Would you turn with me to the
11th chapter of the book of John? Tonight, I'm going to be speaking
from first Timothy chapter six, verses 11 and 12. And our subject
is instructions for the man of God. And in that passage of scripture,
Paul tells Timothy some things to flee. Some things to follow
and a fight to fight. Instructions for the man of God. John chapter 11. I want us to
read from verse 45 down through verse 54. Then many of the Jews which came
to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on
him. But some of them went their ways
to the Pharisees and told them what things Jesus had done. Then
gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council and said,
what do we? For this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all
men will believe on him. And the Romans shall come and
take away both our place and nation. And one of them named
Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them,
you know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient
for us that one man should die for the people and that the whole
nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself,
but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should
die for that nation and not for that nation only, but that he
also should gather together in one the children of God that
were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth, they
took counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus, therefore,
walked no more openly among the Jews, but went thence into a
country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and
there continued with his disciples. Now, can you imagine what a stir
it caused? when Lazarus was raised from
the dead. This isn't one of those situations
where somebody supposedly dies on the operating table and all
of a sudden their spirit rises up, circles around their body
for 15 seconds and come back and said, I've risen from, or
I was dead and I'm alive again. This isn't like that. I had a
lady tell me recently, I've died four times and came back to life.
I just, I didn't say anything to her. I mean, I didn't know,
what do you say when somebody says something like that, you know?
I just said, well, oh. But this is a situation where
someone died and the process of decay had actually began.
He'd actually started smelling bad from death. and he was raised
from the dead. Now can you imagine what a stir
that must have caused. Now with that in mind, verse
45, then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the
things which Jesus did, believed on him. They saw the Lord Jesus
Christ raise somebody from the dead. And they were Astonished
to say the least. And the scripture says they believed
on Him. Was this saving faith? I don't know. It doesn't tell
us. But they did believe. He did this. And I'll just take
it that they really believed on Him. Verse 46, But some of
them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus
had done. Another group, seeing the precise
same thing, they had a different attitude. They went to the Pharisees,
knowing the Pharisees would be displeased. They saw this and
yet they wanted to tell the Pharisees, look what happened. I mean, something
needs to be done about this. This is trouble. This is problem.
But he indeed did this miracle. Verse 47, Then gathered the chief
priests and the Pharisees a council and said, what do we? For this
man doeth many miracles. We can't deny that this man does
in fact perform many miracles. He does things that only God
can do. You know, he controls the weather. Only God can control the weather.
He heals men without the use of means. He says, be healed
and there He demonstrates creative power. He brought bread into
existence. He brought matter into existence
that was not there before. He raises the dead. We can't deny this. This man
indeed doeth many miracles that attest to his divine authority. Now they saw these miracles.
They could not deny these miracles yet. They did not believe. And what that tells me is that
faith does not come. Now listen real carefully. Faith
does not come from weighing the evidences, being convinced of
the truthfulness of something, and then deciding to believe
because the evidence points to it. Nobody ever believed because
they saw a miracle. Faith, my dear friends, is the
gift of God. It doesn't come to you or me
because we weigh the evidence and decide this is the direction
I'm going to take. Faith is the gift of God given to His people. And if God doesn't give you faith,
if God doesn't give me faith, we'll die and we'll go to hell,
and God will be just in sending us to hell. Amen? Amen. Faith is the gift of God. By
grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's
the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Now, they say he indeed does
many miracles. We can't deny this. Verse 48. Now, if we let him alone, all
men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and take
away both our place and our nation." You see, there's always an evil
motive behind unbelief. We're trying to protect something
when we don't believe. There's never Unbelief doesn't
come because I just can't believe that. I can't go that direction.
No, there's a bad motive behind it. They were concerned about
their status in this world. If we don't do something to prevent
this man from gaining popularity, people will make him a king.
The Romans will come and squash the rebellion and we'll lose
our jobs and we'll lose our positions in society. And we can't have
this. We need to do something about this. The Romans will come
and take away our place and nation. Nevermind that these miracles
attest to his divine authority. I don't want to lose my position.
I don't want to lose my place. I don't want to lose my job.
That's what they were concerned about. Verse 49. And one of them, named Caiaphas,
being the high priest that same year, said unto them, You know
nothing at all. You fellows are ignorant if you
think we just need to shut him up. Verse 49, read it again. One of them, named Caiaphas,
being the high priest that year, said unto them, You know nothing
at all, nor consider that it is expedient It's necessary for
us. If we're going to keep our place,
if we're going to keep our position, if we're going to keep our way
of life, if we're going to keep our culture, this one man is
going to have to die for the people that the whole nation
perish not. Now, this spake he, not of himself,
but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should
die for that nation. Now, Caiaphas is saying we don't
need to just shut him up. We need to kill him. That's what
we need. This nation is not going to exist
unless we kill him. What he was saying was purely
political. The Romans will come and take
our place and our nation. We need to kill him in order
to save our jobs, our prestige, and the Jewish way of life. But
I love what 51 says, and this spake he not of himself, but
being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should
die for that nation. Now, Caiaphas had no idea what
he was saying when he said this. He didn't have a clue at that
time that he was actually preaching the gospel. Turn with me to Proverbs
chapter 16. Verse one, the preparations of
the heart in man, that's the inclinations, the disposings,
the preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the
tongue. What he has to say is from the Lord. Somebody says, I don't believe
that. That's from the Lord, you're
in his hands. All men are in His sovereign
hands. Now you do exactly what you want
to do. I do exactly what I want to do. We believe what we want
to believe. No question about that. But yet
this passage of Scripture says everything is of the Lord. Look
down in verse 9. A man's heart divides his way. We make plans.
This is what I'm going to do. This is what I'm going to do.
But the Lord directed his steps. Look in verse 33 of the same
chapter. The lot is cast into the lot. That's what folks would
call luck. The lot is cast into the land, but the whole disposing
thereof is of the Lord. Now Caiaphas, when he makes this
statement, you fellas don't know anything. Don't you know that
it's expedient for us? It's necessary for us that one
die for the people, that the whole nation perish not? He was speaking inspired by God. He didn't know it, but he was
speaking of the substitutionary atonement of Christ. Now he didn't
know it. He just wanted to save his job.
This reminds me of the things Christ's enemy said to him from
the cross. Remember when they said to Pilate, let his blood
be upon us and our children. We want to be held responsible.
We want his blood to be. Go ahead, kill him. We'll take
full responsibility. Let his blood be on us and our
children. You know, I say the same thing.
Let his blood be over me. Let his blood be over my children.
What about when they made fun of him? He saved others. Himself
He cannot save. They were making fun of Him.
Never was a truer statement made for me or you to be saved. He
couldn't save Himself. He had to go to the cross. He
saved others, Himself. They didn't realize it, but oh,
what glorious truth they were speaking. You see, the answer
of the tongue is from the Lord. Caiaphas didn't know what he
was saying. What about when they made fun of Him? Hail, King of
the Jews! He is the King of the Jews. Remember
what they wrote over his cross? Jesus of Nazareth, the King of
the Jews. I tell you, he is. Caiaphas had
no idea what he was saying, but he was speaking by inspiration. He was giving us the very heart
and soul of the gospel. Look at verse 50. nor consider
that it is expedient, it is absolutely necessary for us that one man
should die for the people, that the whole nation perish not."
Now this he spake not of himself, but being high priest that year,
he prophesied that Jesus would die for that nation. Now here is the very heart and
soul of the gospel. If Christ did not die for us,
all men will perish. under the wrath of God. You see,
God is holy. Man is sinful. And God cannot
accept a man apart from the death of Christ. Now, I want to talk
about that for just a moment. It's expedient for us. It's necessary
for us that one man should die for the people, but the whole
nation perish not. Why is it necessary? Well, God's
holy. How could God have something
to do with somebody like me or you? He's holy. I'm sinful. How can a holy God
embrace me? That's the question of questions.
You know, it's amazing. Most folks don't even consider
this much. They think, well, you know, it's just God loves
everybody, doesn't He? Christ died for everybody. God
wants to save everybody. Of course He wants to save us.
But that's not what the Bible teaches. You're not going to find that
in the Scripture. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died. He was nailed
to a cross. Why was he nailed to that cross?
There's only one reason anybody dies. What is it? Sin. Sin. God is holy. God hates sin. Sin must be punished. The sins
of God's elect became his and he died under the wrath of God.
He died. It's expedient. It's necessary
that He died because He was made sin. I don't know what all that
means, nor does anybody else. It's an awesome, glorious thing
to think that Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God, the One who
knew no sin, the One who did no sin, the One who in Him is
no sin, oh, the holy, spotless, perfect Son of God was made sin
and died on the cross. It's Christ that died. Now, here's
the power of his death. It's who died. It's Christ that
died. It's Christ that died. Because
of who he is, there's saving efficacy in his blood. If he
died for you, you must be saved. You can't be anything but saved
if he died for you. It's Christ that died. Why did
he die? Sin. As our substitute, he bore
our sins in his own body on the tree. He was wounded for our
transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him and by his stripes were healed. He died. Why did
he die? For sin. For whom did he die?
This is a very important question. Who did the Lord Jesus Christ
die for? Everybody? No, just as this scripture says,
verse 51, this he spake not of himself, but being high priest
that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation
and not for that nation only, but that he also should gather
together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Who did he die for? children
of God that were scattered abroad. He didn't die for every single
individual. And this is so important for us to understand this. Please
zero in real carefully. This religious world teaches
that Jesus Christ shed his precious blood for every individual to
ever live, made salvation available for all men. But it's up to you
as to whether or not what he did will work for you. It's up
to your acceptance of him or your rejection of him. If you
accept him, then his blood will work for you. If you reject him,
even though your sins were paid for, it won't work for you. Now,
is that not a true picture of what is preached by most pulpits
in our day? I know it is. Now you listen
to me. I want everybody to hear this.
There's not a drop of gospel in that message. The gospel is
that when Christ bowed His mighty head and said, It is finished,
the salvation of all of His elect was accomplished. Here's my hope. Bless God, here's my hope. That
when He said, It is finished, it was finished. Is that your
hope? The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
actually accomplishes salvation. Who died? It is Christ that died. Who did He die for? His children,
His people. Now, they're children of God
and they're children of the devil. Look back in John chapter 8. Beginning in verse 44, he says,
You are of your father, the devil. Lord says to these people, I
know who your daddy is. Your daddy's the devil. And the
lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the
beginning and abode not in the truth because there's no truth
in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own for he's
a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth,
you believe me not. Which of you convinces me of
sin? And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me? He
that's of God. Heareth God's words. You see,
there's those folks who are of the devil. There's those folks
who are of God, children of God. You therefore hear them not,
because you're not of God. Who did Christ die for? Look
in John chapter 10. Verse 16. Verse 15. As the Father knoweth
me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the
sheep. Who did He lay down His life
for? What's it say? the sheep? Is everybody a sheep? Is there not such a thing as
a goat? Now, before we're going to look at some more here in
John 10, but let me give an explanation as to why this is such an issue.
My hope of salvation is that Christ died for me. That's the
only hope I've got. If you tell me that he can die
for me and I might end up in hell anyway, two things. That's a message of salvation
by works. That means my salvation is not dependent upon Christ
dying for me, but what I do. But here's the worst thing about
that. You take away the hope I have. Because if Christ can
die for somebody and they wind up in hell, I know sure as I'm
standing here that I'll wind up in hell. I know it. My only
hope is that what Christ did completely accomplish my salvation.
That's what faith believes. I believe that what Christ did
made me perfect before God. John 10. He says, other sheep
I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring.
And they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and
one shepherd. Look in verse 24 of John 10.
Then came the Jews round about him and said unto him, How long
dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly, as if he didn't already tell them plainly. Jesus answered
them, I told you, and you believed not. But the works that I do
in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But you believe
not, because you're not of my sheep. Obviously, everybody's
not a sheep. He said, you fellas don't believe.
And he doesn't say, you're not my sheep because you don't believe.
He says, the reason you don't believe is because you're not
of my sheep. You see, his sheep, what do they do? They believe.
They hear his voice. Go on reading. Verse 26, but
you believe not because you're not of my sheep. As I said unto
you, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me, and 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. I and My Father are one." Now who did He die for? Back
to our text in John chapter 11. Verse 52, and not for this nation
only, but that also he should gather together in one the children
of God that were scattered abroad. I have entitled this message,
The Great Gathering. And this is what his death is
all about. This is John's comment on Caiaphas' statement. Caiaphas
said it's expedient for us that one die for the nation, that
the whole nation doesn't perish. He didn't know what he's talking
about, but he was speaking under inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
God inspired him to say this, him being the high priest. He
didn't know what he's saying, but he said the truth. That happens
a lot, doesn't it? Now John gives us his comment
on it, his explanation of it. He said, and not for that nation
only, not just for the Jews, but that also he should gather
together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. The children of God were scattered
abroad, and that's precisely what took place on the cross.
This is the great gathering. This is when all the children
of God that were scattered were brought together and made one. Now, let's turn back to John,
chapter 17, the passage of Scripture that I began this. Service with. Verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone."
Now he said 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. Now how clear is that? The Lord
said I'm not praying for everybody, I'm just praying for the ones
you gave me. And lest anybody think that's just talking about
the twelve disciples, he straightens that out too. He says in verse
20, neither I pray for these alone, not just these eleven,
but for them also which shall believe on me. through their
word. And here's my purpose in this,
that they all may be one. As thou father art in me and
I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me, and the glory which thou
gavest me, I've given them, that they may be one. Even as we are
one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect
in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent me and has
loved them as thou has loved me." Now, this is God's eternal
purpose. that they all may be one. Ephesians
1.10 says that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He
might gather together in one, in one all things in Christ. Now Jesus Christ is one with
His Father, isn't He? He said, I and my Father are
one. He is one with His Father. And
Jesus Christ is one with His people. I love that passage of
Scripture in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 11 that says, both he
that sanctified, that's the Lord, and they who are sanctified are
all of one. Whoever Jesus Christ is, if you're
a believer, this is true concerning me, this is true concerning you.
Whoever Jesus Christ is, that's who you are. Is He holy? If you're a believer, is He holy?
You're holy. Is He perfect before God? You're
perfect before God because you're one with Him. He's one with the
Father. We're one with Him. Both He that
sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one. And
on the cross is when this great gathering took place. Now, what
I'm going to try to talk about for just a few moments is very
mysterious to me. I believe it because it's what
the Word of God teaches. I don't really much understand
it. But I don't need to understand
it. I do believe. I do believe. On the cross, this is where all
this oneness took place. Now for me and Christ to be one,
first of all, He's going to have to become what I am to be one
with me. Now, Jesus Christ in his person
never sinned. He never sinned. On the cross,
according to 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21, he was made sin. All the hell and the evil that
is in the heart of all of his He was made to be so that He
became guilty. When God poured His wrath out
on Him, it's because He had it coming. My sin actually became
His. No, He never sinned in His person.
But this is worse. He was made sin. Do I understand
that? Not at all. Not at all. It's
mysterious. It's glorious. He was made sin.
He was made one with Me. He was made sin so much that
He said in Psalm 22, I'm a worm and not even fit to be called
a man. That's His words from the cross,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He was made sin and that's why
His Father killed Him. And just as truly as He was made
sin, every one of His people becomes one with Him in this
sense. I'm made the very righteousness of God. in Him. That's what being one means.
He became what I am, I become what He is. That's mysterious,
it's glorious. And we, as different as we are,
are made one with one another. Turn with me to Galatians chapter
3. Verse 26, For you are all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ, there is neither Jew
nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free.
There is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus. And if you be Christ's, then
are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. One in Christ. Now, if I'm one
with Christ, and if you're one with Christ, me and you are one
with one another. We're truly one. This is a true
unity of spirit. This is not a uniformity. That's
what a lot of it is. Let's make everybody uniform. Let's make them say the same
things. Let's make them dress the same way, look alike, and
say all the catch words and the key phrases and so on. We want
uniformity of spirit. No, I don't want uniformity of
spirit. We're all different. We're individuals. We're what
God has made us. But truly, this is the true unity
of the spirit. We're truly one. Turn to Ephesians
chapter 4. Well, first turn to Ephesians
2 verse 13. But now in Christ Jesus, you
that were sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood
of Christ. For he is our peace who hath
made both Jews and Gentiles one. and hath broken down the middle
wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh
the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for
to make it himself a twain, one new man, so making peace that
he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross."
Now, this is the great gathering. All of God's people were reconciled
to God. God has no reason to be angry
and we're reconciled to one another. All of God's people reconcile
on the cross. Look at Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1. I therefore the prisoner of the
Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
you are called. Oh, listen to me. Listen to me.
Walk worthy of this high and holy calling. Walk in a way that
honors the Lord Jesus Christ in your conversation, in your
conduct, in your attitude. Walk worthy. Oh, walk worthy
of this high and holy calling. And how do we walk worthy? Verse
2, with all loneliness, humility, with meekness, with long-suffering,
forbearing one another, in love. If you're going to get along
with me, you know what you're going to have to do? You're going to put up with me.
You're going to have to overlook. And I'm to do the same thing
with you. That's what love does. Forbearing one another in love,
endeavoring, giving every effort to keep the unity, the oneness
of the spirit in the bond of peace. There's one body. There's
only one church. That's the church of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The church of God's elect, the spirits of just men
made perfect, whose names are written in heaven. I tell you,
there's one church role that I want to be found in. That's
the church role of the church of God's elect, whose names are
written in heaven. There's one body. There's one
spirit. Now, there's a lot of local churches,
I realize that, but every local church is one. Every local church
is. I know that there's local churches
and they're separate congregations and all this. I know all that.
But every church is one. There's one church. There's one
body. There's one spirit, the Holy Spirit, even as you're called
in one hope of your calling. There's one Lord. There's one
faith. We all believe the same thing.
There's one baptism. Baptism by immersion. One God
and Father of all who's above all and through all and in you
all. Oneness. You know, there's something
supernatural and powerful about the gathering of believers. Now,
there's a true unity of spirit, and we endeavor to keep it. We're
members of the same body. You see, we have one faith. We
have one faith. We don't believe different things.
We all believe the same thing. If we're believers, don't we?
We believe the same thing. Well, they all believe. They
just believe different stuff. No, they don't all believe that.
If you believe, you believe the same thing. We believe the Scriptures. alone. Do you believe something because
I say it? Or do you believe something because God's Word says it? We bow to God's Holy Word. Oh God give me grace to do that.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. And we don't go to the
Bible to try to prove what we believe. We go to the Bible to
find out what to believe. And we bow to what God says,
the scriptures. What you think about God himself
is seen in your attitude toward the holy word of God, the Bible. I love the Bible, don't you?
I love the holy scriptures that are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. We love the
word of God. We believe the scriptures alone.
Every believer believes the Bible. Every single one of them. We
believe Christ alone. Every believer believes this,
Christ alone. What makes you think that God
will accept you? I got an answer for that. Christ
Jesus the Lord. He is my salvation before God.
He's my standing before God. My life. My life is His life. If you want to know the truth
about me, you look at the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
my life before God. He's my righteousness before
God. He's my acceptance before God. My sins are forgiven because
of his precious blood. I'll stand in that great throng
and sing the praises of the Lamb because of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is salvation. I love that passage of scripture.
We just read Ephesians 2 14 where it says he is our peace. Oh,
I feel peace. How come? Because he's my peace.
He's my peace before God. We believe the Christ alone is
our only ground of salvation. Every believer believes that.
I don't have to argue anybody into that. You know, our Lord
said, he that's of God, heareth God's words. Every single one
of them. And he said to that crowd, he
said, the reason you don't hear them is because you're not of God. He that's
of God, every believer, heareth God's word. We all believe that
Christ is our salvation before God. Every believer, no exceptions
to this rule, Every believer believes grace alone. Now, the only way you believe
grace alone is if you begin with divine election. You don't believe
in election, you don't believe in grace. Grace alone, from election
to glorification and everything in between is by grace. By grace He are saved. Salvation
is of the Lord. That's the very cry of our heart.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation by grace. Aren't you
thankful salvation is by grace? What if it was up to you to keep
yourself? What would happen? Well, you know you'd fall away immediately,
wouldn't you? Grace alone. Thank God for the grace of God.
That's what's going to bring me into glory. Faith alone. Salvation is not received by
doing, but by believing. Faith in Christ alone. The glory
of God alone as our only motive. Now, there's a oneness
of faith. There's a oneness in affection
in this great gathering. Now, He is our first love. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself,
the person of Christ, is our first love. And we love all His
people because they're united to Him. Now, if Christ is my
first love, and if Christ is your first love, me and you are
friends, aren't we? We're going the same direction.
We believe the same thing. We love the same Savior. We have one common goal or motive. The glory of our blessed Lord. That's the only motive. Any other
motive, I don't care what it is, it's a wrong motive. I love
what Robert Burns is getting ready to go to China as a missionary. They were interviewing, they
were so impressed with the fact that he was going to go to China
and be a missionary. And they said, why are you doing this?
Is it for the conversion of the heathen? He said, no, for the
glory of God. For the glory of God. Any other
motive than His glory is a wrong motive. All of the church, all
of God's people join in this, not unto us, not unto us, but
unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth's
sake. We have the same common goal,
the glory of our blessed Lord in works of faith, in labors
of love, in trials and prosperity, in giving and receiving our song
is the same to God be the glory. And we are one in our care for
one another. Would you turn with me for a
moment to first Corinthians 12? I'm going to wind this up. First
Corinthians 12. We're one in our care for one
another. Nobody is more. Nobody is less. There's no clergy and laity in
the kingdom of heaven. All of God's people are God's
clergy, God's inheritance, God's dear children. And we have the
same care one for another. Look in first Corinthians chapter
12, beginning in verse 12. For as the body is one and have
many members and all the members of that one body being many or
one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free, we've been all made to drink of one spirit
for the body is not. One member, but many. Now, if
the foot shall say, because I'm not the hand, I'm not of the
body, is it therefore not of the body? If the ear shall say,
because I'm not of the eye, I'm not of the body, is it therefore
not of the body? Somebody says, well, I'm not a preacher. What
does that mean? You're not of the body? There's only one body, there's many members,
but just one body. If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? If the whole were a hearing,
where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members,
every one of them in the body as it is pleased him. Now you
and I are right where God has placed us. That's a good place
to be, isn't it? That's a good place to be. And if they were
all one member, where were the body? But now are there many
members yet, but one body in the eye cannot say unto the hand,
I have no need of thee. Or again, the head to the feet,
I have no need of you. Nay, much more these members
of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And
those members of the body which we think to be less honorable,
upon these we bestow more abundant honor. And our uncomely parts
have more abundant comely parts, for our comely parts have no
need. But God hath tempered the body together, having given more
abundant parts that part which lacked. When's the last time
you looked at a liver? It doesn't look good. What would
you rather use, lose, your hair or your liver? Well, I'm losing
my hair, but the point is that part that we don't think of as
You don't even think of the liver, but try to live without your
liver. Try to live without your kidneys. Try to live without
some other organ of your body. Those are the ones that... Now,
nobody sees them. Nobody's coming, oh, you got
a beautiful liver. No, not at all, you know. The stuff that
people see, it doesn't even matter. It doesn't even matter. But the
things that people don't see, that's what's really important,
isn't it? For our comely parts, verse 24,
have no need. But God has tempered the body
together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked,
that there should be no schism, no division, no big shots and
little shots, no important and not important. Everybody's brethren
in Christ Jesus, that there should be no schism in the body, but
that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffers,
all the members suffer with it. Or if one member be honored,
all the members rejoice with it. You know, I'm not in competition
with you and you're not in competition with me. If I love you, if you're exalted,
I'm exalted. And if you're hurt, I'm hurt.
The members are one with one another. And we have one Ian,
turn back to John 17. Verse 23. I in them, and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that
thou hast sent me, and has loved them as thou hast loved me."
Do you hear that? I wouldn't believe that if it wasn't
written in the Word of God. It says here that God has loved
me the same way He loved Jesus Christ. That's hard to get hold
of, isn't it? And the only way we can believe
that is because it's in the Word of God. And this is only understood
in light of union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Is He altogether
lovely? In Him, I am. You see, God's
love, remember this, God's love is not unconditional love. Somebody
says, God loves unconditionally. No, He doesn't. He loves you
as you're in Christ. He doesn't love you as you are
in yourself. He loves you as you are in Christ. He couldn't love
you unconditionally. He ceased to be God. That means
He would love somebody that is undeserving of love. But he loves
his people in Christ. Therefore, the same love he has
with his son, he has to his people. Now look what he says in verse
24. Father, I will that they whom thou has given me be with
me where I am, that they may behold my glory. Now here's our
common end. It's to be with the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that will be glory to me.
To be with him. and to see His face, and to bow
at His feet, and to cry, Salvation is of the Lord. That's the common
end of all of God's people. Now I want to know if I'm part
of this one mysterious, glorious, great gathering. I want to be,
don't you? I want to be in this crowd. How
can I know if I'm in this crowd? Do I have a right to believe?
That's a good question. Do I personally, Todd Divert,
do I have a right to believe the gospel? Do I have a right
to, you know, I mean, he only died for the elect, what makes
me think I'm one of them? Do I have a right to believe? Now
you listen to me real carefully. This is so very important. You
are commanded by God to believe. Me? Yes, you. God commands all
men everywhere. You in that group? God commands
all men everywhere to repent. Your right to believe comes from
the fact that you're commanded to believe. And in believing,
only in believing, In coming to Christ and believing on Him
and resting in Him, it will be shown to you that you are one
of those people that were included in that great gathering. And
if you don't believe, the only reason you don't believe is because
you don't want to believe. It's not because, well, I want
to believe, but I'm not worthy elect, therefore I can't. No,
don't say that. Don't say that. It's not so. If you don't believe,
it's because you don't want to. You don't want to be saved by
Christ. You don't want to be found in him. Don't say, well,
I want to believe, but I'm not worthy elect. Wrong. No, forget it. It's not so. If you come to the Lord Jesus
Christ. You come because you want to.
And you'll also find it is because you were one of those that was
represented by the land slain from the foundation of the world.
And you'll confess that. To God be the glory. Let's pray
together.