John 5:16-23
Honouring and giving glory to God is the first assignment of believers. Jesus Christ demonstrated how believers should live by honouring the Father in all that He did. One of the obstacles believers face is the flesh – John 6:63-64 | Romans 8:8.
In the leading verses, Jesus Christ was persecuted for several reasons:
- For proclaiming Himself as the Son of God – Matthew 7:21 | Matthew 10:32 | John 5:19 | Matthew 26:39 – Jesus Christ acknowledged and honoured God as His Father in and for every situation. Jesus Christ was accused of blasphemy and the people were shielded from the truth about Jesus Christ – Matthew 1:21.
- For defiling their religious practices. Jesus Christ healed many people on the Sabbath – Matthew 12:9-13 | John 5:7-9 – the pharisees and the religious leaders promoted their religious beliefs above God and His word. And it is still happening up until today.
- Jesus allowed His disciples to break the traditions and the customs of men – Matthew 12:1-8 – it is unfortunate that in the so-called Christian religious circles, their focus is no longer on God but practices or and traditions of men. Instead of giving God the glory, religious leaders define God by their limited acts of worship and do not allow God to express His glory through their lives.
Giving God the glory is not about singing or praising God through songs alone but more about representing and acknowledging God in every facet of life, life’s circumstances and actions. It is about doing exactly what the Word of God requires of you to do in every situation without thinking of what people would say. The call on our lives is to glorify and honour the Father through Jesus Christ in our hearts, speech and actions.
In the passage read, Jesus Christ acknowledged His total dependence on and obedience to the Will of God – John 5:17-23.
Discussion:
- Pride resides in the heart – Proverbs 11:2 | Proverbs 16:5 | Proverbs 16:18 – how can a man purge his heart of pride?
- Pride was found in Satan – Isaiah 14:12-15. The following are some of the symptoms of a prideful heart – Doubt & Fear – Matthew 14:31 | Entitlement – Luke 22:26 | Ingratitude – Philippians 2:14-15 | People-pleasing – Galatians 1:10 | Prayerlessness – Jonah 1:3, 2:1 | Hypocrisy – Matthew 23:27 | Rebellion – Genesis 3. All these are some of the traits that rule in our world, what is the answer to curb worldliness? Give Bible verses or examples.
- Jesus Christ honoured and glorified God in all of His sayings and deeds – discuss the following ways of honouring God – Heart – Isaiah 29:13 | Proverbs 3:5 | Proverbs 4:23 | Proverbs 23:26 | Temple – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 | 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 | Time – Psalms 144:4 | Isaiah 58:13-14 | Colossians 4:5 | Talents – Matthew 25:14-30 | Treasure – Proverbs 3:9 | Malachi 3:10.
Prayer.
