Words Matter
(Part 1)
John 7:11-24
Words matter. They have the power to heal or destroy. They have the power to either point people to God or turn them away.
Introduction
Words matter. Words hold power. They have the power to heal or the power to destroy. They have the power to point people to Jesus or the power to point people towards man. Jesus understood His responsibility as the speaker to honor and glorify God and not Himself. He was led by the Holy Spirit rather than a personal agenda. Jesus could do this because He had an intimate relationship with the Lord. He spent time with God. He was intentional about being filled up so He could pour out. As Christians, we must understand that both filling up and pouring out are part of a vibrant Christian life. Jesus models this for us, and if we do what He did, we will experience the same supernatural movement that we see evident in every aspect of His life, in ours.
Spirit-led Speaking (Vs. 15-16)
• They expected to hear a biblically ignorant man ranting about his own ideas. Still, instead, they found themselves listening to an intelligent, well-structured message full of spiritual insight (vs. 15).
• Jesus taught like a well-trained rabbi, but they knew He had not received that level of education. Instead, he had only the primary education that every Jewish child received (vs.15).
• It’s reasonable to assume that He stepped out of that educational process after reaching age 13. We know that He learned Joseph’s trade (Mt 13:55) and became a carpenter or builder (Mk 6:3), but we also know that by age 12, He was already showing brilliance in His ability to understand the Scriptures (Lk 2:41-52). (vs.15).
• Jesus surrendered to God during His baptism. He knew what was being asked of Him, and He was submitted to what was to come of Him. At that moment, He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
• Lk. 3: 21-22; Mt. 3:16-4:1.
Time with the Lord (vs. 16)
• The Holy Spirit was leading Jesus as he spoke in the temple.
• He said His words were not His own, but the Fathers. He was confident in this because He spent time with the Lord regularly.
• Jesus was filled up, so He could pour out.
• Jesus obviously heard the Jew’s response because He addressed their questions. He said that what He was teaching He had learned from the Father, the One who sent Him to earth to become a man (vs. 16).
• He knew the Word of God, and out of deep relationship flowed the words that were life-giving and life changing.
• Our church model: The bread and the wine
Why We Struggle
• It is safer to educate ourselves biblically because we know the outcome. You can sit at home and read the bible without ever putting yourself in a place of putting the Word into action through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• Filling up without pouring out will leave you empty. We are meant to serve and share.
• We leak. Sometimes we struggle because we expect to get full on Sunday, and we do nothing independently. Therefore, we must be responsible for our own discipleship.
• Bible Reading (SOAP, SOAP Groups, Bible reading plan, Sunday Morning)
• Prayer Life (Prayer wall, Koinonia, Aurora Prayer Shield, North Seattle Prayer gathering)
Conclusion
Jesus understood just how much what He said made an impact. He spoke the words of the Father, and He was able to be Spirit-led because He spent time with God. Jesus had an intimate and personal relationship with the Father. In verse seventeen, Jesus said, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.” We all can do what Jesus did. Sometimes we struggle because we are so focused on filling ourselves up that we never pour out as Jesus did in this passage. Other times we struggle because we wait for someone else to fill us up, hoping we will get everything we need on Sunday at church. Both scenarios will leave you in a place of lacking. If we want to see the same supernatural movement evident in every aspect of His life, we must spend time with God and then move to action.
Discussion Questions
1) Have you ever allowed yourself to be Spirit-led in your Speaking?
2) How do you spend time with God and when?
3) Give an example of a time you felt you had received a fresh word from God, and how did it make you feel?
4) Bonus: Review all the scripture references in the sermon notes with a friend.