← Back to sermon library

e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e welcome to everyone it's good to be in the House of our God on this Lord's Day morning just a couple of announcements before we begin first just a reminder that our evening service tonight is at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday night bible study is at 7:30 p.m. and then next Sunday after the morning worship there is a young people's luncheon uh there was an email that went out so please review that so you know what to bring and that uh hopefully the Lord's blessing will be upon that and then the final announcement is that Julian van doop has applied for church church membership uh I met with him the other day it was very encouraging and edifying I can't see him there he is um and so I commend him to you uh he's been baptized so God willing in a few weeks we'll call him up and receive him into the membership if there are no objections to that so again Julian van do membership at free Grace Baptist Church where well for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 121 Psalm 10 21 for our call to worship our great and and living and true God I'll begin reading in verse one a song of asense I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help my help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth he will not allow your foot to be moved he who keeps you will not Slumber behold he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep the Lord is your keeper the Lord is your shade at your right hand the sun shall not strike you by day nor the Moon by Night the Lord shall preserve you from all evil he shall preserve your soul the Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forever more amen well please turn with me in your hymb books to Psalm 98 C Psalm 98c as in Charlie and we'll stand as we sing togethering for the Wonders he has is andly Tri to his in his love and tender Mercy he has salv in the of every nation he is rightousness has TR the mercy for his people he has ever and his and Sal he has to all sing mer to pra to sing sming of music shall be the Lord with all your all now PR to the of your voice for beh the glor will nation and his be well let us pray our great God and Holy Father we Rejoice to gather in your house on your day it is a blessed privilege for us as the the redeemed of the Lord and we want to sing your Praises pray to you and hear from Holy scripture we ask God that you would be glorified even Father Son and Holy Spirit that as we come to the father through the son in the spirit you would be exalted and enthroned upon the Praises of your people here we ask that you would be magnified that you would cause us to to see you in your glory to see what scripture says concerning our true and living God and may we rejoice in your goodness and your kindness and your mercy to us in the salvation of our souls we ask that you would bless and and strengthen and encourage each one of us God we want to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior so we call upon you to send forth your holy spirit that he would be at work in our hearts and in our minds that you would promote in us that fear and reverence of such a great and awesome God and may it always be mingled with that that that rejoicing that that celebration and Thanksgiving for your wonderful Grace in our lives we ask that you would be pleased as well to bless savingly any and all all who have come here this morning that are dead in their trespasses and sins we don't appeal to them and their free will to make good decisions but we pray to the god of absolute Sovereign power and Glory the scripture says that you make men willing in the day of your power and we pray that we would witness that even here today you would Open Hearts and cause there to be that conviction for sin and set forth Christ and all of his offices to save and may Sinners believe on him and may they know the joy of being found in him and God forgive us all now for our sins as we come before you we are mindful that our lives do not reflect what you call us unto you say we are to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel and yet we know father there is that in us that remaining corruption we are prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love so we confess that now trusting in the righteousness of Jesus Christ trusting in his blood alone as John says we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so cleanse us and wash us and plunge Us in that that fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness we thank you God that we're not alone in this community we pray for your blessing upon other churches in our city here that you would cause them to know The Nearness of God as their good you would encourage and bless them help them to continue to go forward in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit we pray for those churches that we have more intimate communion with for the Saints in sui and in Armstrong and in dren we thank you for those Brethren and pray God that you would indeed bless them as they gather together today bless those men set apart for the proclamation of your truth may they know the presence and the power of the spirit and may the spirit attend that word and may it indeed be the day of salvation and the day of sanctification and edification we pray for the churches in Sig we just commend those Brethren to you and to the word of your grace and pray that they would indeed shine as a light in this crooked and perverse generation and that they would hold forth the word of Truth in that part of the world and God bless our Brethren and Elder at we thank you for the Grace Baptist Church we pray for pastor naph and for Moses and Remy that those men would continue to be faithful that you would use them for your glory in that land and that they would indeed be uh Servants of the most high in the proclamation of Jesus Christ and him crucified and resurrected God our hearts go out to the persecuted church we know that there is great suffering we read on a regular basis those accounts from various Nations where it's not just false religion but most often and more often than not it's government oppression of the people of God so Lord we pray for your Saints wherever they find themselves that they would be persevering by your grace and For Your Glory that they would not recant but they would be faithful and that they would be those who who continue to set forth Jesus Christ as Prophet priest and King we think specifically of Myanmar and the ongoing challenges there we pray God for the the blessing of God to be upon those those children that they would be removed from that dangerous spot where they presently are to the the safer and remoter parts of that nation and God bless Peter and give him wisdom and Grace and help and strength and just enable him to continue with this work that you've entrusted to him and God sustain him both physically and spiritually certainly he has undergone many many hardships and and travails and afflictions over these past several years so God uphold him bless him bless his family and just continue to use him there as well our father we pray that you would be merciful in this nation we know that we live in a day and age where where men call good evil and evil good we see all manner of lawlessness in this country we see a complete disregard of the sixth commandment with reference to abortion and youth in Asia we see a complete disregard of the seventh commandment in terms of the sexual perversion that is openly promoted and God we pray that in your wrath you would remember wrath to those enemies of God but as well Mercy for your church and for image Bears we pray that you would have mercy upon those in high places you would turn their hearts to do the right thing you would either a redeem them or B restrain them or C remove them from their office for God we know that righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people we do pray for our prime minister we pray for our our civil Authority we pray that they would seek the Lord while he may be found that they may call upon him while he is near that they would indeed know the the the joy of being found in him God and we would know the joy of being governed in a way that is consistent with what we find in Holy Scripture Lord bless this hour of worship be glorified here and and strengthen and encourage each one of us bless our children our young people bless the babies in the womb thank you for the new birth of of baby Leif we just pray for your blessing upon that family that you would be gracious and be glorified and we ask through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen we can turn with me again in your hym books to Psalm 1 Psalm 1 be as in bravo and we'll stand as we sing together [Applause] [Music] is stand the S place for for the god his for he is [Music] Tre the holy his seest his are Alles and in all Su will beess the sh and all all stand [Music] for know the way the will be will you can turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew's gospel chapter 26 for our scripture reading this morning Matthew 26 we'll read verses 36- 56 Matthew chap 26 beginning in verse 36 then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to the disciples sit here while I go and pray over there and he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed then he said to them my soul is is exceedingly sorrowful even to death stay here and watch with me he went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed saying oh my father if it is possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as you will then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter what could you not watch with me one hour Watch and Pray lest you enter into temptation the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak again a second time he went away and prayed saying oh my father if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it your will be done and he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy so he left them went away again and prayed the third time saying the same words then he came to his disciples and said to them are you still sleeping and resting behold the hour is at hand and the son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners rise let us be going see my betrayer is at hand and while he was still still speaking behold Judas one of the TW with a great multitude with swords and clubs came from the chief priests and Elders of the people now his betrayer had given them a sign saying whomever I kiss he is the one sees him immediately he went up to Jesus and said greetings Rabbi and kissed him but Jesus said to him friend why have you come then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took him away and suddenly one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his his hand and Drew his sword struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear but Jesus said to him put your sword in its place for all who take the sword will perish by the sword or do you think that I cannot now pray to my father and he will provide me with more than 12 Legions of angels how then could the scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen thus in that hour Jesus said to the multitudes have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to take me I sat daily with you teaching in the temple and you did not seize me but all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled then all the disciples forsook him and fled amen well just a couple of quick observations we notice the true Humanity of our savior one of the glories of our religion is the fact the Son of God the word of God became flesh and dwelt among us and we see that specifically here in the garden he is praying as the son of man he is praying according to his Humanity he's praying as the mediator betx God and men and so when he says to the father oh my father if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it your will be done so he has this this understanding of what lay before him in terms of this cup of God's holy wrath and fury he understands all too well why he has come he's not confused he's not sort of searching he's not sort of in a crisis and and and anything like that but he knows specifically that he has come to die and it's not just the physical violence G inflicted upon Him by Humanity but it's the Divine Justice it's the Wrath and fury of God Almighty because God must punish sin he must punish Sinners and the only way that we could avoid that is by one taking our place so Christ in our stead satisfies Divine Justice on our behalf the one that Psalm 1 is about we sang Psalm 1 and it commends to us a holy and a Pious and a righteous life certainly we need to learn to pursue that but I think Psalm 1 is a description of our savior just like Psalm 15 the one who dwells in the Holy Tabernacle of God most high that that's Jesus he is the one who is absolutely positively righteous so he lives this life of perfect righteousness unto the father he dies in our place as a sacrifice and a substitute and he's raised again the Third day so this gives us sort of a a snapshot view into what happened in terms of the suffering of the son of man on our behalf you remember Dr renahan preached from Psalm 88 that Psalm of absolute abject despondency and he made the the correlation between that Psalm and what we find in the life of the Savior well I would suggest that Gethsemane sheds light on that Jesus says but not my will thine be done so he understands the Wrath and fury and judgment that is coming upon him represented in that cup that he wants to pass from him but he is resolved and resigned to do the will of the father who sent him it is a most glorious expression of the humanity of our savior and does well notice the kindness and the mercy and the grace of our savior consistent with what we find say for instance in Psalm 103 notice what he says to the disciples in verse 44 so he left them went away again and prayed the third time saying the same words then he came to his disciples and said to them are you still sleeping and resting behold the hour is at hand the son of man is being betrayed into the hands of Sinners well back up just a little bit sorry about that notice in verse 41 watch and pray lest you enter into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak so he calls them to per you know to to to perseverance in prayer and watchfulness but he understands the spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak and in that I think there's a glimpse of Psalm 103 the father pities us he knows that we're but dust he knows our frame that's not to excuse our lack of watchfulness it's not to excuse our lack of perseverance or our carefulness but it is a recognition of our Humanity it is a recognition of our creatureliness and it is a recognition even of our sinfulness and God most high is merciful he is patient he is gracious Jesus doesn't cast them out of the garden and say I'm done with you forever and ever and ever World Without End Amen because you wouldn't stay up with me even Peter in the subsequent section is going to deny the Savior and that does not result in Jesus casting him off forever so these things are not written to to to Pardon our laziness or our or our apathy or our sinfulness they do encourage us with the reality that if we do sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you that you sent the son of your love your only begotten son into the this world to save us from our sins we rejoice in his life of obedience we rejoice in his death as a sacrifice and a substitute we rejoice in his resurrection again the third day and for his current session now at the right hand of the father where he ever lives to make intercession for us where he functions as our Advocate with the father and where he saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh to God through him we look forward to his coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead and we pray that we would all be prepared for that day that we would all be looking to him in faith knowing the joy of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and we pray in his Most Blessed name amen you can turn with me again in your hym books to number 210 hymn 210 we stand as we sing together PR and everlasting father all the Earth to the all angels to the the and to oh holy holy holy world is Glory the apostles for might and Pro with with all the mar praise holy church throughout the world the how Eternal Father our countless mesty i h to Son and Holy Ghost ofing Joy oh Christ Glory th you can turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of John we're in John chapter 14 this morning our Focus will be verses 22 to 24 so mention before slowing down a bit as we move through this particular section of scripture to get what Jesus is presenting concerning the living and the true God one true and living God who exists eternally is Father Son and Holy Spirit this is the means by which he prepares and encourages his disciples for the Greater Works that he will send them out to do in terms of making disciples planting churches and ultimately turning the world upside down with the gospel Enterprise so I want to read beginning in John 14 at verse 12 most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me the works that I do he will do also and Greater Works than these he will do because I go to my father and whatever you ask in my name that I will do that the father may be glorified in the son if you ask anything in my name I will do it if you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you I will not leave you orphans I will come to you a little while longer and the world will see me no more but you will see me because I live you will live also at that day you will know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you he who has my Commandments and keeps them it is he who loves me and he who loves me Will Be Loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him Judas not a scariot said to him Lord how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world Jesus answered and said to him if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him he who does not love me does not keep my words and the word which you hear is not mine but the father's who sent me these things I have spoken to you while being present with you but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you peace I leave with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid you have heard me say to you I am going away and coming back to you if you loved me you would Rejoice because I said I am going to the father for my father is greater than I and now I have told you before it comes that when it does come to pass you may believe I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming and he has nothing in me but that the world may know that I love the father and as the father gave me commandment so I do arise let us go from here amen well let us pray Our Father we thank you for the written word of the living and true God and how it demonstrates to us the Incarnate Word the word made flesh we praise you and we bless you for the gospel of our Salvation we praise you for the Forgiveness of sins and the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ received by faith alone and we praise you for the communion that it gives us in terms of Father Son and Holy Spirit cause us to reflect upon this now as we move through this section of scripture may we uh reflect upon the the the the great benefits and the great blessings that we possess as the people of God to that end we pray that your spirit would guide us and lead us and teach us and again father we pray that you'd Open Hearts and and raise dead Sinners and cause them to believe on Jesus and to know the the joy of communion with the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit forgive us again for all of our sin and unrighteousness and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well essentially if you look at chapter 14 specifically at verses TW uh 19 to 24 you have Jesus reiterate the same thing in other words verses 19 to 21 he commends not just uh love for him and obedience to him but that Springs as a result of faith in him remember in verse 12 he says most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me we're justified by God's grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that magnifi manifests itself through love and obedience so he mentions that and then he gives this promise to those who do love him those promis to those who do keep his Commandments notice in verse 21 he who has my Commandments and keeps them it is he who loves me and he who loves me Will Be Loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him now we'll see in just a moment how on the heels of Judas not a scariot question Jesus says about the same thing but he amplifies it or he expands on it or he he makes it even more meaningful as if that were even possible but in verse 21 notice at the end he who loves me Will Be Loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him note the amplification in verse 23 if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him and then note the shift to the plural pronoun and we will come to him and make our home with him so essentially the same but this added emphasis not just the son but the father we have this wonderful truth that in this Divine and infinite being there are three subsisten or persons the Father the word or Son and the Holy Spirit each having the whole Divine Essence yet the essence undivided and so I think that we can rightly conclude that when we get one of the persons of the Trinity we get all of the persons of the Trinity and I think that's specifically what Jesus is commending in this particular section of scripture and again remember the context he wants them to go out and do Greater Works he wants them to go out and and engage in gospel missions he doesn't say survey the culture find out what they wear find out what they eat find out what they do in terms of work he says I want you to understand what you possess in the gospel I want you to understand something about those every spiritual blessings in the Heavenly places in Christ I want you to understand what you have in terms of relationship to father son and Holy Spirit and if you look at this particular passage it has a specific application to the disciples in preparation for going out to do these Greater Works there's a broader application for us we do love Jesus we seek to keep his Commandments not so that we may be saved but because by God's grace we have been saved we're justified by faith The Reflex of that is love to Christ and obedience to Christ so whatever Jesus says here is true he comes and he manifests himself to us but as well we father and son will come and make our home with him and if you think about it this is kind of one of the big deals in all of scripture in other words it's God's dwelling with his people why did God make us not because he needed us not because he was incomplete not because there was an emptiness on the part of God so he had to make us in order to find satisfaction no he doesn't create out of need he doesn't make because of necessity he does it according to his own good pleasure wants to manifest his glory demonstrate his grace and his Mercy reveal the the the goodness of Jesus Christ and salvation by him so when we look at scripture we see this emphasis on God and I'm using wanting according to the manner of men but God wanting to dwell with us that's kind of an amazing thing isn't it the one who inhabits eternity the one who is from Everlasting to Everlasting The God Who created the God who governs The God Who redeems what is the endgame in this it's the manifestation of his glory and it's the dwelling together with his people so when you look at the first book of the Bible you'll see that emphasis God makes the Garden of Eden and it's not just the garden that we need to sort of focus on there and and Adam's vocation is not simply a gardener or a farmer the Garden of Eden is a a sanctuary the Garden of Eden is a temple the Garden of Eden is a place where God comes to be with Adam and Eve in fact in Genesis chter 3 after they resist or rather reject God's law we learn in Genesis 3:8 and they heard the sound of the Lord God Walking In The Garden in the cool of the day why do you think that was it was to commune with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day the idea being is that they would engage in their work at the end of the day they would have communion with the great God Of Heaven and Earth so it says they heard the sound of the Lord God Walking In The Garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord uh Lord God Among the Trees of the garden as well you continue on in the Old Testament you'll see that the Tabernacle that sort of temporary facility where Israel would worship God was a Dwelling Place of God where the people of God were to meet with him in fact at the announcement in Exodus 25 with reference to the instruction for the Tabernacle we we read in 258 and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them also the temple was to be a meeting place you can turn to First Kings chapter 8 First Kings chter 8 so we see God dwelling with Adam and Eve we see God dwelling with old Covenant Israel in that temporary facility called Tabernacle but as well uh Solomon understands the purpose for the temple that he is building notice in First Kings 8 at: 10 and it came to pass when the priest came out of the Holy place that the cloud came out of the Holy place that I'm sorry that the H uh that the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priest could not continue ministering because of the cloud for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord then Solomon spoke the Lord said he would dwell in the dark cloud I have surely built you an exalted house and a place for you to dwell in forever so again Solomon understands the limitations Solomon understands that the temple doesn't contain God it's not that God is there in the temple to the exclusion of filling everywhere else Solomon understands the limitations in terms of Temple but he also understands the purpose the import I have surely built you an exalted house and a place for you to dwell in Forever you see this as well as the trajectory of New Covenant religion Revelation 21 what does John the apost see he sees New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven as a bride adorned for her husband and as he's surveying this particular scene he says in verse 22 but I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its Temple we don't need some physical structure when God and the lamb are present and then we see This Promise built in to the announcement of the New Covenant but a promise that also extended to the old Covenant what was the Pinnacle of Covenant blessing when you review all of those historical covenants God says I will be their God and they shall be my people Jeremiah 3133 I will be their God and they shall be my people so when we move to a passage like this we don't want to read it without considering or pondering this is God's purpose this is God's plan this is one of the reasons why he saved us from our sins so that we can commune with him so that we can know him so that we can enjoy him in fact Jesus in John 17:3 is going to summarize the essence of eternal life that very way this is eternal life that they may Know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent in other words Brethren the chief blessing or Bon of our religion is God himself and that's specifically highlighted here in our passage in John 14 so in verses 19 to 21 Jesus outlines the blessing of eternal life he makes a contrast between the world and the believer he does that in light of verse 17 the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you so in verse 19 a little while longer and the world will see me no more they won't see him with the physical eye but they also don't understand with the spiritual eye they don't know the significance behind his life his death his resurrection but he says but you will see me notice the idea being not again the physicality of Jesus as he's risen from the dead though they would see that but they will see him in his offices to save they will see him in the significance of that life death and Resurrection they will see him at the right hand of the father where he ever lives to make intercession for them they will see him as their Advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous when they sin against him so he holds out these blessings of eternal life and then notice as well he says because I live you will live also because of the resur res rection of the dead because of Life uh the life and and death and resurrection of Our Lord we have everlasting life God delivered up Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him he was delivered up because of our offenses he was raised for our justification because he died because he lived we now have everlasting life and then notice in verse 20 at that day you will know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you the day of Resurrection to be sure the day of Pentecost and the day of judgment further manifestations of the reality of what Jesus sets forth in John specifically at 1410 and 11 do you not believe that I am in the father and the father and me verse 11 believe me that I am in the father and the father and me Brethren nobody can say that except Jesus we can't say that we're not in the father and the father in us now there is a sense where because of Grace and adoption and those blessings we participate in who God is and he is certainly Our God and we are his people but that's not how Jesus is speaking he talking about the same nature it's talking about the same Essence I'm in the Father the father is in me that's why I say when he says I come to you that means the father comes to you as well you can't separate the the persons of the Triune God and then he mentions the blessing of communion with Christ again in verse 21 he who has my commandment and keeps them it is he who loves me and he who loves me Will Be Loved by my father and I will love him and manifest him myself to him so so that's the sort of introductory thought and now Judas not a scariot author wants to make sure this ain't the betrayer remember the betrayer left Judas scariot is the man that's going to sell Jesus for 30 pieces of silver he's going to deliver him up to the Romans to be crucified at the Beast of the Jews the unbelieving religious leaders Prevail upon Judas they make this deal they profer a deal of 30 pieces of silver you deliver him up and then we'll take him deliver him up to Pilot and then he'll be executed we saw that in Gethsemane or on the heels of Gethsemane we see Judas friend come to him and yet he is betraying him so John wants us to make sure that this Judas is not a scariot he said to him Lord how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world so when we look at this question we see the questioner it's not Judas es scariot it's the other Judas but the question I would suggest there's a benefit in this question just as there were previously in in the chapter look at chapter 14 specifically at verse 4 you uh and and where I go you know and the way you know Thomas said to him Lord we do not know where you're going and how can we know the way so the question of the disciple produces more answer from the master and guess who benefits from that you and I do so when Thomas says we we don't know where you are going and how can we know the way it's on the heels of that Jesus makes that glorious declaration but then drop down to verse 7 if you had known me you would have known my father also and from now on you know him and have seen him Philip said to him Lord show us the father and it is sufficient for us we ought to be thankful that the disciples asked these questions we ought to be thankful that the Masters open to these questions we ought to be thankful that that that Jesus doesn't say just shut up and knuckle under and listen to what I have to say he responds he answers he gives further information he amplifies he he expands he explains and that's precisely what we find following to uh judas's question here but I would suggest as well the context of the question why does he ask this because on the one hand the world isn't going to see but on the other hand the Believers are going to see the nature of that question it could have just been for more information how is it that you're going to manifest yourself to the to the one group but not the other but it might also be something of Judas not a scariot heart for other sinners Lord we we want you to manifest yourself to them too hopefully we're not the only 12 that are getting this bird's eyye view or the 11 that are getting this bird's eyye view on who you are we we want others to know this this blessed Joy of being found in him and it might also be born out of this thought in a humble sort of way why are you manifesting yourself to us and not the world Why Us have you ever had that thought you look around at the world and you see so many people that are headlong Hellbound into sin and you wonder what why why me God why am I saved what what makes me different well it's not your performance it's not your lawke keeping it's not your righteousness it's God's grace his good pleasure there is that sense where where there ought to be in the lives of God's people and occasional reflection upon why me I got big problems Lord I had big problems those big problem still persist and consist at times why me so so that could be why Judas not a scariot is asking these questions but as I said it provides the ground now for Jesus to expand to amplify and to teach so uh Judas says Lord how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world so notice in verse 23 he takes up the to us this manifestation of Jesus to the disciples so Jesus answers and says to him if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him so the Lord reiterates what he says in verse 21A to expand upon what he says in verse 21b now it may seem like I'm spending a lot of time on structure here but I think it's very important notice again 21A he who has my Commandments and keeps them it is who loves me 23A if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him notice 21b and he who loves me Will Be Loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him 23b and we will come to him and make our home with him brethren we read these things at times and we don't spend time reflecting and pondering I would imagine for these disciples initially they're they're hearing Jesus with so many words but as they reflect upon this later on under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit they're saying wait a minute so Jesus coming and manifesting himself to us means the Father and Jesus coming and manifesting themselves to us in other words there is a tri unity in other words there is a trinity of persons in the one true and living God this is what Christ is commending to them so when it comes to this particular reality as he expands I want to look at I know this is going to make you go oh man we're going to be here forever it's not we got seven observations on this amplification or this explanation typically after three people are ready to check out if it's not a three-point sermon you got four five no six absolutely positively not seven I'm running please don't do that seven quick thoughts on this expansion in terms of what Jesus says in verse 21b and now in verse 23b and some of those observations will be brief others will be a bit more detailed first the statement underscores a plurality of persons in the godhead so this idea that you know NAIA or Constantine made up the doctrine of the Trinity could not be further from the truth in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us that word that was in the beginning that that word that was with God that word that was God that word took on our humanity and he dwelt Among Us so the idea that men made up the doctrine of the Trinity is absolutely false the doctrine of the Trinity is the very heartbeat of the Christian religion the doctrine of the Trinity is who God is he is one true and living God who exists eternally as father Son and Holy Spirit if you do not confess that if you do not own that if you do not participate in that by faith you are not saved that is the identification of the true and living God now brethren we need to make a distinction that sometimes people are saved in spite of their knowledge sometimes people are saved in spite of their deficiencies in the understanding of the Triune God and we bless God for that but if presented with truth if taught the truth if if given these things you need to embrace them because they're revealed Propet positionally by God in Holy Scripture so the first observation is is that there is a plurality of persons in the godhead notice secondly the statement points to the father and the son so look at verse 23 again he says if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him father and son go back to John 14: 10 and 11 do do not believe that I am in the father and the father in me the words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority but the father who dwells in me who does the works believe me that I'm in the father and the father in me or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves I'd love to actually present a test right now and ask you if you remember what that word is that that describes the mutual indwelling of the persons one with another it's paresis the fact is is that the father is in the Son and the son is in the father so much so that if the son is manifesting himself to the one who loves him and to the one who obeys him that means the father is present as well in fact serial of Alexandria makes this observation since the only begotten dwells in our heart the father is Not absent the son has the one who begat him in himself since he is one of one Essence with him and he himself is in the father by Nature again I mentioned this a bit earlier but I think it's something to keep in mind if you have one of the persons of the Trinity you have all of the persons of the Trinity one true and living God in this Divine and infinite being there are three persons the Father the word or Son and the Holy Spirit you don't get part of God you don't get little bits of God you get God you get the father and the son coming and dwelling in you but I would suggest thirdly the statement includes the Holy Spirit it's not that it's just the father and the son but it's by necessity the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit again in this Divine and infinite being there are three persons the Father the word Son and the Holy Spirit each having the whole Divine Essence and yet the essence undivided so you get God you get all of God so notice specifically in our passage in verses 16 and 17 the Lord Jesus verse 16 says I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you it's already sad that the spirit dwells us it's already underscored the fact that we receive the Holy Spirit notice in verse 25 these things I have spoken to you while being present with you but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you of course this is a special equipping of the disciples to go out and turn the world upside down and making disciples and planting churches and some of them writing the New Testament documents there's the general reality that for the people of God when we believe the gospel of Christ we are sealed and given the guarantee of the Holy Spirit he's on board he indwells us I don't want to use GPS but he's sort of like that GPS he is never apart from the people of God for whom Jesus died and was raised again so when Jesus says in verse 23b we will come to him and make our home with him it's a reference to Father it's a reference to the son but it's also inclusive of the Holy Spirit listen to Augustine he says lest any should imagine that the father and the son only without the Holy Spirit make their Abode with those that love them let him recall what was said above of the Holy Spirit whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye shall know him for he shall dwell with you and shall be in you verse 17 Augustine goes on to say here you say uh here you see that along with the father and the son the Holy Spirit also takes up his Abode in the saints that is to say within them as God in his Temple I love that he picks up on that language that I introduced the sermon with God dwells in Eden as a temple God dwells in the Tabernacle as a temple God dwells in the Temple as a temple the Son of God comes and temples or dwells Among Us in 2122 of Revelation there's no temple in terms of an apparatus that we enter into for religious worship because the lamb the the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are the temple so then Augustine says the Triune God Father and Son and Holy Spirit come to us while we are coming to them they come with help we come with obedience they come to Enlighten we to behold they come to fill we to contain that our vision of them may not be external but Inward and their abiding in us may not be transitory but Eternal it's good gloss or good comment on that reality so it's the father and the son the we and the hour but that's inclusive of the Holy Spirit as well fourthly the statement here in verse 23 uh 23b is reminiscent of verse two in the chapter look back at verse chap uh chapter 14:1 chapter 14:1 let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me now I had joked earlier about a test on paresis there's no test and I do not expect everybody to be able to rehearse all these things and you this is this and that it it's kind of introduction kind of a here's some theology that that helps you I think guide you through scripture and what is a mystery in our Christian religion it's the glory of it it's the heartbeat of it the doctrine of the Triune God but but it's a mystery in this Divine and infinite being there are three persons that's not the way we normally truck that's not the way we normally think right so so there's no quiz there's no test some of this may be a bit confusing but just stick with it stick with it in your Bible reading stick with it in your reflection stick with it in your prayer lives stick with it in your your public Worship in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ so notice what Jesus then says in verse two in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you in my father's house there are many rooms or many homes or or many places however you want to translate that I I favored Mansions when we went through this particular passage because I think it it bespeaks the glory of God in other words when when when Jesus goes to prepare this place for us and then promises that he'll come back grab us not grab us in some weird or unsavory way but to take us back up into that man Che God's not the federal government you get a 300 square foot room and a in a bowl of bugs each day and you know just Slug It Out and enjoy there's Mansions of Glory there's Heaven above there's magnificence and Splendor and excellence and and wonder you're in the presence of the most high World Without End Amen Mansions captures that in a very glorious way when I think of something wonderful I don't think 300 square feet and a bowl of bugs I think Mansion I think Bounty I think Feast I think bless I think excellence and that's what the Lord Jesus goes to prepare for us but notice what he does he prepares this Mansion or he prepares this Abode or he prepares this home in heaven so that at his second coming he he collects us and and then brings us there but he uses the same language in verse 23 if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our our mansion with him we'll make our our home with him we'll make our Abode with him we'll make our dwelling with him see the glory of the Mansion language in 142 isn't on all the accouterment it's on the fact that God is there and so the Lord Jesus says on that day you will come to be where I am but until that day guess what the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are going to dwell in you they are going to make a home in you you are going to be recipient of all the blessedness of God most high already it's not yet been fully realized in terms of the New Jerusalem and the Eternal state but we already have this we've already been blessed we already possess this is what Jesus says in verse 23 the one who loves me and keeps my Commandments those are the ones who are justified by Faith by the way and those who love me and keep my Commandments Will Be Loved by my father I will manifest myself to them but when the question is pressed Jesus says we will come and make our home with him so the language of verse two points to the not yet the language of verse 23b points to the already we have God we have Father Son and Holy Spirit the one true and living God takes up residence in us again there's that reflection well why us you know we're a we're a garden of Eden we're a tabernacle we're a dwelling we're a sanctuary of the most high Brethren that's what the New Covenant documents teach that's why I've often encouraged us when we Ponder these things and we reflect upon what we're doing on the Lord's day when we come to the Lord's house we're experiencing the Lord's blessings in ways that that I'm not sure we fully get yet and I'm not saying that as a disc I've got the same challenges I you know I I wake up and I want to myself I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord and you know but that that doesn't stick right there's issues that come up especially when you're young younger and you have little kids isn't it Sunday morning your kid could not lose his shoe any other day of the week but he always loses his shoe on the Sunday morning kid has his Bible religiously Monday through Saturday but where's your Bible when we're walking out the I don't know that that there's always some Challenge on a Sunday morning to get betwix us and the gladness of heart when we are told let us go to the house of the Lord that's creaturely sometimes it's sinfully the bottom line is we already possess it but we don't yet have the fullness of it but Jesus is commending to us this reality that in him we have God in him we have the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit the Lord prepares mansions and Glory above and will come again and receive us to himself but in the meantime for those of us who by God's grace who've been Justified freely by by Grace those who do his commands those who love him and again not perfectly not without blemish not without spot Jesus promises that we will come and make our our home with him the blessing of the Triune God upon his people I'm going to stretch one more time in terms of a bit of theological explanation of the doctrine of the Trinity we've seen this in the Saturday morning study which by the way anybody can come to if you want to spend the 10 bucks or 15 bucks on the book and show up on you know Saturday morning at Dark 30 you're all welcome to come we meet at 6:30 every other Saturday morning we studied the doctrine of Christ we're in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and one of the things in this book on the Holy Spirit we've been reminded of by the the author Fred Sanders which by the way is a very excellent little book is something that Gregory of Nissa pointed out and not just Gregory of Nissa but theologians scattered throughout the church Gregory said this but every operation which extends from God to the creation again this is not a quiz is this isn't a testable moment but just listen and and as I mentioned at the last Saturday morning study these categories these strategies these tactics these ways of understanding are really helpful to to try to get at how can God be one and three how can it be one Divine infinite being and yet three persons again we may not fully understand it well we won't God is comprehended his Essence is comprehended by by none but himself the finite can't get at the infinite we can get at what he reveals to us that is true but we can't exhaust him so anyway this is a good concept to keep in your mind he says every operation which which extends from God to the creation and is named according to our variable conceptions of it has its origin from the father and proceeds through the son and is perfected in the Holy Spirit so again that that I don't think that's too hard how do we maintain the unity of the Divine being we have a Doctrine called Inseparable operations everything outside of God is done by that one true and living God Father Son and Holy Spirit we have a doctrine of Appropriations how do we appreciate each of the persons of the of the Triune god well these prepositions help everything comes from the father through the son in the spirit again one true and living God who exists eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit and we can appreciate that through a bit of English grammar Greek grammar too we've got prepositions from the father through the son in the spirit huh does the bible teach this well turn to the book of Ephesians Ephesians chapter 1 Ephesians chapter 1 notice in verse three blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ so what's Paul's saying I want to celebrate I want to Rejoice I want to bless God for all the blessings that he has given us the blessings he has given to us are benefits of Salvation the blessing we give to him is just to pronounce how wonderful he is we don't add to him but we simply declare what he possesses so Paul starts verse three says blessed be this God and then Paul starts to look specifically at what this blessed God does in terms of the Salvation of Sinners and we see this from through and in Motif the father chose us in Christ we have Redemption through the blood of Jesus we have application of it in the spirit so Ephesians 1 3-14 demonstrates this from through in Motif so does Ephesians 2 1 to10 you're dead in your trespasses and sins you you walk according to the prince of the power of the air who works in the sons of Disobedience you're a wretch you're messed up but God verse four who rich in Mercy blesses us through the Lord Jesus Christ in the spirit so again Gregory says every concept operation which extends from the from God to the creation has its origin from the father proceeds through the Sun and is perfected in the holy spirit it's a beautiful way to kind of view it a beautiful way to kind of get one's mind wrapped around look over at Ephesians 3 Ephesians chapter 3 where I think he sort of highlights hits these heads in prayer notice in 3:14 for this reason I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named that he would Grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man that Christ May dwell in your hearts through faith that you being ground uh rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God again if the the prepositions aren't specifically there the prepositional meaning is these Works extend from the father they come through the son and they are received in the spirit so that when Jesus says the one who loves me the one who keeps my Commandments we will come and make our home in him we see this this emphasis on the Triune God inhabiting his people through faith then I would suggest fifthly and you can stay in Ephesians the fifth observation on the text is that the statement is then reciprocated in the believer's worship of God I'm leaning right on Sanders here for the Saturday morning guys you're you're probably thinking he's stealing this from Sanders yep taking it right out of his book so so listen to the fifth state uh fifth point the statement is reciprocated in the believer's worship of God God's blessings come from the father through the Son and the spirit how do we go to God in the spirit through the son to the father again Brethren there's still mystery it's still tough but I guarantee you when you start thinking the way the church has helped us to think with reference to trinitarian passages it goes a long way to helping get it again not exhaustively my promise isn't that you're going to know the mind of God perfectly you're not it'll never happen I can assure you on Divine Authority that will never happen there is a breach or a Chasm between the finite and the infinite that we cannot make up for God has revealed truth God has called us to think his thoughts after him God has called us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ walking downtown or having a a walking downtown and meeting a Jehovah's Witness or having a Jehovah's Witness stand at your door and you saying well I think the Bible kind of teaches the Trinity somewhere that's not the way the church met that challenge it's not the way the people of God met that challenge do you not think that in the early centuries of Christianity the pagans the Jews and and and later on the Muslims all asked H how could you have one God who exists in three persons you think we're the first generation that's ever countered that question or experienced that well one God three person that sounds like a contradiction I mean it's like a parrot that's all they ever say sounds like a contradiction just bat him on the head and tell him to keep you know keep talking say something else do you think we're the early church was faced with that again by the Jews you think the Jews trucked with the doctrine of the Trinity they hate Jesus they despised Jesus they abhor Jesus Jesus said you're of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do so when the Christians start celebrating this Triune God how do you think that went over in synagogues do you think oh that's great yeah you've shined more light on us in terms of the understanding of who God is no they they despised it and loaded it and abort it the pagans the pagans were polytheists they had a whole plurality of gods but not one true and living God who exists eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit in fact one has commented that it was atheism which was charged against the early Church in the book of Acts you could have a Pantheon you could have a plurality but to have one true and living no that's where we have to now uh oppress or persecute you and then of course the is uh Muslims who do you think Thomas aquinus is writing against when he's arguing for the the one true and living God who exists eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit the best of Muslim philosophers again the same thing that obtains today Muslims say some kind of decent stuff about Jesus but not the real stuff that the Bible says he was a prophet of God he had dignity all that sort of sort of a thing they don't see him as the Son of God one in nature with the father and the spirit and came for us men and for our Salvation assumed our they don't see all that so the early church had to combat these attacks and what they have yielded to and provided for us later on are some good tactics some good strategies some some good Wheels to help us move the church into the future not trying to redevelop or reinvent what has already stood the test of time so this from the father through the son in the spirit blessing of God upon his people is reciprocated by the people to God we go in the spirit through the son to the father I think I've said that probably a not a billion but maybe a billion times over the last couple of years look at Ephesians 2 specifically in verse 18 for through him Jesus we both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit to the father that's what corporate worship looks like in the spirit through the son to the father look at verse 22 well verse 21 in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy Temple in the Lord in whom you also are being built together for a Dwelling Place of God in the spirit so back to John 14 the Lord Jesus Christ is amplifying he's expanding he is showing and illustrating the glory of the Triune God inhabiting those for whom Jesus died those for whom Jesus was raised again those who by God's grace believe on Jesus they receive the Triune God In His glory and his majesty and his power I would suggest 6ly that the statement is reminiscent of Isaiah 57:15 and holds out the promise of communion with the Triune God the prophet or Isaiah 57 says for thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in a high and holy place with him who has a contrite and humble Spirit uh uh uh to to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones it feels like I missed something in that citation so I'm going to go read it right out of Isaiah 57:15 Isaiah 57:15 for thus says the high and lofty one who is uh who inhabits eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him who has a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones imagine being one of those disciples in that Upper Room Jesus starts talking about we will come we will make our home with him what what are you thinking you you know Isaiah the prophet you know you know 57:15 you know what the score is so Jesus is using that language of Abode or of home or of mansion or of dwelling and then I would suggest seventhly the statement what Jesus says in 23b is the basis at least one of the bases for the confessional statement with reference to the doctrine of the Trinity it is the foundation of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence on him other words if we don't know this again I'm not saying you can't go to heaven if you don't read Fred Sanders it's not the point you can't go to heaven unless you memorize second London chapter 2 paragraph 3 I'm going to say you're going to be happier on your way to heaven memorizing second London chapter 3 or chapter 2 paragraph 3 but Brethren there ought to be in us this desire to know God and Jesus is doing that in the upper room the one who BS the one who loves he's the one to whom we will come and make our Abode with so Jesus answers Judas not a scariot question relative to the disciples in verse 23 quickly he answers it relative to the world in verse 24a notice he who does not love me does not keep my words as Owen says you love him not because you know him not you love him not because you know him not and so Jesus says to Judas not a scariot here's the blessing that manifestation father and son to the disciple verse 23 but then in verse 24a he who does not love me does not keep my words so if we understand the argument the context we're not going to come and make our home with them we don't come to the world L we don't come to the one who has no faith we don't come to the one who rejects the the idea of Hebrews 11 those who who who believe must believe not only that he is but that he is a rewarder of them that that D diligently seek him and so the Lord Jesus pronounces yet again a condemnation upon the world like he does in verse 17 and like he does in verse 19 and then this last statement concerning his word again I think it's a further Evidence a further demonstration a further manifestation a further proof whatever you want to call it that he and the father are one that he has the same nature as the father notice what he says at the end of verse 24 and the word which you hear is not mine but the father's who sent me we have seen this language previously chapter 7 verse 16 chapter 8 verse 26 chapter 8 verse 28 chapter 8:47 chapter 14: 10 Jesus is not distancing himself from the word and the father Jesus is including himself with the word and the father it's not my word remember Jesus according to his humanity is standing before that it's an authentication of who he is as the sent one from the father who sent him as Thomas mentions the father therefore who speaks in me is in me this is another sort of statement that underscores peric caresa that Mutual indwelling sirel says you should realize that when you hear my words you you hear the words of the father so 24b isn't militating against everything he has said it's rather confirming everything that he said well I would suggest in conclusion just a few thoughts and then we'll go first the blessing of Union with Christ what is Union with Christ well when by God's grace We Believe the gospel we are adopted as Sons we have the the many blessings that that God conveys to us and confers upon us and we have Union with Christ but what does Union with Christ entail it entails Union with the Triune god father Son and Holy Spirit we will come and make our home with him brethren in I'm I'm just encouraging this is not how dare you think through these things on a Sunday morning see if it adds a spring in your step when you're coming from the car into this place we we get to go to the father through the son in the spirit we get to do what God created us to do but but in our sin and our transgression and our Rebellion we didn't do for for however many years we were unsaved but now that we're saved by God's grace now that we believe the gospel we get to do what we were created for to glorify God and and to enjoy him forever that ought to hopefully inspire more of a of an earnestness when we come to the house of God in terms of public worship I think as well this idea or concept of Union with Christ especially as it's governed in our context would indicate that we ought to pursue by the presence of the power of the spirit obedience to our Master because he says if you love me and you keep my Commandments I I will manifest myself to you if you love me and you keep my Commandments then then we will come and and make our home with you well that puts a bit of a spin on commandment keeping doesn't it well I got to keep the Commandments or he's going to smack me in the head and throw me out of the house no that's not why the child of God keeps the Commandments of God John tells us the Commandments aren't burdensome they're not they're not Grievous why do we keep the Commandments of God in order to be saved no because by Grace we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ and the more that I seek to follow the lamb the more I know the presence and the power of the Lamb I know the father I know the son I know the Holy Spirit I know the blessedness of we will come and make our home with him that's not again to earn things it's not again to be a mercenary but it's rather to understand the blessedness of communion with the Triune God I would suggest secondly there is an exhortation in the passage at least by way of implication to the world and I want to end here notice the implication in verse 19 19 a little while longer and the world will see me no more they would see him physically they would see all those particulars but he's speaking about the spiritual sort of appropriation of who Jesus is as Prophet priest and King so if you're here this morning and you're not a Believer you're not seeing the significance of this you're not seeing why this is a good thing you're not seeing why I should come to the father through the son in the spirit you know that's not encouraging you that's not a a blessing to you so so what's the first order of business you got to figure all this out prepositions and and from and through and no the first order of business is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ the way of understanding is by Faith by by faith we understand said the Apostle in Hebrews 11 see that's different than most people most people at least in sin well I have to have everything f fig it out before I'll believe that's not the way this works you're dead in your trespasses and sins you can't figure it out you don't have the spiritual goggles you don't have the glasses to be able to interpret reality it is only by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ that one then has the ability to see him this is why the the Bible describes Jesus as as altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 well as Christians we say yay and amen to that but non-christians they go huh maybe he had some good teaching he did some pretty good things but the chief among 10,000 and all together lovely no your problem is that you're dead in sin you're dead as a rebel you're dead is a transgressor and is one who lacks Conformity under God's law the only hope the only encouragement the only exhortation that the Bible sets forth is very simple believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved it is Most Blessed most wondrous most glorious and Once By Grace you see then these vistas of who God is one true and living God in three persons Father Son and Holy Spirit begin to become appreciated so may it be the case for the people of God we grow in Grace and in the knowledge of God and for the non-p people of God believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and learn about this true and living God from that Vantage Point well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for your grace we thank you for the gospel of our salvation and for this wonderful promise that we find in 23b that we will come and make our home with him what an encouragement to each and every one of us to gather together on the Lord's day to walk with you each and every day and may you bless us and may you increase our faith and our understanding and help us God to glorify you and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well you can turn with me in your hym books to 568 we'll stand and we'll sing the doxology of praise to our blessed God 568 PR All Creatures PR him the heav pr Father Son and Holy Ghost 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 for this day thank you for your goodness and graciousness to us go with us now we pray in jesus' name amen well please be seated for e e e e