The real deal, conclusion

¹⁴ Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. ¹⁵ The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
¹⁶ Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. ¹⁷ Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. ¹⁸ Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

We talked yesterday about how Jesus is the real deal, because everything He did was about honoring God the Father.
Let's dig in!
Look back at some of the things we have studied so far in John's gospel.
When Jesus talked to the woman at the well, He did it to honor God:

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24)

He healed the man at the pool of Bethesda -- to honor God

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. (John 5:19-30)

Most recently we studied the feeding of the five thousand: before He fed them, He blessed the basket of food and thanked the Father for the loaves and fishes. Then, when the meal was over, and the baskets of leftovers were gathered up, He gave the honor again to God.

How much more, then, should we do all for the glory of God and His Son, Jesus Christ!

Sometimes we work for God and we feel woebegone, and slighted, and blue. We should know in our hearts that God sees us and sees our hard work for Him. His reward is sure!

We may not receive applause from man, but we will receive acknowledgment from God. He doesn't forget what we do to honor Him.
Are we committed to following the revealed will of God? To learning and growing and being able to discern the will of God that He has for our future? If we are the real deal, we must be ready to be obedient to Him.

Are we the real deal?
When we speak, are we talking about His acts, or about our own? Are we seeking His kingdom, or our own reputation and applause from men? Are we honoring Him? Exalting Him?
Are we seeking His glory?

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  (Matthew 5:16)

Lord, help us to interested in glorifying you, instead of ourselves.