John chapter 17. I'll read that text again. We
read it a moment ago. We'll read it again in a moment,
my text rather, which will be verse 3, as you may have guessed. Before we read it again, though,
I want to share something with you. I think it will serve as
a pretty good illustration. Every morning on my iPhone, my
smartphone, I get mailed in my inbox from Apple News. Apple News, it says. And it has
the subtitle, Here's What You Need to Know. Y'all get that? I didn't ask for it, but it comes. Here's what you need to know.
You know what Fridays, among the other things, but the very
first thing they think that I need to know was this. It began this
way. The winners and losers of the
NFL draft's first round. Here's the second thing. Martinis
are trendy again. Wow. My soul. How did I live
70 years, Terry, without knowing those things? And my first thought
was, are you kidding me? I mean, I'm not really surprised
because I usually never even open. just delete them. But I
thought, really, that's what they think I need to know, and
obviously it is. I've lived 70 years without knowing
those things. How did I survive? They determine,
isn't this, where do they get such power? But they determine
what I need to know. And even the real news, which
they'll give a little of that, is given only after they determine
what that news is. And after they put their spin
on it, the idea, their ideas and their thoughts. Just this
morning, I opened another mail, email, from Moose Parks. And
I told Robin, this is exactly what I was thinking about last
night. So I slipped this in from Moose as an illustration. He
had posted on Facebook An article entitled Divine Election. They rejected it. They rejected
it. You know why? It says, this does
not comply with our idea of social issues. How about that? How about that? The same thing,
the very same thing, the same process, the same way of thinking
goes on in the religious world too, doesn't it? Just not the
secular world, but not just the political, but the religious
world. I remember, and you probably do too, my pastor, Brother Don,
on more than one occasion, and it got my attention. He said,
the only explanation, the only way that you can explain the
utter insanity in this world, this religious world, this world's
religion, their thoughts about themselves, they're wrong. They're
dead wrong. about God, and they claim to
be speaking for God, but their thoughts about God are dead wrong.
Their thoughts about sin, about salvation, about what Jesus Christ
came to do, it's dead wrong. They're absolutely contrary,
even more, they're opposed to God's Word, but they have the
ear of the religious world, don't they? I mean, you look, you can
go someplace this morning where there's just utter nonsense going
on. I mean, just, entertaining the
flesh, worms biting on worms, everything and anything. Am I
lying? If I'm lying, I'm dying. You
know it's the truth. It's sad, but the place will
be packed out and here we are, a handful. How do you explain
that? Don said, and I agree with it,
and he made this statement years ago, he said, the only explanation
for this is this world is under the judgment of God. That's exactly
right. Now don't misunderstand me. God's
going to save His people. That's why the world is still
existing. God is still calling out the sheep of Christ for His
glory. Those God chose and Christ died
for just as we read here in John 17. God's going to save them. But as far as this world is concerned,
this religious world, it's under the judgment of God. That's why
you see things and you think, man, are they nuts? Transgender? Are you kidding me? I saw an
expression the other day. Of course, it's been around a
while. A woman, to themselves, that shouldn't
be hard to determine what sex I am, or a man, they decide they
want to switch. And I've noticed now they have
this expression. They no longer identify with
the sex they were assigned at birth. Have you heard that? The
sex they were assigned? It's like they're standing in
the marketplace and they can't decide between oranges and apples?
The sex assigned? My soul, they didn't choose it.
God Almighty chose it. And I'm like that commercial
with that politician. He said, man, are you kidding
me? I think he's running for governor. He's got a picture
of that nut. breaking all the women's records, you know, claims
they decided to be a female. And he said, man, are you kidding
me? That's just, that's a man in a woman's bathing suit. And
I told Robin, I like him. I like him. That's exactly right. But most people won't even, they
won't touch that. They're scared to death to even
touch it. They weren't scared to be called homophobic or some
other nonsense. It's the judgment of God. It's
the only explanation. It's insane, it's insane. In
Romans 1, how many times, I think it was three times, Paul said,
they had evidence, the world, you and I, have evidence of God's
existence by the creation. This creation is proof of God's
existence. Only God could do this. And Paul
said, instead of worshiping God, instead of bowing down to God,
they worship the creation. Instead of acknowledging the
Creator, they worship the creation. Earth Day, and save this, and
save that, and recycle this, and recycle that, hug a tree,
kiss a frog. It's insane, isn't it? Just insane. Kill babies, but save a bug. Paul, in that same chapter, over
and over again, I think three times, he said, for this cause,
not unjustly, for this cause, because they deliberately suppressed,
pressed down the Word of God, didn't want to hear the Word
of God, stopped their ears to any word about God. Paul said
God gave them up. Three times, God gave them up. What happened when God gave them
up? Women went after women and men went after men. It's in Romans
chapter one. More and more so today. When
I was a young man, it was something you only whispered about. The
last thing we'd ever think about was a pride day. I think it goes on for a month
now. God gave them up. Old John Newton put it this way,
I didn't have it with me, this is not verbatim, but basically
he said this, God doesn't have to send a famine or a pestilence
to punish an ungodly people or nation or an individual. All
God has to do is leave them alone. That's exactly, and that's what's
happening. This nation for years, this world for years has said
no God, no God, and God said so be it, so be it. Leave them
alone and look what's happening. That's the reason things are
as they are. John Newton said, when God leaves them alone, their
natural course is downward. It can only be downward. If God
takes his hand off someone, a nation, an individual, a church, this
world, they can only spiral downward. No other way. And that's exactly
what Paul said in 2 Timothy chapter 3. I'd like for you to turn there.
We're going to come back to John. But look in 2 Timothy chapter
3. Now this is Paul's last writing,
his last words to his beloved Timothy and to you and I. And
look what he says in chapter 3. Now Paul didn't, he wasn't
wasting time. He didn't have time to wait. So he didn't just deal with frivolous
things. Verse 1 in 2 Timothy 3. This know also that in the last
days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their
own selves, covetous boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy. Paul, if you were living today,
you couldn't describe this generation any better. without natural affection,
truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers
of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God." Hmm, does that not sound
like May the 1st, 2022? Look down at verse 13. But evil men and seducers shall
wax worse and worse. This world is not going to get
better. They shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived. But here's the amazing thing.
Look what he said in verse 5. All the while that they're doing
those things, they're doing it as religious people. Having a
form of godliness but denying the power thereof. What's a true
believer to do? Stay away from. From such turn
away. Imagine that. All the while they're
doing such things, they still maintain their form of godliness. You know, after all, everybody's
going to heaven. Larry, don't be such a bigot.
Don't you be so narrow-minded. The Buddha has a way, and the
Muslims have a way, and the Indians have a way, and, you know, everybody's
just going to heaven a different way. Isn't that a pretty thought?
It's a bare-faced lie, is what it is. It's not pretty at all,
except to someone who doesn't know God. No, Jesus Christ says
there's only one way, and I'm it. You miss me, and you miss
the way to glory. You miss the way into the Father's
presence. You remember what the Lord Jesus
said about the scribes and Pharisees? They were the religious folks.
Pharisee, I think, means separated one. Everybody looked at them
Pharisees when they stood on the corner praying, praying loudly
when everybody could hear them. And they would make a show, when
they gave an offering, they would make sure everybody seen it.
See this five spot? I'm dropping it in. and they
made broad their phylactery. Their religion was to be sinned.
Christ said, you've got your reward. You want the thanks,
the admiration of men? You can have it. You can have
it. One time, more than once, he said, beware of the scribes
and the Pharisees. He said, they're hypocrites.
And he said it right in their presence. He didn't whisper it
behind the building. Right in there, he was in a conversation
with them. When they were talking about him breaking the law and
so forth, because they're religious, touch not, taste not, go not,
wear not, Jesus Christ said, you vipers. You make clean the
outside of the cup, and the inside's just filthy. You're like a white
acceptor. People step over you. You paint
it up. It looks pretty, but inside, it's just dead men's bones. It's
still the gray. And then he turned to his followers and said, beware
of those hypocrites. Wow. Wow. What about that? When's the last time you heard
a preacher say that? Beware of those hypocrites. And the disciples,
after they were alone with the Lord in private, they obviously
were concerned about his welfare. Because they were even infected
with this esteem of the Pharisees. I mean, they were the religious
elite. And they went to him and said,
Lord, Lord, don't you know, don't you realize that they were offended
by what you said? You called them hypocrites. They
didn't like it. You remember what Jesus said
to them? Leave them alone. Just let them alone. They're
blind leaders of the blind. They're going to fall in the
ditch and everybody that follows them is going to fall in the
ditch. Just leave them alone. God does that. Christ did that. And he still does that. He's
done it to this religious generation. Just leave them alone. Leave
them to their religious traditions. They profess to know God, to
love God, and they hate Jesus Christ all at the same time.
Leave them alone. And he did. He left them alone,
and they went to hell clinging to their religion. Think about
that. And nothing's changed. People
go to hell today clinging to their religion. Read Matthew
7. Our Lord said that's exactly
how it is. That's how it will be in the last day. Many will
say to me, Lord, Lord. And they'll show him their religion.
And he'll say, depart from me. I didn't know you people. And
the same thing goes on in Big town, big business religion. Is there any more of a money-making
business than religion? And God has justly said, leave
them alone. So now, with that, with that,
I ask you the question. That being the case, what do
I really need to know? What is it that's most important
to me? Surely, surely, God forbid that
martinis becoming fashionable again is the highlight of my
existence. God forbid that the latest football
star is the highlight of my existence. Oh no, what is it that I really
need to know? Not according to Apple News or
ABC News or Fox News or social media. People allow social media
to dictate how they think. That's exactly right, you know
it's right. They allow social media, Facebook, to dictate how
they live their lives. Again, I ask, what do I really
need to know? Not according to those blind
fools, but according to Jesus Christ himself. And he tells
us right here, doesn't he? In John chapter 3, this is what,
here's what we need to know. These are the words of Jesus
Christ who was God in flesh, the word that was made flesh
and dwelt among us. Listen to him. John said, I didn't
know who he was, John the Baptist, but he said, he that sent me
to baptize, that is God, told me upon whom I see the Spirit
of God descending, that's the Christ. And John said, I knew
him not. I knew him not. Certainly he knew Jesus of Nazareth,
but he didn't know he was the Messiah. And John the Baptist
said, I didn't know who he was until that day I was baptizing
in Jordan, and he comes and says, baptize me. And I did. And when I did, and he came up
out of the water, the heavens opened, and a dove descended,
and God Almighty said, this is my beloved son, in whom I am
well pleased. We better listen to him. Better
listen to Him. And this is what He says is important. He tells me right here in a nutshell
what it is I need to know. And this is life eternal. This
is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom Thou didst send. I need to know God. I need to know the true God.
I want to know the true God. the God from everlasting to everlasting,
the God that has his way in the heavens, the God that the clouds
are simply the dust of his feet, the God that had no beginning,
no beginning, and will never have an end, the just God, the
holy God, that I must soon, in just a few days, that I will
be ushered into the presence of That God that has power to
save me or to damn me. I want to know that God. That
God as he himself says he is. Not what religious folks say.
Not what the nuts say. Not what the latest fad says.
Not what my only prayed imagination would like him to be. I would
like to live it like hell and then make a decision for Jesus
and go to heaven when I die. Most people do. That's what they
want. And that's what multitudes have done. That's not the knowledge
Jesus Christ talked about. Our Lord, the Lord God, remember
when he said concerning Israel, again, how appropriate to our
day, you thought, you thought that I was altogether such a
one as yourself. How degrading, how dishonoring
to the God of glory. The God that gives us the very
breath we breathe. He said, you people thought I
was like you? I'm God. And God Almighty doesn't
request you bow before him. God Almighty demands that you
bow before him. He demands you bow to his son,
or he'll send you to hell. That's just the fact. That's
just the truth. Oh, I want to know that God.
That's the God I want to know, don't you? Because Jesus Christ
himself said that only one sent from God. That one of whom God
said, you listen to him. You listen to him. Like Pharaoh
said about Joseph, when people come to Pharaoh to get grain
in the time of famine, he said, leave me alone. I've given all
that control, that power into Joseph's hand. You need grain,
you go see him. God said, you need mercy. You
need grace. You go to my son. You go to my
son. And that's exactly what Christ
says here, that they might know thee, but we can't know God.
without knowing Jesus Christ. Remember what he said, turn to
John 14, just a page or two back. John 14. This is the night, this
takes place during that same night that we took our text from
after they left where they were and on the way to Gethsemane.
But our Lord's with his disciples. In verse 5, Thomas said unto
him, Lord, we know not whither you're going. How can we know
the way? And Jesus Christ said this, I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No man, not the preacher
man, not the pope man, not the Baptist man, no man cometh unto
the Father but by me. If you had known me, you should
have known my Father also. And from henceforth ye know him
and have seen him. Philip said unto him, Lord, Show
us the Father and it suffices us. We'll be satisfied. Listen
to what the Lord says. Have I been so long a time with
you? And yet thou hast not known me, Philip? He that hath seen
me hath seen the Father. And how sayest thou then, Show
us the Father? In another place he said, I am
the Father's one. I am the Father's one. We won't,
when God takes his people to glory, we won't see three gods.
We'll see Jesus Christ, the God man, the three in one. I sat
last night right here, right here, and praying that God would
give me a message that would help you. Let's not go through
the motions, but give me a message that would help you. Not somebody
that's not here, but that would help you. And it's not hard to
do in a congregation this size. But I thought about where you
would be sitting. I sat here and I thought, there'll be Terry,
there'll be Mitzi, there'll be Pete, there'll be Ann, there'll
be God. I said, there'll be Billy, but
God willed otherwise. And I thought, what? As I pictured
where you sat, I prayed, God, help me. Help me. Help me to help them. Because
what it is we need to know is Jesus Christ. That's what I need
to know. So do you. Circle that word. That's the title of my message
I've given. What we need to know. What I need to know. Circle the
I. We're going to be brief in these
points. But what do I need to know? Circle
I. Let's camp there for just a minute.
One night last week, when Robin and I were in Orange Beach. She
went to bed, but I was still, she goes to bed early. I don't,
I don't usually go to bed that early, but I was in the living
room channel surfing. You know, I don't have any, I've
been deprived of TV, you know. I told somebody, I said, I declare
six months from now I could pick it up and be the same old, same
old like a soap opera, but I was just channel surfing just waiting
to get sleepy. And I came across this station,
or this program, it was called Ask the Pastors. And I thought,
hmm, wonder what that's about. So, there were six pastors on
this panel, five men and one woman. Hello. Doesn't matter,
nobody, you know, they didn't have any regard for God's Word.
But, and there was another man, he was the moderator. And people
had written in and asked questions. So he would read a question,
and he would say, well, let's ask the pastors. And they would
each give their spin on it. And someone asked a question,
and they answered it about the rapture, the rapture. Brother
so-and-so wants to know about the rapture. What do you think,
Dr. Fahrenheit? And he gave his take. And then
just on down the line. When will the rapture happen? Is it going to be pre-millennial,
post-millennial, or all-millennial, or Reynolds aluminum? Tell us
what it's going to be. And another one asked, what are
the signs of the last times? Don't you think we're living
in the last day? And they hashed on that. Well, it worked. I got
sleepy. I got sleepy. I said, enough of this nonsense.
I'm going to bed. So that's a cure for. not being sleepy, but I told
Robin the next day that I watched that program. I think it came
on every evening, but I just watched it that once. They never
touched on this question. You know, people call or wrote
in with all kinds of frivolous questions, you know, but nobody
asked this. And the pastors never dealt with
this. How can a man be just with God? That's a question. Terry,
that's a question. I'd rather have the answer to
that than pre-rapture or post-rapture or signs of the times. I mean,
if I knew that Jesus Christ, I mean, this is impossible, we
all know that, but if I knew at 12 o'clock Jesus Christ was
coming back, if I knew that for certain, if I didn't believe
on him, I'm still going to hell. I can understand all the so-called
signs of the times, but if I don't know Jesus Christ, how can I
be just with God? Or this question. Here's another
good question. What must I do to be saved? John,
they didn't even give a hint as to the answer to those questions.
And the answer to both of those questions is exactly the same.
How can a man be just with God? Paul was preaching and he told
the folks, know this. Know this, that Jesus Christ,
God raised from the dead, and through this man, Jesus Christ,
you're justified from all things, that you can never be justified
through the law of Moses. After that, in answer to the
second question, when that poor, frightened jailer was about to
commit suicide, because he thought his prisoners that he was in
charge of had fled. Paul said, don't do that, don't
do that, we're all here. And that man fell before him.
A greater fear had gripped his heart more than the fear of the
governor did, the fear of God. And he fell down before Paul
and Silas. Oh, men, what must I do to be
saved? The same answer. Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That's the answer. And that's the one that Lord
Jesus Christ gives here. That's who I need to know. I
know whom I have believed. Paul is in prison. We read from
2 Timothy a moment ago. He said in the last chapter,
his last words, Timothy, at my first answer before Nero, everybody
fled. They didn't want to be identified
with me. They just ran away like scared rabbits. Nevertheless,
the Lord didn't flee. The Lord stood with me. Demons have forsaken me, but
the Lord will never forsake me. He said, Timothy, it's cold.
It's cold in this dungeon. If you're able to come, would
you bring my cloak? Bring that cloak I have to keep
you warm at night. And bring those parchments. Bring
those Old Testament scrolls. I want to learn more about Jesus
Christ. I'm getting ready to die, but I want to know more
about Jesus Christ. Paul, what's important to you
now? What's your perspective now?
You can just about hear the footsteps of the executioner as he comes
to take you out to be executed, to be beheaded. What's important
now? Paul said, I know whom. Oh, what a testimony. If God is pleased, I mean I could
drop dead right now this minute, but if God is pleased, if I'm
on a deathbed for a while and I have my senses, oh God give
me grace that I can save anybody around me. And I'm persuaded he's able to
keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. Another
example. Our Lord and his disciples, unannounced,
went to the little home in Bethany, one of the few places our Lord
was welcoming, where he wasn't hated and despised and mocked.
The home of Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. You
know the story. You know the story. So many good
lessons there. Oh, I tell you, I'm rebuked just
about every time I read that, because I'm like Martha. Jesus
Christ is there. Oh, what an occasion. What a
rare opportunity. And instead of sitting at his
feet and hearing his words, I'm in the kitchen rattling my pots
and pans. I've done it all week, ain't
I? All week. I start the day praying, God,
help me to honor you today. I don't know what's going to
come my way today, but help me act like I believe in what I
profess, that you're a sovereign God. Before the sun goes down,
I'm mad. Before the sun goes down, well,
that God didn't return my call. I'll tell you, I'm fed up with
the whole alphabet. That's in God's hands. Rattling pots and
pans. Oh, for grace, this is what I
would rather do. John, this is what I want to
do. This would best be for my good and honor my Savior, just
to set down at His feet. Just to set down at His feet.
If He just drops a precious promise in my ear and in my heart, Larry,
it is I. It's I, like He said on that
stormy sea to those fearful disciples, it's I. Don't be afraid. This flood, Didn't take me by
surprise. It is I be not afraid. Here's
the second thing. We said I. Circle that word. What do I need to know? Circle
know. Circle know. I must know experimentally. I don't mean up here. You probably
don't know too many people that won't say, oh yeah, I believe
in Christ, I know Jesus Christ and, you know, give you their
spin. I'm talking about here, here. This is what our Lord speaks
of. This knowledge He speaks of in our text is an experimental
knowledge. It's something that's experienced.
It's experienced. I can sit in this chair like
an armchair theologian and just debate and discuss about the
five points of Calvinism and not know God from this. I want
to know Him. The Lord Jesus Christ. I must
know Him by personal experience. If I don't know Jesus Christ,
I'm not a Christian. Now that's just a fact. That's
true of you and that's true of me. If I don't know Jesus Christ,
if I've not experienced his mighty saving power, if I've not been
made a new creature in Christ Jesus, if I've not been risen
from the dead like Lazarus was at the grave, you think Lazarus
didn't know what happened to him? People talk like you can
experience God's grace and not know nothing about it. Then what
good is it? Lazarus come forth, and the next
picture we get of Lazarus, he's sitting with his feet under the
table having a feast with King Jesus. I want to know Him, don't
you? Here's the last thing. I want
to know Jesus Christ. I know Jesus Christ. What else matters? It's not enough
that I know some things about Jesus Christ, everybody does.
It's not enough that I even know the teachings of Jesus Christ,
the true teachings, the correct doctrine of Jesus Christ. I can
know the doctrine of Christ and not know Christ? Of course you
can, of course you can. I don't know why we think people
can be deceived by Arminianism and not be deceived by Calvinism.
Calvinism is not Christ. I must know him. Oh, that the
light, God's light would shine out of darkness. Just like when
he said, let there be light. To give the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That revelation is a
miracle of God's mighty grace. Nothing but this can give this
knowledge, this saving, life-changing, you'll never get over it, knowledge
of the Son of God. This is the Lord's doing. Nobody
else can. This is the Lord's doing. To
reveal Christ to me and in me. and it's marvelous in our eyes.
Brother, let me wrap this up. Brother Henry Mahan pastored
13th Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky for well over 50 years. In volume three of his Bible
class commentaries, probably most of you have those, Brother
Todd Nyberg wrote the foreword to that to that volume, volume
three. I was looking at it last night.
Brother Todd included this in that foreword. He said, years
after he had left 13th Street and began to pastor a church
of his own in Lexington, Kentucky, he was stricken. Soon after that,
he was stricken with a severe illness. He laid in the hospital
bed for two months. Nobody thought he'd come out.
He thought he was going to die. He thought he was going to die.
He's a young man, too. But Todd said this. One of the things that he was
most thankful for during that time was this. God had given
him a pastor after his own heart, and I like what Todd said here,
who was more concerned about me knowing Christ's name than
knowing his name. Knowing Christ's name more than
knowing Henry's name. Todd said it was through the
means of this man that I could face death with the confidence
of the gospel. As I said, Brother Henry, pastor
there in Ashland, Kentucky, that was in a tri-state area. Just
a few miles, you're in West Virginia. You pass through on the interstate
through Ashland, and you're in West Virginia in just a few minutes.
And then the other way, you're Ohio. You had Kentucky, Ohio,
and West Virginia. And because of that, being situated
like it was, Henry said they often had visitors. People would
drop in, strangers, quite a bit. And Henry said he never got too
excited about that, because people would drop in and he'd never
see them again. That was the first and last time.
But he said, if that stranger He came back next Sunday. And
he came back next Sunday. And he just kept coming back
and kept coming back. Henry said, I thought to myself,
this is the Lord's doing. This is the Lord's doing. And
it's marvelous in our eyes. I had an experience like that
myself here. Well, I've had the experience
of people coming for the first time and last time, not seeing
them again. But one Sunday morning, I came in. And Brother Lowell
was here. He was the only one that usually
got here before me. And I wasn't surprised to see
him. But then there was a man and
a woman sitting right, I think, in the pew in front of Misty
there, or maybe two pews in front of Misty. And I introduced myself
to them, and they introduced themselves to me. And then after
service, I was at the door greeting folks as they went out. And this
man and woman chatted with me a little bit more. And then when
they left out, that's what I thought to myself. I wonder if I'll ever
see them again. I wonder if they'll be back.
I wonder if they heard anything or not. That was on January the
8th, 2012. I hadn't been here but a few
months myself. And that couple was the Copelands. And they came back. And they
brought Caroline. I baptized them. They came back. And they've been
coming ever since. Drive a hundred miles? Well,
I mean, that's tough. You know, I've done eight, kicked
back in my recliner, taken a snooze, Terry, and they're still driving
back home. That was on January the 8th,
as I said, 2012. And my text that morning was the same one
today, John 17 and 3. I believe they heard what they
knew they needed to know. And this is life eternal, that
they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, without
its sin. God bless you. Thank you for
your time.