Believing What You Want
08/03/09 12:19
While Jesus was debating with the Jews, they accused
Him of being a Samaritan and demon-possessed. To
this, Jesus replied, “I am not possessed by a
demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I
am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who
seeks it, and he is the judge. I tell you the truth,
if anyone keeps my word, he will never see
death.”
This statement just floored the Jews and they exclaimed that now they were sure that Jesus was demon-possessed; for who, in their right mind, would say such things? Unbelievable! Absurd! How can anyone believe anything this Man says? The debate got so hot that the Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus yet He slipped away in the crowd and hid Himself from them.
What was it that set them off? What was it that Jesus said that made them so upset? It was that Jesus told them that if they would keep His Word, they would never see death. Their anger may have started earlier when Jesus told them that they were slaves to sin and that their father was the devil himself. He told them that they did what they saw their father doing and that they were actually unable to receive what Jesus had to teach. They would more readily believe the lies of the devil than the Words of God. I wonder if anyone in the crowd that day uttered these words, “I can’t believe what this fellow is saying.”
People are going to believe what they want. People are going to believe what they understand. And, people are going to believe more readily, things they see rather than the unseen. Let’s illustrate. Suppose there was a nine year-old boy in front of you right now weighing no more than 110lbs. Then, I told you that this small child could pick up the front-end of a car by using the strength of his own two arms. You would say, “Unbelievable!” Now, if you thought it so absurd that you just walked away from the whole thing laughing, then, you would have missed this nine year- child accomplishing just what I said that he would do. For you see, I would have placed the child a few feet away from the car and brought in the hoist that would help the child accomplish the feat. The hoist was unseen at first and because you didn’t see it, your mind would not allow you to believe that the boy could pick up the car with only his arm strength. There are many people who have walked away from Jesus’ teachings because they just couldn’t believe the things that He told them. They can only believe those things that they can comprehend or understand to some extent. And because of this the voice from the field of science is being more readily believed than that of the Voice of God –and this is in His Church! Brethren, this ought not to be! Jesus has seen the invisible. He has seen the Father! He is from above and speaks as One from above. Men have been given the freedom to believe what they want. I’m going to believe Jesus!
Have a great week! Pastor Jim
This statement just floored the Jews and they exclaimed that now they were sure that Jesus was demon-possessed; for who, in their right mind, would say such things? Unbelievable! Absurd! How can anyone believe anything this Man says? The debate got so hot that the Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus yet He slipped away in the crowd and hid Himself from them.
What was it that set them off? What was it that Jesus said that made them so upset? It was that Jesus told them that if they would keep His Word, they would never see death. Their anger may have started earlier when Jesus told them that they were slaves to sin and that their father was the devil himself. He told them that they did what they saw their father doing and that they were actually unable to receive what Jesus had to teach. They would more readily believe the lies of the devil than the Words of God. I wonder if anyone in the crowd that day uttered these words, “I can’t believe what this fellow is saying.”
People are going to believe what they want. People are going to believe what they understand. And, people are going to believe more readily, things they see rather than the unseen. Let’s illustrate. Suppose there was a nine year-old boy in front of you right now weighing no more than 110lbs. Then, I told you that this small child could pick up the front-end of a car by using the strength of his own two arms. You would say, “Unbelievable!” Now, if you thought it so absurd that you just walked away from the whole thing laughing, then, you would have missed this nine year- child accomplishing just what I said that he would do. For you see, I would have placed the child a few feet away from the car and brought in the hoist that would help the child accomplish the feat. The hoist was unseen at first and because you didn’t see it, your mind would not allow you to believe that the boy could pick up the car with only his arm strength. There are many people who have walked away from Jesus’ teachings because they just couldn’t believe the things that He told them. They can only believe those things that they can comprehend or understand to some extent. And because of this the voice from the field of science is being more readily believed than that of the Voice of God –and this is in His Church! Brethren, this ought not to be! Jesus has seen the invisible. He has seen the Father! He is from above and speaks as One from above. Men have been given the freedom to believe what they want. I’m going to believe Jesus!
Have a great week! Pastor Jim
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