Oh, good morning, good morning,
good morning. Wonderful day. Oh my goodness. How about turning
to John chapter 17? John 17. I've chosen this chapter as our
reading for this morning. It is a well-known portion of
Scripture for sure. It records for us completely a prayer in regard
to our Lord Jesus Christ as our intercessor. I want you to notice as we read
And I'll probably point it out again when we come to them, how important it is to look at
our Lord Jesus Christ, and this is how he prays. Tremendously different than any
of us can pray. We're not that one mediator between
God and men, but our Lord Jesus is. His prayer is our mediator. So there are some things that
we cannot say that our Lord Jesus plainly says and declares. Now let's bow for prayer and
we'll read shortly thereafter. O Lord Jesus, our precious, blessed
Savior, we come to your throne purely and only through your
blood and your righteousness. You are indeed the only mediator
between God and men, because you alone, even though you're
God, you're wearing human flesh. No one else can, no one else
has, and no one else ever will. We give to you the highest praises and honor
that our hearts and minds can possibly conceive. And yet this
is not nearly enough. You are more than we know. Oh,
we hope one day to be able to really see you as you are in heaven in eternity. Help us this day, as we read
the simple words of this chapter that is to be before us, that
we might have insights into how you think, how you express yourself,
what you have to say about yourself and what you have to say about
your people. Lord, we beg for help from on
high to visit us in this place this morning. Speak with that
voice that wakes the dead and make your people hear. Oh, grant us that upon leaving
this place this morning, we shall better understand who you are
who we are and what salvation is. For it's all of Christ. We beg in your dear name. Amen. John 17, beginning at verse 1. These words spoke Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven. And he said, Father, the hour
has come. Glorify your Son that your Son
also may glorify you. As you have given him power over
all flesh, that he, Christ Jesus, should give eternal life to whom? to as many as the Father has
given him. No more than that and no less. And this is life eternal. Here is the definition of eternal
life. That they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom you have sent. We are born not knowing God and
having no use for the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, but when life eternal
comes upon our soul, it is a far different story indeed. The Savior
continues, verse 4, I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished
the work which you gave me to do. Our Lord came down here for
thirty-three years and perhaps a few months more to do exactly
this, His Father's will. Everything He did is the fulfillment
of this statement that we have just read. I have finished the
work which You gave me to do. And now that that work is finished
and our Savior has gone to Calvary's tree and paid the price of our
sins and has now ascended into glory, Listen to what he speaks
now beginning at verse 5. And now, O Father, glorify You
me with Your own self. Now watch this. With the glory
that I had with You before the world was. When our Lord came to this earth,
He had to put on human flesh. to hide his deity. We could not have dealt with
him without this mediator who is God the Son, the Son of Man,
but he is still the Son of God. Verse 6, I have manifested your
name unto the men," referring to the apostles, which you gave
me out of the world. Yours there were, they were,
and you gave them me, and they have kept your word." Now, if
you've done any reading in the four gospels, you know these
fellows didn't always do the right thing. But no notice whatsoever
is taken of that. No notice at all. Plenty of people out of the Old
Testament, when spoken of in the New, nothing is said about
their mistakes, their sins. Instead, it speaks of them as
being fully accepted before God. Now they have known that all
things whatsoever you have given me are of you. For I have given
unto them the words which you gave me, and they have received
them and have known surely that I came out from you, and they
have believed that you did send me." I pray for them. I pray not for
the world. Today's Christianity despises
that statement. And I would not be a bit surprised
if they did not omit it, if they even bothered to ever read this
chapter. We have a way of using the Bible.
You know, when we're lost, we just read the parts we want to
read. If it gets uncomfortable to us, we just go somewhere else. I pray for them, I pray not for
the world, but for them which you have given
me, for they are yours." I know you know this, but I've
just got to remind you that when the Lord Jesus came to this earth,
lived here thirty years or so, He did not come here with unrealistic
expectations. He is not taken aback nor surprised
when people mistreated Him, when they tried to kill Him on numerous
occasions, and finally, when He allowed them to, they put
Him on the cross. Our Lord came fully understanding
what we are, what this world is, and what we think of the
true and living God. Verse 10, And all mine are yours,
and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I
am no more in the world, but these," referring to the apostles
primarily, I suppose, these are in the world, And I come to you,
Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have
given me, that they may be one as we are." Now, who are these
people that our Lord says the Father has given Him? It is that
people that God gave him in the covenant of grace before this
world was ever made, before a human being was ever created. And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to you. Keep through your
own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one
as we are." There's always a movement among professing Christianity
to try to obtain some kind of unity among all the differences
of denominations and Protestant and Catholic and so forth. Our
Lord prays that His people may be one. And He ain't never yet
prayed a prayer that was not absolutely 100% answered. So this movement to try to get
everybody on the same track and to think the same things is not
going to give any life to dead sinners whatsoever. None at all. Because you could not get them
to agree on even the statements in this one chapter. Because
it offends us. It tells us what we are. Oh,
but it gloriously describes who our Savior is. Alright, verse
12. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in your name. Those that you gave me, I have
kept. I've missed my spot. And none of them, wow, none of them is lost. Not even one. You've heard about the song about
heaven, that the circle will be unbroken. That's a free will
song, by the way. This denies that, and it cannot
be true. It never has been true. Christ
is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Calvary was not
something new, something the eternal triune God purposed from
all eternity. None of them is lost but the
son of perdition, the son of damnation that the scripture
might be fulfilled. And now come I to you, and these
things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled
in themselves. I have given them your word,
and the world has hated them because they are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you should take
them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the
evil or evil one. They are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. And as you have sent me into
the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify
myself. that they also might be sanctified
through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone.
Now remember, back in verse 9, I think it was, he said, I pray
not for the world, but here he defines some persons other than
the apostles that he prays for. Verse 20, neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through
their word. And that's what we're believing
when we read exactly what we're reading right here in John right
now. It was penned by the Apostle John. That they all may be one. Goodness me. The Lord Jesus says
in his intercessory prayers, our mediator, that they all may
be one. Guess what? All true believers
are one. We don't have to dress alike.
We don't have to speak the same language. But if our Lord said they're
one, they're one. Because we're in Him. And you
can't divide Christ. You can't have part of Him. It's
all or nothing. that they all may be one, as
you, Father, are in me, and I in you." Now that's some oneness.
"...that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe
that you have sent me. And the glory which you gave
me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one."
How many times do we need it? to be spoken. I in them, and you in me, that
they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that
you have sent me, and have loved them as you have loved me. Father, I will." Now, when's
the last time you prayed and used those words? I hope not
ever. We cannot use them. We cannot
use them. This is God speaking to God. The Lord Jesus said, Father,
I will that they also whom you've given me may behold my glory
which you've given me, for you loved me before the foundation
of the world. What does he pray with such strong
language as I will? That they whom you have given
me be with me where I am. Now that statement is still being
fulfilled. Till the end of this world it
shall be. O righteous Father, The world
has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known
that you have sent me. And I have declared unto them
your name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith you have
loved me may be in them, and I in them." Now if you'll look
back to the beginning of this chapter, I'll give you my first
point this morning. trying to summarize what God does in Christ
in grace in five questions, five revealing questions. Now, preaching is not always what
we think it ought to be. I covet your prayers in regard
to my poor preaching, and I don't know if I'm too old to change,
but I'm sure going to try. But there are certain issues
that seem to hinge. Everything seems to
hinge. on certain statements in our
Bible made in various places by different persons. Here's
the first one, the first revealing question. Is eternal life a gift
sovereignly bestowed by God, or is it only an offer? Today's religion camps out on
God offers you this and offers you that. It's up to you if you
take it or not. Our gospel is not like that.
Oh, no. It says that God the Holy Spirit
arrests us like he did Saul of Parsis on the road to Damascus.
It may not be as marked as that, but it's still the same thing. This is such a change. It's so
great. that it is impossible for us
to be able to accomplish that which only God can accomplish.
Lord, if you look back to verse 2 in this same chapter, as you have given him, as the
Father has given the Son, power over all flesh. That's every
human being who's ever lived or will ever live. All flesh. That He should give, God the
Son should give eternal life to as many as the Father has
given Him. Now, does that sound to you like
an offer? Absolutely not. Certainly not. It is a gift. A gift. All right, the second
question. Let's see, I want you to turn
to 2 Thessalonians 2. Reading verses 9, oh, let's go down to 14. Verse
9 to 14. You've heard 13 and 14 a hundred
times, I know. But I thought we should read these
verses that bring those other statements to pass before us.
Here's the question before we read these statements. Is salvation
by chance or by divine choice? To use the language of the world,
is a person lucky when God saves them? You know, just the throwing
of the dice or whatever. Not hardly. Here's the answer to that question.
2 Thessalonians 2, 9, even him whose coming is after the working
of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because
they received not the love of the truth, And who is that truth? It is Jesus Christ and Him incarnate
that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall
send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that
they all might be damned. Now who is that who believed not the truth? but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Now here's the positive side
of answering that question, verses 13 and 14. But we're bound to
give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the
Lord. Paul making reference here specifically
to the Thessalonian believers. Because God has from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to
the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." My, what
a statement indeed! Psalm 65, verse 4 reads, Bless
is the man whom God chooses, and causes to approach unto himself. That's how we become believers.
Acts 13, verse 48. As many as were ordained to eternal
life did what? Believed. That's how you become
a believer. And to find out that God ordained
this before this world was ever created makes it all the more
marvelous and wonderful and unmistakable. If you'd go back this afternoon
in Acts 13 and read what leads up to verse 48, it might really
be an eye-opener. It is quite revealing, to say
the least. Alright, here's the third question.
This time I need you to turn to Romans chapter 9. And if you don't wish to turn,
it won't hurt my feelings one single bit. Romans 9, 13 to 18. Romans 9,
13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, But Esau have I hated." Modern Christianity will not
have that. They tell you that the word hatred
actually means something not hatred in our language, but that
ain't so. You'd be surprised how many places
this Bible has been altered by various different religious societies
in the professing Christian world. So if that statement belongs
in our Bibles, verse 13, Romans 9, look at verse 14. What shall we say then? If this is true, verse 13, what
shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Perish the thought, God forbid! For God said to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. So then it is not of them that
wills, nor of them that runs. but of God that shows mercy.
Boy, it sounds like God's doing it all to me. You will say then unto me, why
does God still find fault? This sounds like He can save
anybody He wants to. And I say, Amen, He sure can. You will say then unto me, why
does God still find fault? For who has resisted his will? I refer you to a statement I
don't know where it came from originally, but I got it from
Scott Richardson many, many years ago, and he used it here in this
church when he was here preaching back then. Don't tell me I've lost my thought. I should have gone on him and
given it. Oh, Brother Richardson was apt
to say, God saves us against our will. Because our will is
just like we are. We are sinners. God saves us
against our will, but with our full consent. After the deed is done, we ain't
complaining. Therefore has he mercy on whom
he will have mercy? All preachers, so-and-so is too
hard for God, he could never save him. Ain't nothing hard
for God. You need to get a new God. He speaks and it's done. My soul,
He doesn't even have to speak out loud. He thinks and it's
done. And whom He will, He harvests. We ought to ponder the question
once in a while. If God has saved me, why did
he do it? We don't deserve it. We can't
merit it. We don't earn it. Why does he do it? In spite of
what we are. It pleased him to do so. I don't even know if I gave you
the question on that one. Is salvation by the will of God
or by the will of man? James 1.18 says, "...of God's
own will begat he us with the word of truth." And the word
begat means to birth us, which is our conversion. This new life
from God in the soul is the new birth. It's a part of being regenerated. And then the fourth question
is, let's see, I better get you to
turn to us, 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5. Verse 1. Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born
of God. Therefore, our question is this. Am I born again because I believe,
or do I believe because I'm born again? There's your answer. 1 John 5 verse 1. Whosoever believes that Jesus
is the Christ, something's happened to him. What is it? He's born
again. Born again. He's a new person
in Christ. And everyone that loves Him that
begat, that is, God that birthed this being into eternal life,
everyone that loves Him that begat loves Him also that is
begotten of Him. That is, believers, in spite
of our differences, we do love each other. Scarcely I've had the privilege.
I reckon you could look at it that way. I've had the dubious
honor of being in a bunch of different churches, namely Baptist,
and it won't fun and games, I can tell you that. It was always, always something. I thank God for it now, but I
doubt if I did then. But Brother Richardson says that's
the way it goes in big cities, and in the country too, I might
add. All right, here we go. 1 John 5. By this we know that
we love the children of God when we love God. You can't love God
without loving his people. And keep his commandments. Now, I can't just let that statement
lay there. I've got to ask you to turn to
another text that I haven't marked, so it will take me a little bit
to get there, but I'm already about there. Matthew chapter
25. Let's see. Let's start at verse
31. We've got a few extra minutes. I wasn't counting on this one. I thought about it, but I think
I should. Verse 31. When the Son of Man shall come
in his glory," that's at the end of time, judgment day, and
all the holy angels with him, "...then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory," that's his judgment throne, "...and
before him shall be gathered all nations, And he shall separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."
So there's only two kinds of people in this group, either
a sheep or a goat. And believers have never been
goats, and goats have never been believers. Look at the contrast
our Lord draws. Boy, we think we've got a mind.
We don't know what. You'd better look at what he
says in this passage. He divides his sheep from the
goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats
on the left. Then shall the king say unto
them on his right hand, Now who is this? This is his sheep, his
people, his church, his bride. Come, you blessed of my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. And then our Lord strangely,
that sentence ends with a colon. And the next statement must be
viewed in light of that. For I was hungry, And you gave
me food. I was thirsty and you gave me
drink. I was a stranger and you took
me in. Naked and you clothed me. I was
sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came
unto me. But look what these people say.
Now you've got to listen. This is verse 37. Here's what
the believer thinks of his own works. And he is going to confess
that before Christ on judgment day. Then shall the righteous
answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and gave you drink? When did we see you a stranger
and took you in, or naked and clothed you? Or when did we see
you sick or in prison and come unto you? And here is the answer. And the King shall answer and
say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done
it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it
unto me." Now he speaks to a different
audience. Verse 41, Then shall he say also
unto those on his left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into
everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For
I was hungry, and you didn't give me any food. I was thirsty,
and you didn't give me any drink. I was a stranger, and you took
me not in. Naked, and you clothed me not.
Sick and imprisoned, and you visited me not." Now look at
the answer and compare this with that other one back in Oh, I've lost my spot. Oh, in verse 37. Verse 41. Then shall he say unto
them on the left hand. You don't want to be on the left
hand. There's nothing wrong with left handers, Craig. Depart from me, you cursed. into everlasting fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and ye gave
me no food. I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a
stranger, and ye took me not in. Sick and imprisoned, ye visited
me not. Then shall they answer him, saying,
Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty? Or a stranger, or
naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto you? Then shall he answer them, saying,
Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you did it not to one of the
least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."
In one group, the goats. They don't think they've done
anything wrong as far as God and Christ and their religion
is concerned. They're simply not guilty. They
say, we never did see you in this condition. And then our
Lord pronounces that judgment in that final verse, verse 46. My, what a verse that is indeed. The fifth question, I think I'm
down to that one, yes. Is salvation a one-time experience,
or is it a lifetime union of faith and repentance? I'd like to read to you from
2 Corinthians chapter 1. And if you've got turning itis,
you can just sign off, you know. 2 Corinthians 1, 8, 9 and 10. For we would not, brethren, have
you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were
pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired
even of life. But we had the sentence of death
in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God
who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does
deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. Never reach a point that we do
not greatly need God's help. Sometimes we've experienced the
same problem over an extended period of time. And you'd think
by the time you had that once or twice or three times, you'd
figure it out and it wouldn't bother you anymore. But that's
not it. We are still sinners. We of all people should have
realistic expectations of ourselves and not get all out of whack
because we find ourselves thinking what we ought not to think, or
doing what we ought not to do, or saying what we ought not to
say. Believers of every generation
and every age, everywhere on this globe, They know something
about themselves as a result of God's grace in Christ. We
recognize what we are and who we are, but by the grace of God
we'll perish. But if Christ is our Redeemer
and our Savior, and we've trusted him by his own power and grace
to us, then nothing, nothing under the sun, and change that
one single iota. Wherever you go in this book,
you're looking for the answer to these five questions. And
it's everywhere in our Bibles. And I think it would be of great
help for us, perhaps, to pursue some of those questions. Okay. Thank you.