You want my mind to be in one direction, and I forget things. You know, the Lord has to overrule everything. It's not dependent on us at all. It's not one iota. Aren't you glad about that? Because we're so fickle, finite, forgetful, foolish, fallen, fallible creatures, aren't we? And it's just not by might or power, it's by my Spirit, saith the Lord. Salvation of the Lord. That's not fatalism, that's our hope in it.

For us and our children, the Word preached. God's sheep are going to hear His voice. And they don't need, the Lord doesn't need means, but he uses means. He may use them, might not. It's up to him. A long time there was no Mixler. Thousands of years. Have people here? Have people come? Hmm, I wonder. He said, I'll say to the north and the east and the south and gather them up and bring them from the fire.

But that being said, Lord willing, we're going to start videoing these services real soon. I hope the Lord uses it.

John 13, as someone said, the greatest sermon ever preached It actually begins here in chapter 13 through chapter 16. It's followed by the greatest prayer ever prayed. We looked at it last Sunday, didn't we? It was a private sermon. This sermon was not preached to the world, was it? Preached to his own. They heard it. And they greatly profited from it. That prayer was not for the world, was it? No. It was for His own. His own sheep. His disciples. His children.

Are you? Are you owned by the Lord? The title of this message, the subject, is The Lord's Love for His Own. Are you one of His? Do you belong to Him? He belonged to you. I am my beloved's and He is mine. Christ said, Thine are mine and mine are Thine, that they may be one. God the Father loves His people. Christ loves His people. And in this chapter, He declares that love for His people. Does God love you? Do you want to know? Do you want to be loved by God? Do you want to be loved by Christ? I'm here to tell you. I say that a lot, and that's why it's true, and I'm here for this one purpose, to tell you of His great love for His people and His great work for His people and great salvation.

The love of Christ, the gospel, our Lord illustrates it here. If you've never heard this, I envy you. Verse 1 begins, now, before the feast of the Passover. Stop right there. It began with the Passover, didn't it? Salvation begins with the Passover, doesn't it? When the Lord told Moses, when the Lord said, I have heard my people's groaning and I have come down to bring them out, to bring them up, to bring them into a land that floweth with milk and honey, how did he get them How did he come down? What did he reveal that was going to bring them out, to bring them up, to bring them to God? The Passover lamb. They were in the midst of Egypt. They weren't of Egypt. I told myself, if you don't get past verse 1, you're not going to deal with it. But this is where it begins, and our salvation begins with where? The blood. God said, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. What does the blood mean to you? The blood of Christ. When I see the blood, I'll pass over you.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Passover. Paul said, Christ, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us. Verse 1 says, Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knew that His hour was come. You remember that? His hour, this hour, for this cause came out of this hour, the moment in time that all time and eternity pointed to. this hour, this time in time that everything before and after depends upon. When Christ the Lord would hang on Calvary's tree and everything, the salvation of God's people, the Kingdom of God, you and yours, hung on this like that nail in a sure place. And this is, you could It can only be said of Christ himself, his finest hour. The hour, the moment in time, pointed to and pointed back to when Christ hung on that cross. Satan was defeated. All the principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world were taken captive. Sin, death, and hell. He abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the gospel of Christ's crucifixion. His people were redeemed. Their sins were paid for. They were ransomed by one payment. The blood of Christ. Bought with a price. Now they're not their own. They're not their own. They are His own, bought and paid for, redeemed by His precious blood.

Is this precious to you? Who does God love? Who does Christ love? Is this gospel precious to you? Do you need a Passover lamb? Every man must have a lamb. Do you need a lamb? Do you have one? Who is that? Christ in every man. Can you say that from the bottom of your heart? Is He precious to you? To those who believe, He's precious. Do you know you weren't redeemed with corruptible things? You're not redeemed, saved by your works. You know that, don't you? What are you redeemed by? The precious blood of the Lamb. So Christ came, He lived, He died. Verse 1, so He was coming to this world for this hour that He should depart out of the world unto the Father. Our Lord came into the world. He lived. He died. He was buried. He rose again. It all depends on that, doesn't it? He did. He ever lives. He said that, didn't He, in Revelation 1? At the very end, I was dead. I'm alive forevermore. He rose. Where'd He go? Like after the story here, He went and sat back down, took His robe, sat back down. Where? At the right hand of the... See if this gives you a little joy, peace and comfort. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, on the circle of the earth, reigning and ruling with power over all flesh. Everything does His pity. Nothing and no one can move, writhe or wriggle without the Lord Jesus Christ giving direction by His will. Do you like that? The world hates it. Only God's people. He gives them a love for the truth. I just told you the truth. I just told you the truth as it is in that man named Jesus. He's not just Jesus, he's God. He's a true and living God. reigning and ruling over all. He came to do a job the Father gave him, a work, and he finished it. He didn't try it, he finished it. Went back after the work was over, assumed his regal and royal robes, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and there he sits, expecting everything to be done exactly like he purposed it, and everybody he paid for would be brought in. And it's going to happen. You can hang your soul on that. You better. You like that? I see some smiles. I see some head nods. You must not be of the world because the world is not interested. They're not preaching this. They don't believe this. They don't believe this God. They don't believe this Christ. They don't need this land. They're not that bad a sinner. The sons of Jacob are. All of them. Does God love you? Does Christ love you? This is what He does. He reveals to you His gospel. I'm getting way ahead of myself, but not really. It's the first and it's the last, and this is all in between. It said he was departing out of the world, but he's still reigning and ruling over it. Psalm 146.10. That was the last verse Wednesday night, wasn't it? The Lord reigneth forever and ever. When it announced the birth of that child, we may look at that next Sunday. It's a wonderful story to look at. He said, of His government, Isaiah 9, 6, of His government, His reign and rule, how long is it going to last? No end. Aren't you glad? Kingdoms come and kingdoms go, but not the kingdom of our Lord is everlasting. The world without Him. Reign and ruling, do you believe does that make you glad?

Now look at verse 1. Having loved His own, which were in the world. He loved them unto the end. Having loved His own, the people that He owned. Does the Lord own you? Do you want to be owned by Him? Not your own? John 10. Go over to John 10. John chapter 10. His own. They are called many things. His own, those he owns, those he bought and paid for, those that were given to him by the Father. They're called many things. They're called his own sheep. Look at John 10, verse 1. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber, but he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. His own. Look at verse 14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and have known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. That's not just doctrine, is it? It's truth. He laid down his life for the sheep, not goats. He didn't die for everybody. The whole gospel depends on this, people. The particular effectual atonement of Jesus Christ for his people. The blood applied, the Passover lamb slain, and the blood applied and poured on the mercy seat for God's people. The whole of our salvation depends on that. I lay down my life for the sheep. Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice. There shall be one fold and one shepherd. One fold, one shepherd. Look at verse 24. Then came the Jews, the religious people, round about him. They were everywhere as now. And said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? There's a great controversy today, isn't it? Not with God's people. It's without controversy. Is He God or is He man? It's not controversial to us, is it? God was manifesting today. It's a mystery, but it's not a controversy. No, you don't. If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly, Lord Jesus answered, I told you, and you believed not. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. Sounds emphatic, doesn't it? It sounds dogmatic, doesn't it? It is. It's everything according to His Word, His will. And look at this, I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. So what he's saying is they belong to me and they belong to my father and nobody's going to have them. They're mine. They're my own. He owns them. Cannot he do with his own what he will? Yes, and he does. And nobody and nothing can do anything with them. Nothing moves and nothing harms them. Like old Job. Satan wanted him to. Couldn't touch him. Doesn't that make you glad?

Back to John 13. His own, they're called his people. They're called his, yes, his elect. Here I go again. Yes, isn't it wonderful? That's what he called them, didn't he? Mine elect. You send the angels, and it's all over, in four corners of the earth, to gather His own, His elect, to come, you bless Him, My Father, into the kingdom prepared for you before the world began. That's John 14. I go to prepare. His elect. His little children. They're called little children.

Look at verse 33. He said this to these grown men. He said this often. Little children. My little children. Little children. He called them little children. Like sheep. Little children. Infants. Toddlers. That's what he speaks of. Very weak. A sheep. I meant to say this, but I've said it many times.

You know, sheep are about the most weak and helpless and gullible and creature on earth. Every predator on earth, they're nothing. There's no match for predators. A wolf or lion or whomever. Is that you? Are you weak? They're totally dependent. Sheep are totally dependent, especially on little land. They're ignorant. They're not smart creatures. No, no, no, no. You have to be smart to follow. You have to have a good shepherd. They're dirty. They look good at a distance. Get up close. They're followers. They're needy. Their life depends on a shepherd. Sheep must have a shepherd. Is that you?

Little children. Little children, he called them. They're weak. They're little in their strength. They're little in their faith. How much do you believe Jesus Christ? Anybody willing to hold their hand up and say, I have great faith, without a shadow of a doubt, I believe. Not one. Our Lord kept telling his disciples, his apostles, oh ye of little faith, little children. Is that you?

Little children. This is meant to give you great comfort. This is meant to examine yourself whether you be of the faith, or that is, whether your salvation depends on Jesus Christ or on you. Your love for Him or His love for you. Huh? Are you a little child? That little baby? Who does that baby depend on? That mother. Weak, little, we're little in faith, we're little in understanding. After all these years of hearing the Gospel, how much do you know of God's Word? Anybody? You're ashamed of that lack of understanding. Courage. How much courage? What does it take to make you afraid? After all these years?

Our Lord said that His disciples were with Him and watched Him and heard Him and saw Him do the most amazing works. How could someone not believe seeing and hearing what they saw and heard? But they didn't. And our Lord said in rebuke to them, I've been so long time with you and you don't know Me. How is it? Because they're little children. Is that you?

Rejoice. Don't hang your head. I want you to smile. Because this is to you. He's talking to you. Little children. Little in their own eyes. What do you think of yourself? You know only little children need a great Savior. Great sinners need a great Savior. Well, look at verse 1. His own, which were in the world. He knows that we're in this world. That's why I came. I want you to stay with me if you don't hear another thing. He knows our frame. One of the most comforting verses in all the Bible, Psalm 103, 13. As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. He knows our frame. We're in this world. And we're no match for it.

Tell me, you older believers, does the world still have any gravity, any pull, any appeal? Huh? We worry about our children, as we should, going out in the world. If the Lord doesn't do something, they're going to be overcome. If He doesn't do something for us, us adults, little children, you're no match for this world.

having loved his own that were in the world. That's why he came into this world. He came into this world to save, not show the way to be saved, get saved, or do that you might, you know. No, no, no. To save. To do the saving. To save them from the God of this world. From this world, he said. Be of good cheer, he said. He said, in this world you're going to have tribulations and trials and temptations. You're going to feel it's pulling. It's going to drag you down. And you're going to be threatened by it and pulled by it until the day you die. And your hope is, he said, be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. I reign and rule. And nothing happens to you except what I will and what I allow and what I direct and what I decree. For you are good in my glory. You're in my hands. Boy, I love that. You've got to shout that. If you were up here, you'd have shouted that too. This is our salvation.

Well, religion says God has no hands, but your hands. Then you better ditch that God because He can't save. Our salvation is completely dependent on the One in whose hands my breath is and all my ways. Go to sleep at night. But he that keepeth Israel doesn't sleep.

Having loved his own that were in the world. That's why he came into the world, the children. He put a taker of flesh and blood like that to save them. They're fearful all their life of death. And he came to kill death. Bring life and immortality to life through the gospel. What is the gospel? What is the gospel? One word. It's not a what, it's a Jesus Christ. The good news is Christ reigns. Christ lived, that's the good news. Christ died, that's the good news. Christ arose, that's the good news. Christ reigns, that's the good news. Christ is all.

Having loved His own, which are in the world, how long did He love them? to the end. Love never fails. And herein is love. Not that we love God, but that He loved us. Oh, what comfort. What comfort. He knows we're in the world. We love Him. And the only reason we do is because He first loved us. And He loves His own to the end.

When is the end? When do I begin? When is the end? I've preached 24 minutes. Go to Matthew 24. Matthew 24. When is the end? You know, there's going to be an end to this world. Do you believe that? You know, our Lord Jesus Christ spoke about it more than anybody. Always kept telling them. And he told his apostles, and they kept him. Paul, James, Peter, Matthew 24. When is the end of this world? His disciples asked him just that question.

Verse 3, As he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? He said, take heed, no man deceive you. Now you know no man can deceive you if Christ gives you an understanding that you might know Him that is true. If you hear His Word and believe on Him and look to Him, no man can deceive you. You know that? You follow Him, no man can deceive you. You won't follow a man, except that man that follows Christ. You know that? You know what your safeguard is from being deceived? The Word of God. Word of God.

This is Christ's word to His disciples. Verse 5, Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ. What does that mean? Many say Jesus is Christ. Many say that. Well, so it's there. No, no, no, no, no. They're deceiving many.

You'll hear of wars and rumors of war. Verse 6, Don't be troubled. All these things must come to pass. Who sends wars? Who does that? The Lord does. Nations shall rise against nations. Kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilences, earthquakes. Just one in Japan. It's not going to end until the end. All these are the beginning of sorrow.

They're going to deliver you up to be afflicted. He's talking to His disciples. They'll kill you. You're going to be hated of all nations for my name's sake. He said that to his disciples privately. And he says that to every single one of his disciples. His own. Every one of them are going to be hated. Why? For his name's sake. For his glory's sake. For his truth's sake. For his gospel's sake. If you believe this gospel, somebody's going to hate you. He said that.

Does the Lord love you? Does God love you? Did Christ die for you? Did he preach you the truth? He says in verse 10, many shall be offended and betray one another. In another place, he said that man's foes will be those of his own household. He said, I've come to set a man at variance against his father and a woman against her mother-in-law and so on and so forth. Has that happened to you? That's what the Lord says. It's going to be that way to the end.

Verse 11, many false prophets shall rise, deceive many. Oh, my, you see them, don't you? You know them. You've judged them. You've tested them. You've tried these spirits, haven't you? 1 John 4. Yes, you have. That's what he said to the church in Revelation. You found them that say they're apostles, and they're not.

Verse 12, "...because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold..." Love of God, love of the truth, love of one another. "...but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." How are you going to endure? Who is he that overcometh to the end? This is he that overcometh, he that believeth. Keep believing the truth. Keeps hearing His truth. Never tires of this truth, of the gospel. And hears and believes and lays hold of and never lets go, by the grace of God, of this blessed truth. And dies in the faith in the end. That's it.

Look at the next verse. And this Gospel, verse 14, of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations. Then shall the end come. And he went on. Read the rest of it for yourself. He said, watch. Wait. You don't know when I'm coming. But look.

And in Luke 21, don't you love that? He said, when you see all this coming back, trouble, tribulation, trials, a wicked, perverted world? He says, lift up your head. Look up. Your redemption is very soon. The end is about.

You know what the last words in this Bible are? The end. And right before that, He said, behold, I come quickly. You know what the amen says? They say, amen. Even so, come quickly, Lord.

Do you long to see Jesus Christ? Do you long for the end to come? The only reason you don't want Him to come yet is there's somebody you have a burden for. That's it. Men and I are getting old and we're happy about it. Except for the aches and pains and the mind gone But we're real happy about it. We wouldn't turn back the clock for nothing. And our hope is, my hope is this year, well, I got to go on. Look at, look at our text. Go back to John 13. Look at it. Here it is. Our Lord illustrates how he loves his people. How he loved his people to the end. What he did for them. How he did to save them. That's what this is all about. Him washing feet. Knowing, verse 3, the Father had given all things in his hand, he was come from God, went to God, he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself.

Oh, this is much more than a lesson in humility. This is the gospel. Our Lord arose from the right hand of the majesty on high one day, long before you and I were ever born. He rose up from heaven itself, robed Himself, veiled Himself in flesh, veiled Himself in a robe of flesh. We sang last night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Listen to this. If I can find it. What number is it? It said, Veiled in flesh the incarnate being. Robed in flesh. He veiled himself. Took upon himself an earthly body. A towel. That's a common thing, isn't it? That's not a beautiful thing. You don't wear towels out in public, do you? Look at my towel. Well, but it's a useful thing. Don't you love big cotton towels?

Our Lord robed Himself in flesh. No beauty or comeless we should desire Him, but He took upon Himself a robe, a veil of flesh, covered Himself. He didn't take off His heavenly garments. He didn't cease to be God when He came here. He veiled Himself. One day on the mountain, He took three chosen disciples, like He does now, up on the mountain to see who He really is. And He peeled back that flesh. And they couldn't look on His countenance as the sun that shines in all His strength. He robed Himself in this towel. And he took a towel and girded himself, verse 5, and after that he poureth water into a basin.

Oh my. He poured out his soul unto death. He robed himself in flesh. He was veiled in flesh. He took upon himself the likeness of sinful flesh, without sin. Why? To be made sin. To be made a sacrifice for sin. The soul that sinneth must surely die. He poured out His soul. The soul that sinneth must surely die. When I see the blood, I'll pass over you. He poured out His precious blood to save the souls of His people. He wasn't spilt. He was poured into a basin. There was not a drop wasted. Understand that? Our Lord didn't throw His blood out there for men to walk on. For anybody to accept it. No, no, no. It was particularly applied. Remember the sprinkling? It was applied. That blood was taken. That precious blood was taken by that high priest alone into the Holy of Holies within the veil. into the Holy of Holies and poured out on the mercy seat and not one drop hit the ground. It covered every precious drop. It covered that broken law and covered the sins and paid for the sins. All the sins of all of God's people. Every drop. How many drops of blood are in your body? You can't count them. Our Lord died for a people without number, but He has some number. And there's a drop of blood near the whole thing for every one of His people. Isn't this marvelous?

He's just washing feet. Oh no, they didn't understand while He was doing it. They're going through it later, like you. But He came to Simon Peter. Oh, I love Peter. Don't you love Peter? He's the only one I can relate to. I can't relate to John laying there on his bosom the whole time. Wish I was, but I can't. Peter said, Lord, do you wash my feet? The Lord stooped down, took his clothes off like he was stripped on Calvary's tree, and made, oh, despised the shame, thought nothing of it. But anyway, he stooped down, humbled himself, became obedient to death, even to the death of the cross, and at their feet, and began to wash their stinking, dirty feet.

People, I'm telling you, I don't know what you think, but I think feet are about the ugliest part of our bodies. They're certainly the stinkiest. One of them. But feet, the older you get, the worse they look. And there's nothing you can do about it. Isn't that right? Little babies are born at Hannah's feet. Oh, man, did I love her feet. They were fat. They weren't good for walking on yet. They were too fat. You remember that? Oh, I'd kiss her feet. The older you get, they start stinking. They start getting dirty. Oh, man. Until they get ugly. And our Lord stooped down. and wash their dirty, stinking, ugly feet.

What do you think about yourself? The older you get, surely, Lord, you can't have done that for me. No way. No way. This is who God loves, people. You didn't find Jews saying this. Jews didn't object, but Simon Peter did. Oh, Lord, no. No. Not me. Get up, Lord. Don't stoop down. I'm not worthy. Not me. Yes, Lord said, if I don't, you have no part in me. Do you understand? Do you? Is blood just a word? Just a motto? Or is it your salvation? Is Christ your salvation? Or is it just a word? He said, if I don't want you, you have no part in me. If Christ didn't die for you, you're a goner. The only way you and I are going to be saved, ugly, stinking, dirty sinners like us, is if Christ died for us.

What's your hope? Is that your hope? Examine yourself. Look inside your heart and tell to the Lord. My only hope and my only plea is that when Jesus Christ died, He died for me. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ. Does this deserve to be shouted from the rooftop? Would you like to be doing it right now? You're going to! If this is your plea, you're going to stand and glory, Sister Sally, and say, after Him that loved us and washed us from our sin in His own blood. Is this truly your hope? Is He? You have any doubts about this person, that person, this young person, that person? Doubt yourself! Stop doubting anybody but yourself! If that person trusts Jesus Christ, you're going to be saved the same way they are. You know that? That's what those Jews said. Simon, Peter, and Peter, and all of them. You stop to eat with these filthy Jews. And they said, if we're saved, we're going to be saved the same way they are, by grace. Doubt yourself. Rejoice over the simplest childlike thing. Is this giving you any comfort? It's giving me comfort. I'm eating what I'm serving. And it's good.

What? The body and blood of Jesus Christ. The sign of fear said, don't just wash my feet. Is this what you think, really? Is this your heart? Don't just wash my feet. Wash me all over. Wash me through. My hands are dirty, but not just my feet. My hand, my heart, my head, my mouth. Wash me all over. Wash me throughly from my sin, David said. And our Lord said, Peter, Simon, you're clean. You're clean. Once you're going to walk through this world, and you're going to need to come and hear this gospel and get your feet washed every time. Every day you walk out there and get in the muck and the mire and the muck and the mire, and you come dragging back. Sister Barbara Ross, don't you miss her? Man, I miss her. Charles. She said, every time I hear the gospel, I feel clean. I do too, sister. Boy, she's clean now, isn't she? I want to be clean. Do you? That's who the Lord loves.

I've yet to go several places where the Lord said, the Father loves you because you love me and you believe me. That's what He said. Why do you believe Him? Where did you get this faith? It's not of yourselves, it's a gift of God. If you believe, you can't help it. And you can't quit. Isn't that good? Because it's a gift of God. It's precious. Remember that? Precious gift of faith. And God won't take it back.

He said to Simon Peter, Judas sold him. What do you take for Jesus? money, the world. Here, I want the world back. You can have him. No, not Simon Peel. He denied him and he went out after the Lord looked at him and he wept bitterly. And doubted his salvation more than he, right then he thought, I'm the only one that's not saved. And that's our next, that's our next message, Wednesday night.

All right, John, if you will, number 452.