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[Music] foreign well good morning everyone welcome here to free Grace Baptist this morning it's good to gather once again with the brothers and sisters and if there's any visitors here today welcome on this uh I guess it's the last weekend before the kids go back to school so there's probably a lot of smiling mothers today and we're thankful for that um I don't have any announcements you guys missed whoever wasn't here last week you missed our our luncheon so you'll have to wait until next month for the next one so uh that's that's too bad if you missed that but uh the only the only announcement I could think of is just to remind people that being the first of the month it's uh it's the Lord's supper tonight so if you want to come and and join us um to um obey the Lord and in observing that ordinance of the Lord's Supper that'll be tonight in the evening service so if you'd like to know um just turn with me in your Bible for our call to worship it's Isaiah chapter 55 this morning Isaiah 55 we've we've read this not not necessarily as a call to worship but it's brother Jim's read it a couple times we've heard from it so the Lord must be trying to tell us things through this scripture so Isaiah 55 starting in verse 1. ho everyone who thirsts come to the waters and you who have no money come by and eat yes come by wine and milk without money and without price why do you spend money for what has not bred and your wages for what does not satisfy listen carefully to me and eat what is good and let your soul Delight itself in abundance incline your ear and come to me here and your soul shall live and I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you the sure mercies of David indeed I have given him as a witness to the people a leader and Commander for the people surely you shall call a nation you do not know and Nations who do not know you shall run to you because of the Lord your God and the Holy One of Israel for he has glorified you seek the lord well he may be found call upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways says the Lord for us the heavens are higher than the Earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and do not return there but water the Earth and make it bring forth and Bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth it shall not return to me void but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it for you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace the mountains and the hills shall Break Forth into singing before you and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree and instead of the Briar shall come up the Myrtle tree and it shall be to the Lord for a name for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off amen and may the Lord bless his word if you want to take your Hymnal and turn with me to our first hymn this morning it's number 148 B is in Bravo 100 and 48 B [Music] praise God together [Music] oh yeah thank you Grace [Music] my grace [Music] foreign [Music] patience [Music] foreign [Music] well let's go to our god in prayer this morning Our Father who art in heaven we come to you this morning Lord and as we have just even sung we come to praise you who are the almighty Jehovah the creator of heavens and the Earth and all things and we come to give you thanks today father as we come together we thank you for the privilege that you have given us of this Lord's day that we may come that we might gather together as the body of Christ the Church of Christ to come to praise your name to worship you and to praise you and to hear your word read and preached we we give you thanks that you have given us this opportunity in this landlord to do this relatively unencumbered by the authorities or or by persecutions we thank you for the freedoms that we do enjoy Lord in in this land we give you thanks for that and we thank you especially for our Lord Jesus Christ and uh the reason the only reason that we can come before you Lord we we give you thanks for him and for his blood and for his righteousness and that we come clothed and covered in Christ and we thank you for that father and as we do come as you have admonished us to pray for one another we do desire to continue to live before you the sister churches that we pray for because Lord that is the desire of our hearts to see your gospel preached there that that you be glorified there so we do pray for the church and in Surrey and on Mike there and in Vernon and on Ryan as he um labors to start that work and to continue it there we thank you for that we pray for the church in Dryden Lord and the brothers there and we we ask for your grace Lord that your word would be proclaimed there in that part of our country and Lord we also pray for the church in Honduras that we do pray for as well often and we thank you for them we thank you Lord that your gospel sounds forth from all these places and we continue to pray for your grace that it might go forth Lord to um to save many from every nation and tribe and tongue the multitudes that will be gathered unto you Lord we give you thanks for that and we would pray that you would send it forth you would send your word forth as we have read this morning that would not return void we know it never returns void but it accomplishes your purposes Lord when taken by your spirit to the hearts of man and we pray that it'll be even so there this day we pray for Lord this working Honduras of some of these men that labor to bring um I guess reformed Doctrine to the churches there that they might be helped Lord to worship you in spirit and in truth we pray for your grace for an entrance for your word and for those to whom it's taught that they might Embrace these truths that have been held by the church throughout the ages Lord and we thank you for that we ask your blessings upon that we would um also desire to pray as you have commanded us for the governments Lord and we do this in Father looking to you and to your grace for we know you are over all things and we so we see so many evils uh that come from the governments in our time lord holding things that are contrary to your word of abortion and euthanasia and all these evil things and much more as well Lord as they Embrace these things and seek to teach the people in these nations and we would pray for your mercy upon the Nations Lord that you would be pleased Lord to turn the hearts of these people that are in charge of things and that they teach no more of these things Lord but if you be your uh your will and if they do not repent from these things Lord that you might remove them and and from that place of authority and that you might set someone else in their place we thank you for that Lord we praise you for how you work despite all this in the hearts of men we thank you that though sometimes we get discouraged when we look at these things that surround us we take great hope in our Lord and savior the Lord Jesus Christ who has told us that he will build his church and the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it and we pray for that we pray that the gospel continue to go forth for that is man's Only Hope through this time father that you would save each one individually and change their heart and take that Stony heart from them and put within them a new heart of Flesh Lord where on is written your law so we would pray that the gospel go forth to change the hearts of men one by one we give you thanks for that and Lord we thank you as well for uh even our call to worship this morning as we have heard from the prophet Isaiah and we thank you for the freeness of the Gospel that is spoken of their Lord that we that uh that it is without cost Lord that it cost us nothing although it cost your son everything and we thank you for the Simplicity that we do have in Christ and we thank you that in there we find this invitation to Sinners that we hear so regularly here Lord and that we pray is sounded from every Pulpit that Sinners would be invited to come to Christ for we know that he has told us he has come not to call the righteous but Sinners to repentance and we would pray Lord that they would come when we trust not in man to do that we trust in your power in the effectualness of your word which is all-powerful Lord and we thank you for that that we we can trust in you through this time and that is what we look to today and each day and we just want to ask your blessings now as we continue on in our service that you would be glorified Lord here in all that is said and done for we do give you thanks in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray amen okay if you would like to um turn for our second hymn today is number 153 153 you'd stand with me and sing [Music] sing Holy Holy Holy wings [Music] the spirits glorious [Music] [Music] Nations [Music] screams [Music] foreign [Music] the church choices foreign [Music] well if you'd like to turn with me to James Epistle of James we've been reading through this epistle for the last little while and now we come to the the last chapter we're going to read chapter 5. this morning as our scripture reading so in James chapter 5 and beginning at verse 1 we read come now you rich weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth eaten your gold and silver are corroded and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire you have heaped up treasure in the last days indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields which you kept back by fraud cry out and the cry cries of the Reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabbath you have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury you have fattened your hearts as in a day of Slaughter you have condemned you have murdered the just he does not resist you therefore be patient Brethren until the coming of the Lord see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain you also be patient establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand do not Grumble against one another Brethren lest you be condemned behold the judge is standing at the door my brethren take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience indeed we count them blessed who endure you have heard of the perseverance of job and the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful but above all my brethren do not swear either by heaven or Earth or with any other oath but let your yes be yes and your no no lest you fall into judgment is anyone among you suffering let him pray is anyone cheerful let him sing Psalms is anyone among you sick let him call for the Elders of the church and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven confess your trespasses one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the Earth produced its fruit Brethren if any among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back let him know that he who turns a sinner from the heir of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins and may the Lord bless his word let's just go to the Lord in prayer father we thank you Lord for the the admonishments that we receive from your word that we read this morning out of this fifth chapter of James we pray that you would help us deal justly with all things Lord including justly with those that we might hire or that that we might serve as well that we might deal justly in all things Lord we thank you for that we note that in there we're told above all that we are we are not to swear either by heaven or by Earth or with any other oath and we pray that you would help us not to swear or make hypocritical or unjust or unlawful Oaths Lord for such things are idolatrous in their nature rather that we might answer honestly as spoken in our that our yes would be us and our no would be no and you would Lord by your grace that you would help us to be prayerful prayerful people one for another even as we have done earlier today in this service but individually as well Lord let us remember one another and pray for one another fervently Lord um for we know that many of us stumble and Lord we pray as well that um is admonished here that you would help us if we find or know someone or brother or sister that is strayed from the path as it were from the past of righteousness and is perhaps indulging in sin we pray that you would help us to lovingly go to those brothers or sisters Lord and to help them and uh in the in the way they have strayed Lord and to help to bring them back on the path of righteousness and we pray that you would Lord as you give us or if you would give us to do these things Lord that we might do so in meekness Lord considering our own selves but that we might just care for one another as the body of Christ as you've shown us as your will and your word and we pray that you would help us grow in love one towards another Lord in Christ and we thank you for that and we now just ask your blessing Lord as we come to this time in our service to receive your word and we pray your blessing upon our dear brother uh Jim as he comes to preach to us from your word we pray for your anointing we pray that you would give him motion from above Lord and we pray even as we have seen in our other scripture in Isaiah 55 Lord that as he preaches to us it is your word that he preaches so we pray that you might send it forth to our hearts Lord by the power of your spirit that it would work effectually in us the will and to do as for your good pleasure and that you might be pleased to save any that are here that are are not saved by your grace and we just now Commit This Time to you giving you thanks in Jesus name amen if you'd turn for our last hymn is number 443 or lost him before the preaching 443. thank you [Applause] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] Glory [Music] peace [Music] Jesus Christ [Music] John chapter 7 this morning we'll be looking at verses 32 to 39. a reminder we will be back to our Bible study on Wednesday evening this Wednesday night at 7 30 in our fellowship hall we're going back to the Book of Exodus we finished the Ten Commandments just prior to the break so there is a bit of a summary statement at the end of chapter 20 that we'll pick up on Wednesday night God willing well for this morning as I said our focus is on verses 32 to 39 in John 7 but I do want to read beginning in verse 25. now excuse me now some of them from Jerusalem said is this not he whom they seek to kill but look he speaks boldly and they say nothing to him do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ however we know where this man is from but when the Christ comes no one knows where he is from then Jesus cried out as he taught in the temple saying you both know me and you know where I am from and I have not come of myself but he who sent me is true whom you do not know but I know him for I am from him and he sent me therefore they sought to take him but no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come and many of the people believed in him and said when the Christ comes will he do more signs than these which this man has done the Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him then Jesus said to them I shall be with you a little while longer and then I go to him who sent me you will seek me and not find me and where I am you cannot come then the Jews said among themselves where does he intend to go that we shall not find him does he intend to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks what is this thing that he said you will seek me and not find me and where I am where I am you cannot come on the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried out saying if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink he who believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water but this he spoke concerning the spirit whom those believing in him would receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified therefore many from the crowd when they heard this saying said truly this is the prophet others said this is the Christ but some said will the Christ come out of Galilee has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem where David was so there was a division among the people because of him now some of them wanted to take him but no one laid hands on him then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them why have you not brought him the officers answered no man ever spoke like this man then the Pharisees answered them are you also deceived have any of the rulers of the Pharisees believed in him but this crowd that does not know the law is accursed Nicodemus he who came to Jesus by Night being one of them said to them does our law judge a man and before it hears him and knows what he is doing they answered and said to him are you also From Galilee search and look for no Prophet has arisen out of Galilee amen well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for this wonderful day we thank you for the Blessed privilege that we have to gather in the house of God on the day of God with the people of God and we pray that you would be in our midst we have that great picture in the Book of Revelation of Christ in the midst of the lampstand and this is what our desire is to commune with you father Son and Holy Spirit forgive us now for all of our sin and transgression of your law we ask God that you would increase our faith and cause us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our blessed savior and for any and all here today that have not come to the Savior may they hear his voice as it comes so clearly through John chapter 7 calling upon thirsty Sinners to come to him and to drink and we pray for the ministry and the aid and the guidance of your holy spirit that he would in fact lead us into all truth and we ask this in the name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ amen well this is the last verbal Exchange in this Feast of Tabernacles that our lord Jesus engages in remember this is about six months after the events recorded in chapter six so chapter six is around the time of Passover Jesus taught in a synagogue in Capernaum and then about six months later it's now the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus is in Jerusalem and as we have seen he has had confrontation with the religious leaders and with the people of Israel that we're not Believers in him the first concerned is Authority they asked essentially by what Authority does he stand in our Temple and speak the things that he is saying who gave him this he's not trained he's not a rabbi he hasn't gone to Seminary he hasn't gone to Bible College who does he think he is and then that then leads into uh concern concerning his identity and we saw that last time in verses 25 to 31. so there you see the confusion of the people and that moves us to verses 32 to 36 which is the the I'm sorry the division among the people and now it's the confusion among the leaders and then we'll take up the Declaration of the savior in verses 37 uh to 39. so basically this morning we're looking at the confusion among the leaders 32-36 and then the Declaration of the savior in 37-39 notice in the first place in terms of the intention of the Pharisees verse 32 the Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take it now they were not sending these officers which were essentially Temple Police simply to take him so they could discuss with them the various differences in their theology they wanted to take him to rid the Earth of him they wanted to eliminate him we've already seen that in John chapter 5. they've accused him of blasphemy they've accused him of Sabbath breaking and they want to kill him in fact in chapter 7 we're told at the very outset in in verse 1 after these things Jesus walked in Galilee for he did not want to walk in Judea because the Jews sought to kill him verse 19 did not Jesus give you the law yet none of you keeps the law why do you see to kill me so the divided opinion among the people has reached the ears of the Pharisees and the chief priests and the Pharisees and the chief priests do what raw power likes to do let's dispatch the police forces to seize and take him to bring him to us so we can neutralize the threat and I would submit again that the issue wasn't sabbath-breaking the issue wasn't blasphemy the issue was is that the Savior upstaged them he was now the one that everybody wanted to hear he was now the one that people were flocking toward he was now the one that was basically stealing the Thunder of these religious leaders and so they respond the way that tyrants do they send the cops to stop him them they wanted to eliminate him I love in verses 45 and 46 when the cops return then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them why have you not brought him the officers answered no man ever spoke like this man we're not dealing with a common fellow we're not dealing with just some upstart who has some Messianic complex we're dealing with the Messiah I'm not sure that they knew all of that in and of itself but they were dealing with a man who spoke not as their scribes but rather he spoke as one with authority because he was in fact the very prophet of God most high and of course on the heels of his declaration we see that response in verses 40 and 41. truly this is the prophet others said this is the Christ that's why the Pharisees are in action now that's why they want to Target him for Destruction that's why they want to eliminate or liquidate him because not over little theological differences but because they want to destroy him now notice how Jesus responds to this so verse 32 the Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests and officers to take and then Jesus said to them notice in the first place that he understands what is going on in their thoughts he understands what is going on in terms of their words he knew their machinations my brother cam used the word machination in Sunday school this morning you're getting a two-fold use of machinations the evil and diabolical mindset of these enemies of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Cyril of Alexandria says now he was not unaware since the Lord is indeed God by nature of the bloodthirsty audacity of the Pharisees and the Unholy intention of the chief priests against him with the eyes of his divinity he sees the officers who were chosen by them to arrest him now present and mingled with the crowds he understands what's happening he knows of this growing enmity he knows of this opposition and he knows how this story is going going to add it is for this purpose that he has come remember back in verse 30 therefore they sought to take him but no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come he was fully conscious of the reality for which he came into this world it was to live for us it was to die for us and it was to be raised again for us so this isn't surprising to our Lord he's not thinking oh how how bad and how terrible this is that they're actually engaged in a sort of animosity toward me now he understands it at the very fundamental level of what they are attempting to do in terms of neutralize the threat now notice he reveals something concerning his Earthly Ministry verse 33 then Jesus said to them I shall be with you a little while longer it wasn't his hour yet he was still going to minister he's still going to engage in Good Works he's still going to flesh out that righteousness of God that needs to be imputed to us and and received by faith alone so he says I shall be with you a little while longer and then I go to him who sent me this is a reference to the Ascension so we know what happens from this point on with reference to the life of the Lord he does live he does Minister he does teach he does heal he does feed he does raise people from the dead but he ultimately goes to the cross and there he dies as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and once he dies he's raised again the third day and once he's raised again the third day he ascends back on high he goes back to the father who sent him this is one of his favorite identifiers for God the Father it is he who sent me now this isn't the first time in the gospel up to this point we've had hints of the Ascension you turn to John chapter three you'll see this John 3 at verse 13. John 3 at verse 13 no one has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven that is the son of man who is in heaven and then over in John 6 at verse 62 what then if you should see the son of man ascended where he was before and now in John 7 33 I shall be with you a little while longer and then I go to him who sent me again a constant emphasis by the Savior to highlight his origin from the father his consubstantiality with the father and the mission given him by the father in order to save his people from their sins so he alludes to this with reference to these particular men but then notice on the heels of this announcement that he's going to return to the father he makes the statement of his rejection of them notice it's not them rejecting him we're in the emphasis lies he doesn't sit and whine and cry and say I can't believe you guys are rejecting such a nice guy like me no he indicates his rejection of them he indicates that these are reprobate Men He indicates that these men are cut off that these men buy their machinations by their sinful unbelief by the rejection of divine Divine Mercy are going to find themselves cut off from the Savior himself notice what he says in verse 34 you will seek me and not find me and where I am notice you cannot come now this isn't isolated to this passage look at chapter 8 and verse 21 chapter 8 and verse 21 Jesus said to them again I am going away and you will seek me and will die in your sin where I go you cannot come notice in John 13 at verse 33 John 13 Verse 33 little children I shall be with you a little while longer you shall or you will seek me and as I said to the Jews where I am going you cannot come so now I say to you now the difference between the Jew news he says this to and say Feast of Tabernacles in John 7 is that there's a verse 36 in the upper room notice what he says in verse 36 Simon Peter said to him Lord where are you going Jesus answered him where I am going you cannot follow me now but you shall follow me afterward so there's this word of encouragement to the disciples you can't follow me to the Cross you can't follow me to the Grave he can't follow me to the resurrection I mean I know they did they were attendant they were witnessing all that sort of thing but in terms of vital Union you're not going to have that but once he ascends on high once he leads captivity captive once he gives gifts to men he receives us unto himself he says that in John 14. I go to prepare a place for you in my father's house are many mansions and I go to prepare a place for you so there is this contrast between the reprobate the ungodly religious leaders that are cut off by our savior at the Feast of Tabernacles and his disciples you won't have that close proximity in terms terms of Union with Christ death resurrection and descent shed but on the heels of the Ascension then he's at that position of authority to receive his people unto that place where he is notice in 1419 1419 a little while longer and the world will see me no more but you will see me because I live you will live also it doesn't say that to these religious leaders at the Feast of Tabernacles and then notice in chapters 16 specifically at verses 16 to 19. a little while and you will not see me and again a little while and you will see me because I go to the father and some of his disciples said among themselves what is this that he says to us a little while and you will not see me and again a little while and you will see me and because I go to the father they said therefore what is this that he says a little while we do not know what he is saying now Jesus knew that they desired to ask him and he said to them are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said a little while and you will not see me and again a little while and you will see me and they're essentially he says you're gonna have joy you're gonna have happiness you're gonna have blessing he's going to be cut off he's going to die he's going to be raised again the third day but he's going to return to the father so going back to the Feast of Tabernacles as he stands with these Godless men he makes that declaration verse 34. you will seek me and not find me and where I am you cannot come now just a couple of practical observations at this point first the reality that they might seek him when it's too late you will seek me there is that emphasis in Scripture that we heard in the outside of worship this morning seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near these men were in the very proximity of the Son of God who calls upon them to come to him the Thirsty ones to come and drink the needy ones to come and find blessing and yet they reject it they despise it they resist it they abhor it there is this consistency that we find in the scripture God in his grace calls upon Sinners to come to him it's very clear it's very simple it's not hard it's not difficult you are a wretch you have broken God's law at every point the best of us in this room are vile and I'm not including myself in the best of us I know there's a lot better people in this room than I am but the rest Among Us Brethren are worthy of an eternity of eternities apart from God for our sin remember that scene when the Tabernacle is built at the end of Exodus chapter 40. the Shekinah Glory comes down it floods the very Tabernacle The Dwelling Place of God but Moses himself could not enter in now that's significant because Moses had it all going on in terms of Israel Moses was I would say arguably the godliest man in that Motley Crew and yet he was too sinful to enter in he needed Leviticus chapters one to nine and the promise of access Through Blood atonement through the sacrificial sister so when it comes to this reality God does call Sinners to come to taste and see that he is good to drink from the water of life to enjoy the Blessed benefits that the people of God enjoy but if you tarry if you resist if you reject if you continue in rebellion and unbelief there will be a cutting off there will be the Declaration from the Savior where I am you cannot come you cannot access that place because you've not come through that bloody knife and that smoking altar there is no way of access to our holy God apart from the blood atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ where I am you cannot come again Cyril of Alexandria says you cannot come where I am that is you will find yourselves without a share in the Divine blessings you will not participate in my glory you will be alienated from ruling with the Saints I'm not quoting this because Cyril's a great writer or a great orator or a great preacher and he's just wonderful and we should just you know hang on every word that that Cyril of Alexandria had to say in the 5th Century listen to what he's saying listen to the implications involved with the statement of our savior and where I am you cannot come that applies to you this morning if you're not in Christ that applies to you young or old if you are not a believer that applies to you if you have not come by grace to the Savior and drank the water of life that he gives freely he says you will find yourselves without a share in the Divine blessings you will not participate in my glory you will be alienated from ruling with the Saints you will remain without a taste of the gift of hope you will be excluded from the Divine wedding Feast you will not see my Festival assembly you will not Ascend to the Mansions Above nor will you behold the beauty of the Church of the firstborn the city above will be unseen by you you will not Behold The Riches of Jerusalem for there my flock will glorify me but you cannot come this is probably next to his words in in uh Matthew chapter 7 depart from me you workers of lawlessness I never knew you that is a shocking and terrible statement to conceivably hear on the day of judgment but so is this you cannot come you cannot have access everybody wants heaven right I think if you ask a hundred people out there saying supposing there is a heaven and a hell which would you prefer there's going to be an exception to the rule there's always a out there that says yeah I'd rather go to hell but for the most part 99.9 of the people all right so I want Heaven why wouldn't I want blessing and beauty and joy and Glory why wouldn't I want life and happiness and and beatitude why wouldn't I want to be with the God who made me the god who's governed me the God who takes care of me why would I not want that well if everybody wants that and the gospel is going forth to all All Nations why is it the case that so many continue in Benedict they listen to the the call of the Gospel as it goes forth but as the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 55 why do you spend your wages on that which does not satisfy why would you forego the the dinner that's bought and paid for to go dumpster diving in the back and and eat the you know the the carrot shavings why would you do that why would you opt for mud pies in the gutter than the holiday by the seaside why is that well the Bible answers that the Bible tells us in John 3 that men love Darkness men love sin men love to Rebel men love to transgress and ladies I'm including you too I'm one of those misogynistic chauvinistic pegs that still thinks Mankind means that men and women boys and girls so with reference to the reality of it you may be sitting here this morning saying boy it would be nice to end up in heaven listen to John 7 listen to what the Savior says he really is setting up a stark contrast here when on the heels of this on the last day the great day of the feast he stands in the midst of this rabble and he says if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink the Lord Christ condemns these men for their sin against him and then notice this does not disavow them or disabuse them of their confusion notice in verse 35 then the Jews said among themselves what does he intend to go that we shall not find him come on we've got the long arm of the law on our side we'll find you wherever you go where does he intend to go that he that we shall not find him does he intend to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks what is this thing that he said you will seek me and not find me and where I am you cannot come brethren we have the vantage point of living two thousand years later having read the New Testament documents having understood the life death and Resurrection it in this original context though he says I'm going and where I end up you cannot come he says to disciples but you will eventually follow with me so a bit of confusion is obvious a bit of confusion is is sort of understandable but look at how they reason and unwittingly look how they reason unwittingly they announce something that John has already announced to us and that this gospel will expound upon that he's not just come for the Lost tribes of Israel but he's come as a light to the Gentiles I doubt that they had an articulate theology based on the the noahic uh the the the the the the the Genesis 9 and what Noah says in terms of japheth being included in the tense of Hashem whether they understood the the abrahamic promise to to include the the Gentile Nations or Psalm 117 which was about the Nations the Gentiles uh singing the Praises of Yahweh or the servant songs of Isaiah 42 and 49 9 talking about Jesus being a light under the Gentiles they probably did not have that worked out but they feed John's theology that Christ is in fact the savior of the world every tribe tongue people a nation does he intend to go to the dispersion among the greats and teach the Greeks what is this thing that is sad you will seek me and not find me and where I am you cannot come again Brethren they're not saying this in such a way as to say isn't he a wonderful and admirable savior isn't he that survey servant of Yahweh he is going to save the Lost tribes of Jacob but he's also going to be a light under the Gentiles no this is derogatory this is derisive this is this is just condemnatory where does he think he's going to go find Safe Haven among the Greeks and we won't be able to find him but again John 3 16 God so loved what the world that he gave his only begotten son John 4 42 what do the Samaritans learn when they come into Living contact with our blessed savior they say it's not because of the Samaritan woman in her testimony but it's now because we have believed on him and know him to be what the savior of the world in John 12 he's going to say and if I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself he doesn't mean all men without distinct uh exception he means all men without distinction and that comes on the heels of the Greeks seeking after Jesus to find him well the Pharisees are upset if we don't stop him if we don't neutralize this threat then all the world will come after him John defines for us what the world is in Revelation 5 9. it is Men Women boys and girls Mankind from every tribe tongue people and nation and so unwittingly this is the psalmist when he says the wrath of God or the wrath of man shall Praise You the Pharisees at times preached the gospel better than they knew and better than some today I love in Luke 15 1-2 when all the tax collectors and the Sinners draw near to hear him they look down their long religious noses of disdain and say this man receives Sinners and eats with them absolutely positively that's the glory of the gospel God demonstrates his own love toward us and that what we were yet sinners Christ died for us and they do the same thing here you know what he is going to go among the Greeks he's going to go throughout the world he's going to go to Every tribes on people and Nation through the preaching of the Gospel that we heard in Isaiah 55 this morning that will not return unto him void but it will accomplish the purpose for which it was set namely Conquest namely christocracy namely the reality that he shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied that that blessed Christ will have dominion from sea to Sea such that when we get to Revelation chapter 7 there is a multitude there that no man can number there is a multitude being built in a mass now by our savior from the right hand of the father and yet in contrast to the building of that church he says to those continuing in resistance and rejection and unbelief you cannot come if that terrifies you let's move on to his declaration in verses 37 to 39. there's two things we should observe here first the exhortation of the people in verses 37 to 38 and then the commentary by the Evangelist in verse 39 John is a theologian remember we've noted that the gospel records aren't simply historical biographies of our Lord Jesus Christ they are that but they are much more each of the narrative authors is doing theology and John is setting before us the Lamb of God who takes away notice the sin of the world and so John interprets for us Jesus statements in verses 37 and 38 well 38 specifically but let's look at Jesus exhortation of the people notice again his methodology we saw this last week when we looked at verse 28 verse 28 then Jesus cried out as he taught example verse 37 on the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried out when looking at verse 28 I mentioned Isaiah 58 1. Isaiah 58 1 is a blessed tax God through the prophet tells him specifically cry aloud spare not lift up your voice like a trumpet tell my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins Christ has done that he told them that in verse 19. he tells them that throughout this particular passage and now he cries aloud he spares not he lifts up his voice like a trumpet to declare to them the remedy for their sin in other words he doesn't just bring the bad news to Bear upon them you're trying to kill me you're trying to rid the earth a bit you're trying to liquidate me you're trying to neutralize me and destroy me you know God have mercy on your wretched hell-down Souls I mean he does say that to some degree where I go you you cannot come but on the heels of that on that last great day of the feast now the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles was significant they would get water from the pool at Siloam and they would bring it to the Altar and pour it on the altar in the temple to make way for sacrifice it was a very significant part of the fees they used water they used light there were all kinds of sort of symbol uh such symbolism to convey the saving saving mercies of Yahweh now we have the one who is told to be the one who dwells Among Us John 1 14 the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us the dwelt among means Tabernacle he's standing now in the temple which is the dwelling Among Us plays for God and sinners and it's on the day of the the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles the feast that celebrates the the God and sinners dwelling together and he stands up and on the the heels of his indictment in the heels of his rebuke on the heels of his rejection of Psalm he calls upon sinners in Jerusalem to come to him now if that doesn't illustrate Mercy Grace kindness goodness I I don't know what does Brethren how would you have responded if you were Jesus and you found out these Dirty Rotten Scoundrels sent the cops to try to capture you and take you away to execute you I gotta tell you man I'm not convinced I would stand up and gospel preached them right into the to the kingdom of heaven I'm not sure I would do that I'd like to think I would but I know myself pretty well and I can't say with absolute certainty I have that kind of compassion I have that kind of kindness but our savior does our savior is glorious our savior is wonderful notice what our savior says to these people and in essence he's doing what one commentator says after our Lord told them about the origin of his Doctrine and of the teacher as well as his and he's done that his origin sent from the father his end that he's going back to the father his Doctrine remember in verse 16 my Doctrine is not mine but but his who sent me so this fellow says after our Lord told them about the origin of his Doctrine and of the teacher as well as his end he now invites them to accept his teaching itself see this is beautiful in the the the the the ministry of our savior it's beautiful in the ministry of the Apostles they don't just go and you know ooze out Bible facts and then kind of continue on their way oh yeah I happen to be from the father I happen to be the one that's going to save his people from their sins but you know I need to go eat now no he stands up on the last day of the feast the great day of the feast when this symbolism of the water port on the altar has been conducted and in the midst of that rabble he says what he says in verse 37 on the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried out saying if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink now he is speaking here metaphorically the metaphor works because we all understand what it is to thirst physically right we know what it is to thirst physically we get a couple of hot days and we drink more water why because we know what the body does when it's taxed or pressed with the additional heat or if we're engaged in robust exercise we need to replenish our body with water we understand these very common things and Jesus uses the metaphor probably in light of the fact that they're taking you know containers of water from the pool Siloam and pouring it on the altar he says if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink now he's not talking about physical he's not a water salesman he's talking about spiritual thirst those who are destitute those who are sinful those who are downcast because of their Rebellion against the living and true God those who understand that God is Holy and that we are not how will we ever breach the Gaza how will we ever stand as sinful man in the presence of a holy God well Jesus offers himself in this statement to all those who would come if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink it's pretty simple thing isn't it I think at times we in the Christian church make salvation so complicated we make it so hard we make it so tough where Jesus doesn't do that if if you are thirsty come to me and and drink that's it well well I am thirsty Lord I think I should go home and pray for a new heart no you should come to me I am thirsty Lord what what should I do should I go home and read books written by all of the doctors in the church no you you come to me we're pretty pathetic that way aren't we well I really need to work on my prayer life I'm going to go read a book by A.W pink on the guide to effective prayer how about you just praying or sometimes people say you know I I'm not reading my Bible and praying as I I ought I don't know whatever I shall do ah you could read your Bible and pray I really feel my sin I I see my transgression I see my Rebellion against a sovereign God but I've been taught from a youth that I can't just come but he says cop but I've been taught I should stay away I I should you know make sure it hurts make sure I have this misery Brethren an ounce of misery is enough misery I'm telling you the truth here now now buckets of misery great but there's no requirement on the pages Holy scripture to have buckets of misery before you come to the Savior for his relieving Grace you see we are Masters at evading the clarity of the Christian Gospel whether it be hyper Calvinism whether it be armenianism whether it be potpourri whether it be whatever attempt we try to foist upon the scriptures to get out of the very clear statement of Our Lord the very simple statement I bet every child in there gets this Jesus says if you're thirsty come to him and drink makes perfect sense doesn't it well the reality is is that we are thirsty we are are sinful we are rebellious we are transgressors we are wanters of Conformity unto that law of God and yet the spirit of God comes to Convent the spirit of God opens the eyes the spirit of God causes us to see that need and to see the relief that comes through our blessed savior church this is why I typically try to encourage you to pray for the ministry of the Holy Spirit each and every Sunday not just in the morning we need the spirit and the evening Services too can I put in a Shameless plug this afternoon please pray that the Holy Spirit comes because if the Holy Spirit doesn't come then men continue in their blindness and their rebelliousness and their rejection of the Savior and they might tip the head and say yeah I kind of see what he's saying there and I I kind of appreciate it on one level but you know I really like my sin I like my life I like my my filth I like my my wickedness I I kind of like all that stuff Brethren the Lord Jesus Christ makes it as plain as dead okay if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink now obviously that metaphor is used in the Old Testament I asked her brother to read Isaiah 55 I preached Isaiah 55 recently oh everyone who thirsts come to the waters and you who have no money come buy and eat yes come buy wine and milk without money and without price so there's no inconsistency here it's not like we have this new Epoch or New Era of Redemptive benefit Yahweh of Israel says the same thing to the children of Israel in the old Covenant this is the consistent refrain with our God if you want to know more about this sort of thing come tonight in our Lord's Supper meditation we're going to look at Ephesians 2 specifically four to seven and Paul before he gets to the application of that Grace by which we've been saved in verse 8 gives us sort of a macro Cosmic overview he gives us the contrast but God and then he highlights the Perfections of God at play in terms of Redemptive Grace face because of the riches of his mercy and the great love wherewith he loved us see for Paul it's not just mercy and it's not just love it's the riches of mercy and it's great love that's the god with whom we have to do so if you are a sinner here this morning that has not come to the Lord Jesus hopefully you'll Ponder this you'll meditate upon this and you'll contemplate this God through the prophet Isaiah says come Jesus standing as the prophet in the midst of the temple the very Tabernacle of God himself says come you need to ask the question why ain't I coming why not why aren't I believing why aren't I looking to him and living because that's what men with any semblance of a brain would do because the cannot come to me ought to terrify us all and paralyze us with a fear that will be cut off on that last day and banished to Everlasting destruct Shack Brethren that is a fearful thing the Apostle says that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of a living God what does he mean by that he means the converse of beatitude he means the converse of blessing he means curse he means wrath he means Justice I know there's an attempt out there to read the Bible of of everlasting punishment typically the doctrine of annihilationism or conditional sort of immortality well Brethren the scripture is clear it's not the cessation of being that hell is but it's the cessation of well-being an infinite God punishes Sinners infinitely and that again ought to terrify you and yes I'm going for that angle so that you by Grace will look under this one who says if any of you thirst let him come to me and drink don't say well I'm so thirsty I'm so sinful I'm so wretched I'm so abhorrent and that kind of thing gets tedious and insufferable doesn't it oh I'm just so vile and filthy and and guilty will then flee to the remedy go to the blessed savior we never look at somebody standing by you know a fountain of water saying yeah I'm just so thirsty I'm so parched I'm so hot I'm so spent I'm so weary what would we say we'd say put your mouth underneath that faucet and drink it take it in ingest it receive it Delight in it so of course the background is Isaiah 55 1. but this isn't unique to the Old Testament there's a couple passages in the new but the closest is John 4. look at John chapter 4 this whole idea of Living Water John 4 the woman at the well verse 10 Jesus answered and said to her if you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you give me a drink you would have asked him and he would have given you living water the woman said to him sir you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep whereas then do you get that living water are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank from it himself as well as his sons and his livestock you know how you know Jesus is humble that he is me that he is lowly that he is gentle he doesn't say what I think I'd say here well as a matter of fact I am greater than Jacob Jacob was the type of me I'm the anti-type I'm here I've come to do all the good things that the Bible says Jesus doesn't do that he hears what the woman says and then he amplifies it verse 13. Jesus answered and said to whoever drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life now notice the only logical response to this kind of talk verse 15 mean the woman said to him sir give me this water that I may not thirst nor come here to draw that's the only logical response to the offer of Living Water let me have it let me drink it let me taste it let me bathe in it let me shower in it let me carry it around with me Let It Be My ever-present Aid and help and yet sinners hear about a hell to come they hear about a heaven to to enter into by Grace they hear of all these things and they they're never brought to that point where they say man I really want this I think the church needs to be about describing the Lord Jesus Christ the way the bride does in the Song of Solomon she gives that long glowing description to the daughters of Jerusalem concerning her beloved her Chief among ten thousand her all together lovely man what are the daughters of Jerusalem say where is he that we might find him too brethren we preach a Christ who saves we preach a Christ who saves to the uttermost all them that draw an eye unto God through him we don't preach a Christ that helps to save a Christ that kinda saves a Christ that would really like to save but he doesn't have the wherewithal we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block to the Greek's foolishness but to those who are being saved Christ the wisdom and what the power of God he saves to the uttermost all thirsty Sinners who come to him and drink and then notice Jesus then gives further explanation here verse 38. he explains the metaphor so okay Jesus you're not a water salesman you're telling me it's not about physical water it's about spiritual water so how do I get that how do I get an interest in that what does it mean to come what does it mean to drink well he says it verse 38 he who what who believes in me so again I think we already complicate things he who believes in me and gets rid of all their sin he who believes in me and gets circumcised he who believes in me and does all the sacraments of the Romans church he who believes in me and you know purposes to live a life that's so wonderful God will have to accept them that's not it he who believes in me salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and that redounds to the glory and praise of God Alone not us we don't get to congratulate ourselves because we're saved we congratulate the Lord God most high because we are saved again in Ephesians 2 we'll see that tonight the very purpose of the father is to display us as trophies of his exceeding kindness so that when Sinners look at us and say you're going to heaven they don't say wow you're an awesome being they say God's an awesome God you ever thought about that when you enter into heaven you're probably gonna I don't know I don't know what the Heavenly life is and I know there's no sin so if this was a sinful reflex it won't be there but there might be just you know humanly speaking that occasion for surprise you get up there into heaven and you see somebody from your past and you're like wow you're here do you give him the glory no conversely when somebody bumps into you and they say wow you're here do they give you the glory no they give it to God salvation Belongs To Our God and to the lamb who sits on the throne that's what the Saints in heaven sing as their position Before the Throne they're not patting themselves on the back for a good decision they're not patting themselves on the back because when every every eye was closed and every head was about they they shot up their hand there is Glory given to Father Son and Holy Spirit the father sought the son bought and the spirit wrought so great a Salvation in all of God's people the Lord Christ then goes on to amplify or explain further he who believes in me as the scripture has said now this as the scripture has said is positioned between two statements it could go before it could go after does the scripture say believe on the Lord Jesus Christ yes it most certainly does but I take the as the scripture says as as pointing forward to the further amplification of the promise that he has made and it respects the Holy Spirit notice in verse 38 he who believes in me as the scripture has set out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water so to come to Jesus Christ is to believe on him to drink what Jesus Christ offers is to believe on him those who by Grace believe on him now it is said of them out of his heart out of his belly literally will flow rivers of Living Water and we'll get to the commentary of the Evangelist in just a moment but in the Old Testament there was a lot of passages that spoke of spirit and water together spirit and water together several Nehemiah 9 20. you also gave your good spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst Isaiah 12 3 therefore with joy will draw water from the wells of Salvation Isaiah 44 3 4 I will pour water on him who's thirsty and floods on the dry ground I will pour my spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your Offspring see it's a metaphorical use of water in conjunction with the spirit to highlight the blessings of God the profuseness of those blessings the the uh the glory of those blessings Ezekiel 36 25-27 then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your Idols I will give you a new heart put a new spirit within you I will take the Heart of Stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of Flesh I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do that Ezekiel 47 1-2 12. we see this this flowing rivers of water coming from the Throne of God to bless the people of God very similar to Revelation chapter 22. you've got this water at the end of 21 into 22. got this flowing river of water that blesses God's people Zechariah 13 1 in that day of Fountain shall be opened for the House of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Zechariah 14 8. and in that day it shall be that living water shall flow from Jerusalem half of them toward the Eastern Sea and half of them toward the Western see in both summer and winter it shall occur so when Jesus says what he says here he who believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water he's speaking as the prophet of God who knows the Old Testament and who is conveying in that reality what is happening to those who by Grace believe on him they receive the Holy Spirit now John comes to interpret this for us John comes to do theology turn back to John Chapter 2 where you see something similar in a post-resurrection context John the Apostle explains something that was enigmatic or a puzzle to those who heard it notice in John 2 at 19 Jesus answered and said to them to destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up then the Jews said it's taken 46 years to build this Temple and will you raise it up in three days but he was speaking to the Temple of his body you see John is looking at this from a post-resurrection vantage point and he is supplying commentary to the reader because again he's doing theology John will translate words for us Hebrew words that perhaps his audience would not know this is uh they called him Rabbi and then parenthetically John inserts that is a teacher so John does that along the way to help the reader lead the reader by the hand but there's times when he does Theology and that's what he's doing here he was speaking the Temple of his body therefore when he had risen from the dead his disciples remembered that he had said this to them and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said now going over to John 7 the Evangelist does that in verse 39 but this specifically the statement out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water but this he spoke concerning the spirit whom those believing in him would receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified so the commentary by John is post-resurrection and the commentary by John concerns the third person of the Holy Trinity remember John 1 1 begins with the second person of the Holy Trinity in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God John 3 speaks of the Holy Spirit to be sure but when you get to the upper room discourse guess what the subject matter is in terms of Christ's preparation of his church of his disciples before he ascends on high it's the Trinity he teaches them all about the Triune god father Son and Holy Spirit sometimes people say well that's not really practical brethren we are asking the wrong question with reference to the doctrine of the Trinity well is it really practical what could be more practical go then to know who our God is this is eternal life that they may Know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent John 17 3 so Christ and the evangelists here are highlighting the role of the third person of the holy of the trinity in terms of man's salvation so he who believes in me as the scripture has said out of his heart will float rivers of Living Water doesn't Paul speak of this in Ephesians 1 as he highlights the Triune God 113 in him you also trusted after you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise and that Holy Spirit functions as the guarantee of our final Redemption so Christ is saying what Paul will later amplify is that when we believe the gospel by the grace of God we receive the sealing power of the Holy Spirit we receive in us that one who is greater than who is in the world we receive all the benefits of God they are ye and amen in his blessed son the Lord Jesus Christ the commentary of John or commentary rather by John emphasizes that the spirit was not yet given notice what he says in verse 39 this he spoke concerning the spirit whom those believing in him would receive for this the Holy Spirit was not yet given notice that given is in italics that means it's Supply that means the translator supplied it there and it's a good thing to supply we cannot conclude that the Holy Spirit was not yet we can conclude that the Holy Spirit was not yet given in the Abundant measure promised in the Old Testament prophets that's the emphasis and John links that to the glorification of our blessed savior so the presence of the holy spirit is in the Old Testament Genesis 1 2 the spirit of God hovers over the waters genus Psalm 33 6 is divine commentary on the Triune God who created the world by the the word of the Lord by his Spirit by his breath he created the heavens and the Earth all three persons of the Triune God are in Genesis chapter 1. what does David pray after his his bout with Nathan when Nathan levels down and says Thou Art The Man David you are in sin David composes the 51st Psalm and what does he say take not thine Holy Spirit from me so Isaiah 63 the children of Israel are upgraded for what grieving the holy spirit of God so it's not that there was no Holy Spirit he is linking the the greater measure or more abundance of the spirit with the glorification of Jesus and again this is consistent with the Old Testament prophets remember on that day of Pentecost when the spirit comes upon the church and they start to speak in other tongues and not babbling and not nonsense and not nonsensical stuff they're speaking other languages the great works of God most high what's the rejoinder by the people well these guys are drunk they're off their their Gore they're out of it I mean come on Peter says we're not drunk it's only the third hour of the day this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel Joel 2 28-32 spoke of this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and guess what Peter does he links that great outpouring of the holy spirit with the Resurrection the Ascension the glorification of our blessed savior so this is what John means when he says for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified in Acts 2 after Peter preaches not only the prophet or testifies that this was the prophet Joel's doing he preaches the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and then in Chapter 2 at verse 33 he says therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit he poured out this which you now see and hear for David did not Ascend into the heavens but he says himself the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified notice both Lord and Christ so in the state of Glory state of glorification we see it's Christ as mediator who has the specific task of pouring out the spirit Allah Joel's prophecy so back to John's commentary in John 7 he's not saying there's not been a spirit yet he is simply saying the spirit has not come in the abundance and in the power that he was prophesied to come in the Old Testament that 108 the glorification of our blessed savior now notice that John highlights John assumes and John just uses that knowledge he declares the glorification of Jesus imagine if this was your first outing in the Gospel of John you're reading this narrative and you're puzzled and you're scratching your head why does everybody want to kill him he's such a good man he only goes about doing good he heals he he teaches he's a great man they want to kill him well then you've got these these glimpses that he's going to die especially in the synoptics he announces on several occasions to his disciples I must go to Jerusalem I must be tried at the hands of Godless men I must be crucified you might be wondering well what will that be the end of him look at how John just assumes the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ yes he will die yes he will be cut off yes he will be treated spitefully yes he is a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief but this is according to the plan and purpose of God utmost I for the Salvation of his people John assumes glorification on the part of the savior he links the Greater Giving of the spirit with the resurrection and exaltation of Christ and then notice he places this reference in the context of the Jews wanting to kill Jesus what do you think he suggested this is all inextricably connected Life Death Resurrection Ascension you don't have one without them all in fact one commentator a modern man clink says to speak of the spirit as non-existent or inactive is to misunderstood Stan the third person of the trinity in a sense the point is not to describe when the spirit meets the world but when Believers are given the grace to meet the spirit and none of this was possible until Jesus was glorified he says the narrator then takes the reader to the Cross that's exactly what he does and then he says ironically the origin an audience on this last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles would for a very different reason move closer to taking Jesus to the very same place so that concludes the Lord's verbal exchanges with these various people it at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem just want to make a few concluding thoughts but we'll notice God willing next week more confusion more confusion and then a determined resolution on the part of the leadership to consistently reject and oppose our blessed savior Nicodemus pipes up can you know he he brings them back to the law are we all okay with just grabbing this man and taking him under cover of night and liquidating him removing him from the world Jesus indictment of them was absolutely consistent verse 19 did not Moses give you the law yet none of you keeps the law why do you seek to kill me thankfully Nicodemus was a voice of reason in the midst of this mob I mean he was unable to dissuade them ultimately but at least at that vantage point he's trying to cause that to reflect upon the law of Moses and that we just cannot descend the level of animal hood and beastliness and sees this man and do whatever it is we want now in conclusion I want to just highlight the wickedness of the leadership and I don't do this because I like highlighting the wickedness of the leadership I do it in the spirit of James 3. James 3 verse 1 the Apostle or brother rather of Our Lord says my brethren let not many of you become teachers knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment that should condition us and that should regulate us and that should cause us to reflect on anything going forward in terms of church leadership and identifying men laying hands on men sending men out keeping men here whatever there is a stricter judgment imposed upon leaders and you see that reflected in this particular passage and where I am you cannot come think about these leaders they sent the Temple Police to take him they were not sort of animated by theological differences it wasn't just a question of you we think you're off your rocker we don't think you're the Messiah I mean if he was just a lunatic if he was just on The Fringe if he was just a nut they probably would have just just you know ignored him but as I mentioned last week in fact turn there just real quick I know we're running out of time don't like doing this but wanted to get all this stuff in this morning notice in Matthew 27 Matthew 27 specifically at Verse 18 for he knew that they had handed him over because of envy this is Matthew's theological commentary on the heart a pilate and if you say well how did Matthew know that that's what was in pilate's heart because Matthew wrote Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit these men were not consumed with the the observation of the Sabbath these men were not consumed with the thought of blasphemy ever entering into God's clean air they were consumed by Envy remember Envy isn't just I want what you have I want what you have and I don't want you to have it I want it out of your possession I may be jealous of your car that's bad I shouldn't be jealous of your car and actually I'm not it's not my thing but if you had great books I might be jealous of that but Envy is when you long for the deprivation of that object from the other person so so for all their blather for all their Bluster for all of their oh this man being a man makes himself out to be God they were envious jealous pathetic little wretches that is precisely what they were the leaders would ultimately incite the crowd to ask for Barabbas instead of Jesus and the leaders would appeal to the law they do that in chapter five if he's a blasphemer he he's a Sabbath breaker they appeal to the law not because they have a desire for the law Nicodemus points that out they appeal to the laws a veil or a cover for their wickedness and evil Brethren that is bad news so again let not many of you become teachers we shall receive a stricter judgment it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God as a non-leader but as a leader as well notice also the exhortation given by the Savior it comes it is to come to him and drink which event again very simply is to believe the description of the blessings associated with salvation in him I love the way he words it out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water now Brethren you can see in their joy and happiness and thankfulness the presence of the Holy Spirit does that in the heart of a redeemed sinner there's great things to be had as those who have been conquered by God's Sovereign Grace and then the identification of the living and the true God he's father Son and Holy Spirit Jesus does not leave the spirit out of his teaching and then the final note I want to end on is the urgency involved in the gospel the urgency involved in the gospel our brother read it I preached it a couple weeks ago seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near notice the seriousness of the Gospel as well you cannot come to me that's the reality for any and all who reject or resist the gospel as it comes preached with reference to believe on him and you will be saved but then notice the blessings involved out of your belly out of your heart now Brethren I know and especially as one dispositionally not you know the guy that walks around with a big smile on his face there's joy unspeakable and full of Glory for God's people I mean I don't know about you but if you hadn't had your faith in the Lord Jesus over the last two years have you ever thought man how to lose lost my mind I would have come unglued I don't know how people do it Brethren to be honest with you I don't know how you get out of bed each and every day in light of this present evil age in light of the wickedness that we see the godlessness now I realize sin has always been there but when you lived in Judah in the 8th Century BC you had no idea what was going on outside your neighborhood you had no inkling what was happening in China you knew nothing about what's happening in the in the in in the Czech Republic right now you'd have no idea what's happening in Indonesia you have no idea what's going on all over the world so I'm not suggesting it's somehow now that it's really sinful it's always been civil sinful but there is a prevalence of information for us that can at times cause us to be a little down and a little depressed but the overarching dispossession of the blood-bought conquered child of God is that there are blessings flowing from him because of the presence of the Holy Spirit and because by Grace he has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ his sins are forgiven and he has a righteousness by which he will enter in to the presence of God most high well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for the clarity of our savior's words the the Simplicity of the savior's words if anyone thirst let him come to me and drink God I pray that you would convict I pray that you had set forth before Sinners their their Rebellion against you and cause them to see the Lord Jesus Christ as altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand and we pray this for your glory and we pray this for their good and we ask in Jesus name amen well we'll close by singing the doxology and praise to God number 568 in your hymn book and we'll Stand Together As we sing foreign [Music] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen thank you Father Son and Holy Spirit for so great a Salvation thank you for the Lord's day when we get to contemplate these realities in more detail and thank you for the rest that you give us the worship the opportunity to gather together as the people of God before you go with us now we pray in Jesus name amen please be seated for a brief time of meditation