies him what makes him eligible to be able to teach that was what Jesus was facing as he was teaching the Bible does not tell us exactly what he was teaching as he was teaching in the temple but tells us that his critics were attacking him even while he was teaching.

Jesus always acknowledged that he was on a mission and that not only was he on a divine mission, but he had a divine message. And that’s what he communicates to his critics this morning. He says in verse 16 that my doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Jesus is teaching that the source of his ministry is literally God. For God is the source of all truth and that God himself sent the Son. The Father sent the Son. Rabbis would stand in synagogues and temples and they would share truths from the Old Testament, but they would also share traditions and they would quote rabbis of yesteryear and they would talk about what this person said or what this book said,

but Jesus came into the temple and he spoke exactly what God had given him. He spoke on the authority of God. He spoke because he was sent from God. He did not quote other people, but rather he spoke with great power and authority because God was the source of his ministry.

The second thing I want you to note this morning is not only the source of the ministry of Christ, but the selflessness of his ministry. The selflessness of Jesus’ ministry. I want you to jump down to verse 18.

The Bible says this. This is Jesus’ words. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory. But he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true and no unrighteous is in him. What I’m wanting you to have discernment in your life.

What I’m wanting you to be blessed with is the principles of God’s Word that will help you to navigate through all the false teaching that inundates us every day. The lies of the devil, the lies of the world, and even the lies of religion that try to trap us and try to limit us so that we would not reach our potential in Christ.

So what is it, what is the evidence of a false teacher? Get this right there in verse 18. He speaks of himself. The first evidence of a false teacher is they’re always speaking of themselves. It’s always about them.

They’re the hero of every story. They’re always speaking about what they want or what they think. They do not speak God’s Word to you. They speak what they think will help you. they rely on the wisdom of man to teach you rather than the wisdom of God to teach you.

And so Jesus says, look, the evidence of someone not being true is that they speak of themselves. How many times have you and I been in a conversation with someone and we share a story and then they share a story to one up us, right?

Amen, we’ve been there. How many times have we been exhausted listening to somebody talk about themselves all the time? Be careful because it can happen even in a Bible believing church. It can happen even within the community of faith is that there can be people who are dynamic in their personalities and they are very outgoing in their presentations and very charismatic in their communication.

And as a result, people become enamored because Americans are easily, they’re easily swayed emotionally, just the truth. Jesus says, and he’s teaching his, those who are listening to him, that as they’re listening to the critics who are telling him he doesn’t have credentials, that he shouldn’t be up there teaching, don’t listen to him.

Jesus says this, he that speaketh of himself, that is the evidence that someone is a false teacher. The second evidence is they seek their own glory. They seek their own glory. There are many who are out for their own interests.

You see, my friends, the evidence of a true teacher is that they do not seek what they want, but they seek what God wants. They do not seek their desires, their agenda, but rather the agenda of God. The job of a spiritual leader is to move.

people from their agenda to God’s agenda. And of course we know God’s first and foremost agenda is that we would know Him as our Lord and Savior. Can you say amen? His agenda is that we would grow in our faith and that we would become more like Him every day.

His agenda is that we would get plugged in and serve Him every day. His agenda is that we would go out into the highways and the hedges and that we would compel people to come to His house that His house might be filled and that they might find Christ.

His agenda is that we would go everywhere and anywhere to the ends of the earth to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, right? I think that’s pretty self -evident in the Word of God. I think that captures it all.

I think that’s really what God wants. And what I’m trying to say to you is watch out for people who act for their own self -interests. who make decisions for what they want. Watch out for people that it’s manifested that they’re seeking their own glory.

Now I want to give you three things on how to identify true teachers. So here they are. Number one, true teachers of God teach from the Bible. True teachers of God teach from the Bible. Look at verse 18.

He that speaketh of himself seeks his own glory. You see what Jesus is saying is that their message does not come from God. It does not come from the Word of God. It comes from themself. They’re speaking about themself.

They think that they got all wisdom. They think they got all knowledge. They think they know everything. True teachers of God teach from the Bible. Here’s something you need to know about the Bible is that if you believe, and I do.

I don’t know about you. I hope you do, but I’m sure many of you do. But if you believe that God’s Word is inerrant, it’s infallible, that every word is God’s Word. It was literally breathed by God, given to us, preserved for us, and that we are called to learn it, learn God’s Word, to grow from God’s Word, to submit to God’s Word, to obey God’s Word.

Listen, if it is that good as we claim, then let’s teach it word by word. It demands the inerrancy of God’s Word. The infallibleness of God’s Word demands expository, lay it open kind of teaching that takes you through the text, that tells you all that God says.

Jesus said, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word, by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And so be careful about these pre -packaged sermons that you can get on the internet.

And be careful about these big, grand campaigns that don’t line up with God’s Word. Be careful about those who are teaching something that is not in the Bible. Teach from the Bible. That’s what they do.

Number two, true teachers of God obey God’s Word. Did you see that? Jesus said in verse 18, there’s no unrighteousness is in Him. Meaning they are living what they teach. They are living what they teach.

Someone once said, your life speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say. How true that is. And very few people remember the wonderful lessons that we teach. But everybody remembers the life that we live.

And what I’m challenging you to understand is that if their life does not match up with what they teach and preach, they cannot be a true teacher of God. For they must live what they get up and teach.

I’m not talking about perfection. But I’m certain that there must be obedience to God’s Word and that you can look at the life of a teacher, look at their family life. Paul tells us that when we look for leaders in the church, look at their family.

Because their family is a reflection of them. When we look for leaders in the church, he is teaching us to look at the quality of their life, their own spiritual life. Look at the quality of how they live their life.

And over and over again in the book of Hebrews, Paul or the whoever you believe wrote that letter is a message of look at your leaders, follow them as they follow Christ, follow their example. Let me tell you something about leadership.

You’re not going to maybe agree with me, but the height of leadership and at the heart of all leadership is be an example of what you want to see happen in other people’s lives. I didn’t get a lot of Amen’s bill.

People say, Pastor, I want you to be at church three times a week. Well, why aren’t you? People say, Pastor, we want you to go out and visit and we want you to go out and reach people. Well, why aren’t you?

People, Pastor, we want your kids to be this way and we want your family to be this way. I’m all in. Why aren’t you? Don’t take a position of leadership when you can’t live up to it. Don’t say, I’m a leader in the church, but I never darken the doors.

All of our children, every one of our students, 455 students at the school, and all of our students in the youth group, and all of our children in the children’s ministry, they should all be able to look at your life and see an example.

And I know this is tough to swallow, but listen to me. Listen, hear me good. You say, pastor, be an example to our kids. I’m all in. There are things I do not do because I wanna be an example. It’s not that it’s evil, it’s not that it’s wrong, it’s not even spelled out in the Bible, but I don’t do it because I wanna be an example to your children and your grandchildren.

I want to be the example that you can say to your kids, grow up and be like Pastor Mike. But you know what I’d like to do? I’d like to say to my kids, they’re all grown up now, but I’d like to say to my grandkids, grow up and be like.

elder so -and -so, or deacon so -and -so, or Sunday school teacher so -and -so, right? You gotta make a decision. We’re in it to win it. You gotta be all in. And if you can’t be all in, then don’t sit there and say, I’m a leader.

People who teach and lead God’s church must obey it, God’s word, and if the Bible says these things, and they are true, then they are true. And if they’re not, they’re not. Let’s make a decision. But if God’s word is true, and it says that we’re to live this certain life, then my friends, I am all in, and I’m for obeying God’s word, and I’m not for cutting corners, and I don’t care how contemporary this world gets,

and I don’t care how modern the world gets, I’m for being all that the Bible says I’m to be as a leader for Jesus Christ. The third principle of a true teacher is they seek the glory of God, not self.

They seek the glory of God. You already saw it in the text. Jesus said, he that seeks his glory, referring to God, that sent him, the same is true. You see, you seek the glory of God. You want God’s glory.

You want him to be glorified. John said this in chapter five and verse 44, how can you believe when you receive glory from another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? So our job is to have a ministry of selflessness.

You cannot be an effective minister for God, unless you are willing to put self on the back burner, and unless you are willing to deny it. take up the cross and follow Jesus. Jesus’ ministry, His source was God.

His selflessness was a huge validation that He was true, that He was a real teacher of God because the religious crowd, they always wanted their way. The third and final point, and I know you’re ready to get this sermon done, and that is His sign, the sign of His ministry, the sign of the ministry of Christ.

Jesus said in verse 21, I have done one work and you all marvel. And it was not a fascination that they were excited about what Jesus did, but the fact is that they were upset with what Jesus did. They were upset with what Jesus did.

Look at verse 20. The people answered and said thou hast a devil who goeth about to kill thee Jesus had exposed their agenda Jesus had exposed what they were all about they were trying to discredit Jesus and then they wanted him killed They wanted him dead.

They wanted him off the scene They said you’re a devil. You’re crazy You’re out of your mind Why would you make these kind of statements? Jesus in his ministry as he says to them in verse 21 I have done one work and you all marvel he is referring back to the gospel of John chapter 5 and What Jesus did in John chapter 5 is he healed a man on the Sabbath He healed a man on the Sabbath and this so upset the religious elite that they set out to kill him and Jesus wanted them to understand that they totally Have misconstrued what Moses taught and the forefathers taught back up if you will and Notice verse 19.

He says did not Moses give you the law and And yet none of you keeps the law You know what he’s saying is that the that here you are the religious crowd is trying to tell you that you got to obey these laws and you got to obey their man -made traditions that they believe come from the law and That you think somehow it’s going to save you and what are you saying?

The truth is that you don’t even keep the law Because the truth is we’ve all sinned and come short, right? The truth is no one keeps the law The law was never designed to save sinners The law was designed to reveal to you and I that we are sinners That we come short that will never measure up to God’s perfect standard and that the only way that we can find forgiveness and salvation is when we come to Christ who came to this earth and he fulfilled the law and he bridged the gap between God and man and by faith he connects us and brings salvation joy and forgiveness in our life can God’s people say amen the Bible says in Romans 10 for that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes how do you become righteous by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ this morning no matter what you have done no matter how much you have failed and missed out and come short of the law you can still find forgiveness in Jesus Christ now Jesus not only exposes that their teachers had taught them wrong about the law but he goes on to show them how their man -made traditions contradict the law.

Look at this in verse 22, this is beautiful. Moses therefore gave you circumcision, not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers, meaning back Abraham. Circumcision was a sign from God to remind the people of the covenant that he had made with them.

Abraham instituted it, Moses taught it, and here’s what Jesus said, here’s the contradiction. You on the Sabbath day circumcise a man. Now here’s the thing, remember, the religious people said you can’t do nothing on the Sabbath.

Well they were in a quandary and a contradiction because the Bible teaches us that when a child was born that they had to be circumcised on the eighth day. The Bible clearly commands that for that child to be circumcised.

But here’s the problem, sometimes the eighth day ended up on the Sabbath day. What were they gonna do? Well lo and behold, guess what they did? They obeyed God rather than man, and they circumcised the child.

Jesus brings that contradiction to their mind, and he says in verse 23 that if a man on the Sabbath day received circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry at me because I made a man every wit, hole on the Sabbath day?

Are you mad at me because I healed a man on the Sabbath? Are you mad at me because I did something good on the Sabbath? Are you mad at me because of your traditions that contradict God’s word? Are you mad at me because I did something that obeys God?

and Jesus says the sign of the miracle is a sign to you that my work is true please remember that when Jesus did miracles it was not like the charlatans of our day I mean Jesus interrupted funeral processions and raised people from the dead are you with me and Jesus touched people’s bodies and they were completely healed and never ever had to go back to the doctor Jesus touched people’s eyes and they went from blindness to sight Jesus’s miracles were always complete and God honoring and they fulfilled a wonderful truth and that is he is truly the Messiah it is his work that is the sign and what we need most is not the traditions of men that want us to rest from the work of God but what we need most is rest from a sinful heart that is within each of us that can only come through Jesus Christ and the sign that God,

Jesus Christ, is truly sent from the Father and it is evident and manifested and validated because he performs these great miracles of God that no one else can do and he speaks with what such great authority that no one else speaks of that remind us quit working your way to heaven and put your faith in Jesus Christ and find your rest in him because he is the end of the law.

He is the fulfillment of the law. He’s the only one that can keep the law and so if you’re working this morning to get to heaven you’re never going to make it but let me tell you one who’s already done the work and that is Jesus Christ and when he did the work on the cross he finished it he said it is what friends why are you working why are you making up so many man -made stuff to prove that you’re spiritual and to prove that somehow you’re saved when all you really need to do is rest in Jesus this morning.

I just want to finish out with what Jesus said in verse 24 after teaching the contradiction of their man -made traditions to the law and what God’s word really says and how they themselves are not even consistent in living out what they teach.

Jesus said this in verse 24 judge not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment. Go back in your mind, Jesus is in the temple. He’s teaching God’s word. People are being touched, they’re being moved by God, they’re being drawn by the Spirit.

His critics come in, the religious elite, they start shouting out criticism to Him. They try to discredit Him in front of the crowd. They call Him a demon, a devil. They tell Him He didn’t go to the right schools.

Jesus says, my source is God. God is the source of my ministry. Jesus reminds them that the way that He lives His life is a manifestation that He truly is from God. It’s not about Him. He’s sacrificing.

He’s living a selfless life. He wants to do everything to bring glory to God. It’s not about Him. And then He says, I did this sign so that you would know that I am truly the Messiah. And let me tell you, those that are listening.

that these man -made rules, these people don’t even live by them. And he says this in conclusion, I want you to make judgments based upon the facts, not upon what appears to be true. I want you to make judgments based upon the truth, the righteousness of God.

Friends, what I’m saying to you is this, that as you and I dive into God’s word, we will be blessed and granted with wisdom and discernment and a filter that is able to distinguish what is true and what is false, what is real and what is fake.

And he’s saying don’t do it by appearance because there are many things in the world that want to razzle and dazzle you. And there are many things in the world that want to come as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

But you be careful and you have the wisdom of God and you have the discernment of God and you make sure that you know the word of God. Because man, man judges by the appearance, right? But God judges by the what?

The heart. And as each one of us stand before God, I’m gonna tell you this, it’s unbelievable. You may be shocked. This probably knocks some of you out forever. You may never be able to come back. But let me tell you something.

God does not judge you based upon the color of your hair or how many tattoos you have or don’t have. Or whether you wear a tie or don’t wear a tie to church. God judges you based upon your heart before him.

Jesus teaches us how to go from the point of dealing with lions to the point of dealing with lambs and it’s a beautiful picture here of how our Savior works and how we can effectively work and deal with those who are opposing us.

So I hope some of these principles that you’re picking up on and that you’re applying to your life and really the most important thing is that you would know Christ as your Savior and that you would begin each day in a relationship with him and reading your Bible praying and I hope that will be true in your life today and I hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity.

Now we have a lot of resources on our website hopeworthhaving .com and in those resources you can certainly pick up on some devotions. We have a lot of things that you can take advantage of helping you and to grow in your faith and so I want you to go to our website and want you to enjoy some good Christian music.

I want you to enjoy some good Bible studying. and I want you just to continue to flourish for Jesus Christ. This is Pastor Mike Sanders reminding you that in Christ there is hope worth having.