“Never man spake like this man.”

             Introduction

We all have a time and place where we started our Christian walk. My story begins very young and at my mothers knee. Mom was the adult ladies Sunday school teacher so in a way all the ladies in our church that taught me were taught by her. Like many here we went to church on Sunday and then went home for a good Sunday dinner. And every Sunday Mom would ask what did Mrs. Mable say in Sunday school today? And almost every time I would say, she said, “Randy sit down and be quiet. “ I must have always liked to talk and it is natural for me to want to preach. Any way I cannot tell you how long we followed this routine. But one Sunday we came home from Church and Mom asked what did Mrs. Mable say in Sunday school today? I answered, “Never man spake like this man.”

It was years later I decided to find out what he said and what it meant. Still this foundation in Sunday school was where I started my study of the bible and By the time I was 16 I was teaching Sunday school. I have studied and taught Bible every since then and have come to love the Bible and books about it. This sermon is my testimony and is dedicated to all the wonderful ladies that taught us in Sunday school. One of the most blessed things we can pass on to our children is a love for the Bible and study of Gods word. In this poem I write of travels to placed I have actually seen, and in the end tell a wonderful truth about finding God. This poem and sermon are my testimony.

I traveled far in many lands.

Where temples of great worship stand.

In cities history remembers as great.

I prayed were pious pilgrims wait.

I prayed where great and lowly pray.

In temples, in countries, in lands, far away.

I traveled the historic Peloponnesian Way,

To Philippi, Thessalonica, and Athens to pray.

I stood in the steps of Paul, and preached

From Mars Hill, where Athens he beseeched.

I walked the shores of Galilee,

And took a boat accost the sea,

I walked the way the Cross Passed By,

Knelt to pray in His tome near by.

Yes, I have seen great temples of worship,

And the reverent souls praying there.

I have traveled many lands to pray

I sought the Master if just for a day.

I found closeness to Him accost the sea,

But I have never been closer to the Master

Than at my mothers knee.

My mother’s gift to me was a love for the bible and what it says, not just the verses and words, but what they mean. How do we apply the Bible to living each day? So I studied to find out What did Jesus say? That caused the officers to say. “Never man spake like this man.” Jn 7:46

Joh 7:32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

Joh 7:43 So there was a division among the people because of him.

Joh 7:44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

Joh 7:45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

Joh 7:46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

He Said!

Joh 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

Joh 4:25 The woman *said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us."

Joh 4:26 Jesus *said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

The Living water Springing up in ones heart makes a difference that can be seen. The picture here is a moving mountain stream, clean refreshing water. The living water is a symbol for the Spirit. When we accept the work of Jesus the Spirit dwells in us and that refreshing spring of energy and joy can be seen. How often have we seen a new Christian wanting to tell everyone about Jesus? There is a spring, a spirit boiling up in side them so they must tell someone.

First we must have the Spirit of God to move us in His grace. That may be all we know of the bible at that time but with the spirit we have all that is needed to witness and enjoy God’s peace.

Young Christians grow in God’s grace and will come to know the power of God we possess, The living water, The Spirit comes into our spirit and teaches us. As we grow we learn there are many gifts of the Spirit. The Spirit in us will teach us to use them.

I am the bread of life. Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

A good man is satisfied from himself, for Christ dwells in his heart. The anointing abides in him; he needs not sneak to the world for comfort; the work and the witness of the Spirit in the heart furnish him with a firm foundation of hope and an overflowing fountain of joy. The Christian needs nourishment to grow, it is the bread and water that are given by Jesus that allows a Christian to grow. Jesus is saying here, “You must learn of me, my word, my teachings, to grow in grace and knowledge. The bread is knowledge. We are saved by a single act of the Holy Spirit. Being saved is a single event, a second in time. After that event we as Christians grow in Christ, It is the bread of life the knowledge we gain from the word and fellowship with Gods people that aid us in this process of growing to know and understand who Jesus is and what he means to us. The Knowledge given through the bread of life is the way we grow in grace and come to be more mature in Christ.

In the discussion of the Living water and the Bread of Life Jesus is not talking about the physical needs of daily nutrition. We eat to replenish this earthly vessel we live in. We are also a spirit that needs to grow in grace and come to understand our relation to Jesus.

I am the light of the world

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Matthew quotes Isaiah to explain the meaning of the light and darkness in this verse.

Mat 4:13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

Mat 4:14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

Mat 4:15 "THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES--

Mat 4:16 "THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED."

When the ten northern tribes of Israel disobeyed God and sinned, God allowed the Assyrians to come and take them captive. Isaiah said they passed into great darkness God rejected them and said they were cutoff. This was land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali this was where Capernaum is located. Jesus came to and first preached to the tribes that were first lost in sin before God. "THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT,

The Light in the bible represents truth, right, and good. The darkness represents sin, unfaithfulness, and rejecting God. When Jesus says I am the light of the world, He is saying I am the answer to sin, I am the answer to the longing in you to know peace.

Joh 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Joh 3:19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

If you have thought that the way people in our time think is new or different, you are wrong. The problem has always been people thinking moral right is “What I want right Now”, and moral wrong is “Anything that keeps me from what I Want”. People try to live as close to the world as we can get. How close to the world can I stand and still be called a Christian. When all of your focus is on how close to the world can I live, you are concentrating on the world. It is hard to see truth it is hard to see Jesus. There is another way, a better way. When I was growing up we sang a hymn.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Jesus said I am the Light of the world, Do you try to see how close to the world you can live and still be called Christian or do you Turn your eyes upon Jesus, and seek to know only Him.

The Day HE said Nothing.

There was a day when this wonderful Man stood silent. He stood before the Roman governor. Pilot said to him don’t you know I have to power to set you free or to execute you. What do you have to say? And Jesus answered him with silence. He could have spoken. He had a just answer, He was innocent. But for Him to speak was to condemn me and you. Here stood the God of eternity that spoke the world into existence. He could have rolled the heavens aside and showed all my sin and yours too. But he stood silent. There is a hymn that goes :

He could have called ten thousand angles

To destroy the world and set Him free

He could have called ten thousand angels

But he died alone for you and me.

Well that is true they were there and He could have called them, But the King of kings and Lord of lords Eternal God did not need them. He stood silent in my place because He loved me enough to pay a debt I Could Not Pay!!

Check Romans 8 We are adopted by God, heirs and joint heirs with Christ.

He paid the debt I could not pay and more He gave us a place in the family of God. There is a lot more to being a Christian than struggling to serve God just a sinner saved by grave. I am a child of the King adopted Heir to the throne of God. But that is another sermon for another time.

WE are not worthy in what we can do to go the heaven,

Jesus said we are worth saving and

Adopting as heirs to Heaven.

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

The day He stood silent means most of all to me.

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.

Joh 14:2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Jesus also said He is preparing a place for us. The 1611 romantic poets used a wording that illustrated getting the most the best God has to give, and used the dwelling as mansion. I have often heard this taken by materialistic people as the 4 or 6 column Big white house with every thing one could want. They never stopped to find out what the passage really says. The word used here for mansions is used for the small tent soldiers carried to sleep in. It offered a place to rest. It is used in bibles as dwelling, house, or room. The idea is best presented as a place. Materialist people trying to hold on the as much of what this world offers often try to make this a huge part of their reward for how hard they worked on earth. It means a place. Oh, but what a place! I was looking at this passage and tried to understand this place. I thought In My Fathers HOUSE. What is Gods eternal dwelling Gods House.

Isa 57:15 For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

God inhabits eternity His name is Holy, Time was made for us humans to hang our lives on a structure that will give us order and meaning. God is eternal and not bound by time at all. So lets look at this verse a little differently.

In the eternity of Holy God There is a place for me.

I have a place, I don’t argue about the biggest mansion to how close it is the throne. In the eternal presence of Holy God, THERE IS A PLACE FOR ME!! It is a promise, it is mine TODAY.

The Holy Spirit Lives in us today The third person of the God head is in this temple, and We have NOW all the “gifts of the spirit.” The problem is not getting the spirit or more of it. The problem is yielding our heart to Him. Forget the world and focus on the world focus on all the world offers. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and grace. If we will trust him and obey him we have the power of the God that inhabits eternity. If He calls on us to Pray. His spirit will give us the words. If He calls on us to teach, He will guide and teach through us. If He call on you to preach, He will give you the words to say. When He leads you to witness for Him, You must be yielded to His leading He will guide you in what to say, BUT YOU must be yielded to Him to Obey Him.

The water of Life is the Spirit of God, It brings to us Gods grace.

The Bread of Life is the soul feeding knowledge of the word that guides our Faith.

The Light of the world is eternal Truth that shows all who will look the majesty of God.

The Day He stood silent, He paid for all our Sin. And made us heirs to Heaven.

In the eternal presence of Holy God there is a place for me.

Do you hold on to the world and try to see how close to material wealth you can live or do you Look for life to Jesus.

1Jo 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1Jo 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

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1Jo 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

1Jo 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

1Jo 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

1Jo 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

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1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1Jo 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

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