John Ch5v19-30 - Authority Over My Life

The others last week, but it's good to be here to meet with one another locally and

what an encouragement it is.

We gather together to hear the voice of the risen Lord Jesus.

John chapter 5, and we're going to read from verse 19 to 30.

John 5 · chapter mention

John 5, starting at verse 19.

Verse 19.

Jesus gave them, that's the religious leaders, this answer.

Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself.

He can do only what he sees his Father doing.

Because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.

Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.

That all may honour the Son, just as they honour the Father.

Whoever does not honour the Son, does not honour the Father who sent him.

Very truly, I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but is crossed over from death to life.

Very truly, I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out.

Those who have done what is good will rise to live.

And those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

By myself I can do nothing.

I judge only as I hear.

And my judgment is just.

For I seek not to please myself, but him who sent me.

Well, let us turn to God and ask for his spirit to be at work with us today.

Father, thank you for your Son.

And we thank you for his word.

And we need your help now.

The power of your spirit.

To breathe life into our lives.

So that we may see and know Jesus for who he is.

And honour him.

As you have called us to.

Help us we pray.

Amen.

I want to start with a question today.

Do you like authority?

Do you like authority?

Well, you see, it depends, doesn't it?

If I am in authority, that's one thing.

If I'm the one who gets to set the rules and decide what happens.

Well then, yes, I'm all for authority.

But if I am under authority, it's a different matter.

If I have to live under the rules and have to do what others say,

well, that's a different matter altogether, isn't it?

The truth is, we like to be the ones in authority.

We don't like being under authority.

Now, in our text this morning,

Jesus claims to have authority over our life.

Authority to give life and to execute judgment.

Look at verse 21.

You may have noted that.

Verse 21.

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,

even so the Son, that's Jesus,

gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

He gives life on the one hand,

and then verse 22.

Moreover, the Father judges no one,

but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.

Jesus says,

I have authority to give you life,

and I also have authority to judge your life.

Well, you say, how can Jesus say that?

What authority does he have to determine

if I receive life or face judgment?

What right does Jesus have over my eternal destiny?

Well, in the section that we've just read,

Jesus claims to be God.

We didn't read it, but just have a look at verse 18.

For this reason, they,

that's the religious leaders who were in opposition to Jesus,

tried all the more to kill Jesus.

Not only was he breaking the Sabbath,

but he was even calling God his own Father,

making himself equal with God.

That's been the purpose of these opening chapters of John's Gospel,

to show us, to prove to us that Jesus is God.

That's what we are to see.

Jesus is not just a man who can do miracles.

He is the very self-revelation of God.

Look at Jesus,

and we see God.

He continues,

verse 19.

Jesus gave them this answer,

very truly I tell you,

the Son can do nothing by himself.

He can do only what he sees the Father doing,

because whatever the Father does,

the Son also does.

The work God the Father does,

the Son also does.

They are one in their purpose.

Now that doesn't just simply mean that Jesus represents the Father,

or works on behalf of the Father.

No, it's much greater than that.

The Father acts,

and we can say the Son also acts.

In other words,

what Jesus does,

is with the very authority of God.

Now the way in which Jesus acts out his authority,

is through his word.

You may remember,

a couple of weeks back,

we looked at Jesus,

and the healings that he performed.

Just go back to chapter 4,

verse 49.

Do you remember the royal official who came to Jesus?

His child was dying?

Chapter 4, verse 49.

The royal official said,

Sir, come down before my child dies.

Go, Jesus replied.

Your son will live.

Or literally,

your son lives.

Even though he was at a far away distance,

by his very words,

Jesus enabled the son to live.

And then have a look at chapter 5,

verse 8.

It's the story,

the account of the cripple

who had been paralysed for 38 years.

Verse 8,

Jesus said to him,

Get up.

Pick up your mat and walk.

And at once,

the man was cured.

He picked up his mat

and walked.

Astonishing, isn't it?

Just his words.

And life is given,

and people are healed.

His authority is expressed

through his very words,

through his voice.

And this same Jesus

is speaking to us right now.

His word has authority over us.

So the question we need to ask is,

are we today

listening

to his voice?

It's a matter of life and death

because Jesus has authority

to give life

and to execute judgment

all at his word.

So let's see how Jesus' word

has authority over us.

Two things.

First,

Jesus has authority

to give life.

Look at verse 24.

Very truly,

I tell you,

whoever hears my word

and believes him who sent me

has eternal life

and will not be judged

but has crossed over

from death to life.

Amazing.

to hear the word of Jesus

and believe

is to move from a place

of death

to a place of life.

It's a difference

to being wheeled

into the morgue

and being carried out

of the maternity ward.

So how do we,

how can anyone

have this life

that Jesus is offering?

Well,

two things.

First,

we must accept

we are dead.

Verse 25.

Very truly,

I tell you,

a time is coming

and has now come

when the dead

will hear the voice

of the Son of God.

Well,

who are the dead?

Well,

it's people.

People like you and me.

Oh yes,

you say,

I have physical life,

I can move my arms

and kick my legs.

But inside,

we are spiritually dead.

In a couple of weeks,

I'm sure you will have

children knocking on your door

looking for sweets

dressed up as zombies.

Maybe you've never seen

any of the programs

or films on TV.

But zombies are

the living dead.

They are a walking corpse

with no life,

devouring everything

around them,

but yet just spreading death.

Well,

these fictional characters

are a picture

of a spiritual reality.

we are born

spiritually dead

and we continue

to choose a life

that leads to death.

We're separated from God

and we don't want

to be reconciled to God.

We desire

an autonomy

from God

and we reject

his authority

over us.

People

all around us

in the world today

are literally

a walking dead.

dead.

Heading

for judgment.

Now,

the problem

with being dead

is

we can't make

ourselves alive.

Dead

people

are

dead.

One writer

put it like this.

You can listen.

just as the physically

dead

can't communicate

with the living,

so the spiritually

dead

can't communicate

with the eternal

living God.

What we need

is nothing less

than a

spiritual

resurrection,

a new life.

So,

not only are we

to accept

we are dead,

we must listen

to his voice.

You see,

we can't

change our

predicament.

People can't

change themselves,

but Jesus

can,

verse 25.

Very truly

I tell you

a time is coming

and is now come

when the dead

will hear

the voice

of God

and those

who hear

his voice

will

live.

Just as

that dying

official son

had no power

to give himself

life,

just as that

lame man

had no ability

to heal

himself,

so we

can't heal

ourselves

of our

deadness.

But when

Jesus

speaks

his word,

we are

raised to

new life.

We are

spiritually

healed.

You see,

when we

hear the

very word

of Jesus,

as we are

hearing right

now,

we experience

the work

of God

in our

life.

Because

Jesus

acts

through his

word,

his word

has power

and authority

to move

people from

death

into life.

It's a

spiritual

resurrection.

This new

life

is wonderfully

illustrated for

us in

Ezekiel.

If you've

got your

Bibles there,

you can

turn to

Ezekiel.

It's on

page 868

of your

church

Bible.

868.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37 · chapter mention

chapter

37.

Here,

the prophet

Ezekiel

has been

given a

vision.

And God

takes

Ezekiel

the prophet

into a

valley full

of bones,

dry bones

scattered all

around.

We'll pick

it up in

verse 3.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:3

chapter 37

verse 3.

God asked

me,

Son of

man,

can these

bones

live?

I said,

Sovereign

Lord,

you alone

know.

Then he

said to

me,

Prophesy,

speak to

these bones

and say to

them,

dry bones,

hear the

word of

the Lord.

what's

going to

happen?

Well,

look at

verse 7.

So I

prophesied,

I spoke

and I

was,

as I

was

commanded

and as

I was

prophesying,

there was

a noise,

a rattling

sound and

the bones

came together,

bone to

bone.

I

looked and

tendons and

flesh appeared

in them and

skin covered

them,

but there

was no

breath in

them.

then he

said to

me,

prophesy

to the

breath.

Now,

breath,

the word

breath there

is also

spirit.

Prophesy

to the

breath,

to spirit,

prophesy,

son of

man,

and say

to it,

this is

what the

sovereign

Lord says,

come

breath from

the four

winds and

breathe into

these slain

that they

may live.

so I

prophesied

as he

commanded

me and

breath entered

them and

they came

to life and

stood up on

their feet,

a vast

army of

them.

Let's go

back to

John's

Gospel.

What an

amazing

vision.

Now,

what was a

vision has

become a

reality.

reality.

Jesus is

the true

prophet who

has come

to bring

life.

You see,

when we

hear the

very word

of Jesus,

the spirit

breathes

into our

life and

we begin

to experience

the very

work of

God because

the word

of God

by the

spirit of

God does

an almighty

work of

God.

New life

is given

to the

living dead.

It's a

spiritual

resurrection

and as

we believe

in Jesus,

so we

receive

life.

A life

that now

is enabled

to surrender

our autonomy

and submit

to his

good,

kind,

loving

authority.

So hear

the word

of Jesus,

verse 26.

For as

the Father

has life

in himself,

so he

has granted

the Son

to have

life in

himself.

Go to

the source

of life.

Accept

that you

are dead.

Listen to

his voice

and be

absolutely

assured that

when we

believe,

we have

crossed over

from a

place of

death,

never to

die again,

to life

in all

its fullness.

righteousness.

Jesus has

authority

to give

life.

And

second,

he has

authority

to judge

all.

I received

a message,

a text message

from my

friend and

it said

this,

we believe

you

and only

you

should

control

your body,

life and

future.

You

and only

you

should

control

your body,

life and

future.

That sums

up the

spirit of

the age,

doesn't it?

We don't

want to be

accountable to

anyone except

ourselves.

Nobody

can tell me

what to do

or how I

should live.

No one's

to judge

me.

But that's

not what

Jesus says,

is it?

verse 27.

And he,

the father,

has given

him,

Jesus,

authority

to judge

because he

is the

son of

man.

Well,

who's the

son of

man?

Well,

the son of

man is

a title

and it

carries with

it divine

authority.

another

prophet helps

us to

understand

what Jesus

means by

referring to

himself as

the son of

man.

Go with

me to

Daniel chapter

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

7.

It's just

after Ezekiel.

I think it's

on page

896.

Something like

that.

896.

Daniel chapter

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

7.

And just

as Ezekiel

had a

vision from

God,

Daniel has

been given

a vision.

And in this

vision in

chapter 7,

there's a

picture of

different nations,

those who

stand in

opposition to

God.

And at the

end of the

vision,

we see

somebody

come forward.

Somebody with

authority and

power,

someone to

judge.

We'll pick

it up in

verse 9.

As I

looked,

thrones were

set in

place.

And the

Ancient of

Days,

that is God

himself,

took his

seat.

So here we

are in the

control room

of heaven,

the place of

all authority.

Now go to

the very

end of

verse 10.

The court

was seated

and the

books were

opened.

The books

of judgment.

Verse 13,

in my vision

at night I

looked and

there before

me was one

like a son

of man,

a human

being,

but coming

with the

clouds of

heaven.

And he

approached the

Ancient of

Days.

He came

to God

himself and

was led

into his

presence,

into the

place of

all authority.

And he

was given

authority,

glory,

and sovereign

power,

and all

nations and

all peoples

of every

language

worshipped

him.

And his

dominion is

an everlasting

dominion that

will not

pass away.

and his

kingdom is

one that

will never

be destroyed.

What a

vision.

A vision

of the

Son of

Man.

Let's go

back now

to John

John 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

Because here

we read

that the

Father

has given

to Jesus,

the God

Man,

the position

of being

the Son

of Man.

For Jesus

comes into

this world

with absolute

power and

supreme

authority over

all the

nations and

over all

people.

And he

will have

the last

say.

We will

be raised

for

judgment.

Look at

verse 28.

Do not

be amazed

at this.

In other

words,

don't be

shocked,

don't be

surprised,

be ready

for a

time is

coming when

all who

are in

their

graves

will hear

his

voice

and come

out.

What a

sobering

sight that

is.

Everyone

who has

ever lived,

all who

have been

born and

have died,

at the

voice and

command of

Jesus,

will be

raised up.

A command

that we

cannot reject

or refuse.

And no

one will be

missing.

I will be

there and

you will be

there.

And every

ruler and

every leader

and every

person of

every nation,

there we

will all

stand before

Jesus,

the Son of

Man with

absolute

power and

supreme

authority,

all the

evidence will

have been

heard,

seen and

known,

every word

we have

spoken,

every deed

we have

done,

every thought

that we

have had,

all will

be considered

and weighed.

We will be

raised for

judgment

and we

will receive

the verdict.

Verse 29,

those who

have done

what is

good will

rise to

live and

those who

have done

what is

evil will

rise to

be condemned.

Well, you

say, does

that mean

Jesus is

going to

judge us

on the

basis of

what I've

done that

is good

and weigh

up the

bad that I

have done?

So as

long as

all my

good outweighs

all my

bad, is

that how

it's going

to be?

Well, no,

the good

and the

evil we

do is

evidence of

how we

have responded

to Jesus.

To help us

understand this,

just look back

to chapter

3.

I think

this will

help clear

it up.

John

John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

and verse

19.

follow with

me as I

read.

This is

the verdict.

The

light,

speaking of

Jesus,

has come

into the

world.

But people

loved

darkness

instead of

the light

because their

deeds were

evil.

Everyone who

does evil

hates the

light and

will not

come into

the light

for fear

that their

deeds will

be exposed.

But whoever

lives by

the truth

comes into

the light

so that it

may be seen

plainly that

what they

have done

has been

done in

the sight

of God.

Back to

chapter 5.

this is

the verdict.

If we

refuse to

come to

Jesus

and

prefer to

stay in

the darkness

and live

out our

life in

secret and

do our

own thing,

we will be

condemned.

But if we

have come to

Jesus with

our sin and

we've come

to the light

and let him

show our

hearts and

expose who

we are,

then we

find forgiveness.

We live.

So Jesus

will judge

according to

how we

have responded

to Jesus.

Have we

come into

the light

or have

we stayed

in the

darkness?

And let's

be clear,

those who

have come

into the

light,

those who

have received

spiritual life

from Jesus,

we do not

need to fear

this judgment.

Do you

remember what

it said in

verse 24?

Chapter 5,

verse 24?

Very truly I

tell you,

whoever hears

my word and

believes him

who sent me

has eternal

life and

will not be

judged,

they will not

be condemned

because they've

crossed over

from death

to life.

We can have

complete confidence

an absolute

assurance that

we will

enjoy eternal

life with

him.

There can

be no

excuses,

no claims

of unfairness.

Verse 27,

sorry,

verse 30.

Jesus says,

by myself I

can do

nothing.

I judge

only as I

hear and

my judgment

is just.

Jesus has

all authority

to judge.

It will be

eternal joy

or terrifying

condemnation.

So what's our

response today

to the voice

of Jesus?

Well, it's

simply this.

Honor

Jesus.

Did you see

there in

verse 23?

The Father

has given

Jesus authority

to give life

and execute

judgment.

Why?

Verse 23,

that all

may honor

the Son

just as they

honor the

Father.

To honor

Jesus is to

treat him

with the

respect and

devotion that

he deserves.

So how are

we going to

honor him

today?

Well, very

quickly,

two things.

First, if

you are not

a believer

in Jesus,

if you are

here today

and you do

not yet

believe in

him,

the way

for you

to honor

Jesus

is to

accept

his

word,

that we

are spiritually

dead and

that without

him we

cannot have

life.

Verse 21,

the Son

gives life

to whom

he is

pleased to

give it.

The Son

takes no

delight

in judging,

no delight,

but yet it

pleases him.

he longs

to give

you life.

So honor

Jesus,

surrender

your autonomy

and submit

to his

authority,

hear his

voice,

believe and

you will

instantly in

this very

moment of

trust in

Jesus will

move from

death to

life right

now.

if you

are a

believer in

Jesus,

how are

you going

to honor

him?

How will

I honor

him?

Well we

honor him

as we

speak these

very life

giving words

of Jesus.

Words that

have authority

and power,

not our

own words,

but the

words about

Jesus that

bring new

life.

You see we

live in a

community full

of people with

physical life,

but they are

spiritually dead.

People are

walking around

like zombies,

the walking

dead,

unknown that

they are

heading for

judgment and

we have a

life giving

message,

message of

Jesus Christ

who came

into the

world to

die our

death,

to give

us life

through his

resurrection,

raised to

life,

conquering

death,

so that all

who trust

him may

have life

for all

eternity.

Simply put,

we are to

go and

call people

to trade

in their

dead

life for

his new

and eternal

life.

Do you

remember that

vision that

Ezekiel had?

Those dead

bones in the

valley?

You know when

we speak the

truth of the

gospel,

the spirit of

God takes

that word

and begins

to do a

work of

God and

brings people

to life.

life.

May God

give us

courage and

confidence to

speak his

life-giving

words to

those who

are dead

that they

may have

life.

Let's pray

together.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Our Father God,

thank you for

Jesus.

Lord Jesus,

thank you for

your word,

for your

life-giving

word.

Thank you for

giving us

life today.

And thank you

that as we

go,

we can

go and bring

life to

others.

we pray for our community

we pray for our neighbours

for friends and family

we pray that they will hear

that the spirit will work

that new life would be received

we praise you for the work that you are doing

and we long Lord God that you would do even more

we pray this in Jesus name

Amen

we're going to sing about that life

that we can receive

what is our hope in life and in death