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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for a Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage.

We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. This is where you need to see here. He’s talking about when I am lifted up. Remember, he’d also told Nicodemus in chapter 3. He says in verse 14, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so much the son of man, they lifted up. And when you go back there in the Old Testament and you read the story, it’s just a simple story about how they were bitten by serpents.

But the only cure was if you were bitten, They put this brazen serpent, the form of a serpent up on a pole, and whosoever would live. That’s all they had to do, just look, and they’d live. So just look and live. And Christ says, as it was in the Old Testament, with that little story, when I am lifted up, if you’ll just look, you can live. Look and live. There’s even a song that they wrote called, Look and Live.

We look to Christ and you can live and have eternal life. But now I’ll get what he says here. In verse 32, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw in this word all. I would even circle it and maybe draw a line all the way over to those Greeks, because it includes them. He’s answering their question. What an answer. All men unto me. This, he said, signifying what death he should die. Isn’t it amazing that he already knew how he was going to die?

And yet in Psalms 22 it talks about how he died. And that was written over a thousand years before Christ actually came and died. So King David, who God used to write the prophecy, said that he will be pierced in his hands and in his feet. And yet none of the other previous governments like the Babylonian government, the Medes and the Persians, the Alexandria, none of them had anything to do with crucifixion like the Romans did. So it narrowed it down and he would die a certain way on a cross, piercing his hands and his feet.

And he knew it before it ever happened. Signified by what death you should die. Look in verse 31, the people answered him, we have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever. How sayest thou the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Who is this Son of Man? If you’re the Son of Man and the Son of Man is supposed to live forever, see they knew that. He’s supposed to live forever. Well, how are you going to die?

How can you be the Son of Man? See, there was so much they did not understand and standing right right there in front of them was the Messiah Himself. And they knew some of the scriptures, but this Bible says that the Old Testament prophets even had a hard time distinguishing the surname between these sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. You see, between the sufferings of Christ, when he died on the cross, and the glory of Christ over 2,000 years later.

And they saw it all as one and they couldn’t separate them. It’s hard for them to understand. You and I said, well, why don’t you come and they can’t understand that? I can. Yes, but we’re 2,000 years on this side of it. We can see and understand some things. This is clear as a bell, but they couldn’t see it. Didn’t understand. So look in verse 35, then Jesus said unto them, yet a little while is the light with you, Why you have the light?

Let’s darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whether he goeth. Now I believe that Jesus is the light of the world. Chapter 80 says, I am the light of the world. And they said, you’re not the light of the world. And he said, when you put me on the cross, my father will tell you who I am. And that’s why when the light of the world was on the cross. And when he died, the light went out and it became dark.

God spoke on behalf of his son. Well, what a illustration, but it was truth. And God also shook the whole earth. And because it says it was a great earthquake. Well, what a voice that must have been. How scared those people that were there must have been. But they were messing with the Son of God. And He says in verse 36, Why you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of life. See, when you see and understand, Remember in the first part of the Gospel of John it says, there was a man sent from God, his name was John.

The same came to bear witness of the light. He was not the light, but he came to bear witness of the light that all men might see and believe in the light. Jesus Christ is the light, he is the truth. When you know truth, you have light, you have knowledge, you have understanding. There’s power in the knowledge of the Word of God. So he makes a statement, Once you trust Christ as your Savior, see you become a child of light.

So whenever he left, he says to his disciples that ye are the light of the world. So you and I are supposed to be the lights of the world. He says in the book of John chapter 5, you are the light of the world, you are the salt of the earth. But the salt has no power if it doesn’t come in contact with the other, with the flesh, with that which is supposed to preserve. So he says here in verse 36, these things spanked Jesus and departed and did hide himself from them.

But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him. Despite of all the miracles that he did, there’s people who still not would not believe. Why are certain things mentioned and some things not mentioned? The Bible says Christ did a lot of things that were never found in the Scriptures. They never wrote about him. But he says, these things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of a living God, and that by believing you may have life through his name.

So there are certain ones that are used as evidence that Jesus was who he claimed to be. So he says here in verse 38, that the saying of Isaiah, going all the way back to Isaiah, Isaiah in the Old Testament prophesied, even if you look in Isaiah 53 and verse 1, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? The arm of the Lord is Christ, and He is revealed, and He shall grow up before them as a tender plant.

But Lord, they don’t believe. They did not believe the gospel. So He says here is a fulfillment of prophecy in verse 38, that the saying of Isaiah the prophet shall be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report. And so when you know that whenever it says that in the book of Isaiah 53, it’s referring about Christ and their unbelief about who He was and what He was going to do. But being lifted up and making the payment for the sins of the world, even though He had the power to do all these miracles, they still wouldn’t believe it.

They saw and provide all those fish sandwiches for everybody, wouldn’t believe it. I saw a little statement on front of a church. I thought it was pretty good. And it just says something simple like, he walks on water. He walks on water, I can’t remember the first part of it, but he’s talked about he walks on the water. I wish I could remember all of it, but I can. Just shows you something that was different about the Lord. He walked on the water.

But look what he says here. In the last part of verse 38, who hath believed our report and to whom half the arm of the Lord been revealed.” That’s Christ. He’s revealed. They see Him. They hear Him. Sir, we would see Christ. So He’s telling them who He is. Isaiah told about me. This is who I am. I’m not just a man in the body. I’m the Son of God. I am the Messiah. And Isaiah spoke about me and that people still will not see it or understand.

But look what he says in verse 13, therefore they could not believe. They just could not believe because that Isaiah said again, he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them. Why does it say God heartened her heart? And it’s not their fault because, see, God knows who will believe in God knows who will not believe and God knows whether or not if you saw truth what you would do with it.

And God says, because you have hardened yourself, you tie that in with the book of Romans in chapter 9 and about how he hardened Pharaoh’s heart. When you go back there and you read the story, it’s because he forced Pharaoh to make a decision. You see, it’s like having children. And you say, well, my children are not rebellious. Yes, but you didn’t tell them to do something. Tell them to do something or not to do something, then see if they’re rebellious or not.

But some parents are afraid to clamp down on their children because they don’t want to find Now, they are rebellious and then they don’t know what to do with it. So they just let them do whatever they want to do. I got wonderful kids. My kids are so wonderful. They’re not rebellious. Yes, because you don’t tell them what to do. You let them do whatever they want to do. You give them their own way. Tell your children what you don’t want them to do.

And then you’ll see how rebellious they are. So by your forcing upon them decisions to make a decision, you have hardened their heart, but their heart is because of their own decision. Oh, it harmonizes. You may not see it, but it does. Look there in verse 41. These things said Isaiah. When he saw his glory and spoke of him. Now we’re talking about Jesus here. Isaiah saw his glory. Isaiah spoke about him. Verse four to do, nevertheless among the chief rulers also, many believed on him.

Get this. Many, not few, many believed on him. But, because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him. Unless they should be put out of the synagogue. So what does that tell you? That you don’t have to confess Christ to other people. And you can still believe on Christ. They believed, but they did not confess. So why didn’t they? Because they were afraid. See, not everybody had. Can’t you be saved and never tell somebody how to have eternal life?

Because you’re just plain scared to death. You have fear. And you have to really work on getting over fear. And so that’s why whenever you want to give that track out for the first time, You may be nervous. I’m a shake. Scared. Talk to somebody. But after you do it a hundred times, you might not be as scared as you are before. You see, the Bible talks about the Apostle Paul says, I did what I did in fear and in trembling.

Fear and in trembling. You don’t always serve the Lord when you’re just on top of the mountain and everything’s going wonderful. No, there’s sometimes things don’t go right. But get what he says. There’s a statement here that’s very important to see. You see there in verse, the last part of verse 42 where he says, less they should be put out of the synagogue. They love the synagogue and their position more than they love the Lord. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be saved, you can’t go to heaven.

Now some people say, no, if they don’t confess Christ, then that means they’re lost. I don’t believe that. If you want to say all these other verses, the word believe means to believe, then why should I change that word here? I just believe that it means believe and that that’s what they did. And look what else he says in verse 43, For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Now this is what really boils down as the crux of the matter in your service.

If you love the praise of man more than the praise of God, you’ll serve man. You’ll love the world. You’ll love the praise and honor that you get from people. Listen, when I made up my mind, I’m going to serve a Lord. I want the praise of God more than the praise of men. Buddy, I have had a lot of time when I have gotten. Not the praise of man. I’ve gotten, I believe when I get to heaven, I’m going to get the praise of God.

But man doesn’t always, I don’t think treats me right. And they’re gonna treat you right either. Well, get this, when verse 44, Jesus cried and He said, He that believe it on me, believe it, believe it not on me, but on Him that sent me. So when you believe in, you’re believing on Him that sent Him. You’re believing that God sent His Son for a reason. And the reason was, as He says there in verse 30, 23. The hour is come.

The time. For him to die because as times when it would say stayed in the scriptures, his time was not yet or the hour is not yet come. The hour is not yet come. But now he says the hour is come. So he came to die and to be lifted up for all men to make a payment for everybody. And then he says here in verse 46, I am come a light. into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge the world, and you ought to underline these last three words, save the world.” So if you go all the way back and whether or not he’s still answering the question, sirs, we would see Jesus, then near a bunch of Greeks, he came to save the world. Now there’s a lot of people that do not believe that. Today I had Mike, when I came in, somebody that asked the question, he looked it up on the internet, found out about a church, and he had printed out some stuff, and he says, is this Calvinism?

I looked at it, I said, this is Calvinism. But it was Word is so flowery. You’d have to read the whole thing to see it and understand it. It’s tricky. They’re good. They’re good. But it’s still Calvinism. What it means is Christ did not die for everybody. God does not love everybody. Everybody cannot be saved. But God says in His Word, if I be lifted up, I’ll draw all men unto me. And I’m a light unto the world. Why be I light to the world if it doesn’t matter about the world, just those chosen few that you elected to save?”

Well, then only Israel would be the one. They’re called the chosen. They called the elect. So I guess if you’re not a Jew, you can’t go to heaven. But this is in contradiction to all of that. Look what he says. In verse 48, he that rejected me and received, if not my words, hath one that judged him. The word that I have spoken, the same, the word shall judge him in the last day. You see, when Christ came the first time, He came for one reason.

He did not come to judge the world or to condemn the world. You read that in verse 17 of John chapter 3. He did not come to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. So he came for a reason to die, to pay for the sins of the whole world, but the next time he comes, he’s not coming to make a payment for the sins of the world. And the Bible talks about the Father, have committed all judgment to the Son.

He said, but what’s going to judge you in the last day? It won’t have to take a judge to judge you. The word that he’s already spoke, this word is going to condemn you. The word that he spoke. This is your judge. This word is the final word. And all he has to say is it says right there in my word. He that believeth not shall be condemned. He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth upon him. The word.

That’s why knowing the word and believing the word is so very important. Look at the last two verses. He says, for I have not spoken of myself but the Father which sent me. He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. As the Father hath given me the words, I speak the words.

You have a son of God who did not come to do his own will. the will of the Father. Pick up here. This hand represents you and me. This wall of represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us. But us is not just a chosen few. Us is the whole world. And the Bible says that God loves the whole world. The payment for sin is death, eternal separation from God in Hell. But God loves us and wants us to go to Heaven.

To go to Heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. None of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. We do not deserve to go to Heaven. We have never done anything worthy to be saved. But God loves us. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world. Because he loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die.

But because he does love us, he took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead, and said that if you and I, if we would believe that he did this for us, he would put this payment to our account, we get to go to heaven on what he did. You don’t earn it, you don’t work for it. Understand it this way, as far as a believer goes. If you have a flagpole, standing here, Okay, that’s the flagpole that that’s you, okay.

But a flagpole is pulled to have a flag. Okay, well what’s the flag for this flagpole? Or that should be our gospel. In other words, that is my flag. The gospel is my flag. But you see, in order to keep that flag waving for 52 years, I need some guide wires to sustain me. So I have a guide wire over here and then I got another one to keep me from falling. Another way I have a guide wire over there and then another one over there and then another one over there and the more guide wires I have regardless of how the wind blows I can be solid and keep the flag waving.

But you see there’s a devil out there and the devil wants to do everything possible to you and I so that we don’t keep the flag waving. See the flag, the gospel is the light by which people can see. It’s that lighthouse that people see out there on the ocean and they see this flag because that’s the banner under which we fly. That’s what we wave. But you see if I only focus upon that gospel that I have and I don’t have any guide wires on my life.

I won’t be flying that flag very long. So you see, as you ask people in the question, what’s most important for life? Air or food? If you had to choose just one, which one would you want and you know without one of them, either one of them, you’re going to die, right? What’s more important, the water, the food or the air? Oh boy. Some decisions get very difficult. So, well, who do you love the most? Your wife or your kids?

What? Okay, let’s make like it easier. Who do you love the most? Your husband or the kids? Where do you love the most? Your house or your car? You can only have one. Some decisions are easy. Some decisions are not. Did you know that for your own protection, they keep you standing, you better get this right. You see, the flagpole can’t stand by itself. That’s why guide wires are so important. So you see, I need to study the Word of God so I can be strong.

But you can study the Word of God, but what’s more important? You talking to God or God talking to you? You need both, don’t you? You don’t want on just a one-way conversation. So you need a guide wire where you read the Bible and let God talk to you. But you need also prayer so that you can talk to God. Wouldn’t that be just as important? That’s important too. So you see, that can both keep you, but now, that’s not all there is to it.

You need a good clean testimony. That’s another guide wire that keeps you standing strong so that you can keep the flag waving. But I know Christians that they don’t care about their testimony. You won’t be standing long and you won’t be having a flagged fly. You see, the flag is so important. It forces me not to make provision for the flesh, because if I make provision for the flesh in order for the devil to get me, I won’t be standing strong and I won’t have a flagged wave.

So that’s why it’s so important for a child of God. You are a child of the King. You are the light of the world and you are the salt of the earth But there’s a devil a roaring lion seeking whom he made a vow And the devil says, where are you? Here I am. No. You don’t make it easy on the old bird. The Bible says, stand firm, stand strong. And if you allow the flesh to get a hold of you, the devil is going to get a hold of you.

See the devil, the lion, he likes to eat flesh. He don’t like to eat spirit. He likes to eat. flesh. And if you want to live in the flesh, the devil are going to eat you up. Let’s pray, shall we? It heads about nice clothes and no one looking around. If you’re here tonight and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, or if you’re watching by internet, understand that God, yes, He loves you. He died on the cross to pay for your sins.

And yes, you can be saved. You can have eternal life. You can go to heaven when you die. Christ died for you. You are that important to him. But he says many people, even though they saw his miracles, refused to believe. Isaiah said, Lord, who hath believed our report? I’ve given you a report tonight. That doesn’t mean you’re going to believe it. But would you believe it? If you will believe that when Christ died, He died for you. He said He would save you, give you eternal life and you get to go to heaven on what Christ did for you.

So if you watching by internet tonight or if you’re in the auditorium, you’ve never trusted the Lord. Would you simply say, Lord, I don’t understand at all but I know I’m a sinner and I believe Christ died that He died for me and I’m going to trust Him right now as my Savior as my only hope of going to heaven. Friend God said He would save you and give eternal life. Would you believe it? I pray that you will.

Also you that know Christ is your Savior. Do you see why your testimony so important, why having good character in your life is your integrity, it’s your honesty, it’s your decency. That’s what keeps you standing strong so that you can keep the flag waving high. All of it’s important. You see without the flag, you won’t have a purpose for Bible study. Without the flag, you don’t have a reason for prayer. Without the flag, you don’t have a purpose for keeping and maintaining a good testimony.

You’ve got to have a purpose, and the purpose is so that the gospel keeps going out, that God can use you to keep the light shining. Our Father, we thank You so much for all that You’ve done for us, and what You can do through us. We commit ourselves to You. We thank You for all that You’ve done. And Father, You are worthy of praise. You have been glorified. We pray that each one here will glorify You also. In Christ and every prayer, amen.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free. 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3776. 63771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services Begin at 10 30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed.artney caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.