One Another
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John 7
Text:
1Pe 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be
compassionate and humble. (NIV)
1Pe 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, be-cause to this you were
called so that you may inherit a blessing. (NIV)
1Pe 3:10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his
lips from deceitful speech. (NIV)
Did you ever notice how some people seem to always find some-thing to complain about?
Illus: A man complained to his wife one morning about his eggs. She had fried the eggs and he said
he wanted them scrambled. So the next morning she scrambled the eggs, and again he complained
because now he wanted them fried. So the next morning, she scrambled one egg and fried the
other. Again, he seemed upset. She asked, "What is it now? I gave you both fried and scrambled.
What could possibly be wrong?" He replied, "You scrambled the wrong one!"
I have often thought that, if only Jesus was the pastor, nobody would have anything to complain
about. But then, as we look at our passage for today, they even complained about Jesus. All through
this chapter we see various groups complaining.
First of all, the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him, because he did not fit into their political structure.
1. After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews
there were waiting to take his life.
Why did they want to kill him? They couldn’t control him, so they sought to kill him. We must
understand that God will not conform to our design – we must conform to His.
Then Jesus’ brothers criticized Him.
2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near,
3 Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may
see the miracles you do.
4 No-one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are do-ing these things,
show yourself to the world."
5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Critical spirit – jealousy – Many people are like crabs in a bucket. If you put more than on crab in a
bucket, you don’t have to worry about them escaping. Any one of them is capable of climbing out, but
the others won’t let that happen. They will always pull the others back in.
People can’t let others get ahead. This kind of attitude has no place in the church.
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not con-sumed one of another.
(AV)
Ga 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (AV)
1Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions,
are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.
No, the attitude in the church should be the opposite.
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (NIV)
The crowds also criticized and complained.
11 Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?"
12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man."
Others replied, "No, he deceives the people."
Divided opinion – people criticize what they do not understand. People are quick to criticize new
ideas. It is easier to just leave things as they are. Jesus came to change his world. He came to make
it better, but many people wanted to just leave it as it was, because it was easier to tolerate a bad
situation than it was to change things.
The criticism continues:
14. Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.
15 The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning with-out having studied?"
Questioning – was it amazement or criticism? Here is more of that attitude we saw from his brothers.
Now this is important: Jesus explains the difference between godly teaching and self-exaltation.
16 Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.
17 If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or
whether I speak on my own.
18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honour for himself, but he who works for the honour of
the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
Now, notice the continued and increasing criticism:
20 "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. …
23 … why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?
27 But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no-one will know where he is from."
Now, what is my point here? Just this: Criticism, complaining, negative attitudes will destroy the
church. A whole generation of Israel perished in the wilderness and spent 40 years making trip that
should have taken a few months. Why? Because of negative attitudes.
Now listen to what Paul says to the church:
1Co 11:18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions
among you, and to some extent I believe it. (NIV)
1Co 1:12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I
follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." (NIV)
1 Cor 12
12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we
be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the
body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the
body?
17 If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where
[were] the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
How can we move forward if we are divided?
How can we move forward when some of us don’t like or trust each other?
How can we move forward when some are not trustworthy?
How can we move forward when there is unholy behavior in the church?
It is a time for repentance – turn around, turn away, turn to God and toward one another.
United we stand – divided we fall.
Jesus said:
John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (AV)
Text:
1Pe 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be
compassionate and humble. (NIV)
1Pe 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, be-cause to this you were
called so that you may inherit a blessing. (NIV)
1Pe 3:10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his
lips from deceitful speech. (NIV)
Did you ever notice how some people seem to always find some-thing to complain about?
Illus: A man complained to his wife one morning about his eggs. She had fried the eggs and he said
he wanted them scrambled. So the next morning she scrambled the eggs, and again he complained
because now he wanted them fried. So the next morning, she scrambled one egg and fried the
other. Again, he seemed upset. She asked, "What is it now? I gave you both fried and scrambled.
What could possibly be wrong?" He replied, "You scrambled the wrong one!"
I have often thought that, if only Jesus was the pastor, nobody would have anything to complain
about. But then, as we look at our passage for today, they even complained about Jesus. All through
this chapter we see various groups complaining.
First of all, the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him, because he did not fit into their political structure.
1. After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews
there were waiting to take his life.
Why did they want to kill him? They couldn’t control him, so they sought to kill him. We must
understand that God will not conform to our design – we must conform to His.
Then Jesus’ brothers criticized Him.
2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near,
3 Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may
see the miracles you do.
4 No-one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are do-ing these things,
show yourself to the world."
5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Critical spirit – jealousy – Many people are like crabs in a bucket. If you put more than on crab in a
bucket, you don’t have to worry about them escaping. Any one of them is capable of climbing out, but
the others won’t let that happen. They will always pull the others back in.
People can’t let others get ahead. This kind of attitude has no place in the church.
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not con-sumed one of another.
(AV)
Ga 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (AV)
1Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions,
are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.
No, the attitude in the church should be the opposite.
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (NIV)
The crowds also criticized and complained.
11 Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?"
12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man."
Others replied, "No, he deceives the people."
Divided opinion – people criticize what they do not understand. People are quick to criticize new
ideas. It is easier to just leave things as they are. Jesus came to change his world. He came to make
it better, but many people wanted to just leave it as it was, because it was easier to tolerate a bad
situation than it was to change things.
The criticism continues:
14. Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.
15 The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning with-out having studied?"
Questioning – was it amazement or criticism? Here is more of that attitude we saw from his brothers.
Now this is important: Jesus explains the difference between godly teaching and self-exaltation.
16 Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.
17 If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or
whether I speak on my own.
18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honour for himself, but he who works for the honour of
the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
Now, notice the continued and increasing criticism:
20 "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. …
23 … why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?
27 But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no-one will know where he is from."
Now, what is my point here? Just this: Criticism, complaining, negative attitudes will destroy the
church. A whole generation of Israel perished in the wilderness and spent 40 years making trip that
should have taken a few months. Why? Because of negative attitudes.
Now listen to what Paul says to the church:
1Co 11:18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions
among you, and to some extent I believe it. (NIV)
1Co 1:12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I
follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." (NIV)
1 Cor 12
12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we
be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the
body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the
body?
17 If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where
[were] the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
How can we move forward if we are divided?
How can we move forward when some of us don’t like or trust each other?
How can we move forward when some are not trustworthy?
How can we move forward when there is unholy behavior in the church?
It is a time for repentance – turn around, turn away, turn to God and toward one another.
United we stand – divided we fall.
Jesus said:
John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (AV)