FATHER, THE WORLD HAS NOT KNOWN YOU (2)
JOHN 17:25-26
Introduction:
The Lord is concluding His prayer to the Father on behalf of His disciples. He declares the UNBELIEF OF THE WORLD, but note that His disciples know the Father for He has revealed the Father to them, v.26, “And I have declared unto them thy name.”
That message continues to be preached and taught today as it was in the Lord’s day. It will be preached until the Lord returns for His people and during the Tribulation period also. That message is …
I. THERE IS NO OTHER GOD
A. The Lord has DECLARED Himself, Isaiah 45:21, “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD ? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.”
1. A JUST God, Jeremiah 23:5, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”
2. He will NOT sin, Zephaniah 3:5, “The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”
B. He is the ONLY SAVIOR, Isaiah 43:3, 11, “For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”
1. There is NO OTHER NAME among men that will save, Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
2. Jesus is the GREAT GOD and SAVIOR, Titus 2:13-14, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
II. GOD REVEALED HIMSELF THROUGH PREACHING
A. What men consider FOOLISHNESS, 1 Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
1. Foolishness to the LOST, 1 Corinthians 1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;”
2. It is the POWER of God to salvation for the believer, Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
B. The BRILLIANCE of man CANNOT APPRECIATE the plan of God, Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
1. God’s ways are BEYOND man’s ways, Romans 11:33-34, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?”
2. God’s THOUGHTS are BEYOND man’s thoughts, Psalm 40:5, “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”
C. God has REVEALED Himself through His SON, Matthew 11:27, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”
1. God has put EVERYTHING into the hands of His Son, John 3:35, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.”
2. Jesus reveals the Father to us, John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
3. It is Jesus who INVITES the SINNER to come to Him for REST, Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
4. It is the SON that offers PEACE to the sinner, Luke 7:48-50, “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”