Apply Within

Bob Davis: God's presence, God's protection, and God's provision. That's what this is all about. We celebrate the Lord's supper, communion. And if we're not careful, it's just routine. Oh, it's bread and juice, whatever. You know, we've got to remember. And that's why I love to just leave you alone and let you take your own heart to the Lord.

"This is my body broken for you. This is my blood shed for you. Do this in remembrance of me." We need to remember what we're all about and how we got saved and where we came from. If you don't have any roots, your plant will die, right?

Guest (Male): Welcome to Apply Within, a verse-by-verse study of the word of God with Pastor Bob Davis of North Country Chapel. We invite you to join with us as we, by the power of God's Holy Spirit, apply his word within our own hearts as we study line upon line, precept upon precept, verse-by-verse through the Bible. Jesus' brothers ridicule him as our study of John continues in Chapter 7. Here's Pastor Bob.

Bob Davis: We got all the way through verse 71 of Chapter 6. We're going to start Chapter 7. But remember this, right near the end, huge amounts of people quit following Jesus, except there were those 12 and some of the ladies. And in verse 67, Jesus says to the 12, "Will you go away also? Do you want to leave also?" Everybody else has except for a rare few.

Everybody's got a choice to make. Peter, James, John, you can list the 12. Every one of them has a decision to make, but 11 of them out of the 12 have already decided. Remember we sing the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back." Well, 11 of those 12 decided. "Will you go away also?"

Simon Peter answered, thinking he's answering for everybody, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We're going to get them nowhere else. You are God Almighty. And we believe and are sure, are convinced, that you are the Messiah, the son of the living God." That was verse 69. We believe and are sure of it, that you are the Messiah, the son of the living God.

Jesus answered them. He said, "Have not I chosen you 12 and one of you is a demon or a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for he it was that should betray him being one of the 12. He was one of the 12, but he wasn't one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. After these things, after what things? Things we just read in Chapter 6. I can tell you it's about, there's a time gap here. It looks like it's nearly six months.

After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee, and stayed up in the northern region, because he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Jesus didn't go on back down toward the area of Judah, Jerusalem, etc., because the leaders, the Jewish hypocrites, the religious leaders, were looking for a way to arrest him and have him killed.

He understood that, and they can't do it now because it's not time yet. When it's time, he'll walk right in and turn himself over to them. Until then, until it's God's time, it's not going to happen. Everybody, for you and for me, until it's God's time, it's just not going to happen. If someone says, "I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that," well, if God allows you to, sure. If not, you won't.

Some time has passed in verse one, between verse one and verse 71 of the last chapter. And the Jews were looking to kill Jesus. Why didn't he walk down there in the southern part? Because he knew they were laying wait to grab him and to put him to death. The language "looking to kill him" means that they were waiting to take his life, literally looking for opportunity to take his life. Now, Jesus knows it. The disciples just say, "Boy, they're sure mad at you, better watch out for them," but Jesus knows exactly what they're up to. Why? Well, he's God, everybody.

They had decided, remember, that Jesus was a false prophet. They decided he was a liar. They called him a liar. They called him a wine-bibber. They thought he was too much hanging around people that drink a lot. They called him all kinds of names because he did eat with sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes. Now who's going to hang out with those kind of people? Certainly not God. The trouble is, God did, and it just bothered the religious leaders.

So, they called him a false prophet, a liar, a blasphemer. He needs to be put to death. The law requires you put to death for blasphemy. So, Jesus remained up in the northern region of Galilee, away from them. Now when we read "the Jews," don't hear all of Israel hated Jesus. Not true. It's not a reference to the entire nation of Israel, but it's a reference to the religious leaders, the so-called holy ones of Israel, the ones that are Bible college grads, the ones that study the law and teach the law.

They are the ones who wanted to put Jesus to death, pretending, because they were hypocrites. Hypocrite means pretending to be something that you're not. Now, every one of us does that every once in a great while if you're not careful. When someone says, "You're really smart," the best time to jump up and go, "Well no, not me, you're thinking of somebody else, right?" "Oh yeah, I am kind of smart. Would you like my autograph?" I'd drop that if I were you and just say, "No."

But that's what these guys were; they were pretending to be righteous and holy, but they hated the Lord. They had nothing to do with the true word of God. There was no heart in anything they did. So, verse two tells us, "Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand." Remember, if you're underlining, the Jews' feast, or literally, feast of the Jews. That's important. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

And verse three says, "His brothers therefore said to him, 'Depart from here, leave here, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that you're doing, or that you do. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.' For neither did his brothers believe in him." Okay, that we could probably stay on for six weeks. I won't, you're welcome, but boy could we. There's so much in that.

There were three major feasts that the males of Israel were required by the Mosaic covenant, by the law, to participate in. They had to go to Jerusalem during these three feasts: the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths, the third, the Feast of Pentecost, the 50th. Those three, they were required to be there in Jerusalem. The Feast of Tabernacles, as I mentioned, also known as the Feast of Booths, was about a seven-day feast.

And what they would do, the people would make little makeshift booths, little tents, little tabernacles, little things. They would live outside under their little tent, kind of like homeless under cardboard or whatever they built, palm branches. They would live there for seven days to celebrate and to remember the Lord protecting Israel through the time in the wilderness, the 40 years. He fed them, he kept an eye on them, he put clouds of pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

So they were protected from the sun, it didn't bother them. At night, there was light when they needed it so that they could see. God did that for 40 years. He fed them, and it's a celebration to remember that God takes care of them and has been taking care of them and will take care of them all the time, everywhere they go. But they were required to be there. Once again, let me just point out to you, I pointed it out earlier, but here again in Chapter 7, look.

It's called here the feast of the Jews, but when you read about it in the law in Leviticus Chapter 23, it is called the Feast of the Lord. What changed? You know what changed, don't you? The children of Israel had missed the whole heart of this celebration. They're doing it because you're supposed to. They've been doing it now for almost 1,500 years, and it's just routine and it's what you've got to do.

It's kind of expensive if you live in Galilee. You got up there in the Galilee region up there in Nazareth, you got a little over 95 to 100 miles to go. So you're going to have to take food, you're going to have to buy some food for your trip and you're required to go. It's not like you can beg off and say, "I can't make it, we got to plow." No, you're going to go. So it wasn't a blessing and a thrill and a big celebration the way it should have been.

It was a hassle and something you've got to get done. And his brothers are saying, "We've got to go, you know you're going to go, you have to go." So why don't you get on down there. They are now doing it, just going through the motions. They've got to build this little thing. We got some that we hooked up at home, it's kind of cool. It just bounces up and now you're covered. Sit under it, bring enough food if you can. Here we go, got to go do this.

They had lost in their hearts the true meaning of why God wanted them to celebrate, to rejoice and to remember. They lost the true meaning of what it was actually all about. What was it about? Everybody here, I just wrote it this way: God's presence, God's protection and God's provision. That's what this is all about. What a cool thing to celebrate. We celebrate the Lord's supper, communion.

And if we're not careful, it's just routine. "Oh it's bread and juice, whatever." We've got to remember. And that's why I love to just leave you alone and let you take your own heart to the Lord. "This is my body broken for you. This is my blood shed for you. Do this in remembrance of me." We need to remember what we're all about and how we got saved and where we came from. If you don't have any roots, your plant will die, right?

If you don't have any roots, your country's going to die. It was to celebrate God's presence, God's protection, God's provision. Now it's just some feast they have to participate in. It was meant to be a huge celebration, a time of joy and thanksgiving. It had become a hassle and a religious duty. Is that what church has become to us? I joke with people that go on vacation. Probably because I'm jealous. No, I'm not, I'm good. Where could I go from something like this, right?

I joke and I say, when you go on vacation, you're taking a break from your routine, but you never take a vacation from God, so you bring me a bulletin from the church that you go to. I want to see it. And a lot of people do, and I feel bad when they do because I'm just teasing. Because I want them to know that you're taking God with you. It's not like you take two weeks off and go do anything you want and then come back and you're born again.

And they'll bring me—I get—I go, "Methodist? What? There's a big word there, Presbyterian, what is that?" Hey, whatever, they went and fellowshipped, they worshiped God, right? What should be a joyful time and a blessing turns out to be religion. Got to go today, got to do this, another hassle. Now we know, we learn here, that Jesus had brothers and sisters. They were children of Mary and Joseph.

One church teaches that Mary was a perpetual virgin. The Bible teaches she wasn't. We'll go with the Bible. She had children, boys and girls. They were step-brothers and sisters to Jesus. Why? Because Joseph wasn't his father. God Almighty. He was born miraculously. But he still had brothers and sisters. How would you like growing up with him? "Bob, why don't you clean your room? Can't you be more like Jesus?" Oh man, can you imagine growing up like that? Never do anything wrong, getting on my nerves.

Now some suggest because Jesus was 12 when his parents lost him for a few minutes at the temple there, remember when he was debating with the scholars in the temple at 12 years old, some suggest that he was the only son because that's the only one they had there. So they must have had kids a little later. If that's the case, that could explain a few things, but I'm not going to make that my plan. I'm just going to say he had brothers and sisters. How do you know? The Bible tells me so.

Matthew 13, probably want to mark it down or turn there quickly, Matthew 13 verses 55 through 58. Jesus is teaching and these people aren't liking it. They're going, "Wait a minute, we know this guy." Listen to what they say. Matthew 13:55 through 58, they say this: "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And his sisters, aren't they all with us?"

So Jesus had sisters plural and he had four brothers. So there are at least six kids plus Jesus. And they were offended. They said, "We know his mother, his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, and his sisters plural, they're with us." And they were offended in him because Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house."

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Did you hear that? A prophet is not without honor, except in his own home city and his own house. Boy, take that to heart. That's Jesus saying it. That's not Bob saying it or that guy over there or that woman down the street. That's Jesus Christ letting you know something. Think about it. His brothers, they're males. They are required to go. He's a male, they know he's going to go. We're all going, Jesus.

These are his brothers, his family, and they're mocking him. They're going, "Come on, let's get going." Because, why are they mocking him? Well, the Bible tells us, they don't believe he's the Son of God. How could you grow up with Jesus and not believe he's the Son of God? Easy. The same way that the Pharisees did not believe he was the Son of God and they saw him do miracles. They lived with this guy. You think he was a pretty good kid? Yeah, we don't bet, but I'd bet you. I bet he was. I know he was.

But they mocked him because they did not believe he was the Messiah. How could his brothers not believe Jesus was God Almighty in human flesh? You don't think their mother told them the story of how he was born? I think she did. I think Joseph did too, don't you? Boy, put two and two together and that, I think, helps us understand ourselves and understand the people around us. I really think it does. I wouldn't make a whole Bible study out of it, but I probably could. Think about that.

His own brothers did not believe he was Messiah. "Why don't you go to Judah? You've got to go down there, you're required to go, get going, man. You're a good Jew. Why don't you keep the Feast of Tabernacles with the rest instead of going in secret like you always do? If you think you are the sent one, if you do these things, do them publicly, so get down there and let a lot of people see it." They're mocking him. They've seen him do miracles.

He's done a lot up in the Galilee region. They're mocking him. "Get down there, you've got bigger crowds down there, do your stuff, dude, if you want them to believe. Why are you doing these things so privately? You think you're the sent one, then do some stuff and show everybody. Do it publicly." They're mocking him. That amazes me. How could they have grown up with Jesus and not believe that he was God Almighty in human flesh? We believe it and we're just watching him in his public ministry.

It has been my experience, and I think yours too, if you'll think about it, difficult at times to convince people in your own household or people that know you well that you belong to Jesus. Have you ever noticed that? Jesus had no faults. That had to make everybody miserable at home. "Who left this down here? I know it wasn't you, Jesus. Who left this down here? Pick it up. Who broke this? Jesus, go do something."

He had no faults, he had no flaws. He is God Almighty in human flesh. Why wouldn't you like him? Easy. You're too used to him, he's been around. And your mother kept saying, "Why can't you be more like your older brother?" right? "You guys are doing this, and look at him, he does his homework." Everybody's mad at the guy because he does his homework. We have faults, Jesus had none. We have them. Do you have any? Don't tell me no.

Yes, we do, don't we? Sure we do. If you don't have one, give it five minutes, you'll have one. Jesus said what? A prophet, a man or woman of God, is not without honor, except in their own town and in their own home. Has it changed? It hasn't, has it? We have to learn to love each other. That's what the Spirit of God is doing through us. We have to learn to love one another.

Jesus is teaching his disciples. They are getting on each other's nerves, and if you read through scriptures, as we've been reading it, you're going to see they fought a lot among themselves. Jesus said, "Love each other." "Oh, we do, Lord," and then he goes over there to pick up something and they go, "You're an idiot. And by the way, I'm greater than you when we get to heaven, you're going to be working for me, dude. And you're ugly."

And then Jesus come back and say, "What are you talking about?" and they would go, "Nothing, we're just kind of goofing." And he'd know, remember, and he'd say, "If you want to be great in God's kingdom, learn to be the servant of everybody else." He knew. He knows what we're doing. He knows. Everybody he knows, just get used to it. That amazes me though, his brothers don't believe in him.

Well, of course they wouldn't. This is what he said to his brothers: "You do your own thing. You don't care what God thinks about it. God's one told us to go. Yeah, but you see, you got no heart for God." And he's trying to tell his own brothers in that the same thing. Can't ignore it. God's divine sovereignty, mankind's free will. You guys do your own thing, do what you want, you've got a free will. My will is to do the will of the one who sent me.

That's why we're Christians. I love this because God said before Jesus came to this earth that he had a plan for Jesus' life. I believe before you got to this earth, the Lord knew when you'd be saved. I believe he had a plan for you and for me, do you? Sometimes that plan has included real trouble, hasn't it? Heartache, sickness, health issues, sometimes starving, not eating for long periods of time, homeless, right?

God's got a plan and in it, we walk through it and trust him, don't we? That's what we do, that's what Jesus is doing. God has a plan for Jesus' life. Jesus trusts his father, trusts his father's plan and willingly obeys even to the cross. Willing to go to the cross because that's what his father wanted. So Jesus tells his brothers, he's not being rude, they're kind of mocking, but he is not being insulting or rude.

He says this: "You all go on up to the feast. I will not go yet." Notice the language. "Of course I'm going to go. God in the law, he requires it. We'll do what we can to fulfill the law, we'll do what's right. But I won't leave just because you want to leave now. I'll leave when my father tells me to go on and go." He wasn't saying he wasn't going to go; he's saying, "I won't go yet." Jesus will go to the feast, but not until the Father says, "Go ahead."

How in tune is that? When God speaks, we just hear it. How in tune is that? That is cool. That's what we're praying about, isn't it? Our own hearts. So his brothers, that's what they did. They headed on down to Jerusalem to the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus waited behind, waiting on his father's timing and waiting on his father's will. And when he went, of course his disciples went with him, you know.

They're waiting. His disciples were waiting. And he didn't make a big show out of his entrance into Jerusalem, his presence. He went in privately, not looking to draw attention to himself. The time will come, and we all know it, when he will ride into Jerusalem on that donkey, the colt of a donkey, and receive worship as the savior and the king. But not this feast, not this one. So he just waits on God.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to Apply Within with Pastor Bob Davis. Apply Within is the radio outreach ministry of North Country Chapel. Our Sunday morning Bible studies are at 9:00 and 11:00 AM. We also have a Friday evening Bible study at 7:00 PM and a Monday evening Bible study at 7:00 PM. You can download today's message in its entirety at northcountrychapel.com/studies. That's northcountrychapel.com/studies.

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If you have been blessed by the teaching or have prayer requests that you would like to share with us, write, email, or call us as well. Please join with us every Monday through Friday as we study together verse-by-verse on Apply Within, sponsored by North Country Chapel. God bless you.