Radio Broadcast Wednesday 04/26/2023

Join Bob George in this chapter by chapter exposition of the gospel of John. Available for download the complete series on the Book of John. Realize why Christ, Himself, is REAL LIFE and how He personally offers hope in daily living that you may:

• Discover an abundant and meaningful life as a Christian.
• Overcome fear with His assurance that you have His eternal life.
• Experience joy during adversity.
• Apply God’s wisdom in decision making, no matter how big or small.
• Experience freedom as you walk by faith in His love and acceptance. 

 

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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 0:28
Well, if he will all turn to the seventh chapter of John, we’re going to pick up in verse 25. You remember last week, we talked about the fact of the people coming to Jesus after He had done certain miracles, that Christ finally came down and gave a spiritual illustration that they did not understand, telling him telling us that he was the bread of life, and that he came down from heaven. And unless you eat of His flesh and drink of his blood, you will never inherit the kingdom of God. They did not understand that because we have a tendency to think on a natural level instead of the spiritual level that he has called us to. We didn’t understand at all what he was saying. And therefore some of the people decided to leave him. And then he asked the question to the disciples are you going to go too? And Peter answered, where are we going to go, Lord, you alone have the words of eternal life.

Now folks, we have in this world today, you have with a presentation of Christ Jesus all kinds of responses to him. You know, you can talk about God all day long, and no one has any problems at all, when talking about God, you can talk about the boy upstairs, and the good Lord and all of these names, but when you mentioned Jesus, you’re gonna either gag on the word if you don’t know him, or you’re gonna gag at hearing it. Because people don’t want to hear about Jesus. They’ll hear about God all day long, but not about Jesus. And Jesus came to this earth, to present himself to the world saying, when you have seen me, you have seen the Father, that I and the Father are One, and that all that God wants you to know about himself has been revealed in Christ Jesus. And when you come to Christ Jesus, there’s nothing else to seek. You don’t seek the Father, you’re not seeking the Holy Spirit. You’re seeking who God revealed to us in the person of Christ Jesus. And there’s nothing else to seek no one else to seek no one else to worship, except Christ Jesus. Now, not all people believe that. His own family did not believe that. And we are told in chapter seven, in verse five, for even his own brothers, did not believe in him. His own brothers, were encouraging him at the Feast of Tabernacles. To go in there and let yourself be known. After all, anyone who wants to be a miracle worker and wants to be known among men, doesn’t hide himself, you go out in public, so go in there, what they were saying, Go get yourself killed. You’re such a big guy, you’re so smart. They did not understand Jesus, they did not understand what he was teaching, because what he taught was totally contrary to what they had been taught. And folks, it just, again, solidifies the fact of how important it is to be taught properly. Because if you’re taught error, and you hear truth, you’re going to rebel against truth. And that’s why it’s important that you know, truth. And that’s why it’s important that you don’t get your truth, just from a teacher, God will use a teacher, to let you know, hopefully what God has revealed through us. But I can also be teaching in the flesh, teaching you what I have not learned from God, but what I’ve figured out with my own understanding when the Bible says Don’t lean on your own understanding. But at all things, acknowledge him and let him direct your path. But if I do not know that Christ is ALIVE, living in me, teaching me, then I’m up to my own to study Greek and Hebrew, and theology and Calvinism and Arminianism and say, what did they believe? Well, then tell me so I can believe the same thing. And my friends, you’ve got to be brain dead to do that. Because God never intended you and me to believe something because somebody else believed it. He wants you to believe it because you believe it. And he gave us His Spirit living in you. So that that spirit that is alive living in you can teach you truth. And let that truth set you free.

You don’t have to go to seminary or to cemetery, as I call it, in order to understand the Bible. As a matter of fact, nine times out of 10, it’s a detriment to understanding, because there’s no leaning on the Holy Spirit of God to teach you. The leading is upon learning Greek, Hebrew theology, homiletics, hermeneutics, hermeneutics and all of these names that we’ve come up with. And we say, that’s the way you learn the Bible, nonsense. That’s the way you learn it humanly. But the way you learn it, spiritually, is to allow the Spirit who alone can discern spiritual truths to teach it to you. And every single person in this room has the ability to understand the meaning of the word of God. Isn’t that good to know. Now God will use teachers, but the Bible also says, you don’t even need teachers. Do you read that? I tried to ignore it. But it’s there. Now, what is he saying? He said, You wouldn’t need teachers, but teachers I’ve given I have given you teachers, Pastor, teachers, evangelists, prophets, they are a gift to the body of Christ. And what they can do is to help to amplify, it’s to supplement your effort not to substitute for it. And so we have to understand the truth of this, that you have a lot of people today that are out saying, If you don’t believe what we believe, and you say, Well, okay, then tell me what to believe. Okay, I believe it. And that’s how we’ve gone off and every kind of hair brain theology that’s under the sun. That’s why Christianity is in the shape that it’s in. That’s why you go over here. What is that belief, contrary to this, what is this contrary to that all over the place. And the only way that you get difference in that is to put control on people and say, you’d better don’t believe something different than when I tell you. Now, you need legalism to do that. And that’s why legalism is taught is to control people control them. When you are free in Christ, you cannot be controlled by anyone except the one who wants to control you. And that’s the Holy Spirit of God. And that’s the reason people don’t want to teach grace is because if I teach grace I can’t control you.

And so Jesus is appearing to these people, he’s given out a message that we have to understand even his own family did not grab ahold of it. In chapter seven, verse six, Jesus keeps using this word, when he was saying, go down into the village going down to this Feast of Tabernacles. Make yourself known, he kept saying the right time, it’s not my time. And because Jesus had a timeline, he was headed towards some place, he wasn’t some ship without a sail. He knew exactly where he was headed. He came to this earth and was born to die. And he came to die for you and for me, He came to give life to you and me. And he was headed toward the event that would enable that to take place to the cross, taking away the sins of the world. So the brace from the dead he could get life to us who were born dead. So he knew where he was going. So when you say the times not right now, if I go down there right now, where you’re talking about, somebody might try to kill me. My time is not right, I’m not ready to die yet I’m gonna die. But not at this time.

Now, he talked about another thing down in verse 17, where he said that anyone who chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. There’s a criteria for understanding the teachings of Jesus. And that is to have a desire in your heart. And the heart is where attitudes are formed. The mind is where thoughts are placed. The heart is where attitudes are formed. And so he said to us that there’s a criteria for understanding Jesus’ teaching, and that is to find out whether or not I want to do God’s will. Because he said, if I want to do God’s will, that’s in my heart. I want to do God’s will. I don’t know for sure what all it is, but whatever it is, I want to do it. We can’t pull that off guys in the energy in the flesh, you know that and so do I. But here’s the desire there to be God’s guy. And he said, when that desire is there, when you hear about the teaching of Jesus, you’ll know it’s true. There are those that work for the honor of the one who sent him when you work for the honor of God Himself, you’re going to be a man of truth, and there’s nothing false about him. There are people who speak on their own. He says, To do nothing but gain honor for yourself. Tell everybody how good you are, how wonderful you are and what good plans you had. But he says that the one who worked for the honor of the one who sent him to bring honor to God is a man of truth and there isn’t anything false about them.

Now we go down to their response to these statements. Wonderful responses, Jesus, your demon possessed. Who’s trying to kill you? You’re saying someone’s trying to kill your demon possessed? Now, can you imagine guys standing into the face of God and saying you’re demon possessed? What kind of ego is this? And what kind of pride is this in the heart of man that would stand in front of the most loving human being that has ever walked on the face of this earth? A man that has just proven himself as to who he was walking on water, none of these people walked on water, fed 5000 people with a few loaves of bread, a couple of fish. And yet that wasn’t good enough, they still stood and looked at his face and gotten his face and said, your demon possessed. Jesus said, This answered the same way. I did one miracle on your astonished yet because Moses gave you circumcision, although it did not come from Moses from the patriarchs. You circumcise a child on the Sabbath. In other words, the act of circumcision was on the eighth day of birth, you circumcised the baby. And if that eighth day fell on the Sabbath you circumcised whether it was the Sabbath or not, in order to keep the Law of Moses. So what he was saying to them is you circumcise a baby, you certainly have to call that work. If it’s on the Sabbath, then why are you angry at me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? When you circumcised a person in order not to break the law? Why don’t you make right judgments? Jesus was right in the face of people who were not making judgments based even upon common sense. They were just making judgments upon what the law said.

Now, let’s pick up in verse 25. At that point, some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, isn’t this the man they’re trying to kill, somebody knew somebody was trying to kill him. Here he is speaking publicly. And yet, they’re not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? But now they’re going to say, Hold on, man, we know where this man is from. And when the Christ comes, no one will know where he’s from. Now, this ties into a degree, I believe in to the teaching of Melchizedek back in the old testament, appearing to Moses, not having a beginning or an end, no one knew where it came from, and they have Messiah was going to be someone like Melchizedek. And so they were saying, what they had been taught. And that was that when Christ comes, no one is going to know where he’s from. Well, there’s a truth to that. Because although they could find out where he was from physically, they didn’t have a clue where he was from heavenly.

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Bob George 14:00
And so then Jesus still teaching in the temple courts cried out, yes, you know, me, and you know where I’m from. I’m not here on my own, but he was sent me is true. You do not know Him. In other words, you said you don’t know my Father. You don’t know God. But I know Him. Because I’m from Him. And He sent me. Now that would surely hack off some people wouldn’t it? You telling me that I don’t know God, why haven’t you seen what all I’ve done? And don’t you see how religious I am and how faithful I am and how I pray? And how I do all of these things? He said, No, you don’t know him. You know why you can say that? Because if you knew him, you’d know me. Because I am the Father of one. Now after this that angered them so much that he would be making a claim that he knew something that they didn’t know. And that’s horrible to deal with, we have been to all the training, Jesus. Now, they didn’t realize that he’s the one who originated the training. He’s the one who gave the where to begin with. It didn’t make any difference. We’ve been to the training, we’ve got all of our laws down, and you’re telling me that you know more than I do? And I don’t even know where you from. They tried to seize him. But for some reason, no one laid a hand on him, because again, it says his time had not yet come. God would not allow it. Still many of the crowd, put their faith in him. There were people who heard what he said, and believed. Why did they believe? The Bible says, because they want to know the will of God. And when you want to know the will of God, you’ll know what the teaching about Jesus is true.

Now, he goes ahead to say in here, that they tried to seize him, no one laid a hand on him. Many people put their faith in Him. And then they said, when the Christ comes, he will do more miracles? Will he do more miraculous signs than this man? Guys, this is a question that we have to ask people as an example, in the Jewish realm. In the Orthodox Jewish teaching, they believe that the Messiah is going to come they don’t deny a Messiah, they believe Messiah is going to come. Now, the issue is, if you’ve ever dealt with any rabbis, the issue with that is rabbi, do you believe that the Messiah is going to come? Yes, I do. Well, let me ask you a question. How are you going to know who he is when all of the genealogies are gone? And the Messiah has to come from the bloodline of David, how are you going to know? You don’t have any genealogies to find out to prove that point. And then another point is the one that is made right here, how many more miraculous signs? Is this Messiah that you say is coming is gonna do then Jesus did? Just how much more loving? Is this Messiah gonna have to be that you’re looking forward to? Then Jesus was? How many more miracles is he going to have to do then Jesus? did? I ask a rabbi in San Bernardino. What if the day comes when the Messiah shows up? And he happens to be Jesus? And he looked at me and said, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit. Isn’t that amazing? And so these are questions that you have to ask yourself, either forget the Messiah story. Or if you do believe that the Messiah is going to come just how much greater is He going to have to be than Jesus was?

The Pharisees heard the crowds whispering such things about him. And then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. So now they’re going to take some action. Jesus said, I am only with you for a short time. And then I go to the one who sent Me, you will look for me, but you will not find me. And where I am, you cannot come. I want to ask you a question, guys. Do you think that after the resurrection of Christ Jesus, that the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and all of the Hebrew leadership was trying to find Jesus? You think they were looking for him? You better believe they were looking for him. Because the story was he’s been raised from the dead. And the way you disprove that is to find the body, isn’t it. So don’t ever think that the Hebrew people, the leadership was not diligently looking for Jesus. There was an empty tomb. They knew he wasn’t in it. The question is, how to get out of there. And where is he? And Jesus, I believe, is just pointing to that in a short time, I’m going to be going away you’re going to be looking for me. You’re not going to find me. And where I am you cannot come. The Judaean’s said to one another. Back to the human realm. Where does this man intend to go that we can’t find him? Where’s he gonna go? Will he go to where our people are scattered among the gray Is he gonna go into other areas where our Hebrew people have have scattered among the Greek population as you’re going to go there? And teach the Greeks? Is that what he’s going to do? Is he going to not teach us anymore? And go someplace else? Natural questions, aren’t they? Nothing wrong with those questions, he’s going away, Where’s it going? What did he mean when he said, you will look for me, but you will not find me? And where I am, you cannot come?

On the last and greatest day of this feast, Jesus stood and said, in a loud voice, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. And by this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given since Jesus had not been glorified. Now, folks, Jesus had said to his disciples, that it’s good for you that I’m going away. He announced that to them. Because he said, when I do go away, then I am going to send my Holy Spirit to come and live in you. And you are going to be my body here on the face of this earth. Friends, the body of Christ that we are today is in what’s called a mystery form. Our king is exiled, so to speak. And he lives in us. And we’re a body, that although we appear to be organized, his church is not organized. His Church is people. We may belong to some organization. But his church is made up a born again, people his body is only those people who are in Christ Jesus, only those who have come to Christ Jesus by faith, for his death, and His burial, and His resurrection. And so that’s what he’s dealing with here. Now, the way that he was going to make us a part of his body, is he said, I’m going away. But when I do, I’m going to come and live in you. He isn’t going to come and live a side of us as some people teach. Jesus doesn’t live in you, he just stands beside you and helps you to obey the law. Jesus didn’t come to help us nice what we say in Texas, you guys say, Hey, hep each other, to help us to obey the law. He came to live his life in and through us. The life that Jesus lived was a life of love. He wasn’t out trying to obey the 10 commandments, he obeyed the 10 commandments by walking in love. And so he said, I’m going to send, my Spirit to live in you. In other words, I am coming to live inside of you, not alongside, inside. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come alongside people for divine service, Paul Saul. And that’s why you will hear in the Psalms of David praying, please don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Why? Because he could and did. Would you pray that as a born again believer today, who is indwelt by the Spirit, the Spirit who says I’ll never leave you nor forsake you? Would you pray? Don’t take your Holy Spirit from me when he’s already told you never leave you nor forsake you? No, you wouldn’t pray that. But they did back then.

And so he’s saying there is an event that is going to take place where I’m going to send my Spirit to live and you were told, are we not in the scripture that we literally have the mind of Christ. We’re also told that we have the privilege of participating in the divine nature that lives not with us, but in us. It’s a reality. It’s a miracle that Jesus comes to indwell you and me. He lives in you and me. That’s why we’re told that our body is the temple of God, the Holy Spirit of God. What do you do at the temple stand outside of it or go in it? The Spirit lives in you. The Spirit of God is alive living in you, and we’re told is our only hope of glory. He doesn’t come to live alongside of us, many people teach. He comes to live in you and to indwell you forever. And so he says up to that time, this Spirit had not been given. Now again had the Spirit prior to that time come alongside Saul, David for divine service? Yes. But had the Spirit at that time been given? No. Given to who? You and to me and to any born again believer on the face of the earth. And the reason that hadn’t been given is because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Now, folks, we all know from the book of Acts, and if you want to turn back with me for a moment to the first chapter of Acts. In my former book, book Theopolis, I wrote all about all the Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven. Now that’s where he was going away, that we couldn’t go. After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days, and spoke about the Kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them his command don’t leave Jerusalem. But wait for the gift my Father promised. Now what is the gift the Father promised? The Holy Spirit. Wait for the gift that my Father promised. Which you have heard me speak about. For, now he’s gonna give a contrast here, John baptize with water. But now, folks, when there is a but, there means there’s a before and an after. For John baptized you with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

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.

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Listen to the Salvation message today!

Stand on the firmness of truth. Don’t keep going back and forth. Thank Him that the forgiveness issue is settled.

Let’s pray together:

• Lord Jesus,
• I thank you for taking away my sins on the cross,
• never ever to see them again.
• Having done that, I now thank you for giving me eternal life,
• through your resurrection.
• I now receive that life.
• And I am going stand in the fact that I am a child of the living God.
• In Jesus Holy name I pray.
• Amen

All believers are now brothers and sisters in Christ.

John 3:3
³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

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