Eternal Divergence

John 8:12-59 February 9, 2025 Pastor Chris Oswald

Thesis Jesus draws clear lines revealing that there are only two sides in spiritual reality—light or darkness, freedom or slavery, children of God or children of the devil—and our longing for his return reveals which side we truly occupy.

Series

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Type

Expository

Tone

didacticpastoralprophetic

Method

grammatical-historicalcanonicalapplicatory

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

18 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #10

"Delivers the spiritual test: eagerness for Jesus' return serves as a diagnostic for spiritual health. Grounds the test in John 8:56, where Abraham rejoiced to see Christ's day, then supports it with Lewis's maxim linking love for God to spiritual health. Illustrates with the 'car pulling into the driveway' analogy—eagerness for a loved one's return correlates to the state of what they'll find. Then shifts to concrete application by invoking Jerry Bridges's 'respectable sins' list, naming sins that can hinder anticipation of Christ's return. The tone remains pastoral—no condemnation, but sober self-examination followed by confessional repentance grounded in Romans 8:1 and 1 John 1:9."

Doctrinal loci· 11 surfaced

Christology · 6 Soteriology · 6 Eschatology · 5 Hamartiology · 4 Sanctification · 3 Ecclesiology · 2 Spiritual Warfare · 2 Bibliology · 1 Covenant Theology · 1 Pneumatology · 1 Theology Proper · 1

Bible citations· 27

Theological claims· 1

The two fathers Jesus invokes—Abraham as father of faith and covenant, the devil as liar and destroyer—represent the only two possible spiritual lineages. unit #8

Quotations· 3

"Wrong will be right when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall spring again." — C.S. Lewis (unit #0)

"a man's spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God" — C.S. Lewis (unit #10)

"respectable sins" — Jerry Bridges (unit #10)

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Full transcript

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0 · Opens the sermon by establishing the theme of clear spiritual division through an extended illustration from C

Aren't we glad to be on His side? Aren't we glad to be on His side? So to start off with today, I want to talk about C.S. Lewis. A little bit. Anyone here a fan of C.S. Lewis? Yeah, love C.S. Lewis. Mere Christianity was instrumental in me becoming a Christian. Recently read The Problem of Pain. That was a great book with a lot of deep insights and truth. Weight of Glory. I read The Weight of Glory where he talks about how we're too easily pleased making mud pies in the sand rather than taking a holiday at sea. But if I had to pick one work or set of works that I really enjoy about C.S. Lewis, I would go with The Chronicles of Narnia. And I'm probably not alone here. The Chronicles of Narnia is just a great, great series. And for me, I read it for the first time when I was about in my mid-twenties. But I didn't become a Christian until I was 18, 19, but read The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time. It's generally a kid's book. But I read it in my mid-twenties. And there were a lot of deep truths that really struck me in The Chronicles of Narnia. And if I had to pick one book that's my favorite, so we're narrowing down and talking about C.S. Lewis, and we're talking about some works, and we're talking about Chronicles of Narnia. If I had to pick one work, though, that's my favorite out of that series, it would be The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I really enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. And for anyone who's never read that or doesn't know that book series, you know that you've got the Pevensey kids. Pevensey kids. You've got Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who make their way through a magical wardrobe into a magical land called Narnia, where it is basically like eternal winter for the time. Eternal winter for the time. And the White Witch is ruling Narnia at this time. So you've got the White Witch, but we're waiting for Aslan, the great lion, the true ruler of Narnia to return. To return. And in Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis includes a little like, I guess you'd call it a prophecy, a little poem, which talks about Aslan returning. Let me read it for you. It says, Wrong will be right when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall spring again. We shall spring again. And the whole purpose for me sharing all this with you is really that in the Chronicles of Narnia, in Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there's a clear good versus evil. Good versus evil is very clear. There are clearly two sides. There's the White Witch. There's Aslan and the Lion. And in life, in the real world, good versus evil is not always so clear. There can be gray. There can be fuzz. But what we're going to see in John chapter 8 is that Jesus shows that there really are only two sides in life. There really are only two sides in life. Clear differentiation between good versus evil. Good versus evil.

1 · Provides the structural roadmap for the sermon—three images of differentiation, a spiritual test, and application—then transitions into prayer

And we're going to see it through three images that he's going to use. We're going to be back at the Feast of Sukkot. It's going to be teaching. He's going to use three images. Three images to show there is clear differentiation between good versus evil. So we're going to see light versus darkness. Jesus is going to talk about light versus darkness. He's going to talk about freedom versus slavery. And then he's going to talk about being a child of God versus being a child of the devil. A child of God versus being a child of the devil. So those are the three images. If we're going to track with those three images, then we're going to take a quick spiritual test. If we're going to see through those three images, by God's grace, we're on Jesus' side. We're going to take a quick spiritual test, though, to see how much we're enjoying being on Jesus' side. And then we're going to talk application. We're going to talk application. So that's the map. That's where we're going. But let me pray. Let me pray for our sermon, for our time. And then we'll get moving. Dear God, we praise you. Jesus, we praise you because you are God. In Isaiah 66, verse 2, you say, But this is the one to whom I will look. He who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. And, Lord, we confess this morning that that is the cry of our hearts. Lord, we desire to be humble and tremble at your word. So help us to do that. Give us illumination today. We send your Holy Spirit. Help us to see and taste and see that your word is good and true and right and beautiful. Help us to see you rightly and help us to see ourselves rightly. Lord, help us be willing to do whatever it takes to glorify your name for our good and for your glory. In Christ's name, amen.

2 · Establishes the historical and symbolic context of the Feast of Sukkot, with particular attention to the light ceremony that John 8 will engage

All right, so, like I said, context of today's passage, we're back at Sukkot. We're back at the Feast of Booths. We talked about that at length last week, so I'm not going to go too deep in the Feast of Booths today, but just as a quick review. As a quick review, Feast of Booths was a temple pilgrimage. All the Jews from the surrounding area in Judea would come and descend upon Jerusalem, and they'd be there for seven days plus one, seven days plus one, where they would celebrate, rejoice. They'd have those booths called Sukkot. They would shake the lulav and have the etrog and sweet fruits there. And it was really celebratory and joy. So remember the highlight of every day we talked about last week was the priests getting the water from the Pool of Siloam and then dumping it onto the altar at the temple. So it's the highlight of every day. That's just a review from last week, but there's one element that I left out last week related to Sukkot, related to the Feast of Booths, which is that of light. That of light. So I've got a picture. Now this is an actual picture from Jesus' day. This is a simulation of what was going on at the temple at night during the Feast of Booths, during Sukkot. So there were these huge menorahs. That's the women's court of the temple where any of the Jews could go. They would put these huge menorahs. I think they were like 70 feet high or something there. Huge. The priests would light them and they could be seen from miles away. The whole city was lit up with light. The whole city was lit up with light. And from the hillside around Jerusalem, you could see the city lit up from the hillside, from miles away. And the significance of this, a few things. A few things. First, it symbolized the glory of God. The glory of God when it descended upon Solomon's temple. It also symbolized the pillar of fire that led the Jews, that led the Hebrew nation through the desert in their exodus from Egypt to Canaan. And it pointed to the fulfillment of Isaiah 9, verse 2. Isaiah 9, verse 2, very familiar verse. And it pointed back to that. The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwell in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shown. On them light has shown. So this light was part of the Feast of Booths, was part of Sukkot. And again, it was into this festival, into this imagery, that Jesus spoke.

3 · Signals the structural shift from contextual exposition to the first of three images

That Jesus spoke. And we're going to see, like I said, there are three images, three images that have light versus darkness, slavery versus freedom, and being a child of God versus being a child of the devil. That Jesus is going to use to speak into the Feast of Booths in the festival of Sukkot. To start out, to start out, we're going to talk about light versus darkness. Light versus darkness. Jesus is going to demonstrate there are really only two sides in life, by talking about light versus darkness.

4 · Expounds John 8:12 with attention to its meaning in the Sukkot context, then narrows to the question of what 'light' signifies

So in John 8, verse 12, John 8, verse 12, it says, again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Will have the light of life. Just consider that he's saying this, he's saying this as the Jews are celebrating Sukkot, and they're lighting these menorahs, and they're having this light up in the festival. Jesus is saying that he's the light of the world. He is connecting himself to this festival. He is saying that he is the fulfillment of this, and this all points to him. So then the question that comes is, what is the significance of light? What is he saying here? And I see two possibilities. Two possibilities. The first being, light can be about leading, guiding, and protecting. Right? Light can be about leading, guiding, and protecting. Think about the pillar of fire that led the Jews through the desert from Egypt to Canaan. That pillar of fire led, guided, and protected the Jews. But I think that's one possibility for what Jesus is talking about. But I think what he's really talking about here, the relevance of saying that he's the light of the world, is that Jesus, Jesus separates. He separates light from darkness. He separates truth from error. Think about Genesis 1. Genesis 1 through 5. It says, And God said, Let there be light. And there was light. And God saw the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the night day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening, and there was morning the first day. So in Genesis 1, light separates. And Jesus, saying he's the light of the world, he's separating truth from error. Good from evil, light from darkness.

5 · Marshals textual evidence from four moments in the John 8 dialogue to demonstrate that Jesus consistently separates himself from the Jews—in origin, judgment, knowledge of the Father, and cosmic origin

And the reason, the reason I think that, we get it from the text, let's look at some of the dialogue that takes place in John 8, where Jesus is going to separate truth from error. Truth from error. He's talking to the Jews here. Let's look at John 8, 14 first. He's talking to the Jews, and he's saying, and it says, Jesus answered, even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true. For I know where I come from and where I'm going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. So Jesus is separated. He's saying that he knows where he came from, where he's going, while the Jews do not. Jews do not. He's shining light. He's separating. Second, John 8, 15 to 16, says you judge according to the flesh. You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is true. For it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. So, Jesus is saying, his judgment, if he judges, is true. The Jews' judgment is of the flesh. So he's separating truth from error. Then you've got John 8, 19. It says, they said to him, therefore, where is your father? Jesus answered, you know neither me nor my father. If you knew me, you would know my father also. So again, he's separating. Jews don't know the father. Jesus knows the father. Then you have John 8, 23. It says, he said to them, you are from below, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world. So, Jesus is from above, the Jews are from this world, they're from below, he is not of this world, the Jews are from this world. He is separating truth from error, light from darkness, good from evil. He is the light of the world. He is the light of the world.

6 · Introduces the second image—slavery versus freedom—by expounding John 8:31-36

All right, so he's clearly drawing lines here, he's clearly drawing lines and showing there are two sides. There are two sides in life. All right, second image that Jesus uses, second image that he uses to show there are two sides, these drawing lines, that of slavery versus freedom, freedom versus slavery. In John 8, 31 to 36, it says, so Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. They answered him, we are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say you will become free? Jesus answered them, truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son remains forever. So if the son sets you free, you'll be free indeed. You're either one of Jesus' freedmen or you're a slave of sin. Now, Jesus is making a clarification here as well for the Jews. The Jews are thinking they've never been enslaved to anyone. What are they thinking? They're thinking Egypt. They're thinking Rome. They think we've never been enslaved in a worldly way to anyone. But Jesus is making a distinction here. He's clarifying. He's saying it's a spiritual reality. He's talking about spiritual freedom versus spiritual slavery. He's talking about freedom from sin and death as opposed to being free from Rome or Egypt.

7 · Expounds the third and most confrontational image: children of God versus children of the devil

Now, we understand what Jesus was saying, but the Jews at the time, they didn't get it. They didn't really get it. But Jesus is making an assumption here. He's making the assumption that the Jews that are listening to him, that they're enslaved to sin. And they reject that. All right, final image. Final image that Jesus is going to use to show there are only two sides in life. That's the image of being a child of God versus being a child of the devil. So I got to warn you, this one's going to sting a little bit. This one stings. Let's see how Jesus talks about this. What language does he use? John 8, 37 to 47. It says, I know that you are offspring of Abraham, yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my father, and you do what you have heard from your father. They answered him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, if you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You were doing the works your father did. They said to him, we were not born of sexual immorality. I've thrown a little punch on Jesus right there. You think, you know, they thought Jesus was born of sexual immorality. They said, we have one father, even God. Jesus said to them, if God were your father, you would love me. For I came from God, and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning. He does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. So because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me? Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God, hears the words of God. The reason why he does not hear them is that you are not of God. So Jesus here, Jesus, not even seeing words, he's making a clear differentiation. You're either a child of God, or you're a child of the devil. There are two sides.

8 · Synthesizes the significance of the two fathers Jesus invokes—Abraham and the devil

Now, he's using two characters to make this clear differentiation, using Abraham and the devil. Abraham and the devil. So what is the significance of these two? For Abraham, we all know, he's the father of Judaism. He was called out of idol worship, who worshiped the one true God. He was given the land covenant, where God promised to him that he would get the land of Israel. And he was given the seed covenant, where God promised that the Savior would descend from Abraham's lineage. So Jesus, he's equating being a child of Abraham with being a child of God, with being aligned to God. Being aligned to God. So if you're a child of Abraham, you're a child of God. But then he's saying, there's this other group of people, and he's referring to the Jews, saying, your father is the devil. So what's the significance of the devil? Well, the devil is a liar, a killer, a destroyer, and a derailer. The devil's a derailer. Think about Adam in Genesis 3. The devil derails Adam. The devil tries to derail Jesus in Matthew 4 with the temptation of Christ. And for us, what's he doing with us? Well, think of 1 Peter 5.8. We need to watch out. 1 Peter 5.8 says, be sober-minded. Be watchful. Your adversary of the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. So Jesus is using this imagery, strong imagery, to show that you're either a child of God or a child of the devil. There's only two sides. Two strong lines. There are only two sides.

9 · Pivots from exposition to application by affirming confidence that the congregation is on Christ's side, then introducing the diagnostic question: how much are we enjoying that alignment? Justifies the upcoming spiritual test by citing Psalm 139:23-24 and outlining three purposes for self-examination: celebrating grace, guarding against drift, and testing for genuine salvation

Now, I'm confident. I'm confident that in this church, we are aligned to Christ. We've confessed Christ. We've said that God is good. That we've confessed our sin. We've placed our hope, all of our hope for life and death in Christ. So I'm confident that in this church, we are children of light. That we are free. And that we are children of God. The question for us today, then, is how much are we enjoying being on Jesus' side? How much are we enjoying being on Christ's side? And fortunately, our passage, John 8, gives us a test. It gives us a test to see how much we're enjoying being on the side of Christ. Being one of Christ's. So we're going to take that test in a second. Before we do, I just want to real quickly cover why does Scripture give tests like this? Why does Scripture have us submit ourselves to spiritual tests and say things like Psalm 139, 23-24? Which is, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting. Why do we ask God to search us? And know us? And test us? I think three quick reasons. For one, we want to see and celebrate the grace of God in our lives. We want to see and celebrate the grace of God in our lives. That we are saved because of Christ and what he's done. Second, we want to guard against drift. We want to guard against drift to make sure there's nothing in our heart that is grieving to the Lord. And third, we want to make sure, we want to see if there's a need in us for salvation. We don't want to be self-deceived. So, if there's someone here today who's never received Christ, a spiritual test like this will help us to test ourselves and see if today is the day of salvation. So, we want to see and celebrate God's grace. We want to guard against drift. And we want to make sure that we are truly saved.

10 · Delivers the spiritual test: eagerness for Jesus' return serves as a diagnostic for spiritual health

So, the test to see if we're living optimally in the good of being aligned with Jesus, of being on his side. The test of the scripture John 8 gives us today is, how much do you look forward to Jesus' return? How much do you look forward to Jesus' return? And I get that from John 8, 56. John 8, 56. Jesus says to the Jews at the time, Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. He saw it and was glad. So, Abraham, Abraham, now in heaven, loves Jesus. He loves Jesus and his love is evident in his gladness over Christ's coming, over seeing Christ's day. Truly, as C.S. Lewis wrote in his book, The Four Loves, a man's spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God. Abraham loved Jesus and rejoiced in his day. The question for us, then, by extension, is how much do we look forward to Jesus' return, to Jesus' day, to his second coming? And that will help us to see how we're doing, how healthy our souls are. Let me illustrate that with a quick illustration. I want to talk about that car pulling into the driveway feeling. That car pulling into the driveway feeling. I'll explain. Let me explain. So, imagine, I give Christina, I give my wife a day off. I give my wife a day off. I say, go get some coffee with a friend. Go run some errands. Go take a day. Just go take a day. And so, she leaves me. She goes, she leaves me with a bunch of stuff to do. Make sure the kids are safe and happy and healthy. You know, make sure the dishes are done. Hang up some shelves for me. Get some laundry done. She leaves me with stuff to do. Right? And she expects, when she gets home, that the house will be in pretty good shape, in pretty good order. The kids will be well and happy. Things aren't necessarily to be perfect. Things aren't necessarily to be perfect, but in good order. In good order. So, the question is, how eager will I be for her to get back? For the car, when the car is pulling into the driveway, how happy will I be that she's back? Now, I love my wife. I love Christine. And so, I want her to come back. I want her to be back, to return. But, just imagine. If there's clothes all over the floor. If the house is a mess. If the kids are crying and fighting and whatever. And if something's just out of sorts. If something's just out of sorts. I want her to come back, but I may be a little less eager for her to return. I may be a little less eager for her to return. So, she's pulling into the driveway. Will I be celebrating? Yes, Christine's home. Will I be thinking, oh no. I didn't get the laundry done. Oh no, those shelves, they're crooked. You know? So, consider. Consider, by extension, by illustration. Consider, how much do you long for Jesus to return? How much do you long for Jesus to return? Praise God, if you feel totally ready for him to come back. And you're saying, come Lord Jesus, come. Praise God, if you're feeling that. But at the same time, let's soberly consider. Is there anything on our hearts or consciences that would hinder us from really eagerly desiring for him to return? Is there anything on our hearts or consciences that would hinder us? And in looking out for us as a congregation, I know that sins, great and small, could disrupt our anticipation of Christ's return. And our enjoyment of being on Christ's side. Sins, great and small. All of that could hinder our enjoyment of being in the light. Could hinder our enjoyment of our freedom. Could hinder our enjoyment of being a child of God. This morning, though, I want us to think of some seemingly small sins. Because they can easily fly under the radar. Small sins that can easily fly under the radar. So to help us take a quick but effective inventory, let's consider some sins that Jerry Bridges mentions in his book, Respectable Sins. Jerry Bridges mentions in his book, Respectable Sins. Jerry Bridges, wonderful author, wrote The Pursuit of Holiness. Wrote Transforming Grace. Wrote Discipline of Grace. So he covers a whole gamut of topics. But he's got this one book called Respectable Sins. And in it, he talks about sins that Christians can sometimes overlook because it seems small and even acceptable as compared to more obvious sins. Sins like sexual immorality. We're lying. We're stealing. So I just want to share these with you briefly. Not in a condemning way. But just to see if there's anything that we want to pull out of our hearts and our lives. That will help us to enjoy looking forward to Jesus' return. That will help us to enjoy being on the side of Christ. So, we've got, here's a list from Jerry Bridges. Here's a list. We've got anxiety and frustration. Discontentment. Talked a bunch about discontentment over the past few months. Pride. Selfishness. Lack of self-control. Impatience and irritability. Anger. Judgmentalism. Envy. Or gossip. Again, motivation for sharing this is not to condemn, but just to allow the Lord to search our hearts. To know if there's any grievous way in us. So that we can confess. And we can repent. And we can enjoy our reconciliation to Christ. And being on the side of Christ. So, if you see any of this sin in you today. No condemnation. Romans 8.1. No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But just confess it. Lord, I confess to you. I'm struggling with impatience. Lord, thank you that you died for them. Lord, root that out of me. Cleanse me from my sin. 1 John 1.9. Help me. Cleanse me from my sin. Don't deny sin. But just confess, repent, and believe. Confess, repent, and believe.

11 · Sharpens the diagnostic: lack of desire for Christ's return may indicate the need for salvation itself, not just sanctification

And then, just one final note on this topic of thinking about Christ's return. If you have no desire for him to return. If you have no desire for him to return. And that's an opportunity to really think about the state of your heart and your soul. And it could be a sign that today could be the day of salvation. Today could be the day of salvation. Philippians 3.20 says, But our citizenship is in heaven. And from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I think one mark of being a Christian is that we await our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to return. In the NASB, in the NIV, it says eagerly await. Be eagerly await. So when Jesus is pulling into that driveway, and being a mark of a Christian, is that yes, come Lord Jesus. Come. That can be a challenging word. Challenging for myself. But being a mark of a Christian is we want Jesus to return. And if there's anything hindering us from that, that can be a sign that we're not fully enjoying all the benefits of being on Christ's side. Being on Christ's side. So, we want to enjoy being on the side of life and freedom and being a child of God. So let's root out anything that would hinder that.

12 · Signals the structural shift into the final application section, organized into two audiences: believers and non-believers

All right. Final application for this morning. Final application for this morning. I've got three words for believers and three words for anyone here today who is not yet a follower of Christ. There's three words of application for both sets. First, believers. Believers.

13 · Delivers the first two words to believers: (1) celebrate the grace of God for salvation—every aspect of salvation is monergistic, Spirit-wrought, grace-sourced; (2) root out evil in thought, word, attitude, and deed, recognizing that sin advances the enemy's agenda even when committed by believers

If it resonates with you, yes, come Lord Jesus. Yes, I'm a child of light. I'm free. I'm a child of God. If that resonates with you, well, celebrate the grace of God in your life. Why are we saved? Why are we in the light? Why are we free? Why are we children of God? It's because of Christ. Because the Spirit. Because the Spirit has given us new births. Because the Spirit has given us new hearts. Because the Spirit has come into our hearts and souls. That's why we are Christians. All glory goes to the grace of God. So this morning, let us see and celebrate the grace of God in our lives and let us thank God. Let us be grateful. All right. Second. Second, we've already talked about this a bit. But just let's root out the evil out of our lives. Let's root out the evil out of our lives. When we offer our bodies as instruments of righteousness, we offer up our bodies as instruments of righteousness. Truly, we are building God's kingdom. We are advancing his agenda. Truly, we are scoring points for his team. We offer our bodies as instruments of righteousness. However, when we sin, as Christians, when we sin, even in word or thought or attitude, and some of those categories that Jerry Bridges talked about, some of those are thoughts and words and attitudes. Not just outright actions. When we do that, when we sin, the question is, whose agenda are we advancing? Whose kingdom are we pursuing? Whose kingdom are we pursuing? Who are we scoring points for? Maybe for the Lord. Maybe for the Lord. And not the other side. Psalm 1914. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. So let's pursue holiness together. Not just in deed, but in word and in thought and in attitude.

14 · Delivers the third word to believers: expect persecution

All right. Third word to anyone who's here today as a believer is expect persecution. Expect persecution. That's kind of a curveball, but it's in John 8. So I want to make sure we touch on it. We touch on it. We talk about it. Let's look at John 8, 57 to 59. It says, So the Jews said to him, You are not yet 50 years old, and have you seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am. Before Abraham was, I am. And they got down and they worshipped him. And they clapped for him and they said, Thank you for coming. No. No. So they picked up stones. They picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. Consider that. Jesus says one of the greatest declarations of his divinity, Before Abraham was, I am. And how did the Jews respond? They picked up stones to throw at him. Think of John 15, 20. In light of that, Consider Jesus' words to us. Jesus' words to us. It says, 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. Remember the words from Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy. It says, Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus Will be persecuted. Will be persecuted. Do we expect to be treated differently than Jesus? Do we expect to be treated differently than Jesus? I don't think so. Maybe soft persecution. Maybe harder persecution. But we can expect to be treated like Christ If we're living a godly life in Christ Jesus. And rather than dread it, Rather than dread it, Let's embrace what Jesus says in Matthew 10, Or Matthew 5, 10-12. Matthew 5, 10-12. He says, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you, And persecute you, And utter all kinds of evil against you, Falsely on my account. Rejoice, And be glad, For your reward is great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Truly, Persecution for righteousness' sake, Not for being Unrighteous, Or for doing something wrong, Or for being just kind of Different. Persecution for righteousness' sake, Vouches for the fact That we are, In fact, Real. And that we are truly on Jesus' side. So may we more than expect it, May we embrace And follow Christ And rejoice in it. Because it shows that we are on The side Of Christ. We are children of life. We are free. We are children of God.

15 · Shifts to direct address for unbelievers, delivering three imperatives: (1) understand what side you're on—if not light, then darkness; if not free, then enslaved; if not God's child, then devil's child; (2) understand what you're missing—Psalm 16:11's fullness of joy and eternal pleasures; (3) understand your fate—Revelation 20's lake of fire for those not in the book of life

Alright. So that's the application for believers. For anyone here who is not yet a Christian, Who is not yet a Christian, I've got three words. Three words. First word Is understand. Understand what side You're on. I say this soberly. But I say, If you are not of the light, If you are not free, If you're not a child of God, Then you are of The darkness. Then you're a slave to sin. You're a child of The devil. So, Understand what side you're on. Second, Consider, Consider what you're Missing out on. Consider what you're Missing out on If you are not On the side of Christ. Psalm 1611. One of my favorite verses. Psalm 1611. So sweet. You make known to me The path of life. In your presence There is fullness of joy. At your right hand Are pleasures forevermore. When we are on the side of Christ, We get to experience Eternal joy. We get foretastes of it now As we sing And as we obey Christ In little things As we commune with him. But if you're not On the side of Christ, Just understand what side you're on. Understand what you're Missing out on. You're missing out on Being at God's right hand Where there are pleasures Forevermore. Understand what you're Missing out on. And yes, Also, Understand your faith. Understand your faith. If you're a child of darkness, If you are a slave to sin, If you are a child of the devil, Think of Revelation 20. Revelation 20. It says, If anyone's name was not found Written in the book of life, He was thrown into the lake Of fire. He was thrown into the lake Of fire. I'm not trying to Unduly scare anyone. I'm not trying to Unduly scare anyone. But I will be straight with you And I will be sober. I want you to know the Lord. I want you to repent and believe. I want you to enjoy That fellowship with God. For there is Pleasures forevermore At his right hand. So if you've not Repent and believe, Understand what side you're on. Understand what you're Missing out on. And understand your faith.

16 · Synthesizes the sermon's arc: Jesus draws lines—three images of binary opposition, a diagnostic test for believers (eagerness for Christ's return), and a call to unbelievers to tremble, repent, and believe

Alright, to wrap up. To wrap up today. We've seen a lot. We've seen a lot. And we've seen that Jesus, He can be serious at times. Very serious. Very sober. He was not afraid to draw lines At the festival of Sukkot. He was not afraid To draw lines At the festival of Sukkot. Like in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Where C.S. Lewis Creates a world Where it's clear That there is good versus evil. Well this world When you boil it down to Its ultimate essence This world There is good Versus evil. There is light versus darkness. There is freedom versus slavery. There is being a child of God Versus being a child of The devil. We've seen that today. We've also examined ourselves. In light of the fact That Jesus draws lines We've seen that longing For Jesus' return How much we want Jesus to return Can be a good sign Of the health of our souls. And how much we're enjoying Being on the side of Christ. And we want to root out We want to avoid And root out things That will hinder us From enjoying That truth. From enjoying that truth That Jesus Is going to return in the driveway One day. And we want to rejoice When he returns. And we've seen that The appropriate response To the fact that Jesus draws lines For unbelievers Appropriate response Is to tremble Repent And believe To tremble Repent And believe And for believers Let us simply be grateful Let us see and celebrate The grace of God In our lives Because Jesus He draws lines He draws lines And for those of us Who believe Thank God Thank God That he's called us To his Side Thank God He's called us To his Side

17 · Closes the sermon with prayer and preparation for communion

Let's pray Dear Jesus We praise you Because you are Good You are the light Of the world You are freedom You are How we can become A child Of God We thank you For your grace In our lives We thank you That you have Opened our eyes To the truth Of who you are And what you've done For us Lord I pray That that would be More and more real To us As we live each day That it would become More and more real To us That we are saved For such great things And from such Horrific things Lord be real to us More and more And help us to Long More and more For your Return In Jesus name we pray Amen And for communion For communion For believers today And communion is a meal For believers Communion is a meal For believers So if you're here today And you say Yes I'm confident I'm in the light I'm confident That I'm free I'm confident That I'm a child Of God Well I want you To be so confident And secure In your salvation Let's look at One more verse From John 8 One more verse For John 8 We've seen it before John 8 58 It says Jesus said to them Truly truly I say to you Before Abraham was I am Where Abraham was I am So just take a second Just take a second And remember Who died for you Who died for you The second person Of the Trinity The one before Abraham Who was before Abraham He's the one That died for you Fully God Fully man Eternal Righteous Holy Glorious This is your savior This is the one Who died for you And humble Willing to take on All the experiences Of human flesh And without sin This is the one Who's died For us To save us So be secure This Is your savior This is your hope In life And in death So let's come to the table Today confident Not confident in ourselves But confident in Christ That by his grace We've confessed our sins By his grace We've received him As our lord And savior And that by his grace He is Our portion He is Our portion And that we rejoice in him And him alone For eternal life And that we long By his grace We long For his Return We long For his return Alright 1 Corinthians 11 23-26 I received from the Lord But I also delivered to you That the Lord Jesus On the night When he was betrayed Took bread When he had given thanks He broke it And said This is my body Which is for you Do this In remembrance of me In the same way also He took the cup After supper Saying this cup Is the new covenant In my blood Do this as often As you drink it In remembrance of me For as often As you eat this bread And drink the cup You proclaim the Lord's death Until He comes Until he comes To come to the table This morning Grateful Grateful And secure And secure Proclaiming the Lord's death As our hope In life and death And looking forward To Christ's Return Looking forward To Christ's return Come to the table This morning

Where this fits

Recent preaching context

The three sermons immediately preceding this one in the preaching schedule.

Jan 21, 2025

Dov & Chris Talk Marriage

Christian husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church by sacrificing for their sanctification, making marriage the highest human priority, and stewarding it diligently toward a mission that honors God and blesses generations.

Ephesians 5:25-33

Jan 26, 2025

The Menu is Not the Meal

Your eternal joy depends on your ability to distinguish between things that represent realities and the realities themselves, recognizing that Christ is the true substance to which all earthly goods point.

Feb 2, 2025

No One Ever Spoke Like This Man

Jesus Christ speaks with unmatched authority and offers unmatched promises—the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit—to all who believe in him, and therefore we must adore, trust, and obey him.

John 7:1-52

February 9 · This sermon

Eternal Divergence

Jesus draws clear lines revealing that there are only two sides in spiritual reality—light or darkness, freedom or slavery, children of God or children of the devil—and our longing for his return reveals which side we truly occupy.

John 8:12-59

Take it further

Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

When Jesus says 'I am the light of the world,' what does he claim about himself that makes this statement so radical—and why would his Jewis…

Daily readings

5-day reading plan

This week we trace the sharp dividing lines Jesus draws in John 8—between light and darkness, freedom and slavery, the children of God and the children of the devil—and ask ourselves which side we truly occupy by examining how deeply we long for his return.

Prayer

Prayer for the Two Fathers

Father, we come before you in the light of Christ, who declared himself the light of the world and invited us to walk in that light. We marv…

Family table

Which Father Do You Follow?

Jesus makes a stunning claim in John 8: there are only two spiritual lineages—children of Abraham (faith and freedom) or children of the dev…

Couples

Light or Darkness: Where Do We Stand?

Jesus says there are only two sides—light or darkness, freedom or slavery. As you listened, where did you sense conviction about which side…

Memorize

John 8:12

This is the foundational claim Jesus makes at the Feast of Booths that establishes the sermon's central thesis: there are only two sides in spiritual reality—light or darkness, with no neutral ground. Memorizing this verse anchors the believer's identity and allegiance in Christ's definitive self-declaration and the ultimacy of his invitation to follow.

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

When Jesus says 'I am the light of the world,' what does he claim about himself that makes this statement so radical—and why would his Jewish audience have heard it as either a profound promise or a dangerous blasphemy?

John 8:12; Isaiah 9:2

→ Where in your own life this week have you sensed the difference between living in light versus living in darkness—not morally, but in terms of clarity, direction, and freedom?
Jesus tells his listeners that following him leads to freedom, yet they respond that they have never been enslaved. What kind of slavery do you think Jesus is naming that they cannot see—and what makes that blindness itself the problem?

John 8:31-36
In John 8:37-47, Jesus identifies two spiritual fathers—Abraham and the devil. What does he say characterizes each one, and why does he connect spiritual lineage not to ethnicity or heritage but to *obedience* and *truth-telling*?

John 8:37-47

→ Which father's character do you find yourself most naturally imitating when you're under pressure—the one who believes God's word, or the one who lies and destroys?
The sermon names three images Jesus uses to divide reality: light and darkness, freedom and slavery, children of God and children of the devil. Why do you think Jesus refuses any middle ground—any neutral territory where someone could be partially on his side?

John 8:23
The sermon suggests that how much we long for Christ's return reveals the actual health of our souls. When you honestly consider your own longing for Jesus to come back, what does that longing—or lack of it—tell you about what you're clinging to in this world?

Philippians 3:20; Psalm 139:23-24; 1 John 1:9

→ If unconfessed sin hinders that longing, what sin might you need to name and confess this week to recover your appetite for his coming?
The sermon closes by asking: are you celebrating grace as the sole source of your salvation, and are you rooting out sin in all its forms? What does it look like practically to do both of those things together—to rest in grace *and* to fight against sin—rather than choosing one or the other?

Romans 8:1; Romans 6:13

Draft · pending review

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning, God spoke light into existence as the first ordering of creation—the foundational separation between what is seen and what is hidden. When Jesus declares 'I am the light of the world,' he is claiming the prerogative of God himself to illumine reality and divide truth from falsehood. We cannot remain neutral toward this claim; we either step into his light or remain in darkness.

Tuesday Isaiah 9:2

Isaiah's prophecy names darkness not as mere absence but as the condition of those who dwell without God's word. When Jesus appears as light, he is not rewarding those who sought him hardest or cleaned themselves best—he is the mercy of God breaking into captivity. Our seeing depends entirely on his shining; our freedom depends on his disclosure of truth.

Wednesday Romans 6:13

Jesus does not ask us to believe abstract truths while our hands, feet, and appetites serve the enemy. The 'instruments of righteousness' are concrete—how we use a Monday morning, how we speak to our spouse, what we do with our phone at night. Every small offering either advances the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness; there is no neutral ground even in small choices.

Thursday Psalm 139:23-24

David does not pray this prayer to earn God's approval but to stay aligned with him—to keep nothing between himself and the light. The 'offensive way' in us is not chiefly the flagrant sin but the rationalized sin, the thing we have named 'not that bad' or 'just how I am.' Inviting God to search us is an act of trust that being exposed in his light is better than remaining hidden in half-darkness.

Friday Philippians 3:20

A soul truly on Christ's side aches for his appearing; the absence of that longing may signal that unconfessed sin has dulled our joy or that we have grown too comfortable in exile. Ask yourself this week: How much do you genuinely long for Jesus to return? That answer reveals whether you are living in the full good of being light, or whether something in the darkness still has a claim on your heart.

Draft · pending review

Memory verse this week

John 8:12

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'

Why this verse: This is the foundational claim Jesus makes at the Feast of Booths that establishes the sermon's central thesis: there are only two sides in spiritual reality—light or darkness, with no neutral ground. Memorizing this verse anchors the believer's identity and allegiance in Christ's definitive self-declaration and the ultimacy of his invitation to follow.

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

Prayer for the Two Fathers

Father, we come before you in the light of Christ, who declared himself the light of the world and invited us to walk in that light. We marvel at his clarity—that he draws sharp lines in spiritual reality, showing us that there is no neutral ground, no middle way between light and darkness, between belonging to you and serving the enemy. We adore you for making the choice unmistakable and the stakes ultimate.

Yet we confess that we often live as though the lines were blurred. We harbor unconfessed sin, we entertain half-loyalties, we pursue comfort in this world as though we were not citizens of your kingdom. We acknowledge that our lack of longing for Christ's return—our hesitation, our attachment to what is passing away—reveals something true about the state of our souls. We have not fully believed that being on Christ's side is better than anything this age offers. Forgive us.

We appropriate the gospel: that Christ, the eternal Word, stepped into time and declared himself to be the light. He alone breaks the slavery of sin and lies. He has freed us from the father of lies and made us children of God, heirs of your promise. By his resurrection, he has secured our future and guaranteed our homecoming. His blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness, and his Spirit indwells us to make us new.

So we ask you to sharpen our vision—grant us to see spiritual reality as it truly is, without compromise or confusion. Root out from our hearts any hidden allegiance to the darkness. Increase in us a holy longing for Jesus' return, that our eagerness for his coming would be a mark of our genuine belonging to him. Give us courage to stand with him even when the world opposes, knowing that all who follow him will face reproach. And as we go into this week, help us to starve sin in all its forms—great and small—recognizing that every choice either advances your kingdom or the enemy's.

We commit ourselves afresh to you as our Father, to Christ as our light, and to walking in the truth that makes us free. To you alone be the glory, forever and ever.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

Which Father Do You Follow?

For the parent

Jesus makes a stunning claim in John 8: there are only two spiritual lineages—children of Abraham (faith and freedom) or children of the devil (lies and slavery). This prompt invites your family to think concretely about what it means to belong to Jesus, and what evidence shows up in our lives when we do.

Jesus said you can tell whose children people are by what they do and love. If someone watched you for a week—how you spend your time, what you're excited about, what you're willing to do—what would they guess you belong to? What's one thing you do or care about that shows you belong to Jesus?

works for ages 7+; younger children may need help naming specific actions (kindness, telling the truth, wanting to read the Bible); teens and adults will go deeper into the diagnostic question

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

Light or Darkness: Where Do We Stand?

Jesus says there are only two sides—light or darkness, freedom or slavery. As you listened, where did you sense conviction about which side you're actually living on?
How much do you long for Jesus to return? What does your honest answer to that question reveal about unconfessed sin or places where you've grown distant from him—and how can we help each other turn back?
What is one specific area where you need your spouse to pray that you would choose Christ's light over the darkness—and what would you like to pray for them?

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

About the church

Providence Community Church

Lenexa, KS
Sundays · 10:00 AM
About us · What we believe

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# Providence Community Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

## Sermons
- [Dov & Chris Talk Marriage (Ephesians 5:25-33, 2025-01-21)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2025/01/dov-chris-talk-marriage)
- [The Menu is Not the Meal (2025-01-26)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2025/01/the-menu-is-not-the-meal)
- [No One Ever Spoke Like This Man (John 7:1-52, 2025-02-02)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2025/02/no-one-ever-spoke-like-this-man)
- [Eternal Divergence (John 8:12-59, 2025-02-09)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2025/02/eternal-divergence)

## About
- [About the church](/about)
- [Plan a visit](/visit)

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