Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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The Final
Revolution with Ty Gibson.
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Welcome to West Frankfort
and to our Worship Center
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here at Three Angels
Broadcasting Network.
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And we're so glad for those
that are here with us live,
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and we're so happy that you
could join us by television.
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And again, we're live going
all around the world tonight
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with a message by Ty Gibson.
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And the message is,
The Final Revolution.
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In fact, this entire series is
entitled, The Final Revolution.
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And Ty Gibson is
giving us part one tonight.
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Ty is no stranger to
those of you that watch 3ABN.
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He is one of our best known
and one of our favorite speakers
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on this network.
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And we have asked him to be
the first speaker of the year
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to kick off the new
Anchors Of Truth series.
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He is the co-director
and founder, co-founder,
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of Light Bearers Ministry.
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And this ministry has been
used by God to reach people
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all over the world
primarily with the printed word,
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though they also are
very active in presenting
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the word through preaching.
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We are so happy to have Ty here.
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And tonight, before
he comes to speak to us,
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I'm going to ask our
friend C.A. Murray to come
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to pray with us first and
then to sing for us that song,
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No One Ever Cared
For Me Like Jesus.
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Shall we pray.
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Gracious Father, we do
praise You and thank You
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for another opportunity
to lift up the name of Jesus.
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We do so secure in the knowledge
that Christ has said, "If I be
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lifted up, I will draw all
men, all women, unto Myself."
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And so we ask for Ty this night
a holy boldness and holy unction
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as he preaches of
the things of God.
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Give us listening and attentive
ears and hearts wherever we are;
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in our cars, at work, at
home, wherever we're listening,
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by computer, internet,
however we receive this message.
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May it be received
with the power and presence
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of the Holy Spirit that we may
not be just hearers of the Word,
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but doers thereof.
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And we thank You for
being our honored guest tonight.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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In the world, they have
songs that are called standards.
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Usually, a standard is a song
that's been around a long time,
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has a particular message,
a lot of people sing it.
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And it has a message that
sort of resonates with those who
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sing it and with those who hear.
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I suspect, if we were
to list standards in the
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Christian realm, No One
Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus
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is a standard.
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I have a very good friend,
he's a Conference president.
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He bought a new Oldsmobile
in New York about 10 years ago.
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And after having it only 3
days, he came down stairs and
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all four doors were stolen
off of his brand new Oldsmobile.
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And he went
upstairs, he played the piano.
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And for an hour before he called
the police, he just played,
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No One Ever Cared
For Me Like Jesus.
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And if you've ever
been through any trauma
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or drama in your
life, you've had hard times
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and perhaps friends and
family have deserted you,
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you know that it is
true, it's not just words,
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no one ever cares
for you like Jesus.
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He is consistent.
He's always there.
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I would love to tell
you what I think of Jesus,
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since I found in Him a
friend so strong and true.
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I would tell you how He
changed my life completely;
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He did something that
no other friend could do.
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No one ever cared
for me like Jesus.
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There's no other
friend so kind as He.
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No one else could take
the sin and darkness from me.
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O how much He cares for me.
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All my life was full of
sin when Jesus found me;
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all my heart was
full of misery and woe.
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Jesus placed His strong
and loving arms around me,
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and He led me in
the path I ought to go.
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No one ever cared
for me like Jesus.
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There's no other
friend so kind as He.
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No one else could take
the sin and darkness from me.
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O how much He cares for me.
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Every day He comes to
me with new assurance.
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More and more and more I
understand His words of love.
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But I'll never know
just why He came to save me
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till someday I see
His blessed face above.
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No one ever cared
for me like Jesus.
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There's no other
friend so kind as He.
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No one else could take
the sin and darkness from me.
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O how much He cares,
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O how much He cares,
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O how much He cares for me.
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Thank you, C.A.
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What a blessing.
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Well good evening, everybody.
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I'm glad you've come to study
this important subject with me.
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I'm going to begin our five
part series by sharing with you
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the story of a
little girl named Cami.
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Children, often
times when they are little,
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have profound insights.
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And Cami is no exception.
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When she was in the
first grade, her teacher gave
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a pretty exciting assignment.
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Children like to play Show
And Tell, but on this occasion
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the Show And Tell
was very, very specific.
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They weren't to
bring something from home.
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The children were to draw a
picture of anything they wanted
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and then show the picture
to the class and tell about it.
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So all the children
went to work busily drawing.
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And the teacher
roamed around the room and
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came to little Cami.
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And she was so devoted to her
piece of art that the teacher
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leaned down and whispered
to her, "Cami, that's a very
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interesting piece of art
that you're constructing there.
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What are you drawing?"
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And then she said, "I'm
drawing a picture of God."
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And the teacher said,
"Cami, nobody has ever seen God.
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You can't draw a picture of God.
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Nobody knows
what He looks like."
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And Cami said, "Why do you
think I'm drawing this picture?
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They going to know in a minute."
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And that, my friends,
is precisely the calling
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that God has put
upon His end time people.
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We, often times, imagine
that perhaps the Lord has
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something else in
mind, that it might be
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something more profound.
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But I believe there's
nothing more profound than this.
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God's people, at this end
time segment of human history,
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are called to paint a
picture of God for the world.
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Specifically,
the character of God.
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Now we know, of course,
that nobody has ever seen
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the face of God, just
as Cami's teacher said.
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But the fact is,
we can see His heart.
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We can probe into the
way God thinks and feels.
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And we can see the
way He behaves in history.
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We can, therefore, begin to
understand the kind of person
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that God is.
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And when we begin to
know Him as He really is,
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things marvelous begin
to take place inside of us.
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We begin to trust
Him when we know Him.
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And when we trust Him, we
begin to serve Him with an
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intelligence and a passion
that we've never know before.
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Now in Scripture, Jesus,
right before He left this world,
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offered a profound
insight regarding the problem
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with the human race.
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You and myself included.
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We are in a predicament,
and Jesus pinpointed
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the nature of that predicament.
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Turn in your Bibles to John 17.
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And here, Jesus is praying
pretty much His last prayer
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before He leaves this
world, before He goes to
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Calvary and dies.
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And the apostles are
the focus of this prayer.
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He's praying specifically
for His followers in the
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immediate historic context.
00:12:01.57\00:12:03.80
But Jesus is also
praying for all believers
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down through
history that will follow.
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He's praying for you
and He's praying for me.
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Now we're going to look at this
prayer in a very unique way.
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We're not going to begin at the
start and work our way through.
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I just want to come to the
very final words of the prayer.
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And here we discover that
right before Jesus departs
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from this world, He
offers a diagnostic statement,
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if you will,
regarding the human race.
00:12:33.43\00:12:35.85
Notice what He says
in verses 24 through 26.
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"Father," He says, "I
desire that they also whom
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You have given Me may
be with Me where I am..."
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Now notice this very carefully.
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He wants you and me,
He wants us to be with Him
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for a specific purpose.
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"...that they may
behold My glory..."
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Now we're going to discover
later on in our time together
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in this five part series
that when the Bible uses the
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word "glory," it is
invoking a large idea.
00:13:07.34\00:13:13.09
It is everything that pertains
to the character of God.
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The word in the Greek...
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And we're in the New
Testament here, so this is
00:13:22.11\00:13:24.16
the Greek part of the Bible.
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The Old Testament
being in Hebrew originally.
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The Greek word is "doxa."
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And it just means; to
radiate outward, to shine,
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to give some kind of brilliant
out-shining of radiance.
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And the concept of
glory is that whatever it is
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that composes a person's
character finds manifestation
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in the way they interact with
people, in the way they behave.
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So the glory of God is what
makes up His heart, His mind,
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His thoughts, His
feelings, His motives.
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Everything that pertains to
the character of God manifested
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or radiating outward in
His dealings with humanity.
00:14:08.17\00:14:13.38
So Jesus says, "Father,
I want them to be with Me.
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I want them to be with
Me for a specific purpose.
00:14:17.19\00:14:19.93
I want them to behold My glory."
00:14:19.96\00:14:22.77
And we're going to take
that to mean, "I want them
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to behold My..."
What? "...character."
00:14:25.42\00:14:27.78
"I want them to become
acquainted with who I am;
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how I think, how I
feel, how I behave,
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the kind of person that I am."
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And we're going to see this
evening why this is so crucial
00:14:35.36\00:14:38.84
that we know God
for who He really is.
00:14:38.87\00:14:42.52
So Jesus goes on and He says,
"I want them to behold My glory.
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For You loved Me, Father, before
the foundation of the world."
00:14:47.18\00:14:51.94
Now Jesus is kind of
thinking back to what He was
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experiencing before He came
to our world in the incarnation.
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And this is a beautiful insight
regarding the place Jesus had
00:15:01.53\00:15:07.18
prior to His
time on planet earth.
00:15:07.21\00:15:10.68
What was Jesus doing
before He came to this world?
00:15:10.88\00:15:15.79
Well according to Scripture, He
was in some way experimentally
00:15:15.82\00:15:19.86
involved in the
love of the Father.
00:15:19.89\00:15:23.10
"Father, you loved Me before
the foundation of the world."
00:15:23.45\00:15:26.94
Before the world was created.
00:15:26.97\00:15:28.71
And, of course, before He
came to this world incarnate,
00:15:28.74\00:15:32.10
Jesus was involved in a love
relationship with His Father.
00:15:32.13\00:15:36.14
Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit compose a social unit,
00:15:36.46\00:15:41.16
a community.
00:15:41.19\00:15:42.63
One scholar refers to the triune
God as a communitarian God;
00:15:42.66\00:15:48.90
God exists in
community, in friendship.
00:15:49.16\00:15:52.98
And Jesus is thinking
back to the time that He shared
00:15:53.01\00:15:58.60
with the Father
before He came to this world.
00:15:58.63\00:16:01.93
"Father," He says, "I want
them to be with Me where I am,
00:16:01.96\00:16:06.84
where I'm going after My
crucifixion to reunite with You.
00:16:06.87\00:16:10.50
Because I want them to
be with us as participants
00:16:10.53\00:16:15.91
in the same quality of
love that, Father, You and I had
00:16:15.94\00:16:19.87
before I even came to
this world, before the world
00:16:19.90\00:16:23.54
was even created.
00:16:23.57\00:16:24.94
I want to bring them
in to that relationship."
00:16:24.97\00:16:28.65
Now I would submit to
you that there is nothing
00:16:28.68\00:16:32.75
that we as human beings
could even begin to imagine
00:16:32.78\00:16:37.72
that would in any way compare
with the glorious future that
00:16:37.75\00:16:42.31
Jesus is
describing here for fallen,
00:16:42.34\00:16:45.37
yet redeemed, human beings.
00:16:45.40\00:16:47.25
Our redemption, our salvation,
is not merely about getting us
00:16:47.28\00:16:52.89
out of trouble with
God for our transgressions.
00:16:52.92\00:16:57.17
Our salvation is God saving us
out of sin, but into something.
00:16:57.46\00:17:03.61
Not just to take us out
of a problem, but to safely
00:17:03.76\00:17:08.64
deliver us into something
remarkable and glorious.
00:17:08.67\00:17:12.76
He's not just trying to
take something out of us;
00:17:12.79\00:17:16.33
namely sin and guilt and shame.
00:17:16.36\00:17:18.40
He's trying to put something
in us to fill the void,
00:17:18.43\00:17:22.27
to fill the vacancy.
00:17:22.30\00:17:23.90
And here, Jesus
pinpoints precisely what that is
00:17:23.93\00:17:28.15
that God wants to
fill our hearts with.
00:17:28.18\00:17:31.47
"Father, I was with You before
the foundation of the world.
00:17:31.50\00:17:36.91
You and I were
engaged in a love relationship
00:17:37.33\00:17:41.27
that was glorious.
00:17:41.30\00:17:42.67
And Father, I want them
to be with Me in the future
00:17:42.70\00:17:46.23
as sharers in
that relationship."
00:17:46.26\00:17:50.01
Then Jesus goes on and He
says, now giving the diagnosis
00:17:50.31\00:17:54.86
of the human predicament,
verse 25, "O righteous Father,"
00:17:54.89\00:17:59.21
notice carefully,
"the world has not..."
00:17:59.24\00:18:02.69
What does it say?
00:18:02.72\00:18:04.09
"...known You..."
00:18:04.36\00:18:05.78
"The world has not
known You, Father."
00:18:05.81\00:18:08.85
There is a void of knowledge, of
awareness, of intimacy with God.
00:18:08.88\00:18:15.78
Jesus goes on to say,
"The world has not known You,
00:18:15.81\00:18:19.56
but I have..." What?
00:18:19.59\00:18:22.09
"... known You.
00:18:22.12\00:18:23.53
And these," speaking in
the immediate context of the
00:18:23.56\00:18:27.37
disciples, but also
speaking of all human beings
00:18:27.40\00:18:32.50
subsequent to this, "...these
have known that You sent Me."
00:18:32.53\00:18:37.57
Now watch this very carefully.
00:18:37.60\00:18:39.24
"And I have declared to
them Your name, Father."
00:18:39.27\00:18:43.07
Which is another
biblical word for character.
00:18:43.10\00:18:46.99
Throughout
Scripture, the word "name" is
00:18:47.25\00:18:51.28
synonymous with character.
00:18:51.31\00:18:53.30
Why? Because names in
biblical times, unlike our time,
00:18:53.33\00:18:58.98
had meaning that signified
the character or personality of
00:18:59.01\00:19:03.38
the child or of the place.
00:19:03.41\00:19:05.91
For example, Jacob was
called "Jacob" because he had
00:19:05.94\00:19:09.10
grabbed the heal of Esau
as he was exiting the womb.
00:19:09.13\00:19:12.74
Or at least his parents imagined
that he tried to pull him
00:19:12.77\00:19:15.82
back in so he
could be the first born.
00:19:15.85\00:19:18.37
And so when Jacob came out
of the womb after attempting
00:19:18.71\00:19:24.30
to be the first born, they
said, "Your name is Jacob."
00:19:24.33\00:19:27.90
Which means basically,
"You little deceiver."
00:19:28.00\00:19:31.18
How would you like to have that
name affixed to you at birth?
00:19:31.21\00:19:34.23
But then he prevailed
with God later in life.
00:19:34.82\00:19:37.74
And God said, "Now I'm
going to change your name.
00:19:38.16\00:19:40.25
You're not Jacob anymore.
00:19:40.45\00:19:41.99
Now you're
Israel. You're victor.
00:19:42.40\00:19:45.25
You have prevailed with God,
so a name change is in order."
00:19:45.28\00:19:50.48
Throughout Scripture, every
name has character significance.
00:19:50.51\00:19:54.75
When Jesus says, "I came to this
world for the specific purpose
00:19:54.78\00:19:59.91
of declaring the name
of the Father," He means,
00:19:59.94\00:20:02.84
"I'm here to disclose the truth
about the character of God.
00:20:02.87\00:20:07.46
I'm here in this world
to make known who God is."
00:20:08.03\00:20:14.70
So are you getting the
sense here that there is a
00:20:14.73\00:20:18.95
colossal mission that is
being launched from this prayer?
00:20:18.98\00:20:22.60
Jesus says, again, "O
righteous Father," verse 25,
00:20:22.63\00:20:26.81
"the world has not known You."
00:20:26.84\00:20:29.17
That's the problem.
00:20:29.20\00:20:30.69
In the simplest terms possible,
Jesus looks at humanity
00:20:31.45\00:20:37.83
and He says, "The problem
is, they don't know the Father."
00:20:37.86\00:20:44.56
They are under the
impression that they know God,
00:20:45.15\00:20:48.99
as we'll see in just a moment.
00:20:49.02\00:20:50.39
Because Jesus is speaking
in a very religious context.
00:20:50.42\00:20:53.91
Everybody around Him
claims to believe in God.
00:20:53.94\00:20:57.31
And I'll call attention
to the fact, this evening,
00:20:57.34\00:20:59.99
that the world in
which we live in right now
00:21:00.02\00:21:02.25
with its 7.2 billion people,
of those 7.2 billion people
00:21:02.28\00:21:08.00
fully 6 billion of them
claim to believe in God.
00:21:08.03\00:21:13.54
Or let's say it this way.
00:21:13.57\00:21:15.09
...claim to believe
something about God.
00:21:15.67\00:21:19.63
And there's the operative
word, "something about God."
00:21:20.16\00:21:23.34
Everybody on the planet
pretty much has a conception,
00:21:24.20\00:21:27.76
a picture, a view of God.
00:21:27.79\00:21:30.79
Even the approximately
one billion people,
00:21:30.82\00:21:33.98
about 800 million people,
it's approaching one billion,
00:21:34.01\00:21:37.39
now claim to be atheists in
our world out of the 7 billion.
00:21:37.42\00:21:42.09
About one billion say,
"No, we don't believe in the
00:21:42.12\00:21:44.21
existence of God at all.
00:21:44.24\00:21:46.08
No such being exists."
00:21:46.38\00:21:48.51
But even the atheists
in our world, by and large,
00:21:48.54\00:21:51.79
are saying, "I don't believe
in God," by which they mean,
00:21:51.82\00:21:57.49
"What I've been
told about God, I reject.
00:21:57.52\00:22:01.01
The picture that has
been portrayed to me,
00:22:01.31\00:22:04.40
what I was taught to
believe about God, I reject."
00:22:04.43\00:22:08.79
Which leaves us with a glorious
evangelistic opportunity.
00:22:09.05\00:22:13.67
Because we might
conclude, and rightly conclude,
00:22:13.97\00:22:17.73
that there are many
people who don't believe in God
00:22:17.76\00:22:20.21
who might believe in God if
they received a picture of God
00:22:20.24\00:22:25.86
that was rational and attractive
and healing and satisfying
00:22:26.33\00:22:32.50
and beautiful.
00:22:32.53\00:22:33.90
If God could be repainted
on the canvas of human hearts
00:22:33.93\00:22:39.67
and minds, we might find
people we never imagined who now
00:22:39.70\00:22:45.09
align themselves as
enemies of God might say,
00:22:45.12\00:22:48.22
"Well, wait a minute.
00:22:48.25\00:22:49.62
Why didn't somebody
tell me He was like that?
00:22:49.65\00:22:51.51
I can believe that."
00:22:51.54\00:22:52.91
Many people are
rejecting a caricature;
00:22:53.92\00:22:57.99
a picture of God
that is anything but true.
00:22:58.77\00:23:02.70
Jesus gives an
assessment of the human problem
00:23:02.73\00:23:07.51
upon the
closure of His ministry.
00:23:08.72\00:23:11.86
It's coming to an end,
He's about to go to the cross,
00:23:12.53\00:23:14.60
and He says, "Father, the
problem is they don't know You.
00:23:14.63\00:23:21.14
But I know You," Jesus says.
00:23:21.17\00:23:22.97
I know exactly who You are.
00:23:23.00\00:23:24.91
And I have
declared to them Your name."
00:23:24.94\00:23:28.63
Jesus came to this
world to set in motion
00:23:28.66\00:23:32.33
a movement that would
disseminate to the world
00:23:33.78\00:23:38.26
the picture of God,
precisely the picture of God,
00:23:38.29\00:23:41.54
that was represented in Himself.
00:23:42.52\00:23:44.75
Jesus is, the book
of Revelation calls Him,
00:23:44.78\00:23:48.43
the true and faithful Witness.
00:23:48.46\00:23:51.78
By which Scripture means,
He is the one that testifies
00:23:51.81\00:23:55.97
the truth about God.
00:23:56.00\00:23:58.67
So continuing on to
the closure of His prayer.
00:23:59.06\00:24:02.23
"O righteous Father,
the world has not known You,
00:24:02.26\00:24:04.49
but I have known You.
00:24:04.52\00:24:06.34
And I have
declared to them Your name."
00:24:06.37\00:24:08.50
Which means what, again?
00:24:08.53\00:24:10.01
Character of God.
00:24:10.75\00:24:12.12
"I have declared, made
known to them, Your name.
00:24:12.15\00:24:14.91
And will declare it..."
00:24:14.94\00:24:16.52
Watch this.
00:24:17.30\00:24:18.68
"...so that the love with
which You have loved Me, Father,
00:24:19.24\00:24:24.51
may be in them, and I in them."
00:24:24.54\00:24:29.48
This is one of the
mountain tops of Scripture.
00:24:29.51\00:24:33.03
This is an incredible disclosure
for you and me of exactly
00:24:34.12\00:24:40.84
what the problem is with
our world, what the world needs,
00:24:40.87\00:24:43.86
and what God's ultimate
plan is for human beings.
00:24:43.89\00:24:48.85
He wants you and me,
and everybody that you have
00:24:49.30\00:24:51.64
any contact with,
anybody you've ever seen;
00:24:51.67\00:24:54.55
the person that you
buy your groceries from
00:24:54.58\00:24:57.96
and exchange a little bit
of laughter as you're departing
00:24:57.99\00:25:01.69
the grocery store, the
person that works in the
00:25:01.72\00:25:04.76
cubicle next to you, the person
that you just pass ever so
00:25:04.79\00:25:08.89
briefly as you're walking
on the sidewalk in your town
00:25:08.92\00:25:12.02
and your eyes just briefly meet,
every single person without
00:25:12.05\00:25:17.29
exception is in need of
knowing the glorious truth
00:25:17.32\00:25:22.60
of who God is.
00:25:22.63\00:25:24.59
And there is a sense in which,
as we'll discover through this
00:25:24.62\00:25:28.30
five part series, that
right now the human race
00:25:28.33\00:25:31.58
is teetering on
the tipping point.
00:25:31.61\00:25:35.24
That is to say, the human
race is right there on the
00:25:36.01\00:25:40.42
razor's edge of
going one way or the other
00:25:40.45\00:25:44.46
regarding the character of God.
00:25:44.86\00:25:48.08
Our world is filled with people
who right now are more ready,
00:25:48.52\00:25:52.36
more ripe, more curious
than ever about who God is.
00:25:52.39\00:25:57.52
A poll was conducted in a
large western European city.
00:25:57.55\00:26:04.52
Very much like the American
situation; becoming increasingly
00:26:05.10\00:26:08.74
more and more secular
here in America, just as
00:26:08.77\00:26:13.04
western Europe is secular.
00:26:13.07\00:26:15.03
And in this city, they
just had two questions.
00:26:15.06\00:26:17.91
They're roaming the streets
and they're asking people
00:26:17.94\00:26:19.97
just two questions.
00:26:20.00\00:26:21.37
Now watch this.
00:26:21.40\00:26:22.77
Just walking up and saying
to one individual after another,
00:26:22.80\00:26:25.43
"Question number
one, we're talking a poll.
00:26:25.88\00:26:28.24
Do you have an
interest in religion or church?"
00:26:28.77\00:26:34.09
Ninety percent of the
people just said, "Nope,"
00:26:34.35\00:26:38.81
and walked away.
00:26:38.84\00:26:40.21
"Well wait a
minute, wait a minute."
00:26:41.04\00:26:42.41
Those doing the
poll stopped them.
00:26:42.72\00:26:44.49
"We do have a second question.
00:26:44.52\00:26:46.25
A second
question, just one more.
00:26:46.52\00:26:48.59
Do you have any
interest in God?"
00:26:49.14\00:26:51.12
And the numbers switched.
00:26:52.18\00:26:54.26
Ninety percent of
people said, "Oh, God?
00:26:54.54\00:26:56.49
Sure, I have an interest in God.
00:26:56.52\00:26:58.10
God? Curiosity about God?
00:26:58.43\00:27:01.84
The person?
00:27:02.70\00:27:04.16
Religion? No. Church? No.
00:27:04.84\00:27:07.34
God? I'm curious about God."
00:27:07.37\00:27:09.54
Do you see
what's happening there?
00:27:09.75\00:27:11.48
There's a very interesting
dynamic going on socially,
00:27:11.51\00:27:16.11
emotionally, psychologically
in our world today.
00:27:16.14\00:27:19.11
Down through history God
has, as we're going to learn
00:27:19.43\00:27:23.18
in this series, God has
been grossly misrepresented.
00:27:23.21\00:27:27.42
Or as one author says,
using a word that you will not
00:27:27.45\00:27:30.09
find in your dictionary,
God has been uglified.
00:27:30.12\00:27:33.70
And the uglification
of the character of God
00:27:34.83\00:27:38.09
down through history through
religion, as we're going to
00:27:38.12\00:27:41.66
discover, the
uglification of God's character,
00:27:41.69\00:27:44.72
that is the misrepresentation
of God's character,
00:27:44.75\00:27:47.19
has given rise to a violent
reaction, psychologically
00:27:47.22\00:27:51.49
and emotionally, against God.
00:27:51.52\00:27:52.89
People have shut Him out, not
because they know Him as He is,
00:27:52.92\00:27:57.57
but because He has
been misrepresented to them.
00:27:58.66\00:28:02.90
And so many people are
eager to know who God really is.
00:28:03.34\00:28:11.22
And the moment we begin,
as God's people, as His church
00:28:11.25\00:28:17.26
at this very
crucial juncture of history,
00:28:17.29\00:28:19.75
the moment we begin
to focus our attention
00:28:19.78\00:28:25.35
on magnifying the truth
about the character of God,
00:28:25.38\00:28:30.76
the identity of God, when we
begin to talk to people about,
00:28:30.79\00:28:34.69
"Hey, this is the
kind of person God is."
00:28:34.72\00:28:37.68
"This is how He thinks."
00:28:37.71\00:28:39.08
He's also an emotional
Being, "This is how He feels."
00:28:39.11\00:28:42.45
Every time you ever experience
trouble or pain or tragedy
00:28:42.85\00:28:46.40
in your life, the Bible
says that He experiences
00:28:46.43\00:28:49.41
a resonating pain with you.
00:28:49.44\00:28:51.71
God is very sensitive.
00:28:51.74\00:28:53.88
I've talked to people who
want nothing to do about God.
00:28:53.91\00:28:56.57
And they say, "But what do
you believe?" in our discussion.
00:28:56.60\00:28:58.94
And I begin to share
with them, "I believe that God
00:28:58.97\00:29:02.09
is, first and
foremost, a personal Being.
00:29:02.12\00:29:05.97
Not a massive energy,
'May the force be with you.'"
00:29:06.00\00:29:09.13
God isn't a distant King
or Judge seated on the throne
00:29:09.54\00:29:13.43
with outstretched
arm and pointed finger
00:29:13.46\00:29:15.81
and His other finger poised
over the zap button to make sure
00:29:16.11\00:29:19.24
that misery
occurs from time to time.
00:29:19.27\00:29:22.47
The picture of God that
has been painted for the world
00:29:23.00\00:29:25.68
is indeed ugly.
00:29:25.71\00:29:28.18
And people are
reacting against it.
00:29:28.21\00:29:31.74
But what would happen if
God were revealed to the world
00:29:31.77\00:29:36.96
with irresistible beauty?
00:29:38.05\00:29:39.93
What if God, to use a
very simple illustration,
00:29:40.51\00:29:45.03
were to get people's attention
like a beautiful field of
00:29:45.06\00:29:50.78
flowers that you
can't help but look at,
00:29:50.81\00:29:53.93
or a beautiful piece of
music that you didn't expect to
00:29:54.05\00:29:56.80
encounter as you're
going through some public place
00:29:56.83\00:29:59.80
and suddenly there's
Beethoven's Third Symphony
00:29:59.83\00:30:02.53
and you're thinking,
"Wow, that's incredible."
00:30:02.56\00:30:04.95
And you just pause to listen.
00:30:04.98\00:30:06.52
It's spontaneous
when beauty is disclosed.
00:30:07.52\00:30:11.35
Do you hear what I'm saying?
00:30:11.57\00:30:12.94
Rather than God being
framed or communicated
00:30:13.14\00:30:18.02
in a light that
repulses the human heart,
00:30:18.05\00:30:21.71
God needs to be
revealed as He really is,
00:30:22.10\00:30:25.55
as Jesus revealed Him, to
be irresistibly attractive.
00:30:25.58\00:30:30.32
God is beautiful when we
know Him for who He really is.
00:30:30.35\00:30:35.56
And when we find
ourselves encountering beautiful
00:30:35.86\00:30:39.91
aspects or dimensions
or traits of His character,
00:30:39.94\00:30:43.75
we find ourselves spontaneously
leaning forward getting more
00:30:44.65\00:30:48.90
curious, wanting to
know this kind of God.
00:30:48.93\00:30:53.71
And Jesus says, when the
world begins to encounter
00:30:53.74\00:30:58.35
a knowledge of God
in that kind of light,
00:30:58.73\00:31:01.91
Jesus makes it very
clear that at that point
00:31:01.94\00:31:06.56
they will be encountering
a God of infinite love who
00:31:06.59\00:31:09.66
is having no other agenda but
to re-induct them into His love.
00:31:09.69\00:31:16.98
What does He say here again?
00:31:17.18\00:31:18.55
"The world has not known You."
00:31:18.67\00:31:20.34
That's the assessment,
that's the diagnosis.
00:31:20.74\00:31:23.67
Number two, "But
I have known You.
00:31:23.70\00:31:25.64
I know who You are, Father."
00:31:25.67\00:31:27.17
"And I have," number
three, "declared Your
00:31:28.21\00:31:30.35
character to them.
00:31:30.38\00:31:31.75
And I'll
continue to declare it."
00:31:31.78\00:31:34.50
That is through the
church down through the ages.
00:31:34.53\00:31:37.07
And then finally,
what does Jesus say?
00:31:37.35\00:31:39.64
"When they know You, Father,
they will begin to love You.
00:31:39.91\00:31:44.07
And they will be brought
back in to the inner circle
00:31:44.70\00:31:48.75
of the love relationship
that You and I have had
00:31:48.95\00:31:51.40
for all eternity past."
00:31:51.43\00:31:53.06
That's the picture that
Jesus paints of the work that
00:31:53.93\00:31:58.44
needs to be done by
the church at this end time
00:31:58.47\00:32:02.01
segment of human history.
00:32:02.04\00:32:03.41
Now having laid that foundation,
giving Jesus' final words
00:32:03.44\00:32:09.49
in prayer before He
leaves this world, pretty much,
00:32:09.52\00:32:12.10
before He comes to
the cross, at least,
00:32:12.13\00:32:14.44
I want you to back up
in the gospel of John now
00:32:15.05\00:32:17.90
and notice a pattern that
develops that will lead us
00:32:17.93\00:32:21.55
to where we want to be tonight
regarding the final revolution
00:32:21.58\00:32:25.35
of human history
that needs to occur.
00:32:25.38\00:32:27.07
Go all the way back in the
gospel of John to chapter 1.
00:32:27.10\00:32:29.91
And you're going to notice
a pattern here that builds up
00:32:29.94\00:32:33.03
to what we just
read in John chapter 17.
00:32:33.06\00:32:36.61
First of all in John chapter 1,
Jesus is revealed as the Word.
00:32:37.45\00:32:43.75
Capital "W."
00:32:43.78\00:32:45.15
"In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God,
00:32:46.01\00:32:50.55
and the Word was God."
00:32:50.58\00:32:53.00
What do you think about
when you read the word, "Word?"
00:32:53.03\00:32:58.05
Communication maybe?
00:32:58.59\00:33:00.23
That's what I think of.
00:33:00.26\00:33:01.63
Words are for the
purpose of communicating.
00:33:01.66\00:33:05.46
Right?
00:33:05.65\00:33:07.02
Jesus has come to
this world to communicate.
00:33:07.05\00:33:10.67
One version says, "In
the beginning was the Voice,
00:33:10.98\00:33:14.29
and the Voice was with
God, and the Voice was God."
00:33:14.32\00:33:18.05
And the point is that
God has been speaking.
00:33:18.08\00:33:22.16
Down through history
before the incarnation,
00:33:22.36\00:33:25.32
God has been speaking
into human hearts all along.
00:33:25.35\00:33:30.05
I know that
this was true for me.
00:33:30.69\00:33:32.37
Before I encountered any
public preaching or Bible study
00:33:32.75\00:33:37.84
in a formal sense, as I
look back now in retrospect.
00:33:37.87\00:33:42.35
I wonder if this
is true about you.
00:33:42.38\00:33:44.29
As I look back now,
I can see that before
00:33:44.65\00:33:48.19
I had any formal introduction
to God, that there were
00:33:48.22\00:33:52.92
providential leadings
and He was active in my life
00:33:52.95\00:33:58.11
before I ever knew Him,
00:33:58.14\00:33:59.59
orchestrating, arranging,
putting together situations
00:34:00.64\00:34:07.04
and encounters with people.
00:34:07.07\00:34:08.95
So that having stimulated
desire in my heart for Him,
00:34:09.21\00:34:15.11
that when I hear the
Word preached, it resonates
00:34:15.41\00:34:18.71
with what He's already
been doing in my heart.
00:34:18.74\00:34:21.07
And that's going on with
people around you all the time.
00:34:21.37\00:34:24.14
God is active now with
every person on the planet
00:34:24.40\00:34:28.63
whispering truth
into their consciousness,
00:34:29.15\00:34:31.89
opening their minds to Him.
00:34:32.08\00:34:33.45
Go down to verse 9.
00:34:33.48\00:34:34.91
Verse 9, Jesus is called
the true light who gives light
00:34:34.94\00:34:39.23
to how many people?
00:34:39.26\00:34:40.63
Every person who
comes into the world.
00:34:40.98\00:34:43.91
Are there any exceptions here?
00:34:43.94\00:34:45.57
No, Jesus has been illuminating
the hearts and minds of all
00:34:45.77\00:34:53.03
men, women, and
children down through history
00:34:53.06\00:34:56.10
preparatory to a
living encounter with Him.
00:34:56.72\00:35:00.58
So Jesus comes into the world,
according to John chapter 1,
00:35:01.06\00:35:04.34
for the specific
purpose of communication.
00:35:04.37\00:35:08.01
Go down to verse 14 now.
00:35:08.32\00:35:10.25
"And the Word became..." What?
00:35:10.28\00:35:14.11
"...flesh and dwelt,"
or tabernacled or lived,
00:35:14.31\00:35:18.40
"...among us, and we beheld..."
00:35:18.43\00:35:21.72
What does the
word "beheld" indicate?
00:35:21.75\00:35:24.19
We saw.
00:35:24.61\00:35:25.98
We encountered.
00:35:26.01\00:35:27.38
We saw Him, we beheld Him.
00:35:27.91\00:35:30.29
And when we beheld
Him, what did we see?
00:35:30.32\00:35:32.96
Jesus came into the
world and we beheld His glory.
00:35:32.99\00:35:38.60
What does the word
"glory" mean again?
00:35:38.63\00:35:40.42
Character.
00:35:40.49\00:35:41.86
We beheld His
character, His glory.
00:35:41.89\00:35:44.90
But whose glory
ultimately is this?
00:35:44.93\00:35:47.93
"...the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father..."
00:35:47.96\00:35:53.87
Notice this.
00:35:53.90\00:35:55.27
There is a direct linkage...
00:35:55.30\00:35:57.60
This is important.
00:35:57.63\00:35:59.00
There is a direct link
between who Jesus is and the
00:35:59.03\00:36:02.62
glory, the character, we
see in Him as His life unfolds,
00:36:02.65\00:36:06.73
and the Father.
00:36:07.87\00:36:09.42
Everything we see in
Jesus is an accurate rendering
00:36:09.99\00:36:15.89
of the character of the Father.
00:36:15.92\00:36:18.43
That's the point here.
00:36:18.46\00:36:19.83
Look now...
00:36:19.86\00:36:21.23
This is so exciting when
you see the connections here.
00:36:21.26\00:36:23.99
Look now at verse 18.
00:36:24.02\00:36:25.87
"No one has seen..." Who?
00:36:26.70\00:36:28.88
"...God at any time."
00:36:29.12\00:36:31.27
I mentioned that at
the opening of the message.
00:36:31.30\00:36:33.57
We haven't seen God's face.
00:36:33.60\00:36:35.58
Moses, at one
point, said to the Lord,
00:36:35.61\00:36:37.96
"Father God, I want to
see You. Show me Your glory."
00:36:38.48\00:36:41.87
And God said, "You can't
see the face of God and live.
00:36:41.90\00:36:44.16
No, not at this
juncture of human history."
00:36:44.19\00:36:47.96
The sin problem has so
damaged the human being
00:36:47.99\00:36:53.30
that an immediate
encounter with God would cause
00:36:53.33\00:36:57.10
immediate destruction.
00:36:57.13\00:36:58.50
His glory would destroy us
because of the sin problem.
00:36:58.53\00:37:02.18
So Jesus basically is
revealed here as the one,
00:37:02.85\00:37:07.68
it goes on to say,
the one who declares Him.
00:37:07.71\00:37:12.55
Declares who?
00:37:12.58\00:37:13.95
Verse 18, are you there?
00:37:13.98\00:37:15.35
"No one has
seen God at any time.
00:37:15.49\00:37:17.44
But the only begotten Son..."
00:37:18.10\00:37:20.22
Who's that?
00:37:20.32\00:37:21.69
Jesus. Who is where?
00:37:21.72\00:37:23.97
"...in the bosom of the
Father, He has declared Him."
00:37:24.48\00:37:27.71
So Jesus, before
His incarnation, existed
00:37:28.10\00:37:33.15
where precisely,
according to this text?
00:37:33.18\00:37:35.94
In the bosom of the Father.
00:37:37.21\00:37:38.65
What might that mean?
00:37:38.68\00:37:40.05
In intimate
friendship with the Father.
00:37:40.55\00:37:43.88
Again, it is indicating to
us that if anybody knows God,
00:37:43.91\00:37:48.77
Jesus does.
00:37:48.80\00:37:50.17
He, before He came to
this world, existed in
00:37:50.38\00:37:54.88
the bosom of the Father.
00:37:54.91\00:37:56.28
That is, in the
heart of the Father.
00:37:56.31\00:37:57.68
In fellowship with the Father.
00:37:57.71\00:38:00.67
And so because He
was with the Father,
00:38:00.70\00:38:03.16
in the bosom of the Father, what
does He come to the world to do?
00:38:03.56\00:38:05.91
Verse 18 again, the last part.
00:38:05.94\00:38:07.79
"He has..." What?
00:38:08.25\00:38:09.62
"...declared Him."
00:38:09.93\00:38:11.30
So, there is declaration.
00:38:11.47\00:38:13.91
There is communication
that we can expect to occur.
00:38:14.50\00:38:18.47
We can expect this
communication to occur
00:38:18.57\00:38:21.52
in two specific ways.
00:38:21.82\00:38:23.89
Number one, He's the Word.
00:38:23.92\00:38:25.63
So does Jesus, throughout
His life leading up to Calvary,
00:38:25.83\00:38:30.04
does He speak words?
00:38:30.07\00:38:31.44
Does He teach? Does He preach?
00:38:31.47\00:38:32.84
Yes or no? Yes.
00:38:32.87\00:38:34.67
But also, what did
it say back in verse 14?
00:38:35.35\00:38:39.30
We beheld.
00:38:39.83\00:38:41.20
Not only do we
hear, but we what?
00:38:41.23\00:38:44.02
We see.
00:38:44.26\00:38:45.75
We see the glory of
the Father in living color
00:38:45.78\00:38:49.46
personified in Jesus, in action.
00:38:49.49\00:38:52.98
And when we see that
glory, the glory of the Father
00:38:53.22\00:38:57.52
in Jesus, there are
two words in verse 14
00:38:57.55\00:39:01.31
that encapsulate
the character of God.
00:39:01.34\00:39:04.87
What are they? Do you see them?
00:39:04.90\00:39:06.27
He comes to the world full of...
00:39:06.81\00:39:11.37
Two things.
00:39:11.40\00:39:12.77
Grace and truth.
00:39:12.80\00:39:14.24
Isn't that fascinating?
00:39:14.82\00:39:16.26
One Psalm, I think
Psalm 85, it may be verse 10,
00:39:16.78\00:39:21.61
foretells that when
the Messiah would come,
00:39:21.81\00:39:24.45
that mercy and truth in
Him would kiss each other.
00:39:24.91\00:39:28.97
Here, Jesus comes to the world
to reveal the character of God,
00:39:30.10\00:39:33.82
and the character
of God is composed of
00:39:33.85\00:39:38.55
both grace and truth.
00:39:38.58\00:39:40.67
What if God were to come to you
and me, and to the human race
00:39:40.70\00:39:43.58
as a whole, with
nothing but undiluted truth?
00:39:43.61\00:39:48.16
Period, end of subject.
00:39:48.19\00:39:49.56
Jesus just comes to the
world to tell it like it is.
00:39:49.59\00:39:52.42
No grace, no mercy.
00:39:52.72\00:39:54.51
Just the raw data of truth.
00:39:54.87\00:39:58.46
The way we do
evangelism sometimes.
00:39:58.49\00:40:00.63
What if Jesus
only came with truth?
00:40:01.12\00:40:04.94
We wouldn't be able
to bear the revelation.
00:40:05.65\00:40:08.79
Later on in His ministry,
He would say, "There are
00:40:08.82\00:40:11.09
many things I would say
to you, but you cannot..."
00:40:11.12\00:40:13.65
Do you know?
00:40:13.68\00:40:15.05
"...bear them right now."
00:40:15.08\00:40:16.45
So Jesus is giving
a measured disclosure.
00:40:16.48\00:40:20.41
He's not using the dump
truck approach to evangelism
00:40:20.44\00:40:24.20
where you basically just pull
up to any willing victim and
00:40:24.23\00:40:26.78
pull the level and dump
everything you know on them.
00:40:26.81\00:40:29.25
Jesus is revealing
the truth incrementally,
00:40:30.36\00:40:35.52
paying attention to the
emotional and psychological
00:40:35.97\00:40:40.05
capacity of those
that He's interacting with.
00:40:40.08\00:40:43.75
And Jesus comes, not merely
with truth, but yes with truth.
00:40:44.54\00:40:48.73
Coupled with what?
00:40:49.45\00:40:51.03
Grace, mercy.
00:40:51.06\00:40:52.93
"I'm going to tell you
the truth about yourself
00:40:53.45\00:40:57.21
and about the Father, and you'll
feel that painful contrast
00:40:57.24\00:41:00.48
between His righteousness
and your sinfulness.
00:41:00.51\00:41:03.19
But I want you
to know something.
00:41:03.22\00:41:04.75
I want you to know
something," Jesus says.
00:41:05.15\00:41:07.35
"I'm going to
give you the truth.
00:41:07.38\00:41:08.78
But every step of the
way, I'm going to lavish
00:41:08.98\00:41:12.24
My grace upon you.
00:41:12.27\00:41:13.83
I'm going to, not
only tell you the truth,
00:41:13.86\00:41:17.21
I'm going to forgive
and exercise mercy and
00:41:17.24\00:41:21.28
compassion every step
of the way so that you can
00:41:21.31\00:41:23.72
process the truth.
00:41:23.75\00:41:25.68
So we encounter the
glory of God in two forms
00:41:26.04\00:41:29.82
in Christ, in Jesus.
00:41:29.85\00:41:32.34
In word and in deed.
00:41:32.52\00:41:35.82
We hear the
preaching of the gospel.
00:41:36.00\00:41:38.53
But what gives the
gospel its validity?
00:41:38.56\00:41:43.70
And what gives the
gospel credibility?
00:41:43.73\00:41:46.60
It's the life of the Savior.
00:41:47.24\00:41:49.67
He loves people as
He interacts with them.
00:41:49.94\00:41:53.78
And because He loves them,
they can bear the truth He has
00:41:54.18\00:41:58.49
to speak to them.
00:41:58.52\00:42:00.37
And as Jesus unfolds His
ministry, we are receiving
00:42:00.62\00:42:06.17
a living model of how the
gospel is to be proclaimed
00:42:06.20\00:42:10.15
straight on down
to the end of time.
00:42:10.18\00:42:12.97
Notice chapter 5
now and verse 19.
00:42:13.72\00:42:17.19
Continuing this theme.
00:42:17.29\00:42:19.19
John chapter 5 verse 19.
00:42:19.77\00:42:21.97
"Then Jesus
answered and said to them,
00:42:22.00\00:42:25.61
'Most assuredly I say to
you, the Son can do nothing..."
00:42:26.01\00:42:32.51
What does Jesus say?
00:42:32.54\00:42:33.91
"...of Himself, but
what He sees the Father do.
00:42:33.94\00:42:40.14
For whatever He,"
that is the Father, "does,
00:42:40.17\00:42:42.78
the Son also
does in like manner."
00:42:42.81\00:42:46.14
What is Jesus saying here?
00:42:46.17\00:42:47.54
As you encounter Me, you
are encountering the Father.
00:42:49.34\00:42:54.82
"I'm the Son, and
everything that I'm doing,
00:42:55.65\00:42:59.21
all My interactions with
you and with everybody else,
00:42:59.24\00:43:02.80
as My life
unfolds before you..."
00:43:03.00\00:43:06.09
Right up to the apex revelation
of God's glorious character
00:43:06.12\00:43:10.64
at the cross.
00:43:10.67\00:43:12.04
Every step of the way,
what is Jesus saying here?
00:43:12.07\00:43:14.08
"I'm doing what I
see in the Father.
00:43:15.22\00:43:19.18
I'm acting out what
I know to be the truth
00:43:19.52\00:43:23.39
about the character of God."
00:43:23.42\00:43:25.71
And as we're going to discover,
this is a law of human nature
00:43:26.11\00:43:31.43
and human experience.
00:43:31.46\00:43:32.83
Finally we're going to discover
that the great controversy
00:43:32.86\00:43:37.68
reaches forward to the
final events of human history
00:43:37.71\00:43:41.26
disclosed in Revelation
13 and 14, and when that
00:43:41.29\00:43:45.59
final crisis occurs.
00:43:45.62\00:43:47.95
If you want to
summarize what Bible prophecy is
00:43:47.98\00:43:50.21
basically
telling us, it is this;
00:43:50.24\00:43:52.90
that ultimately there
will be a convergence of
00:43:52.93\00:43:57.36
events and pressures socially,
politically and religiously
00:43:57.39\00:44:03.08
that will prompt
every human being to act out
00:44:03.28\00:44:06.82
their picture of God.
00:44:06.85\00:44:08.76
Ultimately, all of us will
disclose what we really believe
00:44:08.79\00:44:14.25
about the Father in the way
we deal with others every day,
00:44:14.28\00:44:18.83
and finally in that climactic
crisis of human history.
00:44:19.09\00:44:23.51
Everybody acts out
their picture of God.
00:44:23.54\00:44:26.41
Whatever you believe
about God's dealings with you
00:44:26.87\00:44:31.33
will come out in the
way you deal with others.
00:44:31.89\00:44:34.41
Jesus is
articulating that principle.
00:44:34.79\00:44:37.29
"I do nothing of
Myself," He says.
00:44:38.23\00:44:40.73
"Whatever I see the
Father doing, the Son does
00:44:40.93\00:44:44.06
in like manner.
00:44:44.09\00:44:45.46
I am like He
is, He is like I am.
00:44:45.49\00:44:47.89
We are one in character.
00:44:47.92\00:44:49.80
And your encounter with
Me is an encounter with the
00:44:49.83\00:44:52.91
character of the Father."
00:44:52.94\00:44:55.71
That's John 5:19.
00:44:55.74\00:44:58.06
Now skip over to chapter 8.
00:44:58.09\00:45:00.56
So here we have an
example of Jesus living out
00:45:01.09\00:45:07.03
the character of God, living out
and mirroring the character of
00:45:07.06\00:45:12.01
the Father in His dealings with
the woman caught in adultery.
00:45:12.04\00:45:16.82
As we said in chapter 1 of John,
there are two ways in which
00:45:16.85\00:45:20.70
the character of God is revealed
in the person of Jesus Christ.
00:45:20.73\00:45:24.34
In His speaking,
preaching; in His words.
00:45:24.37\00:45:27.46
And in His life; in His
way of relating to people.
00:45:27.49\00:45:33.11
And here we see Jesus
putting on display a remarkable
00:45:33.14\00:45:38.06
revelation of
the character of God.
00:45:38.09\00:45:40.21
This woman was
caught, the Scripture says in
00:45:40.41\00:45:43.39
John chapter 8, in
the very act of adultery.
00:45:43.42\00:45:47.38
There was no question
whatsoever of her guilt.
00:45:47.41\00:45:50.43
She was in fact
caught in the act.
00:45:50.46\00:45:52.62
She was guilty.
00:45:52.65\00:45:54.28
In fact, you get the
impression that she was set up
00:45:54.31\00:45:57.35
in order to put
Jesus to the test.
00:45:57.38\00:46:00.50
And as this woman
is thrown before Jesus,
00:46:00.53\00:46:03.85
He interacts with
those who are accusing her
00:46:04.45\00:46:07.82
who, by the way, and
this becomes crucial in our
00:46:07.85\00:46:09.84
understanding here, are the
religious leaders of the time.
00:46:09.87\00:46:12.82
These aren't secular
people, these aren't atheists,
00:46:12.85\00:46:16.23
these aren't unbelievers
who are perpetrating this act
00:46:16.26\00:46:19.63
upon this woman.
00:46:19.66\00:46:21.03
These are the, quote
unquote, "people of God."
00:46:21.06\00:46:23.99
These are the
religious leaders of the time.
00:46:24.21\00:46:26.33
They bring the woman to
Jesus and they basically
00:46:26.36\00:46:29.80
say, "We're looking for
a verdict of condemnation.
00:46:29.83\00:46:35.55
She needs to be stoned.
00:46:36.51\00:46:38.56
Moses says so."
00:46:38.59\00:46:40.09
They're giving, of
course, their own interpretation
00:46:40.50\00:46:44.27
of the larger scope and context
of what that system of the
00:46:44.30\00:46:49.02
Old Testament was really all
about, tending toward Christ.
00:46:49.05\00:46:53.95
But here's the point.
00:46:54.15\00:46:55.52
In this immediate context,
they want a verdict of what?
00:46:55.55\00:46:59.19
Condemnation.
00:46:59.46\00:47:00.83
But Jesus deals with
them in a very creative way
00:47:01.93\00:47:05.41
by writing with His
finger in the dust of the marble
00:47:05.85\00:47:10.04
of the temple
floor in the courtyard.
00:47:10.07\00:47:13.81
And one by one, beginning with
the oldest down to the youngest,
00:47:14.16\00:47:17.28
all of these accusers depart.
00:47:17.31\00:47:19.87
Jesus is left
alone with the woman.
00:47:19.90\00:47:21.52
Now watch this.
00:47:21.55\00:47:22.92
And He asks a question.
00:47:23.39\00:47:25.42
"Woman," verse 10, "where
are those accusers of yours?
00:47:25.65\00:47:31.71
Has no one condemned you?"
00:47:32.59\00:47:34.87
Now notice the irony here.
00:47:35.16\00:47:37.39
She's heard the rumors
that this is the Christ,
00:47:37.95\00:47:40.18
this is the
Messiah, this is Son of God.
00:47:40.21\00:47:43.14
At least that's
what some are saying.
00:47:43.17\00:47:45.86
So she knows that she
is having an encounter
00:47:46.10\00:47:49.83
with a religious
personage of some kind.
00:47:50.56\00:47:54.38
She may even believe at
this point that, sure enough,
00:47:54.41\00:47:57.33
He may be the Messiah.
00:47:57.36\00:47:58.73
We don't know at this
point in the story whether she
00:47:58.98\00:48:01.19
believes that or not.
00:48:01.22\00:48:02.59
But she's heard the rumors.
00:48:02.62\00:48:03.99
And if God, here's the
key, is rightly represented
00:48:04.14\00:48:09.56
in the religious leaders
of the time, then what is she
00:48:09.59\00:48:13.14
expecting from Jesus?
00:48:13.17\00:48:14.81
More of the same.
00:48:15.22\00:48:16.59
More accusation,
more condemnation.
00:48:17.27\00:48:20.17
But Jesus poses a question,
"Where are your accusers?
00:48:20.95\00:48:26.16
Does anyone condemn you?"
00:48:26.58\00:48:28.20
And she says, "No man, Lord.
00:48:28.23\00:48:31.45
Nobody is accusing me."
00:48:31.48\00:48:32.85
No condemnation, it's
gone. They've all left.
00:48:32.92\00:48:35.50
And now what's
hanging in the air?
00:48:35.53\00:48:37.78
"What's coming next from You?"
00:48:38.23\00:48:39.77
And what does
He deal out to her?
00:48:40.34\00:48:42.87
A glorious beautiful revelation
of the love of God in the
00:48:43.46\00:48:48.92
form of mercy.
00:48:48.95\00:48:50.71
"Neither do I condemn you.
00:48:51.01\00:48:53.71
Go and sin no more."
00:48:53.74\00:48:55.74
We don't have time
to get into this here,
00:48:55.95\00:48:57.90
but Jesus has given the
formula there of what I like to
00:48:57.93\00:49:02.41
refer to as the moral
dynamic of the gospel.
00:49:02.44\00:49:05.60
The moral dynamic of
the gospel is that all
00:49:05.63\00:49:08.98
future victory over
sin is predicated upon
00:49:09.01\00:49:12.22
the forgiveness and
mercy and love of God.
00:49:12.25\00:49:15.73
Precisely to the degree that I
understand God's forgiving mercy
00:49:15.76\00:49:20.21
will I be morally
empowered to go and sin no more.
00:49:20.24\00:49:24.46
I am incapable of victory
over sin except as I live in
00:49:24.49\00:49:30.81
the immediate conscious
context of God's pardoning love.
00:49:30.84\00:49:35.56
That's where the power resides.
00:49:35.88\00:49:38.21
But then, verse 12.
00:49:38.58\00:49:39.95
This is where we wanted to get.
00:49:39.98\00:49:41.35
"Then Jesus
spoke to them again..."
00:49:41.59\00:49:44.84
You can imagine that
there are people standing around
00:49:44.87\00:49:47.82
watching this
whole thing unfold.
00:49:47.85\00:49:49.78
They've seen the character
of God purportedly represented
00:49:49.81\00:49:53.71
in the religious leaders.
00:49:53.74\00:49:55.12
And now they have
seen by contrast, what?
00:49:55.15\00:49:58.06
Another picture.
00:49:58.79\00:50:00.36
Both are making a claim.
00:50:00.92\00:50:03.61
What are the religious leaders,
unspokenly in a direct sense,
00:50:03.64\00:50:08.02
what are they making claim to?
00:50:08.05\00:50:09.64
"We represent God.
00:50:10.04\00:50:12.62
She needs to be
condemned and stoned."
00:50:13.48\00:50:16.85
Jesus is making a
similar claim by His actions.
00:50:17.14\00:50:20.37
"No, I represent God.
00:50:20.40\00:50:23.49
And I forgive you."
00:50:23.74\00:50:25.11
So two pictures are
before the people here.
00:50:25.74\00:50:28.73
And Jesus then,
after He forgives the woman
00:50:28.93\00:50:31.83
and morally empowers
her by His forgiveness,
00:50:32.50\00:50:36.51
He says in verse 12,
"Jesus spoke to them,"
00:50:36.54\00:50:39.29
the people standing around,
"saying, 'I am the...'" What?
00:50:39.32\00:50:42.77
"I am the light of the world.
00:50:43.09\00:50:45.42
He who follows Me
shall not walk in..." What?
00:50:45.45\00:50:48.12
"... in darkness, but
have the light of life."
00:50:48.35\00:50:52.11
What just happened there?
00:50:52.14\00:50:53.55
Contextually, Jesus,
listen carefully now,
00:50:53.58\00:50:56.95
has just identified,
specifically identified,
00:50:56.98\00:51:01.84
His forgiveness,
mercy, His pardoning love
00:51:02.52\00:51:07.18
in His interaction with
this woman, as the light
00:51:07.21\00:51:11.16
of the world.
00:51:11.46\00:51:12.83
The light the
world needs to encounter.
00:51:12.88\00:51:16.89
Jesus forgives her,
He restores her innocence
00:51:17.66\00:51:22.52
by pardoning her of
her sin, He empowers her
00:51:22.55\00:51:27.38
with that pardoning love.
00:51:27.41\00:51:28.78
And then He turns to the
people around Him and He says,
00:51:28.81\00:51:30.52
"You just saw the light.
00:51:30.55\00:51:32.22
You just saw the light
of the world shining with
00:51:32.50\00:51:35.30
brilliance upon your minds.
00:51:35.33\00:51:36.70
And I hope you got it
as it was flashing by.
00:51:36.73\00:51:40.07
Because you just saw
God in this act of mercy."
00:51:40.32\00:51:45.32
Wow.
00:51:45.35\00:51:46.72
Jesus has just
identified Himself as the true
00:51:47.09\00:51:51.22
representation of
the character of God.
00:51:51.25\00:51:53.10
So verse 13 isn't surprising.
00:51:53.13\00:51:55.00
"The Pharisees therefore..."
00:51:55.36\00:51:57.17
It seems that some of
them have now returned
00:51:57.20\00:52:00.06
to hear this declaration.
00:52:00.09\00:52:02.09
They're processing all of this.
00:52:02.39\00:52:04.77
"The Pharisees
therefore said to Him,
00:52:04.80\00:52:07.64
'You bear witness of Yourself.
00:52:07.67\00:52:10.18
And Your witness is not true.'"
00:52:10.21\00:52:12.49
What did they just say?
00:52:12.52\00:52:13.89
"You're a liar.
00:52:15.12\00:52:16.49
You claim that how You
just dealt with this woman
00:52:16.52\00:52:21.09
is the true light that
reveals the character of God.
00:52:21.12\00:52:24.20
And we reject it.
00:52:24.23\00:52:26.58
No, that's not what God is like.
00:52:26.61\00:52:28.96
You're a liar.
00:52:30.02\00:52:31.40
Your witness, that
is, Your testimony of
00:52:31.43\00:52:35.75
the character of God
is a false representation
00:52:35.78\00:52:39.47
of the character of God."
00:52:39.50\00:52:40.87
Do you see
what's happening here?
00:52:40.90\00:52:42.32
They are rejecting the
true light of God's character
00:52:42.68\00:52:49.16
as it is shining
upon their minds.
00:52:49.19\00:52:51.94
Well the chapter
unfolds with an interaction,
00:52:51.97\00:52:55.03
a rather long
interaction, all the way to the
00:52:55.06\00:52:57.37
close of the chapter.
00:52:57.40\00:52:58.77
The Pharisees precede to
say, "We're the ones who rightly
00:52:58.80\00:53:03.62
represent God.
00:53:03.65\00:53:05.28
We're the true
witnesses, not You."
00:53:05.31\00:53:07.37
And Jesus begins to say
to them, He says, "Listen,
00:53:07.49\00:53:11.76
My witness is accurate.
00:53:12.33\00:53:14.42
I know the Father. He sent Me.
00:53:14.45\00:53:16.83
And the way I
interacted with that woman
00:53:16.86\00:53:19.12
is the truth about God."
00:53:19.15\00:53:20.78
That's His testimony.
00:53:21.61\00:53:22.99
"No, no, no," they
say. "We represent God."
00:53:23.02\00:53:25.95
And then Jesus says,
look now, this is remarkable,
00:53:25.98\00:53:28.94
in verses 31 and 32,
"Then Jesus said to those Jews
00:53:30.04\00:53:35.29
who believed Him..."
00:53:35.32\00:53:36.69
Those who were
beginning to see the light.
00:53:36.72\00:53:39.11
"If you abide in My word..."
00:53:39.14\00:53:40.97
What's the context here?
00:53:41.00\00:53:42.37
You've got to get
the contextual flow.
00:53:42.40\00:53:43.77
Are there two words
that are being spoken?
00:53:43.95\00:53:45.97
Are there two theologies
that are being presented?
00:53:46.00\00:53:49.79
Yes or no? Yeah.
00:53:49.82\00:53:51.19
There is a clash of
doctrinal insight here,
00:53:51.22\00:53:55.01
doctrinal knowledge,
doctrinal representation.
00:53:55.28\00:53:58.75
Jesus says, "If
you abide in My word,
00:53:58.78\00:54:01.40
you are My disciples indeed."
00:54:01.43\00:54:04.02
Verse 32 is crucial.
00:54:04.05\00:54:05.64
"And you shall know..." What?
00:54:06.16\00:54:08.30
"...the truth, and the
truth shall make you free."
00:54:08.56\00:54:12.72
It'll liberate you.
00:54:12.75\00:54:14.25
Contextually, what's the
truth that Jesus was referring
00:54:14.74\00:54:17.85
to here in the singular?
00:54:17.88\00:54:19.41
Not truths, as in a
list of theological points.
00:54:19.71\00:54:24.22
Singular.
00:54:24.25\00:54:25.62
"You shall know
the truth." Singular.
00:54:25.98\00:54:28.50
What is "the
truth," contextually?
00:54:29.19\00:54:31.12
It is the truth
about the character of God
00:54:31.15\00:54:34.00
that has been
accurately rendered in Jesus
00:54:34.03\00:54:38.53
as He interacts with people.
00:54:38.56\00:54:40.25
Specifically with this woman.
00:54:40.28\00:54:42.29
"You shall know the truth.
00:54:42.64\00:54:44.01
The truth of the radiant
glory of the character of God
00:54:44.04\00:54:46.91
manifested in the
forgiveness that I just showered
00:54:46.94\00:54:51.56
upon her heart with which
I empowered her to overcome
00:54:51.59\00:54:55.89
this thing that
was destroying her."
00:54:55.92\00:54:58.93
"You shall know the truth, and
the truth will liberate you."
00:54:59.41\00:55:02.01
The truth of God's love is the
liberating factor of the gospel.
00:55:02.04\00:55:07.93
That's what
Jesus is saying here.
00:55:07.96\00:55:09.57
Well then, these Pharisees...
00:55:09.77\00:55:12.04
The Pharisees who are disputing.
00:55:12.15\00:55:13.69
Not the believing ones.
00:55:13.72\00:55:15.09
...begin to argue with Him.
00:55:15.12\00:55:16.49
"Hey, hey. We have the truth.
00:55:16.69\00:55:18.54
Abraham is our
father. We know our lineage."
00:55:18.57\00:55:21.28
And Jesus says, "Listen, if
Abraham were your father..."
00:55:21.73\00:55:25.76
That is spiritually.
00:55:26.08\00:55:27.45
"Yeah, you've got the
biological lineage going on.
00:55:27.48\00:55:29.53
That's fine.
00:55:29.56\00:55:30.93
But spiritually, if you really
were children in the spiritual
00:55:30.96\00:55:35.67
lineage of
Abraham, you would love Me.
00:55:35.70\00:55:38.72
You would know that
I am telling the truth
00:55:39.47\00:55:42.00
about the Father."
00:55:42.03\00:55:44.05
And then Jesus says
something remarkable to them.
00:55:44.08\00:55:46.72
He says, "You
claim to worship God.
00:55:47.30\00:55:50.57
The fact is," He says,
"your father is the devil.
00:55:50.96\00:55:55.45
But you've done
something terribly deceptive
00:55:57.50\00:56:01.30
by putting the
character of Satan in the place
00:56:01.69\00:56:06.36
of the character of God."
00:56:06.39\00:56:08.12
In other words, He tells
them, "You have installed
00:56:08.29\00:56:13.72
a false theological paradigm and
transposed God's name over it.
00:56:13.75\00:56:18.06
You are attributing things to
God that are not true of Him."
00:56:18.36\00:56:21.57
But Jesus says, "I
have the true testimony
00:56:22.66\00:56:25.69
of what God is really like."
00:56:26.09\00:56:28.80
And His ministry
then continues to unfold
00:56:28.99\00:56:33.00
up to that closing prayer
where Jesus says, "Father..."
00:56:33.43\00:56:37.47
Now you can see
the context, right?
00:56:37.65\00:56:39.76
"Father, the world
does not..." What, again?
00:56:40.89\00:56:42.99
"...know You, but I know You.
00:56:43.18\00:56:45.96
And I've come to this
world for the single purpose
00:56:45.99\00:56:48.77
of making Your character known."
00:56:48.80\00:56:51.03
Everything hinges, my
friends, on the picture we hold
00:56:51.29\00:56:56.22
in our hearts of
the character of God.
00:56:56.25\00:56:58.15
The call that we have, as a
people, is to do what Cami did.
00:56:58.64\00:57:03.68
To draw, as it were,
to paint, as it were,
00:57:04.37\00:57:06.88
a picture of God so
that the world can know
00:57:06.91\00:57:10.34
what He's really like.
00:57:10.58\00:57:12.42
That is the revolutionary
light that will cause the world
00:57:12.45\00:57:18.26
in which we live
in to be illuminated
00:57:18.29\00:57:22.33
with the glory of God.
00:57:22.53\00:57:23.96
Let's pray.
00:57:24.00\00:57:25.37
Father in heaven,
You are truly incredible.
00:57:25.40\00:57:28.73