Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn with me
in your Bible to John chapter 7. John chapter 7, and we're
going to look this morning at a glorious verse, a wonderful
verse. I'm going to go ahead and read
the last verse of the text this morning that we're going to look
at. It's verse 37. It says, In the last day, that great day
of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst,
let him come unto me and drink. How precious is that? How wonderful is that? Our Lord went into the temple
during the Feast of Tabernacles and He stood up and He preached.
He taught the people. But the people didn't believe
Him. Can you imagine that? They didn't
believe Him. God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ,
stood up in front of men, sinners, and He told them the glorious
truth of the gospel. And they didn't believe Him.
In verse 27, here in John chapter 7, it says, how be it we know this
man? whence he is, but when Christ
cometh, no man knoweth whence he is." What they were saying
was, we know this man. We know where he comes from. We know his parents. We remember
when he was born. And they said, we know this man
whence he is, but when Christ cometh, no man knows whence he
is. No man knows where he comes from. What they were saying is this
man, Jesus, is not the Christ. We don't believe you. Verse 28 says, then cried Jesus
in the temple as he taught, saying, you both know me. And you know
whence I am, and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me
is true whom ye know not." What he was actually saying was, you
don't know me. You think you know me, but you
don't. Oh, may that not be said about
us. May that not be said about me, may that not be said about
you. How many people are sitting in a congregation, sitting in
a pew, thinking that they're worshiping God, when the actual
reality is they don't know God at all. They don't know Him at
all. How horrifying would it be to
get to the end, get to the end of this life, and go meet God. Stand before
God, the holy God, the judge of the earth, that every man
and woman must stand in front of. And then find out, I didn't
know God at all. I wasn't worshiping God at all. I did not know Him. And the horrifying part would
be to hear him say, depart from me, you that work iniquity, I
never knew you. Be cast into outer darkness.
How horrifying would that be? The end of verse 28, our Lord
said, whom ye know not. He said, you think I'm Jesus
from Nazareth, I'm not. You think I'm from Galilee, I'm
not. You think Joseph is my father.
He's not. He's not. Verse 28 says, Then
cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, You both know
me, and you know whence I am, and I'm not come of myself. But
he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. He said in verse
29, But I know him. Do you know that's our hope.
You know that? Our hope is built on that. Our Lord said in John 17, this
is life eternal that they might know Thee. That's eternal life. Knowing God is eternal life. But the scripture says, no man
hath seen the Father at any time. So then what's my hope? What
is my hope? My hope is that Christ knows
him. And my hope is that I'm in Christ. That's my hope. Christ is my
hope. It is that simple. Christ is
my mediator. There's one mediator between
God and man. If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. My hope is that
he knows him and I'm in Christ. Verse 29, he said, but I know
him for I am from him and he hath sent me. Then they sought
to take Him, but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour
was not yet come." Our Lord keeps telling us that in His Word.
He keeps reminding us of that. They wanted to take Him, but
no man could because His hour was not yet come. Look at verse
44 right here in John 7. Some of them would have taken
Him, but no man laid hands on Him. They couldn't. They wanted
to. They willed in their heart to,
but they couldn't. Chapter 8 verse 20 says, These
words spake Jesus in the treasury as He taught in the temple, and
no man laid hands on Him, for His hour was not yet come. Chapter 10, John chapter 10 verse
39 says, Therefore they sought again to
take him, but he escaped out of their hands. He just walked
right out of their hands. No man can do what he will with
God. People ask, what will you do
with Jesus? Well, that's an irrelevant question. No man can do what he will with
God. Man does not have a free will.
They wanted to take him, they couldn't. You know why? They
didn't have a free will. In spite of what man believes,
man does not have a free will. We're gonna do what we want with
God, the very God. The only reason that they ultimately
took him is because he allowed them to take him. The only reason
they took him is because at that moment they were his puppets
and they were doing his bidding, carrying out his will. Look right
here in John chapter 10 at verse 17. Our Lord said, therefore
doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I may
take it again. No man taketh it from me, but
I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my father. A man who thinks he can do what
he wants with Jesus does not fear God. And a man who does
not fear God has much to fear. He has much to fear. Back over
in John 7, verse 30 says, Then sought they to take him, but
no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. Verse
31 says, And many of the people believed on him, and said, When
Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this
man hath done? You know, that's religion. That's
religion. Let me read this verse to you
again. It says, many of the people believed on him and said, when
Christ cometh, meaning he's not here yet, when Christ cometh,
will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
That is religion. Religion believes something.
They do, they believe something. Don't tell a person who's caught
up in religion, you don't believe anything. Oh, they believe something. They're very zealous over something. They've given their life to something. Verse 31 says, many of the people
believed on Him and said, when Christ cometh will He do more
miracles than these which this man hath done. That is the error
of religion. This is what that is. It's missing
Christ. It's missing Christ. They say, oh, we love Jesus.
We love Him so much. We love the Son of God. Yes,
Jesus is the Son of God. We're so grateful that He died
on the cross. We're so thankful for everything
he did. We can't wait for him to introduce
us to God. We thank him so much for pointing
us in the direction of God. Do you know what you call that?
That's called unbelief. It sounded pretty good, didn't
it? That's called unbelief. That's called missing Christ. That's a lost sinner that has
missed Christ. Let me show you that. I want
to prove that to you. Turn with me over to John chapter 20. John 20 and verse 26. Now listen to this. It says,
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas
with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being
shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold
my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side,
and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered, And said
unto him, now listen to Thomas's answer right here. Okay, the
Lord told him, you be a believer. Verse 28 says, and Thomas answered
and said unto him, my Lord and my God. My Lord and my God. Can you say that? Do you believe
that? Do you believe Jesus Christ is
your Lord and your God? Do you believe He is the God? The God. The highest God. Do you believe He's not just
the man who can point you in the direction of God? He's not
just the one who will introduce you to God. He said, if you've
seen me, you've seen the Father. Do you believe that His throne,
Christ's throne, oh God, is forever and ever? He is God. Jesus Christ is God. If a person
wants to know who is God, I know we hear of this man Jesus. We
hear how He came and what He did and now He's gone, but who
is God? If you want to know, Jesus Christ is God. He is the highest God. My Lord
and my God. He and the Father are one. Father, Son, and Spirit, these
three are one. One God, three persons. My Lord
and my God. If a person can say that, do
you know what you can, according to the Word of God, call that
person? A believer. A believer. Now go with me back
over to John 7. John chapter 7, verse 32 says,
the Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning
him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to
take him. Then said Jesus unto him, yet
a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent
me. You shall seek me and shall not find me. And where I am,
thither you cannot come." You cannot come. Our Lord just delivered
to them the horrible truth. The horrible, horrible truth
of sin and unbelief. The reality of sin and unbelief. He just told them about His death,
about His burial, and His resurrection. And then He said, where I am,
you cannot come. He cannot come. That is the worst
news that a soul will ever hear. The worst news. How many souls
are going to hear that on the day of judgment? How many souls? Our Lord said when it comes to
salvation, eternal life in Christ, He said, straight is the gate,
narrow is the way, and few there be that find it. How many souls
are going to hear that on the day of judgment? God be merciful
to us sinners. Lord, draw us to yourself. Lord, let us be wherever you
are. Let us be in thy presence. Lord,
let us be in Christ. Put us in Christ. Let us not
be unbelieving. Lord, put saving faith in us,
faith to believe on Him. Turn with me over to Proverbs
chapter 1. Proverbs chapter 1 verse 24 says, our Lord says, because I have
called and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand and no
man regarded. but you have said it not all
my counsel. And have we not all done this?
Every single person on the face of this earth, have we not said
it not all his counsel? We have not done his word. We
have not done his will. He said, you have said it not
all my counsel and would none of my reproof. I also will laugh
at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation,
and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and
anguish cometh upon you, then shall they call upon me, but
I will not answer. They shall seek me early, but
they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge,
and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of
my counsel, they despised all my reproof, therefore shall they
eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their
own devices." Oh man, is that not horrible? Because of unbelief. Where I am, you cannot come.
Do you know but for the grace of God, But for Christ, but for
God sending Christ, that would be every single man and woman
on the face of the earth, including you and me, that would be me. But for the grace of God, there
go I. Unbelief, all because of unbelief. He said, where I am, you cannot
come, but God. Those two words are our salvation,
but God. Thank God for His election, the
goodness of His election. It's the sweetest, most glorious
truth a man could tell. God's election, but for God's
atonement, but for Christ dying, shedding His blood, atoning the
sins of all of the sinners that God the Father gave to Him, but
for Christ. In His death, in His burial,
and in His resurrection, all that the Father put in Him are
called sheep. For all the sheep that God the
Father gave to God the Son, what Christ is telling them back in
John chapter 7 is, I'm about to go lay down my life for the
sheep. That's what I'm about to do.
All those who were not in Him, this is what He had to say to
them, where I am, thither you cannot come." But for all those
who are in Him, He has something to say to them, too. We just
heard the truth about sin. Every bit of that was the truth
about sin, the truth about rebellion, the truth about unbelief, the
truth of being found outside of Christ. But now let's listen
to the good news of salvation in Christ, okay? Go with me over
to John 14. John 14 verse 1, our Lord said,
let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be also." What good news is that? What
good news is that? He just told those Pharisees
who were trusting in their own works, he said, where I am, you
cannot come. But in Christ, if God has chosen
to put us in Christ, our Lord said, where I am, there you may
be also. Turn over to John 17. John 17
verse 9, our Lord said, I pray for them. I pray not for the
world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine.
And in verse 24, He said, Father, I will. that they also whom thou
hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my
glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the
foundation of the world." What good news that is! Christ has purposed to have all
of His people right there with Him where He is, in Him, with
Him. Back over to John chapter 7 verse
35 says, then said the Jews among themselves, whither will He go
that we should not find Him? Will He go unto the dispersed
among the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles? What manner of
saying is this that he said? You shall seek me and shall not
find me, and where I am, thither you cannot come. How blind they
are. How blind. How deaf. No understanding. You know, that's
all of us by nature. We just said, but for the grace
of God, there go I. That's all of us by nature. Look
at John chapter 6 verse 44. No man can come to me except
the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him
up at the last day. No man. He plainly, clearly,
simply told him the truth. But the natural man cannot see
the things of the Spirit. Just cannot. Our Lord said God
is Spirit. But man without the Holy Spirit
of God He takes the things of this Word and He rationalizes
them according to the flesh. He tries to figure them out in
His mind. It's not a belief of the heart.
He takes the things of the Spirit and He makes a fleshly work out
of them. That's all He can do. Well, John
7, verse 37, it says, In the last day, that great day of the
feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, if any man thirst, let
him come unto me and drink. Oh, the mercy and grace of God,
the goodness of God to sinners. He said, if. That's a big if. If, I can tell you this, if a
man does, then it's God who caused him to. No man can come except
the Father draw him. If any man, any man, aren't you
so glad that doesn't say, if good man? Because the scripture
says there's none good but God. He said if any man or woman,
especially a man or woman who says, I'm unworthy, I'm too great
a sinner, is too late for me. No, it's not. No, it's not. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. If any man thirst. You know, I thirst before I drink. You know that? Thirst is a desire.
If any man desire righteousness, the righteousness of God, the
perfection of God that's found in Christ. If any man desire
peace, peace with God. If any man desire forgiveness
from his sin, cleansing from his sin. If any man desire living
bread, living water, satisfaction. If any man desires safety, If
any man desires rest, our Lord said, let. That means allow it. Let him, let that sinful man
come. Let him come. If any man does
thirst, and if any man does come, because God the Spirit put that
thirst in him. And God the Father drew him.
And if God began the work, our Lord says, let him come unto
me. Let him come unto me. Dear listener,
come to Christ. Come to Christ. Don't go to the
priest. Don't go to the church. Don't
go to the altar. Don't come down front. Come to
Christ. There's an old saying that says,
come to Christ, but don't move a muscle. Don't move a muscle. You come to Christ in faith,
believing that He's all you need. He's all you need for forgiveness,
for satisfaction. He fulfilled the law for you
because you couldn't. He's all you need. Come to Christ
in heart, in mind, in soul, in spirit, in faith, but don't move
a muscle. If any sinner does that, our
Lord said in verse 37, he will drink and he'll drink and he'll
drink. He can drink until his soul is
satisfied. If any man thirst, let him come
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His Word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m. and 6 o'clock p.m.,
Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.