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foreign [Music] good morning everyone welcome to morning worship here true Grace Baptist Church a couple of announcements of course we have Wednesday night bible study at 7 30 p.m here in the fellowship hall and then in email went out this week about the picnic at the Neil's place on Saturday November 26th if you didn't get that 2 p.m you can talk to Carla or Nathan for more information so for a call to worship this morning we're going to turn to Psalm 84. all right Psalm 84 to the chief musician on an instrument of gath a Psalm of the sons of Korah how lovely is your Tabernacle the Lord of hosts my soul Longs yes even faints for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cry out for the Living God even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow and asked for herself where she may lay her young even your altars O Lord of hosts my king and my God blessed are those who dwell in your house they will still be praising you say la blessed is the man whose strength is in you whose heart is set on pilgrimage as they pass through the valley of baka they make it a spring the rain also covers it with pools they grow they go from strength to strength each one appears before God in Zion O Lord God of hosts hear my prayer give ear o God of Jacob say law oh God Behold our shield and look upon the face of your anointed for a day in your courts is better than a thousand I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness for the Lord God is a son and shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly O Lord of hosts blessed is the man who trusts in you amen turn with me for our first hymn to number 213 in your Hymnal 2 13 will stand to sing together foreign [Music] already [Music] released [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] let us go to our great God In Prayer our gracious father we thank you for this privilege we have this morning gathering together with your people to worship you as a congregation we thank you that you have afforded us this place you have brought us under the sound of the gospel and caused our hearts to desire your word caused our hearts to desire fellowship with your people and I pray oh God that this day would be blessed I pray that we would be fed and encouraged and uplifted as we hear your word preached and as we worship together Lord I Thank you that the gospel is being preached all over the face of the Earth thank you that Christ is fulfilling his promise to build his church and thank you that even the Gates of Hell will fall before her Lord I pray that the gospel would be propagated all over the face of the Earth Here and Now in our generation Lord we know there are many opposing forces and we thank you that you are victorious and will be victorious Lord I pray that those Christians in other lands that are being persecuted that are suffering severely for the sake of the Gospel would be upheld and that even there the gospel would continue to penetrate in places where Islam and and Atheism communism have tried to shut out Christianity Lord I pray that the the gospel would continue to go forth and the church would continue to be built uphold your Saints strengthen them encourage your people to stay I pray o God Lord I pray for kings and all who are in Authority we know that many have risen up against you many deny that there is a Creator and many try to Stamp Out the the Christian truth but we pray o God that this would not be the case here we pray Lord that you would reverse that Trend in our own nation and in our neighbors to the South and the states and in Europe Lord I pray that we would see good things ahead in our own lifetime Lord we know there has been even the last few years a shaking taking place and it has been good for your people you are doing a good work in your church and I pray that you would continue to do that Lord I pray that you would bless us with leaders even in the Civic realm that fear you and that are afraid to offend the the god of Heaven and Earth the creator of all things Lord be merciful to us I pray I pray Lord for those pastors and pulpits this morning that are preaching your word across this nation of Canada bless them bless them with boldness to preach the whole counsel of God and not withhold anything Lord I do pray that that word that goes forth would bring forth fruit all across this land we pray for those churches with whom we are in close Fellowship in our Circle I pray Lord that you'd bless Pastor Kirkpatrick and the congregation in Surrey this morning encourage them encourage the brethren in Armstrong and and Pastor maljaris there I pray Lord that you would continue to build that work continue to bring new members among them encourage them Lord and the work in Dryden Ontario as well I pray Lord that that group would be firmly established firmly grounded in the word and that they would be able to constitute as a an official Church in the near future Lord I pray that you would bless your people here in free Grace Baptist thank you for our Pastor I pray that you would uphold Pastor Butler as he comes to the pulpit this morning give him power and anointing and fluency to preach the word of God carefully and thoroughly and with power and conviction we thank you again for this opportunity that we have to be here I pray Lord that you would work in the hearts of every individual that hears those Among Us that are not yet saved that have not yet embraced and believed the gospel I pray o God that today would be the day of salvation I pray for our youth and our children Lord stir their hearts I pray Lord that the seeds that are planted now when they are young would never depart from them that they would bring forth fruit and let our children and youth would never forget their creator or be gracious to us I pray thank you for John and Molina Curry thank you for the wedding that took place yesterday I pray Lord that your blessing would rest upon this couple thank you that they can be with us to Fellowship this morning Lord I pray that your your blessing would rest upon their marriage and later in January when they go to Honduras I pray Lord that they would be a tremendous blessing to the church there pray Lord for that congregation even this morning that you would bless them bless Pastor Carlos and Pastor Luis I pray Lord that they would see much fruit to their Ministry in that Nation and the Lord I pray that you would continue with us in worship this morning as we turn our hearts to you I pray Lord that you would bless us in Jesus name amen we're going to sing Psalm 51 from your psalter Hymnal Psalm 51 we're only singing stanzas one to five of Psalm 51c c as in Charlie stand with me as we sing why you were still all free I'm ready [Music] me with me let's go bless me please [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] give us [Music] seated if you take your Bibles and turn with me to John first John chapter 3 will be our New Testament scripture reading this morning the third chapter of First John behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him beloved now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness and sin is lawlessness and you know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him there is no sin whoever abides in him does not sin whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him little children let no one deceive you he who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous he who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil Whoever has been born of God does not sin for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he has been born of God in this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God nor is he who does not love his brother for this is the message that you heard from the beginning that we should love one another not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother and why did he murder him because his Works were evil and his brothers righteous do not Marvel my brethren if the world hates you we know that we have passed from Death to life because we love the Brethren he who does not love his brother abides in death whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him by this we know love because he laid down his life for us and we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren but whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him how does the love of God abide in him my little children let us not love in word or in tongue but indeed and in truth and by this we know that we are of the truth and it shall assure our hearts our hearts before him for if our heart condemns us God is greater than our heart and knows all things beloved if our heart does not condemn us we have confidence toward God and whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight and this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandment now he who keeps his Commandments abides in him and he in him and by this we know that he abides in Us by the spirit whom he has given us amen let us pray gracious father thank you for the writings of the Apostle John I pray Lord that you would help us to obey these Commandments of scriptures to love one another and to do what is right in your sight continue with us as we worship and as we go to the word I pray in Jesus name amen and for our last hymn we'll sing 195 in your hymnal hymn number 195. please stand with me as we sing thank you foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] our children [Music] well please turn with me in your Bible to John's gospel where in John chapter 8. thank you John chapter 8 our Focus will be verses 37 to 41 but I'll read from 37 to 47. so here now the word of the living and true God I know that you are Abraham's descendants but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father they answered and said to him Abraham is our father Jesus said to them if you were Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham but now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God excuse me Abraham did not do this you do the Deeds of your father they said to him we were not born of fornication we have one father God Jesus said to them if God were your father you would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God nor have I cometh myself but he sent me why do you not understand my speech because you are not able to listen to my word you are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do he was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaks a lie he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it but because I tell the truth you do not believe me which of you convict me of sin and if I tell the truth why do you not believe me he who is of God hears God's words therefore you do not hear because you are not of God Amen well let us pray Our Father we thank you for this beautiful day the heavens do declare the righteousness of God most high we thank you for your handiwork in the created order we thank you for the providential order that you govern all your creatures and all their actions we thank you for the Redemptive order the fact that you sent your son into this world Sinners to save we praise you for his life of obedience his death as a sacrifice and substitute on calvary's cross and for his resurrection the third day we thank you that he is in the midst of the lampstands as we gather together for corporate worship on the Lord's day we pray that even now our hearts will be encouraged and built up and strengthened as well God for any and all who've come here this day that have not believed the gospel we pray that by grace and For Your Glory they would look unto the Lord Jesus Christ in faith forgive us for all sin and all unrighteousness and guide us now by the presence and the power of your Holy Spirit and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well remember that John chapter 8 takes place the day after the Feast of the Feast of Tabernacles and it's one long discourse beginning in John 8 1 all the way to the end of the chapter but along the way we see these various dialogues occurring between Jesus and the religious leaders so we've kind of broken it up along the way in conjunction with that so verses 37 to 47 is a unit and it's balanced structurally the Jews make two claims they claim that Abraham is their father and then in verse 41 they claim that God is their father well when they claim that Abraham is their father Jesus reproves them or rebukes them for that in verses 37 to 41. once they make that assertion that God is their father he then rebukes them or reproves them in verses 40 to to 47. now when we look at the gospel records concerning our Lord Jesus Christ Matthew and Mark and Luke and John will will notice that Jesus never shrinks back from declaring hard things in fact if you look back to the synagogue in Capernaum in John chapter 6 we see an instance of that notice in John 6 at verse 60 therefore many of his disciples when they heard this said this is a hard saying who can understand it essentially what he was teaching was Sovereign Grace he was talking about election and predestination and the depravity of man and no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him so that was in fact a hard saying but Jesus doesn't recant he doesn't say well I'm sorry that I've offended your delicate sensitivities I'm going to make this softer and more easy and more palatable for you he doesn't do that as well when it comes to various persons that he meets in the gospel records he has the most stinging words reserved for the religious leadership in Matthew chapter 23 for instance he says woe to you scribes and Pharisees he calls them Hypocrites he calls them brood a Viper verse he calls them blind guides just think about that for a moment if you were going to go travel down to the base of the the Grand Canyon and your guide came walking up with a seeing eye dog or a cane you wouldn't have a lot of confidence in him you don't want a blind guide well that's how Jesus refers to the religious leaders in his own generation but probably nowhere does that hard word come to pass more than in chapter 8 at verse 44. you are of your father the devil that's a bell you don't unring that's a position you don't come back from that is Christ indicting these people for what they are truly now he doesn't just say this out of the gun he doesn't just say you're wretched and you're Children of the devil he builds his case and that's what he's doing here in our section from verses 37 to 41. so in verses 37 to 41 there is this twofold claim made by the Jews notice that in 2 places verses 33 and 39 they assert that Abraham is their father so verses 37 to 41 8 and then they make the claim that God is their father in verse 41 and so for the sake of time we'll just take up that first claim concerning Abraham and how Jesus rebuts that or how Jesus rebukes them and says that that in fact is not the case so I want to look first at the the assertion of their status secondly the rejection of their claim third the explanation of their delusion and then finally the Declaration of their paternity in verse 41. so let's look at the assertion of their status notice back in verse 31 then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him if you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free they answered him we are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone how can you say you will be made free so that is wrong on a political level because they had been in bondage to Egypt and then Assyria and then Babylon and now presently in the Roman Empire they had certainly known their share of physical bondage but most likely that's not what they're saying we're not in bondage to any Authority except for Yahweh in other words they're expressing their Fidelity to the god of the old Covenant and this has become sort of a badge for them sort of a boasting right for that remember in Matthew's gospel when they come out to hear John the Baptist when John the Baptist is baptizing and he says to them do not think to say to yourselves we have Abraham as our Father for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these Stones so so this was their boasts this was their their their arrogance this was their claim Abraham is Our Father who do you think you are talking about us Believing on you and you making us free we've never been in bondage we are Abraham's descendants and and when Jesus starts to reprove them they double down in verse 39 they make the same assertion we are Abraham's seed we are not the sorts of people that you are condemning us for so that's their assertion we mustn't forget it now notice the rejection of their claim this is in verses 37 to 39 a Christ affirms their physical descent notice in verse 37 I know that you are Abraham's descendants as far as the flesh is concerned as far as the blood in your vein is concerned as far as your tribes and your Clans and your kingdom and your your Earthly situation he does not deny that physically they are descended from Abraham he affirms that reality but what he is going to do is clarify it's all about definition they've already said hey we're not in bondage when he has said that you're in bondage and now they're saying oh yeah we're Abraham's seed and he's going to say no you're not you are physically but spiritually you are not not connected to Abraham whatsoever Edward Klink makes this observation after clarifying their definition of freedom in verses 34 to 36 Jesus now clarifies their definition of the Seed of Abraham just as Jesus can acknowledge the uniqueness of the Jewish people in the plan of God and yet still declare them to be enslaved to sin so also can Jesus acknowledge that they are born of the Seed of Abraham and yet still need a new birth so this claim that they boast of this physicality are they thinking that salvation is by race because the word of God tells us that salvation is by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ it's not simply because you've descended physically from Abraham that you are necessarily Heaven bound the Apostle Paul amplifies this in Romans 9 at verse 6 he says for not all Israel is Israel he amplifies this in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 7 saying that those who believe on Jesus are the sons of Abraham he also celebrates that fact in Galatians 3 26-29 and in the book of Galatians the the awesome thing is is that Gentiles Believing on Jesus Christ are the sons of Abraham but the Jews who reject Jesus Christ are not the sons of Abraham so they're operating at two levels here they were wrong concerning their definition of bondage so Christ clarifies that they're wrong concerning their definition of being Abraham's seed so Christ is going to clarify that he affirms physically yes but then he condemns this notion that they are somehow spiritually okay because they are Abraham's physical descendants he makes this distinction John Gill makes the observation and what follows proves them to be under the power and in the servitude of sin and that they were the seed of the serpent that was to bruise the heel of the woman's seed or put the Messiah to death though they were the natural sons of Abraham thank you and so that is a reflection in the mind of Gil to Genesis 3 15. we consider that passage yesterday we had a wedding here it was awesome it's wonderful we have a pair of newlyweds in our midst this morning and we praise God for that but we looked at the ordinance of marriage in Genesis chapter 2 but then after the ordinance of marriage there is this fall into sin but after this fall into sin there is this announcement of recovery on the part of God most high he's going to send his son he's going to send one born of a woman he's going to send one that is going to suffer and die to achieve total victory in conquest and he is going to achieve that total Victory and Conquest over the Devil Himself that passage is Genesis 3 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel so Gil I think rightly sees that coming to fruition in a passage like this we have this antithesis between the devil and the the seed of Christ we have this antithesis between the righteous and the unrighteous we have this antithesis this this age-long war that culminates now in the rejection of the one promised by God to come in to save his people from their sins and it's no accident that Jesus Will appropriate that language in verse 44 to tell them that they are in fact Children of the devil that's the problem that's the issue for all their religiosity for all of their correctness for all of their Fidelity at least an externally to covenant theology they are wrong they have missed the boat they are not believing on the one whom God the father had sent so the rejection of their spiritual connection to Abraham Jesus shows now in verse 37 B he says I know that you are Abraham's descendants but you seek to kill me this betrays this confession that you are Abraham's descendants this is proof positive this is an Evidence this is an exhibition we see or he knew that they were in fact trying to kill him look back in chapter 7 at verse 1 prior to the Feast of Tabernacles verse one after these things Jesus walked in Yahweh for he did not want to walk in Judea because the Jews sought to kill him go back to chapter five at that that healing of the man at Bethesda and in chapter 5 at verse 16 for this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the Sabbath but Jesus answered them my father has been working until now and I have been working therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was his father making himself equal with God so here in John chapter 8 when they say oh yeah we're the Seed of Abraham we're the descendants of the righteous Abraham we've come from the loins of Godly Abraham Jesus says no you haven't and what's the first proof that he has issues you're trying to kill me you want to rid the world of me you want to murder me he understood he had that knowledge with reference to their particular intention to kill him the fact that they want to kill him underscores their paternity again it's no accident that in verse 44 when he makes that declaration you are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do well I wonder what those desires are murder and lies you're murderers and your Liars he doesn't just shoot this particular verse at them in verse 44 without building his case and that's what he does here in verse 37 but you seek to kill me so they have this intent to murder him but also they have a refusal to hear him look at what he goes on to say in verse 37 you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you well Brethren it all depends on the word of Christ doesn't it every man since then every man prior to that and every man in our own current generation we're all basically at the level of do we believe on Jesus or don't we have we by Grace tasted and seen that the Lord is good or have we because of our our solidarity with Adam and because of the fact that the devil is our father have we rejected him and despise it so look at what Jesus is saying you've not received my word well what word is that well he's already spoken to that in verses 8 31 and 32 notice then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him if you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and then in verse 36 therefore if the son makes you free you shall be free indeed my word has no place in you I have come as the one sent by the Father the only begotten son of the father I have spoken true Doctrine to you I I have taught you that the way of Salvation And yet my word does not have a place in you you reject it you despise it you forsake it so again he's answering their claim to we are the descendants of Abraham we are the Seed of Abraham well Abraham didn't try to kill the Messiah and Abraham didn't reject the word of God most high Abraham received that word Abraham acted consistently with that word and therefore you are not Abraham's sons it is that word that is instrumental in the salvation of Sinners Romans 10 17 Faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God remember that scene at the end of The Sermon on the Mount Matthew chapter 7 when Jesus talks about the two Builders the man who builds his house on the rock and the man who builds his house on the sand what's The Rock The Rock is the word of Jesus Christ the sand is everything other than that and of course when you build your house on the sand can it withstand the rain can it withstand the Tempest can it withstand the wind no it cannot but when you you build that house by grace on that rock you are able to withstand all of those things and so the Lord Christ is telling us telling them and Us by extension that you stand or fall based on the reception or rejection of his word now before we progress proceed where are you at with reference to his word have you by Grace believe that word have you seen Jesus as altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand is he the one alone that you are trusting in for salvation or perhaps you're going to say well you know I'm not that bad I've never murdered I've never committed adultery I I think all farewell on that day of judgment let me tell you friend that's not going to happen it's either perfect absolute perfect obedience to God's law on your part Perpetual exact entire personal obedience in order to be accepted with God or grace through faith in our blessed savior the one who did personally the one who did prepare actually the one who did exactly and entirely obey that law well the scriptures are clear it's a blessed thing the gospel of our Salvation believe on him and you will be saved when we believe we're Justified freely by God's grace we receive forgiveness and we receive a righteousness so that we can enter into the presence of God Almighty that's the good news that's what Jesus has been preaching and teaching to these people and yet they continue to refuse it they continue to reject it and they are not Abraham's seed and that is evidenced by the fact that they want to murder him the fact that they refuse to hear him and notice as well the fact that they have this commitment to reject him look at verse 38 I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father the word Jesus speaks is the word he received from his father now when Jesus receives the word from his father it's not the same as when creatures receive the word from their fathers you know a discursive sort of understanding ending you know we learn lessons and we grow in our understanding and perhaps there's a test applied to see if we're retaining the information this idea of seeing and hearing in terms of the sun relative to the father they share or have the identity of essence and so what Jesus hears from the father is according to his divinity it's according to his blessedness as the only Savior for Sinners and so he tells these people I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father so they reject that word that Jesus has been sharing telling declaring preaching and teaching do you see what he's saying I haven't come on my own authority I I not some you know other Rabbi that you know got my degree online and I thought I would just compete with you religious leaders in the Sanhedrin no there's a Unity of essence with the father so that what the son speaks is the Father's word what the father speaks is the son's word we speak or we we worship a a Triune God one true and living God that exists eternally his father Son and Holy Spirit and so Christ braids that you want to kill me as well my word has no place in you as well you have this complete rejection of me even though I speak what I have seen with my father and then you do what you have seen with your father see how he's leading them along it all focuses upon these two claims Abraham is our father and God is our father he has to disavow them of this notion he has to disenfranchise them of this confession he has to show them their malady and their issue and their problem yes to condemn them because they're fakes and hypocrites but as well Jesus according to his Humanity when he goes about to preach the gospel he's like any other preacher safe Jonah that wants people to get saved wants people to hear the truth remember that last day that great day of the feast in John 7 37 they'd already shown their enmity against him that already rejected him they already despised him and yet he stands up and he cries out if any man thirsts let him come to me and drink the Lord Christ has a heart of benevolence the Lord Christ is is leading these people to understand how their sin and depravity has affected them so that they might come to him and Believe on him and be saved by him so they or or rather notice the the parallel in verse 38 I speak what I have seen with my father you do what you have seen with your father and of course they double down they don't say well you know he's got a lot of right things to say we we are trying to kill him his word doesn't have any place in our hearts he he has claimed to be speaking in Authority because the father sent him they're not softened by this they're not brought in by this they're not rude by this they are doubling down in their sin with this affirmation in verse 39. they answered and said to him Abraham is our father and again Brethren I don't think there just offering it up as a bit of information well you know Abraham is our father they're doubling down they're resisting him they are confirming the very thing he is indicting them about you want to kill me my word has no place in your heart the things that you have seen from your father those are the things that you're doing well what have they seen from their father they had seen murder they had seen lies they had seen deception did seem depravity they had seen all the sorts of things that the sons of this age are marked by in terms of their commitment to the prince of the power of the air that works in those sons of Disobedience so Christ is leading them now and instead of them humbling themselves instead of them repenting they just double down the unbelieving Jews understand exactly what he is saying so instead of renegging they double down a Brethren always doubling down doesn't mean you're right doubling down and say well we really are the Seed of Abraham doesn't make it so that does not just to assert something you might assert that you know you're able to to slam dunk a basketball but until you Pony up and slam dunk a basketball that assertion makes no sense somebody says well I don't think you can slam dunk a basketball oh yes I can again the proof is in the pudding so when Jesus gives them or furnishes them with evidence that they are in fact not connected spiritually to Abraham instead of submitting to that instead of listening to him instead of learning the lesson that God's word holds out to all Sinners you're not going to win God is always right Jesus speaks the truth there's not some sort of Ripple a wiggle room for you to get around his word you're going to stand before him you're going to give an account of Deeds Done in the body whether good or ill you're gonna meet him on that day of judgment best now to submit best now to Bow that's now to confess him as Lord and Savior that's now to own him as that one who saves to the uttermost all who draw an eye to God through him now notice Jesus now explains their delusion in verses 39b to 40. so verse 39 they answered and said to him Abraham is our father Jesus said to them if you were Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham pretty simple right it's a logical proposition geometry it's called a an if then statement If Abraham or your father then you would do the works of Abraham right we all got that children imitate their parents children do what or you know Sons do what their fathers do Christ is able to make that assertion I always do what pleases him who sent me look back in verse 29 he says that the father has not left me alone for I always do those things that please him verse 38 I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father so he's furthering his argument he's furthering his emphasis he's furthering to demonstrate that they are not what they purport to be physical descendants of Abraham yes but those who receive Messiah those who are blessed and conquered by Sovereign Grace those who are Heaven bound no you're you're not there and not only are you not there you're way off from there and you really need to pay attention and you really need to listen so that's why he furthers his argument if you were Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham a son imitates his father the statement is illustrative and it's designed to to illustrate that point you're not Abraham's seed whatever you think you are whatever you you pride yourself on whatever boast you have in your heart it's just not true now Brethren it doesn't take much to jump from this context to to our own sort of you know context you've got people that you know they Pride themselves on their religiosity or their their spiritual people you just don't know I I I'm really spiritual I I'm really religious well what thinking of Christ I am not into all that really not that Bible sort of religion you know you hear that that that that moniker at times born again Christian well if you're not born again you're not a Christian you see in modern parlance born again Christian is the real wacko okay if you're just a Christian we don't like that we can't stand you for that but if you're one of those born-againers then then you're just offensive but but I thought you were religious I I thought you were spiritual well not that kind of religious and not that kind of spiritual you see there's people that Pride themselves that they're going to go to heaven based on what they do or don't do or based on whatever religiosity or spirituality that they subscribe but these were the same sorts of people well we're Abraham's seed we're Abraham's descendants I don't know why we're button heads like this it's not us that has the problem Jesus it's ultimately you that has the problem they are gaslighting or attempting to Gaslight the Savior and the Savior won't have it if you were Abraham children you would do the works of Abraham now this is a confirmation of the righteousness of Abraham and the wickedness of these Hypocrites when you think Abraham what do you think if we played word association you'd probably think Faith right Genesis 15 6 Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness but in light of that justifying faith you think obedience you think godliness you think righteousness and you might be tempted to think at least at least you probably will now because I'm going to tell you Genesis 22 take your son your only son the son that you love up to Mount Moriah and there I want you to sacrifice him for me now the tax starts off in 22 1 that God was testing Abraham as I've told you before we read that information but Abraham didn't have that Abraham didn't know it was a test Abraham was simply told to take his son the only son the son that he loved up to Mount Moriah and to kill him in sacrifice unto God now we know the story the angel of the Lord stops him the angel of Lord keeps him from engaging in that but we see him living consistent with his profession of faith and if you think this is an outlandish connection this is precisely James's point in James chapter 2 when James talks about faith without works is dead he's not suggesting that it's Faith plus Works in order for salvation he's talking the way that our confession rightly comments so justification is by faith alone but that faith is not alone but it's always accompanied by every other Saving Grace that's James's point we're justified by grace through faith in Jesus and once we're justified by grace through faith in Jesus there are works there are manifestations or demonstrations of that reality and so James invokes Abraham Abraham and Rahab so whether you're a patriarch or a prostitute it's always salvation alone or salvation by grace alone through faith alone and Christ alone but he speaks concerning this incident in Genesis 22. we see then he says we see the validity of his faith in God because of what he does consistent with that was not Abraham Our Father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar do you see that Faith was working and that's the point in the section James 2 14-26 has to do with seeing touching validating confirming justification is by grace alone through faith alone but it will externally manifest itself in a life of obedience not perfect obedience but in obedience he says do you see that Faith was working together with his works and by works Faith was made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled so Genesis 22 was a fulfillment of what the scripture was fulfilled which says Abraham and believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God so at Mariah we see fulfillment of 15 sex Abraham believed God and it was a count that unto him for righteousness see we are Justified freely by grace through faith and that faith is alone but it doesn't remain alone but all other saving Graces accompany it so that we obey so that we do what God is pleased with so the the obvious implication in our passage is very simple if you are Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham now notice he shows them that this is just not the case once again he reminds them that they want to kill him he's not going to let them off the hook he knows what their intentions are he's not going to say well yeah I guess you are the son of Abraham and you know we can we can have fellowship and friendship you're seeking to kill me you want to eradicate a holy harmless and righteous man you want to eliminate or liquidate from the earth someone who hasn't done anything wrong that's problematic and notice the proof that he makes in verse 40. but now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God Abraham did not do this so I've told you the truth from God that word that does not abide in you and then he says Abraham did not do this what does he mean then Abraham knew about Jesus according to verse 56 but Abraham didn't try to kill Jesus what's Jesus mean here Abraham was a righteous man he had believed the gospel he had believed the truth he understood the nature of Genesis 3 15. he knew there was a deliverer that would be born of a woman that would accomplish total Victory through his own suffering and death he understood that in fact Genesis 22 rehearses that reality when he goes to Mount Moriah what's Abraham say on the journey Abraham says Dad we've got the fire and and and we've got the wood but but where's the sacrifice what's Abraham say to him the Lord will provide the book of Hebrews tells us that Abraham knew that even if he carried out that act of execution God was able to raise him from the dead he walked by faith consistently up to Mariah and then after the angel of the Lord stays the hand of Abraham what do we see in the narrative Iran caught in the thicket the Lord's provision the Lord's remedy the Lord's Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world so Abraham didn't do this he wouldn't have killed the promised Messiah he wouldn't kill a an innocent man he certainly wouldn't kill a spokesman from God this is Jesus Point look at what he says in verse 40 but now you seek to kill man a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God again it's not that he heard it from God the way that I told it to my sons one man says he heard the truth from God inasmuch as from eternity he received he from the father through an eternal generation the same nature that the father has so that's the emphasis in this hearing and seeing in terms of the Son and the father but what does he say you're not Abraham's seek you want to kill me and I'm a man who's come to you to speak the truth as it is in God most high Abraham didn't do this so stop this nonsense stop this hypocrisy stop this boasting that somehow you're on a good footing because if your physical relation of all the evangelism that I've ever done I'm not saying this like I'm Ray Comfort or something you know all I ever do is evangelize but the the the most disturbing the most difficult person to deal with is the person who doesn't need to hear the gospel because his grandfather taught Sunday School in an Anglican Church oh wow well yeah you're Heaven bound I mean Heaven's gonna open up and you're going to be ushered in and the angels are going to attend you why because your grandfather taught Sunday School in an Anglican Church we want every other way of acceptance with God than Through Blood atonement we want every other way with acceptance through God with without Christ if you asked a hundred people today do you want to go to heaven of those hundred there be the the fools the morons the agnostics the atheists are there there's no Heaven there's no Spirit but I think there's still a prevailing opinion in this world that there's a heaven and a hell so if you asked 100 people I'd say the great majority of them would say yeah I'd like to go to heaven I mean do you want to go to that place of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth well no uh would you like to go to heaven yeah sure we want to go to heaven through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ well again I'm not that kind of religious I'm not that kind to spiritual I'm not that kind of a person one of those born-againers I you know I'm just trying to do good I try to benefit people I try to be helpful I I try to to just be a good citizen you you know that's going to land me a place in heaven so I think everybody wants to go to heaven but they Bypass or reject the means that God's ordained for entrance into heaven and these Jews are no exception Christ sent by the father God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life they reject it they despise it they resist it when you stop and think about it when you talk about the gospel we we oftentimes append the adjective simple it is simple isn't it think about it my encouragement to you today if you're not saved is not go out and do the best you can try hard be perpetually perfect exact and entire with reference to your obedience to the law my encouragement to you is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to look to another to not look to yourself to not look to your accomplishments to not look at how good you think you are to not look at how bad everybody else is but rather to look at him who's all together lovely the one who always did what pleased his father the one who lived for Sinners the one who died for Sinners the one who was raised for Sinners Look to Him and live that's a simple message isn't it if it was the case that no one would go to heaven unless they stopped everything they had been doing up to this point and completely changed the other way that'd be tough to work out Brethren that would be tough to sort of manage but that's not the call of the Gospel the call of the Gospel is to believe on the Lord Jesus to repent from your sins to have a change of mind and bear fruit consistent with that now that by grace that by God's glory that for the the blessing and praise of our blessed Sovereign but that's the emphasis and that's what's happening in the midst of these people and yet they continue to double down this is the cinnamon doubling down look at the prodigal does the prodigal when he comes to himself is that the defining moment in his conversion not by a long shot Brethren he just thinks like a mercenary he's eaten the pig food according to Luke 15 and he's thinking you know if I was a hired servant in my father's house I get three hearts and a cot I'd have a place to sleep and I'd get food I wouldn't have to eat this pig slop there's nothing wrong with not wanting pigs The Hop there's nothing wrong with you know wanting three Hots in a cot but he's not converted when he comes to himself in the distant country that's not a sign that he's converted what's the first step he goes to another man to try to get safe haven there when he comes back to the father it's not in Repentance it's not with a change a heart it's not faith in his in his father he comes back for three hearts in a car the emphasis is upon God's grace the father runs to him the father falls on him the father kisses him the father puts a robe upon him the father puts a ring on his finger the father orders the slaying of the fatted calf it's the father's initiative to restore that son everything about that son is trying to do everything other than cast himself on the mercy of God spiritually speaking he wants to cast himself physically because he doesn't want to eat pig slop and so he's willing to be a mercenary in order to get what it is he's after that's the Jews here that's every man today when you tell Sinners the way of Salvation is through a bloody knife and a smoking altar they say no I don't want that I'm going to just try harder I'm going to do better and I'm going to isolate myself from those Wicked influences around me those things aren't necessarily bad but those things won't land you in heaven it's grace alone through faith alone own in Christ alone that's the recurring emphasis it's not their race physical descent to Abraham but it's Grace God makes Sinners willing in the day of his power to come to him so Abraham did not do this Matthew Poole says Christ takes them off this glorying that their Seed of Abraham by reminding them that the Blood of Abraham running in their veins would be of little significance to them so long as they did not walk in Abraham's steps men are truly to be accounted the children of those not from whom they are naturally descended but whose steps they walk in and whom they imitate in their conversations and then Christ ends this exchange with these sharp words in verse 41 that he's going to amplify in verses 42-47 he says you do the Deeds of your father you do the Deeds of your father you're not of Abraham you're not spiritually connected to him you don't do his works you reject me you want to kill me you reject my word it has no place in you you rather do the Deeds of your father now look at what they do they double down once again these people are not listening they're not getting it they're not following the argument verse 41 B then they said to him we are not born of fornication we have one father God probably two things that they're emphasizing with this statement we are not born of fornication one it may be a jab at the Lord Jesus Matthew chapter 1 verses 18 and 19 Joseph or Mary was found to be with child before her and Joseph had come together I mean it's probably not a lot different in Judea in the first century as it is in Chilliwack in the 21st century what happens when a piece of unsavory news is done people I wish they didn't but they tend to just want to Yap about it right I don't think it's an outlandish supposition that the religious leadership are slandering our blessed savior at least in a backhanded sort of way we what's the implication like you we were not born of fornication we're not those kinds of Despicable people we're we're more we're more upright we're more polished we're we're better than you Jesus these are wicked people Brethren as Jesus goes down the streets of Judea when he's up in the northern region in Galilee he doesn't generally walk down the streets no place that I have found in my Bible where he sees the harlots and he sees the tax collectors and he sees all the the Riff Raff and he just shouts them down and tells them you're the children of the devil you know there's some sorts of evangelists today that do that very oh you're in the sons of the devil that's not Jesus common way that's not his typical approach that's not his manner remember the woman at the well the Samaritan woman he kind of promises or the the living water and then he challenges her to bring her husband and she says I I don't have a husband he says you're right you've had a few and the one you're presently with he's not your husband he doesn't shout her down and call her a child of the devil the religious leaders that are responsible to guide Israel the religious leaders that are responsible to teach the truth the religious leaders that should have known better in terms of expectation concerning Messiah when they botch it up when they twist and distorted Jesus lets them have it I think this passage underscores or passages like these underscore what James tells us in James 3 1. Brethren let not many of you become teachers why we'll receive a stricter judgment there'll be a stricter judgment for those who distort and who twist and pollute and abominate the word of the Living God so these men say in a backhanded way we're not born of fornication the way that you are but more likely Brethren we're not idolaters like you are look at verse 48 they accuse him of being a Samaritan when they say we were not born of fornication they are expressing their religious Fidelity we're not born of fornication in the sense that our hearts are divided between Yahweh and Baal fornication harlotry that sort of thing in the Old Testament was indicative of idolatry just a few specimen passages Isaiah 1 21. how the faithful city has become a harlot it was full of Justice righteousness lodged in it but now murderers Jeremiah 3 3 therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain you have had a harlot's forehead you refuse to be ashamed why do you think God commands Hosea to marry Gomer Gomer was a harlot why do you think that happened well Hosea 1 2 go take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry here's the reason for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord in other words Hosea was a type of God and Gomer was a type of of Israel and so that's the point I want you to take a wife of harlotray because I'm teaching something to the children of Israel that they're harlots they're abominable they've gone after that which is not God so when these men say we were not born of foreign education yeah passive aggressive attack Upon Our Lord and his dignity but as well an affirmation in their minds that they're not idolaters they're not Samaritans I mean that's what they accuse him of in verse 48 we're not like you we're faithful to Yahweh we're the ones that are that are that are in League with him in lockstep with him and on the heels of that that's why they say what they say we have one father God here's their second claim the first is they're children of Abraham Jesus rebukes them for that now they say we have one father God he's going to rebuke them for that in verses 42 to 47. so that's why in verse 44 when he says you are of your your father the devil it's not out of the blue it's not like wow that was really uncalled for that's a big massive Mallet to the head no he's built his case he's shown them where they're at they are physically hypocritical or are physically connected to Abraham but spiritually they are hypocrites they are frauds they are deceivers and they deserve to be rebuked so in conclusion in terms of some practical lessons we see first the delusion of the unbelieving Jews and this isn't to pick on the unbelieving Jews session this is a time for us to reflect it's a time for people to to think through our own commitments in terms of the true and living God the evidence of their delusion was their intention to kill Jesus pretty obvious right you can't be a follower of the true and living God and want to kill the son of his love or kill his only begotten son to reject him or to despise him so conversely those who are in Christ not only not want to kill him they want to love him they want to serve him they want to worship him they want to adore him so the evidence of their delusion was in that that they wanted to kill our blessed savior the arrogance of their delusion is their constant opening of their mouths they'd never learned the proverb and this is one this is free of charge great great advice here no matter where you are spiritually where you are physically whatever your lot in life when you're in a hole stop digging very good advice when you're in a hole stop digging now if your intention is to dig a deep deep hole then keep digging but you know we talk about well a minute really in a hole well you need to try to claw your way out don't keep digging that hole because it makes it more difficult to claw your way out these guys keep digging the hole don't they oh of course we're Abraham's see of course we're we're The Godly of course we have faithfulness to to Yahweh I mean they not only hear that you're not Abraham's descendants spiritually speaking you're actually Children of the devil Yeti doesn't do that with the harlots he didn't do that with the Samaritan woman he doesn't do that with Matthew at the tax office in Matthew chapter nine hey son of the devil I want you to leave your money there and I want you follow after me this is reserved for those persons that are tasked with teaching the word of God most high and prostituting it abominating it perverting it dripping their Godless hands all over it is what their crime was third their persistence or the Persistence of their delusion was they're asserting that God was their father he's already shown you you're not Abraham's descendant spiritually speaking he's probably right on the fact that you're not God's descendants either but they open up that door and Christ drives a truck through it Christ lets them have it look at the nature of his argument verse 42 if God were your father you would love me if Abraham or your father you wouldn't try to kill me if God for your father you would love me this is indicative of those who are conquered by Grace we don't love them as we ought but we love him we don't love him like we will but we love him we don't love him like we want to but we love him that is indicative of those who have been saved by grace through faith and this is absolutely absent in these persons and then the power of their delusion necessitates what we've already seen in John's gospel look back at John 1 John chapter 1 in the prologue John announces theologically what's in store in terms of the rest of the Gospel narrative notice what he says concerning Jesus in verse 10. he was in the world that means Earth the world was made through him that means the cosmos all of the everything that is and the world did not know him that's used in an ethical sense we think of do not love the world or the things in it doesn't mean you can't love your wife she's in it doesn't mean you can't love a steak it's in it but it means don't love this world system that is in opposition against the living and true God so three different ways the word world is used in verse 10. he's in the world Earth the world the cosmos was made through him in the world the ethically perverse did not know him now notice in verse 11 he came to his own that speaks of Israel the external covenantal people of God he didn't come to the Gentiles he definitely has the Gentiles in his focus and a Target but he comes to Israel where's he born he's born in Bethlehem Africa he lives in Galilee he lives in Judea he traverses the countryside preaching and teaching the word of God so he comes to his own and his Stone did not receive him that makes perfect sense now doesn't it when we've left the Feast of the Tabernacles we're with Jesus in this this Temple setting in John chapter 8 and their hurling constant insults at him and and slandering him oh yeah that that's right John he came to his own in his own did not receive him now notice verse 12 but as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God it's not race that secures your place in heaven it's Grace that secures your place in heaven notice in John 3 John 3 verses 1 to 10 Nicodemus was one of their own he came on behalf of the Sanhedrin to sort of to to vet Jesus to to to test Jesus to ask Jesus questions well what does Jesus teach you must be born again don't these Jews connected physically to Abraham in John chapter 8 illustrate that the man who says well I think I'm saying safely going to heaven because my grandfather taught Sunday School in a Anglican Church that man needs to be born again regeneration we're dead in our trespasses and sins the only way to get from this point to that point is by God's Sovereign Grace you must be born again you must be given The Graces of faith and repentance You Must Believe on him you must turn your back on your wretchedness and on your wickedness and on your evil you must imbibe the truth of Romans 13 14. as one who has believed but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lost don't continue on like these Jews who claim that Abraham and God was their father and yet they had murder in their hearts they had a desire to reject the very word of God most high as it was hand delivered by the Messiah what do we think of God what do we think of as Christ what do we think of his word these are very simple tests very simple ways to see if whether or not we are in the faith it's not magic it's not mystery it's all pretty quantifiable what think ye of Christ and if you're not a Believer here today that's the emphasis as many as received it as many as believed on him to them he gave the right to become the sons of God the Jews missed it the Jews despised it the Jews I'm talking about these unbelieving religious leader Jews they despised rejected and resisted it and as well we see the glory of the son the glory of the son have you ever heard people that say you know they they read the Old Testament or they have some inkling of the Old Testament they they conclude that you know God is just this warring vengeful God you look at this Pantheon in the Old Testament you had Ashraf she was the the girlfriend to bail and whenever bail and Asher sort of hooked up then that meant fertilizing the crops and then you had moloch he was all over Family Planning I mean if you didn't want your children you just threw them in the arms of moloch and they'd flop out of his arms because he was fake into the fire that burned at his feet so you got all these gods in the pantheon well who was Yahweh Yahweh was this vengeful God vengeful uh God that that commanded the children of Israel to go in and commit genocide in the land of Canaan that's how people think Brethren if you've never witnessed or never testified or never evangelized or ever heard somebody say that be prepared and it's unfortunate because it's not just the Heathen or the Pagan that argue that way sometimes people that profess faith in Jesus argue that way they've got this great dichotomy between this old ten Testament vengeful bloodthirsty God versus the New Testament God of of love and compassion Brethren do you know how much patience is exhibited in the Old Testament how much patience how many times God pleads with the children of Israel to to renew the Covenant to come back to me there's that instance in First Kings chapter 21. remember Ahab he marries Jezebel woman of the year and Jezebel has come from a situation where she just won't take no for an answer Ahab wants to co-opt his neighbor's field because Ahab wants more land and so naboth is the owner so Ahab goes to him and he says I I want your land and NABA says no I've been given it by inheritance it's it's my father's land so of course Ahab goes home and he's stolen and he's down and he's pouty and Jezebel says my daddy would never allow for no response you get over there and you take that lamp so she concocts this story that naboth had committed blasphemy and so naboth is summarily executed and then Allah major comes I mean your crime will always find you out your sin will always find you out so Elijah comes and rebukes Ahab Ahab shows not full-on repentance and an expression of faith in Yahweh but he has a bit of a change of heart he feels bad over what's transpired after Elijah rebukes him do you know what God says God basically says to Elijah did you see that he he humbled himself there was something approving in God over that external Act of Ahab feeling bad that he had killed naboth the point is God is patient the long-suffering of God is a reality look at it in the temple look at Jesus going back and forth with these people that hate him these people that want to murder him these people that are going to murder him the long-suffering of God is evident it is Manifest it is prevalent it is palpable but it will end don't delude yourselves that there's always going to be a chance for repentance there's always going to be a chance for Faith there's always going to be a chance for me to get right with God what's Jane say don't boast about tomorrow you're like a vapor it's here for a moment and then it's gone the appeal in scripture is now is the acceptable time today is the day of salvation I got a whole list of beautiful things here about Jesus but I just want to focus on his patience on his goodness on his kindness that he labors law with these wretches and that ultimately he will indeed be crucified by them but it's all according to the plan of God so that he can save his people from their sins do not tarry do not hesitate do not wait or resist but rather come to him in faith and the scripture says you will have everlasting life well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ for his wonderful teaching in the temple in John 8 and for what he tells us concerning human nature in general and these unbelieving religious leaders in specific and we just see as very a very stark contrast between those who thought themselves religious and their response to the one sent by God most high I pray that we would learn the lessons from a passage like this and that by your grace and For Your Glory we would make peace with you through our Lord Jesus Christ she would be merciful and Open Hearts here and all throughout the Earth today as your gospel is preached may it run swiftly may it be glorified may it accomplish the purpose for which you send it and we pray through Christ Our Lord amen well let's turn in our hymn books to number 568 568 we'll close our service by singing the doxology of praise to our Triune God [Music] foreign [Music] make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace Father thank you for the Lord's day thank you for the house of God and the people of God and the blessing of worshiping you go with us now and may the things spoken in this benediction be true for each of us and may you be glorified in our lives and we pray through Christ Our Lord amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation