Radio Broadcast Wednesday 08/09/2023

 

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. 

 

Purchase Online at Shop.BobGeorge.net

 

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
Forget about other people. Get your eyes on you and Jesus and let him produce in and through you what he wants to produce. I heard a guy called the other last week, he said, you know, how do I go out and get to be a powerful witness for Jesus and a strong witness for Jesus? I said, you got a terrible goal. In other words, if you want to be a strong witness for Jesus, how strong do you have to be for you call yourself strong? And if you ever got to be strong, you don’t want to happen to you’d be so proud of yourself, you wouldn’t know what to do. And you know what else had happened to you, you’d start looking down other people that aren’t quite as strong as you. So in both of those cases, it’s either pride or self condemnation, and both of them come from hell. And so quit trying to worry about how strong you are, and this type of thing. That what God said, the strength that he’s looking for is the strength to understand the love of God. And he told us in Ephesians, I pray that out of his glorious promise, he’ll strengthen you with power in your inner being, so that Christ may be at home in your heart to faith. And I pray that you being strengthened with the power of God may understand the height and depth and breadth and width of the love of God. And to know this love that surpasses knowledge, how come? So that you might be filled to the major with all the fullness of God. Want to ask you a question, guys? Would it be possible to be filled to the major with all the fullness of God and not be filled with the Spirit? Would it be possible to be filled with the Spirit and not be filled to the measure is all the fullness of God? No. Then why do we camp on Ephesians five, Be not drunk with wine wherein his excess will be filled with the Spirit, and then make that to mean anything you want it to mean? And the one group over there means to roll around on the floor and bark like dogs and giggle. Another place that means to babble in a tongue and other place that means to do something else. And Ephesians tells us exactly what it means to be filled with Spirit. It means to be filled with the love of God, which ties into what he said the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, all this other stuff is garbage to God, if we don’t have love, and we’re told that. Love is what he is called us to is to love one another with the love that I gave to you, as the Father has loved me. So I have loved you, therefore go love one another. And that’s what he is focusing on here guys at the last hours of his life. He’s telling us what is important from God’s vantage point. He’s told us to serve one another. He told us that you’re going to have trials and tribulation, you may have somebody betraying you, you may have someone denying you. But if you’re abiding in the vine, you’re going to be able to bear the fruit of the vine. And he told us how to live. He told us about the work of the Holy Spirit. He also told us that when you’re walking in dependency upon Christ, you’re going to be hated by the world. And Brother, do we not see that today? Hated by the world, all you have to do is to get out and say, I’m a Christian who believes the Bible is true. And everybody says, oh, man, it’s one of those right wingers, one of those Christians, one of those Christians who believe in the Bible, they’re dangerous folk. And you’re hated by the world, and by the media.

So he told us that he already warned us about that. And then he warned it again, about what the Holy Spirit’s work is. The work of the Holy Spirit, He said, Is this, to convince the world wrong about sin, and about righteousness, and about judgment. And then he told us what sin is from God’s vantage point. Not from ours, not from Moses. But from God’s standpoint. What is sin? The world sin about sin is unbelief in me. The only sin that will be attributable to man is what did you do with my Son? The only question that God will ever ask you in me is what did you do with my Son who came to this earth to solve your problem? Who came to this earth seeing you in a situation in a condition of spiritual death and of finding a way to offer you eternal life through His resurrection. And to be able to take away the cause of death which was sin. And what did you do with it? No man will ever go to hell because of his sins. Are we together? Why is that so? Because of what we’re going to be studying in a minute, the cross of Jesus Christ, were there He who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that in him in his resurrected life, we could become the righteousness of God. He took away the sins of the world, God was in Christ reconciling the whole world unto Himself, not counting their sins against them. Do you believe that? Well, then why do we hear if you continue on in your sin, you’re gonna go to hell? Why do we hear that? If you keep on sinning the way you’re doing, you’re gonna go to hell. Is that true? If it isn’t true, then we’re being taught by a liar. Or someone who doesn’t know better. That is not true. We would look at it as it should be true. But then you say, Okay, if it shouldn’t be true, then how much do you have to sin or not be sinning before you be acceptable? And how bad do you have to be before you’re not acceptable? That’s why he just reduced the whole world down to one condition of death, spiritual death, and said, the only life available to you is the resurrected life of Christ Jesus. What did you do with my Son? That’s the question. And so we concentrate on sin that Christ is already finished, and already taken away and already dealt with. And we concentrate every Sunday, every Sunday on sin, sin, sin, sin, sin. Instead of life, life, life life. And instead of teaching people, that your sin has been removed from the eyes of God, but that’s forgiveness provided is only received in the resurrection of Christ. It is only received in life. The death of Christ is only received in the life of Christ. And when you come to Jesus for His resurrection, in him, you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Where is the forgiveness that was provided for you 2000 years ago received? In Him in His resurrected life, you don’t come to Christ to get your sins forgiven. You come to Christ, to get life. And in that life, you have forgiveness.

Why do we have such poor discipleship? Because we have poor evangelism. We streamed people down the aisles every Sunday to get their sins forgiven. Instead of teaching people know your sins are already forgiven. But that forgiveness that was provided for you is only received and it was open arms of Christ Jesus who said, Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, I’ll give you rest in peace for yourself. Come unto me, not come into my forgiveness, it’s already occurred coming to me. And I’ll give you life. What kind of life? Eternal life.

So he told us about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit didn’t come to make a silly. The Holy Spirit didn’t come. So that will be more spiritual than somebody else. As a matter of fact, we told that the Holy Spirit did not come to even bring attention to himself and people that pay too much attention, to the Holy Spirit or paying too much attention to the wrong thing. The Holy Spirit came to glorify Jesus, not himself. And so when the Holy Spirit of God came, he came to show us our sinfulness. If he ever could get that done the Christian community, it’d be a miracle just to show you what sin is, rejection of Jesus. And then he said about righteousness. Why? Because the righteous one came. And he said, because I go to the Father, when you see me no more, you’ve seen righteousness. Now I’m going away. And the only righteousness you’ll notice you will ever see in yourself is the righteousness that I give you. Just, like the only Holy Spirit you’ll ever see in yourself as a Holy Spirit that I give you. And then about judgment, because the prince of this world has already been judged. So Jesus prepared us, he prepared us for what he was about to do.

And again, with that in verse 17, or chapter 17, we studied last week was the prayer of Christ Jesus. The last thing he did in that supper was to pray to God and ask them to preserve his people, and that he prayed this not only for them, but for all of us who were here today. And now we pick up in chapter 18. When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed over the Kidron Valley. If you had a picture of Israel, you would have seen that where the supposed and I think that is where it was his last supper was was being held, that they had to cross over was approximately a mile and a half, going out of the city walls of Jerusalem, to the east of Jerusalem, crossing over what’s called the Kidron Valley and then up north to the Mount of Olives. And so he crossed over the Kidron Valley. And on the other side, there was an olive grove, that’s what is called the Mount of Olives. We all know about that. And his and his disciples went in to the Mount of Olives. It is a it’s just a group of olive trees, a beautiful setting right across from the Temple Mount, beautiful, beautiful setting.

Now Judas who betrayed him, knew the place because Jesus had often met there with His disciples. So Judas came to the Grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials, from the chief priests and Pharisees, and they were carrying torches and lanterns and weapons. Weapons, what in the world do you need weapons for? When you’re coming for Jesus? Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him went out and asked him, Who is it that you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. I am here, Jesus said, and Judas, the trader was standing there with them. And when Jesus said I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground.

Now folks, that is what some people today are using so much out of context. It’s unbelievable of slaying people in the spirit. Well, I guess if you don’t like Jesus, and you’re coming to get him arrested, and you fall back, well, then maybe that is slaying in the Spirit. But the Spirit of God didn’t come to slay people, the Spirit of God came to give life to people, and they’re isn’t any place in a Bible talking about going out blowing on people and having them fall over into the arms of people with the gift of catching. That is utter nonsense. And yet, you can draw 1000s upon 1000s of people with that kind of nonsense. People look at that. So Ohh, what a man, what a guy, he must have some kind of a spatial relationship with God where he can just go blow on people, and they fall over or hit him in the head they just fall over. must have some kind of a real relationship with God. Well, if that isn’t an ego booster I don’t know it’d be you guys. Kind of stuff irritates the living daylights out of me. To see people deceiving people with that kind of utter, unadulterated nonsense. Most of them come to what they deserve, sooner or later.

I told you Jesus said, I am here. If you’re looking for me, then let these men go. This happened. So the words he had spoken would be fulfilled. I have lost no one except those that you gave me. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword. And again, this not a fleshly move. These people are coming to take by Jesus and I’m going to defend him. sounds noble, doesn’t it? So he drew the sword and struck the high priest servant cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. It doesn’t record that in the book of John, but it does in the other books of the Bible where Jesus restored that ear to Malchus. Now Jesus commanded Peter put up your sword away, shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me. In other words, you’re trying to stop what the Father has sent me to do. And then the detachment of soldiers with its commanders and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas who is the father in law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. And Caiaphas was the one who would advise the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. Simon Peter and another disciple, were following Jesus because this disciple was known to the high priest. He went with Jesus into the high priest courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door.

Now, the disciple he’s talking about that went inside there is the apostle John and Peter waited outside at the door. The other disciple who was known to the high priest came back and spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. So John was inside was known by the high priest, and so he went back and brought Peter into where the activity was taking place. You’re not one of the disciples are you the girl at the door asked Peter? And how did he answer? Not me. I am not. It was cold and the servants and officials stood around a fire that they had made to keep warm. And Peter was also standing with him warming himself. You can imagine him be as nervous as can be in this situation.

I believe at that time, and it certainly was depicted by Mel Gibson’s film on the life of Jesus, that there had already been terrific beating that had taken place, by by the officials to Jesus by then. And I’m quite sure that no one was very interested in joining in in that activity. And I would imagine there would have been fear connected with that and wanting to identify yourself as one of the followers of Jesus.

And meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus, about Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. And Jesus said I’ve spoken openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues or at the temple where all the Jews come together. Why question me? Ask those who heard me surely they know what I said. When Jesus said there’s one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. Is this the way you answer the high priest he demanded. Now he’s in the house of Annas. And we have to assume and I think that’s a proper assumption that Annas was a high priest, before Caiaphas, was named high priest, and yet was still known as a high priest, I think it would be something like a President of the United States that even after he’s out of office is still called President Reagan, or, or President Bush or whoever it might be. And it would have been the same thing still referred to as a High Priest, even though he did not carry that office at that particular time. And so, he says is struck him in the face, you imagine is one of these officials struck him hit him right in the face? Hit who? God hit God right in the face, and said, Is this the way you answer the high priest? Seems to me that Jesus was a high priest, but unknown to them.

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Bob George 17:49
He said if I said something wrong, Jesus replied testify as to what is wrong. Tell me about it. If I said something wrong here, why tell me what it is? I feel the same way in any kind of teaching. If you said something wrong, tell me where it is. Some of these things that are promoted in Christianity today, come and tell me where it is. Tell me the context of it. See if you can justify what you believe in. I saw a movie yesterday. And it was a true movie about a couple of North Carolina, they had three children. And the one little boy had diabetes. And they were in a setting where they were taught that God heals everybody. And so they did not give a little boy insulin. And finally, the little boy died. And this couple was taken to court. They had faith. But as the man finally came to understand, because they lost their faith, when because their god that they thought was going to heal this boy, didn’t come through as far as they thought he didn’t come through. So they lost their faith. And I thought of this statement that the young man made at the end, he said, You know, God gave us faith, hope and love. And he said, the greatest of these is love, not faith, but love. And he said, we did not do a loving thing by letting our child die. Instead of getting a medication that would have ensured him of life. That was not a loving thing to do. We were out trying to impress people with how much faith we had, and how big our faith is. I call it showing off for Jesus. You don’t have to show people how big your faith is. If your faith is faith, why use it? If you have faith on something, that’s fine, but you don’t need to announce it to the world so everybody, ooh, and ah. Do you see guys how that is just bringing Attention. How when you have your emphasis on faith instead of the object of your faith, who is Christ Jesus, how you’re just bringing attention to how faither or what a faither or you are. And I felt sorry. And thank God, the judge gave them a deferred sentence because he understood their sincerity. He understood they had been taught sincerely wrong. But he understood that they were not vicious. And so they did get a suspended sentence which I was grateful for. But it broke your heart to see the heartache that people put themselves through when they have their faith misplaced, and they don’t have it centered on the object of your faith, who is Christ Jesus, and have it centered on me. And how big my faith is. Jesus said, If any of us had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move a mountain didn’t he? Have any of you moved mountains recently. What does that show you about your faith? It’s somewhat smaller than that of a mustard seed. It is not how big my faith is, is how big my God is.

I think the story major Thomas, tell some time, bless his heart. He says, I travel. And he said I was talking to a guy one time and he said I, how many weeks out of the year do you travel? And he says, oh, about 50. 50. You’re gone that much? Yeah, I’m gone that much. Does your wife ever go with you? Sometimes. How much? Oh, maybe half the time. You mean, you’re away from your wife for half of the year? Um hmm, sure I am. And what if he said to her? Do you trust her? He said I’d slap him upside the head. I don’t have my faith in her I got a wonderful wife. I don’t need big faith. He said if I had faith enough to trust her, I don’t need big faith. I got a great wife. And that’s an insult to my wife to say, do you trust her? So he said, I don’t have big faith in the fact that I trust her. I got faith in the fact that I got a wonderful wife. And it’s the same thing with God. I got a wonderful God, don’t you? I probably don’t have very big faith, but I’ve got a great God. And I don’t need big faith, I got a big God. And that’s who my faith is in however size it is not important. It’s that’s who my faith is in.

So he said, if you got if I said something wrong here testify. But if I spoke truth, why did you strike me? Why do you strike me when I spoke truth to you? Then on a sent him still bound to Caiaphas the high priest. As Simon Peter stood warming himself he was asked, you are not one of the disciples are you? And he denied it again, saying I am not. No, I’m not one of the high priests servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off challenge him, didn’t I see with him in the olive grove. And again, Peter denied it. And at that moment, a rooster began to crow. Remember what Jesus had prophesied before this day is over, you will deny the Lord three times. Then the Judeans led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor by now it was early morning and to avoid ceremonial uncleanliness. The Judeans did not enter the palace. They wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came after them and said, what charges do you bring against this man? If he were not a criminal, the Judeans said we would not have handed him over to you. You see, it was a Jewish law that you could not murder somebody. So you handed over to those who can. And that was the Romans and Pilate said, Take him yourself some judging by your own law. And he said, well, and look at this guy’s we have no right to execute anyone. Now, in other words, he’s saying, take him in judging by your own law, they had already judged and condemned him. I don’t need a trial. He’s already guilty. There was no trial, there was no listening to evidence, we already have made up our mind, this man is guilty. And I don’t have the ability to execute him. That’s why I brought him to you. So you can do the dirty work. This happened so if the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die, would be fulfilled.

Well, we’re going to stop here and next week, we’re going to pick up with the transfer of Jesus back and forth in this weakened state that he was in, and we’ll have some illustrations on that. And next week, we will get down to the point in our teaching where we’re going to teach and it’s going to be proven to you that Jesus did not die on Friday was not crucified on Friday. But He was crucified on Thursday. And we’ll bring that we’ll bring that to you, it’d be quite interesting. Well, let’s, let’s close now to word of prayer.

Father, we want to thank you for the living Christ, the one who loved us and gave himself for us. So that you could give your life to us. So you could live your life through us. Thank you for the illustration that you gave us to the vine and branch Father, we can do nothing of our own, that you’re looking for. You’re looking out of us, people who experience love and joy, and peace and patience and kindness and goodness. These are not qualities of the flesh. They’re only qualities of the Spirit, only you can produce them. But you’ve given us the privilege of bearing that fruit to those around us. So we thank you for that. Father, I pray that we will come to our senses and to keep our eyes and our minds focused on you. And off of all the other things that we’ve become so infatuated with. In the final analysis, we’re all gonna die. We’re gonna die, or we’ll be raptured. If we’re here at that time, these bodies are going to fall into the grave one way or the other. They age, they decay. They get older, don’t function the way we used to. And it’s all preparing us for the eternal life that you’ve granted this in Jesus. So Father, I pray that you’ll keep us sober minded. You called us to be sober minded, and to look to you the living God, for our total sustenance of life, and in everything to realize that all comes from Jesus, and from none of us. We pray these things in Christ’s holy name, and for his sake. Amen.

Announcer 27:16
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 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 in 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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