WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:04.080 Hello and welcome to the Redemption Church Podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:12.480 We're a church in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada that exists to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission and the Spirit of the Great Commandment. 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:14.560 Thanks for joining us today. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:19.600 If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, you can open them up to John chapter 6. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:24.079 If you don't have a copy of God's Word, the ushers are making their way down the aisle, and you can flag one of them down. 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:27.440 They'd love to put a copy into your hands. 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:36.320 There's a uh a bedtime ritual we do in the homes household that I would love this morning to invite you into. 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:37.280 Can I do that? 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:37.920 Is that okay? 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:41.439 Can you join us for a homes bedtime routine? 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:46.159 It's a little bit of a liturgy that we do, and I'd love for you to see it. 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:49.119 In fact, maybe Gord, I'm gonna ask for your help this morning. 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:50.159 I didn't ask you if I could do it. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:51.039 You can just stay right there. 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:52.240 Don't worry about it. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:53.520 I'm gonna do it with you. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:58.799 Usually I now I usually do it with my daughters, and so I'll hold their face, and they got those big cheeks. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:02.640 And you got beautiful cheeks, but I'm not gonna hold you once. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:07.040 I'm not gonna hold your face this morning, but I will look in your eyes and make this incredibly awkward. 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:07.840 No problem. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:08.400 Okay. 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:10.879 Gord, can you see my eyes? 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:11.359 Yes. 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:14.159 Can you see that my eyes see your eyes? 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:14.959 Yes. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:16.959 Do you know that I love you, Gord? 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:18.959 Now I do. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:22.079 Are you happy that you came to church this morning? 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:23.120 That's not part of it. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.280 Do you know that I love you no matter what bad things you do? 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:29.120 Okay. 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:31.120 No, Gord. 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:31.760 Try again. 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:32.159 Try again. 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:33.200 Bad Gord. 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:36.000 Do you know that I love you no matter what bad things you do? 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:38.959 Do you know that I love you no matter what good things you do? 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:39.680 Yes. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:41.439 Who else loves you like that? 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:42.239 Jesus. 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:43.359 Jesus does. 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:45.280 Rest in that love, Gord. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:46.799 Give it up for Gord. 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:48.000 That was amazing. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:49.519 Wow. 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:51.680 Wow. 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:57.120 I meant to connect with Gord beforehand, but I did not do that. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:01:59.760 It's a sweet time. 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:02.959 We share with our kids every once in a while. 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:04.400 We'll share that liturgy with them. 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:09.120 And our oldest daughter, especially, will often actually ask for it. 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:13.120 And the question is why? 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:24.639 And I think we understand along with her that our hearts are constantly asking this question about any love that we experience. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:27.120 And the question is this will it last? 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:33.599 This love that I have experienced, will it hold on when I fail? 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.319 No matter the bad things that I do? 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:39.520 Will it stay even when I doubt it? 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:41.280 Will it be there when I'm afraid? 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:48.000 And if you're a parent in this room, you know, like the answer is yes, my love, like you can run away from me. 00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:49.919 I will never run away from you. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:53.360 My love will always be there for you. 00:02:54.719 --> 00:03:05.520 Now I want you to know this morning that as God pours out his love on us, he wants us to understand that gospel-shaped love holds on. 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:10.159 It does not leave when things get messy. 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:14.639 It doesn't give up when things get hard. 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:17.599 It holds on. 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:26.960 And last week we spent our time in John chapter 6, verse 37 to 51, talking about how our rescue begins. 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:35.120 And I want to continue in the same text this morning, talking about how our rescue continues and lasts and finishes. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:43.520 We saw last week that it starts with a divine initiative that the Father gives, verse 37, and the Son receives. 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:58.080 We talked about the effectual call, this inward, powerful work of the Holy Spirit that opens hearts and draws people to come to Jesus and to worship Him. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:10.560 Now, afterwards, from that message, I received more questions than I think in the almost three years I have been preaching I have ever received from a sermon that I've preached. 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:13.039 And I want to let you know I loved that. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:16.800 I love when we ask deep questions. 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:22.399 I love when we wrestle with the text that is in front of us. 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:34.240 And so there were some who came to me and told me that it stirred them to pray more boldly, knowing that the Father is the one who is divinely sovereign over salvation. 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:37.920 There were others who came to me and asked, how can I pray even pray at all? 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:40.560 Do my prayers even make a difference? 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:45.920 Others were wrestling with the place of human responsibility and faith. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:46.800 What about our belief? 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:49.199 What about what we're called to do? 00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:55.360 I love those questions because they show that we're not just skimming scripture. 00:04:55.519 --> 00:05:02.800 We want to know God deeply and we want to hold on to truth even when it stretches us. 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:15.600 And I want you to understand that if you are going to hold on to this book and all that it says is true, especially about divine sovereignty and human responsibility, you will be stretched. 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:22.480 The writers of Scripture, they don't try to resolve the tension for us. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:35.519 Instead, they proclaim both these truths side by side, simultaneously holding both these truths in complete tension, that God is completely sovereign and we are completely responsible. 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:39.759 God is sovereign in salvation. 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:44.879 He predestines, he regenerates, he calls. 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:48.399 Meanwhile, we are completely responsible. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.360 We must respond in faith. 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:14.720 What scripture does is with one foot, it plants itself firmly in the boat, let's say, of human responsibility, and the other foot planted firmly on the dock of God's sovereign responsibility, and it holds both those feet planted firmly. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:19.920 And if you've ever had to do that, you know that if you lift up one foot, you will fall in. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:27.279 That is the best thing that we can do as we begin to grapple with God's sovereignty and human responsibility. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:29.120 We need to plant both feet. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:33.439 Now I want you to see John, the writer of this gospel, was not afraid to do that. 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:35.040 Look with me at verse 37. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:37.680 Look at so full of God's sovereignty. 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:41.680 All that the Father gives to me will come to me. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:53.920 However, with this divine initiative in place, with the foundation of God's sovereignty laid, look at what he says in verse 40. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:07:02.240 For this is the will of my Father that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:05.040 That's the human responsibility side of this. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:07.600 Now, both of these things are true. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.000 Both of these things are beautiful. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:18.639 And this is a tension that is not only woven through the pages of Scripture, this tension is woven through the life of our church. 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:21.839 We pray like it all depends on God. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:24.639 We work like it all depends on us. 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:27.279 That is how we embrace the tension. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:34.959 That's why this Wednesday, here at ANOVA, we are gathering for worship and prayer and a significant one at that. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:36.079 They are all important. 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:48.480 But this one, especially, as Easter is coming, and culturally there is sort of this sort of this spiritual sensitivity at a time like Easter where people are more willing to ask questions and hear the gospel. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:51.279 And so we gather to pray. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.480 We believe nothing is of eternal significance happens apart from prayer. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:08:00.000 If we want to see God move, if we gather and pray this Wednesday, we believe God will do that. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:04.240 In his sovereignty, he has chosen to use the prayers of his people. 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:05.600 And so we pray. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:07.680 And I would urge you, exhort you. 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:08.639 What other language? 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:09.040 Beg? 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:09.920 Is that a good one? 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:16.319 I would ask you to be there this Wednesday, trusting that your prayers have eternal impact. 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:21.600 Listen, Wednesday night, you will want to stay home and watch Survivor. 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:23.040 It's Survivor night. 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:25.439 And if you don't watch it, now you're gonna have an excuse. 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:28.160 Maybe I should start watching it and not go to worship and prayer. 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:29.360 Come. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:32.879 Your prayers have eternal significance. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:33.679 We pray. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.000 But notice we also work. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:43.120 The human responsibility side is that we call people to salvation every Sunday morning. 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:47.120 I call people to believe and cast their faith in Jesus Christ. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:49.120 That is the human responsibility side. 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:54.240 Everyone who looks to the sun will have eternal life. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:09:00.159 That's why we evangelize because Paul says, How can they believe if they have never heard? 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:04.799 And that brings me to this, which if you don't have, you are currently sitting on. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:07.759 It is warmed up and ready to go. 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:10.399 This is an Easter invite. 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:12.000 And it is not for you. 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:13.600 You know about Easter now. 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:17.120 This is for you to use as a tool for evangelism. 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:23.279 Give this in faith, knowing that this is nothing but a seed that you can easily plant. 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:24.399 It's so easy to plant. 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:25.279 Can I show you how to do it? 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:26.720 You go like this, ready? 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:29.679 You won't pull anything, I promise. 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:31.440 Like you that's easy. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:41.200 And you can plant that seed, and you can trust because of God's sovereignty, He may draw someone that you gave that invite to, to eternal life. 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:42.240 And so we give that to you. 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:45.200 If you need more, you can find them at the back at the Connection Center. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:48.000 We trust that that'll be a helpful tool for you. 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:53.440 Taken in faith, believing in God's sovereignty, sowing seeds of the gospel. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:58.399 This morning I want to continue to press into this tension of God's sovereignty and responsibility. 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:08.000 And I want us to see how the rescue lasts, how Jesus' rescue mission saving us for eternal life, how it continues and lasts. 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:23.919 More personally, I want to ask this question: when life gets messy, when faith gets hard, when doubts creep into our mind, when suffering presses us down, will Jesus still hold on to us? 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:29.519 And the answer from Jesus' lips himself is a resounding yes. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:34.320 Here's the main idea I want you to take away this morning. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:40.159 The rescue that Jesus starts, he never lets go of. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:43.039 He will carry it all the way to glory. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:47.360 The rescue Jesus starts, he never lets go of. 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:50.399 He will carry it all the way to glory. 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:54.799 That's the kind of love that we're talking about as we talk about Christ's love. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:11:00.480 That's the kind of savior that we talk about as we talk about the rescue of salvation. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:03.279 Let's hear this together again. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:11.039 Would you stand with me as we honor God's word that is living and active and given to us without air? 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:15.919 We read from John chapter 6, verse 37 to 51. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:26.000 All that the Father gives to me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:40.159 For I have come from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me, 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. 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:45.519 For this is the will of my father that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life. 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:48.320 And I will raise him up on the last day. 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:52.960 So the Jews grumbled about him because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:57.759 They said, Is this not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:01.519 How does he now say, I have come down from heaven? 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:04.399 Jesus answered them, Do not grumble among yourselves. 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:09.600 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:12.799 It is written in the prophets, and they will all be taught by God. 00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:16.080 Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:21.120 Not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God, he has seen the Father. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:26.639 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:28.480 I am the bread of life. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:31.440 Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and they died. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:35.360 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:38.000 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:40.799 If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:45.759 And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:47.279 This is the word of God. 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:48.960 You can take a seat. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:56.480 The rescue lasts, it endures, perseveres. 00:12:56.879 --> 00:12:59.120 I want you to see this morning why. 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:03.200 The first reason I want you to see why is because he keeps you by his will. 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:14.240 Your rescue, if he began your rescue, will come to completion because Jesus is keeping you by his will. 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:18.159 Look again at the second half of verse 37 with me. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.000 Put your eyes on the text. 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:27.600 Notice what Jesus says: whoever comes to me, I will never cast out. 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:35.200 This is a promise that Jesus has issued to your soul this morning. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:41.120 That there is a divine game of catch going on. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:45.039 The Father throws to the Son. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:47.120 The Son receives. 00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:52.399 And whenever the Son receives, he never drops what he receives. 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:55.759 He's the greatest outfielder of all time. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:01.759 He always receives what the Father gives, he never lets go. 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:09.200 That's what this word, cast out, in the negative, not cast out, means here. 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:12.559 This isn't just about welcoming someone politely at the door. 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:18.799 It's about gripping on to something that is precious, holding on to it with dear life. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.799 Jesus says, Whoever comes to me, I will not cast out. 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:41.759 Now there are some who have tried to sort of soften the blow of this or the strength of this passage by saying, Well, whoever comes to Jesus, he will welcome, as though he will, he will like receive, as though he's, you know, a doorman, and that's certainly true, but I want you just to understand, it is not the strength of this verse. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:45.840 Jesus says this, I will never cast them out. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:51.039 The Greek word here for cast out is ekbalo. 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:56.879 It means to throw out, to reject, to forcefully drive away. 00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:58.879 Well, you ask me, how do I know that? 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:05.519 And I tell you, I took three years of New Testament Greek, I have forgotten almost everything except for this word. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:06.480 Ekbalo. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:07.919 Can I tell you how I remember it? 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.000 It's a mnemonic, a little mnemonic I made. 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:13.279 You know, you gotta memorize hundreds and hundreds of words when you do Greek. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:16.159 And I made up this mnemonic memory device to remember this. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:17.120 Ekbalo. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.519 A ball, right? 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:22.240 You throw a ball. 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:24.799 Ekbalo, don't throw the ball out. 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:26.960 Now listen, I graduated with a master's. 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:31.840 Some of you guys are wondering, how did you ever do that after this? 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:36.559 This is the level of scholarship I brought to seminary. 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:39.440 But it did help me remember what the word means. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:41.600 Well, here's what's even more powerful. 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:44.799 John strengthens this with a double negative in the Greek. 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.279 Now, you and I, we don't like double negatives. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:50.799 There are some, you know, grammar nerds who just got up and left the church. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:52.879 If we're gonna talk about double negatives, I'm out of here. 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:54.559 That's a primary doctrine for me. 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:57.600 Double negatives, they cancel each other out in the English language. 00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:00.000 Well, in Greek, they multiply. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:05.919 You use a double negative to say a point as strongly as you can. 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:08.559 So, really, there's a double negative here. 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:10.639 In the Greek, it's uh me ekbalo. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:12.080 Two negatives. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:14.159 Uh, me ekbalo. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:23.039 You could translate it like this never under any circumstances will I ever cast them out. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:31.120 It is the strongest possible way to deny something. 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:43.519 And what Jesus is doing this morning is he is holding our face and he is looking into our eyes and saying something so serious and so comforting. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:48.879 He's saying, Listen, I'm not gonna probably, it's not probably, it's not a probably. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.080 It's not I hope I don't have to cast you out. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:53.919 You know, some of us look at our kids, we say that, right? 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.480 Like, I hope I don't have to kick you out the way you're acting. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:10.720 Jesus is holding our face and he is looking into our eyes and he's saying, I will never, not ever, not now, not later, not here, not there. 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.359 I will never let you go. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:24.000 That's the kind of savior that we have in Jesus Christ. 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:34.799 You will not be ek ballowed, you will not be thrown out, you are safe if you are in Jesus' hands by faith right now. 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:37.359 You are safe forever. 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:42.319 Now, listen, this morning, some of us need to hear that. 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:50.000 I believe that this is a divinely sovereignly placed double negative for us. 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:56.720 Because Jesus says the first negative and he knows that we will have objections. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:02.400 But wait, Jesus, and as we share our objections, he hits us with the second negative. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:06.880 I will never, not ever cast anyone out. 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:21.759 What Jesus is doing this morning is cutting the throat of any objection you have that you might not make it to the end, that you might not get to participate in what we just sung about, that eternal praise of Jesus Christ in heaven. 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:30.319 Jesus was intentional, I do believe in wording this, to leave no doubt. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:33.200 He wanted the case to be closed. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:51.920 And you know, if our feelings had voices often about the way that we feel the Father's love for us is, the way that we feel Jesus is holding on to us, we would often maybe say this, I failed too many times, Jesus. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:56.640 I will never cast you out, says Christ. 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:03.200 Jesus, I I keep struggling with the same sin. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:11.599 I will never cast you out, says Christ. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:18.160 I've walked away from the church for years, I will never cast you out. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:22.880 I've crossed lines, I can't uncross, I've fallen into sexual sin. 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:27.680 Jesus looks us in the eyes, I will never cast you out. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:35.759 I'm addicted, I'm ashamed, I'm stuck, I will never cast you out. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:39.440 I've ruined relationships, I will never cast you out. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:42.400 I'm so full of doubt, I'm barely hanging on. 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:47.759 Jesus looks at us, he says, I will never cast you out. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:55.599 I'm anxious, I'm depressed, I'm angry with God, I will never cast you out, says Jesus. 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:57.200 I feel fake. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:00.880 I've only ever worn a mask in front of people. 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:02.559 Jesus looks into our eyes. 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:06.640 He says, I will never cast you out. 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:12.400 I'll never cast you out. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:15.119 What if I fail again? 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:18.319 I will never cast you out. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:28.559 Now, if it's not enough for Jesus to say, I will never cast you out, in verse 38, he tells us why. 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:32.319 Look at this beautiful little word here at the beginning of verse 38. 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:32.960 Four. 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:33.839 Do you see that there? 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:35.200 Do you see that in the text? 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:40.240 Jesus wants to give us assurance. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:45.839 He wants to show us the reason he will perfectly preserve all those who come to him. 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:49.920 This is the firefighter pulling someone out of the fire. 00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:54.400 And you know that person who's rescued looks at the firefighter and says, Am I safe? 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:55.839 And the firefighter says, You're safe. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:57.519 And the person says, How can I know? 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:01.279 And the fire says, firefighter says, I'm I'm under orders to keep you safe. 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:03.839 This is what Jesus is doing with us. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:12.160 He's not just comforting us, he's showing us that his grip is a divine sovereign command of the Father. 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:17.519 His grip on us, his preserving of us is backed by the will of the Father. 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:24.799 And so he says this in verse 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:28.400 Jesus was a divine missionary. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:41.119 He came not just to help us get to heaven, but to complete a mission that was assigned to him by the Father to bring us to heaven. 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:45.200 He doesn't show us the way. 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:47.039 He is the way. 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:53.200 Verse 39 says in the negative what verse 37 has already firmed. 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:59.680 Look at it there, and this is the will of him who sent me, Jesus says, that I should lose nothing of all. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.839 That he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:09.279 What Jesus is doing this morning is he is looking into your future. 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:14.640 And he's saying this, I'm gonna hold you to the end. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:16.640 I've got you. 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:18.720 I'm not letting you go. 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:20.720 And you know what I'm staking that on? 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:25.200 I am staking that on my obedience to the Father's command. 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:30.000 The Father has told me to not lose anyone that he has given to me. 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:34.480 And so I am gonna hold on to you because the Father has commanded it of me. 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:37.759 My obedience rides on this, on you. 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.119 One commentator puts it like this. 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:52.960 If any of them, that is those that Jesus is holding on to, if any of them failed to achieve this goal, it would be the Son's everlasting shame. 00:22:54.240 --> 00:23:05.119 It would mean either that he was incapable of performing what the Father willed him to do, or that he was flagrantly disobedient to his father. 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:14.079 So listen, why can you be absolutely sure that if your faith is in Jesus Christ, you will make it to the end? 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:19.680 The reason is because Jesus has staked his divine identity on it. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:28.240 He has come from heaven and he has said, everything about who I am falls apart if you don't make it to the end. 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:37.839 Aaron Cortes landed on the shores of Mexico in the 1600s. 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:53.680 He had brought a team of men on the expedition to explore Mexico from Spain, but there were murmurings on the boat that if things got dicey, if things got hairy, these men would abandon him and go back for Spain. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:24:01.200 So history tells us that he told his men when he landed on the shores to do the unthinkable, to burn the boats. 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:04.079 There was no retreat. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:06.079 There was no plan B. 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:16.559 He was staking absolutely everything, his future, their survival, his life, everything was staked on the success of this mission. 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:19.359 And that is what Jesus does in John 6. 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:20.079 Do you see it? 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:22.720 He has arrived from heaven. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:25.440 He has burned the ships. 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:55.519 He says, I will lose none, and he ties his divine identity to it, so that if he were to lose even one person that the Father has given him, because the Father has commanded him to lose no one, Jesus, if he were to do that, either he would be disobedient and therefore not righteous anymore, and not able to atone for our sins, or he would be unable, no longer omnipotent. 00:24:56.160 --> 00:25:03.359 But here's the reality: Jesus is righteous, and Jesus is omnipotent, he is all powerful. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:06.559 So this is how certain you can be of your salvation. 00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:12.720 Jesus will lose none that the Father has given to him and willed for him to keep. 00:25:56.079 --> 00:26:06.480 How willing are you this morning to embrace the rock, solid confidence that Jesus has that you will endure to get to the end? 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:10.720 We often aren't willing, are we? 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:23.200 We replay in our head over and over and over again all the reasons we have for shame. 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:30.160 We carry the burden of guilt for our shortcomings and for our sin. 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:40.640 So that even when Jesus says, I will lose none, we treat salvation like a high-stake mission that we like we just might not make it. 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:46.640 I know Jesus is saying that, but I also know myself, and I just I might not make it. 00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:49.920 Love one, let me give you this comfort, okay? 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.759 And I hope this is very comforting to you. 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:57.119 Your salvation rescue and rescue is not a mission impossible movie. 00:26:57.359 --> 00:26:59.440 Any mission impossible fans here? 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:00.640 You know we love those movies. 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:02.079 Everyone is the exact same. 00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:12.240 Ethan Hunt, he gets the message your mission, should you choose to accept it, and then everything erupts from there. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:19.440 Explosions, skydiving, betrayals, running down the sides of buildings. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:28.960 And the reason we keep watching is because the movie pulls us into this sense that like Ethan Hunt might not be able to do this one. 00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:39.039 You know, I've seen this movie a few times, they've redone it a few times, and he's done every mission so far, but this might be the one that gets this might be the impossible mission. 00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:43.119 He's always a little too human for the task at hand. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:50.160 He's always a little too weakened, he's always facing a bit too big of a problem. 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:53.359 Now I want to just lay it all on the table here, okay? 00:27:53.440 --> 00:28:04.559 I have not kept up with the mission impossible movies, but I'm gonna guess that every mission that was said to be impossible was actually possible. 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:05.759 Is that true? 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:11.519 I mean, I haven't watched them all, but I think they all, you know, I don't think any of those ended with him dying. 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:15.200 I think he succeeded in all of them. 00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:21.839 Loved one, that's how many of us feel about our rescue. 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:24.240 That's how many of us feel about our salvation. 00:28:24.559 --> 00:28:27.119 We look at it and we think, I mean, this is mission impossible. 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:30.799 There is no way that me and God make it to the end. 00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:33.759 Others of us, maybe we believe it's possible. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:35.279 Like, maybe we believe we can make it. 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:38.960 It's like it's not mission impossible, but it's mission, okay, this is gonna be dicey. 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:47.279 We're long for the ride, but in the back of our minds, there's this sense that, like, if this is gonna come down to me, I am going to blow it. 00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:52.400 And I want you to understand this morning, Jesus does not look at your life and say that's impossible. 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:55.599 He does not look at your life and say, okay, listen, we'll just try our best. 00:28:55.839 --> 00:28:59.279 He looks at your life and says, Your end is certain. 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:00.640 I have got you. 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:04.640 If your salvation story was a movie, can I just be honest with you? 00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:06.640 It would tank, it would suck. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:08.319 It'd be a bad movie. 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:09.519 There's no surprises. 00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:12.079 The begin the end is written at the beginning. 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:15.039 You're already told exactly what will happen. 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:19.359 There's no drama, there's no tension, no chance of failure. 00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:21.200 I mean, from our perspective, there surely is. 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:23.440 We look at things, we say, like, how is this gonna turn out? 00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:26.720 But from God's perspective, it is as good as done. 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:29.359 The ending is written, it is finished. 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:35.920 Jesus will not lose anyone. 00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:40.240 Here's a common objection that we give. 00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:45.839 Okay, sure, Jesus won't lose me, but what if I walk away? 00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:49.279 What if I choose to let go of Jesus? 00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:52.559 Can't I lose my salvation if I decide I'm done? 00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:59.440 You know, I know Jesus is holding on to my hand, but surely I have to hold on to his hand too, and I just don't know if I'm strong enough. 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:10.559 Here's the second thing I want you to see this morning that his rescue lasts because he sustains you by his life. 00:30:11.359 --> 00:30:13.759 He sustains you by his life. 00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:16.400 This is a common fear. 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:18.960 We live sort of with this quiet anxiety. 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:23.519 God might keep his side of the bargain, but what if I can't keep mine? 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:28.079 And certainly a reason why it's a fear of ours is because we've seen it, haven't we? 00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:35.839 We have seen people who seemed to follow God passionately for a season fall away from the faith. 00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:46.319 But I want you to understand that that that that thinking, that anxiety, that uncertainty, it misses the heart of what Jesus is saying here. 00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:52.880 The security of your salvation does not depend on your grip of Jesus. 00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:59.839 The security of your salvation depends on the strength of Jesus' grip on you. 00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:12.799 It is his unbreakable will and his infinite power that is gripping your life and will carry you to eternity. 00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:16.000 He says, I will never cast out those who come. 00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:20.640 He says, It is the Father's will that I lose none of those he has given me. 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:24.400 What Jesus is doing is he's doing what Paul did in Romans 8. 00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:30.960 He's looking around and he's saying, Hey, listen, what enemy is there who's strong enough to rip this out of my hands? 00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:34.400 Who can take the ones that I have received from the Father? 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:37.599 Who's strong enough to release my grip on them? 00:31:40.319 --> 00:31:42.240 It's about his strength. 00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:43.759 Let me put it this way. 00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:45.440 Some of you are in this boat with me. 00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:52.720 My kids are the age where, like, if I don't constantly hold their hands, they would be hit by a car probably 18 times a day. 00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:55.279 That's just the stage that they're at. 00:31:55.519 --> 00:32:02.079 And so I am always holding their hand, I am always ripping them away from walking out into the road. 00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:04.880 The world's dangerous. 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:06.880