Sermon Outline 2/27/11 (with Scripture References)

Belief that Leads to Life (Part 2)

Introduction:

• In v. 29, Jesus teaches that they must believe in “him whom the Father has sent.”
• In v. 35, he teaches that he is the one whom the father has sent and that all who come to him and believe in him would be satisfied.
• Now there was a sense in which those that had followed him across the Sea of Galilee had come and had believed so that is what makes v. 36 so remarkable….Jesus tells them that they had seen and not believe.
• We are left, then, with the inescapable conclusion that the “coming” and “believing” that Jesus was talking about was different than the coming and believing they experienced.
• The type of coming and believing that Jesus described led to eternal life and Jesus is going to ultimately describe it as eating His flesh and drinking His blood (52-58)
• This is an experience that I can best describe as being consumed with Jesus and being satisfied with nothing less.
• If you think that this type of belief is hard, so did the crowd; v. 66 says that many who had been following Him left as a direct result of this teaching.
• In light of this, we can safely say that eternal life is as easy as believing in Jesus, but the kind of belief that leads to eternal life is not easy!
• In fact, it is not even possible through natural human ability.
• What then brings unbelieving men and women to the point of belief?

I. God gives those that are His to the Son (37,39) Consider John 17:6,9,12,24

a.       John 6:44 “no one” is universal and unequivocal; whoever come to the son does so as a result of the Father’s attraction.

b.      6:65

c.       6:70 (elaborates in 15:16)

d.      John 8:47 – he does not say that you don’t belong because you don’t hear. he does say that you don’t hear because you don’t belong.

e.      John 10:26-29 – same logic applies as above.  Does not say you are not my sheep because you do not believe.

f.        God does not wait for his chosen ones to come to Jesus. If he did, they never would. He gives them to Jesus. He chooses them for his own. And he gives them to his Son.

II. Because God gives, they  come (37 cf. 35)

a.       It is not the other way around. Jesus does not say that because people come to Jesus and believe on Jesus, God therefore gives them to the Son. No.  Those whom the Father gives to the Son, come to the Son. He secures their coming. He works their coming. He guarantees their coming.

b.      Notice the certainty… How can he be so certain

1.      (Ephesians 1:4-5) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will

c.       Without God’s intervention, no one would come to Christ.

1.      Romans 3:10-12 as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; ¹¹ THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ¹² ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.

2.      1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised

3.      Romans 8:7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.

d.      The sinfulness of man is such that God must overcome their sin and rebellion so that they would choose Christ

1.      Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

2.      2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth

3.      2 Timothy 1:9  who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity

4.      2 Timothy 2:10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory

a.       Many argue against this view on the basis it is unfair.  These same people act as though people would want to come but could not do so because God did not choose them.  The biblical teaching is that left to themselves, no one wants to come.  If God does not intervene people will travel down the path of their own choosing.

b.      Some also believe that if God chooses them then it does not matter of they lead lives of holiness or not.  However, though God chooses who will be saved, Jesus himself states that it is imperative that a person comes (37-38).  Sovereignty and responsibility are set side by side in the same verse and God doesn’t see any contradiction at all.

c.       In acts 17, Paul says that all men are responsible to repent and God will justly judge their unrepentance.

d.      The problem is that we give unregenerate men too much credit.  To ask a person to change their ways is to ask the leopard to change his spots.  Repentance is a gift of God.

a.       God grants repentance.  Acts 11:18 –When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.

b.      2 Timothy 2:24-25 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.

III. Those who are given to Jesus and come to Jesus are  eternally kept by Jesus. None is lost.

a.       Verse 37: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” Giving is the Father’s sovereign prerogative, coming is guaranteed by the Father and keeping is accomplished by the Son’s omnipotence. You will be kept. Verse 39: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me.”

b.       Jesus will lose no one who comes to him. No one. If the Father gives us, and therefore we come to the Son, the Son will never lose us, or reject us. The life we have in the Son is, as verse 40 says, “eternal life.” Not temporary life. It cannot be lost. We are as secure as the Father and the Son are God.

IV. Those that are Kept are Raised to Eternal Life (39-40)

a. Death may look like defeat and loss, but the Son has the final word.  And to that, Jesus says two times, to make it crystal clear,. “I will raise it up on the last day.” Not even your body will be lost.

V. The Foundation of this Saving Work is The Will of God

a.       There is nothing more certain in this world than the will of God being accomplished.

b.      Isaiah 46:9-11 “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.