Are You Really Free? John 8:31-36 #sermon
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When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved? But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25-26
What shall I do to inherit eternal life? This was the question by the Rich Young Man, a great question that all of us should ask, however the response he received from The Lord was not what he was hoping for! This young man had everything the world could offer, he had youth, he had money, he had power, but the one thing he was lacking was Christ!
And the only way this man could come to Christ, was to deny himself and carry his cross, which he wasn’t willing to do! You see this man loved the ways of this world more than he loved God. Yes he loved the idea of eternal life but had no interest in the eternal Son of God, the majority of the world has the heart of this man, carnally minded and no actual love for God
So the disciples posed the question then, “Who then can be saved”? Who can save us from this body of death, o wretched men that we are? (Romans 7:24) The bad news is you can’t , you are dead in your trespasses and sins, (Ephesians 2:1) you are an enemy to God (Romans 5:8) The Lord himself said “With Men This Is Impossible”
Many people have tried to save themselves, many people have tried to make themselves righteous, many people have tried to come up with a religion or formula that would satisfy the wrath of God, but it all fails because “Nobody is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18) The legalist doesn’t want to hear this! The deceived declares they are self righteous and a “good person” But the only good in us is Christ alone!
But there is good news, as Christ said “With God all things are possible” In Christ you can be saved, In Christ you can be made righteous, In Christ you can be Born Again (John 3:3) into a new Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) Your only hope is in the blood of The Lamb Jesus Christ, who can wash away all your sins (John 1:29)
In You, there is no possibility of salvation, the only path is eternal damnation in Hell Fire, but In Christ you can be saved! With God all things are possible, Christ has made the way, run to the cross, get on your knees and cry out to The Lord today! Today is the day of salvation(2 Corinthians 6:2) in Jesus Christ, Amen!
“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones. Zechariah 13:7
As you walk through the book of Zechariah, you realize the prophet is pointing you to Jesus Christ, the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecies. Just as Jesus was the fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy in the Triumphant Entry riding on a donkey in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Zechariah 9:9)
Here we see another fulfillment of prophecy by Jesus, as Christ predicts his disciples will abandon him when they take him away to be beaten and crucified as The Lamb of God (Isaiah 53) When you understand who Jesus Christ is, then the Old Testament scriptures and shadows make perfect sense. Without Christ, what sense would these scriptures make?
Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ Matthew 26:31
Jesus clearly identifies himself as the “Good Shepherd” Jesus is The Shepherd prophesied by Zechariah here, Christ is the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for His Sheep, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who will walk with us through the valley of death
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. John 10:11
And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the LORD, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’ ” Zechariah 13:8-9
So what about Israel? The prophet Zechariah states “in all the land” meaning Israel. And as predicted the majority “two-thirds” will reject Christ and be cut off. However “one-third” the remnant of God will be saved. They will call upon the name of Jesus and will be saved (Romans 10:13)
As the Apostle Paul prophesied under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as the prophet Elijah fortold , God will always have a remnant chosen by grace. There will be a remnant of Israel that will be saved in the end, this is written and prophesied by the Word of God
In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. Romans 11:5
Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” Numbers 14:3
God with His great mercy and compassion, delivered the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, God made a way, God performed miracles that crippled an entire elite nation, God destroyed the most powerful military in the world without the Israelites engaging in battle, God provided food and water in the wilderness, God even promised and delivered the promise Land, a beautiful paradise flowing with Milk and Honey
However even though God has promised victory, God never said the way would be easy! In order to be in the covenant with our Father, we need to trust and obey his word and works. While many enjoyed the blessings from God, they never truly loved him and trusted him as God their Father. So when the going went tough, they wanted to run back into the slavery of Egypt instead
Many self professed Christians are like this today! Many claim they have professed Jesus Christ as Lord, many have claimed to put their faith and trust in Christ, many will even say they had a “Born Again” experience, however when life gets hard, they want to go back to Egypt. They want to go back into the slavery of sin where they were set free from! But If the Son Jesus Christ has set you Free, you are Free Indeed! (John 8:36)
If you are truly a Child of God, you are no longer a slave, as a slave has no residence into our Fathers house! (John 8:35) This idea that you can enjoy The Freedoms of Christ and still be a slave to Egypt is madness, it’s a total deception of Satan, you were Born Again in Christ (John 3:3) You are a New Creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, You are a Child of God in Christ (1 John 3:1) You are no longer a slave to sin but a slave to righteousness (Romans 6:18)
So how can a Child of God want to go back to Egypt? Well this is evidence they were never a Child of God at all , Jesus said “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16) You will know them by their actions, by the way they live their lives. A Child of God doesn’t live in slavery, a Child lives in the Freedom of Christ (Galatians 5:1) Walk in the Newness of Life by the Holy Spirit, Walk in the Newness of Life as a Child of God, Walk in the Newness of Life by Christ (Romans 6:4)
Would it be better for us to return to Egypt? Would it be better for a dog to return to its vomit? (Proverbs 26:11) Certainly Not! How can we who are Alive in Christ be made a slave to sin again? If your Church is living in Egypt, Flee! If your friends are living in Egypt, Flee! Turn to the Promised Land, bought to you by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ , Amen!
“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. “It shall be in that day,” says the LORD of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. Zechariah 13:1-2
In a continuation of Chapter 12, where Christ returned to save Israel, and all of Israel mourned over Jesus as the Son of God pierced on the cross! And the Holy Spirit was poured out, the remnant of promise is fulfilled. (Romans 11)
So now God is going to “clean house” in Israel literally, Christ not only wiped away the sins of Israel as prophesied “All Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26) Christ will also remove the idols, the false prophets and false religion. Jesus will cleanse Israel from their depravity and fulfill his promises in the New Covenant
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— Jeremiah 31:31
It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. Zechariah 13:3
The name of Jesus, the name above all names (Philippians 2) causes division wherever it is mentioned. Just as Christ said “ I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34) The truth of Christ will bring division among the households in Israel, as it has brought division among homes since the resurrection
Jesus will separate the Wheat from the Tares, the Sheep from the Goats, The wise and the foolish brides, the gospel of Jesus Christ is a sword because its the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)
“And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive. But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’ And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’ Zechariah 13:4-6
The false teachers and false prophets are now exposed, the light of the gospel has exposed the darkness (Ephesians 5:11) And because of this, false teachers will do what they do best, they will lie about their identities, they will lie about their religion, but they will stand before The Lord in judgement
As Jesus warned us about these decievers ““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. “ (Matthew 7:15)
Christ will save and restore His remnant of Israel, many will deny or hate this including the Church, however this also fulfills prophecy “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her “ (Zechariah 12:3)