of the book of John, chapter
7, John 7. Brother Neil and I were in Lexington yesterday, we were
talking to Brother Todd Knighter, and we were talking about this progressive gospel that
we preach. And Todd said this, he said,
you know anybody that just reads the scriptures, he just reads
the scriptures. You'd have to admit, you'd have
to admit, Sovereign Grace is something. Calvinism is something. That's the truth. I was thinking,
Brother Mike read that passage there in Ephesians. It's so plain. You had to be quick. who were
dead, trespassing sins. But the difference is this. Do I need him? Do I need him? Not do I admit, just merely admit
with my head. I can read descriptions of anybody. Read descriptions and say, well,
I see where it does say that, you know, It does say God chose
a people. It does say predestination. I can see it. Yeah, but do you need Him? Do you need for Almighty God?
Do you need for Him to elect you? Do you need for Him to die
as your substitute because you cannot do anything for yourself? Oh, may the Lord bless these
words to our hearts. John chapter 7. I've entitled this message, I
want to look at verses 14 to 18, and I've entitled this message,
The Lord's Doctrine. And as I tithed it, and I'm going
to read these scriptures, I asked myself this, what did
he preach? What did he preach? Well, let's
look at John 7, 14, now about the midst of the feast, Jesus
went up into the temple and talked. saying, How knoweth this man
letters? Jesus is learning, having never
learned. Jesus answered them and said,
My doctrine, my teaching you, my preaching
you, is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his
will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether
I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh
his own glory, but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the
same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Our Lord had gone up to this
feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, He had done so secretly. And according to this scripture,
about somewhere in the midst, somewhere in the middle of the
feast, that's where verse 14 says, about the midst, about
the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and talked. Now here was God's prophet. Here was the Lord Himself, the
one sent from God. Matthew 4.23 says that Jesus
went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and preaching
the gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sickness
and all manner of diseases among the people. Now what He preached, that's
what I want to be concerned about. What did the Lord of Glory preach? And whatever He preached, that's what I want to preach.
All I want to do is say what He said. Whatever He taught,
that's what I want to teach, because the Scripture says that
we're ambassadors for Christ. We beseech you in Christ's name,
be you reconciled to God. Whatever he taught, we teach.
As he taught, the people wondered. They admired what he said. Verse 15, that's what they said. The people, the Jews marveled. And ask this question. How knoweth
this man letters, having never learned? How did he come to understand
this learning. What he taught, arrested him. Just, it took them back. They marveled because it was
a doctrine, it was a teaching that obviously had not been taught.
For as they were concerned, and knew in their schools of theology,
John 7, 46 offers an answer And they said, listen, never
man spake like this man. What he's preaching, they said
that he taught them as one having authority and not as scribes. What this man taught had substance
to it. As the Son of Man, he received
the Spirit of God without measure. needed not to receive or be taught
anything from man by man. He had letters, he had learning,
though he had never learned them from his creatures. Obviously, as being Almighty
God, he is the omniscient God. But as a servant of Jehovah,
His wisdom came from the Father. Look at Luke 2.40. Listen to
this, Luke 2.40. Scripture says, The child grew
and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of
God was upon him. God Almighty had gone to the
synagogues just like the other Jewish children. He heard the
Scriptures read. Oh, but God Almighty that had
given him the Spirit without measure grew in wisdom. I read that he grew, look he
got bigger, and he grew in wisdom, knowledge, and favor with God
and man. That's one of those scriptures
you just set it forth, just leave it alone. Just leave it alone. How are you going to expand on
that? This is what the scripture says. wisdom, stature, favor, the God-man. Scripture says forth, John 8,
28, that said, Jesus, unto them, when ye have lifted up the Son
of Man, ye shall know that I am He, and that I do nothing of
myself, but as my Father hath taught me. I speak these things. His doctrine. From His doctrine,
we learn three things. Number one, we learn that His
doctrine is divine. Back in John 7. John 7, verse
16. Jesus answered them and said,
My doctrine is not mine, but his that seek me. Now we know,
as Almighty God, we know that his doctrine was his, as being
divine, deity. But here his doctrine that he
speaks of is the doctrine concerning himself as the God-man mediator. Here is the one who humbled himself Lord, had you not said this,
had you not said, my doctrine is not mine, but his that sent
me. If he hadn't said this, I'd have never said that. Would you? Would you have ever brought yourself
to say that? Lord, you said it. Oh, the humility of Christ. The
submissiveness to the Lord Jesus Christ. They like to be brethren,
yet without sin. Humble himself, taught. Brought himself, humbled himself
to be taught. He that made, he was the one
that spoke this world into existence. This is the one that upholds
all things by the word of his power. And he says, my doctrine's
not mine, but him that sent me. You know
why I said that? Because that's what I have to
say. My doctrine's not mine. It didn't originate with me.
I know men grail on the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace.
What do we say? This doctrine's not ours. Oh,
it's ours by gift, yes, but it didn't originate with us. His
doctrine sets forth his offices as God's prophet, God's priest,
God's king. His doctrine declares his work
of redemption in his life, in his death, his resurrection. Here he is speaking. which came from Almighty God. God's glorious doctrine is not
of man. Oh, that has such a sweet sound
to me. This is not man's. Man doesn't have anything to
do with this in its origin. This is divine. My doctrine is
not mine, but him that sent me. I know this secondly, his doctrine
is known by those whose heart is set by the grace of God on
knowing Him. Look at verse 17. If any man
will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be
of God or whether I speak of myself. If any man do his will,
now let me ask you this, what is the will of God? This is the will of God. That
of him whom God has sent, you should believe on him. That's
the will of God. That's God's will. For God's
people. Thanks be unto God that God's
people shall be willing. In the day of His power. If any
man possesses a will to be obedient, It wasn't because that man originated
that will. I tell you that for a fact. We
know that. This glorious gospel, the doctrine
of Christ, the doctrine of free grace, is it of God or is it
of man? If any man will do his will,
if any man by the grace of God believes Christ, he's going to
know. whether of the doctrine. He shall
know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak
of myself. Let me ask you this question. Do you want to know the truth
about God? Do you want to? Do you desire
to know Him who is truth? I'm sincere. That's a sincere
question. Do you really? Is everything else second fiddle? I don't care what it is. Is everything else second fiddle?
Give me God's truth or I will perish. And I'll let everything
else go. Do you want to? I pray God give
me a heart for that. I believe I do. I want to know. I'm sincere. I want to know. I want to know what does Almighty
God have to say. If any man will do his will,
he shall know the doctrine. Now does that scripture right
there, is that saying that I've got to come up with the willingness
first To know, then to know the doctrine. Flip back to John 1.12. Let me show you a scripture that
I think is a good answer. John 1.12. Let's just read John
1.10.11.12. He was in the world and the world
was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. Look at verse 12. But as many
as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name. Now let me tell
you what that's not saying. It's not saying that they had
to receive him first. in order to become the sons of
God. I can prove that by the next
verse. Which were born, not of blood, nor the will of flesh,
nor the will of man, but they were born of God. So I know this,
that those that received Him, it wasn't because they acted
out of their own ability. And then he gave them the power
of God. Then what does it say? Here's
what it says. Those as many as received him, it was evident, evident that
God had given them power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believed on his name. Or the next verse would make
no sense whatsoever. Almighty God must make one willing
in the day of his power, then they'll believe. Back in John 7, verse 17, if
any man will do his will, if any man has been made willing
in the day of God's power, then that man shall know, he's going
to know the doctrine of Christ, whether it was of God or whether
He spoke of Himself. Whether it was divine or whether
it was of man. Here's the grand promise from
the Lord Jesus Christ to His hearers. You that are desirous,
whether my doctrine is of God or man, you that are truly desirous,
God made you so. And you shall know. You shall
perceive. You shall desire that which Almighty
God has caused you to desire after. You'll want it. You'll
hunger for it. You will inquire to the Word
of God. You will ask the Spirit of God to reveal His truth. The
Lord has promised that you will. Every time we come together today,
Sunday, Wednesday. Coming, hungering, listening.
I need, I want the Lord to speak to me. Before the service started this
morning, my heart was just heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy. And I know why. I know why. I know that if the Lord doesn't
bless this, I can try. I can try to set forth. I can try to be as consistent. I want to be consistent. If I
even detect when I'm preaching, something comes out of my mouth
and it just didn't come out exactly the way I wanted it to, man,
I'm going to be doing some real quick explaining real quickly. I don't want to be disrespectful
to the Lord. And I truly desire, I want to
preach. I want to preach correctly. I want to preach according to
scripture. Whatever the Lord preaches, that's what I want
to preach. But I know this. If the Lord
doesn't bless it, it's just going to be worse. You'll hear them
and they'll be, you know, you'll say, well, you know, it's good.
It's all right. But if the Lord blesses it, it
makes it alive. I desire that He would do that.
I desire that He would teach us. But I know that it must be
Him. I know that. I know that. Being
confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good
work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. So I
know that His doctrine is divine. His doctrine is known by those
who have been made willing in the day of God's power. And then
thirdly, his doctrine is the only doctrine that gives Almighty
God all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise. I know this. Verse 18, he that speaketh of himself seeketh
his own glory. But he that seeketh his glory,
that sinning, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in
him. He that speaketh of himself,
he that speaks from himself and of himself, any man that wants to brag on
himself, Anything concerning salvation that has to do with
you, anything that has to do with
you to make it effectual, to make it so, anything that has
to do with you is wrong. It's wrong. It's wrong. Well, I believed and therefore
I was saved. That's wrong. No. God saves His people who have saved us and called
us. Salvation is of God. Salvation is of the Lord. God
saves His people on purpose and then He tells them, I saved you. That thief on the cross? The
Lord Jesus Christ saved him and then told him. And when he told
him, the thief said, Lord, would you remember me? That was all
the effect. That was the effect of salvation. Almighty God is not waiting on
you to do anything. He does not need you to save
you. If He did, then He's not God
Almighty. His doctrine is the only doctrine
that gives all the honor and all the glory and all the praise
to God Almighty. Lord, You redeemed us. Lord,
You saved us. Lord, You called us. We are the
recipients of your grace and your mercy and your compassion.
I am what I am by the grace of God. He that speaketh of himself seeks
his own glory. I did this. No, you didn't. No, you didn't. The character of a deceived person
is that he seeks His own Lord, His own honor, 2 Timothy. Let
me read this to you, 2 Timothy 3. 2 Timothy 3, verses 1 to 5. This know also that in the last
days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their
own selves. Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truth-breakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that
are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God, having a form of godliness. But listen to this,
but denying the power thereof. Denying where the power truly
is. The power that is of God only.
from such, turn away. No, we're not working for the
same thing. No, the doctrine that we preach is the doctrine
of our Lord, the doctrine of God. One question that I've got
concerning the doctrine, who gets all the glory? Who does? Concerning the truth of our Lord's
doctrine in closing, let me ask you this. Did the Lord of glory, did the
Lord Jesus Christ, did he preach man's total inability? Did he preach that? Forty-four. No man can come to me except the Father
which has sent me joy. No man has the ability. What about my free will? You
don't have one. Let me beg you like this. God will
say, we're playing. What about my free will? You
don't have one. The scripture does not teach that. No man can. No man has the ability. Is that
what Christ said? Who said those words? The Lord
Jesus Christ. He said, my doctrine, not mine,
but it's His that sent me. I preach that which has been
taught. Did he preach man's total depravity? How about verse 65,
John 6, 65. And he said, therefore said I
unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given
unto him of my father. Let me ask you this, where does
that put a man? I'll tell you where it puts him. It puts him in himself helpless.
That's where it puts him. Did the Lord preach man's depravity? Yes, He did. Let me ask you this. Did the Lord preach? Did the
Lord Jesus Christ preach God's eternal election? John 6 verse 7. All that the Father hath given
me did the Lord preach." Election. Yes. All that the Father giveth
me. Look at John 17, verse 3. What
did the Lord preach? John 17 2, as thou hast given
him power over all flesh, and here's what he's saying, all
power, all power to do whatsoever, he's pleased, as thou hast given
him power over all flesh, how much? All of it. eternal life to as many as thou
hast given him." Did he preach election? Yes, he did. Yes, he did. Did he preach particular
redemption? Particular redemption. What do
you mean by particular redemption? I mean that he laid down his
life for a particular people. Did He preach that? Did God Himself
preach that? John 10 verse 15, As the Father
knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life
for the sheep. Is everybody a sheep? John 10.26,
John 10.26, John 10.26, but you believe not, because ye are not
of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give
unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, verse 29, which
gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father's hand. Now my question is this, did
He preach particular redemption? Yes He did. He said, I laid down
my life in sheep, and not all of you are my sheep. Did he preach
irresistible grace? You read John 6.37? We'll just
read another portion of it. John 6.37, All that the Father
giveth me, listen to this, shall come to me. They shall come to me. How many
will come to the Lord Jesus Christ as needing, helpless sinners. How many will come? All that
the Father has given Him. What's the possibility that one
of them won't come? Zero. There's zero possibility
that one of them won't come. All of them are going to come.
If He preached election, total depravity, particular redemption,
irresistible grace, Did he preach preservation of the saints? We
just read it. I give unto them eternal life,
and they shall never perish. They shall never perish. They'll
never perish. Back in John 7 and closer. Verse
16. Jesus answered them and said,
My doctrine, My doctrine, My doctrine is not Mine, but His
that sent Me. If any man will do his will,
he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether
I speak of Myself, He that speaketh of Himself. seeks his own glory,
but he that seeketh his glory hath sent him the same as true,
and no unrighteousness is in him." This is what I want. I want to preach whatever he
preached. Whatever the Lord of Glory preached,
that's what I want to preach. By the grace of God, I shall. Amen.