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Bob Davis: Who sent Jesus? God sent Jesus. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Remember? And the word John writes the beginning in chapter one, "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory," John writes. That's of the only begotten of the Father. Jesus Christ is God Almighty in human flesh.

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 warns of coming judgment as our study of John continues in chapter 8, verse 21. Here's Pastor Bob.

Bob Davis: Then said Jesus again unto them, "I go my way, and you shall seek me, look for me, and you shall die in your sins. And where I go, whither I go, you cannot come." Then said the Jews—remember, it's not just the people now. The people are there too, but the Jews are the religious leaders.

Then the Jews said, "Will he kill himself? What's he talking about? Is he going to kill himself because he said 'whither I go, you cannot come'?" And he said to them, "You are from below." King James says, "You are from beneath." Now, that is not a slur. That is not some kind of an insult. He's just telling us the truth. "You are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world."

"I said therefore unto you that you shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins." In the original manuscript, the scripture says, "I said therefore unto you that you shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I am, you shall die in your sins." The "he" is put in there just to make sure it works in our language. But remember, he's already used the title "I AM." He's using it right here again. Yes, he's claiming to be God right there.

He's never too busy to teach people. He's never too busy to eat with them. He's never too busy to bless the kids. Jesus hardly had interruptions at all. They were really holy appointments, weren't they? Here's what he says, continues to teach. "I am going away. You will be looking for me, but you will die in your sin." Meaning you're going to continue to look for Messiah and you don't recognize I'm talking to you.

See, he didn't go in the dark so nobody recognized him. But he has already told this crowd a few times that he is the Father. They are angry with him already. They think he's blaspheming, making himself equal with God. So he says, "I'm going away. I'll be leaving. You'll come looking for me, but you will die in your sin." Meaning you'll continue to look for Messiah, but you don't recognize him even now. You didn't recognize Messiah when he was here. "Where I'm going, you cannot go."

And they still do not have any kind of clue what he's talking about. So the Jewish leaders, some of them that are still there, say, "What is he saying? What is this guy saying? Is he going to kill himself? What's he talking about? Where's he going to go that we can't go?" Then Jesus says this, "You are from beneath, I'm from above." He is not putting them down or suggesting that they're some kind of low-life. We all are. We're all sinners.

But that's not his point here. His point here is this: He's talking about earthly as opposed to heavenly. You see, everybody understands that we are basically from beneath, right? We're from earth. We're not from heaven above. We're going there by God's grace, but we're not from there. He is. He's the only one who came down and became flesh and dwelt among us. We were born like this. He had a choice.

So he's talking about earthly as opposed to heavenly. "You are of this world," in other words. So you only see and grasp things that are worldly. It's low compared to the things of heaven. "You're from below, I'm from above." Let me read verse 24. "I said therefore that you shall die in your sins, for if you believe not that I am, you shall die in your sins." And he said that already, but he's repeating it again.

I said that you would die in your sins because if you do not believe that I am—the "he" is added there, it's not in the original manuscript—it's a title that God uses for himself. Jesus Christ is taking that title. Jesus is the Messiah. They all claim they're looking for him. You're looking right at him. You won't believe that I am. If you continue like that, you will die in your sins.

He's reminding those people, and as we're reading it, we're reminded too. He's reminding all of us that a Christian dies in the Lord. A Christian dies in the Lord. Why? Because he believes and lives in the Lord. Do this by God's grace through faith alone, not by works of righteousness. We die in the Lord because we live in the Lord. But the unbeliever dies in his or her sin because he or she lives in their sins, right?

They're not interested in turning away. They don't even give it a thought. You're going to die in your sins. You could die in the Lord, but you refuse to acknowledge the things I'm saying, that I'm Messiah. I'm the one you're looking for. You'll keep looking—he's going to bring it up again—you're going to keep looking for me when I'm lifted up, when I'm crucified. You're going to keep looking after that. And you were looking right at me the whole time.

So verse 25 says, "Then they said unto him, 'Who are you?'" Now, I love Jesus' response here. He said unto them, "Even the same that I said to you from the beginning, when you first asked me. I'm telling you the same answer every time, and you won't receive it. You hear it, but you don't want it to be. I have many things to say and to judge of you," verse 26 says. "But he that sent me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him."

They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father, God the Father in heaven. Jesus has told them—and if you've been reading it along with us, we've read it verse by verse—Jesus has told them over and over who he is. He's made it perfectly clear. We're reading and we go, "Yeah, that's exactly what he's saying." He's using the title—if you recall in Exodus chapter 3 in the burning bush—I AM.

"Who shall they're going to ask me," Moses says, "when I get there, I'm going to say the God of Israel sent me. And they're going to say, 'What's his name?' What do I tell them?" And God said, "Tell them I AM THAT I AM. Tell them I AM has sent me." The eternally existing one. Jesus has used it what, three times already in this chapter, or two times, and it's coming up again. I AM. He's using the title for God Almighty.

He says, "I've told you." "Well, who are you?" "The same one that I've been telling you and telling you. You just won't listen to me over and over," he said. He's made it perfectly clear. They even called him a blasphemer because he said what he said. He said, "I am the same one that I've been telling you all along since the beginning." And the idea here is you don't want to listen to it. You don't want to accept it.

You don't want to receive it. I've told you many things and he's got some things to judge. There are many more things I could say, but you're not hearing them. You won't listen. And then he tells them, "I am saying the things to you that the one who has sent me told me to say. I am telling you what God says, in other words. I'm telling you what my Father told me to tell you." But the people didn't understand that he was talking about God Almighty, the one that sent him.

Who sent Jesus? God sent Jesus. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Remember? And the Word, John writes the beginning in chapter one, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory," John writes. Those of the only begotten of the Father. Jesus Christ is God Almighty in human flesh. The only blood powerful enough to do away with sin.

In the Old Testament, the blood covered sin and so you'd have to sacrifice animal after animal, sin after sin, holy day after holy day, etc. It never washed it away, it covered it. The high priest would have to go in once a year on the great day, on that great Day of Atonement, and he would have to atone first for his own sins, offer, and then for all the people. And they had to do that once a year, the great Day of Atonement, every year.

Why? Because the blood wasn't powerful enough to do... the blood of animals not powerful enough to do away with sin completely. There's only one blood that's powerful enough and that's the blood of God. And the problem with the blood of God is God is spirit and doesn't have blood. So we have a dilemma. The rub comes in. How can we be saved if it's blood that has to be shed and the blood of animals won't take care of it completely?

God took care of it. He became flesh. He became one of us willingly. And he went to the cross and he shed the blood of God himself. And he paid the price in full. "I'm saying these things to you," Jesus says, "the things that the one that sent me told me to say to you. This is what the Father says." But the people couldn't get it. They couldn't understand him. They didn't know he was talking about God Almighty, his Father in heaven.

So verse 28 says, "Then Jesus said to them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man'—who's the Son of Man? Good, Messiah. Yeah, one of his names, Messiah, Jesus Christ. 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you shall know that I am.'" Remember, the "he" is not there, you'll notice if you're using King James, it's added in. He uses a title. "Then you shall know that I am and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father has taught me, I speak these things."

"I'm doing what the Father has told me to do. I'm saying what the Father has told me to say. And," verse 29, "he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him." Did you hear that? Jesus said, "I always do the things that please my Father." Let me go a little further in verse 30. As he spoke these words, many believed on him.

How many? Don't know. Now remember, I've heard people teach this and they'll say thousands. Well, could be. Could even be 20. But many. Many is many. You could speculate I suppose, but just know quite a few people that day believed. So put it all together. He says directly to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man." Now, I hope you understand when he's talking about being lifted up, that means not worshipping him.

He's talking about being crucified. He's talking about when he is hung on that cross. "When you, when you have lifted up the Son of Man," meaning they're going to crucify him. "Then you will know that I am." And again, "he" is not in the original manuscript. "You'll know that I am." Another, another time he uses God's name, the title "I AM." "Who should I say sent me?" "I AM THAT I AM. Tell them I AM sent me."

The eternally existing one. Meaning no beginning, no end. I AM. Always am, always was, always will be. So look at this. "When you lift up the Son of Man, when he's crucified, you will see or realize I do nothing of myself." Interesting statement. Meaning what I do is what my Father told me to do. What I do is what my Father wants me to do. What I do is why my Father sent me here. He's doing the will of God.

And as he's teaching all of us, his disciples, he's teaching us the same thing. Pray along these lines: "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Remember that we want that same kind of heart. "This is what I would like to see, Lord, but nevertheless, your will, not mine." And Jesus is telling us that. That's amazing. "I do nothing of myself. What I do is what the Father in heaven wants me to do. What I say is what the Father in heaven wants me to say."

The will of God is what Jesus is all about. So let's you and I pray the same thing. Lord, I want to do your will. Show me what to do. Tell me what to do. Tell me what to say. I want to do your will. The will of God is what Jesus was all about. I do believe the will of God is what every follower of Jesus should be about also. The will of God.

But don't we have a tendency to, well, do our own thing? A little maybe? No, a lot maybe. Yeah, well I'm doing this and I'm doing this and I'm doing this. God's most devoted servants have failed in something. Have you noticed it? Start in Genesis 1:1, read through Revelation 22:21 and see the different men and the women throughout in God's word and God's most devoted servants have failed in some area.

Isn't that true? Why? Because we're flesh. But Jesus failed in nothing. God Almighty in human flesh failed in nothing. He's the only one who could say what he just said here. "I always do those things that please the Father." I can't say that. Can you? "I always do the things that please the Father." I'll say it again. God's most devoted servants... King David was a man after God's own heart.

Did he always do the things that please the Father? No, he failed. Have I always done things that please the Father? No. But if good intentions counted, I'd have a smooth road. I start out to. How about you? Let's get off me for a while. How about you? Jesus is the only one in all of eternity who will be able to say, "I always do the things that please my Father." That's amazing.

And as Jesus spoke these words, many believed on him. Many believed. Now, because they believed, because they believe he's the Messiah. How are you saved everyone? He came here that we might be saved. He's headed for the cross right now as he's teaching these people to pay for the sin of the world. For mine and yours, for theirs, if they will surrender their hearts to believe.

Paul will write to Titus, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." It's by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. So verse 31. And as Jesus spoke, many believed. Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

He said that to those who believed in him. Not to the people that are saying, "This guy's crazy. Where's he going? Is he going to commit suicide or something? What is this guy, nuts?" Some believed. So here's Jesus now teaching us discipleship 101. Jesus says to those who believed on him right there, "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed," or truly.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." To be a true disciple or a disciple indeed, discipleship 101, write it down or underline it. It's easy. You must commit yourself completely to Jesus. That's a disciple indeed, truly. You must commit yourself to Jesus. The true disciple abides in Jesus Christ and abides in the word. To abide in the word means to continue, to be continuously in the word.

That doesn't mean you're reading it while you're driving, that would be crazy, you'd crash. But you get the point, don't you? You're remaining in the word of God. To those that believed in him, he said, "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed." See, because a true disciple, a disciple indeed, they've committed their hearts to God. They don't know anything.

These people are brand new. They don't know. He's not telling them, "Okay, by next Thursday, I want you to have memorized." That's not what's happening at all. He's just saying stay in the word. As you go through, you'll find another thing, get there toward Hebrews. Well, just go look it up. But I mean, go through the New Testament and you're going to find that we shouldn't forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner or the practice of some is.

Why? Because we really encourage one another if we're not eating each other alive usually. We do. Do you know how easy it is to get out of fellowship with other believers? You get busy, you get tired, you get sick, you get tired, you get sick and tired. And then you haven't been to church in two weeks and two weeks turns to four and pretty soon you don't go to church at all.

You go to heaven? Yes, by grace through faith. Going to get beat up along the way? Oh, a whole lot more, yeah, because we encourage one another. We're supposed to be building each other up. The church today pretty much practices eat each other alive. Form a circle and have a firing squad and somebody's bound to get hit. And that's how we do it. It's dangerous, it's not God's way.

But he wants us to remain in his word. And take him at his word. When he says it, believe that's what he's saying. Study it, make sure that's what he's saying, and walk in it. "If you continue in my word, then you're my disciples, and you shall know the truth, the truth shall make you free." Abide in the word means to continue, continue in it.

It's easy to get out of the, whatever, if you whatever term you use. Some people say I've got a habit of reading my Bible. Good. There are good habits and there are bad habits. That's a good habit. Keep reading your Bible. But if you're reading it for time, ready, go, boom, done. Normally, if you do that, you don't know what you just read. Someone say, "What'd you read?" "I don't know."

"Was it in the Old Testament or New?" "Not really sure." Well, okay, slow down then. It's not that you've got to get six chapters under your belt or you haven't read your Bible today. And you know, this is not a magic talisman: if I read enough I'm going to have a good day, if I don't I'm going to have a bad day. We're not superstitious. That's just not how it works.

So if you want to read the Bible in 30 minutes, okay. You know, read the entire Bible. You want to read it in a year? A lot of people love to get those "Read in One Year." I tell people to do that, I say that's great. But I used to try to do that too. But you know what? I was having to read five, six, seven chapters a day. You know what was sticking with me, don't you? Nothing.

But I read them and so I could check it off and at the end of the year, man, I've read the Bible in a year. And they counted for nothing. Read your Bible and listen to what God is saying. It's good for you. Stay in fellowship. Stay in fellowship. To be a true disciple, a disciple indeed, commit yourself to Jesus Christ. This is not just something I did because I felt bad about my life. This is something... you've been born again by grace through faith. You have new life now in Jesus Christ.

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 a.m. We also have a Friday evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. and a Monday evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. You can download today's message in its entirety at NorthCountryChapel.com/studies. That's NorthCountryChapel.com/studies.

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