Now this morning I'd like for
you to turn with me to John chapter 6. John chapter 6 is a very familiar
passage to every mature believer. He knows it well. He's read it
many times. I might go so far as to say it
might be one of his favorite chapters. Because John chapter
6 is so rich in gospel truth. It's so rich in gospel promises,
and it yields so much gospel peace to those who understand
it and believe it. The chapter begins with the Lord
feeding a hungry multitude. He always does. He always does. Wherever men and women gather
together to be taught of God, our Lord demonstrates they shall
be fed. They shall be fed. Fed abundantly. Abundantly. You gather in His
name, and the prayer of your heart When you go there to worship
Him, it's to be fed. You go there with an appetite.
And you go there for the right reason. And you'll be fed. And you'll be fed abundantly.
And you'll go away with a basket full of leftovers. More than
you can hold. More than you can contain. More
than you can think about and retain. You'll be fed. Our Lord demonstrated that to
this multitude in a physical way, what He always does in a
spiritual way. And then our Lord comes to His
disciples in the darkness and sure peril of a great storm. The Master came to them walking
upon the water. This man was a divine man. This
is the God-man. Only the God-man could walk on
water. I've heard men try to explain
how he did this and how the winds blew in such and such a way and
how the spray supported his weight. I never read such nonsense in
all my life. This is the God-man. He could
walk upside down on the water if he wanted to. This is God
come into the flesh. This is God Himself in man, inseparable. He didn't have to walk. He could
have floated across there. But He walked to demonstrate
His manhood. And He walked on the water to
demonstrate His Godhead. This is God. Over all, God blessed
forever. This is God. And receiving Him
into the ship. They were immediately where they
wanted to be. You will be too, if he enters
into your vessel. Immediately you'll be where you
wanted to be. And the sea, perfectly calm. And later on in the day, the
multitude caught up with him, looking for more of the same.
And the Lord said unto them, You seek Me not because you saw
the miracles and were convinced that I was the Christ. That was
your confession, but that's not what you believed. And that's
not why you came over here. You came over here because you
ate of the loaves and were filled. You came over here for the benefits. For the benefits. And He tells
them to labor not for the meat that perisheth. but for the meat
which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall
give unto you. For him hath God the Father sealed."
John 6, 26, and 27. And then this multitude, they
said, what can we do to work the works of God? I can remember as a young man
going to church being infatuated by the gifts that I read about
in this book. Read about these men like Peter
that they laid men down in his shadow, lest the shadow of Peter
when he passed by fall upon them and they'd be healed. And the
cleansing of the lepers and all of these miracles that these
men did, I was infatuated with it. I wanted to do that. I wanted
to be a part of that. And even if I couldn't do that,
I wanted to do something grand and glorious, something that
would make me to know for sure that God was working in me. And
that's what these men are asking Him. What can we do to work the
works of God? Are you listening? This is the
work of God that you believe on Him whom He has sent. This
is the work of God. This miracle of faith in you
that believe is as great as those fishes feeding that multitude. Greater. Greater. He likens this thing of faith
and being brought into His marvelous light, called out of darkness,
He likes this thing unto the power of His resurrection. This is the work of God that
you believe on Him. whom He has sent. Some of you
don't know that yet. Some of you don't. This is the
work of God. This is that great and glorious
work of God that you believe on Him whom
He has sent. And this verse tells us two things.
First of all, that it's God's work to preach the gospel to
dying sinners that they may be brought to faith in Christ, which
is what our Lord was doing there, preaching to the multitude to
start with. And then secondly, that it is
the work of God in His elect to enable them to hear and repent
and believe. That's the work of God. There are thousands in our day
who want to do the work of God in some miraculous way. Great
campaigns, building great healing centers, great charitable institutions
and shelters for the homeless. But the real miraculous work
of God in this gospel age is the preaching of the gospel and
the work of the Holy Spirit enabling seeking sinners, chosen sinners,
to believe. It's a divine work. And I love
to see it done. I love to see it done. This is a divine act. This is the work of God that
you believe on Him whom He has sent. And when a man learns this
in his own heart, he'll do everything in his power to promote the ministry
of Christ and get everybody he knows to come and hear. When God teaches you that the
gospel is the very power of God unto salvation to everyone that
believeth, then men will preach Christ instead of glorying in
themselves and glorying in their gifts. And Paul said the results
of this will be that these men convinced and judged, I read
it to you in the Sunday, they are going to be convicted of
all, judged of all, and having the secrets of their heart unlocked,
they are going to fall on their face before God and worship Him. and worship Him. And after this, our Lord begins
to tell them about the true bread. Verse 33, For the bread of God
is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto
the world. Now, I want you to listen to
me for just a minute. It is not God's intention to
save every man, woman, and child on this earth. If this were the
will of God, I promise you, every single son of Adam would be saved. God's will cannot be thwarted. God's will cannot be defeated. He doeth. This is what Nebuchadnezzar
learned. He didn't know that before this,
and he learned this. And when his reasoning returned
unto him, he said, He ruleth in armies of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or
say unto him, What doest thou? And our Lord Himself said, I
declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all My pleasure. I promise you, this book does
not teach that it's God's intention to save every man, woman, and
child of Adam's fallen race. He didn't purpose to do it. He
did not make provision to do it. And He did not pray for them
who believed that He did. He said, I pray not for the world. I pray for them which Thou hast
given Me. Can words be plainer than that?
You need more Scriptures than that? The good shepherd giveth
his life for the sheep. And he told them, the reason
you don't hear me is because you're not of my sheep. I told
you, my sheep hear my voice. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they'll never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. He did not purpose to save every
man, woman, and child. He did not make provision to
save every man, woman, and child. He did not pray for every man,
woman, and child. Nor does the Holy Spirit affectionately
call every man, woman, and child. When the Holy Spirit calls a
man, that is the most highly privileged created being on the
face of God's earth. That sinner that God called separates,
isolates, from the rest of the whole world, and plucks the strings
of his heart, and causes him to be willing in the day of his
power, and calls him to Christ. Oh my soul, what a privilege.
What a privilege. Now having said that, let me
say this. The propitiation for our sins,
which is by way of Christ's accomplished redemption, is the only way for
any sinner to be saved. There's no other way. There's
no other way. John said he is the propitiation
for our sins. Now listen, and not for ours
only, but also for the sins of the whole world. That's I John
2, verse 2. He is not just the hope of the
Jews, but the hope of any sinner from any nation, any color, any
sex. There is just one propitiation
for sin. Listen to what Peter said. There
is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must
be saved. Huh? Just one propitiation. That is
Acts chapter 4 verse 12. God gave His only begotten Son. He tells us that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Do you
believe that? I'd rather have that promise
than the promise that He's going to save Darwin Pruitt written
in plain English. Because there might be another
one. I doubt it, but there might be. Whosoever believeth on Him. What a promise! There's only
one all-sufficient Savior by virtue of His appointments and
accomplishments. And this man is able to save
to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him. That's what
the Scripture says. He's able. He's able. And He's more willing to save
your soul than you are to be saved. That's the truth. That's the truth. My friend, it's not believing
in election that manifests your election. Some men don't understand that.
They think because they come into agreement. And I used to
sing that song. I remember when I come to the
knowledge of the doctrines of grace. That's not salvation. And I learned that. God taught
me that the hard way. It's not believing an election
that manifests your election. It's rather believing on the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's what manifests your election.
The life He sacrificed on Calvary is sufficient to save 50 worlds,
1,000 worlds. John 6.35, I'm the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never
hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. He. He. Which he? Any he. Which her? Any her. Election, my friend, is not a
closed door. Election doesn't bar the way
for some men to come. God overwhelmingly manifest this
in the salvation of the Gentiles. Did He not? That election is
an open door. Jews believed in election until
God called the Gentiles. And they said, that's not election. Are you listening to me this
morning? The way to God is only barred by your sins. That's what
keeps you from God. It's your sins. And there's only
one propitiation for sins. There's only one way that sin
can be absolved. There's only one way that these
sins can be taken away, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. He can't make salvation possible. That would be a compromise of
His nature. He must put sin away. And to
put sin away, He must come down in a body, a representative body,
and bear those sins in His own body on the tree. Or as Paul
said, made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. It's not a closed door. It's
an open door. It's an open door. Sin is what bars the way. This
is condemnation. Light has come into the world,
and men love darkness rather than light. And the real issue
between you and the Lord is your unbelief. Your unbelief. You'll swallow any kind of living
bread that Satan serves up on the plate. Your hope in salvation by works,
even though the Word of God tells you, I don't know how many times,
not of works, not of works, not of works, not according to your
works, not in eternity past, not in eternity future, not in
the present. He uses it in all three. Not
according to your works, but according to His own purpose
and grace given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
You will hope in man's free will, even though the Scripture said
it's not of him that willeth. Not of the will of the flesh,
and it's not of the will of man, but of God. In other words, it's
not of your will, and it's not of somebody else pressing their
will on your will. But it's the will of God. You'll
rest your eternal soul on your participation in some obsolete
ceremonies. But you won't come to a rest
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the bread of life. He's
the water of life. That's what he's telling these
men. These men were religious. They were steeped in religion.
They were raised in religion. And they didn't know God. He
said, I'm telling you, you see me in the flesh. You see me. You saw me take fishes and loaves
and a handful and feed a multitude. You ate the fishes. You see me. But you believe not because you
don't see me. Huh? You believe not. I'm the bread.
I'm the bread. He's the bread of life. He's
the water of life. In Him was life, and the life
was the light of men. Now let me show you the harmony
of election and faith. John 6, verse 37. All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me,
I will in no wise cast out." There are some among Adam's fallen
sons who are the objects of God's sovereign mercy and grace, not
for any reason found in them, but according to the good pleasure
of His will and to the praise of the glory of His grace. You
can read about that over in Ephesians 1. John 6, verse 38. I come down from heaven not to
do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this
is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which He
hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again
at the last day." This is why God sent him, that nothing be
lost. Nothing be lost. God's eternal
purpose of grace is to save a people out of every tribe, nation, People,
kindred, and tongue under heaven. And that this salvation be accomplished
through the redemption of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He
is the one mediator between men and God. He is the covenant head and surety
of His people. He is the way, the truth, and
the life. And He shall not lose what God
has given Him to keep. Now watch this. John 6, verse 40. And this is the will of Him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the
Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and I'll
raise him up at the last day." There's a twofold work which
the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of chosen sinners. The
first work is this, they see the Son. Can you see it? Can you see it? They see the Son. How do they
see the Son? They see Him as God has set Him
forth. Seeing Him in the flesh, that
doesn't have any effect on me. No effect whatsoever. Even seeing
great works that He did had no eternal effect on these men.
And our Lord said, but all those chosen of God and given to Me,
they are going to see the Son. They are going to see the Son. In Romans 3, verse 25, it says,
Whom God has set forth. Who did He set forth? His Son. His Son. And He set Him forth
to be a propitiation through faith in His blood. Now just
hold your place there and let me tell you what this is talking
about. Whom God has set forth is talking about that blood sacrifice
sprinkled upon the mercy seat by the Holy Spirit in the Holy
of Holies in the Old Testament. That word propitiation here almost in a very, very true sense, means
mercy seat. He's made just like that mercy
seat. I realize I'm going kind of fast
here, so if you want to, you can just jot these Scriptures
down and look at them this afternoon. But over in Hebrews 9, verse
7, He describes that first tabernacle. He describes this Old Testament
type worship. And he's talking here now on
down in chapter 9 about the high priest himself. And he says,
into the second sanctuary, that is beyond the veil, went
the high priest alone once every year, and not without blood,
which he offered for himself and for the heirs of his people. The Holy Ghost, who inspired
men to write this down, who inspired Moses to write this down, and
bring it down and teach it to the people. The Holy Ghost, this
signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet
made manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet standing. Now listen, which was a figure
for the time then present. It was a figure. It was a figure
of that work which was yet to be done. God was setting forth
His Son as the propitiation for our sins. And this is what Paul
is teaching them now over here in Romans chapter 3. Whom God
has set forth. When did He set Him forth? All
those Old Testament sacrifices. But in particular, on that Day
of Atonement. Which was a figure for the time
then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that
could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining
to the conscience. He was in the early ceremonies
and sacrifices that Christ, our propitiation, was set forth of
God. And here in Hebrews 9 verse 11,
But Christ, being come a high priest of good things, to come
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building, Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. How has God
set Him forth as an all-sufficient sacrifice for a particular people? Through a chosen high priest.
That's how He set Him forth. That high priest who entered
in beyond that veil didn't enter in there for the world. He entered
in there for Israel. Their names were written on His
shoulders and written over His heart. He went in there to make
atonement for a particular people. And having made that atonement,
He come out and blessed those for whom He went in there to
offer that blood sacrifice. Israel brought a lamb, and that
lamb was offered up in their room instead, and its blood was
shed for their sins, and its life given on their behalf. And
all God's elect. who were given the gift of faith,
looked on that Lamb and its blood and understood that the Lamb
pointed forward to the Lamb that was yet to come. And if you'll
read Hebrews chapter 3, verses 24 and 25 carefully, he says, that He might show His righteousness
in the remission of sins that are past. Talking about all those
Old Testament saints who looked on that Lamb as God was setting
forth His Son, and saw by faith the Lamb of God that was to come. And now, He said, even at this
present time also, God's declaring His righteousness. through the
Christ who has come, that he might be just and justifier
of him that believeth in Jesus. He that seeth the Son. What does
a man see when he sees the Son? He sees a lamb without spot or
blemish, a perfect lamb, a chosen lamb, a sanctified lamb. He sees
a propitiation for his sins. He sees that by virtue of this
Lamb's life and death, God is able to show mercy without compromising
His name. To justify without compromise. That God can be just and justifier
of every man that believes on His Son. What does a man see when he sees
the Son? He sees the eternal love of God
that will not allow him to perish, but rather will send his Son
to die in his stead rather than lose his soul. In this was manifested the love
of God toward us because that God sent His only begotten Son
into the world that we might live through Him. What does a
man see when he sees the Son? He sees that Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. What does a man see when he sees
the Son? He sees an inseparable union
of God and man as one. As God and man in that physical
body of Christ could not be separated, so also is Christ and His church. What does a man see when he sees
the Son? He sees mercy and grace and peace
and pardon. He sees the very treasure of
heaven and the glory of God's redeeming grace when he sees
the Son. He that seeth the Son. Can you
see Him? As God has set Him forth, can
you see Him? Can you see Him in His glory?
This is the will of Him that sent and all that seeth the Son."
Now listen, "...and believeth on Him." Not another Jesus. "...but believeth
on His Son, whom He hath set forth. Rests all His hope upon
Him, commits the keeping of His eternal soul unto Him, submits
to His rule and right to be Lord." looks only to Him, finds in Him
all that He needs and desires. He that seeth the Son and believeth
on Him may have everlasting life." A spring for thirsty sinners. Are you thirsty? He said, come
and drink. Come and drink. I don't know
if I'm elect or not. Whosoever will, let him take
of the water of life, if you see the sun." A spring for thirsty sinners,
bread for a hungry sinner. Well, how does a sinner come
to see and believe and have access to such privileges as the world
has never known? 1 Corinthians 1.21. That in the wisdom of God, the
world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. When the Gentiles heard Paul
that he was sin of God and sent to be a light unto the Gentiles
and that he should be for salvation. Don't you read that? Over there
in the book of Acts. He said that He was sent to be
a light of the Gentiles and that He should be for salvation unto
the ends of the earth. When they heard this, they were
glad. They were glad. And they glorified
the Word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. Believed. Can you see it? Can you rest in it? Then upon
the authority of the word of God, you may have everlasting
life. It's yours for the taking. The
pool's there for the drinking. The bread's there for the eating. And to you, this promise is attached. And I will raise him up again
at the last day. Oh, my soul. Dead, these veins
full of the undertaker's potion. Only color I have is whatever
they color me with. They take me out and lay me down
in the grave. And Job said, though after this
flesh the worms devour this body of mine, yet in my flesh shall
I see God. On this earth, I'm going to see
Him. I'm going to see Him. If you
can see the Son and believe on Him, Christ said, I'll raise
him up at the last day, because this is what God sent me to do,
to lose nothing, but to raise everything He gives me up at
the last day.