Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nivert. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nivert. I'm reading from John chapter
14, verse 22. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot,
Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and
not unto the world? Now this is one of the 12 disciples,
not Judas Iscariot, Judas, not Iscariot. Evidently, two were
named Judas, and John is letting us know that this was not Judas
Iscariot asking this question. And what a question he asks.
And this is the only thing we have in the Scripture that he
ever said. Judas saith unto him, Not Iscariot,
Lord. You know, the other Judas called
him Master, he didn't call him Lord. He called him Master or
Teacher, but he was this Judas's Lord. Lord, how is it that thou
wilt manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world? Now, a great fact is stated in
that question. There is a group, us, that he
manifests himself to, and he does not manifest himself to
the world. In John chapter 17, verse 9,
the Lord Jesus made this statement, I pray for them. I pray not for the world. but for them which you have given
me." Now, I don't know how many different ways there are to take
that. These are the words of the Lord. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which you have given me. Somebody says, well, that's
him praying for his disciples. Yeah, that's true, but he's praying
for all of his disciples. He wasn't just praying for the
12 at this time. He was praying for the whole company of the
elect. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which you have given me. He said in John 6.37, All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me, him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out. Now, the world. Let me say some
things about the world. It's the Greek word kosmos. And it is mentioned in John's
gospel 58 times, and it has various meanings, none of which means
all men without exception. The word world means the planet
Earth or the universe. It could mean the inhabitants
of the Earth. It could mean the ungodly. It
can mean Gentiles, as contrasted to Jews. There's the world we're
forbidden to love. Remember when John said, love
not the world, neither the things that are in the world, for all
that's of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of
the world, and the world passes away, and the lust thereof. but
he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Let me give
you some scriptures just from the book of John of how this
word world is used. In John 1.10 we read, he was
in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew
him not. John 3.16, God so loved the world. that he gave his only begotten
son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. God sent not his son into the
world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might
be saved. John 3, 18, this is the condemnation
that light is coming to the world and that men loved darkness rather
than light because their deeds were evil. John 7, verse 7, the
Lord looked at a group of people and he said, the world cannot
hate you, but me, it hateth. because I testify of it, that
the deeds thereof are evil. Now, the Lord tells us plainly,
the world hates me. In John chapter 13, verse one,
we read, having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved
them to the end. We read in John chapter 14, verse
17, of the spirit of truth, speaking of the Holy Spirit, the spirit
of truth whom the world cannot receive. No natural man is able,
because of his sinfulness, to receive the spirit of truth. John 14, 27, my peace I give
you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. It's got a piece
it gives, but it's not a well-grounded piece. The Lord said in John
15, verse 18, if the world hates you, you know it hated me before
it hated you. If you were of the world, the
world would love his own, but because you're not of the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you. John 16, 37, in the world you
shall have tribulation. And then John 17, 14, I've given
them thy word and the world hath hated them. Speaking of his disciples,
I've given them my word and the world hath hated them because
they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Now,
if I'm of the world, I'm not of God. John 17, 25, O righteous
Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known Thee,
and these have known Thee that Thou hast sent me. And he said in John 18, verse
36, My kingdom is not of this world. When people try to use
politics to advance the kingdom of God, they're doing something
that can't be done. The Lord said, my kingdom is
not of this world. Now the us that he manifests
himself to, how is it that thou manifest thyself to us and not
to the world? The us that he manifests himself
to is the same us as Romans 8.31, if God be for us. who can be against us. The world is every unbeliever. The us is all of the elect of
God. The ones God is for. If God be for us, who can be
against us? Paul called this in Romans 11.7,
the elect hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. You could
call it the elect and the rest. But the us is God's people, the
people He chose, the people Christ died for, the people God the
Holy Spirit gives life to. The world is all unbelievers,
and every unbeliever the world He refused to pray for. He said,
I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which you have given me. Now, Judas asked this question. Judas not Iscariot. How is it? that thou wilt manifest thyself
to us and not to the world? That's a good question, and I
want to know the answer. Because I want to see if I'm
one of the people that he manifests himself to. Now, some folks will
get angry with this. They'll say, well, how's it fair
for him to just save some and not everybody, and to pray for
some and not to pray for everybody, and to die for some and not to
die for everybody, and to elect some and not to elect everybody?
Now, you can argue. that way if you want to, but
all you're doing when you argue like that is say that I deserve
God's mercy, I deserve God's grace, I deserve God's salvation. When you make an argument like
that, you're saying I'm not really a sinner. But if you really believe
you're a sinner, you know God has just cast you off. You really
believe that. And you want to know how it could
be that He may not. How is it that He will manifest
Himself to us? Now, how is it? Well, the Lord
answers, verse 23, Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love
me, he will keep my words. And my father will love him,
and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. He that
loveth me not keepeth not my sayings, and the word which you
hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." Now here is how
he manifests himself. He manifests himself to those
that love him. I love what John said, we love
Him because He first loved us. We trace our love to Him, to
His eternal saving love to us, and we love Him. Now that would describe every
one of the us who He manifests Himself to, we love Him. Now, we know it's by His grace,
but we love Him. We love all of His attributes. We love who He is as He's revealed
in the Word. We love His sovereignty. We love that He controls everything
and everybody. We love His holiness. We love
His power. He's all-powerful. We love His
justice. He's absolutely just. We love
His grace and His mercy. He's gracious. He's merciful.
He delights in mercy. We love his independence, how
he has no needs. We love his immutability, how
he's the same and he never changes. We love every attribute of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We love him as he's revealed
in his word, and we wouldn't change him if it were in our
power. We love how he saves. We love
everything about him. We love him. Now, the Lord said,
if a man loved me, Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus
Christ in sincerity. If any man love not the Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha, damned upon the return
of the Lord is what that means. Now, if a man loved me, here's
how it will be seen. He will keep my words. Now, there is no love to Christ
apart from a love to His words, the things He said. He Himself is called the Word
of God. He is the expression of God. When God speaks, here's what
He has to say, His Son. And his son spoke words that
we guard over. We don't want to let them go.
We keep them. Think of this word, I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but
by me. We hold on to that. We don't want to let it go. It's
our only hope that we get to the Father through Him. I think
of His words, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and
him that cometh to me I'll in no wise cast out. We hang on
to that. This is the will of him that
sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing,
but raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will
of him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the sun and believeth
on him hath everlasting life, and I'll raise him up at the
last day. I read those words, I gotta have them. We keep his
words. In John chapter six, this is
at the conclusion of a sermon the Lord preached. Verse 59,
these things said he in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. Many
therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, they heard
this word that he had spoken. They said, this is a hard saying,
harsh, disagreeable. Who can be expected to listen
to this? We don't like what he is saying. This is a hard saying. Who can
hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that
his disciples murmured at him, He said to them, does this offend
you? Are you offended by what I've said? What if you shall
see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? What he
means by that is if you're offended now as you see me before you,
you're really going to be offended when you see me ascended up at
the right hand of the Father. You'll really be offended then. Verse 63, it is the Spirit that
quickens, that gives life. The flesh profits nothing. In this thing of Life, your flesh,
doesn't make any contribution. It doesn't come from your works.
It doesn't come from an act of your will. The flesh profits
nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. You can't separate Christ
and His words. Somebody says I love the Lord
Jesus Christ. Do you love what he said and
I mean everything he said Do you keep his words and then the
Lord said to this crowd? But there are some of you that
believe not for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that
believe not who should betray him And he said therefore said
I unto you that no man can come to me Except it were given unto
him of my father. I From that time, many of His
disciples went back and walked no more with Him. They began
as disciples, but they quit being disciples because they did not
like His words. Then said Jesus unto the twelve,
Now, the people that left were a multitude of 5,000 men, maybe
more than that if you include women and children. He just miraculously
fed them, but after they heard this message, they left. They
said, we don't want to go this direction. Then said Jesus unto
the 12, will you also go away? Here's your opportunity. You
can leave with them. Then Simon Peter answered him,
Lord, To whom shall we go? It's not like we have an option. It's not like there's somewhere
else to go. Thou hast the words of eternal life. These words
that these people were offended by, we find them to be words
of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that
thou art that Christ, the son of the living God. Now, love
to Christ is seen in love to what he said. His words, what
he said concerning his father, what he said concerning himself,
what he said concerning men. Now, back to John 14. The Lord
says, if a man love me, he'll keep my words and my Father will
love him. And we will come and make our
abode with him. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit dwell in that one who believes. And then he says in verse 24,
he that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings or my words."
That's the difference. That person who does not love
him can let his words go. He doesn't have to have every
word. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's
which hath sent me. And these things have I spoken
unto you being present with you. Here's the next way he reveals
himself. First, he manifests himself by
giving us his word and giving us a love to his person. That's
the person he's manifested himself to. He doesn't do that with everybody.
Then he says, verse 26, but the comforter. which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you
all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever
I've said unto you." Now, he manifests himself to the us and
not to the world by giving the us the Holy Spirit, the comforter. He which is born of the Spirit. I love that scripture in John
chapter 3 when the Lord says, that which is born of the flesh
is flesh. It can never rise above that. But that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit. You see, there is such a thing
as being born again, born of the Spirit, regenerated by God
the Holy Spirit, given life by the Holy Spirit. And the reason
you love His words, the reason you love Him, is because you've
been born from above. You've been given a new nature,
a holy nature that was not there before, being born again. Now, how much did you have to
do with your first birth? Were you consulted? Obviously
not. What about the second birth?
Were you consulted? No. This is a supernatural work
of God. He birthed you. He gave you life. You see, all that the Father
elected, all that the Son redeemed, God the Holy Spirit is going
to give life to. And He gives life through the
Word so that you believe His Word, you love His Word, you
love His person. And then he says in verse 27,
peace. I leave with you. My peace I
give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid." The difference between a believer
and an unbeliever is peace. the believer has a peace that
Christ has given to them that the unbeliever knows nothing
about. Now, it is impossible to have
true peace and not believe the gospel of grace. Somebody says,
well, I have peace. Well, I'm not sure that I believe
you. You may say that, but true peace is grounded in Christ making
my peace. Colossians 1.20 says, he having
made peace through the blood of his cross. Somebody says,
have you made your peace with God? No, I've not made my peace
with God. Christ made my peace with God. He made peace. Now, if I have any sin, I have
no peace. But he blotted out that sin. That's where my peace comes from,
that I stand before God without guilt. Being justified. What are you if you're justified? That means you didn't do anything
wrong. That means you have no sin. That means you never broke
the law. You've always done that which
is right. That's what being justified is. Somebody says, how in the
world can a sinner be justified by Christ dying for him and putting
away sins and giving him his righteousness? Having been justified. By faith we have peace with God. God is at complete peace with
me. And the peace that He has with
me, that's where I get my peace from. not because of any goodness
or merit in me, but because of Christ making my peace with God
and what peace there is in him. The Lord said, these things have
I spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. In the
world you'll have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have
overcome the world. Now, the only people that truly
experience peace are the people that Christ gives this peace. There is no other peace other
than the peace that Christ gives. He said, My peace give I to you,
not as the world gives. The world gives a peace, but
it's a peace that is not well grounded. It's a peace that's
false. I think of the false prophets
who say, peace, peace, when there is no peace. That's not the peace
I'm talking about. I'm talking about the peace Christ
gives where He made it to where I have no sin, I have no guilt
before God, I'm perfect in His sight. Now that is what gives
me peace. Somebody says, well, my conscience
is clear. My conscience is never clear. I always have something
I feel guilty about, and even anything good I do, if I examine
it, I say it's no good. The only thing I have peace in
is the righteousness of Jesus Christ being my personal righteousness
before God. The only thing I have peace about
is that he made my peace by the blood of his cross, and I have
no sin for which to feel guilty. Now that, is peace. And only
the true believer experiences that peace. An unbeliever, somebody
who believes in salvation by works, really can't have that
peace because when have you done enough? There's a gnawing on
the inside that lets you know deep down that you haven't. But
oh, the believer enjoys this perfect peace. Peace I leave
with you. This is how he manifests himself
to us and not the world with this thing of peace, the peace
of the gospel, the joy and the peace of believing. And then
he says in verse 28, you've heard how I said it to you. I go away
and come again unto you. Now, he said, I'm going to prepare
a place for you. You remember there in John chapter
14 at the first, I go to prepare a place for you. He's talking
about going to the cross to prepare a place for them. He says, I
go away and come again unto you. If you love me, you'd rejoice
because I said, I'd go to my father for my father is greater
than I." Now, what he's saying is if you love me and you hear
that I'm going to prepare a place for you and that I'm going to
come again, but right now I'm going to my father. you'd rejoice
that because you love me, you know I'm going back to my father.
Oh, the love between the father and the son. I'm going back to
complete fellowship and communion with him. I'm going to lose it
on the cross. You know, the Lord forsook him
on the cross. He didn't have the presence of his father. But
after the cross, after he's gone to prepare that place, he's going
back to his father. He's going back to present his
righteousness to his father. He's going back to represent
His people. But here's the blessed thing,
He is coming again. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming
again for those people. And what a blessing that is.
He's coming up again. And He's coming for me. He's coming for every one of
His people to enjoy Him eternally. the chosen bride made beautiful
through His garments, His righteousness. I'm coming again. And I love
what John said. John said, Beloved, it doth not
yet appear what we shall be. And even John, under the Holy
Spirit, could not enter into what it is to be without sin
and to be perfectly holy. He said, it does not yet appear
what we shall be. He knew that we would be without
sin, but he said, we can't grasp it. It does not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, We shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And one view of him as he is
will cause us to be perfectly conformed to his image. Now that
is how he manifests himself to us and not to the world. He gives us a love to him, a
love for his word, He gives us God the Holy Spirit, and He causes
us to look for His return. Now, we have this message on
DVD and CD. If you write the church, we'll
send you one. This is Todd Kniper praying God will make Himself
known to you. To receive a copy of the sermon you have just heard,
send your request to todd.kniper at gmail.com, or you may write
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