Go with me to our text now, which
is John chapter six. John 6, I was listening to the
Bible study that was brought Sunday morning from John 3, and
something that I heard led me over to this verse, and I just
enjoyed it all over again. Let's read verse 37 together. John 6, verse 37. It says, All that the father giveth me
shall come to me and him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. I have titled this message absolute
control and absolute comfort, absolute control. In absolute
comfort, all that the father giveth me shall come to me. Thank God. And him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. That verse and the verses that
are right here with it, this portion of scripture is a very
comfortable portion of scripture to me. That's the word I wanna
use. It's very, very comfortable.
Every time I read this or quote this or think on this, it's like
a warm blanket to me. It's like Psalm 23, Romans 8,
Ephesians 1, We just quote this and he, all
that the father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh
to me, I will in no wise cast out that verse conveys to God's
people, his absolute control. I don't know of, I I've told
you this so many times, but I don't know of a more comforting thought.
Then that, and in the different places throughout the scripture
that he says various versions of that, all that the father
has given to me shall come to me in this responsibility of
preaching the gospel, in this responsibility of throwing the
seed. Somebody comes in who, who you've
never seen before, never seen that face before. And you wonder,
have they ever heard the gospel before? I don't know. And you
feel a weight laid on you. You feel a responsibility laid
on you, but thank God, all that the father
has given to Christ shall come to Christ. In spite of me, that's
his absolute control over it. And in seeing his absolute control,
we find absolute comfort. Now let's take a minute and just
break down this verse and look at each line of it. Verse 37
says, all that the father giveth me, all that the father giveth
me shall come to me in him that cometh to me, I will in no wise
cast out. All that the father giveth me. God truly does have an elect
people. He truly does. The father truly
did choose a people to save. He is in absolute control of
salvation. He's in absolute control of it.
What people believe don't believe what they hear and don't hear. He is in absolute control of
who he receives to himself and who he does not. He's in absolute control of that.
This verse right here is not saying he will in no wise cast
anybody out. He receives everybody. He saves
everybody. There's nothing to fear here.
Nothing to fear at all. No need to fear this God. He's
not holy. It's not saying that at all. Matthew seven tells us that many
will say to him, Lord, Lord. And he will say to them, depart
from me. I never knew you be cast out
into outer darkness. It's a sad truth, but it's so. And because of our sin against
him, he is just and right in doing it. That's what David said
in Psalm 51, whatever you do with me, you are just and right
in doing it because I've sinned against you. I was thinking about that driving
home from this trip. I was thinking about where religion
has gone wrong. is they don't understand what
the word holy means. They, you know, Christmas time,
they sing about, oh, holy night, holy this and holy that, but
they don't know what holy means. He must do what's right. Shall not the judge of the earth
do right? And David said, I've sinned against
you. And if you judge me accordingly,
you're right. You're right. That's what I wish
people could understand. God is holy and he has to do
what's right. We're not going to turn, but
Matthew chapter eight, Matthew 13, Matthew 22, Matthew 24, Matthew
25. They all say there's going to be a great casting out. So let's not misunderstand and
misjudge this holy God who must punish sin. Let's not ever forget
that. The moment we forget that, we've
lost the glory of the gospel. The moment we forget that, that
He must punish sin, there's no point in preaching anymore. That's the whole reason Christ
was nailed to a tree. because He must punish our sin. So let's not ever forget that.
He said, there's gonna be a great weeping and gnashing of teeth.
That's what Christ spared us from. You hear about these things
and you think, how horrible. We cannot imagine what Christ
spared us from. But thank God, He's not going to cast out every
sinful soul who has sinned against him. There's going to be a great
casting out, but he's not going to cast out every sinful soul.
And it's all because he chose a particular people to save. He chose some to give some, he
said to the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, all that the father
giveth me, all that the father gives me, salvation is in the
hands of the Lord. It is in his absolute control. He gives to Christ, whoever he
is pleased to give to Christ, absolute control. And the absolute comfort is this
is who he was pleased to give to Christ. All right. He selects
whoever he wants to select. And the glorious comfort is this
is who he selected. All right. Turn with me to Matthew
11. Matthew 11 verse 25. At that time, Jesus answered
and said, I thank the old father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and has
revealed them unto babes. I am so thankful for the fact
that we have a lot of babies in this congregation. That's
a real blessing to me. We have a lot of, a lot of babies
here. And if mothers who have babies
can really enter into this, all right, there goes one now. Babies are helpless. All right. We have little, little
babies. The Lord has been pleased. This is who he was pleased. All
that the father giveth me. Well, this is who the father
was pleased to give to him. Babes. He said, you've hid these
things from the wise and prudent, and you've revealed it unto babes.
Babies are helpless. They are helpless. Babies are
needy. Ask a mother who has a little
baby. Babies are needy. They need. They need. I need thee. Oh, I need thee. They can't talk
yet, but that's what their cry is saying. I need thee. Babies are reliant. They are
totally, totally dependent. I'm talking about a newborn baby.
That newborn baby just lays there in its helplessness, totally
dependent on the one that that baby has been given to by God. You know, all souls are God's
and He gives a soul wherever He wants to give it. And that
baby is completely reliant on and dependent on the one it has
been given to. That is a perfect description
of the ones who have been given to Christ. While everybody out there is
just so confident of their ability and confident of everything they
can do for themselves. That is the perfect illustration
of the ones who have been given to Christ. We are so helpless
before God. We are so needy. I'm telling
you, I am so needy. It gets, I am more needy now
than I was then. I believe I will be. People are always saying, doesn't
it get better as you get older? I don't think so. I don't think
so. We are totally relying on and
totally dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ to do everything
for us. Everything for us. God's people
know that. They know that. They know they
can't do anything for themselves. If you look down at verse 28,
right here in Matthew 11, he said, come unto me. Who will come to the Lord Jesus
Christ who has been given to him? Who has he caused to come
to him? The labored ones and the heavy laden ones. And that's us, isn't it? That's
us. We come to Him out of need. We come to Him out of need. I
don't know why many people come to Him. I don't know really what
many people's motivation is for coming to whatever it is they're
coming to. But we come to Him out of need, great need. We come to Him out of necessity. We have to come to You. We come
to Him out of total dependence on Him for everything. This attitude that so many people
have, as I was writing this, I was thinking, I really want somebody to hear
this, whether it's here now or 20 years from now on the internet.
I really want somebody to hear this because this is so, so prevalent. So many people have this attitude.
You see it everywhere. You hear it everywhere. And some
people have it and they don't know they have it, but this is
the attitude. Well, I know I'm saved. There's no doubt in my mind.
If anybody's saved, I'm saved. Saved? Yes, yes, I'm saved. That is not a heart that is coming
to Christ. That is not. That's a heart that
is coming to himself or herself. A heart that comes to Christ
comes in need. Truly, truly a heart that comes
to Christ is one that has been taught by God, who Christ is and what he has done to satisfy
this holy God on behalf of his people. Look back with me at
John six. John 6, look at verse 45 right
here, it says, "...it is written in the prophets,
and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that
hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me." Every
soul that has been given to Christ is taught of God. Really? taught of God. You know, until
that, men and women are taught by some other man. Well, I heard
so-and-so say, and I heard so-and-so say, and there's a book that
so-and-so wrote, and God's people are taught of God.
I mean truly taught the Word of God. They hear the truth by
God, of God. Verse 45 said, it is written
in the prophets, they shall be all taught of God, every man
therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father cometh
unto me. They hear the truth of his holiness,
that they can't do anything to satisfy his perfect demands. They hear the truth of his justice,
that he must punish the soul that sins against him. They hear the truth. Thank God
of his remedy. The only remedy that there is
the one that the father provided in the blood of his own son. And when God's people hear all
those things, they come running. They do. They come running. They
come running to the only hope that there is of being raised
up on the last day. Everybody here has a last day. There's going to come a day when
the Lord's going to gather all of his people to himself. The
souls are coming back to get their bodies and we'll all go
together. But every day, somebody has a last day. And on my last
day, I want to be raised up. I want to be raised up on my
last day. And the only hope of that is
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He's the only hope. God revealing
this and teaching this to all of his people. This is what draws
his people to Christ. Verse 44, right here in John
6 says, no man can come to me except the father which had sent
me draw him. No man or woman can come to the
Lord Jesus Christ. The message is come to Christ.
That's the message. No man or woman can except the
father gives that center to Christ and reveals to that center his
or her need of Christ. And by God given faith and hope
draws the center to Christ. That's what has to happen. Without
that, no man or woman can come, but if God gives and if God draws,
they're coming, they're coming. So verse 37 says, all that the father giveth me
shall come to me and him that cometh to me. I pray the Lord
will teach us what this means. I pray the Lord will teach us
what this means. Him that cometh to me. The message is come to
Christ. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not religion. Not religion. That's that is
the first blanket. I don't know what to call it. Thing
that people come to. Religion. Are you in church?
You go to church? Good. I'm glad you're in church.
You're okay. I'm okay. Church is good. Just
pick a church. Okay. That's religion. Don't
come to religion. Don't come to religion. Some
people learn some things in the scripture and hear, well, they're
not exactly saying what this is saying. And they grow from
that and they learn. No, no, no. You've got to have
correct doctrine and you do, but he didn't say come to correct
doctrine. He said me. He didn't say come to morality.
Our Lord didn't say that. He didn't say come to an improvement
in your flesh, come to better works. Are we exhorted unto good
work? Sure we are. But the only way that's possible
is in him. He said, come to me, come to
me. The majority of people in religion
think they are coming to Christ. When in reality, they are coming
to themselves and they don't even know it. They honestly think
they're coming to Christ by coming to religion and by coming to
good works and by coming to all these things, being sincere. The reality is that much focus
on the flesh is coming to the flesh. Our Lord said, all that
the Father hath given to me will deny everything concerning themselves
and everything concerning their flesh, and they will come to
me. They'll come to me. They will
come to my flesh. They will come to my works. They
will come to my body in my blood alone, alone, without the deeds
of their own flesh. They'll have no confidence in
their own flesh, none whatsoever. And he said, when that happens,
when one of my own gets so low on himself or herself, because
they've lost all confidence in themselves, they're just completely
needy, helpless, broken, beggars who have nowhere else to go.
That's what the disciple said to the Lord. We don't have anywhere
else to go. That's where God's people are. Is there anywhere
else to go? Is there anywhere else to go? When there is nowhere else to
go and nothing else we can do but cast ourselves on him, he
said, when that happens, truly, truly happens. The soul that
casts his all on me comes to me. He said, I will receive that
soul to myself. I will pick that soul up from
his or her low estate. And by my power, by my strength,
by my absolute control, I will raise that soul up with me at
the last day. I'll raise them up very quickly. Just turn with me to a couple
of scriptures. Go to Psalm 34. Psalm 34 verse 18 says, The Lord is nigh unto them that
are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. That's who the Lord is near to
and will receive. Verse 6, I love this verse, it
says, This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved
him out of all his troubles. Look at Psalm 113. Psalm 113
verse five says, who is like unto the Lord our
God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the
things that are in heaven and in earth, he raiseth up the poor
out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, that
he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his
people. One more, go to Isaiah 61. Isaiah 61, verse 1, the Spirit
of the Lord God is upon me. because the Lord hath anointed
me to preach good tidings unto the meek. And this is the Lord
Jesus Christ speaking. He hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort
all that mourn. to appoint unto them that mourn
in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,
that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting
of the Lord, that he might be glorified. There's only one way
to come to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's as a broken sinner
in name. He said, all who come that way,
I'll raise you up. I will bind you up. Go with me
back to John 6. Verse 37 says, All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all
which He hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that
sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth
on him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up
at the last day." You know why God's people really come to Christ? It's because Christ came to them. He said in verse 38, I came down so that you could go up He said,
I came down. John the Baptist said he must
increase, I must decrease. The only reason John even had
a heart to say that is because Christ came down, humbled himself
down so John could go up. Christ humbled himself so his
people could be lifted up. He said in verse 39, all of them
are gonna be lifted up, every single one of them. This is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath
given me, I should lose nothing." In John 17, He said, Father,
none of them are lost. None of them ever will be. Verse
40, He said, Every soul that sees the Son, truly sees the
Son, God manifest in the flesh, the only mediator between God
and man. Every soul that sees the Son
and believes on Him, has been caused to cast his all
on Christ for mercy. And that soul has everlasting
life. And he said, I will raise all of those souls up at the
last day. So here's, I'll close with this.
Come to Christ is the command. Come to Christ as a needy beggar
for mercy is the instruction. Come as a helpless, needy, sinful
soul, begging for mercy. And with that instruction, he
said, my sheep, through this word, they're going to hear my
voice. They're going to follow me. They're going to come to
me. He's going to say, you come to me, all who are labored and heavy
laden, babes. They're going to hear it and
they're going to come to me. And that's exactly what we do. We
come to him. We don't sing it too often, but the song says,
just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for
me, and that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come.
Pass me not, O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry, while on
others thou art calling, please don't pass me by. Please, please. Verse 45 said, it is written
in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man,
therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh
unto me." Our scripture reading just a minute ago said, the Lord
hath appeared of old unto me, saying, yea, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Draw us nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious bleeding side. We're going to close with that. Let's stand together.