Whose Side Are You On?

Many have been fed the lie that if you're not a follower of Jesus and are not an enemy of His, you can be somewhere in the middle. However, in the Book of John, Jesus makes it clear that we are either with Him or we are against Him. There is no other choice. What side are you on?

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

Podcast 9 Transcript

(This is a computer generated transcript of this podcast.  This is NOT a typed transcript and it has not been edited. Expect grammatical and syntactical errors.)

Hello, and good day. Welcome to another podcast of God's Family In An Ungodly World. I'm your host, B. R. Maul, author, teacher, preacher, but most importantly, a child in God's family. It's so great to have you here with me today. I hope you are having a good day. And so fellow Christian, how is your walk with the Lord this last week?

How are things going with you? Are you keeping to his word, reading it daily, getting to know him? Because I know he certainly loves you so much and that is how we continue to grow as Christians by our prayer and of course reading in God's word. So I hope that is going well with you. If you ever have any questions or comments go to my website, brmaul that's b r m a u l.com, and there is a contact page.

Just click on that, fill it out, send it to me, and I will get back to you as soon as I can. I always love to hear from my brothers and sisters in Christ, and yes, of course, if you are not yet walking with the Lord. And have questions. Of course, I want to hear from you as well because we certainly want to introduce Jesus Christ, the Savior to you.

Have you ever been in a position where you had to pick sides, uh, you know, maybe playing a game or at gym class when you were younger, having to pick teams, so you had to pick a side? I remember , my brother and I, we loved playing Star Wars when we were kids. We'd run outside and of course we'd have to decide what side are you going to be?

You going to be the good side or the bad side? I always liked being on the good side. I thought my brother, older brother, so he was taller, always made the best. Darth Vader. Being on sides, taking sides. I think that's pretty important to people. We have a tendency to want to make sure we know whose side we are on.

I mean, think about even your political views in America. A uh, Republican or Democrat. The majority of people can quickly tell you which side they are on. So there's a lot of sides in life, and unfortunately, even when it comes to war, there are sides, right? Ultimately, the most important side that anybody will ever make is whether or not they are on the side of Christ or the side of Satan.

No matter what we do in life, those are the biggest sides because not only does that affect our life here and now on this side of eternity, but most important, , oh, it certainly affects on the other side of the grave where we will spend eternity. That's either heaven or hell. There is no middle ground, and I want to speak to that today because unfortunately there are so many people who believe they can just keep to middle ground that well um, I know Jesus and, and, uh, sure. You know, I, I, I love him and that's all good and all, but, um, you know, I, I just don't want to get in the, in the middle of anything, so I'm not going to really take sides and nobody's ever come out and set it that way, because ultimately that person, I think was saying, well, at the same time, I'm, I'm not going to fight against hell.

However, our life is what we can see. What side. We have taken, or if we think we haven't taken any side, but Jesus makes it very clear that we are either with him or we are against him. There is absolutely no middle ground. So at this very moment, as you hear my voice, you are either on the side of Jesus Christ or you are against him whether you are aware of it or not. Let's take a look at some scripture. Shall we go ahead and turn to the book of John that is the Gospel of John, and we'll be looking into chapter 14 verses one through 10. So John chapter 14, verse one through 10. Now this is Jesus explaining to his disciples ultimately who he is, and what they can expect for the road that they are on. Interestingly enough, we find that there are still those who question exactly who he is and where he's going. So don't feel like you're at a loss if you yourself have questions for the savior, Jesus Christ. Now he rebukes them kindly and basically makes it quite clear, who he is, and that, yes, we should know that. Now we are at an advantage. We may think that walking with Christ, they would've had the advantage, but really we get to stand back, read the scriptures, and kind of see for ourselves. So I feel we have the advantage here as Christians on this side in time. Let me begin.

Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me, in my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. That where I am there you may be also.

And where I go, you know, and the way you know. I'll stop right there for a moment. Now, just a few things. First of all, being they were Jews, Jesus already knew. Well, he knows everything, but pointing out that they already believed in God, so he's, that's why he said, you believe in God, believe also in me.

Okay? Not just like believe in what I'm saying, but believe in me that I too am God, but he's already talking about this type of relationship that he desires to have with his family, and that is, I will come again and receive you to myself. Now that's very comforting and it should be very comforting for his children.

We certainly should not fear him coming back to receive us. Continuing on verse five, Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way? . Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Stop right there. No one comes to the Father except through me.

So there's no other way. And Jesus has said this multiple times in his own words, and it has been recorded, of course, multiple times. That we know there is no other way, right? We can't work our way, we can't earn our way. We can't be born into a family and get there. There's nothing that we can do to get us into heaven, and the only way is through Jesus to the heavenly Father.

I'll continue verse seven. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. And from now on, you know him as the father and have seen him, the father. So they're looking right at him. Phillips said to him, Lord, show us the Father and it is sufficient for us. So Phillip's just still not grasping this yet.

Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long? And. You have not known me, Philip. He who has seen me has seen the father. So how can you say, show us the father. Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the father who dwells in me does the work.

That's the end of that reading, and that was verse 10. How powerful is this? Not only is he saying, Philip, you are looking at the father and the very fact that he's saying, because you know me, you know him. We are one and the same. Even deeper, he says that I am in the father and the father in me. Again, no mistaking that they are one.

Right? There's no way of separating that because they're both in each other. The words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the father who dwells in me does the work. So even though they are the same, that also shows us that they are separate. , hence this triune God, which is of course we can't wrap our minds around because it doesn't mean they're the exact same being they are together, and yet they're somehow a part because he does not, Jesus is saying that he does not speak on his own authority, but the Father and the fact that the father is dwelling in him and is speaking through Jesus. So that's why Jesus is only doing the Father's will, and that's why Jesus prayed so much to the Father. Now that's some pretty powerful stuff that is absolutely amazing.

So there is at this point, not talking the Holy Spirit, but that is certainly proof right here, that Jesus and God the Father are the same, and yet they are different. And I can't explain that. I, I don't think anybody can, and I'm okay with that because my God is much greater than I. But brothers and sisters, this gets way better.

As wonderful as their relationship is the father and the son, if you are born again, you are a part of that. I love knowing that I am a part of all of this. Yes. So what do I mean by that? Okay, let's go to chapter 15, and I'll start with verses one through five. So still in the book of John chapter 15, starting with verse one.

Jesus is still speaking. I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine.

Neither can you unless you abide in me. Verse five, I am the vine. You are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit for without me, you can do nothing. All right, A few things. We sure did hear that word abide quite a bit. So if we look up the word abide, it's one of those that has numerous definitions, but what actually pertains to the way it's being used here is several.

One is to accept without objection, to accept. Without objection. There's certainly that flare of faith in that definition to remain stable or fixed in a state. The example sentence here in the dictionary. A love that abided with him all his days to remain stable or fixed in a state. All right, that's pretty concrete.

So abiding there, that's not budging, that's not moving. And then also to continue in a place to sojourn. Example sentence in the dictionary is, will abide in the house of the Lord. That abide is certainly a relationship word. There is intentional action there to stay with, to accept without objection, to remain stable or fixed.

And so to abide with the Lord is very intentional. So there's some powerful words here and there's going to be more about love and hate. That's also coming up. But let me just, , unpack a little bit then of what we just read. So, every branch in me, Jesus says, that does not bear fruit he takes away he being the father and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit.

Pruning is certainly a process that may not always feel so great. I think that's tied into the trials that he allows. We go through trials. We are abiding with the Lord. The Lord is in us, and we are in him. And so we continue to grow stronger. We continue to produce more fruit, but of course, because of that, we're going to have some damage done.

And that's where of course, pruning comes in. , God the father comes in and snips away some of that stuff that in the past has held us back. We have, with the help of Christ overcome it and we move on. Verse four, abide in me, Jesus says, and I in you. Now, that should certainly grab your attention because Christian, what we just looked at in chapter 14, he was talking so much about.

He and the father being one. Now Jesus is talking about abide in me and I in you, and if you really think about the analogy he's using as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you unless you abide in me. So that branch abiding in the vine, that branch is separate, yes. But it is connected. It's life comes from the vine. If we see a branch that has been torn off or eaten off by bugs, for example, you know that it dries up, right? That branch eventually withers and dies. So there's that being a part of life or death part of not just a, Hey, Jesus is a good friend of mine. And in verse five, I am the vine. You are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit for without me, you can do nothing. Now for someone who may be a baby believer or someone who maybe hasn't invited Christ into their heart and given themselves to the Lord, they may even read that and think, well, I don't know. I mean, what now?

If I'm with him, I can't do anything. unless I listen to him. But that, that's more than just listening for without me, you can do nothing. So whether somebody believes in Jesus or not, they're not going to come anywhere near the potential that their life can produce without Jesus in it. Have you ever thought of that?

That without Jesus, you can never attain what God has in store for you. And he does have things in store for you because he loves you, Christian and he wants you to flourish. He wants all of his kids, he wants us to grow. And with every passing month, with every passing year, become just a little more like Jesus so we can look back and see such wonderful, beautiful changes in our life and in the lives of those around us. Verse nine, in chapter 15, nine and 10. As the father loved me, I also have loved you abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. He's telling you right there how to abide in him.

Isn't that wonderful? There's no secrets. Sometimes people think that in the Bible there's these hidden little secrets that only a few people are going to know, and that's not true. My life, I can look back and I'm living proof that God has designed it, that if we, his children just read his word. He will grow us.

And so by doing that, we love him. And how do we love him? We keep his commandments. With that his love encircles us. It abides in us and we in his love. That's amazing. I mean, do you realize the power of his word? By reading God's word, it reads you, and the Father changes us. Our heavenly Lord, our God literally changes us from the inside out as we read his word.

Does that show you how important it is to read his word daily? Do you want to grow daily and, and let God's love just encompass you daily and you become just a, a little more like Jesus through reading God's word daily. And of course we pray to him because that's how we communicate. We ask him for that guidance. We ask him to help us understand his word.

I often ask for wisdom and understanding before I read or if I come across something that's very difficult, man, I've said in the past, sure. There are things that I have just recently discovered, things that have not made sense to me in the 

past , and I've been reading God's word steady now for almost two decades, and yet there are things that he reveals to me when he's good and ready now onward with this relationship because at the same time, keep in mind Jesus had his enemies and Jesus still has his enemies. Of course, Satan. And Satan, the ruler of this world for the time being has influenced millions and over history, I suppose billion.

After all, he did take a third of the angelic beings who saw God firsthand. And so if he could convince a third of the angelic beings to follow him, I'm sure mankind, is easier pickings because well, we don't get to look upon the Heavenly Father and go, whoa, that's pretty powerful . I'm going to go with him.

And that's why the world hates Jesus and because the world hates Jesus ,Christian, we need to be prepared and realize that the world also hates us. So one question I want to ask you before I go up to the next reading is, how is your relationship with the world? I see a lot of Christians today that they fit right into the world.

In fact, it's hard for me to really see any difference other than, I suppose from time to time they go to church, maybe do a few other things, but that doesn't make anybody a Christian. Things such as maybe volunteering or they seem to be a pretty nice person, but they blend right into the world. They're laughing at the jokes that they shouldn't be laughing at.

They're watching things and listening to things they shouldn't be watching or listening to. And they fit right in and most of their time is given to the world doing worldly things. Well, let's take a look at John 15, verse 18. Now through 23, Jesus is still speaking. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love, its. yet because you are not of the world. But I chose you out of the world. Therefore, the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you? A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. , but of all these things they will do to you for my namesake, because they do not know him who sent me, him being the father, if I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me, hates my father also.

I told you there's some powerful words here. We were talking about love just moments ago, but now he's using the word hate. Boy, that's a powerful word. Hate. Have you ever hated somebody? Beloved, I pray you don't hate anybody. Now, as a Christian, we need to forgive anybody who's ever wronged us. Why? Because Jesus, of course, has forgiven us.

And we are no better than the next person. So for us not to forgive is hypocritical and damaging, but that's not what we're going to discuss today. Let's take a look a little more into these words. Once again, if, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me first. And in 19 he makes the comment, if you were of the world, the world would love its own.

So kind of back to the question I asked just a few moments ago, does the world love you? Do you fit right in? Or because you love the Lord Jesus? And there are things you refuse to do and refuse to say, and because of your actions, are there people that really want nothing to do with you And yes. , you very well could have people who hate you and maybe you are amongst the Christians they say, oh, you're a hypocrite or a bigot in all such names that the world is casting upon Christians today. The latest in America is, extremists or far right extremists. And we're also hearing Christian nationalists. Mark my words. Soon, it'll just be Christian. It won't even be Christian Nationalist, just the followers of Christ.

We will be pinpointed. Well, what's one of the reasons why we know? Because Jesus had made it quite clear, I am the way. So he made it quite clear to the world that all these other methods that you think you're going to get to heaven for none. If it works, you must come through me. and mankind hates being told what they need to do.

So that alone generated much hate over the centuries. But Jesus also says yet, because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. I believe what he's saying there to us is, you know, in their hearts, those who want nothing to do with Jesus, and they see somebody that responded to that call all the more, they hate you because they didn't, and I say didn't because we all have a choice.

We can go to one extreme and say, well, nobody has a choice that there's nothing that you can do at all. Even just answering the call. But that's not biblical. Jesus called many to follow him and they had to respond. Everybody has to respond. Everybody has to make a decision of, you know what? This world isn't enough.

This world is a lie. This world is fake. This world is getting me nowhere, and Jesus is calling me. I'm going with him. That's answering the call. Jesus says that he is at the door knocking, but the door has to be answered. . If you're born again, that means you answered however he called you. He uses many different people, many different ways to call people to him.

Maybe it is that church. Maybe it's listening to a certain song. Maybe it's death of a loved one. Maybe it's witnessing some extreme generosity that there's just no way of explaining it away. other than there was a power behind that generosity. I mean, over and over. There are many, many ways that the Lord uses to call people to him because he wants no one to go to hell.

But when we accept that, when we answer that call, because he has chosen you out of the world, that world all the more hates you because, as a born again believer, when we, in our lifestyle, we show that yeah, that world now it what you have to offer isn't good enough because a servant is no greater than his master.

We should not expect anything less than what the world did to Jesus. Expect it. Be prepared for it, and yes, being prepared for it, that's why we read his word daily, we pray to him. . We come together with brothers and sisters in Christ Weekly. So we have that arsenal of support in us and around us, and he ends with 23.

He who hates me, hates my father also. So, which is very interesting because think of all the religions in the world that want nothing to do with Jesus, but they say they honor and love God. Well, Jesus just made it clear right there. He who hates me, so he who hates Jesus. Hates God because the Father is God. Frightening that we have so many people that live around us and I'm sure many in our lives that live that way.

They praise God, but they don't praise Christ. Well, let's take a look in the book of Matthew and go to chapter 12. These are some pretty short readings now, but this helps to solidify a little more of what I'm talking about because in Matthew 12, verse 30, Jesus says, he who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad.

You see that difference there? There's no in between. Jesus leaves no room to say there are still some that they just haven't decided yet. So they're not against me, but they're also not for me. That doesn't exist. If you are amongst those who are living a life and maybe you've been going to church your whole life, maybe church and, and Christmas and Easter and, and, uh, you know, the Sunday routine of going to church and spending that time, and you, maybe you even are in committees at your church.

Or you volunteer doing certain services, all of that and that, that can be some good stuff, but none of that's got to do with your salvation. And maybe even though you do all that and you know so much knowledge about Jesus, but you've never have been born again. You've always lived your life either thinking, well, I've always just loved him.

No. No, you haven't. Nobody has always loved Jesus. Nobody. We are all born into the sin and our hearts are wicked and greedy and want its own way. So nobody can say, well, I've, I've always just loved him. Or maybe you're thinking, well, I mean, I just, it's always been that way. I got my, my baptism certificate when I was a baby, and, I was told, , that brought me into the circle of God or the family of God, whatever your church uses as terminology. So I've always just, that's just always been a part of my life. Well, sure you're right. All of that's just always been a part of your life, but not your eternity. Beloved, you must be born again, and that is not me. Go to John three and read the entire chapter over and over until you see it for yourself that if you have not verbalized with your mouth the Lord Jesus and have not believed in your heart, that God has raised him from the dead, repenting, and truly understanding that you need a savior, I beg of you to take that time and to seek him because he promises that anybody who seeks him will find him.

So please do that. because in 12:30 Matthew 12:30 he makes it clear he who is not with me is against me. That's it. There's no in between. You are either gathering or scattering. That's it. Isn't that something? There's no one just sitting there doing nothing. We're, either gathering or we're scattering for the millions that say, well, I just haven't made up my mind yet.

 Those millions are enemies of Christ. Because if you're not with him, they are against him. So seek him. He promises that you will find him. And if you're born again and know of others, help them to seek. Tell them the importance of there is no, I'm on the fence post. I'm just waiting. . I know too many people who are, I'm just waiting.

What? What are you waiting for? He continuously is knocking. He is calling and he, well use circumstances to try to get someone's attention, but the more people do not answer as a person goes through their life and refuses to answer eventually, like he did Pharaoh, he will let them have what they want and that is him away.

God, absent from their life. Go to 12 verse 46, and I'll be reading 46 through 50, Matthew 12:46 through 50. This is beautiful because Jesus points out who his family truly is While he was still talking to the multitudes. Behold his mother and brothers stood outside seeking to speak with him. Then one said to him, look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside.

They're seeking to speak with you. , but he answered and said to the one who told him, Jesus says, who is my mother and who are my brothers? And this is beautiful. He stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, here are my mother and my brothers, for whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. How glorious is that? That is beautiful. He wasn't forsaking his mother and his brothers that were waiting for him. Not at all. But he made a very powerful point that those who believe on him are closer than even his mother and whom he shared blood with. That is amazing. That's truly amazing.

That's how important following him is. He sets us at the level of brothers, sisters, and mother for his love for us. You don't have to turn there, but I'm going to just read Proverbs 10 17. He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, the way being like the path of life. He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.

 Astray means off the narrow path, off the path of life and onto the wide path that leads to hell. How do I do that? How do I keep on the path? Well, he who keeps instruction, keep reading God's word and as you read it, follow it. Do what you're told. Are you going to fail? From time to time.

But my experience is the more you read it and the more Christlike you become, the less times you start falling off. Cuz you learn to listen to God's voice. You learn to take time to hear him, and then you gain that trust that if you just do what he says he will provide. Now, this is all very amazing. I love this relationship that our God wants to have with us, and I can't say it enough because it is amazing.

Think of all the things that his creation consists of. Mountains , ocean waves. The depth of the ocean, the power of volcanoes, the weather patterns, the beauty in the smallest things, little flowers, bugs, birds, animals and beasts. There is so much that is amazing. The creation itself is amazing. How much more the creator.

And he loves us more than anything he's ever created. I hope that really touches your heart, Christian, knowing that I'll end with this here. Psalm 1 39, verse 16. This is a Psalm of David, so David is talking to God. Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. So he wasn't even in the womb yet. And in your book, they all were written the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them.

So what is he saying? In God's ultimate plan , in that book. Cause we know going by revelation, there are going to be many books opened in the last days and we all have a book that has our name on it. God being amazing as he is, is not stuck in the linear time that we are currently in. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

He is before time, outside of time and after time. So he already sees your book. He sees my book. Even though to us it's still being written. And David, what he sees here is that God saw him before he was even formed. And in God's book and his records, David's days were fashioned already recorded when as yet he says there were none of them, all of that.

He already knows what you have done, what you are doing, and what you will be doing. . That's something to really chew on for a while, Christian, because he knows all the things that we think about that we would like to do, but haven't that we have done that we wish we hadn't. All of that, and with all of that, he loves us.

He loves us. If you're born again, if you are in God's family, He abides in you and you in him. You are inseparable and we'll talk about it another time, but you can't be taken from him. You cannot lose your salvation if you are born again. Heavenly Father, I pray for all who hear this message. Guide them, Lord.

Through your word give them wisdom and understanding as they read your word. Reveal yourself to them, your love for them, and guide all of us each and every day in all that we do and all that we say, so we can be a little more like our savior and Lord Jesus Christ. My prayer father is that people can break away from religion, break away from these traditions that over the years we have been told we must do that is anchoring so many from just walking with you and loving you and loving their brothers and sisters in the faith because so many of our churches here, Lord, have become corporate churches. They're being ran like a business. So much is about just getting people to come in. It's not about saving lives. It's not about saving souls. It's about the money. It's about building more programs to be available to people. But Lord, I know your heart must break every time that we, as your people go along with just building programs to hopefully help people become better people. And that's all we're doing is preparing them to be better people to go to hell. Because many denominations, I know Lord are doing things their way and they're saying that infant baptism will save. They're saying that there's purgatory and 

even if you're not saved on this life, your friends and family can save you later. Father, there are so many lies out there. Please help us all to sort through that, touch the heart of the one that is listening right now and show them, reveal to them who you are and I pray this through Jesus Christ, my brother, my Lord, and my king.

Brothers and sisters. You stay on that narrow path. I know it's difficult, but fight the good fight. But it doesn't mean that you are fighting it alone. None of us should fight the fight alone. We're not designed that way. . Jesus says, do not forsake the assembly, but the assembly doesn't have to be those churches with denominations that write out this is what we believe and then many aren't even living by it.

I pray that you have a Bible teaching and preaching, church or gathering, whether you're in a gymnasium or gather in a park, whatever you do weekly and get ahold of me. , I'm here for you. And until next time, God bless.

Songs

“Heroes Inspire Hope” and “Mountainscape” by Humans Win

“London Winter” by Daniel Willett / “Welcome To Heaven” by Turquoise Moon

“Southern Folk Rock Intro” by Jon Prestone

Sound Effects from Storyblocks.com