Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. I want to welcome you to the
broadcast this morning. And if you wish to follow along
as I attempt to preach the gospel of Christ, turn to John chapter
6. That's John chapter 6. I'm going
to read just one verse as a text this morning. It's from John
chapter 6, and my text is actually found in verse 60. Let's read
what it says here. John chapter 6 and verse 60. We read these words. Many, therefore,
of his disciples," and of course this is speaking about Jesus
Christ. He had been preaching to these people, his disciples.
He'd been preaching to them. He says, many, therefore, of
his disciples, when they heard this, said, this is a hard saying. Who can hear it? You see that?
This is a hard saying. Who can hear it? This response,
that is, the words that I've given as my title, but there's
an actual quote from how these people responded. This is a hard
saying. Who can hear it? This response
by these people was one of disgust and anger. It's amazing, I understand
that, but it's amazing. Disgust and anger. It was not
a sincere inquiry about some paradoxical phrasing of words. They were not saying, Lord, this
is difficult for us to understand. Could you explain it a little
more to us? Could you break it down for us?
This had nothing to do with anything like that. This response was
one of disgust and anger. And people were actually offended. They were actually offended at
what Christ taught. That's the whole meaning of the
direct context. When they said, many therefore
of his disciples, when they'd heard this, said, this is a hard
saying. Who can hear it? Not only that,
the people offended were disciples. They were people who followed
him, people who professed to believe him. They followed him
all over the place. They were offended and their
statement was murmur. That is, the word murmur means
complaint. It was complaint. But we need
to notice here that though this takes place, they have this response. This is a hard saying. Who can
hear it? Notice that Jesus Christ the
Lord, God Almighty manifest in the flesh. He did not capitulate. He didn't back up. But rather,
he went further. He went even further with, he'd
said these words, he preached this message to these people
and they said, this is a hard saying, who can hear it? And
he didn't back up, he went even further and he also reemphasized
the very truth that he knew was so offensive to him, so much
so that they left in disgust and anger. So let's read the
rest of the context of it. John 6, verse 60. Many, therefore,
of his disciples, when they heard this, said, this is a hard saying. Who can hear it? When Jesus knew
in himself that his disciples murmured, you see it, murmured
at it, he said unto them, does this offend you? Now watch, watch
how he goes even further. What and if ye shall see the
Son of Man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit
that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing.
The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are
life. But there are some of you that
believe not, though these people were professed to believe in
him. Though they were his disciples, they'd been following him around.
And he said, but there are some of you that believe not, for
Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not
and who should betray him. So he had said, but there are
some of you that believe not. And then in verse 65, we see,
and he said, and he said, therefore, now he, our Lord understood,
especially one thing that really got under their crawl. And he
re-emphasized, as I said, he even went further. You'll see
the Son of Man ascended up where he was before. The flesh profit
you nothing, the spirit quickens. The words that I speak in you,
their spirit and their life, and you're offended at them?
You murmur at these things? And look, but then he goes back
and reiterates the truth that he knew really got under the
crawl. And he said, therefore said I unto you that no man can
come unto me except it were given unto him of my father." That's
the second time he said this. Slightly different words, but
the same exact truth. And he said, Therefore said I
unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given
unto him of my father. And then listen to that. From
that time, and actually if you see the word time there is in
italics. It's not really about a time,
it's about what he said. They said this is a hard saying,
who can hear it? So he went even further and then
reiterated the one thing he knew really got under the cross, I
said. From that, many of his disciples went back But look,
and Walt no more with him. In 36 years of preaching Christ's
person and work, now listen to me now. In 36 years of preaching
Christ's person and work, I have never had a drunk or an old whore
be offended like this, never have. And all of my 36 years
of preaching and preaching to countless different kinds of
men and women, I've never had an old drunk or an old whore
be offended like this. Have I preached to some old drunks
and whores and dopeheads? Have I preached to them and they
not repent? Yes, I've preached to them the gospel and they didn't
repent. Have I preached to them they didn't believe? Yes, there's
been many that I've preached the gospel to and they didn't
repent and believe. But I never had them be so disgusted
and angered as these people were. Well, I did have one drunk become
angered and disgusted with me one time. It was actually at
a golf course. A conversation of religion and church and God
came up. And yeah, he was one drunk. He got very angry. He actually
wanted to fight. But then come to find out, this
drunk that got so angry like these people did, actually was
an ex-free will preacher. So there you go, whatever that's
worth. You see, believers in Jesus who
are religious but unregenerate, now you hear what I just said?
Believers in Jesus who are religious but unregenerate, what's that
mean? They've never been given life from God. Men and women
by nature are born dead in trespasses and in sins, Ephesians chapter
two. They must be quickened by God first. Or Jesus Christ told
Nicodemus, except a man be born again, or that's born from above,
born of God, he cannot see the kingdom of God. It's not talking
about these physical eyes, but in here, he can't perceive it,
understand it. And except a man be born of water
and of the spirit, he can't enter the kingdom of God. So I'm saying
that some people, these people, believed in Jesus, they were
followers, they were disciples, they were religious, but they
were unregenerate. Church members who are decent
folk. You hear what I said? Put that
in quotes, if you will. Church members who are decent folk.
They're not decent compared to God. They may be very decent
compared to the old drunks and the whores and the dopeheads
I spoke about. But good church goers, good church
members who are decent folk, but yet unconverted by the gospel. Church members will do this. This is what happens. They will
respond to plainly spoken words of truth in disgust and anger. Now look at what it says. Let
me look at it. Verse 65. And he said, therefore
said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given
unto him of my father. From that time, do you see it?
From that time, or more appropriately, from that statement, From that,
many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
And this is the second time that he said that. That is, what we
have recorded of him saying in verse 65, he's already said before. Look, slightly different words,
but look at verse 44. This is what he's previously said unto
them with other things, but he knew this got him. He knew this
is what angered him. This is what he says, had said
unto them in verse 44. No man can come to me. Except
the father which has sent me draw him and I will raise him
up at the last day Do you see it and I will raise him up at
the last day you see? What I am preaching to you is
the truth of God is the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ it is
exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ spoke and And people were angered
and murmured at so much so that when he reiterated what he'd
already said to just one short phrase, that phrase was, no man
can come unto me except what were given to him of my father.
From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more
with him. You see, when you, speak the truth to good, decent
church folk, they will become angered at you. They will complain
against the truth of God. Unless God Almighty does something
for you first, in free grace, you will never come, nor can
you come, unless he first does so. And this is clearly what
our Lord Jesus Christ was teaching these people. He taught it to
them first, They rebelled against it. When he reiterated it again,
they got so disgusted that they got up and left and didn't walk
with him anymore. So, I am telling you this. If
God Almighty, though, ever lays hold of you in free reigning
grace, the grace and mercy and compassion of a sovereign, almighty,
immutable God, you will come and you then can come. Look at
what he says. He had said this. Verse 44 again. No man can come unto me, except
the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him
up at the last day. And then our Lord himself appealed
to the word of God. Now he was the word of God incarnate,
but he appealed to the scripture, the word of God. It is written
in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. They all
who? All that the Father draws. all that the Father draws, it
is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me. So what can I
say? That believers in Jesus, people
who are religious but unregenerate, church members who are good,
decent folk but never been converted by the gospel. They will respond
to plainly spoken words of truth and disgust and anger. Unless
God Almighty does something for you first, you will be in the
same boat. You see, if you're still with me, if you're still
listening, and I pray God you still are, if you're still with
me, don't be like these people, get angry now and say, I'm gonna
turn that fellow off. Don't turn it off, don't turn
it off. If you're still with me, If you're still listening,
I want you to hear more truth that offends the religious but
lost. You hear what I said? Religious
but lost. Listen to this statement. I want
you to hear more truth that offends the Bible-believing, truth-rejecting. Do you understand that? You realize
there are people who believe the Bible, but they reject the
very truth that the Bible teaches? There are people that will tell
you, I believe the Bible is the plenary, verbally, inspired word
of God, but then they reject the truth that's actually in
this verbally inspired word of God. Let me give you three of
them this morning, and stick with me. Listen to this. If you're
following along, turn to Proverbs chapter one, and I want you to
listen to these words. These are the words of Solomon,
a wise man, one of the wisest men that ever walked on the face
of this earth, other than Jesus Christ himself. And listen to
me, like I said, if you're still with me, I'm gonna give you some
more truth that I know. After 36 years of preaching the
gospel of Christ, I know this truth offends those who are religious
but lost. I know this truth offends those
who are Bible believers, but they are, in fact, truth rejecters.
Now listen to me, I'm gonna make a statement, then I'll read you
what God says in his word. No man, you or me, no woman,
you or any other woman, Young or old, black, white, rich, poor,
bond-free, it does not matter. No man or woman has God over
a barrel. Now Proverbs chapter one, listen
to what is actually said in Proverbs chapter one. I will begin in
verse 22. How long, ye simple ones, will
ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their
scorning, and fools, do you see it? And fools hate knowledge. Turn you at my reproof. Yeah,
turn you at my reproof. This is what God commands. Turn
you at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit
unto you. I will make known my words unto
you. because I have called, and ye refuse. I have stretched out
my hand to no man regarded, but ye have set it not, all my counsel,
and would none of my reproof. You see, this is the way many
men and women, old and young, rich or poor, it doesn't matter,
this is the way many men and women respond. God Almighty sends
his word out under the power of his spirit, and men preach
the truth of God as to who man is, who God is, and what God
requires of men and women, and they said it not all his counsel. They will none of his reproof,
do you see it? But now I want you to listen.
Here's where men and women really become offended. Yes, men rebel,
we all do by nature. We rebel against the truth of
God by nature, but listen to what God goes on to say. Now,
let me bring us back up to speed in the context. Because I have
called, and ye refused. I have stretched out my hand,
and no man regarded. But ye have said it not, all
my counsel. Do you see it? You've said it
not, all my counsel, and would none of my reproof. Now look
at what God says. This is God speaking. I know
Solomon wrote this, but Solomon was writing this. This is God's
word. Look, I also will laugh at your
calamity. Folks, this is God. Do you hear
what I'm saying? I also will laugh at your calamity. You don't have God over a barrel.
I don't have God over a barrel. No fallen son or daughter of
Adam has God over a barrel. I will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh.
when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as
a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you, look
at what it says, then shall they call upon me, but I will not
answer. They shall seek me early, but
they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of
my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
Look at it. Therefore shall they eat of the
fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple
shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall
be quiet from fear of evil. Again I say, no man has got over
a barrel. And I ask you a question, does
that ruffle your feathers? Does that ruffle your feathers?
Are you offended by that? Well, that's who God is. And that's what God says he will
do when men and women reject his truth, his son. Here's the second thing. God's
people, God's people are commanded to preach to all. That's right. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave the
disciples, and it's recorded. If you wanted to read it sometime,
you can read it in Mark chapter 16, verse 15. Our Lord said these
words, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. That's the truth of God. And
that's what God's people endeavor to do as they can, as God enables
them in their in their small place of influence. Now, we cannot
go all over the world other than the sense of the electronics
that we have today. But he says, go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature. That was a command
of Christ before he ascended back to glory. But listen to
me now. But God also says that some would have been better off
not to even have heard. Now, do you hear me? You hear
what I just said? I said God tells us that some would have
been better off not to even hear. If you're still with me, turn
to 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter 2 and listen to these
words. Listen to what is written. Here's
by Peter. These are the words of God through Jesus Christ given
to Peter. 2 Peter 2 verse 20. For if after
they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge
of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled
therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the
beginning. Isn't that an amazing statement?
Their latter end is worse than the beginning. For it, here it
is, now listen. Listen to what I said. For it
had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness,
than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment
delivered unto them. Again, I'll state this. You don't
have God over a barrel. And let me also say this. Some
people, everyone who makes a profession of faith in the sovereign Lord
Jesus Christ and turns his or her back on it, it had been better
that they never even heard that truth and made a profession of
that truth than after they've done so to turn from it and turn
their back on it. Look at, for it had been better
for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after
they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered
unto them. But it is happened unto them, according to the true
proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the
sow that is washed to her wallowing in the mire. You still with me? Does that give you, when I read
that, when I talk about that, does that give you that knotted
up gut feeling? Do you feel a little bit of murmur,
starting to rise in the back of your throat, and you wish
you could just say something to me? I don't believe that,
preacher. Well, you may not, but this is
what God's word says, and it's the truth. Give me a third thing. Here's another thing. Believing
on Jesus, hear what I said? Believing on Jesus is not just
accepting the historical facts about Jesus. Again, I say, I've
been trying to preach this gospel for 36 years, and I don't know
how many people, so I believe in Jesus. I believe that he died,
buried, rose again, and sent it back to the right hand of
God the Father. If that's all you believe, then
you've never believed the gospel. Did you hear what I just said?
Then you've never believed the gospel. Believing on Jesus is
not just accepting the historical facts about him. It is bowing
to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You hear what I said? To believe
Christ, to believe Christ by grace, to believe Christ according
to this book in a saving way, with a saving interest in Christ,
is to bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If you're still
with me, turn to Romans chapter 10. read, excuse me, and actually
look at what Paul actually wrote, what God moved Paul to actually
write, not what other men say about what Paul wrote here, but
let's look at what Paul actually said. Romans chapter 10. Look
at what it says. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved, for I bear
them record. He said, I'll testify of this
about them. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God.
They're religious people. They believe in God, the one
true God. They actually believed the Messiah was coming. They
just didn't believe the Messiah when he came. Look, for I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge, for they being ignorant, God's righteousness and going
about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted
themselves under the righteousness of God. Do you hear that statement?
And have not submitted themselves under the righteousness of God.
Submitted means this, to bow in inferiority to the superior,
that's what it means. That's what it means to submit,
to bow in inferiority to the superior. And it says here, have
not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. And
then look at this next statement. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. What does he
say? He says that Christ is the righteousness of God. And you
will bow to him, you will submit to him, or you will perish. That's what he's talking about.
Look what he goes on to say. For Moses describeth the righteousness
which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things
shall live by them. The righteousness which is of
faith speaketh on this wise. Say not in thine heart who shall
ascend into heaven. That is to bring Christ down
from above. It's not about going up there
and being able to get Jesus Christ and bring him back down here
where I can really see who he really is and believe on him.
No, that's not the word of faith we preach. Or who shall ascend
into the deep. That is to bring up Christ again
from the dead because none of us has that in our power. He's
already raised from the dead. He is now seated in the heavenly
places at the right hand of God the Father. But what saith it,
Paul writes, you hear? What is the word of faith which
we preach? But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in
thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the word of faith which
we preach. Now listen, here it is. If thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, you see it? Confess, Jesus don't save, it
is the Lord Jesus that saves. It's not about confessing with
your mouth Jesus, it's about confessing with your mouth the
Lord Jesus. And shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. You see that? My question to
you is this, are these hard sayings to you? Is there something inside
of you that wells up, as I've said, read these passages that
teach us this, no man has got overbarrel. No sir, we do not
have got overbarrel. And we're commanded. We're commanded to go in all
the world, preach the gospel to every creature, but there
are some men, it would have been better that we'd never done so.
It would have been better they never even heard it than after
they heard it to turn from it. And also this, believing on Jesus
is not just accepting the historical facts about him, it is bowing
to the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is this a hard saying
to you? If it is, you're lost. You're
still lost. I don't care how religious you
are. I don't care if you're a disciple of Jesus. I don't care if you've
been following him. If you don't follow this Christ,
if you don't follow this Jesus, then you are not following the
Christ of God. Can you? Can you? Will you? And both are true.
And you can say it either way. It does not matter. Will you?
Can you? Because if you will, you can. And if you can, you will. So
I ask you, can you? Will you bow to Christ and his
truth? If you can, if you will, you're saved. That's the truth
of scripture. That's the truth of scripture.
Look at it. Verse 10 of Romans 10, for with the heart men believeth
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever
believeth on him, The Lord Jesus, do you see it? The Lord Jesus,
whosoever believeth on him shall be saved. For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord. What is it, the name of the Lord?
It don't mean just to say Jesus saved me. It don't mean to say
Lord Jesus saved me. His name describes who he is.
He's a sovereign king. He's God Almighty manifest in
the flesh. Which are you, offended by this
truth? Offended by this truth? Or do you believe this truth?
Now, I would remind you, 12 noon every Sunday on this same channel,
WVVACW, you can hear one of our Sunday morning messages.