← Back to sermon library

e e e e e e e e e e e e e e good morning to everyone welcome to Free Grace Baptist Church a warm welcome to any visitors with us uh this morning it's nice to have you with us if you have any questions following the service uh we we're not the unapproachable so please uh please reach out and ask and uh we're happy to speak with you just before we begin worship this morning a number of announcements um uh we've got the uh we've got our 5:00 pm Service uh this evening um so we look forward to to that uh also Wednesday night bible study at 7:30 in the fellowship hall uh for those of you who uh who don't know yet there is a Ballot Box for uh the vote for some fellow named cam Porter for the eldership uh so if if you want to reach out to one of the deacons I think they have um uh they have those for you well we're going to have a joint service next Lord's Day September 29th it'll be at 400 PM so just a a reminder our our minds are tuned to 5:00 P pm on Sundays but uh it'll be 400 PM a joint service with Siri Reformed Baptist Church um uh next Lord's day so 4 p.m. there will be some food afterwards following the service up in the fellowship hall um and Leslie will send out an email uh with regards to instructions on on what you can bring in that sort of a thing this uh this Wednesday so uh we look forward to uh to all of those things let's turn now to the worship of our great God if you turn in your Bibles with me to Psalm 118 Psalm 118 we're going to read from verse 22 to the end of the psalm Psalm 118 beginning at verse 22 this is the word of the Triune God the stone which the builders rejected has become the Chief Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our eyes this is the day the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it save now I pray oh Lord oh Lord I pray send now Prosperity blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord we have blessed you from the house of the Lord go God is the Lord and he has given us light bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar you are my God and I will praise you you are my God I will exalt you oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his Mercy endures forever amen well let's stand and sing together the first hymn this morning is going to be Psalm 19a Psalm 19a is in Alpha and we're going to sing stanzas 6 to9 let's stand and sing together [Music] light on what we see thear of God is and last eternally the standard of the Lord his perous [Music] and from the and High Sweet of [Music] take with SH Ser a great trans so let the words are seeing in your [Music] and oh Lord you are to [Music] let's go to our great God In Prayer let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for this time of worship we rejoice in the fact that we can gather together in this place as the Saints of Christ to worship the one and only living and true God Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray as our Lord prayed that we would hallow your name this this day of worship we pray that you would receive honor and glory and praise from this your gathered assembly and those who gather throughout the world that our God would be worshiped in spirit and in truth that our precious savior the Lord Jesus Christ would be rejoiced in we thank you for what we just sang that you have redeemed us and set us free we know that salvation is not by Deeds of righteousness which we have done but much rather according to your mercy you saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the spirit and and all that based upon not anything we have done but a uh solely and alone upon the works of the Lord Jesus Christ his perfect obedience to your law in the stead of all who believe and that sacrifice upon calvary's cross wherein he he he bore the atonement he bore the curse of a mult multitude which no man can number from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and that that Redemption that atonement was not one of maybe or perhaps but one of certainty and Perfection and we rejoice in the fact that he rose the third day and that he now having ascended to your right hand ever lives to intercede for his people we do pray Lord God that during this time of worship our our thoughts would lift up to to high considerations and Reflections upon so great a savior that one who came into this world in the fullness of the times to redeem guilty Sinners we thank you so much for your Truth for your Amazing Grace and we pray once again that you would receive all honor uh from the lips of your people this day we do pray for those unable to join us whether for travel or sickness we pray that you attend to them that you would watch over them and be with them those who are struggling physically that you would heal them that you would give them uh reprieves from the pains the discomfort Comforts of of disease and injury and illness and we pray in the midst of such suffering you would cause them to look with eyes of faith upon their precious God and lean upon Him in all things we pray for those struggling spiritually as well that you would cause them to uh have returned to them the joy of their salvation that you would lift them up as as they struggle Lord God cause them to have a blessed and high thoughts of their precious God and the that one who is the God of all comfort and the rock of their salvation we do pray Lord God for the persecuted Church throughout the world we would ask that you be with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who suffer for the name of Christ we just ask that you would help them in the midst of tyranny and and opposition uh in the midst of angry mobs who are uh wickedly opposed to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ just help them Comfort them by a knowledge of the Gospel Comfort them with the knowledge that the the nations of this world are the nations of of our God and of his Christ and that uh he Comforts his people strengthens and delivers his people and that he will with wholesome severity judge the enemies of Jesus Christ we do pray that you'd be with those who govern over us as we're called upon in the scriptures to pray for kings and those who are in Authority we pray for those in in positions of government that you would cause them not to rule in wickedness and in tyranny but to rule with a proper righteousness and a proper equity we do pray that Justice and righteousness throughout the world would Reign and that governments and those uh who rule would not uh do so for profit in corruption and do so in a manner opposed to the living and true God we pray that you would take away those who who would call Vice virtue and virtue Vice and that you would raise up such to rule improper righteousness we do ask that you'd be with Pastor Butler as he preaches your word in a number of minutes we thank you for that Central act of worship the preaching of the word of God we do pray that you'd strengthen him in this Pulpit to preach well the things of your Living Word we do pray as he preaches that your Saints would be edified that Sinners would be saved and that all glory would be given to the Triune God we pray for those churches near to us in Suri and in Armstrong and uh in dren those throughout western Canada that uh we are seeking to possibly associate with we would ask that you be with those preaching today help them in the pulpits by your your spirit to preach the living and true God the gospel of our savior the Lord Jesus Christ we pray for peace and unity amongst the congregations that those churches uh of yours would be such who who live and act as one man in one Spirit striving for the Gospel of Jesus Christ Our blessed savior we do pray now as we continue in worship as we pray As we sing as we read the scriptures as we engage in the preaching of the word do help us by your spirit might the Lord Jesus Christ be present among this lampstand and might you receive all honor and praise and we pray in Christ's name amen amen let's stand and sing together our second hymn will be 44 440 let's stand and sing together [Music] he is [Music] he is he is he is to every graus CHR [Music] P you will [Music] for dream for re is to he you he you he GL let [Music] TR for our new testament scripture reading you can turn to the gospel of Mark chapter 6 Mark 6 we finished reading uh through verse 29 last Lord's day so we'll pick up at Mark 6 and verse 30 and read to the end of the chapter Mark 6 beginning at verse 30 then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told him all things both what they had done and what they had taught and he said to them come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while for there were many coming and going and they did not even have time to eat so they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves but the multitude saw them departing and many knew him and ran there on foot from all the cities they arrived before them and came together to him and Jesus when he came out saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep not having a Shepherd so he began to teach them many things when the day was now far spent his disciples came to him and said this is a deserted place and already the hour is late send them away that they may go into the surrounding country and Villages and buy themselves bread for they have nothing to eat but he answered and said to them you give them something to eat and they said to him shall we go and buy 200 daeri worth of bread and give give them something to eat but he said to them how many loaves do you have go and see and when they found out they said five and two fish then he commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass so they sat down in ranks in h in hundreds and in 50s and when he had taken the Five Loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven blessed and broke the Loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before them and the two fish he divided among the all so they all ate and were filled and they took up 12 baskets full of fragments and of the fish now those who had eaten the loaves were about 5,000 men immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side to Betha while he sent the multitude away and when he had sent them away he departed to the mountain to pray now when evening came the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land then he saw them straining at rowing for the wind was against them now about the fourth watch at the night he came to them walking on the sea and would have passed them by and when they saw him walking on the sea they supposed it was a ghost and cried out for they all saw him and were trouble but he immediately he talked with them and said to them be of good cheer it is I do not be afraid then he went up into the boat to them and the wind ceased and they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure and marveled for they had not understood about the loaves because their heart was hardened when they had crossed over they came to the land of garet and anchored there and when they came out to the boat immediately the people recognized him ran through the whole surrounding region and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard he was wherever he entered into Villages cities or the country they laid the sick on the marketplaces and begged him that they might just Touch the Hem of His Garment and as many as touched him were made well amen just a couple brief um observations Mark chapter 6 doesn't occur in a vacuum it doesn't the the occasions here the occurrences the events don't occur detached from the Old Testament and those things that prefigured the Lord Jesus Christ we see the Lord Jesus Christ as a new and greater Moses who here leads his people in effect in the wilderness in a deserted or a desolate place and feeds them we have that Exodus 16 background there with the the feeding from Heaven of the Mana to the people of Israel here the Lord Jesus Christ once again as the newer and greater Moses leads his people through the Wilderness and yes feeds them physically but is their spiritual and eternal food and gives them the blessings of everlasting life there's a there's an illusion to or a a direct reference to numbers 27 and: 17 where Moses talks about the people being sheep without a shepherd and also a reference to Ezekiel where it talks about God who will give a Shepherd to his people who will lead them and feed them it's a wonderful connection that we have to the Old Testament where Jesus Christ is the newer and greater Moses leading a newer and greater Exodus and he is the one greater Prophet than Ezekiel uh who is the announced Shepherd the the Messianic hope and then lastly we have this wonderful language regarding Christ as the master over the waves of the sea uh we have a a a a direct we're we're confronted immediately with the Glorious deity of our Lord Jesus Christ This Is Not Mere man but this is the god man this is the one of one substance with the father and spirit who walks upon the water and who can calm the waves we we are are drawn back to the Old Testament again with job announcing God as the one who tramples the the waves of the sea the psalmist who say God lifts up the waves of the sea and he also brings calm to those same Seas we see this Divine Christ as a as a revelation here of the sovereignty of God the sovereignty of Christ himself over the waves the one that we ought to Marvel at as well as these disciples were marveled and amazed we as his people are to Marvel and to be amazed at the glory the riches and the excellencies of Our Savior Jesus Christ let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we rejoice in the Revelation to us of our blessed savior the Lord Jesus Christ as the the new and greater Moses as this promised Divine Shepherd who would lead his flock this one who would assume to himself our Humanity for our recovery and for our Redemption and we rejoice in your word and in the work of our savior the Lord Jesus Christ we would ask again that you'd continue with us in worship that we might give you honor and praise and rejoice in our blessed Christ and it's in his name we pray amen our last hymn before the preaching we'll stand together again and sing 69b Psalm 69 b as in bravo let's stand as a church your mercy turn onto me I th face from me in my distress in Mercy my seror to the i c my Sal my I will sing and prise th holy name my thanful Mery [Music] shall my shall Saint the their in distress praise and glory [Music] all to people and well you can turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of John John chapter 15 as we continue our exposition of the fourth gospel our Focus this morning will be verses 21 to 25 we're in a section in the upper room where Jesus is encouraging his disciples by way of instructing them that there's going to be hardship there's going to be suffering there's going to be difficulty that faces them so of course Christ wants them to be fit and ready and prepared to go about that task so he wants them to understand that when he ascends on high when he leads captivity captive when he's at the and thrown at the right hand of the father they're going to go out and seek to turn the world upside down for him there will be those that receive his message but there will also be a lot that reject that message so Jesus here as a kind Master as a wonderful savior wants to let his disciples know that there will be trouble in this world so beginning in chapter 15 at Verse 18 I'll read to chapter 16 at verse 4 if the world hates you you know that it hated me before it hated you if you are of the world the world would love its own yet because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you remember the word that I said to you a servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they will also persecute you if they kept my word they will keep yours also but all these things they will do to you for my name sake because they do not know him who sent me if I had not come and spoke to them they would have no sin but now they have no excuse for their sin he who hates me hates my father also if I had not done among them The Works which no one else did they would have no sin but now they have seen and also hated both me and my father but this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law they hated me Without a Cause but when the helper comes whom I shall send to you from the Father the spirit of Truth who proceeds from the father he will testify of me and you also will bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning these things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble they will put you out of the synagogues yes the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God's service and these things they will do to you because they have not known the father nor me but these things I have told you that when the time comes you may remember that I told you of them and these things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you amen well let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we thank you for our Lord Jesus Christ the one you sent into this world Sinners to save we thank you for his life death resurrection and for that Teaching Ministry and for these words recorded in the upper room discourse we know that he gives us that information necessary for faithful service in this present evil age and we know of a truth from our Bibles from the history of the church from Christ's Ministry himself that there is persecution that there is oppression that the god haters seek to to to reject those who come in his Most Blessed name so Lord encourage us now stabilize us strength strengthen us as Jesus intends that we may not be made to stumble but trusting in his word knowing the presence and power of his holy spirit may we live in a manner that is consistent with what we find in Holy scripture in a in a in a generation that is given over in many ways to such lawlessness we ask now that you would forgive us cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness guide us again by your spirit and cause us to take every word or every thought captive to The Obedience of Christ and for any and all who've come here this morning that are dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that you would awaken them we pray that you would convict them of their their sin and show them the glory of Jesus Christ as the one in whom there is salvation and we pray in his name amen well as I said we're in a particular unit that begins in chapter 15 at Verse 18 and continues to chapter 16 and verse four so up to this point Jesus has primarily referred to the disciples and their relationship to God from this point on however from 1518 to the end of The Upper Room discourse it's the disciples in their relationship to the world and here specifically the world will hate you and the rationale is very simple because it hated Christ if they hate the master they're going to hate the servant and that is precisely what we saw last week so we saw the world's opposition to Believers in verses 18 to 19 we looked at the believer's likeness to Christ in verses 20 and 21 we actually didn't make it to verse 21 so we'll pick up there in just a moment but then we'll notice in the final section the world's greater liability before God in verses 22 to 25 just a bit of foreshadowing when he says that if they had not I'm sorry if they had not come or if I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin he's not denouncing the doctrine of total depravity he is not suggesting that there is no such thing as total inability there's a specific context reference that is going on here he's not saying that apart from his coming no man would have ever been guilty so we hope hopefully we'll clear that up in just a moment but let's pick back up at the believer's likeness to Christ remember the principle in verse 20 remember the word that I said to you a servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they will also persecute you so this master servant solidarity would indicate that if the master is hated and if the master is persecuted they're certainly going to come after the servant never forget that if you re rightly represent the Lord Jesus Christ in an age that is in opposition to him there's going to be trouble as the Apostle puts it in 2 Timothy chapter 3 all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution it's an inevitability it is going to happen that connection or Union with Christ the master means that for the servant there is likely going to be persecution or opposition of some sort but then he says in verse 20 if they kept my word they will keep yours also it's not all Bleak it's not all doom and gloom it's not all rejection resistance and opposition and persecution there will be those to the apostles here that will respond in faith those recipients of God's grace those ones that Christ chose out of the world those ones by the spirit renewed to regenerate it those ones given The Graces of faith and repentance they're going to receive the word just as they receive my word so again we cannot only focus on the persecution or on the oppression or on the hardship or on the difficulty because then we're going to tuck tail and run and Christ doesn't want his church to do that he promises to build it and the gates of Hades shall not Prevail against it he says very specifically in chapter 16 at verse one these things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble too much fear too much trepidation too much thought about this idea of Oppression and persecution can sideline the soldiers of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ doesn't want his soldiers sideline he doesn't want them to stumble he doesn't want them to be fearful he wants them to man up he wants them to be courageous he wants them to emphasize the the truth of God's holy word and he wants to take that word to the uttermost parts of the earth so he's not here trying to discourage his Witnesses he's rather trying to encourage them by telling them what is inevitable in terms of their Union with the master as the master goes so goes the servant if they hated the master they're going to hate you but take heed there's going to be those out there namely a great multitude from every tribe tongue people and Nation that will receive your word just as they've kept my word they're going to keep your word as well so the principle in verse 20 the implication persecution but reception on the part of God's elect and then that brings us then to his conclusion in this part of this subsection notice in verse 21 but all these things they will do uh do to you for my name's sake because they do not know him who sent me so the reason for persecution is obvious and it's clear he says for my sake just like in that beatitude blessed are you when you are persecuted for my sake in Matthew chap 5 we see it in Matthew 10:22 we see it in Matthew 24 verse 9 we see it in 1 Peter chter 4 there is this suffering that ra uh the the rationale is precisely because of Jesus Christ the emphasis here is on the basic problem of mankind and that is his rejection of Christ This is not isolated in John's gospel in fact turn back to John 3 specifically at verse 36 where we see one of those statements that is very strong in a categorical way we're going to see that as well as we proceed in our particular context but notice in John 336 he who believes in the son has everlasting life it is a a present possession if you believe the son you have everlasting life there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord the Apostle writes to the Philippians we're going to look at this tonight I'm confident that he who began this good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ so back to 336 he who believes in the son has everlasting life and he who does not believe the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him notice Jesus doesn't pull any punches he doesn't there and he's not going to in our particular context he speaks in very stark contrast contrast you either have everlasting life or the wrath of God abides on you there's no third option there's no Turan quid there's no third thing that one can have well I'm I'm not for Christ but I'm not not really a slave of the devil so I'm kind of in this no man's land no you either have everlasting life by God's grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone or the wrath of God abides on you and remember Jesus teaching in Matthew chap 12 he who is not with me is what he's kind of against me no he's against me he who is not with me is against me and Jesus is just standing in the tradition of the prophetic testimony and which witness remember Elijah at Mount Carmel when he throws Down The Gauntlet to the false prophets of Baal he says to Israel how long will you halt between two opinions if if Yahweh is God serve him if Baal is God serve him in other words you need to fish or cut bait you can't have a little Yahweh and a little bit of bail it's either all God or no God it's either all Christ or no Christ it's either everlasting life or the wrath of God and so Jesus makes that very clear to the disciples here in Matthew 15 at: 21 but all these things they will do to you for my name's sake confessing faith in our Lord Jesus Christ means that the servant will suffer like the master the servant will be targeted like the master if they hated Christ they're going to hate his servants if they despised Christ they're going to despise the servants if they uh impose violence upon the Ser uh uh the master they're going to do that to the servants as well but then notice the source so the reason is my name Sav but if we push down a little bit or drill down a little bit further Jesus gives us the source notice what he says in the remainder of verse 21 and then the rest of this subsection he's going to explain that in more detail so basically in verses 22 to 25 we get further explanation or amplification of what he says here at the end of verse 21 notice because they do not know him who sent me because they do not know him who sent me now Brethren if you're thinking properly in this particular context you will know where the application lies John announces it in the prologue in John 111 he came to his own but his own received him not the first observation that we need to make relative to this statement in verse 21b is that it is an indictment of the Jewish religious leaders in particular it is an indictment of the Jewish religious leaders in particular notice what he says because they do not know him who sent me it was a rejection of the Messiah consider the Jews in Yahweh now we know from the Old Testament that we have the Jews in Yahweh they loved they espoused faith and confidence and Trust not always perfectly not always blessedly not always consistently but they prided themselves on the knowledge of Yahweh this was everything for the Jews and old Covenant religion you see Yahweh promised the sending of a messiah that Messiah had now come and instead of receiving the Messiah instead instead of believing on the Messiah instead of bowing to the Messiah and confessing the Messiah they reject the Messiah so what does Jesus interpret that as meaning notice because they do not know him who sent me this is a huge indictment on the part of our blessed savior relative to the religious leaders in Israel in this first century and to see that he's speaking again contextually in particular about the the religious leaders in Judaism notice what we see in verses 21 and 23 or I'm sorry verse 23 he who hates me hates my father also again brethren we don't talk that way we we mentioned this yesterday in our study in the book by Scott Swain at Trinity and introduction we very s very much soft peddle differences in religions other words we think that because the Jews and because the Muslims and because the Christians are all monotheistic we have something in common not according to Jesus what does Jesus say if you reject the one sent by the one sending then you hate the one sending that's what he says Brethren that's not you know Butler crackpot knucklehead going off on some crazed tangent we need to be like the Savior not running around with bullhorns telling everybody to stop hating God but to understand theologically I'm not talking politically I'm talking about theologically if you don't confess faith in our Lord Jesus Christ whatever you may think of your spirituality whatever you think of your religiosity if you don't own Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior According To Jesus the Lord and Savior you hate God notice the context as well specifically in 162 the time or they will put you out of the synagogues if you've ever asked the question what is Jesus talking about he's talking about the book of Acts he's talking about his immediate disciples he's talking about these Apostolic men that are sitting and supping with him that he is encouraging that he is strengthening that he is enlightening that he is going to send into the world to turn it upside down for himself they're going to put you out of the synagogues but but then notice he's not talking about heathen he's not talking about the atheists he's not talking about the pagans notice yes the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God's service this will be religious obligation on his part to take the people of Jesus Christ to cast them out of the synagogue and to vote for the death penalty when it serves their purposes remember uh Stephen standing before the Sanhedrin what do they do they nashed him with their teeth they plugged their ears such that they wouldn't have to hear his blasphemies and and heresies they cast him out of what should have been the holy city and they take up stones to uh throw at him and kill him Jesus is talking in particular about the unbelieving religious leaders of the Jews it is a specific condemnation by Christ of that generation to whom Yahweh sent the Messiah and he came to his own and his own received him not but this ain't the first time in our Lord's Ministry turn back to John 8 John 8 at verse 37 this ought not to be surprising to us in this context of John 15 but notice in John 8 verse 37 I know that you are Abraham's descendants Again by The Flesh physically descended from him but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you now we're all very familiar with the story of Jesus of Nazareth we're all very familiar with the gospel we're all hopefully as familiar with the doctrine of total depravity and and the wretchedness and the the evil of men and and and when we come to passages like this I think there's times where we just sort of Glide over yeah we know all that but again I think it's helpful to take a moment and to stop and to say why did they want to kill him what had he done well he was a bank robber no he was a he was a murderer no he didn't keep his lawn cut no he didn't pay his taxes well incidentally that's what they would falsely charge him with because if you want the Civil State involved you just block up that tax payment system he was holy harmless and undefiled he went about doing good he healed people he fed people he gave eyes or a sight to the blind he raised people from the dead why did they hate him because they hated the one who sent him all the while professing in a deceptive manner oh our allegiance to is to Yahweh of Israel see in John 15 Jesus is saying if you reject the Messiah that Yahweh sent you have no allegiance to Yahweh of Israel in fact you actually hate him you despise him and you disdain him but back to our text but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father they answered and said to him Abraham is our father Jesus said to them if you are Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham but now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God Abraham did not do this you do the Deeds of your father then they said to him we were not born of fornication we have one fathered God if God were your father you would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God nor have I come of myself but he sent me why do you not understand my speech because you are not able to listen to my word you are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do he was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaks a lie he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it but because I tell the truth you do not believe me which of you convicts me of sin and if I tell the truth why do you not believe me he who is of God hears God's words therefore you do not hear because you are not of God so back to our text the indictment of the Jewish Rel leaders in particular is what he's speaking there in ver vers 21b so the reason why they hate and persecute you disciples is for my name's sake but the source of that enmity the source of that contempt the origin of that detestation it's because they don't know the father notice as well there is a description here of false religions in general I think the specific application is the first century Judaism but we could extrapolate that to 21st century Judaism we could extrapolate that to 21st century Islam we could extrapolate that or apply it to Jehovah's Witnesses to Mormons to dumb Protestants we can see that a rejection of the Christ of God as spelled out in scripture now Brethren I'm not suggesting that just being able to say the name Jesus get you in with the father notice that Jesus again is emphasizing his relation to the father there are so many instances in John's gospel where Jesus refers to himself as the one sent by the father he refers to the father as the one who sent him these temporal missions reflect something of the Eternal processions and if we don't understand who God is namely father Son and Holy Spirit we have not the true God we have erected as says an idol in its place so we need to understand what scripture says concerning our blessed savior Brethren there are a whole host of things that Christians pour their energies into and not all bad things to be sure but if we poured our energies into to a sound christology a sound trinitarian theology not Augustine or aquinus or Owen or you know some of the fathers in the church being able to explain all the particular details involved but can we confess there is but one only the living and true God and in the godhead there are three persons the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit same in substance equal in power and Glory those two catechism questions from westminster's catechism Shorter Catechism that is great theology that we must have and when I say dumb Protestants I'm not trying to be insulting there are dumb Protestants that do not teach the doctrine of the Trinity they have not taught the people of God how to think concerning the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit emphasizing the the the unity of the divine nature the triers uh uhh the Trinity of persons in that divine nature listen to John not the uh the same John but elsewhere in his literature he says whoever denies the son does not have the father either he who acknowledges the son has the father also first John 2:23 that's specifically what Jesus says in verse 21 but all these things they will do to you for my name's sake there's the reason because here's the sorcer origin they do not know him who sent me they don't have God the true and living God I would suggest thirdly just by way of application we may not get to verses 22 to 25 this morning but this is characteristic of all anti-christian persecution and here I think of the state or the government now Brethren lest anyone go out and blog today that Butler this and Butler that I affirm the presence of government in principle God instituted it Christ speaking is wisdom in Proverbs 8 says by me King's Reign Paul under inspiration of the Holy Spirit Romans 13 says let every soul be subject to the governing Authority for there is no Authority except from God so in principle absolutely positively Anarchy is wrong God instituted government but in practice Brethren at what point do we wake up and smell the coffee and realize that you mean they're not actually out for our good they're not actually out to try to make us whole and healthy and well they're not actually trying to protect us do you think that perhaps there's a a non-Christian bias or animist in the hearts of those in high places again listen to your Bibles listen to David in Psalm 2 why do the Nations rage and the people plot a vain thing the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying let us break their Bonds in pieces and Cast Away their cords from us I I try to say it often I'll say it one more time if you ever doubt government opposition to Christianity come to a prayer meeting or ask and I can forward you voice of the martyrs better you come to prayer meeting good that the people of God pray together we see it all over the world yes Muslims attack Christians yes there's countries where Roman Catholics attack Protestants probably countries where that's vice versa that there's a lot of mayhem out there do you know it's a constant and recurring theme that we see government opposition to Yahweh and his Anointed The Kings of the earth set themselves the rulers take Council together they say we don't want this one and we don't want his son to Reign Over us we want to Reign and Rule and it's reflected in their legislation it's reflected in abortion laws it's reflected in euth Asian law uh euthanasia laws it's reflected in the perversion that is openly openly promo openly promoted all throughout the land why is it that this is somehow uh uh uh provocative to suggest the Nations rage the Kings despise the rulers of this present evil age have raised their fist to Yahweh and his Christ and they target the people of God you may find Brethren that living Godly in Christ Jesus will invite more persecution and more opposition from your own government than it will from your neighbor who happens to be a Muslim Brethren these are difficult days not a prophet son of a prophet but if you have eyes to see what we're seeing is very disconcerting when I can buy fentanyl or crack cocaine easier than I can buy raw milk at some point I've got to ask the question how is the government protecting me how are they serving me how are they helping me Brethren the fourth observation from this brief statement of our savior when he says because they do not know him who sent me is simply this the necessity of Christian trinitarianism we see the enemy we see an unbelieving Jews and that first century context and into the 21st if they continue to reject Jesus continue to despise the son of man it reflects that they despise Yahweh himself we see it in Muslims we see it in Jehovah's Witnesses we see it in Mormons we see it in Dumb Protestants we see it in the government that relentlessly seems to be opposed so that's the negative that's the bad with reference to 21b but what's the positive implication the positive implication is know the doctrine of the Trinity if you don't understand or have the son you don't understand or have the father without the son there is no father it doesn't matter if you're monotheistic it doesn't matter if you're religious it doesn't matter if you're spiritual it doesn't matter if you have prayer beads it doesn't matter if you go through motions it doesn't matter if you go to Orthodox Churches it doesn't matter if you subscribe an Orthodox confession if you don't own Jesus Christ as the Bible sets him forth as the Divine word who became flesh for us who lived in our place who died in our place and was raised again such that all who believe in him can have everlasting life if you don't have that Jesus you don't have God and so in order to have that Jesus we need to be men and women of the book we need to read the scripture we we need to listen to the prophets we need to listen to Moses we need to listen to Jesus and his Apostles we need the Psalms of David we need that instruction concerning the nature of our blessed savior and the reality that he is the Divine son and this wasn't hidden in the Old Testament from these people what does David tell us in Psalm 1101 Yahweh said to my Lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your foot stol well the scriptures of the Old Testament never promised that Messiah would be divine really what creature sits at the right hand of the most high God to exercise Universal absolute Sovereign Dominion no creature except the Divine son who assumed our Humanity into himself not into himself in some weird way assumed our Humanity he took upon himself our flesh what about Isaiah the prophet comes up a lot at Christmas time in chapter 9 what what do we learn of of Jesus in in that passage he's Eternal he's Mighty God he's Everlasting father he's he's Prince of Peace Brethren there isn't enough sufficient data in the Old Testament to evoke the expectation of a Divine Messiah and of course the best presentation of that was the coming of the Messiah the fact that he is in their midst the fact that he has done Works among them the fact that he has taught them in fact let's move through this now to see so that summarizes the believer's likeness to Christ verses 20 to 21 third part in this subsection is verses 22 to 2 the world's greater liability before God the world's greater liability before god notice first the Declaration in verse 22A if I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin now want to qualify this to make sure we all understand Jesus is not saying that these are sinless Guiltless Perfect People Jesus is not upgrading the old testament's old testament's emphasis on total depravity and total inability no there's something else going on here I would suggest there's a a general sense or a idea and it's simply this increased Revelation from God promotes increased liability before God other words the more that God tells you the more you're responsible for the things that he has told you so if you're not a Believer and you come to church I commend you you should continue to come to church but realize that you've got a lot of responsibility based on the things that you've heard rile makes the observation to see light and not use it to possess knowledge and yet not turn it to account to be able to say I know and yet not to say I believe will place us at the lowest place on Christ's left hand in the day of judgment and this principle is elsewhere in the gospel records in Luke 12 specifically at verses 47 and 48 Jesus teaches that the servant who knew his master's will and didn't do it will get more stripes than him who didn't know the Master's will but interestingly the one who didn't know the Master's will still gets Stripes why because he's a sinner that deserves stripes for his sin but that is a a principle that I think is generally applied that's what I think Jesus is highlighting in again generally in verse 22 if I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin but the specific implication or the specific interpretation in this context is very clear it is the sin of unbelief in the rejection of the Messiah that's John Gil Thomas before him says the same thing we should say that our Lord is not speaking here of just any sin but of the sin of disbelief that is they do not believe in Christ he came to his own as Messiah from Yahweh his own there being old Covenant Israel and his own old Covenant Israel received him not so when he says what he says in verse 22 if I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin he's not saying they're they're sinless Guiltless righteous embodiments of perfect lawke keeping no it's the rejection of the Messiah the revelation of Jesus in the Incarnation which we'll see in just a moment that was everything that was glorious and again notice it is very specifically condition synagogues verse two notice in verse 25 that was 16 but notice in 15:25 but this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written what in their law there is the particular enemy that Christ is addressing with the apostles that enemy that looms large in the book of Acts certainly Paul ends up before Pagan magistrates in the latter half of the book of Acts but how did he get there it wasn't the Pagan magistrates that initiated those arrests it was the unbelieving Jews it was the Sanhedrin that that turned him over it was them that put him to that place where where he had to give defense before those Pagan magistrates so Jesus is not saying these are perfect righteous people no he's saying when I came and I assumed humanity and I dwelt among them and I demonstrate the glory of God most high and they rejected they resisted they forsake it and they're going to crucify me in in a day or so they hate my father that's what he draws out here that's the point notice again verse 22 if I I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin but th now they have no excuse for their sin that brings us to this explanation verses 23 uh 22 to 25 notice it is a rejection of Christ's word the rejection of Christ's father the rejection of Christ's works and the Fulfillment of Christ's words all of this confirms and validates what's he what he's saying now Brethren just to tone this down a little bit we need to understand again theologically I'm not advocating that we firebomb a Muslim neighborhood because they don't confess faith in Jesus as the Messiah of God that that's not my point my point is that the Christian church needs to think righteously and biblically concerning the doctrine of the Trinity why do you think the early church hammered out the doctrine of the Trinity why do you think the early church had to deal with the doctrine of Christ uh probably cuz unbelieving Jews were challenging them at every step of the way the Heathen and the Pagan and the philosopher they were all challenging challenging them at every step of the way you imagine being in the first few centuries in the in the in the you know uh post Christ resurrection and confessing another king even Jesus confessing that he's 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 made do do you think that everybody around unbelieving Jews Muslims a bit later and the pagans and the philosophers all said oh yeah yippe that's great no our brothers and our sisters died for this confession our brothers and our sisters died on the doctrine of the Trinity our brothers and our sisters died for this confession of faith in Jesus Christ as the one sent by the father who has the same substance as the father that everyone who believes on him should have everlasting life Brethren this is crucial that we understand not perhaps again like Augustine understood but the way that we are capable the way that we are able the application of a little brain power to scripture and to some helpful things so that we have at least a basic rudimentary understanding of the one true and living God who exists eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit with no subjugation between the father and the son in the in theology with no you know uh uh uh relations of authority between Father and Son in theology in economy or salvation the son according to his Humanity as mediator of the New Covenant willingly submits himself to the father we don't map that in the creaturely realm or the Redemptive realm onto who God is and that is a mistake that is being duplicated all throughout the world that's why I say dumb Protestants notice the rejection of Christ's word verse 22 if I had not come and spoken to them he underscores his word in two ways first him the Living Word if I had not come the fact that the son assumed 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 that right there in his Assumption of our Humanity in his public Ministry in the Incarnation that exacerbated or increased or greatly affected the guilt of these men that had been waiting on Messiah from from Yahweh And yet when he comes they know him not when he comes they receive him not when he comes they ultimately crucify him so he speaks concerning himself notice verse 22 if I had not come and his word and spoken to them he emphasizes that word all throughout in fact that again is encouraged by it uh John and his prologue for us to pay attention no one has seen God at any time but the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father has declared him John 1:18 that's one of the grand purposes for messiah's coming yes to live yes to die yes to rise what is he teaching us he's teaching us true Doctrine he's teaching us who God is Father Son and Holy Spirit see if these men hadn't had the revelation of Christ in the Incarnation and through his word if these men had not seen the works that Jesus had done they're still guilty of a whole host of sins transgression against the Ten Commandments but not this particular sin of rejecting the Messiah sent by the father for their delivery from sin and evil and Rebellion this is what he's speaking about in the context notice this translate to a to translates to a rejection of the father so verse 22 if I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin but now they have no excuse for their sin he who hates me hates my father also he's telling the disciples let's not dance around this let's not try to pretend that they're just a subset or a different religious body you know all roads sort of ultimately lead to Rome no if they hate me they hate my father it's pretty simple just as simple as it is if they hate the disciple or the servant they're going to hate the master this is kind of an inextricable link here you hate the servant because you hate the master you hate the master because the father who sent him and this is the language that Jesus employs he's not a pluralist he's not in all roads lead to Heaven sort of a man he is very exclusive we see that in John 14:6 no one comes to the father except through me this is the thing that is challenged today just just constantly well not just today it's been challenged throughout the the history of of the world but it's certainly emphasized by the Savior here Thomas says since the Son and the father are one in essence truth and goodness and since all knowledge of anyone is through the truth which is in him whoever loves the son loves the father also and whoever knows the one knows the other also and whoever hates the son hates the father also see this isn't you know really deep in heart I just can't get it it's pretty simple you hate Jesus you hate the father you hate Jesus you're going to hate the disciples you hate the disciples you're probably going to persecute them you persecute them you're putting yourself into this body of people that have stood in Rebellion against Yahweh and his Christ from the very beginning but then notice the rejection of Christ's Works verse 24 if I had not done among them The Works which no one else did they would have no sin again they wouldn't be uh uh further liable for this rejection of Messiah but now they have seen and also hated both me and my father this isn't an isolated space Did did Jesus again say that these people hate him Brethren do you think it was just not a lot of love that evoked from them the day later away with him away with him crucify him do do you not see that that's hate despise enmity anger viciousness he's he basically telling us the way it's going to be just like he does in John 8 you're of your father that and the desires of your father you want to do he was a murderer and a liar from the beginning and the way that you're treating Jesus indicates that this is true of you you are connected to the devil not to Yahweh now Jesus reiterates that here with reference to his word and with reference to his Works various times and in various places throughout John's gospel he engages in signs and wonders and you say well the prophets did that prophets did amazing things Elisha great things we see the the Elijah we we see prophets doing miraculous things and Moses himself but the difference is is that Moses and Elisha and Elijah Never by their word claimed to be the Son of God by Nature see The Works accompanied the words all of that is presented to his contemporaries all of that is an argument as to why they should believe in him receive him and thus know in joyous ways the father who sent him they reject his word they reject his works and as a result finally they fulfill their own scripture notice in verse 25 but this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law they hated me without a cause this is what we call a conflation several texts brought together for one purpose if you look at these three in the Salter Psalm 3519 Psalm 694 and Psalm 109: 3 to5 you will see how our Lord invokes that but I think he does it practically here to underscore two things one the sovereignty of God that's not a throwaway for Calvinists well you know you guys get backed into a corner you just say sovereignty of God it's a comfort for the disciples hearing that they're going to reject and resist the the the others are going to reject and resist the Messiah it's going to end in his brutal crucifixion on the cross it's indicative that they hate the father who sent the Sun but this didn't catch God unaware this is not a surprise in the Divine agenda this isn't a curveball along the way that now Jes Jesus has to sort of respond to and react to this is what the Salter already testified this is what the prophetic word already declare you're looking for a suffering servant V the prophet Isaiah chapter 53 you're looking for a sufferer and the Salter yeah David had problems David had a life of adversity but there are things that transcend David's problems in this altar that can only be applicable to our blessed savior Jesus is the subject of the Psalms so he wants to underscore for these disciples the sovereignty of God and in so doing secondly he wants to encourage them when you go out into this world and they hate you when you go out in this world and they throw you out of synagogues when you go out into this world and they spit on you when you go out into this world and they imprison you when you go out into this world and they ultimately want to crucify and kill you likewise understand that this is indeed the will of my father Brethren that provides encouragement enagement to the saint of Christ we do what we do because God is or Christ is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 and if you think that's inappropriate language according to the will of my father or of the father that's First Peter chapter 4 entrust your soul to a faithful Creator it is his will that the people of God go through what they go through because that's what the Savior went through if he learned obedience through suffering according to Hebrews 58 the many sons that he takes to to Glory are going to learn it the same way and so this is calculated to encourage them God's got this he's in control none of this is is halfhazard and it's to encourage them to depart from this upper room with fire in their hearts with a desire to Proclaim Christ his work uh his word his works and His glory to the then Known World to the Salvation of a great multitude and I just want to end on those two notes first encouragement with reference to the disciples the disciple is to remember this is what he does notice in verse 20 uh remember the word that I said to you that the the the Apostle or not the Apostle but the writer Jude says the same thing remember the word spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles we need to remember which assumes that we at least at one point knew it in other words the way of encouragement for the people of God is a heart filled with the word of God God what do we draw off of when that when that opposition comes what what do we draw off of in the gulock what is it that that feeds and sustains our souls when we're cut off from the corporate means of Grace when we're cut off from our our phones and we don't have our Bibles what what is it Thy word I've hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you there needs to be a wealth of data treasured up in our hearts that we remember the word of God to his people the disciple as well is to Rejoice we touched on this a bit last week invoking the principle in Acts 5 the disciples are beaten they leave from that place rejoicing because they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ these men weren't Dowers sad looking brooding you know brutes or ogres they had the joy of the Lord in their hearts we're going to see that in Philippians tonight when Paul writes that when I remember you and I think about you my heart is flooded with joy he's in a prison he's in a prison that only comes by the knowledge that he had of the Philippians the system of God's Sovereign Grace in saving those Philippians in a mind that was able to trans to Traverse the present sufferings and cast it where it belonged upon the glory of a good God I would suggest as well the disciple is to Stand Fast and persevere therefore do not fear them verse one these things I have spoken to you chapter 16 that you should not be made to stumble Brethren if you are not well versed in your understanding of Holy Scripture and I get that this sounds lexury I get that this sounds third grade teachery I I get that I'm sorry I I don't know how to not get that or do not do that but Brethren we' got to know the scriptures we've got to know the doctrine of the Trinity if we don't know this God the true and living God Father Son and Holy Spirit if we don't know Jesus who Jesus is we don't have the father it's just that simple but we need to be able to stand fast and persevere the disciple is to know true theology listen to sirel of Alexandria he says all who think they should dishonor the son admittedly hate the father not as though they were sinning against another nature but because they are raging against the very Dignity of the nature of divinity he says elsewhere there is no doubt then that sin against the son is proof of ignorance of God the Father I think he's accurately reflecting what Jesus teaches here in John 15 and for any and all who are not Believers may I just tell you you know you you're part and parcel now of what we see in the Bible as the world John 1:10 tells us there's three uses of the world Jesus was was in the world that means planet Earth he says that the the world was made by Jesus that means the entirety of the things that are made and then he says that the world did not know him so unbelievers in the Bible are looked at as being the world but the wonderful thing about that I know it's not probably intuitively wonderful wait a minute God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son in Christ God according to Paul in 2 Corinthians is reconciling the world to himself so my point is is that there's hope if you're an unbeliever there is hope the the hope is to believe on Jesus to look to the son the son who came down from heaven for us man and for for our Salvation who lived who died who was raised again so that all who look to him in faith will have everlasting life so instead of saying well I I I you know I'm stuck in this world situation I'm stuck in come to Jesus believe on Jesus look to Jesus listen to Jesus in John chapter 3 just as Moses lifted the serpent so must the son of man be lifted up that everyone who looks to him in faith will have everlasting life so people of God let us learn let us understand let us be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we're not conformed to this world if unbeliever you are conformed to this world you're stuck in the thick of it then flee to the Lord Jesus Christ because everyone who comes to him he will not cast out and everyone who comes to him knows him and the father who sent him well let us pray Our God we we thank you for your word we thank you for the clarity of our Lord's instruction we pray that you would give us that mind of Christ that we would function in a manner that is consistent with his encouragements here in the upper room discourse bless our brothers and our sisters in the persecuted Church bless our brothers and sisters in the last hour that we we prayed for we read of and so many others that that we know nothing of God that they are known by you may you bless and encourage them help them to persevere in the midst of these trials and and difficult ities and persecutions and Lord may you in a de in a in a gracious way lay your hand upon our children our young people give them a steadfast faith in our blessed savior that they may be able to withstand whatever may come our way and we ask in jesus' name amen we'll close by singing the uh hymn number 573 I'm sorry 572 we'll stand as we sing together [Music] glor to the and [Music] to to the holy [Music] the the Lord make his face shine upon you be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen please be seated for a brief time of meditation upon the word of God e e for