Beyond the Pulpit
Beyond the Pulpit: Exploring the life and ministry of Walnut Creek Church Downtown. The mission of Walnut Creek Church is to glorify God by making authentic disciples of Jesus Christ who love and worship Him in all they do. Join us as we dive deep in to the word of God and provide updates about life in the church.
Beyond the Pulpit
#38: You Will Die In Your Sins Unless You Believe Who Jesus Is
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Jesus makes the extraordinary claim that unless we believe he is God, we will die in our sins, connecting his identity to the divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush.
• Jesus repeatedly uses the phrase "I am he" (ego eimi) which directly connects to God's self-revelation in Exodus 3
• The religious leaders understood Jesus was claiming divinity, which is why they attempted to stone him
• Jesus also claims the title "Son of Man" from Daniel 7, another declaration of his divine authority
• When confronted by the high priest, Jesus' claim to be the Son of Man results in charges of blasphemy
• Jesus' claims to deity cannot be separated from his ethical teachings - they are fundamentally connected
• If Jesus is merely human, his death means nothing; if he is God, his death brings eternal life
• We must respond to Jesus' claims - there is no neutral position or "sitting on the fence"
Join us next Sunday as we begin a four-week miniseries on the book of Acts, examining the basics of Christianity and what the early church practiced.
Well, all right, welcome to Beyond the Pulpit. My name is Derek Wadley, I'm joined by Luke Huckey hey everyone and Dan Rood, Good morning everyone. And it is fall launch season. We are in full swing here. Luke's so excited he yawned.
Speaker 2He tried so hard to cover it.
Speaker 1I tried to cover it, but it didn't work. And fall launch for us is really.
Speaker 2It's just so boring, that's right.
Speaker 1But what's not boring is tomorrow night, wednesday September 3rd, we have a member meeting. So, if you are a covenant member, we would strongly encourage you to sign up for that meeting and to come to it. And if you're not sure what that means to be a covenant member, we would invite you to take the membership class and learn more about it. Starting this Sunday, and also starting this Sunday, we're going to jump into a four-week miniseries on the book of Acts.
Speaker 3We're really only going to spend time in what like six or seven verses for four weeks.
Speaker 1Yeah, yep.
Speaker 3Yep, yeah, we're going to be looking at the basics of Christianity and what the early church was practicing, kind of the core components of discipleship in the life of the church. So we could spend a lot of time in the book of Acts, which one day we will, but we're going to just spend four weeks in Acts Pete.
Speaker 1Great. And then after that we're going to jump back into the book of Genesis Pete. Let's go, pete, finish that baby. So, and then next Wednesday, September 10th, all of our Wednesday night ministries kick off. There's Re-Engage, there's Kids Club, there's Student Ministry, there's student ministry, there's community groups. Set Free Wives kicks off next week and then the weeks that follow, set Free Men and Women kick off. Men and Women's Bible Studies will happen. We have Movie in the Village on September 20th. How to Train your Dragon, the live action one.
Speaker 2I want to know how to train my dragon. I know I've always had a dragon. Is that like a code for how to train your kids?
Speaker 3No, it's not. It's not. No, oh good.
Speaker 1You heard it here first. It is not an allegory for children, but we also have the Women's Coffeehouse. Registration is live for that. That's happening mid-November. The Equip Conference with Dr Donald Whitney October 24th and 25th.
Speaker 3You should sign up for that. You should sign up for that.
Speaker 1You can sign up for all of these things on our website, walnutcreekchurchorg, slash, downtown or in the Church Center. App Registration is live for all of these things so you can get signed up now. On the Equip Conference, it's $20 and $10 if you're a middle school or high school student or there's one in your life that you want to bring. So we're trying to make it really accessible to everybody. That's great, that would be awesome.
Speaker 3One quick thought is just that, with fall ministries getting started again and everything kind of kicking off, I just want to encourage you, if you're not in a community group, to to sign up for one of one of them.
Speaker 3There's a lot of different community groups.
Speaker 3We have almost around 40, we have around 40 community groups and those groups are central to what we're doing and I know people go through different seasons of life and life is busy and raising kids and there's so much happening.
Speaker 3But at the core of worshiping Jesus is gathering with God's people, certainly on Sunday mornings, but also in community groups. And so if you're not in a group, we would encourage you to sign up. And then also, if you're in a group, this is a good time of the year to think about people who you know who are not in groups that's right and to invite them back and say, hey, our group's getting started and then invite them to come. A lot of times people, especially if they come to church, they know they should probably be in a group and they just need an invite. So I think it's worth it to take two minutes and think about who are some of those people you can be inviting to your group worth it to take two minutes and think about who are some of those people you can be inviting to your group.
Speaker 1That's right, and yeah, there's lots of new people coming around. I met three or four this weekend that were looking for a community group where they could get plugged in, yeah, so yeah, fall launch full swing, get in a community group, invite people to community group, and this weekend we wrapped up our summer study of the gospel of John. This is year two of maybe eight, maybe 10, who knows how long?
Speaker 3We know not.
John 8: "I Am He" Statement
Speaker 1We know not how far this will go, but we did wrap up for the summer and we looked at John chapter eight. And in John chapter eight, verse 24, jesus makes a pretty incredible statement. He says therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins. It's a big statement. It's a big statement, yeah.
Speaker 3Jesus says earlier that he's going back to the Father, he's going to die on the cross, rise again from the dead, ascend into heaven. And then he says you will look for me and you will die in your sin. Where I'm going, you cannot come. So he says I'm going to heaven, and if you die in your sin, you can't come with me. And so Jesus here is claiming to be the one who determines whether you go to heaven or hell, which is a huge statement.
Speaker 3He makes this statement because he wants the crowds to know he's not just a man, he's not just a teacher, but he's the God man. And he uses this phrase I am he or ego, I me, ego, I me. And here he's claiming to be God. And so you could understand verse 24 to be saying if you do not believe that I am God, you will die in your sin. So it is necessary, it is a requirement in order to have a saving relationship with Jesus, to have your sins forgiven, to be born again, to possess eternal life. You must believe that Jesus is God.
Speaker 3He is God and, briefly, I mentioned how I talked about how I am he. That phrase I am he equals I am God in the flesh, and I wish we would have had a lot more time to get into that during the sermon. But I think it could be helpful just to flesh that out a little bit and a little bit more, just to think about how this statement, how it connects when Jesus says I am he, it connects to the Old Testament and it connects to the understanding that the Jews had about who God is Jesus. Remember, jesus is teaching the crowds in the temple in Jerusalem. He's dialoguing primarily with the Jewish leaders and so when he says I am he, jesus knows what he's saying and they know what he's saying. And it's because in the story of the Old Testament, I am he, ego, I am he. That's the Greek, but the Hebrew version of that is the name of God.
The Name of God in Exodus 3
Speaker 3And so we're going to look at, just briefly, we're going to look at Exodus, chapter three, one of the most famous stories in all the Bible. We're going to read it and this sets the understanding of the name of God Ego, I, me, I am he. So here we go. Are you ready? We're ready, I'll read it Exodus, chapter 1, or chapter 3, verse 1. Meanwhile, moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law, jethro the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but not consumed.
Speaker 3That would have got his attention. Get anyone's attention, anyone's attention. So Moses thought I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn't this bush burning up? So he recognizes something unique about the burning bush. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, god called out. So who's calling out? God called out to him from the bush. Moses, moses, here I am. He answered. Do not come closer. He said Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. Then he continued I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
Speaker 1Moses hid his face because he was afraid to come to God. He's like oh man, this is not what I thought.
Speaker 3Walnut Creek Church exists to glorify God by making authentic disciples.
Speaker 3God is talking to me in the burning of the bush, so he's afraid. He hides his face because he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said verse 7, I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings. Isn't that comforting? He knows about their sufferings. Isn't that comforting? He knows about our sufferings and I've come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from the land, from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the territory of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.
Speaker 3So, because the Israelites cry for help has come to me and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, go, I'm sending you to Pharaoh. To Pharaoh, so that you may lead my people and the Israelites. Lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. So this is God commissioning Moses to go, take on the most powerful nation in the world at the time, the Egyptians. He says just go, I'm going to use you, I'm sending you just to let my people go.
Speaker 3Whoa, verse 12. He answered I will certainly. This is, I'm sorry, verse 11. But Moses asked God, who am I? That I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt. And that's a great question who am I? How old is Moses at this point?
Speaker 240? Is he 40? He's 80. He's 80.
Speaker 340, yeah, 40 years after he left, yeah he's 80 years old that's a big task to be 80 years old and asked to do this. And he's like who am I? I left Egypt. I fled for my life because I murdered someone and now, 40 years later, god is sending him.
Speaker 3Verse 12. This is God answering Moses. He answered I will certainly be with you and this will be the sign that I am the one who sent you. You will bring the people out of Egypt. You will all worship God at this mountain. So that's not a very comforting sign in my mind, because I want the sign before all the struggles and the battle happen. But he goes no, no, the sign will come after, after. So just trust me, go, do what I say, then afterwards you will know that I'm with you Verse 13,. Then Moses asked God if I go to the Israelites and say to them the God of your ancestors has sent me to you, and they ask me what is his name? What should I tell them? God replied to Moses I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites. I am has sent me to you. So this is the first time in the Bible God reveals his name, and his name is, at first glance, kind of strange.
Speaker 1Yes, I had a long conversation with my son about that on the way home from church. Why does it matter if he says I am?
Speaker 3What kind of name is that? Yeah, I don't think of that as a name. Yeah, okay, so Moses is like what's your name? What do I say? I am, I am who, I am Whoa.
Speaker 2Whoa. Can you imagine walking up?
Speaker 1to somebody saying I am, and what's your?
Speaker 2name Wait a minute, what?
Speaker 3I am, yeah, and there's so much baked into that name. I mean we could talk about the name of God and how you know he doesn't say I was or I will be. I am, I am.
Speaker 3That's the self-existent eternal nature of God. That's right. I mean, what a statement. And then, from this point on, in the history of the nation of Israel, they came to understand this to be the name of God. This is the name of God, and so it's used all throughout the Old Testament. There are so many places where you see the name of God referenced Throughout the Old Testament. There are so many places where you see the name of God referenced, and this then from Moses all the way to Jesus. You know well, over a thousand years I mean, is it 1500? Yeah, it's about 1500 years.
Speaker 3The nation of Israel, they understood the name of God to be the Greek version of it is Ego, emi, yeah, mm-hmm, Ego, I, me. And so then Jesus he. If you skip ahead to John, chapter eight, jesus is in the temple in Jerusalem, speaking to the covenant people of God who know the name of God, and Jesus says if you do not believe that I am ego, I me, you will die in your sin. So you got to believe that I'm that God in the burning bush, that.
Speaker 1Moses was talking to. They rescued you, right? I mean, they gave Moses very much a similar like Great Commission. The language is very similar to the Great Commission. It's like therefore, I am God, I have all of the power and the authority. Therefore, go to Egypt and I will be with you.
Jesus Claims Divinity
Speaker 3It's incredible. It is incredible and it's almost like the Jews in John 8 couldn't believe their ears. In verse 25, they say who are you, I'm sorry, what Come again? What are you saying? They question, and then Jesus says exactly what I've been telling you from the very beginning.
Speaker 2Have you not listened? Have you not heard what I've been saying to you this whole time?
Speaker 1This is not a new message, remember all the other times you wanted to kill me. It's because I said this.
Speaker 3I said I am he, I am he, I am he. And then what happens is they start to escalate. Happens is they start to escalate. The Jews start to escalate and they go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. They keep escalating and they keep insulting him. And it's so interesting because they can't argue with Jesus over the scriptures, because the scriptures point Jesus is like they point to me. So they don't want to touch the scriptures. They can't go after his miracles, because his miracles point to him being legitimate, being from God. Because he says if you don't believe me, at least believe in the signs. I mean, look at the signs. So his signs were undeniable. So they can't argue from the scriptures. They can't argue about the miracles, because the miracles point to Jesus. They can't argue over his life, because his life was impeccable, it was perfect. And in verse 46, 846, as the dialogue is escalating he says who among you can convict me of sin? I mean, what a statement. He looks at him. He's like can you accuse me of any sin?
Speaker 2Just after he calls them their father is Satan. I don't know. It's just after, I guess.
Speaker 3Yeah, but they can't even convict him of any sin. Like if I said that if I stood up in front of, like the entire church, with my wife and kids there, and I'm like I'm sinless, who can convict me of sin? I mean there would be an unending supply of testimony from my wife, my children, from you guys, from the pastor, rest of the pastors, my community group. I mean it would just be an. They'd be like remember when he said that, remember when he did that? I mean it would. It'd be an unending. But he, jesus, says this because he knows that he's he's sinless and they can't convict him of any sin and so they have nothing left but to accuse him and so they start to go after him. In verse 48, the Jews responded to him aren't we right in saying that you're a Samaritan and have a demon?
Speaker 2Here's the ad hominem attack. That's right. You can't attack the. You can't actually critique what he's saying, you just have to go after his character, the character, the credential, like you can't attack any of it. Don't you have a demon? That's right, that's your problem.
Speaker 1It sounds like watching the news like opinion news anymore, it's like you can't actually deal with the person. No.
Speaker 2Don't deal with the actual data and the argument.
Speaker 3You can't do that, just go after the person.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3Yeah, no, I don't have demon Jesus answered You're a demon-possessed Samaritan. We know Half-breed. That's so crazy.
Speaker 2That's so crazy.
Speaker 3And then in verse 50, Jesus responds. And if you skip to verse 52, then the Jews said now we know you have a demon, Now you, Everything you're saying, it just equals the conclusion he just keeps my word, he will never see death.
Speaker 2Then the Jews said now we know what a transition, promising them life. And then the result is now you're demon possessed, you're suicidal.
Speaker 3You're a Samaritan, only a demon would promise eternal life.
Speaker 1It's a relationship with God.
Speaker 3I know. And then in verse 53. I'm sorry, verse 52. Then he said now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died and the prophets died? Who do you claim to be? If I glorify myself, Jesus answered my glory is nothing my father, about whom you say he is our God. You claim that God is your father or that my father is your God? He is the one who glorifies me. You don't know him. Oh, what a statement.
Speaker 1Guts hey religious leaders.
Speaker 3You don't know God, verse 55. You don't know God, verse 55. You don't know him, but I know him. If I were to say I don't know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your father, abraham, rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad Abraham was pointing to me. He was looking forward to me. Verse 57. The Jews replied you aren't 50 years old yet and you've seen Abraham. Verse 58,. Jesus said to them truly, I tell you, before Abraham was ego, I me, I am.
Speaker 3Whoa. He's saying listen, I am the eternal, all-powerful, self-existent God, verse 59,. So they picked up stones to throw at him. So they get it. And then that word at the very beginning of verse 59, so is very important. So, as a result, they tried to kill him Because he said that Because he said that they pick up stones to throw at him.
Speaker 2Which means they know what he's saying.
Speaker 3They know exactly what he's saying. He's claiming to be God. This is blasphemy. They get it. And then John says but Jesus was hidden.
Speaker 2But Jesus went John Wick on that, that's right, just disappeared.
Speaker 3John.
Speaker 1Wick, wait a second. Sorry, wrong guy. No, that's not true, no strike that from the record John Wick killed everybody.
Speaker 2And Jesus did not. Whoa Strike that from the record, but Jesus was hidden.
The Son of Man Title
Speaker 3Yes, okay. So this claim I am he it is an undeniable way for Jesus to claim to be God. But there's another title which I think is awesome and it's the title Son of man, and this is in verse John 8, 28. 28. And he loves this title. He uses it all over the place in the Gospel of John and it's just another way for him to claim to be God. So when Jesus says you must believe that I am he, you must also believe that he is the son of man. I am he. You got to believe he's the son of man. It's another title to deity. And you may wonder how do you get the son of man? How does the son of man equal God in the flesh? How does it equal God in the flesh? Well, there are two places we can look, and the first is in Daniel, chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. Do either of you guys have that?
Speaker 1We should have pulled it up you know wisdom would have said that we should prepare for Is Daniel in the Old Testament or New Testament when? Is Daniel.
Speaker 2The problem is it's hard to find because it's like four pages.
Speaker 1I'm just joking. I'm joking, okay.
Speaker 3Daniel 7, verse 13. Got it? This is Daniel's vision. I continued watching in the night visions and suddenly, here it is one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. Wow, so, one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. Wow so, one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the ancient of days and was escorted before him.
Speaker 3He, the son of man, was given dominion and glory in a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation and language should serve him. So what's the scope of this kingdom? It is those of every people, nation and language. It's a worldwide kingdom and his dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed. So it is a worldwide and eternal kingdom. It is a worldwide and eternal kingdom. This is why the Son of man is the claim to be divine, because if a king has a worldwide kingdom and if a king doesn't pass away, it's eternal then that can't be the world as we know it right now. This is speaking of someone who will live forever. This is speaking of someone who is Lord over all forever. And so the right deduction from this is to say that this is God.
Speaker 3And so the Jews understood that the Son of man, when someone, the Daniel 7 Son of man, was the Messiah, the king who would reign over the earth forever. And this is a big reason why the Jews believed that when the Messiah came, he would crush the Romans. Because at the time, the Romans, they were the big dogs, they were the ones ruling and reigning over everything. And they said, okay, the Messiah, if he comes, no, no, he's the one who has to rule and reign over everyone and everything. That means that he has to do away with the Romans, and so that is. If I was living 2,000 years ago in Israel, I would have expected the Messiah to come and crush the Romans, like for sure, like for sure. But they had this expectation the Son of man, the Son of man, the Son of man, the Son of man is coming.
Speaker 1And Jesus says the Son of man, the Son of man, the Son of man, the Son of man is coming and Jesus says the Son of man, I am the Son of man Over and over and, over, and, over, and, over and, over and over again.
Speaker 3It is incredible If you look at Matthew 26,. This is at his trial. When Jesus is on trial before the Sanhedrin, they ask him the question who are you? He answers.
Speaker 1He gives them an answer In verse 63, it says but Jesus kept silent.
Speaker 3The high priest said to him so he's like he is on trial before the Sanhedrin for his life. They tried to bring in false witnesses but the false witnesses contradicted each other so they couldn't go with the false witness testimony. So they're like all right, get rid of these guys, just strike that from the record. Kind of like Luke's comment about John Wick.
Speaker 2I think it's pretty accurate.
Speaker 3But Jesus kept silent. The high priest said to him I charge you under oath by the living God. Ironically, tell us if you are the Messiah, the son of God, verse 64,. You have said it. Jesus told him. But I tell you, in the future you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Whoa.
Speaker 1And the chief priest has a pretty strong reaction. It's verse 65. Then the high priest tore his garments and said he blasphemed. What further need do we have of witnesses? It's like we didn't even need to get these bad witnesses in here. He did it himself. He did it himself.
Speaker 3Verse 66,. What is your decision? They answered he deserves death. Then they spat in his face and beat him. Others slapped him and said prophesy to us, messiah, who was it that hit you? If I was Jesus in that moment I would have been like that. Was you, steve, bill, bill.
Speaker 2That was you, Bill? I think Bill was not in.
Speaker 1Chris, you did not hit as hard as Steve did.
Speaker 3Okay, I wouldn't have done that, but I, but you look at this, and that's why you would have killed on a victim, probably right. Probably would have John Wickdom.
Speaker 1But here, jesus, that's right.
Speaker 3So they killed Jesus because he claims to be the son of man Yep. Which means he claims to be the Messiah, which means he claims to be God. Yeah, he claims to be God, and they knew it.
Speaker 2Yes, Jesus knew what he was saying, I mean, when they accused him of blasphemy. They know what he is saying is I am God in the flesh. So there's no. There's no, which is interesting because a lot of people will try to say Jesus never claimed to be God. You're like. You can't honestly make that statement, unless I mean, if you read the New Testament and understand the reactions of the Pharisees and the Jews and you understand the connections of the Old Testament, you understand Jesus is claiming to be God.
Why Jesus' Deity Matters
Speaker 1You have to totally ignore the gospel of John, yes, and the other three gospels, and the Bible. And there's the Bible, yep, and all of Paul's life, yep, that's right. Yeah, so Jesus, he makes these claims. So yeah, just in the short you know eight verses we looked at this weekend. Jesus made these two incredible claims I am he, I am the son of man. But why does this matter Like? Why does it matter that we take Jesus' claim to be God seriously?
Speaker 3Yeah, that's right. I mean, it's a good question. I think one reason it matters is in verse 28, 828. So Jesus said to them when you lift up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he.
Speaker 3So we get both of those titles or those names or whatever in one verse, when you lift up the son of man, you know, if Jesus is just a man, then his death means nothing, right? If Jesus is just a man, then his death means nothing, it's just like the death of anyone else who's ever lived. But if Jesus is the son of man, then it is God dying it is, it is God taking on flesh, uh, that he might die in our place, and? Um, so if it's true that Jesus is the son of man, if he is, if Jesus is he, then his death is our eternal life. I mean for for those who have faith in Christ, who trust in Christ. So that's one reason it matters, that claim matters. I think another claim is that as Christians, we're dealing with God.
Speaker 3I think the liberal theologian, the impulse of liberal theologians, is to separate the ethics of Jesus from his claims to deity. That is the impulse. It's to separate, to say no, no, no. Let's just deal with Jesus as an ethical teacher and we love his ethics. I think people who read Jesus and say I love his ethical system have simply not read his ethical system, because his ethical system is like impossible to live out. Deny yourself, deny yourself. Don't lust, don't lust. Are you kidding me? Don't disobey your parents. Honor your father and mother, I mean. His ethical system is obviously a glorious, wonderful ethical system, but to just deal with it as an ethical system by itself, it doesn't really give much life. And so the liberal impulse, the impulse of the liberal theologians, is to separate the ethics of Jesus from his claims to deity, so people can reduce him to a man, so we can disregard him, so we can live life the way we want. We can pick and choose, we can deal with them like we deal with Gandhi or Muhammad or Confucius or Joseph Smith or whoever else.
Speaker 3Buddha, whoever it is, but see, if Jesus is God, if he's God, then we are dealing with God in this life. He's our creator and he's the one who loves us, who made us in his image. He's the one for whom we've been created. He's the one we'll die and stand before. We're dealing with God today, and that's such good news for us, gives us such hope in the world.
Speaker 2Yeah Well, it's good news. I mean because Jesus came, you know, like you said, for if he, if you do not believe that I'm he, you will die in your sins. But Christ came so that we would not die in our sins. That's right. And so Jesus is not coming and claiming to be God so that we all just go to hell. He's coming and claiming to be God so that he can save us from the wrath of his father, which is a just punishment for our sin. That's right and I mean so it is. It is good news.
The Good News of God in Flesh
Speaker 2But it's also that it's dishonest to say that Jesus doesn't claim to be God. It's like, if you don't want to believe he's God, if someone doesn't want to believe he's God, that's one thing, but to say that he doesn't claim it is another thing. And because he claims it and backs it up, it's like you got to deal with that reality. And so it's like our, our life, eternally speaking, is hanging in the balance. What we do, or how we respond to Jesus's claims, uh, uh, affects what is going to happen, not just here in this life, but ultimately, uh, forever. And uh, one, one of two places heaven or hell. Uh, either we're with God or without, and so it's a massive, um massive topic and something we can't just shrug off or put off on the side, and so I think, even with our families, like with our kids, that's something we're going to continue to bring to the forefront with our children is that, as you kind of said this weekend.
Speaker 2You know, Danny, you can't just sit on the fence here. It's like Jesus doesn't allow you just sit on the fence about him. You either go one way or the other, and that's why the Pharisees, obviously, they went the other way, you know they reacted or majority of them reacted negatively towards Christ, and so Jesus came so that we can have eternal life, and he is making a case that he is the one who has life because he is the self-existent, eternal God who made all things.
Speaker 3The one who sent Moses to Egypt.
Speaker 2That's right, the one who led the people of Israel out of the slavery in the wilderness. Cloud by day, fire by night. The glory, the Shekinah glory of God, that's right.
Speaker 3That's right. The one who sent the prophets, the one who created the heavens and the earth, the one who forgives sins, and so it is just such good news. We're dealing with God. We are dealing with God day by day, we're walking with him and, yeah, we want to keep proclaiming the good news that God became a man and he did that for us, that we might live forever. Thanks for watching.
