If you would, turn to John chapter
13. John chapter 13. I'm going to begin reading, let's
begin reading from verse 12, verse 20. So, after he had washed their
feet and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said
unto them, know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me master
and lord, and ye say, well, for so I am. If I then, your lord
and master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one
another's feet. For I have given you an example
that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither
he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know
these things, happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you
all. I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture may be
fulfilled, he that lifted up bread with me hath lifted up
his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come,
that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that receiveth whomever I send receiveth me. And he that receiveth
me receiveth him that sent me. I'm going to stop right there. Now, I started where I started
basically because this is the end. This is just after the foot
washing, where Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples. Peter
had stated, Lord washed me all over. But Jesus replied to him,
your feet are enough. Verses nine and 10, he says,
Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my
hands and my head. Jesus saith unto him, he that
is washed needeth not save to wash his feet. But is clean every
wit, and ye are clean, but not all. He that is washed only needs
that his feet be washed. The washing of feet did not clean
the disciples. They were already washed. This was an example. Christ said
so. He says, you are clean, and that
actually means that you are clean. Because if Christ said it, it's
so. We have another example of this, because this was an example
given of service to others. Our Lord Jesus Christ said this,
Matthew 20 and verse 28, even as the Son of Man came not to
be ministered unto, but to minister, and and, and it's a very big
and here, to give his life a ransom for many. He told them, I've
ministered unto you, and here in this example, washing your
feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. Jesus Christ came into this world
to minister to his people. The Lord of glory incarnate in
the flesh did not come down to be served. He came down to do
the will of his father and to minister to his people. And that's
the duty of all his ministers today. We are to minister to
his people. He came to minister to his people,
and he did. How it's shown to us here is
the washing of the feet. In Matthew 20, 28, we are told,
I just read it, of his ultimate ministry. He came to minister
and to give his life a ransom for many. And I'll throw this
in for free. That word many there is many,
and it's not all. I know how the world preaches
this. Well, many means all, and all
means many. No, actually it's two different words, and you
can look it up, I forget it's used three or four hundred times
in the Bible, and about 215 of them are the word many. And the
other one is a bunch, a lot, such as, anyway. He came to make
his people clean before the Father, and we are accepted in Him. However, and never forget, never
forget, we are told He is the cleaner. He is the cleaner. He gave His life a ransom for
many, and that's what He did, and He has obtained eternal redemption
for them, for all of his people. I talked about it last week,
couple weeks ago, whatever it was. We are confirmed in him,
blameless, blameless. Why? Because you are clean if
you're in him. This is the word of God manifest
in the flesh. But then he speaks in verse 18
and that's where I want to be because what I want to speak
of today is whom I have chosen. Whom I have chosen. Because John 13 verse 18 starts
off with a negative. I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen. But
that the scripture may be fulfilled, he that eateth bread with me
has lifted up his heel against me. I speak not of you all. Now there were times when Christ
spoke to everyone that was around him. There was times when Christ
spoke to his disciples. And here, this is the Passover.
This is among the disciples. But even here, God has laid a
division, and Christ has laid a division. Because Christ spoke
to all, but some things that Jesus Christ said are not for
all. And some things he said are not
about all. We may get asked sometimes, why
are you so divisive? Our Lord was. He was. Why always make a big deal of
this? Well, the Lord Jesus Christ said it. Now by definition, that
makes a big deal of it. These are the words of God. They're
not my words. I'm just repeating what he said.
And then, by his grace, I will continue to repeat what he said
for as long as I have breath. He told some, his disciples,
he says, unto you it is given to know. And to others, it's
not given. It's not given to know. Truth
of God is not for everyone It's not that it's spoken to
everyone But they won't have it And our Lord knew this and
our Lord spoke accordingly and so are we to speak accordingly
Because a lot of those a lot of what is recorded in the Bible
is is not for those who hate him. It's just not. Because most things Christ spoke
were directed. And you can read them through
the Gospels here. They were directed at certain people. And he addressed
certain people most of the time. You'll see it. He said, woe unto
you Pharisees, scribes, and hypocrites. So who was he talking to then?
He was talking to Pharisees, he was talking to scribes, and
he called them hypocrites, fakers. And the words that he spoke there,
that's who he was talking to, that's who he was talking about,
and that's to whom he was speaking. Other people heard it, but it
wasn't for them. He told his disciples, hear ye,
hear ye the parable of the sower. He told them, because if you
don't understand this parable, you're not gonna understand the rest
of them. But that's where he told them, he says, under you
it's given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. But to others in parables, that
seeing they might see and not see, or seeing they might not
see, and hearing they don't understand. He told him at this table. In
other places, this is my body which is given for you. And he
told him this do in remembrance of me. And right here he says,
I speak not of you all. He spoke to people where they
were. Believers and unbelievers. Jew or Gentile. Pharisee or publican. Healthy
or leper. He spoke to people exactly where
they were. And in this discipleship, this
group of disciples there was one who did not belong and he
is telling them this ahead of time so it says what so that
you will know when it comes to pass you'll believe me because then he says I speak
not of you all and he clarifies it even further I know whom I
have chosen. I'm going to tell you something. This is a truth when it's preached
that the world absolutely hates. The religious world despises
this truth and will do anything to deny it and everything to
deny it. to the fact that they used to
burn people at the stake who preached this. I'm not going into the Catholic
Church, but I know what they did. And I know some to whom
they did it. Others it was done to that I
don't know. I know the Romans threw them to the lions. This is the way the Word of God
has always affected people. I know whom I have chosen. Now I firmly believe that this
is speaking of the salvation of the believer. He's talking
only to his disciples here, Judas included, but this is not speaking
of being in the apostleship or being in the ministry. This is
a direct reference back to the statement made about foot washing,
where he said, you are not all clean. This is what he's talking
about. And they were clean, the ones
that are clean, were clean before he washed their feet. That's
what he said. He says, he that is washed, he's
already washed, needeth not save to wash his feet. He's already
washed, but not safe to wash his feet, but is clean every
whit. Ye are clean, that's verse nine,
but not all. So what do we know from this
statement? I know whom I have chosen. Well, the first thing
we know is that he knows. He knows. He, Jesus Christ, is
God. And Jesus did not need for anything
or anyone to be explained to him. There's a lot of people
who wanna tell God a lot of things. We're surrounded by them. They
wanna tell God who to save, they wanna tell God who to damn, they
wanna tell God what they're gonna do, and they wanna tell God what
to do. That's not the way God works. God works according to His will
and His purpose and His way and His time. Jesus Christ knows. He knows. If you really want to know the
truth of it, He knows the thoughts and the intent of the heart. How many times have you heard
this? Well, brother, God knows my heart. And they don't say
it in fear and trembling. And that's the way you ought
to say a statement like that. Help me, God knows my heart. And if you knew anything about
your heart, that would scare you. But these people don't,
because not only does he discern the thoughts, but he also discerns
the intent. Oh, there's a lot of stuff there. He knows. He knows. How many has he chosen? He knows. Who are they? He knows. He knows. What color are they? He knows. Where are they? He knows. Where are they going
to be? He knows. How are they gonna
get there? He knows. That's the answer to
a lot of questions. And a lot of things we don't
know because that's the second thing we learn from here. He
knows you don't. He knows I don't. And I don't
have to know, thank God. What was it Spurgeon said, he
says if God had put a yellow stripe up the back of all the
elect, he said we'd go up lifting up shirt tails. Look and see
who's elected and preach to them. We don't know. This man knows
whom he has chosen. This God man knows whom he has
chosen. And that should be good enough
for us. And that's enough for me. He knows. And by implication,
we don't. Now, you can know about yourself. John wrote it, said, these things
I have written unto you, that belief, that belief, so that
you know you have eternal life. You can know about you. And you
may have doubts about you, that's a whole nother thing, but you
can know about you. But he knows all that he has
chosen. I have a good hope about some
people. Walter, that ain't the same thing as knowing. Well,
he knows. He knows. But it says clearly
and plainly, I know whom I have chosen. Now, he doesn't say I know all
I've chosen, although he does. He names it as an individual.
I know whom I have chosen. Very closely, very clearly, this
is in the past tense. And look very closely and very
clearly at the scripture whenever you see that word chosen talking
about God choosing, it will always be in the scripture in the past
tense. When he's speaking of being chosen
to salvation, it's always in the past tense. Why? Because we were chosen in him
before the foundation of the world. And see, not only do I
know, he always has known. You will never, ever read in
the scripture of a future choosing by God of anyone to salvation. It's not there. It's preached
every day by false preachers. But you won't read it in the
scriptures because it's not there. The actual giving of the father
to the son is spoken of in the present tense because that happens
in time. But the choosing is always in the past because the
choosing was done in the past before the foundation of the
world. And it's not your choice. Not that matters. In fact, by
the scripture, You do not, I do not choose him. Period. You can stop right there
with that statement. I'm not going to, but you can.
You don't choose him. How do I know that? Well, scripture
says it. John 15, verses 16 and 17, he says, clearly, it starts
off with another negative. Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you and ordained you that you should go forth
and bring fruit and that your fruit should remain. That whatsoever
ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you that
ye love one another. Ye have not chosen me. I can't be any clearer than that.
There is no way to be any clearer than that. Christ said it here,
I know whom I have chosen. And he said it in John 15, He said, ye have not chosen me. I have chosen you. But I will tell you this, election
is not all. It's not all. It's not alone.
He said, I have chosen you and ordained you. This election, this choosing,
is individual. It is personal. but it is also
with effect. He has ordained you. What? To believe him, to walk and to
love. Love one another, to love him. Election is not salvation. It's
unto salvation, but it's not salvation all by itself. And
it never has been. I have chosen you and ordained
you, what? That you should go forth and
bring forth fruit. And your fruit should remain. Now, the other thing you can
see from this statement where, I mean, it says flat out, I know
whom I have chosen. You can also by implication understand,
I know whom I have not chosen. That's just the way it is. The next part of that verse says,
but that the scripture may be fulfilled. The scriptures have
been and are being and shall be fulfilled. 100%. God's prophecies are 100% accurate. Now my understanding is nowhere
close to that. But his prophecies are 100% accurate. And where I can see them, where
they have been revealed, where they actually tell you in the
New Testament, where the Old Testament prophecies have been
fulfilled, you can go back and compare it and see it. But that
the scripture might be fulfilled, what scripture is that? That
eats bread with me hath lifted up his heel what against me? Against me Where's that come
from that comes from Psalms 41 in verse 9 Yay My own familiar
friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lifted
up his heel against me This is definitely speaking of Judas
I You can look at verse two of John chapter 13, and it says,
in supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart
of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. This is speaking
of Judas. How did Judas end up with the
Christ of God? Because I'll say this, I'm gonna
say it just flat out, Judas did not fool Jesus Christ. He did
not fool our Lord. Jesus was not suckered, led on,
or deceived by Judas. John goes on to tell you in here
that he was a thief. He kept the bag because he was
a thief. The disciples didn't know it until it was over, but
Christ always knew it. John 6 and verse 70, Jesus answered
them, and he said, have I not chosen you 12, and one of you
is a devil? This is the part the world doesn't
want to understand, the religious world doesn't really want to
deal with, okay? All 12, were exactly where they were supposed
to be. And that includes Judas. I've chosen you 12, and one of
you, if not, not shall be a devil, is a devil. And Judas had fooled them so
much, the other disciples, they said, Lord, is it me? They didn't
know who it was. Like I said, until it was over. But he didn't fool Christ. Christ
chose him and put him right there. I know whom I have chosen. And I've chosen you 12 and one
of you is a devil. This man ate and drank and walked
and talked and heard and listened to the son of God throughout
his ministry. and it didn't do him any good. That is one of the scariest thoughts
in the world. When you can hear, I mean, it's
one thing not to hear me, not to understand Walter, don't get
it, or even you accept it, but okay, I'm gonna go ahead and
do what I want to anyway. But when you think about these
people listening to God manifest in the flesh himself, and then
still betraying him and rejecting him. How depraved is man? That's how depraved we are. If
God lets go, we'd all turned him in. He walked with him, he talked
with him, he heard him. And Judas is a devil. Being a believer is not something
that can rub off on you just by hanging around, not even by
listening to the gospel. It takes a work of God Almighty
Himself in time to make a believer. He has made us and not we ourselves. Here's something else that's
not spoken of a whole lot, but it is very true. A false faith
can persevere. It's a spooky thing. We know about those that have
gone out from us because they were not of us. But I remember Henry Mahan 30
some years ago, whatever it was, Excuse me preach the message
and it was on false faith and true faith And the differences
between them and one of the things he said was that false faith
can persevere and I thought what? You know because you leave all
you read of all the people just leaving Christ in droves You
know and going away, but no Then you read the words of Christ
because that's what Henry did And he talked about this and
he said You know, in that day, many's gonna come to me and say,
have we not preached in thy name, done miracles in your name, done
many wondrous works in thy name. And then Jesus himself will say this,
I, I shall tell them to depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Why? Because I, I never knew
you. False faith can persevere. And
I'm gonna tell you something, that's a textbook definition
of scary. Now true faith does persevere
every time. Because he confirms us unto the
end. We are kept by the power of God
through faith. And true faith perseveres because
He gives it. And I will tell you this, there's
one way you can kind of tell the difference. When these fellas here that came
and saw Christ said, you know, we did many wonderful works in
your name, what you hear from them is aye, aye, aye. Wee, wee,
wee. True faith, when it sees Christ,
says he, he, he. You have done it. You have given
your life a ransom for many. You have obtained eternal redemption
for us. That's the difference. You will
speak about what he has done and not what you have done. And
therein lies the difference. False faith looks at its own
works, but true faith looks at Jesus Christ. He says, I know
whom I have chosen. God does as God wills. If He has chosen you, He will
clean you every whit. And if God cleans you, you're
clean whether you know it or not, whether you feel it or not. And Jesus Christ is God manifest
in the flesh. How are we to know? Well, one
of the ways, he gives us in verse 20, the last verse there that
I read. Verily, verily, I said unto you,
he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me. He that is of God, heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth
not us. Those that are of the world will
hear the world, and that's where they will go. is to the world,
and they'll be very happy to be there. And if they come here,
they're very unhappy. And boy, that comes out. Men
have been sent from Christ to preach his gospel. Do you receive
these men? That's what it says. It says receive them. You receive
the message, yes, but you are also to receive other believers.
and ministers of His gospel. Because if you do, if you really
do receive these men and their message, you've received Christ. You've received Christ. Are you happy about hearing the
gospel preached? Does that give you joy? Christ is no longer here in the
flesh. And he doesn't speak to me in an honorable voice. He
speaks to me through his word. But he doesn't speak to me through
an honorable voice. All I have is the words of men. That's what
he promised in John 17. I'm gonna bless those who believe
because of your word. And here it is. And this is what
we are endeavoring to speak here. And in other places, there are
other men holding forth this very same message. And if we receive them, we receive
Him. And if we receive Him, we are
received of Him that sent our Lord Jesus Christ. We are accepted
in Christ to the Father above. And there is no better place
to be. He is here in his message. He
is here in his gospel. He is here in his people. Believe him, come to him, and
he will in no wise cast out. Do you receive him? Do you receive
his man? Do you receive his gospel? That's the question. And these things are written
that ye may know. That ye have eternal life. Our Heavenly Father, we are thankful
again for this time. Most of all, Lord, your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, he knows whom he has chosen.
He knows whom he has ordained to eternal life and they believe
Thank you Lord For your work your will your way your purpose
in our lives in this world. Amen