THE TITLE OF THIS MORNING'S MESSAGE,
A WILL DONE, A WORK FINISHED. A WILL DONE, A WORK FINISHED. Verse 34, John chapter 4, Jesus
saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that
sent me and to finish his work. There is nothing that comforts
this sinner more Then when the Lord cried from the cross, it
is finished. He then said, Father, into thy
hands, I commend my spirit. And he bowed his head. And he
gave up the ghost. Do you know such is the glory
of this person that death could not take him until he gave it
permission? That can't be said of anyone
else. When he said, it is finished. There was nothing left unfinished. No part for me left to do. It's done. It is finished. Verse 31 of John chapter four. In the meanwhile, while his disciples
prayed him saying, master, eat. Now we know earlier in this chapter
that they had gone to get him something to eat and he was left
alone with a woman at the well. And now they come back with the. food they had purchased and they
see him and evidently he's not eating the way they thought he
would. He was speaking to this woman
of Samaria, which they were mystified by. They couldn't understand
why he would speak to her. And maybe he interrupts, they
interrupt him at that time while he's speaking and they say, master,
eat. But he said unto them, verse
32, I have meat to eat that you know not of. They didn't know what he was
talking about. I sometimes like to think of the
disciples getting together at night and say, did you hear what
the Lord said? What did he mean? I have no idea
what that meant. I can relate. Can't you? Verse 33, therefore said the
disciples one to another, hath any man brought him ought to
eat? They were clueless, weren't they? And then he makes this
glorious statement. My meat, this is what is necessary
for me. This is my food. This is what
I enjoy. You know, his love to the father
is so apparent here. My meat, oh, how he loved his
father. My meat is to do the will of
him that sent me and to finish, to complete his work. My meat is to do the will of
him that sent me. Let's stay right there for a
moment. Look in John chapter three. Verse 16. For God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into
the world to condemn the world." Do you hear that? You see, the
world was already condemned. He didn't send his son into the
world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might
be saved. The father sent the son. Isn't that glorious? The father sent his son to save
Christ. Jesus came into the world to
save sinners. Do you know that God loves to
save sinners? He loves it. The Son loves to
save sinners. The Father sent the Son to save
sinners. God delights in mercy. If there's
anyone in here wondering whether or not He's willing to save you,
you've got some good company. The thief wondered the same.
I'm not the thief, but the leper wondered the same thing. He said,
Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. He was certain of the
Lord's ability to do it, but he wasn't certain about his willingness.
He said, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. The Lord said,
I will. He always says, I will to every
sinner who wants to be made clean. Now, let me remind you, your
business is not to figure out whether or not you're one of
the elect. Your business is to come like that leper saying,
Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. The father sent the
son. Herein is love. Not that we love
God. but that he loved us and sent
his son. Now I want us to, by the grace
of God, just think about this. God sent his son and he sent
his son to save sinners. Look in John chapter six for
just a moment. Verse 38. This is one of my, uh, personal
favorite sayings of the Lord. He said in verse 38, for I came
down from heaven. I imagine his audience every
time they heard that thought, what? I came down from heaven. I didn't begin here on earth.
I came down from heaven. If I said that to you, you'd
say you're crazy. And I'm sure the people were
thinking that when the Lord said that I came down from heaven. Why did he come down from heaven?
I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will
of him that sent me. Now there we have it. He was
sent of the father And he was sent to do his father's will. Remember he said, my meat and
my drink is to do the will of him that sent me. Oh, the pleasure
he received from doing his father's will. Look in verse 37 of the
same chapter, he said, all that the father giveth me, shall come
to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
Now I want us to look at a verse that shows the Father's activity
in sinners coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in verse 44.
No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me. There it is again. Draw him. That's the father's activity
in the center coming to Christ. If you come to Christ, you know
why you came to Christ? The father drew you. I love that song. He drew me and I followed on. Charmed to confess his love divine. Back to verse 38, I came down
from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that
sent me. Verse 39, and this is the father's will, which has
sent me that of all which he has given me, I should lose nothing,
but should raise it up again. at the last day. Turn to John 17.4. I was listening to a message
by Brother Henry Mahan out of John chapter 17, and he made
a statement which just touched me so much. He said, before I
get into this passage, and John 17 is, is if there's a, this is holy ground. This is
the Lord praying to his father. It's not him teaching us to pray.
It's him praying to his father. And I, Brother Mahan made this
statement that just touched me so much. He said, it's worth
a great reluctance that I go to this passage. Fear. This is holy ground. This is the Lord Jesus praying
to his father and we're allowed to listen in. What an awesome
privilege. And look what he said in verse
three. And this is life eternal that
they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom
thou hast sent. Do you see how much that's in
the Bible? This is a part of saving faith, the father sending
the son. Remember in John chapter six,
verse 29, he says, this is the work of God that you believe
on him whom he hath sent. Now, verse four of John chapter
17, he tells us what he's done in being sent by God He says,
I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work
thou gavest me to do. Now here is where we have to
begin. The father sent him to this purpose,
to glorify himself. That's why Jesus Christ came.
The Father sent him. Why? Well, the Father sent him
to meet our needs. The Father sent him because,
get man out of the picture right now. Thou, I have glorified thee
on the earth. Jesus Christ so completely glorified
God by what he did that no glory can be added. That was his purpose
in coming, to glorify his father. And you know what? That thrills
every believer. That's the way you want it. He
came to glorify His Father. In Ephesians chapter 1, when
Paul is giving the work of the three persons of the Godhead
in salvation, he talks about the work of the Father in choosing,
the work of the Son in redeeming, the work of the Holy Spirit in
sealing and giving life. At the end of each three sections
with regard to each person of the Godhead, to the praise of the glory of
His grace. to the praise of His glory. That
is why Jesus Christ came to glorify His Father. And never has God
been so glorified than when He finished the work the Father
gave Him to do. I have glorified Thee on the
earth. I have finished the work thou
gavest me to do. Remember when he said, my meat
and drink is to do the will of him that sent me and finish his
work. Now it's right before he's going
to cry, it is finished. He says in this great high priestly
prayer, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished
the work that thou gavest me to do. Now the work of Christ
in saving sinners by the cross is the full manifestation the
glory of God. I wish I knew what all that meant. But it's the full manifestation. Every attribute of God is completely
manifest in the cross of Jesus Christ. Do you see the beauty
of the cross? Do I see the glory of the cross? I'm not just talking
about the gore of the cross and it's a horrible thing, but I'm
talking about the glory and the beauty of God in the cross of
Christ, the most God-like thing God ever did in saving sinners
by sending his son to keep the law for them, to die on the cross
for them, to satisfy his justice, to raise him up for the glory
of God. Do I know what it means to glory
in the cross? Do I understand why Paul said,
I determine not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ
and him crucified. Do you and I know anything about
that? His finished work, his glory, the cross is the manifestation
of the glory of God. Now turn back to John six. He said in John four, my meat
and my drink. This is what I derive pleasure
from. This is what satisfies me. My
meat and my drink is to do the will of him that sent me and
to finish his work. Now look back in John chapter
six, verse 38. I came down from heaven, not
to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the father's will, which has sent me that of all which he
has given me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the
last day. This is God's will that everybody
he gave me. I'm not going to lose one of
them. This is God's will for all of the elect to be saved
for everybody that Jesus Christ died for to be saved. and to be raised up on the last
day, perfectly conformed to His image. That's God's will. Now, I understand this with regard
to the death of Christ. When He said it is finished, quit looking for something to
do. It's done. There's nothing for you to do.
There's nothing for you to complete. It's finished. He said, I finished
the work thou gavest me to do, the work of saving. You know,
Matthew 1 21, the very opening chapter of the New Testament,
thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people
from their sins. Well, listen to this. When he
said it is finished, it's no longer. He shall save his people
from their sins. He saved him. He said, when were
you saved? When he said, it is finished. When in time? Whenever it was,
I believed on him. When was that? I don't know.
I wish I did, but I evidently, I know I'm glad I don't, because
if I did, I would kind of make some kind of shrine out of that
day. And I'd start looking to something
other than him. So it's a good thing I don't
know really. When were you saved? Well, I was saved before time
began in the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,
I know that. And I was saved when he said, it is finished,
I know that. And as far as my experience goes, whenever it
was, I looked to Christ only, that's when I was saved, not
before then. It is finished. Now, if Jesus Christ failed to
save somebody that the Father gave him and that he died for,
you know what that would make him? A failure. He ain't no failure. He's incapable of failure. My
meat, my drink, is to do the will of Him that sent me, and
to finish His work. Verse 39, This is the Father's
will which is sent me, that of all which He hath given me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day. Somebody that preaches that Jesus
Christ died for all men without exception, and some of those
men that he died for will end up in hell anyway, is somebody
who doesn't know God. Somebody who doesn't believe
the justice of God. Somebody that doesn't believe the grace
of God. Now let's, don't stop there though,
verse 40. And this is the will of Him that
sent me. If I don't preach this, I don't
preach verse 39 either. This is part of it. This is God's
will. This is the will of Him that
sent me. That everyone which seeth the
Son and believeth on Him, may have
everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the
last day." Now, it's God's will that everybody he gave Christ
to save, he saved. But it's also God's will, and
these are not separate. This is a part of that good and
perfect will of God. It's God's will that everyone
who sees the son and believes on him have everlasting life. Have you seen the son? Now I've not seen him physically.
Somebody says, I have, I don't believe you. Don't believe you
for a second. Nobody's seen him in this room or outside of this
room physically. He's not talking about a physical
site. What's he talking about? Well,
do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Is he your
personal savior? Is that what he's talking about?
I hate it when people talk like that. Because as soon as I say,
do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you just start
thinking about your relationship rather than Him. You start thinking
about, it all becomes subjective. And that's never good. That's
not what we're talking about when we're talking about seeing
the Son. We're not talking about your personal relationship. Do you know who He is? When you see the Son, You know
who He is. You know He is God. You know He's the God-Man. You know He's the only Savior
of sinners. You know He's the only hope you
have because you know who He is. is. Now somebody says, how do I know
if I know who he is? Reasonable question. Verse 40, this is the will of him that
sent me that everyone that seeth the son and believeth on him. This is so simple. If you know
who he is, you know what you will necessarily do. You will
believe on him. Everybody who knows who he is
without exception believes on him. What does it mean to believe
on him? Hold your finger there and turn to second Timothy chapter
one. Oh, my God, give us grace to
see exactly what's being said here. Don't look at this as a
verse I've already read and already know all about it. Look at this
as though this is the first time you've ever heard it. 2nd Timothy
1 12. Paul says, for the witch cause
I also suffer these things because I preach the gospel. I suffer
these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed
for I know whom I have believed. I know whom, I know who he is. I know whom I have believed and
I'm persuaded. And that's literally, I've been
persuaded. I've been persuaded. You know,
when you know who he is, it's because he persuaded you who
he is. He did it personally to you. I know whom I have believed,
and I am persuaded of His ability." Are you persuaded of His ability
to save you with no help from you? And don't miss this. I know whom I believe. Salvation
has known who He is and relying on Him to save you. I know whom
I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able, I'm persuaded
in his ability to keep that which I've committed unto him. Here's the point. Paul says,
I've got no plan B. I've got no other way. If he didn't do it
all. I won't be saved. I've committed the entire salvation
of my soul to him. And if that's not enough, I won't
be saved. But I know he is able to keep
that which I have committed unto him against that which day. Now back to our text in John
chapter, well let's go back to John chapter 6 for a moment. Remember he said my meat and
my drink is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish
his work. Verse 40, this is the will of
Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth
on Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him at the last
day. Now here is the facts. If you believe, you have everlasting
life. That's not just talking about
the longevity of your life, that's talking about the life of God
in your soul. That's talking about the new
birth. You have everlasting life. And the reason you believe is
because you have everlasting life. You didn't believe and
then you had life. You believed you had life at
the precise same time. The reason you believe is because
you have everlasting life. The evidence that you have everlasting
life is you believe the gospel. Now, this is the will of him that
sent me. Finished. A will done. This is the will of him that
sent me. I did it. This is the will of him that
sent me to finish his work. A finished work. Lift it up. Was he to die? It is finished. Do you hear that? There's nothing for you to do.
Quit thinking about doing. Quit thinking about, oh, it'll
be different next tomorrow. I'm going to get a handle on
this thing. Quit thinking about doing. It is Finished. Back to John chapter 4. Verse 34. Jesus saith unto them,
my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish
his work. Say not ye, verse 35, there yet
four months and then come at the harvest. Now what he's talking
about is when you, when you plant seeds, four months later, the
harvest will be. That's easy enough. We'll wait
for the harvest. Plant the seeds. He said, don't
say that. Say ye not there yet four months, and then come at
the harvest? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look
on the fields, for they are white already to harvest." And I have
no doubt that when he made this statement, he was seeing these
people coming to him, that that Samaritan woman said, come see
a man who told me all that I ever did. And here comes this crowd
to her, and he looks at his people, who he just said, my meat and
drink is to do his will and to finish his work. He said, here
it is. Now don't say, let's wait. You know, people, when they hear,
and I've heard this so many times, I've heard it, I don't know how
many times I've heard this one. You preach the gospel to somebody,
and Jesus Christ said it is finished. That means there's nothing you
can do to be saved. He did it all. and there's nothing you need
to do. You're complete in Christ. All the elect, all those the
father gave Christ, they're going to be saved. They are saved. He saved them and people will
invariably say, well, what's the point of witnessing that?
What's the point in evangelism? What's the point in preaching
the gospel? If God's already determined who is going to be
saved and they're saved, what's the point in preaching? Why preach if that's not true?
There's no point in it. That's ridiculous, isn't it?
The only reason we preach is because God has an elect people
and they're saved and they will believe and we have that assurance.
That's why we preach. We preach the gospel to every
creature knowing he's going to save a people. If I didn't believe
that, people say, Well, that'll kill missions and evangelism. The only reason you say that
is because you have no idea what missions and evangelism is. You have no
idea what the message of the gospel is. Somebody believes
the gospel, that's not going to cause them to be indifferent
about the salvation of men. Not at all. You want to see men
bow the knee to Christ. You want to see men believe on
him. And he says, don't. Say not there
yet four months, and then comes harvest. Behold, I say to you,
lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they're white
already to harvest. And he that reapeth receives
wages and gather fruit unto life eternal that both he that soweth
and he that reapeth may rejoice together. Now, Christ is the
one doing so. You remember the parable of the
four soils? It was the son of man who sowed
the seed. They heard the gospel. Christ
is the one who sows the seed. All we do is reap what he sowed. And what is the wages we receive?
Well, we get to see, we're privileged to see people believe on him.
What's better than that? To see somebody rest in Jesus
Christ and his finished work. You know, I love what Peter said,
First Peter 3 15, he said, be ready always to give an answer
to every man that asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with
meekness and with fear. Now, I want you to think about
what he says. Always be ready. to give an answer to every man
that asks you. Don't miss that. They're gonna
be asking you something. Now, you and I ought to treat
people that we come into contact with, people we work with, our
neighbors, we ought to treat people in such a way that they
don't feel judged by us, don't feel threatened by us. Don't
you hate being around religious people where you feel real judged
and threatened and they're looking you over and you're just, I can't
stand people like that. I wanna preach the gospel to
them, I wanna be kind to them, but I don't like them. You don't
either. But the point is, when I'm around somebody, this is
the way it ought to be. They ought to feel so not judged,
by me, not me looking down on them, but loving them. And they ought to see the way
I conduct myself in the midst of trouble where I have a peace. God reigns. God's the first cause
behind everything. I don't care what it is. The
Lord's in it. He's in control. And they ought
to look at me by the way I treat them and the way I respond to
really believing that God is God. They say, give me a reason
for your hope. What is your hope that makes
you like that? You know what I'd say? I'm going to give you my hope.
It is finished. When Christ said, it is finished,
my salvation was accomplished. There is nothing for me to do. And I want to do that with meekness,
not arrogance, not some kind of cocksure or cocky attitude,
but with meekness and with fear, the fear that's the beginning
of wisdom. But I know I want to treat people
in such a way as they're going to be asking me. And I want to
be ready with this answer. Here's my hope. It is finished. My meat. This is Lord speaking. Oh, what love he has to his father,
my meat. is to do the will of him that
sent me and to finish his work. And my dear friends, that is
exactly what he did. And we are relying, my whole
salvation is dependent upon this statement. Is finished. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that it was the meat of your
son. to do your will and to finish
your work. How we thank you that you sent
him to do your will and finish your work. And how we thank you
that your will was not to condemn the world, Lord, we're already
condemned, but to save by your son. How we thank you that you
sent him into this world to save sinners. And Lord, enable us
to rest in him who finished the work. In his name we pray, amen.