These verses are in the midst
of Christ's discourse on the bread of life. Many a sermon is preached on
Christ being the bread of life without any mention of what he
actually said here. I've heard men say how wonderful
it must have been to have lived while Jesus walked the earth
and to have heard him speak. And yet they hate the very things
he said and has recorded in his word. He says, first of all, that sin
has so corrupted the minds and hearts of Adam's race. that no
one by natural ability can come to Christ. That's very, very
offensive to the natural man. Hated by the religious world
today, just as he was in that day, Christ speaks plainly about
sinful depravity. This multitude he's speaking
to asks him in verse 30, what sign showest thou then that we
may see and believe thee? If you could perform one more
miracle, like fill in our belly, the way
you did yesterday, we could believe on you. This
is the day after he had performed the miracle with the five loaves
and two small fishes and fed the great multitude. They said,
if we could see something else like that, they were referring to seeing
with natural vision. But the gospel of Jesus Christ
does not appeal to the natural mind or heart. Jesus told them
in verse 36, but I said unto you that you also have seen me
and believe not. That's not the answer for you
to see something else with the natural eye. You've
seen plenty and still believe not. Seeing naturally is not
to believe spiritually. Paul said it clearly in first
Corinthians 2, 14, but the natural man receiveth not the things
of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him. Neither
can he know them because they are spiritually. discerned. We have the situation today as
it has been all of my lifetime in your lifetime. And this is
what brother Jim was talking about. People trying to talk
other people into accepting Jesus. Well, the natural can't do it.
It takes the spirit of God to quicken. to give a new heart
and understanding, to give us eyes of faith to believe. Christ emphasized and re-emphasized
what sin has done to you prevents you in your natural and sinful
state from coming to me. You can come to church You can
do, you can, you can refrain from a lot of things that people
say are bad. You can do a lot of things that people say are
good, but you cannot come to me. He said it clearly in verse
44, no man can come to me except the father, which has
sent me draw him. He said it again in verse 65.
And he said, therefore said I unto you that no man can come to me
except it were given unto him of my father. Every way you turn
today, men are preaching. You've got a free will. You can
come to Christ anytime you please. It's up to you. He's got nothing
to do with it. That's the preaching that appeals
to the natural heart. That God is the desperate one.
And you're the one that's able to do Him a favor by accepting Him. That's not
what Christ preached. He said you can't come. No man
can come. You've seen with your natural
eyes You claim that's all it would take. Show us another sign
and we'll believe. Christ said, no, you won't. You can't. You have seen and
believe not. Why? Why is this? John 10, 26,
you believe not because you are not of my sheep. That's the why. You'll never believe to become
one of my sheep. You'll only believe if you are
one of my sheep. And even then, it'll be God's
Spirit working in you. Believing is not your gift to
Him, it's His gift to you. So this message of sinful depravity,
of the inability of the natural man to come to Christ It is a
hated message by the religious world today, just as it was in
his day. They would not have the Lord
Jesus Christ preach in their pulpits. They do not believe
what he preached. They hate him and hate what he
preached. And folks tell me that. We're not going to hear it. The Jesus they love is not the
Jesus of John six. All right. What else did he preach?
He preached that while the natural man cannot come, but by a miracle wrought by the
spirit of God in some parts, some do come. Not by decision of the natural
man, no, but a miracle of the Spirit. Not all will come. By nature,
no man can come. But by the Spirit of God, some
will come. This is the blessed doctrine
of unconditional election. Unconditional, nothing of qualifying
on our part, but election God's choice, nothing in the natural
man, but of God's choice. Remember what Paul said in first
Corinthians chapter one, let me read first Corinthians one
26 to 31. For you see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble are called. If it had something to do with
intellect, dummies like me would not be
included. Not many wise after the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God had chosen
the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God
had chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty. And base things of the world,
bottom of the barrel, if you please, and things which are
despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not. That's what you all were and
are not. He chose these to bring to naught
things that are. Why did God do it this way? The
next verse tells us that no flesh should glory in his presence. I don't heard too many people
say, boy, I'm glad I decided to come a Christian when I did.
Is that so? Well, how did you do that? I
thought God did the saving. I'm glad I got saved. Yeah. A drowning man don't get rescued.
Somebody has to rescue him. A lost man don't get found. Somebody
has to find him. A dead man don't get alive. He
has to be quickened to life. And so nobody gets saved. God
has to do the saving. No flesh should glory in his
presence. But then Paul says it's of him,
that is of God, that ye are in Christ Jesus. You didn't do that
for yourself. But of him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom. That's what Christ is to us.
Righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ did it all. That according
as it is written, he that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord. Those who truly believe on Christ,
and I trust everyone here does this morning, but those who truly
believe on Christ and believe in Christ do not glory in their
own ingenuity. They do not glory in their own
wisdom to choose Christ. They do not glory in their emotional
experience that they had that must have been so much greater
than what you had. They glory in the Lord. Let him that glorieth glory in
the Lord. Why? He's the one that did it.
He's the one that did it if it's done. It's him that came after
me. Not me that came after him. It
was his choice of me, not my choice of him. We love him because
he first loved us. This crowd hated, hated that
kind of preaching and they still do. Well, who are these chosen
ones? Verse 37 tells us. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. It's not all that don't get drunk
or all that don't cuss out loud. It's not all that prove by their
moral uprightness that they're worthy of me. No, it's not that.
That's not what it says. It's all that the father had
given me. They come to me. Oh, people today
will not have these words of Christ. Oh no. We have to choose
him. He didn't choose us. It's our
decision. Christ preaching is a hated message
today. Then there is the matter of a
definite atonement. Did Christ make salvation possible
for all and certain for none? Or did he die to make salvation
certain for all for whom he died? Was his blood shed in vain? Let's let Christ himself answer
that in John 10, 27 to 29. John 10, 27 to 29. My sheep hear my voice. Why? Because they've got a new hearing
aid with fresh batteries. No, no, no, no. Not that kind
of natural hearing. This is spiritual language. My
sheep hear my voice. Reaches not just to the ears,
but to the heart. And I know them. And that word no means I know
them intimately as Adam knew Eve when she conceived. Christ made love to me. I know them and they follow me. I don't plead, beg, try to get
them to quit their meanness. They follow me. And I give unto
them eternal life. It's not they can earn it, but
I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish if
they hold on. The promise is they shall never
perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all. Ain't nobody going to do nothing.
He don't want nothing. And no man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand. Christ died for a definite people. Matthew 121. They're called His
people. Already His people before He
was born. He didn't come into this world
to try and start a new movement. He come into this world to continue
and accomplish that covenant agreed on by the Holy Trinity. before he hung the stars. That verse said, Matthew 121,
the angel said to Joseph before he was born, thou shalt call
his name Jesus. Why? For he shall save his people
from their sins. It's a definite statement. That's
why he came. That's why he died. That's for
whom he died. His people. His precious blood
was shed to save his people. Not for a religious folk to trample
it underfoot and try to give it to people going to hell and
people already in hell. The lamb, John says, who was
slain, worthy of all praise. John said in the Revelation,
I saw him in the throne, and round about the throne a multitude
from every kindred, nation, and tongue. All the redeemed shall make it
home. All for whom Christ died. He
said, I laid down my life for the sheep and they shall never perish. Why? Because they're good at
dodging wolves? No, no. I laid down my life. I'm the
one that determines they'll never perish. Oh boy. Most religious folks
will not have this message, but this is the preaching of Christ. They'd rather preach. Oh, well,
you know, I believe, I believe he's doing the best he can for
everybody. Well, listen to this. Matthew 7 21, not everyone that
sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven.
What is the will of my father which is in heaven? He tells
this same crowd in John, them that believe on me whom the father
have sent. Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name have
cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works. Haven't
we built a tremendous ministry and affected thousands of people
and helped lots of people? Then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you. There's that word no again. I
never made love to you. I never claimed you as one of
my children. I never knew you. Depart from
me, ye that work iniquity." He's calling good, religious, humanitarian
programs that help people, he calls it work of iniquity. When you ignore the gospel of
Jesus Christ and try to replace that with being goody-goody,
that is a damning thing. Sending souls to hell. He called
them workers of iniquity. And yet people say, no, it's
an equal opportunity thing. I mean, Christ don't have the
right to refuse service to anyone. What he does for one, he must
do for all. What he came to do, he did, and
he did it well. And if what he does, he must
do for all, then everybody's going to heaven because he was
successful. or either everybody's going to
hell because he failed. Neither is true. Neither is true. There is a heaven. There is a
hell. Christ redeemed his people by
his own blood. And because of him, not because
of us, every single one of his children are going to heaven. And the rest are going to hell. But that's not the Jesus of today
talking like that. They hate him. They hate him. Another doctrine in this great
sixth of John. I'm not looking at my time piece
here. It don't really matter. Another great doctrine here,
that of effectual calling. Is the Holy ghost defeated? Doing his best to save people. And they won't let him and they
go to hell anyway. No, again in verse 37. All that
the Father giveth me. Ought to come to me, is that what it
said? No, that's not what it said. All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me. They're coming. Saul of Tarsus was determined
he wasn't coming. But in God's purpose, he was
coming all the time. And in God's time, he met Christ face to face. Every one of us in our natural
heart, like Saul of Tarsus determined, I'm not coming. But in the purpose
of God, he came to us. James 1.18, of his own will begat
he us. He quickened us to life. And
we came to Christ. Now, man-centered religion, modern
religion, teaches that God quickened you because you came to Christ. Uh-uh. No. No. This Bible teaches
that you came to Christ because God quickened you. Men hate this message. You don't
have to wonder this morning where you are. If you can sing from the heart,
my hope is built on nothing less. We sing it, but can we sing it
from the heart? Is this the bottom line truth
that I really believe? My hope is built on nothing.
Less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Aren't you
glad the songwriter didn't say, my hope is built on nothing more? There is nothing more. Everything's
less. And he said, my hope is built
on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. That's solid
ground. If you're still struggling to
impress the Lord with your performance, you haven't come to Christ. But He said, all that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. And when they come, That's who's
coming, by the way, all that the Father has given. Not one
more, not one less. And when they come, I will in
no wise cast them out. Not under any circumstance will
I ever refuse a single one the Father hath given me. One of the doctrine. that many folks hate, the preservation
and perseverance of the saints. They used to sing an old song
50, 60 years ago. You've got to keep
walking, keep walking, walking in the light of the Lord. You'll
get to heaven someday if you walk in the right way. No, no, no, no. If you're getting
to heaven, if you're God's child, you're going to walk in the right
way. You're not going to be perfect
in this flesh, and none of us are. But you're not going to
live like a child of hell when you're a child of God. Our heavenly father is a better
parent than that. He'll whip the devil out of you
if you're his child. And if you're not, you're going
to hell anyhow. What's it matter? But I'm talking to you about
God's children. The preservation and perseverance
of the saints. Can a saved person be lost again? That has been the teaching of
some denominations. For hundreds of years. But another question or two.
Kind of child. That's been born. Become unborn. Can a sheep that was born a little
lamb? A sheep. ever become a goat? No, no. Verse 39, this is the father's
will, which hath sent me. And by the way, in every one
of these verses, 37, 38, 39 and 40, Christ talks about the father
and his will. He said, this is not just my
doing in time. This is me and my father and
the Holy Spirit working from eternity. 39, this is the father's
will which sent me that of all which he hath given me, I should
lose nothing. Verse 40, this is the will of
him that sent me. that everyone which seeth the
sun, that is with the eye of faith, not just with the natural
eye, like he said about that other crowd, you've seen me and
don't believe, but them which seeth the sun with a quickened
spirit, with the eye of faith and believeth on him may have
everlasting life. Is life that ends in six months
everlasting life? No. Is a life that ends in 10 million
years everlasting life? No. Everlasting life is everlasting
life. My hope does not depend on what
I've done or haven't done. but on what Christ has done.
I'm saying he's the solid one, not me, not you. On Christ, the solid rock I stand. There's nowhere else to stand.
All other ground is sinking sand. Or as one preacher said, all
other ground is quicksand. Finally, the salvation of all.
the certain salvation of all who come to Christ. Verse 35,
I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on me shall
never thirst. He uses the words cometh and
believeth synonymously. It's not he that decides to come,
but he that cometh. It's not he that chooses to believe,
it's he that believeth. Verse 47, it's not verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that decides, no, it's he that believeth. So it is with John 3, 16, when
Christ is talking to Nicodemus. For God so loved the world that
he didn't let the whole thing go to hell. But he sent me into the world
that whosoever decides to believe, no, no, no. Whosoever believe
it, that is them that do shall not perish, but have everlasting
life. Are you a believer this morning? I trust you are. he that believeth." It's not
for whosoever won't. It's for whosoever will. Psalm 110 verse 3, the father
said to the son, thy people, this is the same people he came
to save, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Not their power. We don't have
any. but in the day of thy power. In these 31 years, I've been blasted
by a lot of whosoever won't, contending for whosoever will. Well, the gospel is not for whosoever
won't. It's for whosoever will. And it's the Spirit of God that
has to change you from being a whosoever won't to a whosoever
will. So many contend for whosoever
will, but nothing depends on your contending. God is saving
His people while this religious world continues
their party. and hates the preaching of the
very one they claim to worship. This is the Lord Jesus Christ
preaching these things. Do you oppose the preaching of
Christ? I sure trust you don't. If you can't believe that salvation
is of the Lord, not just from the Lord, but of the Lord. If you can't believe that salvation
is of the Lord, then you don't have any. So it's not natural ability that's worth
anything. No man can come. Unconditional election. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. Definite atonement. Christ's
blood accomplished something. No one else wants to come. Effectual calling. The Father which sent me draws
my people to me. He draws them. That was in verse
44 and also 65. and the final preservation and
perseverance. This is the Father's will. Verse
39, that I should lose nothing. How is He doing with it all?
He's doing quite well. It's not about my efforts. And
how am I doing to be accepted with God? But how is He doing? He's doing all right. Hebrews
9.12, by His own blood. He didn't ask for your help to
please His Father. By His own blood, He entered
in once into the holy place and done what? Having obtained eternal redemption for us. It's a done deal. A work salvation is blasphemous. To follow your natural mind as
we all do from day to day about what I might could do to make
God smile on me. Or what I might be careful not
to do to keep from making Him mad at me. Uh uh uh uh. Christ
entered in once and by His own blood having obtained eternal
redemption for us. That's why we sing. It's His
oath. His covenant. His blood. That's why we sing, my hope is
built on nothing less. Lord, there ain't no use in trusting
in nothing less and everything else is less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame. Oh, I just love so and so. He's
so sweet, she's so sweet. I tell you, I've never heard
a preacher, I'd drive a hundred miles, listen, I dare not trust
the sweetest frame. But holy, that means entirely,
lean on Jesus' name. These old songwriters have more
gospel in the songs than this modern outfit has in the pulpit.
Salvation is of the Lord. And I believe I'll just stop
right there. Let's stand.