Radio Broadcast Monday 04/24/2023

Classic Christianity – The Book of John P34 (04-24-23)

Did You Come to Jesus for Life, Or to Get Things?

~ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ^{John 11:25,26}

“And what he is saying to us is, Did you come to me for bread? Did you come to me for healing? Did you even come to me for forgiveness? Or did you come to me for me, not for what I did for you, but for me, who wants to live in you? Because as we’ve said before, guys, that we have a problem in this world. And that is you’re born into this world, not alive spiritually, but dead spiritually, and death is death. And the only solution to death is life. And the only life available to us, is the resurrected life of Christ Jesus. He’s the only one that can bring life to the dead. I came that you might have what? Life I am the resurrection and the life. And whosoever believes in me, though he were dead spiritually, yet shall he live and who’s whoever lives and believes in me, will never die. It’s a promise of God. And so with this need for life, the Lord Jesus Christ began to present himself as the bread of life. Now on a physical level, man looks at that knowing we need bread and water to to live. But he’s saying that is true. But now, put that in your mind that this is a physical need that you have. But there is also a spiritual need that you have, and I am that food. I am the bread of life. I am the living water. And there’s no other water available to you, nor other food available to you than me. Therefore, come unto who? Me [Jesus] and I will give you rest for your souls.” ~ Bob George

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Announcer 0:12
Welcome to Classic Christianity Radio with Bob George Bob’s clear, timeless teachings on the complete forgiveness and unconditional love of Jesus Christ will transform your life as you learn about God’s amazing grace. Let’s join Bob as he teaches us from God’s Word.

Bob George 0:29
Well, let’s turn to the seventh chapter of the book of John. When you see where we have been in the book of John, first of all, the pronouncement by the apostle John, the identity of Christ Jesus, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the word God became flesh, and dwelt among us as the only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and of truth. So we see the identification. In the first chapter of John as to who Christ Jesus is. He was later on identified by John the Baptist, Behold, the Lamb of God who does not come to cover sin, but who does what? Takes away, the sin of the world takes it away. As we all know, the blood of bulls and goats that was used in the Day of Atonement, was given by God to cover sin, and that’s why it is called atonement. But Jesus Christ did not come to atone for sin. He came to do something far greater than atonement, he came to take it away. Sin, covered it until the next time, and then was covered again and covered again and covered again. But Jesus came with his blood to do something far greater than the blood of a bull and goat. And that was to take away the sins of the entire world.

We see Jesus perform his first miracle in chapter two at the wedding of Cana where he turned the water into wine. Very interesting to me, passage of scripture. You know, there are some people that just do not believe that that was real wine. I often wonder what they do with the Scripture, Be not drunk with grape juice, where it has excess, but be filled with the Spirit. No, it was wine. And the fermentation is what made it a miracle. You can use Welch’s grape juice to turn water into grape juice. But the fermentation was a miracle. And so we see that how it took place, and then how Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman, and told her everything that there was about herself and how she went back to her village and said, This man told me everything that I wanted to know everything about me he knew and began to pull people out to visit Jesus because they recognize that this man was some, something different than just a mere prophet. And then we have the story of Jesus healing the official’s son, when he wasn’t even there. And the man going back and asking when was my son healed? And it was a very hour that Jesus said, Your son is healed. And Jesus began to reveal Himself, not only as to who he was, but backing that up with miracles. And that was, quite frankly, the reason for those miracles.

We see then, the coming to where Jesus is going to begin to talk to us about spiritual truths, using physical illustrations to demonstrate spiritual truths. And I believe one of the first times of really seeing this and amplifying that was when he fed the 5000. And again, after he fed the 5000, if you remember, then the people who had seen the apostles go across the lake and Jesus was not in the boat, now, which they did not understand or did not see. But that was the occasion where Jesus came out walking on water, which is kind of would get your attention. And it was dark and all of a sudden here was Jesus coming out walking on the water. And you remember how Peter responded to that which was typical of the impetuous Peter who says, Lord, let me walk on water, and you what, Jesus said come on out. He called him to come out and again, you realize that anything called Jesus calls us to do we can do but Peter did what we do. We got our eyes on the circumstances. He got his eyes on the waves and began to sink but immediately upon that Jesus rescued him. And then he says something you have little faith. Well, you What do you mean little faith that a lot of faith got and walked on water, why It doesn’t seem like little faith to me. But he was talking about the fact that if you listen, if I command you to do something or tell you to do something, you can have faith on the fact that I’m going to give you what it takes to accomplish that. And I believe that is 100% true in all aspects of our lives.

I think many times in, in our ministry, how we have been surviving for 25 since 1976, or how ever many years that is. I’ve been in the ministry since 1972. And when I went into the ministry, I was a business executive, I owned a wholesale distributorship in Los Angeles, and went into the ministry. And I had to raise my own support. That was not fun. It was not fun for Amy. Amy coming out of her background had lived in poverty, and she really wasn’t interested in doing so again. And that was something where I learned a lesson early in my experience, I didn’t learn it until after it was over as to how important it is for a man and woman to be in agreement with one another. Because when Amy was still skeptical, as to taking that step, I didn’t force the issue. We waited. Until the day came when Amy was in a Bible study. And she was studying about Abraham going out taking a step of faith. And she says, I don’t want to miss the blessing. And that was her deal. Now, Amy may not agree with me with the fact that I was not pushing for this, because there might have been a little nudge now and then. I saw her talking to somebody back there. And I needed to correct that before we went on. Otherwise, I’d hear about later on at lunch. So I think I’ve corrected that maybe, maybe there’s a nudge or two that I had.

But I’m very serious in my life, I would have followed Jesus today after I was saved. It was such a dramatic experience. I didn’t realize it, but what it was being indwelt by the living Christ, to be cleansed by his blood, to be filled with his life. And as I got into the scriptures, I know for the first couple of years that Amy thought I had a black leather face because I was in the Scriptures constantly. And I couldn’t get out of the scriptures. I came down to the point in my business where I said, I’m gonna devote 50% of my time to the things of the Lord. God blessed all of that. And He’ll bless it today with people who are willing to give up their time to serve the Lord. And I was, so I was watching through all of these things and watching how his faithfulness came, I had to go out and raised our own support. We never struggled with that type of thing, we put the need out and God raised it. And that’s been the case in the Ministry for all these years. Hasn’t it Bob, it’s, we don’t sweat those things. If God wants us in the ministry, he’s gonna pay for it, period. If he doesn’t, we don’t need to be here. And that’s the way you perceive on this type of thing. It isn’t something a big faith, you don’t have big faith, you have a big God. There in any of us were told in the scripture that have faith the size of a mustard seed that’s pretty small. So God isn’t looking for somebody with big faith he’s looking for somebody realizes that we have a big God. There is a world of difference in the two. And so I think we have a big God who will supply our needs according to His riches and glory. And I think we have a big God that if he wants something to take place, he will ensure that it will take place.

We had a situation not too long ago where we had to buy a program for a management system program for our ministry here. And the band aids that we’re holding ours together, we’re wearing out and there’s about a 17 year old project and it was wearing out and costing a lot of time in in people’s time. And so we had no option except to buy this if we wanted to continue doing the radio ministry and doing the ministry that God has called us to do we need this this equipment $70,000. And so we set out on the radio, not badgering people merely stating our need that we needed $70,000. And we came down a week ago where there was about 9000 to go. One gentleman from Chicago called Bob and said, I want to do a matching gift on this. So you just tell people that if they’ll get 45 I’ll get 45 We’ll have the 9000 raised and we put that out on the radio. Didn’t badger anybody just merely said this is what our need is, this is how much we need. I think I said we need about 40 people or so to give $100 and that take care of that and And guess what, then Friday it came through. And so all of that is now raised, and we’re able to get the equipment in and start driving people nuts, learning the new equipment. So it’s. So we’ve got some challenges ahead. But that’s just the way God works when you put God first in your life.

I see many people make great mistakes in business, because they don’t not include God in their life. We kind of use it as a sideline, instead of recognizing that when you go out into business, and you go out, if you’re a salesman to make a sale, you’re going to realize something you can budget that I’m going to go today. But the results of what are going to happen are totally in God’s hands anyway, you make it they’re in God’s hands, and you cannot force results. Results are in the hands of God. And if you don’t keep God in the center of your life, and keep Christ Jesus in the center of your life, and to keep him paramount, number one, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And then he made a promise to you, I will add all things to you. And that’s what he’s saying to us when we seek first the kingdom of God, and we recognize it as Jesus. And the only thing that counts is what we do for him, he will add things to us. So my feeling is if that’s the case, go out and put Christ first in your life and let him watch him add. And it becomes a fun adventure to watch God add to the things that we need added to. And so we come to the point in our, in our lesson here, where people begin to argue sharply about this Jesus the same as they will do today. And Jesus began to announce that I fed these 5000. And then these people came over the next day, and he said, to be real honest with you, the only reason you’re following me just because I fed the 5000, is because I fed people. And what he is saying to us is, Did you come to me for bread? Did you come to me for healing? Did you even come to me for forgiveness? Or did you come to me for me, not for what I did for you, but for me, who wants to live in you? Because as we’ve said before, guys, that we have a problem in this world. And that is you’re born into this world, not alive spiritually, but dead spiritually, and death is death. And the only solution to death is life. And the only life available to us, is the resurrected life of Christ Jesus. He’s the only one that can bring life to the dead. I came that you might have what? Life I am the resurrection and the life. And whosoever believes in me, though he were dead spiritually, yet shall he live and who’s whoever lives and believes in me, will never die. It’s a promise of God. And so with this need for life, the Lord Jesus Christ began to present himself as the bread of life. Now on a physical level, man looks at that knowing we need bread and water to to live. But he’s saying that is true. But now, put that in your mind that this is a physical need that you have. But there is also a spiritual need that you have, and I am that food. I am the bread of life. I am the living water. And there’s no other water available to you, nor other food available to you than me. Therefore, come unto who? Me [Jesus] and I will give you rest for your souls.

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Bob George 14:08
Come on to me, Jesus, not coming to my forgiveness come unto my healing come unto my feeding, but come to me. And let me give to you what you need. I know what you need before you ever know it. And so come to me, and I will give it to you. And that’s precisely why it says in the Bible, that in him we have as our possession, forgiveness of sins. Are you in him? Then what do you have? Forgiveness. In Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Are you in him? Then what do you have? Redemption. You don’t get it? You got it. In Him you have what? Eternal life. Is eternal life something that you get in the sweet by and by or do you possess eternal life right now? He who has the Son has what? Life and who does not have the Son does not have what? Life. Cut and dried. If you don’t have the Son, you’re dead. If you have Jesus, you’re alive. Cut and dried. I say we do not have an alleyway. In this life. We think it’s kind of like these houses where you got a fence and a yard in an alleyway in a yard. And we say I don’t want to get this yard, I don’t particularly want to get in this yard, I’m just gonna walk down the fence, I’m gonna walk in the alley, there is no alley and God’s economy, there’s only a fence. And you’re either on one side of it or the other. You’re either on God’s side or you’re on Satan side, there’s no alleyway when it comes to God.

And so Jesus began to let people know this truth, that it isn’t the case of just talking the language. It’s the case of being who God has called us to be. And so we pointed out how Jesus was making these claims. And people were questioning everything that he was saying. And they came up and said, Who is this guy? And his own brothers, and it talks about the fact that Jesus had brothers, and he had sisters. And in Matthew 13:55, they name his brothers. And they talk about his sisters. And in Mark 6:3, they name his brothers by name. It’s not Hebrews brothers or Christian Brothers, it’s physical brothers, Jesus had brothers and sisters, after Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary and Joseph had kids. It’s not something for grabs, it’s in the Scripture. All we have to do is to read it. I said, if that’s not the truth, it’s no wonder we didn’t hear much about Joseph after that. Now, his own brothers and his own family did not even believe in Him. That’s hard to imagine. But it’s true. And it says in verse five, chapter seven, even his own brothers did not believe in Him.

And so Jesus was talking about the fact that it was time for the Feast of Tabernacles. That was the time of the celebration of the harvest about this time of the year, September and October. It was a time of the year where people went out and built these little huts or shelters. And it was a celebration of the of the 40 years they lived in the desert. And so they did that for seven years, which was a reminder of their depth of their desert experience. I was coming to this point, and his brothers said to him, You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one wants to become a public figure acts in secret, you could just hear the scathing tone of their voices. Since you’re doing all these things, show yourself to the world. Go down there and get yourself killed. That’s the reason they wanted him to go. For even his own brothers didn’t believe in him. You’re going to see something in here, folks, a couple of times for Jesus is saying, the right time has not yet come for me. In verse six, the right time for me has not yet come. In verse eight, it talks about I’m not yet going to this feast, because the right time has not yet come. You go over into verse 30. And he says that they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. Why? Because the right time had not yet come. There’s a time and a place for everything isn’t there? There’s a time to be born. And there’s a time to die. Is that right or wrong? And his time was not there yet. Because the time that Jesus was talking about was the time when he the Son of God was going to become the Savior of the world, by dying on a cross at Calvary. And by being raised from the dead, to give life to us, who were born again. That’s the time Jesus was headed toward. And because Jesus was headed for that time, that we know as salvation. The time were the only time where man would ever be saved eternally. It was through that one act of Christ, while he was here on the earth, teaching under the Old Covenant, because the New Covenant did not go into effect till the day he died, till that time when he died. He taught under the old and he buried us under it. Jesus teaching, we look at it and say, Oh, that’s beautiful. Yes, it is. But Jesus teaching is teaching us what righteousness is in Him, not in you and me. He’s showing us from God’s vantage point what pure righteousness is. And when I look at pure righteousness, I see that is not me. That’s Jesus. But that ain’t me. Are we right or wrong? Not just me, you. We all know about me. You. It’s not me. I tell people you think the 10 commandments are hard, probably the Sermon on the Mount on for size, and see how you do. Somebody slaps you on the cheek, turn the other one. Are you kidding? Try that went on for size. I can go on and on. Jesus teaching buried us. What was the purpose of him doing that? Preparing us for the right time. You had a right time in your life, it was the time you came to Christ as your Lord and Savior. That was God’s time for you. But until you got to that day of time, he had to prepare you for that day.

I was born in 1969, God took him 36 years to prepare me for that day. He prepared me, he prepared me by letting me get all the things that I thought would make me happy and found that didn’t mean a flip to me. He prepared me by showing me I couldn’t even be the kind of husband and father that ought to be he prepared me showing me that. I had to come to grips with that not just what I was doing. But looking into the mirror and asking what’s wrong with you, Bob? Not just what what you’re doing, no what’s wrong with you’re doing? I knew that wasn’t the issue, there’s something wrong with me. Glad I didn’t go to a shrink. He had told me I was bipolar or something, you know, come up some name for it. But he says no, that’s not your problem. The problem is, you’re a sinner, and you’re dead. Look what we’re doing to dead people, sticking medicine down their throats, telling them that they’re bipolar, telling them that you’re schizophrenic, manic depressive. Well, if you’re lost, I guess that’s as good as identity as any. But that isn’t the identity God wants us to leave with. He wants us to become saved. He wants us to become children of God. And all of Jesus teaching that we’re studying in these gospels, folks, is God’s preparatory teaching to you and me to prepare us for that day. That day when we’ll come to know Christ as our Lord and Savior.

And so everybody else went down to the feast. Jesus had said after his brothers left for the feast, he also went not publicly but he went in secret. The Judaizers were watching for him. People were watching for him. They were talking about him. Where is this man? They were asking questions. Some say he is a good man. Others were saying, No, he’s not that good, he deceives people. And then we’re going to pick up in verse 14, not until halfway through the feast to Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach so he started teaching now in publicly. And the Judaizers were amazed and ask how did this man get such learning without having studied? Jesus answered, My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent Me. If anyone chooses, catche this folks, to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. There’s this prerequisite for being able to understand the word of God. That prerequisite is I choose to do God’s will. I choose to read what God’s will is because I’m not trying to get an intellectual assent to it. But I choose to read what God’s will is so that I can put it in practice. I want to know what God’s will is. And I want to do God’s will. And when you have in your mind, that I not only want to know what God’s will is, I want to carry it out in my life. It’s like Enoch, he walked habitually with God. Wouldn’t you like to have that habit? And he said, when that is true, that you want to know God and you want to know what his will is, and want to act upon it, you’ll find out that the teaching that we have in our hands today from Jesus is true. Now he says in verse 18, He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself. But he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth, and there’s nothing false about him.

You have a lot of people, do you not that do a lot of talking, in order to gain honor to themselves. If you don’t believe that, just get in a political campaign. And you see a lot of people doing a lot of talking. Don’t you? And you see a lot of people talking about what they would do and what they wouldn’t do. And I feel like saying to them, you’re crazy. You don’t know what you’d do. You know, sitting around talking about if I was president, or if I, this is what I do. That’s nuts. You don’t know what you’d do, when you’re met with a circumstance. You don’t know what you’d do, would you? It’s talk and talk is cheap. He says there are people that talk and there’s people who work. Now how you’re going to know whether you really believe what you’re talking is when you get the opportunity to work. And work it out, then you’re gonna know whether what you’re talking about is working. And that’s why he says you speak on his own to gain honor to yourself, bring attention to yourself, let everybody know how wonderful we are. But the person who works for the glory of God to bring glory to God, it says he’s a man of truth, and there’s nothing false about him. And folks, that’s where we have to realize and what James said, that faith without works is dead. Now, is he negating grace with that? Of course he isn’t. He’s just merely saying that if you have true faith, in a true Jesus, then Jesus works are going to go through you. If your faith is in the right place, Jesus, Jesus is going to be working in and through you.

Thank you so much for tuning in to Classic Christianity, with Bob George. We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We truly hope that today’s message has inspired you to walk a life of faith in the Lord, find more information online at shop.BobGeorge.net. There you’ll also find available CDs, DVDs, and bible studies available for purchase. It’s through your help that we are able to spread the good word of Jesus Christ. Until next time, walk in faith, be good to one another and praise the Lord. Amen.