Division For These Sayings

Q: What does the Bible say about division among believers?

The Bible speaks of division as a result of differing beliefs about God, Christ, and salvation. The Bible describes divisions among believers as fundamentally important, centering on what individuals believe about God, Christ, and salvation. In John 10, there is a significant division among the Jews regarding the sayings of Jesus, highlighting that division exists over essential truths, not merely petty differences. This division is indicative of a deeper reality—the separation between the saved and the unsaved, the true sheep of Christ and those who are not. John 6 and 7 also illustrate that people's responses to Christ's words can create divisions, confirming that one's acceptance of His gospel message is paramount in determining true faith.

Q: How do we know that God's chosen people are separate from others?

God's Word declares that those He chooses will come to Him and hear His voice. In John 10, it's explained that true sheep of Christ are distinguished by their ability to hear and follow His voice. This distinction reflects God’s sovereign choice in salvation, affirming that all whom the Father gives to the Son will come to Him. In John 6:65, it is reiterated that no one can approach Christ unless given the ability to do so by the Father. This divine initiative in salvation serves to separate the chosen from the non-chosen, as it emphasizes God’s sovereignty over human will. The assurance comes from understanding that God's choice is made before the foundation of the world, demonstrating that grace operates apart from human merit.

Q: Why is Christ's atonement for the sheep so important?

Christ's atonement for His sheep is central to understanding salvation and divine grace. The doctrine of Christ's atonement is critical in Reformed theology, particularly with regard to the precision of who benefits from His sacrifice. In John 10:11, Jesus states that He lays down His life for His sheep, emphasizing a particular redemption rather than a general one. This is significant because it underscores that His blood was specifically shed for those chosen by God, ensuring their salvation. When this truth is understood, it provides believers with a profound sense of security in their salvation, knowing that Christ's death was not a theoretical possibility but a definitive act for a specific people. The certainty of salvation rests in the assurance that Christ's sacrifice effectively atones for their sins.

Q: Why do some people believe while others do not?

Belief is a result of divine election and is granted by God, not merely a human decision. The question of why some believe while others do not is fundamentally addressed in the doctrine of election. In John 6:44, Jesus states that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws them. This points to the sovereign work of God in granting faith. Those who are His sheep will inevitably hear His voice and respond in faith, while others will not comprehend His message. The distinction reinforces the belief that human will is bound by sin, and it's only through God's grace that one is enabled to believe. The working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the elect is what brings about belief, making it clear that faith itself is a gift from God, as stated in Ephesians 2:8.

I'm worried about having enough
time for this message, so I'm going to take all the time to
go into our song service. All right, back to John 10. I see no visitors in here tonight.
That figures. I was told perhaps that someone
would be visiting tonight, and I You can't help but think about
someone or a visitor when somebody tells you that, or when you yourself
think someone's going to be there, and you prepare things accordingly. And it never fails. I don't know
why I pay attention to that when people tell me so-and-so's going
to be there. I always say, no, they're not. No, they're not. Just forget it. Just prepare
whatever. And at any rate, this will be
as basic. This probably ought to be preached
Sunday morning. But it's Wednesday night. You're getting a Sunday morning
message on Wednesday night. You're going to get your money's
worth tonight. Wednesday night. We stopped at
verse 19 last time. And that's where we're stopping
again, basically. It's a good stopping point. Stop
and consider what this is all about. Look at verse 19. It says,
There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these
sayings. There was a division again. Again. Look back at chapter 7. This is said three times in the
Gospel of John. Division. John 7, look at verse
43. You have it. John 7, verse 43. There was a division among the
people because of him. After they heard him speaking.
John 6 and 7. There was a division among the
people because of him. Look at chapter 9, John 9 verse
16. John chapter 9 verse 16, the
last line of that verse says, and there was a division among
them. And then in our text it says,
there was a division therefore again among the Jews for these
sayings. for what he said. A division
over what Christ said over the word of the Son of God. A division over his sayings. And what was he saying? He was
telling us about God and he was telling us about himself. He was telling us about salvation.
There was a division therefore again over and over and over
everywhere he went to everyone he spoke, there was a division
because of what he said about God, about himself, about salvation. And there still is a great division
today. And the division spoken of here,
and what we're going to speak of, is the division among professing
believers. Because he was speaking mostly
to religious people in that day. Right? The Jews. All Jews are
religious, about like most Americans are. Every blue-blooded American,
they say, has some religion. Well, over these sayings among
religious people, among professing believers, that's what we're
going to talk about. Over a division, over who Christ is and what he
did. A division over who Christ is
and what he really did. Now, we need to know that this division
was not over, not mere, not a petty difference of opinion over nonessential
things. This division was not a petty
difference of opinion over non-essential things or subjects, but this
is the difference. This is the difference between
life and death. This difference, this division,
this division we're going to see is what divides the sheep
from the goats, what divides the saved from the unsaved. This
is what divides the true people of God from the false people
of God, or those who are not the people of God. All right?
And as so many times we say this, what a person believes, what
a person believes about God, about Christ, about God's Word,
reveals whether or not they are a true child of God. Right? What a person believes about
God This is eternal life. That they might know the true
God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. So what a person believes
about God, about Christ, about God's word, reveals whether they
are a true child of God or not. All right? Now this division,
this division is divided, this division takes two classes. I've already told them to you,
haven't I? Two classes. I want you to be
turning to Luke chapter 12. Luke chapter 12. I think, I'm not positive about this,
but I think that there are over 130 denominations in so-called Christianity. I
think that's true. I know it's over a hundred. You
don't think so, do you? I read that one place one time. At any rate, if there were only
thirty, that's twenty-nine too many. Denomination. Denominate. Well, that's The people are really divided
into two classes, all right. Luke 12, divided into believers
and unbelievers, sheep, goats, saved, unsaved, true worshippers
or no worshipper or pretended worshipper, true children of
God and children of what did Christ call those who are not
children of God, children of the devil. Strong language. All right, here's two questions
I want to ask you. This division between the sheep
and the goats, saved and unsaved, who makes this division? Who causes this division? Who
makes this division? Who does it? Satan? Men? Look at Luke 12, look at verses,
read verses 49 through 53. I am come to send fire on the
earth, and what will I if it be already
kindled? I have a baptism to be baptized
with, and how am I straightened till it be accomplished? Suppose
ye that I am come to give peace on the earth, I tell you nay,
but rather division." So who makes this division? God does,
Christ does, the Holy Spirit does. Read on. From henceforth
there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, two
against three. The father shall be divided against
the son, the son against the father. The mother against the
daughter. The daughter against the mother.
The mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law. Daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law. Division. Division. Who makes
the division? Now, this world, this religious
world, they don't know this verse of Scripture. They've never read
this verse of Scripture, have they? Preachers aren't reading
Luke 12 to their congregations, are they? There's a great cry
for unity and ecumenical movement. You know, unity. God doesn't
want division, he wants unity. Push on that. What'd Christ say
here? He said, I've come to bring division. Now, the world doesn't have the
foggiest notion of what he's talking about. But that's what
he said, didn't he, Samuel? Who makes the division? Satan?
He's the great divider. No, he isn't. Now that right there can make,
that's right there enough to divide people, just saying that. I don't believe that. Well, you don't believe Christ
then, because he said it. Well, what makes the division? What is it that causes the division,
huh? Well, back in our text, John
10, look at it. He answers it. What is it that
causes the division? There was a division, therefore,
again among the Jews for these saints. God's Word is what divides. Now God's the one that makes
the division. He's the one that causes the
division. In other words, he's the one that separates. He's
the one that says, now these are going to be goats and these
are going to be sheep. But until they're divided by
the Word, you don't know, do you? They're all mingled together. They all look alike. They all
look like worms to him, but human beings to us, you know. But then
the Word comes. Christ comes through the preaching
of the gospel. The shepherd comes and preaches.
The word just declares who God is, who he is, what men are,
what the gospel is, and then there's a great separation. The word divides. Now he's the
one that divides. He said, now my sheep want to
hear my voice. They're going to hear and they're
going to believe every word that I say. And they're going to divide
over here. And the goats, no, they're going
to turn their ears away from the truth unto faith. Right? Isaiah said it, now this is tough,
but it's quoted in John from Isaiah, which said, Lord, who
hath believed our report? To whom is the arm of the Lord
revealed? But it says that God hath blinded
their mind. God did. Didn't it say he hid
these things from some people and revealed them unto others?
God makes the division, or God's the one, and his word that he
sends is what divides, what separates. Sheep from the goats, saved from
the unsaved. All right? Now, what Christ said was very plain. Look at John 10. Look at verses
24 through 26. John 10, verses 24 through 26. Now, then came the Jews round
about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to
doubt? Hold us in suspense. If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Now, they were there when he
said in John 8, I am from above, you're from beneath. I am not
of this world. If you believe not that I am,
you'll die in your sin. Tell us plainly. And look what
he says, I told you, and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness to me. But I plainly told you, but you
believe not because you are not my chief." Let me quote Proverbs 8 to you. I love these verses. If you don't
know them, you do well to mark them. Proverbs 8, he says here, Proverbs 8, verses 5 through
9, he says, that, O ye simple, understand wisdom, and ye fools,
be ye of an understanding heart. Hear, for I will speak of excellent
things. The opening of my lips shall
be right things. This is right. This is true,
verily, verily. My mouth shall speak truth Wickedness
is an abomination, or lies is an abomination to my lip. Listen
to this, all the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There's
nothing forward or that is hidden or perverse in them. No yea and
nay. They are all plain to him that
understandeth. and writes to them to find knowledge. Tell us plainly, I told you from
Genesis 1 on, I've been telling you, God has spoken once, very
plainly. I am God, there's none else. I told you plainly from the beginning.
Old Testament and new, God has spoken once, yea, twice, in these
last days, spoken unto us by some, very plainly. But men perceiveth
it not, but his sheep do. They hear it very plainly. Why?
Who maketh it different? Who maketh it different? Wasn't
there a time, Nancy Parks, when you sat in this very place and
heard perhaps these very truth and yet did not hear them. They
did not believe that until finally one day he said it's time for
Sheep Nancy to hear my voice. She's mine. She's my sheep. She's going to hear my voice.
She's going to come today. In that right who make it the
to give her. He makes the difference the division. He looked like everybody every
other Armenian heretic for a while. Until God made the division his
words what did it and he sent the word. And it divided divided
your heart in that we say it. Word pierces through the dividing
of the sun. from soul and spirit, the joints
in the marrow, dividing. Well, God's Word is very plain.
Who he is, what man he is, what salvation is, very plain, from
Old Testament to New. And Christ said here to these
men, or these people, you believe not because you're not my sheep.
God's true children, Christ's sheep, they hear, they believe,
and they follow. And this is what separates them,
sheep from the goat. Look at John 6, turn back there.
Now we're just going to stay in John and won't weary to turn
about four pages. We'll stray from right here to
about one, two, three, five pages. All the turning you've got to
do. It shouldn't be tough. All right, five pages to look
at in God's Word. Not every verse, but just in
some verses. All right, John six. Some believe,
some don't. Some believe, some don't. Sheep
believe, goats don't. Who believes? Who will believe?
Look at John 6, verse 63. John 6, verse 63. It's the spirit that quickeneth,
the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they're spirit, they're life, but there are some of you that
believe not. for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that
believe not and who should betray how do you know that. Now is this just. He has good
power mental perception that he you know he met. So he'd meet
somebody look at him over there and I'm only. Is that it. And he had good intuitive power. Well. No, he knew, because he chose
from the beginning of the world. Before the world began, he chose
who was going to believe him. Well, that'll divide them. That'll
divide them. Read on. Look at this. Look at
this. Look at verse sixty-five. And he said, Therefore said I
unto you, No man can come unto me, except it were given unto
him of my Father." Now that divides. No man can come. You mean a man
can't come? A man can't come if he wants
to? Well, nobody wants to until God
makes them want to. No man can. No woman can. They're unable. No man can, except
it says here, it be given unto him. We're talking about believing,
aren't we? Some believed and some didn't.
Christ knew who it was that believed not. How? Why did he know that?
Because he's the one that gives faith to whoever believes. By
grace are you saved. That is a gift. by grace you say the gift of
God's eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord by grace you
say through faith. Ephesians 2 what? All right John. Ephesians 2,
8. Man you ought to be able to quote that backwards people.
Ephesians 2, 8. By grace are you saved through
faith and what? That. It's not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. Gift. Faith. Who's going to believe? Whoever Christ gives faith to
believe to. The reason we can talk until
we're blue in the face. We're not going to make somebody believe.
That's the reason we ought to quit talking until we're blue
in the face. Now tell me that, all right? Remind me of that,
because I've done it so often, and I did it not long ago. And I got blue, not just from
talking, but from getting angry. Why can't you see this? God hadn't
given him faith. Hadn't opened his eyes yet. I'm
sure not going to do it. And God's not going to do it
right then and there, me talking to him, or I'd get the glory
for it, wouldn't I? That's exactly the reason that one-on-one doesn't
work. You're not going to get the glory for talking, winning
somebody to Jesus. You're not going to do it. That
just doesn't happen. They're going to come in a congregation
of people and the Spirit's going to move where it listed, and
the preacher and nobody else is going to know who's moving
on except God. That way God's going to get the
glory for them. All right, who believes? Who God
gives faith to. Now this truth separates, this
divides most people. Many, if not most, believe that
man just freely decides, freely wills, freely believes, freely
comes, and he has a free will. But God's Word says no man can
come. Doesn't it say that? Isn't that
what Christ said? You believe that? Why? Because you're a sheep. If you
were a goat, you wouldn't believe that if I said it a hundred times.
If that was the only verse in John 10, if there was only one
verse in all of John 10, and it was John 6. It was John 6,
verse 65, or verse 1. John 6, 1. One verse. If that
was all there was, then I wouldn't believe it. Unless God said,
you will believe this. Well, what about as many as received
him? John 1, 12. As many as received
him was John 3, 27. A man can receive nothing except
it be given him. A man can receive nothing except
it be given him. Now, that right there is the
Bible. Sheep believe. Sheep perceive. Goat... What
do goats do? Butt. Sheep believe. Goat butt. Sheep follow. Goat butt. Sheep eat and eat
and eat. Goat butt. You turn your back,
especially when they like to butt. Goats may smile at your
face. But they turn your back side
up, but that's the nature of a goat. It's the nature of a
goat. All right, look at John 6, verse
44. Look over there. He said this
again. No man can come to me except
the father which has sent me. Draw him and I will raise him
up to the last day. Draw him. No man can come. Why can't man and woman come?
Why can't man and woman and young people come? Why? Why can't they
come? That's it, John. They're dead. Go down to the grave, go down
to the graveyard, and stand there and talk until you're blue in
the face. And there's not one person in
there that's going to come. Right? They can't. No man can
come. They're dead. We need to visit
the... I have, I've visited a graveyard
before with Ezekiel. I've looked into the faces of...
I look into them here, you know, visitors and so forth, and some
non-visitors. Graves look like looking at bones,
and I ask, and the Lord asks, can these bones live? What was Ezekiel's answer? Lord, thou knowest. Oh, how come he only knows? He's
got to decide which ones live. And he's got to do the quickening,
the giving of life, not until the Lord God comes and by the
Spirit, all right? The Lord said that Ezekiel prophesied
or preached. preach the bones. That's foolishness. Yes, but
God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to raise bones.
Preach, Ezekiel. All right. Call for the wind. Wind? Oh yeah, the wind's got
to come. And blow, and blow, and quicken. Bring the sinners, bring the
life. to those dry bones. Not until the Lord God comes
and gives spiritual life. No less than he did to Lazarus
that day. Christ has got to speak just
as powerfully as he did at Lazarus' grave that day for anybody to
hear the gospel. It's just so. Christ has got
to do it. I've stood up in this pulpit,
other men have stood up here and preached as powerfully as
a man could possibly preach, or at least as loudly, or as
emotionally, or whatever. He's trying, trying, and some
remain unmoved. Why? Christ is going to have
to speak. And he might not do it loudly.
It might be a still, small voice. A word in season, as I said,
that the man won't get the glory. And Christ came to Lazarus' tomb
that day. How did he raise Lazarus? How did he raise Lazarus? Did
he go down and pick him up? How did he raise him? Word of
his power. It's going to take the same word.
Same word. He didn't ask Lazarus anything,
did he? didn't ask him, he didn't, did
he invite Lazarus? Lazarus, would you like to come forth? Lazarus,
go please. He didn't invite, he didn't ask,
he didn't beg, he didn't plead, did he? What did he say? He just
said, come forth. And Lazarus came forth. And the
preacher is not sent and the people are not sent to try to
convince men and women. Quit, we need to quit trying
to convince men and women. but rather just declare what
the word says. Just declare it. And stand back and watch God
move. Watch God move. It says there in verse 44, the
Father must draw him, draw him and raise him up, draw him with
cords of a man. Verse 45, it is written in the
prophets, I shall be all taught of God. And every man that have
heard and learned of the father cometh unto me, come to Christ.
They don't come to the church. They don't come to the preacher.
They don't come to religion. They don't come to a knowledge
of the doctrines of grace. Do they? They don't come to a
knowledge of the doctrines of grace. They come to Christ. They come to cry. They come to
know, believe, trust, and follow a person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, here's some of his sayings, all right? Go through these quickly. I lied to you. We've got to begin
in John 1. John 1. What I really meant to
say was ten chapters, five chapters, not pages. John 1. Look at verse, I didn't lie intentionally. John 1, verse 12 and 13. He said, now these are, these
are sayings that divide. These are, this is what makes
divisions, these sayings. John, I've already quoted this.
John 1, 12, and 13. As many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name. Period. No, it's not a period
there, is it? It's a colon, isn't it? Do you
know anything about English? Well, this wasn't written in
chapters and verses when it was written. It was written in a
letter. There was no division there between 12 and 13. That's
the division men like to make. You understand? But God's Word
is not divided. Look at verse 13. This follows.
Them that believe, those that receive, those that believe,
which were born. Not of blood, not of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Now that
divides this whole continent, doesn't it? The will. Whose will is it? Isn't that the dividing line?
Isn't that? Man, that's it, isn't it? That divides the sheep from
the goats. All sheep say, God's will will
be done. All goats say, man's will must
be done. Right? That's just a fact. It's
not a point of doctrine. This is, this is, this is the
dividing line. This is the line in the sand.
The will of God. Whose will will be done. Whose
will must be done. a will? Who really has a free
will? Hmm? Christ said, You will not. Christ said, You can not. Didn't
He say that? Then what did He say about His
own will? I will. I will this. I will that. Luke,
Ezekiel 36, all the way through that. Where is man's will in
all that? In nearly every verse, God says,
I will this, I will that, I will, I will, I will, I will. And it
gets down to nearly the last verse, John, it says, and you
shall. You shall ask me for this. It's not, salvation is not of
the will of man, but it's of God. Look at this, another thing,
John 3, John chapter 3, verse 3. John 3, verse 3. John 3, verse 3. Got it? Barely, barely, I say
unto thee, except the man be born from above, is what that,
how that reads. Born again, born from above.
He cannot, he cannot, born from above, he cannot see the kingdom
of God. Verse 7. You must be born again. Don't marvel at I said unto you,
you must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth. The Holy Spirit's sovereign,
and He blows on whom He wills, who He wills. God saves whom He wills. Now,
there's a divide on it. Not God says who will let him.
No, no. It doesn't say that anywhere.
God says who he will. Anybody who says God says only
those that let him is a bloke. Let me smile when I say these things.
Because I'm not talking to We ought to smile because we believe
this thing. And who makes us to differ? If
you believe, you absolutely know, you firmly know. Nobody's going
to convince you otherwise. That God's will be done. And
God saves whom he will. If you believe that, you'll probably
see. John 5, look over John 5, verse
21. John 5, verse 21, "...as the
Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them." You got it? So the Son quickeneth, who lets
Him? Is that what it says? You see,
it doesn't make good sense. It quickens, makes alive. Here's
a dead man. Now he better, he's going to
have to let me give him life. Now, what's foolishness and what's
not? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Huh? What they call foolishness is
infinite wisdom, is the truth. What they call the truth is an
out-and-out lie. And they've turned their ears
from the truth to the lie. God only saves who let the things
ahead. Lauren knows the difference between
a dead man and a live man, doesn't she, Mary? Huh? A babe! I mean,
a baby knows that a dead man can't do anything. God has revealed these things
unto the baby, and hid them from the wise and true. My, my, a
baby. John 6. Here's another dividing
saying. John 6. Our Lord is the one saying
all this. John six of the verse, twenty
eight and twenty nine. John six, twenty eight and twenty
nine. What should we do that we might
work the works of God? What they're saying is here is
that. How can we what can we do? What can we do for God to
approve of us? And how about we just work works
of righteousness, what they say. Aren't they nice? That's what
they say. What can we do to work the works of God? Christ said
this, verse 29, this is the work of God that you believe on him
whom he hath sent. This is the work of God. Now
that's infinite and mean there, isn't it? He said this is the
work of God that you believe. You're not going to believe unless
God works on you. Operation. This is the operation of God.
This is the work of God that you believe. And this is the
work of God. This is what God accepts. This
is the only thing God accepts. Faith. Not your work, not your
morality, not your deeds, not your this and that and the other. Faith in Christ. That's it. Trust
in Christ. Faith alone. You're justified
by faith. And that's not a work. Don't make a work out of faith.
You know, lots of people make a work out of faith. That's what
they're doing when they say, well, I accepted Jesus. They're
trying to make a work out of faith. When they say, well, I decided,
I let him in my heart, I made a decision, I dedicated, I concentrated,
I baptized. They're making a work of faith. Faith's not a work, not our work,
it's God's work. And what he provides each day.
Now why say all this? What's the point? What's the point? Why should I even ask that question? Christ said this. He's the one
that said all this. But why say all this? Because
this is what preaching is all about, giving God all the glory.
Preaching is not meant to try to convince anybody of anything,
primarily. Preaching is meant to glorify
God. It's for a man to stand up and
to witness it. to witness, to try to convince
people, but to glorify God. Go tell God what great, go tell
them what great things the Lord has done. Who for? You. Whether
they believe, receive, come or not, glorify your God. Leave the results up to Him. That's why I say all this. Why
I say all this? Because that's what this is all
about, God's glory. And that's how God, you know
that's how God saves, just declaring who He is. Not declaring to men
what they must do, but declaring who God is. That's how God saves. He's declaring his person. Stand back and watch. Look at
John 6. Oh, you're already there. Verse
36 and 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. Him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. All the Father giveth me shall
come to me. Who shall come? All the Father
giveth me. God chose a particular people before the world began. Well, that divides it, doesn't
it? God didn't choose all. He chose some before they were
born, before they'd done any good or evil. That's the purpose
of God according to your election, my friend. Right? Right? That's what he said in
Proverbs 8. All that I say is right. All the words in my mouth are
right. That's what he said. All the
Father giveth me, verse thirty-nine. All this is the Father's will,
all which he hath given me. I should lose nothing. Lose nothing. Look at verse sixty. Verse sixty. Many therefore of his disciples
were pretended disciples. They thought they were disciples.
They said they were disciples. They said they were believers
when they heard this said, this is hard right now. Who can hear
this? I'll believe anything but that Now, when he starts talking about
this election, I won't take that. You will if you're a sheep. And
you'll love it. You'll love the fact. You'll
know that unless he's chosen you, you're not chosen. All the
chosen. John 8. Turn over there quickly.
We're getting there to John 10. John 8, verse 43. John 8, look at this. This is so plain. So plain. John 8, verse 43. Why do you not understand my
speech? Because you cannot hear my words. What plane is it? I couldn't get any planes. You cannot hear my words. I like to go over in John 6 where
the disciples said, well we believe. And Stoneman said, no we're not. We don't take that. It's hard
to say. And they went away. And Crack said, well you all
of those also go away? And you remember Peter saying,
oh Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the word of life. You
quickened us by your word. And we believe. We believe and
are sure. that thou art that Christ, the
Son of the living God. Do you know what Christ said
to him? I love this. He said, Have not I chosen you? He reminds me quickly. Yeah,
and I've chosen you to believe. I've chosen you to hear my voice.
I'm the shepherd, you see. My sheep, you're my sheep, you're
going to hear my voice. If you're not my sheep, you cannot
hear my voice. Well, that's why he did it. A few more, OK, and then I'll
quit. John 10. John 10. Look at verse 11. John 10, verse 11. Christ tells
us who he died for. And there's no greater controversy.
There's no more dividing point than this right here. The love
of God and the death of Christ. Is there a more dividing point
than this right here? Let me tell you something. This
is the dividing point right here. The death of Christ, the atonement
of Christ, who it's for. It's not just a point of doctrine
which divides fellow believers. Oh no, it divides the sheep from
the goats. You can't be a sheep and not
believe this and believe otherwise. You can't do it. Huh? Can you
be a believer and believe that Christ died for goats? No. Can you be a believer and
not believe what Christ said? Think about that question for
a minute. Can you be a believer and not believe what Christ said? No. Can you be a believer and
believe that Christ died for the goats as well as she can? Can you be a believer and not
believe? Come on! That's the reason I
like to call God's people believers. What'd he say? Look at verse
11. I'm the good shepherd, the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Christ died for his sheep. Not
everyone, because he said over in verse 26, you're not my sheep. He says in the last days, we'll
separate the sheep from the goats. There's goats. Who'd he die for? Nope, not sheep. All right, what's
going to make these sheep? Blood. Christ died for them, that's
what makes them sheep. Well, they believed. Who made
them do that? Christ did. He's the one that
separated and elected them. And it just makes good sense,
doesn't it? Biblical sense. That whom he
elected, he died for. Why would he die for those he
didn't elect? Wouldn't that be a terrible waste of blood? Oh,
yes. He died for Jesus. And you see, that salvation is
totally dependent on the blood. God said, when I see the blood,
I'll pass over you. Alright, if he died for these
people, shed his blood for them, he's got to pass over them, doesn't
he? Say, am I just arguing doctrine
here? My foundation is at stake here. What's the foundation? And I've
said this a million times, the tabernacle stood, all the tent
posts and the tabernacle itself were set in silver sockets! Silver! Look it up! The price of redemption! Silver, which represents the
blood, the whole thing, stands and falls on the ground. Who did Christ die for? Sheep.
Then they're going to be saved. Come hell or high water. Why?
The blood makes the atonement for the suffering. When I see
the blood, I'll pass over you. You can kill his blood for goats,
you've got to pass over. You've got to. He's promised.
He's promised. He's promised. And not one of
his promises are faithful. When I see the blood, is this
a point of doctrine, this argument? No, sir. This is the foundation
of salvation. Let goats and the partridge strive. Sheep say, thank God he died
for sheep. Thank God I'm one of them. And, verse 27 and 28, he says,
My sheep hear my voice, I know them, they follow me, and I give
unto them. This is your favorite verse,
isn't it, Sam, in all the Bible. Verse 28, I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father gave them to me. He's
greater than all. No man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand. None is able to pluck them out
of my Father's hand." Now, I'm just a measly little
150-pound man. Right? 150 pounds, soaking wet. God says His people are in His
hands. And they're un-pluckable. We
call this un-pluckable grace. I've just coined that phrase,
un-pluckable salvation. You can't get them out. You couldn't
pluck it out of your father's hand, could you, Hannah? Couldn't
get that book out of my hand. Neither can any man pluck the
sheep out of their any hand. Couldn't. It's tricky. Tell us
plainly. I told you. You don't believe. You can't
believe. Why? You're not my sheep. What do
sheep do? They believe that they see a
favorite joy. Oh, ain't that the joyful sound?
Why are you smiling, Jeanette? Anybody else or Joseph would
be sitting there, gritting their teeth at me, couldn't wait to,
would you please stop all this? Jeanette's saying, go on, go
on, go on. Joseph's saying, go on out of here. Right? Well, I'm going to stop. I'm going to use this illustration.
You remember that little dog I was telling you about? The
dog I bought, signed a covenant concerning him. I'm here to tell you now,
that's one worthless animal. I love that little rat, but he's
not much bigger than a rat. But she's one worthless animal.
She's waking me up at night. Now Abner, he doesn't bark. Remember
Rick when I got him I was concerned about him not barking. I'm glad
now. He doesn't bark except when it's
absolutely necessary. And but this little girl, she
doesn't bark. Man, I'm getting up on her. I'm
hollering out the window, Annie, hi! I'm going out the front door,
putting her up in the shed, trying my best to get that dog to stop
barking. And she's chewing on the mat on the front porch. You
name it, she's doing it. She's peeing in a shed. Cut that. Edit that tape. She's doing it. You name it,
she's doing it. She's not good for anything. She's unfit. She's not worth anything. She's not worth keeping. But I'm going to keep her. I
ain't about to send her back. Why? I gave her to Abner. I gave her to Abner. She isn't mine. Mine is his and
his is mine. I paid money for her. I signed
my name for an agreement. I'm going to keep her. She's
not worth anything. She's not worth anything. I'm going to
keep her because I ... and she has my word on it. As
good as that is. Well, we have God's salvation. We have God's Word on us. That song we love to sing, you
know. How firm a foundation, he thinks,
that the Lord has laid for your faith in his excellent Word.
What more can he say? to you than he hath said, to
you who for refuge of Christ hath fled." A firm foundation. Now don't let anybody try to
knock it out from under you. Let them strive. If you just
say, that's the way it is, and you believe, you don't. Right?
And you bless God if you do believe that much you want to hear. All
right, let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we cannot pray or write with enough thanksgiving
and words of fitting words to thank you. Even our hearts don't
feel the gratitude they should. I hadn't seen, you hadn't heard,
and the heart hadn't, we'd have to enter it into our hearts,
all that you've truly done. what you've done for us through
Christ. And we believe, oh, how weak
our faith is, but we believe to help our unbelief. Lord, we
do thank you for what little faith we have. We ask that you
strengthen that which you have given. Finish, perfect the work
you've begun. We know you will. You said you
would. And we're so thankful for the blood. Now, perhaps someone
here might hear your word for the first time. Now or sometimes,
shepherd's voice, we pray that it might be so. Speak to your
sheep. Call out one of these young people
to hear your voice and follow them all the days of their life.
And Christ knows they know.

Division For These Sayings

What does the Bible say about division among believers?

How do we know that God's chosen people are separate from others?

Why is Christ's atonement for the sheep so important?

Why do some people believe while others do not?

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Division For These Sayings

What does the Bible say about division among believers?

How do we know that God's chosen people are separate from others?

Why is Christ's atonement for the sheep so important?

Why do some people believe while others do not?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

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