They Could Not Believe

Remember those who requested prayer. She had charity prayer. She's got several doctor visits to go with MRIs and CT scans. Stuff like that to check out various parts of her frame. Remember her prayers. Remember the others who requested prayer also. Let's begin our worship service tonight with hymn number 242, Jesus I Come.

Jesus, I come Jesus, I come Jesus, I come to Thee Out of my sickness into Thy health Jesus, I come to Thee Out of my womb and into Thy well Out of my sin and into Thyself Jesus, I come to Thee Jesus, I come! Jesus, I come! Into Thy glorious gain I cry for Jesus, I come to Thee! Jesus, I come to Thee. How precious Thou art. Jesus, I come. Jesus, I come into Thy blessings. Jesus, I come to thee. How myself to dwell in thy love.

How disparate and wretched a love. The Lord your eye on me is like a dove. Jesus, I come to Thee Out of fear and privity Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come Into Thy joy and life I come Jesus, I come to Thee. Out of the depths of ruin I'm torn. Into peace set my sheltering home. Bear Thy glorious face to me, Lord.

Rule number 205, free from the law, old happy condition. From the law of happy condition Jesus hath bled and there is remission Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall Grace hath redeemed us receive it. How are you free? There's no condemnation! Jesus provides a perfect salvation! Come unto me, O hear, sweet Paul! Come, and He saves us!

What for all who have sinned are receiving? What for all who have broken are believing? Leaping across the burning fire, Christ has redeemed us. what's for all Turn your Bibles please to John 12th chapter. I'm going to read verses 37 through 41. First we'll read it in conjunction with verse 36. Our Lord said, while you have light, believe in the light, that you may be children of light.

And these things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from thee. But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him. That the saying of Isaiah, the prophet, might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed that report, and who hath the arm of the Lord be fulfilled? Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts. that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Isaiah when he saw His glory, and speak of Him.

Let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word, which is what we have in this world, to teach us who you are and what we are. To set forth the glories of Jesus Christ and the salvation he accomplished on Calvary's truth. We are thankful that in your grand purpose and scheme, you chose your people from the foundation of the world. Chose them unto salvation. through sanctification of spirit, belief, and truth, and called by your gospel to the attaining of the glory of Jesus Christ. We are thankful that you left nothing of salvation to us. But we know what we are. We know, to some degree, our depravity. We know, to some degree, our frailty and our weakness. We shudder to think if it was ever true to reveal how violent we really are.

We thank you, Father, for salvation that's free and full and forever. Pray for those who are sick. Can you pray for Cynthia? She recovered from this knee operation. Help her with her therapy. Pray for Sharon as she faces these tests she's got to take. I'm thankful that Judah's doing so well. I pray for the others who requested prayer.

We ask the Lord your help for them. We know that the desire of our hearts is that they be healed, strengthened, brought back to a reasonable measure of health. And that is our prayer. We also know that your will will be done in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay your hand. I say unto you, what doest thou? We know you have care for your children.

Help us, Lord, to remember each other and call each other's name out before you. Help us tonight, Father, as we look at your word. We consider these things in this blessed gospel, John, that teach us so much and help us so much to understand who you are. Help us now, we pray in Christ's name. Amen.

As I was preparing this message, two things came to mind that had happened to me since I've been here in this pulpit. I remember one time I reached and there was some young women who were visiting with some laundry that they just happened in because they were camping or something. And they didn't agree with what I was saying. I could see from the way they were looking at me while I was preaching. And one of the young ladies came up after her, and I preached, and she stood right there, and she says, you know, I can believe those flowers are God. And I said, well, go ahead.

Well, she couldn't. There is no how to believe in scripture. It's not there. There is no how in belief. You either believe or you don't. If you do believe, it's because God has graced you and given you faith to believe. Otherwise, you don't believe. Either way, it's just a condition that God puts you in, one state or the other. Another time, Peggy Hill told me that her mother had asked her this, how do you believe? And she said, I thought maybe I had an answer. And then I thought about it, and there was no answer. How do you believe?

This passage of scripture tells us something about belief and about unbelief. And there are passages in scripture that are so explicit and precise that there can be no question as to their meaning. When this verse is read, therefore they could not believe, that's what the Bible says. Doesn't say they didn't choose to not believe, they didn't decide to not believe, said they couldn't. They could not believe.

This passage is one of those passages that the meaning of is very clear. In it we find the fact of God's sovereignty in the matter, that there are men and women in this world who cannot believe, who cannot believe. And it's not a matter of will, but a matter of fulfillment of prophecy according to the Word of God, just as according to God's plan in these words here. Because John is addressing those who saw many miracles that the Lord had done with things yet they didn't believe. And he tells us why they didn't believe. Any who would disallow this clear word and opt for the false notion that men are the captains of their own salvation are placed firmly in the category of those who cannot believe according to God's Word.

Over in 1 Peter we find that kind of language used in those who oppose the Gospel and to whom the Gospel is a stumbling block and a stone of stumbling. In 1 Peter chapter 2, verse Eight, it says, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, speaking of the gospel, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, for unto also they were appointed. Over in Jude, chapter one, we are familiar with that passage of the scripture when Jude talks about those who are foreordained to this condemnation. In Jude, chapter one, in verse four, for there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

They were ordained to that. That's the language used. And there will be some who will just say, that can't be. There are some even who claim to believe in the sovereign grace of God and say, I have difficulty with that. Well, it's there. This is the Word of God, we see. This is Godspeed. This is the Holy Spirit inspiring John to write these words. They don't believe because they cannot believe. They cannot believe.

After the Lord had declared in no uncertain terms that he was that great light that shone upon those who dwelt in darkness. That light that was the Word and was God. That light before whom all things are disclosed. And that light that must be believed for everlasting life. He left the multitudes with that truth. that he had proclaimed the truth and he hid himself from men. Which is a picture of how it should be done.

All the inventions of men end up after the sermon is preached. If a sermon is preached, sometimes they have a singing service and they don't need preaching at all, but after the preaching you have the invitation. You have people You have preachers beseeching people. You have people telling them to close their eyes and raise their hands and all kinds of foolishness that goes on.

None of that goes on. Our Lord told them the truth and walked away. He walked away. That's what we're to do. We're not trying to convince people of anything. If they want to know the truth, we'll be glad to tell the truth to them. But our Lord walked away.

No other measures of influence were employed, only the spoken word. And that's the wonder of the gospel, that this word is in the hands of the Almighty, is the only thing employed in the salvation of a sinner. This is it, nothing else. No human hands are involved in this thing.

A man stands up whom God has appointed and sent to preach the gospel, but he's just a man. He's a sinner like all the other members of that body. And he will soon pass off the scene and somebody else probably will take his place and do the same thing. But you can't apply any of salvation to that man. That man is a sinner, saved by grace, just like those to whom he preaches. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That's what the scripture says. How does that work? It works really well, but I don't understand it. I can't begin to understand.

As he who is the word spoke the word, it says, there yet were many who did not believe and even sought to kill him. In fact, they'll end up doing just that or trying to do just that in days to come as we study this very book. John addressed that very thing, that very passage, and he begins with a statement that seems to be unwanted. He said, after they preached so many miracles, he used the word so. in verse 37, but though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.

In the face of empirical evidence, I mean, who does miracles? Men don't do miracles. Now the apostles were given the Holy Spirit in a measure that they could do things that other men couldn't do. But that ended with the apostolic age when they died. Our Lord did miracles. God can do miracles. I can't do miracles. He did miracles. So many miracles in the face of empirical evidence, multitudes, yet remained in unbelief.

I mean, He unraised somebody from the dead. Just a few chapters back, this man named Elizabeth was actually called out of a tomb. Still wrapped in his gray clothes. Been dead four days, and everybody thought he'd probably be stinking by now, and yet he came forth a whole man, and he's mentioned again in chapter 12. Christ went to Lazarus' house, and Lazarus was there.

So many miracles, and yet men don't believe. Now there's a subtle reminder here that seeing is not believing. Seeing is not believing. That miracles performed do not equate with cause and faith, but we're employed that men might pause and stop for a moment because they see something wondrous as if God can speak to them. So the Lord might speak to them. They've had pause to hear the word. But it's still a wonder that men and women who saw and experienced the power of Christ even over death did not follow him and did not hang on his every word.

I guarantee if somebody did that and they really did it, we'd be right on his coattails. We'll find out more about him. Stick around. We wouldn't be like those who didn't believe. Our Lord did wonders. He fed 5,000 people with just a few fishes and a few loaves of bread. He turned water into wine. He did wondrous things. A man who was blind from birth, our Lord gave him sight again.

He did all that, yet men didn't believe. to the human mind. It seems logical that they would believe, but human logic has no part in God's thoughts. His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither is the ways our ways. Perhaps John's word proceeds from the heart of one who desires the salvation of his brethren according to the flesh. Paul did. Maybe he was amazed and full of wonder. These men didn't believe. John didn't have the full story of faith yet. He was a believer. He was called of God. He was one of the apostles. But he didn't have the full story on how faith comes. Not yet.

That all is going to come later as the epistles are written and the Lord gives us a fuller understanding of these things. But when push comes to shove, the apostle falls back on the veracity of Scripture. And going to the prophet Isaiah, he explains why those who observed so many wonders yet did not believe. Verse 38 says that. That's important. Read that in conjunction with verse 37.

But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him that. So there's a reason. why these did not believe. That word, that, makes that clear that there is a reason why these did not believe. The Lord said that these will not come to Him. They will not come to Him. And He spoke of them of their will in John chapter 5 and verse 39. It explains that they will not come to Him, but they will not because they cannot. The same people is being addressed here that was addressed in John chapter 5 and verse 39. Isaiah is But Isaiah, it goes from Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah had put forth a query. It was really a rhetorical question.

When he said, who hath believed our report, to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Who is the salvation of the Lord? The word report is doctrine throughout the Old Testament. Who hath believed our doctrine, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

That's a rhetorical question, because if you read Isaiah chapter 53, you find that the remainder of that chapter answers all those questions. Answers both those questions, and sets forth the fact that Isaiah is about Christ. and his gospel. Those who believe in Isaiah chapter 53, those who believe the report, those to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed are called Christ's seed in that chapter. They are called men and women whom he gave himself for a ransom in that chapter. those he made his soul an offering for sin for, those straying sheep whose sins were laid on him. That's who's described as those to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed, salvation of the Lord is revealed.

All others do not believe. All others do not believe and they do not believe because they cannot. That's what it says in verse 39. Therefore, they could not believe. Because Isaiah said something else. Verse 40 said, He hath blinded their eyes. He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart. Who did that? He did that.

Blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart. So they won't be converted and they won't be healed. God has fixed it so they won't be converted and they won't be healed. They could not believe because that was the purpose of God. That was the purpose of God.

When did Isaiah say that? When was that said to Isaiah actually from the Lord actually said that to Isaiah? He says you go out and preach the gospel and this is what's going to happen. Look over to Isaiah chapter 6. You find out what Isaiah had to tell folks. This is what Isaiah would tell these people, and this message that he would tell them would end up hardening their heart and closing their eyes and making them fat so they would never be converted.

What kind of message was that? Would he go out and say, you're going to hell in a handbasket? Did he say that? You better straighten up and fly around. What was his message? Here was his message. I saw also the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted up. His train filled the temple.

Above it, this throne, stood the seraphim, which he's had six wings. With two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he didn't fly. And one cried to another, this is the seraphim crying to another. There was flying around, some walking, some flying, all of them talking.

And one cried to another, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the doors moved with the voice of him that cried. and the house filled with smoke. Then I said, woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, in the midst of people of unclean lips, because mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. This is what happens when you see the King, the Lord of Hosts. This is the message. Boy, that's something to tell somebody, isn't it? Surely, if you tell folks about that person, that one enthroned, whose train filled the temple, with these beasts flying around and crying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, whose earth, the earth is full of his glory. Surely, surely when he spoke the smoke rose in the temple, I've seen the king, I've seen the Lord of glory. Surely if you tell somebody that, they'll get excited. He said, tell them that. Tell them that, and that will harden their hearts. That will close their eyes. Look over at verse 10. Verse 9 says, Go and tell his people, Hear ye indeed, and understand not, and see indeed, but perceive not.

What a message he had. What a message the gospel is. Was it Paul who said, This is what it's going to do. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed. You do that. With that message. Now you who know Christ, just me reading from Isaiah chapter 1 did something to your heart. Made you joyous to hear of your Lord in such a manner. It's that same message. Actually blinds some people. Actually hardens their heart. Actually makes them feel safe when they're not. So they'll never be converted and never be healed. That's a big deal. Therefore they could not believe, he said, because as Isaiah said, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart. They should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and should be healed.

John quotes another passage from Isaiah, and this quote makes us know without a doubt that the power that resides in the gospel, and the design thereof, is both to kill and to make alive. It's not merely a lecture or a disposable speech. It has a true effect on those who hear it, and that by divine intent and purpose. He quotes Isaiah 610 that I just read to you. The message that Isaiah was to declare is what he saw.

That glorious thing that he saw was able to talk about that blessed message exalting the glory of the Lord and King Jesus Christ. That message, that wondrous declaration of good things, of good tidings of good things should serve to ensure that some of these hearers would not be converted. Isn't that something? Isn't that something? I got it. Not like anything else.

Paul said the same thing basically in 2 Corinthians Second Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 14, now thanks be unto God which always causes us to triumph in Jesus Christ. Make us manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor in Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish. To the one we're a savor of death and the death of the other We're a saver of the life and the life, and who is sufficient for these things? We're not. Only God is sufficient for such a thing. The miracles and the words of Christ brought salvation to many, and still do yet today, and at the same time assured that many would not believe.

Isaiah volunteered to tell out what he had seen. He said, the Lord said, who shall I see? And he said, let me go. I've got a message for you. Ooh, I've got something to tell you. He said, well, go tell it. It's going to blind people's eyes and harden their hearts. He said, I'm not going to convert. I'm not going to convert. When did he do that? When he had seen the Lord's glory, it said. That's what it said. These things said Isaiah said when he saw the glory, saw his glory in the spake of him. He had seen the Lord's glory in the spake of him.

Our Lord used this passage of scripture from Isaiah over in Matthew chapter 13. Matthew 13, the disciples came to him and asked him why he spoke to people in parables. Matthew 13 verse 10 says, and the disciples came and said unto him, why speakest thou to them in parables? He's speaking to the Pharisees.

He answered and said, because it's given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he that shall have more abundance, but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away.

Therefore speak out of them in prayers, because they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophet of Isaiah, which said, by hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is wax and gross, their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should be understanding with their heart, and should be converted, that I should heal them. But blessed, blessed is your eyes, for they see in your ears, for they hear.

Paul the apostle, after he had preached the gospel so many years, coming to the end of his road, he said in Acts chapter 28, Verse 23 and 24, and when they appointed him a day, there came many to him in his lodging to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets from morning till evening. All the apostles, what a preacher, what a mind. Here's the record. And some believed the things that were spoken, and some believed not.

Why not? Because they could not. We have no way of identifying who will believe, but we know that all who have been given to Christ will, and nobody else will. And those who do not believe, do not believe because they cannot believe. Our Lord said in John chapter 6 verse 44, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me glory. Every day, thank God that you believe. Because you didn't have a thing to do with it. Father bless us to our understanding of Christ. Amen. All right. God bless you.

They Could Not Believe

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They Could Not Believe

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