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Pastor David Mitchell
Into a new subject still dealing with the overall subject of the finished work of Christ. And all that it afforded both to the father and to us. Moving into a new topic this morning and it is this that because of the finished work of Christ God was able to give us as a love gift to his son.
God gave us as a love gift to his son. We're going to be in John chapter 17 this morning so you can be turning there but before we start there, I'd like to take us to Psalm 2. Psalm chapter 2 and verse 7.
Before we get to John 17, we're going to go all the way back to the great decree we talked in Sunday school about Time and The moment time was Created in the beginning. Brother Otis asked a fascinating question only one student in the class was able to answer it and he asked why didn't God create the universe sooner and Greg Answered it.
Of course. He had to hear all of our answers first before he can figure it out. I had to hear all the wrong ones first, but that he said because Time didn't start until God created it so he could not have done it before.
That was a good answer. But when you think about time and the creation of time One thing I will tell you is there is a thing talked about in the Bible. It's not mentioned too many times in the Bible. But it's mentioned on many many hundreds if not thousands of pages of theology books that have been written in the last thousand years and it's called a great decree and The decree in my opinion is the place where?
Time met eternity or eternity bet time. It's the point where time began as far as we can discuss it and know it. So what you see if you find it in Psalm 2 in verse 7, I will declare the decree. I think we found it here was the great decree.
The Lord hath said unto me thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. There was a great decree that was made at the foundation of time and the father decreed that Jesus Christ His son would be his only begotten son and that He would give to him a gift and this gift would include certain out of the heathen of the world as an inheritance or a gift and Also, the uttermost parts of the earth would be the possession of this one called the Son of God.
So Jesus affinity would be to this planet the planet earth and the men of this planet. Now let's read some other verses in Psalm, let's go to Psalm 33 and let's explore this idea of the Cree. There's another there's a synonym that's used in the Bible to describe it called the council of God.
It's the decree is actually what was met set forth at the council, but Other than that you could consider them to be the same event. So let's get a little more insight into this council before we go into John 17.
Psalm 33 8 It says let all the earth fear the Lord. Now it's going to proceed to tell us why we should fear God. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him it's about to tell us why we should stand in awe of God.
For he spake and it was done. That's one great reason. Because he spoke the worlds into existence. He spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast. So not only did he speak it into existence, but he commanded that it would be stable and Safe and sound and That only he could control its Hold it the holding together of it.
So for those reasons we should fear him, but let's go on it says more the Lord bringeth the counsel of The heathen to naught. So you have all of the great men of the world who make plans and Councils and come up with ideas of what they're going to do as they rule.
And the Bible says God brings all of that to nothing. So who does that tell us is in control? These kings of the earth or God. Well, if God brings all their plans to nothing then who's in control of what happens.
God is. It's another reason we should fear him, but it goes on. It says he makes the devices of the people of no effect. So should we talk about man's free will or should we talk about God's sovereignty?
If God makes man's choices of no effect or his thoughts of no effect or his plans Are of absolutely no effect. Because only what God has ordained will come to pass no matter what man thinks. Then who's in control?
Who ought we to fear men who would threaten us or God? And So let's read on though. It still gets more amazing. Verse 11 the counsel of the Lord stands forever. So this moment at the beginning of time when there was the great counsel and a decree was made.
The Bible says it will stand. Nothing will change it. Nothing will change it. But look at this it gets even more amazing. The last phrase in this verse 11 the last phrase of this passage is the preeminent reason we should fear God.
The thoughts of his heart are to all generations. Now you can just read over that and move on through the Bible and read your Bible through in a year if you want to. Or you could stop and contemplate that phrase for a while.
Because what that phrase tells us is that as we move through time God's thoughts. Not that he has to speak anything into existence again. He's done that once. Not that he has to Command and cause things to stand fast.
He's done that once but as we move through time his very thoughts of his heart are Controlling everything that's happening in our lives and our own thoughts and our actions and in everyone's on the face of the earth this morning God's thoughts permeate everyone's thoughts and everyone's actions and he controls everything that's happening.
Is that amazing? Should we fear him? You watch that movie and you see Judas the one who betrayed Christ and When you stop and think that it was ordained by God that he would be a vessel that God would use to betray Christ so that Christ would be crucified and so that his blood would redeem all of God's children and Judas was chosen as the vessel who would betray him and bring him to the place of the cross.
How would you like to have been born Judas? Should we fear God this morning. Should we fear the one whose thoughts will permeate every thought you ever have the rest of your life and Will cause you to think what you think.
You say you have a free will you don't have free will. Yes, you make choices and you're responsible for them, but you don't think think anything in and of yourself because God's thought. Influence and that's a weak word to use.
But his thoughts influence everything we think. In fact every thought you have is influenced by something. It's either influenced by God and all ultimately God but it could be influenced by the devil or by other people or By the philosophies of this world that are under the little G God of this world Satan.
So we ought to fear God because the very well-being of our thought life is in his hands. That's an amazing verse that Psalm 33 11 Go to Psalm 73 22 here we have David. Perhaps the greatest King that ever lived.
They may say Solomon was the wisest but I say David was the greatest other than Jesus Christ, of course. But this great King look what he said of himself. So foolish was I and ignorant I Was a beast before God you know the more that I Talk with my brothers and sisters about the Lord and what we've gleaned in the Word of God the more I understand.
That I know less than I thought I did. The more foolish and ignorant I feel about the things of God and David said I am as a beast before God. Nevertheless, I am continually with God. We can say that nevertheless as well.
Thou hast holding me by my right hand. David said thou shalt guide me with thy counsel. Now this brings us back to the council now. I want to show you something. Don't just read over this one either. Thou shalt guide me With thy counsel.
David admits that he is ignorant. That he is foolish that he is as a beast before God and Yet if you go and you read the life of David you find out that he took the throne and became one of the greatest kings that ever lived and was responsible for the idea of the temple of Solomon that Solomon would build and that even Jesus is said to have come to sit someday on the throne of David and Yet this man claims he was foolish ignorant and a beast.
So, how did he do the things he did how did he accomplish the greatness in his life that he accomplished? Well, it says very clearly in verse 24 That God got guided him by his counsel. The counsel happened at a place in Time the first moment in time.
I believe when time first began and there was a great decree and that great decree of God is where God foreordained Predestinated predetermined every event that would take place in human history and God from that decree from that counsel guided David's life.
The very counsel of God guided David's life throughout his life and it does yours as well. Takes a little bit of the worry out of your life if you think about it because yes, we understand that we're ignorant.
We understand we're foolish when it were compared to what God knows and to the knowledge of God. We understand. We're like a beast compared to God's wisdom and omniscience and yet We still can perform.
We can perform God's will for our lives. Exactly as God desires because his counsel reaches from the beginning of time Into time and he guides you by his own heart and his own thoughts. And so therefore you're guided by the counsel of God and it says David says now you can see David's whole lifespan in this sentence.
He says I'm foolish in this world. I'm ignorant of God's ways and God's being. I'm as a beast before God nevertheless I'm continually with God and He has held me in his right hand and his counsel guided me and afterward he receives me up in the glory.
The whole plan is taken care of ladies and gentlemen and The afterward is the part that all this is for. All of this is like boot camp and training to prepare you for this afterward part where you received up to be Face to face with Jesus in glory.
So it's all guided by the counsel of God and was all predetermined in his great decree. He says afterward he'll receive me up into glory. Whom have I in heaven, but thee. David says that kind of rules out worshiping Mary doesn't it?
David said who do I have in heaven but thee and There is none upon the earth that I desire. Beside thee David said It's all about his relationship with God that took him through this world and ultimately before him in heaven.
Proverbs 1921 says there are many devices in a man's heart. Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand. So man can think and contrive and plan. But it's God's counsel that stands. Isaiah 46 10 Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying my counsel Shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.
Calling a ravenous bird from the east you see God uses His creation to fulfill his will. He brings his all of his creation. He brings into his Possession as that which would bring Time and history into place according to his decree.
He can even call a bird from the east. The man that executed my counsel from a far country. Yay. I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it. Who's in control?
The Lord is. It all comes from his great counsel acts 2 22 ye men of Israel hear these words. Now we're going to see how Jesus the man Jesus Christ came into and Under and within the counsel of God Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs.
Which God did by him in the midst of you as you yourselves also know He was a historic personage and Everyone that lived in that day was aware of the things that he was doing. It was not done in secret Him being delivered now look at this was he truly killed by the Romans and Beaten by the Romans or by the Jews or the Pharisees or even by Judas.
Look what it says Him being delivered by the determinant counsel, that's the great decree and the foreknowledge of God. Ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Now that verse contains Everything there is in the argument of the sovereignty of God versus the will and responsibility of man and you know how it answers it both.
Both are true. Both are occurring at the same time. Both are going parallel somehow. But just as Jesus Christ was it was determined by the determinant counsel by the great decree as we go all the way back to Psalm 2 it says.
I will declare. I will declare the decree. The Lord has said unto me Thou art my son this day. Have I begotten thee. All of that was decreed and Just as all of that was decreed We see that it was predetermined that Jesus Christ would die.
But then it turns right around and says you have taken and with wicked hands crucified. They couldn't be called wicked if they weren't responsible. So the responsibility is there and Judas shall bear the responsibility of betraying Jesus Christ for all eternity in hell.
He will bear that responsibility. But yet it was predetermined that he would be the one that would betray him. How can you reconcile that? Well, the great Spurgeon was asked one time. Mr. Spurgeon. How do you reconcile the sovereignty of God and the will of man.
And he said I don't have to reconcile friends. Clever way to answer a question. He really didn't know how to answer. Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of debt because it was not possible that he should be holding by death the resurrection Was inevitable it was impossible for it not to happen.
Why? Because it was decreed to be so by the father and the son in the determinant council at the moment time began. Acts chapter 4 verse 27. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou has anointed.
Both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together. For to do whatsoever Thy hand and thy counsel determined before would be done. Now this is amazing information.
This says that Herod and Pontius Pilate together with all the Romans the Gentiles and all of the Jews who wanted crucify him crucify him. They cried out all of that was there and yet they were brought together as pieces on a playing board.
So that whatsoever God's hand and God's counsel had determined beforehand would be done. So that it would be done exactly as it was determined and that's how Jesus Cross was brought to the cross. Yep, Jesus Christ was brought to the cross by the predetermined counsel of God.
So, what did we learn by these? First of all the decree Determined that certain from among the heathen would be given to Jesus Christ that was found in Psalm 2. Not the New Testament, but the Old Testament.
Secondly the decree determined that Jesus life would be given for these certain from among the heathen that would then be given back to him. And thirdly It is found that his thoughts Guide all that happens in history and that his predetermined counsel is immutable in Ephesians.
I'm sorry in Hebrews chapter 6 verse 17 It says wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel. Confirmed it by an oath. The Bible says that God's counsel is immutable.
The word immutable means it cannot change. It will not change. Everything that God determined at that time is brought to pass without change. It's immutable. It can't change. So if it's true that God determined that Jesus would die and give his blood and It's determined that certain from among the heathen would be given as a love gift from the Father to the Son and If his determination is immutable and cannot change Then that means there are certain From among the people of the world who are going to be given to Jesus Christ by the Father and they are flat saved.
Now if there's ever a doctrine in all of the Bible that teaches eternal security. It's this one and yet this is one of the most overlooked Passages. Now, let's go to John 17 one of the most overlooked passages in the Bible by those who want to debate this issue.
To me you can't debate it after you read the verses we read from the Old Testament already but then when we come into John 17 and we see it brought into being in the earth and we see Jesus Christ talking about The fact that the Father has given him some as a gift.
It's difficult to see how there could be any Denominations left on the face of the earth who don't believe in eternal security. How could you have any group of people who would argue that you could lose your salvation?
Well only by the blindness of Satan could you have that? The blinding of Satan I should say so let's go to John 17 verse 1 and let's see where Jesus himself Spoke of this fact that God has given us as a love gift to him.
Remember that the whole chapter 17 of John is a prayer. Every word in it is a prayer and it is Jesus praying to the Father. Now I'd have to start by asking you this you've heard me ask this before if we've talked through this before is The question could Jesus Christ pray anything and not have it answered by the Father.
Can you think of any example where Jesus prayed and it didn't get answered? No so if 17 is entirely a prayer. Then it must be answered. Would you agree with me on that one? All right. So let's see what he prayed verse 1 these words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said father.
That's how we know it's a prayer. Father the hour has come glorify thy son that thy son also may be glorified as Thou hast given him power over all flesh. That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
That's the first of many times in this chapter that he uses that phrase as many as thou has given him. So whatever the number is when you see the word many which implies a number. That number shall have eternal life.
Because Jesus just prayed that that would be the case. Verse 3 and this is eternal life. That they might know thee the only true God you want to get a definition of what eternal life is. Is it avoiding hell?
Well, that's a part of it, but that's not what is defined as. Eternal life is knowing God. That's why Jesus is called the word with a capital W. A Word is something that allows you to understand my thoughts.
I can transport Some of my thoughts to you through the vehicle of a word and you can hear that word and it goes into your brain. So thoughts that were in my brain are now in your brain. That's what a word is.
It's a transport and That's what Jesus is he is the transporting of the mind and heart and will and knowledge of God into our minds and hearts and wills. He is the Word of God. He is that one who gives us eternal life because eternal life is knowing God and we cannot know God except by Jesus Christ and the way he reveals him to us and now Oh Father glorify thou me with thine own self.
With the glory which I had with thee before the world was that shows very clearly that Jesus was seated with the Father at the Great Council. He said I had glory with you before the world was. I had glory with you at the moment of the great decree verse 6 I Have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me.
There's the phrase again There are men that God gave to Jesus the man that you gave me out of the world. Thine they were and thou gavest them to me and they have kept thy word. So these that are given the Word of God these children of God that are given to Jesus Christ they are given the Word of God and the Manifestation of the name of God if you study the name of God in the Bible, what is it?
Well the names of God there are many names given of God and every one of them manifest. More understanding of the nature of God and the way of God to us if you study the names of God in the Bible you learn more about God's nature is being and His ways his works.
So Jesus said I have manifested thy name unto the men. The name of God is the very is understanding the very nature of God. Jesus said I'm the one that manifested the name of God to me and you could translate that this way I am the one who manifested the very being and Nature and works and the way of God to men because they couldn't have known it without me.
That's what he's saying here. I Have manifested thy name and the men which thou gave me out of the world. It doesn't say he manifested it to the world. It said he manifested just to those that were given to him.
Thine they were and thou gavest them to me and they have kept thy word. Verse 7 says now they have known that all things whatsoever thou has given me are of thee. If it's true that everything that God gave to Jesus Are of God.
Then it also follows logically that if we have been given to Jesus then we're of God. That means that we were of God before the foundation of the world. That's why He knew us. That's why we are special to him.
That's why he calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light. It's because we have been of God because God determined at the decree that he would give us to him. We are gifts from the Father to Jesus and Therefore since we are gifts from the Father to Jesus we were of God before we were given to Jesus.
Did you catch that? So when you got born again that may have been used to you, but it wasn't used to God. I wish we didn't have to preach these deep truths this early in the morning when everybody's sleepy.
This is amazing stuff. So you see a point here that if we are given to Christ, that means we were already of God. That's verse 7. Verse 9 says I pray for them. I pray not for the world but for them which thou has given me.
But they are thine. You see that proves we were God's. But it also proved Jesus didn't pray for the world. He prayed for those in the world who were his that God gave to him. We there we are the exclusive group that Jesus prayed for in chapter 17.
Now look at verse 10 and all mine are thine and all thine are mine. And I am glorified in Them if we are Jesus's then we were God's. It proves it. Once again, that's three times. This has been said in the last few verses.
Verse 11 and now I am no more in the world. But these are in the world and I come to thee holy father keep through that own name those whom thou hast given me. That they may be one as we are one. This proves to us that if we have been given to Jesus as a love gift from God, then we are kept.
It says we are kept. He prayed and asked God keep them. Keep them. Can that prayer not be answered? No, if Jesus Christ is asking the father keep them then we are kept. That means we can't be lost. You cannot lose your salvation while I was with them in the world.
Jesus said I kept them in Thy name those that thou gavest me I have kept and look at this. None of them is lost. How much is none? Zero. Now verse 15. I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but thou should keep them from the evil.
That could be translated from the evil one. That you would keep them from Satan. So if we have been given to Jesus as a love gift from the father. Then Jesus has already prayed that God the father would keep us safe from the evil one.
So will that be answered? Yes, so can he ever possess our souls? No. He cannot. Verse 16 they are of the world even as I I'm sorry. They are not of the world even as I am NOT of the world. So this group that's been given to Jesus if we are his we are not of the world.
This world is not our home. Verse 17. Sanctify them through that truth. Our word is truth. If we are his we're sanctified by the Bible. By the Word of God it sanctifies us if we're truly his it makes us more like him the more we read it.
If we are false professors if we're just claiming to be a Christian, but we're not really saved yet. We're still on our way to hell, but we tell everybody we're a Christian then our life is not changing to be more like his.
We're staying just as worldly as we've always been. Are you hearing me young people? Young people need to especially test their salvation. You may have grown up and as your parents tell you well when you were three you prayed this prayer and received Jesus and You may have and you're just as saved as the rest of us if you really received him, but yet some.
Sometimes that must be our pizza and yet sometimes We prayed a little religious prayer, but we didn't really receive Jesus. So there comes a time in our teenage years sometimes when we need to re-examine Our salvation to make sure that we're really saved.
Let me tell you one great way to test yourself. Does the Word of God change you and make you be more like Jesus. Or are you still thinking worldly? Are you still having thoughts like the world has and actions like the world?
Tested because Jesus said my word sanctifies those people that God has given to me. What a sanctify me it means it sets you apart makes you different than the world is. The first youth group I came into contact with was when I was a teenager.
At First Baptist Church, Mahalia and and thing from the human level the reason that I didn't want anything to do with Christianity at that time in my life is because I knew what those kids did on Saturday night and the same kids that were doing that on Saturday were sitting there in the pew on Sunday.
And I said this isn't real. There's nothing to this. And the reason I said that is because Almost a hundred percent of them were lost people sitting there as teenagers claiming to be Christian because their parents told them even baptized.
So you saved they weren't saved. I wasn't saved got saved when I was 24 years old. Then I understood. Why those things were the way they were in that youth group? So sanctified means if you're really born again.
If you're really part of that group that God gave to Jesus a love gift of people that he gave to Jesus. Then when you read or hear the Bible, it will change your life and make you more like him. It does a sanctifying work verse 18 as thou has sent me into the world.
Even so have I sent them also into the world if you're part of that group that's been given to Jesus. Then you are not only sanctified, but you are sent. You're sent with a mission as an ambassador into this world to spread the word of Jesus Christ verse 22 and 23 and the glory which thou gave me I give to them.
That means if you're part of that group that's been given to Jesus you have the very glory of Christ in your life in verse 23 I and them and down me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved them as Thou has loved me.
That means if you're part of the group that father has given to the son. Then God's love for you is identical in measure. It's identical in power. It's identical in width and depth and height as the love that he loves his own son Jesus with.
You imagine that so that gives us 12 things that we have if we've been given to Jesus Christ. What better things could we contemplate the remainder of this day? Let's stand and have prayer together. Father we thank you for your word.
We ask you to bless it in our lives by causing us to be thoughtful about the pensive about the things We've studied this morning. The things that you have given us the day that you gave us to Jesus as a love gift.
And we know that you really did this for yourself and for your son, but we gained the great benefits of being a part of it. And we thank you for that. Thank you for calling us to yourself. Lord help us to walk in the light.
Today in the remainder this week till we meet again. We ask you to bless our fellowship together and the food. We're about to have and we ask it in Jesus name. Amen.