Whom Shall I Fear
Sermon Notes
John 12:37-43
I. Introduction
What about belief in Jesus? Are there degrees of commitment? There are those who have public faiths and those who have private faiths. Is this possible? Is it possible to have a private faith? A faith that wouldn’t be known unless questioned? A faith that friends, neighbors, co-workers, the community at large would not be aware exists in your life?
Can I have a faith in God and yet not fear Him?
II. Those Who Will Not Believe
A. John 12:37-38 – But though He had performed so many [a]signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
B. Reality is We Have a Sin Nature
Jer 17:9 - The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it?
Jn 8:34 - Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”
Eph 2:1 - And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…
Rom 3:23 – All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory…
III. Those Who Cannot Believe
A. Jn 12:39-40 – For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.’ These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.
B. Rom 1:29-30 - Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
C. “There is ‘judicial blindness’ that God permits to come over the eyes of people who do not take the truth seriously.” – Warren Wiersbe
IV. Those Who Fear Not
A. Read Jn 12:42-43 - Nevertheless, many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
B. And sadly, we have great men and women in the Bible who gave in to the temptation to please others.
Abraham and Isaac declaring their wives were sisters.
The 12 spies and Canaan.
Peter denying Jesus three times.
IV. Those Who Believe
A. Read Jn 14:12-15 - Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
B. Your Hard Heart Can Be Changed
2 Cor 3:12-18 - Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
V. Conclusion
“Can any thing be more foolish, or rather, can any thing be more beastly, than to prefer the silly applauses of men to the judgment of God? But he declares that all who shrink from the hatred of men, when the pure faith ought to be confessed, are seized with this kind of madness.” - Calvin