The Will of the Father
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So as we’ve made our way through this gospel of John...
no matter what the story, no matter what the situation...
what we’ve consistently seen throughout - is Jesus Christ...
SAYING things and DOING things - that would point to Him being the Messiah...
And this week is no different.
Today we’re going to hear Jesus speak about the Will of the Father...
One of the biggest questions that Christians ask themselves is this - WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR ME?
I want to BE in His will...
I want to DO what He would have me do...
What is His will for my life?
Well today we’re going to see the OVERARCHING WILL of God - for you - if you belong to Him!
Let’s look at our passage and then swing back around to see what we see...
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
There is SO much good news in this text...
If you remember how we ended last week -
Last week - we looked at DISCERNMENT - and how the Jews that Jesus is speaking to here...
had NO discernment at all...
And last week we ended with Jesus explaining how the Father sends TRUE bread down from heaven to give life to the world…and we read this...
33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
And so it seemed based on v34 here - that maybe the Jews were starting to understand...
starting to have some DISCERNMENT...
BUT - then we read our first 2 verses today and see that that’s NOT the case...
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
Jesus here gives us here what has come to be a very popular verse…(v35)
But then lets us know that the JEWS still don’t understand....still don’t believe...
He says - you (Jews) have SEEN ME - and yet you do not believe...
You know what that’s referring to?
Remember this exchange/QUESTION from last week?
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
Remember?
Christ had just explained to them what it means to WORK for God...
That to work for God is to BELIEVE…in Christ!
And what do they say?
They say - well what sign do you do that we may SEE and BELIEVE you?
They were saying - IF we could just SEE a sign, we’d BELIEVE!!
And Christ says...
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
You KNEW what I did with the 5000 people...
You were AMONG them!
You SAW ME - and yet you DO NOT believe!
And we see here that it takes more than SEEING a miracle to AWAKEN a heart to Christ.
NOW - here’s where we get into the MAIN theme of this passage...
But we’re going to start now with v40 and work our way back to Jesus being the Bread of Life...
and right away, we’re going to see...
SLIDE: The Will of the Father: Connects Faith in the Son with Eternal Life
The Will of the Father
The Will of the Father
It is the Father’s will - that Faith in Jesus would bring with it - Eternal Life...
And so if we wanted to flesh that out a bit - we would look at HOW that connection plays itself out.
SLIDE: Question:
How does faith in Jesus lead to eternal life?
To answer this question - we START by looking at - NO - not Christ - but SIN!
We NEED to understand what SIN IS - before we look to who Christ is, over it.
What does the Bible say about SIN?
Let’s start with Romans 1:18
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
So God’s WRATH - COMES AGAINST sin (man’s unrighteousness)
What else?
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
SIN - earns - death...
Sin deserves death!
If you go to the gas station, and you’re about to pay for your gas, and you look down, and you see ALL the candy sitting there....tempting you...
And you check your pocket and you have $0.50...
Would you be able to purchase that $1.00 candy bar?
NO - why? - VALUE!
Your $0.50 isn’t WORTH $1.00
Your $0.50 will only earn you - that stick of gum...
The VALUE of sin is EQUALED to - Death!
But what else about sin?
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,
25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.
26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
SIN will - NEVER - enter heaven…the new Jerusalem!
SO WHAT HAVE WE SEEN?
SLIDE:
Sin:
Brings God’s wrath upon it - JUDGMENT
And the VERDICT rendered in relation to SIN is - Death!
But not just DEATH...
Eternal death - eternally APART from God!
God’s Wrath
Death
Eternally Apart from God
NOW - does SIN (this) apply to us?
How about God’s WRATH?
Let’s see:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We ALL have sinned
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
By DEFAULT - the wrath of God - is UPON us!
We start out life - NEEDING rescued...
BUT what does SIN ENTAIL?
God’s wrath
Death!
What about death?
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
We are ALL, BY DEFAULT - walking DEAD men - apart from God - DUE to - - SIN
What’s the last aspect of SIN?
God’s wrath
Death
Eternally apart from God
Does THIS apply to us?
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
Half verse
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Eternally APART from God...
THIS is the reality of SIN...
And SINCE this IS reality....
in that the EFFECTS of SIN are - ETERNAL...
We need an ETERNAL SOLUTION!
REMEMBER - We’re looking at how the Will of the Father - Connects Faith in the Son with ETERNAL Life!
SLIDE:
So ONLY an ETERNAL solution will UNDO the CURSE of sin!
So only an eternal solution will undo the curse of sin!
Let’s look to the ETERNAL solution!
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
God had NO Beginning…will have no END...
And the Bible spends NO TIME in trying to convince anyone of His eternality...
The Scriptures begin with...
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
In the beginning - GOD!
And in God DESCRIBING Himself in Scripture - we read this...
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
Moses was called to go to Pharaoh…and free the Israelites...
And God tells him - Tell them that I sent you...
Tell them that - I AM sent you!
So God attributes His name as - I AM...
The ETERNAL God is - I AM
NOW - fast forward, and we find Jesus speaking with the Jews of the 1st century!
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Now we might say - Ok, so Jesus says - Before Abraham was, I am...
But is that Jesus actually trying to TEACH us that He IS the eternal God…?
Let’s see how the Jews listening to Jesus say these words - responded...
NEXT verse...
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
So the Jews try to KILL Jesus - Why?
Because they KNEW that when He said - I AM, He was declaring Himself to be - the ETERNAL God!
And so it’s COMING INTO VIEW - how the WILL of the Father - connects FAITH in JESUS (the eternal God) - with - ETERNAL LIFE!
So the eternal God - Jesus Christ…comes in the flesh…and...
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The Eternal God - Jesus Christ - fulfilled the LAW…and through faith in Him, we RECEIVE His perfect RIGHTEOUSNESS…!
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
And it’s our current book of John that brings us full circle...
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
The WILL of the FATHER - connects Faith in the SON with Eternal Life...
That is God’s will!
Back to our text...
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
NOW - if we stopped there - we very well could conclude that...
God the Father’s WILL is that everyone who BELIEVE’s in Jesus will have Eternal Life...
AND THEREFORE - God sent Jesus to die to POTENTIALLY save people, if ONLY they would choose to believe...
If THIS is ALL we knew about the Will of the Father...
We would say YES - God did something to save people - and NOW it’s just up to us to believe it or not believe it.
MEANING - EVERYONE could choose NOT to believe it, and heaven would be empty for all eternity.
That Christ’s death and work had the POTENTIAL to save - but could possibly save no one.
OR
Did God do MORE than this…!??
Let’s see!
Here’s my question as we move forward:
SLIDE:
Does the will of the Father do more than merely hope that man chooses to believe?
Let’s jump up in our text...
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
Do you see what Christ said in v37?
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Christ here - goes into WHY these Jews don’t believe…and we see our 2nd point for today…!
SLIDE: The Will of the Father: Wills Faith in the Son
The Will of the Father
The Will of the Father
Notice the train of thought here…on the part of Christ
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Here Christ lays on the table 2 things:
So FAR we’ve seen that FAITH in Jesus is CONNECTED to Eternal Life...
and so I HOPE that we WANT eternal life...
I HOPE that we’re GRATEFUL for eternal life....
We need FAITH in Jesus...
and on the table, Christ places...
Belief (v36)
Coming to Him (v37)
“You have seen Me, yet do NOT believe...”
“All that the Father gives Me - will - COME to Me...”
What did Jesus COMMAND Peter to do when they were out at sea? The Day before?
Peter said - If it is you Lord, command me to - COME...
Jesus said - COME - to Me
And what was the result of that?
FAITH*
Jesus says here in v37 - All the Father gives to Me - will COME TO ME...
…will BELIEVE in Me!
Belief in Jesus IS THE SAME AS - coming to Jesus!
AND what else does Christ say in Scripture about COMING TO HIM…?
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
No one can - BELIEVE in Jesus - unless the Father who sent Jesus - DRAWS him (singular)...
Something must happen to the PERSON…in order for them to BELIEVE
Do you see how FAITH - Belief - RESTS in the WILL OF THE FATHER?
That FAITH is something that is - DISPERSED - BY the Father…and that if you ARE a believer...
it’s because of the - WILL of the Father
You see it?
The Will of the Father - WILLS FAITH in the Son of God...
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,
25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
God MAY grant repentance...
Back to our text...
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
and in v39, we see Christ say that He will raise them up on the last day...
SO...
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out, but raise them up on the last day”...
Now let’s walk through this - starting with the RESULT...
All those who are WITH Christ in Heaven… are there - why?
ANSWER: Because they CAME to Christ (in faith), and Christ never cast them out.
Why did they COME to Jesus?
ANSWER: Because the Father GAVE THEM to Jesus.
SO - do you see - that ALL that the Father gives to Jesus - will be RAISED up on the last day?
Yes? Good.
But then what about those who were NOT raised up IN Christ on the last day?
WHY NOT?
ANSWER: Because they NEVER CAME to Jesus (in faith)
Why did they not come to Jesus?
ANSWER: Because the Father did not GIVE them to Jesus
Back to our point:
SLIDE: The Will of the Father: Wills Faith in the Son
The Will of the Father
The Will of the Father
This is why Paul says in Romans
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
If you are a believer in here today - it is DUE - to the Will of the Father!
And if you’re NOT a believer in here today - who’s fault is that?
If right away, your mind says - Well it’s God’s fault...
Let’s listen to James
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
we need to know that the Bible doesn’t present a tension between God Choosing us and us choosing Him...
It doesn’t!
The tension is reveals for us is between:
God Choosing
Our Accountability
We are accountable for what we CHOOSE to DO, or not DO...
What we choose to BELIEVE or NOT believe!
As we’ve read in John chapter 3, people don’t come to the light because they don’t WANT to come to the light!
It’s a mystery for sure…but the Will of the Father is what WILLS faith in those who believe!
And when the Father WILLS faith into a believer...
In other words, WHEN a person chooses to surrender to Christ...
They begin to SEE Jesus as the all satisfying Bread of Life!
Which takes us back to the reality of v35...
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
NOW - we’ve made our way - from UNBELIEVING to BELIEVING...
And now that we’re BELIEVING -
Do you see what is involved here?
Jesus here - is talking about - FAITH...
“Coming to Jesus” - like Peter on the water...
Jesus is talking about Faith...
And what does He use here to EXPLAIN faith…?
He uses - Human physicality...
Human - DESIRE!
Those who COME to Jesus - shall not HUNGER!
Those who BELIEVE in Jesus - shall never THIRST!
Hunger and Thirst!
How many of you - Satisfied yourself last night at the Buffet?
When Jesus says that those who COME to Him will not HUNGER...
He’s saying - (I) will be your satisfaction!
SO how do these truths IMPACT our walks of faith?
How do our points today IMPACT us?
Summary
Connects Faith in the Son with Eternal Life
Wills Faith in the Son
Connects Faith in the Son:
This SHOULD build our assurance...
In that our faith - has ETERNAL security!
SO THINK about how that should affect how we view TRIALS...
If I can keep an ETERNAL perspective in life - It’s going to help me get thru the HARDEST times...
Let’s say I worry about dying, and missing out on my kids growing up...
If ALL i focus on is missing my kids growing up - then life will be MISERABLE!
BUT...
…if I can focus on 10,000 years from now - Well then that’s going to KEEP me focused on the glory to come...
and will allow me - Hopefully - to not worry about this SLIVER of time now...
Wills Faith in the Son:
This truth is good news because:
... it means that no unbeliever is so bad that they can say in response to the gospel: "I can't be elect, I am too evil."
because:
it preserves the praise of God’s grace at every point in our salvation.
There is NEVER a point in time (past, present, or future) when we become the decisive cause of our salvation
And this is good news:
because when, by grace through faith, you know yourself loved by God, forgiven, justified, accepted, this truth assures you that the roots of your salvation are not shallow, but go down deep into all eternity.
This provides us with such hope...
boldness*
The Will of the Father:
Connects Faith in the Son with Eternal Life
Wills Faith in the Son
Let’s pray...