John 8:30-38 | Nov. 11, 2018 | Morning Worship

‘As He was saying these things, many believed in Him. ³¹ So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word,you really are My disciples.³² You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”³³ “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered Him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will become free’?”³⁴ Jesus responded, “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.³⁵ A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever.³⁶ Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.³⁷ I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill Me because My word is not welcome among you.³⁸ I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father;therefore, you do what you have heard from your father.”

Growing up we were always told to tell the truth.  Yet if we are not careful it is easy to be led astray.    How much of your life is based upon the truth?  Do you place heavy emphasis on the Word of God?  My life has been based upon the truth;Do you find yourself in bondage, imprisoned waiting to be set free; this certainly was a clear description of me prior to coming to Christ.

This is the passage that my whole Christian walk is founded upon.  As a young teen I was easily led astray to temptation, lured into darkness into the early stages of stealing, taking that which was not mine to possess.   I was living a lie, eventually the truth always has a way of reaching the surface and we must be ready to face the consequences.  The truth was, I was lost, I recall one evening sitting in the car in the garage pleading with my Dad;I promise I won’t steal anymore.Jesus declared in John’s gospel that to know the truth and truth will set you free!  These words were foreign to me until that day in 1974 I gave my life to Jesus. This is the freedom this young teen sought for and found in Jesus Christ who I have followed these past 44years.

Yet today how many of us wrestle with the truth?  What is truth, it is important to know the truth therefore we can understand this teaching.  It is said that God’s Word is reliable for God’s word is truth.  Jesus is truth, my relationship with Him is built on truth for I can rest assured in the promise He made for me; to know the truth and the truth will set you free.

We are all seeking the truth therefore we need to understand the meaning of what we seek.  Following His teaching will unveil this reality, Jesus promises you and I freedom.  Truth-in the sense of real, ideal, genuine, describe the true meaning of God’s name, He cannot lie.

THE ONE WHO SENT ME IS TRUE:

John 7:28-29 “As He was teaching in the temple complex, Jesus cried out, “You know Me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on My own, but the One who sent Me is true. You don’t know Him.Iknow Him because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

1. Christ’s answer He spoke freely and boldly in the temple courts and cried out in earnest He who has ears let him hear. You know Me yet you are mistaken, you take Me to be the carpenter’s son, born in Nazareth but it is not so.
2. Denying that which did see Him in and know in Himwas all that was to be made known. Jesus will tell them what they did not know from where He came.
3. He did not come on His own.
4. That He was sent by His Father as beams from the sun.
5. The Father who sent Him is true. He had promised to give the Messiah.  He made the promise true and has performed it.  He is true and will fulfill the promise to the calling of the Gentiles.
6. That these unbelieving Jews did not know the Father. He who sent Me is true.  There is much ignorance of God even with many who have form of knowledge and the true reason why so many reject Christ is because they do not know God.
7. Our Lord Jesus is intimately acquainted with the Father who sent Him; But I know Him. Jesus did not doubt His mission from the Father, not at all in the dark concerning His work He had to do.

Discover the truth is crucial to our everyday walk:

1 John 2:3-6 “This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet doesn’t keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected.  This is how we know we are in Him: ⁶ The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.”

  TRUTH IS IN YOU:

1 Thessalonians 1:8-9 “For the Lord’s message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faithin God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything,for they themselves reportwhat kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.”

They themselves were examples to all around them:

1. Their example was very effective to make a good impression on others. They were models or instruments to make good impression with.  Christians should be good as by their example to influence others.
2. It was very extensive and reached beyond the confines of Thessalonica, even to the believers of all Macedonia and further in Achaia.
3. It was very famous, The Word of the Lord was famous and well known in all the regions around the city, and everywhere so that the good success of the gospel among them. Others were encouraged and willing to suffer for it.  The readiness of their faith was famed abroad.  They forsake their idolatry, they gave themselves to the living and true God.  They set themselves to wait for the Son of God from Heaven.

Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples ofall nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,  I am with you always,  to the end of the age.”

Excited, passionate and with great zeal they spoke of the love of Christ to all.  This is why I love the truth!  No matter our circumstances cling to Jesus and His word  Church, you will gain excitement, passion and zeal for His name.

TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE:

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word,you really are My disciples.³² You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The true character of Christ unless you hold to My teaching you are not a true disciple.  You need to be strong in faith to see if they be sound in faith.  Only those who hold to Christ’s teachings shall be accepted as real disciples.  We are required to dwell in His Word which is the centre, refuge and rest for each believer.  Secondly, it is a privilege to be a true disciple of Christ and let each of us hold fast to the promises of God.

1. To know the truth-as Christ’s disciples we are to be taught well. These teaching will set men free.  Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me,because the Lord has anointed Meto bring good news to the poor.
   He has sent Me to healthe brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives
   and freedom to the prisoners;” It makes us free from our spiritual enemies, free in the service of God, free to the privileges of sons of God.
2. Truth actually sets us free, free from prejudices, mistakes and false notions, free from the dominion of lusts and passion. The mind, by admitting the truth of Christ is vastly enlarged, and has a scope and compass:

2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Dr. David Jeremiah “Developing a Dynamic Relationship” …..Getting the most from God….Physically, life can be a challenge. I know from experience.  And it was a huge challenge for the apostle Paul.  But while we are alive…that is what I want to encourage you to consider.  Wherever you are with the Lord you bring intelligence, talent, giftedness, wisdom, how to experience, and a world of insight to your relationship with Him.  Each of us knows God in a different waybased on the path He has laid out for our life.  Nobody has experienced with God what you have experienced.

You are a unique, irreplaceable, member of God’s spiritual temple, the church, and of His kingdom.  And regardless of how many years God gives you, there is more of God  for you to discover and share with others.  The older we get both chronologically and spiritually, the easier it is for us to think we know it all-or at least enough to carry us to the end of life.  But think back to Paul.  He knew more than most of us know when he wrote the letter to the Philippians.  Yet he told them he was not satisfied; he was casting off everything in order to know more of Christ.

That should be our attitude as well.  We shouldn’t put off knowing God better for the future since none of us knows what the future will hold.  We should make it our goal to know more about God every day and in every way.”