1 00:00:09,166 --> 00:00:10,733 Thank you, music ministers. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,633 If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the 10th 3 00:00:14,633 --> 00:00:17,733 chapter of the 4 00:00:17,733 --> 00:00:18,800 Gospel of John. 5 00:00:20,733 --> 00:00:23,766 Definitely a Johannian kind of week 6 00:00:23,766 --> 00:00:26,966 for me, hence we are back, 7 00:00:28,366 --> 00:00:31,000 in our verse by verse exposition of John. 8 00:00:31,866 --> 00:00:35,266 And for those of you who were here in Sunday school. 9 00:00:36,733 --> 00:00:39,766 You're going to hear some of the same exact points, again, that you 10 00:00:39,766 --> 00:00:40,833 heard from Ed this morning. 11 00:00:40,899 --> 00:00:42,700 I didn't plan it that way. 12 00:00:43,566 --> 00:00:44,200 That works. 13 00:00:44,333 --> 00:00:45,833 It won't hurt you to hear it again. 14 00:00:46,566 --> 00:00:47,866 Because it's important points. 15 00:00:49,933 --> 00:00:52,799 I don't know if you remember this, you may or may not. 16 00:00:52,833 --> 00:00:55,833 I lost a sermon in my computer, from 17 00:00:55,833 --> 00:00:59,500 John, verses 22 24, 18 00:00:59,500 --> 00:01:02,799 the whole thing, but we're going to cover those verses 19 00:01:02,799 --> 00:01:05,866 today anyway, and that's what review 20 00:01:05,866 --> 00:01:07,666 in the next sermon is always good. 21 00:01:07,733 --> 00:01:09,900 I can take that material and make it work. 22 00:01:10,733 --> 00:01:14,700 But we're actually going to take two sermons to 23 00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:18,666 cover from verses 22 to 42, 24 00:01:18,666 --> 00:01:22,666 and the end of this 10th chapter of John, and 25 00:01:22,666 --> 00:01:24,000 the first of that will be today. 26 00:01:24,766 --> 00:01:27,933 Because of the content, I'm 27 00:01:27,933 --> 00:01:31,599 going to be moving all around in these verses, but, 28 00:01:31,599 --> 00:01:35,133 as always, for sure, we're going to cover every single verse. 29 00:01:36,666 --> 00:01:40,133 This tenth chapter is, really, 30 00:01:40,133 --> 00:01:42,166 a turning point in the Gospel of John. 31 00:01:43,766 --> 00:01:47,033 At the end of this chapter, we're 32 00:01:47,033 --> 00:01:50,266 going to see that Jesus goes away for about three 33 00:01:50,266 --> 00:01:51,466 months. 34 00:01:52,166 --> 00:01:55,533 He spends time just one on one with the disciples. 35 00:01:56,366 --> 00:01:59,500 Then he comes back in chapter 11. 36 00:02:00,466 --> 00:02:04,533 He raises Lazarus from the dead, and 37 00:02:04,533 --> 00:02:07,233 then he has his triumphal entry in chapter 12. 38 00:02:08,566 --> 00:02:11,866 Then, chapters 13 to 39 00:02:11,866 --> 00:02:15,400 16, in John, cover one night, in 40 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,766 the upper room, then chapter 17, 41 00:02:18,766 --> 00:02:22,199 as you know, is the incredible high priestly prayer 42 00:02:22,199 --> 00:02:24,233 of Jesus with the Father. 43 00:02:24,333 --> 00:02:27,699 And then you get to chapter 18, and 44 00:02:27,699 --> 00:02:31,733 Jesus has his arrest, followed by his death, and his resurrection. 45 00:02:31,833 --> 00:02:34,966 So that's kind of where we are in the whole 46 00:02:34,966 --> 00:02:38,433 panoply of the ministry of Jesus in John. 47 00:02:38,566 --> 00:02:41,633 And chapter 10 is really what this is, is the 48 00:02:41,633 --> 00:02:44,933 last account that John 49 00:02:44,933 --> 00:02:47,933 gives of Jesus' public ministry. 50 00:02:49,166 --> 00:02:50,333 And it's critical. 51 00:02:51,666 --> 00:02:54,933 Because John wants to 52 00:02:54,933 --> 00:02:58,900 make very sure that 53 00:02:58,900 --> 00:03:05,266 nothing is left unclear 54 00:03:05,266 --> 00:03:09,333 in terms of the claims of Christ. 55 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:10,733 This is important. 56 00:03:11,466 --> 00:03:15,233 Remember the purpose statement that John gave us way back at the beginning of John? 57 00:03:15,233 --> 00:03:18,900 These things have been written so that you may believe that 58 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:21,900 Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and 59 00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:24,133 that believing you may have life in his name. 60 00:03:24,166 --> 00:03:27,099 That's the whole reason John wrote, John. 61 00:03:27,233 --> 00:03:27,900 OK? 62 00:03:28,833 --> 00:03:31,866 All through this gospel that we 63 00:03:31,866 --> 00:03:35,000 are now studying for the second time, John has 64 00:03:35,033 --> 00:03:38,566 been amassing evidence to 65 00:03:38,566 --> 00:03:40,533 support that purpose statement. 66 00:03:42,133 --> 00:03:45,666 He wants to leave no mistake as 67 00:03:45,666 --> 00:03:49,866 to the claim, the primary claim, 68 00:03:49,866 --> 00:03:54,533 that Christ made, because it is the 69 00:03:54,533 --> 00:03:57,599 most incredible claim that 70 00:03:57,599 --> 00:04:00,766 any human being could ever, 71 00:04:00,766 --> 00:04:04,900 possibly, make the 72 00:04:04,900 --> 00:04:05,966 claim, 73 00:04:07,433 --> 00:04:09,900 I am God. 74 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,233 And in this 10th chapter, we 75 00:04:16,233 --> 00:04:20,199 probably get the clearest, most straightforward 76 00:04:20,199 --> 00:04:22,600 example of that in verse 30. 77 00:04:22,833 --> 00:04:23,266 Look at it. 78 00:04:25,066 --> 00:04:29,566 where Jesus says, I, and the father, are one. 79 00:04:31,366 --> 00:04:35,199 And then verse 31 to 33, the Jews picked 80 00:04:35,199 --> 00:04:38,333 up stones, to stone him, 81 00:04:38,333 --> 00:04:39,899 again, to stone him. 82 00:04:40,866 --> 00:04:43,899 Jesus answered them, I 83 00:04:43,899 --> 00:04:45,533 showed you many good works from the Father. 84 00:04:46,866 --> 00:04:48,633 For which of them are you stoning me? 85 00:04:50,233 --> 00:04:51,433 The Jews answered him. 86 00:04:52,733 --> 00:04:56,833 For a good work, we do not stone you, 87 00:04:56,833 --> 00:05:01,033 but for blasphemy, because you, being 88 00:05:01,033 --> 00:05:04,266 a man, make yourself 89 00:05:04,266 --> 00:05:07,666 out to be God. 90 00:05:09,533 --> 00:05:13,833 Now, those verses alone leave 91 00:05:13,833 --> 00:05:17,566 no doubt about 92 00:05:17,566 --> 00:05:21,699 what Jesus was claiming, and what 93 00:05:21,699 --> 00:05:25,466 the Jews clearly understood him to be claiming. 94 00:05:27,333 --> 00:05:28,566 There's no mistaking this. 95 00:05:29,866 --> 00:05:33,033 With any honest reading of those 96 00:05:33,033 --> 00:05:36,766 verses and many others in the Gospel of John, it's 97 00:05:36,766 --> 00:05:40,600 really impossible to twist this around, although many do. 98 00:05:43,733 --> 00:05:47,100 Like all the cults, who do not believe in 99 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:50,933 the deity of Jesus, who 100 00:05:50,933 --> 00:05:54,233 do not believe or teach that 101 00:05:54,233 --> 00:05:57,533 Jesus Christ is God the Son, 102 00:05:58,533 --> 00:06:00,199 the second person of the Trinity. 103 00:06:03,233 --> 00:06:07,133 They don't teach that right down the street where all the controversy was this past two weeks. 104 00:06:08,366 --> 00:06:11,399 They don't teach that Jesus is God, the son, the 105 00:06:11,399 --> 00:06:15,666 2nd person of the Trinity in the way that the Bible teaches that he is. 106 00:06:17,366 --> 00:06:18,166 It's really crazy. 107 00:06:19,433 --> 00:06:22,666 To hear and to read, Jesus 108 00:06:22,666 --> 00:06:25,899 say, and we just read it, we just heard it, 109 00:06:27,333 --> 00:06:28,733 I and the Father are one. 110 00:06:30,133 --> 00:06:32,399 And then they call him a blasphemer. 111 00:06:33,633 --> 00:06:34,933 Why did they call him that? 112 00:06:34,933 --> 00:06:38,133 Because he made himself out to be 113 00:06:38,133 --> 00:06:41,199 God and then say, but the 114 00:06:41,199 --> 00:06:42,766 Bible doesn't teach that Jesus is God. 115 00:06:45,833 --> 00:06:49,300 Is anybody feeling the 116 00:06:49,300 --> 00:06:52,000 weight of cognitive dissonance with that? 117 00:06:56,333 --> 00:06:59,399 The deity of Jesus is the heart of the matter. 118 00:07:02,933 --> 00:07:05,533 This is the great claim of the gospel. 119 00:07:06,866 --> 00:07:10,800 This is the great claim of the Christian faith that 120 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,199 Jesus, while truly 100%, 121 00:07:14,199 --> 00:07:17,266 man is also truly 100% God 122 00:07:17,266 --> 00:07:20,266 at the same time, and he exists 123 00:07:20,266 --> 00:07:23,733 right now at this moment in his glorified, 124 00:07:23,733 --> 00:07:25,366 resurrected body. 125 00:07:28,433 --> 00:07:29,766 He took the title. 126 00:07:31,366 --> 00:07:32,100 Son of God. 127 00:07:34,566 --> 00:07:35,566 That is a title. 128 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,933 That doesn't mean he's 129 00:07:39,933 --> 00:07:42,566 the son of God, like Trenton, is the son of Philip. 130 00:07:43,766 --> 00:07:44,933 That's not what that means. 131 00:07:46,033 --> 00:07:49,366 It's a title that speaks to the uniqueness 132 00:07:49,366 --> 00:07:52,533 of his personhood as 133 00:07:52,533 --> 00:07:54,033 God within the Trinity. 134 00:07:55,366 --> 00:07:57,833 That's what the title, Son of God, means. 135 00:07:59,633 --> 00:08:03,366 The Bible teaches there is one nature, one 136 00:08:03,366 --> 00:08:07,699 essence, but three distinct persons. 137 00:08:08,933 --> 00:08:09,966 And you've heard me say it. 138 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:10,600 I will say it again. 139 00:08:10,666 --> 00:08:12,300 Thomas Watson's famous quote. 140 00:08:12,333 --> 00:08:14,666 That's heavenly arithmetic. 141 00:08:17,566 --> 00:08:20,633 You can't do heavenly math with your little p 142 00:08:20,633 --> 00:08:22,000 brain, and neither can I. 143 00:08:23,966 --> 00:08:27,466 God, the Father, God, the Son, God, 144 00:08:27,466 --> 00:08:30,833 the Holy Spirit, any denial of 145 00:08:30,833 --> 00:08:33,899 that is the real blasphemy, of which they were 146 00:08:33,899 --> 00:08:35,566 accusing Jesus on that day. 147 00:08:37,833 --> 00:08:41,399 If you do not hold to 148 00:08:41,399 --> 00:08:44,433 that view exactly, as 149 00:08:44,433 --> 00:08:46,966 I just stated it, then you are not a Christian. 150 00:08:47,133 --> 00:08:49,066 period plumb end of discussion. 151 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:53,466 If that hurts somebody's feelings. 152 00:08:55,666 --> 00:08:56,566 I can't help them. 153 00:08:59,766 --> 00:09:00,933 I don't invent doctrine. 154 00:09:02,866 --> 00:09:06,000 I just preach it and proclaim it as 155 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,266 it's clearly written in the book. 156 00:09:09,733 --> 00:09:12,833 And I can't imagine how this 157 00:09:12,833 --> 00:09:17,033 issue could be spelled out any clearer than 158 00:09:17,033 --> 00:09:19,266 we find here in John Chapter 10. 159 00:09:21,033 --> 00:09:24,766 Now, as we come to this text, there 160 00:09:24,766 --> 00:09:28,200 are five scenes that we are looking at here 161 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:30,533 in this last section of chapter 10. 162 00:09:30,833 --> 00:09:33,100 And the first one is found in verse 22. 163 00:09:34,366 --> 00:09:36,333 And it's the scene of confrontation. 164 00:09:37,166 --> 00:09:38,500 Look at verse 22 with me. 165 00:09:40,333 --> 00:09:45,000 It says, at that time, the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. 166 00:09:45,033 --> 00:09:48,100 This is what the Jews today called 167 00:09:48,100 --> 00:09:49,533 Hanukkah. 168 00:09:50,433 --> 00:09:53,299 It's also known as the Feast of Lights. 169 00:09:54,666 --> 00:09:57,766 It was established during the intertestamental 170 00:09:57,766 --> 00:10:00,933 period when Judas Maccabeus overthrew 171 00:10:00,933 --> 00:10:04,299 Antiochus Epiphanes 172 00:10:04,299 --> 00:10:07,299 and those pagan invaders, they 173 00:10:07,299 --> 00:10:11,566 took back the temple, and they reestablished worship there. 174 00:10:11,700 --> 00:10:14,100 That's what the feast is celebrating. 175 00:10:14,100 --> 00:10:17,166 In verse 23, it says, look at it, it 176 00:10:17,166 --> 00:10:21,500 was winter, and Jesus was walking in 177 00:10:21,533 --> 00:10:24,000 the portico of Solomon. 178 00:10:24,033 --> 00:10:24,566 Now, what was that? 179 00:10:24,700 --> 00:10:27,833 That was what was left of 180 00:10:27,833 --> 00:10:31,000 the massive retaining wall of the Temple 181 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,066 of Solomon, which was destroyed 182 00:10:34,066 --> 00:10:36,100 in 568 BC. 183 00:10:36,166 --> 00:10:39,166 And what they did, the retaining wall 184 00:10:39,166 --> 00:10:42,533 that was left from the old temple, they took and 185 00:10:42,533 --> 00:10:45,633 put a half roof coming off of it, and 186 00:10:45,633 --> 00:10:48,100 then there were large columns to support it. 187 00:10:48,166 --> 00:10:51,933 So it was called the portico of Solomon, 188 00:10:51,933 --> 00:10:53,066 and then verse 24. 189 00:10:55,233 --> 00:10:57,533 It says, the Jews then gathered around him. 190 00:10:58,666 --> 00:11:01,799 And we're saying to him, How 191 00:11:01,799 --> 00:11:03,366 long will you keep us in suspense? 192 00:11:06,066 --> 00:11:07,066 If you are the Christ, 193 00:11:08,233 --> 00:11:09,066 Tell us plainly. 194 00:11:10,766 --> 00:11:13,899 This is the confrontation, which 195 00:11:13,899 --> 00:11:16,166 has one goal in mind. 196 00:11:17,866 --> 00:11:19,899 And that goal is not to get information. 197 00:11:22,033 --> 00:11:27,933 Rather, it was to get a public declaration 198 00:11:27,933 --> 00:11:32,066 that they could twist and manipulate, 199 00:11:32,066 --> 00:11:35,266 to incite the people, so that 200 00:11:35,266 --> 00:11:39,333 they could justify their plan of killing Jesus. 201 00:11:41,333 --> 00:11:44,700 It's just dripping with sarcasm. 202 00:11:44,733 --> 00:11:45,266 Look at it. 203 00:11:45,333 --> 00:11:47,566 How long will you keep us in suspense? 204 00:11:49,633 --> 00:11:51,533 If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. 205 00:11:52,633 --> 00:11:55,733 Now, they have been told. 206 00:11:58,066 --> 00:12:00,899 Over and over and over again who Jesus is. 207 00:12:03,733 --> 00:12:07,200 This is pure deceitfulness on their part. 208 00:12:09,466 --> 00:12:12,633 And then after the confrontation, we come next to 209 00:12:12,633 --> 00:12:16,533 the claim, verse 25, Jesus 210 00:12:16,533 --> 00:12:20,299 answered, I told you. 211 00:12:22,466 --> 00:12:23,433 And you do not believe. 212 00:12:25,633 --> 00:12:26,533 I already told you. 213 00:12:27,333 --> 00:12:31,000 How many times have I told you? 214 00:12:32,766 --> 00:12:34,433 Over and over and over again. 215 00:12:36,866 --> 00:12:41,133 And Jesus then, again, validates 216 00:12:41,133 --> 00:12:44,366 his claim in the same way that he has 217 00:12:44,399 --> 00:12:47,399 been doing all along, I told 218 00:12:47,399 --> 00:12:50,633 you, and you do not believe, 219 00:12:50,633 --> 00:12:52,133 that's the problem. 220 00:12:53,433 --> 00:12:56,866 And then he says, next, the 221 00:12:56,866 --> 00:13:00,033 works that I do in my father's name. 222 00:13:01,533 --> 00:13:04,399 These testify of me. 223 00:13:06,766 --> 00:13:10,233 The issue, again, was very simple. 224 00:13:11,666 --> 00:13:13,500 You do not believe. 225 00:13:15,433 --> 00:13:16,633 That's what everything comes down to. 226 00:13:17,966 --> 00:13:21,033 All through this gospel, starting in chapter one, 227 00:13:21,033 --> 00:13:25,000 there is a call for people to believe. 228 00:13:26,733 --> 00:13:28,133 They're even one to believe. 229 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:31,500 Remember, Jesus said, therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins, 230 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:34,833 for unless you believe that I am he, 231 00:13:34,833 --> 00:13:36,266 you will die in your sins. 232 00:13:36,399 --> 00:13:37,299 What a warning. 233 00:13:39,533 --> 00:13:42,733 And we also know what these Jewish leaders believed about Jesus. 234 00:13:43,866 --> 00:13:47,399 I made reference to it in my remarks at Salem Baptist last Sunday night. 235 00:13:47,500 --> 00:13:49,966 He does what he does by the power of Satan. 236 00:13:50,833 --> 00:13:51,733 Remember they said that? 237 00:13:52,233 --> 00:13:53,100 He's demonic. 238 00:13:54,666 --> 00:13:56,100 They also said he's insane. 239 00:13:57,266 --> 00:14:01,233 And they did everything they could to 240 00:14:01,233 --> 00:14:02,733 try and convince people of that. 241 00:14:04,433 --> 00:14:08,433 They believe the wrong things about 242 00:14:08,433 --> 00:14:11,500 Jesus, just as many people today, believe 243 00:14:11,500 --> 00:14:14,799 the wrong things about Jesus, but 244 00:14:14,799 --> 00:14:18,166 you can't get around the biblical facts, that 245 00:14:18,166 --> 00:14:21,399 it is a command to believe the 246 00:14:21,399 --> 00:14:24,533 gospel, repent and believe the gospel, 247 00:14:25,533 --> 00:14:26,700 lest you perish. 248 00:14:26,733 --> 00:14:27,500 It's not a suggestion. 249 00:14:29,066 --> 00:14:30,533 Oh, I hope he comes. 250 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,033 It's a command. 251 00:14:33,466 --> 00:14:34,600 And that reality. 252 00:14:35,633 --> 00:14:40,366 Hmm, is what makes the next verse, and 253 00:14:40,366 --> 00:14:43,666 the theology in the next verse, so 254 00:14:43,666 --> 00:14:45,766 very extraordinary. 255 00:14:47,533 --> 00:14:48,833 Look at verse 26. 256 00:14:50,933 --> 00:14:51,966 Feel the weight of this. 257 00:14:52,066 --> 00:14:56,133 Jesus said, But you do not believe, and 258 00:14:56,133 --> 00:14:59,799 then he says next, because you 259 00:14:59,799 --> 00:15:02,133 are not of my sheep. 260 00:15:03,266 --> 00:15:07,000 That folks, is a massive statement. 261 00:15:07,966 --> 00:15:09,466 Don't just whiz by that. 262 00:15:10,933 --> 00:15:12,966 That's a massive theological statement. 263 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:18,399 This brings the issue of believing all 264 00:15:18,433 --> 00:15:21,833 the way up the chain to the divine side. 265 00:15:23,733 --> 00:15:25,100 And we just looked at the human side. 266 00:15:26,966 --> 00:15:28,600 You do not believe. 267 00:15:31,166 --> 00:15:34,600 And, you are fully 268 00:15:35,466 --> 00:15:37,200 culpable for that unbelief. 269 00:15:39,266 --> 00:15:42,466 And you will be held responsible 270 00:15:42,466 --> 00:15:45,766 eternally for that unbelief. 271 00:15:47,133 --> 00:15:51,833 But, at the same time, all 272 00:15:51,833 --> 00:15:56,266 the way up the ladder to the divine side, 273 00:15:56,266 --> 00:16:00,333 you don't believe, because 274 00:16:00,333 --> 00:16:01,399 you are not of my sheep. 275 00:16:03,866 --> 00:16:06,233 This is a stunning statement. 276 00:16:08,333 --> 00:16:12,533 You don't believe because you're not one of my own. 277 00:16:14,366 --> 00:16:16,966 You don't belong to me. 278 00:16:18,566 --> 00:16:21,600 Jesus could not be more straightforward or 279 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:22,633 clear about this. 280 00:16:22,733 --> 00:16:25,666 Remember earlier, look in John chapter 10, verse 14. 281 00:16:25,833 --> 00:16:29,666 Remember, he said, I am the good shepherd, 282 00:16:29,666 --> 00:16:32,799 and I know my own, and my 283 00:16:32,799 --> 00:16:34,966 own, no me. 284 00:16:35,100 --> 00:16:38,633 And how do we know that this group that 285 00:16:38,633 --> 00:16:41,799 he's talking to are not his sheep, 286 00:16:41,799 --> 00:16:44,133 well, all the way back in chapter 8, verse 43. 287 00:16:44,333 --> 00:16:45,600 You remember what he said? 288 00:16:46,333 --> 00:16:50,399 Why do you not understand what I am saying? 289 00:16:52,233 --> 00:16:56,533 It is because you cannot hear my word. 290 00:16:59,566 --> 00:17:00,533 You can't hear me. 291 00:17:02,666 --> 00:17:04,533 You don't know my voice. 292 00:17:05,433 --> 00:17:06,233 Why, Jesus? 293 00:17:06,299 --> 00:17:08,233 Why didn't they know your voice? 294 00:17:08,266 --> 00:17:11,400 Verse 44, you are of your father the devil. 295 00:17:13,133 --> 00:17:15,533 And you want to do the desires of your father. 296 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:18,633 He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand 297 00:17:18,633 --> 00:17:21,166 in the truth, because there's no truth in him. 298 00:17:21,299 --> 00:17:24,900 Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, 299 00:17:24,900 --> 00:17:27,766 for he is a liar and the father of lies. 300 00:17:30,166 --> 00:17:31,366 And then verse 47. 301 00:17:33,633 --> 00:17:35,033 He who is of God. 302 00:17:36,733 --> 00:17:38,900 Here's the words of God. 303 00:17:40,466 --> 00:17:44,099 For this reason, you do not hear them because 304 00:17:44,099 --> 00:17:46,366 you are not a God. 305 00:17:46,766 --> 00:17:48,233 Extraordinary. 306 00:17:51,733 --> 00:17:54,500 There's another way to say, you are not my sheep. 307 00:17:56,833 --> 00:18:00,799 This is really staggering to contemplate what Jesus is saying here. 308 00:18:02,133 --> 00:18:06,966 The divine side of salvation. 309 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,466 We started to see this sovereign purpose of God and salvation with Nicodemus. 310 00:18:10,533 --> 00:18:11,966 Remember back in John chapter 3. 311 00:18:13,266 --> 00:18:17,266 And Jesus explained to Nicodemus that, You want to enter the kingdom? 312 00:18:19,366 --> 00:18:21,833 Well, Nicodemus, that requires a supernatural work. 313 00:18:23,466 --> 00:18:26,633 A heavenly miracle has to happen here, Nicodemus. 314 00:18:27,266 --> 00:18:28,500 Heaven has to come down. 315 00:18:29,666 --> 00:18:30,466 to make that happen. 316 00:18:31,466 --> 00:18:33,033 You can't even see the kingdom. 317 00:18:33,166 --> 00:18:36,833 much less intorate, unless you've been born again. 318 00:18:40,266 --> 00:18:42,599 And he likened that reality to a new birth, right? 319 00:18:42,633 --> 00:18:45,500 New creation, nobody can create himself. 320 00:18:48,633 --> 00:18:53,200 And the question arises, how does that happen? 321 00:18:55,233 --> 00:18:58,966 Well, without any ambiguity 322 00:18:58,966 --> 00:19:00,900 whatsoever. 323 00:19:02,233 --> 00:19:07,133 Remember what Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus, say, hey, the spirits like the wind. 324 00:19:08,933 --> 00:19:10,866 He blows and he comes as he wills. 325 00:19:13,333 --> 00:19:14,700 It's not at your discretion. 326 00:19:17,333 --> 00:19:18,299 It's at his discretion. 327 00:19:20,666 --> 00:19:24,033 Jesus was probably most straightforward 328 00:19:24,033 --> 00:19:25,366 in John 6, as we study. 329 00:19:27,033 --> 00:19:28,200 No one can. 330 00:19:29,166 --> 00:19:29,500 Amen. 331 00:19:30,566 --> 00:19:34,299 No one has the ability to come to me unless 332 00:19:34,299 --> 00:19:37,133 the father who sent me draws him. 333 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,233 No one can. 334 00:19:39,333 --> 00:19:43,066 No one has the ability to come to me unless 335 00:19:43,066 --> 00:19:45,466 it has been granted by the Father. 336 00:19:45,599 --> 00:19:46,433 Amen. 337 00:19:48,733 --> 00:19:49,566 How else do you read that? 338 00:19:50,533 --> 00:19:50,833 Right. 339 00:19:52,866 --> 00:19:54,333 It's not ever gonna happen. 340 00:19:55,833 --> 00:20:00,200 in a person's life unless God moves first. 341 00:20:01,933 --> 00:20:05,166 Explain to me any other explanation of what Jesus just said. 342 00:20:07,833 --> 00:20:09,333 And we keep coming back. 343 00:20:11,333 --> 00:20:14,500 to these profound realities as 344 00:20:14,500 --> 00:20:16,166 we study this Bible. 345 00:20:16,233 --> 00:20:18,166 You want to know why we keep coming back to this topic? 346 00:20:18,299 --> 00:20:19,966 Because it's all over the Bible. 347 00:20:23,266 --> 00:20:26,400 Because this is clearly, church, something that 348 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,666 God wants us to understand, or it wouldn't be everywhere. 349 00:20:32,766 --> 00:20:36,700 Now, let's get our bearing straight. 350 00:20:37,633 --> 00:20:37,933 Okay? 351 00:20:39,033 --> 00:20:43,666 Every person, every human being, 352 00:20:43,666 --> 00:20:48,066 has an absolute responsibility to 353 00:20:48,066 --> 00:20:51,833 repent, and believe, or perish, and 354 00:20:51,833 --> 00:20:54,900 at the same time, we 355 00:20:54,900 --> 00:20:57,000 talked about it in Sunday school this morning. 356 00:20:57,966 --> 00:21:00,766 God chooses his sheep. 357 00:21:00,833 --> 00:21:02,166 He initiates. 358 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,166 He initiates the drawing, the 359 00:21:06,166 --> 00:21:09,400 calling, the regenerating, and he even grants 360 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:11,666 the gifts of repentance and faith. 361 00:21:12,733 --> 00:21:13,500 They're gifts. 362 00:21:13,533 --> 00:21:14,266 Look it up. 363 00:21:15,566 --> 00:21:18,700 And again, every time 364 00:21:18,700 --> 00:21:22,433 we come to this issue, I 365 00:21:22,433 --> 00:21:27,299 have to give you a very uncomfortable truth to our human reasoning. 366 00:21:29,366 --> 00:21:32,500 We cannot harmonize these two 367 00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:35,566 truths with our human reasoning. 368 00:21:37,666 --> 00:21:40,233 They don't harmonize with human thinking. 369 00:21:42,366 --> 00:21:46,200 God chooses some, not all, yet all are responsible. 370 00:21:46,233 --> 00:21:47,733 Can you harmonize that in your brain? 371 00:21:50,466 --> 00:21:51,033 But guess what? 372 00:21:52,733 --> 00:21:55,099 They do harmonize perfectly in the mind of God. 373 00:21:57,233 --> 00:22:00,233 And here is the one thing that I will not do for the 374 00:22:00,233 --> 00:22:01,566 rest of my days as a preacher. 375 00:22:04,033 --> 00:22:07,500 I will not destroy either of 376 00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:10,666 these truths by coming up with 377 00:22:10,666 --> 00:22:14,099 some kind of out of the box, humanly divine, 378 00:22:14,099 --> 00:22:17,400 devised, middle ground tunnel of time theory, 379 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:18,766 like Ed talked about this morning. 380 00:22:21,766 --> 00:22:22,599 I'm not going to do that. 381 00:22:23,533 --> 00:22:24,533 It's not in the Bible. 382 00:22:26,966 --> 00:22:28,500 They're both taught in scripture. 383 00:22:30,633 --> 00:22:31,433 They're both true. 384 00:22:32,766 --> 00:22:35,333 And I look at these two things. 385 00:22:37,266 --> 00:22:40,000 Just like I do every other doctrine in scripture. 386 00:22:40,733 --> 00:22:41,833 Truth, truth. 387 00:22:43,233 --> 00:22:44,000 Both truths. 388 00:22:46,166 --> 00:22:49,599 Now, if you were here, I'm going to give you the classic 389 00:22:49,599 --> 00:22:50,666 example. 390 00:22:52,766 --> 00:22:55,833 In case you've never heard it, there might be somebody in here who never heard it. 391 00:22:55,900 --> 00:22:56,366 I don't know. 392 00:22:57,333 --> 00:22:59,766 And gave it this morning, if you were here, you're going to hear it again. 393 00:22:59,799 --> 00:23:03,633 Because it's the most stunning examples that we have. 394 00:23:06,766 --> 00:23:07,233 Think about this. 395 00:23:09,166 --> 00:23:09,933 The people. 396 00:23:11,933 --> 00:23:13,866 who beat Jesus. 397 00:23:14,666 --> 00:23:15,766 Think about those Roman soldiers. 398 00:23:17,533 --> 00:23:18,833 that punch Jesus in the face. 399 00:23:20,466 --> 00:23:25,299 tore his back to shreds with the cat of 9 tails. 400 00:23:25,933 --> 00:23:29,333 Just for a second, think about being 401 00:23:29,333 --> 00:23:32,966 the human beings that did the physical beating, 402 00:23:33,466 --> 00:23:36,400 and then being in hell, now knowing perfectly who Jesus is. 403 00:23:37,633 --> 00:23:41,099 And knowing forever that you did that to the king. 404 00:23:41,766 --> 00:23:42,299 Anyway. 405 00:23:44,866 --> 00:23:46,500 Were they responsible for what they did? 406 00:23:48,933 --> 00:23:52,000 You can be sure that they 407 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,233 were judged accordingly by God, right? 408 00:23:56,466 --> 00:23:58,066 Well, let's look at Acts 427. 409 00:24:00,133 --> 00:24:03,299 Acts 427 tells us who 410 00:24:03,299 --> 00:24:08,099 all the human culprits were at the cross. 411 00:24:08,133 --> 00:24:08,733 Look at it. 412 00:24:09,833 --> 00:24:13,633 For truly, in this city, that 413 00:24:13,633 --> 00:24:17,866 were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, 414 00:24:17,866 --> 00:24:22,266 whom you anointed, now here they come, both Herod, 415 00:24:22,266 --> 00:24:25,599 and Punchus Pilate, along with the Gentiles, 416 00:24:25,599 --> 00:24:28,133 and the peoples of Israel. 417 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:29,166 There they are. 418 00:24:30,866 --> 00:24:31,233 Right? 419 00:24:32,033 --> 00:24:33,299 All the suspects. 420 00:24:35,066 --> 00:24:36,099 Completely guilty. 421 00:24:37,933 --> 00:24:41,099 And held absolutely responsible, 422 00:24:41,099 --> 00:24:44,533 as Ed said this morning, for the most heinous crime in human history. 423 00:24:45,333 --> 00:24:48,333 Far above all other crimes, when God became a man, 424 00:24:48,333 --> 00:24:50,133 we murdered him on the cross. 425 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,233 There's no crime greater than that. 426 00:24:54,466 --> 00:24:55,066 You got that? 427 00:24:55,133 --> 00:24:56,566 You got all the culprits. 428 00:24:56,633 --> 00:24:57,533 You got the suspects down? 429 00:24:57,633 --> 00:24:58,700 All responsible? 430 00:24:59,266 --> 00:24:59,933 Next verse. 431 00:25:01,833 --> 00:25:02,299 28. 432 00:25:02,299 --> 00:25:05,500 To do, whatever, 433 00:25:05,500 --> 00:25:09,933 your hand, and your purpose, predestined 434 00:25:09,933 --> 00:25:11,266 to occur. 435 00:25:11,333 --> 00:25:12,166 Whose hand? 436 00:25:13,066 --> 00:25:13,833 God's hand. 437 00:25:15,766 --> 00:25:16,299 Whose purpose? 438 00:25:17,566 --> 00:25:18,233 God's purpose. 439 00:25:18,299 --> 00:25:19,033 Well, wait a minute. 440 00:25:19,066 --> 00:25:21,400 Well, if God predestined that, did they happen? 441 00:25:21,533 --> 00:25:22,200 What about them? 442 00:25:22,233 --> 00:25:23,900 How could they be responsible? 443 00:25:25,866 --> 00:25:27,599 Don't try to do that with your human reasoning. 444 00:25:29,433 --> 00:25:30,799 That's where you're messing up. 445 00:25:30,833 --> 00:25:33,166 That's where people who don't get this straight mess up. 446 00:25:33,233 --> 00:25:34,066 Want another one? 447 00:25:34,133 --> 00:25:34,900 I'll give you another one. 448 00:25:34,966 --> 00:25:36,000 Acts 223. 449 00:25:36,299 --> 00:25:37,433 Peter's preaching. 450 00:25:38,833 --> 00:25:41,599 He's addressing the men of Israel, and he's speaking of Jesus. 451 00:25:41,700 --> 00:25:42,433 He said, this man. 452 00:25:43,733 --> 00:25:47,733 Delivered over by the predetermined plan, 453 00:25:47,733 --> 00:25:50,966 and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to across. 454 00:25:51,099 --> 00:25:53,733 by the hands of godless men and put him to death. 455 00:25:54,633 --> 00:25:55,433 It's right there. 456 00:25:57,566 --> 00:25:58,366 You going skip that? 457 00:25:59,233 --> 00:26:00,233 because it makes you uncomfortable. 458 00:26:01,366 --> 00:26:03,533 You're going to try to come up with some kind of tunnel of time. 459 00:26:03,599 --> 00:26:04,933 You put him to death. 460 00:26:05,666 --> 00:26:06,933 You are responsible. 461 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:08,433 You will be held accountable. 462 00:26:08,566 --> 00:26:12,299 But at the same time, God ordained it before the universe existed. 463 00:26:15,133 --> 00:26:15,666 Both true. 464 00:26:17,666 --> 00:26:18,700 Both those things are true. 465 00:26:20,533 --> 00:26:24,466 And I believe that one day, we 466 00:26:24,466 --> 00:26:27,533 will harmonize those two things by God's grace 467 00:26:27,533 --> 00:26:28,900 just like God does. 468 00:26:29,833 --> 00:26:32,933 Now, but not in this lifetime. 469 00:26:34,466 --> 00:26:35,099 And guess what? 470 00:26:36,233 --> 00:26:37,133 I'm okay with that. 471 00:26:39,733 --> 00:26:43,066 If you understand the clear meaning of the words in scripture 472 00:26:43,066 --> 00:26:46,066 on this subject, you believe them 473 00:26:46,066 --> 00:26:49,200 for what they say, and guess what? 474 00:26:49,866 --> 00:26:52,066 You don't have any choice but to be okay with it. 475 00:26:53,433 --> 00:26:54,200 Because it's the truth. 476 00:26:55,133 --> 00:26:58,733 And at the same time, to 477 00:26:58,733 --> 00:27:02,033 me, it's simple, just stay in your lane. 478 00:27:04,333 --> 00:27:05,700 Don't try to be in God's lane. 479 00:27:05,733 --> 00:27:09,633 Stay in your lane, of calling people to repent and believe the gospel. 480 00:27:09,700 --> 00:27:10,966 Isn't that simple, right? 481 00:27:12,366 --> 00:27:15,833 And the bonus for all of us who understand this biblically is, 482 00:27:15,833 --> 00:27:19,133 as we call, as we sow the gospel C, we 483 00:27:19,133 --> 00:27:21,666 can black up to a place of real comfort. 484 00:27:23,466 --> 00:27:26,733 in the sovereign purposes of God, realizing that gang. 485 00:27:27,933 --> 00:27:29,333 I don't know who he's going to call. 486 00:27:30,033 --> 00:27:31,500 He calls who he wills. 487 00:27:32,333 --> 00:27:33,433 And I also know this. 488 00:27:34,633 --> 00:27:39,433 All that he calls will absolutely come 100% guaranteed. 489 00:27:41,966 --> 00:27:44,566 I lose none of them, Jesus says in John 6. 490 00:27:44,633 --> 00:27:46,966 And I really raise them up at the last day. 491 00:27:50,033 --> 00:27:53,099 Now, if you can think back and remember, this reality 492 00:27:53,099 --> 00:27:55,733 is, this is even where Jesus went for comfort. 493 00:27:55,799 --> 00:27:58,799 Remember, I taught you that, because at that point 494 00:27:58,799 --> 00:28:02,166 in John's gospel, and in Jesus' ministry, 495 00:28:02,166 --> 00:28:06,033 many of the disciples left, and they walked away. 496 00:28:06,099 --> 00:28:06,633 Why? 497 00:28:06,700 --> 00:28:11,066 Well, his words got too hard for them to deal with, and where does he go? 498 00:28:12,266 --> 00:28:16,433 He goes straight to those sovereignty verses in John 6 for comfort. 499 00:28:17,066 --> 00:28:18,900 Remember the context there? 500 00:28:19,966 --> 00:28:23,033 The rejection of the people after all those amazing miracles 501 00:28:23,033 --> 00:28:26,200 are just weighing heavily on Jesus, and he turns 502 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,200 right around as they walk away, and he says, well, no one can come. 503 00:28:30,333 --> 00:28:31,500 unless the father draws. 504 00:28:33,366 --> 00:28:34,900 Now, let's move ahead in John 10. 505 00:28:37,233 --> 00:28:39,799 These are some very comforting. 506 00:28:41,133 --> 00:28:43,099 Very profound verses. 507 00:28:43,133 --> 00:28:45,466 Look at verses 27 to 29. 508 00:28:45,599 --> 00:28:46,033 Let's read that. 509 00:28:47,766 --> 00:28:51,233 Jesus says, My sheep, hear my voice, and 510 00:28:51,233 --> 00:28:54,299 I know them and they follow me. 511 00:28:55,533 --> 00:28:58,566 And I give eternal life to 512 00:28:58,566 --> 00:29:02,966 them, and they will never perish, 513 00:29:02,966 --> 00:29:06,299 and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 514 00:29:06,299 --> 00:29:09,433 My father, who has given them to me, 515 00:29:09,433 --> 00:29:12,633 is greater than all, and no one is 516 00:29:12,633 --> 00:29:15,766 able to snatch them out of the father's hand. 517 00:29:17,066 --> 00:29:20,433 I mean, that's just an explosion of security for 518 00:29:20,433 --> 00:29:21,500 every believer right there. 519 00:29:22,466 --> 00:29:25,066 It's like a nuclear bomb of eternal security. 520 00:29:25,133 --> 00:29:27,233 It's so airtight. 521 00:29:27,333 --> 00:29:28,666 It's so absolute. 522 00:29:28,733 --> 00:29:32,266 There's just no escaping the reality of 523 00:29:32,266 --> 00:29:35,733 that chain of divine and sovereign 524 00:29:35,733 --> 00:29:39,200 intention here in salvation for every Christian. 525 00:29:39,333 --> 00:29:42,166 And again, as far as Jesus goes. 526 00:29:43,966 --> 00:29:46,966 In his earthly ministry, he's almost at the end of the line here. 527 00:29:49,166 --> 00:29:50,566 His three years are almost done. 528 00:29:51,933 --> 00:29:54,066 Many have rejected him. 529 00:29:55,233 --> 00:29:59,099 The religious leaders have said, You are demonic. 530 00:29:59,733 --> 00:30:01,266 You are out of your mind. 531 00:30:02,733 --> 00:30:06,133 And he says, Well, if you don't believe, you will die in your sins. 532 00:30:07,966 --> 00:30:11,033 And then he comes back to his own place of comfort here and 533 00:30:11,033 --> 00:30:13,366 says, You don't believe because you're not of my sheep. 534 00:30:15,333 --> 00:30:16,733 My sheep, here, my boys. 535 00:30:18,466 --> 00:30:19,433 And they follow me. 536 00:30:19,500 --> 00:30:20,633 That's what they do. 537 00:30:20,733 --> 00:30:22,066 my sheep do. 538 00:30:22,766 --> 00:30:25,833 And I give them eternal life, and they'll never perish, and no one 539 00:30:25,833 --> 00:30:28,900 will ever snatch them out of my hand or my father's hand. 540 00:30:32,133 --> 00:30:36,000 This is essentially the grand overview 541 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,033 of the sovereignty of God and salvation. 542 00:30:39,433 --> 00:30:41,933 God chooses, God draws. 543 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:43,500 God holds. 544 00:30:43,533 --> 00:30:47,500 God raises, and nobody is ever lost in the process, ever. 545 00:30:49,833 --> 00:30:52,733 This is where Jesus found encouragement. 546 00:30:54,966 --> 00:30:58,133 If one is chosen to be a 547 00:30:58,133 --> 00:31:01,666 sheep, if one is 548 00:31:01,666 --> 00:31:06,166 designed to be a love gift from 549 00:31:06,166 --> 00:31:09,299 the Father to the Son to 550 00:31:09,299 --> 00:31:12,533 worship and serve Him forever in eternal 551 00:31:12,533 --> 00:31:16,599 glory, then they are eternally secure in that choice. 552 00:31:19,033 --> 00:31:20,333 Guess what eternal life is? 553 00:31:21,066 --> 00:31:22,066 Eternal. 554 00:31:25,633 --> 00:31:26,766 I am always amazed. 555 00:31:28,833 --> 00:31:31,866 At the people who look at the same Bible that I 556 00:31:31,866 --> 00:31:35,000 do, and come away with this doctrine that 557 00:31:35,033 --> 00:31:36,233 you can lose your salvation. 558 00:31:37,766 --> 00:31:38,433 I'm just amazed. 559 00:31:39,833 --> 00:31:41,033 What are you reading? 560 00:31:42,333 --> 00:31:43,400 Jesus didn't say? 561 00:31:43,433 --> 00:31:45,900 And I give them temporary life based on how they behave. 562 00:31:47,633 --> 00:31:50,299 He didn't say, I give them potentially eternal life. 563 00:31:50,333 --> 00:31:50,933 It's up to them. 564 00:31:52,766 --> 00:31:54,766 He said eternal life. 565 00:31:54,833 --> 00:31:58,566 Sweet, look, verse 27, I give eternal 566 00:31:58,566 --> 00:32:01,733 life to them, and just in case anybody 567 00:32:01,733 --> 00:32:02,799 is confused about that. 568 00:32:03,333 --> 00:32:07,733 He says next, and they will never perish. 569 00:32:08,866 --> 00:32:12,633 That's why I don't get the Lose your salvation crowd. 570 00:32:12,700 --> 00:32:13,233 I don't get it. 571 00:32:15,533 --> 00:32:17,533 I've told you many times, John MacArthur's quote. 572 00:32:17,566 --> 00:32:19,033 If you could lose your salvation, you would! 573 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:21,866 So would I. 574 00:32:24,433 --> 00:32:27,599 I guess they... base it 575 00:32:27,599 --> 00:32:30,933 on some kind of unknown metric of Christian 576 00:32:30,933 --> 00:32:33,400 life performance, which I have never figured out. 577 00:32:33,533 --> 00:32:35,566 I mean, where's the line? 578 00:32:38,033 --> 00:32:41,033 And if our performance is the standard, we are 579 00:32:41,033 --> 00:32:42,599 toast, Jack. 580 00:32:44,066 --> 00:32:44,433 Toast. 581 00:32:46,666 --> 00:32:47,200 Look at the words. 582 00:32:48,033 --> 00:32:48,799 You have the positive. 583 00:32:48,833 --> 00:32:52,200 I give them eternal life, and 584 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:56,333 then you have the negative, and they will never perish. 585 00:32:58,266 --> 00:33:03,533 To perish means to be separated 586 00:33:03,533 --> 00:33:06,900 from eternal life into eternal death. 587 00:33:08,966 --> 00:33:12,233 No one will ever be separated from 588 00:33:12,233 --> 00:33:16,599 eternal life, who possesses it, perishing 589 00:33:16,599 --> 00:33:19,733 is clearly, completely out of the 590 00:33:19,733 --> 00:33:23,866 question for one who possesses eternal life. 591 00:33:23,933 --> 00:33:28,000 Your eternal salvation, rest ultimately, 592 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,833 ultimately, on God's eternal decree. 593 00:33:33,533 --> 00:33:35,633 If God chose you. 594 00:33:37,233 --> 00:33:38,633 To live forever, guess what? 595 00:33:39,433 --> 00:33:40,200 You will. 596 00:33:43,966 --> 00:33:45,400 He's in charge of everything, folks. 597 00:33:45,533 --> 00:33:47,700 Everything. 598 00:33:49,833 --> 00:33:50,933 You will never perish. 599 00:33:53,066 --> 00:33:57,033 because God designed salvation that way. 600 00:33:57,166 --> 00:33:58,366 And Jesus goes on. 601 00:34:01,500 --> 00:34:04,733 Because somebody comes up with the idea that 602 00:34:04,733 --> 00:34:09,533 someone, or something, 603 00:34:09,533 --> 00:34:12,666 can come along in your life and somehow 604 00:34:13,433 --> 00:34:16,033 change your status before God. 605 00:34:16,133 --> 00:34:19,199 Jesus wants to make clear, verse 28, and no one 606 00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:20,566 will snatch them out of my hand. 607 00:34:21,766 --> 00:34:24,900 Not only that, my father, who has given 608 00:34:24,900 --> 00:34:28,500 them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. 609 00:34:29,866 --> 00:34:33,000 So, man, I mean, if you can come away from 610 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,833 all of that and still believe you can lose your salvation, I don't think I can help you. 611 00:34:37,966 --> 00:34:39,400 I just really can't help you. 612 00:34:41,633 --> 00:34:43,866 I can't come up with clearer words than that. 613 00:34:45,566 --> 00:34:48,766 In fact, if you hold that view, just after reading 614 00:34:48,766 --> 00:34:54,000 verses 28 and 29, think a little more deeply. 615 00:34:56,333 --> 00:34:59,566 You're actually questioning the ability of 616 00:34:59,566 --> 00:35:02,633 Jesus to keep and hold on to his sheep when 617 00:35:02,633 --> 00:35:04,666 you're saying your salvation is not secure. 618 00:35:05,566 --> 00:35:08,699 You are also questioning the ability of 619 00:35:08,699 --> 00:35:10,066 God, the Father's ability. 620 00:35:11,666 --> 00:35:14,333 to hold you and to keep and to hold on to his sheep. 621 00:35:17,433 --> 00:35:20,433 That's just not a very wise position to be in, if you ask me. 622 00:35:22,733 --> 00:35:25,099 We, believers, are God's sheep. 623 00:35:27,533 --> 00:35:30,699 He has ordained Christ to 624 00:35:30,699 --> 00:35:31,766 be our good shepherd. 625 00:35:32,933 --> 00:35:35,933 And his duty is to receive us, to care for us, to 626 00:35:35,933 --> 00:35:39,166 protect us, to feed us, and to suggest that 627 00:35:39,166 --> 00:35:42,233 he cannot fulfill that perfectly, as 628 00:35:42,233 --> 00:35:43,266 all kind of wrong. 629 00:35:44,433 --> 00:35:47,233 And you are real confused about the Christian faith. 630 00:35:48,433 --> 00:35:49,099 Real confused. 631 00:35:51,766 --> 00:35:53,699 And then, of course, we always get them folks. 632 00:35:55,133 --> 00:35:58,333 They want to point to somebody, Oh, remember, Fred? 633 00:35:59,266 --> 00:36:02,733 Man, Fred, he came to church, guns are blazing, man. 634 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:04,133 He was at church every Sunday. 635 00:36:05,466 --> 00:36:09,233 Then all of a sudden, as every other Sunday, the 636 00:36:09,233 --> 00:36:11,266 next thing you know, we didn't see Fred at all. 637 00:36:12,733 --> 00:36:15,933 And man, he just got busted in a sting, with 638 00:36:15,933 --> 00:36:17,366 about six felonies. 639 00:36:18,466 --> 00:36:19,233 What about Fred? 640 00:36:19,933 --> 00:36:21,500 I thought he was eternally secure. 641 00:36:23,333 --> 00:36:23,633 Really? 642 00:36:24,333 --> 00:36:25,866 Well, look at 1 John 2:19. 643 00:36:28,533 --> 00:36:30,733 That's not a more simpler explanation in the Bible. 644 00:36:30,833 --> 00:36:33,400 I don't know why people have a problem with this. 645 00:36:34,833 --> 00:36:36,800 They went out from us. 646 00:36:36,833 --> 00:36:38,400 Why did they go out? 647 00:36:38,500 --> 00:36:40,833 Why did Fred go back to living like a felon? 648 00:36:42,333 --> 00:36:43,866 But they were not really of us. 649 00:36:44,833 --> 00:36:48,233 For, if they had been of us, 650 00:36:48,233 --> 00:36:51,400 if they had really been of us, they would have remained with 651 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:54,400 us, but they went out so that it would be 652 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:57,466 shown that they are not of us. 653 00:36:58,933 --> 00:37:01,333 Now, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. 654 00:37:02,433 --> 00:37:05,766 But I completely understand the answer, right 655 00:37:05,766 --> 00:37:09,166 there, to this question of why people 656 00:37:09,166 --> 00:37:11,333 fall away. 657 00:37:12,066 --> 00:37:12,633 It's very simple. 658 00:37:13,533 --> 00:37:14,933 They were never saved in the first place. 659 00:37:16,766 --> 00:37:17,266 Isn't that simple? 660 00:37:24,566 --> 00:37:26,099 Faith, whip their lips. 661 00:37:26,199 --> 00:37:30,866 But they didn't possess true, genuine, saving faith. 662 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,366 We are secure because we've been given eternal life. 663 00:37:34,366 --> 00:37:37,433 To say that eternal life ever has an end to 664 00:37:37,433 --> 00:37:40,966 it for anybody is a contradiction in terms and 665 00:37:40,966 --> 00:37:44,500 makes absolute nonsense out of the promise that Jesus made. 666 00:37:46,733 --> 00:37:50,633 And since we didn't do anything to 667 00:37:50,633 --> 00:37:53,566 merit eternal life, guess what? 668 00:37:54,666 --> 00:37:56,266 We can't do anything to forfeit it. 669 00:37:57,133 --> 00:38:00,300 If Jesus says we will never perish, you can 670 00:38:00,300 --> 00:38:02,333 take that straight to the bank. 671 00:38:03,666 --> 00:38:04,533 It'll never happen. 672 00:38:06,033 --> 00:38:09,166 If any of the sheep ever perish eternally 673 00:38:09,166 --> 00:38:11,199 in outer darkness, then guess what? 674 00:38:11,266 --> 00:38:11,866 Jesus lied. 675 00:38:13,433 --> 00:38:16,933 Jesus is a liar, and we're all doomed, if Jesus is a liar. 676 00:38:17,333 --> 00:38:18,000 We're all dead. 677 00:38:19,966 --> 00:38:23,500 If there is one soul who came to Christ, on 678 00:38:23,500 --> 00:38:26,666 his terms of repentance and faith, in this life, and they wind up 679 00:38:26,699 --> 00:38:30,599 missing from heaven, then you could just throw it all into garbage. 680 00:38:30,599 --> 00:38:33,833 God ain't even God, the Bible is just another of the many books 681 00:38:33,833 --> 00:38:35,466 written by men, if that's true. 682 00:38:36,233 --> 00:38:37,199 Notice. 683 00:38:37,833 --> 00:38:38,466 Notice. 684 00:38:39,766 --> 00:38:44,466 Jesus' reference here to both himself 685 00:38:44,466 --> 00:38:48,033 and the Father, too, holding the sheep in their hands. 686 00:38:49,766 --> 00:38:53,266 That demonstrates a perfect harmony 687 00:38:53,266 --> 00:38:56,866 in purpose and power in agreement in 688 00:38:56,866 --> 00:38:59,933 securing the sheep, and that gives 689 00:38:59,933 --> 00:39:03,000 Jesus, just yet another opportunity 690 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,866 to declare who he is. 691 00:39:06,933 --> 00:39:09,300 And next, he does it. 692 00:39:10,733 --> 00:39:14,199 In verse 30, with as much power 693 00:39:14,199 --> 00:39:17,266 and strength and straightforwardness 694 00:39:17,266 --> 00:39:20,333 as he ever did on any other occasion, 695 00:39:20,333 --> 00:39:23,400 in verse 30, next, he says, I and the 696 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:24,733 Father are one. 697 00:39:26,433 --> 00:39:27,000 Wow. 698 00:39:27,166 --> 00:39:28,366 Can you imagine it? 699 00:39:29,466 --> 00:39:30,300 Imagine their face. 700 00:39:31,466 --> 00:39:32,733 Their faces at that moment. 701 00:39:34,266 --> 00:39:37,533 He just transitions from showing 702 00:39:37,533 --> 00:39:41,000 how he and the Father are one in 703 00:39:41,033 --> 00:39:45,833 securing the redeemed, and now he makes a statement outright, 704 00:39:45,833 --> 00:39:48,933 and it's just truly unmistakable 705 00:39:48,933 --> 00:39:50,133 for people who know how to read. 706 00:39:52,266 --> 00:39:57,233 What he's saying with this is, I and the Father are one. 707 00:39:57,300 --> 00:39:59,266 We have equal sovereignty. 708 00:40:01,233 --> 00:40:02,766 We have equal love for the sheep. 709 00:40:04,066 --> 00:40:07,199 We have equal divine power, 710 00:40:07,199 --> 00:40:10,333 both of us equally, to secure the sheep, 711 00:40:10,333 --> 00:40:13,533 because we are equal, because 712 00:40:13,533 --> 00:40:15,566 we're one in essence. 713 00:40:16,633 --> 00:40:18,599 Later on in John 17, 10. 714 00:40:20,466 --> 00:40:21,466 Jesus is praying. 715 00:40:21,533 --> 00:40:22,866 Look at it, he says to the Father. 716 00:40:24,433 --> 00:40:26,099 All things that are mine are yours. 717 00:40:27,533 --> 00:40:31,199 And yours are mine, all things. 718 00:40:31,233 --> 00:40:32,866 Nobody else can say that. 719 00:40:34,133 --> 00:40:38,033 But Jesus, all the sheep that belong to the Father belong 720 00:40:38,033 --> 00:40:41,199 to the Son because they are equal in nature, equal 721 00:40:41,199 --> 00:40:44,333 in essence, along with the Holy Spirit in the Trinity, 722 00:40:44,333 --> 00:40:45,466 but I digress. 723 00:40:45,599 --> 00:40:47,166 We don't have time to go to that. 724 00:40:48,566 --> 00:40:51,599 The unity that Christ has 725 00:40:51,599 --> 00:40:55,133 with the Father is a unity of essence that is divine, 726 00:40:55,133 --> 00:40:58,300 eternal, supernatural, and 727 00:40:58,300 --> 00:40:59,866 most of all, holy. 728 00:41:01,733 --> 00:41:04,733 And remember these Jews hearing this, just put 729 00:41:04,733 --> 00:41:06,599 yourself back in that day, on that day. 730 00:41:08,233 --> 00:41:11,400 They are hearing these words, and they are 731 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:15,366 looking into the face of a Galilean carpenter from Nazareth. 732 00:41:17,533 --> 00:41:20,166 That is just as common as any other man in Israel. 733 00:41:22,466 --> 00:41:28,866 And with such a staggering claim, Jesus, 734 00:41:28,866 --> 00:41:32,566 you would have to have a whole lot of verification 735 00:41:32,566 --> 00:41:34,000 about that kind of claim, right? 736 00:41:35,333 --> 00:41:36,000 Well, they did! 737 00:41:38,033 --> 00:41:41,033 They just had three years of jaw 738 00:41:41,033 --> 00:41:42,300 dropping miracles. 739 00:41:43,866 --> 00:41:45,233 They did have verification. 740 00:41:46,666 --> 00:41:49,133 But they just did not believe. 741 00:41:50,066 --> 00:41:52,066 Oh, Colossians 2, 8. 742 00:41:53,766 --> 00:41:55,133 Paul says, see to it. 743 00:41:55,766 --> 00:41:59,633 that no one takes you captive through philosophy 744 00:41:59,633 --> 00:42:02,800 and empty deception, according 745 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:06,033 to the tradition of men, according to the 746 00:42:06,033 --> 00:42:09,033 elementary principles of the world, 747 00:42:09,033 --> 00:42:12,400 rather than according to Christ. 748 00:42:13,266 --> 00:42:14,733 Don't be wrong about Jesus. 749 00:42:17,033 --> 00:42:18,500 Worship the right, Jesus. 750 00:42:19,666 --> 00:42:23,033 Don't let any professor, or pundit, or philosopher 751 00:42:23,033 --> 00:42:24,400 confuse you. 752 00:42:24,533 --> 00:42:28,266 That's happening every day in our colleges across America, and has been for quite some time. 753 00:42:29,466 --> 00:42:33,533 And then Paul makes it real clear for everybody in verse 9 and next. 754 00:42:34,233 --> 00:42:37,333 Ray says, about Jesus, for in 755 00:42:37,333 --> 00:42:40,466 him, all the fullness of 756 00:42:40,500 --> 00:42:41,833 deity, 757 00:42:41,933 --> 00:42:45,966 Godhood dwells in bodily form. 758 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,033 Jesus is God. 759 00:42:48,166 --> 00:42:49,966 That is the claim of Christianity. 760 00:42:52,566 --> 00:42:56,033 And that is why when Jesus speaks, he 761 00:42:56,033 --> 00:42:57,166 speaks with such authority. 762 00:42:57,233 --> 00:42:58,966 That's why them guys said that day. 763 00:42:59,033 --> 00:43:01,133 No man never spoke like this, man. 764 00:43:01,199 --> 00:43:02,333 You don't even know. 765 00:43:03,833 --> 00:43:07,633 People in our world today they don't want to hear anybody that speaks with authority. 766 00:43:10,133 --> 00:43:11,000 especially Jesus. 767 00:43:11,966 --> 00:43:15,033 With the standards that he has, to speak the truth, 768 00:43:15,033 --> 00:43:18,099 with authority in our culture, gets you labeled as a 769 00:43:18,099 --> 00:43:21,400 hater, or a lunatic, or a fire 770 00:43:21,833 --> 00:43:22,933 and brimstone preacher. 771 00:43:23,033 --> 00:43:23,933 Amen. 772 00:43:24,033 --> 00:43:26,066 Look next in John 10:31. 773 00:43:28,033 --> 00:43:32,099 After Jesus said, I 774 00:43:32,099 --> 00:43:35,266 and the father were one, that was all 775 00:43:35,266 --> 00:43:37,533 that the Jews could take at that point, verse 31. 776 00:43:38,466 --> 00:43:42,300 The Jews picked up stones again to Stoneham. 777 00:43:42,333 --> 00:43:46,066 I don't know if you remember this, but it was a while back, we talked about this. 778 00:43:46,133 --> 00:43:49,199 They've now descended into the lowest level 779 00:43:49,199 --> 00:43:52,866 of debate and conflict and disagreement. 780 00:43:54,466 --> 00:43:57,033 Remember, there were different levels I took you through. 781 00:43:57,033 --> 00:43:58,233 This is the lowest level. 782 00:43:59,266 --> 00:44:00,533 When you get solo, 783 00:44:01,633 --> 00:44:04,666 in disagreement and debate that you can no 784 00:44:04,666 --> 00:44:06,400 longer make an argument. 785 00:44:06,466 --> 00:44:09,833 You can no longer just make your case, 786 00:44:09,833 --> 00:44:12,966 you just want to resort to violence and kill your opponent. 787 00:44:13,833 --> 00:44:14,533 That's where they are. 788 00:44:16,733 --> 00:44:18,666 Remember back in John 5:18. 789 00:44:19,566 --> 00:44:23,099 For this reason, therefore, the Jews were seeking all the more to 790 00:44:23,099 --> 00:44:26,099 kill him, because he was not only breaking the 791 00:44:26,099 --> 00:44:29,266 Sabbath, but also calling his God his own Father, 792 00:44:29,266 --> 00:44:31,733 making himself equal with God. 793 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:33,300 There it is again. 794 00:44:34,233 --> 00:44:35,333 And that was months earlier. 795 00:44:37,866 --> 00:44:40,800 I mean, back then they knew exactly what he was claiming. 796 00:44:40,833 --> 00:44:41,900 John 7:1. 797 00:44:42,099 --> 00:44:45,099 After these things, Jesus was walking 798 00:44:45,099 --> 00:44:48,233 in Galilee, for he was unwilling to walk in Judea because the 799 00:44:48,233 --> 00:44:49,866 Jews were seeking to kill him. 800 00:44:49,966 --> 00:44:53,099 John 5, 8, John 8, 58, 801 00:44:53,099 --> 00:44:56,099 right after Jesus said, before Abraham was, 802 00:44:56,099 --> 00:44:59,099 I am, it says this, look, therefore they picked up stones 803 00:44:59,099 --> 00:45:02,433 to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and 804 00:45:02,433 --> 00:45:03,800 went out of the temple. 805 00:45:06,233 --> 00:45:08,000 And now here we are in John 1031. 806 00:45:08,133 --> 00:45:09,166 I said, a 4th attempt. 807 00:45:10,566 --> 00:45:11,433 to kill Jesus. 808 00:45:11,566 --> 00:45:14,500 And there's going to be a subsequent attempt in verse 39. 809 00:45:15,433 --> 00:45:18,500 Now, as you know, the Romans took away from the Jews' capital punishment. 810 00:45:20,066 --> 00:45:22,066 Romans maintained the right to take a life. 811 00:45:23,066 --> 00:45:26,199 So understand in all these instances with all these rocks in 812 00:45:26,199 --> 00:45:29,266 their hands, this was not no legal procedure that was happening here. 813 00:45:30,666 --> 00:45:32,866 This was just anger, hatred. 814 00:45:33,533 --> 00:45:36,699 Boiling over from a religious mob, and 815 00:45:36,699 --> 00:45:39,833 if they could have, they would have killed him right on the spot, 816 00:45:39,833 --> 00:45:44,733 and there never would have been a cross, if 817 00:45:44,733 --> 00:45:48,800 not for the divine hand of Providence, saying, not yet. 818 00:45:50,566 --> 00:45:51,833 Not yet. 819 00:45:52,966 --> 00:45:53,933 Wouldn't have been for that. 820 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:55,566 Jesus would have been dead long before Good Friday. 821 00:45:57,533 --> 00:46:00,533 Jesus gave us insight into the hostility coming from these 822 00:46:00,533 --> 00:46:01,733 Jews back in John 7. 823 00:46:04,266 --> 00:46:08,033 Jesus is speaking with his brothers, who don't believe verse 6 to 7. 824 00:46:08,099 --> 00:46:11,433 So Jesus said to them, My time is not yet here, but 825 00:46:11,433 --> 00:46:13,900 your time is always opportune. 826 00:46:15,166 --> 00:46:17,333 The world cannot hate you. 827 00:46:18,833 --> 00:46:19,433 Why is that? 828 00:46:22,233 --> 00:46:24,233 Because they were not believers that time. 829 00:46:25,766 --> 00:46:27,333 They belong to the world system. 830 00:46:28,466 --> 00:46:29,500 But look what he says next. 831 00:46:30,233 --> 00:46:31,333 But it hates me. 832 00:46:33,633 --> 00:46:33,966 Why? 833 00:46:35,133 --> 00:46:36,433 Because he offered heaven to him? 834 00:46:36,466 --> 00:46:37,433 Is that why they handed me? 835 00:46:38,133 --> 00:46:40,099 Because he offered them eternal life? 836 00:46:40,133 --> 00:46:41,166 Is that why they hated him? 837 00:46:41,199 --> 00:46:42,633 Well, no, he tells you, well, look next. 838 00:46:42,699 --> 00:46:46,433 Because I testify of it that its deeds are evil. 839 00:46:49,033 --> 00:46:51,300 Let me tell you, that's a direct path to persecution right there. 840 00:46:53,366 --> 00:46:57,533 I wonder if anybody's ever really been persecuted for offering people heaven, 841 00:46:57,533 --> 00:47:00,699 or telling people Jesus loves them and has a wonderful plan for 842 00:47:00,699 --> 00:47:03,766 their life, or Jesus will give you peace and purpose, in your 843 00:47:03,766 --> 00:47:06,466 life, in heaven when you die, oh, that's true. 844 00:47:07,166 --> 00:47:10,366 But if not all you say about Jesus is true, 845 00:47:11,233 --> 00:47:14,333 He probably escapes and persecution. 846 00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:18,433 On the other hand, If you tell people they're sinners. 847 00:47:21,033 --> 00:47:24,166 If you tell people that their law breaking will bring about the 848 00:47:24,166 --> 00:47:27,166 full fury of the wrath of God upon them when they 849 00:47:27,166 --> 00:47:30,699 die, if they don't repent and believe, that'll 850 00:47:30,699 --> 00:47:32,066 bring you some persecution right there. 851 00:47:34,033 --> 00:47:38,133 So we've seen today that the 852 00:47:38,133 --> 00:47:41,800 confrontation is really just a hypocritical inquiry. 853 00:47:43,733 --> 00:47:47,166 Why don't you tell us who you really are, is what they're saying. 854 00:47:48,533 --> 00:47:53,533 But the claim, as they had long known, unmistakable and clear. 855 00:47:55,066 --> 00:47:58,300 And they just react like a crazed mob, 856 00:47:58,300 --> 00:48:01,433 wanting to crush out his life, 857 00:48:01,433 --> 00:48:05,266 but it doesn't happen because 858 00:48:05,266 --> 00:48:07,300 it's not yet his time. 859 00:48:08,666 --> 00:48:10,233 As ordained by God. 860 00:48:10,300 --> 00:48:10,966 And guess what? 861 00:48:11,966 --> 00:48:13,800 He will not be dying on their terms. 862 00:48:15,466 --> 00:48:18,300 Remember, no man takes my life from me. 863 00:48:19,233 --> 00:48:22,099 But I lay it down, he said. 864 00:48:23,166 --> 00:48:26,733 And then next, he moves to confront the 865 00:48:26,733 --> 00:48:29,733 real blasphemers, and we're going 866 00:48:29,733 --> 00:48:32,566 to look at that next time we're in John, but not today.