with us this morning, and Brother
Gabe Stoniker will be speaking to us here in just a little while.
But right now, will you turn with me in your Bibles to John,
the Gospel of John, Chapter 1. The Gospel of John, Chapter 1. The Gospel of John, Chapter 1. We're going to read the record
of John. The Gospel of John chapter 1
will begin with verse 19, but as we read down through there,
I want you to notice two phrases that are the same. The disciples
of John asked the master, where dwellest thou? And he said, come
and see. And then Philip said to Nathanael,
come and see. And that's why we're here, to
come and see, to see our Lord and Savior. Where dwellest thou
in eternity? Humble and contrite heart in
the heavens, us dwelling in him. Here he dwells on earth for some
33 years. Come and see. Come and see our
master. Beginning in verse 19, and this
is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites
from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou? And he confessed and
denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked
him, what then? Art thou Elias? And he said,
I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he
answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who
art thou that we may give an answer to them that sent us?
What sayest thou of thyself? And he said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the
Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah. And they which were sent were
of the Pharisees. And they asked him and said unto
him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not the Christ, nor
Elias? Neither that prophet, John answered them, saying, I
baptize with water. But there standeth one among
you whom you know not. He it is whom coming after me
is preferred before me, whose shoes latched I am not worthy
to unloose. These things were done in Beth
Tiberia, beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next
day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he
of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is preferred before
me, for he was before me. And I knew him not, but that
he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing
with water. And John bear record, saying,
I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode
upon him. And I knew him not, but he that
sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom
thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same
as he that baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear
record that this is the Son of God. Again, the next day, after
John stood and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he
walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples
heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and
saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They
said unto him, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted, Master,
where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and
see. And they came and saw where he
dwelt, and abode with him that day, for it was about the tenth
hour. One of the two, which heard John
speak, and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first
findeth his own brother, Simon, and saith unto them, We have
found the Messiah, which is being interpreted, the Christ. And
he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he
said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah. Thou should be called
Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone. The day following, Jesus
would go forth into Galilee and find Philip and saith unto him,
follow me. Now, Philip was of Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter, and Philip findeth Nathanael
and saith unto him, we found him of whom Moses and the law
and the prophets did write. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him,
can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith
unto him. Come and see. Just come and see. Good morning, everyone. It is
so good to be here and see you. And I'm so grateful that Brother
Donnie would ask me to come. It is so humbling. So humbling. When a man asks someone to come
fill his pulpit, and I pray that the Lord will bless us, send
His Spirit and bless us. I love Brother Donnie so much. He is such an encouragement to
me, and thank the Lord for the gospel he's preached all these
years, since I was a child, running around, a little child, and I
just love you dearly. I'm thankful to be here. Turn
with me, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians 5, we're
going to look at a few verses here. Let's begin with verses
14 and 15. For the love of Christ constraineth
us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're
all dead. and that he died for all, that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto
him which died for them and rose again." Now, the subject I'd
like for us to consider this morning, the title of this message
is this question. Did Christ die for everybody? That's the question. Did Christ
die for all? When He died on that cross, everybody
knows He died on a cross. Everybody knows He died on a
cross. Everybody knows that. When He died on that cross, was
He dying for everybody? Because that's what most people
believe. That's what most people believe. The end of verse 14,
if you look at the last part of that verse, it says, If one
died for all, then we're all dead. And the beginning of verse
15 says, and that He died for all. Did Christ die for everybody? If one died for all, and that
He died for all. Look with me at a few Scriptures.
We're going to turn a little bit this morning. I like to turn
and turn and turn. Go with me over to John 3. John 3 verse 16 says, For God
so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For
God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through him might be saved. The world through him
might be saved. Did Christ die for everybody? Turn with me, if you would, to
Romans 5. Romans 5, verse 18 says, Therefore,
as by the offense of one Judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Even so, by the righteousness
of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of
life." What is he saying right there? Did Christ die for everybody?
Go with me, if you would, to 1 John chapter 2. 1 John 2 verse 2 says, And He is
the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also
for the sins of the whole world. Did Christ die for everybody?
Did Christ die for everybody? I believe this is important to
look at. I believe this is extremely important to look at. This is something we need to
get to the bottom of because there are two trains of thought
on this thing. One will say, well, I believe
Christ died for everybody. And another will say, no, Christ
didn't die for everybody. If he is our hope. If he is our
hope, and if he died for everybody, and if anybody ends up in hell,
then we don't have a very good hope, do we? If he's our hope,
okay, what's my hope? I'm gonna go stand before God,
and here's my hope. I'm hoping in the blood, the
death, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what I plead
before God. My hope is in the blood of Jesus
Christ. If he's my hope, And he died
for everybody and God is still sending people to hell. We have
a horrible hope. We have a terrible, terrible
hope. How can we look to him? How can
we trust him? This is his word. And we're all
here this morning trusting him. How can we hope in Him and literally
hang our souls on Him? Nothing else. Here's my soul.
This is my body. My body means nothing. You can
cut off every piece of me that you can cut off. I'm still me
because I'm my soul. And to hang our eternal souls
on Him. How can we do that if He died
for everybody, but men and women are still going to hell? How
can we do that? If He died, to save everybody, but men and women
are still being lost, then what difference did His death make?
What difference did it make? Christ died on the cross. What
difference does it make if men and women are still going, if
He died for them? Shed His blood for them. Now, is that what these
verses are saying, all the verses we just read? Did Christ die
for everybody? I want us to, by the word, according
to the word, I want us to answer the question and explain the
question and explain the verses, and I want us to prove the one
and only answer, all with Scripture, all with Scripture, all right? Go with me back to our text.
We'll give the answer. Second Corinthians five. Paul
is writing this second letter to the Corinthians, but he is
not writing it to all of the Corinthians. He's writing it
to the Church of God, which is at Corinth with all the saints
which are in Achaia. That's what it says in chapter
one, verse one. That's who he's writing to. He's
writing to a particular people, a particular people. In chapter
5, verse 14, he says, For the love of Christ constraineth us. And I want to put the emphasis
on us. He's writing to a particular
people. And he said the love of Christ constraineth us. That word constraineth means
to hold together, to arrest, to keep. The love of Christ keeps
us, keeps us. Verse 14 says, because we thus
judge us, we that if one died for all, then we're all of us. All of we were dead. Verse 15
says, and that he died for all that they which live should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them
and rose again. Verse 16 says, Wherefore, henceforth,
know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ
after the flesh, yet now, henceforth, know we Him no more. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature, Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are
become new. Did Christ die for everybody?
Here's the answer. No, He did not. No, He did not. He died for every soul that God
the Father put in Him. Every soul that God put in Christ. Only those who are in Christ
will be redeemed from destruction and made to be a brand new creature.
Only those in Christ. Through the death, through the
burial, through the resurrection of Him. Only those in Him. Alright, well then why did John
3, 16 say God so loved the world? Why did we just read in 1 John
2, verse 2 that Christ was the propitiation, not for the sin
of John and the other apostles only, but also for the sins of
the whole world. Why did it say that? It's because
God in His goodness, in His kindness, you know, we have a kind God.
Grace is so kind. What did every soul deserve?
Death. What did the law say? What's
just good and right according to the law? Death. The wages
of sin is death. But we have a kind and loving
and gracious God. In His goodness, He chose to
have mercy. He chose to have mercy. We would
not have. Do you all have a prison here,
anywhere around here? How many, go over to the prison.
How many would you just choose to show mercy to? We'd all say,
you deserve this, but He chose to show mercy. And the way He
chose to show mercy is amazing. It's amazing. He commanded the
good news of the death of His own son to be preached to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek, also to the Gentile. If you were
born in the tribe of Judah, you're a Jew. If you were born in any
other nation on earth, you're a Gentile. I'm so thankful for
these verses. A lot of times you start to believe
in God's sovereignty. We come to see some things of
God's election, God's particular redemption. And we don't have
any idea what to do with John 3.16. We don't have any idea
what to do with His propitiation went unto the whole world. What
does he mean by that? That's the glory of His sovereignty. That's the glory of the Gospel.
None of us deserved His mercy. None of us wanted His mercy. All of us were at enmity against
Him. We received Him not. Rejected
Him. But God in His sovereignty said,
in spite of you, you will receive mercy. And that mercy went unto
the whole world, not just the nation of Israel. He extended
it unto the whole world. My simple mind would have said,
well, his mercies only go into the tribe of Judah and the country
of Greece, the Jews and the Greeks, that's it. His mercy has gone
to the whole world, the entire, the utmost parts of the earth.
That's the glory of the gospel, the wonderful news of the gospel.
Turn with me over to Revelation chapter 5. Revelation 5 verse 9 says, And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book
and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of. Those are two very, very
small words, but they are two important words. Out of every
kindred and tongue and people and nation. God's mercy has redeemed
men and women out of the whole world. Out of the whole world. The entire world. Our Lord did
not die for everybody. The declaration of the gospel,
the declaration of His death goes out to all the world. Our
Lord said, you go preach it to all the world. You go tell everybody,
preach it to all the world. But his actual death only effectually
applies to the souls who are in him, in him, the souls that
his father chose to have mercy on by putting them in him. All
right. Now, let's prove that by the word we've given the answer. Did Christ die for everybody?
No. We've explained the answer out of the whole world. Let's
prove the answer by the word. This has to be proven by the
word. It has to be. We cannot rest
in any man's opinion on this. Everybody has an opinion. Everybody
has an opinion. Every denomination has an opinion.
The truth and believers of the truth. God's true believers are
the only people on this earth who do not have an opinion on
the word of God. That's what He said and that's
what it is. And so we have to see His Word on it. That's the
only way we can know it's so, is if we see His Word on it.
Alright, go with me if you would to Matthew 1. Matthew 1 verse 21 says, And
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. His people. Who did He come to save? Who
did Christ die for? He died for His people. He died for His people. He is
the successful Savior. Do you not find so much peace
and rest in that? Aren't you so glad that we are
not sitting under a message that is declaring He is the trying
Savior? He has a great plan for you.
He is really hoping it'll work out. Everything looks good right
now, as long as the devil doesn't step in. Aren't you so glad?
He is the successful Savior. He's not the begging Savior.
Now, I really want to motivate you all this morning. You need
to go ahead and accept Him. He wants to save you so badly
if you'll just let Him. You all just let Him save you
and then aren't you so glad? Aren't you so glad He does not
beg anybody to do anything? He chose who He would. He died
for who He would. He shed His blood on who He would. He redeemed who He would. He's
called to himself who he will. That brings me so much peace
in preaching the gospel. I don't have to worry about that.
All I have to do is tell what he said. Just say what he said. Just read it. Just read it. He
will call every soul he purposed to call. They will come. He will
break them. They will bow. He came to save
a particular people. He gave His life for that particular
people. He has lost not one of those
particular people. That's something else I find
comfort in. I can't mess it up. I can't drive them away. I cannot
drive them away. I might drive them away from
me, but I'll never drive them away from Him. Height, depth,
nothing will be able to separate them from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus, His Son. Nothing. He shall save His people
from their sin. Know if sins or buts about it.
Look with me, if you would, at Matthew 7. Verse 21 says, Not every one
that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is
in heaven. What is the Father's will? Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. Come to Christ. Bow the knee
to Christ. And he will raise that soul up
in the last day. That's the father's will. Verse
22 says, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have
we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out
devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then
will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. If he died for everybody, Does
that verse mean that he would die for them? I mean, die for
them, but not acknowledge that he knew them. They're going to
come and he's going to say, I never knew you. But Lord, we're preachers. We're preachers. Never knew you.
We actually did cast demons out of people. Never knew you. We
had started all these programs. We did all this missionary work,
all these wonderful things. Never knew you. Do you mean he
would literally give his own life for them? but not let him
come into his kingdom. He said, all that the father
giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. That's good news. That's good
news. Turn back a few pages or turn
again over to John three, John chapter three. John three, verse three. Jesus
answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of
the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee,
ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth,
and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born
of the Spirit." What he's saying is, it's of God. It's of God. Man has no influence. and no control over it at all.
In the same way that man has no influence over the wind, man
has no influence over the Spirit of God. It's all of God. In the same way that man had
no part in his physical birth, none of us were asked, would
you like to be born? Would you like to enter the world?
None of us. In the same way, none of us took
part in spiritual birth. None of us were asked, would
you like to be born again? Enter into the spiritual kingdom
of God? It's of God. Paul told the Corinthians,
of God are you in Christ Jesus. It's of God. John 1.13 says it's
not in a family bloodline. It's not in the will of the flesh.
It's not in the will of man. It's of God. It's of God. Salvation is not an offer. I
would not like to offer salvation to anyone this morning. It's
not an offer. Salvation is the will and the
purpose and the work of God. God's choice in his time. It's God's call. It's of God. Look with me at John 10. John 10, verse 1, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold,
but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and
he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when
he putteth forth his own sheep, He goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will
they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the
voice of strangers." In verse 14, it says, I am the good shepherd
and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth
me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the
sheep. And other sheep I have, which
are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd."
In verse 24, it says, then came the Jews round about him, and
said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou
be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and you believed not the works that I do in my Father's name,
they bear witness of me, but you believe not, because you
are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal
life. and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which
gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." Did
Christ die for everybody? Absolutely not. He died for His
sheep. He died for His sheep. Not one
drop of His precious blood was wasted. trying to make a general
payment for the sin of the whole world. Not one drop. Go with me to John 17. John 17, verse 1. These words
spake Jesus and lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father,
the hour has come. Glorify Thy Son that Thy Son
also may glorify Thee. As Thou hast given Him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the
earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest
them me, and they have kept thy word. In verse 9, he said, I
pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me. for they are thine. Does
it ever strike all in you that the Lord prays for you? Does
it ever strike, you know, I can't pray for myself. Does your prayer
ever frustrate you? Don't you love how Romans 8 verse
26 talks about in spite of us not knowing what things we should
pray for as we are, the spirit itself gives groanings to God,
which cannot be uttered. Don't you love that? The Lord
Jesus Christ said, I pray for them. I pray for each one of
them. That is just, that's too much. That's just too wonderful
for me. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much. Imagine the righteous man. Just
imagine. Does he ever ask for anything
that his father does not hear and answer? This is his prayer. This is his prayer. Somebody
will say, I can't help it. I just still believe Christ died
for everybody. Isn't that so sad? Isn't that so sad? I just,
I still believe Christ died for everybody. Christ did not empty
his body. Empty his body. Water and blood. Emptied himself of all but love. You know what the song says?
He did not empty His body, take the life that was in His blood. The life is in the blood. Eternal
life is in the blood. He did not make an atonement
for a man's soul. An absolute atonement to God. Appease God. Satisfy God. Make intercession to His Father
to rid that man for all eternity of his sin. All eternity. and then not pray for him. He would not do it. He said,
I pray for him. I pray for him. He said, Peter,
I prayed for you. I prayed for you. Verse 11 right here, he
said, Now I'm no more in the world, but these are in the world. I come to thee, Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those who thou hast given me, that
they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name. those that thou gavest me I have
kept. None of them is lost, but the
son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come
I to thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they might
have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy words,
And the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them
from the evil. They are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast
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,
but for them also which shall believe on me through their word,
that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee,
that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me and the glory which thou gavest me, I
have given them. that they may be one even as
we are one. I in them and thou in me that
they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that
thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me. Father, I will that they also
whom thou has 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. O righteous Father, the
world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these
have known that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto
them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. The Lord Jesus
Christ gave His precious life for the people who were precious
to Him. They were precious to Him because
of who gave them to Him. They were a present from His
Father. Do you have anything that's sentimental to you? My
grandfather gave my dad something, and my dad gave it to me, and
it's not worth much money, but it means a lot to me. His father
gave him a gift. and He loves them. They are so
precious to Him. So precious, He gave all for
them. All. He gave it all. Go with
me back to our text in 2 Corinthians 5. Verse 14 says, For the love
of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died
for all, then we're all dead. And that's where he found us,
dead in trespasses and sins. Verse 15, in that he died for
all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto him which died for them and rose again. Wherefore, henceforth,
know we no man after the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ
after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. That word
no means regard, respect. We don't regard or respect any
man after the flesh, though we regard and respect what Christ
accomplished for us after his flesh. It's our all, even though
we no longer have him here with us on the earth. 16. Wherefore,
henceforth, know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we've
known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him
no more. Therefore, because of what Christ
accomplished in His flesh, because of His death, therefore, if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed
away, behold, all things are become new. I want to leave us
with this right here. Our Lord did not die for everybody. He only died for His sheep. So
I want to close out with this. I want to leave us with this.
Am I one of His sheep? And are you one of His sheep?
We've established He only died for His sheep. I'm not ready
to go just yet. My question is, am I one of His
sheep? Are you one of His sheep. Did Christ die for us? Did Christ die for us? Go with me to Luke 19. Luke 19, and look with me at
verse 9. And Jesus saith unto him, This
day is salvation come to this house. For as much as he also
is a son of Abraham, a son of the covenant, for the son of
man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Did Christ
die for me? Did Christ die for you? Here's the question. Are you
lost? That's the question. Are you
lost? Has God done a work of grace
in our hearts? causing us to say, I'm lost. Without Christ, I'm lost. I mean,
I'm lost. If I don't have Christ, I don't
have anything. I don't have anything. If He
does not come find me, I'm going to die right here in my sin.
I can't find my way to Him. He's going to have to come find
me. I can't do anything. If the answer is, oh no, I'm
not lost, no. Go ask somebody that. Go ask
somebody around town. Are you lost? No. I know a lot
of people who are, but not me. If that's the answer, there's
our answer. If we're not lost, then there's
our answer. Am I one of his sheep? No. But
if God in his kindness has caused us to truly cry, Lord Jesus,
thou son of David, have mercy on me. You ever cry that in your
heart? Do you ever just go, oh, you ever do that? I am the chief
of centers. I really am the chief of center.
Lord, you're my only hope. You're my only hope. You're my
only hope. If that's our heart's cry, then
there's our answer. If that's the cry, that's the
answer. He said, all that the father giveth me shall come to
me. Oh, I come just as I am without
one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me. And that thou
bidst me come to thee, Lamb of God, I come. I know what I am. But in obedience to your word,
I come. I come. Every soul who comes begging
and pleading for mercy, every single soul, he said him or her,
that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." No wise cast
out. Has Christ died for me? Here's
the answer. If I need Him to die for me,
then He has. Then He has. If I need Him to,
He has. And we need Him to, don't we?
We need Him to. I pray the Lord will bless His
word. Bless His word to our hearts. Thank you.