The Greatness of Christ: Part 5

Redeeming Grace Church iconRedeeming Grace Church

0 views

0 comments

The Greatness of Jesus Christ: Part 6

00:00
There's much we've been looking at from the Gospel of John, as we've been going through this wonderful series together, working our way.
00:10
And this series we've been looking at is extended, and rightly so, because it speaks of the greatness of the
00:21
Lord Jesus Christ, of His person, of who He is. So critical, so important.
00:29
I like what Stephen Lawson said, he could be right about a lot of things, but if we are wrong when it comes to the person and works of Jesus Christ, we are wrong about everything.
00:45
And how true that is. We must be right when it comes to who
00:51
Christ is and His works, His perfect person and His perfect works.
00:58
And how can we be right about it? We go to the Word of God. The Word of God clearly tells us who
01:04
Jesus is. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Gospel writers, all focus on the glorious person of the
01:13
Lord Jesus Christ. So, as we continue to work our way through this wonderful Gospel, we gather in His holy name with awe and reverence, before Him to worship
01:23
Him in spirit and truth, and in the beauty of His holiness, and to give Him the worship and the praise that He is worthy of.
01:32
So in saying that, please turn with me to the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John, as we continue to work our way through, and gaze upon the excellencies and beauty of the
01:43
Lord Jesus Christ, His wonderful person and works. John chapter 5. I like to do this a little different, because of communion service this morning, so I have to pray for me as I minister to you this morning, because, as you well know, there's so much we can look at and glean on.
02:05
But I'm going to try my best to really just focus on one verse of Scripture, even though I'm going to bring in some other
02:13
Scriptures that surrounds this one verse. But this one particular verse is really loaded up, and there's a lot of powerful truth for us to glean on in this one worship service.
02:28
So I'd like to look at John chapter 5, and the verse we are to look at is verse 24.
02:38
Let me read this, and we will go from there.
02:44
Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ's words. He says this in verse 24,
02:51
Most assuredly I say to you, He who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
03:10
May God richly bless His word from our ears to our hearts this morning.
03:17
Please bow with me as we pray and seek the Lord's face.
03:24
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. We stand in awe of Your presence.
03:35
And Lord, our prayer is with the psalmist from Psalm 119.
03:41
Teach me, O Lord, teach me. May we have a teachable attitude of humility to hear
03:49
Thy word. Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes.
03:56
And I shall keep it to the end, to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep
04:03
Your law. Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
04:11
Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears, and we pray this by Your grace and power, and for Your honor and glory, and we ask it in the name that is above every name, the
04:22
Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. In the preceding verses, we learned that the
04:31
Lord Jesus had the power, I should say, to give life, and that also the work of judgment had been committed to Him.
04:41
Verse 23 actually says that all should honor the
04:48
Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the
04:57
Father who sent Him. It is only fitting that those equal in nature, verses 17 to 18,
05:07
His works, verses 19 to 20, His power, His sovereignty, verse 21, and the judgment.
05:17
And in verse 22, would be granted equal honor. And beloved, let me say, this is an outstanding, astonishing,
05:26
I should say, claim on Jesus' part. An astonishing claim on Jesus' part because His claim is equality with God the
05:39
Father. Theologian of our day, D .A. Carson, notes this, quote,
05:47
In a theistic universe, such a statement belongs to one who himself is to be addressed as God.
05:56
Footnote reference, John 20, verse 28, As Jesus appears to the disciples,
06:04
Thomas, after He appears to Thomas and He comes back to appear specifically for him,
06:12
Thomas answered and said to him as he fell down and worshiped the Lord, He said,
06:17
My Lord and my God. He goes on to say,
06:23
To be addressed as God or to start insanity. The one who utters such things is to be dismissed with pity or scorn or worshiped as Lord.
06:37
He goes on to say this, If with much current scholarship we retreat to seeing in such material less than the claims of the
06:48
Son, than the beliefs and the witness of the evangelist and his church, the same options confront us.
06:58
Either John is supremely deluded and must be dismissed as a fool, or his witness is true and Jesus is to be ascribed the honors due
07:11
God alone. And he ends this with,
07:16
There is no rational middle ground. End quote. And I thought that's a very appropriate statement to what we are looking at as Jesus speaks of His own testimony to these
07:31
Jewish religious leaders. And when Jesus was asked in John chapter 6, verse 28 and 29,
07:40
What shall we do so that we may work the works of God? That's a question.
07:48
Jesus gave the answer. This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom
07:55
He has sent. That you may believe in Him whom
08:00
He has sent. And those who refuse to honor the
08:06
Son while claiming the honor to the Father are actually self -deceived.
08:12
That is exactly the truth that is spoken here.
08:19
Such are the cults in our day and even in their day. But they are spreading like wildfire in our land.
08:30
Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses. And that brings me to think of, Brother Keith something shared with me this past week, that on a particular day,
08:41
I believe, was it last week? Last week, some Jehovah's Witnesses came to his door.
08:48
Boy, did they pick the right door. I'm telling you, Brother Keith unleashed the lion on him.
08:54
All he had to do, he let it out of the cage. I appreciate
08:59
Brother Keith bringing this to my attention because he said, Pastor, he said how appropriate it was, the first thing immediately he went to and he said,
09:10
I opened up to the book of John chapter 5. And actually, I thank
09:15
God for this because this is where it comes down to where we live.
09:20
And to bring people, when they come, of course the scripture says, of course we don't let these people in our house and give them the blessing because we don't give them
09:30
God's feed. Because they deny who Christ is. They have a knowledge of something that's distorted of their own translation.
09:41
They bring their Bible, their Watchtower magazines and all the lies and everything. Thank God for Keith.
09:47
Keith just unleashed God's Word, one verse, one chapter after another, just asking questions one at a time.
09:54
Praise God, Brother Keith, that was a wonderful opportunity. And may we have these kinds of opportunities as well when it comes to.
10:01
But this is what the preached Word is all about. Is that we can take it to people that are lost.
10:08
And to say, hey, this is what the Word of God says about who Jesus is.
10:14
It's right here in John chapter 5. So this encounter in the past week was such a blessing.
10:21
Thank you for sharing that, Brother Keith. It is right here, actually, in John chapter 5, that we see that Jesus, the
10:29
Son of the Living God, is equal with the Father. He's equal in His person. He's equal with God in His works.
10:36
He's equal with God in His power, in His sovereignty. We looked at all this. He's equal with God the
10:43
Father in judgment, and equal to God in His honor. And there's some verses
10:49
I'd like to bring to light from Isaiah chapter 42, verse 8, that speaks about the equality here of God.
10:58
And the prophet Isaiah directly, and keep in mind when he's speaking, he's speaking as a prophet.
11:06
Thus saith the Lord. It's the Spirit of God that is breathing upon Him, and He speaks, and actually the first person that He says this,
11:14
I am the Lord. I am the Lord. God speaks through this man.
11:20
That is my name. And God says, in my glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to carved images.
11:31
Isaiah 48, 11, again the Lord says this, for my own sake.
11:39
He repeats it twice. For my own sake. Twice.
11:45
How important is that? I will do it. And then there's a question.
11:50
For how should my name be profaned? And He gives the answer.
11:56
And I will not give my glory to another. Now the reason
12:01
I bring this up, is because God shares His glory with no one.
12:08
So if Jesus is to receive all honor and glory, His claims is that He is
12:14
God. This is God in flesh. This is just not a mere prophet, as the
12:23
Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons say that Christ is just another prophet. No, this is God in flesh.
12:29
This is God incarnate. He says, I will not give my glory to another.
12:36
And yet, the Father has commanded, now listen to this closely, that all will honor the
12:45
Son. How do we know this? Well the word of God is very clear about this.
12:50
Philippians chapter 2, verse 9 to 11. Paul the Apostle says this, for this reason also
12:56
God highly exalted Him. Jesus Christ, His Son, His beloved
13:02
Son in whom He is well pleased. And bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.
13:09
So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow. And of those who are in heaven and those on earth and under the earth.
13:17
And that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
13:23
Father. Willingly or unwillingly. All will bow.
13:29
Everyone will one day eventually obey the Father's command to honor
13:35
His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This will happen. And that will happen at the judgment.
13:45
Paul has in mind, speaking of Isaiah. This comes from Isaiah chapter 45, verse 22, verse 23.
13:56
Which Paul is here speaking of and thinking of the person of the
14:01
Lord Jesus Christ. And he applies it to the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to what he says. Look to me and be saved.
14:08
Speaking about God. God speaking through the prophet. Look to me and be saved.
14:14
All you ends of the earth. For I am God and there is no other. I have sworn by myself the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness.
14:24
And shall not return. And notice what he says here. That to me every knee shall bow.
14:30
Every tongue shall take an oath. So there you have the prophet speaking of God.
14:39
And what will happen. There will be honor and glory given to the
14:44
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. On that day of judgment. Every knee shall bow.
14:50
Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
14:56
See that? He is Lord. He will be worshipped. Now, we come to verse 24.
15:03
This is, with all that being said. Previously seen in the context.
15:10
We learn in this verse how one may receive spiritual life from Christ. And escape the coming judgment.
15:21
The coming judgment. Scripture says it is appointed for once men to die.
15:27
And after this the judgment. Judgment is inescapable. We looked at that last week. Judgment will come.
15:34
The hammer of God's judgment will fall. People in America.
15:40
People around the world. Are just totally completely blinded to this. And oblivious to it.
15:46
But the judgment. And actually if you look around. Judgment has already fallen in one way. That if you look within the church.
15:54
Judgment must begin in the house of God. That's where it actually begins. But also in our nation.
16:00
Romans chapter 1. Just look around us. God's hand is being released.
16:07
And people are being left to themselves. And God passes by. That is one form of judgment.
16:13
But the judgment that is to come. Is the final judgment. The consummation of all things.
16:18
When Jesus Christ will come. In power and glory with all his holy angels. The hammer will fall.
16:27
And then there will be the judgment of the nations. As we looked at in Matthew 25.
16:33
Goats on the left. Sheep on the right. And all will bow the knee. And all will come before Christ.
16:38
And then if you read Revelation. At the end of Revelation. At chapter 20. There will be the great white throne judgment.
16:45
And all that will be there. The sea gives up its dead. Is all the lost. That is the resurrection of the doomed.
16:53
The damned. The unrighteous. We will see this later on. But there are two resurrections.
16:59
That's the resurrection of the unrighteous. Now. Jesus actually closed this section.
17:07
This particular section. In his discourse. By reaffirming his authority.
17:12
To give eternal life to whomever he desires to give. He says all that the father gives me.
17:20
Will come to me. And all that comes to me. I will in no wise cast them out.
17:26
This particular verse is no doubt. In verse 24 here. One of the favorite gospel verses in the bible.
17:33
Doubtless to say. The reason for its being so greatly loved. Just as John 3 .16
17:38
is so wonderfully loved. Is the manner in which it sets forth the gospel.
17:47
And clearly gives us the way of salvation. Now don't you love this about God.
17:53
God doesn't mingle words. There is words in every word.
18:01
And every word of God is pure. And he brings it down in a sense. Where through the spirit of God.
18:08
Where it's so simple. But it's so profound.
18:14
Because it's not mere men's words. It's the word of God. We need to keep this in mind.
18:22
Our Lord says most assuredly. Let's look at it. Most assuredly. That's one translation.
18:28
But both this verse and the next. Introduce the saying that Jesus says. Most assuredly.
18:34
Most assuredly. Or some translations. Says truly, truly.
18:41
Actually what he's saying is. Or verily, verily. As the old king James says. What it means is that Jesus is saying.
18:49
Amen, amen. Before he makes a statement. Because he is the truth. No one else can say this.
18:56
We say amen after a truth is told. If it is a truth. And but Christ being
19:05
God. Says amen, amen. He clarifies this. And let me go a little bit further. By saying something about this.
19:11
He says I say to you. Jesus once again as he's saying this. And he's telling them.
19:17
He is speaking from personal knowledge. And experience. And this is a revelation that he's given. Therefore he has.
19:27
What he has to say is absolutely true. Absolutely true. And he is the truth.
19:33
He says that. I am the way, the truth, and the life. And to put it in a manner of speaking.
19:39
Jesus is saying something like this. Pay very close attention. Pay very close attention.
19:47
To what I'm about to reveal to you. What I'm about to say to you. Now we know that everything Jesus says.
19:53
Is very important. Right. But anytime you see in scripture. Verily, verily. Or most assuredly.
19:58
Or amen, amen. We better cut our ears on very closely.
20:06
What Jesus is about to say here. Is a powerful, powerful truth. Most assuredly.
20:12
Verily, verily. It's of utmost importance. I say to you. He says.
20:18
He who has ears. He who hears. I'm sorry. My word.
20:23
He who hears my word. And believes in him. Who sent me. Has everlasting life.
20:29
And shall not come into judgment. But has passed from death to life. That is the truth. That's the truth he wants us to know.
20:35
Now first of all. As we move along in this series. This is the fifth proof.
20:42
That we've come to. That Jesus was equal with God the Father. And that he has power over man's destiny.
20:48
He has the power to save men from death to life. My outline is very simple this morning.
20:55
I'm going to keep it to two points. Number one is. How men are saved.
21:01
How are men saved. How are they saved. Second we will look at the results of being saved.
21:09
How are men saved. And the results of being saved. Eternal life.
21:16
And then we will look at personal application. Very quickly from verse 25. In conclusion.
21:23
And we're not going to get to verse 25. But I'd like to bring out some truths from verse 25. And the application before we take communion.
21:31
Number one. Question. How men are saved. How are men saved.
21:38
This is very powerful folks. So we need to cut our ears on it. And really be engaged here.
21:44
And ask the Spirit of God to help us. It's one thing to hear it with the physical ear.
21:49
It's another thing to hear it with the spiritual ear. So that's where the Spirit of God comes. Men, women, eternal souls are saved by.
21:57
First of all. Hearing the words of Jesus Christ.
22:04
Hearing the words of God. Because Christ is God. Hearing the words of Jesus Christ.
22:12
Hearing the words of the Lord. Jesus here identified those who receive eternal life.
22:17
As those who hear His word. Hear His word. Or the message in which
22:24
He ministers. Romans 10, 17. Apostle Paul says. So then faith comes by hearing.
22:35
And hearing by the word of God. God's word is so powerful.
22:45
Look at it folks. We're talking about the word that has power to create. It has the power to raise the dead.
22:53
It has the power to give life. Nothing else has that kind of power.
23:02
Only God's word. In this case. Right here in this text. Well as many other
23:08
New Testament scripture passages. The word hear. Conveys the idea of listening attentively.
23:17
And spiritually by the way. Being receptive. And responding in obedience.
23:26
It includes all of that. Listening. Being receptive.
23:34
And responding in obedience. What does James say?
23:40
Just not to be hearers of the word. To be doers of the word. So when we hear the word of God.
23:47
We are to put it into practice. To obey the word of God.
23:53
To obey God. Jesus constantly mentions this. He said why call you me
23:59
Lord. And not do what I say. We do not need just to honor
24:06
God with our lips. We need to obey Him. Love Him from our hearts.
24:12
And obey His word. That's where hearing takes us. To hear the words of Jesus.
24:19
Means not only to listen to it. But to receive it. To obey it. To do it.
24:25
To put it into. As Brother Key says so often. Shoe leather faith. To put it to our feet.
24:33
To obey God. Is better than sacrifice. Any wonder why
24:38
Jesus says. Time and time again throughout the gospels. And you see this phrase Jesus. He that hath ears to hear.
24:45
Let him hear. He that hath ears to hear. Let him hear.
24:50
Revelation. He that has ears to hear. Let him hear. What the Spirit is saying. To the churches. We need to cut our ears on.
24:57
We need to listen. We need to be attentive. It reminds me when my children were young. Now I got grandchildren.
25:03
But I was constantly telling them. When they were looking around. And I was talking to them. And they would be distracted.
25:09
And I was speaking to them. And they wouldn't pay attention to me. And I said. Hey. Young man. Look at me.
25:16
I'm talking to you. That means something. I'm your parent. I love you.
25:23
Listen to me. What I got to say is important. And I would sit them down lovingly.
25:29
And talk to them. Sometimes I was firmer than other times. And you know how it is with children.
25:34
You got. Depends on the little rascal. You know you have to sit them down. And say look. Look at me in the eye.
25:40
And not pay attention. Well we need to do that as God's children. We need to respect who
25:46
God is. And know God. You are the one that's speaking. And we need to be attentive. To hear
25:52
His word. Many people hear the gospel preached folks. There's many many people that's.
25:57
Hears the gospel all the time. But they don't do anything about it. They don't have no intention to do anything about it. And that's sad.
26:04
That's a tragedy. Scripture says we're not just to be hearers.
26:11
But to be doers of the word. Not to just be looking at ourselves. Like in the mirror. And deceiving ourselves.
26:17
We need to put action to it. To be obedient. To do it absolutely.
26:23
Nothing is sin. Especially when light is given. The Lord is saying here.
26:30
That people must receive His teaching as divine authority. That's what He's saying. He is the divine authority.
26:35
He is the Lord from heaven. He's the son of the living God. And you're to take heed.
26:43
And listen. And hear. And believe. That He alone is indeed the Savior. And the Lord of the world.
26:49
Truly truly Jesus says. I say to you. He who hears my word. Hears my word. The beginning of this verse is literally saying.
26:58
The one hearing my word. And believing the word. Haven't sent me. The result is really a positive.
27:05
Rather than a negative. It is as if the Lord Jesus is showing them. A contrast between those words.
27:12
Of impending judgment. And judgment is upon them. The wrath of God abides on people.
27:19
If they're not believing. That was spoken by the prophets.
27:24
To their ancestors. And the words of pardon. Of eternal life. Jesus brings. And that He is about to offer to them.
27:32
Pardon. And life. So first men are saved by. God by hearing the words of Jesus.
27:40
By hearing the words of Jesus. The second is. They are saved by believing God. Believing God.
27:48
That word believing is just not mental ascent. It means to believe with the heart.
27:54
With the heart man believes into righteousness. That's what Romans 10 says. 9 and 10.
28:01
He who hears my word. And believes in him who sent me. Has everlasting life. John chapter 3 verse 17.
28:09
The Lord again speaks to Nicodemus here. For God did not send his son into the world.
28:14
To condemn the world. But that the world through him might be saved. He came as a savior.
28:20
To save people from their sins. Not just from hell. That's a wonderful benefit
28:26
I would say. But first and foremost. He's to save us from our sins.
28:32
Save us from the wrath of God. Apostle Paul says in Galatians 4.
28:38
In the fullness of time. God sent forth his son. Born of a woman.
28:43
Born under the law. You ever put a why right there?
28:49
Why did Jesus come? Why was he born of a woman? Why did God the Father send forth his son.
28:55
Born of a woman. Born under the law. Verse 5 tells us. Gives the answer. To redeem.
29:03
It's redemption. To redeem is to buy us off the slave market of sin.
29:09
To redeem those who were under the law. Remember the law is good right?
29:15
The law is a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. But the law cannot save us. The law condemns us.
29:21
But we do need to hear good preaching of the law. And holiness so people will see their sin.
29:28
The strength of the law is the sin. That they would see their sin. That's what we need to hear.
29:33
But the gospel is the remedy that applies. The dosage of a person that is sick.
29:40
And they realize that they are sick. See that's the problem. People are sick. And sin sick. But they don't realize they're sin sick.
29:47
That's why we do need to hear great preaching of the law. I'm telling you. Read sometimes.
29:53
Sinners in the hands of an angry God. That doesn't go over too well today does it? But Jonathan Edwards preached that classic sermon.
29:59
And by the way a lot of people. He has a reputation of preaching something on hell and judgment and doom.
30:06
And the wrath of God there. But most of the time when Jonathan Edwards preached. It was on the love of God.
30:12
And the grace of God. And the great attributes of God. And the gospel. But on that particular Lord's day.
30:18
He preached that classic sermon. And folks after he was finished. People when he was given the conclusion.
30:24
People literally thought they were slipping into hell. The power of God was so strong upon them.
30:29
And they felt the conviction of their sins. And they were crying out for mercy.
30:36
And Jonathan Edwards was very weak that day. He preached it. He preached it being sick.
30:43
And weak. And wow. Look at how God uses weak people.
30:50
To come to redeem us under the law. That we might receive the adoption as sons.
30:57
John 1 12 13. But as many as received him.
31:03
To them he gave the right. That means the authority. The privilege. The power.
31:09
To become the children of God. To those who believe in his name. Who were born not of the blood. Nor the will of the flesh.
31:16
Nor the will of man. But of God. It is of God. Salvation is of the
31:21
Lord. Acts 4 12. Nor is there salvation in any other.
31:27
For there is no other name under heaven. Given among men. By which we must be saved.
31:33
Jesus is the only way to heaven. He is not the best way. He is the only way. And without Christ there is hell.
31:42
That is why we better make sure. And examine ourselves. To see if we are in the faith.
31:48
That is critical folks. Because when judgment day comes. No one else is going to be beside you on that day.
31:55
It will be between you and the Lord Jesus Christ. Will he know you? Do you know him?
32:01
Ultimately does he know you? Because Jesus will profess to many on that day. That says Lord, Lord.
32:07
They do all these things. They call him Lord. And Jesus says he will make a profession to them. I never knew you.
32:15
Depart from me you workers of lawlessness. That is something you and I do not want to hear.
32:23
But to those that he knows. His own. And to those that know him.
32:30
He will say. Well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the
32:36
Lord. Prepared for you before the foundation of the world. Glorious. So Jesus in John 5 .24
32:42
here is telling his listeners. You can't believe the sender. And not believe the one who is sent.
32:49
To put it in another way. You can't believe in the one who sent his son. Without believing in the son whom he sent.
32:56
Hearing the words of Jesus. And believing the words of Jesus. As always in the scriptures.
33:03
Divine sovereignty and salvation. Is not apart from human responsibility. To repent and believe the gospel.
33:11
I like what MacArthur says here. They run parallel. We can't explain it.
33:16
But we do know they run parallel. God's sovereignty. Man's responsibility. God brings us salvation.
33:23
But we must repent. But think of this. Even repentance takes the power of God. Because God must grant repentance.
33:31
It's not within our own power. So. The result of being saved is next.
33:38
The result of being saved. Eternal life. I like John 17 .3.
33:44
Because it falls right into this reference of what Jesus is referring to. In verse 24. And this is eternal life.
33:50
Jesus is praying to the father. This is eternal life. That they may know you. The only true
33:56
God. And Jesus Christ. Whom you have sent.
34:03
That's a powerful verse. That's the verse I heard that the Puritans preach more. They preach more from that one text.
34:10
Than any other text in the Bible. And I can see why. It's so critical.
34:17
Eternal life. Is that they may know you. The only true God. And Jesus Christ. Whom you have sent. So blessed promise.
34:23
Such a blessed promise to those who believe. Is that they do not come into judgment. But have passed out of death into life.
34:29
That's the blessed promise. It reminds us of what Paul says in Romans 8 .1.
34:35
There is now no condemnation. For those who are in Christ Jesus.
34:42
In Christ. If you're in Christ, there's no condemnation. There's no judgment. In the sense of condemnation.
34:49
Of eternal damnation. Passing from a state of death.
34:55
Into a state of life. From a state of condemnation. Into a blessed state of justification. When a man is truly saved.
35:04
He's never condemned to die eternally. By faith alone in Jesus Christ. He is declared righteous by God himself.
35:11
And is given eternal life. Glorious. Jesus says. He who hears my word.
35:18
And believes in him who sent me. Has eternal life. Has everlasting life.
35:23
Notice. It does not say. He will have eternal life to come. But that he has it now.
35:29
Presently. Presently. Everlasting life is the zoe.
35:35
The Greek. It is the God's life. It is the Lord Jesus Christ.
35:40
For he is life himself. The source of life. The quality of life.
35:46
He is the way. The truth. And the life. No man comes to the father. But through him. It's not only.
35:52
In other words. What I'm saying is. Is not. Eternal life is not only. A duration of.
35:58
Timelessness forever and ever. But it is a higher quality of life. That begins here and now.
36:03
By the spirit of the living God. In regeneration. As God changes. A heart.
36:11
Takes out of a heart of stone. Puts in a heart of flesh. Writes his laws on. Causes us.
36:16
To love him. The very life of God. Indwelling us. By faith.
36:22
And the power of the Holy Spirit. This kind of reminds me of a. I've got a couple. Wonderful stories by.
36:29
The late H .A. Aronside. He was the famous pastor. Sponsor. Moody Church in Chicago.
36:36
Years back. About a generation ago. Said. He speaks of a friend. Of a preach.
36:41
That he preached. On a similar passage of scripture. This particular passage.
36:47
That his friend preached on that day. At Moody Church in Chicago. Back in the 50s. In John chapter 3.
36:54
Verse 36. At the close of the meeting. His friend went down to the church door.
36:59
To greet. The people as they were leaving. And the lady was troubled. About her soul.
37:05
And came to. By the door. And the preacher. That spoke that day. Went to her.
37:10
And. Must have known that. She was struggling. With her assurance of salvation.
37:15
And the lady was troubled. About her soul. Came by the door. And the preacher looked at her.
37:21
And said. Well. How is it. With you tonight. Lady. Miss. How is your soul.
37:27
What a loving man. What a. That's a. That's a loving pastor there. Or should I say. A guest speaker.
37:34
But. She. Continued to ask. Have you been born again. Good question.
37:40
Are you saved. From the wrath to come. She says. Well. I don't know.
37:47
Sir. I. Hope so. I hope so. He said. Well. Let me go over that text with you once again.
37:55
That's a true preacher right there right. He wants to help this lady.
38:02
It says that he believed. The scripture says. He that believe it on the sun. Hath he everlasting life.
38:07
He that believe it on the sun. Hath. Everlasting life. He said. Do you believe in the sun.
38:13
Do you believe in the sun. She said. Oh yes sir. I do believe in them.
38:20
I believe in Jesus Christ. He said, well, do you have everlasting life?
38:27
She said it again, I hope so, I hope so. He said, well, let's look at that verse again.
38:36
He went back to the verse again and read it to her. He that believeth on the
38:42
Son hath everlasting life. Do you believe in the
38:49
Son? She said, well, yes, I do, sir, very politely.
38:56
Do you have everlasting life? I certainly, she put the certainly here, kind of putting a curveball,
39:05
I certainly hope so. He said, well, let's read it again. Don't you love this guy?
39:13
So they went through the same passage again and finally he said to her, and he gave, he got some wisdom here, do you know when you were a little girl, you know, they spelled, they spelled very differently from what they did when
39:35
I was a boy. So she looked at him and said, well, what do you mean?
39:42
I'm not much older than you. What are you talking about? They spelled differently. And this is what he said,
39:49
I'm, I'm not so much older than you. And he said, well, evidently when you were a little girl, h -a -t -h, hath, spelled h -o -p -e, hope.
40:07
When I was a little boy, h -a -t -h, spelled hath, not hope.
40:15
She says, oh, I see it now, I see.
40:21
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.
40:29
Every word of God's pure, folks, every word of God has power to, and that one word hath, she was struggling with, and she says,
40:37
I get it. Well, it makes me wonder how many, even
40:43
Christians, born -again Christians, are still hoping and not having the full assurance of salvation.
40:53
God desires for you and I to know whom we have believed in.
40:59
As Paul says, I know whom I have believed in. I don't hope so. I don't hope who
41:05
I have believed in. I know whom I have believed in, and I'm persuaded that He's able to keep that which
41:10
I've committed unto Him against that day. 1 John 5, 20, and we know that the
41:18
Son of God has come. We know, and has given us understanding so that we may know
41:24
Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ.
41:31
This is the true God and eternal life. John 5, 24, most assuredly
41:38
I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but has passed from death into life.
41:50
Beloved, this is the assurance of salvation. I love what little blind lady, Fanny Cross, but don't we love this wonderful hymn?
41:55
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchased of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
42:08
Do you know this today? Have you experienced this by faith? And shall not come into judgment.
42:14
Shall not come into judgment. The thought here is that He is not condemned now, He will never be condemned in the future.
42:20
The one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is free from the judgment and condemnation to come. What a glorious thing.
42:27
You don't have to fear that. And if you are, as a child of God, God, fear has torment.
42:35
Perfect love casts out fear. We should have the assurance and the peace that passes all understanding that only comes from the
42:44
Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus paid it all and all to Him I owe. Sin had left the crimson stain.
42:51
He washed it whiter than snow. He paid the full penalty of sin. He paid it in full when He said it was finished.
42:59
The cry of victory. Jesus Christ died as our substitute, the Lamb of God.
43:04
Hallelujah. What a Savior. Christ has paid the sin debt in full that was owed to us.
43:11
It should have been us. But we couldn't have paid it. Only Christ could pay it and satisfy
43:19
God's justice. He did it on our behalf as the substitute and that is sufficient.
43:27
That is sufficient. He has finished the work and nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken away from it.
43:34
It stands as it does in its beauty and its glory. And that is the gospel.
43:41
The Lord Jesus Christ. His work. His person. Who He is. The believer never will be punished for his sins but has passed from death into life.
43:50
This great truth becomes a reality by faith in Christ to the one who has trusted and placed their faith in the
43:57
Lord Jesus Christ. Before this He was dead in trespasses and sins.
44:03
He was dead as far as love for God or fellowship with the Lord was concerned and when
44:09
He trusted in Christ, faith in Jesus Christ, supernaturally indwelt by the
44:14
Holy Spirit, this became a reality. Ephesians 2 .8
44:20
For by grace you have been saved. For by grace you have been saved. And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
44:29
Not of works, lest anyone should boast. Verse 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.
44:37
We are not saved by good works. We are saved for good works. Good works mean something. It is important that Jesus says this is how you glorify
44:46
God. By your good works. That is the evidence. That is the fruit.
44:53
And there must be regeneration first and then the outflow is the way we behave. The way we talk.
44:59
The way we act. The way we behave ourselves among each other. The way we behave ourselves in the home.
45:05
The way our behavior, and by the way, behavior modification doesn't work. Turning a new leaf doesn't work.
45:12
One must be born again for a supernatural change to take place. In other words, what
45:18
I am saying is, not reformation, but regeneration. Transformation. Gotta have it.
45:26
Jesus says you must be born again. Notice the order
45:31
I just read to you. First is the divine order. By grace you have been saved. God's grace.
45:37
Unmerited faith. We don't deserve that. It is unmerited. We can't earn that. Second, through faith.
45:45
What does that mean? Well God does the saving, but it is through the instrument of unmerited favor.
45:51
It is almost like God gives unmerited favor, but it is almost like He gives the instrument and puts the tool in your hand to lay hold of Christ.
45:58
It is the instrument in which we lay hold of Christ. Then through faith. It is only as if God by His grace gives us that divine instrument,
46:08
I should say, to lay hold of Christ as Christ is first laid hold of us. You see, what
46:14
I am saying is, and Sproul believed in this and it is biblical. Regeneration always precedes faith.
46:20
Always precedes conversion. A lot of people like to put conversion. In other words, what
46:25
I am saying is, a lot of people say, well it is my faith that brought me into the kingdom. Well, that may be true, but God was there first.
46:31
It was regeneration that God changes the heart. Then the divine instrument by God's grace,
46:37
He gives us the faith to lay hold of Christ. Don't we need this? We can't do it ourselves.
46:44
Not of ourselves. At least anyone should boast. In other words, there is no boasting here.
46:50
Man cannot take credit for this. It is God and God alone. So we cannot make this happen on our own.
46:58
It is not by our will power. No. It is by God's divine power.
47:03
It is by His power. His will power. Not ours. Chapter and verse James 1, 17, 18.
47:10
Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
47:17
Listen to this. Of His own will. Of His own will.
47:23
God's will. He brought us forth by what? The word of truth.
47:30
The word of truth. That we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. Well, very quickly, an application.
47:41
We're not going to, I'm not going to, this is just to introduce us to our next, the text for next
47:47
Lord's Day, God willing. Verse 25, Jesus says the third time in John 5, the seventh time, by the way, so far in the gospel, most assuredly, verily, verily.
47:58
Again, He says, I say to you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the
48:04
Son of God and those who hear will live. Now, I like to connect this with verse 24 because He speaks of those who hear will live.
48:15
That's the resurrection of the righteous. But, let's look at some questions here.
48:23
From verse 25 to verse 29, Jesus does speak of two resurrections. We don't have time to get into the details here, but there's a physical resurrection in the future, but there's a spiritual resurrection in the present.
48:37
This is very important. Different interpretations come about by different time periods here and we don't want to get the time periods wrong.
48:48
So, I just want to touch on this truth briefly and connect an application with it.
48:54
In verse 24, when our Lord said that the hour was coming and now is, did you get that?
49:00
Now is. That's very important.
49:06
He did not refer to a period of 60 minutes, by the way, but rather what
49:11
He does, He was saying that the time was coming and had already arrived. The time referred to that of His coming is
49:18
His first coming when He comes. Now, He comes into the stage of history.
49:23
Now, how do we know this? That's a question. Let me give it to you in another question.
49:29
Who are the dead that Jesus has spoken of in this verse? Who are the dead? Who are they who hear the voice of the
49:37
Son of God? Who are they? Now, we can answer it. Now, some would say this may refer to those people who were raised from the dead during His public ministry of three years.
49:48
That could be, but I don't think so. Verse 25 says it has really a wider range of meaning than that.
49:57
The dead refer to, in this particular verse right here, the now are those who are dead in trespasses and sins.
50:06
You see this? Where do we get this? Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 1.
50:14
I'm sorry, not Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2. While you're dead in trespasses and sins.
50:20
They are the ones who hear the voice of the Son of God. When? When do they hear it?
50:25
That's a good question. The gospel, when the gospel is preached. When the gospel is preached, they hear the word of God.
50:35
That's why we, when we speak to people and evangelize people, we better make sure that we give them the gospel, not our opinions, right?
50:42
Give them the word of God. Unleash the word of God on them. Lovingly speak the truth in love. Jesus is saying, the hour is coming.
50:50
Notice, now is. Now. Present tense. First He speaks of the present,
51:00
I'm sorry, the future, then the present. The resurrection unto life and those who believe now is when the dead will hear the voice of the
51:07
Son of God and those who hear will live. They will live.
51:14
The miracle happens at the new birth is what I mentioned earlier, regeneration. They pass from death into life. Supporting this truth in verse 25 refers to spiritual manners and not just physical.
51:25
Verse 25 speaks, then you take it all the way to verse 28 to 29.
51:33
Like I said, I don't have time to get into this, but let me read just a few of these verses. My time's about gone. Do not marvel at this for the hour is coming, which all who are in the graves will hear the voice,
51:43
His voice. That is in the future. That's the glorious physical resurrection.
51:49
Now, here in this text, He refers to this, the physical resurrection, but first He speaks of the spiritual resurrection.
52:00
There's much here. Now, how can this happen? Because Jesus says He is the resurrection and life, right?
52:08
He is the resurrection and life. Verse 26, for as the
52:14
Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, has given
52:20
Him authority. In other words, He's given Him power to execute judgment also because He's the
52:27
Son of God. John 17, 2, listen to this. Jesus prays to the Father, as you have given
52:32
Him authority over some flesh, no, all flesh, every person.
52:39
He has a power. He has power over all flesh. As many as you've given Him, Matthew 28, 18,
52:45
Jesus says, all authority, all power is given to me. That doesn't mean just some authority or some power.
52:53
It means all of it. He's all powerful, folks. He's given to Jesus Christ.
52:59
In this verse, we'll see the biblical doctrine of eternal election. I'm not going to go there today. We'll look at this,
53:04
Lord willing, next week. Verse 29, they will come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.
53:16
Two resurrections. Two resurrections. Folks, this is a sobering, somber truth, a solemn truth.
53:25
And it is very, that is every person who has ever lived, who will ever live in the future and that has lived in the past, one day will appear and go before, stand before Jesus Christ and we are only in one of those two classes.
53:44
Saved or not. Regenerated or not. In Christ or not. This will happen.
53:51
Already not yet. Well, more to say about that, Lord, later on. Let me conclude with a story.
54:00
By the way, that Stephen Lawson tells quite often in his preaching. I thank God for this wonderful story and I didn't know this.
54:07
I was searching this out and I was searching out this story and it was given first of all by, again, by the late
54:16
Dr. Pastor H .A. Ironside. Well, Ironside spoke of this story quite often too, but he got it and first heard it by a minister, we don't know who that minister is, when he was a young man.
54:33
He first heard it when he was nine years old. It made a serious, a powerful impression upon his heart.
54:42
And some of you will be familiar with this story in which Stephen Lawson gives and it is so powerful about the impending judgment that is to come and it is given in a sense of a story of a fire.
54:57
Let me tell you about it. It was a pioneer's years ago who were making their way across one of the central states to a distant place that they had been opened up for homesteading.
55:10
They traveled in covered wagons drawn by oxen and progress was necessarily slow.
55:16
One day they were terrified to note a long line of smoke in the west stretching for miles across the prairie and soon it was evident that the dry grass was burning fiercely and coming towards them rapidly.
55:32
Some of y 'all know where I'm going. It's a true story. They crossed the river one day before it would be impossible to go back and they were trapped so that before the flames would be upon them, but one man only seemed to have understanding and he did not panic like the rest was panicking so as to what could be done.
55:55
So he had a plan. He gave the command to set a fire to the grass behind him as the fire was coming towards them and when the space was burned over, the whole company moved back upon this particular place, this circle of where the fire had been and it went out and they stood in the place where the fire had already went.
56:24
As the flames roared on toward them from the west, a serious fire that they would have perished from, a little girl cries out in terror.
56:35
It's a true story. Sir, are you sure we shall not all be burned up and perish?
56:43
The leader replied with confidence. My dear child, the flames cannot reach us here.
56:56
We are standing where the fire has already been. Do you see the story?
57:06
What a beautiful, glorious picture of the believer that's safe in Jesus Christ.
57:15
It said it is on him almighty vengeance fell which would have sunk a world to hell.
57:23
He bore it for a chosen race and thus becomes our hiding place. Folks, you've got to stand where the fire once fell.
57:35
The fires of God's judgment burned themselves out on Jesus. Christ took the fire of God's judgment that was appointed to us because of our sin.
57:52
All who are in Christ are safe forever for we are standing where the fire has been.
58:04
Hallelujah. Can you praise him? Isn't that great?
58:11
Jesus took the fire. Stand where the fire was where Jesus took.
58:18
Stand at the cross. The only way this could be possible beloved is for Jesus to be judged in our places to substitute and pay the penalty himself which he accomplished on the cross.
58:33
For those of us who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ our judgment is now passed.
58:42
Can we believe that? Isn't that great? It's glorious.
58:50
You're talking about eternal life now. We're talking about he has taken the judgment. God the father has signed off the debt and it is written in blood.
59:01
Paid in full by the precious blood of his son. Hear his voice today.
59:10
Do not harden your heart. Come to him. While you have breath let's pray.
59:19
Our heavenly father we do not know and understand a fraction of what is of this great cost.
59:27
Lord it is so beyond incomprehensible. Your love is so mighty and infinite that you would even come
59:37
Lord Jesus to save a wretch like us.
59:44
Taking the fire of the wrath of God. May we stand where the fire fell at the cross.
59:53
At the cross where I first saw the light. For the eternal son of God to come in the likeness of sinful flesh and willingly sacrifice his perfect life for us as suffering son of man.
01:00:07
It's beyond our comprehension. But we do praise you Lord and we do thank you that by his sacrificial death in which he satisfied your just demands.
01:00:24
Through his death burial and resurrection which is ours now is because we believe.
01:00:30
May those who were dead in sins or if there is anyone here dead in their sins still may they hear your voice.
01:00:40
Your gentle voice. Your powerful voice that gives new life in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
01:00:53
Lord we praise your holy name. Bless our time of communion together for we give you the praise and the glory in Jesus name.