Well, it's good to see you all
out. If you don't know, stand past this test. Thank you for
that. Now, remember those who requested
prayer. Did any of you have prayer requests?
No? Okay. Let's begin our worship
service with hymn number 485. We praise Thee, O God, for the
Son of Thy love, for Jesus who died and is now God of love. Alleluia, Thine the glory! Alleluia, Lord of Heaven! Alleluia, Thine the glory! Revive us again! We praise Thee, O God, for Thy
Spirit of life, who hath shown us our way. All glory and praise Who has borne all our sins and
has cleansed every strain Hallelu-Yah, Thine the glory, Hallelu-Yah,
Amen! Hallelu-Yah, Thine the glory,
revive us again! I love you You're number 291. Guide me,
O thou great Jehovah. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah. I am weak, but Thou art mighty. Hold me with Thy powerful hand. Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more. In the end I won't know more. Oh, but now the bridge, the fountain,
we stand. my journey strong Be Thou still my strength and
shield. Be Thou still my strength and
shield. When I tread the verge of thorn,
may my charge be Let me say from Canaan's side
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee I will ever give to Thee If you have your Bibles, turn
with me to the fifth chapter of John, verses 39 through 47. Our Lord's speaking to those Jews
who desire his life. Verse 39, search the scriptures,
for in them ye think ye have eternal life. And there they
which testify of me, and ye will not come to me that ye might
have life. I receive not honor from men, but I know you, that
you have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's
name, and you receive me not. If another shall come in his
own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, which receive
honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from
God only? Do not think I will accuse you
to the Father. There is one that accuses you,
even Moses, in whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, you
would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you believe
not his writings, how shall you believe my words? That's right. Our Father in Heaven, we're thankful that you have,
in your great mercy, revealed your Son to us, showed us who
he is by your Spirit, showed us how wonderful and gracious
he has been to us. And the great sacrifice he made
in order that we might never perish, but have eternal life. We are thankful, Father, that
we can stand before you this hour with our sins forgiven,
put away, separated us from us as far as the east is from the
west. We are thankful that you have
made Jesus Christ to be unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. That he alone is our justification
and our perfect standing before thee. We are thankful that no
condemnation can ever come the way of the child of God. That
no charge can be laid against him. We know it's because of what
you've done and nothing we've done. All we have done is what
we have earned, and the wages of sin is death. We are thankful
that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. All
we pray for those who are sick and going through trials, those
who are suffering troubles in this world. I know it's their
case. I pray you'd be merciful and
kind and fix our hearts and minds upon Jesus Christ. It's in his
name we pray, amen. the mark of the child of God,
the believer, is that he has unqualified belief in the Lord
Jesus Christ, and it's Christ that he's revealed in the word
of God. His belief does not rest in feelings or emotions or anything
that can be discerned by the five senses. What he sees is
not the basis for his belief. He believes what is written.
The revelation of God has put in this world for his knowledge
and understanding and faith. His rule for faith and practice
and government is singularly the word of God. The unbeliever's
confidence lies elsewhere. In this passage, our Lord, still
addressing those who would have him slain, reveals how their
unbelief is manifest. Up to this point, Christ has
declared and revealed and proved that He is indeed the Son of
God. What follows in this passage is our Lord explaining the basis
for the rejection of Him and His message. After all that He
has said, they remain unmoved and unconvinced of His claim. And what He says is a revelation
of a manifestation of unbelief. Religious men have invented a
plethora of ways to and schemes to get men to profess Christ.
Simple plans of salvation, Roman roads, chains of locale from
pew to altar, soul winning revival meetings, seminars, and crusades
to incite people to believe. But here, those who actually
personally hear the word from the word believe not. And this fact lays waste to the
foolish inventions of men Unbelief will never change to belief.
A new creature is required. And faith is the gift of grace
and comes to the elect through the preaching of the word with
the Holy Ghost coming out from heaven. The spirit comes invisible
and all powerful, but like the wind, boy, more it listens, generating
spiritual life, which always results in faith and repentance. This does not occur to this congregation. of religious law-abiding miscreants.
These people are dedicated. They are consecrated, and they
are bound by their adherence to the law of God, their disdain
and refusal to believe Christ had its foundation and religious
seal. They were zealous, but it was
without knowledge. Paul covers that in Romans chapter
10. When he says in verse one, brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge. The proof that they don't have
the knowledge to go along with the zeal, were they being ignorant
of God's righteousness. And we know from chapters one
through nine, that righteousness is Jesus Christ. being ignorant
of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own
righteousness, had not submitted themselves to the righteousness
of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. They believed
even to the point of capital punishment, but their belief
proved to be unbelief because the relief was not in the Lord
Jesus Christ. You see, the law is not a faith.
The law is not a faith, that's what it says in the scriptures.
In Romans chapter 14, verse 3, or rather verse 23. It says, and he that doubteth
is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith, for whatsoever
is not of faith is sin. whatsoever is not of faith is
sin. Over in Galatians, Paul writing
to those legalists who would have believers go back under
the law, in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 12, says this, and
the law is not of faith, but a man that doeth him shall live
in them. A man, if he's going to go by the law, he's got to
keep the law perfectly, but it has nothing to do with faith.
It has to do with works. It has to do with works. Our
Lord explains to these people why they do not believe. He does
not seek to win them over. He does not cajole them. He does
not give an invitation. He, in truth, to their face,
tells them that they are unbelievers. Men talk about being nice, and
it's Christian to be nice. Our Lord was not nice to religious
folks. He was tough on them. He's addressing
men. who have cut their eye teeth
on religion, the religion of Judaism. They were born to that
religion and raised in it with the Old Testament as their guide,
but void of understanding as to what was the testimony of
the law and the prophets. And the Lord gives six manifestations
of their unbelief in this passage of scripture that I just read
to you. In verse 39 he says this, search the scriptures and the
actual reading of that is you do search the scriptures, you
do search the scriptures. For in them you think you have
eternal life and they are they which testify of me. He says the first reference to
their unbelief is their adherence to the scriptures is to them
that they have eternal life. Many have interest in and seek
to live by the edicts set forth in this book. Most religion under
the realm of what is called Christianity does. Many adore this book and
put much of it to their memory. The English language is permeated
with quotes from this book, the King James Version of the Bible.
But like the proverbial sparrow on the telephone line, they have
a grasp of the line but know nothing of the message carried
through the wire. Seminaries and Bible colleges
abound in this land. But as in one such college in
my hometown, the seminary students were not allowed to say the word
election or the word predestination on campus. Don Fortner went to
that school and was asked to read in chapel. And so he chose
Ephesians chapter 1 beginning with verse 3. And they told him
he couldn't say election and predestination. So he said, blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in Christ, according as he has
bleeped us in Jesus Christ. And he bleeped us to the adoption
of children unto himself, to the glory of his praise. They said they were a seminar,
a Bible college, Piedmont Bible College. Bible college, he said,
you can't say election and predestination. These men to whom our Lord speaks
studied the scripture. There's no doubt about that,
but they did not get the message of the scripture. The word but
here, when he said this, search the scriptures and if any of
them you think you've had an eternal life but, or and they are, they
are they which testify of me. Word and there shows that there's
an opposition to what they think is eternal life and what is eternal
life. They think eternal life is studying the scriptures and
he says eternal life is me. You will not come to me that
you might have life. You see, the scriptures are the
story of Christ. They are his story. Secondly,
in verse 40, he says this, and I, you will not come to me that
you might have life. These will not come to Christ.
That's a manifestation of unbelief. This proves a couple of things.
First, it proves that they believe the life they have already, by
reading the scriptures, is eternal life. They have no need of another,
so why would they come to Him? They think that the equipment
they were born with will fit and qualify them for acceptance
in the presence of Almighty God. And this is the foundation of
freewill works religion that holds that their decision, their
dedication, is a gateway to heaven. They hold that. They say the
Bible is true. If I believe it, I go to heaven.
The Bible is true whether you believe it or not. There are
many people that believe the words of this book that don't
know the gospel. That's a sad thing, but it's
true. It's true. Because they believe that by
their decision and by their will, they make their way to heaven.
Section living primarily actually is that God has not taught them.
If they will not come to Christ, it's because God has not taught
them. Proven by the fact that they won't come to Him for life.
Over in Isaiah chapter 54, our Lord writes these words and then quotes
them in John chapter 6. Isaiah 54 and verse 13, it says,
and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. and great
shall be the peace of thy children. And John chapter 6, our Lord
is speaking, he says this. John chapter 6 and verse 45,
he says, it is written in the prophets, speaking of Isaiah
54, 13. He's written in Proverbs, they
shall all be taught of God, every man. Therefore they have heard
and learned of the Father, what comes to me. Yet he says to these
men, you will not come to me that you might have life. What
does that mean? The Father has not taught them. Searching the
scriptures does not equate to being taught by God the scriptures. Thirdly, verse 42, they don't
love God. He said, but I know that you
have not the love of God in you. First thing this reveals, that
at least at this point in time, there's no understanding or possibility,
well maybe possibility, but there's no understanding that God loves
them. Does God love them? I don't know.
He may love some of them, and He may not love any of them.
I don't know. Men love God, according to scripture, because God first
loved them. Now how does a person know that
God loves them? Is it because some preacher stands
up and says God loves you and has a wonderful time for your
life? People know God loves them when He reveals to them the gospel
of Jesus Christ and what He's done for them. He has died in
their room instead, and paid their sin debt, and fit them
for heaven by the grace of God. Men love God because He loves
them, and it's revealed only in the gospel. We don't know
anything about the love of God apart from the substitutionary,
successful, accomplishing death of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 4, 19 says we love Him
because He first loved us. And 1 Corinthians 16, 22 says,
any man that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema,
maranatha, accursed when the Lord comes. You see, the love
of God is centered in one place. The love of God is in Jesus Christ. It's nowhere else. You don't
know anything about the love of God unless you know Jesus
Christ. It says that in Romans chapter
8, verse 39, when Paul talks about nobody being separated
from God, none of his elect being separated. He said, nor hype,
nor death, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ the Lord. This
is where the love of God is. The revelation of unbelief is
they don't love God. And we know naturally no man
loves God. The carnal mind is enmity against God. It's not
subject to the law of God, neither need can be. Men by nature hate
God. So if a person loves God, he's
got to have his nature set aside and become a spiritual person. because only by the Spirit do
we love God. The fourth thing is this, it's
found in verse 43, I am coming in my Father's name, you receive
me not. If another shall come in his own name, you will receive
him. They will not receive Christ, though he comes in the name,
that is the authority of the Father. He showed them this in
the verses preceding this, who he is and why he comes, that
he's about the Father's business and they don't believe him. And
it's displayed for them to see by the miracles that he's able
to do. They would be quick to receive anyone who comes boasting
of his own name and authority. Listen to some of these preachers.
I was always amazed when Jerry Falwell used to preach, he would
say his name instead of saying me or I. He was speaking to himself in
the third person like he was some kind of entity out here,
not a real person. And when you think about the
cult, what do you think about? The cult's beliefs? Well, the
name of the guy who started it, Charles Taz Russell, Brigham
Young, Joseph, what's his name? The guy down at David Koresh. We don't remember what they believed,
don't even know the history, but we remember them. Why? Because
people believe in them because they come in their own name.
They don't come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I
said, I come in the Father's name and you won't believe me.
You'll believe somebody if they come in their own name. Over
in Luke chapter 9, our Lord said this about following men. Luke
chapter 9, verse 48. He says this, speaking,
he says, whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth
me, and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me.
receive of them that sent me, for he that is least among you
shall be the greatest." And then in 1 John chapter 9, chapter
5 and verse 9, it says, if you receive the witness
of men, The witness of God is greater, for this is the witness
of God, which He has testified of His Son. He that believeth
on the Son hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not
God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that
God has given of His Son. They won't receive Christ, though
He came in the name of the Father. In fact, this Gospel of John
was revealing the Father, revealing God as the Father. In another
gospel, he said this is a house of prayer when he put together
those whip of cords and ran the money changers out. But in this
one, he says, this is my father's house. In John 17, he says, I
have revealed the name of the father to the children. He comes in the name of the father,
and they won't receive him. Over in John 14, One of the disciples
said, show us the father. He says, you've seen me, you've
seen the father. You've seen the father. And the fifth thing
is found in verse 44. Let these things, I've got Luke
here instead of John. Verse 44, how can you believe
which receive honor one of another and not the honor that come only
from God? They seek and desire the honor
of mere men rather than the honor of God. over in verse 23 of the
same chapter he says that all men should honor their son even
as they honor the father he that honoreth not the son honoreth
not the father which is sin this is only accomplished if what
they do seeking the honor of men is only accomplished if what
they do religiously is done so they can be seen so they can
be honored for what they do well that's what the pharisees did
look over at Matthew chapter 23 Verses 5 through 7 says, with
all their works they do to be sinner men. They make broader
phylacteries. That means they know more about
verses than anybody. They enlarge the borders of their
garment. Their ribbon, the blue ribbon, is bigger than anybody's.
So they say that they're closer to God. They love the uppermost
rooms in the feast, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and
greetings in the marketplace, and to be called of men, rabbi,
rabbi, master, master, teacher, teacher. They love that. They
do it to be seen of men. Verses 14 and 15 says, Woe unto
you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you devour widows'
houses, and for a pretence make long prayers. Therefore you shall
receive a greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees!
For you encompass sea and land, to make one proselyte, one follower. And when he is made, you make
him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. And he
said the Pharisees are children of hell. And the proselytes are
twofold more than they are, twofold more than they are. In Luke chapter
16, our Lord just said this about
getting honor from men. Luke chapter 16, verse 15, he
said, ye are they which justify yourselves before men. But God
knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination in the sight of God. That which
is highly above men, highly esteemed by men, is an abomination of
God Almighty. Finally, the last thing is found
in verses 45 through 47. Do not think that I will accuse
you to the Father. There is one that accuses you,
even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye
would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if ye believe
not his writings, how should ye believe my words? They don't believe. And they
search them. That's proven in verse 39. That
they don't believe. And it's revealed that they don't
believe the Son. They claim to believe Moses.
Hold him in high esteem. But Moses will judge them because
Moses wrote of the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses wrote these words. And the Lord said to the serpent,
the seed of woman shall bruise your head and you will bruise
his ear. Genesis 3, 15. Moses wrote those words. Moses wrote several others. In
Genesis 15, 5 he wrote more. In Galatians 3. In 15, 5 he said
in thy seed shall the world be blessed and nations be blessed.
In Galatians chapter 3 he said that seed was Jesus Christ. In
Galatians 16. In Deuteronomy 18 the Lord said
I'm going to send a prophet like him to you. If you hear his words,
you'll be blessed. If you don't hear his words,
you'll have to deal with me. And that prophet was asked in
this book, at least the last of John 121 and 25, when the
man said to John the Baptist, are you that prophet? That one
spoken of in Deuteronomy 18, and then Peter at Pentecost said,
That one that was spoken of in Deuteronomy 18, that's the Lord
Jesus Christ. Moses loved the people. Had they
believed Moses, they would have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Lord said, but if you believe not his writings, how shall you
believe my words? This is the beauty of this book.
This is the wonder of it. Thousands of years before Jesus
Christ set his foot on the earth as a human being, born of a woman,
he appeared many times in the Old Testament. He appeared in
the Garden of Eden. He appeared to Abraham. He appeared
in what's called Christolonies, or pre-incarnate manifestation
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and appeared as a man. The men who
met him called him Lord. The prophets wrote of him. Moses
wrote of him. David wrote of him. And these
men read those books, knew them, could quote them, and never saw
Christ. Be thankful if when you pick
up this book, you see Him, because it's His book. God bless us to
understand it. Praise God. Amen. All right.