Welcome to the defender Bible study, a weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of scripture and prayer to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is a ministry follow us begins by being rooted in God's word.

It's Monday, February 2025, and I'm coming to you from Birmingham, Alabama. Well, today, we are continuing our study on the book of John, the gospel of John, and specifically, we're going to be looking at John chapter seven verses one through 24. What I wanna be reminded of is that Lifeline, our mission is deeply rooted in the gospel, a mission to glorify Christ as we care for vulnerable children and families. And this work often places us in a world with varied mixed reactions, encouragement from those who share our vision, misunderstanding from those who don't share the vision and the mission, and sometimes outright rejection from a culture that struggles to see the value of gospel centered work for the most vulnerable. In John chapter seven verses one to 24, we encounter Jesus navigating a similar tension.

He faces the skepticism of his own brothers, the hostility of religious leaders, and the confusion of the crowds. Yet in every step, Jesus demonstrates unwavering faithfulness to the father's mission. He models trust in God's timing, a commitment to proclaiming truth over seeking applause, and a focus on eternal impact rather than a temporary recognition. As we study this passage, we'll see how Jesus's example speaks directly to our works as believers, but also to the work of lifeline. You see, like Christ, we're called to work with humility, trust in God's sovereignty, and focus on eternal purposes.

Even when the world around us doesn't fully understand or embrace what we do, we're called to do it with passion and zeal. So let's look at John chapter seven one to 24 and and explore how Jesus navigated rejection, misunderstanding, and opposition with steadfast faithfulness. And I believe his example will encourage us to persevere in our calling, to glorify God in our ministry, and to point others to the hope of the gospel. So verse one of John chapter seven. After this, Jesus went into Galilee.

He would not go about in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of booth was at hand, so his brother said to him, leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples may also see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For not even his brothers believed in him.

And Jesus said to them, my time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I'm not going up to this feast for my time has not fully come. After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

Verse 10, but after this, his brothers had gone up to the feast. Then he also went up, not publicly, but in private. The Jews were looking for him at the feast saying, where is he? And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, he is a good man, others said, no.

He is leading the people astray. Yet for fear of the Jews, no one spoke openly of him. About the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled saying, how is it that this man has learning when he has never studied? So Jesus answered them, my teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or rather I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me? And the crowd answered, you have a demon who is seeking to kill you?

But Jesus answered them, I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision, not that it's from Moses, but from the fathers, and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. You see, we see Jesus navigating opposition and misunderstanding as he attends the Feast of Booths.

His brothers, not not yet believing in him, urge him to make a public display of his power, but Jesus chooses to follow the father's timing rather than worldly expectations. You see, his brothers want miracles so they can impress the crowd, but Jesus teaches and is concerned about glorifying the father and seeing hearts change. So quietly going to the feast, Jesus begins teaching with authority, astonishing the crowds with his wisdom and exposing their hypocrisy. Some marvel at his words while others plot against him. But through it all, Jesus reveals the centrality of his mission to do the father's will, to proclaim the truth, and to call people to judge rightly, not by appearances, but by the standard of God.

And so this passage highlights the tension between divine purpose and human misunderstanding, and pointing us to Christ's unwavering obedience to the father's plan. So four points that show us Jesus' mission and the world's response. First, Jesus goes to the feast privately, not publicly. Jesus' acts were according to the father's will, not worldly expectation or human pressure. You see, verse three tells us that his brothers wanted him to leave and go to Judea.

Why? So that the disciples may see the works you are doing. Jesus's brothers had urged him to go to Judea publicly to gain recognition, But Jesus goes privately, verse five, on the father's timetable, showing his commitment to God's mission, not human ambition. And so his actions demonstrate his sovereignty and submission to the father's plan. The work of God is not about seeking human applause, but about faithful obedience to his will.

R. C. Sproul said in the holiness of God, God's sovereignty is not an abstract doctrine, is the comforting truth that his purposes cannot fail. Jesus, unlike us, did not seek to exalt himself, but perfectly submitted to the father's will, even in the face of pressure from his own family. In John two four, Jesus' response to his mother at the wedding in Cana was, my my hour has not yet come, and this echoes his trust in the father's timing.

Jesus wasn't looking to win the masses. He was looking to amass sacrificial disciples and followers who would change the world. Each year at Lifeline, we put together our annual report, and we have to put it together in order to show people the effectiveness of our ministries. And over my twenty two years, as the years go by, the numbers and the effectiveness of ministry has grown. But as I look each year at those numbers, I'm reminded of the women, the children, and the families those numbers reflect.

Real souls, real lives, and real hearts. So even as the impact of Lifeline's ministry grows and the notoriety may grow, we must never forget that the most important number is the one right in front of us. Let's seek to serve in private, not for the applause

of the

masses. Jesus says this in the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew chapter six verses four to six. He says, so that your giving may be in secret and your father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they may be seen by others.

Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret and your father who sees in secret, he'll reward you. Paul writes to the Galatians in Galatians one ten, for am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Beloved, we must be reminded that we serve the pleasure of God's will and his glorious gospel over human opinion or demands. The second way we see Jesus' mission and the world's response, Jesus goes public with teaching, not miracles.

You see, Jesus prioritizes truth over spectacle, pointing people to the father through his teaching, verse 14. When Jesus finally arrives at the feast, he begins teaching in the temple rather than performing miracles. His focus is on revealing the father's truth and glorifying him, not drawing attention to himself. His teaching challenges the crowd to discern whether his doctrine comes from God. In basic Christianity, John Stott writes this, he says, the purpose of Jesus's teaching is to reveal the father and glorify him.

His works and words are inseparable because they both flow from God's truth. When Jesus speaks at the feast, it's to teach the truth. His words astonish the crowd because they reveal divine wisdom and authority. Jesus' emphasis on teaching rather than the miraculous, it shows that his faith and our faith must be rooted in understanding and the belief in the word of God, not in signs and wonders. And beloved, isn't it true?

We we want the signs and wonders. We want to see the display of power, but God's truth comes in in the Bible. It comes in his words. Even his words spoke into existence the very beginning. R.

C. Spruill says the word of God is sharper than any two edged sword. Why? Because it penetrates the soul. And not only does it penetrate the soul, but it's his truth that is his word.

Jesus' teaching pierces through the superficial expectations of the people, confronting them with the truth of God's kingdom. Jesus' example calls us to prioritize gospel truth in our work. While practical help is critical, our ultimate mission is to share the word that brings eternal life. This means pointing families and children to the hope of the gospel above all else. Matthew four two through four, after fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry and the tempter came to him and he said, if you are the son of god, command these stones to become loaves of bread.

But he answered, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Beloved, the power of our ministry, the power of Lifeline's ministry is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can feed empty bellies, show love to lonely children, and bring restoration to women and families, but without without the word of God and the gospel, they will still be empty. John 12 verses 49 through 50. Jesus says, for I have not spoken on my own authority, but the father who sent me has himself given me a commandment, what to say and what to speak.

And I know that this commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the father has told me. As a ministry, may Lifeline always consistently speak the truth. The third way we see Jesus's mission and the world's response is that the world rejects Jesus, but not his brothers. You see, the world's rejection of Jesus reveals its rebellion against God.

While all along his brothers misunderstand his mission, they were looking for fame not humility. And Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of the crowd who accuse him while failing to follow the law of themselves. His brothers too failed to grasp his mission, seeking merely recognition for him. And this reflects the world's ongoing resistance to Jesus and the misunderstanding of God's word and work. You see, the world does not value humility, but it would rather exalt self.

That is why the rejected one humbled himself to the point of death. And Jesus explains the reason for the world's rejection of him. He says, he testifies that its works are evil, verse seven. His brothers who still view him from a worldly perspective don't face the same hostility. This rejection reveals the deep spiritual divide between those who follow god's truth and those who resist it.

And we must be reminded that gospel work often leads to rejection because it confronts the brokenness of the world with the truth of Christ. People want physical help not to be told how broken they are. But until we realize that we are broken and needy, we will never be in a place to accept the grace that will miraculously alter our lives. John one ten through 11, he, Jesus, the word was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own people did not receive him.

Beloved, when we follow Jesus and exalt him in ministry, there are many who will misunderstand. Sometimes it will even be those who should be the most close to us like Jesus's brothers. Like Jesus's brothers in the crowd, the world often misunderstands and opposes gospel driven work. When faced with rejection or misunderstanding, we must remain faithful, knowing that God sees and blesses the work we do for him through the gospel. And the fourth way we see Jesus's mission and the world's response, faith and gladness in God's grace, not man's praise.

You see, true faith rest in God's work and grace, seeking his glory rather than human approval. Jesus confronts the crowd's shallow judgment, urging them to judge righteously and to look beyond appearances. He points them to the heart of the law, God's grace and mercy, which they have utterly missed. Faith, Jesus teaches, is about aligning with God's purposes, not seeking the praise of others. I love what John Piper says.

He says, faith is gladness in God that makes him look supremely valuable even when the world opposes him. True faith finds joy in God's grace, not in the fleeting applause of others. Jesus challenges the crowd to judge rightly, not by appearances, but by God's standard. True faith rejoices in God's grace rather than seeking human approval, and this challenges us to our root. It challenges the root of our joy in God's work and not in earthly recognition.

And for Lifeline, this is a call to focus on the eternal impact of serving vulnerable children and families even when the world may not fully understand or celebrate that work. Galatians six fourteen, but but far be it from me to boast except in the cross of the lord Jesus Christ by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Isaiah fifty five eight through nine, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your hearts. So as we serve children and families, our faith should reflect gladness in god's grace.

This means finding joy in his work and his purposes, even when we don't receive human praise or recognition. Jesus' action and words in John seven one through 24 show his unwavering commitment to the father's will, his emphasis on truth, and his rejection of worldly values. So four quick application points, may we first seek God's timing. We need to follow Jesus' example by trusting God's perfect plan for every aspect of our lives and ministry. But second, we need to proclaim truth faithfully.

We must prioritize teaching and living out the gospel in everything that we do, focusing on eternal transformation. But then third, we need to stand firm in friendly misunderstanding and worldly opposition. When the world misunderstands or reject our work, remain faithful, knowing that you serve a greater purpose. And when our brothers misunderstand, we must still remain faithful to the gospel call that's been placed on our lives. And then fourth, rejoice in God's grace.

Let our faith reflect joy in God's work and glory rather than seeking human approval. May we serve as Jesus did, humbly, faithfully, and focused on glorifying the father above. Well, thanks for joining us for this Thunder Bible study. This week, we are praying specifically for the country of Bulgaria and for Lifeline's ministry in Bulgaria. First, we wanna pray for our international adoption team that works in the Bulgaria program, for our partners as well on the ground, FNA and Nadia.

We're gonna pray for wisdom and guidance from the Lord for all of those those the staff members, but we also wanna pray for the children, the children who are waiting, the children who need help. And then we wanna pray for families in the process and more families to come into the process to adopt these children. Let's pray. Father god, we thank you so much for the opportunity to work in the nation of Bulgaria. We thank you for the favor by which you have given our team.

I pray specifically for Brianna and Timmy Ann and Jordan and Caroline as they continue to work in the Bulgaria program, as they continue to serve families and children and even our partners on the ground. I pray that you give them wisdom and guidance and clarity in everything that they do. And, Lord, for our partners on the ground, for for FMA and and for Nadia and and for all of those, even the government that we are working with, I pray that you would would bless them and keep them. I pray your face would shine upon them. Lord, I pray that you would help our relationships to continue to grow.

I pray for wisdom and guidance from you, oh Lord. And, Father, we pray for even the communication between our team members and those on the ground, and the government, and the orphanages, would you give us clarity in communication? And, certainly, we pray for the children of Bulgaria. We pray for those that are longing for a family that loves them. We pray for both international and domestic adoption to be possible for those that desperately need a family.

We pray that referrals would be issued to you unite children with forever families. We also pray for the health of so many of the children in Bulgaria, and I I I specifically think of the orphanage in Plevin for the the health of those kids. Would they be able to acquire the medical and emotional care that they need even while in orphanages and foster homes? Lord, we just ask that more families would come to our program with a desire to adopt older children, these older children who are waiting for homes, children with with significant needs, but also sibling groups so they would not have to be separated. Lord, we just ask that you, as the father of the fatherless, would love on these kids, would show them your grace.

And, father, we also pray for all the families in the Bulgarian adoption process. We pray for a smooth and streamlined process and and that you would move and help move, along the process as quickly as possible. We ask for the families who've been waiting. We pray that they'd have peace and that they would trust in your timing. We ask that referrals would be issued and paperwork would be completed in a timely manner.

And, lord, we pray that these families would be preparing their hearts and homes now for these children. And, lord, last but certainly not least, we pray for our partner in Bulgaria, Bulgaria without orphans. You give them great favor as they continue to equip the church to manifest this glorious gospel to orphans and vulnerable children. Because it's for your gospel, for your namesake that we do this work. It's for your glory, oh Lord, and may you be glorified in Bulgaria.

Christ's name we pray. Amen. Thanks again for joining us for

the Defender Bible Study. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the defender bible study to make it easier for more people to find. For more resources and information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, please visit us at lifelinechild.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child. You can email us directly at info@lifelinechild.org.

We look forward to seeing you again next week for the defender bible study.