Eluding the Faith-Stealer
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Learning how "religiosity" works against and ultimately kills faith.
Text: John 8:48-50
Date: 10/22/2017, the Traditional service.
Series: "John: Encountering Love" Part 66
Description:
The conversation between Jesus and the Jews in the Temple at Jerusalem continues in the aftermath of Jesus' stunning accusation that the Jews are the spiritual sons of the devil. Stung by this truth their response degenerates into an ad hominem attack on Jesus Himself. But Jesus shows His heart as He stays true to His calling and continues to proclaim that He and He alone can offer the relationship with the Father that leads to eternal life. Even in the face of their insults, He faithfully shares the Good News of the Gospel. We will consider this confrontation in the context of John's entire Gospel so far and discover that the distinction between true faith and the religiosity of the Jews is one of the major themes of the book. Ultimately, we will recognize that "religiosity" is one of the enemy's most diabolical tools because it subtly but effectively "kills" faith. By following Jesus as our model, we will learn how to protect our most valuable possession (our faith) and thereby elude the great "faith-stealer".
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, John 8:48-51.
A. Context
1. The conversation, John 8:46, 47.
2. The underlying principles.
a. The two seeds.
b. The dangers of religiosity.
c. The preeminence of Christ.
B. The conversation continues.
1. "Tit for tat", vs. 48.
a. The ad hominem attack.
i. An on-going accusation.
ii. The association with Samaritans.
iii. Demon possession.
b. Exploring the meaning.
i. The irony of John's Gospel, Matt. 8:11-12.
ii. The poignant principle.
c. Revisiting Jesus' words and motives, John 8:37, 43.
i. Words of hate?
ii. Words of love.
¥ Two distinct points of view.
¥ Co-conspirators in delusion.
¥ An analogy.
¥ Seeking the lost sheep of Israel, Luke 19:41,42,44.
¥ The heart of a Reformed evangelist.
2. Honoring the Father, vs. 49.
a. A selective response.
b. For the love of the Father, Psa. 106:20.
c. Proof positive, John 5:23.
3. Soli Deo gloria, vs. 50.
a. Seeking the Father's glory.
i. A familiar theme, John 5:30,41,44,8:23, Matt. 12:25.
ii. A pillar of the Reformation.
b. The bond between Father and Son.
i. The model relationship.
ii. Understanding the glory of God.
c. Pleasing the only judge.
4. The words of life, vs. 51.
a. Envisioning the scene.
b. Maintaining the truth, John 8:43.
c. The inclusivity of the Gospel, John 8:44.
d. The exclusivity of the Gospel, John 8:31, 37, 14:15.
e. Determining the words to keep.
i. Words of life, John 5:24, 6:48-50, 7:37-38, 8:12, 6:68.
ii. Words of faith, John 6:40, 3:14-15.
f. The Promise of eternal life.
III. Application
IV. Conclusion
