The Church of Eleven22 - Wk 10: Come to Me

Episode Date: June 13, 2021

The Church of Eleven22 is a movement for all people to discover and deepen a RELATIONSHIP with JESUS CHRIST. Visit coe22.com/john to download the journal, find series resources and more.

Amen, amen. Listen, I am so excited to be with you guys this morning. First and foremost, I just want to show my appreciation to 1122. You guys have been so hospitable and encouraging during this time. I also want to thank Pastor Jobi for the opportunity and invitation to be able to preach here. Can you guys give it up for your leader, Pastor Jobb, this morning? Come on, you guys can do better than that. Let's give it up for our pastor. All right, pretty good. You guys know. he looks at the stream to see what service is the loudest. And I think you guys might have been the loudest. So you are now, Pastor Joby's favorite service. Praise God. And listen, man, God is doing some mighty things here at 1122. And really, you and your pastor are known not just across the nation, but around the world. In fact, when I have the opportunity to preach different places, one of the things I'm asked is, man, was it like preaching at 1122?

What's it like to know Pastor Jobi? and I'd say, you know, Pastor Jobby's a humble leader. He's a phenomenal gospel-centered leader. And then after some moments of comfortability, kind of get closer, and some inside pastoral talk rises up. And they say, well, what does Pastor Jobbe really like? Well, what does it really like to know Pastor Job? And I say, well, man, look, it's like taking Charles Spurgeon,

Stone Cold Steve Austin, Larry the cable guy, and they all had come together and have a baby. And amen, that's Pastor Jobie. It's a gospel-centered rattlesnake that's funny. That's a force for the kingdom. But I'm really excited to join you guys to continue in the gospel of John. So if you have a copy of God's word, meet me in John chapter 5. And in John chapter 5, we're going to see this continued theme of what it means to believe

that the gospel of John really is this gospel tract. It's this missionary letter that is written to an audience that John wants to believe in Jesus Christ. Scholars tell us that the book of John could be split up in two ways. It could be split up as the first half as a book of signs, signpost, showing us what the identity of Jesus is. The second half could be the book of the cross or the book of glory, showing us not merely the identity of Jesus through signs and wonders, but the activity of Jesus at the cross dying for the world. John wants us to believe. 1122. This morning, God wants you to believe as we look into John chapter 5. Now, can we be honest? Sometimes it's hard to believe. In fact, there may be friends here who have been invited

or have been coming and sneaking in and attending, and it's hard for you to talk about this idea believe because of suffering or circumstances, and you've had a lot of serious doubts about God. In fact, that's really the temperature of a lot of people in our nation. One major study says this. In the last five years alone, the unaffiliated have increased from just over 15% to just under 20% of all U.S. adults. Their ranks now include more than 13 million self-described atheists and agnostics. Listen to this, nearly 6% of U.S. public, as well as 33 million people who say they have no particular religious affiliation, about 14%.

And I know there may be some atheists or agnostics or even doubters here this morning, but the beautiful thing about John Chapter 5 is there's encouragement for doubters. See, it doesn't matter if you're a Christian or a non-Christian. The truth is that all of us have had doubts in certain seasons of life that was spurred on by trials and tribulations or some type of sense of suffering. And every thoughtful Christian throughout history and even now has had doubts scurry across their minds or even be implanted in their hearts. For some of us, we doubt the word of God. Let's be honest, how many of us have fallen asleep reading the book of Leviticus? Or maybe you read a well-known Bible story, such as the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the flood, and you think to yourself a worldwide flood, really. God flooded the earth, puts the family

on the Titanic, this guy named Noah is like this ancient Dr. Doolittle, and he helps all these animals, and then God resets the world? Or what about the Red Sea? God split the Red Sea and actually parted it, and Israel walked through on dry land. Well, maybe it's not just about stories in the Bible. Maybe there's portions that seem like contradictions in the Bible, and you're wondering why there's four different gospels, or why there's certain things. things in the Bible that don't seem to match up. Or maybe for you, it's difficult doctrines in the Bible. You still squirm in your seat whenever there's a sermon about hell.

Or you scratch your head thinking about the doctrine of election. Or maybe it's not reading the word of God, or maybe it's not the doctrines in the Bible. Maybe for you, it's this tension between what you know in the scientific world and what you practice and believe in church. I mean, who hasn't asked this question? What happened to dinosaurs? Where did Kane get his wife? Why did God create mosquitoes? And where do Georgia Bulldog fans come from anyway?

Maybe it's not science and faith. Maybe it's not reading the Bible. Maybe it's not necessarily contradictions in the Bible. Maybe you just think the Bible is morally outdated this morning. You're a doubter or a skeptic, and you're saying to yourself, why is God so concerned about what I do in my bedroom? See, no matter where you are, the truth is, there are many ways we can doubt what the word of God may say

or what the God of the Bible has proclaimed to be truth. But I want you to know it seems even more irrational to believe the ultimate theme to a lot of people in the watching world. Think about this. If you are a Christian this morning, you say a carpenter was born 2,000 years ago, who saved the world, dying as a criminal, brought peace on earth,

and there's been a ton of violence ever. since. And he rose from the dead and he's coming back. See, some of you, if you didn't have doubts, you have doubts now. Say, I never thought about those things. Others of you, you are doubting, and maybe they're not intellectual objections, but you have obstacles in your heart. You've been doubting and questioning whether or not you should believe in Christianity or believe anything John wrote. And I want you to know that doubts are a reason that many people can't believe. Now here's the beautiful thing. Christianity is not a faith where you just check out intellectually.

It's not just a place where you turn your mind off. Then in John chapter 5, Jesus is going to defend a major sign he has demonstrated in front of all these Jewish leaders. These Jewish leaders are mad because Jesus has broken the Sabbath and he has healed and they want to know who are you. Jesus is going to tell them exactly who he is. The beauty about this in John chapter 5. Jesus says, I can take your doubt. I can take your worry. I can take all of your skepticism, and I can give you reasons to believe.

In fact, that's what I want to title, the message from John Chapter 5, reasons to believe. Jesus is going to show us. It doesn't matter ultimately about how you answer those questions. What matters ultimately is what you do with Jesus. That's what I want to ask you this morning. what are you going to do with Jesus? After Jesus speaks for himself and gives reasons on why we should believe in Jesus,

the question that we have to ask ourselves is, what do we do with Jesus in our life? Because John Chapter 5 is going to show us Jesus changes everything. He overcomes sin, he overcomes death, and he gives life, and he's going to show us he is the thing that determines, not merely just history, but our eternity. In John chapter 5, he gives us first reason. It's reason number one. Why we should place our faith in Jesus is that Jesus is God. Jesus is God.

Here's a difficult truth for many of us to swallow. If we say that Jesus is God, we're saying that ultimately, Jesus is not just another rabbi, he's not just another teacher, he's not just another miracle worker, he is saying that he should be the object of worship. Now the irony here is that this Jesus is being persecuted for breaking the law even though he is the lawmaker. They're coming to him as a lawbreaker, but he's the actual lawmaker. And Jesus is saying, I am God.

I have all authority. There's a man named C.S. Lewis that challenges us on this idea. He challenges us on this idea on what it's like to just follow Jesus as this moral leader or this moral teacher. He says this. Listen, listen. A man who is merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said will not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice.

So this morning, as we dive into John chapter 5, got to ask ourselves, is Jesus a liar, lunatic, or Lord? And Jesus says in John chapter 5, I'm Lord, I'm Alpha and Omega. I am the savior of the universe. I am the Lord with all capital letters. John chapter 5 started with verse 18 says this. This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him. Because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, this day there was supposed to be set aside as a day of rest, but he was even calling God his own father.

making himself equal with God. So Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, the son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the father doing. For whatever the father does, that the son does likewise. For the father loves the son

and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him so that you may marvel. for as the father raises his dead and gives them life, so also the son gives life to whom he will. For the father judges no one. But he has given all judgment to the son. That all may honor the son just as they honor the father.

Whoever does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him. Now stop right there. Here Jesus is giving us the reasons, three reasons, in particular, why he is God. He's given us evidence on why we should consider him as divinity and deity, why we should consider him as the creator of the universe. The first thing Jesus says is, he is equal and works with the Father. Versus 17 through 21, he's saying, I only do what the Father shows me. I only do what the Father does. I only heal because the Father heals.

I only save because the Father saves. And in eternity, God, the Father has been working, and so I am working. I have not broken the Sabbath. He also says not only is he equal in works, but he's equal in judgment. In verse 22, friends, Jesus says, I'm not merely the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. I will be the lion that judges the living and the dead. He's saying I will judge the righteous and the unrighteous.

As we read on in John, he's going to describe himself as being the door. Or in John chapter 14, verse 6, it says this. Jesus says, I am the truth, the way, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through... That's in your Bible too. See, Jesus is saying, I am the one who will be ultimate judge over those who embrace eternal life or those who go to eternal structure, and therefore I am God.

And then he continues in verse 23. He says, this ability and responsibility to do this makes me equal and honor. You could say worship. Jesus is saying, you can worship me because I have the responsibility of judgment and I have the works of everything the Father has shown me. Now, the Jewish leaders would have been infuriated at this point. To say that a peasant, a carpenter, Jesus is God in the flesh, would have been against anything they believe. Yet Jesus doubles down. They know only God can forgive sins.

Jesus says, I forgive sins. They know only God the Father can be working. And several times Jesus would accept worship. And you know why this is even more scandalous? Because if you believe Jesus went to the cross, that means on the cross, God dies. John chapter 3, verse 16. It says, for God so love the world

that he gave his son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. That means the God of Father, literally bankrupt, up in heaven by giving his son so that those who believe in him would have everlasting life and be reconciled back to him. But this is tragic and a scandal that God would die on the cross. Means that on the cross, God took six to seven inch nails to sever the nerves of Jesus. Means that it would be one long spike going through his feet.

That means that he would have been lifted up on a cross and his shoulders would have been dislocated in the only way that Jesus could breathe. on the cross as by ripping the nerves and flesh in his hands in order for him in order to stretch his lungs and get one more breath. And on the cross, arms stretch wide, he's saying, this is how much God loves you. There would be a crown of thorns mashed into his head. He would be spit upon by crowds, blindfolded and punched and mocked by soldiers. They would have whipped him with an instrument known as a phlegrum that would have had leather strips coming out of it with metal or bone tips at the end that was supposed to catch the

flesh of the victim the moment that they are ripped. Josephus, a scholar, says that it was so bad you could see someone small intestines from the back. But even worse, the wrath of God, the wrath of the Father that we deserve for sin, for placing other things above God, for breaking God's laws and commandments, for running away from God, hell, that condemnation, that judgment, we deserve for all eternity, Jesus would absorb in only a matter of ours. And the only way that he could do it is if he was a man, dying in our place, but simultaneously God, who had all the infinite power to absorb

the hell we deserved. That's why in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21, says this, he made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him he might become the righteousness of God. When you see Jesus on the cross, you also hear him on the cross. And on the cross, Jesus also cries out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Eloy, Elo, Elo, Allah Sabothany. He's saying that God has turned his back on him because he is pouring out sin on Jesus. And God, the Father being holy, cannot have sin in his presence. And so God, the Father, turns his back on the son, so he will never turn his back on you.

This is the scandal of God dying. that God kills his son. And whoever believes in his son gets it all, gets everlasting life. There was a rich man that lost his wife. And in consolation, he began to gravitate towards his only son and spend time with the son molding him in his image. As a practice, he taught his son how to be a collective,

of fine art. And they traveled the world collecting Van Gogh and Rembrandt and Picasso. And his son became a fine collector and the fellowship between the father and the son was a sweet solace for this family during a time of loss. But on one winter, the worst dreams of this rich man became true. His son would be sent off the war. And the father feared that he would lose his son just like he lost his wife. his wife. It was a cold night when that fear came true. Knocking on the door, he opens it up to find a soldier holding a telegram and a wrapped package. Soldier says, sorry to inform you, sir, your son was killed in battle, and he rescued many soldiers, including myself. struck by grief but yet overjoyed to hear about the sacrifice of his son he brought the soldier in

they began to convene and talk about the legacy of his son and finally the soldier pauses and begins to unwrap this package and he says here i have a portrait of your son i'm not a professional painter but i knew that you and him loved to collect art and i hope that you will take this as a precious gift of my appreciation for the sacrifice of your son The father's blown away. Even though this is an amateur work, he can see the resemblance and the affection of his son in the painting. This painting would become his favorite, and it would take the centerpiece on the mantle, and he would remove all other paintings to the side beholding his son.

The father would soon pass away. This great art collection, including the portrait of his son, would be auctioned off. People from around the world traveled to this auction. They couldn't wait to bid on Picasso and Rembrandt and Van Gogh. This was a collection that the world wanted to behold. Know what the first piece of that auction was? The portrait of the sun. The auctioneer opened up the program by saying,

this is the portrait of the sun, and it is going for $100. dollars. These not because the lecters were offended and angry, saying we have no idea who the painter is. We have no idea who the son was. Move this out the way, and let's get to the good stuff. The auctioneer says we can't. It's in the will of the father that we would auction off the son first.

And in the back, a lonely butler who had spent time with the family and knew the son, affectionately, said, I don't have $100, but I have $10. Auctioneer says, sold to the man with $10. And this auction is closed. These snobby collectors are angry again. How in the world can it be closed? How can you close it? We still have all these beautiful paintings worth millions of dollars to bid on.

And the auctioneer says, well, it's in the will of the father. that whoever gets the sun gets it all. 1122, that's what I stopped by to tell you. That whoever gets the sun gets peace. Whoever gets the sun gets joy. Whoever gets the sun gets life. Whoever gets the son gets freedom. Whoever gets the son gets forgiveness, redemption, healing, hope, faith and love.

Take Jesus and you can have it all. But the beauty of John chapter 5 is, God doesn't die. He gets up from the dead. Reason number two, Jesus is alive. Here, Jesus is going to appeal to several resurrections that will ultimately be proof of his resurrection. You know, they tell us Jesus was put in a borrowed tomb. And I love that.

You know why it's borrowed? Because he gave it back. Verse 24 says this, truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment. But it's passed from death to life. I pray that somebody streaming or here tastes the reality of this verse.

Verse 25, he says, truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God. and those who hear will live. For as the father has life in himself, so he has granted the son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment because he is the son of man. Do not marvel at this. For an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs

will hear his voice. Come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Again, we see three evidences of Jesus being over these particular resurrections. The first one is Jesus resurrects dead sinners. And that's why we know he is alive, because Jesus is still working. Jesus is saying we know that I will not be dead and that I am God because I am still mighty to save and I make people alive. 1122, you would be blown away that Thursday at 722, 65 people.

gave their life to Christ. Okay, maybe that wasn't good enough. You'll be challenged to know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life because at 9 a.m., a few hours ago, over 240 people gave their life to Christ. Now, here's the beauty. Jesus says there's no expiration date on that invitation. That I've been doing this for 2,000 years

and you know that I am alive and I can take your doubts and your discouragement and your anxiety and your worry because I'm alive and I'm still, am the saving business. What is it this morning that you want to give to me? As a depression, I'll take it. As a suicidal thoughts, I'll take it. Is it a bad marriage? I'll take it. And I show you, I am still the God that resurrects. He also tells us that he resurrects those for eternal life and those facing judgment. This is where we really have to challenge ourselves. Jesus says, I will give out judgment towards those who don't follow me.

That you can't sit on the wall. That ultimately you have to do something with your doubts and you have to sink in them or give them to the lifeguard, Jesus. Friends, this is a future resurrection that points towards us having to put our faith in Jesus. Now, let me just give you a wager. Because some of you may be teetering on the fence. Listen to this.

If Jesus is God and you obey, at worse, you believe a lie. Listen to the other side of that coin. That if Jesus is God and you reject him, at worse, you face his judgment. See, Jesus gives us the reason to believe in these resurrections because ultimately we look towards Jesus being resurrected from the dead himself. That Jesus says you can believe in a moment. my words because I am risen from the dead. Let me just ask you, for those who are doubters or seekers or even Christians that may be

questioning this thing, have you ever considered the evidence for the resurrection? See, I went to the University of Central Florida, was a religious studies major. And I was blown away when I was actually beginning to study the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and see how many scholars actually affirmed that the tomb is empty and there's no skeletons in God's closets. That I actually saw that those who don't believe in Jesus Christ risen from the dead have

two possibilities they pontificate on. Listen to them. The first one, the hallucination theory. They basically say that the disciples hallucinated that Jesus rose from the dead. They have to

agree that the tomb is empty they have to agree that somebody saw something, but the way they tried to explain it away as by saying they hallucinated. Now, the flip side is, Jesus appeared to 11 at once, and in 1st Corinthians 15, Jesus appeared to 500 people at one time.

Scholars of hallucinations say that there has never been a mass hallucination to that extent. Friends, listen to me. This is before marijuana was legalized. So if that doesn't work, what's the second option to say Jesus rose from the dead? They say it's a legend. They say it started off with people believing that Jesus was a teacher like no other,

and he was somebody that did have a moral character that you would want to follow, but this legend got out of hand. Before we knew it, people started saying Jesus rose from the dead, saw him, like many people see Tupac and Elvis, say that he's not dead. You know the other side of that coin is? Scholars who study legends say it takes hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years for a legend to be culturally accepted as a fact. You know what?

We get Jesus being God and risen from the dead just several years after his death in 57 AD and Philippians Chapter 2. So that doesn't even explain the empty tomb. The only thing that explains the empty tomb is that Jesus, got up from the dead. Now listen to me, if you're doubting or you're skeptic, maybe you've been invited to the stream, and here's what I want to say. The evidence is there if you want to believe.

But we have to ask ourselves, do we have the humility to recognize and the humility to submit? Are we willing to make the decision to actually seek Jesus? Jesus wants to be sought. John chapter 7, verse 17, says this, if anyone's will is to do God's will,

he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I'm speaking on my own authority. What comes first in that text? Belief or willingness to believe? The willingness. Jesus says if you're merely willing, you will find me. Jeremiah 29 verses 13 through 14 says this, when you search for me, you will find me. If you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord.

Have you ever played hide and seek with a child? We hide in a way that's easy to be found. I mean, my son, Cam, that's six years old. If we play hide-and-seek and I really don't want to be found, I'll get in my car, leave. He'll look for me for a week. But I'm a good father. I want to be found because when I'm found, it brings him joy.

That's the way the God of the universe is. It says, if you seek me, you will find me. If you look for me, you will find me. I'm like a father that hides in an open closet that has no door. I'm like a father that hides behind a bush that is way smaller to me, that if you seek me, you will find me. God says this. He wants us to understand this. Willingness to submit to God precedes knowledge of God.

Oftentimes, the mind will never consider what the heart already condemns. So where's your heart this morning? Now, here's what I'm not saying. I'm not saying you don't have to forget your doubts, check out your. doubts, here's what I'm saying, God is big enough for your doubts. You know, we see that in the Bible. How many of you guys have ever heard of Thomas in the Bible? Or doubting Thomas, many of us know him by doubting Thomas, which I don't like, because

he gets a bad rap. He's the only person we know by his flaws. I mean, we don't call Moses Killer Moses. We don't call David, David the adulterercher. We don't call Peter, Peter the Pottymouth rapper, which are all good rap names, by the way. we tend to look down on Thomas but Jesus didn't you know what Jesus did he said I'll find you in your doubts I will search you out in your doubts in John chapter 20 verse 7 27 uh Jesus says this to Thomas put your fingers here see my hands reach out your hand and put it into my side stop doubting and believe

that Jesus says there is room for doubters at the empty tomb that you can come and feel my scars and know that I love you, you can come and know that I'm willing to meet you in your doubts and in your mess. Guess what happens here? Thomas. Thomas, John chapter 20, verse 28, he responds this way. He says, my Lord and my God. He begins to worship Jesus.

He stops doubting and he believes because he knows Jesus loves him and Jesus pursued him. And if Jesus would die for me, how will he not graciously give me all things? And that there's room for doubters at the empty tomb. Here's what I'm saying, listen, there are some Christians here who feel like deflated disciples. Your doubts have been weighing you down. I'm asking you at the end of the service during the time of worship to bring those doubts here at the altar. Get on your knees and say, God, I'm bringing my doubts to the empty tomb that if you can raise Jesus from the dead, you can raise my marriage, you can raise me above addiction, you can raise me above temptation,

you can raise me above failure, you can raise me above anything I'm dealing. with that I'm willing to stop and believe. Note the last reason Jesus gives us. It really touches me in my own heart. This is third reason. Jesus is trustworthy. That's how he ends out this testimony. You know why this is so beautiful?

I don't know if you've been like me, but I have put my trust in other things before. Put my trust in doctors to find out they can't heal. Put my trust in friends only to be betrayed or let down. Put my trust in money or success or popularity only to find those things fluctuate up and down depending on the wind in the world. Some of you are teenagers or young adults here and you may put your trust in sports or success, college degrees. and after an injury or a major reroute or a major failure, you found those things weren't trustworthy. They're idols.

They're false gods. They over-promise and under-deliver every time. But you know what Jesus says? Test me. Just try me. Taste and see how I can deliver, how I'm trustworthy, how I can feel that hole in your heart. Nobody else can feel.

It's the way he goes on here. Verse 30, he says this. Verse 30, he says, I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just. I won't lie to you about my judgment, because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. Again, makes Jesus different from every other religious leader. He is saying, you can test me according to reason and investigation, and you can see if my words are actually true.

And Jesus is going to give us some evidence on why he should. trustworthy. Here's the first one. Verse 32, there's another who bears witness about me. And I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John and he has born witness

to the truth. Who is that? John the Baptist. What the pastor Jobbys says that John the Baptist has to say about Jesus that we read about? Behold what? The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. See these scholars and all of these religious elite respected John the Baptist,

and they knew that his testimony was true and even more odd, is that John the Baptist is the older cousin of Jesus. Y'all know your older cousin wouldn't testify for you like that. I mean, if my older cousin had to testify, he might say, behold, the greatest princester the world has ever seen. Behold, the greatest crybaby the world has ever seen, but not behold the Lamb of God. See, John the Baptist sees Jesus.

for what he is, but Jesus goes deeper there. Verse 34, he says this, not that the testimony that I receive is for man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light, but the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. He's going even deeper on his defense. He says, for the works that the Father has given to me accomplish, the very works that I am doing bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

He's saying, look at these signs, these signposts, to demonstrate who I am. Do you think it's amazing that I can turn water into wine? Watch when I take sin that's red as scarlet and make them white as snow. You think it's amazing that I can walk on water? Wait till you see me trample the serpent Satan under my feet. Jesus says that these works demonstrate my identity in who I am. Verse 37, and the Father who sent me has borne witness about me.

He's saying, the Father himself says that I am God. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. Verse 39, how does the Father testify that Jesus is the Son of God? you search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life and it is they that bear witness about me Jesus is saying from Genesis to Revelation I'm the thread that holds the Bible together in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth John in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God Moses says that there will be a greater prophet Jesus is the greatest prophet

Adam and Eve are dying in shame. God has to kill an animal to cover them nakedness and their shame as a sacrifice. Jesus says, I am everything that is foreshadowed in the Old Testament. Old Testament promises made, New Testament promises kept. But here's the tragedy here. Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. Yet you refuse. I do not receive glory from people.

but I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come into my father's name and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you. Moses, on whom you have set your hope.

for if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe his words? Jesus is saying, I'm everything that the Old Testament hoped for. I'm the greater Moses. I'm the greater Abraham. I'm the greater Joseph. I'm the brother that was sold into slavery. I'm the brother in a high position that will redeem a nation.

everything that you read in the Old Testament in the book of Moses or in the writings of the Old Testament point towards me. And yet the tragedy still here is in verse 40, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. And I believe that's one thing doubt is going to do in our lives. Some of you are living verse 40. And God wants to give you verse 24. Verse 24 says, comes to me, hear me, and you will have life. I'm not sure what that doubt and discouragement is rooted in. For some of you, it might be a season of cancer.

For others of you, it could be the loss of a child. There's some here that lost their faith on a college campus because you believe the words of a professor before the words that were read in your Bible. You've been sinking. I mean, the question we all have to ask ourselves when we begin to stray away from God is, how's that going for you?

You're still looking for peace at the bottom of a bottle? you're still finding peace and places that continually leave you more hopeless and hopeless after every try and every attempt, no job would do it, no city would do it, no person would do it. And Jesus says to you this morning, bring me those doubts. Bring me those weights that bear you down and find that I am the resurrection and the life, that I came that you would have life and have it more abundantly. See, here's the good news from John chapter 5. There is no distance, grace won't exceed, and no doubt hope can eclipse.

That there's no situation that's bigger than what Jesus has done for us, that he reminds us, just like Thomas, come to me and put your hands in my hand, your heart and my heart, and allow me to take on your burden. Stop doubting and believe. See, the beautiful thing about John Chapter 5 is this. You can't see God's face, but you can feel the scars. that you can believe that Jesus can take any doubts, any discouragement because he died at the cross and he has risen from the dead. And the truth is in Romans 8 that God says, if God, who will not spare his only son, how will he with him not graciously give us all things?

But you have to take it now. You have to take it right now. You know, in 1829, there was this man named George Wilson that was arrested with his friend for robbing a U.S. men. mail carrier, which was a federal offense. He was facing the death sentence, and they would execute his friend first. But George Wilson had friends in high places. In fact, some of his friends knew Andrew Jackson, the president at the time, and appealed to President Jackson to give Wilson a pardon.

And he wrote a pardon for George Wilson. The only catch is, the sheriff tried to give it to George Wilson. and he rejected it. They didn't know what to do. I mean, what do you do with a person who will not accept the pardon? It became such a debacle that had found its way all the way to the Supreme Court. And the Supreme Court decided that a pardon is not a pardon unless it's accepted. George Wilson was executed with a pardon on the sheriff's desk.

There's a pardon this morning. for those who have never placed their faith and their trust in Jesus Christ. And I say to you as a preacher that could be preaching his last sermon, yesterday is a cash check. Tomorrow's a deposit you can't count on. The only thing you can cash right now is right now. Don't face the eternity of hell with a pardon sitting on your ears. Jesus says, come to me and I will give you life.

that this morning, you need to confess your sins, your brokenness, your failure, your attempts to fix it on your own, your doubts, your discouragements, and you need to bring it to the cross, and you need to peer inside the empty tomb and see that Jesus is the author of life and he is the missing piece of your heart you've been searching for. Every head bowed, eyes close. Listen to me, we just bow our heads to say there's an end of ourselves, to our demonstration of an inward reality that we are giving reverence to God. We close our eyes, so we're not a distraction to ourselves or anyone else. We do this because at this moment, everybody has an individual decision to make.

Jesus says, I have given you the part, and what will you do with it? So I'm going to ask this on the count of three, that you would lift up your hand on the count of three as an of surrender, raising your white flag, lifting up the God saying, God save me right now and my discouragement and my anxiety and my depression and all of my past and faults and trauma, God save me right now, but more importantly, save me from this quicksand of sin. Because if I died right now, I would face you as a judge instead of advocate, but I want eternal life. I need to trust in you.

There's some here that are teenagers and young adults, and you've been following your family, but you've never take initiation in your faith, and you'll raise your hand. Say, Jesus, save me. I have reasons to believe. There's others that have been in the church, in and out. You've attended other places. You come to a breaking point in your life where you lost a loved one, or you're at a point of despair. You feel like giving up.

You feel like killing yourself. But you're going to reach up. out to God and say, Lord, save me right now. There's others that are at different campuses. There's some who are in their living room right now in a pool of tears wondering, how in the world will I get out of this mess? Answer, Jesus. So on the count of three,

this act of worship to say, Jesus, you lived the life I should have lived. You died to death, I should have died. You rose from the dead with all power, and you are coming again. Jesus, save me as Lord and Savior. Here, I surrender. One, two, three, hands up as an act of worship. See hands all across this place. Hands up, keep them up as an act of worship.

Keep them up as an act of worship. Thank God save me. Father God right now, I pray for my friends who are keeping their hands in the air saying, Lord, save me. We see hands all across this campus, and we know that there are hands risen right now that we cannot see. And Father, we praise you because you are still mighty to save. You are still resurrecting.

You are still saving. Would you make your Holy Spirit alive and active in their life where you would convince them of their sin and convince them of the Savior? Would you begin a good work in them and bring it into completion? Would you remove scales from their eyes, turn hearts of stone into hearts of flesh? But ultimately, God, break chains in this moment.

you would liberates and demonstrate that you are God, you are alive, and you are trustworthy. God, if you do that, we'll be so, so careful to give you all the praise because you're worthy. I pray for my friends that are Christians who will bring their doubts and their burdens here at the altar, bowing down, peering into the empty tomb to say, you are the God of all miracles. You are the God that can release and save. You are the God that can overcome any situation that's in this room or anywhere else at a campus or online. Come and kneel down before God wherever you are saying, God, it's too heavy for me.

So I give it to you. In Christ's name.