Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / John 8:21-30
Transcript
- 0:00He has to have this eternal destiny in mind.
- 0:03In John chapter 17, in verse 3, Jesus defines eternal life this way.
- 0:09!
- 0:30Their part is that they would be with God forever.
- 0:34They thought that they were pleasers of God, and yet the opposite was true.
- 0:40Whatever you can imagine might be most horrific about hell,
- 0:44the worst thing will be exclusion from the place where God resides.
- 0:53I earnestly hope that you do not want to die in your sin.
- 1:00It is possible this morning that you just don't really care.
- 1:04It's possible that you love your sin.
- 1:08And I just want you to know that this is not a good position to stand in.
- 1:12Your eternal destiny matters.
- 1:15You should not want to die in your sin.
- 1:17You should want to die clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
- 1:22You should long for eternal life.
- 1:26I hope that if someone were to tell you how to avoid a temporal and eternal life of misery,
- 1:35that you would at least grant them a moment of your time, a bit of your attention.
- 1:43Will you give me just some moments?
- 1:47Hear the words that the scripture says.
- 1:49What the Bible has to say about your eternal destiny has the potential to change your life forever.
- 2:01Our outline for this text is going to follow John MacArthur's because I just thought it was so clever.
- 2:06He often is.
- 2:07This one especially so.
- 2:09He titled the chapter on these verses in his commentary,
- 2:13How to Die in Your Sins.
- 2:19So the first way to die in your sins.
- 2:23How to die in your sins.
- 2:24Number one.
- 2:26Be self-righteous.
- 2:28Verse 22.
- 2:31We note the response of the Jews.
- 2:34They say,
- 2:35Will he kill himself?
- 2:38Since he says,
- 2:39Where I am going,
- 2:41you cannot come.
- 2:44The religious leaders of Jesus' day were so confident in their righteousness
- 2:48that they assumed heaven was their destination.
- 2:55Jesus is saying,
- 2:56I'm going to a different place than you're going.
- 2:58And they so assumed they were going to heaven.
- 3:01They ask sarcastically,
- 3:04Will he kill himself?
- 3:06Suggesting that where he was going was hell.
- 3:12You see, the Jews had strong opinions about suicide.
- 3:16The first century Jewish historian Josephus wrote,
- 3:19Quote,
- 3:19The souls of those whose hands have acted madly against themselves
- 3:24are received by the darkest places in Hades.
- 3:29End quote.
- 3:30You have to understand that to see what they're doing as they respond in this way.
- 3:36Will he kill himself?
- 3:37Will he send himself to hell?
- 3:38Because clearly,
- 3:40He won't be where we are by his own proclamation.
- 3:44They're being smug.
- 3:47They can't imagine Jesus going to heaven and that they won't be there.
- 3:52It's not possible.
- 3:55Self-righteousness is a deadly deception.
- 3:59Do you want to die in your sin?
- 4:03Go on believing that you're good enough.
- 4:07That somehow in your estimation,
- 4:09you've tallied more marks on the good side than on the bad side.
- 4:14Think that somehow God owes you something because you tried.
- 4:19Proverbs 30 and verse 12 says,
- 4:24There are those who are clean in their own eyes,
- 4:28but are not washed of their filth.
- 4:33Humility, rather, marks the saved.
- 4:37Those who have repented of their sin and turned to Christ.
- 4:43Jesus says in Matthew 5, verse 3,
- 4:46Blessed are the poor in spirit.
- 4:49Those who recognize their spiritual need,
- 4:53for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- 4:59You want to die in your sin?
- 5:01Be self-righteous.
- 5:04Isn't it a great irony
- 5:05that the men who had already decided to murder Jesus,
- 5:10which decision had been made in previous chapters,
- 5:13that they suggest that he may take his own life
- 5:15and not inhabit the same place as them?
- 5:20How self-righteous to think
- 5:21that the murder of an innocent man
- 5:24would gain them reward
- 5:25and find them in a different place than he.
- 5:31Secondly, how to die in your sins?
- 5:35Be worldly.
- 5:38Verse 23, he said to them,
- 5:39You are from below.
- 5:41I am from above.
- 5:44You are of this world.
- 5:46I am not of this world.
- 5:49As Jesus points out his opponent's
- 5:51different destination in verse 22,
- 5:54here he points out their different origin.
- 5:58The concept being presented by the word world
- 6:02is an important one.
- 6:04Jesus is not referring here
- 6:06to the material world,
- 6:09but to the immaterial,
- 6:11spiritual realm
- 6:12that opposes the kingdom of God,
- 6:16the system of this world.
- 6:20I thought this paragraph from John MacArthur
- 6:22summed this very well.
- 6:23He says,
- 6:24Materialism, humanism,
- 6:27immorality,
- 6:28pride, and selfishness.
- 6:30The lust of the flesh
- 6:31and the lust of the eyes
- 6:33and the boastful pride of life,
- 6:351 John 2.16,
- 6:37are the world's hallmarks.
- 6:40It is utterly opposed to divine truth,
- 6:43righteousness,
- 6:44virtue,
- 6:44and holiness.
- 6:46Its opinions are wrong.
- 6:47Its aims are selfish.
- 6:49Its pleasures are sinful.
- 6:51Its influences are demoralizing.
- 6:54Its politics are corrupt.
- 6:57Its honors are empty.
- 6:58Its smiles are phony.
- 7:00Its love is false and fickle.
- 7:04End quote.
- 7:06The starting point of the Jews' animosity towards Jesus
- 7:11is the fact that they are part of the world.
- 7:16They walked,
- 7:18following the course of this world,
- 7:20following the prince of the power of the air,
- 7:22the spirit that is now at work,
- 7:24and the sons of disobedience,
- 7:26Ephesians 2.
- 7:282.
- 7:29This is why Jesus calls Satan their father.
- 7:35Do you want to die in your sin?
- 7:38Love this world.
- 7:41Love the system that functions here.
- 7:44Excuse me.
- 7:44Listen to its falsehoods.
- 7:46Believe that you are at the center of the universe,
- 7:50that your emotions and whims define the truth,
- 7:53that you can outwit God.
- 7:58Instead,
- 7:59we have to humble ourselves and submit ourselves
- 8:02to God's word.
- 8:06Third way to die in your sins.
- 8:09Be unbelieving.
- 8:11How to die in your sins.
- 8:13Number three.
- 8:14Be unbelieving.
- 8:18Verse 24.
- 8:19Jesus says,
- 8:20I told you that you would die in your sins.
- 8:24For unless you believe that I am he,
- 8:27you will die in your sins.
- 8:30For those of you who care and have been keeping up,
- 8:33I think this is the chiastic center of this text.
- 8:37Although,
- 8:38Jim Hamilton disagrees.
- 8:40And that was hard for me this week.
- 8:44Maybe we can talk about it later.
- 8:48I told you you would die in your sins,
- 8:50for unless you believe that I am he,
- 8:52you will die in your sins.
- 8:55Unless you believe that I am he.
- 9:01Isn't that an interesting phrase?
- 9:04What specifically does the pronoun he refer to?
- 9:11What's it referring back to?
- 9:15I want to tell you,
- 9:15my punchy response was to go back up the text
- 9:17and start looking.
- 9:18What does he mean when he's referring to the he?
- 9:20Well,
- 9:22the pronoun he
- 9:23is not in the original Greek text.
- 9:28It would be better
- 9:29to render the phrase
- 9:31unless you believe
- 9:34that I am.
- 9:39He's declaring himself to be deity.
- 9:42It's not the first time that he's done this.
- 9:44So if you want to include the pronoun,
- 9:46I think he's going all the way back
- 9:49to what he said in John chapter 5,
- 9:52verse 17 and 18.
- 9:54You may remember,
- 9:55this is where some of this kicked off.
- 9:56He said,
- 9:57my father is working until now
- 9:58and I am working.
- 10:02And then verse 18 says this.
- 10:05This was why the Jews were seeking
- 10:07all the more to kill him.
- 10:09Right?
- 10:10There's their plan.
- 10:11Why?
- 10:12Because
- 10:13not only was he breaking the Sabbath,
- 10:15you remember he healed a man
- 10:16at the Pool of Siloam,
- 10:17but he was even calling God
- 10:20his own father,
- 10:22making himself
- 10:24equal
- 10:25with God.
- 10:27That is exactly what he's doing here.
- 10:30He is declaring
- 10:31that he is
- 10:32the I
- 10:33Am.
- 10:34The self-existent one.
- 10:36Yahweh.
- 10:38Later in verse 28,
- 10:39he's going to refer to himself
- 10:40as the
- 10:41son of man.
- 10:42The book of Daniel.
- 10:44The one who will
- 10:44reign at the father's
- 10:46right hand over
- 10:48the nations.
- 10:50He is
- 10:51unequivocally
- 10:52doing that
- 10:53very thing.
- 10:54The thing that they're so
- 10:55mad at him for doing,
- 10:56that is exactly
- 10:57what he is
- 10:58doing.
- 11:00And he says,
- 11:01unless you believe
- 11:02that I am,
- 11:05you will die
- 11:06in your sins.
- 11:08Jesus is either
- 11:16a liar,
- 11:18he's a lunatic,
- 11:19or he is
- 11:21who he says
- 11:23he is.
- 11:25Do you want to die
- 11:27in your sin?
- 11:29Dismiss Jesus
- 11:30as maniacal
- 11:31or as a madman.
- 11:35Dismiss him as that.
- 11:36or
- 11:37humbly receive him
- 11:40as the great
- 11:42I am.
- 11:46The fourth way
- 11:47to die
- 11:48in your sins
- 11:48is to be
- 11:49willfully
- 11:50ignorant.
- 11:53Look at their response
- 11:54in verse 25.
- 11:55They said to him,
- 11:57who are you?
- 12:00Jesus said to them,
- 12:01just what I have been
- 12:03telling you
- 12:03from the beginning.
- 12:04It's like they want
- 12:06to have a point
- 12:06of contention
- 12:07with him here,
- 12:08and yet he has
- 12:08already explained
- 12:10to them
- 12:10who he is.
- 12:14They already
- 12:15had the data
- 12:16to believe
- 12:17that he is
- 12:19the I am.
- 12:20To have the
- 12:21forgiveness
- 12:22of their sins,
- 12:23and yet they
- 12:24willfully
- 12:26ignore him.
- 12:27I want to
- 12:30be brief
- 12:31here.
- 12:31I just want
- 12:32to note
- 12:32it,
- 12:32just for the
- 12:33sake of our
- 12:34time.
- 12:36They've had
- 12:37enough to
- 12:38place their
- 12:39faith in
- 12:40Christ.
- 12:41They could
- 12:42have approached
- 12:42him as
- 12:43Nicodemus did,
- 12:44unsure and
- 12:46curious.
- 12:47They could
- 12:48have asked
- 12:49him honest
- 12:49questions.
- 12:50They could
- 12:50have said,
- 12:51these claims
- 12:52you're making
- 12:52are massive
- 12:53claims.
- 12:54You're claiming
- 12:54to be God.
- 12:56Tell us
- 12:56more.
- 12:57But this is
- 12:58not their
- 12:59approach to
- 12:59him at all.
- 13:00They are
- 13:00positioning
- 13:02to have
- 13:03him killed.
- 13:05They are
- 13:05happy to
- 13:06remain just
- 13:07as they
- 13:08are.
- 13:10Self-righteous,
- 13:12self-deluded,
- 13:14unbelieving,
- 13:16worldly,
- 13:17sitting in
- 13:18positions of
- 13:19power,
- 13:20trying to
- 13:21play a
- 13:21political game
- 13:22with Rome.
- 13:24They're so
- 13:25happy to
- 13:26see him
- 13:26off the
- 13:28scene.
- 13:30They want
- 13:30to get rid
- 13:31of Jesus
- 13:31as a
- 13:32nuisance
- 13:33to what
- 13:34they have
- 13:34going on.
- 13:37Do you
- 13:37want to
- 13:37die in
- 13:38your sin?
- 13:40Ignore
- 13:40everything you
- 13:41have ever
- 13:41heard about
- 13:42Jesus.
- 13:44Most of
- 13:45you, I
- 13:45would assume,
- 13:46have grown
- 13:46up hearing
- 13:47about Jesus.
- 13:49If nothing
- 13:50else, you've
- 13:52heard about
- 13:52him.
- 13:52I'll tell you
- 13:53more here
- 13:54in just
- 13:54a moment.
- 13:56You want
- 13:56to die
- 13:56in your
- 13:56sin?
- 13:58Ignore
- 13:58everything
- 13:59that I'm
- 14:00going to
- 14:00say to
- 14:00you today.
- 14:04But notice
- 14:05the final
- 14:05verse of
- 14:06our text.
- 14:06I'm
- 14:06grateful for
- 14:07verse 30.
- 14:08It says,
- 14:08as he was
- 14:09saying these
- 14:11things,
- 14:13many
- 14:13believed
- 14:15saved in
- 14:16him.
- 14:19For those
- 14:19of you who
- 14:20have not
- 14:20placed saving
- 14:22faith in
- 14:24Jesus Christ,
- 14:25what if you
- 14:27don't want to
- 14:28die in your
- 14:29sin?
- 14:30What must you
- 14:32do?
- 14:32Or to state
- 14:33it better,
- 14:33what must you
- 14:34believe to be
- 14:37saved?
- 14:38the Bible
- 14:40gives us a
- 14:42clear and
- 14:42gracious
- 14:43answer.
- 14:45Zoom back
- 14:46a bit from
- 14:46it.
- 14:47It begins
- 14:48with God
- 14:49himself.
- 14:51The scripture
- 14:52tells us that
- 14:52in the beginning
- 14:53God created
- 14:55the heavens
- 14:56and the
- 14:57earth.
- 14:57He's
- 14:58over the
- 14:59universe
- 14:59and he is
- 15:00perfectly
- 15:01holy in
- 15:03his character.
- 15:04The prophet
- 15:05Isaiah records
- 15:05the angels
- 15:06declaring before
- 15:07him,
- 15:07holy,
- 15:08holy,
- 15:09holy,
- 15:10that thrice
- 15:10repetition,
- 15:11perfectly
- 15:12holy,
- 15:13is the
- 15:13Lord of
- 15:14hosts.
- 15:14The whole
- 15:15earth is
- 15:16full of
- 15:18his glory.
- 15:19That's
- 15:19Isaiah 6
- 15:20verse 3.
- 15:22Because
- 15:22God is
- 15:23holy,
- 15:25set apart,
- 15:26and he is
- 15:26righteous,
- 15:29he cannot
- 15:30ignore
- 15:31rebellion.
- 15:33He cannot
- 15:34dismiss
- 15:35sin.
- 15:36He cannot
- 15:36be in
- 15:37fellowship
- 15:38with
- 15:39rebels
- 15:39to his
- 15:40will.
- 15:42His
- 15:42justice
- 15:43requires
- 15:43that evil
- 15:44be judged,
- 15:46and every
- 15:47human being
- 15:47stands
- 15:48accountable
- 15:49before him.
- 15:51The Bible
- 15:52tells us that
- 15:53humanity has
- 15:54rebelled against
- 15:55this holy
- 15:56God.
- 15:56It starts
- 15:57in Genesis
- 15:58chapter 3
- 15:59and it carries
- 16:00on to this
- 16:01day.
- 16:03Though we were
- 16:03created to know
- 16:04him and live
- 16:05under his
- 16:05good rule,
- 16:06we have
- 16:06all turned
- 16:08away.
- 16:09Scripture
- 16:09says,
- 16:10for all
- 16:11have sinned
- 16:11and fall
- 16:12short of
- 16:13the glory
- 16:13of God.
- 16:15Romans 3
- 16:1523.
- 16:17Every one
- 16:17of us
- 16:18guilty
- 16:19before him.
- 16:21Sin is
- 16:21not just
- 16:22some
- 16:23weakness
- 16:23or failure,
- 16:24some minor
- 16:25deficiency.
- 16:26It's
- 16:27rebellion.
- 16:27It's declaring
- 16:28God our
- 16:29enemy,
- 16:30the one who
- 16:30created us.
- 16:31calling him
- 16:33no longer
- 16:34our God,
- 16:35our creator,
- 16:36but that
- 16:37is set
- 16:38against us.
- 16:40Each of
- 16:41us has
- 16:41broken
- 16:41God's law
- 16:42in thought,
- 16:43in word,
- 16:44in deed.
- 16:46And because of
- 16:46this rebellion,
- 16:47the Bible says
- 16:48the wages
- 16:49of sin
- 16:50is death.
- 16:52Romans 6
- 16:5223.
- 16:54Death now,
- 16:55death forevermore,
- 16:56eternal separation
- 16:57from God.
- 17:00Sin leads
- 17:01to physical
- 17:02death and
- 17:02ultimately to
- 17:03eternal
- 17:03death.
- 17:06Left to
- 17:06ourselves,
- 17:07we cannot
- 17:07right this
- 17:09wrong.
- 17:11No amount
- 17:11of moral
- 17:12effort or
- 17:13religious activity
- 17:14can remove
- 17:15the guilt
- 17:16of our
- 17:18sin.
- 17:19But the
- 17:20good news
- 17:20of the
- 17:21gospel is
- 17:21that God
- 17:22has acted
- 17:23to save
- 17:23sinners.
- 17:25In his
- 17:25great love,
- 17:26he has sent
- 17:26his son
- 17:27Jesus Christ
- 17:28into the
- 17:29world.
- 17:31The
- 17:31apostle Paul
- 17:31writes,
- 17:32but God
- 17:32shows his
- 17:33love for
- 17:33us,
- 17:34and that
- 17:35while we
- 17:35were still
- 17:36sinners,
- 17:36Christ
- 17:37died for
- 17:38us.
- 17:39Romans 5
- 17:408.
- 17:41Jesus
- 17:41lived the
- 17:42perfectly
- 17:43righteous
- 17:43life that
- 17:44we have
- 17:44failed to
- 17:45live,
- 17:46and then
- 17:46he
- 17:46willingly
- 17:47went to
- 17:47the cross
- 17:48to bear
- 17:49the penalty
- 17:49of our
- 17:50sin.
- 17:52As the
- 17:52apostle Peter
- 17:53explains,
- 17:53he himself
- 17:54bore our
- 17:54sins in
- 17:55his body
- 17:56on the
- 17:56tree that
- 17:57we might
- 17:58die to
- 17:58sin and
- 17:59live to
- 18:00righteousness.
- 18:011 Peter 2
- 18:02and verse
- 18:0324.
- 18:05After his
- 18:05crucifixion,
- 18:06Jesus raised
- 18:07from the
- 18:07dead on
- 18:07the third
- 18:08day,
- 18:08demonstrating
- 18:09that his
- 18:09sacrifice was
- 18:10accepted and
- 18:11that he has
- 18:11conquered sin
- 18:13and death
- 18:14forever.
- 18:15God
- 18:17The Bible
- 18:17calls every
- 18:19person to
- 18:19respond to
- 18:20this good
- 18:21news.
- 18:22Jesus himself
- 18:23proclaimed,
- 18:24the time is
- 18:24fulfilled and
- 18:25the kingdom of
- 18:26God is at
- 18:26hand.
- 18:27Repent and
- 18:28believe in
- 18:30the gospel.
- 18:31Mark 1
- 18:3115.
- 18:33To repent
- 18:33means to
- 18:34turn away from
- 18:35sin, to
- 18:36change your
- 18:36mind.
- 18:37This is no
- 18:37longer the
- 18:38trajectory I
- 18:39want to be
- 18:39on.
- 18:39I want to
- 18:40go a
- 18:40different way.
- 18:42I'm not
- 18:42going to live
- 18:43for myself.
- 18:44I want to
- 18:44live for
- 18:45God.
- 18:47To believe
- 18:47means to
- 18:48place your
- 18:49trust in
- 18:50Jesus Christ
- 18:51alone,
- 18:53relying on
- 18:54his life,
- 18:55his death
- 18:55and resurrection
- 18:56as the only
- 18:57basis for our
- 18:58forgiveness and
- 18:59acceptance before
- 19:00God.
- 19:02I used to use
- 19:02an analogy with
- 19:03my boys,
- 19:03which I stole
- 19:04from somebody,
- 19:05I'm sure,
- 19:05that we put
- 19:06on Jesus like
- 19:07a parachute and
- 19:08we jump out
- 19:09the plane.
- 19:10We believe
- 19:10he will catch
- 19:11us and we
- 19:12will,
- 19:13not die.
- 19:14We used to
- 19:14practice jumping
- 19:15out of the
- 19:15plane off our
- 19:16couch.
- 19:17We put on
- 19:18backpacks and
- 19:18jump off the
- 19:19plane.
- 19:19That's what it
- 19:19means to
- 19:20believe.
- 19:20We hold
- 19:21on to him.
- 19:22The promise
- 19:23of scripture
- 19:23is clear.
- 19:24If you confess
- 19:25with your mouth
- 19:25that Jesus is
- 19:26Lord and
- 19:27believe in your
- 19:27heart that God
- 19:28raised him from
- 19:28the dead,
- 19:29you will be
- 19:30saved.
- 19:31Romans 10,
- 19:329.
- 19:34Salvation is
- 19:34not something we
- 19:35earn by
- 19:36religious effort.
- 19:38Instead,
- 19:39by grace,
- 19:39you have been
- 19:40saved through
- 19:41faith.
- 19:42This is the
- 19:42gift of God,
- 19:43not a result
- 19:44of works,
- 19:45so that no
- 19:46one may boast.
- 19:47Ephesians 2,
- 19:498 and 9.
- 19:51So what must
- 19:52you believe to
- 19:53be saved?
- 19:53You must
- 19:53believe that
- 19:54God is the
- 19:54holy creator,
- 19:55that you are
- 19:55a sinner in
- 19:56need of
- 19:56forgiveness,
- 19:57that Jesus
- 19:57Christ died
- 19:58and rose again
- 19:58to save
- 19:59sinners,
- 19:59and that you
- 20:00must repent
- 20:01and trust in
- 20:01him alone
- 20:02for salvation.
- 20:03salvation.
- 20:05The Bible
- 20:05gives this
- 20:07gracious promise
- 20:08to all who
- 20:09respond in
- 20:09faith.
- 20:11Everyone who
- 20:11calls on the
- 20:12name of the
- 20:13Lord will be
- 20:14saved.
- 20:16Romans 10,
- 20:1713.
- 20:19If you don't
- 20:20want to die in
- 20:20your sin,
- 20:22repent and
- 20:23believe that
- 20:24Jesus is the
- 20:26Christ.
- 20:27for those of
- 20:29you who have
- 20:30placed saving
- 20:31faith in
- 20:33Jesus Christ.
- 20:35Don't forget
- 20:36the gospel for
- 20:36you.
- 20:37Once again,
- 20:38we should never
- 20:38grow tired of
- 20:39hearing it.
- 20:39It's a glorious
- 20:40thing.
- 20:40We should be
- 20:41reminded of who
- 20:42we once were
- 20:43and now who
- 20:44we are in
- 20:45Jesus.
- 20:46Never grow
- 20:47cold, never
- 20:48grow tired of
- 20:49hearing this
- 20:50glorious thing.
- 20:52And secondly,
- 20:52don't forget
- 20:53the gospel for
- 20:55others.
- 20:57God is saving
- 20:58a people for
- 20:59his glory.
- 21:00We want to
- 21:01have God's
- 21:02glory magnified
- 21:03and we want to
- 21:04be part of his
- 21:05saving work in
- 21:06the world.
- 21:08So preach the
- 21:09gospel to
- 21:10anyone who
- 21:11will listen to
- 21:11you, to
- 21:12your children
- 21:13in your home,
- 21:14to your
- 21:14neighbors, to
- 21:15your coworkers,
- 21:16to your
- 21:16extended family
- 21:17members.
- 21:20Follow a
- 21:21simple outline.
- 21:22It's what I
- 21:22just presented
- 21:22for you.
- 21:23God, man,
- 21:24Christ,
- 21:26response.
- 21:28It's not
- 21:28difficult to
- 21:29have conversations
- 21:30about things
- 21:31that you
- 21:32love.
- 21:34It's easy to
- 21:35get into this
- 21:35conversation,
- 21:36particularly at
- 21:37the man point.
- 21:39Everybody's got
- 21:39problems.
- 21:40Everybody experiences
- 21:41trouble in this
- 21:42world.
- 21:42Talk about the
- 21:43fallence of the
- 21:43world and then
- 21:44back them up to
- 21:46God, walk
- 21:47through man, show
- 21:48them Christ, ask
- 21:49them to respond.
- 21:51It's not a hard
- 21:52thing to do.
- 21:55Just do it.
- 21:56Be faithful to
- 21:57proclaim the
- 21:58gospel.
- 21:59Pray that God
- 21:59will use your
- 22:00gospel proclamation
- 22:01to save souls.
- 22:04You will not
- 22:05logic anybody
- 22:08into heaven.
- 22:10It's not going to
- 22:11happen.
- 22:12Declare the gospel
- 22:12to them.
- 22:13I'm not
- 22:14anti-apologetics.
- 22:16We see Paul
- 22:18reasoning with
- 22:19people day by
- 22:20day.
- 22:20But it is not
- 22:22the primary thing
- 22:23that should be
- 22:23done.
- 22:23Help people put
- 22:24down their guard,
- 22:26lower their fists,
- 22:28preach the gospel
- 22:29to them.
- 22:30Take them back
- 22:31to their sinful
- 22:31state.
- 22:32Show them their
- 22:33need of justification.
- 22:34Present to them
- 22:35Jesus.
- 22:39Charles Spurgeon
- 22:40once said, and
- 22:41this is in your
- 22:42bulletin if you
- 22:43care to read it,
- 22:44a great many
- 22:45learned men are
- 22:46defending the
- 22:48gospel.
- 22:49No doubt it is a
- 22:49very proper and
- 22:50right thing to do.
- 22:51Yet I always
- 22:52notice that when
- 22:54there are most
- 22:54books of that
- 22:55kind, it is
- 22:56because the
- 22:57gospel itself is
- 22:59not being
- 22:59preached.
- 23:01Stop it there
- 23:02for a second.
- 23:04You hear what
- 23:04he's saying?
- 23:05When we're
- 23:05spending all of
- 23:06our time making
- 23:07apologetic arguments
- 23:09for it, Spurgeon
- 23:11says it's because
- 23:11it's just not being
- 23:12preached.
- 23:14I'll pick back
- 23:14up.
- 23:14Suppose a number
- 23:15of persons were
- 23:16to take it into
- 23:17their heads that
- 23:18they had to
- 23:18defend a
- 23:19lion, a
- 23:20full-grown
- 23:21king of
- 23:22beasts.
- 23:23There he is
- 23:23in the cage,
- 23:25and here come
- 23:25all the soldiers
- 23:26of the army to
- 23:27fight for him.
- 23:28Well, I
- 23:30should suggest
- 23:30to them, if
- 23:31they would not
- 23:32object and
- 23:33feel that it
- 23:33was humbling
- 23:33to them, that
- 23:34they should
- 23:35kindly stand
- 23:36back and
- 23:36open the
- 23:37door and
- 23:38let the
- 23:39lion out.
- 23:41I believe
- 23:42that would
- 23:42be the best
- 23:43way of
- 23:44defending him,
- 23:45for he
- 23:45would take
- 23:46care of
- 23:48himself.
- 23:48Let's
- 23:49pray together.