to John chapter fourteen. John chapter fourteen. Continuing our studies in this remarkable gospel. John fourteen and thirty-two. Jesus saith unto him not Ascaria. Lord, how is it that thou would manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loved me, he will keep my words. My father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my say, and the world which, and the word that he here is not mine, but the fathers which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace, highly written, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, but give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. He have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If he loved me, you would rejoice because I said I go unto the Father. For my Father is greater than I, And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe, hereafter I will not talk much with you. For the prince of this world cometh, that is saved, and has nothing in need. For that the world may know that I love the Father, and that the Father gave me commandment, even so I do, arise, let up, go hence. We've been noticing in this chapter the four dialogues between the Lord Jesus and four of his disciples. First of all, the dialogue between Simon Peter and the Lord, and the subject was the place, the house of any mansions. Next, the dialogue between Thomas and the Lord. And the subject was the pathway to that place. I am the way, the truth, and the light. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Then we had the dialogue between the Lord and Philip, and the subject there was the person of the Father. Now we come to Jude, and his dialogue with the Lord, and the subject is the people of God. So you have those four points, all beginning with T, the place, the pathway, the person of the Father, and the people of God. It's very noticeable here how that he points it out very rapidly that Judas referred to is not Judas Iscariot. Did you notice that? In verse twenty-two, Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot. Now there are about six times in the New Testament where a Judas or a Jude is referred to, meaning there were six individuals who were called Judas or Jude. Evidently, it was a familiar name in those days, like John is today. But here the Apostle John wants to point out in Verdi Church that he is not referring to Judas Iscariot. To have the same name as another person can be very embarrassing sometimes. Many people have gotten into trouble because they have the same name as someone else who was in trouble. But here he's pointing out that it's not a chariot he's referring to, but Jude. And that makes all the difference. Because Jude is the leading factor of the same as Judas. In this portion that we read together, the people of God are referred to. Now, in these various verses, the people of God are referred to some twenty-four times. Ye or you or yours. I know you would go through these verses. You'd find that out. He's referring to his own. And then four times he's referring to the word, the unsaved, the word. And he certainly makes that distinction in verses twenty-three and verses twenty-four. Now he's talking to his own. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loved me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. Now that belongs to Christus. He's talking about the people of God. But then in the next verse, he's referring to the unsaved, He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words. Now that's true. And the Christian is very, you read all these verses, he's very clearly identified. And in these verses, you'll find the child of God loves the Lord Jesus. He obeys his word. He has Christ, the Father, and the Spirit, the Triune God, abiding in his heart. Isn't that wonderful? That's what the Bible says. He says, we, my Father, and me, we will come in and abide with him. And down further he speaks of the Spirit of God, the comforter, heal me there. And so the child of God, he has the Triune God abiding vailing in his heart. And the next thing about them, they have his peace, as in verse twenty-seven. And the fifth thing is they look for his coming again. Here are far five marks of a real child of God. He loves Christ, he obeys his word, he has his presence, dwelling in his heart, and he has peace, and he looks for the coming of the Lord. An unsafe person doesn't have any water. So there's the difference between a born-again Christian and a non-Christian. And that's the subject of this dialogue between Christ and the Jew. How privileged the people of God are? You say, well, how do we become a child of God? Very plain in John I, twelve and thirteen. He came unto his own. The Lord Jesus came unto his own, that is the Jews, and his own received him not, but to as many. It's nice to be in that as many. But to as many as received him, to then gave he the power, the authority to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name. So you have those who would not receive them, and those who did receive them. And that's true today. The world is divided into two classes. Those on the broad road leading to destruction, those on the narrow way leading of the life, those who are saved were born again and know it, and those who are not saved, some think they are. Those who are not saved, and wise are you if you know it. and thus come to Christ and you will know. So here you have how we become the children of God. He has sent forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts, whereby we try Abba Father. Here is a divine relationship. The moment you accept Christ, his spirit takes up his abode in your heart, And we know not how to pray as we are, but the Spirit makes it in the session for us as groanings as cannot be uttered. When the Spirit comes in, then you can talk to God, and God will listen to you, because He is your Father, and you are His child. He has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our heart, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. That word Abba is infant language. You can say it without he, Abba. You don't have to be an adult. Isn't it nice when a person accepts Christ, they may be just a child, but they can say, Abba, father. They know God is their father. And then that's what happens when a person is born again, they can say, father. Abba, father, that's simple enough. They know God is their father. They know that they are a child. of God. They have a wonderful privilege and a wonderful relationship. Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a relationship. There are thousands of religions in the world. But Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a relationship. between God and the one who has accepted Christ and is in the family of God, and is one of God's children. There is relationship, even when his mother and some of the family, a sister, at least two, because it's in the world, sisters, and four of his daughters, came to him, as you have in Matthew, I think at the end of chapter twelve, seeking him. And people say, while your mother and your brothers and sister are seeking you, she says, who is my mother and brothers and sisters? They that do the will of my father which is in the heaven touch and shame is my mother, sister and brother. Christ was teaching the lesson of a divine relationship, a spiritual relationship, but not a natural one, and so it's wonderful to be a child of God. To be a child of God is to be very rich indeed. I think we could use an illustration here. For instance, there was a very, very rich man, and this man being very wealthy and having all kinds of possessions, but living alone, his wife had died, and there he was alone with his wealth. Adjoining his property, there was a very poor man. very poor, living in a dilapidated house of a large family, not enough food to feed his family and hardly enough clothes to wear. Somehow the rich man took a liking to this poor man. And he realized he was getting to the end of his life, so he called him an explorer. He said, I want to draw up my will. And he did. He died not long after that, and came time and place where the will was to be read, the lawyer asked this poor man to be in the audience, and he was present. And as the will was read, this poor man got the bulk of the rich man's estate. How surprised but how happy he was. He left that room. walking on air and thanking God for the love of the rich man. You know, that's exactly what happened when a person gets saved. If you want a text for that, you'll find it over in Ephesians chapter two of it. For ye know, chapter nine, for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, says the listener. Yet for our sake, here's the poor man, for our sake he became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich. Isn't that true? We have become rich. And that's in Second Corinthians eight and nine. How rich God's people are. Rich indeed. He's not talking about material riches on this occasion. No. It's not taught at all material there. And there are a number of lovely texts that bring this out with the word riches in. For instance, in Ephesians one, seven, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. There are the riches of his grace seen in the forgiveness of all our sins. Then again you have another text in verse eighteen of chapter one of Ephesians. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. To think that the Lord Jesus has an inheritance in his saints. Isn't that rich? to know not only I have an inheritance in Christ but Christ has an inheritance in his saints and then over in Ephesians two seven that in the ages that come he might show the exceeding riches in his kindness to water through Christ Jesus that in the ages to come isn't that remarkable can your mind take it in Ages upon ages upon ages. That in the ages to come, what's he going to do? He's going to show, put on display, in a vast parade, the trophies of his days. In the ages to come, he's going to show the exceeding victories of his grace and his kindness toward us in Christ's peace. Eternity is going to be wonderful. When God's going to put on display the trophies of his slaves, I'm sure most of you are familiar with the tournament of roses that takes place just about every new year. I was struck with this. I've seen it over the years. They have one theme. As long as I can remember, they have one theme for that tournament of roses. And every float. has to make its contribution to that one theme. There's something about every float that ties in with the theme of that race and beginning to end. Those floats may differ, but there's that one theme. And oh, the think of the men and women saved by sovereign grace. Trophies are those grace. Or you say some of his trophies would be men Like Hitler or Stalin. I know evidence there he ever got saved. But wicked, ungodly, wretched men, the women. And they get saved. The lives are changed. You say, well, that's a real trophy. That person certainly will show forth God's marvelous grace in eternity. But there are some religious trophies of grace. The Apostle Paul was one of the most religious people that ever lived in this day. unpossibly sinful. And he got saved, and he'll be a prophet. Some of the greatest hope is that God will put on the strength of eternity. Our men and women who were really religious and sincere in their religion, but sincerely wrong. Our zeal of preachers who went to Bible school and college and were preaching and finally found out They weren't born with them. They had a mental knowledge of the scriptures, but they had no experience of passing from death unto life. That'll be atrocious. And in the ages that come, God is going to show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. But throughout all eternity, there'll be one thing, one thing, grace. great grace you didn't deserve to be there he saved me by his grace these are riches aren't they and then he speaks of another one over in Ephesians I think it is three and eight that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ there's some wonderful riches the unsearchable riches of Christ Ulster and Philippians, but my God shall supply all your needs according to the riches of his glory by Christ Jesus. And also in Colossians, one twenty-seven, for whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in use, the hope of glory. Isn't that rich? Think of all these riches. and even concerning Moses in Hebrews eleven. And Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. And the treasures of Egypt were considerable in those days. But Moses said there's something more to me than all the treasures of Egypt. And he was headed to possess those treasures. She was the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Not really, but she adopted him. And he was in line for your clothes. He knew it. Ah, he says, I have greater riches than all the good things, golden gems and jewels and riches. That is, I am suffering for Christ's sake. Of my soul doing, I know the eternal riches that are going to be mine. riches of Allah, shine all the riches of this earth. These are riches. This is what every child of God has. These invisible, intangible riches. But there's another text that's very solemn and sober in Romans chapter two and four. Notice, undespisest thou the riches of his goodness. and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God bringeth thee to repentance or leadeth thee to repentance? The goodness of God, the riches of his goodness. God says, don't despise the riches of his goodness. What does that mean? Oh, the goodness of God has come here this morning. How good God has been in sparing you to live to this moment. How often he's spoken to you and still you're here. You haven't been cut down. The goodness of God. And God said, I'm doing this, hoping my goodness will lead you to repentance. The riches of the goodness of God in sparing men and women, hoping they'll come to repentance and the salvation. And don't despise this goodness. One day, his goodness will cease. A time comes when the spirit of God no longer will strive with me. And so the riches we have are not the tangible riches, but we see around us on all. They are spiritual riches. riches, whatever. You know, the Lord Jesus didn't leave much behind in the way of material things. The soldiers got his clothes. The Bible says that. There are people today very sentimental and emotional that almost give a million dollars to possess the actual clothes of the Lord Jesus. They even worship in some places a piece of wood that's supposed to come off the cross. and they've got about fifteen heads of St. Peter in the world, or supposed to be Peter's head. No one knows. And they've got pieces of the Virgin Mary's robe, worshipping these the soldiers of his robe. They gambled one at the foot of the cross. That's all he left for them. But John God his mother. John, behold, thy mother. Mother, behold, thy son. How precious. John, love his mother. But Joseph of Arimathea, God his body, that's more precious. I'd sooner have his body than I had his mother. A lot wouldn't. They think she's got more authority than he's got. The children of the Iron Meteor got his body. So this is what he left in the way of material things. But what about us? Ah, we've got something better. We have got riches, eternal riches, that can never pass the way. What does the world... have to give. You notice that in verse twenty seven. Peace I live with you and my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I you. What does the world have to give? Well, the world gives a false peace by telling people to close their eyes of sin and how successful that is. The world is being told Sin's not what you were taught it was when you were a kid coming up to close your eyes. And there are places today they wouldn't recognize sin as it was as big as an elephant walked in their front room. They wouldn't recognize it. They're so familiar. The world gave a false speech by the little playing down almost ignored its shins. The world's pieces out of it. dependent on circumstances and life's changes. If there was a war going on, people would be upset and worried. And also if a famine struck this part of the country, people would be serious, upset, concerned. And fading wealth and ailing health. your health and members of your family, these things rob men of peace. This is a false, outwardly, dependent on circumstance, earthquakes and things like that. If everything is going through the sun shining, no war, no time of no earthquake, my loved ones are well and I am well, or well. That's what your peace is dependent upon. If all those things tumbled in on you at the same time, where would your peace be? You wouldn't have any. That's the outer peace for this. The world tries to give you something else. Well, you'll get, according to your deserts in this life, a little bit of life, you'll reap good things according to your deserts. The Bible says, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also eat. And if you grin for this world, and the world will give you a good time, but it'll be an awful cross. You'll eat the wages of sins. The world gives niggardly. The world gives grudgingly. The world gives with ulterior motives, hoping more from back. than you give. And the world never gives us best. A lot of people, when they go shopping, they don't go to the expensive store, they go to maybe they used to be called the Five Kings. The world never gives us very best. And the world doesn't as rule gives us enemies. Not as the world gives us, he says. The world's gifts often cause sorrow. Many a mother and father have given their son a gun only to regret it because he shot himself or someone else. Many parents have given their child a little motorcycle only to see his mangled body later on. Some have given them a car only to see a wreck and not only he and some others kill some gifts in this world being sorrow and sadness this world gives you labor it gives you guts it gives you insecurity and the world will soon give you your last its last gift a hole in the ground that's what the world gives christ says not as the world give us give our answers i don't give much His gifts are different than the world's gifts. What does the Lord Jesus do? Well, instead of a false face, his face is real. The world closes your eyes, so you go to sin, but he opens your eyes, that you may see your sin, but also see that he himself went through the cross and bore your sins. that you might be saved. That's what he does. He faces you with the facts. He tells you what you are. And he tells you what you're going to get. If you keep your eyes closed, he opens your eyes and shows you you're a sinner. But he shows you himself as the one who died to save you from your sin. He gives you an inmate. not based on circumstances, based upon himself. He is in your heart. And he says in this chapter, my peace, given unto you. Did you think of the Lord Jesus ever being disturbed about an earthquake, or think of him being upset about a crop failure or ill health in somebody? No. His peace was divine peace, heavenly peace, holy peace. a divine tranquility, a divine stillness. Ah, this is the peace. He gives. And he gives according to grace. You don't deserve it. I don't deserve James Sayers. If I gave to Satan, then I accepted him. He gives abundantly, not negatively. Yes, sir, I came that he might have light, but he may have it more abundantly. and he gives gladly not hesitatingly or grudgingly like the world he gives gladly and willingly and he did not put himself before the recipients he says for this cause and your cause came I into this world he came into the world to save you he came into this world to give you something you didn't have he has no alterior motives in this giving. Copings again more than he gives. No. He gave his best to the world seldom does. He gave himself. He didn't command an angel to go and die. He gave himself. He gave himself. He gave his best. And he gives to his enemies, opposite to the world. If when we were enemies, we were reconciled with God by the death of his son. Not only so, his gift causes joy, not sorrow. The world's gifts cause sorrow. His gift causes joy and gladness and happiness. And he never stops giving. The world comes to a point where it can't give you any more. But he gives you forever. Words like whatever more, eternal, everlasting, are associated with His gifts. They never end. The world offers you labor. He offers you rest. The world offers you uncertainty. He offers you certainty. The world offers you insecurity. He will give you security. And Christ gives you, eventually, not a grave or hole in the ground, but heaven and home. He says, not as the world gives, give on to use. What a difference between what the world gives, and what the Lord Jesus Christ gives, is what the world gives, passes away. What he gives, abides forever. Not as the world gives. Do not make up. I'm not in line with what the world has to offer mankind. So many have fallen for that bait and lost their soul and ruined their lives. I'll give them a gift, they'll treasure it. They'll enjoy it for time and they'll enjoy it for eternity. What a wonderful gift. How wonderful is this gift? An old Scottish preacher one time, he had three texts and he had a very brief sermon. And he quoted this text in I Peter two twenty-four, whose own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree? Now he said, that's my sins away. And his next text was, first Peter five, seven, casting all your care upon him, for he cared for you. He said, that's all my care for you. Then his next text was, in John fourteen three, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, he says, that's myself away. My sins away, my tears away, and myself away, when Jesus comes and goes. Isn't that a wonderful salvation? Yet many women are not interested in this salvation. God wants you to enjoy the salvation. He wants you to enjoy it, to smell. The World War II, I used to have a friend, Mr. Bousefield, and he was in World War I, and he used to have all kinds of wonderful instances and experiences that he had. I don't know whether he knew this incident, but it was a true incident in World War I. I mentioned World War II a moment ago, World War I. But there were two soldiers in the same company. One came from a very, very rich family. The other one came from a very, very poor family. All this poor boy had was a little bit of a farm and his mower, only a little, but he was drafted into the army and was in the same company as this son from a very rich home. So the British boy, saw one day the poor fellow, his companions, and they became very close friends. He saw him discouraged after receiving some mail. He was over with them. And the poor boy said, my mother died. He said, I'm alone, my brother. Well, the rich boy, he tried to console him. I'm just doing them a little closer together. And then one of those battles in France, the rich boy was soldier was seriously injured and the poor soldier boy he saw him out there and it was dangerous territory that he called out and finally found him and he held him in his arms seriously wounded and so this boy said to him if you ever lived through this war he said I have got a message to you to take from our father I want you to take this blood-stained shirt of me. It's got my name on it. And I want you to take it to my father. And I want you to tell him that I want him to adopt you into a song. Because we've been so kind to him. And we've been very close in this awful war. One long after that, the rich boy, a soldier boy died. And the poor soldier boy made his way back to where he came from. And he found where the rich soldier boy had lived. And he went. He knocked on the door, and the button was open, the door, and he wouldn't let him in. He looked out, and all he could do is. And finally... full soldier boy told his errand he said I was with his son in the war and his son gave me a message to drink with his father the butler of the men so this boy went in to see the father of the boy who was killed and he told him the story how they became buddies on the battlefield how his son was seriously hurt how he died in his arms and told me to bring this blood-stained shirt to you. And he said he had one request, his dying request was, that you adopt me into your family. The father spoke and hearted, embraced this young man. They wept together. And that father did adopt that soldier boy, made him his own son. And he was glad to do it, for that was the closest an empty hand of the boy he lost, his only child on the battle duty in France. Friend, I've got a message of our most sinner to approach God with. Oh God, I'm a poor sinner, a lost sinner. I deserve to go back there. But I bring a message from your son on the cross. He says, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. And this message is backed up with his blood that he shed. He shed that blood for sinners, and I'm a sinner. Oh God, receive it. Because your son requested that I be received by you, and to shed blood, that's not that plea. Will you receive me, God said by you? God will receive any sinner that comes with that message. Not that you come before God and say, I'm a good man, I'm a good woman, I live a good life. And I've done this, and I've done that, and I've done the other thing, and I remember the church within that time. God will pay any attention to that message. But if you found acknowledging you're a lost, guilty sinner, feeding the blood of Christ, shed it on the cross. Why, the Son of God? God will accept you, and he'll accept you now, and you'll become one of his Son. as many as deceived him to be, then gave you the power to become the sons of God. You can't be saved any other way. You can only be saved through the person of Christ and his dying regrets and his precious life that will shed. It will move all obstacles, your sins the biggest of you. With all your sins then will be received. God will adopt you into his family and make you one of his own brother. That's how simple God's salvation is. These are some of the riches of God in Christ's youth. You don't ask anybody to come and join the Albany Gospel Chapel. If they're saved, you'll talk to them about that, about Communities of Knowledge. But we want to know that you are saved and go to heaven. That's the point. We want to know that you know your sins are just, you have everlasting life, you'll never tell. This is our message. That's the message the Lord Jesus has. That's the message that is in this book. That's the message God wants you to use to come to him, through his Son, and he receives. Will you receive Christ? Will you receive him? This morning, will you receive him now? Is he really? Right now, you shall be saved. Father in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come before you. We give you thanks for thy word. We thank thee for those who are the children of God. And to use the language of John, behold, now are we the sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall delight him. For we shall see him as it is. Remember those who are still in the cold, cold world, the sea, blue. All that doth is what this world has to offer, and it will perish. to the using. Here they come to Christ, and they made rich in him eternal riches. He asked thee, Father, to use thy word to this end, to save some precious soul. He asked thee for Christ