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good morning everyone welcome back to free Grace Baptist Church warm welcome to our visitors this morning we trust that you will be encouraged in the things of God as you worship with us a couple of announcements before we get started uh Wednesday night bible study will will be again this week at 7:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall and then next Sunday morning service we'll be having a baptismal for Benjamin Hall and TOA Hall tremendous uh blessing to have them follow the lord in the water of baptism our brother Apostle John wrote in his third epistle verse four I have no Greater Joy than to hear that my children walk in truth and he was speaking about his spiritual children that had responded to the gospel under the power of the Holy Spirit in during his ministry but it is the same for us as parents when we see our children follow of the Lord it is a great blessing and it is our prayer for every every family and every child in this church uh that's the baptismal service next Sunday morning and then the following Sunday the last Sunday of the month October 29th in the evening service we'll be having a joint service with sui Reformed Baptist Church we're going to move the time back to 400 p.m. rather than 5:00 p.m. so that we can have a time of fellowship and uh partake of some food together after the service so that's October 29th remember to come early at 4 p.m. for that service let's turn our hearts toward worship now and we're going to open our Bibles to Psalm 68 for our call to worship Psalm 68 we will read from verse 28 to the end of the psalm Psalm 68 beginning in verse 28 your God has commanded your strength strengthen oh God what you have done for us because of your temple at Jerusalem Kings will bring bring presents to you rebuke the beasts of the Reeds the herds of bulls with the calves of the people till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver scatter the peoples who Delight in war envoys will come out of Egypt Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God sing to God you kingdoms of the earth oh sing praise praises to the Lord saah to him who rides on the heaven of Heavens which were of old indeed he sends out his voice a mighty voice ascribe strength to God his Excellence is over Israel and his strength is in the clouds oh God you are more awesome than your holy places the god of Israel is he who gives strength and power to his people blessed be God Amen for our first him we're going to turn to Psalm 110 in the sultra Himel Psalm 110 b as in bravo we'll be singing it to an alternate tune that we're familiar with please stand with me as we sing Psalm 110 B spoken to my Lord s and my until I your stand the Lord the CER of your alling enies and be their when you your Mighty people to you anding Hol the never be released our Lord of will be a your right will rers in his the Nations he will the will his in many CR his will be their and from [Music] the to our God In Prayer let's ask his blessing upon our meeting this morning gracious Father in heaven we thank you for the privilege we we have now to gather as your people in this place we thank you that you have gathered to yourself a great multitude from every nation every tribe every T tongue every people group on the face of the Earth and that you continue to do this work we thank you that on that great day that final day of the Lord we will be together with Brethren from every nation and every tribe and we thank you that the gospel is going forth and being preached in very far remote and distant corners of the Earth Earth and we pray oh God that this day there would be a great ingathering of souls we pray oh God that there would be people brought into the kingdom of God this day that have never heard the gospel before and we pray that here even here in our midst those who have not yet uh settled their account with Christ have never tasted and seen that the Lord is good that have never truly been saved would be saved this day Lord work by your spirit in our midst I pray I pray that you would do this in churches throughout this city where the gospel is preached I pray that there would be a great a great day this day of in gathering of souls we thank you for the churches within our fellowship those that we have uh close contact with even those more distant churches that we have renewed fellowship with in recent months we pray God that your blessing would rest upon them I pray for Grace Baptist Church in Elder at Kenya we pray that you'd continue to do a good work in that congregation let bless Pastor O Gallo as he returns to the pulpit there I pray that you would encourage him encourage his congregation and his two fellow Elders we pray Lord that we would hear good reports of the work that you were doing there and Lord allow them to continue to to train men for the ministry and send them forth to plant other churches in that nation of Kenya we thank you Lord for Trinity Reformed Baptist Church in lamara California we pray that you would continue to bless them the the five Elders that you have installed there we pray Lord that you would encourage them that they too would be a light and a beacon to the surrounding peoples there in California and we pray Lord that they would raise up men and send forth men to preach the gospel elsewhere and Lord we pray for our sister Church down in Kirkland Washington Trinity Reformed Baptist Church we pray that you'd continue to stain sustain that group we pray oh Lord that you would bring visitors amongst them we pray that you would bring people into their midst that need need to hear the gospel and we pray Lord that you would give Pastor Don lindblad and Stefan lindblad um encouragement and the the strength and the will to go on and to continue in that work and Lord bless them through the through the ups and downs of the ministry may you prosper them as they labor in your field I pray Lord we thank you for our church plants here in British Columbia we pray Lord that you'd bless the work in sui bless Pastor Kirk Patrick and his congregation encourage them this day I pray pray for the work in the north Okanogan pray Lord that you'd bless the the the Brethren that Gather in Armstrong today bless Pastor malar encourage them as they continue on there I pray you'd bring new people amongst them and cause them to continue to grow in in strength in unity and in understanding of the truth Lord we pray for the the work out in rden Ontario give those Brethren great uh Joy wisdom and help them as they labor to see a Church established in that in that City Lord we pray that you would bless them and continue to encourage them as well Lord we pray for churches all across this nation of Canada we know that the church is a preserving Force Salt and Light in the in the people that you have planted her in we pray oh God that you would cause the church in our nation to be that Salt and Light and to cause this nation to uh be brought to face to face with the gross national sins that are are being promoted in our day and age Lord we pray that you would bring about Revival in the church we pray that you would bring about Awakening on the streets and you would turn many hearts to yourself we know that it is not the power of government that will turn around our nation it is the power of the Holy Spirit through the saving of Souls and through turning men from their sin to serve the true and living God we pray that you would do a good work in the nation of Canada and across this world bless our time of worship this morning morning we pray oh Lord that you would be here present we pray especially that you would work in the hearts of our children and our young people and the young families in this church we thank you for blessing us with so many young children and young families and we pray oh God that we would see these ones raised up in the fear and admonition of the Lord and we pray oh God that you in your Sovereign power and in due time would bring each child to yourself and we pray oh God that we would see a future generation to serve you when we are ready to pass the Bon on bless the work here bless Pastor Butler as he comes to the pulpit later we pray you would give him unction and anointing to preach to us the whole counsel of God and open our hearts to receive it I pray in Jesus name amen amen for our next hymn we'll turn to Psalm 67a 67a as in Alpha and please stand again as we sing together to Mercy and bless us in your gra to shine us the Bri of all your way on Earth soon be known andto everying be oh God let allra you let all the nation sing in every that PR SS of for you shall Tru and and through the [Music] Earth God that people praise you let all the nation for Earth To Our God shall [Music] bless Earth shall fear him to his [Music] for our morning scripture reading we will turn again to Matthew chapter 10 and we will conclude the chapter beginning in verse 27 till the end for just a quick recap uh this chapter is Christ's commissioning sermon to his disciples his 12 Apostles that he called and sent forth two by two to preach and these are his words of encouragement admonition his instructions his marching orders to these disciples as they go forth to preach remember in verse one he said uh in verse one it says and when he had called his 12 disciples to him he gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease and then drop down to verse 5 these 12 Jesus sent out and commanded them saying and then the rest of the chapter are his Commandments to his 12 Apostles we'll pick up reading in verse 27 whatever I tell you in the dark speak in the light and what you hear in the ear preach on the housetops and do not fear Those Who Kill the body but cannot kill the soul but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both s soul and Body in hell are not Two Sparrows sold for a copper coin and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your father father's will but the very hairs of your head are all numbered do not fear therefore you are of more value than many sparrows therefore whoever confesses me before men him I will also confess before my father who is in heaven but whoever denies me before men him I will also deny before my father who is in heaven do not think that I came to bring peace on Earth I did not come to bring peace but a sword for I have come to set a man against his father a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a Man's enemies will be those of his own household he who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me he who finds his life will lose it and he who loses his life for my sake will find it he who receives you receives me and he who receives me receives him who sent me he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward and whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple assuredly I say to you he shall by no means lose his reward amen let's pray gracious Father in heaven we thank you that you have commissioned men throughout the ages to preach the gospel and even as these 12 disciples went forth and were warned that they would face persecution and face difficulties but that you would accompany them and the spirit would work signs and wonders we pray oh God that you would do the same in our day and age and through through the power of the Holy Spirit you would draw men to yourself through the preaching of the Gospel we know that men in their own by their own power and their own Ingenuity will not come to believe in the truth it is only through the work of the spirit and we pray oh God that your spirit would be present even here this day and work in our midst we ask this in Jesus name amen amen for our final hymn before the preaching of the word we'll turn to 243 in your Himel 243 and stand again with me as we sing together fir found you saint of the Lord is for your his [Music] exent what more can he say than to you he has sent to you for refug to [Music] Jesus fear not I am with you not his for I am your and will still give you and you [Music] stand right through the deepers I call you to go Riv the sorrow shall not overflow for I will be with you your to bless and to you your deepest distress through Tri way shall my gra all shall be your the shall to and your B to re to all my [Music] Pro Eternal unchange and [Music] shall in [Music] my Jesus GL will I will deserve to [Music] his all should to shame I never [Music] for you can turn with me in your Bibles to John's gospel we're in John chap 12 John 12 our Focus this morning will be verses 27 to 36 but I do want to pick up reading in John 12 at verse 20 now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast then they came to Philip who was from Betha of Galilee and asked him saying sir we wish to see Jesus Philip came and told Andrew and in turn Andrew and philli told Jesus but Jesus answered them saying the hour has come that the son of man should be glorified most assuredly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone but if it dies it produces much grain he who loves his life will lose it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life if anyone serves me let him follow me and where I am there my servant will be also if anyone serves me him my father will honor now my soul is troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour but for this purpose I came to this hour father glorify your name then a voice Came From Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered others said an angel has spoken to him Jesus answered and said this voice did not come because of me but for your for sake now is the Judgment of this world now the ruler of this world will be cast out and die if I am lifted up from the earth will draw All Peoples to myself this he said signifying by what death he would die the people answered him we've heard from the law that the Christ remains forever and how can you say the son of man must be lifted up who is this son of man then Jesus said to them a little while longer the light is with you walk while you have the light lest Darkness overtake you He Who Walks in darkness does not know where he is going while you have the light believe in the light that you may become sons of Light these things Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them amen well let us pray Our God and Father we thank you for your word we thank you for this day and for the opportunity to gather in the house of the Lord God most high we pray that you would guide us now by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit we pray that we would see theor Glory of Jesus Christ as manifested in in the Holy scriptures we know God that you sent your son your only son the only begotten son to live to die and to be raised again that third day for us men and for our Salvation we praise you for so great a gospel we pray that this gospel would be proclaimed throughout the Earth and that that word would run swiftly and be glorified and bless it here to the hearing of our souls may you encourage us and may you build us up and may you strengthen us and God may you be pleased to call Sinners out of Darkness into Marvelous Light confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior do forgive us now for all sin and transgression wash Us in the Precious Blood of the lamb and we pray in jesus' name amen well it's been some time since we've been in John's gospel remember that as John takes pen to paper under the inspiration of the spirit he wants us to understand who Jesus is and he begins in chapter 1 verses 1 to8 and what we call the prologue to John's go gospel and that first statement that first verse sets the stage for all that follows he says in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and then moving down in the prologue in verse 14 he says the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth so he sets forth who Christ is relative to the persons of the Trinity God is one true and living God but he exist eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit the Bible teaches that the Christian Church confesses that and we embrace it delightedly so then John turns his attention to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in about John 1:29 John the Baptist sees Jesus and says Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and so as we move through John's gospel we see this emphasis Jesus is one person but he is two Natures Divine and human he is in fact God from God light from light true God from true God begotten not made one in being with the father through whom all things were created and that one took on our Humanity with all the essential properties all the common infirmities thereof and yet without sin and he did that for the very specific purpose so that he could live in obedience to The Father's Law because we had not he did it so that he could go to the cross in our stead and receive the uh uh Divine Justice for not his sin but for our sin he satisfied God's Wrath and fury on that cross for us and then he was raised again the third day Paul summarizes the gospel very beautifully in Romans 4:25 he tells us that Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses and he was raised for our justification that gets at what John is doing here through his gospel record now as we get to chapter 12 we'll notice in the first place the triumphal entry we've already considered that and then we or I'm sorry the the anointing at Bethany in 12: 1 to8 and then the triumphal entry and so Jesus is now in the city of Jerusalem Jesus is uh engaged in the last Act of his public Ministry chapters 13 to 17 we'll find Jesus in the upper room discourse with his disciples and then the passion begins specifically in chapter 18 so last time we were in John's gospel we saw that the hour had arrived notice in verses 20 to 26 Jesus speaks concerning the hour verse 23 the hour has come that the son of man should be glorified now the hour is the hour of the Cross now Christ came again to live to die and to be raised again very often you see the apostolic proclamation of the Gospel focuses in on the cross it was in fact the Pinnacle the sort of crowning event in terms of life's of Christ's Redemptive Ministry on behalf of his people so the hour had arrived and he announces that notice in verse 24 most assuredly I say to unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone but if it dies it produces much grain he uses an analogy he uses a an agrarian theme he understands well and and conveys the significance of his death unless Jesus dies there's not going to be much grain unless Jesus dies there's not going to be many Sinners saved unless Jesus dies there's not going to be any Sinners saved and that's the emphasis there and so now as we come specifically to verses 27- 36 he explains that hour in more detail he explains the significance of it in more detail so I want to look this morning at the prayer to his father in verses 27 to 29 secondly the explanation to the people in verses 30-33 and then finally the question concerning the Messiah in verses 34-36 now just a bit of a foreshadowing the people aren't genuinely seeking out information well well who is this son of man that we can believe in him they are repudiating him they are rejecting him they are holding him in disdain because he the one who claims to be the Son of God is telling them that the Messiah of God must actually die as far as these unbelieving Jews were concerned this was a scandal Paul speaks to that in 1 Corinthians 1: 21-23 the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing to the Jews it is a stumbling block or a scandal and to the Greeks it is foolishness but to those who are being saved Christ is the wisdom and the power of God and so that's why Jesus does what he does in terms of his response to their question he's not going to supply them with more information he's going to press them with the information they already have in other words the light is with you for just a little bit longer you better make good on it you better come to Jesus you better believe in him that you may be sons of Light so there is a note of urgency in the way that Christ responds to these unbelieving Jew Jews but let's look first at the prayer to his father in verses 27 to 29 we know it's prayer because he speaks specifically to his father in verse 278 and 28 and then the father responds but notice with reference to this prayer he expresses the trouble of his soul Jesus again is the word made flesh who dwelt Among Us what is true of Flesh what is true of Flesh or true of humanity is soul trouble at the prospect of something very difficult perhaps you have a a day in court tomorrow you're going to be a little bit anxious as you approach the courtroom perhaps you have some significant event this wedes Wednesday and and it's causing a bit of butterflies in the stomach well Jesus understands what the hour is Jesus understands the significance of the hour and Jesus really realizes that he's going to take our place and bear the Wrath and fury of his father on behalf of us so of course we can understand why his soul is engaged in a bit of trouble and he expresses that very vividly in verse 27 now my soul is troubled we have other passages that indicate the significance of this now this is the passion week he's not come to Gethsemane yet but later when he gets into the Garden of Gethsemane we once again hear and see that he has this sole trouble so again it's not just one time in the Garden of Gethsemane right on the heels of his arrest and his uh uh being brought before the Sanhedrin but in the passion week itself and he expresses this now my soul is troubled notice back in Matthew's gospel in Matthew chapter 26 specifically in the Garden of Gethsemane this is when he takes Peter and James and John into the garden and he expresses to them this sole trouble notice in verse 38 of Matthew 26 then he said to them my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death stay here and watch with me again Brethren if you understand the true Humanity of Jesus Christ this shouldn't give you any pause any cause for concern we would expect this from True Humanity we would expect this trouble of soul from a man who knew that he was going to die a horrific death who knew that he was going to be crucified handed over by Lawless hands to Godless men that would give The Kill Order so that he would be executed on this Roman cross but it's ultimately not this the actions of men it is the Wrath and fury of God his sole Trouble Comes as a result because of his work as a mediator taking in himself the punishment that is due for our sins but it's not just here turn to the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 5 the Apostle I believe Paul wrote Hebrews and in Hebrews chapter 5 he underscores the significance of this part or aspect of of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Hebrews 5 specifically at verse 7 who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who is able to save him from death and was heard because of his Godly fear though he was a son yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered and having been perfected he became the author of Eternal salvation to all who all who obey him so the idea here is not that you know this is a an expression of of of of just kind of a conveyance that he's actually human he's true man he's an actual man he takes on our Humanity again with all the essential properties that make us men and all the common infirmities that make us men he he suffered he he he died he bled he he hungered he thirsted he was insulted by the the the peoples he was deserted by his disciples true humanity went in our stad to that particular cross so he expresses this Soul trouble he expressed it at the gravite of Lazarus when his when his friend had died he'll express it again in Chapter 13 and verse 21 and again when we ask the question what's the problem why is he troubled what's the difficulty in his heart well it's the reality that the hour had come the hour of his death the hour of crucifixion the hour that he'd be delivered up so that he could die in our place and then notice back in our text in John 12:27 now my soul is troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour again a legitimate question in light of the fact that he's going to the Cross we don't look at him in Gethsemane there when he's exceedingly sorrowful even unto death and and question why he'd say if it is possible let this cup pass from me Brethren the cup that he's speaking of there isn't just some simple Earthly physical cup with bad things to drink you go back into the Old Testament revelation and the cup is God's Wrath God poured out the cup of his wrath on Babylon God poured out the cup of his wrath on Egypt God poured out the cup of his wrath on Israel in the Assyrian captivity in the Babylonian captivity and he would subsequent to this event in the time of the Roman Empire when they crushed the city of Jerusalem in 870 this cup of God's Wrath he understood all too well and it's that that evoked the sole trouble it wasn't that he liked the fact that men were betraying him it wasn't like he liked the fact that he was going to die at the hands of a of a Godless government but he what when it came time to cry out it was the Wrath of the father and so that hour is quickly approaching him and notice what he says in terms of his prayer my soul is troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour he does this in the garden if it is possible let this cup pass from me but notice the response the response is not yet I don't want to go through this yep I'm going to call in sick tomorrow yep I'm going to call in sick on Wednesday this is not something that I'm prepared for and this is not something that I I I am ready to deal with no he's got a commitment to his father's will he's got a commitment to the Divine will he's got a commitment to his mission and to his cause and you see that here at the end of verse 27 he says but for this purpose I came to this hour he does the same thing in in the Gethsemane nevertheless not my will but thine be done so when it comes to this Soul trouble of our Lord Jesus Christ it is true it is real it is a a facet of true Humanity to shrink back under the pressure of great suffering and great trial and great hardship we see the response of this Soul trouble or the response of our Lord Jesus to this Soul trouble is not to shrink back it's not to abandon the cause but rather it is to Double Down rather it is to set his face like a flint rather it is to be steadfast for us men and for our Salvation brethren we ought to be very thankful for the resol of our blessed savior we ought to be very thankful for his commitment to our cause we ought to be very thankful that in the scriptures we find a savior who's not just partially invested in the good of his people but in whol soulold commitment we see the mission of Jesus Christ as Paramount in his mind we see that as his marching orders we see that as what he intends to do so in this brief section we'll look at the next statement father glorify your name but let's appreciate for a moment the true Humanity of our Lord he is truly man he didn't just appear to be a man some in the early church taught that or those plaguing the early church taught that he just appeared to be a man he was sort of like a a phantom he was sort of like an apparatus no he bled like a man he suffered like a man he had Soul trouble like a man and he ultimately died like like a man remember the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory serel of Alexandria made this observation he had to and then he says it again had to show himself through these to be a man born of a woman not in appearance in fantasy but naturally and truly experiencing the full Human Condition except for sin see what our savior did for us he says elsewhere the word of God then United to himself the entire nature of a human being in order to save the whole person for what is not assumed is not healed if he doesn't assume our Humanity he certainly doesn't redeem it he certainly doesn't cure it he certainly doesn't bring us remedy it was absolutely imperative that the Son of God take on our flesh to live for us to die for us and to be raised again for us and essentially that's the gospel the gospel is not my warm response to a message the gospel isn't the change that has come over me because I got religion those are effects of the Gospel hopefully positive ones but the gospel is the message of Christ and him living dying and being raised again the third day that's the gospel again not our religious experience not our attempt to get to God not our religiosity not our ritual not our sacrifice not our pattern of life not our warm feelings not any of that the gospel is a revealed message concerning the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that's why we say gospel preaching is absolutely crucial in this present evil age it's not our experience that's going to win men over it's not our virtue that's going to win men over it's not our pattern of life that's going to win man over it is the power of God's gospel the reality that Christ lived in obedience to The Father's Law that he died as a sacrifice and a substitute that he was raised again the third day and that all who believe on him will have everlasting life in fact look at his language to these Jews at the end of this discourse notice in verse 36 while you have the light believe in the light that you may become sons of Light when you hear that message of Christ's life and death and Resurrection what the means by which we appropriate it in other words how does it benefit me we're a very practically oriented people what what comes of this for me what is there in this for me well it's not an example because you will never live like the holy harmless and undefiled one dead you will never be able to follow jesus' footsteps perfectly exactly entirely and perpetually the message of the Gospel the way of reception is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved saved that's it yeah yeah that's it that's everything when you abandon any thought that you in yourself can earn your way to heaven sometimes you can't even get your way out of bed you think you're going to earn your your reception by a holy God the god whose eye is too pure to approve of any evil and when we consider ourselves before that holy God all we like sheep have gone astray there is none righteous no not one there's none who seeks after God there is no fear of God before our eyes if there is remedy if there is redemption it must come from God it's not us offering up it's not us coming to the bartering table and saying well I've got this virtue I've got this this good thing and and if you just meet me halfway then then then you can accept me and take me to Heaven no it's about the life and death and resurrection of Jesus the way that we receive that is by God's grace through faith faith is the empty hand that receives the blessing secure cured by Jesus Christ the hyw writer said it this way nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling he says elsewhere foul I to the Fountain fly look at that language or listen to that language foul I to the Fountain fly not I got to go fix myself I got to stop these particular sins I got to get my act together I got to buy a suit got to go to the right Church got to get the right Bible got to do the right things those might be consequences of you being saved by God's grace but they're not the condition foul I to the Fountain fly Wash Me savior or I die is that just the literary mind of the hym writer is he just taking you know literary sort of License to express the glory of the Gospel read the Prophet Jeremiah sometime chapters 2 and three chapter two is the bad news you see we can't have the good news of Remedy in Christ without the first first having the bad news of our wretchedness and our Rebellion Paul does this in Romans 1:18 to Romans 3:20 he sets forth the reality that all men everywhere whether Gentile or Jew are liable to God's just judgment on the day of judgment it is on that point or at that point that he then says but now the righteousness of God is revealed well Jeremiah 2 and3 is sort of like that as well Jeremiah 2 tells us how Wicked the people of Judah had become in fact God says has a nation changed its gods have the am ammonites given up Molech have the Egyptians given up you know their calf Idols have the the the the various Hittites or the various tiites around around Israel have they sacrificed or given up their gods no but my people have exchanged me for that which does not satisfy they were Wicked they were horrible chapter 2 of Jeremiah tells us how evil they were but you know what happens in Jeremiah 3 five times God says through the prophet yet return to me says the Lord yet return to me says the Lord I'm going to do this five times yet return to me says the Lord yet return to me says the Lord yet return to me says the Lord and in one of them he says return to me ye backsliding Sinners and I will heal your backsliding see there's this idea that gets connected with Christianity sometimes I got I got to clean up my ACT I got to get prepared I got to get ready I got to fix my issues Christianity is the Divine response to the fact that you can't fix your issues you can't just comply your way out of the mess that you're in you can't just decide right now from here on out I'm only ever going to obey let's just suppose for a moment you could do that what happens to all the sin in your past see we need the doing and the dying and the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ so that when by Grace we believe in him we're Justified freely by his grace and what does justification mean it means that I'm forgiven of my sins and it means I reive the righteousness of Jesus Christ it's imputed to us and received by faith alone so the Lord Christ had to assume our Humanity in order to save us from our sins Matthew Henry comments on the act of prayer he says though as God he was prayed to as man he prayed that's what we call in theology the hypostatic union there's not going to be a quiz on this later but there is a technical term for what happens in the one person of Christ that has two Natures it's the hypostatic union it's the union of the Divine and the human Natures in the one person fitting him as the God man to carry out the task that was handed to him by the father to save us from our sins the way he does that is by living and dying and being raised again when he lives that life of perfect righteousness it's not in the first place as an example that's the problem of liberal theology in the 20th century or early part of the 20th century we just need to follow jesus' example we're too Wicked to follow jesus' example sorry you you may not have bargained for that message this morning boy I came to feel good about myself and the guy's telling me I'm wicked yeah because the Bible tells you you're Wicked the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jeremiah 17:9 the the Apostle have already revealed or reviewed Romans 3 nonone righteous no not one there's who seeks after God there's no fear of God before the eyes of man it's not an example that we need it is redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace it's not a Little Help from on high to get you there it is God reaching down to sin or the pits of sin and misery and picking you up the Apostle Peter uses the language of calling them out of Darkness Into The Marvelous Light and so Jesus went through this for us so back to the text notice verse 27 now my soul is troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour I don't want to pass over this next phrase but for this purpose I came to this hour but for this purpose the sole trouble that is predicated on the suffering and the death it is for this hour that he came you've ever asked the question well why did Jesus come into this world well he tells you he he tells you that he came for this hour he tells you that he came to go through this so that he could save us from our sins but for this purpose I have come this seems to indicate that there's something behind the scene in terms of the words that he uses here I suggest there is three things first the mission of Christ is prophesied in the Old Testament notice again what he says in verse 27 but for this purpose I came to to this hour in the 1960s somebody wrote a musical or maybe the guy wrote the musical before the 1960s but they put it into into a musical form and it was called Jesus Christ Superstar and I'll go to my grave as having never seen that and I hope to keep it that way but from what I understand you had a Jesus kind of a hippie type Jesus remember this was the 60s everybody's you know breaking out into song and you know flowers and old Spiel probably drinking chamomile tea and whatever it is that they would done at that particular time but from what I understand apparently Jesus really didn't understand his mission he's kind of confused and perplexed he just sort of found himself as this man and you know come from Nazar Nazareth and he's living in Israel he's a first century Jew he's not kind of really sure what that could not be further from the truth Jesus always knew his purpose Jesus always knew his mission you know one of the ways that Jesus always knew his purpose and his mission was because according to his Humanity he studied scripture and when he studied scripture guess who he saw there he saw himself so in the promise of Genesis 3 at: 15 the seed of the woman that would crush the serpent was prophesied Genesis 3:15 the First Gospel announcement the seed of the woman is going to crush the head of the serpent well who's that seed of the woman well it's Jesus Genesis chapter 22 when uh uh Abraham is told to take Isaac up to mount Mariah and sacrifice sacrifice your only begotten son the one whom you love so Abraham beautifully responds to that Abraham's about to drop the knife into his son Isaac the angel of the Lord stops him in the ACT well Abraham had given his son Isaac a good theology lesson he had said the Lord will provide for himself a sacrifice well after the angel of the Lord stops him they look and there's a ram caught in the thicket guess what the RAM does it takes the place of Isaac his son you've got the the the the the Psalms The Book of Psalms is all about Christ yes find your misery find your woes find your troubles the church has always gone to the Salter and sang back those praises to God in the midst of distress in the midst of Triumph in the midst of all of those things but you know what the focus of the alter is it's on Jesus Psalm 22 the first half of the psalm is the psalm of the the cross what does Jesus quote when he's on the cross he doesn't quote the modern praise and worship choruses he quotes the Psalms of David my God my God why hast thou for forsaken me the Psalms are about him the prophet Isaiah you could is effectively call him the Apostle Isaiah when you get to the uh uh 53 it's all about substitutionary atonement it's all about the the the lamb going for us and and for our Salvation so when Jesus makes this statement in verse 27 but for this purpose I came to this hour this was prophesied concerning him and that's just a sample that's just a few passages what does the New Testament do the New Testament affords for us the facts of his life death and Resurrection in Matthew Mark Luke and John now Matthew Mark Luke and John do a lot of theology themselves they relate the significance of the various things that he accomplished the New Testament Apostles and the Epistles give us even more interpretation of that data but consider Matthew 1:21 the announcement of the coming of Jesus what does the angel say to Joseph it is he who will save his people from their sins I suggest that's a good thought to remember when you work your way through Matthew's gospel if you've never read the gospels if you've never read Matthew it's good to keep that in mind especially when you get to Chapters 0 from 26 to 27 when he's being rejected when he's being you know fastened upon a cross when he's being spat upon when he's being abused well he asked the question why is he going through this he he he only ever did what was right because he came to save his people from their sins Jesus announces his own mission to his disciples in Matthew 20 verse 28 the disciples are jockeying for position Lord Lord promise that when you come in your kingdom we get to sit on your right and your left typical of us right he had just announced that he's got to go to Jerusalem he's got to be tried he's got he's got to be arrested he's got to be tried and he's got to be crucified they they just heard that so what's uppermost in their minds can we you sit on your right hand and on your left hand so he rebukes them he chides them you you don't know what you're talking about you you don't know the baptism I have to be baptized with and there he doesn't mean water baptism he means overwhelmed with the Wrath and fury of God he says you don't understand the cup that I have to drink again not a physical cup but the cup of God's Wrath and then he makes this statement to his disciples he says the son of man came uh not to serve or or rather be served but to serve serve and to give his life a ransom for many he never shrunk back from that Focus he never shrunk back from that mission and we see him here according to his Humanity Resolute to do the will of the father but for this purpose I came to this hour consider again John 1:29 the Lamb of God who does what he takes away the sin of the world John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son John 3:14 just as Moses lifted up the serpent so must the son of man also be lifted up we're going to see that language explained for us in verse 33 in this particular passage he spoke signifying his death he would be raised up he would be crucified on that cross of Shame he would do that again for us men and for our Salvation you've got the commentary of the Apostle Paul second Corinth uh uh Galatians 4:4 rather he says God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him so we've got the Old Testament prophecy we've got the New Testament fulfillment but as well something we've seen all throughout John's gospel is the mission as obedience to the father Christ as our mediator always did what pleased the father remember he can't just eek out a little bit of obedience and and clear us has to be perfect the demand of God God's law again I want to speak very simply here if you have ever thought you know I'm not that bad I'm I'm probably going to end up in heaven I've never murdered anyone I've never committed adultery I've not engaged in those benchmarked sins I understand the god of the Bible is supposed to be love and kindness and all that sort of thing so I hope to just sort of weasel my way in because I haven't done these really bad things there's a famous sort of teaching tool in our tradition it's called the Westminster Shorter Catechism and ask the question what is every sin deserve it's a good question what does every sin deserve well we may not like the answer but here it goes every sin deserves God's Wrath and curse both in this life and that which is to come in other words God demands perfection in your schooling you know depending on your age you know it used to be you actually had to do the work and get an A or an F now you just as long as you show up and you can breathe you're going to pass cuz you're a delicate snowflake and we don't want to make you feel bad God does not grade that way God does not look at you and say well you weren't as bad as your neighbors you weren't as bad as your father you weren't as bad as your mother he doesn't grade that way our obedience to the law must be exact it must be entire it must be Perpetual in other words God demands Perfection if you're following even a little bit you'll have to conclude that's bad news well that's the context for the good news of Christ who always did what was pleasing to his father who never had a lustful thought who never looked lustfully upon a woman who never hated people without cause in his heart who never engaged in Theft who never engaged in insubordination who never engaged in idolatry he always did what was pleasing to the father why because we need that righteousness we don't need ours ours is what got us into the trouble that we're in we need a perfect righteousness we need to be cleansed and clothed in the uh cleansed by his blood and clothed in his righteousness and that in essence is the teaching of God's holy word so Christ has the Old Testament backdrop and understands that for this purpose I came to this hour the rest of the New Testament comments that that's precisely what had happened but in John's gospel we see this commitment on on the part of the Son of God to obey the father look at John 4 specifically at verse 34 Jesus said to them just back up a little bit verse 31 in the meantime his disciples urged him saying Rabbi eat but he said to them I have food to eat of which you do not know how true he is right we don't know what it's like to have our food being the will of the father it's perfectly accurate I have food to eat of which you do not know we think people that are really religious or you know really committed to the cause or they're weird it's odd it's strange it's a an enigma it's a puzzle to us that anybody would you know actually subject themselves not to just one sermon but two on a Sunday wow that's going above and beyond he says I have food to eat of which you do not know therefore the disciples said to one another has anyone brought him anything to eat Jesus said to them my food is to do the will of him who sent me in defend finish his work when the soul trouble comes on him in John 12 when the soul trouble comes on him in in Gethsemane in Matthew 26 guess what he doesn't do he doesn't shrink back according to his Humanity he sees it according to his Humanity he is troubled by it the prospect of judgment the prospect of Wrath the prospect of suffering and all that goes with that evokes from him as a man the the you know if it is possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless praise God for nevertheless is in the Bible praise God for nevertheless is in the Bible nevertheless not my will but thine be done he is committed to the cause he is committed to the mission and here he Likens it to eating food itself notice in John 5 at verse3 John 5 at verse3 I can of myself do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will but the will of the father who sent me this is typical of Christ's life of obedience it is typical of his response to difficulty it is typical of his life of obedience for us men and for our Salvation look at 6 38-40 6 38-40 for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me this is the will of the father who sent me that of all he has given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the son and believes in Him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day you see how wonderful it is that he's resolved to do the father's will if he's not resolved to do the father's will then we don't benefit the fact that he resp is resolved to do the father's will means blessing and Redemption and benefit for us this is a perfectly wonderful savior that God has furnished to very needy Sinners and then notice in 10:18 10:18 verse 17 therefore my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again no one takes it from me but I lay it down of myself I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this command I have received from my father so by the time we get to the soul trouble here in the passion week connected to the Cross connected to the arrival of the hour we understand why he's troubled but we also understand that he is committed to undergo the trouble to undergo the Affliction to undergo The Shame of the Cross so that you and I might have everlasting life so back to chapter 12 notice verse 28 and9 he then offers up this petition to the father in verse 28 he says father glorify your name then a voice Came From Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again this is what animated the Son of God because again this is not what animates the sons of men before you're a Christian is the glory of God a concern to you well I really shouldn't do this because God will not be honored in it be honest with yourself before I mean it's tough as a Christian to think that way tough with the spirit as Blood Bought children of God every decision every day for the believer that's our question does this glorify God if so brother or sister lead us in Bible study cuz you've got it but it's tough in terms of remaining corruption for the people of God to always be animated by a desire for the glory of God for the unregenerate or the nonbeliever do you ever think about it when when Paul says there is no fear of God before their eyes I think that kind of encompasses this as well there's no fear of God before your eyes certainly the glory of God is not up uppermost in your thoughts relative to who he is and yet with Jesus our mediator our Prophet priest and King this is his desire this is his Design This is what makes him continue on again according to his Humanity he says father glorify your name go back to John 2 and for those of you who've glanced at your wrist we're going to stop after this head the prayer to his father is all we're going to consider this morning and God willing will take up the next section of this discourse in the weeks to follow just thought it was important to kind of remind us again about John's gospel about the larger and broader context to see not only the Theology of John 1 1 to18 but the economy of redemption in John 1 129 the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world so it's good by way of reminder to see that Jesus was about the glory of God notice in John 2 at verse 13 now the Passover of the Jews was at hand and Jesus went up to jerus Jerusalem and he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers doing business when he had made a whip of cords he drove them out of the temple and the sheep and The Oxen and poured out the Changers money and overturned the tables that's not sin I I mentioned that Jesus did everything he did in his Earthly Ministry everything he does according to his Humanity everything he does in that life of obedience is not sin it's obedience so so you see that there is a righteous anger God God is angry with the wicked every day according to Psalm 711 I'm sure God in terms of casting fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain I speak as a man but I doubt he had a great big smile on his face is an expression of his righteousness it is an expression of his Justice and with reference to our lord Jesus he goes into the temple which is to be the dwelling of God with men and he sees it Pros prostituted he sees it uh uh hoard out he sees it and it's an offense to him so what does he do he takes matters into his own hands to correct the abuse he drives the money changers out he turns the tables over I don't think Jesus would be as welcomed in churches and society today as we might be led to believe Jesus would stand up and he does so in Matthew 23 to the religious leaders of his day and he says woe to you scri and and Pharisees Hypocrites you're like a bag of snakes Jesus says to his contemporaries the religious leaders in his day look at you man you you you you strain out the net with your fastidious detailed attention to what you perceive as God's law and all the while you swallow the camel and then he says to others to to take the speck out of your own eye before you judge the plank that's in your brother's eye oh Jesus he's so gentle sweet and Mild most of us would probably run out of the church when he preached and told us how things really are oh oh we don't we don't want to hear that we we don't like that we like happy peppy messages we like a cheerleader leading Us in in the way that we should go about our lives now notice the rationale behind this verse 16 he said to those who sold doves take these things away do not make my father's house a house of merchandise then his disciples remembered that it was written Zeal for your house has eaten me up it's the glory of God that animates the Son of God it's the glory of God that moves the Son of God and that's the emphasis look at 7:18 chapter 7 specifically at Verse 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own Glory but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true and no unrighteousness is in him you see that's what he wants notice in John 11 specifically Verses 4 and then again at 40 verse 4 when Jesus heard that he said this sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified through it notice the reciprocity there the glory of the father is the glory of the son the glory of the son is the glory of the father see the doctrine of the Trinity was not foisted upon the scripture the doctrine of the Trinity comes from the scripture God tells us that he is one true and living God God tells us that he exists eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit he tells us in John 1:1 in the beginning was the word the word was with God distinctness from the father and the Word was God the same Essence as the father he is consubstantial one in substance with the father so the father's glory is the son's Glory the son's glory is the Father's glory and that's the emphasis In this passage in John 12 he says father glorify your name now notice the father's response verse 28 then a voice Came From Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again this is the third time that we know of in the gospel well the third time in the gospel records that the father speaks approbation to the son in his Earthly Ministry it happens at the baptism this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased at the baptism of Jesus Remember the dove comes and it falls upon Jesus we've got the father son and Spirit old creation the Triune God is involved New Creation the Triune God is involved the Father the Son and the spirit there at the River Jordan in fact Turan says the Ancients used to say if you want to learn or see the doctrine of the Trinity go to the River Jordan because that's where you will see him and then as well at the Mount of transfiguration what happens Jesus is transfigured before that he is blazing glory to his disciples there and the father again this is my beloved Son hear him the hear him brings us back to Deuteronomy 18 and the promise of God to Moses to Israel that the Lord would bring bring up a or raise up a prophet and you were to hear him and so at the baptism at the Transfiguration and here at the sole trouble of our Lord Jesus Christ a voice Came From Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again what does he mean the father is glorified in the son his public Ministry up until this point his Doctrine his miracles his life of obedience all of that glorifies the father it will be glorified again at the cross the sole trouble of our Lord Jesus a connected to this hour which is the cross of the Lord Jesus is the grand demonstration of the glory of God most high that my brothers and sisters ought to be the primary focus of God's people we considered that in the morning hour in the chapter of Divine Providence chapter 5 in the confession what is the purpose for all things well I think again that Westminster catechism starts there what is the chief end of man man's Chief end is a car it's a dime it's a lake house it's all this that's not man's Chief end man's Chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever see when you look at the Bible it's very typical for us to see us first I'm not saying we're not in there we're in there just not in the places we'd like all we like sheep have gone astray no fear of God before our eyes the Bible is God centered the Bible is theocentric the Bible is about God most high Father Son and Holy Spirit Well summarized in Romans 11:36 for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever amen so the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to his resolve his commitment to his mission has one driving driving motivation and that is the glory of his father the father expresses the glory that he has in and through the son the sole trouble of our blessed savior is terminated here on the reality that father and son will be glorified through the mission of the son again we'll visit the rest of this discourse probably in two weeks time as we have the baptism next time but I just want to leave us with this thought two thoughts actually first we need to appreciate the person of the Lord Jesus Christ he's unique he's not like anyone else you're not like Jesus as much as you want to be as much as you try to be this is why exemplary preaching always falls short just try harder and be like Jesus that's not the message of the Gospel the message of the Gospel is you tried as hard as you can or probably not at all all and you'll never be like Jesus but God sent Jesus to live for you to die for you and to rise again to rescue you from the sin and the depravity that you know so we need to understand the person of the Lord Jesus Christ those two Natures in the one person it is for us men and for our Salvation John 1:1 and John 1:14 are absolutely crucial for the Salvation of Sinners if it isn't the word who became flesh for us there's no salvation if it isn't a perfect righteousness if it isn't a Bloodshed that is substitutionary in nature if it isn't the satisfaction of divine justice At The Cross there's no forgiveness so we ought to be as God's people very happy and very appreciative that the Lord undertook at our particular level that he sent his son to do what the son does for the glory of the Father the Son and the spirit so that we might have everlasting life so Christian I hope you go home today rejoice in in the fact that your blessed savior is divine but rejoicing as well that your blessed savior is human that he indeed took on our Humanity that he indeed lived for us Rose died and Rose for us and for unbelievers listen to jesus' words I may not get a kick at the can again you may not show up next time look at what he says in verse 36 and these are people again they're not asking qu you know when they say when you read look at verse 34 the people answered him this this isn't a search for information they're not really wanting a Bible study at this point their minds are made up this is bringing the the the public Ministry of Jesus in The Gospel of John to an end this is it John 12 that's it public Ministry is over John 131 the book of The Passion so notice what they said the people answering we have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever that's not a bad reading of the law law here means the Old Testament does the law say that the Lord Jesus will live or that the Messiah will live forever sure it does the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your foot stol we saying that at the outset of worship verse four you are a priest according to the order of melkisedek what forever what does Isaiah the prophet announced concerning the identification of the king the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6 he's Everlasting father they didn't misread the law at that point but they did misread it at the point of suffering does the Old Testament teach the suffering of the Messiah Isaiah 53 uh 53 he was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief we hid as it were our faces from him uh Daniel 9 that that that one that's cut off in Daniel 9 that's not the Antichrist that's Jesus Christ cut off we have Old Testament Revelation that tells us that the Messiah would achieve Victory through suffering and death Genesis 3:15 again you shall bruise his heel but he shall crush your head what's the bruising of the heel of the Sun or seed promised in Genesis 3 it's the cross so they missed that point so they're not again inviting him to a Bible study they didn't get the coffee out now and say okay Jesus we want to learn from you no we have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever and how can you say the son of man must be lifted up they were looking for an Earthly Messiah to bring back geopolitical Pres to subjugate the Roman armies and to make sure they had a good life in the temporal sphere so so how can you say that the Christ that the Messiah that the son of man must die and then notice who is this son of man again it's with derision they're not basking in the glory of the son of man present with them they're challenging him they're laying down the gauntlet they are saying we we don't we don't want any truck with you we don't want anything to do with you you're you're kind of out of your mind as far as we're concerned and that's why Jesus doesn't sit there with a coffee and engage in Bible study he presses them and perhaps some of you need to be pressed perhaps you've heard the gospel before Life Death Resurrection the way of Salvation isn't your good works the way of Salvation isn't you trying harder the way of Salvation is to look and live to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ he presses them a little while longer the light is with you walk while you have the light less dark overtake you He Who Walks in darkness does not know where he is going while you have the light believe in the light that you may become sons of Light Jesus is the light and he is pressing them to believe on him so that they may become sons of Light again John 1 one or John 1 is in the background he came to his own his own did not receive him but as many as received him to them he gave the right to be become children of God they weren't born by the will of man they weren't born of the flesh they were born by the power of a gracious God so if you're an unbeliever may I encourage you hopefully lovingly and yet firmly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for the clarity of our Lord's teaching we thank you for the resolve in his life the fact that he didn't shrink back the fact that he drank the cup of God wrath the fact that he underwent that baptism that overwhelming wrath and fury of God we know he does this or he did this for our for our salvation and we rejoice in that again bless the preaching of the Gospel Open Hearts to receive these things and we pray this through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen will you can turn with me in your hym books to 568 568 we'll stand as we sing the doxology in praise to our great God [Music] him all creatures here PR the heavly h PR father son [Music] andly the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen father thank you that you are glorious and wondrous that you sent the son on this mission of Salvation we rejoice in the power of the Holy Spirit who has shown us these things and granted us The Graces of faith and repentance go with us now help us to call this day a delight and may you bless and encourage and strengthen each of your people and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation