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1 John 5:5-13
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This probably needs to be said
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right here at the beginning.
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I have tried to encourage
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that our church never divide;
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there would not be disunity among us
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over Bible translations.
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I will never try to pry
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the old King James Version
out of anybody's hands.
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I am preaching to you today
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from the English Standard Version.
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I could probably recommend
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four or five translations that I believe
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are good translations.
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Some might be more excellent than others.
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Obviously, anybody that knows anything
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about textual criticism
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knows that 1 John 5:7
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is a highly debated and
highly contested text.
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I do not mean to preach today at all
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about that controversy.
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I believe that even for
those of you that are here
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that may have the old King James,
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the New King James -
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you will see that what I want to emphasize
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from this text is emphasized equally
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by your Bible.
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I firmly believe in the Trinity.
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And I do not for a second believe
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that the English Standard Version
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or the New American Standard versions
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or the Holman Christian -
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I do not believe that
they deny the Trinity.
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I do not believe that
they attack the Trinity.
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I could show you numerous passages
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where the Trinity is very much supported.
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But I would just say this,
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if you're holding a New King James
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or an old King James in your hand today,
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what I am going to emphasize
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is equally emphasized in your Bibles.
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You may want to make
a case for there being
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more witnesses to this fact,
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than what I'm going to
talk about this morning,
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but nevertheless, I'm talking about
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what is being witnessed to,
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not so much how many witnesses there are.
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Although, I am going to talk
about some of the witnesses.
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Certainly, the Father, the Word,
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and the Holy Ghost attest and affirm
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what I am going to say
in these minutes ahead.
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So, I've entitled my sermon,
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"God's Testimony Must Be in Us."
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And I hope to bring this title to life
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as we consider these verses together.
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So, let's read them.
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And I am reading from the
English Standard Version.
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"Who is it that overcomes the world
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except the one who believes
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that Jesus is the Son of God?"
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Brethren, remember the
big picture of 1 John.
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Antichrist, deceivers,
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those who had gone out from among us.
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They were denying that
Jesus is the Christ.
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They were denying that
Jesus came in the flesh.
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They were denying the Son.
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We've seen this as we've
gone through 1 John.
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They're denying the very thing that
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you have to believe if you would be saved.
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Who overcomes except the one who believes
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that Jesus is the Son of God?
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You remember this:
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When Jesus declared Himself to be
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the Son of God,
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the Jews said that warranted His death.
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Remember what they said to Pilate?
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We have a law.
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He's declaring Himself
to be the Son of God.
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By our law, He deserves to die.
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When He declared to be the Son,
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and He declared that God was His Father,
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He was declaring Himself
to be equal with God.
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Make no mistake about that.
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Son of God means God the Son.
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It means that He shares divinity
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with the Father and the Spirit.
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Verse 6 - now watch this.
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This is the issue that's
on the table here.
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Jesus is the Son of God.
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That is how you overcome.
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"This is He Who came by water and blood -
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Jesus Christ."
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Not just "Jesus," but "Jesus Christ."
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He is the Christ.
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The Christ is that which points us
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to His being the Son;
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to His being the anointed.
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"...not by the water only,
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but by the water and the blood."
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You say, what's that?
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Well, we're going to look at that.
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"And the Spirit is the One Who testifies;"
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That's bear's witness.
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"...because the Spirit is the Truth.
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For there are three that testify:
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(or bear witness)
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The Spirit and the water and the blood;
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and these three agree.
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If we receive the testimony
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(or the witness) of men;
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the testimony of God is greater.
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For this is the testimony of God
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that He has borne concerning His Son.
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Whoever believes (here it is again)
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Whoever believes in the Son of God..."
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That's the issue.
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This is all about believing
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that Jesus is the Son of God -
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believing in the Son of God.
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They have this testimony in himself.
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That's where my title comes from.
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God's testimony must be in us.
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"Whoever does not believe God
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has made Him a liar,
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because he has not
believed in the testimony
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that God has borne concerning His Son.
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And this is the testimony,
that God gave us eternal life,
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and this life is in His Son.
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Whoever has the Son has life;
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whoever does not have the Son of God
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does not have life."
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You see what's at stake.
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Life.
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Life and death.
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"I write these things to you
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who believe in the name of the Son of God
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that you may know
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that you have eternal life."
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So my title:
God's Testimony Must Be in Us.
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Now, it's very helpful
when we study Scripture
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to notice repetition.
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Why?
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I mean, when you find repetition,
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that is a good indicator that we have
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something the author
is seeking to emphasize.
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Look, why does anybody repeatedly talk
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about the same thing
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over and over and over again?
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Repetition.
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Because he has something that
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he deems important that
he wants to give you
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a lot of information about
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and he wants to bring clarity about.
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Repetition means emphasis.
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Emphasis and repetition
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point to importance.
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There's something
important happening here.
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Let me tell you this.
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In the space of six verses,
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"testimony" or "witness" -
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either in the noun form or the verb form
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is used ten times.
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Notice it again.
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Look at v. 6.
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"The Spirit is the One Who testifies..."
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Or your Bible may say "bears witness."
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Same thing.
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To testify is to bear witness.
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You see it again in v. 7.
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"There are three that testify."
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You see it in v. 9.
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"If we receive the testimony of men,
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the testimony of God is greater.
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For this is the testimony of God
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that He has born..."
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In the ESV, "borne" is testified
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or witnessed to concerning His Son.
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"Whoever believes in the Son of God
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has the testimony in himself.
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Whoever does not believe God
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has made God a liar
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because he has not
believed in the testimony
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that God has testified (or borne)
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concerning His Son.
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And this is the testimony..."
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You saw all ten of them right there.
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Six verses. Ten times.
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Testimony.
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Ok, what do we think of?
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David, what do you think of
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when you think of testimony or witness?
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Speaking the truth about something.
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And I'm asking David
because he's an attorney.
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When you think about a witness,
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somebody is going to give testimony,
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we think of in a trial;
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we think of a courtroom situation.
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Facts presented in a court.
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That would be the idea:
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the evidence is being given.
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Someone is trying to prove a case.
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A witness is one who goes up on the stand,
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and he provides information
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about what he knows about the case
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or about an individual
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or about certain circumstances
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that surround an event, right?
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That's what a witness is.
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Well, let's ask ourselves this.
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This term is used ten times.
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Well, who is bearing testimony to what?
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Let's ask that question.
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Look at v. 10.
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What sort of testimony is it that
John's all worked up about?
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And obviously, if you're
going to use that word:
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bang, bang, bang, bang...
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ten times,
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he has something to say about testimony.
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It matters.
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And listen, if for no other reason
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that we would conclude that it matters
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is because he says it has
to do with eternal life.
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It has to do with life and death.
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You either have this testimony in you
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or you don't, and if you don't,
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you call God a liar,
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and if you don't, you don't have the Son;
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and if you don't have the Son,
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you don't have life.
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This is not a small matter.
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Now, who's bearing testimony to what?
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Notice v. 10.
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"Whoever believes in the Son of God
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has the testimony in himself.
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Whoever does not believe God
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has made Him a liar
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because he has not (notice this)
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believed in the testimony
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that God has testified to
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(or borne witness to)
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concerning His Son."
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Do you see that?
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It is God Who bears witness to the Son.
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(incomplete thought)
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Think about this.
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If you consider a courtroom situation,
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who's on the witness stand?
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Who's bearing witness?
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The Father.
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He's bearing witness about who?
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About the Son.
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God is bearing testimony.
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It creates this image
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of facts being presented in a courtroom.
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It's like God Himself
takes the witness stand.
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Why?
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What is He bearing witness to?
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Who's on trial?
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It's as though God allows His Son
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to be put on trial.
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Do you know that's what 1 John is about?
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Charges are being brought
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against the Son.
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Do you know what those charges are?
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What are the charges being
leveled against the Son?
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He's an imposter.
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He's not the Christ.
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Brethren, that's always the issue.
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It's been the issue -
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people who call into
question who Christ is.
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Charges about who He is;
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about what His character's like,
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the nature of His work.
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Brethren, you think about the big picture
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here in 1 John.
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Do you remember back in chapter 2?
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Listen, 1 John 2:19.
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"They went out from us..."
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Who are these people that go out from us?
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Well, they're not of us.
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"If they had been with us,
they would have continued with us,
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but they went out, that
it might become plain
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that they're not of us."
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And what are they like?
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1 John 2:22
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"Who is the liar but he who denies
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that Jesus is the Christ?"
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They didn't deny Jesus
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as a historical figure,
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but they denied certain
realities about Him.
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"This is the antichrist - he who denies
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the Father and the Son."
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They were denying the Son.
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"No one who denies the Son
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has the Father.
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Whoever confesses the Son
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has the Father also."
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You go down to v. 26 of chapter 2.
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"I write these things to you about those
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who are trying to deceive you."
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You know what?
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Many false prophets,
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John says in this epistle,
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have gone out into the world.
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You know what you've got?
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You've got a lot of people out there:
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deceivers.
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They are running all around.
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And you know what they do?
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They claim to be witnesses for Christ.
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"Let me tell you about Christ."
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Some of them are even so bold
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to take that name:
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Jehovah's Witnesses.
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(incomplete thought)
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They show up at your door.
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Jehovah's Witnesses.
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"We're the 'witnesses.'
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We're here to witness to you
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about who God is,
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but let me tell you this:
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Jesus is not God."
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See, that's what we have in this world.
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People who are bringing accusation
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against Christ;
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against who He says He is in Scripture.
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Charges being brought against Him by men.
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And you know what?
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They bring these charges -
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they bring this witness,
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that's contrary to the witness
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of the apostles.
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We have it today.
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Brethren, you know what I see in all this?
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I see a fantastic picture
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of just the mercy of God.
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Why?
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Brethren, do you know
back there 2,000 years ago,
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those Jewish leaders,
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they called Jesus an imposter.
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You remember that?
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"This imposter said that He was
going to rise after three days."
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They put Him on trial.
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They said, "If You're the Son of God,
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You tell us."
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And you know when they went to Pilate,
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they said we have a law.
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He did claim to be the Son of God.
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"Tell us if You're the Messiah."
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He says, "I've told you.
You won't believe."
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You said it, guys.
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You know what God allowed?
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God allowed His Son to be put on trial.
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God allowed His Son to have accusations
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brought against Him.
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But you know what's amazing to me?
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God has allowed His Son
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to be put on trial every day since then
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right up until today.
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God actually allows this world
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to be filled with many false witnesses
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who bring charges and bring accusations
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and who seek to witness
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about who Christ is,
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and they're false and they're liars.
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He allows Christ to be put on trial
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and to have His character called out
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and tested.
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And God condescends
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in the sight of you and me
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to take the witness stand
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and let us sit on the jury
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to hear the facts;
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to hear the evidence,
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and to come to a conclusion
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about this matter.
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And I'll tell you what,
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you know what's amazing about it?
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Is a lot of us who He allows to sit
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in that jury to hear the evidence,
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we're the very mockers;
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we're the very fault-finders.
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What's amazing to me
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is that God doesn't put
us immediately on trial;
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find us guilty and just snuff us out.
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Instead, like I say, brethren,
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He stoops to say,
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you're hearing all these accusations.
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You're hearing what the deceivers say.
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You're hearing the false witnesses.
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But I'm going to declare to you
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the facts about My Son.
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And hear these.
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And brethren, all we have to do
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is side with God in these facts
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and He says, "you have eternal life."
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That's what He says.
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Hear My testimony of My Son.
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And you believe that testimony,
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and you will have life.
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He mercifully lets us hear
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His own testimony concerning His Son.
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Receive it. Embrace it.
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And what we're going to look at:
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Internalize it.
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A testimony needs to be in you.
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And you have life.
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But, as v. 10 says,
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if we refuse to believe God's testimony
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about His Son,
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we make God out to be a liar.
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You know what that tells us?
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Sometimes we can view
unbelief as ignorance.
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We can view unbelief as
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just some kind of weakness to be pitied.
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But do you see what John says here?
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John doesn't let us do that.
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If we refuse God's
testimony about His Son -
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you must understand this,
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unbelief - it's an attack on
the very character of God.
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It questions His honesty.
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Unbelief is criminal.
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Unbelief is a sin to be deplored,
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to be hated,
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to be abominated.
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It's wicked.
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That's what we're being shown here.
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So, here's what I want to ask you.
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What is the content of God's testimony
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that He bears about His Son?
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What does He actually
have to say about the Son?
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When God takes that witness stand,
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what does He testify to?
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That's the question.
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Notice this.
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Notice the flow of v. 7,8, and 9.
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If you've got the King James,
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they're moved around a little bit,
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but you get the same flow.
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Notice this,
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"there are three that testify:
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the Spirit and the water and the blood,
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and these three agree."
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Now, notice that.
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We've been talking about God
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bringing testimony about His Son.
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But, notice this,
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"there are three that testify:
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the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
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And these three agree."
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Now, notice how he just very naturally,
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very fluidly flows into v. 9.
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"If we receive the testimony of men,
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the testimony of God is greater.
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For this is the testimony of God
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that He has borne concerning His Son."
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You see what He says?
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This is the testimony of God.
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What?
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Well, these three that agree.
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Their testimony: the Spirit,
the water, and the blood.
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This is the testimony of God.
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I mean, he just so smoothly transitions
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from the testimony of the Spirit,
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the water and the blood,
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right into talking about
the testimony of God,
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because what the Spirit says
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and what the water says
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and what the blood says
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is what God says.
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This is the testimony.
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What these three have to say
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is precisely what the Father has to say.
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All three of these testimonies
are in agreement.
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All of them agree.
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You know what that means?
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What the Spirit says
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is in agreement with what
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the water and the blood say.
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What the water says is in agreement
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with the Spirit and the blood.
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What the blood says in agreement
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with the first two,
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and all of those are God bearing testimony
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about His Son.
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They all are in agreement
with God's testimony.
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They all perfectly agree.
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What do all three testify to individually
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that is in agreement collectively?
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That's what we have to ask ourselves.
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If we want to know, ok, what is it
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that God is saying about His Son?
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Then, we have to ask this:
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What is it that the Spirit says?
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What is it that the water says?
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And what it is that the blood says
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that they each say individually,
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but when you compare them,
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they all agree collectively?
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Well, you know what?
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To figure that out,
we've got to figure out
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what the water is and what the blood is.
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Look, I can't tell what somebody is saying
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unless I know who it is
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that I need to go listen to.
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Tell me what the water's saying.
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Well, if you don't know where to find
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this water or what the water is,
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you're not going to know what it's saying.
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You're not going to know
who to listen to, right?
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So, I think we have a good idea
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about Who the Spirit is.
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If you've got the King James Bible,
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you have idea about
Who the Father is.
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You have a good idea
about Who the Word is;
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Who the Holy Ghost is.
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We have an idea about the Spirit.
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Blood - I would suppose
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that's easier than the water.
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But, let's think about these.
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What is John talking about here?
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Listen, eternal life is at stake.
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So we want to hear
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what the water and the blood
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have to say,
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but we've got to figure out who they are
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so that we can listen to them.
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Because what they have to say
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has to do with life.
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Ok, let's talk about this.
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Water and blood.
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I know - you've all read this,
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and you've probably thought,
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what is that?
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I have.
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And you might flip something open
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and look at a commentary or something.
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I don't know.
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How many of you have ever read that
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and thought I wonder what that means?
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Just a few?
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Ok, let me tell you some
theories historically.
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And I want to go through them,
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because I want you to wrestle
through these things.
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Here are some of the theories.
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One, this is speaking of natural birth.
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Some say this has to do
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with the Incarnation
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and Jesus being born of a virgin
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because in natural birth,
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the amniotic fluid - the water breaks.
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We talk about that.
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There's your water.
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And then there's typically blood.
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Why? Because women sometimes tear
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and the placenta detaches
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and so some have said that.
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That's what John has in mind.
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Others have said
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this is not birth -
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this is humanity itself,
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because man is just basically
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water and blood.
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That one doesn't even sound convincing,
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but some have thought that.
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Now, one that is very obviously
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going to come into people's minds
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is the spear thrust in Jesus' side.
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And out came blood and water.
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John himself actually mentions that
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over in his Gospel in chapter 19.
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Some have believed
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that the water is baptism,
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and the blood points to the Lord's Supper.
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And so you have the two ordinances,
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or if you're in certain circles,
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the two sacraments.
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So some have thought that.
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Others have thought that water,
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because of Ephesians 5 -
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washing of the water of the Word,
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that this has to do with the Spirit
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and with Scripture and with the cross.
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Ian Paisley believes that
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and he preaches from this text
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and preaches about revival.
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And even though I might not agree with
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how he's interpreted it,
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I would probably recommend
his message on that.
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Some have looked at this and said
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the water refers to
Jesus' baptizing ministry.
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He baptized people.
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And others believe that this deals
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with Jesus Himself being baptized
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by John the Baptist,
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and then the blood deals with the cross.
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That's what I believe
that this is talking about.
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Let me show you why.
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First, I want you to notice the text.
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Notice v. 5.
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"Who is it that overcomes the world
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except the one who believes
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that Jesus is the Son of God?
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This is He who came..."
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Notice the word "came."
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Scott picked a song today:
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"O Come, O Come Emmanuel."
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Come... to ransomed Israel.
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Come.
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You know what?
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Whatever the water and the blood is,
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it describes the manner of His coming.
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That you can see.
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Brethren, this idea of coming -
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it was captured in that song.
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Come. Come.
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Listen to John 11:27.
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"Martha said to Jesus,
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'Yes, Lord, I believe
that You are the Christ;
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the Son of God,
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Who is coming into the world.'"
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The verb tense there is interesting.
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"...Who is coming."
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Why not just all-said-and-done past tense?
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I believe You came.
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Why talk this way?
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"...Who is coming."
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Maybe because coming doesn't have
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so much to do with His birth
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in the beginning
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as much as His ministry as a whole.
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John 6:14 "When the people saw the sign
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that He had done, they said,
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'This is indeed the Prophet
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Who is to come into the world.'"
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Matthew 11:3 - You remember,
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John the Baptist finds himself in jail,
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prison by Herod,
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and what does he say?
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He sends his disciples to Jesus
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and he says,
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"Are You the One Who is to come,
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or should we be looking for another?"
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The One Who is to come.
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How about 1 John 5:20?
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Right as we're wrapping up this epistle.
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"We know that the Son of God has come."
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Well, here's the thing,
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if water and blood
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describe something about the manner
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in which Jesus comes,
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it probably rules out baptism
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and the Lord's Supper right off.
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It probably rules out the fact that
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water is speaking about Scripture.
-
But here's something else
I want you to notice.
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Look at v. 6.
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"This is He Who came by water and blood."
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So it describes the manner of His coming,
-
but notice this as well.
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"Jesus Christ - not by the water only,
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but by the water and the blood."
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Why would somebody say
-
something this way?
-
I mean, if you're talking to somebody else
-
and you want to substantiate
-
that two things happened -
-
two separate things.
-
And you say, look, I want you to know,
-
it wasn't only this,
-
it was this and this.
-
That seems like it's speaking
-
about two separate things.
-
Now listen.
-
There's a courtroom scene here.
-
God is bearing testimony
-
by the water and the blood
-
against the false witness.
-
You know why you talk this way?
-
If you're John, you talk this way
-
because those who are in opposition to you
-
affirm the one, but not the other.
-
That's why you talk that way.
-
Those who are in opposition
-
may be affirming whatever the water means,
-
but not the blood.
-
That's why you say,
-
He came not just by the water,
-
He came by the water and the blood.
-
You want to drive that blood home
-
because that is what is being contested.
-
I suspect that these are
two separate things.
-
One is being somewhat acknowledged
-
by the deceivers.
-
The other is being rejected.
-
And if they're two separate things,
-
it would eliminate all these theories
-
that the two seem to indicate one thing,
-
like the spear in the side
-
or birth and the fluid and the blood.
-
I really believe that what we have here
-
is we have two distinct events.
-
I believe that what John has in mind here
-
is Jesus' water baptism
-
and His bloody death on the cross.
-
And here's why I think
-
that this is what John means.
-
First, it just works.
-
That wouldn't be my only
reason, but it works, right?
-
I mean, when you think
about baptism, there's water.
-
When you think about
the cross, there's blood.
-
It works that way.
-
It's not off in left field.
-
Here's the second thing.
-
The second thing is that water and blood
-
validate the manner of Jesus' coming.
-
"This is He Who came
-
by the water and the blood."
-
Now when you think of
the Son of God coming,
-
you know what the baptism
-
and the cross are?
-
They're like bookends.
-
To what?
-
His ministry.
-
It's like the start and the end.
-
He came. He came as the Messiah.
-
This is pointing to His
very earthly ministry -
-
the public ministry of our Lord.
-
You've got baptism at the commencement
-
of His ministry,
-
and the blood brings in the consummation
-
of His saving ministry
-
there on the cross.
-
Water and blood seem to serve
-
to sum up Christ's redemptive mission.
-
The inauguration, the consummation
-
of the public ministry
of the Incarnate Christ.
-
But here's another thing, brethren,
-
think with me here.
-
You know the thing that John
-
is wanting to drive home?
-
Is that Jesus is the Christ.
-
It is Jesus is the Son of God.
-
Let me ask you this.
-
What happened at the baptism?
-
Listen, we're talking about the testimony
-
of the water
-
and the testimony of the blood.
-
What do they speak?
-
Is there anything that happened
-
at the baptism of Christ
-
that speaks to Him being the Son of God?
-
Because that is the
issue on the table here.
-
Is there anything at His baptism?
-
That speaks of Him being the Son of God?
-
Brethren, when He was baptized
-
a voice from Heaven said -
-
brethren, listen to this.
-
This is what we find concerning
-
the water in John 1.
-
John says this in John 1:31:
-
"I myself did not know Him,
-
but for this purpose I came baptizing."
-
Now, notice this.
-
Why did John come baptizing with water?
-
He says, "that He might
be revealed to Israel."
-
This is the revelation.
-
And notice this:
-
"John bore witness.
-
'I saw the Spirit descend from Heaven
-
like a dove and it remained on Him.
-
I myself did not know Him,
-
but He Who sent me to baptize with water
-
said to me, 'He on Whom you see the Spirit
-
descend and remain,
-
this is He Who baptizes
with the Holy Spirit.
-
And I have seen and have borne witness
-
that this is the Son of God.'"
-
You see, that baptism was the bookend.
-
It was the beginning.
-
It was the inauguration
-
of His earthly ministry.
-
His rescuing of sinners.
-
This is where He comes on the scene.
-
And when He does,
-
and when He goes in that water,
-
John says I knew it. Why?
-
The Spirit of God came on Him.
-
He says I knew that was the Son of God.
-
And if that's not enough,
-
that voice spoke from Heaven.
-
"This is My Son."
-
The water - that baptism -
-
it declares Him as the Son of God.
-
The Spirit is one with the
testimony in all of this.
-
The Spirit came upon Him;
-
identified Him.
-
Brethren, if we go to the blood,
-
I'll tell you this.
-
1 Timothy 3
-
"Great indeed we confess is
-
the mystery of godliness."
-
We know this,
-
that Jesus Christ,
-
He was manifested in the flesh.
-
God manifested in the flesh.
-
And He was vindicated by the Spirit.
-
Vindicated. How was He vindicated?
-
Brethren, when He shed blood,
-
how was He vindicated?
-
You know what Romans 1:4 says?
-
Let me read it to you.
-
"He was declared to be the Son of God
-
in power according to
the Spirit of holiness
-
by His resurrection from the dead,
-
Jesus Christ our Lord."
-
I'll tell you this.
-
At the baptism,
-
the Spirit testified by coming upon Him.
-
John the Baptist said
-
this is the Son of God.
-
It's proven. The voice from Heaven:
-
"This is My Son."
-
When you go to His death on the cross,
-
vindicated.
-
The Spirit of God raises
Him from the dead.
-
This declares Him, Paul says,
-
to be the Son of God.
-
Brethren, just look at
what's being said here
-
by John in 1 John.
-
"Who is it that overcomes the world
except the one who believes
-
that Jesus is the Son of God?"
-
Look at v. 10.
-
"Whoever believes in the Son of God
-
has the testimony."
-
Notice what it says in 5:12-13.
-
"Whoever has the Son has life.
-
Whoever does not have the Son of God
-
does not have life.
-
I write these things to you who believe
-
in the name of the Son of God
-
that you may know that
you have eternal life."
-
What is it that John's making a case for?
-
Jesus as the Son of God.
-
He is the Christ.
-
What is it that the water
bears witness to?
-
That fact.
-
What is it that the blood
bears witness to?
-
That fact.
-
He comes. He identifes with our sin.
-
Brethren, that baptism -
-
you think about it.
-
It was a baptism of repentance.
-
It was a baptism where
people confess their sins.
-
Jesus had none to confess,
-
but He identifies with us.
-
He identifies with us in that baptism.
-
He identifies with us at the cross.
-
He becomes sin for us at that cross.
-
He makes atonement for us.
-
He satisfies the wrath of God.
-
These two bookend His public ministry.
-
They both at the beginning and at the end,
-
they boldly declare
-
and they are one
-
with the testimony of the Spirit,
-
that He is the Son of God.
-
That is what's being
put on the table here.
-
Brethren, there's another reason.
-
This one has more to do with history.
-
But we know that in John's day,
-
there was a gnostic heretic
-
by the name of Cerinthus.
-
And he was saying
-
that the eternal Christ
-
came upon the man Jesus Christ
-
at the baptism.
-
But that eternal Christ left the man Jesus
-
prior to the cross.
-
It would make perfect sense
-
why John would say,
-
not the water only -
-
the water and the blood.
-
Christ was there in the water
-
and in the blood.
-
And He is One. He is the Christ.
-
You have to see that in v. 6.
-
He plants that right in there.
-
Jesus Christ.
-
You see, we don't experience
a lot of the attacks
-
on Christ's person like they did then.
-
They're different.
-
They tend to morph.
-
But you know what?
-
In every age it's the same.
-
It's an attack on Christ.
-
And what God testifies to
-
when He takes the witness stand
-
and He bears witness to
-
is what is true about His Son.
-
And what is true about Him?
-
God came. Immanuel.
-
God with us.
-
God came and God identified with sinners
-
as a man Himself.
-
And He was baptized;
-
He was declared to be the Son of God.
-
He did these miracles.
-
He publicly displayed Himself.
-
And these works attested to Him.
-
And He comes all the way to the end,
-
and the Spirit vindicates Him
-
and raises Him from the dead,
-
and shows that the shedding of His blood
-
was acceptable to the Father.
-
The grave could not hold Him.
-
And in that, He is declared
to be the Son of God.
-
That's what Scripture says to us.
-
Now, folks, here's the thing.
-
The whole basis of my
overcoming this world;
-
the whole basis for my eternal life
-
is what?
-
V. 5 says it: The basis of
my overcoming the world
-
is that I believe He's the Son of God.
-
The basis for my eternal life
-
we find in v. 11-13.
-
It is that I have the Son.
-
It is that I believe in the Son of God.
-
I believe that He is the Son of God.
-
Brethren, if the whole
basis of my overcoming
-
and the whole basis of my life
-
is in Christ as the Son of God,
-
God the Son -
-
if I am to look there;
-
if my only hope is to be there,
-
if I am to rely on Him;
-
if I am to rest on Him;
-
if it's absolutely essential
-
that I know that I have this life
-
or that I'm going to overcome,
-
it's got to be that I, brethren,
-
it's only going to be that if you believe
-
in Jesus Christ.
-
If you're supposed to
believe in Jesus Christ
-
to have this life and to overcome,
-
I'll tell you this,
-
brethren, it is absolutely essential
-
that you know that you can believe in Him.
-
That's the issue.
-
That's why God takes the stand.
-
He takes the stand to say,
-
"Sinner, I'm not here just to tell you
-
that He's like this,
but I'm here to tell you
-
He's like this to know that you can
-
put your faith in Him."
-
That's what this is all about.
-
He is the One Who came from glory.
-
He is the One Who could suffer
-
in the place of a multitude of sinners,
-
because He isn't man only.
-
Oh yes, He became like man.
-
He came like man.
-
He came in the likeness of man.
-
He came fully man;
-
in every respect man,
-
yes, like the offspring of Abraham.
-
Yes, He did and He had to.
-
He had to be man.
-
And He had to fulfill the law as a man.
-
And He had to die as a man.
-
But He was more than man.
-
He is the God-man.
-
And that will be attacked all the time.
-
And He was the God-man when He came.
-
He was the God-man there
-
when He was baptized.
-
He was the God-man when He died;
-
when He hung His head and He said,
-
"It is finished."
-
And He gave up His spirit.
-
Brethren, and He was vindicated.
-
What He did, He did as the Son of God,
-
and He was declared to be so.
-
You have to recognize this.
-
His coming out of the grave
-
vindicated that He was
indeed the Son of God.
-
Because if He was merely a man,
-
He would have never come out of the grave.
-
Because one man cannot pay the sins
-
of a whole multitude of men.
-
No way.
-
There's nothing just about that.
-
He actually had to have the ability
-
to pay what all of us owed.
-
And the fact that He
came out of that grave,
-
showed that it was paid.
-
Brethren, if I am to rely on Him;
-
if I am to rest on Him;
-
it is absolutely essential
-
that I know that I can rely on Him.
-
And John says you can know.
-
There is a testimony.
-
Brethren, men will come to you
-
and they will say all sorts of things.
-
Men will tell you what they
know, what they've heard,
-
what their opinion is.
-
But what we're told here
-
is that there is a greater testimony.
-
This is not just the
testimony of a mere man.
-
This is the revelation of God Himself.
-
You must know God stepped in.
-
He had this book written.
-
He's given it to us.
-
The testimony is here, brethren,
-
of Who Christ is,
-
and the fact that you can rest on Him.
-
This is a much greater testimony
-
than any man can give.
-
This is the greater testimony.
-
Now, here's the thing, brethren.
-
Here is the thing.
-
Here's were my title comes in.
-
This revelation does not simply mean
-
I look at some external fact and I say,
-
oh, well, that's nice.
-
I can read that. I see it.
-
He's the Son of God.
-
What John says in v. 10,
-
"Whoever believes in the Son of God
-
has the testimony in himself."
-
Make sure you don't miss that.
-
John says that for the true believer,
-
God's testimony is internalized.
-
What does that mean?
-
What does that mean to have
-
God's testimony in you?
-
Well, I'll tell you this,
-
it's no longer just an
external fact to you.
-
It's something that
finds a place within you.
-
Certainly, it means that
-
what God has testified to
-
concerning His Son
-
is not just out there,
-
or in here.
-
It's in here.
-
It means it's mine.
-
It's inside.
-
I've internalized it.
-
It means the truth concerning Christ
-
resonates in me.
-
It's like a plant that has roots
-
that go into the ground.
-
This goes into me with roots
-
that go down deep inside.
-
The testimony of God is in me.
-
I feel it in myself.
-
My whole outlook on life, on death,
-
is controlled by this.
-
I view everything by the testimony of God
-
about His Son.
-
I hope, I rely, I find
my confidence there.
-
Brethren, don't you want this?
-
Don't you want it?
-
Don't you want that resonating within you
-
where you look at Christ and you say,
-
I know it. I know this inside.
-
It regulates. It motivates.
-
It constrains me.
-
Everything I do, my conscience -
-
everything that's within us.
-
What's within you?
-
Your will, your conscience,
-
your memory, your desires.
-
Brethren, when it's in you,
-
all those things that are in you
-
find rest there; find confidence there.
-
All your hopes, all your faith,
-
that's the foundation.
-
This is that which rules us.
-
It motivates us.
-
God's greater testimony must be in us.
-
I must know for certain
that it's within me.
-
Brethren, do you know that?
-
Oh, brethren, there was a day in my life,
-
I can remember,
-
Christ - He was kind of out there.
-
He was, yes, He was the Son of God;
-
He wasn't God. He was somehow inferior.
-
I had these low views.
-
Really, it didn't motivate my life.
-
It didn't resonate in here.
-
It wasn't in my mind all the time.
-
Brethren, if you've
got something inside you,
-
it's going to be
something you think about.
-
To be inside you means it fills you.
-
It fills your mind.
It fills your memory.
-
It fills your thoughts.
It fills your hopes.
-
It fills your faith.
-
Suddenly, when I came to Christ,
-
everything changed.
-
Everything. The place. It was in me.
-
It was something that I thought about.
-
It was where my hopes are.
-
I could feel it.
-
I could feel that.
-
There was a resting there.
-
There was what God said
about His Son was mine.
-
I possessed it.
-
And it takes hold of you.
-
But here's the thing,
-
you find this in v. 11.
-
"This is the testimony,
-
that God gave us eternal life..."
-
You see, the life is in His Son.
-
This testimony is this:
-
it's about who the Son is
-
and about the fact
-
that if you've internalized it,
-
you have eternal life.
-
But remember,
-
part of the testimony is eternal life.
-
The testimony is in us.
-
Do you remember how
Jesus defines eternal life?
-
It's to know the only God,
-
and to know His Christ.
-
You see what it's saying?
-
If that's what eternal life is,
-
and eternal life is part of the testimony,
-
and that testimony has to be in us,
-
then guess what?
-
You know what's in you?
-
You know what grabs you?
-
I know God.
-
Brethren, can you say that?
-
Can you say that?
-
Because it's in you?
-
Can you say, "I know God."
-
I know Him.
-
He's revealed Himself to me.
-
I know Him in that family
-
like David was talking about.
-
I know He's my Father.
-
I know it.
-
Brethren, that's the
thing that blew me away.
-
That floored me after I got saved.
-
God was real to me.
-
I knew Him!
-
I loved Him.
-
I found a beauty in Him.
-
I found a desire in Him.
-
That's what's being said.
-
This has to be internalized.
-
You get to v. 13, and John is saying,
-
look, I'm writing these things to you
-
that those of you that
believe in the Son of God,
-
you may know that you have eternal life.
-
Brethren, it's internal.
-
It's been internalized.
-
V. 11 is saying this testimony
-
that God gave us eternal life.
-
Life in His Son.
-
That's in us.
-
If you believed in the Son,
-
you have the testimony of God in you.
-
And that testimony of eternal life
-
is that you know Him.
-
Brethren, can you say that?
-
Do you know God?
-
Look, I'm not asking you
whether you come to church.
-
I know you're all sitting in church today.
-
This isn't just about whether you pray
-
or whether you've ever read your Bible.
-
I'm asking you.
-
Can you sit there and say with confidence,
-
because that testimony of God
-
has resonated in your own soul?
-
Jesus Christ is not like any other man.
-
He is God come down
-
and He has done such things
-
as satisfied God on my behalf.
-
And I know my only hope
-
and my only confidence is in Him
-
as the Christ, the Messiah,
the Son of God.
-
I know He is the One Who is to come
-
and I know He's come.
-
And I know what did has satisfied God
-
on my behalf.
-
And that is where my hope is.
-
And I know Him,
-
and He has made Himself real.
-
And He has spoken peace to my soul.
-
He has said, "I love you."
And you've heard it.
-
You are my son.
-
I've laid down my blood for you.
-
Brethren, can you say that?
-
Because that's what's being said here.
-
You know, whether you've
experienced this or not,
-
you know that's what you want.
-
Any other kind of religion,
-
it's a sham.
-
It's shallow.
-
Because any kind of religion that
-
doesn't have this testimony of God
-
resonating within you, it's no good.
-
I want the real thing.
-
I want the fullness of the real thing.
-
You say, pastor, I
haven't had that happen.
-
What do I do?
-
I'll tell you what you do,
-
is if that's true of you,
-
it's offered to you nonetheless.
-
And God says to you,
-
"Hear My testimony concerning My Son."
-
You confess your sins to God.
-
You call upon Him to save you.
-
You call upon Him to
give you real salvation.
-
True salvation.
-
With hope in nothing else.
-
Hope in nothing else,
-
except this One Who is the Son of God -
-
Jesus the Christ.
-
Oh, brethren, do you know that He's yours?
-
Can you say,
-
God is my Abba Father?
-
I know it.
-
I know it.
-
That's what it is to have
the testimony in you.
-
God's testimony must be in us.
-
This is for you.
-
I died for you.
-
I went to that bloody cross
-
and I poured out My soul
-
for you,
-
that you might have life;
-
that you might know Me.
-
Father, oh, I want it to be a reality
-
among all of us.
-
Thank You for the redemption that we have
-
in Christ Jesus.
-
Amen.