Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the Gospel according to John chapter 4. John chapter
4. Following our Lord's conversation
with the Samaritan woman, we've been, as I said the other day,
we've been on this passage of Scripture for a while. That's OK. That's all right. Let's take our time. Let's see
what God has to say. After the Lord had spoken to
this woman concerning worship, concerning her life, He told
her, He said, go get your husband. Why don't you
bring your husband? Let's talk. And she said, I don't have a
husband. He said, you've well said. He said, you've had five husbands.
And he said, the man you're living with is not your husband. Man
is fallen, isn't he? Man is a rebel against God. The Lord Jesus Christ telling
that woman what she was by nature. The Scripture said she left her
water pots, she went into the city, and she said to some men
there, come see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ? The Scripture says in verse 30
of John 4 that then they went out of the city and came unto
Him. Now, we pick up right there. This woman has told these men,
Come see a man. That's what we say. Come see
a man. There was a fellow who walked
in here a while ago and started telling me this story,
this long story about how needy he was. His car was busted. His tools were busted. He got
half a job done. And I said to him, I said, why
don't you stay? We're getting ready to have two
services. We're going to have two services on this Sunday morning. Today is the Lord's Day. We've
got two services. Why don't you stay and listen?"
And I said, we'll help you. You know what he told me? I don't
have time. I don't have time. You don't have time. I said, you don't have time to
listen to two messages concerning the glory of God. You don't have
time for that? No, he said, I'm up to here,
right here. Unless Almighty God has mercy
on his soul, he'll never forget that question that I just asked
him. Do you have time to hear the gospel of God's grace? No,
I don't have time. This woman said to these men,
come see a man. Come and see a man that told
me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?" Come
listen. And the Scripture says in verse
31, in the meanwhile, His disciples prayed Him saying, Master, eat. Now these fellows are coming
now. They've listened to this woman. This woman has told him,
you come see a man. Come, come, come, come. Have you got time to come? And they're coming. The Lord's
disciples come up. They've gone into the city. They've
bought some meat. And the Scripture says they prayed
Him saying, Master, eat. What they did was they exhibited,
I don't doubt for a second, concern. But their concern was based upon
their words. They were concerned with that
which was temporal. I know that. You know, what shall
we eat? What shall we drink? It's not that our Lord was insensitive
to the needs of the body. He was made flesh and he ate
and he drank. He got tired. The Scripture says
when he first got to the well, Jacob's well there in Sychar,
it said that he was weary. He made himself. God Almighty,
human nature. And all of the frailties of our
nature save the bowing to the temptation of sin. Except for
that, he was familiar with all of them. He knew what it was
like to get tired and get hungry. But he has said in Matthew 6.33,
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and
all these things will be added unto you. They had gone. They got some
meat providentially. The Lord sent them. so that he
could have some time one-on-one with this woman. Just talk to
her. Told her about herself. Told
him who he was. These disciples, they came back
and they prayed him, saying, Master, eat. Now the most revealing
part of this verse is concerning the failure of man to honor the
Lord Jesus Christ as He is worthy to be honored, what they really said is going
to shock you. Shocked me. Shocked me. And in being shocked,
it just embarrassed me. embarrass me for myself. Scripture
says His disciple prayed Him, saying, Master, He. The word that they use, pray,
they pray, they ask Him. They ask Him. You say, well, I'm not a Greek scholar. I'm not a Hebrew scholar. I don't
claim to be. The only thing I know is I try
to look up some words. As a general rule, I really won't
tell you what the word is because I don't want to embarrass myself.
I don't even know how to pronounce them correctly. But I'm going
to share with you something that I found, and I think it's relevant
for us this morning. I'm going to tell you what the
words actually are, and you can look them up. It's just get a
Greek dictionary and look them up. The word that they used when
it says they prayed Him, they asked Him, they besought Him,
that's what it means. But the word that they used in
the Greek was eratao. And I found out that it's a word
that is used that suggests that The one doing the petitioning
is on the same level as the one that is being petitioned. You
know, a lot of times in English, we lose a lot in translation. They asked Him. They prayed Him. And we think, well, that word
means, you know, they were concerned about Him and they just wanted
to talk to Him about it. And, Lord, we realize you're
hungry. We've got some meat. Listen,
before these folks get over here, come back, these guys that are
coming over here, look, once you grab your bite, you think,
well, that's real sensitive of them. But this word, eretao, was a
word that was used one time by the Pharisees, I found out, when
the Pharisee asked the Lord. if he would come and eat with
him. The Pharisee besought the Lord. He asked the Lord if he
would come over to the Pharisee's house and eat with him. You say,
well, that was mighty sensitive of him. Well, yeah, except when
you realize the word that he used. This Pharisee talked to
the Lord as if he was on the same level with the Lord. You said, yeah, but that was
one of those Pharisees. You know how they are. Boy, they're
so arrogant talking to the Lord like that. I want you to turn
to Matthew 15.22. Matthew 15.22. And I want to
show you the first time that this word is used. in the New
Testament. First time, this word. Matthew
15, 22. Here it is. First time, this
word. Eretaho. Matthew 15, 22. And behold, a woman of Canaan
came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have
mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. My daughter is grievously
vexed with the devil. But he answered her not a word,
and his disciples came and erotato, besought him saying, send her
away, for she crieth after us." You know, when you realize what
that word really means, when you start thinking about how
one who thinks himself on the same level. Can you imagine the
disciples telling him, send her away? I read that again, realizing
what the word meant, and I thought to myself, who do we think we
are? Who are we to speak to Him? Oh, how our flesh exhibits the
inferior conception of the glory of our Lord. Man by nature does
not see himself to be a beggar before God. Man by nature sees
himself as thinking that he has the right to speak to Almighty
God on a level as being one who is equal The word that they should
have used was the word, and here we go again, I'll just tell you
what the word is, ahiteo. One is eroteo and one is ahiteo. The only difference is that the
one that they should have used is one from a suppliant to a
superior, one from a beggar. Turn to Acts 3.2. Let me show
you where this word is used. Acts 3, 2. Acts 3, 2. A certain man lame
from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate
of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms of them
that entered into the temple. There's a one. That word right
there is the word of a beggar, the one that can supply. When
a man is truly wrought to see himself as needy. Needy. He needs mercy. That man will ask as a beggar
asking one who alone can help. When our Lord was praying to
the Father, He never used I read this here again. I'm just sharing
with you what I found. Amazing, but oh so revealing
of who He is and who we are. Our Lord, when praying to His
Father, never used the word as an inferior to a superior. He never used that word aeteo,
a beggar. He always used the word that
the disciples used when they were speaking to him, erita,
or that word that speaks as an equal. Oh, he made himself, truly, of
no reputation, humble himself, bowed himself. But when this
scripture, John 17, 9, I pray for them. I, Heretao, as one
speaking to one who is His equal, I pray not for the world, but
for them which Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine." When
our blessed Lord prayed unto His Father, He prayed as equal. He thought it not robbery to
be equal. Well, back in our text, these
disciples used a word that shows how little we revere Him as we
ought. Have you ever tried to? And I
use that word very, very distinctly. Have you ever tried to pray?
Try to. And found yourself struggling, realizing just for
a moment how needy we really are, embarrassed. One that truly prays realizes
his inferiority. I'm talking about a sinner saved
by the grace of God, inferior. Oh, what we learned in that verse
right there. They came to Him. They said they
prayed Him. They prayed Him. Master, eat. You know, it's one thing for
me to say something to somebody else. Now, you need to get something
to eat. Now, look, you're going too much.
Now, you need to rest. You've been going too much. Now listen, now listen, I'm telling
you. Now you just, you settle down,
you go over there, get your nap this afternoon. That's one thing
if I'm talking to you. But who am I to talk to our Lord? Lord, if it be your will. Lord,
I ask you. Lord, help me. Look at the attitude
in just that one little word. Oh, what that word right there.
They prayed Him. It's like they besought Him. Send her away. She's bothering
us. Crimping our style. But the Scripture says in verse
32, But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that you know not
of. Oh, how wonderful to see that
little word, but, right there. He knew exactly what they said,
but. He knew exactly the word they
used, but. But God, who is rich in mercy,
long-suffering, not willing that any that His Father had given
Him in everlasting electing grace should perish. Could you imagine
them speaking to Him like that? But He said unto them, I have
meat to eat. Oh, our Lord Jesus Christ, He
set forth the soul nourishment and the soul-sustaining grace
that His disciples were ignorant of. He had come to seek and to save
that which was lost. There was a woman there He had
spoken to. There were some men coming. And
He was going to also call out of darkness. We'll see, Lord
willing, we'll see that next time. We heard, they said, they
told the woman, they said, we heard what you said about it,
but now we've heard for ourselves. And here He is. doing that which
is pleasing unto His Father. Now He's teaching them that there's
a spiritual food that satisfies where that natural food never
will. This morning, we're here to eat
of the bread of heaven. There's some folks that's come
this morning, and this is the attitude. Tell me one more time. Tell me. how He's shown mercy
to me. Tell me, after you've reminded
me of how errant I am in the fall, tell me one more time how
in my ignorance, rebellion, and even when I see the presence
of sin that still causes me to speak with such disrespect Tell me one more time how He
is long-suffering, gentle, merciful. When our Lord ate the Passover
with His brethren, knowing that the fulfillment of what the Passover
actually set forth was about to take place. You remember when
the Passover took place in Egypt God told Moses, you tell the
people, you take a lamb, set him apart. And the night I tell
you, you kill that lamb. You take the blood of that lamb,
you put it on the doorpost. You'll eat that lamb, roast it
with fire, and you get inside that house and don't you come
out. And God passed through. God came
through. He said, I'll come through. And
when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. When Almighty God sees
the blood that was shed by the Lord Jesus Christ for His sheep. That's what He said, I lay down
my life for the sheep. Who did He die for? for all that
His Father had given Him." Who said that? He did. He did. Someone might say, are you saying
that Christ only died for those that God the Father gave Him
in electing grace? Is that what you said? As I've
said before, no, that's not what I said. That's what God said.
That's what He said. I lay down my life for the sheep. And I know that there's a distinction
because he told some Pharisees. John chapter 10, he said, you
don't believe me because you're not my sheep. I know my sheep. They follow
me. They come to me. He told his
disciples when he was about to eat that Passover with desire,
I have desired to eat this Passover with you. before I suffer." But with his response, when he
told them, he said, I have meat to eat that you know not of.
You don't understand. We do not understand the indescribable
mercy and grace of Almighty God. Think of that right now. But
for His grace right now, even for those who know Him in regenerating
grace, but for His long-suffering, mercy-keeping power right now. But for His grace, we would have
been in hell the moment we called upon Him in mercy because of
our inconsistency. Remember, if you've ever looked
to anything that you've ever done for salvation, because I
was baptized or because I was... If you've ever deviated, if you're
looking to that, if you ever deviate one time, if you ever
deviated, you're lost. If you were saved, you think
by your works, you better have kept it perfectly. But you weren't. Not by works of righteousness
that we've done, but according to His mercy. Mercy. Therefore, even in their ignorance, the Lord said, therefore, said
the disciples one to another, hath any man brought him ought
to eat? They were ignorant of their ignorance.
Here, here, get you something to eat. I'm telling you, the
way I just said it, that's what that word means. Here, get you
something to eat right here. But he said unto them, I have
meat to eat that you know not of. Then they said, has anybody else
brought him something to eat? We see through a glass darkly. We know in part, we prophesy
in part. Sad but true. Our minds dwell
more on material things than on the things of God. Sin is
mixed with all that we do. What do we have to be proud of?
Paul says, I glory in the cross of Christ. I glory in Him. Just like they wondered with
the dealings of the Lord Jesus Christ with
this woman, we wonder always at His providential
dealings with us. Why am I going through this?
Why is Brother Floyd faithful, faithful, man, faithful? Oh, I think about raising his
kids, kept them under the gospel, a sweet wife, stayed right there
to support that pastor, support that work, a faithful man. For all we know, he doesn't have
very long in this life. Based on what I've heard of his
testimony, He said, I anxiously anticipate seeing our Lord. How? Why? Why does anybody go
through something like that? I'll tell you why. I'm not telling
you that I can enter into the fullness of the experience of
it, but I've known people that have. This is going to be for
the honor and glory of Almighty God. You'll see the grace of God.
You'll see the indescribable mercy and power of Almighty God
to keep His people. Jesus said, verse 34, unto them,
My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish
His work. They came to Him ignorant, speaking
to Him As we all do. Us don't look at the disciples
and say, I can't believe they talk to Him like that. There's not a one of us sitting
in this room that hadn't done the same thing. Disrespectful
speaking. Sin of not only commission, but
omission. When we didn't speak as we ought. But then look at the mercy of
God. I have meat to eat that you know not of." Still in their
ignorance, did somebody give them something to eat? And then
he told them, he said, this is my meat to do the will of Him
that sent me and to finish His work. His Father's will. His Father's
work. His Father's purpose. John 6.39
tells us what God's will is. What's the will of God? Here
it is, and this is the Father's will. You know, that ought to
just... You're thinking, okay, now, I
may have never heard the rest of this passage really, but I'd
like to hear it this morning. I'd like to hear. Tell me what
the rest of that verse says. This is the Father's will. which hath sent me, that of all
which He hath given me." Who is that? That's God's elect. Ephesians 1, 4. Search the Scriptures. He hath chosen us in Him that
we should be holy and without blame before Him in Christ in
love. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13, we
are bound to give thanks to you, brethren, beloved of God, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. through sanctification
of the Spirit, setting apart, setting apart, sanctified. That's what it means to be a
saint. Set apart as holy in Christ. I'm telling you, nobody born
in Adam makes somebody a saint. You can dig them up. You can
vote. See if they've had a couple of
miracles. Nobody makes a saint but God. My meat to do the will of Him. 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. How many
people are going to be saved? All that the Father hath given
me, will any of them be lost? Then I should lose nothing, nothing. All, John 6, 37, that the Father
hath given me shall come to me. Let God be true and let every
man be a liar. Every man is a liar. God only is true. When the Lord Jesus Christ came
to this world, a people had been given Him in electing grace. They were the fathers. And the
Father gave them to the Son Ephesians 1, 4. He came into this world as the representative and the
substitute of all that the Father had given Him. And when He laid
down His life, this is the reason why. Because those that the Father
had given Him fell in Adam. And they were lost. Lost. He came to seek and to save that
which was lost. They were blind. They were dead,
dead, dead. He said, I've come that you might
have life. And He came into this world and He lived the life that
they could never live. They could not. Not only would
they not, they couldn't. And he as their federal head
lived for them. And what he did in the flesh,
he obeyed God Almighty perfectly to this understanding. The Father
said, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. You
hear him. And that life that he lived as
a man, as man, he earned a righteousness before God. He alone obeyed God's
law. He alone, he fulfilled it. Every jot and every tittle of
God's law was obeyed perfectly, as I've heard it said before,
in word, in thought, and in deed. He absolutely He established
a righteousness before God Almighty that a man earned. A man obeyed
God. A man did. The man, Christ Jesus. And that righteousness is imputed, is charged to, is
given to who? Everyone that believes
Him. Why do they believe Him? Because
He gives them a heart to believe Him. Thy people, Psalm 110.3,
shall be willing in the day of your power. Willing to believe. Willing to come. Willing to trust.
Willing to lean. Willing to stay. Why? Because
they're kept by the power of God. You know, it all comes back
down to this salvation of the Lord. He that was made sin made what they are. He was made
sin. He was made sin. Their sin is His sin. You say,
now wait a minute. No, wait a minute. Psalm 40 said,
mine iniquities have taken hold upon me. He was in union with
His people. What they are, He was made to
be. And what He is, the man Christ
Jesus, they are in Him. And Almighty God dealt with the
substitute. And in the indescribable justice,
justice, of Almighty God, God dealt with the sin of His elect. And Christ died under God's wrath. Now, their debt has been paid. A new nature is imparted. A righteousness is imputed. He covers them. And now they
have no guilt answerable before God's law. Presence of sin? Yes. But I'll tell you this,
under the blood of Christ, we're pardoned. Why? Because Christ
paid the debt of it. Boy, that's good news. I know,
I know that there's a nature in every believer that sins.
If we say we have no sin, we make God a liar. But that which
is born of God does not sin, for there is a great mystery. Now we stand before Him, and
the Scripture says, in Him there is no condemnation to them that
are in Christ Jesus. My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent me and to finish the work He said in John 17, 4, I have
glorified thee on the earth. I finished the work which thou
gavest me to do. What a work. He loved God Almighty
perfectly as the man, Christ Jesus. He obeyed Him, served
Him, submitted Himself in our place, established our righteousness. And very soon, that final act
of obedience and submission was accomplished at Calvary. John
19, 30, when Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he
said, it's finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. What was the Lord's meat? He
said it was the will of the Father. That's correct. It was the Father's
will. the conversion and salvation
and eternal security of God's elect. That's God's will. And here we are this morning and this is what we want to hear.
Tell me one more time because I'm so prone to forget. Tell
me one more time because I've had a rough week. Tell me one
more time I've had a rough morning. Tell me one more time I've had
a last a tough 30 or 35, 40 minutes and I'm so forgetful. Tell me
one more time how Almighty God is long suffering to me for Christ's
sake. Tell me one more time how he's
not going to leave me. Tell me one more time how he's
not going to let me go. Tell me one more time how he's
promised his will, is that where he is,
that I can be with him. Tell me one more time, because
I know I'm a dying creature. I've looked around and I saw
others pass from this life, men and women that talked and had
eyes, and I looked at, and they looked back at me, and then all
of a sudden they were gone. Tell me one more time how Almighty
God is merciful for Christ's sake. Amen.