Daniel Whyte III is a full-time evangelist by calling. Through the Gospel Light Minute X, his main aim is to present a short, clear, understandable presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which saved him over 30 years ago. Throughout his ministry, he has emphasized a clear presentation of the Gospel because he believes that many pastors and churches mix up the Gospel with other things, and this causes confusion for nonbelievers. In order to do that, Daniel Whyte III uses tracts that he has written, as well as tracts produced by the following ministries: Fellowship Tract League, the American Tract Society, and Good News/Crossway Tracts in the production of this broadcast.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42 And many believed on him there.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 153.
Timothy Keller said, “When Jesus looked down from the cross, he didn’t think, ‘I am giving myself to you because you are so attractive to me.’ No, he was in agony, and he looked down at us — denying him, abandoning him, and betraying him — and in the greatest act of love in history, he STAYED. He loved us, not because we were lovely to him, but to make us lovely.”
In our last message, we saw how Jesus offered an explanation for His claims to divinity by means of a theological argument based upon the old testament. He pointed out how that it was not blasphemous for Him to claim divinity since God the Father had applied the term “gods” to other beings of far less stature. So for Jesus to actually be the Son of God as He had been claiming should not be so far-fetched for them to believe. Yet the Jews still wanted Jesus to prove that He was God’s Son.
Jesus gave them a way to prove this — by looking at His works. He said, “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”
A lot of people claim that they are something that they are not. Jesus encourages the Jews to not only listen to His words, but to look at what He has done. He says, ‘If I don’t do the work of God, then don’t believe Me. But if I do the work of God then you should believe — not because you have listened to my words, but because you have seen my works.’ Jesus was a ‘show and tell’ preacher. He didn’t just talk a good game, but He demonstrated what He taught. He lived according to the principles that He told others to live by. No one could ever accuse Jesus of being a hypocrite. Even a secular ruler, after four trials, and with his principality on the brink of an uprising, said of Jesus, ‘I find in Him no fault at all.’
At this point, it seems as though Jesus is pleading with them to believe for their own sakes. In the New Testament, faith and belief based on nothing except the word and character of God is greatly encouraged. But in this passage Jesus is opening the door for them to believe based on tangible evidence. Since their lack of belief is so deep, He is giving them a rope to hold onto when they jump. He says, “Believe the works that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.” In other words, ‘Even if you don’t want to believe my words, at least believe what you can see with your own eyes.’
But they did not want to do that. The Bible reads: “Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand.” We are not told how Jesus escaped, but He went back across the Jordan River to the place where John began his ministry of baptism and preaching. There, the Bible says, many people “resorted unto him.” They realized that, although John had worked no miracles, everything he had said about Jesus was true. “And many believed on him there.”
Here is how you can believe on Him wherever you are today.
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In fact, I am the chief of sinners, so don’t think that you’re alone.
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 151.
George Whitefield said, “Jesus was God and man in one person, that God and man might be happy together again.”
In this passage, we see that, with the power of His words, Jesus has forced the Jewish religious leaders into a standoff in the debate over His divinity. They want to stone Him because He says that He is God and they consider that the worst sin a person can commit. However, even in the face of death, Jesus does not back down from this claim, and that is baffling to them. Remember that Jesus is surrounded by people, many of them holding stones ready to throw. This is not the first time He has been in such circumstances. How does He get out of this situation?
Jesus turns one of the Jews’ favorite tricks back on them. He draws them into a theological argument — something which they were always trying to do to Him. Jesus asks, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, Ye are gods?'”
Such a question might make us nervous — and rightfully so. We wouldn’t think of calling ourselves gods, so what is Jesus referring to? This statement comes from the Old Testament in Psalm 82 which begins, “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.” In the passage, God goes on to say, “Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” The Hebrew word used is “elohim”, the same word used to refer to God the Creator.
Obviously, such as passage has given rise to much debate. Is God calling human beings gods? Modern scholars tell us that God is referring to human judges to whom He has given His law. Psalm 82 is God’s rebuke of these Hebrew judges (“gods”) for their failure to judge righteously in the Earth. The Bible Knowledge Commentary, edited by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, states, “Psalm 82 speaks of God as the true Judge and of men, appointed as judges, who were failing to provide true judgment for God. ‘gods’ in Psalm 82 refers to these human judges. In this sense, God said to the Jews, You are gods. In no way does this speak of a divine nature in man.”
That being said, we return to Jesus’ argument. He says, “If he [God] called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?”
Jesus is pointing out that God called these lesser beings, be they human or angelic, “gods”, and that He counted them worthy enough to give them His Word to carry out in the Earth. Since that is the case, how can it be wrong for Jesus — who is the very Word of God sent from God — to be called God, or at least “the Son of God”? With this argument, Jesus puts the Jews in a theological bind. If they persisted in trying to stone Jesus, they would essentially be saying that the Scriptures, which they so revered, somehow contained errors — a fact Jesus reminded them of when He said, “scripture cannot be broken.” Yet, if they did not stone Jesus, they would be acknowledging (though they might not admit it) that Jesus was right and that Scripture was on His side.
Of course, for the Jews, this did not solve the question of Jesus’ divinity. As Henry Alford said, “The deeper aim of this argument is to show them that the idea of man and God being one was not alien from their Old Testament scriptures, but set forth therein types and shadows of Him, the real God-Man.”
The Jews were accusing Jesus of being a man trying to raise Himself up to the level of God, when in reality the opposite was true. Jesus is God who lowered Himself to the level of man so that He could raise all men up into a union with God. Those who remained stubborn in their disbelief missed out on this wonderful truth. But you don’t have to be in that number. You can join those who have a spiritual union with God today through Christ and who will one day be united with God in Heaven.
Here is how you can place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ today.
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In fact, I am the chief of sinners, so don’t think that you’re alone.
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 151.
Billy Sunday said, “Conversion is a complete surrender to Jesus. It’s a willingness to do what he wants you to do.”
In our last message, we left off talking about Jesus’ promise that no one can snatch believers out of His hand of protection and preservation. In the same vein, Jesus said that God Himself will protect and preserve us. Jesus ended that explanation by saying, “I and my Father are one.”
By this time, the Jews knew that when Jesus referred to His “Father” He was talking about God. They knew that to claim God as one’s Father was to claim divinity for one’s self — in essence, making one’s self a god or even equal to God. This was blasphemy in their eyes and deserving of death. The Bible reads, “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.”
Unlike the last time when they tried to stone Him, Jesus doesn’t remove Himself from their presence. Instead, He gives them reason to pause with His words. “Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?” Jesus, of course, knows why they are stoning Him, but He wants them to be clear about it. “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
Of course, Jesus was not making Himself (or pretending) to be God; He is God. Everything that He had done and said spoke to the divinity of His person and to His connection with God the Father. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the Jews accused Him of several things that were not true. They said He was suicidal. They said He was demon-possessed. They said He was born illegitimately. They said He was a law-breaker. All of these things were not true. But Jesus never disputed them when they said that He was claiming to be God — because that is exactly what He was doing. Unlike some groups, such as Muslims and Jehovah’s Witnesses, who deny Jesus’ clear claims to divinity, the Jews knew what Jesus was doing. They simply did not want to accept it.
By asking them to clarify what they intended to stone Him for, Jesus allowed the Jews to draw a clear line that marked their unbelief. They effectively wrote their own sentence. They thought they were righteous already. They thought they could get to heaven on their own. They thought they didn’t need a mediator to place them in a right relationship with God, and they were willing to kill the only Mediator God had sent.
The Jews were looking for the Messiah to arrive. Now that He was present, they could not accept that He was more than they had bargained for. He was not just a God-empowered man, but God Himself. This belief in Jesus as God is a basic requirement of salvation. First John 4:15 says, “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” Because the Jews would not make this confession — that Jesus is the Son of God — they missed out on the blessings of salvation and being a member of Jesus’ flock.
Here is how you can believe on Jesus Christ for your salvation today so that eternal life in heaven with God is secure.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 150.
F.F. Bruce said, “Physical life may be destroyed, but those who are united by faith to the Son of God, those who belong to the flock of the true Shepherd, can never lose real life, for he keeps it secure.”
In explaining to the unbelieving Jews why they continue to doubt Him, Jesus returns to the metaphor of sheep and their shepherd. He tells the unbelieving Jews that they are not of His sheep because they do not hear and obey His Word. He contrasts this with the mark of true sheep, saying, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…”
To hear Jesus’ voice is to listen to and obey what He says. This does not mean that the sheep are perfect or that they never make a mistake. What it does mean is that their life is not characterized by unbelief and disobedience. If a sheep wanders away from the fold, he will eventually respond to the voice of the Shepherd and return to the flock. This is why Jesus said, “I know them.” Others may not take note of Jesus’ flock, but Jesus knows which sheep belong to Him.
In the next verse, Jesus announces one of the benefits received by those who belong to His flock. He says, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Jesus’ sheep receive the gift of eternal life from their Shepherd. Here, He is speaking of eternal spiritual life — a perfect union of the sheep with their Shepherd and with God.
When the sheep are unified with God, it is impossible for them to perish. God is life, and those connected with Him have life forever. Unlike those who are not of Jesus’ flock, the sheep will not perish in Hell, but will enjoy their eternal life in the pastures of Heaven.
But, for now, the sheep must remain on this Earth where wolves and false shepherds prey. The devil and the world are opposed to the Great Shepherd and the Great Shepherd’s sheep. They will try to do everything in their power to ruin the sheep, to draw them back into the world, to make them ineffective in their walk with the Shepherd. But, Christ assures us that “neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Jesus is the one who is holding us, preserving us, sustaining us, and keeping us. As if that alone were not enough, Jesus adds, “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” Yes, the very hands that shaped the universe are holding every believer safe and secure right now today.
Those who are not of Jesus’s flock will miss out on eternal life and this eternal security, which gives hope and confidence not only for today but for the future.
Here is how you can believe on Jesus Christ for your salvation today so that eternal life in heaven with God is secure.
First, please understand that you are a sinner and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Please understand that because of your sins, you deserve punishment in hell. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death…” This is both physical death and spiritual death in hell.
But here is the good news. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The phrase “For God so loved the world” means that if you are in this world, God loves you no matter what you have done.
The next phrase, “that He gave His only begotten Son” refers to Jesus Christ. He is God’s son who suffered, bled, and died on the cross for your sins and for mine, and He was buried and rose again.
Our next phrase is “that whosoever believeth in Him”. The word “whosoever” means anybody at anytime. The phrase “believeth in Him” means to trust in Him, to depend upon Him, to rely on Him, or to have faith in Him for your salvation.
Our next phrase, “should not perish”, refers to eternal punishment in a place called hell.
And, lastly, the phrase “but have everlasting life” means to live eternally in Heaven with God.
The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 149.
Adrian Rogers said, “I believe that a great number of people are going to die and go to hell because they’re counting on their religiosity in the church instead of their relationship with Jesus to get them to heaven. They give lip service to repentance and faith, but they’ve never been born again.”
Although Jesus avoided referring to Himself as the Messiah or as the King of the Jews, there were many times when He gave the Jews a reason to believe in Him. His actions and His words were a huge mountain of evidence that should have led to belief and faith in Him. But, for these religious Jews, it didn’t. Thus, He says, “I told you, and ye believed not…”
What were the things that Jesus had told them? Up until this point in the Gospel of John, Jesus had said the following:
– He said, ‘I am the one who came down from Heaven’
– He said, ‘Whoever believes in Me hath eternal life’
– He said, ‘I am the only begotten Son of God’
– He said, ‘The Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son’
– He said, ‘All should honor Me just as they honor God the Father’
– He said, ‘The [Hebrew] Scriptures all speak of Me’
– He said, ‘I always please God and never sin’
– He said, ‘Before Abraham was, I Am’
– He said, ‘I have the power to lay down my life and the power to take it up again.’
– He said, ‘I am the Bread of Life’
– He said, ‘I am the Light of the World’
– He said, ‘I am the Door’
– He said, ‘I am the Good Shepherd’
The Jews had heard all of these things from Jesus — sometimes more than once — yet, they still refused to believe. With these words, and Jesus’ spectacular miracles, one is led to ask, ‘What more does Jesus have to do?’ He has told them who He is; He has shown them who He is. Now, Jesus says, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.”
Jesus is not saying that these people are unable to believe, or that they are doomed to continue in their unbelief. He is simply pointing out that because they do not listen to Him and obey His words, they are classified as those that believe not. Unlike those who believe and strive to obey, they are not a part of Jesus’ flock. Jesus had previously condemned them as false shepherds — people who led others astray. Now, He condemns them as false sheep — people unwilling to believe and obey despite the evidence that has been presented to them.
If you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you will face the temptation of remaining stubborn in your unbelief. It is always easier to stay on the road that you are on than it is to make a decision for Christ. But, you must make a decision for Christ if you are to experience the blessings of being a member of His flock. Don’t hesitate to make that decision today.
Here is how you can believe on Jesus Christ for your salvation today:
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 148.
Neal A Maxwell said, “I testify that Jesus is utterly incomparable in what He is, what He knows, what He has accomplished, and what He has experienced. Yet, movingly, He calls us His Friends.”
According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, “The Feast of Dedication is nowadays called Hanukkah or the Feast of Lights. It commemorates the reconsecration of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 165 B.C. after its desecration in 168 B.C. by Antiochus IV (Epiphanes). The time for the eight-day feast was in December. It was winter. The feast reminded the Jewish people of their last great deliverance from their enemies. Solomon’s Colonnade was a long covered walkway on the east side of the temple. Two months had elapsed since Jesus’ last confrontation with the Jews at the Feast of Tabernacles, which was in October. Now Jesus again returns to the temple area. The Jews, when they notice Him, gathered around Him. Actually they ‘closed in on Him.’ The hostile Jerusalem leaders were determined to pin Him down so they surrounded Him. His enigmatic sayings plagued them, and they wanted Him to declare Himself on their terms. ‘How long will You keep us in suspense?’ they asked. ‘Keep us in suspense’ is literally ‘hold up our soul.’ They insisted, If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
One of the interesting things we notice in the Gospels is that, out of all the people who came in contact with Jesus, it seems as though those who refused to believe in Him were also those who had the most questions. It was the non-believers who always seemed to be trying to figure Jesus out — to find out, in their minds, who He really was and what made Him tick.
So, after Jesus has spoken to the people on the matter of spiritual leadership using the metaphor of shepherds and their sheep, the people ask Jesus as he is walking through the Temple Complex during the winter season, “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus responded, “I told you, and ye believed not…” Jesus had indeed been telling the people all along who He was. However, the people refused to accept the answer that He had been giving them because Jesus had not been using the words that they wanted to hear. They wanted to hear a man who told them that he was the “Messiah”, the King of the Jews, the Deliverer of the Children of Israel. They could sense that Jesus had the potential for these things, but He simply had not told them as much with His own mouth.
The Jews were adamant about this matter because, leading up to (and after) the time of Jesus’ ministry, the Jewish nation had witnessed the rise and fall of numerous would-be messiahs. One such person was Simon of Perea. According to Josephus, this man was a slave to Herod, however, he was “a comely person… tall and robust.” He was apparently much trusted by his masters for they committed “great things to his care.” This man got the idea that he could deliver his people from the Romans, so he put a crown on his head, declared himself a king, and began amassing a following. He started a military campaign against his former boss and burned down one of Herod’s palaces. Herod joined forces with the Romans, defeated Simon’s forces, and later Simon was captured and beheaded in 4 BC — the very same year it is believed that Jesus was born. Jewish history from this time period is replete with such stories.
Jesus, however, was not such a leader and He would not allow the Jews to push Him into being that kind of leader. He was not a rebel or revolutionary in the political sense. He did not try to gain a following by declaring Himself to be Messiah and King. He revealed Himself to people who were genuinely seeking spiritual truth, such as the Samaritan woman and Nicodemus. But for everyone else, He let his actions speak for Him: “the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.”
Since Jesus was the manifestation of God on Earth, Jesus’ actions were the actions of God. The people should have recognized that God was working in and through Jesus. The religious leaders should have been able to see the signs based on their studies of the Old Testament prophets. There was enough evidence before their eyes for them to make a decision regarding Jesus Christ. Instead, because Jesus was not the kind of leader they had been looking for, they continued to doubt and make excuses for their disbelief.
Will you choose to believe in Jesus for who He is — The Son of God? When you meet Him, you may find that He is not what you assumed Him to be nor what you think you want. But you will find that He is all you need, that He is the great Shepherd, that He is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
Here is how you can believe on Him today:
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In fact, I am the chief of sinners, so don’t think that you’re alone.
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 147.
Peter Marshall said, “No tabloid will ever print the startling news that the mummified body of Jesus of Nazareth has been discovered in old Jerusalem. Christians have no carefully embalmed body enclosed in a glass case to worship. Thank God, we have an empty tomb. The glorious fact that the empty tomb proclaims to us is that life for us does not stop when death comes. Death is not a wall, but a door.”
What would you think if someone told you that they would willingly die for someone else who had done nothing to deserve such a sacrifice? You would probably think they were crazy to do so. But what if they told you that they had the power to come back to life after they died? You probably would have thought they were really crazy. So, you can imagine how people felt after Jesus told them, ‘I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again.’
There were two things going on here: First, it is human nature to resist the pull of death. Nobody wants to die. So, when Jesus said He would die willingly, many people automatically looked at him strangely. Second, none of these people had ever witnessed or heard of anyone coming back from the dead of their own will. There was the Old Testament story of a man who came back to life after his corpse touched the body of a dead prophet in whose grave it had been hurriedly tossed. But someone who could bring themselves back to life? No way.
What was probably even stranger to these people was Jesus’ statement that to lay down His life and take it up again was the whole reason for His existence. He said, “This commandment have I received of my Father.” In other words, these were Jesus’ marching orders. This is the reason why He came into the world.
John informs us that “there was a division again among the Jews for these sayings. Many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?” Some people could only come up with two explanations for the things that Jesus said that made sense to them: either He was demon-possessed or He was mentally ill. Others, however, wouldn’t believe that that was the case. They said, “These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?” They circled back to the miracle that Jesus had performed for the man blind from birth. Despite Jesus’ strange words, they knew that His actions, at least, were something that was good.
Once again, Jesus proves to be a person of division. People took sides, either for Him or against Him. Some tried to write Him off while others were willing to give Him a fair hearing.
The real test, however, would be what people decided to do with Jesus after He did what He said He was going to do. When Jesus’ grave was found empty, some believed instantly, some doubted at first but then came to belief later, and some who had disbelieved Jesus from the start became even more vehement in their disbelief and opposition to Him. The thing you must do is decide what you will do with Jesus. He did not die on the cross and rise from the dead to make you believe in Him. He died on the cross and rose from the dead to give you a reason to believe in Him. His actions backed up His words. Now, the choice is yours. Will you believe and live?
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 146.
David Jeremiah said, “If you have been born only once, you will have to die twice. But if you have been born twice, you will have to die only once (and you may even escape that one death if Jesus returns to the earth during your lifetime).”
One question which has vexed scholars, theologians, historians, and ordinary Christians of every stripe over the past 2,000 years has been: Who killed Jesus? Some say it was the Romans for they were the ones who drove the nails. Some say it was the Jews for they were the ones who passed judgment and condemned Him to die with their cries of, ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’ Some say it was you and me, because it is our sins that He took upon Himself as He hung on the cross. Some say it was the devil, for it was he who drove Judas to betray Jesus and have Him handed over to the authorities. And some say it was God who poured out His wrath on His only Son for the sins of the world.
However, in our passage for today, we find that the answer to that age-old question — Who killed Jesus? — has been right before us all along in the pages of Scripture. Fundamentally, no one put Jesus to death. Instead, Jesus laid down His life. He told the Jews, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life…” It is one thing to be martyred — to be put to death under circumstances beyond your control. But Jesus was not martyred. He was in complete control of the circumstances surrounding the crucifixion. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Peter drew his sword to defend Jesus, Jesus stopped him, saying, ‘Don’t you know that, right now, I can call down ten legions of angelic warriors — that’s ten thousand angels — to defend me?’
As further proof that Jesus was in control of the crucifixion, Jesus said, “I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me… I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” If you or I die, we can’t bring ourselves back to life. But even in death, Jesus maintained the power to come back to life.
Jesus endured a real, physical death. His heart stopped beating, His lungs stopped breathing. He was really dead. But His Spirit was very much alive. He was not helplessly lost in the afterlife as some groups teach. He was in control when He died and when He was in the grave.
Some might think it would have been enough for Jesus to die for our sins, but that is not the case. If Jesus had only laid down His life for our sins, we may have been saved from Hell, but death would be a permanent condition for us. There would be no resurrection, no afterlife, no Paradise, no everlasting union with God.
That is why Jesus’ words here are so important — “I have power to lay it down, and I HAVE POWER TO TAKE IT AGAIN.” By willingly dying, Jesus faced death and defeated it. He came back from the grave in a transformed body — a body that would no longer succumb to death. To use the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Jesus boldly marched “into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell” and then “came back thro’ the jaws of Death, back from the mouth of Hell.”
Because Jesus defeated death and Hell no one who believes in Him will remain bound by death. We don’t have to worry about overcoming death because Jesus did that already. We, too, can be resurrected and have our bodies transformed if we believe in Him. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
Jesus Christ is the only way ANYONE can escape death and Hell. Will You trust Christ as your saviour today so that you can be delivered from death and hell.
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In fact, I am the chief of sinners, so don’t think that you’re alone.
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
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Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 145.
William Barclay said, “The unity of the church comes from the fact, not that all the sheep are forced into one fold, but that they all hear, answer and obey one shepherd. It is not ecclesiastical unity; it is a unity of loyalty to Jesus Christ.”
In this chapter, Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience. Of course, there are many who do not believe on Him. But those who do believe on Him see Him as the Messiah of the Jews — one who came to save, rescue, and help the Jewish race exclusively. In the verse we are considering today, Jesus dispels this notion.
He says, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold.” These “other sheep” are those Gentiles who would believe on Jesus. They are not of the House of Israel, but Jesus did not only come to save the House of Israel. The writer of Hebrews says Jesus ‘came to taste death for EVERY MAN’ — Jews and Gentiles.
Regarding the Gentile sheep, Jesus says, ‘them also I must bring.’ Part of Jesus’ purpose in coming into the world was to bring Gentiles into the household of faith. For a long time, God had revealed Himself to and through the Jews alone. Now, through Jesus Christ, He was extending the knowledge of Himself and the offer of communion with Himself to those who had up until then been cut off from grace.
Jesus says these Gentile sheep “shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” Some scholars believe there is an intended difference between the word ‘fold’ and the word ‘flock’. They say that the term ‘one fold’ should be translated ‘one flock.’ Here’s why: Shepherds sometimes divided their flocks into several folds in order to better care for the sheep. The entire flock still belonged to one shepherd, but the separation of the sheep allowed the flock to be taken care of based on their individual needs.
In the church today, there are differences in worship and ministry styles among people from different races, language groups, ethnicities, and countries. However, all of these groups are a part of the body of Christ. There are many folds, but one flock, and they are all loyal to one Shepherd. As Jesus said, “there shall be one fold and one Shepherd.”
This is why Jesus came. This is the reason why He tasted death for every man — no matter their race, language, country of origin, or ethnicity. He made a way for every person to be a part of His flock if they so desire. He is a Great Shepherd to all. Here is how you can join His flock today.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please e-mail me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
The Gospel Light Minute X 