If you will, turn with me to
John 17. John 17. Let's begin with verse
13. And now come I to thee, and these
things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled
in themselves. I've given them thy word, and
the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them
from the evil, that is, the evil one. They are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. I invite you this morning to
turn back with me to John chapter 17. I've been preaching a series of messages
concerning the Lord's Prayer. And this morning I want us to
focus our attention on verse 16. absolutely amazing statement. John 17 verse 16, he said, they
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. That is an amazing statement. Now the first thing we need to
know is who they are of whom he's speaking. He uses the word
they all through this prayer and it's very clear as to who
they are. They are those given to him by
his Father. I pray not for the world, I pray
for them which thou hast given. Thou hast given me power over
all flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many as Thou
hast given me. They are those He prays for,
not the world. Those to whom He gives eternal
life, gives the words of life, sacrifices Himself, sanctifies
Himself, and sends us out into the world with His gospel. He
said, I pray for them. 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." This is the they that he's talking
to. And my subject this morning is
concerning a people not of this world. In verse 16 of our Lord's High
Priestly Prayer, he draws a parallel with himself. And he says to
his father, they are not of this world as I am not of this world. There's a parallel there. And this parallel shouldn't surprise
us, seeing he is our salvation. But seeing it on the pages of
divine inspiration is just to me like seeing again afresh every
time I look at him. It's like eating bread fresh
out of the oven. There's a divine freshness about
the revelation of Christ. Now keep in mind what he says
in this verse because it's the very heart of the matter of faith. Now here's the question I propose
to ask. How are these people for whom
he prays not of his work? And how is there not being of
this world a parallel with himself? Have I got your attention? Do
you understand what it is I'm talking about? I've read this passage many times,
but it never jumped off the page at me like it did when I was
preparing this message. They are not of this world even
as I am not of this world. How so? Well, let me give you
just as many things as I found in the Word of God, as many times
as time will allow. First of all, we're not of this
world even as He is not of this world in our origin. Back in 1949, Up in the middle of Ashland,
Kentucky, there's a hospital called King's Daughters Hospital. My mother, Martha Howard Pruitt,
went into that hospital and bore a little boy and called him Darwin. On the 10th of December, I came
forth out of the womb of my mother. I was given this name, Darvin,
and my history as a citizen of the United States began right
then. Everything from that time is
documented. It's documented on my birth certificate,
my social security card, my driver's license, And no history prior to that
is documented concerning my origin. But that's not my origin. My origin is in God. In Ephesians chapter 1, verses
3 and 4, the Word of God tells us that we were blessed by our
Heavenly Father according as he hath chosen us in Christ before
the foundation of the world, having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to
the good pleasure of his will. He tells us in Romans 8 verse
29, for whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. And whom he did predestinate,
them he also called. And whom he called, them he also
justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. The origin of every believer
is the same as Christ. His origin is in God. In time,
just like Christ, we came forth out of our mother's womb. Didn't
we? And an earthly history began.
And men can tell you all about the earthly history of Christ.
They can tell you where He was born. They think they know the
exact time. They think they know all about
it. Herod asked the Jews. Now, concerning Christ, where
is He going to be born? And they told him, told him everything. Our origin is the same as Christ. Our origin is in God. It's in
God. Jesus Christ did not originate
in Bethlehem. He speaks to His Father and He
says, And now, O Father, Glorify thou me with thine own self,
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. In John 1, he tells us that in
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God, and the same was in the beginning with God. And
then there came a time, and the Word was made flesh and manifest
among us. There was a time when you and
I would manifest in this world. In John 8, 42, he tells the scribes
and Pharisees, If God were your Father, you'd love me, for I
proceeded forth and came from God. John the Baptist said this
about Christ, He that cometh from above is above all, and
he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth. He
that cometh from heaven is above all, and what he hath seen and
heard, that he testifies." He's the only one who can. Huh? What does he testify? He testifies
that the Father gave him a people, and if you'll read in the book
of Proverbs, you'll see that before the mountains were formed
and before the earth had any form about it, he rejoiced in
the habitable part of the earth. There was no earth. Oh yes, there
was. Oh yes, there was. Where was
it? In the purpose of God. And he rejoiced in fellowship
with his people before the people ever were. Huh? Where's your
origin? If you're one of his elect, it's
in God. In John 6, 38, he said, I come
down from heaven. From heaven. They are not of
this world, even as I am not of this world. Their origin began
with God. All God's elect. Paul writes
to the Thessalonians and talks about a time to come of great
and massive deception. a falling away, a man of sin,
antichrist, not a single man or denomination, but a whole
system, movement, religion, if you will, personified as a person. And what does he do? He opposeth
and exalteth himself above all that's called God or that is
worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
showing himself that he is God. His working is after the working
of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, all deceivableness and unrighteousness
in them that perish, because they receive not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God
shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,
and that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, swallowed
up in Antichrist's charm. wallowed up in Antichrist's deception,
lured in by the strange woman who caught him and kissed him
and gave him offerings of peace. A great falling away. But now
watch this. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. But we're bound to give thanks
all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Because
God hath from the beginning chosen you, not a number, He chosen
you, an individual. He hath chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth,
whereunto he called you by our gospel. What is it that all... Why is
it that all are not drawn into worldly religion? Are some more
wise than others? Are some more teachable than
others? Or is it just a matter of circumstance and situation?
He says that they that dwell on the earth shall wander. Wander. All of them. They'll wander after
the beast. They'll wander, they'll just follow after. Whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world. God
has a people. And their being in time began
in eternity. Do you believe that? Read Romans chapter 9. He talks
about a people there aforeprepared unto glory. Isn't that what he
says? Your origin is with God. And
it's the same as Christ. Now we weren't God, but we were
in God. In God. before the world was. Our origin is in God. Secondly,
we're not of this world as He's not of this world by divine purpose. God has a purpose. He saves men
on purpose. The God of glory does everything
He does on purpose. There's a purpose behind everything. He said, we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to His purpose. And believers are not of this
world by divine purpose. Everything God does, He does
on purpose. Let me read you a few verses
from 2 Timothy chapter 1. He tells Timothy to be a partaker
of the afflictions of the gospel. according to the power of God,
who hath saved us, past tense, who hath saved us and then called
us with a holy call, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world. God's purpose and grace. Our
origin in God is based on the purpose of God to save a people
for the glory of His name. And grace is here used to show
us that there's no place in our salvation for us to glory in. It's not of works lest any man
should boast. And God's purpose and grace was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. And that's why
it won't ever change. Every individual whose origin
is in God according to the election and predestination of God is
going to be saved. There are no ifs, ands, or buts
about it. They're going to be saved. In time and by His Son we shall
obtain an inheritance being predestinated. Are you listening? according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. And this whole world finds their
purpose in their families, and their jobs, and their recreation,
and their religion, and their stations, and the list is endless.
But the believer finds his purpose in God. Rebecca was pregnant with twins. And God said to her, concerning
these twins in her womb, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Why? Why would God hate one and
love the other? Well, it's easy for me to understand
why God hated Esau. I don't have a problem with that.
Religious people argue about that all the time. That ain't
fair. You can read about it in Malachi, the Jews had a problem
with. I don't have a problem with that. I know what we are
by nature. We're sinners. I understand why
God hated Esau. Why did he love Jacob? And here's what he says, Romans
9-11, that the purpose of God, according to election, might
stand. Not of works, but of Him that
calleth. And Christ came into this world
to do what His Father purposed to do before the world was. And
we're not of this world as He is not of this world by divine
purpose. Thirdly, we're not of this world
as He's not of this world in the limitations put upon men
by sin. By saying, you ever think about
that? He told that man with a withered
hand, stretch forth thy hand. Thousands with withered hands.
None of them could. But he did. Huh? He told that paralyzed man, he'd
been laying there for years. You know his little body's all
shriveled up, ain't nothing but bones with skin on it. And the
Lord said, take up your bed and walk. He layin' down there waitin'
for somebody to put him in the water so he could be healed.
The Lord said, take up your bed and walk. Nobody else down on that porch
stood up and walked, but he did. He did. We're not of this world
as He's not of this world in the limitations of sin. And when
our Father chose us in His Son and predestinated us to the adoption
of children, He made full and complete provision for us. And part of that provision is
the ability to do what He commands us to do. And this provision encompasses
all things, especially our inabilities. By grace are you saved through
faith and baptism, not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. Not of
works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship. God working in you both to will
and to do of his good pleasure. He gave us the ability. He gave
us the want to. Paul said to the Colossians,
giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of enlightened saints. Made willing, made willing in
the day of his power. And nothing in the realm of salvation
is possible for men to do themselves. It's absolutely impossible. Who then can be saved? That's
what the apostles asked. Pretty straightforward. I'm not
taking something and misapplying it. They asked, who then can
be saved? The Lord said, with men it's
impossible. Is that what he said? But with God, all things are
possible. And I love this, what he told
his disciples. He said, without me, you can
do nothing. Men and women dream up all sorts
of things to express what they call salvation and how it began,
and most, when closely examined, are owing to the flesh. I read
this. I thought this. I felt this or
that. It suddenly come to me. They've
got every answer under the book, and if you closely examine it,
it all goes back to them. And I beseech you to listen to
this verse in the book of James. In James 1.17 he says every,
which one of them? Every good gift. Would you say salvation is a
good gift? Faith is a good gift? Life is a good gift? Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above. It's not within,
it's up there. And it comes down from the Father
of lights, now listen, with whom is no variableness. He's not
going to change one will. Neither shadow of turning, not
even a shadow of possibility that God will turn. of his own will, this unchangeable
God, this giver of perfect gifts, of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first
fruits of his creatures or creation. God will not vary. He does not
bob and weave at every age and circumstance. Full provision
was made for the salvation of his saints and the means ordained
from the beginning. And in this prayer he mentions
time and again the words he gave to his people and the knowledge
they gained from those words. And then in verse 20 he talks
about those which shall believe through their word. Now be careful
what you say to men and women concerning the salvation of your
soul. and even more careful about how
you receive it and believe it. God doesn't vary. When he said,
this is my will, this is how I do things, this is my purpose,
write it down. That's how it's going to be done. He doesn't vary in his person,
he doesn't vary in his will, in his means, or in his end.
And that's what makes his gifts sure. And that's what makes His
gifts effectual. He don't vary. We are not of this world as He's
not of this world in our origin. We're not of this world as He's
not of this world by divine purpose. And we're not of this world as
He's not of this world in the limitations of sin. I'm going to tell you something. Believers
can do what no other person can. Huh? That's right. Lazarus? Come forth. Who come out of there? Moses
didn't. Billy Bob didn't. Lazarus did. He did what no other son of Adam
could possibly do. He rose from the dead. Why? Because God taught him to do
it. Huh? They can do what nobody else
can do. His workmanship, he said, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works. It's God. And then fourthly, we're not
of this world as he's not of this world in our citizenship.
We're fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of
God. He said, Father, I will that
they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. That they may behold my glory
which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world. I'm a citizen of the United States
of America. Born in Ashland, Kentucky. But
now, I'm a citizen in the Kingdom of God. My allegiance is to Him. He's my King. He's my Lord. The government's on His shoulders.
My government here rests on his shoulders. He dictates policy. We don't vote on it. We don't
get a committee meeting and say, here's what we're going to let
God do. I don't even like that phrase, do you? Let God. He dictates policy. He makes
the rules. We won't change them, but he
makes the rules. He maintains the beast. He guards from all invaders. And he resolves all the issues. God does. God does. I'm a citizen in God's kingdom
and a fellow citizen with the saints. He said these all died
in faith not having received the promises but having seen
them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. And
he said, for they that say such things declare plainly that they
seek a country, and it ain't this one, it's that one. Abraham went, actually walked
through the promised land. Walked right through it. Met
their kings. Met these people. Walked right
in. Owned the whole thing. All his,
by the promise of God. He didn't claim one square foot
of it, did he? He passed through there as a
pilgrim. He raised his family in a tent
because he was looking for a city whose builder and maker was God.
That's why. He was a citizen of that kingdom. And truly, it says, if they had
been mindful of that country from whence they come out, they
might have had opportunity to have returned, but now they desire
a better country that is a heavenly. Oh, that you and I could look
upon our time here as being abroad. sojourning in a foreign language,
just passing through. And then fifthly, we're not of
this world as he's not of this world as to its final end. This world and everything in
it is marked for destruction. The blackness of this world only
serves as a backdrop for God to reveal the glory the glory
of his character and his son and the salvation of his people.
He places the pearl of great price in that backdrop. But at his appearing it'll go
by the wayside. He said, lay not up yourselves
treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where
Thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven where these things don't exist. For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also. Where's your treasure? Huh? Wherever it is, that's where
your heart is. Where do you treasure more than
anything else? What is it you're not willing to let go of? That's
your treasure. And then lastly, we're not of
this world as he's not of this world in character and attitude. Those who truly know God have
a godly attitude. That's just so. And though it does not appear
what they're going to be, and it don't, it don't appear
what you're going to be, but we know this, when we see
him, we'll be like him. and everybody has that hope,
they purify themselves. What's that mean? That means
they zero in on Christ, the perfect man. That's what that means.
That's where their mind and heart has stayed on Him. The fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance. All these things are attitude
and character. Christ said, every branch in
me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. They make a false
profession, but they're dead, and they soon fall from the tree,
just like a dead limb. And men gather them up and toss
them in the fire. Herein, he said, is my Father
glorified that you bear much fruit, so shall you be my disciples. The nod of this world in attitude
and character, and oh, that our Lord may include us with them. That we might be the they that
he's praying for and talking about. That we might, by the
grace of God, stand in that day with the saints in white linen, wearing crowns, and take those crowns and throw
them at his feet. Oh, my soul, we're not up this
way. We're not up this way. How many times we need to be
told that every time I stand behind this pulpit? Every time
I open this pulpit, I need to be reminded, this is not my home. I'm only passing through. Huh? Oh, my soul. All right, thank
you.