255-You Should Know Him Directly, Not Just Through Others#
255-You Should Know Him Directly, Not Just Through Others
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic we are sharing is: You should know Him directly, not just through others.
The scripture is Matthew 16:13-17,
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Some ancient manuscripts do not include the word “I.”) 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You! Thank You for preparing this wonderful time for us to know You personally through Your words. Today, we are willing to know You through Your words. This is Your direct message to each of us, and Your promises are also contained in these words. I am willing to prepare myself to know You through these words. Thank You for preparing this wonderful time today. You will use Your words to resolve the doubts in my heart and to comfort me. I completely entrust this time into Your hands. Please come and renew my thoughts and intentions. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!
What kind of place is Caesarea Philippi?
It is a mixed place with both Jews and Gentiles, so the faith of the people there is also mixed. Unlike Jerusalem, where people only know the one true God and no other, the smaller beliefs cannot arise, and it is not like the Gentiles who do not know Jesus at all.
However, in Caesarea Philippi, the two kinds of faith are mixed together. So, in this place, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I (some ancient manuscripts do not include the word “I”) the Son of Man am? But who do you say that I am?” At this time, the disciples’ answers were varied. They said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” These are all what they heard from others. Jesus said, “But who do you say that I am?”
Today I want to tell everyone that you should not only listen to what others say about Jesus, as that may have some deviations. Many people’s understanding of Jesus is only through others’ introductions. We know that everyone’s understanding of Jesus varies, and there will be some differences. If we only stay at what others say about Jesus, our faith may stagnate.
Therefore, we need to return to the Bible to verify everything we hear; otherwise, if there are deviations, you will not be able to discern them. So I encourage everyone to read the Bible more. This is our relationship with God. If you are wavering and unclear about God, your relationship with Him will not be very good. The same goes for relationships with people.
If we want to understand a person, what should we do? At first, we may learn about this person through their friends, but that is only a part for reference. You cannot directly conclude based on that. If you want to understand him, what should you do? You need to interact with him yourself to know whether what those around him say is correct. You also need to know another fact: some of what his friends say is correct, but it absolutely cannot represent the whole person.
Can we introduce Jesus completely to others? Your understanding of Jesus may only be a little bit. Some say, “If you are sick, come to Jesus.” Is this answer correct? Yes, but it is not comprehensive. You cannot say Jesus is just a doctor; what do you go to church for when you are not sick?
Some say, “Jesus is a prophet.” “Okay, then Jesus, tell me, should I do this business? Is it okay to invest ten thousand?” You are treating Jesus like a fortune teller. Does Jesus have the ability to predict the future? Yes, but His power is not limited to that. If you want to know Jesus, you should know Him directly through His words; this is the most direct way.
In simple terms, know Him through the Bible. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand; there are sermons. After listening, you should return to the Bible to study the scripture, which will benefit you. Just like our relationships with people, you should not just listen to others; you cannot understand a person only through a third party. Similarly, if you have an opinion about someone, you can directly consult that person. You must not keep it in your heart and listen to what others say. One of the devil’s works is to destroy relationships, and he uses this method. The devil also deceives you in your relationship with God:
God doesn’t love you that much…;
Don’t always think about such a good God; God is also just and a consuming fire…;
When you sin, God will strike you down, sending fire from heaven to burn you. Look at how Elijah prayed, and fire came down from heaven, burning those fifty men.
When we hear this, it seems correct! So you need to look at God through Jesus and the Bible. Some say, “I don’t know this God.” Look at how Jesus acted in the world, what He did; is that not the image of our God? It is just like that.
The first point to share: Put down your prejudices and look at Jesus; know Him through His words.
Prejudices and some past fixed ideas can lead us to misunderstand God. We need to look at a passage from the Bible, John 1:43-50,
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see!” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” Amen!
Through this passage, what do we see? What kind of view did Nathanael have about the Nazarene? This prejudice is very strong. Do we have such prejudices in this world? Is it correct to say that people from a certain place are all bad? We think that good things cannot come from that place, so when Nathanael heard about Jesus from Nazareth, he thought, “What good can come from that place?” In his fixed idea, God could not possibly come from that place; if He were to come, He should be born in a famous city!
Today, how many people have such prejudices against Jesus? When we evangelize to some people and ask them to believe in Jesus, some say, “Isn’t He the God of Israel? I don’t believe in foreign gods.” They think Jesus is a foreign god; some even say, “What power does Jesus have?”
I had a friend from Inner Mongolia. When he went back home to evangelize to his relatives, the people there were quite straightforward. When he mentioned Jesus, his relatives said, “Are you talking about that Jesus who was recorded in history, who wore no clothes and was hung on the cross?” He said, “Yes! That’s Him.” His relatives said, “You can’t believe in that; look at how He lived. If I believe in Him, I’ll end up like Him!”
Do these people have a fixed prejudice against Jesus in their hearts? They think that God has no power. Some say, “What’s the point of believing in Jesus? It’s similar to believing in other gods; it’s better to believe in our domestic gods.” They think other gods are similar to Jesus; isn’t this a prejudice against Jesus? If we choose like this, who suffers? It is ourselves because we have heard many rumors, listened to how ancient people spoke, and how those around us introduced Jesus, but that is not the truth; you need to know Him yourself.
Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” The disciples said, “Some say you are Elijah, you are Jeremiah, you are one of the prophets.” If you use human reasoning to judge and summarize, you would conclude that these people all think Jesus is a prophet, right? They mentioned Elijah and John the Baptist; aren’t these prophets?
Do you know why they see Jesus as a prophet and not a Savior? They were only expecting the arrival of a prophet. They thought, “What we want is just a prophet; why do we need a Savior?” So when Jesus came, they viewed Him as a prophet. Is Jesus a prophet? Yes, but if you only conclude based on what this person or that person says, you will come to the conclusion: Yes, Jesus is indeed a prophet. But you will underestimate His power.
Let’s look at a passage from Hebrews 1:4-6,
4 Having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Is Jesus a prophet? Yes, but His name is more excellent than that of angels; He is greater than prophets. Angels and prophets are used by God, but they are servants, while Jesus’ identity is that of a Son. The name He inherits is far greater than that of angels, prophets, and any other name. If you believe Jesus is just a prophet, you will at most be a disciple of a prophet. You will find that the disciples of various sects are quite similar; their leaders are like that, and the disciples below are like that too.
If you believe in a Savior, you believe in the power of that Savior, and the message you bring to others is one that can save their lives. You must believe: Jesus is a prophet, but He is much greater than a prophet. The prophets of the past were all witnesses for Jesus. When you truly communicate with Jesus, you will find that what you heard in the past was not entirely correct. This is the humility we need to have in knowing Jesus; we must not approach the Lord with prejudice. Our Lord is the living Lord.
The same scripture, last year you could gain something from this passage, and this year when you read it again, you will gain something new because God is alive. Although the focus may differ, God’s intention for you never changes.
So when Nathanael thought Jesus was from Nazareth, he scoffed. How did Philip respond? He didn’t argue with him, right? That is wisdom. Brothers and sisters, when you evangelize to someone, but they look down on Jesus, you can say, “Come and see,” or say, “Come and listen”; don’t rush to conclusions. The same goes for others; when someone has fixed ideas and does not agree with your viewpoint, do not argue; you should learn from Philip, “Come and see.”
If he is unwilling to even look, let him be; pray for him; perhaps the time is not yet right. If he is willing to come and see, then it will be easier; he can know Jesus directly.
In the theme scripture we just read, at this moment, did Nathanael personally come before Jesus? When Jesus saw him, He said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit.” To summarize this statement, Jesus is indeed very skilled at using the “universal key.”
Does He know that Nathanael has a prejudice against Him? Yes, but when He meets him, why doesn’t He say, “Nathanael, I know what you just said about me; you look down on me, the Nazarene; let me tell you who I am”? He didn’t say that, did He? After meeting him, Jesus first praised him, saying, “A true man! He speaks his mind, and there is no deceit.” Is this true? Yes. Brothers and sisters, how should you respond to those who point out your shortcomings? A true man! He doesn’t have bad intentions; he just thinks that way! Then Nathanael said to Jesus, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
The following passage is very peculiar. If you do not understand the background, you will not know why Nathanael changed his view so quickly. He said, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Did Nathanael change just because Jesus praised him and said a bunch of prophetic words? What was the reason? It was Jesus’ statement: “When you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Did Jesus and Nathanael spend time under the fig tree together? If that were the case, Nathanael would definitely not call Him the Son of God.
What actually happened? In Israel, there is a custom among devout Jews, and many who still observe the law do this; they pray to God three times a day: morning, noon, and evening. Most Jews have a habit of praying under the fig tree. What was Nathanael doing under the fig tree? He was praying! At that time, because there was no one else, he was praying alone under the tree, praying to God.
So when Jesus said, “When you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” this statement struck at the heart of Nathanael. He knew that just now he was praying to that one God, who is my Lord; no one else knew my inner thoughts. When Jesus said it, he exclaimed, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.” This proves that this matter was unknown to others; it was an activity in his heart, but Jesus saw it.
This dialogue allowed Nathanael to have a new understanding of Jesus, and he realized that his past prejudice was wrong. So he said, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.” Today, do we also need such an understanding of Jesus? Don’t just listen to what others say; you should have the opportunity to know Him personally. God gave us the Bible so that we can know Him personally.
This is the first example. There is another example I want to share with you, which is in John chapter 4. Do you know what happened here? Jesus met a woman at the city gate of Samaria and asked her for water. Do you remember this story? Because our time is limited, I will highlight the key parts.
John 4:9,
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Earlier, Nathanael had a prejudice against God; now this story shows prejudice between races and among people. When Jesus asked the woman for water, is it a normal thing for us? But why did the woman not only refuse to give it but also say, “You are a Jew; how can You ask me for a drink?”
This proves that this matter was very unusual, so Jesus wanted to use this to resolve her prejudice. Now I want to explain the historical background of this story. What is the irreconcilable relationship between the Samaritans and the Jews? After Solomon died, his kingdom was divided into two: the southern kingdom called Judah and the northern kingdom called Israel. The capital of the southern kingdom of Judah is Jerusalem, while the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel is Samaria. Each kingdom had its own kings for about nineteen to twenty years.
You see, the map of Israel is long and narrow. The southern kingdom had half of its kings who were good kings. The southern part is Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital, and here half of the kings were still decent. However, the northern part had no good kings; they all did evil in the sight of the Lord. If you read 1 and 2 Kings, you will find that almost all the kings were terrible. The northern kingdom was invaded by Assyria in 722 BC and was ultimately destroyed. The people of Israel were taken captive to Assyria, leaving only a few poor people behind.
At the same time, Assyria also moved many people from Babylon and other places to live in the northern kingdom. Their races changed as a result because they were slaves and had no choice about whom to live with; it was decided by the rulers at that time. After bringing in those Babylonians, what happened to these people?
Under Assyrian rule, Samaria became a province. The remaining Israelites intermarried with these outsiders and became mixed-race people, which was something the Jews detested. The southern kingdom of Judah strictly adhered to this principle: they did not intermarry with Gentiles because this was indeed what the law stated. Therefore, the Jews in the south looked down upon the Israelites in the north, thinking they were not worthy of respect.
As we mentioned earlier, why did the northern kingdom of Israel establish their own altars? There were indeed selfish motives. After the kings in the north came to power, they realized: “I cannot let my people go to the south to worship God; I need to set up an altar as well.” This led to increasing internal strife. If there were factions in the church, it would be similar to this situation; everyone wants to pull their own weight. So they created some man-made things; it was not the priests who offered sacrifices, nor were the Levites doing these things, resulting in chaos, and the people in the south looked down on them even more.
When they returned to rebuild the temple, there was a time when the Samaritans were particularly enthusiastic, thinking: “Great! We are no longer slaves; we can go back and rebuild the temple.” They actively sought cooperation with the people of Judah in the south to rebuild the temple, but the Jews rejected them, saying: “You are mixed-race; you have violated the law. Why should I cooperate with you? If we build the temple, you will pollute it.”
So they rejected them, and the Samaritans had no choice but to build another temple on Mount Gerizim to worship God. This is why the Samaritan woman said, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. Which mountain is the true one?” Isn’t it the descendants who do not understand? The reason lies here.
In this context, their hatred deepened. By the time of the New Testament, the region of Palestine was a narrow strip of land, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, with Samaria right in the middle. The northern kingdom of Israel was above, and the southern kingdom of Judah was below. After being ruled by the Romans, the distinction between north and south disappeared. How did the people of Jerusalem in the south travel to Galilee? They had to go through Samaria, but these people felt very holy: “I uphold my faith, so I cannot pass through the Samaritan city where mixed-race people live; those people are just like Gentiles.”
So they would rather take a longer route than go directly through Samaria. In fact, going through Samaria is very simple and safe, but they wouldn’t go, feeling it was unclean. They would climb over mountains and often encounter robbers and bandits on the way, which led to the story of the “Good Samaritan.” Otherwise, this problem would not have arisen at all.
Because of racial views, their prejudice against Samaritans was very strong, and the Samaritans also felt that the Jews looked down on them, so they did not interact with them. When Jesus came, what should He do? Shouldn’t He resolve the prejudices between people? No one else was willing to do this except Jesus; no one else could resolve this enmity. The Bible tells us that He abolished enmity on the cross, including the issues between us and others. If this Samaritan woman had not met Jesus, their hatred might have continued to this day.
Let’s look at how the Samaritan woman received Jesus after she recognized Him; this situation turned around. When a person receives Jesus, everything about them is renewed.
John 4:40-42,
40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him, and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
Jesus used two days to resolve the misunderstandings between the Samaritans and the Jews. Brothers and sisters, you must know: Jesus came into this world not only to restore our relationship with God but also to restore our relationships with each other. Are there misunderstandings between races, nations, and individuals? How to resolve them? Look through Jesus.
So no matter whose sermon you listen to, after listening, you should return to the Bible to discern whether the message is true or not. Never follow the crowd; the one who ultimately loses will be yourself.
Today, many people say, “That person can’t say anything good.” Isn’t that a prejudice? “I have been in ministry for decades; he just came out, and I don’t even know this person. How can you listen to his sermon?” Some pastors even say, “Don’t casually listen to outside sermons; they are all false.” Isn’t that a prejudice? We cannot say he is wrong; there are indeed false teachings outside, but you cannot say they are all false; that is a prejudice.
Let’s look at a passage from Acts 17:10-12,
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
This is what we need to learn. The believers in Berea had a characteristic: when they listened to Paul preach, they did not think it was Paul speaking but that God was speaking to them through Paul. This is an encouragement for all who listen to sermons. You should not think, “What can this young person say?” If you listen with such a fixed idea, you will not gain anything. If you think it is God speaking to you through this person, you will not develop prejudices against him.
Does God use people? Is He limited by age? No, in the Bible, Samuel was sent to serve God at a very young age by his mother. When he first heard God’s voice, he was very young, and God called him: “Samuel, Samuel…” When he heard it, he thought, “Who is calling me?” He did not know it was God calling him. He ran to Eli and said, “Old man! Did you call me?” Eli said, “I didn’t call you; go back to sleep!” The second time God called him again: “Samuel, Samuel…” When he woke up, he said, “Old man, are you looking for me?” Eli said, “I didn’t call you; go back to sleep!” The third time, Eli suddenly realized: “Next time you hear someone calling you, say, ‘Lord, here I am; please speak.’”
Why didn’t Eli think of this result at first? It’s not that he was old and confused; he thought God would use him because he was the priest! “Even if God speaks, He should speak to me; why would He speak to a little kid?” He had this idea, so it wasn’t until the third time that he realized this was not a voice a child would randomly hear; it was God speaking to him. Did God use this little child to tell Samuel what would happen in Israel later?
Then after Samuel got up, Eli humbly said, “Tell me what the Lord said to you.” Did he believe at that moment? Yes. So our views need to be updated; we must not approach God with prejudice. You need to directly experience Him and know Him. Amen!
The second point to share: Don’t just listen to what others say; if there’s a problem, go directly to the person involved.
I just talked about our issues with God. If we approach Him with prejudice, we cannot correctly understand Jesus, which will bring losses to our lives. For example, in the past, many people thought that those who believed in Jesus were just a group of old, weak, sick, and disabled people. This problem existed in the 1960s and 1970s; indeed, when you entered the church, it was a group of old and weak people. But what kind of idea is that? It was the previous generation’s view.
Now when you enter the church, you will find all kinds of people; it is no longer just a gathering of uneducated old people. He has a fixed idea about Jesus and the church, thinking that group of people is old and weak, and since I am young and healthy, I cannot go.
When I believed in Jesus in 2000, I also had this idea. When others asked me to believe in Jesus, an image immediately popped into my mind: the church was full of old men and women, very old, and they always sang off-key. Then the pastor preached, and I couldn’t understand anything, yet everyone still said “Amen!” After the sermon, everyone just left. I thought, “No way! If you want me to believe in Jesus, I will be with this group of people every day, and I will age prematurely.”
At that time, I defined this group of people: I cannot believe; I am so young, full of ideals and ambitions, and I still want to serve my country in the future, so I cannot believe. They kept asking me, and finally, I said, “How about this: I’ll believe when I’m old, okay?” Why did I come to this conclusion? We thought believing in Jesus was something to do when we got old. This was a past fixed prejudice, and who suffers? It is definitely ourselves. So today, we need to live out the life of Jesus so that when others see us, they will say, “He is the one who believes in Jesus; he is not old and weak…”
Today, many people go out and say, “Oh! Recently, God has been tormenting me again; look, I’m sick again; thank God!” If you tell this to an unbeliever, they will say, “See, I told you that those who believe in Jesus are all old and weak; as soon as they enter the church, they become like this; they can’t believe.”
Isn’t this a mistake?
The God we present to others is problematic. These people only hear what others say, not directly knowing this God. This is what we just talked about in our relationship with God. What about our relationships with people? We also need to eliminate this problem; otherwise, we will have all kinds of issues with people, and we will also suffer losses.
Let’s look at a verse from Proverbs 17:9, “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.”
Proverbs 16:28 says, “A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.”
Both verses mention friends, and what is the final result? They are all separated. Brothers and sisters, we have many friends in the world, called close friends, with whom we share everything. Then one day, they are separated. Isn’t the injury the most severe? Today, I want to tell you this: since they are close friends, they should go to each other for anything. Suddenly one day, they are separated. What is the reason? A third party intervened, or he believed the rumors from a third party and began to doubt his close friend, leading to a falling out. Perhaps that was someone else’s scheme to separate them. In the past, we have seen this in the history of wars; two people who were originally very close ended up fighting because a third party stirred up suspicion between them. They were originally close friends, but they ended up being separated. How were they separated? By repeatedly pointing out faults, separating friends. This means not condemning but pointing out their shortcomings repeatedly; if you point out too much, you will stop trusting that person.
Let’s look at Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’”
This statement is harmful. Today, many people use this: “Do you really know him? Think about whether everything he does is worthy of you?” What does this statement mean? It is a kind of divisive talk, but we do not realize it. It sounds like it makes sense, “He looks at you with a strange gaze, as if there is contempt and slander; it’s just because you played a wrong note.”
You think, “Yes! I did play a wrong note, but he is not that kind of person…” “Think about what happened last week.” As long as you follow his reasoning, next time you will definitely say, “I see that your gaze is different from before.” But is it really different? No, it’s the same; it’s just that he has been influenced by someone’s words, blowing cold winds, making you feel that this person is evil, leading to various suspicions, and ultimately, the two of you cannot get along. This is the first repeated pointing out of faults. When someone constantly speaks ill of another person in front of you, you need to be careful; they may be trying to divide you.
The second verse, Proverbs 16:28, says, “A perverse man sows strife; a whisperer separates the best of friends.”
This proves that their relationship was good; perhaps there were no issues at all, but that person’s mouth “blah blah blah” fabricated many lies, sowing discord. In the end, this person believed it, and the close friends became enemies. Isn’t that frightening? The harm of whispering is very great.
Recently, I have been sharing from 1 Corinthians, and during the Bible study, you will find that the issues in the Corinthian church were very serious; that church was very chaotic. So I hope that the people here will not fall into this trap. When I first established this fellowship, I told everyone that we have a rule: No gossiping. No matter what the reason is, you must not do this. Once discovered, I will counsel you, and if you do not listen, you will have to leave because you cannot pollute the entire fellowship. Gossiping can make the whole church chaotic, and in the end, no one will trust anyone. This is a very troublesome matter. If there are two or three such people in a church, that church will be finished.
The harm of gossiping is so great; it can destroy your relationships with people. We must eliminate such things and control our own mouths. If someone speaks ill of another person in front of you and repeats it, what should you do if you have doubts? Go directly to that person. Some say, “I feel embarrassed.” It is precisely because of this embarrassment that the misunderstanding between you continues to exist. If you say, “I don’t think it’s necessary,” it is because you think it’s unnecessary that the misunderstanding persists, ultimately turning friends into enemies.
Let’s look at the verse when the serpent said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” Did God say this? When did God say, “You shall not eat of every tree”? God never said that; what did God say? “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, except for that one.” When the woman heard a different voice, what should she have done?
The correct approach should be: First, directly ask God. Today, when you hear that God is refining you through illness, accidents, disasters, or death, if you indeed have doubts in your heart, you should study the Bible; this is a way to directly ask God.
The second method is to ask your pastor. Are they not part of the same church? Initially, God established a church, and the pastor was Adam, while the believers were Eve. This order is correct; do not laugh; this is a fact.
God spoke directly to Adam, conveying His words, and Adam conveyed the words to Eve. So when the believer has a problem, what should she do? She should either pray to God and ask, “Lord, did You really say not to let us eat of every tree?” Will God answer her? Yes. The second method is that if she truly does not understand, she can also ask Adam, “Dear pastor, please tell me according to God’s words, did God really say we should not eat of every tree?” Can Adam discern? Yes, he directly heard God’s words.
But she did not ask; she made a judgment on her own because the serpent was tempting her step by step, saying, “Look! The fruit of that tree is actually the best; look how beautiful it is. If you eat it, you will become wise and youthful…” Then she thought, “No wonder I can’t eat it; it turns out it’s the best.” Did she ask God? Did she ask her pastor? She made a conclusion on her own: Yes! That’s how it is. So the serpent said, “You will not surely die.” Did God say that? God said clearly: “In the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.” But the serpent said, “Don’t worry; you will not surely die.” This is two different meanings; it may lead to death or it may not. At this point, the serpent said to the woman, “Why don’t you try it?” As a result, the woman saw that the fruit was indeed pleasant to the eyes, and she ate it. Before this, she had already had doubts, right? She doubted God, and as a result, she ate it and found she did not die. So she immediately denied God’s words. After denying it, she had a testimony; that is the problem: taking a testimony to deny the truth. This is a mistake many believers make today. We bring out a conclusion and say, “You don’t know; someone didn’t follow the rules for communion and ended up dead.” Would you dare to eat? No.
At this moment, in front of the pastor, you testify, “Pastor, there’s something wrong with your preaching; didn’t you say that in the day you eat, you shall surely die? I ate, and look, I didn’t die.” Adam said, “But God said…” “Don’t listen to what God said; you must have heard wrong. Think carefully about whether God really said that.” Adam said, “I don’t remember…” At this point, could he have asked God? As a pastor, Adam also did not ask God. Faced with this evidence, he had no choice, “Maybe you are right.” Then Eve said, “Let’s eat; if we die, we die together. Look, I didn’t die; what are you worried about?” In the end, Adam also ate. The reason is that he had a problem; he did not directly ask God. He had doubts about Eve and already had an answer in his heart before asking. That is the problem.
If many people ask you for answers, they already have answers; they are just testing you. If they truly have questions, Jesus will answer them. But many people already have conclusions, so they take this conclusion to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do You say we should do with this woman? The law says she should die.” Doesn’t he already have a conclusion? At this moment, no matter what Jesus says, these people will not listen; they have already been misled.
So brothers and sisters, do you have such situations? If you have developed prejudices or misunderstandings against someone, even if that person does the right thing or says the right words, you still think that person has ulterior motives. Because you already have a conclusion in your heart, and this is actually listening to what others say. Adam and Eve failed in this way. After they failed, how was their relationship? After being driven out of the Garden of Eden, their relationship was indeed much worse than before.
Still, this saying: If you have an opinion about someone, and you hear what others say that makes you uncomfortable, and you cannot get over it, go directly to that person. Do not think it is unnecessary or feel embarrassed; go directly to them and resolve your doubts. Because sometimes when you hear these words from a third person, that person may be taking things out of context.
Let me give you an example; perhaps some people have such doubts. Sometimes even if what you hear is true, it may not be accurate because it is taken out of context. Suppose there is a problem between a couple, and it has escalated to the point of divorce. When I go to find her, how do I say it? She says in front of me, “You don’t know; his temper is so violent…”
I would say, “That’s right! I also think his temper is not good.” The purpose of saying this is to stand with her first, “A true man!” If she says, “His temper is violent; he does nothing at home…” I would directly say, “Don’t you have problems too?” That would be it; there’s no need to resolve it; you and she are on opposing sides, and everything she says after that, she will not listen.
So to resolve their issues, first stand with her and say, “Yes, that’s right! I also think his temper is not good; sometimes he is a bit lazy…” At this point, isn’t her ear opened? After we finish speaking, we can then say, “He still has many strengths.” At this point, we start to talk about his strengths, “Look, he did this for you…” After saying that, she will open her heart and say, “You are right.”
When it comes to him, doesn’t he start to complain too? “That’s right! I also think she is like that; sometimes she is not understanding…” When he hears that, his heart will be opened, and he will be willing to listen to you. You say, “She still has many strengths; you should see what her strengths are… Look at what she did for you…” After saying that, he will say, “It seems you are right.” “Alright! You two make up.” Do they know what you said behind their backs? No.
Now suppose a third party comes in: “That day, Teacher Ren said something to your wife; I heard it all. He said you have a bad temper and that you are not understanding…” That would be it. Is this a fact? Yes, but that person only took out that one sentence, and it’s over; the two of them will hate me together.
So I said, many times, when you have this problem, you must go directly to the person involved; never listen to what a third party says.
The breakdown of Adam and Eve’s relationship was due to believing in the devil’s words. The devil’s work is to separate them; his work is to steal, kill, and destroy; that is his specialty. If we do not understand this, we will be deceived. So we must remember that our relationships with people must be like this. I hope that the people here, if you have an opinion about someone, privately find them and ask them. If they say no, choose to believe them. Even if what others say sounds true, if they deny it, you can believe it, and this matter can be put down. God’s work is to unite us.
1 John 3:8, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
The devil’s work is to destroy; God wants to do the work of unity. The devil wants to kill; Jesus gives you life. Are we not children of God? So what we do now is the work of Jesus, which is to destroy the works of the devil and to manifest Jesus.
So how does Jesus destroy the works of the devil?
We were once enemies with God; we had prejudices against God and fixed ideas, thinking that God does not love us. Jesus came to resolve this issue; He cleansed our sins with His blood, resolving our relationship with God. So now you must remember one thing: your relationship with God is reconciled, permanently reconciled. Even when you fall or are weak, your relationship with God is still reconciled. It is impossible for God to abandon you because of one fall, weakness, or sin; that is definitely wrong. Please remember this conclusion.
Secondly, He also made us harmonious with each other. Before Jesus came, we were suspicious of each other and did not trust each other, but in Jesus Christ, He resolved this issue. How do we see it today? Look at the person next to you; are they redeemed by Jesus and His precious blood? What is their value?
Their value is the same as that of Jesus. So when you look at them, you will understand that you actually see many strengths in them. When you look at them through Jesus, everything becomes much easier; you no longer see their shortcomings. Do they have shortcomings? Yes, everyone has shortcomings. But if it is the devil’s work, he only lets you see their shortcomings, which is troublesome; the more you look, the more problems arise.
In a marriage, before getting married, you see only strengths. I have shared a joke during Bible studies before. When young people are dating, that man may have a violent temper, and his girlfriend says that is called having personality. If he wears clothes with holes and has no proper job, the girlfriend says that is called being handsome.
After getting married, all of that becomes shortcomings because the perspective has changed. So how should we look? We should look at everyone through Jesus.
If you want to resolve issues in a marriage, the method is also very simple: look at each other through Jesus and then pray for him (or her). Some people may take a long time to change their habits, but that’s okay; looking at them through Jesus will give you patience to endure their shortcomings.
Many times, if it were not for the power of Jesus, no one would be willing to be in ministry. Managing a church is actually the most difficult. In a business, there are systems; if you don’t do well, they will deduct your salary and let you go. But in a church, it is centered on love; these coercive means do not work in a church. So when various people in the church constantly cause trouble, what should we do?
We can see that we should pray for them because they are still spiritual infants. Once they grow up, they will naturally realize that their past behavior was quite absurd. Before they grow, we must first look at this person through Jesus. This is the Son of God manifesting to destroy the works of the devil, allowing us to be united with one another.
I want to remind you again, if you have an opinion about me, you must come to me privately because I do not know when I have offended you. The reason is simple: I am the one who speaks the most here; “In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking,” as Proverbs says. Controlling one’s lips is wisdom, but I cannot control it, so I do not know when I have caused you to stumble. Some people, when they hear me preach, say, “So-and-so said he wants to kill you; a third person told me that you offended him.” I say, “What happened?”
You guess what happened?
That person said, “I heard your sermon; why did you say that about me?”
I said, “Who are you?”
He said, “You don’t know me, yet you talked about my business!”
I said, “I really don’t know who you are; I don’t know your situation.”
In the end, I said, “When you hear this, you may feel hurt, but the comfort God gives you afterward should also be heard. I don’t know your situation; I really don’t know you. If my words have indeed hurt you, I apologize. But I want to tell you another fact: when you hear this, that is God comforting you. He does not want you to continue on the wrong path, so God’s comfort has come to you. You must remember the latter part.”
I said I don’t know when I have caused some people to stumble. So in these last days, as I just told you, we must have a correct understanding of our relationship with God. Do not just listen to what others say; others’ testimonies are only for your reference, but testimonies are not the truth. You need to look directly through God’s words to see how His promises speak to you. The same goes for relationships with people; if there are misunderstandings, find them privately to resolve them. Once resolved, you can let go of the past. The end of all things is near; the devil’s work is rampant; he always wants to divide us, but we must love one another in the Lord.
Let’s read a verse from 1 Peter 4:7-8,
7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Amen!
When we love one another in the church and support each other, you will not see their sins. At the same time, when you truly love him (or her), they will no longer want to sin. Children are actually like this; if a child keeps making mistakes and you constantly criticize and condemn them…
In the end, they will keep committing sins because they feel their parents do not love them. But if they make mistakes, and you encourage and help them, one day they will no longer want to do those things. The same goes for our relationships with brothers and sisters. I hope that brothers and sisters will truly pray more before God, believing that God loves you and will never forsake you. Use this love to look at your brothers and sisters; do not listen to what others say. You should directly know your God and also directly find the person you feel has a problem and communicate with them privately. God’s love will resolve all of this.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for helping us through today’s words. I am willing to know You directly. You have written Your promises and Your intentions in the Bible. I am willing to confirm myself through Your words in the Bible. I know that Jesus died for my sins on the cross, so today God accepts me.
Father, You love me. No matter where I go, You will not forsake me. No matter what others say about me, I am willing to align myself with Your words in the Bible. Your words are the standard of my faith. I also wish to carry this love and strength to interact with my brothers and sisters.
In my work, in my life, in my family, I will use Your love to look at all the people around me and pray for them because many people do not understand us because they are spiritual infants. I am willing to pray for them so that they can grow.
Lord! You grant me this strength to improve my relationships and let me have Your love to love all the people around me because You said that when we love one another, it shows that we are truly Your children. May we brothers and sisters love one another. Thank and praise You, Father! Thank You for giving me such words. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!