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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, 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 Bibleline to continue on the 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

So I want you to take your Bible in turn to the Gospel of John, the Gospel of John. And the Gospel of John, there’s an interesting little story about a man named Lazarus that died, and he had two sisters, Mary and Martha. And their first question or problem was not that Lazarus died, but that Jesus didn’t seem to care. He could have been there and he wasn’t there. He could have stopped it and he didn’t stop it. I mean, he’s the giver of life.

He’s the one that gives eternal life and all that. So they had a bone to pick with. And so they says in verse 21, then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou had been here, my brother had not died. Now, in verse 19, it says, many of the Jews came to Mary and Martha to comfort them concerning their brother. Well, that’s usually why you have a funeral service to comfort those that are left behind. And so they came to comfort him, but where was Jesus?

And so he came and he had some words to say to Martha and she said, yes, I believe that thou art the Christ and so forth and that you have eternal life and we’re going to all go in the resurrection and all that kind of stuff. She knew all of that. So she says in verse 27, she said unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And after she had said that, she left him, walked away from him.

Then you find out, well, she talks to Mary. And verse 32 says, then when Mary was come, where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down in his feet, saying unto him, Lord, here’s that big old word. you ought to circle in your mind. But if, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. And I guess she believed that he loved him, but not enough. He could have done something about it. He loved him, but maybe not enough.

And I come to that conclusion because there’s a couple verses that I mentioned in just a second here. If thou hast been here, in other this problem would not have been a problem. We would not be grieving. We would not need to be comforted. But Lord, you were not here. Now there will be times in your Christian life you’ll think that God has forsaken you and He’s not there when you need Him the most. But remember, He indwells you now in the person of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you and He said, I’ll never leave you and never forsake you.

So you don’t have any reason to ever question her down to Lord. but then in verse 33, when Jesus therefore saw her weeping, was it because he could have done something but he didn’t love him enough? Could have stopped it, but he chose not to. He led him die and look how much they’re hurting. But regardless of what the reason may be, it says in verse 33, when Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping, which came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled and says, where have you laid him?

And they said unto him, Lord come and see in Jesus’ web. Then said the Jews, behold how he loved him. Now maybe not everybody thinks the same way. Behold how he loved him because they saw him weeping. But is he weeping because of how much he loved Lazarus? Or was he weeping because she didn’t love him enough to believe him? You see, one of the greatest things in the world is knowing and believing that God loves us. What I think one of the next greatest things is…

Do we love God? So there’s a lot of things that can happen in a person’s life. And it can be a test of your own faithfulness. Do you love the Lord as much as he wants? Is it limited? Is it just on a percentage or can you say you love the Lord with all your heart? But notice what he says in verse 37. And some of them said, could not this man, which opened the eyes of God? the blind have caused that even this man should not have died.

Is there any questions and doubts in somebody’s mind that Jesus could have done something and he didn’t do it? He let him down. And so she was weeping and then Jesus was weeping and they were weeping. Everybody’s having a crime time. But it says, some of them said this. Others said, look how much he loved him. And she was maybe question him, well, did he love him at all? He could have done something about it. He didn’t do it.

But whatever the reason was, do you believe that God, when he says, God so loved the world, until you believe, then after you’re saved, he doesn’t love you anymore? Or does he still love you? So much. See, one of the greatest problems that Christians have in their life is they begin to question the love of God. Because if God really loved me, why does He let this happen to me? Because God is sovereign. God can do everything. He got all the power.

And He let some things happen to you that you don’t like. And some bitter things can happen in your life. Now, look in chapter 12. As we go to some of these chapters just to kind of pull out one thing that talks about love because the Bible says God is love. God is love. Not that he has love, he is love. That’s what he is. So here in the book of John chapter 12, when you’re looking verse 23, Jesus answered them saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

Now this is the hour that He’s gonna be lifted up on the cross and He’s gonna pay for the sins of the world, that hour is come. This is where He gets to prove His love. You see, it’s one thing to say you love somebody. It’s another thing for Him to lay down His life for somebody. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. He’s going to lay down his life.

That’s supposed to be the proof, the evidence I really love you. So he says here in verse 24, very, very I send you, except a corner of wheat fall into the ground and die. And we’ve often made this statement that he loves us so much that he would rather die than live without us. Well, this is what he’s doing. He knows that if he dies and comes back from the dead, he can give eternal life to whosoever would believe.

But if he doesn’t do this and doesn’t pay for their sins, he cannot forgive anybody. And if he can’t forgive anybody, he can’t save anybody. And nobody would have eternal life and nobody would get to go to heaven. So this was the only way that He could show that He does love you, so loved the world, and that was by Him dying. So a kernel of corn dies, and then here comes a stalk, and they can’t know it’s got four ears on it, and it’s loaded with all kind of grain.

Look how many more people. So that’s why He makes a statement here in verse 25. verse 25. It’s not just a question now about does God love you enough to die for you? Well he did. And the one thing that he had was his life and he gave that up so that we could have eternal life. But in verse 25 he that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hated his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

In other words, where you’re going to live forever. But in this life, can you hate your life enough that you are willing to give it up for His honor and for His glory, for His praise? And it shows you how much do you love God. In other words, the question is, how much does God love me? Okay, enough to die for us. How much do you love God? Do 11, enough that you would die for Him. You would give up your life.

You don’t have to give up your physical life, but the life you have to live, are you willing to give that up for His purpose, for His glory, and let Him live His life through you and… If he can lay down his life for us, can we love God enough that we’d be willing to die for him? Interesting thought. Look at the next statement. In verse 26, he says, if any man served me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servant be.

If any man served me, him will my father honor. So you’re supposed to know and understand that. Now, we’re talking about, You and I haven’t trusted Christ as our Savior, and what should we do for the rest of our life? Is that too big of a sacrifice to make, to live for somebody we’ve never seen, to give up your own hopes and dreams and where you want to go and what you want to do, what you want to be, and you sacrifice all that so that you can honor the Lord through His words.

Do you love Him enough that you will to surrender all of those and not fight with God. So anyway, it’s a good thought. But here in John, he also makes another statement. Look there in verse 42. In verse 42, because there are those who trust Christ as Savior, but they don’t love the Lord. Remember, we’re not saved because we love God. We’re saved because He loved us. And then we should serve the Lord because He first loved us. But wouldn’t it be neat if all of God’s children would serve the Lord because they do love Him?

And this is what was wrong with those Christians in Ephesus Church. They left their first love. When you first trust the Lord as your Savior, you’re so glad you know you have it tonight. You’re going to heaven when you die and you can love Him for that moment. But can you continue in His love? You’ll read in the Bible, talks about abiding him, abiding him, abiding him. That means love the Lord enough to live for him. It means live where you’ve been placed.

You’ve been placed in Christ, now live in Christ. Abide in him, same as talking about walking in him. You’ve been given a new birth, the new nature, spiritual birth. Walk in your new nature, your new birth. And God will bless you for doing so down in verse 42. He says, nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him. But, see that little word there? Then they bought it all over the place. But because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him.

Now some people say, well, you have to confess Christ to be saved. And they always run over there to Romans chapter 9 and 10 and verse 13. No, you don’t have to confess Christ in order to be saved. how we can get the gospel out in the message up because faith comes by hearing and so if we would say it, what they need to do, then they can hear it and believe on Him whom He have sent. Now get this.

Because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him lest they should be put out of the synagogue. But does it say that they believed on Him? Yes. If we say this doesn’t mean they really trust the Lord, then we’ve got to do away with all the verses it says if you believe that doesn’t work either. I believe if that’s what he says, that’s what was done. They believed. Now notice the rest of it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

In other words, one of the things that we want our Heavenly Father to do is to give us praise. You know, God being thankful for whatever I do for him. The Bible says in the book of 1 Peter in chapter 1 verse 7 that the trial of your faith is much more precious than gold and silver though it’d be tried with fire that at the period of Jesus Christ might be found in the praise, honor, and glory. In other words if you’ll serve the Lord here when you get there he’s going to give you praise.

But see you’ve got to have a burning desire to want praise from God, otherwise you won’t confess Him here because you want the praise of man. And so therefore you got a choice, a decision to make. Do you love the Lord enough that you want to confess Him here so that He’ll praise you there and you’ll believe that it’s really worth it. And so we’re being tested every day of our life as how How much do you love the Lord?

Do you love the Lord more than the praise of man? Do you love the Lord more than your job? Do you love the Lord more than your neighbor? Do you love the Lord more than anything that you have? More than your house, more than your car, more than your money, more than any? Do you love the Lord? That’s why God will take things away from you. To prove to you whether or not do you really love them or not more than anything else in the world.

You know that little song we often sing? Christ is all I need. How do you know? How do you know that? Let God take away everything else that you have and see if that’s all you need. Is the Lord enough? Can He sustain you? In other words, will you fall apart? Because you don’t see how God’s going to do this. Lord, if you’d have been here, I wouldn’t have worried, but you weren’t here, so I worried. Now He’ll never let you go.

But one more time in verse 43, where He says, for they love the praise of men more than the praise of God. See, sometimes you can say, well, I love the Lord, but you don’t love Him enough that it would change your life. And that’s why it’s so important. Look in the book of John 8. Just go back here a little bit. John 8. John 8. And look in verse 28. John 8 verse 28. There’s just a couple verses here that we’ll look at.

But in verse 28, he says, then said, Jesus unto them, when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am he? And that I do nothing of myself, but as my father hath taught me, I speak these things. Now, you see there in verse 12, he had already talked about, well, it had gone to an illustration, somebody who was blind, they could not see. Now they see the light. So in verse 12, he says, I am the light of the world.

And he says, and he that follow me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. A lot of these statements that you’ll read in the Gospel of John, you’ll find those in first John. And you’ll know that he’s not talking about how to be saved, but talking about we are children of the light, and we’re not to walk in darkness, which is the type of the flesh. We’re to walk in the light and abide in him.

And we’re supposed to learn to know the Lord more and better. And so that’s why you’ll find that in chapter two of the first book of 1 John, is that if we say we know him and we don’t do what he says do, he says and do not tell him the truth. And so he says some things and we’ll look at it in just a minute, but now notice. He says here in verse 27, theyiframeed not that he spake to them of the Father.

Then said, Jesus unto them, when you have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know that I am he? And that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father have taught me, I speak these things.” In other words, what he’s in is when you put me on the cross, my Father will tell you who I am. He says, I’m the light of the world. They say, no, you’re not. He says, yes, I am. And when I get on the cross, my Father will tell you who I am.

So God through the main switch of heaven and all the lights went out. And it was dark for three hours. He says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And so who would ask him, what is truth? What is truth? He says, I am truth. What is truth? Jesus is the truth. He is the way. He is the life. And whenever they took his life, three days later, came back from the dead. So he proved who he was.

So the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is a great testimony and the evidence that what He claimed to be, He really was. So He makes a statement here in verse 29, and He that sent me is with me, the Father hath not left me alone. For I do always those things that please Him. In other words, He makes a statement in chapter 14 verse 31 when He says that the world may know that I love the Father even so I do.

So he did what he did because he wanted the world to know how much he loved the Father. How much more can he obey the Father than perfectly? He loved his Father perfectly and the Father says, this is my beloved Son and who I am well pleased. And he says, I do all things that I may please my Father. So did he love his Father and he lived like it. He gave everything totally without any reservations to the will of the Father.

And so then he says here, as he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if he continued. So he’s talking now to those who already believe. So this is talking now about discipleship. He’s talking to those Jewish people that believed on him that they should continue in his word, then are you my disciples? Salvation is not because of discipleship. You’re saved because you believed on him. Once you believe on him, God says, if you’ll continue in my word, and that’s why he makes this statement, if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples?

So you started off right. You trusted Christ the Savior. You dedicated your life to serve the Lord. You wanted God to use you. And you loved them, and it didn’t make any difference what you had to go through. All the grief that you have, the problems that you have, and you’ll have them all the days of your life. But never let anything come between you and your love for the Lord. Because Jesus let nothing come between Him and His Father, or you and me.

The thing that was separating us, He took care of, and paid for all the sins of the world. And so now he says, you are my disciples, but does God want you just to say, well, I used to serve the Lord, but I don’t anymore. Do you think he wants you to continue serving them all the days of your life? He says, all right to say, well, I used to love the Lord. I just don’t love him as much as I used to.

Why not? I believe as we grow in the Lord that we should grow in our love for the Lord. And that’s why he says in verse 32. you shall know the truth because if you’ll continue in his word, you’ll know the truth. And in chapter 17 talks about those that want to do the will of God shall know of the doctrine. In other words, those who want to know and do the will of God, you can know it and you can do it.

So he says, and the truth shall make you free, free from what? in verse 34, from being the servant of sin. So as a child of God, you begin to study the Word of God, continue in the Word of God, and you will not be a slave to your old sinful nature. And God will bless you because you made the right decision, the wise decision. Now, I want you to look there in your Bible to John chapter 14. John chapter 14.

And look what he’s saying to these believers, something to encourage him because he’s going to be leaving him, and they’re going to be heartbroken, and they’re going to have their time of sorrow. But he says that sorrow is going to be turned into joy. So he says in verse one, let not your heart be troubled. Why? Because it’s going to be troubled. But you don’t have to stay that way. We see a lot of things, we experience a lot of things, we don’t understand it all.

But don’t let anything that happens to you cause you to question the love of God because it’s hard to serve somebody and obey somebody when you don’t believe they really care about you. And so what the devil does is work on your mind, trying to get you a question and doubt the love of God. So let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. And my father’s house or many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you. You may have a reservation today, but you might lose it tomorrow, but you can get it back the next day. Then you might lose it the next day, but you can get it back the next day. No. When he makes a reservation for you, I believe it’s because he knows you’re coming. So he says, in my father’s house on many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you into my son that where I am, there you may be also. I believe that tells me also, that despite of everything else goes on and all the troubles that we may have, He’s gone to prepare a place for us, a mansion for us. And he’s coming back because he says that where I am, there you may be also. In other words, he loved me enough not only to pay for my sins, to keep me out of hell, but he wants me to be with him forever because of how much he loves us.

And the thing is, we haven’t done anything worthy of his love. That’s one thing we cannot quite figure out. But he makes the statement in verse 5, Thomas said to him, Lord, we know not whether or not I go, how can we know the way? Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but my me. Now you’ll notice in verse 7, and verse 8 it talks about the word no and known.

In other words, have you been so long time with me and you don’t know that he that have seen me have seen the Father because whenever we go over to the book of 1 John it will use that same terminology and you’ll know it’s not just I know the Lord but do you really know God? Do you really know what it’s like to serve a Lord? Remember you don’t know the Bible until the Bible controls your life. You can memorize every verse in the Bible and not know the Bible.

Until it Bible controls your life and permeates your thinking. You can know a lot of things about God, but until you walk with God and live with God and abide in the Lord, you don’t know the Lord intimately like you should. So notice what he says in verse 7, for if you had known me, you should have known my Father also. And from henceforth you know him and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and it’ll suffice us.

Jesus said to him, have I been so long time with you? And yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that have seen me have seen the Father. And how sayest thou? Show us the Father. And so you read some of these verses and you’ll find out that God got a lot of things for us, more than just saving us. He wants us to learn to love him. And that’s why we always use that verse over in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 14.

Because we are persuaded and convinced because of the love of God constraineth us because we thus judged that if one died for all, then all were dead, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who died for them and rose again. So there’s a motivation there of why we should do what we should do. Now take your Bible look in chapter 14 and look in verse 13 and 14. John chapter 14 verse 13 and 14.

And notice there’s something else that he says here that is going to be a benefit to you if you’ll do one thing. He doesn’t make you do it, but he wants you to do it evidently. It’s one of the greatest things God wants you to do. not so much what you do for Him as it is that He wants you to love Him. Because He said, if you love me, then these other things will take care of themselves. But if you don’t love me, you won’t do it.

So in verse 13, and whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do. That the Father may be glorified in the Son. If, see that big old word, if you He shall ask anything in my name, I will do it if you want. These verses are tied together that don’t stand all individually. If he loved me, do what? Keep my commandment. It means love him and love one another. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr.

Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Mailing.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. 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. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. And we will be changed.

Tada, can meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.