The Bible gives us insights into the reality of who God is. The Gospels give a very intimate look at God as He shows us Himself in Jesus. The Gospel of John gives us some very unique insights into Jesus that the other Gospels don’t.
There are six truths revealed in John chapter seven. These truth will allow God to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls from our lives.
The context of John 7 is at the time for the Feast of Booths. This took place in early October and was the most festive of the three Jewish feasts. It was a time of great celebration. Jesus’ brothers tell Him that He should go up to Jerusalem because that is where He can get noticed and make a name for Himself.
John 7:6-8
Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”
Truth #1: Jesus followed the Father’s agenda, not His own or anyone else’s.
Jesus’ brothers, either in earnest or mocking Him, tell Him that He should go to Jerusalem during the feast because the city will be full of people. Jesus can then do something to get Himself noticed and make a name for Himself as a great prophet.
Jesus tells them it is not His time. Jesus is saying that His brothers are not going to set His agenda.
The Father set what Jesus did and said.
Jesus didn’t allow others to determine what or when He did things.
We, as followers of Jesus, need to follow His example.
We need to yield our daily agendas to Jesus.
We need to submit dreams and goals to Jesus.
We need to surrender our wills to Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus set your agenda.
Jesus does go to the feast. In the middle of the feast, Jesus goes to the temple and begins to teach.
John 7:16-19
So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on My own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill Me?”
Truth #2: Jesus taught what the Father revealed to Him.
What Jesus taught was not what He made up. It was what the Father showed Him.
We are told by Jesus in Matthew 28:20 to teach people to observe all that He has commanded us.
We are not to teach our opinions.
We are not to teach our preferences.
We are not to teach our political viewpoints.
We are not to teach what we like or are comfortable with.
We are to teach ALL OF GOD”S WORD!
We are not to teach it for our glory.
I see too many Christians in America who treat the truth of God’s Word as something to beat people over the head with. I see many Christians in America who see God’s truth as an argument to win.
The truth of God’s Word is to:
Glorify God
Bring People Salvation
Bring People Forgiveness
Set People Free
Provide People with Real Joy and Peace and Hope
Jesus said that He taught what the Father revealed to Him. And thus there was no falsehood in His teaching, only truth. What He taught was based on the Father’s authority, not His own.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is teaching the whole truth of God based on His authority and for His glory.
The crowd then says that Jesus is possessed by a demon and asks who is trying to kill Him.
John 7:21-24
Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the Father), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Truth #3: Jesus was persecuted for obeying the Father.
Jesus was constantly in trouble for obeying the Father and breaking manmade laws. This caused the religious leaders to hate Jesus and constantly try to publicly disgrace Him.
Jesus didn’t let this persecution hinder Him from obeying the Father in all He did.
We as followers of Jesus need to do three things in response to persecution:
We need to pray for the persecuted church. There are many brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are facing imprisonment and death because of their faith in Jesus. We need to continually pray and intercede on their behalf.
We need to get real about the persecution of the church in America. The reality is that we are not persecuted. We are not threatened with imprisonment or death for our faith in Jesus.
We need to let the times of opposition to our faith in Jesus be a motivation to live out our faith even more strongly.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is hurting with our persecuted brothers and sisters and not letting opposition hinder us from living out our faith.
A discussion arose among the people whether Jesus could be the Messiah.
John 7:28-29
So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, “You know Me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of My own accord. He who sent Me is true, and Him you do not know. I know Him, for I come from Him, and He sent Me.”
Truth #4: Jesus knew and obeyed the Father. That made what He said and did true.
Sincerity has two sides.
We can be sincerely right.
We can be sincerely wrong.
Jesus is proclaiming that He is sincerely right because He is proclaiming what the Father has told Him.
Seven times in the book of John Jesus claims to be the truth or that He is telling the truth.
When we live out what God says in His Word, we are living the Truth.
When the Pharisees heard what the crowd was saying, they sent soldiers to arrest Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing Jesus and obeying Him so that we are living in the truth.
John 7:33-34
Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to Him who sent me. You will seek Me and you will not find Me. Where I am you cannot come.”
Truth #5: Jesus determines when He can be found.
I hear the idea that we can come to Jesus anytime “we” want. Because Jesus loves us, He will always be available to us. Jesus tells the crowd that there will come a time when they will look for Him and not be able to find Him.
In John 6:44 Jesus says that nobody can come to Him unless the Father draws that person to Jesus.
Jesus determines the timing of His work in our lives. When Jesus speaks, we need to listen and obey right then.
It is now the last day of the Feast of Booths.
John 7:37-38
Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’”
Truth #6: Jesus produces living water in the lives of people who will surrender their lives to Him.
In John chapter four Jesus has a conversation with the woman at the well and offers her living water.
In Revelation 7:17 we are told that the Lamb will lead those in heaven before His throne to springs of living water.
Jesus as the Living Water satisfies our thirst. He gives us what we really are seeking: eternal life.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is receiving from Jesus eternal life.
These truths applied to our lives by the Holy Spirit will gives us freedom and lead to experiencing joy and peace even in the midst of living in a broken world.
With God’s Truths Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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