Turn to John chapter 17. Very, very familiar chapter. And it should be. But I'm just
gonna read one verse, John 17 and verse 24. Father, I will. Oh, I like those words. I will. That they also, whom thou hast
given me, be with me where I am. That they may behold my glory,
which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world. I'm gonna tell you something,
I do goofy things sometimes. I was looking up quotes for the
sovereignty of God on Google. Well, when you do that on a search
with Google, every now and then you'll come up with like several
questions that people have asked Google. Well, guess what? There's
a question on there. It says, what Bible verse says
God is sovereign? And I thought, what Bible verse
says he isn't? You know? Now they did give an
answer, Ephesians 111, which is a good answer. But here's
the thing, every verse of this scripture tells us of the sovereignty
of God. It's everywhere, unless, unless
you don't see it. If you don't know the sovereign
God, you're not gonna see the sovereign God in the scripture
or anywhere else. Oh my. Now my title today, and
it's a little odd, but the title is called The Believer's Destiny. Destiny. Now I don't much use
the word destiny. Now this is mainly because most
people really misunderstand the word destiny. You understand? They have a phrase, where it
says, you control your own destiny, or I control my own destiny. Well, folks, if you do, if I
can, it's not destiny, okay? The definition of the word destiny
is a predetermined course of events held to be an irresistible
power or agency. You understand, if something
is your destiny, it's gonna happen no matter what. That's the definition
of that word. Now, true destiny, true destiny
is not an irresistible, impersonal power. True destiny is in the
mind and the hands of God Almighty and nowhere else, nowhere else. And oh yes, he is irresistible,
but God is not impersonal. God is not impersonal. Because
I'm gonna tell you something, this word translated in the scripture
predestinate means this, it means determined before. That's all it means. Somebody
has been predestinated. It has been determined before. And you will always find in a
verse that mentions the word predestined or predestinated,
you will find this word, God. God has predestinated us. It's not impersonal. It is. He is irresistible, but that's
a whole nother thing. Now, because the scripture plainly
tells us what? Determined before by God, by
God. Now I'm not gonna keep you long
because really there's no need. The scripture is very clear about
this subject. Men are not very clear. Men try
to muddy it, men try to dispute it, and there are some that try
to deny it. but the scripture's still clear.
I found something by Lorraine Bettner who wrote this, and this
amused me. Those who reject God's sovereignty
should really consider what alternatives they have left. And I'll leave that to you to
all ponder on. But this verse here, father I
will. that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am. And I'm gonna tell you something,
these are the words of Jesus Christ. This has been termed
the high priestly prayer. This is something that actually
need not have been in the Bible except that Christ wanted it
in here. You understand, Jesus Christ could have prayed this
whole prayer in his head to the Father and the Father would have
heard every word of it, but it's here. for us. He wanted it recorded. He wanted us to read it. And
he wanted us to rejoice in his prayer to the Father. It's there
for us. You understand? I and my Father
are one. They agree in one. They are one. He didn't have to say this. But
he did, that's right. That's right, man, he did. And
you know why he said it? For us. For his chosen people. For those whom thou hast given
me. You understand, Paul writes it
several times, and I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren.
There's words of Christ in here. The reason they're in here is
he would not have us to be ignorant. He gave these words to us. Oh,
it must be said, these words are true. These words are true. There was no guile found in the
mouth of Jesus Christ. There was no falsehood uttered. There was no sneaky way around
anything. Jesus Christ spoke every word
and every word he spoke was true. Oh my, and it starts with this
saying, father. So you know who he's talking
to. He's not talking to you. He's not talking to me. He's
not talking to anybody else. He's a father. But he says these
words, I will, I will, I will. Oh, I'm telling you, this is
the will of God manifest in the flesh, speaking to his father. Oh no, speaking to our father. And what'd he say? He says, I
will. I will. Oh my, I will. And I'm gonna tell you something,
this being the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, guess what else?
What it is? Guess what else it is? It's the
will of the Father. It's the will of the Father.
You know how I know that? Jesus told me. Not personally,
but he wrote it down. It's here written in his word.
John five and verse 19 says this. Then answered Jesus and said
unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, the son can do nothing
of himself, but what he seeth the father
do. For whatsoever he doeth, these
also doeth the Son likewise. The Son only does what the Father
does. Father, I will. Also, John five
and verse 30. I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge. And my judgment
is just because I seek Not mine own will, but the will of the
Father, which has sent me. I and my Father are one. And
I'm gonna tell you something, the will of the Son is the will
of the Father, the will of the Father is the will of the Son.
There's no difference. Absolutely no difference. And
Christ said to Father, I will. John 6 verse 39 says this. Guess what? And this is the Father's
will, which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me,
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day. So Christ here in chapter 17
says this, Father, I will. Father, I will. I'm gonna tell
you something, folks. The believer has a future in
Christ. We're in Christ now, but there's
a future in Christ. Oh my. And this is the will of
the Father and of the Son. Those that the Father gave to
the Son, what's it say? Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me, here it is, be with me. Be with me. And not only that,
be with me where I am. Oh, that's good stuff. I'm gonna
tell you something. You understand? I'm gonna tell you this right
now. Jesus is not speaking of him being with us now in the
spirit, which he is. We are in Christ, he is with
us. Matter of fact, he says, where two or three are gathered
in my name, there I am. In the midst, there I am. That's not what he's talking
about. Because he puts in these three words at the end. Where
I am. Oh my. Oh my. Where's Jesus Christ? Right now,
he is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. I'm gonna
tell you something. His people that have gone on
are with him. They're with him right now. Father,
I will. Father, I will. Oh my, where
is Jesus Christ? Well, he ever lives to make intercession
for us. And his people, are with him
right now where he is. Of all that the father gave to
him, he said it, I shall lose nothing and raise it up again
at the last day. Now that last day hasn't happened,
but it's coming. Well, where are we in the meantime?
with Him, with Him. Oh my. Believers, and I'll use
the word here, believers are destined to be with the Son of
Christ, Son of God, the Christ of God, by His own will. Oh, where He is, where He is. I'm gonna tell you something. That makes me happy, and it ought
to make you happy. Understand, Paul wrote this and
taught of it in Romans, Romans 8, 28 and 29, and we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose. Now that's glorious
in and of itself, and that's just the beginning. For whom
he did foreknow, he also did, there's that word, determine
before, predestinate, to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Understand, those who are called
by God, God did foreknow. God also did predestinate to
be conformed, to be conformed to the image of his son. I'm
gonna tell you something, this is the predetermined work of
God in his people, in his people. Those whom the son has brought,
all those that the father has given him, oh my. And this was determined beforehand
by the will of the Father and the will of the Son. Father,
I will. I will. Oh my, I'm gonna tell
you something. We talk about it. Where are the
believers who have passed on before? Christ says, I will,
they be with me. Where I am. where I am, you understand? That's the glory. I understand
there are some people who talk about a soul sleep. That's not
taught in the Bible. It does talk about, we'll get
to that in a minute, that scripture in a minute, but that word is
used, but that's not what it's talking about, soul sleep, where
you just wake up after it's all over. No, he says, where I am,
there you will be. and you will be there by his
will. And there's more coming after
that. Oh, I like that too. Well, here it is. 1 Thessalonians
chapter four. For if we believe, this is verse
14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. That means
those that have died. It's not talking about their
sleep. They have died and gone on. All right, for this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
a voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the
dead in Christ shall rise first. Okay, then. We, which are alive
and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And, here we go folks, and, so
shall we ever be with the Lord. What's that mean? That means
where I am, there you will be. Where I am, there you will be. Whoa. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words. You understand? And Paul wrote
this in the present tense. What'd he say? We which are alive. Now Paul's long dead, but he
was looking forward to this day because it might've happened
to him. It's gonna happen. And we can say those exact same
words right now and be just as true as when Paul wrote them
down, that we, which are alive and remain. If we are alive and
remain, when our Lord Jesus Christ comes, we're gonna change. It says in another place, in
a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, and they're gonna go up
and we're gonna go up, and so shall you ever be with the Lord. Oh, I will that they be where
I am. Mm, I like that. I'm gonna tell
you something, those words ought to give joy to the child of God. Walter really talked about grace,
marvelous grace. That's grace, folks. So shall we ever be with the
Lord. You understand? When you're with Jesus Christ,
it doesn't matter where he is, there you are. You understand,
my problem now is no matter where I go, there I am. Oh, but in
that day, no matter where he goes, there we are. There will
his people be. Oh. We will be with him where he
is. What's it say? In another place,
we shall behold. What does it say? Christ, my
glory. My glory. I don't know what glory is. I'm
gonna tell you something, folks. You don't know what glory is.
But we will one day. We will one day. Oh, David wrote
this in the Old Testament, folks. Psalm 17 and verse 15. As for
me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. In righteousness,
I shall be satisfied. I shall be satisfied when I awake
with thy likeness. I'm telling you, you're not gonna
know anything truly about the glory of God until you awaken
his likeness. I'm telling you, we are probably
gonna feel so stupid one day, well, ignorant, because we think,
sometimes we think we've arrived. We haven't, we haven't. There is so much that we don't
know. There's so much that here, Paul
says that we see through a glass darkly. And I mean, he reads
welded glass dark. But then, face to face, face
to face. And it's gonna be glory to see
Christ as he is. Understand, this is a prayer
of David from the Old Testament, hundreds of years before Christ
was born. but David knew what Paul knew. Father, I will that
those which thou hast given me be with me where I am, where
I am. Oh my, this awaits every believer
in Christ and in Christ, every believer has this promise. Where
I am, there you will be. Oh, I like that, I do. And I
shall be satisfied when I awake with his likeness. I'm gonna
tell you something, we probably don't know what satisfied means.
But we will. But we will, oh my. Again in
the Old Testament, Job said in Job 19 and 25 and 26 and 27,
I know, Old Testament, I know that my Redeemer liveth.
That's Christ. Job's saying, I know Christ.
Hasn't come. Won't be coming for a while.
I know my Redeemer liveth. And that he shall stand at the
latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh Shall I see God? Oh, I like that. Here's even
better. Whom I shall see for myself.
Nobody else gonna be seeing for me. I'm gonna see him for myself,
and mine eyes shall what? Behold. Oh, and not another,
though my reigns be consumed, though I'm dead. I'm gonna see
my Redeemer. You know why? Father, I will. that he be with me, that all
of mine that thou hast given me be with me where I am. Oh, I know my Redeemer liveth,
and I will die. We're all going to die. But I
also know by his promise I will see him. I will see him as he is, not
through a glass darkly, We know in part, we prophesy in part. You know why? Because we're just
parts. We're unprofitable servants,
at best. And we see through a glass darkly.
But one day, that dark glass is gonna be taken away. Mm, mm, mm, mm. The Lord has
predestinated those that love him to be with him. In his own image. In his own
image. Oh. Father, I will. Now one of those six stubborn
statements by Rolf Barnard that I heard through, well I heard
through him on a recording, but long before that I heard from
Henry Mahan. The first one says this, either
God is absolutely sovereign or he's not. That's a stubborn statement. I'm gonna tell you this, God
is sovereign. Jesus Christ is sovereign. There's a reason he's called
the Lord. Jesus Christ. The other thing
we're all saying, if we sing that song, Jesus saves. No, it's
the Lord Jesus who saves. You understand? When that angel
came to those shepherds. Today, in the city of David,
Bethlehem, is born what? A savior. I'm telling you, the
savior is born. But it didn't stop there. He
said, which is? What? Christ, the Lord. There's no savior except the
Lord Jesus Christ. And He is sovereign. He works
all things after the counsel of His own will. His own perfect will. Oh. What has Christ said? Christ said, believers have a
glorious future. This world is not all there is
by any stretch of the imagination. Now one day, we've been promised
a new heaven and a new earth. Wherein dwelleth righteousness. Yeah, we don't get that either.
But I want it. We want it. Predetermined, predestinated,
and guaranteed by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit. Promised to every child of God. Look unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of faith. But here's the hard part, folks.
wait upon him. We're not very good at waiting.
I'm just interpreting that from the way y'all talk. And the way
I feel. And the way I think. We're not
very good at waiting. But we need to wait. You understand? He's got his own timetable. We're
not privileged to it. Now we know time keeps marching
on. but whether or not we march on
with it is a whole nother thing. He's promised it though. His
word is true. All his promises are yay and
amen. Father, I will. Oh my. Father, I will. And we shall
awake with his likeness. We shall be with him where he
is. Rejoice. And again, I say rejoice. Believe him. Trust him. We're gonna see him as he is.
And that's not even all. And so shall you ever be with
the Lord. Oh, I like that folks. I'm gonna
tell you something. This is what it means to come
to Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. He is your Savior if
he is your Lord. Here's this. We just sang this
song. Prepare me, gracious God. to stand before thy face. Because you're not gonna stand
before his face without him preparing you. And that's honest truth.
You understand? We can't. Here's the thing. Thy spirit must the work perform,
for it is all of his grace. His grace. Father, I will, what? That they may behold My glory,
my glory, all that thou hast given me, that they may behold
my glory. How? By the workings of his mighty
power. Oh, I like that. Our Heavenly
Father, thank you, Lord, for this time and this place. Lord,
your Son, has done everything for us, is doing everything for
us, and shall raise us up again at the last day. Lord, we know
to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord and
far rather to be desired. But Lord, we fear death. We know
we shouldn't, but we do. We fear change. Help us to trust
you. to believe in your promises,
to believe the word of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose
name we pray, amen.