Dear Christian friends:

In our text we see a very sad thing. People who refused to listen to Jesus. That is a sad thing. Many, many people even today don't care to hear Jesus' words. True some act like they want to hear Him. They buy a beautiful Bible and put it in their house, but never read it or only once-in- while. They join a church and sit with others, but they don't carefully hear and believe what Jesus says through His ministers.

"Ears to hear with but they hear not and eyes to see with but they see not", the Bible says. Man doesn't gladly listen to Jesus. Even we Christians must fight and resist temptation or we will become careless and lazy about hearing Jesus. On a average Sunday half of our members are not here. Only ten percent attend Bible class.

So we all very much need admonition to listen more carefully to Jesus. Our text gives us some good reasons. So let us with God's Holy Spirit and from our lesson consider the theme

Because He speaks the truth. (verse 46 read it) By nature man doesn't know the truth. True, he may know some truth about science and math and other earthly things, but he doesn't know the truth about God, and he can't find it or know it no matter how hard he searches and tries. The truth about God, about sin, about forgiveness of sin, about heaven and hell; that truth we can learn only from Jesus Himself.

He told the Jews one day "If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth (John 8:31)." Another time Jesus said, "I am the light of the world, he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)

But you see how these people in our text called Jesus a liar and a devil. His truth, His light, proved their sin, but they loved their sin and darkness rather than light, truth. So they seek to destroy Jesus.

So you see how our proud, selfish heart loves sin and hates truth. How we love to believe a lie, rather than the truth. So let us not stubbornly resist God's light and truth like these Jews in our lesson. If we do, we will be lost forever in darkness and hell.

Rather let us confess our sins and accept Jesus' Words. He will not punish us if we confess the truth. He told Nicodemus, "The Son is not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)

God will not send you to hell because you lie, cheat, steal, covet, or do adultery or because you loved money and pleasures and not thanked Him. He doesn't condemn anyone to hell because they break the Ten Commandments. That's not why. But here is why. "He that believeth not is condemned already." (John 3:18) Jesus says, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light." (John 3:19)

And John says, "7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:7-10)

So let us hear the truth from Jesus and our black hearts will be cleaned. The truth is what we need everyday because their is much darkness and lies in our heart and in the world. Another reason why we should listen to Jesus is that we thereby prove to all the world that we belong to God.

Jesus tells the Jews here in verse 47, "He that is God's listens to God's Word; ye therefore listen not because ye are not God's." God wants us to witness to other Christians and to the world that we belong to Him. Here is a powerful witness: Listen to God's Word, believe and obey it in your daily life. We may boast and say that we belong to God, and many church members do that, but if you don't listen to God's Word and practice that in your life no body will believe you. Even your pastor and fellow church members will not believe you. Also your own children will not.

I don't care if you are baptized and confirmed and an old member of a church; if you don't respect and listen to God's Word you are not God's. You deceive yourself and are a poison influence in your Church and in your city. Remember this the next time you are tempted to despise church and go sleep or play. God's children hear God's Word and love it. If you do not love God's Word, you better stop and find out what is wrong before it is too late.

Ask yourself: Am I truly sorry for my sins?
Do I really believe in Jesus Christ my Savior?
Do I intend to stop my sinful ways and improve?
And may God's Holy Spirit help you to answer "Yes".

Finally, we should listen to Jesus because if we do we shall never really die. (verse 51, Read it!) Jesus swears twice here "Verily, verily I say unto you"

The Jews said Jesus was a liar because He said that. They say, (verses 52-53 Read it!) So many people think today. They see Christians and pastors dying (even Dr. Salvner died) and they think that is not true. Jesus can't save anyone from death! They say Christians die the same as unbelievers But they do not understand. True a believer's body dies like unbelievers, but his soul does not die. It goes with Jesus immediately to heaven.

Jesus told the dying thief who was sorry and believed in him: "Today you will be with Me in paradise." (Luke 23:43). Both Jesus and the thief died upon their crosses that Good Friday. But Jesus promised they both would be in heaven the same day and on Easter morning Jesus arose from death. His soul and body were united again. And He arose with a new and glorious body. So shall we live forever with God in heaven. Never to suffer or die again. God will be our Father now on earth and forever in heavenly glory.

So if we listen to Jesus' Words we will know these wonderful truths about God and about everlasting life. And we will have true life and friendship with God here while we live on earth and then more perfectly in heaven. "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is not God of the dead, but of the living." (Matthew 22:32)

We make a big mistake and will be very sorry one day if we refuse to listen to Jesus' Words. If you have been careless about hearing Jesus Words now is the time to wake up and decide that you will eagerly hear His Words. If you have been regular, continue, don't become careless! Ask God to help you stay in His Word.

Amen.