Let's turn with me to John chapter
5. I'll look at verses 40 to 47.
John chapter 5. Let's pray again. Our Father, we ask you this morning. Could you help us? Lord, we ask,
according to your infinite mercy and grace in Christ, Lord, bless
us as we try to worship. Forgive us, Lord, where we have
fallen so lightly upon the wonder of our blessed Lord and Savior.
Bless these words, I pray, for the honor of our Lord and for
the good of your people. Amen. John chapter 5. Our Lord, in dealing with the Jews that
have confronted Him, after he had healed the impotent
man by the pool of Bethesda, had set forth the unity that he possesses with
the Father. That was in John chapter 5, that
was in verses 17 to 23. The next thing we looked at was
the evidence of his divine commission. being sent by the Father. That
was in verses 24 to 39. Now, what are we going to do as we
continue in taking the Scriptures as the Spirit of God has written
them? And that, I think, is a wise
thing to do. Take God's Word as God has written
it. and consider what the Lord God
himself has to say. Today we're going to look in
verses 40 to 47, and our precious Savior is going to set forth
the true state of a man's heart as that man is born in Adam. And truly, man's need of Him
as a Savior. The Lord must do something for
us that we can't do for ourselves. Here's the first thing that I
know, and these are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as He
speaks. to these Jews that oppose him. It says in verse 40, that ye
will not come to me that ye might have life. This is what I know concerning
a man's state before God as that man is born in Adam only. That man does not want to come
to Christ. He doesn't want to come. He doesn't want to come initially
in regenerating grace, he doesn't want to come. I'm talking about the one that's
speaking. He said, ye will not come to
me. Man doesn't want to come initially,
he doesn't want to come daily, he just doesn't want to come. You start to think about this.
Why? Does man, by nature, not come
to Christ? Why does he not come? Here's
the answer. He doesn't want to. He doesn't
want to come. But what he told them, in verse
39, he said, you search the scriptures. But here's the problem. They
didn't see him. They didn't see the glory of
Almighty God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the
Old Testament bears record and evidence of Him being the Messiah. I know a lot of the time I've
heard folks say, the Old Testament now is not, we don't really study
the Old Testament. The Lord set it forth. The Lord,
when he walked on this earth, he said, it's written. He was
always talking about the Old Testament. The Old Testament
is God's record concerning the evidence of the Lord Jesus Christ
being the Messiah. You see, the problem is not God's
evidence of Christ. That's not the problem. The problem is man's arrogant
will against coming to Christ. Man by nature has no desire to
come to the Lord Jesus Christ as a lost sinner, helpless. He just doesn't want to. He has no will to be saved. Isn't that sad? He has no will to be saved. This is the reason that God himself
must do something for a sinner that that sinner will not do
for himself. The scripture says, thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power. He is going to have
to do something. He's going to have to give life. Before anybody will do anything,
the Lord's going to have to give them life. He's going to have
to create in them something that was not there before. Human beings
are walking around physically alive, but they're spiritually
dead. You look at Ephesians chapter
2, verse 1, and you have the quickens. made you alive, you had to quit
Him, who were dead in trespasses and sins. You know a man doesn't
know he's dead until the Lord has already made him alive. He
doesn't realize he's dead. I always thought I was alive
always. No, no, no, no, no. Those that come by faith, come
because they want to, with a new heart, desire, To love the Lord
that they did not love before. They don't want to come. He said, you will not come to
me. Now, let's be real distinct here. I'm not talking about coming
to the altar. I'm not talking about coming
to the front. I'm not talking about coming to anything. I'm
talking about coming to Christ. I'm talking about coming to the
Savior. Ask a man, ask a woman, where
in lies your hope? Where in lies your hope? If you
say anything other than the Lord God Himself, gave me a heart
to believe Christ to be my only hope. If you say anything else
except Him, and I'm talking about don't preface it with anything
else, you preface it with anything else, and that's the wrong answer. He said you will not come to
me, to me. Here's the second thing I know
concerning our Lord's Word to these Jews, verses 41-42, He
said, I receive not honor from men, but I know you, that ye
have not the love of God in you. Our Lord never sought, nor should
we, the applause of men. I mean, the fear of man brings
a snare. I mean, by nature, we're afraid. We don't want anybody to be mad
at us. And I don't. I don't want anybody
to be unnecessarily mad at me. I don't. But here's the situation
as it is. If the Lord has done something
for me, I know it is. I'm going to. I'm going to stand
before God, I know that. I know that by regenerating grace. I know that I'm going to stand
before God. You know if men knew that, if
they truly knew that. If they truly knew it, the Lord
has already done something for them. But if a man or woman truly
knew, I'm going to stand before God. And the books are going
to be open. And Almighty God, according to
His words, is going to deal with men according to either that
which is written in the books or the book. I don't want the
Lord to deal with me out of that which is written
in the books. Or that I might be found in Him,
in Christ. and God's book, the book of life. I receive not honor from men. Same word here, honor is the
word glory, the opinion. Man's opinion carries no value
when it is opposed to God's word. Man's opinion is worth nothing,
nothing. Man's word Compared to God's
Word, let's say what the scripture says, let God be true and let
every man be a liar. Oh, that he might truly show
me that I am more than I am. I'm a liar. I'm a liar against
God. What is it going to matter if
that day What's it going to matter? Everything
that men have had to say if it's contrary to this Word. This is
what I pray for myself this morning. Lord, teach me what You have
to say. And Lord, help me. Help me to
believe it. Show me of Yourself. Teach me
by Your Spirit. Oh, Acts 5.29, the Scripture
says we ought to obey God rather than men. If He's taught me of Himself,
if He's taught me of His truth, I am a blessed man. This life
is free. It's faith. It's just a paper. that our Lord received not honor
from men was because according to his word he said there's no
love of God in your hearts if the Lord has given us a love
for God himself you know what the evidence of that would be?
we'll believe his word we'll believe his word We'll bow to
that. True love, true love honors and
praises and exalts and blesses the name of our blessed Savior. Lord, what I am, I am by your
grace. The Psalm says, in my hand no
price I bring. What are you going to bring?
What are you going to bring? and offer unto the Lord. Let
me tell you all the hope, all the hope that a man or a woman
has, this is it right here, is that the Lord Jesus Christ would
stand as my mediator and answer before God Almighty and His laws
and declare according to the shedding of his own blood, where
he put away my guilt, this is all of my hope, this is all of
my plea, this is it right here, that he himself bore my guilt
in his own body and left nothing for me to do, nothing, nothing,
nothing. And he shed and put away the
guilt of this old sinner. And he gave
me a new heart, a new life, created in me, a new man, created in
righteousness, not like the first one. Rode me in his righteousness. That's all of my hope. And stand
before Him and say, Lord, You're worthy to receive all of the
honor and all of the glory and all of the praise. Whom have I in heaven but You?
Salvation. All of grace. You'll never find
a believer on to plead their own goodness. Never. Never. Never. They will declare, He
saved me by His mercy and grace and called me by His Spirit and
told me about it. That's all. That's all the hope
I have. God's love wrought in the heart of His people. loves
that which God the Father loves. This is my beloved son, and whom
I will please. You hear him? Hear him. Men may profess to love God,
but I tell you, if they love not the Son, if they love not
the Son's Word, if they love not the Gospel of God's free
and sovereign grace, Gary, you'll never know what
that sentence you said to me that time, that stuck with me.
What's wrong with God giving all the glory? What's wrong with
that? There's nothing wrong with that.
What's wrong with God himself receiving all the praise and
honor? What's wrong with that? I tell
you, that's the most liberating thought in the world. Here it is, you believe Him,
and God's got to give you faith to believe Him. Verse 43, I am
come in my Father's name, and you receive me not. If another
shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. He came from
the Father, with the Father's evidence from heaven. His baptism on the Mount of Transfiguration,
the evidence of the miracles that he wrought, and the evidence
of the Holy Scriptures, and they didn't receive him. You say,
how can that be? How could they have done that?
We've got the Holy Scriptures right here. Why does a man not believe it?
Why does a man continue to trust himself? Why does he continue
to trust his own works? Because the Lord's not done anything
for him. I'm telling you, according to
this scripture, right here. According, go back and read Philippians. Read Paul's account of himself.
He trusted in himself. He said, you think you've got
something to trust in? You think you guys have done something?
Y'all think y'all obey God? And he started listing off all
those credentials that he had. I was born in the right family.
I was circumcised on the right day. My mom and dad were Hebrews. I was not a half-breed. I was
on and on and on and on and on and on. And He said those things
that I counted gain to me, He said they were done. They were
done. They were refuge. That's all
they were. God's people. had no confidence
whatsoever in the flesh. A man may come, the Lord said.
He said, another, he said, will come in his own name. Him you will receive. Turn to John 10, verse 1-5. John 10, 1-5, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold
will climb it up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber.
He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice. He
calleth his own sheep by name, leadeth them out, and when he
putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them. And the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will
they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the
voice of strangers." A believer will not listen. A believer will
not listen to a message that exalts man and man's free will,
man's words, man's this and man's that. He will not hear it. He
will not hear it. I will not hear it. By the grace of God, I don't
want to hear somebody stand up and blaspheme the God that I
love. As God is my witness, standing
and listening to somebody proclaim a God that is a little g nobody. It can't do anything without
man's arm. The only arm they say that he
has is yours. The only mouth he has is yours.
That's bunk. Boy, what a little guy that he's
got to have this scoundrel. A normal man has no will to come
to Christ. He has no love for true God.
Thirdly, he loves the praise of men. Verse 44, How can ye
believe which receive honor one of another, and seek not the
honor that cometh from God only? Matthew 6, 24. I'll read this
for you. Matthew 6, 24. No man can serve two masters.
Either he'll hate the one and love the other, or else he'll
hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God.
Amen. Nope. You can't serve God Himself. It's not going to happen. You
can't do it. It's impossible. Man by nature
loves the praise of men. To win the applause and the good
opinion of others. The honor and opinion of the
Lord God is not sought after by man being born in Adam. Men will opt until the Lord does
something for them to renounce all of the honor that is given
by dying creatures. The gospel reveals that the Lord
himself humbles a man, humbles a woman, puts them in their true
place as a beggar, a beggar before God, who is the sovereign. The safest place you'll ever
find yourself is in a place where you can't do anything. Safest
place in the world is to be in a place, in a state of heart,
if he doesn't save me. I'm going to perish. I'm going
to die. I'm going to die. Only a new heart seeks and vows
to that position of humility. David, King David, man after
God's own heart. Psalm 84.10, I'd rather be a
doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents Lord, place it all upon my ear
and bore it through as a symbol, a part of submission
to you. What is more glorious? and salvation. That's all of
grace. Not of any works. I'm talking
about nothing. I'm talking about nothing. Nothing. All of grace. And then
our Lord finished. Verses 45 and 47. He told them
this. He said the carnal heart doesn't
believe God's Word. Do not think that I will accuse
you of the Father. There is one that accuseth you,
even Moses, in whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you
would have believed me, for he voted me. But if you believe
not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" Now listen,
when he said, do not think that I'm going to accuse you. He says there's one that's going
to accuse you when we stand before him who is the judge. And you
know, outside of Christ, this is who's going to accuse us.
God's law. God's law. The law of God, the scripture
reveals It's the schoolmaster, the schoolmaster that reveals
to us, number one, our inability. This is God's standard. This
is God's law. The law of God says, do and live. But no man does that. The law
is weak because of our flesh. That's what he does. God's law is holy and just and
good. And the Lord said, there's one
that's going to accuse you, the one you trusted in. The one that
you said, I can do this. I can do something. Remember this, whatever you're
trusting in, Whatever you're trusting in, whatever you think
you've done to please God, whatever you think that you've done to
please God, it better be absolutely perfect. Because if you have
ever deviated one time, and you have, trusting in something to
save you, that you have done yourself is going to be your
accuser. There is one that accuses you,
even Moses, in whom you trust. Had you believed Moses and Moses
set forth, you can't keep this lie. Had you believed Moses,
you would have believed me. But he wrote of me. Moses set forth in that blessed
law what God demanded and how God himself was going to satisfy
himself in a substitute. No other way. All of those sacrifices
and all of those ceremonies set forth the glory of the one Jesus
Christ. The Lord said there is no need
There's no reason of his accusing them that no one will come to
him, no one has any love for God, no one loves anything other
than the praise of men and the honor of men. There's no need
for that. He said you already have an accuser. The very scriptures that men
read today. Say that God himself does something
in regenerating grace. The very scriptures that men
read and try to prove that they can do something for God. The
very scriptures that men read, trying to prove that they, by
their own free will, can do something for God. Those scriptures are
going to accuse him. Let me show you that in closing.
John 12. John 12 verse 7. John 12, 47. If any man hear
my words and believe not, I judge him not. For I came not to judge
the world, but to save the world. He that rejected me and receiveth
not my words hath one that judges him the word that I have spoken. The same shall judge him in the
last day. For I have not spoken of myself,
but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what
I should say and what I should speak." Oh, the blessing of realizing
and to be brought to a place where the Lord in his infinite
mercy and grace would bring a man or bring a woman under the sound
of the truth. I'll be the first to admit, I
read these passages of scripture and I thought to myself, I don't
know if I've ever read a passage of scripture that's more pointed,
more correct than this one right here. That's it. I mean, these are the words of
the Savior. These are the words of the Master
Himself. And to realize that I've been
brought to confront God's Word from the mouth of God's prophet,
and to hear God Himself in human flesh, He who was ever before
the Father, who has come into this world and absolutely has
set forth God's revelation. I thank you, Lord. Thank you. Thank you for grace that will
bring this sinner to bow before you. I pray this day that the
Lord might be pleased to bless these words to the conviction
and salvation of His elect. All the hope that I have, all
the hope that you have, is found in Him. Lord, do something for
me that I can't do. I realize that. I'm just a sinner. I'm just a
sinner saved by the grace of God. and I don't have anything
to offer you. Lord, what you've done for me,
what is mine that thou art mine to the end. Lord, save me or
I perish for Christ's sake.