Now, before I read my text, I
want to ask two questions. Number one, who are the elect? And number two, do I want to
be one of them? Those are good questions, aren't
they? Who are the elect? And do I want to be one of them. Now let's read verses 1 and 2
of John chapter 17. These words spake Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy son, that thy son
also may glorify thee. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given Him. We read earlier, behold I and
the children that thou hast given me. Now I pray the Lord will
give me the grace to preach the gospel and that you'll be given
hearing ears, but I so much desire that you listen to me very, very
carefully. The Lord Jesus has power, has
authority, has control, freedom of action, sovereignty over all
flesh. Everybody in this room, you are
in his hands. You belong to him. He can do
with you whatever He's pleased to do. And whatever He does is
right. He has authority, power over
all flesh. Believers and unbelievers alike.
Believers are in His hands, so are unbelievers. Powerful men,
insignificant men. Presidents and paupers. Famous people and people nobody's
ever heard of. Everybody without exception is
under his thumb. He said, all power is given to
me. Now in his authority over all
flesh, He has the power and the right
to give eternal life to all those the Father has given Him. Now six times in this great high
priestly prayer for His people, He refers to those the Father
has given Him. Just like that passage I read
from Hebrews chapter 2, Behold I, and the children. You see, God's children are never
separated from the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what he always
says, I and the children. I am, Todd. I am. You just put your name in there
if you're a believer. I and the children which God hath given
me." Now look here in John chapter 17, verse 2. Thou hast given
him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given him. Look in verse 6. I've manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Verse 9. He says, I pray for
them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me. For they are thine. As a matter of fact, I entitled
this message, Am I one of them? Am I one of them? That's what
I want to know. Verse 11. And now I'm no more
in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast
given me. Verse 12. While I was with them
in the world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest
me, I've kept. Look in verse 24 of the same
chapter. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given
me be with me where I am. So six times in this glorious
chapter of the Lord's great high priestly prayer for his people,
he speaks of those the Father gave him. Now this is a reference
to the elect. Who are these people? They are
the ones the Father gave him. Now he said earlier, in John
chapter 15, verse 16, at this same time, just not too long
before this, he said to his disciples, he said, you've not chosen me,
but I have chosen You don't choose to believe, you believe because
you're chosen. Did you know that? You don't
choose to believe, you believe because you're chosen. He said,
you did not choose me, but I chose you, I elected you. You did not
elect me, I elected you. According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world. Did you hear that? That's election. Before time
began, Before creation, God gave Christ a people to be saved. He foresaw the ruin of our race.
It was all part of His plan, but because He is gracious, He
elected, He selected, He chose a vast number of people out of
Adam's ruined race to be saved, and He gave those elect ones
to Christ for Christ to save them. Matthew 121 says, Thou
shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people. Who's
He save? His people from their sins. He
said, I pray for them. I'm not praying for the world.
I'm praying for those that Thou hast given Me. Now, this choice,
this electing choice that God made when He gave Christ to people,
first of all, it was absolute. That's why it's called unconditional
election. That means there's no conditions
you need to meet. There's no works you need to
perform. There's no goodness or merit in you that would cause
God to elect you. Isn't that good news? What if
he had to find something good in you? Where would that leave
you? We wouldn't have a chance, would
we? But thank God salvation's not according to chance. Somebody
says, doesn't God give everybody a chance? Salvation is not according
to chance. It's according to the will of
God. And His election is unconditional. You don't have to have any works
in you, any goodness in you that would cause Him to choose you.
That's good news if you're a sinner. Now, if you're not a sinner,
you might not like it. But if you're a sinner, you love this. Thank God for
this unconditional election. This choice is eternal. Jeremiah
31.3 says, Behold, I've loved you with an everlasting love.
What's everlasting mean? Never had a beginning? Never
has an ending. You know, the elect have always
been elect. They've never not been the elect. They've always
been in the mind, purpose, and will of God the elect. It's eternal
election. And this election is personal.
Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2.13, God hath from the beginning
chosen you. Yes, he chose some angels and
other angels fell. Yes, he chose Israel and not
everybody else in the Old Testament, but the election we're talking
about is of individuals, personal. God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. Now, let me give you three things
that election does, three things that election says, three things
that divine election safeguards. First, election tells us that
God is God. It tells us that God has absolute
control and that we have no control. You don't have any control. God
has all control. God's sovereign. You know, you
can't believe God is sovereign and believe in free will. It's
impossible. A God who's not sovereign is an idol. is a false God, is
a pathetic God, is a God not worthy of being worshipped. The
God of the Bible is the sovereign, holy God who chooses whom He
will. And you know, the Lord Jesus
delighted in this. The Scripture says He rejoiced
in spirit and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because You have hid these things. things of salvation,
from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight." So first of all, election tells us that
God is God indeed. Not just in word, but indeed. God is God. He controls all. Secondly, election tells us what
Christ was doing. He was not making salvation possible.
He was saving. Everything he did, he did as
a representative for the elect. He kept the law for them. He
died for them. He was raised for them. When Christ walked upon this
earth, it was not to make men savable if they do their part.
It was to save, and that's exactly what he did. He came as the representative
of the elect. I don't believe for a second
that he died for every son of Adam. If he did, every son of Adam
would be saved. He died for the elect. He accomplished their
salvation. Thank God for that. Election
tells us what Christ was doing. Thirdly, election is the G of
grace. Now what do I mean by that? Election
is the G of grace. What does grace mean? It means
unmerited favor. Now here's an example, Romans
10 20, God says, I was found of them that sought me not. And
I was made manifest to them. that ask not after me." Now,
there's unmerited favor. I was found of folks who weren't
even seeking me. I put it in their heart to seek me. I was
made manifest to people who didn't care whether they knew me or
not. That's what they were by nature, but I did something for
them. Grace, completely unmerited favor. Now, that means good works
do not recommend you. I don't care how many you think
you have, no good work will reprimand you to God. And it also means
that evil works do not disqualify you. You take the G out of grace,
and what's the word you're left with? Race. Race. Where only the swiftest
win. Only the ones who have the most
ability win. Only the strongest win. It has to do with man's ability.
Who wins the race? The one who has the ability to
win it. And that's not good news at all for me. It's not good
news for a sinner. It takes the gospel out of the
gospel. You're left with race where only
the swiftest and the strongest survive. There's no salvation
there. Election is the G of grace. Unmerited, completely unmerited
favor. Right now, I don't have to have
anything to recommend you to God except Christ. In Christ,
I have all he requires. Now, there are only two responses
to election. One is it's not fair. It's not fair for God to not
choose everybody. Why? He could have chosen everybody
if he wanted to. Why didn't he? Every one of us has dealt with
that. How is it fair for God to choose one and pass by the
other? It's not fair. And that's that Paul anticipated
that when he was talking about election in Romans chapter 9,
where he says, what should we say then? Is there unrighteousness
with God? Is God unfair in loving Jacob and hating Esau and choosing
Jacob and passing by Esau? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Is God unfair? That's the first response. It's
not fair. Now, I got two responses to that.
Number one, do you really want God to be fair with you? Is that
what you want? Do you want God to give you personally
what you have coming? Man, I don't want to have anything
to do with that. And number two, since when are you morally competent
to sit in judgment upon God and say, well, I think this is fair
and that's not fair? Since when do you have the ability to do
something like that? You? Me? Sit in judgment on the
God of glory and say, well, I don't think that's fair. Nay, but,
O man, who art thou to reply against God? Shall this thing
formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?
Now that, it's not fair. That's the first response. Here's
the second response. I want to be one of them. I want
to be one of God's elect. I really do. I want to be one
of them. I know I won't be saved if I'm not elect. If he saves
whom he will, I cry out, Lord, save me. Lord, I need to be saved. I need. I love what our brother
prayed in his prayer. Lord, we need you. I need his
grace. Now, do you want to be one who
was given to him by the Father. Do you want to be one of these
people? One who was given to him? Do
you want to be in that group of which he said, behold I and
the children which thou hast given me? Now, I'm going to ask
you not to answer that question yet. Don't answer it. And I want us to look at the
places in John where he makes reference to those the father
gave him. And we'll look at each one of
them so that we can intelligently see if this is what we really
want. We're going to take them in the
order that God gives them in the book of John. Now first turn
to John chapter six. And remember, we're going to
ask, do I really want to be one of them? Verse 37. Well, verse 36. But I said unto you, John chapter
6, verse 36. But I said unto you that you've
also seen me and believe not. He's looking to a bunch of people
who did not believe. Now, did He try to talk them
into believing? Did He try to put pressure on their will to
change them? Now, what's he say? All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. There's his first reference.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Now here we have the
Father giving. There are some who will believe. You know, our Lord says, you
fellas don't believe, some will. Some will. It's not like I gotta
worry about, they're not believing. No, all that the Father giveth
me shall come to me. And this is what they do. They
come to Him for salvation. They come to Him for mercy. They
come to Him for all things. This is what believers do. They
come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what does it mean to come
to Christ? I mean, if He's sitting at the right hand of the Father,
how do I get there? What does it mean to come to
Him? Well, look in verse 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am
the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and
he that believeth on me shall never thirst. To come to Christ
is to believe on Christ. It is to trust Him. It's to rest in Him as your salvation
before God. Now all that the Father giveth
me shall, shall come to me. And him that cometh to me, thank
God for this verse of scripture, he that cometh to me, I will
in no wise, for no reason whatsoever, cast out. Now do you want to
be one of these people? Do you want to be one of these
people who actually come to the Lord Jesus Christ? And that is
salvation. It's coming to him. It's not
getting your doctrine straight. If you come to Him, your doctrine
will be fine. It's coming to Him. Do you want to be one of
these people who actually come to the Lord Jesus Christ? And
that would describe your life. To whom coming? Always coming
to Him. Verse 38, John 6, here's the
second one. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, But the will of Him that sent me,
and this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all
which He hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day." Now, our Lord says with reference
to those the Father gave Him, every one of them will be saved.
Not one of them will be lost. Everybody that Christ died for
must be saved. And if Christ died for you, you
must be saved. You have no sin. He put it away.
You have no guilt. You cannot be lost. You cannot
be lost. You want to be one of these people? You want to be one of these people
who cannot be lost because Christ died for you? It's impossible.
You want to be one of these people? John 10. John 10, verse 29, my father, which gave them me." There he's
referring to these people again. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. Now who are these people he's referring to? Well look in verse 24 of John
chapter 10. Then came the Jews around about
him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, Tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and you believe not. The works that I do in my father's
name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not because you
are not of my sheep. Now, how can words be any plainer?
He doesn't say you're not my sheep because you don't believe.
He said, you don't believe because you're not of My sheep. As I said unto you, My sheep
hear My voice. I know them and they follow Me
and I give, I give unto them eternal life and they shall never
perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
My Father's hand." Now, His sheep, His sheep, My Father which gave
them Me, they're the ones He died for. He said in John chapter
10 verse 15, As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father,
and I lay down My life for who? Who? The sheep. The sheep. Now, the sheep are those who
hear the voice of Christ, He knows them, they follow Him,
they believe. Do you want to be one of these
people? I'm asking you. Do you want to be one of these
people who He calls His sheep? Those who hear His voice, those
for whom He died, those who believe, those who will never perish. John 17. Verse 2, "...as thou hast given
Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life."
to as many as thou hast given him, and this is life eternal,
this is that life eternal that he gives, that they might know
thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent. Now here's what eternal life
is. It's not talking about the duration of life. It's talking
about knowing the living God. This is eternal life that they
might know Thee. And that means more than just
knowing about Him. That means knowing Him where I know Him. I know
God. He knows me. This is not just
talk. This is what eternal life is. To know the only true God
as opposed to the many false gods. The only true God and Jesus
Christ whom He sent. I have some idea as to why He
sent Him. He sent Him to save His people.
Here's my question. Do you want to know God? Do you
want to actually know the living God? To have Him give you this
eternal life to where you actually know God and He knows you. That's what eternal life is. The knowledge of the living and
true God. Actually knowing Him. Having
a relationship with Him. Now, this is what the people
who He gave to Christ do. They know God. Now look in verse
6. He says, I have manifested Thy
name. I have made known. I have revealed
Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world. Thine they were and Thou gavest
them Me and they've kept thy word. He's manifested his name
to them. Now turn with me for a second
to Psalm 9. Hold your finger there on John 17. We're coming
back there, but look in Psalm 9. The 9th Psalm. Verse 9. The Lord will also be a refuge
for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble, and they that
know thy name will put their trust in thee. For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken
them that seek thee. They that know thy name will
put their trust, their confidence, their reliance in thee." Now,
you know that that means a whole lot more than just knowing what
his name is. I know what his name is. His name is Jehovah.
His name is Jesus. His name is the Christ. His name
is Elohim. It's not talking about just knowing
what his name is. But he has seven names as Jehovah,
which every believer knows. Even if they don't know the actual
words, they know the concept behind it. They know the truth
behind it because they know the person behind it. and they that know
His name will put their trust in Him." The first is Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will provide. All that God requires, He provides. The Lord will provide. Remember when Abraham and Isaac
are going up the mountains, and Isaac says, here's the wood,
here's the fire, but where's the lamb for a burnt sacrifice?
And Abraham said, My son, the Lord will provide Himself a lamb. All God requires of you, He provides. He requires righteousness, He
provides it. He requires a sin payment, He provides it. He requires
you to love Him, He provides it. He requires a perfect standing
before His law, He provides it. He requires perseverance, He
provides it. Everything He requires, He provides. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord shall
provide. Then there's Jehovah Zedkinu,
the Lord our righteousness. I love his name, the Lord our
personal righteousness. I have a personal righteousness,
the Lord. Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our
righteousness. That's his name. And those who
know his name put their trust in him. Do you trust him as your
righteousness before God? Then there's Jehovah Shalom,
the Lord our peace. Now I have peace. I experience
peace. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes
I'm torn up. Sometimes I feel peace. But I tell you this, when
I feel peace, you know what that comes from? Christ is my peace. He made my peace with God. God's
at peace with me. God doesn't have anything to
be mad at me about. Jehovah Shalom, the Lord, our peace. And then there is Jehovah Raha,
the Lord is my shepherd. David said, the Lord's my shepherd.
And because my shepherd is the Lord, I shall not want. I won't want anything because
my shepherd's the Lord. I'm not going to want peace.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. I'm not going to, makes
me lie down beside the quiet water. Psalm 23, because he is
my shepherd, I shall not want any of these things. And then
there's Jehovah Rapha. I am the Lord that healeth thee. I'm sick. I'm not talking about
physical sick. I'm sick and I need healed. and He is the Lord that healeth
me." He does it. I trust Him. See, they that know
your name, they'll put their trust, they'll put their confidence
in thee. Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is
present and we trust He's present. You know, I trust He's present
right now. Even if I feel it or don't, see it or don't, I
trust He is present because He is always present. They that
know thy name shall put their trust in thee. Okay, get back
to John chapter 17. He says in verse 9, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me. for they are thine. Somebody
says, well, that's just talking about the 12 or the 11 disciples. Well, he says in verse 20, neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe. I mean, there's no doubt that
they shall believe on me through their word, through their preaching.
He's talking about all of God's elect when he says, I pray for
them. I pray not for the world, but I pray for them, which thou
hast given me. Now you want to be one of these
people that the Lord prays for. Now this is something I think
of what he said to Peter. Peter, Satan hath desired to
have thee that he may sift thee as wheat. What would happen to
you if Satan got a hold of you? Could you stand before him? Oh,
he'd sift you so quickly. None of us were a match for him.
He says, Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you
as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not."
And you know what? His faith didn't fail. He was
turned upside down and every which way would loose, no doubt
about that. But he never, he never left this. The only hope
I have is the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm relying on Him. You see,
if Christ prays for you, Father hears what He says. The Father
always hears Him. Hebrews 7.25 says, Wherefore
he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Do
you want to be one of these people Christ is praying for? Man, I
do. Oh, to think of the Lord representing my name before the
Father. If He prays for me, I'm safe, I'm secure, I'm delivered.
If He's my high priest, do you want to be one of these people
that Christ prays for? He says, I pray for them. Look in verse 11. And now I'm no more in the world,
but these are in the world. Here we are. And I come to thee. Holy father. through thine own name those
whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are. Now those the Father gave him
are those who are one. One with Christ and one with
one another. Now, here's my identity, and
this is true of every believer. My identity. Now, I know we're
all unique individuals. We're all what we are. But my
identity is Jesus Christ. That's my identity. I come into
the presence of the Father only by Him. And there's only one
thing I want to be known for. As God is my witness, there's
only one thing that I want to be known for in Christ. That's it. No other identity.
One with Him. One with His people. You know,
God's people, they're all alike. They have the same Savior. They
have the same salvation. Saved the same way. They all
believe the same thing. You know, there's differences
with Christians. No, there's not. They all believe
the exact same thing. They believe the Word of God.
They believe Christ is all. Every one of them, they're one.
There's a true unity of spirit. There's truly such a thing as
Christian unity, Christian oneness. We believe the same thing. We
believe salvation is by, of the Lord, don't we? We believe salvation
is by grace. Now, these folks that were given
him of the Father, they're one with one another. They're one
with him, they're one with one another. There's true fellowship.
Look in verse 12. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them. in thy name those that thou gavest
me I've kept and none of them is lost but the son of perdition
talking about Judas that the scripture might be fulfilled
now the ones that the father gave him are the ones who are
kept kept preserved in his name kept
by the power of God kept from falling Now, do you want to be
somebody who's kept? I know the only way I'll persevere
is if He keeps me. I know that. And I want to be
somebody who's kept. Now unto Him that is able to
keep you from falling and to present you faultless before
His presence with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Savior,
be honor, dominion, majesty, and power both now and forevermore. Oh, I want the Lord to keep me.
If He doesn't, I know sin will have complete dominion over me.
I'll perish if He doesn't keep me. And I want to be kept. Kept
hearing the gospel. Kept seeing myself as a sinner
and my need of Him. Kept coming to Him. I want to
be kept. Those the Father gave Him, He
keeps. Be one of them. Kept. Kept by the power of God through
faith unto salvation. Look in verse 24. Father, I will. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ is
the only one that can pray like this. Father, I will. Can you imagine saying to God,
Father, I will that you do this? creep out saying something like
that. I mean, we don't address in that way, but here, he who's
equal with the Father can say, Father, I will. That they whom you've given me be with me where I am, not where
I will be, but where I am right now. Now here is what those the
Father gave Him have the privilege of. They're always with the Lord
Jesus Christ. Always. Never a time when they're
not with Him. Always with Him. Now when Adam
fell, what did he do? He wanted to run and hide from
the presence of God. Wherever God was, He didn't want
to be there. He hid from the very presence of God, but when
the Lord saves a man, all they want is the presence of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Wherever He is, that's where
I want to be. And that's where I am, with Him. Now, those the Father gave Him,
they're always with Him. Now, I want to ask you that initial
question now. one of them. They've been described. Do you want to be one of them? If you do, you are. If you do, you are. There's never been one
who wants to be that wasn't. You know, when people think of
divine election and think, oh, it's such a shame there's people who
want to be saved that can't be because they're not elect, that's
foolishness. Anybody who wants to be saved will be saved. Anybody who wants to be one of
God's elect, and the way they've been described here, they are
God's elect. There's never been anybody that
wanted to be that wasn't. And there's never been one who was
that didn't want to be. Every single one of them. You
want to be one of them, I do, and I am. Bartimaeus understood
something about this. I don't know what all he knew,
but he wanted the Lord to do something
for him. Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. He couldn't
be shut up when they told him to shut up. Hold your peace,
Bartimaeus. He kept going. Thou Son of David, have mercy
on me. And the Scripture said, Jesus stood still. On his way
to the cross, that stopped him. He stood still because He is
always quick to hear the cry for mercy. You want to be one
of them? He won't pass you by. You are. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray.