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if you aren't familiar. Most of our sermons around here, especially when our pastor was preaching, begin with a thought provoking questions. And while I may not be nearly as good, the sermon opening question is down. I am thankful and grateful for this opportunity to present the word of God this morning. My name is Kevin Miller, and I'm the student pastor here at Holland Avenue, and as I mentioned before, I'm very, very thankful for this opportunity. So whether you are joining us from the comforts of your living room or from your hotel room or the room at your friend's beach house, or if you're just listening later on this week in the car, we're thankful that you are worshiping the Lord God with us this morning. And I pray that the Lord is heard through his word this morning. So let's give the opening question. Think another shot. So, have you ever misheard something? Sorry, I'm struggling with slot state. So have you ever misheard something? Sometimes we miss here things because our listening technique isn't very good. Other times we miss here things because we've got something jammed up in our ear and we need to get it cleaned out. But if we're honest with ourselves most of the time, we probably miss hear things simply because we're not listening, Paying attention nearly as well as we should be. One of the most common ways that things are misheard, at least for me, anyway, is through Song Lears. Now I know that this some that's relatable for a lot of us. But when I was a kid, I specifically have three different songs that I remember really struggling Teoh here the lyrics correctly. Just full disclosure. I did a Google search for these songs before I wrote the sermon, just to make sure that I had the leads right. According to Google, a lot of other people misheard these very same liars. The first comes from the rock band Queen. The Queen has a lot of well known songs, and arguably the most well known song of theirs is We Will Rock You. And in that song Freddie Mercury's singing and singing, he says, You've got mud on your face, you big disgrace. You're kicking your can all over the place. Well, when I was a really young child, probably three or four years old. I heard that song and I thought that the words were You've got mud on your face, you big disgrace and you're kicking your cat all over the place. And that drastically changes the song, especially for a three year old, another commonly misheard song and one that it honestly took me until about my senior of high school to learn the right words to is by Southern rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival. Okay, CCR. Their front man, John Fogarty had a song called Bad Moon on the Rise. Okay, this is a song that would get played before baseball games and things like that. So I would always be singing along, but I didn't realize that I was singing the words incorrectly see in the song the title lyric is repeated over and over, and John Fogerty of saying, There's a bad moon on the rise. Well, what I was singing was there's a bathroom on the right and embarrassingly so it took me several years before I learned that it was actually bad Moon on the rise. And if I'm not careful, even sometimes when I sing it today I sing about a bathroom. Another misheard lyric from My Childhood comes from a song by Johnny Nash, and some of us are more familiar with the remake by Jimmy Cliff. But the song is I can see clearly now The rain is gone. Well, When I was a kid, I recognized there were a lot of songs that used people's names in them. I remember specifically Beth by The Man, Kiss and Rosanna by Toto and lots of other songs that use people's names. So I thought this song was doing the same thing I thought that Johnny Nash was singing. I can see clearly now that Lorraine is gone. I just thought that Johnny Nash thought that Lorraine was the worst in his life was a lot better now that she was no longer part of it. Now I can try to blame all of these misheard lyrics on the fact that I have something stuck in my ear. But if I were to be honest, it was really because I just wasn't paying that close attention to the words. Likewise, this morning we're going to look at a passage of Scripture where Jesus calls out a group of people for not paying very close attention to the message he's trying to present to them. So let's pray get started, Heavenly Father got it. Is thank you for this morning that we have the opportunity to worship you in the study. Your word freely. God, I just ask. That is your word is preached this morning that it will be exactly that. That it will be your word, not my own or not anyone else. And, Scott, that you will be glorified during this time. We love you. Your son. Jesus name. We pray. Okay, man. So I want to give us a little bit of context before we jump in too far, because I think it's important for us to know where we are in the sermon. So we're looking today. It versus are in John. Chapter eight, verses 24 25. And at this time, we're about six months away from Calvert. Okay, we're about six months away from Jesus being crucified, So this means that his ministry and his teaching and preaching, it's all becoming a lot more direct. It's becoming a lot more clear what he's trying to say. We'll get into that context a little bit more later, but at this point is he was often doing right now John, Chapter seven and John, Chapter eight. Jesus is teaching at the temple, and it's the feast of Tabernacles during this time, and he's preaching to the fair, sees he's preaching to other Jews that happen to be there. He's preaching to his disciples, and there might have even been some other people there. In other words, there's a large crowd gathered where he is teaching, and he's teaching a very clear message that he is the Messiah, the redeemer of the Lord. So when we sang Jesus Messiah earlier, it almost served as a bit of a spoiler for the sermon. We're going to be talking about the fact that Jesus is the Messiah. But unfortunately, as they so often did the fair seas and the Jews in attendance that day, they didn't believe what Jesus was saying. They were not listening closely enough to the message that he had been telling them for a long time. So starting in verse 24 Jesus tells the fair, sees I have told you that you would die in your sins. So Jesus is reminding. The fair sees that he's been telling them for a while now that they would die in their sins. But I think it's important for us to know what that means before we just move on. What does it mean to die in your sins? According to a well known verse in Romans 6 23 the wages of Sin is Death and James, 1 15 we see Sin when it is fully grown, brings forth death and then again in Romans 5 12 Therefore, just a sin came into the world through one man and death there, since so death spread to all men. Now you might be having a thought. Right now you might be thinking, Kevin, the New Testament might not be the best place for application for these people at this time, because, Kevin, you might not know the New Testament hadn't been written yet. You'd be right if that was your thought. But the Old Testament had been written, and in fact, the fair sees would've been very familiar with part of fair See school was to learn and memorize the entire Tora or the 1st 5 books of the Old Testament. So these fair seas and the rest of these Jews and attendants would have been very familiar with the beginning of Genesis, where Moses quotes the Lord saying Toe Adam and Eve in the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, You shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it. You sell sorely die. So whether you look at the New Testament or the Old Testament, it's very clear that the consequence percent his death. So Jesus is warning these fair sees about something that he has warned them about before. He is trying to get the point across to them that though they think they are righteous, though they think they're good, though they think that their obedience to some laws that some come from God and some that made up themselves, though they think that those things make sure and give them a short of their salvation and their spot is reserved in heaven. He's telling them that is not the case. These men were supposedly the religious leaders of the day. They were supposed to be holy men, and really, if we were there, we probably would have thought they were pretty Holy two. They did a lot of good things. They said a lot of good things. They knew the Scriptures. But Jesus saw through that. Jesus saw that secretly within themselves. They were wicked and only concerned about themselves. Perhaps that's why the nurses didn't like Jesus very much. He was the only one that consistently see through the fact that they were not who they said they were. And listen, just a little practical application for us. We can be the fair seas to if you think, or I think that we could do anything to deceive God. If we think that we can put on a fake Christian face or hide behind the fact that we attend church pretty regularly or do anything else to trick God into thinking that we're more obedient and more faithful to him than we really are. The we've got another thing coming. We cannot hide anything from God, just as Jesus saw through the fair sees here. If that were us, he would see right through us without Jesus. Our sand leads to spiritual death for us, just like it did for the fair. Since now back to those same verses. This isn't the first time that Jesus warned them. It's not the first time that he told them that they would die in their sins. He said it many times, even earlier in this conversation. In fact, earlier in this conversation, Jesus even told the fair, sees that they don't know him, and because they don't know him, that means they don't know the father in Heaven. Unfortunately again, just as the fair season done so many times before, whether it was because they were actively not listening or just not paying attention enough, they did not heed the warning from Jesus. So Jesus continues in Verse 24 just for Unless you believe that I he at first glance, it looks like Jesus playing the pro down game a little bit right here. You might not recognize exactly what he's trying to say unless you take a closer look. But when he says, I told you that you would die in your sins for unless you believe that I am he. Jesus is referring to an earlier point in the conversation. The he is referring to something he had previously said, and that comes in Verse 12 earlier in the chapter, when Jesus says, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life now in orderto help us better understand what all that means. You want to take a look at the context again. Remember, we're in the feast of the Tabernacles right now, and we're at the temple according to the context. Clues of the passage weaken it further. The day before, Jesus had been preaching in the temple about living water. At first glance, you might think, OK, that's cool, but what does that have to do with anything? Well, during that time, they would have been drawing water out of the well in order to bring it for a water drawing ritual in the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. I can almost picture Jesus before he goes in to teach looking at his disciples, kind of give him a little weak and say, I've got a holy pun that's coming. It's going to pack a punch. So when they're drawing water, he says, Now listen, I am living water. Jesus is capturing the imagery of the moment in order to pack a bigger punch with his teacher and so the next day where we are today, starting with this passage where he talks about being the light of the world. Jesus is doing this again. See, during the feast of the Tabernacles, the temple, especially the most crowded room, it would have been very much lit up by lanterns and candles and other lines. But this is during the day. The lights would have been extinguished have been put out. They don't need them during the day because the sun is out. So Jesus at this time would have been standing among Ah, whole bunch of unlit extinguished lights. And again I picture him thinking, All right, drop the holy pun on you, pay attention. And while he's standing in front all these unlit lights, these extinguished lights, lights that do not offer any benefit and do not light up anything, he proclaims that I and the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. His life could never be extinguished, so this claim that I am the light of the world, while a powerful teaching point here, is not just a teaching point, it's actually another reference to the old test. In fact, it's a bunch of references to the Old Testament. There are so many times in the Old Testament where the future Messiah, the redeemer of the world, is described as a light some of the most recognizable ones we'll talk about in just a second, but first you might see it as part of a chapter in the Bible where Isaiah speaks and foretells of Jesus is being a saying unto us, a child is born, but earlier in that very same chapter and Isaiah nine, Verse two, he says. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great lines in this great light that he's talking about is the child who would be born unto us. And this child says it would be named wonderful council, Mighty God everlasting father, Prince of Peace. And if that wasn't enough, evidence for you wouldn't give you another example. One of the most recognizable and the longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 1 19 and in Psalm 1 19 verse 105 The soul misses this. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light. It's my path. Sounds pretty cool right. But knowing what we know now in this very gospel that were studying in the book of John at the beginning of the Gospel in Chapter one, Jesus is called the Word So theoretically we could almost substitute Jesus into this song. Jesus is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Jesus is the light of the world. So when he says this, this is not just some throwaway line. This is him explicitly telling the Fair seas. I am the Messiah. They don't like that. He says that we must believe that he is. He says he is. And they're even some commentators who say that the he in this phrase they say that he is actually implied, meaning it was not originally said, but was added later because that was the implication. And if that's the case, then that means Jesus is literally saying that you must believe that I am well, if that's what he was saying, that that's a preview for what Jesus says at the end of this chapter, when they asked Jesus again who he is, and he says, before Abraham was, I am, which was a direct reference when Moses was speaking to the Lord through the burning bush, and Moses says, Lord, who do I say I'm talking to Who do I say sent me and the Lord response? Tell them the I am since you Jesus is not playing around. Jesus is explicitly and clearly explaining that he is the Messiah, and he says that we must believe that because if we don't, you will die in your sins. To me, there's almost a parental element to the way Jesus is repeating himself here. For those of you who are parents who are listening, you can probably relate to having to repeat yourself multiple times when asking or telling your kids to do something. And you might be able to relate to Jesus having to use the words I already told you, or I already explained this to you. And you might be able to relate to him again when, even after you explain how you've already explained it, you still have to repeat yourself again anyway. But why would Jesus repeat himself over and over again? To these Jewish people in these fair season? All these other people who were there that weren't believing him Why would he do that? Well, I think it's for the same exact reason why Apparent would over and over again repeat to their child to not play in the street. Jesus cares for these people. He cares for mankind, cares for the creation that was made in his image, even though some of them are wicked men who hide behind religious obedience and take advantage of people and play the Christian game. Even though that is the case for some of these people, Jesus still cares for them. How do I know this one? Verse 30 The end of this chapter? It shows us John saying that there were many of that day were saved because of this teaching Jesus cared for. These people see when God demands that we believe in him or listen to him or adhere to his law. It's not because he wants to keep us from stuff. It's because he cares for our well being. He knows that what's best for us is to listen to him. He knows that what's best for us is to do as he says. He's not trying to restrict us from anything. He's actually trying to help us enjoy life because he doesn't want us to be playing in the street and not paying attention and be blindsided by the truck. That is hell because we thought we were OK, but we had never believed in him. God wants us to be able to enjoy the front yard in the backyard of the house and the whole rest of the world in one day, his eternal kingdom in heaven. We just have to believe him a week or when he says that it's best for us to stay out of the street. We can only be his Children if we believe in him, and we repent from our sinfulness and believe in him completely. Unbelief makes this impossible, John Piper explains. Aside, the in a very simple way, he says. Unbelief is the enemy of the Christian life. Nothing can possibly separate us from the son of God who came to redeem and save the Lost, except for our unbelief. That's why Jesus First message in Mark, Chapter one, Verse 15. His first message of his ministry was rip it and believe in the gospel belief its central unbelief is the biggest enemy Christian life. Sometimes we're tempted to think that other people might be the biggest. Emily. Sorry, the biggest enemy of the Christian life. We might think that politicians or governments might be the enemy of the Christian life, but in reality there is no person. There is no government. There is no policy. There is no politician. There is no military. There is no nothing that has authority other than what God has given, because God is the source of all authority. There might even be other times were attempted to say that Satan is the biggest enemy of the Christian life. But again, Satan has no authority other than what God allows him to have. And when it comes to the Christian life when it comes to your soul, Satan is nothing more than a loud barking dog on the chain that is God's authority When it comes to your soul. Satan cannot do anything to you if you stay near to the one who has authority over him. If you stay near to that dog's owner, you stay near to the Lord. Satan cannot damage. He could do nothing to the soul of a Christian Onley unbelief. You can do that and speaking of unbelief in verse 25 fiercely. So they said to him, Who are you? Jesus said to them, Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. Now this who are you is not a sincere question in which these innocent little Faris Cesaire just trying to gather information about this man in front of it's probably more of a mocking and nasty and toe quote. Now, from last week, a snarky question they're question could probably even be considered to be more like Who do you think you are right now? So Jesus takes their question and stride and responds very clearly very plainly, very simply, just what I have been telling you from the beginning. So during my time studying for the sermon, I came across several different commentators who said that the words from the beginning in this verse or some of the hardest words to actually translate from the original Greek new test. And they say it's not necessarily the overall message that's hard to translate its mawr trying to figure out what the beginning is. Some of the commentators argue that the beginning refers to the beginning of this conversation that Jesus is saying that he is just what he has been saying from the beginning of this conversation. Other commentators argue that when he says from the beginning, he's meaning that he is just what he has been telling them from the beginning of the time he's known them in his ministry, and still others even say that this is Jesus, saying that from the beginning means just what I have been telling you from the beginning of time. So I say to try to figure this out. Let's look at all three. If Jesus means the beginning of the conversation, we know he already called himself the light of the world, but he also refers to himself is something different. In Verse 18 in Verse 18 he says, I am the one who bears witness about myself and the father who sent me Bears. Witness about Jesus, is claiming to be the one who the father, four, told up to Israel, the one who God fashion his profits around the one who got four told of in the Old Testament, and plus, if Jesus is saying he's the only one who bears witness about himself, and he also says that the father bears witness about himself, and that means there is no separation between him and the father. He and the father are one. But if Jesus meant from the beginning, in the sense of from the beginning of the time he's known the Faris ease will his message to them has been pretty clear. From the beginning, we can look at several different passages. You could look at Mark two when Jesus heals the paralytic. After he gets done. He calls himself the Son of Man, which is a direct reference to Daniel, Chapter seven, in which the son of Man, the Messiah, the savior of the world, was coming on the clouds to come back for his people at the end times when you look in John, Chapter three, a very famous chapter and we can see where Jesus refers to himself as the Son of God would be given for the world. And this is the part everyone knows that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. So, Jesus, whether it's the beginning of this conversation or the beginning of his ministry has made it very clear to these fares. He's who he is it all comes back to, in my opinion, the old test. So whether we're looking at the beginning of this conversation, the beginning of his time, knowing them or the beginning of time, looking at the Old Testament is essential. So that's what I want to do. We're not going to look at every single book of the Old Testament. We'd be here all day, but I want to see Jesus as he's presented in the Old Testament. I want us to see what Jesus is telling. The Faris sees that they can't miss because of the fair sees. Can't miss it. We can't miss it either. So let's look at a couple of the highlights in Genesis. Jesus, the Messiah is the seed of Eve who would one day come to earth and begin to crush the head of the surface and save mankind from the curse of the sins committed in the garden. In Exodus, Jesus is the Passover lamb and the exodus from slavery in captivity not just from Egypt but from within our own sinful hearts in Leviticus. Jesus, the Messiah is the high priest who intercedes on our behalf before the father in numbers. Jesus is the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Who guides us ever closer to where the father is calling us in Deuteronomy. Jesus, the Messiah is the Lord our God who grants us peace with the heavenly Father. In the book of job Jesus, the Messiah is the perfect blameless redeemer who lives whether we're experiencing the best of times were the worst. And in Isaiah, Jesus the Messiah is the holy, holy holy one of God who would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities on the cross that we deserved. And the Book of Jonah Jesus The Messiah is seen as a symbol from the prophet who was trapped not in the belly of a fish for three days, but in the belly of the earth for three days before a miraculous resurrection. And in Daniel Jesus, the Messiah is coming. King of kings, The Lord of Lords. The son of man who will return to buying his people to himself for all eternity in heaven. This is Jesus. This is the Messiah. Don't miss it. This is the message he's been trying to tell them and trying to tell us from the beginning. Jesus is the Messiah. And that means that he is the only means we have of salvation. If you are not Christian, if you have never truly believe this, if you have never truly understood and believed and repented and understood that he is the Messiah, I encourage you to call out to Jesus. Today Jesus came to this earth. He lived a perfect and sinless life and he died and was resurrected to save centers like me. Like he just calls on a story and believe the gospel You don't have toe get your life straight before you can come to Jesus. You know why? Because that's what he does when he saves Jesus gets your life strength. And I know we all struggled to think that we're good enough to be saved. And if that's your thought, you're absolutely right. We're not good enough to be saved. But Jesus Waas, If you struggle to live a blameless life if you struggle toe, follow God's law. Well, Jesus followed it perfectly because he knew that you could If you struggle to be humble, you struggle with pride. Jesus humbled himself even to the point of death on a cross because he knew you could if you struggle toe, have pure thoughts and act in pure ways. Well, Jesus lived a completely pure and sinless and blameless life so that centers like me centers like you could be counted is pure and righteous and blameless before the father see for Christians knows who are saved. When the father looks at us, he no longer sees us. He no longer sees our sin in our Brokenness and our nastiness and our wickedness. He doesn't see the times that were impatient with other people. He doesn't see the times when we're just no good and rotten. Because if he saved us, all he sees is his perfect. So the Messiah brings life spiritually dead and he brings light to the spiritually dark. But if you are Christian today, be encouraged that Jesus doesn't stop working in you After he has saved you. Be encouraged that the light of the world does not turn the off switch down after he is saved. The light of the world could never be extinguished. That means the light that he brings to our lives into our souls can never be extinguished either. You know how I know? Because heaven is in the believer long before the believer, isn't it? Because according to Scripture, when Jesus saves us and redeemed us from sin, he sends his spirit to dwell within us. The spirit of God lives within us. Heaven is in us. Even before we ever are you having Jesus is just Yes, he's been telling us from the beginning.