Jesus is For Discernment

What Jesus is For
Written By Tommy Smith

Sermon Notes

KEY PASSAGE

John 7:19-24 ESV… Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

MAKING RIGHT JUDGMENTS

  • We can learn what Jesus is “FOR” by reading Old Testament prophecies about him… Ps. 69:7-9; John 2:13-17

  • Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be wise and discerning and judge in righteousness… Isaiah 11:1-4

  • It goes without saying, we are living at a time where discernment is lacking!

  • What’s even worse than when culture lacks discernment, is when the church lacks discernment.

DISCERNMENT IN ACTION

  • Jesus challenged those in his generations to “make right judgments”... John 7:19-24

  • Understanding that God desires mercy before sacrifice is an example of making a right judgment… Mt. 9:10-13

  • Charles Spurgeon once said, “Avowed atheists are not a tenth as dangerous as those preachers who scatter doubt and stab at faith… Germany was made unbelieving by her preachers, and England is following in her tracks.”

  • John Gresham Machen once said, “Modern culture is a mighty force. It is either subservient to the gospel or else it is the greatest enemy of the gospel.”

  • Charles Spurgeon once said, “A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats.”

  • Even the most godly of men sometimes lacked discernment… 1 Samuel 16:6-7

  • Jesus regularly taught his disciples how to make right judgments… Mt.15:10-20

FIGHTING THE WRONG FIGHT… WITH THE WRONG WEAPONS… AGAINST THE WRONG ENEMY

  • If believers aren’t discerning we can end up fighting the wrong fight… Eph. 6:12

  • If believers aren’t discerning we can end up fighting with the wrong weapons… 2 Cor. 10:3-5

  • If believers aren’t discerning we can end up fighting against the wrong enemy… 1 Peter 5:8

  • As believers we need to view culture as a huge harvest field!

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  • Which kingdom are you advancing?

  • What war are you fighting?

  • What weapon are you using?

  • Who is truly your enemy?

Tommy Smith
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