John MacArthur Mass Defection The Great Physician Confronts the Pathology of Counterfeit Faith

First I want to thank all the men who have

faith

fully proclaimed the Word of God this week, it has been a profound celebration for me and I know it has been for you too and I considered it a

great

privilege to be among them and to be able to speak with you there. more than a message on my heart, there is a category of evangelism that I think is overlooked and I want to share with you a scripture text that I think addresses that at least in one place and in a few other scriptures added, but Before doing so, if I can be a little autobiographical.

I'm not really given to this, but I think it might help you get started running. I grew up in a pastor's house. I grew up in a typical fundamental revival type of church my dad loved the Lord loved the Bible I assumed that everyone in the church was saved, that was an assumption I assumed that if you walked down an aisle, signed a card or said a prayer, you were saved in the high school. I began to question the salvation of people in the leadership of my father's own church. It just didn't seem to me that their lives necessarily bore witness to what they professed.

I knew there was something deeper and more real than what I saw in people's lives and I didn't know where to go to find it. In fact, I found some books, some mystical books, when I was in high school. I read things like imitation of life and borderline e/m books and I read about people who knelt and prayed. and there were grooves in the floor and I wondered where this true spirituality was. I was raised and I guess what you could call decisional evangelism with raised hands and Walking Islands and kneeling benches and a very indefinite doctrine of salvation, justification, sanctification, I watched people. who while they were in church created doubt in my mind about their true salvation and there was no doubt when I saw them leaving the church my closest friend or one of them in high school played with me in the backfield on the football team You know, I used to go to Pershing Square in Los Angeles and witness people talking to people in the park about Christ and we graduated together and he went to college and declared himself an atheist.

I didn't have a category for Ralph I went to seminary I went to college instead of another teammate co-captain of the football team again running in the same backfield and I finished and he was heading to the Seminary he said he and I led the Bible study and he graduated and was often a doctorate in philosophy and he denied the

faith

and was arrested for lewd conduct and didn't really have a category for him I went to seminary I had another friend he was the son of one of the senior faculty members my professor who After graduating I installed a Buddhist altar in his house.

I didn't really understand it when I got to my last year in seminary. I had to choose a thesis topic for my master's degree in div and I had no choice. I wrote about Judas because I couldn't understand him either. I couldn't understand anyone who turned away from Christ. He could not understand how Judas, three years in the presence of Christ, could turn away from Christ and betray Him. I just couldn't understand it. I saw the explosion. Billy Graham's organization had crusades all over the world and people crowded the halls and they were never found in the churches and the organization confessed that they were not sure how many of those people had actually been converted and I came to Grace Church after the seminar and I was still so burdened by this on my first Sunday at Grace Church the first Sunday morning the first sermon preached there on February 9, 1969 I preached on Matthew 7:21 2:23 not all who call me Lord Lord good, then the kingdom in a matter of months became It was clear that there were elders, deacons, members of the choir, all kinds of people who did not know the Lord.

A year later a book written by the eccentric Lutheran theologian John Warwick Montgomery called "Cursed" came out through the church. Wow, and it tells the story of damning heresy. from the Reformation onward that affected the church and condemned people in the church, it was condemned through the church. I began to realize very early in my ministry at Grace Church that I needed to do the work of an evangelist in the church when Paul wrote to Timothy. pastoring the church in Ephesus said friend, the job of an evangelist fulfills your ministry someone has to reach the unreached I'm trying to reach the reached I started to question things like the book of the four laws Jesus is Savior but not Lord what is this carnal?

As a Christian, I wrote a little book called Kingdom Living Here and Now about the Beatitudes that bothered a lot of people. I wrote another book Gospel according to Jesus addressing the topic of genuine salvation, then another the Gospel according to the Apostles and then another ashamed of the gospel then the war of truth is difficult to believe in the Jesus that you cannot ignore and continues. I think the Lord has somehow inspired me to evangelize the church and I don't think we think about that, you know, just me. I grew up with the assumption that if you walk in denial and pray your way to prayer, you are regardless of what your life is like, oh yeah, hopefully, hopefully, that would make Jesus Lord at some point.

I was at a conference at Moody early in my ministry and I had a five day session and I was teaching this at Moody and I was followed by a guy who was teaching the complete opposite and who literally said, you know, enjoy your life, you can think about doing Jesus the Lord, maybe at 30 you wouldn't do it. I know him if I named him. I don't know if you think about evangelization in the church. Let me tell you something. It will be much worse for the reached people than for the unreached. Much worse and I fear that The lack of confrontation on this issue is more common today in churches that present a cheap gospel, an ostentatious pop Jesus and whose people are not regularly confronted about the legitimacy of their profession, they are not warned. regularly about the most eternally devastating of all sins: knowing the gospel and walking. far away, so maybe that will help explain myself a little and why I always seem to be at the height of a strange fire, I always seem to have the burden of correcting the errors of the gospel that infect the church, maybe I'm just an evangelist of the church, that is not all the passion of grace. churches is for everyone and but for me this seems to be the little emphasis that God placed in my heart Hebrews 10:19 therefore brothers, having confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way that he He inaugurated us through the veil that is his flesh, since we have a

great

high priest over the house of God, let us approach with a sincere heart, in full certainty of faith verse 23, let us retain without hesitation the confession of our hope.

Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good works, not by abandoning our own gathering as is the custom of some, but by encouraging one another more as we see the day approaching because the day approaching means judgment and if you are it is not genuine, you will be trapped in that judgment. I appreciate what you said John, if you are not seeking holiness in your life, going to hell personally, is beyond my understanding, it has always been understanding anyone who turns away from Christ. In my experience, it is the most heartbreaking part of pastoral ministry.

I can deal with dying children. I can deal with the broken hearts of people who lose a spouse or lose a child. I can deal with all the illnesses I can. I can deal with all illnesses. struggles of life there is a deep pain in my heart when someone simply turns their back on Christ and walks away. I face it all the time all the time. It is not strange. It is common. It's common because it is. I fear eternal damnation for all. the good hope and all the warnings that we have tried to give at times for years and years open your Bible to John 6 actually dr.

Mohler asked me if I could talk about John 6, thank you sir John 6, this is a challenge for me, there are 71 verses that are at least a series of 40 sermons, as you know, let me read verses 60 to the end, I just want let him do it. He feels the pain of our Lord here, that's why many of his disciples, upon hearing this, said this is a difficult message, who can hear it, but Jesus, aware that his disciples complained about this, told them: Does this make you stumble? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before, it is the spirit that gives life, the flesh, the words that I have spoken to your spirit and to our life are of no use, but there are some of you who do not believe because Jesus knew from the beginning. beginning who There were those who did not believe in who would be the one who would betray him and said that is why I have told you that no one can come to me unless the father has granted it to him, that is why many of his disciples withdrew. and we no longer walk with him then Jesus said to the twelve, do not you also want to leave?

Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go, you have words of eternal life that we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God. Jesus answered them that I I did not choose you twelve and yet one of you is a demon and he was referring to Judas the son of Simon Iscariot because he was one of the twelve and he was going to betray him. look at verse 66 for a moment as a result of this many of his disciples withdrew and we no longer walk with him very strong language very strong in the original language expresses finality the same phrase stopped appears in luke 9:62 where it says that once that begins but returns one is not fit for the kingdom this is that type of returning what is tragic in this since they are disciples and there were many of them John then describes such false followers who abandoned the Lord Jesus in his first epistle he says that they came from us but they really were not from us because if they had been from us they would have stayed with us but they came out so that it would be shown that all are not from us we know that first verse of John 2:19 but do we know that the verse before previous verse calls them the Antichrist of the Antichrist?

Some people who depart from Christ in their hearts we will not know because only judgment will reveal it; will be revealed to some on that day like Matthew. 7 says on that day on the day when the final judgment comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount and destroys the house without foundations on that day when the angels by order of God separate the wheat from the tares but until that day It is possible That we don't know, we may not know, but in this case, and unfortunately in many cases, we do know. I have been staying at Grace Community Church since 1969, which is like a death sentence for those people.

Please, Lord, call him to another place. I have stayed. long enough to see the unfruitful land that looked good for a time and as our Lord says in Luke 813 they believed for a time. I have seen them come and go and come and go and come and go under the most faithful and loving congregation under the strongest and clearest biblical preaching the half-convert who cannot endure any tribulation the half-convert who cannot let go of the sin that does not can let go of the world that cannot let go of money that cannot let go of culture the half-converted I have reminded you over the years repeatedly of 1 Corinthians 10 one through twelve the example of unfaithful Israel in the wilderness, the Whoever thinks he stands firm, take care that he does not fall.

I have cried out to you since the chapter of Colossians one that if the work of Christ on the cross applies to you if you remain faithful every time I have called you to the table of the Lord hundreds and hundreds of times to Over the years I have asked you to examine yourself because man must examine himself. I have poured out my heart in 2 Corinthians 13:5 I have said test yourself examine yourself if you are in the faith test yourself I have read the warnings of Hebrews in chapter 2 in chapter 3 in chapter 4 in chapter 6 how Should we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

If it was horrendous for those who ignored the law, what will it be for those who ignore the gospel? I have reminded you so many times and you can consult with me about Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10 that I read to you. A little earlier I want to continue where I left off in verse 23. I have reminded you how important it is to retain the confession of our hope without wavering. God will be faithful but you must retain the confession and then I have reminded them. Those in verse 26, which is the reality of apostasy, if we continue to sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer a sacrifice for sin.

What is apostasy? It is happening in the unbroken pattern of corrupt sinfulness after receiving the knowledge of the truth. the truth is that is the fact of apostasy what is the result of apostasy there is no sacrifice left for sin there is only a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire that will consume the adversaries how severe or punishment do you think the verse will be 29? He deserves it who has trampled on the son of God and has considered the blood of the Covenant by which he was sanctified unclean and has insulted the spirit of grace.

I don't know any stronger words than that for the writer of Hebrews to say to a church. He told it to an assembly of people who constituted a church. What are the results of apostasy? Unmatched punishment in hell revenge. I will pay the Lord I will judge his people. Do you know why Isaiah speaks of tears and lamentations? Do you know why Jeremiah, we show up? Know? why Jesus weeps for Israel in Luke 19 because thosewho have the greatest spiritual privilege suffer the greatest eternal punishment if they reject him verse 31 this is a message for the church this is written to a group of people gathered together in the name of Christ it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God especially terrifying If you know the especially terrifying truth verse 35 summarize it therefore do not waste your trust which has a great reward because you need perseverance so that when you have done the will of God hmm you need to endure perseverance so that when you have done the will of God you will be able to receive what was promised you will know how to obtain what was promised in eternity persevere persevere and do the will of God because even in a very short time all this comes from the Old Testament the one who comes will come and it will not take long but my righteous man will live by faith oh my and if he does It was if he deserts, if he recedes, my soul has no pleasure in him, but we are not one of those who regress to destruction, what a horrible statement, but for those who have faith for the preservation of the soul, that brings us back to the topic of our text, false disciples who recede. to eternal destruction true disciples who persevere in faith to the end now let's go back to John 6 I don't know if you preach that way in your church, but you should go back to John six, this is just a painful, powerful, yes, painful text, yes, almost pathetic, moving as we examine the chapter briefly.

I want you to start in verse 66, many of his disciples withdrew and we no longer walk with him what is the

pathology

of that how does that happen let's look at the character of the false disciples some of the pattern or

pathology

of this it all really started wow it started so wonderfully go back to the beginning of the chapter the miraculous meal, the miraculous meal, all four gospels record this which culminates the Galilean ministry and is the most extensive miracle that Jesus ever performed in terms of the number of people who participated, it is one thing to heal a blind man and a deaf man, and it is another thing to heal a blind man and a deaf man. feeds 20 to 25,000 people who participate in the miracle this is amazing Matthew says that Jesus saw the crowd Verses 1 and 2 talk about the crowd gathered around the sea in Galilee great crowd Matthew says that the Lord looked at them and saw them as sheep without a shepherd and felt compassion, tender love.

Mark and Luke say that he felt so compelled and so compassionate that he simply released his healing power and healed them all, he simply healed them all, his heart must have been overwhelmed with joy, his compassion. , you have compassion. I can't do anything about it David says I'm climbing in Tibet, right, my heart hurts. I can not do anything. I can't fix anything. I can't help anyone. I can't talk to anyone. I can't solve the problem soon. In the long run, Jesus could and what joy he derived from doing that. It all started with such a wonderfully

mass

ive crowd.

We begin right there, at the climax of that day, to begin to see the pattern of false disciples from the first thing that false disciples are attracted by a crowd. False disciples are attracted to a crowd because people are attracted to the dynamics of a crowd. Most people follow a crowd even when they have no idea what the crowd is there for. What do you do when you see a crowd going the wrong way? I don't think so, what do people do driving on the highway when they see a crowd of people off the road, they slow down, stop, we are attracted by a crowd, crowds have their own energy, whether it's the weather or for a spontaneous situation? type of incident that has attracted people or you know if it's a rock chart or a rock concert or a mega church crowds the anonymity of the crowds the excitement the energy of the crowds the interest of the crowds becomes attractive for people a kind of mundane life that you could Say that the larger the crowd, the more likely you are to find people who are only attracted to the crowd.

Second, false disciples may be fascinated by the supernatural. I think our whole culture is strange, they're so caught up in the supernatural. I can't watch anything on TV except news or a sporting event because I can't live in the fantasy world. I can't live with strange and unreal beings. Mainstream television has no interest in that, but there is a kind of fascinating escape mentality in our culture - the fascination with the supernatural. I think in ancient times people would be fascinated by the prospect of something supernatural. People are still fascinated by the promise of the supernatural, even from people who can't pull off fake miracles, but here's the real deal.

You have to know that Jesus' power over demons, illness, death and nature was fascinating. You understand, of course, that that has never happened in the history of the world. There is a kind of danger when Jesus is popular and when you promise that supernatural people are. desperately captive to the worldly and the power of it, just think of the power of it. I asked a scientist from our church. I told him how much power it would take to prepare a half-pound meal for 20,000 people. Calculate that and he said he's okay, and it's equal to MC squared, which means. energy is equal to

mass

plus the speed of light squared a quantum of light carries energy that is converted to mass so he said the energy for a half pound meal for 20 people would be this, he recalculated, he came to me and he said all the electrical power on Earth operating at one hundred percent output for one hundred percent of the time for four thousand years, that's pretty good, so I said, well, that wasn't a big deal to Jesus because listen to this, He created the Sun, the Sun consumes approximately 600 million tons of matter. per second you get that the Sun consumes 600 million tons of matter per second generating enough energy in that second to satisfy all the needs of the US for 13 billion years that didn't come from oozing sludge with an amoeba in it, the demonstration of power, ah.

They couldn't calculate that obviously Jesus attracted these massive crowds supernatural wonders people want simon magus he would pay for it how strong the attraction is so strong towards the supernatural as a way out that the fraudsters are successful they promise miracles that attract the crowds big crowds Jesus really could do it but when that type of crowd gathers the third element appears in this type of pathology verse 14 says that when the people saw the sign that he had performed they said, this is truly the prophet who is from Deuteronomy 18 the promise of the prophet like Moses this is the prophet or the Messiah who is to come to the world then Jesus perceiving that they intended to come and take him by force to do so King withdrew again to the mountain only the third thing is they want worldly benefits the crowd wants worldly benefits they want to do it King this is carnal enthusiasm this is permanently free food what he had just done is a sample of what he could continue to do desire for comfort desire for provision desire for freedom from the difficulty of the battle for bread, what can he do for us ?

These are amazing insights into what he can do for them temporarily. This is like offering people the prosperity gospel. It works on natural desire and they become bold about it. They become demanding. to him in verse 28 go down to verse 28 they told him what we will do so that we can carry out the works of God I don't know if you know what that is saying but this is what they are saying to Jesus give us the power this is not a question spiritual give us the power Simon Magus we want to be able to do we want to be able to speak these things into existence we want to be able to create our own world create our own realization we want to be miracle workers Jesus responds in verse 29 says that the only share you will have in a miracle is the miracle of believing in the one to whom he sent the work of God is believing that miracles were limited to Jesus and the Apostles begin with Jesus is saying here is a miracle in which you can participate there is a work of God in which you can participate it is faith to believe Jesus constantly called them to believe repeatedly I am not going to read all this but throughout this text all the until verse 47 truly truly I tell you he who believes has eternal life always calling to faith then they said give us the power give us the power he says you are not going to get the power by yourself the only participation you will have in the power of God the only time you will be engaged in the work of God is when you believe in the One whom he sent then they told him yes You're not going to give us the power so what are you going to do? you are going to do as a sign so that we can see you and believe you what work you do if you are not going to give us the power then you have to continue giving us the provision you have to continue doing what we Do you want you to do what work are you going to do to validate yourself ?

What you say. That's strange because you just created a meal. Do you have to validate yourself? Do you give yourself away and do more than that so we can believe you? They diminish the miracle. he had just acted they didn't do it that's how decrease in verse 31 they say it's no big deal our fathers ate manna in the desert they gave him bread from heaven every day for years you want to show us that you are the Prophet that one is not to do you have a you have to give it to us all the time verse 34 Lord always give us this bread you have a you have to be at least equal to Moses in the desert that you have to deliver every day this is the pattern of the false disciple attracted by the crowd fascinated by the supernatural sees a means to satisfy his personal temporal desires and begins to make demands of God and expects God to validate who he is by fulfilling his demands Jesus launches into the truly amazing sermon on the bread of life and we get to a couple more things that characterize these false disciples they have no real interest in the Lord Jesus they have no real interest in the Lord Jesus we skip a small section of verse 16 to 21 which is a small section of Jesus walking on water at night and you remember that you remember Matthew's comment in Matthew 14 where when they met Jesus there it says that they worshiped him and said that you are indeed the Son of God. remember that the true disciples recognized who he was they had an interest in the Lord Jesus that they were those people in the parable of Matthew 13:44 2:46 who sold everything to buy the field to obtain the treasure who sold everything to buy the pearl of great price but the crowd has no interest in Jesus Jesus says in verse 35 about the bread of life he who comes to Me will not be hungry he who believes in Me will not be hungry but I told you, you have seen Me and yet I do not believe that this is the problem sure they are attracted to crowds of course they are fascinated by the supernatural yes they want power and provision miraculous power and all the provision they can get to satisfy their carnal desires but no interest in Christ as the bread of life no has no soul interest in it, so Jesus talks more about that, as you know, and finally gets to verse 51 where he says: I am not only the bread of life, I am the bread that will give his life for the world and now.

He is talking about the cross and he says you have to eat my flesh and drink my blood, this is atonement and now it is about sin and repentance and substitution and imputation and personal appropriation of that you have to embrace the cross in which you have no interest. Christ, they have no interest in the cross, the cross is an offense, it is a stumbling block, so here is the pathology that leads to our text, attracted by the crowd fascinated by the prospect of the supernatural, desiring worldly benefits, demanding that his requests be met, with no real interest in Christ and totally rejecting the notion of atonement verse 59, he said this in the synagogue while teaching in Capernaum hmm, I tell you what friends, that was a serious day, oh, that was a day so serious that it may have been the most serious day for souls that they have ever heard. a Matthew 11 23 and your capernaum will not be exalted to heaven you will descend to hades because if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom it would have remained to this day however I tell you it will be more tolerable what hell will be more tolerable for the homosexuals in Sodom who tried to rape the angels that for the religious Jews in Capernaum who rejected Jesus Christ the

defection

came quickly verse 60 that's why many of his disciples when they heard this said that this is a hard message a hard teaching most translations they say that who can hear it with difficulty is skleros scleras dry fluorosis rigid figuratively means unpleasant objectionable to find many ways to develop synonyms offensive unacceptable hard violent fierce defiant repulsive the conclusion is the na s since this is a difficult statement please give me more that that is not what he is saying this is not difficult this is not confusing to them it is very clear to them a lexicon says that the term skleros used figuratively actually means irritating to the mind lagos translated statement is misleading this is not a statement this is a message we would say that we only heard one word of thesky we are not referring to pink we are not referring to a word we are referring to a word a speech that this is an irritating and unacceptable speech who can listen to this what irritated them said that he came down from heaven said that he is the only true food for the soul giving eternal life said he would die as an atonement and sacrifice for sinners that is a very irritating message nothing he did offended them everything he said offended them well based on what he did we declare that he is a prophet Nicodemus said it for those who were not true believers in John 2 and John 3 we know that you are a teacher come from God that is not enough did not claim to be a teacher came from God claimed to be God claimed to be eternal from heaven the source of life the Son of Man the Son of God the only one who grants eternal life the one who personally raises the dead the one who provides atonement for sin all this from the mouth of a local carpenter from Nazareth who looked like everyone else now let me get to the point here's the thing words words sometimes you hear this crazy statement preach the gospel and if you have to use words I don't know who said that and I don't want to attribute it to the wrong person because it's so stupid you can't preach the gospel without words that's a lie preach the gospel and always use words, of course, now listen, of course, people welcome you when you feed.

They of course welcome you when you give them medicine and cure them, of course that's true, but don't be fooled because you get a welcome response to the easiest type of service that gives people exactly what they need and in what they want to survive. Let the world not be confused, that will somehow mean that they will respond when you do the hard work of evangelism and call them to repentance and faith. They will not reject him for his works, but they will reject him for his words. you still do the works so don't assume there is an immediate connection listen to Jesus in John 8 so Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him if you continue in my word then you will truly be my disciples you will know the truth and the truth you He will set you free in verse 30 as he spoke these things while he spoke these things many believed in him as he spoke these things later in chapter eight verse 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you I speak the things that I have seen with my father then you also do the things that you heard from your father you remember very well this dialogue goes so far as to tell you that you belong to your father the devil and then in verse 45 but because I tell the truth you don't believe me because I tell the truth truth verse 47 he who is from God here are the words of God seek Jesus returned to Nazareth to the synagogue grew in him said he basically came to preach the gospel fulfill Isaiah 60:1 and said the gospel is for the poor blind prisoners and oppressed his words so they were offended when he finished they tried to throw him off a cliff kill him first you know what they said why don't you do all the miracles here that you did in Capernaum we want the miracles the words will kill you well by the way look at chapter 7 verse 1 and 2 the verse that the Jews were looking for to kill him look at chapter 8 verse 59 he picked up stones to throw at him finally they did it always are words 461 so Jesus aware please notice that his disciples Wow his students grumbled he told them does this make you stumble? this message is it you?

I'm going to trip over this, well of course they did, it's a roadblock. I love verse 62, why don't you stay until the Ascension? You see, why don't you stay until Ascension? I tell you where I come from. heaven if you stay you will see me return then you will know stay verse 63 is the spirit that gives life Holy Spirit the flesh is of no use I love this the words that I have spoken to you our spirit and our life is always the words, are always the words, always They are the words, listen friends, you are going to do evangelism, you have to speak the words of the gospel, they are the words, if someone keeps my word, John 851, he will never see death, they are the words, John chapter 12, verse 48, he . who rejects me and does not receive my sayings my words my words and not just mine the word that I spoke is the one that in the end will judge him and the word that I spoke is just what the father told me to say John 14 in the room high John 15 it's all about the words believe the words obey the words if you keep my Commandments you will remain in my love these things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you your joy may be full salvation it's about believing the words faith comes why listen to message about Christ here is the topic verse 64 there are some of you do not believe some of you do not believe and Jesus knew from the beginning who were those who did not believe and who was Who would betray me?

Do you know what fascinates me? He knew from the beginning who he wouldn't believe, but he begged everyone to believe that they wouldn't believe in chapter 8, verse 21 to 24, he says if you don't. I do not believe that you will die in your sins and where I go you will never come believe believe believe so skip to verse 66 as a result of this type of conversation this message these words many of his disciples withdrew we are not walking with him more unbelief unwillingness to listen to believe the words from heaven that they had heard abandoning the Lord Jesus Christ they repaid their worldly interests they left for good Greek phrase the broken heart crushed perhaps even crying as in Luke 19 he himself had offered them had been abandoned he sits with a few who remain I think thoughtful exhausted disappointed by his pain then Jesus said to the twelve do it I don't want to leave I also do great construction demands you don't answer you don't leave it's you I know who you are I know who you are I know you're not Simon Peter the spokesperson always responded I love this Lord to whom we go, you have what the next words are, you have words of eternal life, we have believed and we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God, where this is a lot about human responsibility, isn't it?

You are the Holy One of God by the way that was one of Isaiah's favorite names for God the holy one of Israel and now in the Incarnation it becomes the name of Christ the Holy One of God is here and it is also in mark 1:24 where it is a demon that says I know you the Holy One of God Peter says we know who you are we know you we know that you are the Christ the Son of God we know that you are the Holy One of God true discipleship affirms faith in all the statements and all the truths that Jesus ever once it has been done they are the ones who receive eternal life what a moment what a precious moment the true believers affirm themselves and declare themselves and I think Peter speaks clearly for the rest but it is only a brief pause and immediately you get to verse 70 and the pathos of the chapter catches you again Jesus answered them if I myself did not choose you twelve and yet one of you is a demon and he was referring to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. because one of the twelve was going to betray him this is not intended to open biographical studies of Judas this is the final note on the mass desertion we are not allowed to dwell even on the blessed confession for long just a brief pause and We are back to the pathos that dominates the text, the tragedy of the false disciple and mass desertion, the words should not be explored about Judas in some biographical way only to make the end point of the entire chapter wait for the demons of the Antichrist. among those your disciple Judis would not even be exposed for six months and he was so good in his hypocrisy that when Jesus said that one was a traitor everyone thought it could be them two names appear at the end of the chapter Peter and Judas both attracted to Jesus both called personally by Jesus both taught by Jesus both claimed devotion to Jesus both were trained for ministry by Jesus and did ministry both taught the Scriptures both learned the Scriptures in their small group both experienced example the gripping evidence of our Lord's heavenly perfection Both They saw miracles every day.

They both heard the Lord Jesus answer each theological question sincerely, completely and clearly. Both were confronted daily with the nature of sin, death, judgment and the need for repentance in grave grace. They were both told about the reality of hell in heaven. They both even preached. the Lord Jesus as the son of God Messiah Savior both knew their sinfulness both experienced overwhelming guilt both gave themselves over to Satan both took sides against the Lord both betrayed the Lord Jesus boldly emphatically and openly both were devastated by their betrayal both felt guilty about it one however so honorable that despite his betrayal some of you sitting here bear his name the other so dishonorable that none of you bear his name one ended in a manic suicide the other a holy martyr both repented what is the difference Peter we we?

We have believed we have believed we have believed for Peter the words were life he received them he believed them he obeyed them he rejoiced in them and eventually preached them is not it so for Judas the words were death they killed his interest they killed his ambition they devastated? his expectations overwhelmed him with angry resentment it is always about the words like this warning the people in the church, a serious matter in evangelism, warning the people sitting in the churches that they are collectively apostates, a serious matter, a much greater punishment in hell for the reached than for the unreached, where to? get into this this is painful agonizing where did Jesus go his heart is broken I'm sure there were tears on his cheeks over this desertion where is he going where are you going where am I going verse 65 he was saying this is the reason I told you that no one can come to me unless the father has granted it to him.

Where did he find his rest? He found his rest in the sovereign elective purposes of God without that I don't think I can do this because I would tend to put failure adding my own feet is too much, he said, that's why I said no one can come to me unless I have granted it to him The father, when did he say that back in verse 37, everything that the father gives me? will come to me and whoever comes to me I will certainly not make him doubt I will hold him with an eternal grip but I came down from heaven not to do my will but the will of him who sent me and this is the will of him who sent me that of everything that has given me I lose nothing but I will raise him up on the last day verse 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me brings him and I raise him up on the last day I find my rest in the same place where the original Calvinist found your rest.

This would have been a perfect moment for Jesus to harmonize human responsibility and divine sovereignty and he doesn't say a word, he just leaves it there, let, believe, believe, believe, ha how. Do I find peace in the midst of desertion? Rest in God's purpose. Grace be to all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ within in corruptible love. Amen.