Let's take our Bibles once again
and turn with me to the gospel according to John chapter 10.
John 10. Our Lord had revealed himself
to be the door of the sheep. There's one way. There's one
way to God. Accept it. We're accepted in
the Beloved. We're accepted in Christ. He
is the door. Nothing else. No other refuge. No other hope. He declared Himself
to be The shepherd of the sheep. Now, you know, we've been looking
at this. It's just so important that we
understand. When he started talking in verse
1 about the sheepfold, it's a yard. And this world is a yard. There's just a lot of different
flocks in this world. They all have different names.
They all have different doctrine. They all have a different creed.
They all have a different way of being reconciled to God. But out of all of the flocks
in this world, there is a flock that belongs to the Lord Jesus
Christ. It was given to Him before the
foundation of the world. God chose. The flock of Christ. They were sheep in eternity. Sons in eternity. Justified in
eternity. In Christ. In Christ. Their doctrine
is Christ. That's who they believe. That's who they trust. All of
the other flocks Their doctrine is works. That's what they believe. They believe. They believe works.
They believe in working, establishing their own righteousness to be
reconciled to God. Self-righteousness. But our Lord said, He said, Now this for My people.
They're not going to be found in this yard forever. In this yard now, born in this
world, but he came and made himself of no reputation. Get them. He said in verse 16 here, he
said, of the sheep I have, which are not of this sheepfold, fold,
yard, them also I must bring. They shall hear my voice, and
there shall be one flock, one fold. One Shepherd. Now, all that exalted themselves
above Him, thieves and robbers, they are thieves desiring the
glory of Almighty God. Glory that is only due to Him. And do you know what glory that
they are desiring? It says they desire the glory
of God. Here's what it is. You know that
through the words of Jonah, prompted by the Spirit of God, Jonah said,
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Moses
said, Lord, show me your glory. And he said, I'll have mercy
on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. The Spirit of God prompted Paul
the Apostle to quote that Scripture. And Paul added this, by God's
inspiration, so then it is not of him that will it, nor of him
that run it, but of God that shows mercy. That's His glory. When men desire the glory of
God, this is what they want. I want to be the source. I want to be able to say, I decided. God offered, but you
have to understand, I decided. I chose. I decided to give my heart to
Jesus. He wanted me, and I let Him have
me. All that ever came before me,
it doesn't mean in time, it means trying to exalt themselves in
authority. All that came before me, thieves
and robbers. Well, the Scripture says, and
here's where we're going to pick up this morning, I'm going to look
at verses 19 to 21, Lord willing. Verse 19. The Scripture says there was
a division, therefore, again among the Jews for these sayings. For these sayings. There was
a division. There had been a division in
John 7. I'll just give you these Scriptures if you'd like to look
at them. In John 7, 37-44, there was a division among the people. John 9, verses 13 to 16. A division among the Pharisees
whenever he had healed this blind man. Healed him on a Sabbath
day. Then there was a division among
the Pharisees because of that. And now in this passage, and
I believe it's just a continuation of the division that was among
the Pharisees, Scripture says, there was a division therefore
again. There always is. There's always
a division. There was a division again among
the Jews for these sayings. What he had said. Now, obviously,
a believer does not set out to cause division. A believer does not... set out to just do something. I just want to cause trouble.
But because of who he believes, because of who he trusts, because
of him knowing in his heart what I believe, this world doesn't
believe. They just don't believe this. It's amazing. I was listening
to someone here just recently making some statements, and it
sounded for a while. It had words that sounded like
grace. It had words that sounded consistent. And they sounded right. And boy, just right there at
the end. He told everybody what he believed. It came right down
again. They'd been saying, what can
a man do to reconcile himself back to God? Nothing, I thought. Who are we? We're just nobody's
filthy rag. And it came right down to it.
And in the end, he says this. He said, everybody, is a candidate
for salvation." I thought, ooh, a candidate. And it got worse
from there. And I thought, no, no. That's not the God of this Bible. There was a division therefore
again among the Jews for these sayings. Now, division was foretold
and it was decreed by Almighty God. Listen to this. Isaiah 8.14. Here's what the scripture says. And he shall be for a sanctuary. He shall be for a sanctuary.
But for a stone of stumbling. and for a rock of a fence to
both the houses of Israel, for a gin, for a net, and for a snare
to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." Now let me tell you what that
scripture just said. The Lord God Himself has appointed the
Lord Jesus Christ, appointed Him, to be a sanctuary and a
refuge for God's people. Now, we know that. He's appointed. He was chosen. He was sanctified. He was set apart. God's servant. God's Christ. God's Lamb. But
He is also appointed a rock of offense and a stone of stumbling
over which Rebels against God are going to stumble and fall. The heart of this passage that
I just read, and I'm going to prove this, I'm going to read
three passages of Scripture to prove this. I've said before,
if you're going to make a statement, prove it by the Word of God.
Don't just tell somebody something and leave it hanging. The heart
of what I just read, he shall be for a sanctuary but for a
stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses
of Israel." That passage right there says that men, not only
in rebellion against God, do fall, but they were appointed
to that fall. I want you to turn with me to
Acts 2. Acts 2. I'm going to read these three
Scriptures and I'm going to tell you this right now, God is not
the author of sin. He's not the author of sin. Men
do what they do because they want to rebel against God. And
in the absolute truth of God's Word, Almighty God is the one
who orders all things for His glory and honor and praise. And man is still the reason for
his rebellion. No one will lay to the feet of
Almighty God, you're the reason I went to hell. Now you listen to these Scriptures,
we best listen well. Lord, help me to hear. Acts 2.22.
You men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man
approved of God among you by miracles, wonders, and signs
which God did by Him in the midst of you as ye yourselves also
know. Him. being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain." The Lord Jesus Christ was appointed
to be delivered by the hands of wicked men. Turn with me to 1 Peter 2. 1
Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. Now, the reason I'm
telling you these things is because of the next point that I'm getting
ready. Why these things are so. 1 Peter
2. Verse 7 and 8. Read well. Unto you therefore which believe.
He is precious. He is an honor. But unto them
which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of a corner, a stone of stumbling,
a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being
disobedient, Whereunto also they were appointed. Romans 9, verse 21-22. Hath not,
Romans 9.21, the potter power over the clay of the same lump
to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? What
if God, willing to show His wrath and to make His power known,
endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction, or made up to destruction? I told you in the first service
there are some things that I cannot enter into the depth of. This
is one of them right here. I know this, the Scripture says forth that
Pharaoh hardened his heart. And the Scripture says forth
that the Lord hardened his heart. Is that right? Do you know what is the best
thing for me to do? Let God be true and let every
man be a liar. Someone may ask me, he said,
now, are you telling me that Almighty God took out of the
same lump one person made one unto honor and made another one
unto dishonor? That one of them was fitted for the honor and
glory of God and salvation, and the other one, the scripture
sets forth, was fitted for destruction or made up for destruction? I'd
say yes. They said, how are you going
to I'm not going to. I'm going to believe God. Because
I'm telling you, this is the safest thing that a man can do.
You believe God. Understand it all? No, I'm not
saying I understood it all. I'm thinking it's by the grace
of God that I would have a heart to believe Him. And not to rebel
against Him. And not to shake my fist Put
my finger in God's face and say, that's not fair. He'll put me in hell. I'm telling
you, God's people believe God. One day, by God's grace, we're
going to understand this, Carl. One day. But until we do, I'll
tell you what we do. We stand and believe God and
say, Lord, as You say, it is. It is. Let the poptions of this world
strive with the Almighty! The heathen raged! And Scripture says, He spoke
and the earth melted. My friend, if we are here today
and believe Him, Paul summed it up. He said, I am what I am
by the grace of God. Lord, teach me. Help me. Lord,
keep me. For your name's sake. Division
was foretold and Almighty God set forth. And He made one and
made another. And He made them according to
His everlasting purpose and will. And He did it according to His
good pleasure. And we say, Lord, as You say. Thanks be unto God, you'd give
me a heart to believe that. Second thing, divisions are essential,
necessary. Back in John chapter 10, there
were divisions, the Scripture says, for these sayings. 1 Corinthians, let me read this
to you, 11, 18, 19, there must, there must, be also heresies, that is, disunions,
sets among you, that they which are approved, approved of God,
genuines, what that word means, may be made manifest among you. For there must be also heresies
among you. There must be. according to the Scriptures,
ever sowing tares among the wheat. There's always tares among the
wheat. They're always there. These tares
do not come forth by chance. But they're providentially allowed,
set there by Almighty God. You say, well, I thought Satan
sowed the tares. I did say that. Who rules and
reigns in this world? Who's in charge? Who does all
things after the counsel of His own will? Almighty God. Almighty God, according to His
everlasting power and will and purpose, allows tares to be sown
among the weak. Why? There must be also heresies
among you. that they which are approved
may be made manifest among you." Almighty God sends and allows
tares to be sown in the midst of His people so that Almighty
God might make manifest those that He has everlastingly loved.
They are going to be shown. Consistent. Divisions find their root and
source over the gospel. Now, let me tell you something. This is the truth. Divisions are going to be over the gospel. The Scripture says back in John
10, there was a division therefore again among the Jews for these
sayings. Turn with me. 2 Corinthians 2. 2 Corinthians
2. There were divisions for these
sayings. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 14 to 16. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 14. Now thanks be unto God which
always causeth us to triumph in Christ. and maketh manifest
the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are
unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in
them that perish. To the one we are the savour
of death unto death, to the other the savour of life unto life.
And who is sufficient for these things? The gospel of sovereign grace,
the gospel of Christ, the gospel of God is a sweet savor of life. The fragrance of Christ, the
fragrance of satisfaction, the fragrance of His righteousness
to all that have been regenerated by the Spirit of God. The gospel
is the message of life in the Lord Jesus Christ according to
God's eternal purpose to show mercy and compassion to a people
that in themselves are helpless. But men left to themselves. Men
left to their own carnal heart. The gospel is the saver of death.
Now you know this is so. You know it's so. I dare say
that many of us here, probably all of us here, have either family
or friends or somebody, neighbors or something, that just absolutely
hate what you say in belief. They hate it. They despise the
free grace. It just flies in the face of
all. oppose Almighty God. It strips
a man of his righteousness. It doesn't leave
him anything to brag about in himself. It just declares men
to be spiritually dead, and man by nature just... You know why
a dog acts like a dog? Because he's a dog. You know why a rebel against
God acts like a rebel against God? Because he's a rebel against
God. A man is not going to have to
clean up his act. Almighty God is going to have
to make him brand new. He's going to have to make a
new man, a new creature. He's going to have to be born
from above. A new man is going to have to be imparted a new
nature, a new heart, a new will, a new love. A new desire is going
to have to be brand new. That old man is still there. That old man that we were born
with still hates God. He still hates God. There's an old man in every believer
that resists God. that rebels against God. That's
why it strives against the Spirit. That's why there's a war going
on in you. Paul said of himself, O wretched
man that I am. I see in me, that is in my flesh,
there dwells no good thing. And people think after they're
converted, they think, well, I tell you, that old nature is
not there. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. It's still there. It still resists. But God has
dethroned it. It's there. Oh, how we know it. But you leave a man to himself
and there's nothing there that loves God, loves Christ. And
I'm telling you, you tell him the gospel and he hates it. He despises it. He may tolerate
it for a while to try to make a good show. But you give him
time, and I promise you, I promise you, he'll come out. His sayings
cause division. Be wary of anything else that
causes a root of bitterness. His sayings. If there's envy,
strife, and division, ask yourself this, is it over the gospel? If you separate yourself from
a place because of the absence of the gospel, if you separate
yourself, oh, God is to be praised for His mercy and grace towards
you. 2 Corinthians 6, you're still
in 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 6, 14-18 says this,
Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with
darkness? What concord hath Christ with
Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? What agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the
living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk
in them. I will be their God. They shall be My people. Wherefore,
come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you and will
be a father unto you. You shall be My sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty." There is one God. ordained reason for
leaving a place of worship. If there is a false gospel there,
God Almighty, when He calls a man or woman out of darkness and
they hear that which is inconsistent with these Scriptures, leave. If the gospel is not preached
there, for the honor of Almighty God and for the good of your
eternal soul, leave. But I'm going to tell you this.
Get ready. Because you're going to suffer
scorn and ridicule because of it. You will. Because you know what you're
saying? God is not on your care. But if there's a separation and
a division, by those who oppose the faithful preaching of the
gospel. That's a sign of spiritual death.
They went out from us because they were not of us. Or if they
had been of us, surely they would have remained. God's people don't
leave. Now, I'm not talking about if
you left here. There's been some that have been here and they
left and went to another place where the gospel is preached.
I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about leaving and
going somewhere else, and you're not there unto the sound of the
gospel. That's what I'm talking about. Back in John, in closing. John
10, verses 20 and 21. Verse 19 says, There was division
therefore again among the Jews for these sayings, and many of
them said, He hath a devil, and is mad. Why hear ye him? Another
says, these are not the words of him that hath the devil. Can
a devil open the eyes of the blind? It's sad but true. Scripture says, verse 20, and
many, many of them, many hear his words. Many hear the message
of life, the gospel of God's honor, grace, and salvation,
and they say, This is devil talk. That's devil
talk. That's a hard saying. Who can hear that? They'll hear
the Scripture set forth that says that Almighty God chose
to show mercy to one and pass by another. They'll hear that men sent forth
that the Messiah, and it's according to the Scriptures, would lay
down His life for the sheep, for His elect, and not make an atonement for
the whole world? Devil talk! To proclaim dissatisfaction. is only known through the preaching
of this gospel. Paul said, I'm not ashamed. This
is the gospel. This is the power of God. This
is the only message. Are you saying that God Almighty
will not bless another message that doesn't set forth the glory
of God's sovereign grace? Are you saying that God does
not bless other messages? That's exactly what I'm saying.
Are men converted under a false gospel? No. Men say, well, I
was converted years ago. I wasn't here in the gospel,
but I was converted years ago. No, you weren't. No, you weren't. No, you weren't. Paul said, if any man preach
any other gospel than that which we've preached, let it be of
Christ. Is it necessary to hear the gospel? Yes, sir. Who said
that? God said it. God Almighty said
it. Many of them said, he hath a
devil. He's mad. Why hear him? Why do you listen
to this? Why are you listening to this
mess? All but others. Oh, how thankful I am that Almighty
God chose to show mercy to some. Others said, These are not the
words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of
the blind? These are not devil words. Here is the evidence of one that
Almighty God has shown distinguishing grace. They adore the Master. They love
the Master. And out of the abundance of their
heart, their mouth speaks. These are not the words of him
that hath the devil. No, these are words of life.
These are words of truth. This is a word of comfort. What
this does is it sets forth that salvation is something accomplished
for me by grace. As I've told you before, let
me tell you how God saves a sinner. Number one, He purposed to save
him. By His own will begat He us. He did it through the Word
of Truth. Almighty God purposed to show
mercy. Chose Him in Christ. Gave Him
to the Lord. And the Lord Jesus Christ came
into this world, lived for Him, established righteousness as
a man to God-man. paid their debt, made sin for
them, cast their sins as far as the east as from the west,
behind His back. I don't understand that. God
said they are behind His back. And then in time, He providentially
gets them under the gospel. And they hear this message of
life that is in a Savior, sovereign Savior, and that salvation is
totally by the grace of God. And the Spirit of God takes that
message that honors Christ and in power, He gives them a new
heart and gives them faith. They believe. He gave them faith
in life. And they hear it and they realize
that He saved me by grace and then told me about it. Made them willing in the day
of His power What did they do to merit? Nothing. What did they
do to secure it? Nothing. He told them about it. They believed Him. There is the evidence of life.
They believed God. Abraham believed God. God's people
believed God. We are here to say this, that
Almighty God saves sinners through the preaching of His gospel.
I pray thee save a sinner today, for Christ's sake.