Mindy asked me this morning,
just this morning, if I was looking forward to this. I said, I don't
know. Sometimes I do greatly look forward
to it. Other times I'm very, I don't
know, anxious, can't explain it. I was undecided at which message
to bring at which time. Let's hope the Lord. We've switched it. Normally,
we'd be studying Romans in the first hour, but we're going to
look at John 18. Let's read verses 12-14 again. Then the
captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound Him led him away to Annas first. He was father-in-law to Caiaphas,
which was the high priest that same year. Now, Caiaphas was
he which gave counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that
one man should die for the people. We saw Sunday, cry our Lord,
before Caiaphas, the high priest, and I fully intended to get down
to the Lord said before Caiaphas, but we didn't get there. I was
taken with our Lord being bound and led away. I think you were
blessed by that as I was. We're talking about being bound.
Our Lord, the worst thing that could possibly happened to the
disciples, and seemingly our Lord was Him being crucified.
But it was actually the best thing, the salvation of God's
people. And what we tried to show is
that it is the Lord. He reigns and rules over everything,
no matter how bad it may seem. Scripture says all things work
together for good. To them that love God, to the
called according to His purpose, His people. And Christ is the
elect and His people elect in Him. So what happened to Him,
though horrible, yet was wonderful. And whatever happens to us, though
it may seem at the time horrible, We're going to know someday.
In the ages to come, Scripture says, He's going to show unto
us the exceeding riches of His kindness toward us through Christ
our Lord. And we're going to thank Him
for every single thing that happened, exactly like it happened. So
that was part of the purpose in that, to show our Lord reigning
and ruling over all things. Though He seemed bound, He wasn't
bound at all. And the Word of God is not bound. Well, verse 13, they led him
away to Annas first. He was father-in-law to Caiaphas.
They were two high priests. This is how bad Jewish religion
had become. They were two high priests. They
were not supposed to be two high priests. There never was two
high priests in the Old Testament. The reason being that one man
One man, the high priest, would take the blood of a lamb once
a year into the Holy of Holies and offer up a sacrifice for
God's people. One man would enter within the
veil into the Holy of Holies, not without blood. All of Hebrews
speaks of this. It's absolute necessity. One
man. And that's a picture that Christ
is The only one. The one great high priest. Forever. He is the high priest
right now. Ever living to make intercession
for his people. Who, by himself, who entered
into the Holy of Holies, not without blood, but with his own
precious blood. Having obtained eternal redemption. But here there are two high priests. That's how bad this thing has
degenerated. Today, you've got a whole religion that millions
of people all over the world follow. It's full of priests.
Cardinals, a Pope, there have been many. Even back then in the Lord's
day, It says the Jews' Passover was at hand. The Jews' Passover.
The Jews' Passover. It's supposed to be the Lord's
Passover. You know, you don't even see
any mention in the Gospels of the Jews sacrificing lambs, do
you? The high priest, that was what
was supposed to be done, wasn't it? There's no mention of blood. No mention of the sacrifice of
the Lamb by those high priests, by Caiaphas, Annas, no matter
who it was. You won't see it. You won't see it. It was supposed to have been done,
wasn't it? Well, religion today, and this is written for our learning
today, if you want to know where God's people really are, They
are under the blood. They're partaking of the Passover.
The children of Israel were coming out of Egypt. The Lord is bringing
them out of Egypt. They're in Egypt, but they're
not Egyptians. God's people are in the world,
but not of the world. He's bringing them out. How did
you know the difference between the Jews and the Egyptians? If
you look at the houses, look at the people, Jews, Egyptians,
they all lived pretty similar, though the Jews were enslaved.
But God's bringing his people out of the world, out of Egypt,
out of bondage. How do you know the true people
of God? We've been clear back then, wherever
that blood was on the house, just look. They're at blood. What are they doing in there?
They're partaking of the Passover. That's what they do. How do you
know God's people today? How do you know the house of
God today? There's lots of them. In Egypt. In the world. Supposedly. Houses of God. Houses of worship. Full of Christians. Are they?
How do you know? Paul said there's three marks.
Like circumcision, it's hidden. You can't tell. It's hidden.
It's covered. But it's of the heart. Number
one, they worship God in the spirit. They worship God in the
spirit. From the heart, they're there
to worship God. Worship God. And God's not worshipped
with bent hands. No. Spirit. And then truth, our
Lord said. The truth? What's the truth?
What's the truth? Christ is the truth. Secondly, they rejoice in Christ
Jesus. God's people are Christians.
They get together to worship Christ. They get together to
talk about Christ. The man that's standing up there
preaching Christ and Him crucified, determined not to know anything
else. They're partaking of the Passover. They're eating the
body and drinking the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
how you know them. Blood will be mentioned about
every 30 words. They all know we're coming out,
and the reason we're coming out is the blood. They worship Him. And have no confidence in the
flesh. Flesh. Flesh. That which is flesh is
flesh. And in your flesh dwelleth. No. Good. Now, that's how you
know. That's how you know. Where God
is not, where Christ is not, Ichabod is written over the door.
Ichabod means the glory has departed. What's the glory? What's the
glory of God? Christ. The light of the knowledge
of the glory of God is seen in the face, the person, the work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what God's people are
doing. I challenge you, you will seldom
hear the word blood in modern religion. Huh? Listen to it. I listen to it. Sometimes I can't
help myself. I'm thumbing through all those
religious channels on the TV, you know, and I just start watching
them. I go from this channel, this
channel, this channel. You sure won't hear of righteousness,
which we're going to talk about in the next hour. Caiaphas is
the one who gave counsel in chapter 11. We already looked at this.
He said it's expedient that one man should die for the nation.
I believe what he meant by that. He didn't know what he was saying.
Scripture says that. He didn't know what he was saying.
He didn't say that of himself. He's not talking about Christ
being the substitute for his people. He wasn't saying that
at all. He didn't believe that. He wanted him dead. And what
he thought was if we can get rid of this pellet, he'll die.
We don't have to lose our jobs. We get rid of him. But God had
him say this for our sake. Why? Proverbs 16.1, I believe
it is, says that the preparation of the heart and the answer of
the tongue are of the Lord. Have you ever heard bad men say
good things? How many times? Have you heard
false prophets say good things? Don't let that confuse you. Don't
let that confuse you. The reason that is, that the
Lord sometimes has bad men say true things, is to hold everybody
accountable for what they heard. And to hold that man accountable.
When our Lord, we're going to see, He's standing before Pilate,
and Pilate says, what is truth? Ooh, standing in front of him. Another time, well, I think it
may be in this context, he said, Are you a king? Yeah. He stood
before Pilate, and Pilate said, Are you a king? He said, Thou
say'st. Your very words are going to
condemn me right now. The king. You're standing seated before
the king when you ought to be on your knees. Bad men say some good things
to hold them accountable, to hold everyone accountable for
the truth. That doesn't mean nobody is saved under a false
prophet. Alright, look at verses 15 and
following. We've looked at this briefly,
but we need to look at it again. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and
so did another disciple. That disciple was known under
the high priest. Now, this is not John. I'm not
talking about John. John would not call his own name,
but he's not, very clearly he's not John. He wasn't known by
the high priest. The high priest wouldn't have let John in there.
Some people think it was Nicodemus. Some think it was Nicodemus.
It doesn't matter, does it? He doesn't give us his name. But like Nicodemus, who was a
private disciple, wasn't he? And he's going to come out. You
can't be a closet Christian, so to speak. You can't be a non-professing
believer. He's going to come out publicly
to cry. Whoever it was doesn't matter
because he doesn't tell it. Alright? They went in with Jesus
under the palace of the high priest. Peter stood at the door
without. Then went out that other disciple.
which was known under the high priest, and spake unto her that
kept the door, a young damsel. And they brought in Peter. Then
saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Peter's walking
in, aren't you one of that man's disciples? I knew not. Oh boy, and the servants and
the officers stood there who had made a fire of coals, it
was cold. I guarantee you they didn't give
our Lord anything to warm Himself. And so they warmed themselves
by that fire, and Peter stood with them and warmed himself. Try it. Down in verse 25, it
says, Simon Peter says it again, Simon Peter stood and warmed
himself. Try it too. Why is so much, all
four Gospels tell us about Peter sitting by the fire with them
and warming himself and denying the Lord. Now that's, there's
a purpose to that because it's so serious. The blessed man, scripture says,
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. You can't walk with
somebody if you don't agree with them. Amos 3.3, can two walk
together except that they agree? No. You can't do it. David said, I'm not going to
walk with them. You can't. The blessed man walketh not in
the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners.
You can't stand it. You can't stand to stand there
with those that hate the truth, that hate your Lord. Nor sitteth
in the seat of the scorned. And here sat Peter. Here sat
Simon Peter. How? Go with me to Ephesians
5. How is Simon Peter going to sit
there and not be known and not be apprehended? and not be himself
crucified with the Lord. How is he going to do it? Just be quiet. Don't say anything. Get along
just fine. Ephesians 5. Our Lord said in his Sermon on
the Mount, you are the salt of the earth. Taking his picture,
you are the salt of the earth. He said, you're the light of
the world. He said, a light is not meant to be kept under a
bushel. There's only one reason for light, to expose darkness. There's only one reason for salt. And if the salt has lost its
savor, it's worthless. And our purpose on this earth,
if we're one of you, is salt and light. That's our purpose. Salt doesn't exist for itself.
We have a salt dish on our table. And that salt is for one thing.
Salt food. Paul wrote in Colossians, I believe,
let your speech be always with grace. Gracious speech of the
gospel of grace seasoned with salt. Always. That's our purpose. Ephesians 5, verse 11, have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
reprove them. Verse 8 says, you were sometimes
darkness, but now you're light in the Lord. Walk as children
of light. Verse 11, have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove
them. Verse 13, all things that are approved are made manifest
by the light. And whatsoever doth make manifest
is light. Go quickly to 2 Corinthians 6,
and the reason I labor this is because the Lord does, because
the scripture does. And I've told you so many times
what my pastor warned us of, that two things most dangerous
in this world to God's people are the things of this world
and the people of this world. 2 Corinthians 6, this is so very
plain. Verse 14, be not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers. What fellowship hath righteousness? with unrighteousness. What communion? What do you have to talk about?
Have light with darkness. What concord? What concourse
or fellowship? You don't have to have Christ
with Belial. What part have he that believeth
with an infidel? They're of the world. That's
what they speak of, and that's what you'll be speaking of. That's
all you'll be speaking of. What agreement has the temple of God
with idols? You're the temple of the living
God. And God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them.
I will be their God. They will be my people. Wherefore,
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. And touch not the unclean. That's
idolatry. And I will receive you, will
be a father unto you. You shall be my sons and daughters,
The Lord Almighty. You know, in Hebrews, I was going
to have you turn there, but we won't. Moses, it says, when he
was come to ears, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. No, he said, I'm not one of them. He said, choosing rather to suffer
reproach with God's people. Abel told his brother he had
to tell his brother Cain. He could not let Cain go without
telling him the truth and what happened. Enoch walked with God. It almost
sounds, the Lord makes it sound like he's walked alone, that
there wasn't Hardly anybody else. Well, there was some, but they're
hard to find. So Enoch walked with God. He
wasn't walking with the world. He walked with God. He agreed
with God. You can't walk with them that
don't love my Lord. Noah, a preacher of righteousness,
prepared an ark, which is all a picture of those that worship
Christ, that believe the gospel, to the condemning of the world. Noah was a loving man, a kind
man, a zealous man. He had a heart for the people.
But he told them plainly. He warned his generation. He
was warned himself, so he moved with fear. He feared God and
he feared not telling them. And he told them. And he condemned
the world. And they condemned Noah. Know
where you think you're right and everybody else is wrong.
Abraham sojourned the stranger and pilgrim. That's what it said.
All of God's people are. Even Lot. Lot lived a long time
in Sodom and got along fine. How? Only way light can fellowship
with darkness is if it does not show light. And Lot, even Lot though, after
a while, and the Lord, Lot, I'm breaking this place down. So Lot ran back to his sons-in-law
and whoever would hear him, and he told them, listen, the Lord
has warned us to flee from the wrath to come. I'm getting out
of here. Come with me. And they laughed at him. Why
didn't you tell us before? Well, I should have, and I'm
telling you now. It's not too late. Have you ever had news of somebody
dying that you had contact with and they died and all of a sudden
you didn't know it? Did you think, did I tell that person the truth?
Did you? There's a man who did all of
the drywall work house and two houses for us. I like him a lot,
named Pete. Liked him a lot. Did it all by
himself. He did the whole thing by himself. Hard working. He's my age, exactly my age.
And I liked him. But I found out one day that
he dropped dead. A heart attack. It's my age. This was seven or
eight years ago. And I thought back. I thought,
yeah, I talked to him about the gospel. I did. But he's gone. He's dead. He didn't believe Christ. He
perished forever. Man. Serious thing. This is serious. Why do we labor that? Peter denied
Him. You know what Peter did? He sat
there and sat there long enough without opening his mouth, without
defending his Lord, and he ended up being just like Him. He ended up being just like Him.
And he denied the Lord. But the Lord is so good. The
Lord is so merciful. The Lord is so gracious. And
it was so bitter for Peter, yet the Lord is so merciful. And
later on said, now Peter, now Simon Peter, do you love me? Then you go out there and you
tell all the ones you denied. In fact, you denied me too. You
go out there and you tell them who's disciple you are. Okay? And Peter, they're going to kill
you. But you're going to be thankful for the opportunity. Did you hear me? I didn't say
that. This is the Lord's way. This
is the Lord's way. Keep with them, you'll end up
being like them, and you'll deny the Lord. And how's it known,
the difference between Peter and Judas? At that time, how
did you know the difference between Simon Peter and Judas? Simon
Peter went out and wept bitterly over his denial of the Lord.
He said, I'll never do that again. By God's grace, I'll never do
that again. By God's grace, if He gives me
an opportunity to tell people, I'm going to lay down my life
again. He's had mercy on me. I denied
Him. Yet, He's brought me back and had mercy on me. By His grace,
I'm not going to do that again. He laid down his life for me. Now, look at verse 19. John 18, 19. A high priest then asked Jesus
of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Caiaphas asked Jesus
of his disciples. What did he ask him? I'm pretty
sure I know what he asked him. He asked him, how many disciples? Isn't that what they always ask?
Huh? When people ask you, what's the
first thing? Huh? How many? How many have
you got there? Always. That's what religion,
that's what they want to know. Why? Because they think. This
is what they think. If you've got just a few, there
can't be anything to that. If you've got a bunch, God's
in it. The opposite is true. The opposite is true. Noah, how
many have you got there? You've been preaching a long
time. Yeah, 120 years. How many have you got, Noah? Seven. Not counting me. Eight people. If our Lord would have answered
him, Listen to this. If our Lord would have answered
him, he would have said, I've got twelve, and one of them's
a devil. You see this high priest now?
Twelve. Who are these fellows? Where
are they from? Who are they? Who are these disciples of yours?
Where did you find these disciples? Or where did they find you? What if our Lord would have answered
and he said, fishermen, publican, there's some women
there, who are they? Harlots. Can you see this high priest
there? He'd never do this, is he? He'd say everything to her. This is the people of God. Lord,
are there few that be saved? The disciples even asked him
that. And he retold, our Lord said,
to your chosen. Well, then he asked them, asked
the Lord of his doctrine. Tell me, what is it, just what
is it you're preaching? Just what is it that you all
believe, you and your disciples? Just what is it? that you are
preaching that? Our Lord answered him finally.
Verse 20. He answered him and said, I spoke
openly to the world. I ever taught in the synagogue
and in the temple whether the Jews always resort. And in secret
have I said nothing. You remember Paul said, if our
gospel be hid, We're not hiding it. He said, I'm not ashamed
of the Gospel. He said, I'm a debtor of the
Greek and Jew and the Greek. I've got to preach the Gospel.
Saul of Tarsus denied the Lord. Saul of Tarsus hated the truth.
When the Lord revealed Himself to him, Paul the Apostle, I'm
going to go out and tell everybody. I told everybody the false... Every preacher I know that was
a preacher before, the Lord saved him. Man, that man is zealous,
like Brother Don Bale. Man, he is zealous for the truth.
Why? Because he denied Him all those years. Don't try to undo what I did.
I saw all the Tarsus Paul, but
where am I? He spake openly. Our Lord said,
I spake openly in the temple. Will the Jews always resort in
secret? Have I said nothing? Oh, Paul said, if our gospel
is hid, it's not because we hide it. Not because we're ashamed
of it. You know, there's some denominations
that Southern Baptist religion claims to believe the doctrine
of sovereign grace. They toy with it like a new doctrine,
but they call it family doctrine. I'm telling you the truth. I've
talked to them. I've heard them. They call it family doctrine.
And this is only for the family. We don't tell this to everybody.
Is that right? I don't think you're one of the
family. They're all taught of God. All the sons of God are
taught of God. They're taught the truth. And the first thing
they hear out of the mouth of God is God's sovereign. Elected a
people. Why? Because none of them deserve
it. None of them will. None of them can. Told myself
I wasn't going to raise my voice. I can't help it. I can't help
it. Our generation's in bad shape,
people. It's bad. It's bad. This thing wasn't done in secret.
Wasn't done in secret. Paul said, haven't they not all
heard? Yea, barely. The sound's gone throughout all
the world. I was at the radio station a
few years ago. And a man that attends Franklin
Heights over there, he said to me as I was leaving, he said,
that doctrine of election is hard to understand. He's heard me. He's listened
to me. He's one of the older members, an old man then. I said,
what's hard to understand about it? God chose this man. He didn't
choose that man. God of His infinite mercy and
grace and love and kindness to this man who had nothing to do
with God, didn't want God, chose this man and just simply did
not. Left this man alone. What's hard
to understand about that? Isn't that glorious? Isn't that
merciful? Isn't that wonderful that God would choose anybody? What's hard to understand about
it? It's not hard to understand. Men don't like it. What's hard to understand? That
God is holy and man is not. What's hard to understand about
that? That man is dead and trespasses in, and God is light and life,
and God must give life or man won't have life. What's hard
to understand about that? That man has shook his fist in
God's face. Adam said, I'll be like Satan.
I'll exalt my will. And this is what man is still
doing. My will. But God said, no, my way. What's
hard to understand about that? It's not hard to understand. It's
clear as a nose on your face. It's as clear as the Bible. Paul
said, have they not all heard? Yes. What's the problem then? They don't like it. Well, why
do you like it? Do you like this? Why? Because flesh and blood didn't
reveal it to you. My Father which is in heaven.
Oh, blessed are your eyes, they see. Blessed are your ears, they
hear. Blessed is your heart, I give it unto you. Blessed,
blessed, blessed, you've been chosen. Blessed is the man whom
thou choosest and causest to approach unto this. Blessed,
blessed, blessed be God the Father who has chosen us. Put us in Christ. You can't preach
the gospel without saying these things. If you don't say them,
you are ashamed of the gospel and you don't know the gospel. Ask them to hurt me. That's what our Lord said. They
know. My sheep hear my voice. Ask them. They'll tell you. Every one of
them, taught of God, they'll tell you. In no uncertain terms. Ask them. I asked the lady of the tent.
You know the big tent out there? That's what everybody calls it.
That tent place. I asked the lady of the tent
who was waiting on us in a restaurant one day. I said, why do you go
there? Here's her answer. This is one of them that hears
the fellow that preached. She said, He makes me feel good
about myself. If there's a lady in here that
says such a thing like that, you haven't heard the truth yet.
If anybody would ask a lady in here, why do you go there? They would not say. Not one lady
in here would say. Here's what every lady in here
would say. I go there because I feel real bad about myself. And he makes me feel good about
Christ. Because this gospel is for sinners.
I feel like Rahab. I feel like Mary Magdalene. I
feel like the thief on the cross. And I go there because I'm a
sinner. And he tells me about the good news of Christ who died
for sinners. That's why I go there. I go there because I've been
bitten by a snake and I have to see Him lifted up. I go there
because I'm thirsty, I have to have water, and that's the rock
Christ. Huh? That's them that heard me. I asked the lady of the Methodist
place up here. Some of you were sitting there.
Remember, we were sitting there at the table one day at Ruth's
place. Ruth's. Ruth's place. That's where we
like to go, Ruth's place. But this lady came up. Everybody
in town knows this lady. She's well-known. And she did
her service. And here's what she said. She
said, oh, we heard the Farrum, whatever that college group was,
singing today. The Farrum College Choir singing
today. You should have heard that. And
I know you were there, Nancy, Mandy, and several of you. I
know every one of us. If she had asked us, what did
you hear today? With one voice and one accord,
we would have said, we heard Christ and Him crucified. We
heard the gospel. We heard the truth. Ask Him to hurt me. That's how
you know. Ask somebody. I challenge you.
Ask that person you know. Those people you're in contact
with that call themselves Christian, like these Jews. Ask them that
worship God, so to speak. Go to church. Ask them, what
did you hear today? Don't bait them. Don't coach
them. Ask, what did y'all hear today? And hear what they say. Listen to what they say. Baratheon. Baratheon. You know what? One of the officers, verse 22,
and I'll quit with this. Verse 22, one of the officers came over. The Son of God. He didn't say
this smart aleckly. The Lord didn't say this facetiously. The Lord didn't say this cruelly
and meanly and evilly and angrily. He didn't say it. He just said
it's the truth. He just said the truth, didn't
he? And some fella came over and came in a face. Who do you
think you are? Don't you know who you're talking
to? Men care more for the reputation
of men than they do what God says. You know that? It's still
true. Men care more for being offended so-and-so. Even the
disciples one time came. Monty, the disciples came and
said, the Pharisees were offended at you, Lord. Why are you talking
in parables? They're offended. He said, leave
them alone. They've come for them. They've come for you. But they
smacked him in the face. Do you think anything less will
happen to us? The Lord didn't say it meanly,
but they hit him in the face. Jeremiah, blessed Jeremiah, he's
called the weeping prophet. He said, my eyes run down with
rivers of tears for my people. And yet he stood up boldly and
zealously, uncompromisingly. Unashamedly, unabashedly, dogmatically
telling them the truth. You know what they did to him?
They smote him. That's exactly what happened to our Lord here.
They came up and smote him. And they put him in prison and
said, who do you think you are? We're good Jews. You think things have changed? No. Oh my, and then the whole story
of our Lord being crucified. Why did he do this? Why did he
come down here? Because everybody deserves a
chance to be saved. They come down here because everybody
is a bunch of good people and they just don't know. They just
need saving and the Lord can really desert. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Sinners. Not just sinners. Oh my. What a merciful Lord,
huh? Down here. Oh.