John 7, look at verse 43. John
7, 43. So, there was a division among the
people. Who were these people? Very religious. The Pharisees were most religious. They were most zealous, but they
were ignorant of God. There was a division among the
people. Because of him I get a hold of
that because of him there was a division Now I'm taking the
title from that verse and basically want to just use that one verse
Of course, we'll be referring to other verses in the book of
John and other places but just Camping on verse 43 for a few
minutes this morning The word there, division, as we find it
in the original text, can also be rendered schism. Now you know what a schism is.
A schism is a division. A splitting. It's a rending. It's a tear. When you tear something. This crowd that day was in a
schism. They were split. They were rent
apart, separated, for one reason. Because of Him. Because of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this was not the first time
this happened. Whenever the Lord went preaching
in these different places, there was a division because of Him. This wasn't the first time that
this happened. We've seen this already. Turn back to John chapter
6. Let me show you several places. We're going to see it again.
In John chapter 6, when our Lord laid out the gospel so clearly
of His sovereign mercy, sovereign grace, and declares in verse
65, He said that no man can come unto Me except it were given
of My Father. Their sovereign effectual election,
sovereign effectual call. From that time, many of His disciples,
so-called, went back and walked no more with Him. There was a
rending, a separating. The truth separated. Again, if
you'll look in John chapter 8, John chapter 8, look at verse
56, John 8, 56. Our Lord said, your father Abraham
rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad. And those
Jews said in him, well, you're, you're, but you're not even 50
years old. And they were right. He was in
his early thirties. Hast thou seen Abraham? And the
Lord said in him before Abraham was, I am. What happened? Look, read the
next verse. Then took they up stones to cast
at him. But Jesus hid himself and went
out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed
by. There was a division because
of him. They were getting ready to pick up big rocks and to dash
out his brains. Again, in John chapter 9, look
over there, John chapter 9, verse 13, And they brought to the Pharisees
him that aforetime was blind, And it was on the Sabbath day
when Jesus made clay and opened his eyes. Then again, the Pharisees
also asked him how he had received his sight. That is, the blind
man. He said unto them, He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed
and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees,
This man is not of God, speaking of Christ, because he keepeth
not the Sabbath. Now here again, he's healing
on the Sabbath day. Others said, how can a man that
is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among
them because of him. Again, there was a division.
Now turn over to John chapter 10. John chapter 10, look at
verse 18. The Lord declares that he's the
good shepherd. The good shepherd laid down his
life for the sheep. John chapter 10. Verse 18 said,
No man takes it from me. I lay it down on myself. I have
power to lay it down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received in my father. And there was a
division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And
many of them said, He has a devil and he's mad. Why do you hear
him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath the
devil. Can a devil open eyes of the
blind? And there was a division because
of him. In John chapter 10 verse 30,
when the Lord declares unto this same crowd, I and my father are
one, you see it, John 10 verse 30, then the Jews took up stones
again to stone him. And the Lord said, Many good
works have I showed you from my Father. For which of these
works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying,
For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, because
thou, being a man, make yourself God. When he declared his deity,
what did they do? They picked up stones ready to
dash out his brain. There was a division because
of him. among this religious crowd that
day. What was the issue? The Lord
Jesus Christ Himself was the issue. And He is still the issue
today. The preacher is not the issue.
God helped the man that makes Himself the issue. The issue
is not the preacher. The issue is the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is a critical and vital issue of that day, the Apostles'
Day, the Reformers' Day, and our day. That's the issue. What
think ye of Christ? What think ye of Him? Now, whenever
the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is preached, two things
at least will happen. When the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is preached to a mixed multitude, to a large crowd,
two things usually happen. We've seen this in the book of
Acts. Turn over here to Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13. Whenever the apostles went preaching
this same message, you remember they were persecuted. They were
chased out of one city to another. In Acts chapter 13, Two things usually happen. Riot.
Riot. I mean an absolute riot. These
men turned the world upside down. You know what else happened? Revival. Riot and revival. Let's read about it here. Acts
13, 48, and when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and
glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained
to eternal life, believed. Revival. Revival. And the word of the Lord was
published throughout all the region, but the Jews stirred
up devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city,
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled
them out of the coast. A division. because of Christ. But they shook off the dust of
their feet against them and came to Iconium, and the disciples
were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost." Riot and revival. Whenever the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ is preached, there will be a division. There will
be a division, or what I call a separation, between unbelievers
and believers. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ indeed divides the chaff from the wheat, it divides the
tares from the wheat, it divides the sheep from the goats, it
divides the saved from the lost. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ divides among men. The sheep of Christ, those who
are elected by God's grace, chosen and called, made new creatures
in Christ, the sheep, known also as the elect of God, known also
as the church of God, known also as the believer, the believer
will hear his gospel. He said, My sheep hear My voice,
I know them and they follow Me. The believer will follow the
Lord, love the Lord, feed upon His Word, while the unbeliever,
known as the goats, will always reject the Word of God, will
always reject the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will
always despise Him. They will also hate the way of
God's sovereign grace. They will say, we'll not have
that man to reign over us. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ divides. But this same message, now listen
to me, here's the flip side. This same message, while it divides
between saved and lost, while it divides between sheep and
goats, this same gospel message will unite will rally, will bond
together God's people, will bond together the church of the Lord
Jesus Christ in zealous, fervent love for the Lord and for one
another. The same gospel message that
the sheep love and the goats hate, it separates, but it bonds
together in unity and of heart God's covenant people. Look at
what it says over here in John 13. How about this love? How about this love? He said
in John 13 verse 34, A new commandment I give unto you, that you love
one another. John 13 verse 34, That you love one another as
I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall
all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one
another. Love one another, forgive one
another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. You see,
this same message causes us to love one another, it causes us
to follow Him at all cost. Look back at John 6 again, verse
67 and following. When that crowd and multitude
walked away from the Lord Jesus Christ, when He declared the
sovereignty of God and salvation, The Lord said to the twelve in
verse 67, will you also go away? Simon Peter answered him, Lord,
to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. We believe and we're sure, we're certain, we know that thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God. You see, a multitude
walked away, separated. while the believers were rallied
around and bonded together and united together, loving the Lord
Jesus Christ, looking unto Him. Now here's where we're going. There's no neutral ground when it comes to the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. You can't take the position,
well, I'm just going to stay on, I'm going to be neutral in
the matter. It's either friend or foe. It's either friend or
foe. There's no neutral ground. When
it comes to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, you're either
in love with Him and sold out to Him, believing all in the
Scriptures concerning Him, you're sold out to Him, what the old
timers used to say, lock, stock and barrel, or you're against
Him. You're either sold out 100%, Or you stand against him. There's
no neutral ground. Now I can make good on that.
Don't turn, but let me just read it to you. Matthew 12, verse
30. He that's not with me is against me. He that gathers not
with me scatters abroad. There's no neutral ground when
it comes to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, admittedly,
I don't like divisions. They're unpleasant. Aren't they?
I don't like divisions. Not at home. Not at home. We don't argue in our house.
What I said, what I say goes. So we don't have any arguments. I don't like divisions at home. Now, I'm making light of that,
but we don't have arguments in our home. We have discussions. We don't have arguments. I don't
like divisions at home. I don't like divisions at work.
They're unpleasant on the job, aren't they? I mean, they just
cause strife. I don't like divisions in the
neighborhood. Neighborhood problems aren't
good. I like everybody to get along. And I don't like divisions
in the church, among the assembly, at all. We should strive at all
times to be peacemakers. Peacemakers. The Apostle writing
to the Romans in Romans 12 said, If it be possible, as much as
lieth within you, live peaceably with all men. I want to do, I
strive for that. I'll go out of my way to just
to, I mean, now sometimes, sometimes we have to have divisions, but
let's try to be a peacemaker at all times. Now I'm not talking
about being a peacemaker compromising your principles. We're compromising
the gospel. We cannot, however. We cannot
have it. A believer cannot. Now, a believer
cannot. Emphasis on cannot. And I wrote
it this way. No, not ever. At any time, in
any way. Compromise the gospel. Remove
defense of the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Try to avoid controversy. to avoid strife or debate or
division. You see, to compromise the truth,
what is compromised truth? It's a lie. To compromise the
truth is to promote a lie. And our Lord said, it's the truth
that will set you free. Do you love father and mother
more than me, our Lord said? Are you going to compromise the
gospel to get along with daddy? Or are you going to take a stand
for the gospel? If you compromise, it's because you don't believe
the gospel. That's right. You see, to remove that which
is offensive from the gospel, to remove the offense of the
gospel to try to please the natural man, is to remove the power of
the gospel. To try to preach the gospel in
such a way as to make it not offensive to the flesh? What
have you done? You've watered it down to nothing! You've changed it! We preach the gospel of Christ,
that the power of God unto salvation. When the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is clearly set forth from the Word of God, His sovereignty
in salvation, man depravity, the effectual redeeming work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is set forth from the Word of God, we should always
expect some division. Now God's people are not divided
over the gospel, but unbelievers will choose upsides and fight
you tooth and nail. I've experienced it over the
years. But we should not be surprised
when we preach the gospel if there is division among people. Do you know the Lord experienced
that in His day, didn't He? We should expect the same. Turn
over here to John 15. I want you to turn to John 15. John 15, look at verse 20. Here's what our Lord said. Remember
John 15 20 remember the word that I said unto you the servant
is not greater than his Lord if they persecuted me They will
also persecute you if they've kept my sayings They will keep
your saying now look at this verse next verse 21 But all these
things will they do unto you for my name's sake? Because they
know not him that sent me Boy, that's telling isn't it? The
Lord experienced division in His day. These Pharisees, they
hated Him. They went out and took counsel
how they might destroy Him. On more than one occasion, they
sent men out to arrest Him. On more than one occasion, they
took up stones to dash His brains out. In Nazareth, when He preached
the gospel in a synagogue, they took Him to the cliff of the
hill and would cast Him off. Why? He told the truth. You know, when the apostles preached
the gospel, they also experienced that persecution for the message
of the gospel. I want you to turn and read this
with me. Turn over here to the book of Galatians. Galatians,
1st, 2nd Corinthians, and Galatians. The apostles, we've studied through
the book of Acts on more than one occasion, and we have Seen
on many times when the apostles went to different cities preaching
the gospel, how they were run out of town, beaten, stoned,
put in prison. Why? They dared to tell the truth. They would not take the offense
off. In Galatians chapter 5 verse
11, And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, that is,
salvation by works, Why do I suffer persecution? Then is the offense
of the cross ceased. We preach, water down the message
to promote salvation by words. We have ceased preaching the
gospel. Over here in the same chapter,
or rather the same book, chapter 6 of Galatians, verse 12, As
desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you
to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution
for the cross of Christ." Those who want to make a fair
show in the flesh, they may want to compromise the message, lest
they be persecuted for the gospel. We cannot, my friend, compromise
God's truth. The Lord didn't, couldn't, the
apostles didn't and couldn't, And there was a division because
of their message and the Reformers. I'm talking about Martin Luther,
John Hus, John Knox, all those old early Reformers. The Reformers
in their day, when they preached the gospel with no compromise
at all, preached Christ alone, the Word of God alone, faith
alone, grace alone, salvation in Christ alone, to the glory
of God alone. You know what happened? Read
about it. There's a whole book called Fox's
Book of Martyrs. Of those who preached the gospel
and stood for the gospel. You know what happened to most
of them? Burned to the stake. By who? The established religious
crowd of the day. They would not back down. And
what happened? There was a division. A rending. A splitting. You see, my friend,
truth and error cannot live together. Truth and error cannot live together. Truth and error cannot worship
together. In the book of Amos, the prophet
said, can two, ask this question, can two walk together except
they be agreed? Can they? No! The answer is obvious. Now, Here's
what I want to consider for a moment. I want to make a personal application
here. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter
4. 1 Corinthians chapter 4. I want to ask this question. Who made you to differ from another?
Who made you to differ from another? Look what it says here, 1 Corinthians
4 verse 7. And Paul asked this question,
Who maketh you to differ from another? 1 Corinthians 4 verse
7. What hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst
receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it? Who made you to differ when it
comes to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord Jesus
Christ, while He is the Prince of Peace, He is the divider among
men. Did you get that? He's the Prince
of Peace, but He's the divider among men. He said, I come not
to send peace among you, but a sword. Now, what or rather
who made the difference between Jacob and Esau? Now who made
the difference? What made the difference? Between
Jacob and Esau. You know what the scripture said,
Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Who made the difference
between Isaac and Ishmael? Here we see God's sovereign purpose,
God's sovereign grace. Isaac, that chosen seed. Ishmael,
the bondwoman, cast out the bondwoman and her son. Grace and works
cannot live together. Who made the difference between
Peter and Judas? Both grievously sinned against
the Lord. Who made the difference between
Paul and Gamaliel? Now who's Gamaliel? That was
Paul's teacher. That Jewish rabbi that taught
Solitarsis. Paul was made an object of God's
love, an object of God's grace, and Gamaliel was left to his
own self-ignorance and righteousness. You see, grace made the difference,
didn't it? The Lord Jesus Christ made the
difference. You see, in salvation, the Lord
Jesus Christ is the difference. He's the difference between saved
and lost. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself. There was a division because
of Him. You see, it's not of him that willeth, Romans 9, you
remember? Not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy. He will
have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Our Lord prayed in John
17. We have it here right in our
lap. Our Lord prayed in John 17, verse
2, Father, I thank you that you've given me power over all flesh.
to give eternal life to as many as thou hast given to me." The
Lord Jesus Christ is a great divider. If you believe the gospel,
He made the difference. Who made you to differ from another?
Oh, Christ did. Now listen to me for just a minute.
If you say the difference between Peter and Judas was found in
them, then you don't believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Both sinned against the Lord, yet Peter was forgiven
and was made a preacher of the gospel. Judas sold the Lord and
betrayed Him and went to eternal condemnation. Who made the difference? Come on now. It's God who made
the difference. Peter had a mediator. Judas did
not. Remember what the Lord said to
Peter? Satan had desired to sift you that he may have you like
wheat, but I prayed for you that your faith fail not." Judas didn't
have a mediator. Peter did. I prayed for you that
your faith fail not. Peter had an atonement for his
sin. Judas didn't. Peter had a justifying righteousness
charged to his account. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
imputed righteousness without work. Judas did not. Peter was
granted faith to believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Judas, while though religious,
yet died in his sin. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
made the difference. It was grace that made the difference.
He saved Peter by his grace and passed by Judas. What shall we say to these things?
I know what the religious man says. Well, that's not fair.
That's just not fair for God to have mercy on one, and save
one, and pass by the other. My friend, salvation is of the
Lord. He will have mercy on whom He
will have mercy. In Matthew chapter 11, we read
this. It says, "...the Lord has hid
these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto
babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in His sight."
He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy." Now I know
what most religious people say when you start talking about
sovereign mercy, sovereign grace, God having mercy on whom He will. I know what they say. They have
their preconceived ideas and notions that they think that
God owes every man a chance. My friend, salvation is not by
chance. Salvation is by God's eternal
purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. Whom
He did predestinate, He called. And whom He called, He justified.
Whom He justified, He glorified. What shall we say to these things?
Well, if God be for us, who can be against us? That was our radio
message this morning. I trust some of you heard it.
Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who
justifies. Who is He that condemns? It is
Christ that died. You see, He makes the difference. He's a divider among men. Now, again, let's get personal. Who made you to differ? in a
matter of faith." Who made you to differ in a matter of saving
faith? I'm talking about the saving
faith of God the elect. Did you just one day decide to
muster up some faith? Huh? Come on. Who made you to
differ in a matter of faith? The unbeliever trusts himself
that he's righteous and despise others. But the believer who
is made to differ in a matter of faith The faith of God's elect
causes us to trust the Lord Jesus Christ at all times for all things
in salvation. Not part of it, all of it is
God who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to God's own purpose and grace.
The point I'm making on this fact here is this. If you believe
the gospel, of the Lord Jesus Christ. While others around you
do not believe the gospel, the difference is not in you. The
difference is in God's eternal purpose. God chose to have mercy
on you and pass by others. That's what we call sovereign
grace. I've seen this demonstrated over
and over and over and over again. In households, in communities,
In families, I have a whole religious family, religious up to here,
lost, dead in their sin, and yet God was pleased to choose
me and save me by His grace. Who made the difference? Why
am I still not out there in Mormon country, hobnobbing with those
Mormons, trying to work out a righteousness of my own? What am I doing here
in Kentucky? It's God's purpose. I can see
that in my own life. Can't you see that in your own
life? God has on purpose crossed your path with the gospel. It's
God Almighty who has made us to differ. He's granted and given
us faith because He's granted and given us life in Christ Jesus. Secondly, in the matter of love,
the unbeliever's in love with himself. He's in love with himself
so much that he hates God. That's right. He hates God. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. He loves darkness, not light.
He hates the true light. The carnal natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God. It is foolishness unto
him. The sinners are saved by His grace. You know what? He's in love with the Lord Jesus
Christ. He loves those things that one
time He hated. And now He hates that which He
one time loved. The sinner, saved by God's grace,
is in love with the Lord Jesus Christ. We love Him. We love
Him. He's altogether lovely. Everything
about Him is lovely. You know why we love Him? We love Him because He first
loved us. That's why we love Him. This love of God has been
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. You see, the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace. You see, He's
made to differ. He has made us to differ, and
He is the difference. He's granted us, given us faith.
He's given us life, salvation. He's given us love for His Word,
His truth, His gospel, His own person, and one another. You
see, there was a division because of Him. He's the divider. Lastly, let me give you this,
one more thing to consider. In a day of judgment, in a day of judgment, who will
make us to differ from another? In a day of judgment, it will
be the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the great, the good, the chief
shepherd of the sheep, It's Christ alone who will make the ultimate
and final difference. Our Lord says, All that the Father
giveth to me, they will come to me, and those that come to
me I will in no wise cast out. We're going to study in Hebrews
chapter 2 verse 13. Our Lord said, Behold, I and
the children that you've given to me, they're all here. I want you to turn and read this
with me. Turn to Matthew 25. Matthew 25. In the day of judgment, it's
the Lord Jesus Christ who makes us to differ. There's going to
be a great division in that day because of Him. In Matthew 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 divide, separate the one from the other, as the
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, and he shall set the
sheep, his chosen, his elect, on the right hand. He shall set
the sheep." Now who does it? Who's the divider? The shepherd.
On his right hand, the goats. The rebel. The reprobate. On the left hand. Then shall
the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of
my father. Who makes us to differ? He makes
to differ. Come ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. What does he say to them on the
left hand? Look at verse 41. Then shall he say unto them on
the left hand, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels. Verse 46. These shall
go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous How we made
righteous in Christ our righteousness into eternal life. In the matter
of faith, who makes the difference? Christ. In the matter of love,
salvation, grace, who makes the difference? In the day of judgment,
who makes us to differ from another? Our Lord said to those religious
folks in that day, depart from Me, I never knew you. Only those separated by the gospel
of Christ, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, redeemed and regenerated
by the blood of Christ, made new creatures in the Lord Jesus
Christ, will stand with Him in that day, presented before the
Father as we read in the book of Jude, Faultless before His
presence with exceeding joy, the presence of His glory with
exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be dominion and
power both now and forever. Those sheep in that day will
sing unto Him worthy as the lamb that was slain to receive all
honor, glory, blessing, and power both now and forever. Unto Him
who loved us and washed us from our sin in His own blood, to
Him be all the honor and glory. Only those redeemed by the blood
of the Lamb can sing the new song of redemption. Only those
who know His name can sing unto Him, worthy is the Lamb that
was slain. Those who die in their sin without
Christ will be resurrected in their sin judged in their sin
and will be forever cast out of God's presence in their sin.
And as we read more than one time in Revelation chapter 6,
that strange prayer meeting of the ungodly reprobate that prayed
for the rocks and the mountains to hide them from the wrath of
the Lamb. They didn't want anything to
do with the wrath of the Lamb. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
has made us to differ. The ungodly prayed in that day,
not for mercy, not for pardon, but to be hidden, separated from
the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a division because
of Him. You see what I'm saying? What
this book is teaching right here. There is a division because of
the Lord Jesus Christ. There was in that day and there
is in this day and in that final day of judgment. Our Lord said
in John 8, 24, if you believe not that I am, you'll die in your sin if you
believe not that I am. In salvation, my friend, the
Lord Jesus Christ is everything. Christ alone makes the difference. Grace alone makes the difference. His blood alone cleanses us from
all sin and makes the difference. His righteousness alone makes us to differ. It's the
justifying righteousness we have before God. And we say with the
Apostle Paul, we count all things lost that we might win Christ
and be found in Him. He's made us to differ. There's
a division. I'm thankful for the divider,
the sovereign king of the universe who divides the sheep from the
goats.