Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the gospel according to John chapter 16. John 16. Lord willing, I'd like to finish
this 16th chapter. And in doing so, finish the words
of instruction that were given by our Lord to his apostles before
he went to the cross. Our Lord had promised that the
Comforter would come, but he'd have to go first. He would have
to leave before the Comforter would come and indwell his people. If the Lord Jesus Christ did
not go to the cross, there would be no comfort to comfort His
people. There would be no remembrance
of the putting away of guilt. There'd be no exhortation of justice being satisfied, of
the law being honored. He had to go. And he told them. He said, it is expedient that
I go away. All of these things that he told
them. I'm the vine, you're the branch. Without me you can do nothing.
All of the things that he told to comfort them. And now in verse
25, he says, these things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs. But the time cometh when I shall
no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly
the Father. These things have I spoken unto
you. These things that I've told you
that to you now of proverbs, parables, they're
hard sayings. What could they understand about
in his father's house there were many mansions? I'll be honest
with you, we know it and we believe it, but we don't understand it. Explain to me many mansions Many dwelling places. Explain to me the inheritance
of the saints. We believe it, but we don't know. But they had no personal revelation. We have the personal revelation
of the Spirit of God. And we see through a glass darkly.
And He would talk to them and they would say, We don't know
what you mean. We don't understand. These things
were proverbs. But he says the time is coming. And I'll no more speak to you.
Why? Because the Spirit of God will
show you these things. That time that's coming started
on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit of God fell upon God's
people, indwelt. And now, we have, in regeneration,
the Spirit of God that dwells within our hearts, teaching us
as we hear the Word of God. And the Spirit of God takes God's
Word and teaches and teaches and teaches. We need to hear
God's Word. He brings back our memory. Those
things that the Lord has said, so therefore, listen to me, when
we hear this word, right here, these things have I spoken unto
you. He was talking to his disciples,
was he not? He's talking to us right now.
These things have I spoken unto you. These words are life. He
will, he said plainly, with spiritual understanding, I'm going to teach
you, through God's Spirit, the Father's will. These things that
are proverbs to the world. The world doesn't understand
this book. This book right here is not written
to this world. This book is written to God's
people. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ that this world
hates. This is God's Word to His people. How do you know when it's written
to you? Here's the key. You believe Him. You believe God. You believe
Him. These things that are proverbs
to this world concerning the commandments of God. God's Word. They're plain. I'm not saying they're completely
understood, but they're plainly taught. We speak so thankfully of God's
electing grace. before there was a world. Before there was anything but
God. Before there was anything but
God, Almighty God had a people. And we were in Christ. Before this world was formed,
God gave His Son a bride. I'm telling you, We plainly understand
that because the Spirit of God teaches us. Again, I'm not saying
we understand the depth of it. We believe it. We believe it.
God's people have no problem believing election. Why? Because it's in the Word of God.
I heard Brother Henry was preaching one day and a man asked him,
he said, what do you believe about predestination. Brother Henry said, well, let's
see, let's see what I believe about predestination. He said,
I turned to about four or five scriptures and I just read them. The man said, what do you believe
about them? He said, what I just read. That's what I believe. Do we believe in predestination?
Absolutely. Do we believe in particular redemption? that the Lord Jesus Christ laid
down His life only for the sheep. We believe that. Absolutely. Why? Because the Lord Jesus Christ
said it. He said, I lay down my life for
the sheep. Now that's parables, that's hard
sayings to the world, but not to God's sheep, not taught by
God's Spirit. Look, look at 1st Corinthians
chapter 2. Hold your place right there, John. Just turn over to
1st Corinthians 2. 1st Corinthians chapter 2, verse
7. 1st Corinthians 2, 7. The Apostle Paul speaking, he
says, but we speak, now listen to this, the wisdom of God in
a mystery. even the hidden wisdom, which
God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of
the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they would
not have crucified the Lord of glory, But as it is written,
I hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the
heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that
love Him, but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth
no man but the Spirit of God. But now we have received the
Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
You know what he just said? That's what Paul says. How do you know what I'm thinking? Unless I tell you. Now look at me real hard and
tell me what I'm thinking. How do we know what God is thinking
unless God reveals it to us? That's what He's saying. How
can we know what God has to say unless the Spirit of God Himself
tells us back in John 16? Our Lord said in verse 25, these
things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs, but the time cometh
when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall
show you plainly of the Father. Verse 26-27, at that day, ye
shall ask in my name, and I will say not unto you that I will
pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loveth you,
because ye have loved me. and have believed that I came
out from God. Now here's a glorious revelation
of God's grace to his people that should cause us to truly
rejoice. As it's coupled, our rejoicing
is coupled with reverential fear and respect. for Almighty God. He says, at that day, at that day, remember, He just
talked to them, we looked at it last week concerning that
day, when the Spirit of God teaches in that day, when the Comforter
comes, but at that day, after the Lord Jesus Christ has paid
the debt, owed to the law. The debt that is owed to the
law. What does the law say? The soul
that sinneth is going to die. That's what the law says. Do
you know, I've heard people say, well you
know what, we're not under law. Believers are not. But this world
is. The law has not changed. Either
God's law is going to exact judgment on our substitute or it's going
to exact judgment on the sinner. One of the two. God's law does
not change. The satisfaction of it was accomplished
at Calvary. But people talk now like the
law has no relevance. Well, that's just Old Testament.
I beg your pardon. You think the soul that sinneth
is going to die, do you think that that's changed? No. Our Lord is saying at that day,
after he paid the debt, and the payment for the debt of God's
elect happened one time. One sacrifice, by one sacrifice
he hath perfected forever, who? Those that are sanctified, set
apart, the elect, God's sheep. Almighty God laid down his life
at Calvary, crucified, in obedience to His Father's will to show
mercy to His people. Sin's going to have to be paid
for. The debt's going to have to be paid. There is a debt owed
because of rebellion. God Almighty is just. He said
in that day after He'd gone to the cross, died, rose, ascended
into heaven, as our great high priest, in that day when the
Spirit of God comes in regenerating grace and indwells His people,
guiding and directing and teaching, giving enlightenment of the Lord
Jesus Christ in His work of redemption, knowing right now by the revelation
of the Spirit of God that He is right now, ever living, at
the right hand of power, interceding, pleading His own merit on the
behalf of His elect, on the behalf of His church, on behalf of His
bride, knowing right now that the Spirit of God is interceding
for us with groanings that cannot be uttered, knowing that right
now the prayers of the saints, mingled with the merit of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the great high priest, accepted those prayers,
the prayers of the saints, accepted by the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing
that in that day our Lord reveals, He said, and you'll ask the Father
for His sake, for the Lord's sake, and the Father for Christ's
sake. If He paid my debt, if He's robed
me in His righteousness, if He ever liveth to make intercession,
pleading on my behalf, and I ask anything in His name according
to God's will, God the Father hears. And he said not only, he said,
is that I'm praying for you. Not only because the Spirit of
God is teaching you and admonishing you and instructing you, but
listen to this, but the Father loveth you. The Father loves
you. because how do I know that the
father has loved me? How do I know that the father
who is absolutely holy and just and good, how do I know? The
father himself loves you because you've loved me and you believe
that I came from the father. That's how I know that the father
loved me. Hebrews 416, let us therefore
come And boldly, it's so easy. Please don't think. It means
with confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't ever come arrogantly. Oh, when we pray, we pray respectfully. We pray with respect, asking. For the sake of the Lord Jesus
Christ, therefore come boldly into the throne of grace that
you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. In verse 28, He said, I came
forth from the Father and have come into the world. And again,
I leave the world and go to the Father. Now, I'm telling you,
that one verse of Scripture, I was looking at that And that
one verse of scripture summed up the entire ministry of the
Lord Jesus Christ and the redemption of his people. That one verse. One verse. Here the Lord reveals
God's eternal and glorious purpose to show mercy and compassion
to his people. Here's what he said, I came forth
from the Father. I've told you before, I've read
this, I'll read it. I'll read it to you. It's Proverbs
8. A precious revelation of the
eternality of the Messiah. Before he was made flesh, before
the Word was made flesh, in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and
the Word was God. But before He was made flesh,
did He exist? Absolutely. Remember, it is He
in whom we were chosen. The physical presence of the
Lord Jesus Christ took place in time. But He is the I Am. He is God. He had no beginning. His flesh began. There was a time when the Holy
Ghost conceived in the womb of a virgin. This, and the scriptures speaks
of it this way. This holy thing. But He is ever. He said, I've loved you eternally. I betrothed myself to those that
the Father gave him eternally. We have eternally been the bride. Now here's a great mystery. In
time, October the 5th, 1949. That's what my birth certificate
says. I just don't remember. But a piece of paper said, my
mama said, I believe my mama. In time, I was brought into this
world, Jared. But according to the scriptures,
I have always been. There's never been a time when
I was not. Why? Because there's never been
a time when my surety was not. Proverbs 8, verse 22. The Lord, that's capital L, capital
O, capital R, capital D. Jehovah. Put Jehovah. Father, Son, Spirit. Jehovah possessed me. Now here's one speaking, and
he's referring to Jehovah, of whom he is the fullness. And when he came into this world,
he was the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This is way, I've told you this,
this is way over my head. But here is one speaking of Jehovah,
who possessed Himself, of whom He is. I know this is a great mystery,
but those that the Spirit of God teaches, you know exactly
what I'm saying. The Lord possessed me in the
beginning of His way. In the beginning of His way?
Before His works of old. before God, of whom the Scripture
says it was the Lord Jesus Christ that made everything. Oh, I can understand how the
world can say, well, the Bible is just full of contradictions.
Oh, no. It is this great mystery, but
it is gloriously mysterious. And we love it so. Don't you
love worshiping a God that you can't figure out? I do. I just, I love just thinking.
If I could figure him out, I'd be on his level. I can't figure
him out. I was set up from everlasting
from the beginning, or ever the world was. He goes on, but this
last verse, he said he was then was I by Him as one brought up
with Him. I was daily His delight, rejoicing
always before Him, rejoicing in the habitable part of His
earth before He ever made it. And my delights were with the
sons of men before He ever made them. He knew him. So he told Jeremiah,
he said, for I formed you in the belly, I knew you. What I
think of that, I think, Lord, if I can relate that to myself.
Lord, before you formed me in the belly, you knew me. Before I knew anything, he knew
my name. I think about Brother Scott.
saying, he said, here's my comfort. He said, if I come to a point
that I can't even remember my name, let the Lord does. Isn't that comforting? He said this, the time is coming
in that day, verse 26, back in John 16. You'll ask in my name. You'll ask. When he says in my
name, you know what I'm talking, I'm talking about the character
of His redemptive glory in the putting away of the guilt
of His people in redeeming them. In that day you'll ask in my
name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you
for the Father Himself loved you because you've loved me.
I believe that I came out from Him. I came forth from the Father. I'm coming to the world. Again,
I leave the world and I go to the Father. I'm coming to the
world. And He did. The Word was made flesh. And
He came into this world and accomplished everything that the Father sent
Him to accomplish. And did it in word and thought
and deed perfectly. This is my beloved Son whom I'm
well pleased. And again, I leave the world and go to the Father. I know, I know He's in heaven.
I know He's right here. Two or three are gathered together
in my name. He said, I am in the midst of you. Here's the precious promise. You want to be where the Lord
Jesus Christ is, then you meet where He's raised up His gospel. You be where He's raised up His
gospel. You want to meet with Him? Be
where He is. Be where He said He is. Two or three are gathered together
in My Name. Now He's ascended, and He represents
His people. And ever liveth. And they in
Him. Verse 29 and 30, His disciples
said unto Him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, speaketh no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest
all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee. By this
we believe that thou camest forth from God." Oh, how quickly, how quickly we speak so foolishly. They had said that before. Look,
just hold your place right there. Turn to John 6. Turn to John
6. Here's the Lord. Here's the Lord. He's talking about these wonderful
truths. He said, that day you'll ask
me nothing. I'll pray the Father for you.
The Father himself loves you because you love me. I came forth
from the Father. And they said, oh, now we understand. Now. We understand it now. Look at John 6, verse 66 to 69. The Lord had said in verse 65,
Therefore said I unto you, No man can come unto Me except it
were given unto him of My Father. And here's what He's saying.
No man can come unto Me except it were given unto him of My
Father. You know what He just said? You can't do anything. You cannot do anything. Well,
I can believe. No, you can't. I can come. No, you can't. I can trust. No, you can't. I can hear His Word. No, you
can't. No, you cannot. You cannot. I had someone ask me one time,
I was talking to him about this, they said, well what if someone
that wasn't one of God's elect truly wanted to come? I said,
they won't. They won't. How do you know?
Because he said they won't. Therefore said I unto you that
no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my
father. From that time, many of his disciples went back and
walked no more with him. And this is one of the most revealing. The next passage. The Lord did
not say, and we do not under any circumstances, Lord help
me, I don't want to water this down, I don't want to make it,
I do not want to make the gospel palatable. to the world's taste. I don't want to do it. I want
to be truthful. I'm not trying to be mean. I
don't want to be mean. I don't want to be arrogant.
I don't. I just want to be truthful. I want to say what he had to
say. He didn't say, when they started
walking away, he did not try to talk them out of it. He didn't
try to talk them out of it. If they want to leave, if they
didn't want to stay where He was, then don't stay. If they wanted to leave, then
leave. But there are some of you here
that can't leave. You just can't go. He turned to His disciples while
the others were walking away and He said, will you go away
also? Simon Peter answered, Lord, to
whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and listen to this, and we believe and are sure that
Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Now, do you
know when he said, we believe and are sure that Thou art that
Christ, he said, I believe that You're
from God. I believe that you're from heaven. I believe that you're the anointed.
I believe that you're the Messiah. I believe that you're the one
that the Old Testament scriptures has spoken of. That's who I believe. That's what I believe right now.
I believe that. Back in John 16. The disciples said unto him,
lo, verse 29, now speakest thou plainly and speakest no proverb. Now we're sure that thou knowest
all things and needest not that any man should ask thee. But
by this, we believe that thou camest forth from God. Look at verse 31. And Jesus answered
them, do you now believe? Do you? Do you truly believe? Oh, I'm
telling you when everything is flowing in a peaceful tide and
everything's fine, oh how quickly we confess our faith. You let something or somebody
cross you up and you watch how quickly you waver. Mark it down. You watch how quickly
you start to crawfish. Do you really believe it? Do
you believe that? In just a little bit, this one
that said, now we believe. You're speaking plainly. You're
not preaching proverbs anymore to us. Now we're sure. That you
know all things, needest not that any man should ask of thee. This we believe. We believe you
came from God in just a little bit. You know what Peter's going
to say? I quit. I quit. I'm going fishing. Didn't he? I'm going fishing. I'm going back. I'm going back. Our Lord revealed, though all
forsake me, the Father won't. His purpose to show mercy to
his people is never going to be thwarted. Behold, verse 32, the hour cometh,
yea, now is, when they had just told him, we believe you. My friend, Write this down. But for the grace of God, we'll
quit. There's not one person in this
room. You say, well, I'll never forsake him. Oh, please. Please. But for the grace of God, you'd
never show up again. And I wouldn't either. But for
the grace of God, you wouldn't even be here. Behold, the hour
cometh, yea, and now is, that ye shall be scattered. That's
what the Lord just told. He just told them, we believe
that you're from God. Every man to his own, and you
shall leave me alone. And yet I'm not alone, because
the Father's with me. And in verse 33, and I love this,
I read over this 33rd verse this morning, I was going over my
notes and I looked and it said, these things
have I spoken unto you. And I thought, wait a minute,
how did he start this passage, verse 25? These things have I
spoken unto you. I thought, you know, he's ended
this discourse just like he started it. These things have I spoken
unto you. This is, this is, I've been,
I've been standing here for, oh, about 20 something minutes,
20, almost 30 minutes. Lord willing, I'm going to wrap
this up in just a few minutes here. You've heard my voice, yeah,
yeah. But I'm going to tell you something.
If my voice is the only voice that you've heard, then you've
not heard from God. These things have I spoken unto
you. My sheep hear my voice. Look at Isaiah in closing, Isaiah
52. Isaiah 52, this was quoted in
Romans 10-15, but here's where originally
it was written. Isaiah 52 verse 7. Isaiah 52-7. How beautiful upon the mountains, now listen to these words, are
the feet of Him that bringeth good tidings, that publish peace,
that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth salvation, that saith
unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. You know what I noticed? It didn't
say anything about a face. It didn't say anything about
a hand. It didn't say anything about how beautiful are the feet. What did John the Baptist say
about himself? He said, I'm just a voice. I'm just a voice. That's all. Our Lord said, these
things have I spoken unto you. His word. Who's Marvin? Who's Marvin? Isaiah 40, 17 said, all nations
before him, and all these nations, not the piece of dirt, the people. You know, before Marvin starts
thinking too highly of himself, let me see what God has to say
about Marvin. All nations before him, nothing. They are counted to him, now
listen to this, less than nothing and vanity. You know, by the time I start
thinking, man, I'm telling you, I'm somebody. Remember, in yourself,
my friend, you are counted as less than nothing. Now, how do
you get less than nothing? That's the worth of a man himself. These things have I spoken unto
you. Believer, truly, we waver. He never does. We're like just water. Nothing's stable. He's the rock. We're passing. He's forever. In this world, you're gonna have
tribulation for the gospel's sake. Be of good cheer, he said. I've overcome the world. We're
more than conquerors through him that's loved us, gave himself
for us. Oh, precious, precious Lord Jesus,
by your Holy Spirit, speak to our hearts. Lord, cause us to
hear your word. It's his word. It's his word. I'm a vessel, just a vessel.
I'm just a voice. It's his word. Hear what God
has to say. These things have I spoken unto
you. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart.