We're gonna begin our second
service by standing and singing out of your blue book, what a
friend we have in Jesus, 354, 354. What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything
to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything
to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful? ? Who will all our sorrows share? ? ? Jesus knows our every weakness. ? ? Take it to the Lord in prayer. ? ? Are we weak and heavy laden,
? ? Cumbered with a load of care? ? ? Precious Savior, still our
refuge ? ? Take it to the Lord in prayer ? ? Do thy friends these spies forsake
thee ? ? Take it to the Lord in prayer ? ? In his arms he'll take and shield
thee ? Thank you. You can be seated. Good morning, everybody. I'm going
to read Psalm 138. This morning, Psalm 138. I will praise thee with my whole
heart before the gods while I sing praise unto thee. I will worship
toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy love and kindness. Take these glasses off here.
And for truth, and for thy truth, for thou hast magnified thy word
above all thy name. And the day when I cried, thou
answerest me and strengthenest me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall
praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord, for great is the
glory of the Lord. Though the Lord be high, yet
hath he respect unto the lowly, but the proud he knoweth the
far off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive
me. Thou shalt stretch forth thine
hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall
save me. The Lord will perfect that which
concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever,
forsaking not the works of thine own hands. Let's pray. Father, we come to you again
this morning, thankful for our time together for fellowship
and to worship and to hear the gospel. And Father, as always,
we're thankful that you've chosen to raise a church. here in Nixa,
and Father, that you will continue to bless us. And Father, that
you'll watch over the pastor that you've sent to us, that
he might bring the messages that you'd have us to hear. And Father,
just open our eyes, our hearts, and minds to the messages that
you bring through him. Father, we just ask that you
continue to watch over and care for us as a group for those that
can't be here and those that are ill. Father, please just
continue to watch over them. And again, we just ask that you
watch over and care for us in Christ's name. As you remain sitting, let us
sing 328, Close to Thee, 328. Thou my everlasting portion,
more than friend or life to me. All along my pilgrim journey,
Savior led me walk with Thee. Close to Thee, close to Thee,
close to Thee, close to Thee. All along my pilgrim journey,
Savior led me, walk with thee. Not for ease or worldly pleasure,
Nor for fame my prayer shall be. Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with Thee. Close to Thee, close to Thee,
Close to Thee, close to Thee, Gladly will I toil and suffer,
only let me walk with thee. Lead me through the veil of shadows,
bear me your life's fitful seed. and the gate of life eternal,
may I enter, Lord, with Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee. Close to Thee, close to Thee,
and the gate of life eternal, may I enter Lord with Thee. Thank you. Morning. Take your Bibles and turn to
John chapter 8. Verse 42 is where I'll be launching
my text from. John 8, 42. But we'll be looking
at a lot of the verses here in John chapter 8. Now in verse
42, we read that Jesus said unto them, he's speaking to the Jews
here, he says, if God were your father, ye would love me. If God were your father, ye would
love me. And that's the subject of my
message today. If God were your father, what
would you do? What would you do? Would you
love Christ, or would you be like these Jews here who would
not hear the Lord Jesus Christ? But to them for whom God is their
Father, we understand by His grace and experience that He
loves His people. God is very gracious to his people. And he provides for his children
just as a father provides for all his children. God is the
father of his children. So if God were your father, what
would you do? What would you do? I want to
emphasize before we begin the grace of our God for his people. I want to emphasize the grace
of our God for his people because there's not a man or woman among
us that can will ourselves to be a child of God. We can't will ourselves to be
a child of God. Turn over to John chapter 1.
Look at John chapter 1 and we'll read verses 12 and 13. We read there that as many as
received him, as many as received Christ, to them gave he power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Now some would point to that
verse and say, aha, there's the will of man birthing himself
to spiritual life. But really, in reality, what
our God is showing us is that it's by his power that we believe
and receive the Lord Jesus Christ. Our God is the first cause of
our receiving Christ and believing on him. And that's clarified,
that's declared plainly to us in verse 13. Look there. Which
were born, those that received Christ, were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. None
of these things of our flesh gave birth to our spiritual life,
but of God." We're born by the will of God. That's why we believe
and receive the Lord Jesus Christ. So man doesn't will himself to
be a child of God by his decision, but rather God giving us life. and faith, that's how and why
we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for God's grace. And we see this again in Romans
9, verses 15 and 16. We see that God has a people
whom he chose in Christ before the foundation of the world. Look at Romans 9, verse 15 and
16. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. You know, Moses here is a type
of the law. And the Lord says to the law,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion, because no man can come to me
in the strength of the law. No man can come to me in the
strength of his own flesh keeping the law, so I'll have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and I'll have compassion on whom I'll
have compassion. So then, Paul concludes, just
like in John chapter 1 verse 13, it's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth. It's not by my decision, nor
is it by my good works, but of God that showeth mercy. God shows
mercy and grace to whom he will because he has a people whom
he loves and will be gracious and merciful to them. And so
our God is speaking to us of the spiritual birth a spiritual
birth, one not of this flesh, not controlled or worked up by
this flesh, but one that he gives by his glory and power and grace
to whom he will. He pours out his Holy Spirit
on whom he will, and the Spirit gives us spiritual birth, makes
us born again, just like our Lord said to Nicodemus, he must
be born again. Nicodemus, you don't understand
the things I'm saying because ye must be born again. And when the spirit comes upon
a dead sinner and gives them life, he gives them a spiritual
life, a heavenly birth by the Lord Jesus Christ, accomplished
in and by God our Savior. And so the gift of God in Christ
our Savior is this gift of the new birth. new birth whereby
we are washed in the blood of Christ and we're forgiven. for Christ's sake. We're forgiven
because Christ laid down His life to obtain life for us. And He made us alive in the life
of Christ and we're given faith by our God to believe Him, to
look to Him. So now let's go back to the beginning
of our text with that understanding where Christ our Lord and our
Savior says in John 8, 42, If God were your father, ye would
love me. Today I wanna look in the verses
here, mostly, well, all from John chapter eight. We're gonna
look at nine spiritual blessings that our God gives to us in Christ. And these are declared by Christ
here in this text. Some things positively, right? He's telling us the fruit borne
out in the child of God. And some of these blessings we
see in the negative, that is, in him saying to the Jews, you
don't do these things. So that whether we do, whether
Christ is saying these are what my children do, or what he's
saying to these Jews, you don't do these things, we see nine
things, nine spiritual blessings that our God gives us in Christ,
by Jesus Christ. I've titled it, If God Were Your
Father. If God Were Your Father. So let's
read here this first one in John 8, 42. Jesus said unto them,
If God were your father, ye would love me. For I proceeded forth
and came from God. Neither came I of myself, but
he sent me. Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
and he's one with the Father. If Christ is one with the Father,
how can there be any disagreement? How can there be any disagreement
in us by loving the Father but not loving the Son? Or loving
the Son and not loving the Father? It's impossible. Christ, the
Son of God, and God the Father are one. And so if we love one,
we must love the other. It can't be any other way because
it's a work of our God. We're going to love the Son and
the Father. If God is our Father, then we
will love all that are begotten of the Father. We'll love all
that are begotten of the Father. Now, the apostle John, when he
was writing, he wrote this gospel. He also wrote the epistle, 1
John. And a lot of what John writes
in 1 John, he draws a lot of what's said here by our Lord
in John chapter 8. John 8 is laced in much of the
epistle of John. In fact, in 1 John 5, verses
1 and 2, John writes, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ
is born of God. You that believe the Lord Jesus
Christ, you believe because you are born of God. And everyone that loveth him
that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. Christ is
the only begotten Son of God. In addition to Christ, he also
says in verse two, by this we know that we love the children
of God when we love God and keep his commandments. And so that
is certainly true concerning the son. We definitely love the
son because he's begotten of the father. How could we not?
Love Christ. If God is our Father, it must
be so. Now, in keeping God's commandments,
let me just say, He's speaking of, we're going to look to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Our God said, look unto me and
be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. That's His command,
to look to the Son, to believe Him, to trust Him for all our
righteousness, all our salvation, all our sanctification. We believe
the Son. That's keeping His commandments. Because the Son, if you that
have the Son have everything. You have everything. And He gives
us spiritual knowledge and understanding in Him. Now, There's a real love
for Jesus Christ, which is born in us by His Spirit. And that's
because He truly loves us. Our Savior loves His people. And we see that our Lord came
in the flesh and laid down His life as the Lamb of God, doing
for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We were born dead
in trespasses and sins. We're unable to work the righteousness
of God. We're unable to believe our God
and to trust Him. And so Christ came in the flesh.
holy, spotless, perfect, and as the Lamb of God went to the
cross, bearing the sins of His people, and laid down His life
under the wrath of God, bearing our punishment to put away our
sins, to atone for our sins, to obtain eternal forgiveness
with our God, and to give us life in Him. And so now, having
life in Him, we love Him. We love Him because our Savior
is a successful Savior who accomplished that will and purpose of God
which He came to do. He did not fail. And because
He obtained eternal life for all who are in Him, all chosen
in Him before the foundation of the world, we shall know Him. We shall believe Him. He will
fill our hearts and our minds and give us life and salvation
in Him, so that we love Him because He first loved us. Also from
1 John 4, 19. So if God were your Father, Christ
said, ye would love me. and we know him now by his grace. Over in Hebrews chapter one,
verse three, we read of our savior, who being the brightness of God's
glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty
on high. And so now we see our Savior
ruling and reigning, implementing the word, the will and the purpose
of God here in his kingdom on the earth. And so nothing's impossible
for our Savior to accomplish. Nothing's impossible for Him
to do. And what does He do? The next
thing we see is that He gives us His Spirit, the new birth. I know I talked about this, but
this is one of the nine blessings that we receive in Christ for
whom God is our Father. Look back at John 8.23. John
8.23. Christ says to these Jews, ye
are from beneath. I am from above. Ye are of this
world. I am not of this world. We're just like these Jews by
nature. We're from beneath. We're earthy. We're born of the
seed of Adam. We're corrupt and defiled and
sinful and full of darkness by nature and enmity by nature.
But if God were your father, he would be born again. And for those whom God is their
Father, He will give them that spiritual birth, being born by
the Spirit of God with that heavenly spiritual seed of Jesus Christ,
Him who is from above. We're born by the seed of Christ. Peter words it this way in 1
Peter 1.23. He says we're born again, not
of corruptible seed. That's the seed of Adam. We all
were born the first time of Adam's corrupt seed. But we're born
again of the incorruptible seed by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever. And because we are born of the
spirit, we are given spiritual understanding. to know I can't
save myself, I can't do these things. Our God has provided
his son who did all things well, all things perfect. He's accomplished
salvation for his people. And all who look to him shall
never be ashamed. and shall be satisfied in the
Lord as our God, the Father, is satisfied with His Son. He
gives us new spiritual life to look to Him. And so having this
spiritual understanding, we see another thing where our Lord
said to the Jews in John 8 15, He tells them, ye judge after
the flesh. Well, that's because that's how
we all live, after the flesh. We operate according to the flesh,
naturally. We judge things according to
fleshly things. And we get upset and hurt by
fleshly things. And that's how we live until
the Lord gives us spiritual life and turns our hearts and eyes
upon Christ our Savior. When Paul was writing to the
Colossians, he says in Colossians 3, verse 6 and 7, he says, for
which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of
disobedience. in the which ye also walked some
time when ye lived in them. And so Paul is saying, we're
honest. We're sincere and honest. Yes,
in ourselves, we are sinners. In ourselves, we have nothing
to boast of. And in ourselves, we have nothing
to bring to our God, to recommend us to our God, and to obtain
favor and mercy from him. We have nothing. All we have
is sin. But in Christ is how we come. in the blood of Jesus Christ,
having nothing to boast of ourselves, nothing to bring before God and
say, Lord, will this do? No, we have nothing. But our
God covers us in the blood of Christ. And that's how we come. And so we live by our Lord and
Savior, by the Spirit of God, and we've received the spirit
which is of God that we might know the things which are freely
given to us of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what the
spirit makes known to us. And so if God were your father,
you wouldn't judge after the flesh. We don't continue. We don't look to do that. We
don't look to labor and work and build up this strength. We
look to the Lord Jesus Christ for all, for every need, for
everything we need, our God has provided it all in his son. And by his son, we are delivered
from the bondage of sin and death in this flesh. Now being set
free in the Lord, that brings us to our next blessing, that
we're set free by the son of God. Look back in John 8 in verse
32. Let's look at 8.32 and then we'll
look at verse 36. Our Lord says, Ye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Verse 36, If the
Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. And so Christ makes us to know
the truth. He makes us to hear the gospel. He makes us to hear what our
God is saying to his people, that it's not by works of righteousness. We're not laboring under that
bondage and threat and fear of the law. We'll know the truth. We'll hear the truth of the gospel.
We'll hear the good news that Christ has paid it all. Christ
has accomplished our redemption. Christ has reconciled us to the
Father. We have peace with God through
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And that sets us free. Christ
is the one who is our liberty. He delivers us from laboring
in fear, laboring in religion, and thinking that these things
recommend us to God. He sets us free from the law
and works and trying to make up for some wrong that we've
done and shows us that's not your salvation, that's not cleansing
you, that's not giving you any benefit with God. But he shows
us that in Christ is how we're received and accepted by our
Father. And that's liberty. And that's
a song to sing. That's a song that we sing whether
we're at work. That's a song we can sing at
home. That's a song to sing when you're
driving in the car. That's a song to sing whatever
you're doing. because our Savior has paid the
price and we are reconciled to holy God even now. And so Christ is the deliverer
sent of God to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound. And so if God were your
father, you are made free by the Son of God. Those for whom
God is their father, he makes them free in the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, who says to the prisoners, go forth. Go forth. I've set you free. I've delivered
you from fear of death and laboring in those dead works that cannot
save. And so Our Lord teaches us and
shows us that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth in him. Romans 10, 4. And so our
God now accepts us in the blood of Christ, because that's what
pleases Him well. That's what He is pleased with,
and that's how He freely receives us, all who come to Him, not
trusting in what they've done, or this work, or that, or what
they've put away. We come trusting in the blood
of Jesus Christ alone, only Him. Now, for all of God's children,
who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord shows us in
response to these Jews, look at John 8.39. He shows us that we'll do the
works of Abraham. He says to these Jews, John 8.39,
they answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. And Jesus
saith unto them, if ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works
of Abraham. What are the works of Abraham?
What is it that God justified him and that we read of that
God imputed righteousness to Abraham? Why did God impute righteousness
to Abraham? Because Abraham believed God.
He believed what God had told him. Romans 4.3, for what saith
the scripture, Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him
for righteousness. And so the fifth thing that we
see is if God were your father, ye would do the works of Abraham. If God's your father, you'll
do the works of Abraham. You will believe The Lord Jesus
Christ is my righteousness. I'm the sinner. I can't save
myself. And you would look to him whom
God sent to save his people. You would look to the Lord Jesus
Christ. And so God's people do the works
of Abraham. We look to the Lord Jesus Christ.
We look away from self and trying to earn a righteousness of our
own. And we look to him whom God sent, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe him. Lord, He is my righteousness.
Lord, He is my help, my hope, my all. I have nothing but the
blood of Christ, the one whom you sent, the one in whom you're
pleased. I come in Him, Lord, because
I've got nothing. And so we come in Him. Galatians
3, verses 6 and 7, and I'll read 9 and 26 as well. So why don't
you go there to Galatians 3, verse 6. 6-7 Even as Abraham believed
God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, know ye
therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children
of Abraham. 9 So then they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham. Go to verse 26, for ye are all
the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. So if God were
your father, you do the works that Abraham did. You believe
God. You believe the Lord Jesus Christ for your righteousness.
All right, six, if God were your father, you hear Christ's word. you hear the word of your Savior
Jesus Christ. Here he's speaking to the Jews
back in John 8 verse 43. He asks them, why do you not understand
my speech? Even because you cannot hear
my word. These Jews, who are only in the
flesh, only born of Adam's seed, though they were Jews according
to the flesh, they could not understand the spiritual truths
that Christ spoke to them. They could not hear Him in the
Spirit, because they didn't have the Spirit of God. All they were
were fleshly enmity against Christ. But you that are the chosen seed
of Christ, you can hear Christ's word. You hear what your Savior
says, and you delight in the good news that Christ is all,
that there's nothing more for you to do. All the works are
finished in the Lord, and we believe Him, and we walk in the
faith of Christ being led by His Spirit. ever looking to Him. And so we believe His Word to
the saving of our souls. because that's the blessing that
God gives to all his children. Listen to this in Matthew 13.
Matthew 13, verse 15 and 16, our Lord says, this people's
heart is waxed gross. It's fat, it's heavy with lard,
and it's a heavy heart that cannot hear. And their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time
They should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and
should understand with their heart and should be converted
and I should heal them. But, he says in verse 16, blessed
are your eyes. For they see, and blessed are
your ears, for they hear." That's a blessing of God. You that hear
the word of Christ and believe that He's all your salvation,
and you rest in Him, and you look to Him, and every time you
look away in grace, He brings your eyes back to look to Him
and keep you on the Lord Jesus Christ, that's a blessing of
God. That's what the Father does for
all His children. They see and hear and are blessed
of God. Now another thing. Back in John
8 verse 21, Christ says to these Jews, I go my way and ye shall
seek me. And you shall die in your sins.
Where I go, ye cannot come. Well, the seventh blessing that
we see is that if God were your father, you will know the way. He will show you the way. And Christ tells us the way.
He told us, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes
to the Father but by me. That's in John 14, 6. So if God
were your Father, you will follow Christ. You will follow Christ. Because Christ is the way that
the child of God goes unto the Father. We know no other way.
Our Lord keeps us in the way. He keeps us in Christ. And so
really, when we say these things, there's no mystery here. We're
saying it's not by our works, nor is it by our will. But all
the fruit that is produced in us is spiritual fruit, which
is given to us freely, graciously by our God in the Son, Jesus
Christ. And so we keep looking to Him,
and we come to the Father in no other way but in Christ. You know, I was thinking, recently
we were invited to Brethren's house, and they made us a real
nice meal. And I was thinking, I'm always
a little cautious to ask for salt, because I don't want to
insult them, but I like salt. So I added some salt, but I'm
always a little cautious that, you know, I hope that this doesn't
upset them or insult them. When it comes to our coming to
the Father, don't add anything to Christ. Our God is pleased,
well pleased with the Son. He's provided everything for
you, His child, in the Son, Jesus Christ. We come to Him. He's
the covering for our nakedness. His blood forgives us of all
trespasses and sins. There's nothing you and I can
do to make that any better. It's perfect. We come to the
Father in Jesus Christ with nothing added. We come in Christ. He's
the way. The eighth thing is that the
child of God, he continues to follow Christ. We don't come
one time, but our whole life, he's our air that we breathe,
he's the food that we eat, he's the drink that we drink. Christ
has made everything to us so that we continue in his word.
And he says here in John 8, 31, Jesus said to those Jews which
believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples. So eighth, if God were your father,
you will continue in Christ's word. He'll keep you there. He'll
keep you in Christ's word, believing him, because if God were your
father, you are Christ's disciples indeed. It's a truth that he
makes effectual in your hearts, and he keeps you following Christ.
We come at the first, and we continue to come through the
son. Now, look at verse 51, John 8,
51. Our Lord tells us the ninth thing
here. He says, verily, verily, I say
unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. He'll never see death. So if
God were your father, you will never perish in eternal death. You that for whom God is your
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall never perish in your
sin, because Christ gives all his sheep eternal life. 1 John 5, 12. He that hath the
Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath
not life. It's that simple. We come in
Christ and in Christ alone. Our Lord also said to these unbelieving
Jews in verse 24, John 8, 24, he said, you shall die in your
sins. For if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in
your sins. And so the unbelievers, they
all perish in their sins. They have no righteousness. They
have no covering for their sin. They have no one to speak for
them, no one to advocate for them. But you children of God
have Christ. He's our advocate. He's our covering. He's our righteousness. He's
everything that we have to come to the father and be accepted
of him and to be faultless before his throne. Now, in closing,
Christ faithfully told these men the truth. And we read in
verse 59, John 8, 59, because he spoke the truth to them and
told them, if God were your father, these are the fruits that'll
be borne out in you. You that trust him, this is the
fruit that he reveals. They took up stones to cast at
him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going
through the midst of them, and so passed by. Well, that's not
what believers do. Believers don't pick up stones
and cast them at our Savior for telling them the truth. We hear
the word of Christ. So if God were your Father, ye
would love Jesus Christ. And we do love Him. We love Him
because He laid down His life for us, and He gave us life,
and He speaks that word in our hearts, and we hear Him, and
we believe Him, and we follow after Him, and we cry out for
Him. That's the fruit of the Spirit,
ever looking to Him. And so we love Him because He
first loved us. Amen. Let's close in prayer,
brethren. Our gracious Lord, we thank you,
Father, for your grace and mercy, which is so abundantly supplied
to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He's everything,
Lord, and we thank you for our Savior, for our salvation in
Him. We thank you that you make these
things known to us by your Spirit and keep us ever looking to the
Lord Jesus Christ. You know, Lord, that we're as
sheep going astray, but you are so faithful to find us and to
effectually bring us into the fold and wash us in the blood
of Christ and keep us looking to him. Lord, we thank you for
your mercy and grace. We thank you for our brethren. We thank you for our visitors. And we pray, Lord, that you would
knit our hearts together with one another and that you would
bless this church, that you would pour out your spirit upon us
and establish the work here. It's in the name of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ that we pray these things. Amen. All
right, Brother Joe, we'll come and close this in a hymn and
then we'll be dismissed. At the close of that hymn. Let's all stand and sing Amazing
Grace, 236. Amazing Grace. Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now
am found. Was blind, but now I see. ? Was grace that taught my heart
to fear ? ? And grace my fears relieved ? ? How precious did
that grace appear ? ? The hour I first believed ? Through many
dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. This grace hath brought me safe
thus far, and grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand
years bright shining as the sun we've no less days to sing God's
praise than when we first begun. Thank you.