Hi, everybody. Would you turn to John chapter
13? I want to read one verse of scripture
from John chapter 13, verse 17. If you know these things, happy
are you if you do them." Now, let's take that statement by
the Lord. If you know these things, happy
are you if you do them. Now, if you're anything like
me, what you think of first when you read a verse of scripture
like that or hear it read, you think, doing. I'm not doing enough. I need to do more. I need to
do. That's what it says. Or you think
the only way I can be happy is if I do these things. The reason
I'm unhappy is because I'm not doing these things as I should.
And I could only be happy in doing these things. If you know
these things, happy are you if you Now, if that's my thinking,
I'm thinking wrong. That's not the way to approach
this passage of Scripture. If you know these things, happy
are you if you do them. Now, this word happy is found
100 times in the New Testament, and 94 times it's translated
blessed. It's the same word the Lord used
with regard to the Beatitudes. Blessed are they that are poor
in spirit. Blessed are they that mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness. Now, happy doesn't mean what
we think of when we think of happy, when we find this word
in the Bible, happy or blessed. Like I said, Translated of the
100 times it's found, 94 times blessed, and five times happy. When we think of happy, we think,
got no deeds to do, no promises to keep. I'm daffled and drowsy
and ready to sleep. Let the morning try and drop
all its petals on me. Life, I love you. All is groovy.
So much for our thoughts of happiness and Paul Simon's interpretation
of happiness, but the word means highly favored by God. If you're poor. You've been highly
favored by God. Much blessed. By God, like the Lord or the
angel said to Mary, Hail, thou art highly favored, much blessed
of God. That's what the word means. So
when we look at this statement, if you know these things, you're
highly favored and blessed of God if he gives you grace to
do them. That is the meaning. If you know these things, Happy
are you if you do them. Now in Luke chapter 16, the Lord
tells us of a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen
and lived sumptuously every day. He was living the dream. And
we read of a beggar named Lazarus covered with sores that the dogs
would come and lick, sitting at the gate of the rich man,
hoping for any crumbs that might fall his way. Which one was happy? To no brainer, the rich man.
Which one was blessed? Lazarus was highly favored of
God. If you know these things, how
blessed of God you are if you do them. As Philippians 2.13
says, it's God that worketh in you both to will and to do of
his good pleasure. Now in the context, he's speaking
of foot washing. Look in verse 6. Then cometh he to Simon Peter,
and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus
answered and said unto him, What I do knowest not now, thou knowest
not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Now, Peter understood
that the Lord was demonstrating a great act of humility and washing
their feet. I mean, can you imagine how you'd
feel if the son of God was washing your feet? I can understand why
Peter said, thou shalt never wash my feet. But the Lord says,
you don't understand what I'm doing right now. And he didn't
because this is the gospel in this. Look at verse eight, Peter
saith unto them, thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered
him, if I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. You have no part in my saving
work. You have no part in me being
your surety if I don't wash you. You have no part in my justifying
work of righteousness if I don't wash you. What is the one requirement
of having a part in Christ? You need to be washed. That's
the gospel. You need to be washed. And if I wash thee not, Thou
has no part with me. The only way I can have a part
with Christ and share in what he did is if he washes me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord,
not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith
to him, he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but
he's clean every width. altogether clean. You're clean,
but not all. He's talking about Jews. Not
all of you are. But if you're clean, you're absolutely pure
before God. But you know, in your own experience,
you get your feet dirty every day, don't you? Every single
day, your feet are muddied by your sin. You're clean every
whit. That's just the truth. When he
said it is finished, every believer was declared to be clean. every
wit, but you get your feet dirty every day and you need your feet
washed daily. For he knew who should betray
him, therefore said he, you're not all clean. So after they
had washed their feet and had taken his garments and was set
down again, he said unto them, know ye what I've done to you? You call me master and Lord. I love that. You never read of
a disciple coming up to the Lord and calling him by his first
name, Jesus. Doesn't happen. They call him
Master and Lord because they knew who he was. He's the Master.
He's the Lord. He's the God of glory. And he
said to them, he commended them for this. He said, you call me
Master and Lord. You say, well, that's what you
should be saying. For so I am. If I then, your
Lord and master, have washed your feet, you also ought to
wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example
that you should do as I have done unto you. Has the Lord not
washed your feet every day? Has there ever been a time when
he said, you got it too dirty today, I'm not washing it. No,
he's always washed your feet. condescension of the Lord's part.
What grace that he would always wash our feet. Barely, barely, I say unto you
that the servants are greater than his Lord. Neither is he
that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these
things. You know, you need your feet
washed every day. And you know, I've washed your
feet every day. You know that's the way you ought
to treat your brother. He gets his feet dirty. He hates
his sin just like you hate your sin. Wash his feet with gospel
encouragement. Forgive him. Don't judge him.
Love him. If you know these things and
you know these things. Oh, how blessed of God you are
if you do them. If you know these things. Now,
the first thing I'd like to say about this statement is there
is no salvation apart from knowledge. If you know these things, you
can't believe what you do not know. The Lord said, you shall
know the truth. And the truth shall make you
free. Now, it's not your knowledge
of the truth that makes you free. You never know enough. You never
feel like you know enough. It's he who is the truth who
makes you free. You shall know the truth and
the truth himself shall make you free. I mean, salvation is
described as coming to the knowledge of the truth. Faith, the faith
of God's elect. the acknowledging of the truth,
which is after godliness, repentance. If God will grant them repentance
to the acknowledging of the truth, there is no salvation apart from
knowledge. Would you turn with me for a
moment to 2 Timothy 1? 2 Timothy 1. Verse 12, for the witch cause, I also suffer these things. Now he's talking about because
I preach the gospel. Paul said, wherever I go, bonds and afflictions
abide me. Now he was living in a day that's
not like our day. He could get beat up and whipped
everywhere he went. He knew it was going to happen. He says, nevertheless, for which cause my gospel preaching,
I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed,
for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded. Literally, I've been persuaded. The reason I am persuaded It's
because I've been persuaded. If you believe the gospel, it's
because God taught you the gospel. If you're persuaded of the gospel,
it's because God himself persuaded you of the gospel. He said, I
am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
to him against that day. Now, this verse lets us know
what faith is. I know. This is so important. He didn't say, I know what I
believe. I know. Whom I have believed, because
what we believe is completely dependent upon who we believe.
If you believe him, you must believe he's sovereign. If you
don't, you don't know who he is. If you believe him, you must
believe he's successful, that he's incapable of failure. You
must believe that he's all powerful. You know, we try to convince
people of election and predestination and all that kind of stuff, and
that's a waste of time, really. The issue is who is he? All that
stuff becomes obvious if I see who he is. I know whom I have
believed. And I am persuaded that he is
able. Now that is the point. I'm not
persuaded that I can see all kinds of good works and evidences
in me that gives me evidence that I'm saved. I am persuaded
that he is able. Those blind men came groping
their way to the Lord and the Lord said, Do you believe that
I am able to do this? They said, Yeah, Lord. Do you
believe he's able to save you without any help or contribution
from you? Do you believe that? I am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him. Now, you don't really
believe unless you enter into this thing of committing your
salvation to him. This is not talking about how
committed you are. This is talking about committing your salvation
to him. Lynn and I love watching Top
Chef. Anybody ever watch that? It's
a cooking show. Maybe not. I love Top Chef. We've been watching
it for years. I can't cook, I can't boil an
egg, but I like to eat, and I like to see this program. We're always excited about it. And when the time is off, they're
cooking, they're only given so much time, and then the buzzer
goes off, it's time to go, hands off! Hands off, nothing to do. Well, when a believer commits
the salvation of his soul to Christ Jesus, the Lord is hands
off. I have nothing to do with this. My fingerprint is not on
it. He by himself purged our sins. You're committing the entire
salvation of your soul to him. If he didn't do it all, I won't
be saved. And that's what that committal is. And to believe
in works in any way is failure to commit. Now, I know who I
have believed. I know who he is. And I'm persuaded
that he is able to keep that which I've committed to him against
that day. Now, if you know these things,
how blessed of God you are to do them. Let's think of this
word doing. John speaks of doing the truth. James speaks of being doers of
the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves. The
Lord said, blessed is that servant whom the Lord, when he cometh,
shall find him so doing. Now, like I said, introducing
this message, when, if I, well, there's the word doing. I need
to do. I need to do more. I need to do a lot more. There's
things I need to stop doing. Doing, doing, doing. Now somebody
that's thinking like that, I'm going to ask you to quit thinking
like that. Stop it. And listen to what is being said. If you know what the Bible says
about itself, all scripture is given. by inspiration of God. Literally, God breathed. This is God's manifestation of
his own character. If you know this, blessed are
you if you believe it. God's blessed you. If you listen
to what God's word says, blessed are you. Highly favored of God. If you know what the Bible says
about his character, now this, the gospel is all about what
this book says. Everything we believe must come
from this book. If you know what this book says
about the character of God, because the only thing we truly know
about the character of God is what this book reveals. Now,
there are some things we can know. I realize that. I can know
just by looking at creation that somebody all powerful made this
place and nobody made him. He's eternal. You can figure
that out without the Bible. But can you know he's holy without
the scripture? Other? There's none like him. He can't be compared to anyone.
He's other. He's separate. Can you know that
he's absolutely righteous apart from the scripture? Can you know
that he's absolutely just apart from the scripture? I know some
people think, well, why is this emphasis on righteousness and
justice? Why can't God just forgive sin? That's the way I have to do it.
Why can't God just forgive sin? Why does there have to be blood?
Why does there have to be atonement? Why? If somebody murdered your
child and they were brought before
the judge, And the judge says, I'm a merciful and forgiving
God. I'm going to forgive him. You're set free. What would you
think of that judge? Why do you say that judge is
more corrupt than the person that murdered my child? Yet people
try to put God in this, well, why can't he just be merciful
and gracious? And no, God's just. He's righteous. This is what the Bible reveals
with regard to his character. Blessed are you if you trust
this one as righteous and just and making a way to be just and
justify somebody like you. The Bible says God's independent.
He has no need. He said the cattle on a thousand
hills are mine. If I was hungry, I wouldn't tell
you. He's not worshiped with men's hands as though he needed
anything. Now what a blessing it is when
I understand that and I know he doesn't need something from
me in order for him to do something for me. He's independent. He
doesn't have to wait on something from me. Thank God for that. We worship the God of the Bible. Blessed are you if you know these
things. Blessed are you if you do them.
You actually trust this one to save you. I could go on and on with all
the attributes of God, but how blessed are you if you know these
things and trust this one who makes himself known in this word? You're blessed of God if you
know what the Bible says about you and you believe it. How blessed
you are of God I mean, you think of what the Bible says about
me and you. God saw the wickedness of man. That's me and you was
great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually. I believe that. And I don't so
much believe it because I feel it and see, I believe it because
God says it. I trust what he says. I also
believe what he says about me and Christ. in Christ because
of what Christ did on my part. I'm holy and unblameable and
unreprovable in his sight. If you know what the Bible says
about you, blessed are you. If you know that Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness, blessed are you if you trust
him as the end of the law for righteousness for yourself. If you know the command of 1
John 23, 23 that we This is His commandment that we should believe
on the name of His Son and love one another as He gave His commandment.
That's His commandment, to believe on the name of His Son. Now,
you're blessed if you believe on the name of His Son. If you
really believe that His name is what will bring you into glory,
you're saved for His name's sake. Nevertheless, He saved them for
His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power known.
How blessed is that man. who trusts his name. He's obeying the gospel and love
one another. Listen to me. Anybody loves Christ
we love. Now, that person might irritate you from time to time. That person might offend you.
That person might be very different from you in so many different
respects. But if they love Christ, you
love them. Every believer does without exception. Blessed are you If you know these
things and do them, you know you ought to come to Christ.
Blessed are you when you do by his grace. Come unto me, all
ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. You come
to Christ and receive rest. It's because you've been blessed
by God. There remaineth a rest for the people of God. For they
that have entered into his rest have ceased from their own works
as God did from his. Oh, how blessed of God you are. You know what you ought to forgive
quick. You know you ought not ever hold a grudge. You're blessed
when you do forgive. And when you do not hold that
grudge, you know you ought to forget those things that are
behind and reach forth into those things that are before. Blessed
are you when you do that. Forget the past and look to Christ. You know you ought to take the
lowest seat in the house. Don't you? You know you ought to. Oh,
how blessed you are when you do and you steam all others as
better than yourself. It's one thing to know it, but
it's a blessing to do it. I know I ought to endeavor to
keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. How blessed
of God I am when I endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit.
in the bond of peace. I know I ought to deny myself. Self is my biggest problem. Take
up my cross, the confession of salvation by the cross of Christ,
by the Christ of the cross, and follow him. And let me remind
you, this thing of following him, we always think that means
to imitate him. We ought to imitate him, but
that's not really what it means. You keep your eyes on him. You
don't look down at your feet, at your walk. You don't look
at the side, at your brother. You don't look behind you for evidences.
You look to him. Blessed are you if you do it. If you know these things, how
blessed of God you are if you do them. I know that I should
repent of dead works. Blessed am I when I have this
complete change of mind with regard to all my works, throw
them all away and look to Christ alone. I know Romans 8, 28 is true.
And we know that all things We know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them with the cause according
to his purpose. Oh, how blessed I am when I don't worry. I believe
that. And I don't worry. I think of
the Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Oh, if I'm poor in spirit, I'm blessed of God. If I don't have
anything but Christ, I'm blessed of God. Blessed are they that
mourn over their sin. You're blessed of God if you
mourn over your sin. You know when you mourn, it's kind of like
when there's some hope that somebody you love is going to live. You're
not mourning yet, but oh, when they die, you mourn. You mourn. There's nothing you can do to
bring them back. You mourn over your sin. When
you see there's nothing you can do to make it go away, only He
can do something for you. Blessed are the meek, the meek
before God. They really believe that whatever
God does is right. They're blessed of God and they
shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness because they know they don't
have any of their own. That's why they're hungering and thirsting.
They're blessed of God. Blessed are the merciful. Oh,
what a blessing it is to be merciful because that means you've obtained
the mercy of God. Blessed are the pure in heart,
given a new heart and regeneration in the new birth. Oh, how blessed
of God you are. Blessed are the peacemakers preaching
the gospel of peace. Blessed are they that are persecuted
for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Now, these
are the people that God has blessed. He's made them that way in being
poor because he made them that way and he's blessed them. Now,
if you know these things, how blessed are you if you do them. Now, I want to close by looking
at Matthew chapter 7. I think that this will be a commentary on John 13, 17.
Matthew chapter 7. Verse 13. Enter ye in, and this is a command. This is not advice. This is what
you and I are called upon to do right now. Enter ye in at the straight gate,
the narrow gate. You know, this gate is so narrow.
that you can't get through if you have anything more than Christ. Is Christ all you got? You can
get through. If you have anything else, you
won't fit. Enter ye in at the straight gate. Somebody once said, if all I
have is Christ, is that enough? It is if he's all you got. Enter ye in at the straight gate,
for wide is the gate, broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat, because straight is
the gate, narrow is the way which leads to life, and few there
be that find it. Let me remind you of the entrance
requirements to go through this gate. and to walk along this
narrow path, you've got to only have Christ. If you have anything
more, you can't get through and you can't walk on the road. Now,
the first thing he says after this is beware of false prophets. That's interesting, isn't it?
The first thing he says after he talks about entering in at
the straight gate, beware. I better beware of false prophets. You see, if I follow the false
prophet, I'm going to spend eternity right there with him. If I believe
his message, me and him are going to be in hell together. Beware
of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing. They
look good. They look like sheep. But inwardly,
they're ravening wolves. You shall know them by their
fruits. Now, does that mean you're going
to be able to examine their life and their conduct and how well
they treat you and you can figure out whether or not they're a
false prophet by their life? Now, I want to bear the fruit
of the Holy Spirit and you do too. I want to live in a way
that honors Jesus Christ. I want that. And I know you do
too. I have no question about that.
But is that what he's talking about? We're going to be fruit
inspectors and see The fruits, listen to me, it's the converts. Now, somebody says, what do you
mean by that? If you want to know what I believe, go to Todd's
Road Grace Church and ask the people there what they believe.
That's what I believe. If I say, well, this is what
I believe, maybe I do, maybe I don't. Well, remember what
the Lord said when they said, they asked him of his disciples,
his doctrine, he said, why are you asking me? Ask them that
heard me. You shall know them by their fruits. The fruit of
truth will be people believing the gospel. That is the fruit
you'll know them by. Their doctrine, their converts,
you should know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit, but any corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt
tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not
forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire, wherever
by their fruits you shall know them. And not everyone that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, you know the fact that the Lord is repeated. You know us. Lord, Lord, you
know me. You know me. Not everyone that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he
that doeth, there's that word, he that doeth the will of my
father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, they thought they'd done his will. We've preached
in your name, in your name, We've had works
of power. Demons have been cast out. In
your name, note the quantity and the quality of their works.
We've done many wonderful works. We've got the goods. We've done
the deeds. And then will I preface unto
them I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity. All these works you've commended
are nothing more than works of iniquity. You've never believed
on me. That's what doing his will is.
Believing the gospel. Now here's what I wanted to get
to. Verse 24. Therefore, whosoever heareth the sayings of mine and
doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his
house upon a rock. Now you know that that rock is
the Lord Jesus Christ. Other foundation can no man laid
than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now, I want
my house to simply be on the rock. That's the only way it
will stand on Judgment Day, is if it's on the rock Christ Jesus. What a foundation he is, that
foundation that's tried and tried, precious cornerstone, the precious
foundation of Christ is all. He built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, the floods
came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell
not, for it was founded upon a rock. That's the blessed man
who hears these sayings and does them. He built his house on the
rock. Verse 26, and everyone that heareth
these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto
a foolish man which built his house upon the sand. Now think
of these two structures. It could be the one built on
sand looked better than the one built on the rock. Maybe he had
more money to spend. He didn't have to do all that foundation
work. He had a bigger house. Looked better. Looked more impressive.
Here they are, these two houses. Verse 27, and the rain descended
and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house
and it fell and great was the fall of it. That's the man who
heard these sayings and did them not. If you know these things,
happy are you if you do them. Blessed are you if you do them. Now listen to this scripture
real carefully. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? You'll never deal with a more
important question than that. And I love the answer of Paul
and Silas. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. I remember. He's the Lord. That means he is the one whose
will is done. All the time in creation, his
will was done in Providence. What's going on right now. It's
his will being done in salvation. If you're saved, it was his will
being done. He's the Lord. Now, he's everybody's Lord in
the sense that he's Lord of the dead and the living, but he's
the Lord of his people because they believe he is Lord. No man
can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, and they need
him to be Lord. They love him being Lord. They
need him to be Lord. I need him to be Lord to will
my salvation. I need his Lordship. Jesus, Savior. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. Christ, God's
prophet, the very word of God, God's priest, unlike the priest
of the Levitical priesthood, he doesn't bring an animal's
blood, he brings his own blood. And he lives before God. And he's God's king, king of
kings, Lord of lords. What must I do, there's the word. What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. If you know these things, blessed
are you if you do them.