If you'd open your Bibles to
John 17, this is the fourth message that I've been preaching on the
Lord's Prayer. We're going to begin at verse 11. This is in the middle of where
Christ is praying for the apostles. Actually praying for his disciples
who walked with him at this time. And then later on in the last
message, And I say that, but there's a lot to say in this
message, because I want to show you some things here that either
you need to be reminded of or you need to learn for the first
time. It may take me two messages to
go through this, but here he continues to pray for the apostles. These men who were sinners saved
by grace, understand that when we talk about the apostles, That's
who we're talking about. We're talking about sinners saved
by grace, whose only righteousness is the same that we who believe
have, the imputed righteousness of Christ, who are weak and sinful
men, who need to be saved and need to be kept by the grace
and the power and the goodness of God. They are saints We talk
about St. John, St. Peter, St. Paul, but
we could just as well talk about St. Bill, St. Jim, St. Randy. All of us who
are believers, we're saints, sanctified in Christ. Equally sanctified as the apostles.
Equally saved, equally righteous, equally washed in the blood of
Christ from our sins. These are not men we pray to.
You don't pray to Paul or to John. You see, I know what, how
people think, you know, we talk about people think they pray
to angels or they pray to Mary or they pray to these, you don't
pray to anybody but God through Christ. There's one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. And so
here in John 17, he's praying for his apostles, and then he
concludes his prayer by praying for all the elect of God, all
whom God brings to a saving knowledge of Christ. This is his intercessory
prayer. The intercession of Jesus Christ
is one of the fundamental tenets of the gospel. He came to this
earth having our sins charged to him. He substituted himself
on the cross for our sins. He died that death under the
justice of God to put away our sins. He was buried. He arose
again the third day because he established righteousness. That's
why he arose. Romans 4 teaches us that. Righteousness
demands love. And it was the righteousness
he worked out in his obedience unto death, which God has imputed
to his people. And now, after he arose again
the third day, and he walked on this earth a few days, and
then he ascended unto the Father, and that's what he's gonna be
talking about. Look at verse 11, he says, and now I am no
more in the world. He's speaking of his departure.
He's speaking of what sometimes the Bible calls his Exodus. In fact, I started to entitle
the message, The Lord's Exodus. What do you mean Exodus? When
you talk about Exodus, aren't you talking about the book of
Exodus and Moses and the Hebrew children leaving Egypt? Well, that's Exodus. That's what
Exodus means, going out of, but you know, Over in the book of
Luke, when the Lord took Peter and I think James and John, I
know Peter and John were there, up on what we call the Mount
of Transfiguration, and he showed them in that glorious vision
his glory as God in human flesh, and he met with two men who were
given to them in vision, Moses and Elijah, Moses representing
the law, Elijah representing the prophets, and it said they
spoke of his decease. Now this is the way Luke puts
it. I think this is in Luke 17 if
I'm not mistaken, but you can look that up, I didn't notate
it in my notes. But the Mount of Transfiguration,
here's the way Luke put it, that Moses and Elijah and the Lord
himself, they spoke of his decease, which he would accomplish, his
death which he would accomplish, and that word deceased is the
Greek word for exodus. He spoke of his going away, his
departure, and by way of the cross, that's how he would depart. But now he is seated at the right
hand of the Father, ever living to make intercession for us.
And that's a continual work of our great high priest. Praying
for his people, interceding for his people, going to the Father
for his people. That's the maintenance of our
salvation. And he keeps us. And so let's
begin here in verse 11. We'll first talk about the Lord's
exodus. The Lord's departure. And here's
what he says. He says, and now I am no more
in the world. What do you mean, Lord? You're
standing right here. Well, he's speaking of something that's
going to happen. That's for sure going to happen.
His departure out of the world. Where are you going? Turn to
look over one page to John 16 with me. And listen to the words of our
Lord to his disciples in verse seven. John 16 in verse seven. He's telling his disciples, he
says, nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient or
it is necessary for you that I go away, that I depart. This is necessary. Why is it
necessary, Lord? Well, he says, for if I go not
away, the Comforter will not come unto you. Now, who is the
Comforter? That's the Holy Spirit. In other words, His going away,
the Holy Spirit's work within the souls, the hearts of God's
people, is grounded upon, founded upon, the work of Christ to go away. And how is he going away? He's
going the way of the cross. He's not going to just miraculously
disappear. He's got to go to the cross.
Why? Because he's the surety of his
people. God, before the foundation of the world, chose the people,
gave them to Christ. He spoke of them in John 17.
He said, the ones which you have given me, He said in John 6, 37, all that
the Father hath given me. What are they going to do? They're
going to come to me, he said. How are they going to come to
you? They don't want to come to you by nature. They will not
come to you if left to themselves. The Holy Spirit is going to do
a work in them, giving them life from the dead. And where does
that life come from? It comes from the death of Christ. It comes from the departure of
Christ. Sin demands death. Righteousness
demands life. And he says, if I don't do this,
the Comforter will not come unto you. There'll be no work of the
Spirit. There'll be no life. If Christ had not died, was buried
and rose again the third day and ascended unto the Father,
there'd be no salvation, folks. Do you know that? There'd be
no spiritual life, there'd be no eternal life. There'd be no
work of the Spirit, there'd be no new birth. But if I depart,
he said in verse seven, I'll send him unto you. And then he
says in verse eight of John 16, and when he has come, when the
Holy Spirit has come, he will reprove the world of sin. Now
that word reprove means to convict, to convince people. He's gonna
convince the world of sin. Is he talking about everybody
in the whole world there? No. How do you know that? Well,
first of all, the word world has to be qualified. And secondly, everybody in the
whole world is not convinced. Whoever the Holy Spirit is going
to, they're gonna be convinced. They're gonna be convicted. Now,
he'll do it through the preaching of the gospel, but it's not the
preacher who convinces you, it's God who convinces you. Convinces
you of something. Now what does it mean to be convinced?
I've said it this way, I think the last three Sundays I've said
this. It means you can't deny it, you can't ignore it, and
you can't leave it. It's so ingrained in you that
you can't get away from it. You cannot deny it. If you can
walk away from it and ignore it or deny it or keep it in your
coat pocket, it's because you're not convinced. Do you know that? Somebody asked me last night
on the internet, they said, are you going to take the vaccine
if they threaten to put you in jail and all that stuff, the
COVID vaccine? I said, I might. I said, but
it's not because it's a law. I said, I'll listen to the so-called
experts. I'll do the research that I often
do in health matters, because I've always had health problems
since I was 37. And I'll try to make an informed decision.
I may be a little apprehensive. Doesn't sound like I'm too convinced,
does it? But here's something I am convinced of. I'm convinced
of this gospel wherein the righteousness of God is revealed and it's the
only hope of your salvation and my salvation and without it there
is no hope for anybody. I'm convinced of it. And I may
try to get away from it but I can't. I've had people tell me sometimes
when I preach in other places and sometimes they say, you know,
you need to be a little more loving. Now translation, you
need to water that down a little bit to where make it appealing
to the ears of people. I can't do it. I can't do it. I've got to tell you the truth.
I'm going to be talking about some hard truths here, especially
when it comes to a man named Judas. But why can't I, why don't
we just leave that alone? Let's just jump over that part.
I don't have that privilege. If I do, I'm not God's messenger. Preach the word. But he's gonna convict the world,
convince. Now who is the world here? Christ
already said, all whom the Father hath given him all over the world.
God's elect all over the world. Wherever they are, Africa, Asia,
North America, South America, even if there's one up in Antarctica,
he's gonna get the gospel to him. And that person, whenever
God has been pleased to appoint the time, just like Paul said,
when it pleased God to reveal His Son in me, that's when it's
gonna happen. They're gonna be convicted. But
look what he says. He says in verse eight, when
He has come, He will reprove or convince or convict the world
of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Verse nine, of sin
because they believe not on me. What that means is, if I don't
have Christ, if I'm not washed in His blood and clothed in His
righteousness, you know what I am? Sin. It's all sin. Even my so-called
good works. That's how much of a sinner we
are. That's what total depravity means. It means that without
Christ, without the grace of God, without the goodness and
the power of God. Again, without being washed in
His blood and clothed in His righteousness, everything I am
and everything I do in the eyes of God is sin. It may be noble
and good in the eyes of men, but it's sin in the eyes of God. And then look at verse 10, of
righteousness. the righteousness that he would
establish by his obedience unto death as the surety, substitute,
and redeemer of his people, because I go to my father. He's going
away. And you see me no more. Over
in Hebrews chapter two there, it does say we see Jesus. Here
he says you see me no more. Is there a contradiction in the
word of God here? No. What he means here is you
won't see me bodily. in the flesh as you do now, talking
to his disciples. But we see him in the word of
God. We see him with the eye of faith. I see him. Don't you
see him? I'm not talking about in visions
or in clouds or on a piece of toast or something like that
or in a portrait. You laugh at that, but there
are people, there's a guy, he put bread in the toaster and
it popped out and he swore he saw Jesus in that. Crazy. It's crazy. We see Him in His Word. We see
Him by the power of the Spirit. We see Him by faith, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. But He, right now,
is seated at the right hand of the Father, ever living to make
intercession for us. Verse 11, He says, of judgment,
because the Prince of this world is judged. What I believe He's
talking about there is that When we look to Christ, we see that
our sins have already been judged by Christ on the cross. And the
prince of this world, who is who? Satan, the accuser of the
brethren, his accusations don't stick. We have on us the white
robe of his righteousness, the breastplate of righteousness.
When Satan slings his arrows of accusation, they don't stick. Why? Who shall lay anything to
the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. So that's
what he's talking about. He's talking about the fact that
he's about to go to the cross. There's a sense in which Christ
is always with us and always in us by his spirit and by his
word, by his power. Right now he is ruling and disposing
of all things for the glory of God and the good of his people.
He's in control. Now if we look with the physical
eye, it just doesn't seem like he's in control, does it? Man,
turn on the news today. Looks like it's chaos. But it's not. Right now, he's
in control. And he said this, he said, where
two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the
midst of them. He's with us, he's with us right here. God
is omnipresent. And as God Christ is omnipresent,
means He's everywhere. But as man, God in sinless human
flesh, He's at the right hand of the Father, as our mediator,
as God-man. He had a beginning here on earth,
He appeared here on earth, now He's going away. His humanity
was even bound by time. In the fullness of the time,
God sent forth his son, made of a woman. He spoke of an hour in which
he would give himself over to be executed for his people. Now
he is glorified in his bodily presence as God-man is in heaven
with the Father, appearing there for his people. That ought to
give us some comfort. The apostle wrote in Colossians
3.1, if you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which
are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, set
your affection on things above, that means look to him, not on
things of the earth, walk by faith, not by sight, for you
are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. Peter spoke
of the resurrection of the resurrected Christ who has gone into heaven
and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers
being made subject to him, 1 Peter 3.22. So Christ lives within the hearts
of every believing sinner, every sinner saved by grace in whom
he's given life and faith, but not bodily. He's not inside me
bodily. He lives within us by His Spirit
and His Word. But the disciples were accustomed
to having the comfort and the assurance of His bodily presence. And this awesome blessing would
be gone for a while, that's what He's telling them. Now I am no
more in the world, verse 11 of John 17. But these are in the
world, these men are in the world, And he says to the Father in
his prayer, I come to thee. The apostles and all true disciples
of Christ are left in this dark, sinful, unbelieving world. This wilderness, this night,
that's what the Bible calls our sojourn on earth, a night, darkness. But as we'll see, because of
Christ and because of His grace and His power, we're separate
from the world, we're sanctified. The reason we're still in the
world is that we might shine forth as lights of truth, shining
lights in a dark world. Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works and do what? Applaud you? No, glorify your Father, which
is in heaven. What is the light there? It's
the gospel that speaks of Christ, that glorifies Christ, that honors
Christ, that, like John the Baptist, decreases me and increases him. That's what that light is. And
you know the world hates us for that truth. Remember he said,
marvel not if the world hates you. It hated me before it hated
you. The world hates the light because
the world loves darkness. And what is the darkness they
love? The darkness of self-righteousness. You mean I'm not good enough?
You mean to tell me that I can't decide for myself? Choose myself? Work myself? Into favor with
God? Are you telling me that? That's
exactly what I'm telling you. I don't want any part of that.
I had a fellow tell me, I don't want any part of that. I didn't either
at one time. Christ has not left us alone
to ourselves. Don't you thank God for that.
He didn't leave us alone to ourselves. He saved us. He prays for us
and sends his spirit to strengthen and to keep us. And listen to
what he says here in verse 11. He says, holy father. Now who
is the holy father? Only God is the Holy Father. There's no man on earth, I don't
care what he wears or who he says he is or how many people
follow him, who should be called Holy Father. God alone is the
Holy Father. And he says, keep through thine
own name, that means his glory, his reputation, his honor, those
whom thou hast given me. Keep those whom you chose before
the foundation of the world and gave to me. that they may be
one as we are. Keep through his name. If God
failed to save one whom he chose before the foundation of the
world and gave to Christ, one for whom Christ died, or one
whom the Holy Spirit has regenerated and brought to faith and repentance,
God would be dishonored and lose his glory. His reputation is
on the line, not yours, not mine, we have none. The oneness of
which Christ speaks here is that oneness we will enjoy with Him
in glory. We're one with Him now in the
eyes of God's law and justice. We're one with Him now by the
spirit of grace that brought us to Him by faith. But oh, oh,
oh, oh, how we'll be one with Him in glory. We'll see Him as
He is with eyes that are unhindered with the flesh. We'll hear His
voice so clear So clear, without any distraction. Have you been distracted this
morning? Has a thought shot through your mind that's not in line
with the message? Well, I'm sure. We're human. And you know what? We can't help
it. That's what Paul meant when he said, the good I want to do,
I can't do. There's some of you here, you
probably have a million things on your mind that you have to
do this week, don't you? When we're one with Him in glory,
it won't be like that. You won't be thinking about Monday,
Tuesday. It'll be an eternal Sabbath,
won't it? Resting in Christ. He will glorify us with Himself
in the end. Look at verse 12. He says, while
I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name. His bodily presence in the world
was the preservation of his disciples. And he said, those that thou
gavest me, I have kept. Because if he didn't keep them,
what would happen? They'd be gone. And none of them is lost,
but the son of perdition, the son of destruction, one who was
appointed for perdition, that the scripture, the word of God
might be fulfilled. Now, believers are kept. He uses
the word kept here twice, but they're actually two different
words in the Greek. The first one means to guard
from loss or injury by keeping his eye on us. He watches over
us. He shields us. He defends us. Our mighty fortress, our high
tower, he keeps us. The second word kept, means to
prevent from being snatched away. He said it in John chapter 10.
No one shall pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father
are one. Oh, I tell you, we're kept by
the power of God. Do we realize that? He doesn't
save us only to leave us to ourselves. And we can't ever be lost. If
he found us, and brought us to find Him, we can't ever be lost. How do you know that? Well, number
one, God chose us and gave us to Christ. All the responsibility
of my whole salvation is upon Christ. Paul said, I know whom
I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able, He is able now,
it's His ability, to keep that which I've committed unto him
against that day. Now what have I committed unto
him? My whole salvation, not just part of it. My whole salvation
is committed to him. The Bible says that God cannot
and will not charge us with our sin. And if He doesn't charge
me with my sin, I can't be lost, I can't be condemned. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. God forgave me based on the blood
of Christ. God justified me based upon His
righteousness imputed. I cannot be condemned, for who
shall condemn us? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather
He's risen again. God has given us His Spirit.
who will, as the Bible says, dwell within us forever. And what does the Spirit do?
He keeps us in Christ. He keeps us looking to Christ,
pleading Christ, confessing our sins with the assurance that
Christ has borne them away. Christ is the surety of His people.
He's the good shepherd of all the sheep. And not one of his
true disciples, not one of those given him by the father can ever
be lost. He says, this is the will of
him that sent me that I should lose nothing, but raise it up
again at the last day. He kept them and he will keep
them from the evil one and from eternal ruin. But he mentions
Judas. Now I told you that I might have
to divide this message in two. And I'm gonna have to because
I wanna say some things about Judas. Judas was the son of perdition.
What a sad thing. He said, I've kept them all.
There are 11 of them there that he kept. Judas, who was numbered
with the apostles at first, and we're gonna look at some scripture
next week about him. Judas had the full responsibility
and accountability of all the disciples to look to Christ.
That he, like all of us, was by nature a sinner, an unbeliever. And he points out that Judas
was the son of perdition. He was not a child of God. He
was numbered with the apostles for a while, but he was false.
Many look at this and they say, well now Judas, he didn't do
right, he made the wrong choice there. Well let me just conclude
today's message with this. Why do you suppose James and
Peter and John and Andrew and that 11, why do you suppose that
they continued in the faith and Judas didn't? Do you suppose
that those 11 were better people? Could Peter stand up and say,
oh, I'm not like Judas. I made the right choice. Well,
I'm going to show you some things about old Peter. In fact, I'll
show you some things about all these guys. When Christ was crucified,
do you know what happened to the other 11? You know what happened
to Judas. We'll read some scripture on
that. You know what the others did? They ran like scared rabbits. Even John. Peter denied him three
times. Remember that? So is the reason that these 11
remained with Christ and Judas did, was it because they were
better than Judas? No. I want you to know something.
By nature, we're all just like old Judas. And I'm gonna show
you that in scripture. By nature, that's what we are.
No better than Judas. What made the difference between
the 11 who stayed and who remained with Christ and Judas, the son
of, what made the difference? I'll tell you what, the sovereign
grace and mercy of God made the difference. You say, well, that's
not fair, okay? You take that up with God. You
debate with God on that issue. You think you'll get anywhere
on that? As the old poet said, your arms are too short to box
with God. God is gracious. God is merciful,
folks. He's loving, but there is no
grace and no mercy and no love from God outside of Christ. You
run to Him. Don't you worry about Judas.
Don't think about all these things. You just run to Christ. Believe
in Him. Rest in Him. Plead His blood
and His righteousness. And if you do, by the power of
the Spirit, you can know that He's interceding for you right
now at the throne of God. All right.