The Greatness of Christ: Part 3

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The Greatness of Christ: Part 4

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Continue our study through the gospel of John. We are at chapter 5 as we work through this and by God's help
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I'm going to slow it down a little bit and we're going to, we went through it, these points last
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Lord's Day and we're going to backtrack a little and go deep sea fishing.
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Praise God. I don't know about you, I love deep sea fishing, I've gotten sick a few times but when we go out in the deep ocean, there's big fish.
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And I'm here to tell you there's some big, big fish to catch here this morning as the Holy Spirit would help us in this meditate on these verses and to glean everything we can and to take away what we learn here this morning as disciples of the
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Lord Jesus Christ but not only to be hearers of the word but to be doers of the word. So we continue in looking at the greatness of Jesus Christ and I'm going to be frank and honest with you, this is part 3, there will be several more parts to this because as you will see today, we're in deep waters folks.
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And it's wonderful. I don't think we should rush through it. I believe this is all about the person of Jesus Christ and we really need to glean everything we can from these verses.
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And saying that, please bow with me as we seek the Lord in His face as we come to hear His word, to hear from heaven this morning in this hour of worship.
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Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we do come to you now and we come before your throne of mercy and the only way we can come this morning is by faith through the precious blood of the
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Lord Jesus Christ, the King of heaven, the Lord of glory. Help and grace, we ask for help and grace in time of need.
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Lord, we are needy, needy people and we are needy of yourself and really in nothing else.
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If there's truth to be said, it's from your word and it's all because of you. So yes, as we have sung, be thou my vision, oh
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Lord, high King of heaven. Lord, as the psalmist speaks of from 119, may this be our prayer.
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I will meditate on your precepts, contemplate, look into your ways, how
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I delight myself in your statutes. I will not forget your word, Lord, your precepts, your ways, your statutes, your word.
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As has been said by David through the Holy Spirit, it is more to be desired than gold, yea than much fine gold and sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
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And moreover by them your servant is warned and in keeping them, keeping them, there is great reward.
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Now Lord, may this be our utmost desire. Be exalted, oh
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God, above the heavens and let your glory be above all the earth.
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We ask this for your honor and glory in the name that is above all names, the
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Lord Jesus Christ, amen. As we come to the gospel of John chapter 5, our focus is in verse 19 to verse 30.
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We will not cover all this this morning. We're going to take this prayerfully and carefully.
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And I like to say this at the offset that please note that any sermon preached on these verses by even the best of preachers could not really come close by doing it justice.
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I really believe that. I don't believe there's been a man alive even by the help of the
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Spirit of God has preached a perfect sermon. There's been spirit anointed sermons and has blessed many.
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The only one that's really preached a perfect sermon is you find in Matthew 5, 6, and 7.
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And that's the Lord Jesus Christ because he was the perfect man. He preached a perfect sermon.
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But as it comes to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ speaking of his own personhood, there's absolutely no way a perfect sermon can be preached.
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So as I've studied through this and looked through this,
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I just want to bless you of what God has blessed me with and I want to share that blessing with you by the help of the
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Spirit of God. So it's got to be more than just what's in my head. It's got to be in my heart.
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And I want to bless you as God has blessed me as I poured forth in this study and it's just scratching the surface.
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So I covet your prayers this morning. David says in Psalm 139, verse 6, such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
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It is high. I cannot attain it. Folks, these are very deep waters when we come to the person of the
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Lord Jesus Christ and his works. But the person of Christ, thou art the
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Christ, Peter said. The Son of the living God packed in those ten words is incredible inspiration and revelation of who
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Jesus is. And this is what we want to take with us. Make it a part of us.
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This should be our right attitude as we come before the Lord and an attitude of reverence and worship and awe and thanksgiving before God and his holy word that we are to tremble before his word.
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So let me begin by setting before you at the beginning of this message two quotes that will give us a good launch on this message and I quote, first of all, one is a
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Puritan from the past which Brother Keith led and Brother Ben leads in our
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Sunday school is John Owen. He is a powerful theologian in his day.
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He says this and I promise you this is a short quote. Most of the quotes today will be from the word of God, I promise you, but this is the launch us off.
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He says this, the ultimate end of true theology is the celebration of the praise of God. I love that.
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The ultimate end of true theology is the celebration of the praise of God and his glory and grace in the eternal salvation of sinners.
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End quote. The second one I like to set before you comes from an evangelist and he's one of my favorite speakers and he's a missionary and it's from our brother
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Paul Washer. He's a powerful preacher and he can preach by the way and just as good in Spanish as he can in English which is amazing but it's the spirit of God and this man has such a heart and passion for Jesus Christ and I take this quote here from the book and I'm thankful I was able to, the church helped me purchase this at the
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G3 conference, it's the preeminent Christ. Been reading through it and I think it's very significant and fitting as we go through the gospel of John, it's focused on the person of Jesus Christ and of course
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Washer's taken that from Colossians 1 and which is really our theme here at Redeeming Grace Church that in all things
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Christ may have the preeminence. Washer says this in making much of God, he says, to glorify or praise
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God we must know something of his manifest excellencies. We must know something of his manifest excellencies.
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These find their clearest expression in the person of Jesus Christ.
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In 2 Corinthians he quotes this, 4 -6, the apostle Paul wrote that the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is found in the face of Christ.
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His meaning is unmistakable. The knowledge of God is most clearly revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and his great work of redemption on behalf of his people, end quote.
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I thought that was two really good launching quotes from these godly men to help us here this morning as we dive into the word of God and hear
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God's word and what God's word has to say about Jesus.
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But not only as it is God's word, written word that is inspired, these are the words of the
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Savior himself, the master himself speaking of his own authority, his own personhood, his own testimony.
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Now as we see these verses from John 5, 17 -30, even to the very end of the chapter to verse 47, we should see more than just mere sentences or phrases that is before us in the holy word of God.
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I pray that God would always save us from apathy as we open God's word, that there's something fresh, there's a fresh fire here, there is a fire from the spirit of God that will burn into us and change us this morning.
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And it comes from the words of Christ, inspired, God breathed, all sufficient word of God and from the words in the mouth of our
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Lord Jesus Christ himself in full and clear revelation, it comes to us and it comes to us to reveal, he comes to reveal the father and how the father is like and we see the religious crowd and the people that crucified, they really didn't know how
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God was like. But Jesus did and after all not only was he with the father, he's
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God himself of the second person of the trinity and this whole section is really speaking about his equality with the father, his equality with God comes in great revelation.
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Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus Christ is the greatest question, it's a great question to ask anyone, not only in the church but also those outside of the church that do not know
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God. I question if people in the churches really know that answer.
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But we can know it if we come back to the word of God and read through the gospels and ask
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God to help us. Who is Christ? Who is he? Let me quote
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Hebrews 1 verse 1 to 4. The writer of Hebrews says this, God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by his son whom he has appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high and having become so much better than the angels he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
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It's all about the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ and him crucified,
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Christ and him buried, Christ and resurrected, Christ glorified,
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Christ interceding, Christ coming back again, Christ is all in all. John's gospel we see time and time again, the deity of Jesus Christ is shining forth, it's bursting forth through the pages of scripture, especially in this wonderful gospel of John.
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The theme is really the deity of Christ, his divinity, his, who he is.
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This is Christ, he is deity, he is God in flesh. Doesn't that remind you of John 1 verse 1 to 5?
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Amen. Look at how John the apostle begins his book, in the beginning was the word, the logos, and the word, the logos was with God and the word was
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God and he was in the beginning with God. All things, just like the book of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews, just like the writer of Colossians, Paul, all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made and him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shines in darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it or overpower it.
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He was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. He came into his own and his own did not receive him.
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And it's interesting that we pick right up here in verse 17 of chapter 5 because this is in context of Jesus makes a statement of his equality with God and his own people, his own did not receive him, rejected him.
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Jesus answered them, verse 17 of chapter 5, note that there is no question, I think that's interesting, yet the
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Lord gives an ultimate word of authority concerning the work of the father, the work of the son, concerning the healing on the
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Sabbath as he healed this man that was paralyzed for 38 years and then he goes to the synagogues and reports them, reports to the
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Jewish leaders, these religious people, that it was Jesus that did this and they were so upset that he did this work on the
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Sabbath and took up his mattress and walked and then they got furiated with Jesus that he even healed on the
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Sabbath. Now, they even more furiated and sought the more to kill him as we will see, killed
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Jesus because he makes himself equal with God. That's the context, that's the background of really what
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Jesus is about to say here about himself. But Jesus answered them, my father has been working unto now and I have been working.
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And Jesus was about his father's business, wasn't he? He was always doing the will of the father and he did it perfectly and he always did those things that God was doing,
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God the father was doing. Verse 18, therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him.
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Why? The text tells us, because he did not only break the
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Sabbath, only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was his father, making himself equal with God.
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In other words, as far as in the Jewish mind, that Jesus committed ultimate blasphemy.
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This man must be insane, he's crazy, he's making himself equal with God? Who does he think he is?
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They literally thought he was insane, they did. This shattering fact, this great truth is clearly understood by the religious leaders, they got what
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Jesus was saying. And as Paul the
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Apostle said, if they had known who he really was, they would never crucify the Lord of Glory. They would have never crucified him, but so all decreed in the plan and the mind of God that this was to happen.
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So Jesus really expected the persecution. Jesus was never on the defense, he was always on the offense, and here he makes a tremendous statement about himself, earth shattering, heaven shattering.
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They understood this clearly. Number one, that Jesus said that God was his father, and number two, that he was making himself equal with God, so his claim was absolutely unquestionable.
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And they knew exactly what he was claiming. Interesting to note too here, as a footnote,
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John the Baptist made the statement of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and you know what John the Baptist said?
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In John 1 verse 34, and I have seen and testified that this is the
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Son of God. See the prophet John the Baptist knew God, and he was a man that was intimate with God, and he knew who
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Christ was, behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. So verse 17 and 18 gives us the background.
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Jesus claimed equality with God the Father. A second claim was in verse 17, Jesus said, my father has been working until now, and I have been working.
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Interesting, he's speaking about working here. He's talking about working on the Sabbath. The Father has been working until now, and I have been working.
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The Father works slowly. I loved George MacDonald's wonderful quote last week.
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I'm not going to re -quote it, but it's wonderful how the Father works slowly in nature, and Jesus comes and immediately, instantly works.
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Wonderful. But never apart from the Father. Always with the Father. Always one with the
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Father, because he is God. He is the express image of the Father.
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God the Father never ceases to work, even on the Sabbath. Yes, it is true, as we looked at, that when
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God created the world, Scripture says that God rested on the Sabbath day, the Sabbath day.
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But what does that mean? Well, that technically means that he rested from his creative work.
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He's working in other ways, and mercy, and gentleness, and kindness, and compassion, and patience, but this is his creative work.
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Not from his other work, which would be his work of love, mercy, and his work of helping and caring, and his tender compassions, looking after and overseeing the sovereign ways, and governing his world.
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I love that old hymn, This is My Father's World. God's always working, he never slumbers, he never sleeps, as the psalmist says.
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Note this, Jesus said, and I work. Jesus says, I work. Meaning that he himself did good.
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He always did good, went about doing good, always. And that's the purity of the holiness of Jesus Christ.
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He always did good, there was never anything he did bad. The bad falls on us.
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I like what Augustine, you can say it either way, Augustine or Augustine, he said, everything that is good is
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God's, but everything else bad is my fault. Absolutely. Sounds like a simple statement, but actually it's profound if you really look at it.
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But Jesus always did good, he did good on the Sabbath as well as God the Father did good. And again, it's clear that claiming to be equal with God, claiming to have the same right to work even as God works, that is to erase the wrongs of the laws of man, to establish the just and compassionate laws of God.
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It's amazing, everything that Jesus did. He comes to reveal the Father in every way. Now we move to the infallible proofs of Jesus Christ, and again,
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I want to just cover two points this morning because of time, but I'd like for us to look at what the scriptures have to say about these proofs, especially through the
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Gospel of John. So the first proof is given in verse 19, and that speaks of his perfect obedience to the
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Father. His perfect obedience. I can really make a one -pointer out of this because so much is said about his perfect obedience.
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His perfect obedience to the Father. Look at verse 19. Then Jesus answered and said to them, most assuredly, or truly, truly, amen, amen.
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In other words, cut your ears on and really listen in. I say to you, the
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Son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do. For whatever he does, the
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Son also does in like manner. Now it's very interesting here that,
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I think Brother Keith, you pointed this out to me, I think this is very observant. This begins, this section right here from verse 19 all the way to verse 47.
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Look at how many words the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of. He speaks of his authority, he speaks of his equality with God the
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Father, life and judgment are through the Son. Then from verse 31 to verse 47, he speaks of the four -fold witness.
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But you notice something here, this is the longest uninterrupted speech of Jesus in the
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Gospel. Isn't that incredible? And you know something? What is he speaking about?
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He's speaking about himself, who he is, his authority. He expounds it perfectly.
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As he previously, in his previous statement in verse 17, the purpose is really two -fold.
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Number one, the first, and I speak of the two -fold purpose here, number one, Jesus refutes the authority of the fleshly, earthly motivations of the religious
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Jews. He refutes them, rightly so.
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This is the Lord of glory. And number two, in summary, Jesus shows us what should be the true motive and the benefits of that motivation.
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So this speech of Christ that he gives can be divided into two parts. One from verse 19 to verse 29 is really an examination of two types of work that Jesus has in common with the
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Father. Giving of the life and judging of sin.
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And second, the other part would be an actual judgment against those who challenged him.
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A judgment will come upon them and a judgment will come upon any of us that would dare challenge the authority of Jesus Christ.
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Can you imagine, as R .C. Sproul would rightly say, that this dirt from the earth would challenge the almighty living
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God? It's really ignorance and foolishness to the utmost degree.
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And I would say foolishness, probably. Only a fool would challenge the almighty God. Well, in verse 19,
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Jesus claims that his every action is justified because it is motivated by God the
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Father and God the Father is pleased with the Lord Jesus Christ, his Son. Even more so, every single action, every single motive mirrors
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God's working in the world. His first proof was that Jesus was equal with God was actually his perfect obedience to the
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Father. This is really staggering. Now, if you were to compare the perfect obedience to Jesus to our obedience, it's absolutely no comparison because we cannot even obey
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God within just a few minutes and I'm sure within this hour of worship that somehow we have broken
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God's law of our mind -wandering or not really focusing and pleasing God completely.
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But I want you to think of this, Jesus, every minute, every second, from the day he was born to the day he died on the cross until he left to glory, everything that he did in motive and heart and mind, action, was all pleasing to God the
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Father and upheld the law perfectly. Isn't that incredible? It is incredible.
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But he did it. And he did it as the Son of Man. He never cheated in a sense of leaning back on his divinity.
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He did it as a man full of the Holy Spirit because he represented us.
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More of that later. His perfect obedience, Jesus stated two astounding facts here.
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First of all was that he did not act alone. Jesus did not act alone.
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He did not act independent of God the Father. His will, even though Jesus had his own will, he did not do his own will.
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He did the will of the Father. He acted in full, perfect submission in accordance to the will of the
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Father. This is so important as we look into his perfect obedience this morning. Now fasten your seatbelts, we're going to dive into scriptures here.
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So hang with me. Taking from John 5 .30,
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we jump to John 7 .28. 7 .28. You can turn with me if you like because a lot of these is right in the
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Gospel of John. Jesus cried out as he taught in the temple saying,
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You both know me and you know where I am from. And I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know.
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Who is he speaking of? The Father. The Father sent him. Everything that he did, he did and pleased the
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Father. John 8 .28. Then Jesus said to them, When you lift up the
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Son of Man. And I'm interested in that word, lift up. He says it also in John 3 .14
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as he spoke to Nicodemus. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the
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Son of Man be lifted up. That lifting up is Calvary's cross, his crucifixion.
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He must be lifted up. It's decreed. He knew his one task, his one mission.
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He was so fervent and compassionate. It was to go to the cross and die.
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Not only the physical sufferings, but the wrath of God upon himself that he would be made sin.
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The perfect Lamb of God. To take our sin as the substitute. The Lamb of God.
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That's so important concerning the Gospel. But Jesus said,
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When you lift up the Son of Man. The Son of Man. He always regarded himself. He says he is the
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Son of God. Yes, he's the Son of God, but Son of Man. Son of Man. Then you will know that I am he.
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And that I do nothing of myself. But as my Father taught me, I speak these things. He demonstrated it.
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He spoke it. And everything that he did, he did in perfect accordance and perfect submission to God the
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Father. It's just absolutely amazing and incredible. Here's another one.
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John 14 .10 Do you not believe that I am in the
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Father and the Father in me? It's a question. The words that I speak to you,
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I do not speak of my own authority. But the Father who dwells in me does the works.
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A lot of the modalists take these verses and twist it all around.
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The false teachers. Beware of these people, folks. They try to say that Jesus is the Father and the
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Spirit. That is not so. When Jesus is speaking that the Father dwells in him. He's speaking that he is
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God. He is deity. He's not saying he is the Father. He is the Son. But he is
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God. He never denied that one. But the modalists will say, oh no, Jesus is the
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Father. Jesus is the Spirit. And they twist it all around. And then they basically say, well, if you try to teach that there's a triune
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God here. And I've heard one of their false leaders speak of this. You actually have three gods.
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How false is that? Now we know that we cannot explain the Trinity.
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It's a divine mystery. But let me say this. God is God. How it works and how they work together,
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I don't know how and the details. But we do know that it's the Father, the Son, and the
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Spirit. There's one God in three persons. It's a great mystery.
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But that's what the Scripture teaches. And personally, if we don't believe in that, we're in serious trouble. That is a major doctrine.
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Verse 11, Jesus said, Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.
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In other words, what he said, if you can't believe this, by what I'm telling you, believe and look at the works that I do.
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Perfect obedience to his Father's will. He never acted independently of God the Father. He never did anything of his own accordance.
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Everything was in complete submission to the Father. Nor did he ever act selfishly.
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He never did something separately of himself. It was always what pleased the
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Father. He never did walk separately from God the
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Father. He was always doing the will of his Father. Doing his work.
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Always one with the Father. Second here,
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Jesus did exactly what he saw the Father do. Now that's an incredible verse, isn't it?
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He always did exactly what the Father would do.
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But what he sees, he says, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the
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Father do, for whatever he does, the Son also does in like manner.
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It's a deep verse, folks. There are three claims here I would see in my observation as I was studying this.
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One is that Jesus was in perfect unbroken communion with God. Perfect unbroken communion with God.
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He was never ever apart from the Father. I would say probably the only time that there was a separateness, even though there was a separation, was when he died on the cross and he leaned on that verse in Psalm 22.
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My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And there is where he took that hell.
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Now this is beyond our comprehension that Jesus the
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Son, that was always one with the Father, was always in perfect communion with the
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Father, and within those hours of darkness, took hell upon himself on the cross.
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Really, it needs no commentary. I agree with G. Campbell Morgan when we come to that verse, just put your hand to your mouth and shut it up and just bow.
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Amen. It's just too deep for us. But Jesus was in perfect unbroken communion with God.
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The second thing I observe here is Jesus was of the very same nature in the person of God, and three, we see
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Jesus acted as God because he was God. He acted as God because he was
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God. He did exactly what God the Father did. He did the very same things, he says, in like manner.
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In the very same manner. And Jesus was perfectly, perfectly obedient to the
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Father. Matthew chapter 11 verse 27, as Jesus is praying, and before he says that wonderful, wonderful verse, he invites, come unto me all you labor and heavy laden,
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I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
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You know, it's a wonderful invitation verse, isn't it, to those that had the burden of the law upon their backs, and Jesus said, you come unto me.
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But before he said that, he said this, in verse 27, all things have been delivered to me by my
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Father. And listen to what he says, and no one knows the Son except the
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Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the
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Son wills to reveal. So in other words, God will reveal himself to whomever he pleases to reveal.
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God will have mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy on. And people say, no, hold on now.
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I could do something about that. Oh, really? How can you? There's nobody that can really understand the revelation of God unless God wills it.
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That's why we must cry out for mercy. We can't make this happen with our own energy and our own strength and our own willpower.
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No, that's why salvation's of the Lord. In John 7, 29, let me give you some verses to back this up.
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Jesus said, but I know him, for I am from him. Jesus is speaking of the Father.
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For I know him, for I am from him. And he sent me. Jesus is the great missionary.
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And he did the greatest mission of all. To come.
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To become flesh in the incarnation. To enter into this world without the Adamic nature.
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That's the purpose of the incarnation. Born of the Virgin Mary. Because he did not come into this world with the
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Adamic nature. There was no sin in him. He said that of himself. John 8, 55.
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Yet, he says, yet have I not known him. I'm sorry. Yet you have not known him.
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He's speaking to the religious Jews. Yet you have not known him. But I know him. And if I say,
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I do not know him. I shall be a liar like you. Wow, he's already calling them liars.
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Because all men are liars. Isn't that what Paul said? Let God be true and every man found liar.
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Be a liar. And he says, but I do know him. And keep his words.
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You hear what Jesus is saying? He knows the Father perfectly. And he always keeps his word.
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This is another claim of Jesus. The Son's perfect knowledge of the Father. And the perfect obedience to the
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Father. Here's another one. John 10, 15. As the Father knows me, even so I know the
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Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. This is a wonderful, wonderful chapter.
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And a wonderful verse. On how Jesus died for the sheep.
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The elect. To those that God has ordained to believe. Before the foundation of the world.
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He says, I lay down my life. As the Father knows me, even so I know the
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Father. So the Father has perfect knowledge of the Son. And the Son has perfect knowledge of the Father. That's basically what it's saying.
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And the Son lays down his own life. In perfect submission to the will of the Father. For the sheep.
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Who's the sheep? Those who believe. I love what
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Calvin said. You know, Calvin gets a lot of bad raps nowadays. You know, you're a Calvinist.
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And really, his words are really twisted up. And you mentioned you're a Calvinist in churches today.
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You really get ready for a stone to come your way. But you know, Calvin said it right.
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Someone asked him once. He says, how do you know that you're God's elect? He made a simple answer today.
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He gave a simple answer. He says, believe. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's God's elect. John 10, 30.
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I and my Father are one. Look at the depth within that one verse. I and my
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Father are one. Not two. One. John 10, 37, 38.
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If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me.
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But if I do, though you do not believe me, believe the works.
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Again, he says this. Believe the works that you may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in Him.
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John 17, 11. Now we're talking about Jesus praying before the Father. Listen to some of these prayers.
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I picked a few verses from John 17. Because it goes along so much. And it goes right in sync with everything he says in verse 19 in John chapter 5.
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He says this. Now I am no longer in the world. But these are in the world.
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He's speaking of his disciples. He's speaking of the believers. We're in this world. And then what does he say?
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I come to you, Holy Father. This is a prayer as he prays to the
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Father. And he says, keep through your name. Always upholding the name of God perfectly.
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Perfectly. It's the Son of Man. Keeping God's name perfectly holy. And he says,
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Holy Father, keep through your name those whom you have given me that they may be one as we are.
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And by the way, every prayer that Jesus has offered to the Father has and will be answered.
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Because God the Father always honors the prayers of the Son. As he represents us before the throne.
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His people. His church. His sheep. His elect. He's interested in this wonderful prayer.
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And I challenge people in this sometimes. I say, show me one time that Jesus prays for the world.
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Not once. He prays for his own, folks. He prays for his own.
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Listen to what he says in verse 21 and 22 of John chapter 17.
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That they all may be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you.
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That they also may be one in us.
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That the world may believe that you sent me. The unity of truth is within corporate worship.
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As we are coming together in oneness with the Father and the
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Son. In oneness and truth. As Jesus prays to the Father. That unity.
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This is also taken out of context today too. As the ecumenical movement is really on the move.
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Trying to bring Catholics and other religions of the world. And trying to use these verses here. Well, Jesus prayed that we would be one.
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Talking about one in truth. Cannot join hands with those that has come against the major doctrines of the faith.
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And as is brought out in the Sunday school so wonderfully this morning. We must earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.
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But this is big. Jesus says this in verse 25.
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In the glory which you gave me. I have given them that they may be one just as we are one.
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O righteous Father. The world has not known you but I have known you. And these have known that you sent me.
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What a lesson from Holy Scripture of the perfect obedience of the Son of God. A lesson on obedience.
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And a challenge for obedience. For us as believers.
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The second point is this. And it's the second proof of His equality with God the
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Father is His great works. His works. And I like to bring these two together.
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Because speaks of the person and works of Christ. His works, His perfect works of obedience.
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His great works. But there are two astounding statements that Jesus made. In the verse 20.
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Verse 20 in chapter 5. For the Father loves the Son. And shows
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Him all things that He Himself does. And He will show Him greater works than these.
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That you may marvel. Number one we see here. The Father loves the
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Son. That's deep folks. The Father loves the
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Son. The idea is that the Father continues to love the Son. Never stops loving the
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Son. He always loves the Son. There's never a moment.
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Time and eternity. When that love diminishes. It is a perfect love.
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And it is actually a love that never ceases to give. Always giving.
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Graciously. John 10 .17 There is. He says. Jesus says. Therefore my
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Father loves me. Because I lay down my life. That I may take it up again. Jesus is saying that the
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Father loves me. Because I've come to lay down my life. To sacrifice it.
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John 16 .27 For the Father Himself loves you. Because you have loved me.
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And have believed that I came forth from God. John 17 .23
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I in them and you in me. That they may be made perfect and one. There's the oneness again.
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And that the world may know that you have sent me. And have loved them.
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As you have loved me. There's a great love for God's sheep. Because of the love of the
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Father to the Son. And now the Son loves the sheep. He's the great shepherd of the sheep.
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How does He show that love? He says. Greater love than this than one lay down his life for his friends.
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And I call you friends. John 17 .26 Once again in that powerful prayer in John 17.
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I have declared to them your name. Your name. And I will declare it.
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That the love with which you loved me. May be in them and I in them.
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So that great love of God. Has come to us. By the Spirit of God. And shed a part in our hearts by the
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Holy Spirit. This is a wonderful, wonderful part here.
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Because I love this. Speaking of love. If you turn with me to John 14.
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Let's look at this. Look at verse 19 to 24.
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Speaks about the indwelling of the Father and the Son. In verse 19 Jesus says.
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A little while longer and the world will see me no more. He's speaking about His resurrection. He's going to go back to glory.
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His glorification. His ascension. But you will see me. Because I live.
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You will live also. In other words. If you're one with me. And my sheep. And you will see me.
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He tells his disciples this. He's preparing them. Persecution will come. Tribulation will come.
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But he says do not fear. I've overcome the world. And then verse 20.
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And at that day you will know that I am in my Father. And you are in me. And I in you.
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He who has my commandments and keeps them. It is he who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my
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Father. You want to be loved by the Father. And loved by Christ. Keep His commandments.
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Show it. I will love Him and manifest myself to Him. And that's a great statement.
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And by the way. There was one of the disciples that was very attuned to listening to what
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Jesus was saying here. His name was Judas. Not Iscariot. In parentheses. If you see that. Said to him.
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And listen to the question he gives. Lord. How is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world?
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What a question. What a question. A very good question. And Jesus answers it.
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Our Lord answers that question. And He said. Answered and said to him. If anyone loves me. He will keep my words.
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There's obedience. That the believers is to give to the Lord Jesus Christ. And my
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Father will love Him. And we. Notice. We. The Father and the
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Son. Will come to Him and make our home with Him. Old King James translation says.
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Abode. They take up residence. Within us.
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To those who believe. He who does not love me. Listen to how Jesus sets the.
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Draws a line here. He who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word which you hear is not mine.
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But the Father's who sent me. You get that. He's bringing the words of the
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Father. To them. The Son. Is doing everything that the
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Father. Says. In like manner. John 15.
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Chapter 15 says more about this. Verse 9 and 10. As the Father loved me. I also have loved you.
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Abide. You know what that word abide means. Continue. Perseverance folks. This is the perseverance of the saints.
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Abide. Continue in my love. If you keep my commandments.
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You will abide. You will continue in my love. Just as I have kept my Father's commandments.
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And abide in his love. As Jesus is one with the
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Father. So the believers is one with Christ. And the Father. That they we he says.
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Will take our abode. In with them. The Father loves the Son. And he's pleased with them.
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Now I don't have time to go through all this. But there are three times. In Holy Scripture. From the
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Gospels. That God audibly speaks. From Heaven. In reference.
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To how he loves the Son. Now I really wish I had time to get to this.
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But time is clicking by. And I only have just maybe ten minutes. To get to the application.
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So I got to hurry there. But let me just briefly tell you these three times. Only three times.
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Chapter 4 of Matthew. Jesus' baptism. Mark chapter 1.
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Basically repeats. The same thing. But a little bit more concise.
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There's more detail in Matthew's Gospel. On the baptism of Jesus. But we do know that. Suddenly a voice came from Heaven.
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Saying this is my beloved Son. In whom I am well pleased. Everybody thought it thundered. They didn't really know the voice.
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Of the audible voice of God. But the audible voice of God spoke. And in Matthew I believe it speaks the straight way.
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Coming out of the water. He saw the heavens open. And the Spirit like the dove. Descending upon Him.
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And there came a voice from Heaven. Saying you are my beloved Son. In whom I am well pleased in.
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God is well pleased in the Son. He always pleased the Father. And the Father was well pleased in Him.
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And God the Father made this known. As He audibly spoke. There was another time.
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The second is. Mark and Matthew basically is telling the same. Story there.
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Concerning His baptism. And the second reference is found in Matthew 17. As Jesus was transfigured on the mount.
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And actually it was in rebuke of Peter. When He got excited about Elijah and Moses. And you know thinking of wow.
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As a Jew seeing this prophet of fire Elijah. And let's set up a tabernacle here.
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And then He spoke of Moses. Let's build a tabernacle here. And Jesus we can even put a tabernacle here for you.
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The Father interrupted Him. Right in the middle of His conversation.
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He got rebuked by the Father. And God the Father spoke.
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And said this is my beloved Son. In whom I am well pleased. Please hear Him. What a message.
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And they bowed to the face. Faces to the ground. I am sure they were so full of fear.
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And all hearing the voice. The audible voice of God. As the cloud of glory came there.
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Hovering over them. And they all fell their faces to the ground. And Jesus puts His right hand on them.
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Do not be afraid. Oh the Lord Jesus Christ is one with the
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Father. They were so full of fear. And all struck. And I think we would be too.
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Even more so. I would feel like disintegrating like Isaiah. What was me? I am undone.
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But Jesus puts His right hand on them. Another time this is given. In John chapter 12.
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Before the crucifixion. Jesus speaks about. God the Father glorify Your name. And the
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Father says. I have glorified it. And I will glorify it again. God the Father.
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Spoke. That He was well pleased in the Father. And the
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Father was well pleased in the Son. Hebrews 5 .5 Christ glorified. Not Himself folks.
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To be made in high priest. But that He said to Him. You are My Son today.
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I have begotten you. Well next is. Therefore the
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Father showed the Son all things. Which He did. All things which Jesus did. Were the very things which the
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Father did. So Jesus said that. The Father was going to show Him. Greater things to do.
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Greater things than healing the paralyzed man. Which is found in verse 8 and 9.
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In John 5. So in perfect obedience to the Father. Jesus predicted that He would perform. Even more spectacular deeds.
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Works. That would make. His listeners marvel.
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For example. Jesus would control. He had the power. The forces of nature itself.
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When a storm would come. While He was sleeping on the boat. He would get out and calm the storms at sea.
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On the sea of Galilee. Which was raging. And He would say peace be still. And immediately there was a calm.
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By the power of His word. We would also see. We are coming up on this very soon. In chapter 6 of John.
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He would feed the 5 ,000 men. And there was many more by the way. It just says 5 ,000 men.
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There was more children and women. He fed them all. He would raise the dead.
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He would heal the multitudes. Institute a greater law. The law of the Son of Man. Spoken on the
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Sermon on the Mount. He would institute greater. And better ordinances. Than the
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Old Testament. And give people. A living hope.
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And a new living way. Because He is Jesus. Well. Much more to be said about this.
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He says. In John 9 .4. I must work the works of Him. Who sent me while I was day.
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The night is coming. When no man can work. As long as I am in the world. I am in the light of the world.
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Verse 20 chapter 5. Jesus described the oneness of the Father. And the
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Son as a union. And perfect love. The Father loves the Son. Shows Him all things that He Himself is doing.
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The verb actually loves. Is here in this context. Is not agape.
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It is the love of will and choice. But phileo. Phileo.
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Which means the love of deep deep feelings. In this context. This is interesting.
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But it is only that. In that New Testament context right there. And nowhere else in that verse.
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That the Father has this deep deep feeling. For His own Son. In a unique relationship.
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That we don't know. Interested to note this. This is the only time. It is found in the
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New Testament. Oh the deep Father's love. For His Son. But He has a deep love for us as well.
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But it is different. It is a different kind of love. He loves. He loves us with a great love.
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Great is the Father's love. And deep is the love of Jesus. But as scripture comes to this.
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There is a unique love. Between the Father and the Son. That we don't know folks. MacArthur notes here.
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In his commentary. On this deep love that the Father has. For the Son. He says this quote.
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The present tense of the verb indicates. An eternally uninterrupted.
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An all knowing love. That leaves no room for ignorance. Making it impossible for Jesus.
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To have been unaware of God's will. Whether about the Sabbath. Or about anything else.
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End quote. So Jesus' point. In 520. Is that the
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Father's love for the Son. Is displayed by the fact that He shows Him. All that Himself is doing.
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I understand that that is to refer. To the time when Jesus was on earth. By the way. And since before He came to earth.
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Jesus and the Father possessed. All knowledge inherently. So that there would have. Been no need.
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For any disclosure there. Well. I got to give some personal application. I only have just a few minutes to do this.
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But I am going to try to pack a lot in here. So this is so important. The first application is.
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That we. Are not only saved by the death of Jesus. But we are saved by His life. This is so critically important.
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Go with me to Romans chapter 5. Look at this.
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We know that there is a peace. That comes from God. Through the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Verse 1. Therefore having been justified by faith. That is how we are justified. By faith alone. We have peace with God.
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Through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus and Jesus alone. He is the way.
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The truth and the life. And Paul says this in verse 2. Through whom also we have.
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According by faith into this grace. In which we stand.
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And rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that.
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We also glory in tribulations. Knowing that. Tribulations produces perseverance. And perseverance character and character hope.
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And he says. Now hope does not disappoint. Because the love of God has been. Poured out into our hearts by the
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Holy Spirit. Who has given to us. Notice verse 6. For when we were.
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Still without strength in due time. Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man.
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Will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man. Someone would even dare to die. But God. That is so key isn't it.
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But God demonstrates. His own love towards us. In that while we were.
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Still sinners. Christ died for us. But don't miss this.
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Look at verse 9. Much more. There's more. Than having now been justified.
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By his blood. Which is precious. We shall be saved.
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From the wrath through him. He saves us from the wrath to come. Because God the son.
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Took that wrath as the son of man. Upon the cross. Verse 10. For if we were enemies.
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We were. Reconciled to God. Through the death of his son. Much more.
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Don't you love that. It's like the gospel is so deep. There's riches to mine.
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Having been reconciled. We shall be saved. By his life.
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Folks. You know what he's talking about. His perfect obedience. His perfect obedience.
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Not only did Jesus die. For his sheep. For you. That believe and trusted in him.
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Today. We have been trusted. We entrusted in him.
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In his perfect obedience. In his life. For the victory that he won. He fulfilled the law of God.
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He said. I've come to fulfill all righteousness. That's why John the Baptist said. Who am I to baptize you?
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I'm not even worthy. To unlatch the sandals of his shoes. And Jesus has suffered to be so.
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To fulfill all righteousness. Folks. Can I tell you. That Jesus.
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Has such a great drive. And a compassion. To go to the cross.
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And to fulfill all righteousness. For you and me. That we would be one with him.
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And that's how much he desires us. To be with him. How can we push that away?
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It's so wonderful. One more application. Where do we fit in on the plan of God?
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Go with me to Colossians 1. Look at verse 26. The mystery.
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The mystery. You know what that means? The secret. The hidden truth.
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Which has been hidden from the ages. And generations. Been hidden from the ages.
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But now has been revealed to his saints. That means the holy ones. That God makes us holy.
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Verse 27. To them God willed to make known. What are the riches of his glory. Of this mystery among the
01:02:26
Gentiles. The Gentiles. It's not only for the Jew first. But it's to the Gentiles. And what is the great mystery.
01:02:34
That God willed to make known. Not only to the Jews. But to the Gentiles. Which is what?
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Christ in you. The hope of glory. That's the key folks.
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That's the secret. That's been revealed. That's the key that unlocks heaven's door. Christ.
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In you. The hope of glory. Christ dwells in you. I agree with Ravenhill 100 % on this.
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He says you know. That is probably the greatest thing. That can happen.
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That God himself would come. And dwell inside of us. Isn't that great.
01:03:17
He spoke of somebody. Speaking about the great truths of God. What is the greatest thing.
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And Ravenhill mentioned. He said you would think this one person. That was asked this question. It was really a man of God.
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That he was speaking of. He said you know. He mentioned about the resurrection. He said the resurrection is the greatest miracle.
01:03:37
No doubt. And it's key to all of this. We would not have none of this. Unless it was the resurrection of Christ.
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But you know what he said. The greatest thing that he sees in scripture. That God himself would dwell within.
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And make a habitation within us. That's the hope of glory.
01:03:57
Christ in you. The hope of glory. For the indwelling spirit of Christ. To guarantee to each believer. Future glory.
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Ephesians 1 .13 In him you also trusted after you have heard the word of truth. The gospel of your salvation.
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In whom also believed. You were sealed. That's a guarantee with the Holy Spirit of promise.
01:04:16
God's own spirit comes to indwell. The believer. And secures him. And perseveres.
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Secures him. And preserves. His eternal salvation. How glorious is that.
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God does it all. Now back to Colossians.
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I got to land this plane. Christ in you. The hope of glory. Isn't that the question.
01:04:41
Does Christ dwell in you. When we go out to evangelize. These poor lost souls. That's a great question.
01:04:47
Does Christ live in you. I don't care where they are and what they do. If they are in the church or outside of church.
01:04:54
They are outside of Jesus Christ. But the question is this. Does Christ live in you. Verse 28.
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In him we preach warning. Listen to what Paul says. Warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom.
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That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end also our labor striving.
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In other words agonizing. According to his working. Which works in me mightily. Now that's sanctification folks.
01:05:24
That is holy aggression. As brother Ben is preaching. That's holy violence. He works in me mightily.
01:05:31
So I do all this to the glory of God. He says. It's powerful.
01:05:38
Verse 2 chapter 2. That their hearts may be encouraged.
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Being knit together in love. And attaining to all the riches of the full assurance. You can have full assurance this morning.
01:05:52
Of understanding. To the knowledge of the mystery of God. Both of the father and of Christ.
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Notice what Paul says. Of the father and of Christ. In whom all are hidden.
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All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All in Jesus Christ. All praise and glory to Christ.
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Let me conclude with a story. Not a story I'm sorry.
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A quote by C .H. Burgin here. Concerning this. What Paul. I just mentioned to you about Paul. This awesome truth.
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That we proclaim him. Christ Jesus. The Lord.
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Warning teaching everyone. With all wisdom. So that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
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Amen. Paul says. Striving agonizing with the power.
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His strength that works powerfully in me. That should be us as well folks.
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Striving agonizing. With the power. His power. His strength.
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It's not our power. Our power is going to fail us. Our strength is going to fail us. We get weaker.
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But God is just as strong as he's always been. Spurgeon says this.
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He said. Paul remembered where to put that crown. Paul remembered where to put the crown.
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He took care. Not to steal an atom. Of the glory for himself. He ascribed all the power.
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Of him who loved him. And gave himself for him. Let us imitate the apostle.
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In these two things. My brothers and sisters. Let us live while we live.
01:07:44
A life of energy yes. But let us at the same time. Confess when we have done all.
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That we are. Unprofitable servants. Folks.
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That's where the strength of God is. It's in weakness. And it's as we humble ourselves.
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Before the mighty hand of God. Because we are nothing. And he's everything.
01:08:15
Spurgeon closes with this. And if there is any glory. If there is any glory.
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And any praise. Resulting from the work. Which we achieve.
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Let us be careful. To lay it at the redeemer's feet.
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Amen. Amen. Let's pray. Oh God our father.
01:08:46
Truly you have come. And you meet with us through your word. How awesome.
01:08:55
How powerful. How holy. We say from our hearts.
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And worship to you oh God. This wonderful hymn of praise. All glory, laud and honor to you.
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Redeemer king. To whom the lips of children. Made sweet hosannas ring. You are the king of Israel.
01:09:16
And David's royal son. Now in the lord's name coming.
01:09:23
The king and blessed one. To you before your passion. They sang their hymns of praise.
01:09:32
To you now high exalted. Our melody we raise. As we receive their praises.
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Accept the prayers we bring. For you delight. You delight. In goodness.
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Oh good and gracious king. Oh father. We thank you for all the riches.
01:09:54
And the treasures that's in your son Jesus. That brings us right. To the throne of mercy.
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That in Christ we have all. All things we need. In Christ and Christ alone.
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For life and godliness. For he is sufficient. And enough and all we need.
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In this world. In which we travel. As Bunyan mentioned. As we travel to the.
01:10:22
Celestial city. I pray oh god. That together with one.
01:10:28
As other members of the body of Christ here. Together that we may earnestly. Contend for the faith.
01:10:35
The truth that was once. Delivered to the saints oh god. Glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. To stand together.
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And to die together. United in Christ. United in love. United in truth.
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For he alone is. The anchor and the captain of our salvation. The anchor of our soul.
01:10:57
And the rock. Upon whom our faith is built. And we ask these things.