From Human Honor to Divine Approval: A Call to Faith

 

Summary

In John 5:44, Jesus addresses a profound issue that remains relevant today: the struggle to believe in Him due to the pursuit of human honor. Jesus stands before a group of people who refuse to believe in Him despite the evidence of His miracles and His clear declaration of being the Son of God. He explains that their disbelief is not due to a lack of evidence or intellectual capacity but because they seek honor from one another rather than from God. This pursuit of human approval creates a barrier to faith, as it centers life around self and human opinion rather than God.

The world today mirrors this condition, where societal norms and the desire for reputation often overshadow the call to faith. People are caught in a cycle of seeking validation from others, which leads to a superficial and dishonest life. This life, focused on external appearances and human praise, is incompatible with the humility and truth required to follow Christ. Jesus emphasizes that true belief requires a shift from self-centeredness to God-centeredness, from seeking human approval to seeking divine approval.

The challenge is to recognize the folly of living for human praise and to turn to Christ, who offers a deeper, eternal honor that comes from God alone. This requires a willingness to forsake the superficial accolades of the world and embrace the transformative power of the Gospel. Jesus assures that those who come to Him, regardless of their past delusions or mistakes, will be received and find true life in Him.

Key Takeaways:

- The Barrier of Human Honor: The pursuit of human honor and validation is a significant barrier to faith in Christ. It centers life around self and human opinion, making belief in Jesus impossible. True faith requires a shift from seeking human approval to seeking God's approval. [17:22]

- The Superficiality of Human Praise: Living for human praise leads to a superficial and dishonest life. This life is incompatible with the humility and truth required to follow Christ. Jesus calls us to a deeper, more authentic life centered on God's truth. [45:07]

- The Incompatibility of Self-Centeredness and Faith: A life centered on self and human opinion is incompatible with faith in Christ. Belief requires humility and a willingness to forsake the superficial accolades of the world for the eternal honor that comes from God. [36:02]

- The Folly of Human Opinion: Elevating human opinion to the supreme position is folly. It is inadequate and ever-changing, making it an unreliable standard for truth. True wisdom comes from God, and belief in Christ requires a willingness to become a "fool" in the eyes of the world. [39:11]

- The Invitation to True Honor: Jesus invites us to forsake the superficial honor of the world and embrace the true honor that comes from God. This requires a willingness to turn to Christ, who offers acceptance and transformation to all who come to Him in humility. [53:44]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:12] - Introduction to John 5:44
- [01:11] - The Unbelief of the People
- [02:23] - Jesus' Desire for Salvation
- [03:31] - The Crux of the Argument
- [04:23] - The World's Desperate State
- [05:25] - Jesus' Explanation of Unbelief
- [06:46] - What Makes Us Christians
- [09:27] - Coming to Jesus
- [11:26] - The Impossibility of Belief
- [17:22] - Seeking Honor from One Another
- [23:13] - The Bubble of Reputation
- [30:00] - The Fear of Offending
- [36:02] - Self-Centeredness vs. Faith
- [45:07] - The Superficiality of Human Praise
- [53:44] - The Invitation to True Honor

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- John 5:44

Observation Questions:
1. In John 5:44, what does Jesus identify as the barrier to belief in Him? How does this relate to the pursuit of human honor? [00:12]
2. What evidence does Jesus provide to the people to support His claim as the Son of God, and why do they still refuse to believe? [01:27]
3. How does Jesus describe the condition of those who seek honor from one another rather than from God? [17:22]

Interpretation Questions:
1. Why does Jesus say that seeking honor from one another makes belief in Him impossible? How does this relate to the concept of self-centeredness? [36:02]
2. How does the pursuit of human praise lead to a superficial and dishonest life, according to the sermon? [45:07]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between human opinion and divine truth? How does this affect one's ability to believe in Christ? [39:11]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you seek human approval over God's approval? How can you shift your focus to seek divine approval instead? [17:22]
2. Consider a situation where you have prioritized external appearances over authenticity. How can you embrace a more authentic life centered on God's truth? [45:07]
3. Identify a specific instance where you have allowed the fear of human opinion to influence your faith decisions. How can you overcome this fear and prioritize God's wisdom? [39:11]
4. Think about a time when you felt the pressure to conform to societal norms. How can you resist this pressure and live a life that honors God? [20:51]
5. Jesus invites us to embrace the true honor that comes from God. What steps can you take this week to accept this invitation and experience the transformative power of the Gospel? [53:44]
6. Reflect on a relationship or environment where you feel the need to receive honor from others. How can you change your approach to focus on serving and honoring God instead? [18:30]
7. How can you cultivate humility in your daily interactions, and what impact might this have on your faith journey? [33:08]

Devotional

Day 1: The Barrier of Human Honor
The pursuit of human honor and validation is a significant barrier to faith in Christ. In John 5:44, Jesus highlights that the disbelief of the people is not due to a lack of evidence or understanding but because they seek honor from one another rather than from God. This pursuit of human approval creates a barrier to faith, as it centers life around self and human opinion rather than God. In today's world, societal norms and the desire for reputation often overshadow the call to faith. People are caught in a cycle of seeking validation from others, which leads to a superficial and dishonest life. True faith requires a shift from seeking human approval to seeking God's approval. [17:22]

Jeremiah 17:5-6 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.'"

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you seeking validation from others instead of God? How can you begin to shift your focus to seeking God's approval today?


Day 2: The Superficiality of Human Praise
Living for human praise leads to a superficial and dishonest life. This life is incompatible with the humility and truth required to follow Christ. Jesus calls us to a deeper, more authentic life centered on God's truth. The world today mirrors this condition, where societal norms and the desire for reputation often overshadow the call to faith. People are caught in a cycle of seeking validation from others, which leads to a superficial and dishonest life. This life, focused on external appearances and human praise, is incompatible with the humility and truth required to follow Christ. [45:07]

Proverbs 29:25 (ESV): "The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe."

Reflection: Consider a recent situation where you sought praise from others. How did it affect your actions and decisions? What steps can you take to prioritize God's truth over human praise?


Day 3: The Incompatibility of Self-Centeredness and Faith
A life centered on self and human opinion is incompatible with faith in Christ. Belief requires humility and a willingness to forsake the superficial accolades of the world for the eternal honor that comes from God. Jesus emphasizes that true belief requires a shift from self-centeredness to God-centeredness. This requires a willingness to forsake the superficial accolades of the world and embrace the transformative power of the Gospel. Jesus assures that those who come to Him, regardless of their past delusions or mistakes, will be received and find true life in Him. [36:02]

James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where self-centeredness is hindering your faith. What practical steps can you take to shift your focus from yourself to God?


Day 4: The Folly of Human Opinion
Elevating human opinion to the supreme position is folly. It is inadequate and ever-changing, making it an unreliable standard for truth. True wisdom comes from God, and belief in Christ requires a willingness to become a "fool" in the eyes of the world. The challenge is to recognize the folly of living for human praise and to turn to Christ, who offers a deeper, eternal honor that comes from God alone. This requires a willingness to forsake the superficial accolades of the world and embrace the transformative power of the Gospel. [39:11]

1 Corinthians 3:18-19 (ESV): "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God."

Reflection: Think of a time when you prioritized human opinion over God's wisdom. How did it impact your life? How can you begin to seek God's wisdom above all else?


Day 5: The Invitation to True Honor
Jesus invites us to forsake the superficial honor of the world and embrace the true honor that comes from God. This requires a willingness to turn to Christ, who offers acceptance and transformation to all who come to Him in humility. The challenge is to recognize the folly of living for human praise and to turn to Christ, who offers a deeper, eternal honor that comes from God alone. This requires a willingness to forsake the superficial accolades of the world and embrace the transformative power of the Gospel. [53:44]

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV): "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

Reflection: What superficial honors are you holding onto that prevent you from embracing God's true honor? How can you begin to let go of these and seek the honor that comes from God alone?

Quotes


Here is the situation we all know something about the state of the world we can all see it we are hearing about it on the wireless we see it in the newspapers the whole situation is desperate I'm not only thinking of the international situation I'm thinking of the problems of society in this country. [00:04:37]

What makes us Christian I say in the first place is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, secondly what is it that makes such a belief impossible because that's what he's dealing with here how can you believe he says now that's just a rhetorical question which is really making a statement. [00:11:46]

How can you believe which receive honor one of another that's the explanation that is the thing that makes belief in the Lord Jesus Christ impossible this honoring of one another this seeking of Honor from one another according to the Lord himself that is the one big thing that stands between men and women and the believing of the Gospel. [00:17:04]

The trouble with them is that they are animated by this one desire to receive honor one of another what does he mean by this well honor means praise honor means glory and then when he uses the word receive it carries this meaning to receive honor means to seek honor to desire honor to seize upon honor to live for it to have it as your life's ambition. [00:18:01]

The one big reason why a man does not believe in Christ is just that that he lives to have honor from other people and to pay similar honor to them isn't this rather surprising and amazing nothing to do with intellect youy nothing to do with scientific knowledge it has everything to do with a state of the Soul a state of the heart. [00:18:39]

The vast majority of people in this country are not Christians only 10% even claim to be Christian and of those only half that number practice Christianity at all regularly 5% of certainly what about the 95 why are they not Christian well says our lord it's because they live to receive honor one of another. [00:21:02]

Receiving honor of one another look at the whole life as it's organized look at the energy that's put into this look at the time look at the money and all to keep this going receiving honor one of another how does it show itself how does it manifest itself well the best summary of it is that which is found in the second chapter of John's first epistle. [00:22:00]

The desire to be important the desire to be seen the desire to be known look at the trouble people go to to get an introduction to important people why what's the reason simply in order that they may be able to tell everybody that they've met them that makes them important receiving honor one of another being important counting being wonderful praising one another. [00:24:00]

The fear of offending the fear of saying something that isn't popular you know many a prophet of God has ended his life as a popular preacher what a tragedy what a decline that a man who went out to the prophetic message should end as a popular preacher an Entertainer a man who's never met anybody feel uncomfortable who's afraid of offending and trims and accommodates his truth lest he become unpopular. [00:29:22]

The superficiality of it all oh let me quote our blessed Lord's words again he said on one occasion something like this you he said to the Pharisees are they which justify themselves before men but God seeth a heart for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in in the sight of God. [00:45:07]

While men are living a life of sham and of fraud how can they believe in him who is the truth who is the light and who is God himself you see it isn't surprising that he should say how can you believe while you're playing with life and playing with yourself while you're putting on the mask and living a life that's essentially fraudulent. [00:45:57]

If you elevate human opinion into the supreme position you'll never be a Christian look here says Paul to the Corinthians you see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many noble are called you see it don't you but he says thank God it didn't count with you if any man willth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be made Wise. [00:39:11]

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Transcript
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