"I Pray for Them"

Number 17 Come thou fount of every blessing Tune thy heart to sing thy grace Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some of Lord Hasidic, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mountain fixed upon it, Clouds of Thy redeeming love Here I raise my heaven-easier Hither by Thy help I'm called And I hope by Thy good pleasure Safely to arrive at home Jesus saw him in a stranger wandering from the fold of God. He to rescue thee from danger interposed his precious blood. Oh, to grace how great a debtor Lately I'm constrained to be Led by goodness like a fetter I'm a wandering heart to thee Be seated and we'll sing hymn number 298. 298 298 In shady green pastures so rich and so sweet, God bleeds His dear children of old. Where the water's cool flow bathes the weary Lord's feet, God bleeds His dear children of old.

Some through the water, some through the flood, Some through the fire, but all through the love. Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song. In the night season and all the day long. Sometimes on the mountain where the sun shines so bright, God leaves his dear children alone. Sometimes in the valley in darkest of night, God leaves his dear children alone. Some through the water, some through the flood, Some through the fire, but all through the blood. Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song. In the night season and all the day long.

Though sorrows befall us and Satan oppose, God bleeds His dear children alone. Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes, God bleeds His dear children alone. Some through the waters, some through the floods, Some through the fire, but all through the blood Some through great sorrow, but God gives us some In the night season and all the day long Away from the mine, away from the clay God leaves his dear children alone Way up in glory, eternity's name God bleeds His dear children of old Some through the water, some through the flood Some through the fire, but all through the blood Some through great sorrow, but God gives His song in the night season and all the day long. John 17. John 17. Read verse 6 through 10.

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. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee. they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine, and all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.

Our blessed Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, God over all and blessed forever. Lord, when we confront God and deal with God, you have to deal with you, because we wouldn't know your Father. And we wouldn't know you, except the Father made you to know us. And our blessed Savior, meet with us tonight. Oh Lord, we need you to meet with us. I want you to meet with us if you'd be pleased to. And our Lord, we pray that the word of God would be blessed to our hearts, our minds, and our understandings this evening.

And our blessed Savior, we pray for those who are not with us. We understand that people are sick, that they're frail, that their bodies fail them. And they get so weak, just so flesh. Truly, the Spirit's willing, but this flesh is so weak. And Lord, we know that there's people be here if they were able. So God bless them. Lord, encourage them. Make their hearts to be rejoiced in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again, we pray for our families, for our sons and daughters, husbands and wives.

Grandchildren, oh Lord, they don't know you. They don't know you. And they never will know you if you don't go and get them where they are. Because they're so far off, they're so far off, they can't find their way. But Lord, we were lost that bad ourselves. We couldn't find our way. But you found us. You found us. You was found to them that wasn't even seeking you, but you found us. And oh, we bless you for it, praise you for it. Bring glory to yourself tonight in this service. We ask it for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. M number 290.

Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side. ♪ Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain ♪ ♪ Leave to thy God to border and provide ♪ ♪ In every change be faithful forevermore ♪ Be still, my soul, thy best, thy deadly friend. Through thorny ways, please to rejoin me. Be still, my soul. I guard the power to take, To guide the future as he guides the past. I hope thy confidence let nothing shake, All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul, the waves and winds still blow. His voice arose, meanwhile he dwelt below.

Be still my soul, the hour is hastening on When we shall be forever in the home When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, Sorrow, fear of God, thus purest joys restored. Be still, my soul, when change and tears have passed. All safe and blessed, we shall meet again. 4610 says, be still, and know that I am the Lord. Be still, know that I am God. Look down here in verse 9 of John 17.

It's going to be my subject tonight. I pray for them. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Who is them our Lord is praying for? Who is them? Well, first of all, those that were given to him by the Father. He said, which thou hast given me. How many times did he say it? Seven times in this chapter. He talks about those given to him. Mentioned it seven times.

Thou gavest them me. Thou gavest them me. Thou gavest them to me. Those thou givest to me. And our Lord Jesus Christ, he says this seven times. Seven is perfection in the scriptures. And look what the first thing he says here in verse eight. It says, I have given unto them the words. I have given you the words which thou gavest me. The words. You gave me these words.

He only spake what the Father gave him to say. And if he was true to God's word, if he only said what his father said, if he only dealt with God's word as it being God's word, how much truer should we be to the word of God? If he was true to it, and he said the words that you gave me, I gave to them. And if our Lord made something so much out of his word, how we should deal with his word, and deal with it truthfully and honestly and faithfully.

And then it says there in verse eight, not only did he give them the words, but they received them. They received them. When Christ gives you the word, he said, I gave them the words that you gave me and those that you gave me. And you know what they did? They received them. They said, yes, I'll take that. I love that. I receive that. I rejoice in that.

Look with me over in John chapter 10. Look in John chapter 10. Over here in John chapter 10. Look what our Lord says about it over here. Chapter 10, verse 24. You know, we know in receiving his words, they were convinced that he came from the Father. They knew, they had known surely that he came out from God. Look what he says in verse 24.

Then came the Jews round about him, gathered around him, and said unto him, How long do thou holdest us in suspense? That's what it says in the margin. How long do you hold us in suspense and make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, just tell us plainly, come out with it. Our Lord answered them, I told you, and you believe not. The works that I do in my father's name bear witness to me. Every the works, all the works that I do, the miracles that I do, they bear witness to me.

But you believe not because you're not of my sheep, as I said unto you. That's the only reason they didn't believe. They didn't receive it. They wasn't the Lord's sheep. But now listen to what he said. My sheep hear my voice. You know why those fellows heard those words and received their words? They was his sheep. They were given to him. Look what he says. And I give unto them. They don't earn it. They don't deserve it. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my Father's hands." And then back over in our text, they received him and have known surely that I come out from you. Now, another thing he says, oh my.

You know, they knew, when he says they have known, they knew he had been before he came into this world. that he had an existence before he come into this world. They knew that. They knew that he'd come out from God. They knew that he'd come from heaven. They knew he'd come from God himself. The Father sent him into this world, so he had to be someplace else before the Father sent him. In all mine, he says, Father, glorify thou me with the glory which I had with you before the world was. Those folks knew that. They'd known that.

And I tell you what, he had a glory and a union with his father and delight of his father. He came out from God. And he come out from God to assume flesh, to become a man, to come into this world, incarnate, God incarnate. Isaiah 9, 6 says this, under us, a child is given. Under us, a son is born.

What are you going to call him? Call him wonderful. Call him counselor. Call him the mighty God. Call him the everlasting father. Call him the prince of peace. Because he always existed. He gave us a child than any son was given. And oh my, he became incarnate. And bless his holy name, I am grateful that he did that so he could identify with us. And all he says is they believe. that you sent me. They believed that you sent me. And oh my. Why did he say it? To make the father known. To make salvation known. To make men to know themselves. To reveal himself and to reveal the father. And I'll tell you what, he made to make him known that they come from you and that they would experience the love that you have. for them in this world.

Now, when we see here, it says, sees that they have received thy words which thou gavest them, and they believed them, and believed them, and they kept them. The scripture says they kept them. By this have given the words, we see that faith comes by hearing. You know why these men believed? They heard. They heard the words of Christ. They heard the words of God. They received them.

He says faith, that's what he says, faith comes by hearing. He said, I have given them thy words and they received them and have known and have believed. You know, knowledge, I'm going to say something here, knowledge and spiritual knowledge and understanding is the fruit of receiving God's word. You'll not know anything about God without the word. You'll not have any fruit of understanding. You won't understand a thing in the world if you don't take God's Word, if you don't receive His Word, and don't believe His Word. He said we hear Him, we've believed, we've known, and then we believe.

When you know certain things and you say, yes, that has to be right, that has to be true, then you say, I believe that. I believe it. And just like this, he said, I've given them words. And they believed it. They kept them. They kept them. Oh, my. And I tell you another thing, too. Faith is intelligent. What do I mean by that? They said they have known. I mentioned that twice. They have known. I've said this countless times.

Biblical Christianity. where you're confronted with the truth over and over and over again, verse by verse by verse. You know what you end up doing? You end up having faith that's based on something besides your feelings or your opinions or anybody else. You get some knowledge in your brain, and it comes to you, and it comes with intelligence. You know, this idea we're just diving out into the dark, we don't do that. Faith brings us some understanding. Faith gives us some intelligence. You know, we can say what we believe. You cannot know God and not think about him. You cannot know yourself and not think about it. You cannot know the scriptures and not think about it. You cannot know yourself and not think about it.

So I tell you what, you have a spiritual intelligence, and I tell you, faith is intelligent. It's not stupid. It's not stupid. I'll tell you what's stupid. It's somebody thinking that they can actually please God by something they say or do. We say, no, that's not right. We got enough intelligence to know that free will's wrong. God give us enough spiritual intelligence to know that works is wrong. We give us sufficient intelligence to know that our feelings come and go, but His Word abides forever. Faith is not dumb. I hope I'm making myself understandable.

And I tell you, the more you hear, the more you believe. And the more you know about Christ, the more you trust Him. And you know why you come here? I want to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to hear what He's did for me. That's what I want to hear. And that's why you come here tonight.

To get fed, to be encouraged, to be comforted. And I tell you, now let's go back over here to verse 9. I'm going to go back to verse 9 now. Said all those things to get here. Oh, look what he says about them. In verse 9, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which hast given me out of the world. Oh, look what our master said. Back over here in verse 14.

I have given them thy word, and they're not of the world. They're not of the world. Oh, my. He said, they're not of the world. It says in verse 6 down here that He gave us them, me out of the world. Gave them me out of the world. The believer is not of the world. You gave those people to me out of the world. They were in the world, but you brought them out of the world, and you gave them to me out of the world. And I kept them while they was in the world. I kept them. The believer's not of the world. He prays not for the world here.

If John 3.16 means the whole world, what world is our Lord not praying for? Huh?

If John 3.16 means every soul on the earth, who in the world is he, what world is he not praying for here in John 17? None. See what I'm telling you? That's intelligent faith. You know that. What I was talking about. Huh? Oh, my.

He prays for his people. He prays for his sheep. He prays for his elect. He prays for his people. He's their mediator. The only one between us and God is Christ. He prays for us as a perfect man, a sinless man, a holy man, somebody that God hears constantly and continually. He even prays for his enemies. Our Lord holds no revenge in his heart.

He said, love your neighbor as yourself. He did. Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. Oh, he taught us to love our enemies, and he prays for us, not the world, as our great high priest has passed into the heavens. He intercedes for his own, just like Aaron did, took Israel into the presence of God on his breastplate.

And a child of God, he said he separated out of the world. He said, thou, I pray not for the world. Look back up there in verse six. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. What world is that? Oh, he gave us out of the world. Now we're in a separate, now listen to me now. We're in a separate category than the world. And I'm not ashamed of it. Why would you be ashamed of that? Let me ask you a question. Am I of the world? There's two groups of people here, the world and those who belong to Christ. Now, let me talk about the world.

Paul says the world and the fashion of it will pass away. This world and everything in it is going to pass away. All the fashion of it will pass away. Everything on this earth is going to pass away. That's why he says, you're in the world, but don't abuse the world. Because it's going to pass away. The fashion of it is going to pass away.

And then Paul said in Ephesians 2, we walked according to the course of this world in whom the prince of the power of the air And we walked according to our, had our conversations in time past in the lust of the flesh. And we're by nature the children of wrath even as others. Oh my.

And a course, you know what a course is? I sit out here, you know, people set out a race course. I used to run a lot of races back when I run a lot. I'd run these race courses and they'd have them laid out. And oh my, people have study courses. And that means a pattern that all will follow. And there's some course governed by the prince of the power of the air. There's a course in this world that people follow. It's easy to spot somebody that's following in the course of this world, governed by the prince of the power. And let me tell you what being in the world is. It's a life lived apart from God. It's a life lived apart from God. God doesn't, they don't think about God. They live a life apart from God.

You know, it's not what we do in particular. It's an attitude that men and women have. How, you know, the world thinks about the world and what they can accomplish in the world. They live a life that God does not enter into. They are interested in who they know, what they know, what they've accomplished, how successful they've been, and they drop names. I know this fellow, that fellow, and another fellow. Oh, my.

And I tell you what, it's an attitude towards God, towards everything in this world. It's an attitude that's toward God, that's absolutely against Him. It's everything toward this life in this world. This is the only world a lot of people's ever going to have.

So they ought to enjoy it, I reckon. And oh, my. He said, be not conformed to this world. Look over in 1 John chapter 2 with me. You know, people think being worldly is going places and doing things and that. It's living a life apart from God. All you think about is this life and what you're going to get in this life.

John 2.15.

John 2.15, look what our master said now. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. I heard a preacher preach one time, and he quoted that verse of scripture. Went over and read it and quoted it. He said, see that things there? I can preach about anything that I want to, anything that's a thing, I can preach against it.

That's all he saw there. All he saw about the world was people that didn't dress the way he thinks they ought to dress. Didn't go to places he thinks they ought not go. So everything that he thought was things was something that you did, some place you went, and some way you acted.

But you live a life apart from God and you're a worldly. And look what he goes on to say. Love not the world, neither things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father's not in him. You live a life apart from God, live a life in fashion of this world, for all that is in this world, all that's in this world right now is the lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father.

And watch what it says here in verse 17. And the world passes away, and all the lust that's in this world, but you know who's going to abide forever? He that believes God, does the will of God, pays attention to God's word. You know, worldly doesn't mean just not going and doing.

Our Lord says, you know, not everyone that call me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. You know, Paul was a worldly man until God saved him. Paul the apostle was a worldly man until God saved him. He had no clue what sin was.

You know that? He hated Christ, he hated God, he hated everything that there was about salvation by grace. He went out killing Christians and putting people in jail. He was making havoc of the church. Oh my, he had the lust of the flesh. He hated, he hated the Lord's people.

He had the lust of the eyes. All he was interested in was his appearance to the rest of the Jews. His appearance to how he lived and how good a person he was. That's what he, that's what the lust of the eyes is. It's not you out here looking at something that you want. It's you worried about your appearance. And that's what Paul was. He was concerned about his appearance in the eyes of everybody else.

And that's what the Pharisees did. Listen, they loved standing, making long prayers, standing in their long gowns, praying. Praying. Let everybody know it, let everybody see it. And I'll tell you what, and then here's another thing. He had the pride of life. You know what he boasted in? Pharisee of Pharisees, a Hebrew of Hebrews, of righteousness after the law, I was blameless. Oh, and he said, I went to the best teacher that's ever been known among the Jews, Gamaliel. So he had a lot to boast in and brag in. But when God got through with him, you know what happened?

He quit being a worldly. He quit being a Pharisee. He gave up his righteousness. He gave up his boasting. He gave up everything and said that I may win Christ, know Christ, and be found in Christ. I don't want my righteousness, but his righteousness. Oh my. He had his tradition in schooling.

And oh my, and what will all this amount to, this worldliness, this living a life apart from God, living just for the world, and what you can get out of the world? Oh my, what will it be in the final analysis? Oh my, and it's not how we appear before men, but how do we appear before God? How does God see us?

All right. Dealt with the world. We're not of the world. We are not of the world. And oh, look what he says here. And I pray for them. I pray for them. I pray for them. Pray not for the world, but for them, them which thou gavest me. Those that you gave me. You know, billions upon billions upon billions and generation after generation, have passed away unprayed for. You know how many, I don't know how many billions of people there are on the planet right now, but they've been billions coming, go, go, go, go, go.

And how many of them do you think the Lord prayed for? How many is he praying for in China? How many is he praying for in America? How many is he praying for in Vietnam? How many is he praying for in some other county. How many is he praying for in the United States? How many is he praying for?

I know one thing. I certainly want him to pray for me. I pray for them. Who? Those that you gave to me. Not just everybody. You gave them to me, so I'm praying for them. I'm praying for them. Oh, my. Judas asked the question, not Iscariot. Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself unto us and you're not in the world, you're out of the world? Huh? Oh my.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, he prays for us and he prays for us now. And you know, there's many people put us to shame in many, many ways. Our Lord said, they said, Oh, we've preached in your name. There's a lot of people out there preaching in Jesus' name. A lot of people preaching in Jesus' name. They're doing wonderful works in Jesus' name. They're casting out devils in Jesus' name. And our Lord said, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. And this is the first awfulest word you'll ever hear. I never knew you. But I know them. I know them. I know them. These are left out. All these folks and all their religion are left out. And we're taken in.

Why? What's the reason that he gave us to Christ? What's the reason that we're not of the world? What's the reason he saved us out of the world? What's the reason? What's the answer? Free, sovereign grace. Grace freely given. Grace given to us in Christ before the world ever began. Because we is given to the Father. And the very word grace by definition means that not everybody's going to get it. And the world.

I've been called this, oh, you fellows are so selfish. You think you're the only one saved. You think you're superior. You're elitist. And we are. If the Lord's praying for you, that means you're in pretty good company. If the Lord's praying for you, not the world. But I tell you, let them say what they want to about us.

Let them think, you know, let them say, boy, those folks think they're the only ones. They're the only ones. In fact, two or three people told me that before. I mean, I was down at the graveyard one time and a couple of folks started talking to me and said, you think you're the only one that knows anything about the Bible, the only one that thinks anything? You're the only people that are saved. Ain't nobody else saved. I said, tell me what it is then. He said, I'll bring my Bible to show you. He brought his Bible. Every verse scripture he turned to, he had it just opposite of what it's supposed to be. Oh, my. They call it, but listen, let them say what they will.

You know what we're going to do? We're going to bow our hearts before God. and we're going to praise Him and we're going to bless Him and we're going to honor Him and by His grace we'll glorify Him and we'll be kind and gracious to other people, but we're not going to be ashamed of our Lord Jesus Christ saving us and making us His own people, His own elect. We're not going to be ashamed of that. And I tell you what, no matter what they say, it doesn't change the fact that our Lord prayed for them. And oh, listen to what he says down in verse 10.

This is amazing to me. For they are thine. They belong to you, always were yours, and then you turn around and gave them to me. You gave me charge over. Here's the reason he prays for them. They're his by election. by eternal, effectual love. That's how we're saved. That's what happened to us. And oh my, you know, that's the first reason. Oh, the first reason why he prays for them, because they are by election. He elected them, gave them to him.

Eternal, effectual love that God gave to us. And then he says another second reason why he prays for them, because he says in verse 10 this is a this is you know this these things confuse people all mine belong to you and all thine are mine and I am glorified in them all mine belong to you and all yours belong to me now what's he saying he said I'm my father-in-law that's all he said He said, they was yours, now mine, now yours too.

They're all, you know. He said, our Lord says that no man able to pluck them out of my hand. And then he says, no man's able to pluck them out of my father's hands. So you got two hands there that you can't be plucked out of. Because the father and the son, they love the same people. They love the same people. The interest of the father and the son cannot be separated. What belongs to the son belongs to the father. What belongs to the father belongs to the son.

They're just like that. Just like that. Let me give you a third reason. No, this is astounding to me. He said in verse 10, all mine are thine and all yours are mine. And listen to this. I am glorified in them. What? What? That's a statement of fact. You know that? That's a statement of fact.

I am glorified in them. Oh, how can it be? Do you feel like Christ is glorified in you? But our Lord said I'm glorified in them. That's what he said. I'm going to believe him. Now, I don't look like I bring any glory to him at all. But he says I'm glorified in them. Who's them? I pray for them. For them that you gave me, I pray for them. Oh, my. In what way was he glorified in him?

He said the world knew him not. Israel received him not, but we received his word and believed his word. We have known that he came out from God. We know that God sent him, and we believe, and we need him, and we love him, and we've got to have him. We've got to have him. Once you know Christ, you cannot imagine living in the world without him. You cannot get your head around not knowing him, and not loving him, and not bound to him, and not seeking to honor him. Amen? Our Father, in the blessed name of Christ our Lord, thank you for meeting with us here tonight.

Oh, your word is so precious, so powerful. And you said, I've given them thy word. And they've kept them. They've kept them. And Lord, these are things that we just believe. We believe. We love your word. We need your word. And we want your word hidden in our hearts. Hidden in our hearts. Hide your word in our hearts.

And, Lord, you said you's glorified in us. So, Lord, help us to believe these gracious truths, though we don't feel it in ourselves, but this is what you say. And so, Lord, we bless you and praise you for all you've done. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for praying for us. Blessed your holy name. Amen. Amen. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim. in the light of his glory and grace. Well, see you Sunday, God willing.

"I Pray for Them"

Sermon Transcript

About Donnie Bell

Comments

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

"I Pray for Them"

Sermon Transcript

About Donnie Bell

Comments

More from Donnie Bell

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Donnie Bell

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book