Would you turn with me to John
Chapter 10? Charles Pennington, the pastor
of the Grace Community Church in Wheelersburg, Ohio, is going
to be our guest speaker tonight. I'm going to be going to my parents'
50th anniversary party. They've been married 50 years. John chapter 10, I'd like to
read verse 15. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep." I've entitled this message, For
Whom Did Christ Die? I want so much to bring this
message in the right spirit and the right attitude for whom For
whom did Christ die? He did die. He said in that verse
of scripture I just read, I lay down my life. And you know, he's
the only one who ever laid down his life like this. Everybody else has to die. You
say, what about someone who committed suicide? Well, they're still
going to die sometime. Everybody has to die. No one died like
him. He said, I lay down my life. He was not a victim. Look in
verses 17 and 18 of our text. Therefore, doth my father love
me because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No
man taketh it from me. He was no victim. I lay it down
of myself. I have power to lay it down and
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my Father. Now, look once again at verse
15. He says, I lay down my life for
the sheep. There was a reason for his death. He said, I lay down my life for
It was not, as some people would say, a senseless death or a tragic
death. He died for a reason. I laid down my life for, for,
for. There was a reason behind his
death. What is the reason for death? Old age? Disease? Accident? Murder? You know as well as I do that
the reason for death is sin. That's the only reason. The soul that sinneth shall surely
die. And the Scripture says that our
Lord Jesus Christ was made sin. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21 says,
For he hath made him to be sin. Now there, the word is not a
verb. He didn't sin. It's a noun. He was made the thing itself
on Calvary Street. He never sinned in his person,
but he was made. This is worse, if anything. He
was made sin. The Lord hath laid upon him the
iniquity of us all, who his own self bear our sins in his own
body on the tree. The sins of those he died for
so truly, so really, so actually became his, that he said in Psalm
40, 12, and this is the psalm of the cross. We know it was
him speaking. He said, my iniquities have gone over my head. Not Todd's,
imputed to me. That's not the way he said that.
He said, my iniquities have gone over my head as a heavy burden. They are too heavy for me. The reason for his death was
sin. It was not to provide us the
greatest example of obedience, although it does. It was not
to show us how much he loved us, although it does. It was
for sin. that he died Isaiah chapter 3
verse 8 Isaiah chapter 53 verse 8 says for the transgression
of my people was he stricken. He died for sin. Now next question I want to ask
is for whom did he die? And before I tend to answer that
question from the scriptures, let me ask another question.
Why ask this question in the first place? Is it really an important question?
Is it an issue? In the first place, or is this
even an issue that the Bible raises for whom did Christ die? Why ask this question? Or is
it a question that we even ought to be asking? For whom did Christ
die? Well, yes, it is a question that
needs to be asked. And let me give you these five
reasons why this question must be asked. Here's my first reason,
because I want to know the answer. I want to know the answer. I
want to know the truth. Now, I want to be right about
this. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I didn't. I want to
be right about this. But more importantly, I want
to know what's right. I want to know what the Word
of God actually teaches regarding this subject. I want to know
the truth. Now, here's my second reason
for wanting to know who Christ died for. I want to know the
truth regarding who he died for so I can know what his death
means. I cannot know what his death
really means without some understanding of who he died for. Now let me
give you an example of what is meant by that. For whom did Christ
die? Now listen to me real carefully.
Listen very carefully. If Christ died for Judas, who
is in hell, we know that. He's the child of perdition,
the scripture says. Our Lord said that concerning
him. If he died for Judas, who we
know is in hell, and for Peter, who we know is in heaven, what
does death mean? If he can die for somebody and
pay for their sins, and they wind up in hell anyway, what
does his death mean? Now personally, I can't see where
it means anything if that's the case. If he died for Judas and
Peter and paid for their sins equally and died for them both,
the difference between Judas and Peter was not the death of
Christ. You think so? It was found in what one did
and what one didn't do. In other words, salvation doesn't
come to men because of the blood of Christ. If he can die for
you, you end up in hell anyway. Salvation doesn't come to men
because of the blood of Christ. It comes as a result of your
works. I really don't know what the death of Christ means if
I do not know who he died for. So this is an incredibly important
issue. I can't understand the death
of Christ if I don't know who he died for. For who did Christ
die? Here's a third reason I Ask this
question for whom did Christ die? I want to know so I can
know how to preach the gospel. If he did not die for all men
without exception, then I'm telling a lie. If I said he did. If he did die for all men without
exception. And I say he didn't. I'm telling
a lie, aren't I? I'm not even preaching the gospel
as it ought to be preached. I'm not preaching the gospel
at all. I'm just giving a convoluted message. If Christ Jesus did not die for all men, with
that exception, and I look at this audience that I'm speaking
to right now, and I don't know the state of your heart. I hope
everybody in here knows the Lord. Could be that some of you don't.
If I said to this audience, God loves you. And Christ died for
you. Would I be telling the truth? If he didn't die for everybody?
You see, this is only the assurance of the believer. Can I sincerely call upon all
men to believe and repent if he didn't die for all men? I
need to answer that question. I want to know for whom he died
so I can know how to preach the gospel to all men. Can I preach
the gospel without answering this question? For whom did he
die? Can I even preach the gospel
without answering this question? For whom did Christ die? I want
to know so I can determine if I'm one of the ones he died for.
As a matter of fact, this might be my biggest reason. I always,
you can ask my wife, you can ask my daughter, I think I know
one but myself. I want to know if I'm one of
the people that he died for. If the will of a rich relative
was being read, I dare say you would be interested to know if
you were in that will, wouldn't you? And you'd want to know if
you were, how much was coming to you and what. Every one of
us would feel that way. Turn with me for a moment to
Romans, Chapter eight. Verse 32. He that spared not
his own son. But delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is he that condemneth it? Christ that died, yea, rather
that's risen again, who's even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. Now, I want to know if I'm
in that crowd. I want to know if I'm in that
bunch described as us, because, oh, the blessings these fellas
have, these men and women have, if Christ died for you. God's
not going to withhold anything from you. He's going to freely
give you everything. You're justified. You cannot
be condemned. I want in on that. I want to
make sure I'm one of them. I don't want to miss... Can I
determine if I'm one of the us's? That's what I want to know. That's
why I want to know for whom He died, because I want to see if
He died for me. Am I an us? And I know this. Paul said concerning
Christ and His death, He loved me. And He gave Himself for me. And I know this. If I can be
assured that He loved me and gave Himself for me, I know that
I'm going to love Him in return. And I'm going to give myself
to Him in return. This is actually the key to consecration. You want to know the key to consecration,
being absolutely committed lock, stock and barrel to the Lord
Jesus Christ? It's to know He loved you. It's to know He gave
Himself for you. And if He gave Himself for you,
my beloved, you must be saved. And you're going to believe yourself
to Him. Listen to this Scripture. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 14, For
the love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judge that
if one died for all, then are all dead, and that he died for
all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto him which died for them. Again, for whom did Christ die? So here are five reasons to ask
that question. One, so we can know the truth.
Two, so we can understand the meaning of Christ's death. Three,
so we can know how to preach the gospel. Four, so we can know
if he died for us. And five, so we can be truly
consecrated to him. Now those are good reasons to
ask this question. For whom did Christ die? What does God's Word
actually teach regarding this subject? What is the answer the
Bible gives? Not what does our preacher believe,
or what does our church believe, or what does our denomination
teach? Not what is the answer that the seminary professor gives,
nor what we read in the systematic theologies, but what is the answer
the Word of God gives to this question, for whom did Christ
die? Now, back to John chapter 10.
I love this. Here in this one simple statement,
we find out for whom Christ died. Verse 15, As the Father knoweth
me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for, say
this out loud with me, the sheep. The question is answered, isn't it?
Who did Christ die for? The sheep. The sheep. Now, obviously, what we need
to find out is who are these sheep? He died for the sheep. Who are the sheep? Well, I know from this passage
of Scripture that not everybody is a sheep. Look in verse 24
of John chapter 10. Then came the Jews round about
him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? What
a ridiculous thing to say to the Lord. If thou be the Christ,
Tell us plainly, obviously they didn't believe he was. 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. As I said unto you, now
obviously not everybody's a sheep. The Lord says to this crowd who's
objecting to Him, He said, you are not of my sheep. Not everybody is a sheep. Turn with me for a moment to
Matthew chapter 25. Verse 31, when the Son of Man shall come
in His glory, and all the holy angels with him. Then shall he
sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered
all nations. And he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on
his right hand, but the goats on his left." Now, not everybody
is a sheep. If not everybody's a sheep, now
listen to me real carefully, I want you to hear what I'm saying.
If not everybody's a sheep, and he died for the sheep, that means
that he did not die for everybody. How's that fair? How's it fair
for him to die for some and not die for others? That just goes
against my way of thinking. How can it be fair for him to
lay his life down for somebody and not lay his life down for
somebody else? How can that be fair? You know the way I answer
that? Since when are you fit to sit
in judgment on God and declare what you think is fair and what's
not? Do you have the moral authority to do that? Are you fit to sit
in judgment on God and say, well, I don't agree with that? Nay, but, O man, who are you
to reply against God? Do you think you have the moral
authority to do this? Are you able to stand in judgment over
what God does and say, that's not fair? Whatever He does is
right. And it's right whether you and
I like it or not. It's right. And it's best. Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I'll have
mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I'll have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. And not everybody's a sheep.
If not everybody's a sheep, who are his sheep? Can they be identified
in the word of God? Well, back to our text in John
chapter 10. Look at verse 29. Who are these sheep that he lays
down his life for? Verse 29. My father. Which gave them me. Now, he's been describing his
sheep. He said in verse 26, you believe not because you're not
of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep hear my voice. I know
them, they follow me. 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. No man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand. Now who are the sheep? The ones the
Father gave him. They are the elect. Now this is a favorite term of
our Lord Jesus Christ. He talks about those the Father
gave him. I love that verse of Scripture,
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. John 6, 39. This is the will
of him that sent me, that of all which he hath given me. Talking
about that eternal covenant of grace when he gave Christ the
elect before time began. This is the will of Him that
sent me, that of all which He has given me, I should lose nothing
but raise it up again at the last day. I want you to look
with me at John 17. This is our Lord's great high priestly prayer
for His people. And He mentions those the Father
gave Him in this prayer no less than six times. Now, what I love
about this prayer is that we're allowed. Oh, this is holy ground. We're allowed to listen to what
The son says to the father as he's preparing to die, this is
his great high priestly prayer for his people. Look what he
says in verse two. As thou has given him power over
all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou
has given him. Look in verse six, I've manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Look in verse nine, I pray for
them. I pray not for the world, But for them which thou hast
given me, for they are thine. Verse 11. Now I'm no more in
the world, but these are in the world. 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 have kept. Look down at verse 24. Father,
I will. that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am
that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me. Paul said to the Ephesian elders
in Acts chapter 20 verse 28, Feed the church of God which
he hath purchased with his own blood. Husbands, Paul said to
the Ephesians, love your wives as Christ loved the church and
gave himself for it. Paul said in Hebrews chapter
10, verse 14, by one offering, by his death, he hath perfected
forever, who? Them that are sanctified. And this is the uniform teaching
of the scripture. Christ died for the elect. For whom did Christ
die? He died for the elect. And there is not one verse, if
taken in its context, that even implies anything else. I love that passage of Scripture
in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 3, where Paul said, Moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel. And he said it's how that Christ
died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, according
to the Old Testament Scriptures. Now, when that Passover lamb
was shed in the Old Testament. Its blood was shed and the blood
was put over the door. Was it put over everybody's door?
Just Israel. And God actually said, I want
you to know that the Lord has put a difference between the
Egyptians and Israel. When the great high priest came
in on the Day of Atonement, in Leviticus chapter 16, into the
very Holy of Holies to represent God's people, whose name was
on His breast? Everybody's? just the 12 tribes
of the children of Israel. For whom did Christ die? His
sheep, His elect. And we don't have to read the
Lamb's Book of Life to know who they are, because we can determine
just from this passage of Scripture just who God's elect are. And I want to know if I'm one
of them. Now, let me say that Christ only died for the elect.
That doesn't in any way hinder anybody from coming to Christ.
That doesn't hinder the preaching of the gospel. I can preach the
gospel to all men without exception, believe on Christ, come to the
Lord Jesus Christ, you'll find mercy. That doesn't in any way
discourage a sinner from coming to Christ. Now, somebody might
use it for that excuse. Well, I'm afraid I can't come.
I'm not one of the elect. They'll probably not invite me.
That's just an excuse. If you come to Christ for mercy, you'll
have it. There's never been one sinner who ever asked for mercy
that he turned away. He said, him that cometh to me,
Listen to this. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. Not for any reason. If you come
to Christ for mercy, you're going to find mercy. Every single person
who comes. So don't say, well, this is shutting
the door of mercy on me. No, it's not. It's opening the
door of mercy. It's opening the door. There wouldn't be anybody
saved if it wasn't for this. Oh, and he died for a vast multitude,
which can't even be numbered, 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands
and thousands. What if I'm not one of them?
What if you are? What if you are? I'll tell you
what, if you come to Christ, you are. If you believe on Him,
you are. For whom did Christ die? His
sheep. Now, how are they? Let's look in verse 24 of our
text in John chapter 10. Then came the Jews round about
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 believed not. You know, was there anybody who
ever spoke as plain as the Lord Jesus Christ? I wish I could
speak like him. I mean, he spoke so, he said,
I told you plainly. Don't give me that, that I didn't
tell you. I told you plainly. In fact,
the problem is you didn't believe. Look what he says. 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're
not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice. Now, here's the point I want
to make. He said, you believe not because you're not of my sheep. You know what
the sheep do? They believe. They believe. I believe, from the top of my head to the
bottom of my feet, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God. I believe He's God's Christ. I believe He's God's
Messiah. I believe He is the God-Man.
I believe who He is. Whoso believeth that Jesus is
the Christ, do you believe that? Do you really? Do you believe
He's God's Christ? God's anointed prophet, priest,
and king? The only Savior of sinners? Do
you believe He's the God? Do you believe? Whoso believeth,
I don't care who you are. I don't care what your experience
is. I don't care what your thoughts are up to this point. Whoso believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. You know what that means? I can't speak for you, but I
can say this. That means I'm born in God. I'm somebody he
died for. I believe who he is. I love that passage of scripture
in Acts chapter 13, verse 48, where after Paul had preached,
it says that when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and
they were glorified and they glorified the word of the Lord.
And as many as were ordained to eternal life. Believed. You know what believers do? They
believe. I really believe who He is. You
need anything else? Nope. Nope. I believe. Look what He says next in verse
27. He says, My sheep hear My voice. I have never heard audibly the
Lord Jesus say, Todd, here's what you need to do. I've never
heard anything like that. I hear preachers say, you know,
God spoke to me and they said, I don't believe you for a second.
I've never heard his voice audibly. But I can say in honesty, I've
heard it a whole lot louder than audibly. The gospel I hear. is nothing less than God's gospel. I know this is the truth. Now,
that's it. I've heard his voice. This is
his gospel. My seat, he said. Hear my voice. Look what he says next. He says,
I know them. I know them. You know, there's
a crowd he doesn't know. You remember when the Lord said,
Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. I never knew you. He
knew who they were. He knew all about them. But he
said, I never knew you. I never loved you. I never knew
you to know me in that intimate relationship that a believer
has with his Lord and Master and Savior. I never knew you.
Depart from me. I'll tell you what, regarding
every believer, they're the ones he knows. If I'm a believer, you know who's
going to own my name before the Father? The Lord Jesus Christ.
He's going to say, I know Him. I know Him. I'm going to be one
of those ones He remembers when He comes into His kingdom. I
love the words of the thief. Lord, remember me when You come
into Your kingdom. I tell you what, that's all that
is needed is for Him to say, He's one of mine. Nothing else
is needed. He says, I know them. And he
says in verse 27, they follow me. They follow me. Now, how do you follow someone?
That's so simple. By keeping your eyes on them.
They are the people. Who are the people Christ died
for? They're the people who always look to Him. They don't look
to themselves. They don't look to their works.
They don't look to their efforts. They look to Him. That's the
only way you can follow somebody. By keeping your eyes on them.
Looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. They follow me. Look what it
says in verse 28. He says, I give unto them eternal
life. They're the ones who have eternal
life. And that's not just talking about the length and duration
of life. That's not what that's a reference
to at all. Our Lord said in John chapter 17, verse 3, this is
eternal life that they might know thee. The only true God
in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Not only does he know me,
I know him. And that's what eternal life
is. It's knowing God. I know the Lord God. I know him
and he knows me. And look what he says next in
verse 28. I give unto them eternal life
and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand." The ones that Christ died for are the ones
who persevere all the way to the end. They shall never perish.
They don't quit. They continue following the Lord
Jesus Christ. They can't be driven from Him.
They persevere all the way to the end. They're not overcome
with the cares of this world, like the thorn-choked here. They don't leave because of the
persecution that's involved in following Christ, stony ground
here. They persevere through everything,
through every trial and wind God brings their way. They continue
walking with the Lord Jesus Christ until the day they die. That
person and only that person who continues in the faith, grounded
and settled, all the way to the end, that's the person for whom
Christ died. He continues looking to the Lord
Jesus Christ. Because of who died, those he died for must be saved. I love what Paul said, it's Christ
that died. Who is he that can condemn? It's Christ that died.
Not just a mere man's blood was shed. This is the God-man. It's
Christ that died. And because he died, everybody
he died for must be saved. I want to close by asking a few
questions. Here's my first question. Can the gospel be preached without
preaching for whom he died? You know what I'm going to do? I'm
going to ask you to answer this question yourself. You won't
have any peace until you answer this question. So many people
are just without peace because they won't deal with this question.
Can the gospel be preached without preaching for whom he died? I've
answered that question in this message. Here's another question. Am I
saved? If I do not believe this, if I reject this, am I saved?
Well, my dear friend, what do believers do? They believe. They believe. Can I know if he died for me? Can I know for certain that he
died for me? The answer to that question is
yes, you can. If you believe he's the son of
God, if you believe he's the Christ, If you believe that you are ungodly,
and if you believe that you're a sinner, you really believe
that, I can guarantee you He died for you. When we were yet
without strength in due time, Christ died for the who? Ungodly. Well, I'm not ungodly. Well,
I can't tell you He died for you then. You don't need Him
anyway. But if you're an ungodly sinner, who has no hope but Him
and Him alone. I guarantee you Christ died for
you. You've got the same hope as this
fellow talking to you does. That's how I determine. And if
He died for you, you are, listen to me, you are saved. You didn't get saved. You've
been saved. Big difference. Somebody says,
I got saved. Well, you know, I got a cold,
too. That's not scriptural language. I didn't get saved. The Lord saved me. The Lord died
for me. The Lord put away my sins. My faith has found a resting
place, not in devise or creed. I trust the ever-living One. His wounds for me shall bleed.
I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died,
and that He died for me. For whom did Christ die? For everybody. who believes the
gospel. Let's pray together.