Believers... But Not Disciples | John 8:30-44 | Pastor Daniel Banna (8/17/25)

Let's turn our Bibles to the book of John, the gospel of John chapter eight. Let's read verses 30 to 32. As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed 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. Let's pray.

Our god, we thank you that we can be again in your presence. And, lord, we look to you this afternoon for help, for salvation. We look to you, Lord God, for all what we need. Lord, we need you. We pray that you open our hearts and minds to receive, understand, and obey your word, to honor your word, Lord.

And as we honor your word, we honor you because you are the author. Speak to us, Lord. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Jesus now is at the temple in Jerusalem after the feast or the tabernacle.

What he was doing, he is doing as his habit was teaching. He teaches the truth, the truth about himself, who he is, the truth about man, that he is lost, destined to hell and need a savior and this savior is the Lord Jesus Christ. When people heard Christ's teaching, they marveled at his teachings. They marveled. In John chapter seven verse 15, we read that Jews therefore marveled saying, how is it that this man has learning when he was when he has never studied?

You see power emanated from his word. When he spoke, his word went like fire, always accomplishing what God has intended. He spoke with power and he spoke with authority. And this man who was did not study, this man who did not go to seminary, to any theological institution, remember he was the author of the word of God, and he was speaking on the authority of his own word. Now the Pharisees were very concerned about the influence of Jesus on the Jews, so they sent some some officials, some some soldiers to arrest Jesus.

And then when he got there, of course, they heard him doing what he does all the time, teaching. He was teaching. Some who heard Jesus preaching said, this is the prophet. Others said, he's the Messiah. Yet others, like in our days, they doubted.

They say, would the Christ come from Galilee? And there was division among them. You see, the all powerful word of God, it softens heart and transforms people, but does all something else. It offends and also hardens. The word of God unites, but also divides.

At times, the word of Christ were very gentle. At other times, were harsh and offensive to many. In chapter six of the gospel of John, we read that some of Christ's own disciples, when they heard Christ speaking, they said, this is a hard saying. Who can listen to it? And in verse 66 of the same chapter, we read after this many after this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

No longer walked with him. And I believe there's a very important lesson for us today from the mouth of our Lord. And this is the lesson. Don't seek unity. Don't seek number at any cost.

Why don't we hear about unity? Yes. We want unity in Christ, but don't seek unity at any cost. Jesus did not seek unity at any cost. Many churches take this path offend no end, And by doing this, they are sending scores of people to hell.

We speak the truth. We seek unity in Christ and in his truth, not apart from his truth. Now, the officers who were sent to RFG says, they came back to their handlers empty handed. And they asked him, where is he? Why didn't you bring him?

And they replied and said, no one ever spoke like this man. We never heard such person speaking in this way, with power, with authority. And if we want really truly people to believe in Christ, the only thing we can do is preach Christ. Preach his message. Preach the truth to stop the empty, the shallow storytelling.

The superficial, numb conscience numbing speeches. Let us declare Christ and what he has done. Only this message saves people. Only the message of Christ and his cross saves people. Programs do not.

The word of God does. And we read here, as he was saying these things, the Lord Jesus Christ, many believed him. Now I believe there's no greater joy for any person who shares the gospel of Christ than to see someone confesses Christ as his Lord. That's the joy of every person who shares the word of God except, of course, seeing them walking in that faith they professed. And I would say this, if there is such joy in the heart of a of a believer to see people coming to Christ, how much joy you think there is in heaven in a sinner who repents.

Oh, how God desires that no one perishes but everyone to come to repentance. In Ezekiel chapter 33 verse 11, God himself cries saying, as I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back turn back from your evil ways. Why will you die, oh house of Israel?

And I think God is still crying even louder today and telling America, telling us turn back. Turn back America. Why will you die? Turn back Europe. Turn back Middle East.

Why will you die? I have no pleasure in the death of man in his sins. Turn back to me. That is the heart of God calling man back to him. A sinful man, yet loved by God and desires God desires him to be back into him, to to repent.

Many believed in him. Now, what is the natural conclusion when you read this phrase, many believed in him? I think the natural conclusion is, many are saved and become his followers. Right? And since this phrase is mentioned repeatedly in the gospel of John, then I would say the natural conclusion that the number now of followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ, they must be numbered in thousands.

Just think about the thousands upon thousands Jesus fed. What about the hundreds, maybe thousands of Jesus that Jesus healed? So I would think the natural conclusion would be, the number would be in thousand, but is this faith of those thousands really what we think it is? I think Jesus gives us the answer in verse thirty one and thirty two. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed 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.

Now who is Jesus talking to here? John makes it very clear. He's talking to the Jews who believed. He's not talking to anyone else but the Jews who believed And he tells them, if you abide in my word, in my truth, you'll be truly my disciples. Now, and what does he tell them again?

If you abide. So this clearly a conditional statement. If you abide in my word, you will be truly my disciples. Now, two things we learn from this statement. Number one, that they are true disciples and they are false disciples, but secondly, there is a real saving faith that produces results and there is faith that's superficial, shallow, does not bring any lasting results.

Now someone who gets, I would say, caught up or swept up in the excitement of the Christian service, Maybe the music, maybe even the preaching. And and, you know, some preachers are very skilled in stirring emotions. Especially when that special music begins to play and the lights are dimmed and the mood is set, carefully designed for emotional manipulation, that this experience is temporary. It is shallow, it's emotional and that's all. Not transformational, does not change truly the heart.

It touches your emotions, but not really the old, your being. Some are moved are are even moved to tears, but not converted, touched, but not transformed. They may profess faith in Christ, but they would never agree to take up Christ's yoke. They won't abandon their sin because they love their sin so much. They love their sin more than they love God.

In John chapter two verse 23, you Christ uses the same phrase again. Many believed in him. And there we see that Christ did not entrust himself to them, to those who believed in him. And the Holy Spirit tells us why. Because the one who searches the heart knew exactly what kind of belief these people have.

It wasn't real. It wasn't true. It wasn't genuine. It wasn't a saving faith. The same pattern we see in Acts chapter eight.

A story that is a happy story and at the same time, it is a sad story. Philip the evangelist had gone down to Samaria preaching the good news. Until then, the message of the gospel was preached only in Jerusalem to Jews. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Philip goes down to Samaria. He preaches the good news and revival breaks out in Samaria.

The Sumerians believed the gospel and the Sumerians got baptized. This is the good news. What is the bad news? Look at verse 13. Even Simon himself believed.

And after being baptized, he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. You might ask, how is this bad news? I mean, he believed. He he was baptized.

This is precisely the problem. How? He believed, but wasn't real. He professed faith but but never repented. He was amazed at the power but not broken over his sin.

We know that because what happened just next. When Peter and John, the Apostle went down from Jerusalem to Samaria and laid their hands on the up on the Samaritan, the Holy Spirit came upon them And and and Simon noticed that. He saw he saw the miracles. He saw the sign of the giving of the Holy Spirit. He was amazed by that.

And this amazement caused him to do what? He he he he listen at what he says. He said, give me that power. He wrote the whole give me that power that whoever I lay hands on will receive the Holy Spirit. I just want you to remember, these two apostles had a unique temporary authority to do what they did.

It was for a specific purpose at that time. Yet, Simon has very carnal mind, earthly thinking. You know how the apostle Peter responded? Look at verse 20. But Peter said to him, may your silver perish with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money.

You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. You see, Simon professed faith in Christ and based on his profession, Philip did the right thing. He baptized him. But it not did not take long to find out that this man's faith was fake, was not real.

You see, for us, might take weeks, months, years to find out. But for this man right now, for Peter, he knew right away. This man's faith was not real. You see, Simon was amazed by the miracles. He saw the gifts.

He witnessed all of that, but did not go deeper than that. Jesus told the crowd, the crowd that he fed, he said, you are seeking me because you ate your fill of the loaves. In other words, you are following me because it's a good business to you. You see, you like the the the benefits of it. And I think for Simon, this was a profitable maybe business.

He thought he could buy it. He can he can perform these miracles for money. And Peter told him, repent from the wickedness of your heart. You need Christ to change you, to transform you. Seek it.

Do not work, Christ says, for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life. Speaking of those who once attended the church, John in his in his first letter, chapter two verse 19, he tells us these words. He says, they went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

These people weren't true believers who lost salvation. They were not saved from the first place. Yes, they professed Christ. Yes, they were baptized in water, but never identified with Christ in his burial, death, and resurrection. They might have called Christ Lord.

They might have gone to seminary. They might have led ministries, even big ministries, but they have never repented. They never truly belong to God. The work of Christ may have touched their heart, but never transformed the lives. How was the faith of those who believed in Christ in this chapter?

The many who believed in him. How was their faith? We can tell from John's response and also from their response to his response. You see, believers don't oppose Jesus, don't oppose his words. In fact, believer don't oppose any of his words.

Believers submit to Christ's words. It is the authoritative word of God. Jesus says, I'll repeat the verse again, if you abide in my word, that Jesus responds, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Now, Jesus is making here two powerful points. Number one, to be to be a true disciple, you must abide in Christ's word.

But secondly, if you do that, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Now, what does that imply? It implies that these people who believed in Jesus, they weren't free yet. They were still slaves. They were still in bondage.

Slaves to what? In verse 34, Jesus clarifies that. He tells them, truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. These were a group of self righteous people who believed God, but did not hate their sin. Now, I think it's very important not to confuse this group with the condition of a true believer who struggles even daily with sin.

The one who hates sin and longs to be free and deliver from it. Who fights and wrestles and yes, sometimes loses the battle, but refuses to surrender. This is a common Christian experience. Let none of us be discouraged. Don't be discouraged if you are going Through that, you are not alone.

Keep your eye on Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Let the word of God washes you daily as you meditate on it. Cling to Christ's promises. Believe that you are secure in him and get up quickly when you fall.

But this group of people Jesus addressing here were not struggling with sin, they were comfortable with it. It. And there's big difference, because someone who's struggling want to be free and someone comfortable with it. There's the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. Now, they they may they might have thought Jesus could deliver us from Rome, but we don't want him to deliver us from our sins because we love it and we love it more than God.

How many today admire the teaching of Jesus? They want Jesus to heal them. They want Jesus to fix all of their problems, especially financial problems. But not to deliver them from their sin because they love it so much. They're attached to it.

They're comfortable with it. In verse 38, Jesus confronts him. He tells him, I speak of what I have seen with my father and you do what you have heard from your father. And the response, Abraham is our father. And then he escalated in verse 41.

God is our father. Man, Abraham is our father. God is our father. And then in verse 44, Jesus drops the bombshell. And he tells him, you are of your father, the devil, and your will is to do your father your father's desire.

Are you shocked? Who is Jesus speaking to? Verse 30, many believed in him. Those who professed him, he tell them you are of your father, the devil. Satan is your daddy.

So what faith we're preaching? We preach the right faith. We'll discuss it today more. In Matthew chapter seven verse 22, at the end of the, Sermon of the Mount, Jesus speaks of those professed believers. He tells him, many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?

And cast out demons in your name? And perform many mighty works in your name? His response? Then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.

In other words, my name was on your lips, but was never in your heart. Depart from me. I never knew you. They were never truly his. They might have used his name a thousand times in a sermon, but never repented from their sin for filth again.

Depart from me, you workers of inequity or lawlessness. He's not talking here about Muslims. He's not talking Muslim don't call him lord. He's not talking about the Buddhists or the Hindu or the agnostics. Those people don't call him lord.

He's talking about those who call him lord. Those who profess Christianity, profess that they believe in Jesus, but their faith is fake for filthy gain, whatever may it may be. These are the these are the Sunday Christians, but Monday through Saturday, they are not. They are the church Christian Christian, but everywhere else, someone else. I don't want any of us to be like that.

If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples. To abide in Christ. What does it mean? What do you mean to abide in Christ? But didn't you start by say by saying what abiding Christ does not mean?

Sounds good? Abide in Christ. It does not mean you will cease to sin. It does not mean you will cease to sin. Temptation might even intensify, but you will experience increasing victory.

A body in Christ does not mean you will never be deceived again. You will have you'll continue to have a fallen nature. It will remain in you. It does not mean every decision you make will be wise. You will still make some dumb decision decisions, but hopefully, by God's grace will be fewer.

And there should be fewer. It does not mean every day of yours will be full of joy. You'll still face trials, but now you will be able to walk through them all. It does not mean that every prayer will be answered with yes. In fact, some prayers will be met with silence for a while.

Others, we'd know. But over time, your heart and your prayers will begin to align with God's will and you will experience greater joy. Does that mean you'll be healthy and wealthy? There's a lot of talk about health and wealth in these days. No.

It does not mean that. Neither health or wealth may be your portion in life. But let me tell you something, God's blessings will overflow on your life in ways far greater. It does not mean all your problems will disappear and everyone will become your friend. In fact, new problems might arise, new enemies might show up even from all your own household.

And no, it does not mean you'd wake up every morning with strong spiritual desires. Oh, it does not mean that. There'll be some dry periods in your life. You might even go days without hunger for the word of God when you let your guards down. So abiding in Christ does not mean any of these things because a true believer go through all of that.

So I want you to know that believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. And never doubt your salvation for a moment if you are truly saved or if you are truly struggling with sin and you hate it. So what does the abiding in Christ mean? The word abide means to remain, to stay, to continue, never to abandon. One second here.

I'm sorry about that. Never abandoned. And I believe as I studied those verses in the gospel of John and in his letters, I'm convinced that every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, Everyone abides in Christ more or less. Let me repeat. Every believer abides in Christ more or less.

In John, first John chapter four verse 13, we read this verse. By this we know that we abide in him and he is in us because he has given us of his spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the evidence that we are abiding in Christ. And when do we receive the Holy Spirit? Not at water baptism.

Right? We receive the Holy Spirit at conversion, at salvation, when we accept Christ as our Lord and our savior. So the knowledge of Christ according to John and abiding in Christ, they are connected with each other. Look at John, at third John two four to six. This is what he says there, very something similar.

He says, whoever says I know him, I know Christ, but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. Again, John is making that connection between walking or abiding in Christ and knowing Christ. He's making that connection. He's not making that separate he's not putting a big gap between this and this.

He's not a third, a fourth, a fifth level in Christianity. It's not. If someone tell you, I don't abide in Christ ever, this person is not a believer. Again, every believer abides in Christ more or less. Because there are level of fruits, levels of spirituality, but every believer I believe abides in Christ.

And here in John eight, our scripture, Jesus is making, I believe, the same point. What he's saying is this, through faith, it is not just, a one time confession. It's not just a sinner's prayer. We hear a lot about sinner's prayer. It's not just raising your hand in an emotional moment when a preacher make a call for salvation.

If it's true, if it's a genuine, it leads to change. There's a new heart. There's a new direction as you get that new identity in Christ Jesus. Is it perfection? No.

It's not. Is it instant deliverance from addiction? Sometimes. I've heard some testimonies of people being delivered immediately after are are being saved from every addiction, yet for others, it's a process. The Holy Spirit, remember, is an agent of change.

The Holy Spirit is an agent of transformation, of of renewal. It's impossible for the Holy Spirit to dwells in somebody and produce no results. This is just impossible. There must be fruit. There must be sorrow over sin.

There will be a repentance. That is the natural evidence of a life changed by Christ, of a life transformed by the spirit of God. Scottish theologian, Alexander McLaren, puts it this way. And listen to his beautiful words. He says, there is nothing more impotent than creeds which lie dormant in our brains and have no influence upon our lives.

But sit on the throne of your hearts the principles of your religion and see to it that all your convictions be translated into practice. And all your practice be informed by your convictions. Thou believest, oh vain man. Thou dost will. The devils also believe and better than you.

In that, their belief does something for them. They believe and tremble. But what shall we say about a man who professes himself a disciple and neither tramples, nor thrills, nor hopes, nor dreads, nor desires, nor does any single thing because of his creed? Believe Jesus, but do not stop there. A w Pink takes us to another level of abiding in Christ And he puts it this this way and I quote, he says, to abide in Christ means to remain in a state of continuous fellowship and dependence on Jesus.

Drawing life and power from him like a branch connected to a vine. It involves recognizing one's helplessness without Christ, relying on his grace and strength, and actively responding to his word, actively seeking his will, trusting his power, resting in his goodness, and pursuing holiness. And what is the result? Fruit. Lasting fruit.

If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Now look at the progression. First, abide in the word, then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Not might set you free, not could set you free, the truth will set you free. Two profound realities in this verse.

Number one, there is truth. And number two, truth brings freedom. There is truth, and truth brings freedom. Now we live in a world of confusion, and you know that very well. When you listen to the news, when you look around you, you know we live in a world of confusion where people, even the most educated, cannot define what a man or what is a woman.

When CNN and other media outlet, liberal one, use a term pregnant people instead of pregnant women. Just read it. This is not a matter of lack of intelligence. No, they are intelligent people. This much deeper than that.

It's spiritual blindness. It's nothing little nothing less than the the spirit of the antichrist. People invent their own realities and people believe their own lies. The god of this world has blinded the hearts and the minds of the unbelievers, So they are utterly blind that they cannot even understand the basics facts of nature. They are truth deniers because their minds are blinded by sin as we are told in Romans chapter one, God has gave them to a debased mind, to the debased mind.

But Christ said, you will know that truth and that truth will set you free. And you might be noticed, might have noticed that people call this verse, not just believers. They call it everywhere. That truth will set you free. And I don't know if anyone of those people know what they are in the world talking about.

What truth will set people free? In chapter in in verse 36, Jesus clarifies that. Tells us what truth sets people free. He says, if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed. A few chapters later in chapter 14, this makes another great I am declaration when he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

And this truth sets people free. Free from sin, from from bondage, from legalism, from deception, from hypocrisy, from religion, and everything else that goes under that category of sin. When you have said I am the way, the truth, and the life, he was not just offering a perspective. He was not just offering a path. He was declaring an eternal and exclusive reality, And he has proven it.

For two thousand years, lives have been changed. Hearts renewed. Families restored. Souls say by that truth, When he walked on earth, he did it and now as he sits on the right hand of God, he still sets the people free. That truth that sets people free for two thousand years continues to set people free even today and now.

And I will say away with all the philosophies of this world. Relativism. Truth is whatever you want it to be. Postmodernism. Oh, there is no such thing as truth.

Everything just an interpretation. I think this is the most idiotic thing. If there is no truth at all, why should I believe in postmodernism? Well, it's also wrong. It cannot be true.

But again, you know, when you stand for the truth and when you insist on the truth, people going to call you names. Are you ready for that? People are going to call you narrow minded, arrogant, hater. Yeah? Even hater.

Exclusive. Are we ready for these names? You might have heard them already by many. You'll hear it even more. You see, I'm going to insist today that the truth is exclusive.

I'm going to insist that this church building address is 4701 North Canfield Avenue, Norwich, Illinois. That's the truth. And if you type any other address, it will not take you to this building. That is the truth. Truth is exclusive.

It excludes everything that is false. Just one plus one, as one plus one equals two, cannot be anything else. Can never be three. It cannot be 2.1. This how exclusive is the truth.

I heard some, especially all the ladies, I don't know why, who told me that, you know, the most important thing is just to believe something as long as you are sincere. Sincerity is the most important thing in what you believe. Sincerity kills many people. You see, I sincerely believe that this mushroom is edible. But let me tell you, you are sincerely wrong.

It's poisonous. You see, it might be very difficult to differentiate between an edible mushroom and a poisonous mushroom. It might be incredibly similar but one will nourish you and the other one will kill you. This how the truth is inclusive. It excludes everything else.

This is offensive to some. It's foolishness to others. It is stumbling block to many. But this how the truth is, it is very, very exclusive. We read in first Corinthians, Paul's words when he says, for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

And then he says, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and a folly to Gentiles. Did Paul stop preaching because the message of the cross was a folly and stumbling block? He said, we preach and I like to include myself in that group, and we praise the Lord, we do include ourselves with this group. We preach Christ crucified. Yes, it is foolishness and a stumbling block to many in this generation, but that would not stop us from preaching the truth.

Oh, how many preachers try to water down the gospel to make it less offensive? Less less or let let let make it similar. Let us make it approximate. If it's approximate, if it's similar, if it's less offensive, it's not the truth. If you say one plus one equal 1.9999999, it's still false.

You might argue and say, but this is close enough. Close enough will not make it will never make it true. It's still false. As much as if you say one plus one equals 10, both are false. This how exclusive is the truth and believer understand that.

Understand how exclusive is the truth. The truth remains true whether we like it or not. And the truth we declare is the truth that sets people free. When I come when you come to acknowledge yourself, a debraved, wicked, wretched man or a woman and realize you're distant to hell, to eternal separation from God. And you turn your eyes to Jesus and you see a perfect, holy, and loving God who died for you on the cross, who took your place on the cross and you put your full trust in him.

A true genuine faith, abandoning everything you have done, abandoning your work, your religion, trusting in Jesus alone on the cross who died for you on the cross. Only that message saves you. Only Christ can save you. Then you would be you'd be saved. Their truth that Christ Jesus saves you.

Many will continue to live in rebellion against God because they hate the God who love them. They hate there is even salvation that's only in Christ Jesus. Every way every other way is fine but not in Jesus alone. They hate it but some others will respond to Christ and believe in him. Giving their lives to Christ, repenting from their sins, and putting their trust not in themselves, but in Christ alone.

And the truth in Jesus Christ sets them free from sin, from bondage, from religion, and guarantee to them an eternal life in Christ Jesus. And those who do that will live a life to obey, to please God. And to those, today I pray the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ in John seventeen seventeen, sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. Let's pray.

Lord, we recognize that we are truly in need of you. You are the savior of the world. You have come to save sinners like us. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We have sinned, Lord, but we thank you for your great love that there on the cross, Jesus died and there on the cross, he took away our sins.

And, Lord, we trust in you. We believe in your word. And we know that this truth that is in Jesus Christ set us free. And we now we can stand together declaring that truth that we are been set free by the blood of Jesus. We've been changed.

We've been transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit. And I will pray that your church will continue to abide in you. That our faith will be every day by day shown in practice by the fruit we bear, Lord. We pray, oh, God, that we, your children, bear much fruit as we continue to walk with you as you live in us. We pray that if there is anyone among us this afternoon who yet has not experienced salvation, who still thinks that salvation can be obtained through anything else but Christ.

We pray that the Holy Spirit, even this afternoon, will touch his heart or her heart and make it clear to him that only Christ saves. Only their truth saves. And yes, if they're struggling with sin, we pray that the truth in Jesus Christ will set them free even today and now. We praise you and we thank you for your word. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Let's stand up to worship the Lord.