He planned how to make us His own,
and who would be His own.
He had Christ in mind, chosen in Christ
Jesus, chosen in relationship to Christ Jesus.
He knew that when He called us decisively
to Himself, He would call us through Jesus,
which means that He never seeks to save
anybody by revealing to them ahead of time
that they are elect.
That would completely short-circuit the centrality of
Christ.
Rather, what He does is send Christ into
the world and then say, He who believes
on the Son has everlasting life.
That's the way He says it.
Or here's a more significant one from 1
John 5, what's the verse, 10, whoever believes
on the Son has the testimony in himself.
To what?
I'm a sheep, I'm chosen, I'm His, the
testimony is within me now, it's rising up
and crying out, Abba, Father, the testimony of
the Holy Spirit bearing witness with my spirit
that I belong to Him because I have
seen the Son and loved Him and trusted
Him and embraced Him and treasured Him.
So that's my closing exhortation to you.
Don't turn away from the Son tonight.
Embrace the Son of God tonight.
Everyone who believes in the Son, everyone who
believes that Jesus is their Savior, their Lord
and embraces Him as their treasure, freely is
forgiven for all your sins, righteousness from Him
is imputed to you freely, not your own,
you have a standing before God that can
withstand the worst justice and He pours His
Spirit into your life and He gives you
a heart for street kids, for neighbors in
wealthy suburbs or urban kids here or who
knows where love may lead you if you
are gripped and embraced like this.
My sheep hear my voice and I know
them and they follow me and I give
them eternal life and they shall never perish
and nobody will ever pluck them out of
my Father's hands.
I and the Father are one.
If you have the Son, you have the
Father.
Do you hear the voice of Jesus tonight?
I know my own and they know my
voice and they follow me.
Let's pray.
Father in heaven, I pray that tonight and
tomorrow morning as this message has been heard,
there would be ears given to hear the
voice of Jesus as the distinguishing shepherd voice
among all the false shepherds in the world,
the money shepherds, the power shepherds, the lust
shepherds.
Oh Father, come grant ears so that we
will follow and we'll have the testimony within
ourselves that we are His chosen before the
foundation of the world and would you Lord
set us free, set us free for love
like Kristen.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.