"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32 NKJV
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The morning word: John 8:31-32--we are free indeed
- Thread starter mnorian
- Start date
Truth
John 8:31-32
James T. Batchelor
Reformation Day (Observed)
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Hoopeston, IL
view DOC file
Sun, Oct 30, 2011
In today's Gospel, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Reformation is about truth. Reformation is not change for change's sake. Instead it is change in order to comply with the truth. That is because Jesus said that the truth will make us free.
The problem is that our enemies do not want us to be free. Therefore they fight the truth. Jesus Himself said this about the devil, [John 8:44] "[The devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
There are many ways that our enemies can lie to us. I once heard a story that illustrates the lies of the world very well:
The story is about a couple in a loud airport. The PA system added to the noise level with a warning: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR LUGGAGE UNATTENDED. IF ANYONE ASKS YOU TO WATCH SOME LUGGAGE, REPORT THEM TO AIRPORT SECURITY IMMEDIATELY. This warning repeated about every fifteen minutes or so.
Well, the husband had to use the washroom, so he left his wife in charge of their luggage. When he came back, he noticed several extra pieces of luggage. "Ummm honey … what is this extra luggage?" he asked. She replied, "Oh this nice young man asked me to watch them while he returned to his car for the rest of his luggage. He was so nice and kind and polite that I just couldn't say no to him." Well, the man immediately contacted airport security and they hauled the luggage away. They also detained this couple for questioning. The officer explained that the explosives found in the luggage could have killed many people. The woman responded with the words, "Well that just doesn't make sense. He was such a nice young man." She was willing to believe that the terrorist was telling the truth just because he was nice to her.
When children are young, we tell them, "Don't talk to strangers." "Don't take candy from strangers." "Don't go anywhere with a stranger." "No matter how nice the stranger may seem, he could be dangerous." For some reason, we forget that when we get older.
When I was a young engineer fresh out of college, my first job was in Cicero, IL. There was a man there who was absolutely ancient. He told me that he had once delivered newspapers to Al Capone. He said Al Capone was the nicest man you ever wanted to meet and a good tipper. The entire community was shocked when they finally caught Al Capone. You cannot assume something is true just because you heard it from such a nice person.
Feelings and emotions are also deceptive. Ask a youngster why he or she is misbehaving and you are likely to hear, "I don't know. I just felt like it." Unfaithful spouses will protest when they get caught, "How can it be wrong, if it feels so right?" I think it was Hugh Hefner who said, "If it feels good, do it." How many times have we seen people get into all kinds of trouble because they followed their feelings instead of their common sense?
Emotion might be a good guide to truth in fiction. Leroy Jethro Gibbs might be able to trust his gut on NCIS. Luke Skywalker might be able to reach out and trust his feelings in Star Wars. But in real life, emotions are not a guide to the truth.
A quick computer search within the Gospel according to John reveals that Jesus talked about truth 21 times in that Gospel. Not once did He say that our salvation depends on our feelings. If you want a religion that is based on feelings, then Jesus is not for you.
In today's Gospel, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Jesus established Christianity based on truth, not on feelings. According to Jesus Himself, we know the truth when we abide in His word, the Bible.
Martin Luther had the same thought when he stood before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, and the representatives of the pope. These authorities demanded that Luther recant his writings. That is, they ordered him to take back what he had written and threatened to punish him - maybe even kill him - if he didn't.
Although Luther knew that he might die, he, never the less, proclaimed his loyalty to God's standard, the holy teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible. When the assembly asked Luther to recant, he said, "Since then your serene majesty and your lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner: Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason and not by Popes and councils who have so often contradicted themselves, my conscience is captive to the word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me."
Martin Luther agreed with Jesus that the only source of saving truth is Scripture, the Holy Bible. Martin Luther believed that God gave us our reasoning ability and that we should use that reasoning ability in service to God's Word. In this way God would give us the truth that frees us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Martin Luther did not care what Popes or councils said. Instead, he would depend on the word of God.
The Reformation means that we do not evaluate God's service to us by how nice the pastor is. We do not evaluate God's service to us based on how happy it makes us feel. Instead, we do what the Bereans did. [Acts 17:11] Now [the Jews in Berea] were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. What a blessing these people were to Paul. They did not evaluate him by how happy he made them. They did not evaluate him by how nice he was. They evaluated him based on the truth of the Scriptures.
So what is the truth that we find in the Bible? The vision statement of Jesus Christ found in Luke 24 tells us to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in the name of Jesus.
Repentance begins with the acknowledgement of sin. God's Word says, [1 John 1:8, 10] "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. - 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us." These verses teach us that if we say we have no sin, we have neither the truth nor God's word. According to Jesus' words in today's Gospel, that would mean that we are not free.
Repentance continues as we learn that we are helpless to change our sinful ways. God's word says, [Romans 8:7] "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." It also says, [1 Corinthians 12:3] "No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit." These words teach us that the Holy Spirit must change us for we cannot change ourselves.
Finally, Repentance looks to the promise of God contained in John's first epistle: [1 John 19] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Repentance tells the truth about sin and throws itself on the mercy of Almighty God.
Forgiveness tells us what God in His love has done to save us from our sin. God's word says, [Romans 4:25] "[Jesus] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." And again it says, [2 Corinthians 5:21] "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." The Gospel accounts are dedicated to the message of the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. With His suffering and death, Jesus takes away our sins and carries them to the cross. The sign of His resurrection certifies that our Lord's death was a total victory over sin, death, and the devil.
In repentance, we have told the truth about our sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. By the power of the same Holy Spirit, our repentance looks to God for relief from our sin. The proclamation of forgiveness tells us what God has already done to deal with our sin and declare us righteous in His eyes.
The proclamation of repentance and the forgiveness of sins is the central message of the word of God - the same word that makes us into disciples - the same word that reveals the truth of salvation - the truth of salvation that makes us free. By God's word the Holy Spirit works faith in us - the faith that believes in Jesus Christ unto eternal life. The word of God is the means by which the Son sets us free. If the Son sets us free, we are free indeed. Amen
Please quote from my sermons freely. I expect people to copy my sermons or I wouldn't put them on a site like this. I only ask that you quote accurately if you attribute anything to me. Should you decide to contact me, I would be very interested in knowing where you are. Please include the name of your city, state or province, and country when contacting me.
John 8:31-32
James T. Batchelor
Reformation Day (Observed)
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Hoopeston, IL
view DOC file
Sun, Oct 30, 2011
In today's Gospel, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Reformation is about truth. Reformation is not change for change's sake. Instead it is change in order to comply with the truth. That is because Jesus said that the truth will make us free.
The problem is that our enemies do not want us to be free. Therefore they fight the truth. Jesus Himself said this about the devil, [John 8:44] "[The devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
There are many ways that our enemies can lie to us. I once heard a story that illustrates the lies of the world very well:
The story is about a couple in a loud airport. The PA system added to the noise level with a warning: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR LUGGAGE UNATTENDED. IF ANYONE ASKS YOU TO WATCH SOME LUGGAGE, REPORT THEM TO AIRPORT SECURITY IMMEDIATELY. This warning repeated about every fifteen minutes or so.
Well, the husband had to use the washroom, so he left his wife in charge of their luggage. When he came back, he noticed several extra pieces of luggage. "Ummm honey … what is this extra luggage?" he asked. She replied, "Oh this nice young man asked me to watch them while he returned to his car for the rest of his luggage. He was so nice and kind and polite that I just couldn't say no to him." Well, the man immediately contacted airport security and they hauled the luggage away. They also detained this couple for questioning. The officer explained that the explosives found in the luggage could have killed many people. The woman responded with the words, "Well that just doesn't make sense. He was such a nice young man." She was willing to believe that the terrorist was telling the truth just because he was nice to her.
When children are young, we tell them, "Don't talk to strangers." "Don't take candy from strangers." "Don't go anywhere with a stranger." "No matter how nice the stranger may seem, he could be dangerous." For some reason, we forget that when we get older.
When I was a young engineer fresh out of college, my first job was in Cicero, IL. There was a man there who was absolutely ancient. He told me that he had once delivered newspapers to Al Capone. He said Al Capone was the nicest man you ever wanted to meet and a good tipper. The entire community was shocked when they finally caught Al Capone. You cannot assume something is true just because you heard it from such a nice person.
Feelings and emotions are also deceptive. Ask a youngster why he or she is misbehaving and you are likely to hear, "I don't know. I just felt like it." Unfaithful spouses will protest when they get caught, "How can it be wrong, if it feels so right?" I think it was Hugh Hefner who said, "If it feels good, do it." How many times have we seen people get into all kinds of trouble because they followed their feelings instead of their common sense?
Emotion might be a good guide to truth in fiction. Leroy Jethro Gibbs might be able to trust his gut on NCIS. Luke Skywalker might be able to reach out and trust his feelings in Star Wars. But in real life, emotions are not a guide to the truth.
A quick computer search within the Gospel according to John reveals that Jesus talked about truth 21 times in that Gospel. Not once did He say that our salvation depends on our feelings. If you want a religion that is based on feelings, then Jesus is not for you.
In today's Gospel, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Jesus established Christianity based on truth, not on feelings. According to Jesus Himself, we know the truth when we abide in His word, the Bible.
Martin Luther had the same thought when he stood before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, and the representatives of the pope. These authorities demanded that Luther recant his writings. That is, they ordered him to take back what he had written and threatened to punish him - maybe even kill him - if he didn't.
Although Luther knew that he might die, he, never the less, proclaimed his loyalty to God's standard, the holy teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible. When the assembly asked Luther to recant, he said, "Since then your serene majesty and your lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner: Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason and not by Popes and councils who have so often contradicted themselves, my conscience is captive to the word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me."
Martin Luther agreed with Jesus that the only source of saving truth is Scripture, the Holy Bible. Martin Luther believed that God gave us our reasoning ability and that we should use that reasoning ability in service to God's Word. In this way God would give us the truth that frees us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Martin Luther did not care what Popes or councils said. Instead, he would depend on the word of God.
The Reformation means that we do not evaluate God's service to us by how nice the pastor is. We do not evaluate God's service to us based on how happy it makes us feel. Instead, we do what the Bereans did. [Acts 17:11] Now [the Jews in Berea] were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. What a blessing these people were to Paul. They did not evaluate him by how happy he made them. They did not evaluate him by how nice he was. They evaluated him based on the truth of the Scriptures.
So what is the truth that we find in the Bible? The vision statement of Jesus Christ found in Luke 24 tells us to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in the name of Jesus.
Repentance begins with the acknowledgement of sin. God's Word says, [1 John 1:8, 10] "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. - 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us." These verses teach us that if we say we have no sin, we have neither the truth nor God's word. According to Jesus' words in today's Gospel, that would mean that we are not free.
Repentance continues as we learn that we are helpless to change our sinful ways. God's word says, [Romans 8:7] "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." It also says, [1 Corinthians 12:3] "No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit." These words teach us that the Holy Spirit must change us for we cannot change ourselves.
Finally, Repentance looks to the promise of God contained in John's first epistle: [1 John 19] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Repentance tells the truth about sin and throws itself on the mercy of Almighty God.
Forgiveness tells us what God in His love has done to save us from our sin. God's word says, [Romans 4:25] "[Jesus] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." And again it says, [2 Corinthians 5:21] "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." The Gospel accounts are dedicated to the message of the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. With His suffering and death, Jesus takes away our sins and carries them to the cross. The sign of His resurrection certifies that our Lord's death was a total victory over sin, death, and the devil.
In repentance, we have told the truth about our sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. By the power of the same Holy Spirit, our repentance looks to God for relief from our sin. The proclamation of forgiveness tells us what God has already done to deal with our sin and declare us righteous in His eyes.
The proclamation of repentance and the forgiveness of sins is the central message of the word of God - the same word that makes us into disciples - the same word that reveals the truth of salvation - the truth of salvation that makes us free. By God's word the Holy Spirit works faith in us - the faith that believes in Jesus Christ unto eternal life. The word of God is the means by which the Son sets us free. If the Son sets us free, we are free indeed. Amen
Please quote from my sermons freely. I expect people to copy my sermons or I wouldn't put them on a site like this. I only ask that you quote accurately if you attribute anything to me. Should you decide to contact me, I would be very interested in knowing where you are. Please include the name of your city, state or province, and country when contacting me.
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Suzyaussie
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God Bless You mnorian, this is an awesome sermon, thankyou for finding and posting it.
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Your welcome; Suzyasussie; and let's thank the Lord; together; for Motivating James T. Bachelor to write and post and make this available to us; to show us the truth of John 8:36--That; Jesus will set us free; if we accept His freely given offer of salvation, of atonement, for our sins: on the cross.
God bless your day and family.
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ButterflyPoette
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Thank you! I like the illustration you posted. It is interesting how Al Capone seemed like such a nice guy. John Dillinger had a female hostage in his car once, and he got angry at his men for cussing near her. She was later set free, unharmed. Ted Bundy was also a "nice guy" as well. It is very creepy how these psychopaths present themselves.
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Suzyaussie
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