This is a rush transcript.

[00:00:00] The ways we worship Jesus is by getting into his word, and so please grab your Bible and open it up to John 5.

[00:00:08] And if you don't have a Bible, you can grab one of them on the back table there with love for you to read along with this one on page eight hundred and ninety. And we've been working our way through this Gospel of John. And this book was written so that we might believe in Jesus, that he is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing we might have eternal life in his name. That's why we're studying this book.

[00:00:33] And in two months, we just started this two months ago going through this book. And tonight is our 13th time that we've already gotten into it in two months. OK, let's hope so. And I know some of you guys have actually been here all 13 times. I've been here all 13. And it feels like a lot of times.

[00:00:55] I mean, that's like binge watching 13 episodes of your favorite TV show, just to put it in perspective for you. That would be like you after the service, getting in your car and driving to Eugene, Oregon, and me preaching at you the entire way there. OK. That's what we've have experienced so far in this gospel. But we've decided to have these special Jesus saves nights. And if you're just jumping in, this is such a perfect night for you to be here, because Jesus has these Salvacion conversations where he meets somebody or even somebody comes to him that doesn't really know him and he introduces himself in such a compelling and powerful way that it changes everything about their life. And so that's why we've had these Wednesday night services. And we looked at a man who was the ruler of the Jews, a very religious man, a man who knew the scripture. And yet we saw that he still needed to be born again. He needed a new heart. He needed the spirit.

[00:01:58] You need to change from the inside out to be saved. You're here. Last week, we looked at this woman from Samarra and she was the opposite of a religious kind of a person. She might have been more of a someone who would have been looked down on and judged as a sinner. She was a woman who had had five husbands and the man she was with at that time, she wasn't even married to an Jesus.

[00:02:21] He comes to her and he offers her living water instead of pouring out her life into a broken well, he says, I want to put a fountain of life inside of you. And not only does she believe in Jesus, she tells the whole town. And so we've been study in these conversations that Jesus has with people that change their lives.

[00:02:41] And tonight we get to Canada, the climax tonight. It's not really we're going to look. It's a conversation that Jesus has with somebody else tonight. It's like here's a conversation Jesus wants to have straight with you. It's a one way conversation. If you're at John Chapter five, look with me. And I don't know what if you got a Bible that's got red letters in it?

[00:03:04] I got one of those because it marks the words that are from Jesus in our whole text tonight.

[00:03:09] And Jesus said to them, and the whole rest of the tax is in red letters and it's all Jesus talking straight at the people there that have said they do not believe in it.

[00:03:22] OK. So if you're here tonight, if you're new, if you're just jumping in with us on the 13th hour of our road trip through the Gospel of John. Well, this is a great night to be here because Jesus is going to speak directly to people who don't believe in him. In fact, look back at John, chapter five, verse 18. Here's where we left off in our last sermon.

[00:03:43] This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, their rules. And they didn't like how he was breaking their rules. He was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God.

[00:04:01] So these people, they were so against Jesus because he didn't fit into their system that they actually wanted to kill him because they knew what he was saying. He was making an extraordinary claim. He was saying that he was God.

[00:04:16] That's what he was saying. And now what Jesus is going to do for the whole rest of Chapter five is he's going to speak to people who don't believe in him.

[00:04:26] Some of them want to kill him. And he's going to give them some compelling reasons why they should believe that he is God, why they should worship him and give him their entire lives and put their faith and belief in him.

[00:04:40] Let's start reading in John, chapter five, verse 19. So Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, the son.

[00:04:50] That's how Jesus would refer to himself. The son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the father doing for whatever the father does that the son does likewise for the father loves the son and shows him all that he himself is doing and creator works the knees.

[00:05:10] Will he show him so that you may marvel? Jesus is starting to explain his relationship that he has with the father claiming to be the son. And he wants to make it clear I'm not taking the father down a notch by comparing myself with him. No, the father is actually showing me who he is. I have the full manifestation of the father. And in fact, if you really got to see who I am in relation to the father, you might even marvel. You might even be filled with R and wonder. In fact, someday he's even speaking now to his skeptics, to his haters. Like someday you might even marvel at who I am when you realize the relationship I have with the father.

[00:05:54] And he goes on here in verse 21 four as the father raises the dead and gives them life, here's a real compelling reason that you might marvel someday. So also, the son gives life to whom he will.

[00:06:08] The father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the son that all may honor the son just as they honor the father. Whoever does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him. Truly, truly. I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him, who sent me, has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

[00:06:35] So there we have one of our truly, truly, I say to you statements. Here's Jesus saying, let me tell you something you might not believe, but it's really true. And I want to tell it to you anyways, that if you believe in me, you won't be judged, but you will have life. Here's why you're going to marvel at me someday. Even the people who don't believe in me now, Jesus is saying you will marvel someday because you'll see I have been given the authority to judge and the authority to give life. And someday you will meet me and you will realize that about me. And I'm telling it to you now, even if you don't believe me, truly, truly. I say to you, if you believe in me, you get the life. And if you don't believe in me, well, then there's the judgment.

[00:07:19] And if that wasn't clear enough, he breaks it down that there's two parts that every person is on. Look at verse 25. Truly, truly. I say to you. Back to back. Truly, truly statements. He's really going off here. An hour is coming. In fact, the future is now. It's now here when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who here will live. It's going to come a moment where people are going to hear my voice and they're going to rise from the dead for us. The father has life in himself. So he is granted the son also to have life in himself, and he has given him authority. Here's Jesus claiming to have the authority to execute judgment because he is the son of man. Do not marvel at this, OK? You will marvel. But now I'm telling you so you can understand for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice. All those who are dead will hear his voice and they will come out. People are going to rise from the dead. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life. Those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. If you really knew who I was, you would marvel because I have the authority to judge you and I have the authority to give you life. That's what Jesus says. And so let me take that marveling away. Let me just make it really clear right now. Someday I'm going to speak, in my words, that come out of my mouth, have so much authority that people are going to rise from the dead. Some will rise to a resurrection of judgment and some will rise to a resurrection of life.

[00:08:52] This is what Jesus says.

[00:08:55] In the future, you might not believe me now, but you will in the future, when you see that I am the one with the authority to judge you or give you life.

[00:09:05] So if you've got your little handout here and we're taking some notes tonight, point number one, you need to hear what Jesus is saying, his voice, his word to you tonight from the future. And here's what you got to see. Jesus has authority to judge you. That's what you got to see.

[00:09:19] Jesus is putting himself, whether we like it or not. In a place of authority that he and the father share this life. And the father has given to Jesus the ability to give life or to judge. And so someday Jesus says he's going to speak and the dead are going to rise. And they're going to go to two possible realities for life after death. Everybody is going to live after they die. That's what Jesus is saying. Some will rise again and be judged. Some will rise again and have life. Which one tonight are you? Is the question.

[00:09:56] Now, again, let's just look back at verse twenty nine. It says, those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Let's make sure no one misunderstands that. We clarified this on Sunday. We are not telling you that if you're a good person, you will earn your way to heaven. We don't believe that here at this church. And if you're a bad person, you'll go to hell. Now, here's the difference between heaven and hell. It's belief in Jesus Christ.

[00:10:21] Jesus is the difference. What he's saying here is he actually decides where you end up. That's what he's saying. So done good here means you've put your faith in Jesus. You've transferred your trust to Jesus. You're one of his people who believe in him. You follow him. That's the done good. The done evil. Well, we've all done evil. I mean, if it was just the criteria of doing evil, will all of us then would go to the resurrection of judgment? But no. As a sinner, we confess are evil and we turn from it and we cling to Jesus Christ for salvation.

[00:10:57] This isn't about good people and bad people. No, Jesus has already shown us he's ready to save anybody. The religious man, the immoral woman. He's on a mission to save souls.

[00:11:07] But you got to believe in it.

[00:11:09] And then when you believe in him, you get the life. And if you don't believe in him here tonight, well, then you're going to get the judgment in the Bible goes on and it describes the resurrection to life and the resurrection to judgment and very clear and specific language. OK, go with me to First Thessalonians, Chapter four. Let's let's look at the good news here, the resurrection to life. In fact, some of you might have been here. This was a while ago now when we were going through First Thessalonians. Just to put it in perspective, we did 28 sermons on First Thessalonians. Was anybody here back in that day when we were doing that? I was the first year of our church. What a great study that was as we went through God's word. So just to put in perspective, we did the whole book in 28 sermons. We've we've already done 13 sermons through the gospel of John K. But one of the things we saw was, first, there's Colonial's Chapter four and start with me here in verse sixteen. Here's what it says Jesus is going to do. This is at some point in the future, but Jesus is telling it to people ahead of time here in John five.

[00:12:13] And then Paul also writes about it in this letter to the Thessalonians Church, First Thessalonians four, verse 16 on page 987 says, For the Lord himself, referring to Jesus, Jesus himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ. Everyone who has died, but they put their faith in Christ, they will rise first.

[00:12:46] You catch that.

[00:12:47] You're going to hear his voice. When Jesus descends, there will be a cry of command and Jesus will command all of those dead Christians. Everyone who's believed in him that has already passed away.

[00:13:01] He will command them to rise up from the dead. You want to talk about power and authority? There it is right there.

[00:13:10] Let me just make it very clear to everybody here tonight that life does not stop at death. Everyone lives forever. Every soul outlasts your body.

[00:13:22] OK, so don't believe what the world is telling you. I know the world would hear what we're saying here tonight, that Jesus has the authority to judge after death that people are going to rise from the dead at the cry of his command. And the world would mock and ridicule what we're saying here tonight. But this is the truth that we're telling you. You can marvel at it now or you can marvel at it later. But Jesus will give a cry. And the dead in Christ will rise. And it says they will meet him in the air. And from that moment forward, they will always be with the Lord. Can I get a man from out of Indiana? That's what it says.

[00:13:56] That's what Jesus says is going to happen.

[00:14:00] And he's saying this not to the Aymen crowd, not to us at the church, who already believe he's saying this to people who want to kill him. And he's saying, you don't want believe me now.

[00:14:12] Let me tell you the future right now, because you will meet me one day, say one in a powerful display that is going to be verse 17 says then we who are alive, if we're the generation that's still living, when Christ returns, who are left. We will also be caught up together. We refer to that sometimes as the rapture, just this immediate being caught up together with them in the clouds. All of Jesus's people meeting the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord, therefore encourage one another with these words. Is that an encouraging thought right there? Meeting the Lord Jesus Christ, being with him forever, enjoying his eternal life?

[00:14:53] That's his promise. That's his claim. Believe in me. And you'll go to death. You'll go from death to life right now. And someday, when you hear my voice in the future, you will rise and be with me. That's how powerful Jesus is saying his voice is that the dead are going to rise. Now, that's the good news. That hopefully encourages everybody here. We would want everyone to know that they're going to experience that kind of resurrection. Being with Jesus eternal life, go to Revelation Chapter 20. Skip straight to the end of the book, because the Bible does not mince words. The Bible does not hold back punches. The Bible tells you exactly what is going to happen to you if you do not believe in Jesus. And it ends the story for everyone who does not believe in Jesus. It ends right here at this great white throne while they will see him someday in all of his glory. And it will be a terrible sight to see Jesus, to not have believed in him, to realize that you were wrong about him, that you grossly underestimated Jesus. Jesus is the most underestimated figure in human history, talked about by so many people who pay him a little bit of respect.

[00:16:10] But way less respect than he actually deserves. As the one who is judge, who has authority over either judgment or life for every soul.

[00:16:20] And here's what's gonna happen when we really see him as the judge that I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. That's our Lord. And from his presence, the earth and the sky fled away. The physical elements of the universe flee from the presence of Jesus is talking about the deep creation, the destruction of the world as we know it. That's going to happen before Jesus makes a new heaven and a new earth. And no place was found for them. And I saw the dead great and small.

[00:16:51] They're all standing before the throne and the books are opened. And then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life and the Dead.

[00:17:00] This is all the dead souls now who are still existing. They were judged by what was written in the books, and the judgment was based on what they had done in their life. The sins that they had done. In fact, the sea gave up all the dead people who'd ever died at sea. This death in Hades, the place of the storing place of the dead, that that gave up all the dead who were in them. And they were judged. Each one of them were judged according to what they had done.

[00:17:28] And everybody who's in this place, Haiti's the storing place of the dead than death in Haiti's, they were thrown into the lake of fire. Now, this is the second death, the lake of fire. And if you're anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, is your name is it in this Book of life?

[00:17:48] Well, then you are thrown into this lake of fire, which is the place that we think of when we hear the world, the word hell, which is a word that is taken way too casually, even when people are using it in their everyday language, they're not really realizing that the Bible is claiming there is a lake full of fire where people will experience everlasting torment.

[00:18:10] But that's clearly what it's saying.

[00:18:14] And saying that those who believe in Jesus. Well, there's a book that your name is written in, it's called The Book of Life and Jesus promises that everybody who he gives life to. Who's in that book, they will never experience judgment. But if your name is not in that book, it says that you will be thrown into a place that is referred to as a lake of fire here.

[00:18:37] The Bible describes it in all kinds of terrible ways. It describes it as a place of outer darkness, a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

[00:18:50] This is what Jesus is saying, if you don't want to believe in me. Well, let me just tell you that someday you will believe in me because because it's not an option.

[00:18:58] It's not like you get to decide the outcome of your eternity. I decide the outcome of your eternity.

[00:19:05] That's what Jesus is saying.

[00:19:07] So if you guys don't want to believe in me because I Kneeland people on the Sabbath and if you guys want to kill me. Well, let me just tell you now. So on that day, you won't marvel. You won't act like. Well, we didn't. No, no, I'm telling you right now, Jesus says.

[00:19:21] I have the authority to judge and I have the authority to give life.

[00:19:24] And truly, truly, I say to you, if you believe in me, you will have the life.

[00:19:31] He's very clear.

[00:19:33] There's two outcomes, and you believing in Jesus determines that you get the life, ultimately he determines it. But he is putting it out like believe in him. That would be the appropriate response.

[00:19:48] Here's the scary reality of what we're seeing is there's going to come a moment when there are no more second chances, when we can't put any more time back on the clock. There is going to come to a moment where things are finished.

[00:20:02] And that might happen when we die, it might happen when Jesus returns. Well, nobody's promised any more time till that moment. Oh, I can promise you is that there will be a moment. And from that moment on, either judgment or life will be set based on whether you believed in Jesus or not.

[00:20:21] And there's nothing we can do to go back and change it after that time.

[00:20:27] Go to Luch, 16, and Jesus tells a fascinating story where someone has an after death experience. A lot of people get famous by telling about their near-death experiences while here's a real death experience. All right. Here's here's what Jesus giving us a glimpse right now. People aren't going to the lake of fire. That judgment is coming later. No, they're going to this Haiti's place, this storing place of of dead people or right now, if you were a Christian and you were to die, your spirit, your soul, the real you inside your body would go straight into the presence of Jesus. And then eventually that becomes the new Jerusalem. And then eventually Hades becomes this lake of fire. And here's Jesus now and perhaps his most revealing parable out of all the parables that he tells, giving you a glimpse behind the curtain into what is going to happen to your soul, the two possible options on the moment of your death.

[00:21:26] And look at how he tells the story. Luke, chapter 16, verse 19. He says there was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen in a bag. That's a that's a way to say this guy was living the dream. This guy was living it up. And he feasted sumptuously every day. Sounds a lot like America right there. Feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid. A poor man named Lazarus covered with sores. So you see the distinction we're making. We got a rich man who's got everything and a poor man, Lazarus, who's got nothing. And he desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

[00:22:10] So the poor man died and he was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. Now, remember to the Jewish crowd that Jesus is speaking. Father Abraham would have been the leader of the whole nation. And, of course, Father Abraham would have been in the presence of of God. So that's a reference to heaven, to the storying place of heaven right now where we're our souls would go to be with God.

[00:22:33] Abraham Side.

[00:22:34] The rich man also died and was buried. And in Haiti's though storing place of the dead, the holding place for the lake of fire being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and he saw Abraham far off. And Lanzer is at his side. Very interesting thing. Rich man in his house, feasting some shoot sumptuously, wearing fine linens. Live in the dream. Poor man outside the gates. They die. Switch places is basically what happens.

[00:23:04] Now, here's the rich man in torment. And he's looking up and he sees Lazarus. That guy that used to sit outside his gate.

[00:23:12] But now he's up there with Abraham, enjoying just the presence of the Lord.

[00:23:19] And he called out in this story, at least he called out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me. And here's a glimpse into what judgment is going to be like, Sen. Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, fry him in anguish in this flame. So clearly, it's this hot, undesirable, terrible place to be where it just the sound of a drop of water, just the idea of one drop of water hitting his tongue. Sounds like such relief from the torment that the man is experiencing in this place called Haiti's. What a what a glimpse into what judgment is going to be like. Terrifying. Horrible.

[00:24:01] Scarier than anything that the world is going to produce on Halloween is the judgment that is coming.

[00:24:11] But Abraham said, child, remember that at you in your lifetime received your good things. And Lazarus and like man are bad things. Hey, remember how you lived back in when you had a chance in your life?

[00:24:21] But now he is comforted and you are in anguish. And besides all this between us and you, there's a great chasm has been fixed. There's no there's no going back and forth anymore. There's no more chances here in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able and none may cross from there to us.

[00:24:41] Hey, man, you're reaping what you have sown. He basically says to him, hey, remember how you lived? Remember how the poor man lived? Now he's here. Now you're there. And that's where you are. There's no change in it. Nobody's going back and forth. Well, the guy here has a great idea. Actually, the rich man.

[00:24:59] And he said in verse twenty seven, then I beg you, father sent him to my father's house for I have five brothers so that he may warn them lest they also come into this place of torment. Here's all of a sudden what the man in hell wants to do.

[00:25:15] Evangelism is what he wants to do. He wants to tell people the news of Jesus Christ. He wants to tell people believe turn from your sin before it's too late. That's the voice from hell. That's what he. He's got brothers. He cares about him. He wants him to know. But Abraham said and this is a shocking response from Abraham. They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. I mean, here's Abraham's response, why would we send somebody back from the dead when they've got the Old Testament man? Of course, they know how to be safe. They've got the Old Testament. That's Abraham's response. And in Richman's like, no, Father Abraham, I don't think you know how it works. But if someone goes to them from the dead, then they'll repent. Then they'll turn from their sin. Then they'll trust in Christ. And he said, damn, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, if they won't listen to the word of God, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.

[00:26:17] This is what Jesus says to a bunch of people who are looking for signs and miracles and want him to prove himself. He says, if you can't hear my words and believe me when I speak to you, then there's nothing else that can save you. So first thing Jesus does is he establishes that he the authority to either judge or to give life, and then he makes it very clear that it's the words coming out of my mouth that you must believe. If you're going to be saved, nothing else can save you. No miracles in this story. It's very clear you would think. I don't know. At least I would think maybe I'm not as spiritual as you guys. But I would think that if somebody is dead, grandma walked in here right now and said, Robert, you better believe in Jesus or you're going to burn.

[00:27:04] I would probably think that that would be a powerful thing. But according to Abraham, as Jesus tells this story, no, it's not going to change anybody's life. Here's what has the power to change lives. The words that come out of the mouth of Jesus Christ and believing in those words changes lives, not miracles, not experiences, not feelings or emotions, but faith in the words of Christ. If you don't hear his voice, then you will not live. Now go back to John five and you're going to see that's exactly where our passage goes.

[00:27:39] Look back at John five and what Jesus is going to start doing now. He's going to start listing witnesses there of why you should be listening to him. He stated that he has the authority to you. And if you don't marvel at him now, you will marvel at him later. And he is telling you now. So you won't be surprised and marvel then. OK, so but look at verse 30 now. He's gonna start listing witnesses of why you should listen to him, why he is a credible source of life. He says, I can do nothing on my own as I hear a judge. And my judgment is just I always make the right call because I seek money, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. Now, if I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. I'm not just saying this about myself. There is another who bears witness about me. And I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true is ultimately God. The father is the witness to Jesus, but now he's going to start listing other witnesses you sent to John John the Baptist is referring to. And he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man. But I say these things so that you may be saved. I'm trying to convince you why you should listen to me. Because of the witnesses. First the father and then also John the Baptist. He, John the Baptist, verse 35, was a burning and shining lamp. And you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. I mean, all of Jerusalem was going out to hear the preaching of John the Baptist. They thought found him to be somebody credible. Well, he's saying he spoke about me.

[00:29:15] So there's a compelling reason to listen. But the testimony that I have is even greater than that of John for the works, the miracles.

[00:29:22] Remember all the miracles that we've seen so far in this gospel. The things that I've done and in Jerusalem, the things that I've done in Galilee, the works at the father has given me to accomplish the very works that I'm doing. Even these miracles, these signs bear witness about me that the father has sent me and the father who sent me has himself bore witness about me. His voice. You have never heard his form. You have never seen and you do not have his word abiding in you. So up to now, he's mentioned three different witnesses. He says the father is bearing witness about me and some say that he's referring to when the father speaks from heaven. This is my beloved son with whom I'm. Well, please. Now, we haven't come across one of those passages in John yet, so I don't know if that is what he's referring to. But he's saying, no, God himself bears witness about me. John the Baptist, the miracles. There's reasons you should be listening to me. And then he's going to give us the most powerful, most compelling reason. And you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one he has sent you search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. You're trying to obey the commands and be good to enter heaven. And you're that's why you search the scriptures. But it is they the scriptures that bear witness about me. Yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

[00:30:45] Let me tell you one powerful way that the father has borne witness about me through the scripture, he has spoken of me and you guys think you know the scripture and you think you're going to live based on the scripture. But if you really knew the scripture, you would see the point of it is me. I'm the one the scriptures are talking about, Jesus says. So if you think you know the scripture but you don't believe in me, then you've missed the whole point of the scripture. If there was witness to me, in fact, you'll get more specific here and he starts to rebuke them a little bit. I do not receive glory from people, but I know that you do not have the love of God within you because I have come in my father's name and you do not receive me. Now, if another comes in his own name, you will receive him because you're all about getting glory from men. How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do you not think that I will accuse you to the father? No. You're not going to be judged because of what I'm saying. There is one who accuses you, Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Bible that they would have the law that they were trying to live by Moses on whom you have set your hope for.

[00:31:53] If you believed Moses Jesus says, you would believe me. For Moses wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, you can't really see me in the Old Testament. Well, how are you?

[00:32:05] Will you believe me now when I'm giving you the New Testament?

[00:32:07] OK.

[00:32:09] So what Jesus is pointing to with his hater's, with his skeptics, to anyone who doesn't believe in him? Well, first he points to the future and he says, well, I'm gonna be your judge whether you like it or not. And I'll tell you how it's gonna work if you believe in me. A resurrection to life. If you don't, a resurrection to judgment. But also you should know who I am because of voices from the past.

[00:32:32] See, people have been bearing with witness about me. The father has been bearing witness about me through even let's go all the way back to Moses has been setting the stage for me to calm.

[00:32:44] Jesus is trying to say that he reveals Veals God through the word. Let's get this down for our second point. We want to hear his word from the past and that scripture and what Jesus does is he reveals the way of life. So here Jesus is going to now show us the way of life and you have to see it. He's saying through what bears witness to him, which is the scripture. Now, at this time, all that they had was the Old Testament scripture. That's why he refers to Moses. And Jesus isn't even making a huge claim here that the Old Testament preaches the New Testament gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, he's saying that if you really wanted to find out how he was God who was going to die and rise again, just read the Old Testament and it'll tell you all about me is what he's saying. But he's also bearing witness to John the Baptist and the Miracles.

[00:33:37] And those things are written down and recorded for us in the New Testament. We've even been studying them in the Gospel of John. He's saying, here's how people believe in me. They believe in me through the word.

[00:33:50] You're going to have to hear something of the truth of the Bible. That's how God bears witness to the son, Jesus Christ. That's how Jesus actually shows us who the father is. The way we get to know God is through this book right here and no other way. Can I get any men from anybody on that? This is the only way we get to know God.

[00:34:08] And he's pointing people to the word and he's saying, you guys have missed the entire point of the Bible, that you're studying it to such great detail. And you think that by doing what the Bible says, you're going to live. But the whole point of the Bible is me, Jesus says, and you're missing the point completely. And I wonder how much that's happening in churches like this one CompassHB Bible Church. Where people start to do all this intense Bible study and they start to get so puffed up because they know the truth in the Bible. And they completely miss faith in Jesus in a relationship with Jesus that the Bible says is eternal life to know God and his son, Jesus Christ.

[00:34:52] I'm concerned that there are people who go to this church that have their brains filled with Bible information but don't have hearts of Jesus transformation, and it really concerns me.

[00:35:04] It really does.

[00:35:06] I mean, growing up in the church, I've met a lot of people who could argue with your points of doctrine but didn't seem to really love Jesus or want to see anybody else. It saved.

[00:35:18] Now, one of the things that I like to bring up every once in a while is the Hawaiian pidgin translation of the Bible. Have you guys heard about me? This is one of the most theological books I could recommend to you for your library. OK. Because they call the Bible the Jesus book. OK with a D a I don't know if you can read that out there. Right. They don't even know how to spell the word. We would say maybe. Right. That the Jesus book. This is a street language for Hawaiian people. Maybe you've seen this in the Hawaiian Islands if you've ever gone there before. And I think they have gotten something inherently right here by saying that that's what the Bible is. Is the Jesus book. And it's not a book to know. No, it's a God to know. That's what the Bible is. It's the words of Christ. It's the words of God revealed to you so that you could have life.

[00:36:13] I mean, there's no other book that you can compare the Bible to. I'm sorry if you read the Bible. It blows every other book away. Even the supposedly other religious books, they usually come from one source and some of their archeology is very sketchy. This is like so many different men wrote this over so many different years and so much of it has been backed up historically and with archeology. It's just an amazing book. And the point of the book is that you would know Jesus Christ, the Jesus book.

[00:36:41] Now, I love even how they describe stuff in this book. Like, let me read for you, John 316, right, for Godsell of the World. He gave his one and only son. Right. Here's how they say here.

[00:36:51] God, when get so plenty love and aloha for the people inside the world that he wins. Send me his one and only boy so that everybody that trust me.

[00:37:05] No get cut off from God. I like that poor no get cut off from God. But get that real kind of life. Get that real kind of life I love.

[00:37:16] It's like I get what you're saying.

[00:37:18] The life that stay to the max for ever for ever being spelled efo evga and that resonates. All right. Hey, don't get cut off from God, but get that real kind of life, a life that stay true to Max forever. It's not even about what's gonna happen after you die. It's like. Do you. Are you cut off from God now or do you have that real kind of life?

[00:37:46] So you have to read, like, deep commentaries to be like, well, eternal life is not really about what happens after you die. It's really knowing the everlasting one more than it is an everlasting life. We have to read all these. They just get right to it right here.

[00:37:59] This is how they this is how they described Jesus as the one who came down from heaven. Nobody ever go up inside the sky. Only me, the guy that's for real. I come down from the sky.

[00:38:14] He Amen see?

[00:38:18] You can make fun of that if you want to. And you could teach those people English if you want to. But they got something going on right here that a lot of people study in their Bibles.

[00:38:30] And every morning they get out all their books and they look at it for 45 minutes and then they go off and they think they're gonna go and be a good person that day. And they didn't even have any interaction with God or Jesus Christ.

[00:38:43] And he said, you know, I want to show you a way of life. I want to show you what tells about me. And it's in this book. This book is all about me. And you see it. Sound about you live in a better life. It's not about having right doctrine. It's about me. Jesus says.

[00:39:00] I'm the point.

[00:39:02] Now, go to Luch 24, because, look, 24 Jesus goes off on some of the disciples. This is after he dies and after he rises again. There's this great story that I love called The Road to a Mass. And Jesus meets a couple of his disciples here on this road and they have a conversation while they're walking. So this is fresh. Jesus has just died on the cross and he has just risen again. And there's two guys that are trying to figure it out and start with me and Luke, 24, verse 13. This is page eight hundred and eighty five. If you got one of our Bibles and it says that very day two of them, we're going to a village named Amar's. And it's about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they're walking and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

[00:39:47] I can only imagine what they were thinking after Jesus dies on that cross while they were talking and discussing together Jesus himself. All of a sudden drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, It's just a stranger button into your conversation on the road. What is this conversation you are holding with each other as you walk? And they stood still. They stopped looking sad. Then one of them named Clear Piss answered him. Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? Like, do you not know what's going on, man? And he said, what things? And they said to him, Well, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man, he was a prophet, mighty indeed. And word before God and all the people. And our chief priests and rulers, they delivered him up to be condemned to death. And they crucified him. They executed him on a cross. But we we were hoping that he was the one to redeem Israel. We wanted him to be the Messiah, the Christ who would deliver us from Rome and give us political victory. Yes. And besides all this, it's now the third day since these things happened. And some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning. And when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. And some of those were with us, went to the tomb and they found it, just as the women had said, and they did not see Jesus.

[00:41:21] And here's what Jesus thinks about hearing about his own death and resurrection from two of the guys who are supposed to believe in him. Here's how he talks them. Oh, foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? Oh, you.

[00:41:46] Fools, he says, don't you know that this is what was supposed to happen and beginning? Look at this verse twenty seven.

[00:41:54] Here's Jesus going all the way back to Moses, the first five books of the Old Testament and the prophets he interpreted to them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. Hey, let me show you where I am in the Old Testament without telling them that he's Jesus. Yet he begins to preach to them the Christ, the death, the resurrection, using only the Old Testament scriptures.

[00:42:18] Now, they drew near verse 28 to the village where they were going and he acted as if he were going further. And they urged him strongly saying, stay with us. It is toward evening and the day is now far spent. So he went in to stay with them. And when he was at the table with them, he's taken the bread and he blessed and broke it. And he gave the bread to them and their eyes were opened and they recognized him. It's Jesus. And he vanished from their sight. What an amazing revelation. He really did rise from the dead. There is. That's how he used to break bread. I know this guy Boomi disappears.

[00:42:57] Varnishes.

[00:43:00] What is Clipper's turn and say to the other fool at this moment? I mean, you just saw Jesus after he died. You saw him die. He's risen boom areas in front of you. Boom, he's gone. Where did he go? What do you say to your friend? Look what he says right here. This is amazing to me. They said to each other, did not our hearts burn within us? While he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures. Do you realize what they say to each other?

[00:43:31] Wasn't that the best Bible study we have ever had? That's what they say. Did you know all of that was in the Old Testament? I mean, can you even believe that? Like there's Jesus, the risen lord in front of them. And then he vanishes. Pretty impressive disappearing act. Where do they want to talk about? What we just learned from the scriptures is blowing my mind right now. My heart was burning when I was seeing Jesus in his word.

[00:44:03] Here is actually what Jesus said in Luke 16. Here it actually now happens in real life. A man has risen from the dead and they're more impressed by the words of the Bible. Explain to them.

[00:44:16] That's what happens here.

[00:44:18] They don't see Jesus is risen because they saw him in the flesh. They see Jesus is written is risen because they saw him in the scripture and they believed. It has to come from the words of Jesus, you have to hear the voice of Jesus, and that is when you get life, when you believe in his words.

[00:44:41] Hey, so that's why we love the Old Testament at this church, because we believe the Old Testament tells us the good news of Jesus Christ. Can I get him in from anywhere? I love the old US. We've done whole Sunday school classes on this at this church going back into the Old Testament and studying the gospel while the gospel actually comes from the first pages of scripture even.

[00:45:02] I mean, even from the first five books written by Moses, go to Deuteronomy 18 and let me show you possibly one of the passages that Jesus took these men to on the road to a man's. There's many I could turn you to, but let's just turn to one, because Jesus mentioned that Moses said he was coming. Well, where did Moses specifically prophesy that Jesus was coming? Well, one example is in Deuteronomy 18, verse 15, it's on page 161. If you got one of our Bibles and it's in a section of Deuteronomy where it's talking about witnesses that before we convict anybody or before we make up our mind about any case, we should always consider the witnesses and write in the mixed of that context and notice our passage. And John, five was about witnesses. Moses says this. This is Deuteronomy 18. Fifteen. This is way over a thousand years before Jesus was ever going to be born.

[00:46:02] The Lord, your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from among your brothers. It is to him. You shall listen when God raises up the ultimate prophet. That's coming like me, but greater.

[00:46:14] You better listen to him. Just as you desired of the Lord, your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, let me not hear again the voice of the Lord, my God, or see this great fire anymore lest I die.

[00:46:27] And the Lord said to me, they are right. And what they have spoken allus just review from the Old Testament. God meets his people, Israel, and he is on the mountain. And there is thunder and there is lightning. And God's going to speak to the people. And the people are so freaked out by the holy presence of God and their search. Terrified of who God is that they say, Hey, Moses, will you just tell us what God says? Because we can't handle listening straight from the end. And God even says that was right for them to say that they can't handle listening straight from me. That's why I'm speaking through you mock Moses. And someday I'm going to send somebody who's gonna do an even better job of revealing who I am. Then you have done Moses, this future prophet. And then it says in verse 18, I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words, the very words of God in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him and whoever will not listen to my words, that he shall speak in my name. I myself will require it of him.

[00:47:38] What is what is the prophecy here, prophecy of Jesus, that he's going to come and he's going to speak to us. The very words of God. Like in passages like John five that we're studying tonight. And it's like you have to listen to him. You have to listen to what he commands you. And if you do not listen to what he commands you, that is ultimately what you will be required of. What you will be judged for is the fact that you did not listen to the words of Jesus that are revealed to you in this book. If you ignore my prophet that I send to you, I will require it of you. God says.

[00:48:13] And then a man comes up and he says, You might not believe in me and you might want to kill me. But let me tell you something right now. If you do not believe in me, you will be judged.

[00:48:25] And if you do believe in me, you will have life. Oh, you didn't believe Moses will. Moses spoke about me. Here's Jesus claiming to be the prophet of Deuteronomy 18 and he's saying, Believe in me live. Don't believe in me die. Listen to my words.

[00:48:40] Can you hear me? Jesus is saying.

[00:48:44] Can you hear my voice?

[00:48:46] No, you're not going to hear it straight from God. It's not going to happen and all these crazy ways. No, it's gonna be me speaking to you through the recorded scriptures. The things that I said that are written down, the words of God that Moses wrote, the New Testament, now the gospel of John, where we're recording what Jesus said so that you could hear it here tonight. Like Jesus is speaking straight to you.

[00:49:09] Go back to John five, now that we know who's talking to us with the one who's talking to us has authority to judge us. The one who's talking to us is the prophesied prophet who, when he speaks, you better listen because his words contain life. And if you don't listen, that's what you will be required for.

[00:49:27] That's what you will be judged for.

[00:49:30] And so now that man who the people couldn't see, that was right in front of them in his day, but maybe you can see him with the eyes of faith here tonight. Maybe you can hear him with the ears to hear tonight. He says to you and John, chapter five, verse 24. Truly, truly. I say to you here tonight in this room, whoever hears my word and believes him, who sent me, you have eternal life. You will not come into judgment because tonight you could pass from being dead to life just by hearing my words and believing in them.

[00:50:07] Jesus says right here tonight in this room.

[00:50:11] Dead people could become alive when they hear the Lord calling them and they rise at his command. They believe in his word.

[00:50:21] That's what he's saying.

[00:50:22] And, yeah, he knows some of you guys are going to have a hard time accepting this, and that's why he says truly, truly, I say to you, like, you can believe me now or you will believe me later. But I brought you to that church that one night so that you could hear my words to believe in me and live.

[00:50:38] Like through the scriptures to night, through the sound of my voice, you are hearing Jesus Christ speak to you off the page here tonight. And he's saying, someday you're going to see me and you would marvel. But let me tell you so you won't marvel because I'm going to judge you one day.

[00:50:55] And when you hear my voice, you're going to rise either out of either as a as a Christian and meet me in the sky or as a as a someone who didn't believe in me and meeting me there at that great white throne. But someday you will see that I'm the judge. And right now, if you will listen to me and you will believe in me, you will live. It could happen right now.

[00:51:14] I mean, that's what he's saying.

[00:51:16] Like people could pass from death and judgment to life for eternity. Right now, just by believing that Jesus is the judge who died for your sins and rose again and offers you eternal life.

[00:51:31] Like, it can happen in a moment. This belief.

[00:51:35] In fact, there was a man who was dying right next to Jesus on the cross train with me to Luke 23, we often refer to him as the thief on the cross. And, you know, when Jesus died, so many people who saw Jesus die, you think, well, if I saw Jesus die, of course I would believe in him. Not true. Many people saw believe Jesus die. And you know what they were doing while he was dying? They were mocking him is what they were doing. They were reviling him. The scripture aside describes it like they were wagging their heads in their tongues and just mocking it.

[00:52:10] He saved others. Too bad he can't save himself. That was their favorite line. He saved others. Too bad he couldn't save himself. The ultimate irony of all time is people mocking Jesus for not saving himself while he's dying to save them. Many people were mocking him, in fact, the scripture makes it very clear that there was a criminal one on the right of Jesus, one on the left, who were also being crucified as their form of execution, as the punishment for their crimes. And they started out mocking Jesus, along with this growing crowd of people who were just mocking him.

[00:52:49] They had a sign above him that said King of the Jews. And I'm sure many people were poking fun at what kingdom did he have now that he was being executed by the Romans at the request of the Jews?

[00:53:00] Kind of both the Jews and the Romans thinking they're greater than this guy. Jesus. Mocking, mocking, mocking.

[00:53:07] And all of a sudden, while he is there on the cross next to Jesus, one of the thieves there on that cross, he changes his mind in a moment, at some point while he's there bleeding out and dying. He changes his mind about Jesus and he stops mocking him. In fact, he starts standing up for Jesus. Look what it says here. It's like he could hear what Jesus was saying, maybe on the cross. Those few phrases like one of the things it says here in Luke that Jesus said was, father, forgive them. They don't even know what they do. That's one of the things maybe heard up in verse 34. This is Luke 23, verse 34. And maybe as he's hearing Jesus, he decides, you know what, I'm going to believe in him. I listen to him and I'm going to trust in him. And it describes it like this.

[00:53:57] If you look down at his thirty nine, one of the criminals who were hanged railed at him. So on one side, here comes more of the mocking. Are you not the Christ? Are you not the anointed one from God to come to save us, save yourself and us like just kind of tag himself in there like, hey, save yourself Jesus.

[00:54:15] And I'm over here, too. While he's mocking him, he's asking for him to save it.

[00:54:21] But the other rebuked him all of a sudden one of the thieves stands up for Jesus. Saying, Do you not fear God? Since you are under the same sentence of condemnation, hey, aren't you afraid of the judgment? We're being judged, man, and we indeed justly like we deserve to be judged. It's right for us to be judged for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds. But this man referring to Jesus, this man has done nothing wrong. And he said, here's just that simple moment of believing in Jesus. He says, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And here's what Jesus said to him. Truly, I say to you because it might be hard to believe, but this is for real. Today you will be with me in paradise.

[00:55:08] The man dying next to Jesus heard the words of Jesus saw who he was, and he changed his mind right there in his final moments before death. And Jesus says he gets a life, he gets his soul being in the presence of God, a place that Jesus refers to as paradise.

[00:55:31] Just because this man believes.

[00:55:35] See, I didn't invite you here tonight. One of your friends didn't invite you here tonight. No, somebody drew you here tonight. Somebody wanted you to hear him tonight. And I believe that his name is Jesus. And he does one thing with centers like us. He saves people like us. And he's speaking straight to you here tonight. And he wants you right now. To believe in him. And he wants you to know that you will be with him in paradise if you can hear his words right now, point number three, believe in Jesus and be saved. This is his promise to you. This is what Jesus is saying here tonight. He's saying, let me just read it one more time. Truly, truly. I say to you, whoever hears my word. Can you hear him tonight? And believes him. Who sent me has.

[00:56:24] Right. Then, just like this thief on the cross. Paradise. Eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has past even here tonight from death to life. Gaby, thank you so much. That through the scripture, we can hear the word of Jesus tonight. We can hear his voice claiming to have authority over us, claiming to reveal to us the way of life and promising that if we will believe in Jesus. If we will confess and agree with what Jesus says about us, that we are lost in our sin, that we deserve a form of judgment. But if we will turn from that and we will trust in him. And we will see that he promises to give us eternal life and we transfer our trust from our own goodness or from whatever else we believed in, that was going to help us figure out this problem of death. And we transfer our trust tonight to Jesus, who gives us the words of life and we hear him and believe God. Thank you for this promise that those of us who believe in Jesus will never be judged.

[00:57:30] There is no condemnation in Christ. No. The moment we die, the moment we hear that command from him, we will be in his presence. We will be with him in paradise and we will be with him forever and we will worship him. And no joy and peace and blessing and experience him forever. God, and we long for that day that we get to be with Jesus Christ.

[00:57:53] And now we just pray that if there's anybody like this, the.

[00:57:58] Who's going to die and right now they haven't believed in Jesus that they would not wait until they have no more chances. But tonight would be the night like that thief on the cross.

[00:58:09] They would cry out, Lord, remember me in your kingdom. We pray this in Jesus name a man.