John Chapter 17:1-4

All as I wandered away from the Lord. I thought when I wanted to come back the first order of business was going to be God beating me and is spoke to the Christian brother and I was thinking going into the conversation had to go talk to them about similar things about management yell at me. I was looking forward to it. So I went in the chat with Hannah and I kept waiting for him to drop the hammer and he never did. And then as I went to leave he said hey man, I love you and I miss you and as I walked outside with tears in my eyes. I realize that was God's heart loved me welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee.

David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, and one of the associate pastors of the bridge is DA Brown with this right here welcome to the program brother I got a question for you see God angry and me bottom excited be here say about this teaching on those can be life changing is you can't have God as a little boy and a God that gave his only son to die on the cross. One of those has to go today. Pastor David explains that the death of Christ shows the heart of God as he continues in the Gospel of John chapter 17. Now you think of again with part one teaching awards. John 17 verse one Jesus spoke these words lifted up as I also have an inset father, the hour has come. Glorify your son that your son also may glorify you now this is in essence.

Chapter 17 is the real Lords prayer that I realize there's another section of Scripture that we call the Lord's prayer, but to be honest that's not really the Lord's prayer as much as its him teaching us how to pray. We know it's not the Lord's prayer because there's a line in there that says forgive us our debts, Jesus and how many debts and and really that what he's really saying is forgive us of our sins as we forgive others of their stand. It's interesting that chapter 17 of John here is the longest prayer record in the whole Bible, and yet you realize you can read through it about 34 minutes something like that interesting and it she because what we think when we think of prayer we think longer all prayer talks about all in and we want to do this thing where we change our voices only mean pastors granted were the worst case of this it were just talking normally were just conversational, and then we go in the prayer mode. Blue and then and then we actually change your language. Ever notice that would Lord the establish that there will be as though it hadn't minutes like people don't talk like that anymore. I thought the King James version Bible to read it, but people don't talk like that master question. If you are having a conversation with somebody and all of a sudden, every time they went to talk to you.

They talked everybody else normal, but every time they went to talk to you late started getting into the us and Allison beset us in the unit went on in GE and all this that what you think should be honest.

What would you say yet you think you can think of things you might think they're crazy there some wrong but you would at least think you know what they're not being real with me they're not interacting with me the way that there interacting with other people.

We don't want to do that with the Lord will not be real with God. That's what we get to do because of what he did a nice lifted up his eyes to heaven. They understand that's a way to pray pray with your eyes open and your head lifted up now know sometimes we you know, we ask that you would unit value had to close your eyes.

Occasionally I do that here and you know in the end there's a reason because I want the moment between you to be between you and God. We did that.

I guess a week ago Thursday, but it's okay to pray with your eyes open since.

Glorify your son that your son also may glorify you to understand what Jesus is talking about here. He's talking about. Given his life is what he came to do because God the father brings glory to God the son to the cross first life lesson here is the death of Christ shows the heart of God. You see, you cannot have God is this brutal bully that's very angry, and yet God is given his son to die upon the cross. One of those concepts has to go and many of us grew up with the concept of the brutal bully and nothing could be further from the truth. Again, John 316 says for God so loved the world he gave his son that versus talk about God the father is not a brutal bully.

He loves us that much. The crucifixion the burial and the resurrection of Jesus is and was a historic event.

It happened, history, literature records, it so that God the brutal bully is not scriptural. I know guys I know because I ran from what I turned the big stick God for a long time PCI saw as I wandered away from the Lord. I thought when I wanted to come back the first order of business was going to be God beating me and is spoke to the Christian brother and I was if I was thinking going into the conversation had to go talk to him about similar things without management yell at me.

He's gonna hear that whole thing and I was looking forward to it. And so I went in the to chat with him and and I kept waiting for him to drop the hammer and he never did. In fact, we kind of talked what we needed to talk about and then as I went to leave he said hey man, I love you and I miss you and I had to get out of there quick because tears were welling up in my and as I walked outside with tears in my eyes I realize that was God's heart towards me that he loved me and he missed me that he was a brutal bully waiting to spank me.

But the he missed my fellowship. What an amazing thing ever stew as you have given him authority over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given the interesting thing that is, it says you've given him authority over all/in part this is speaking I guess about the elect, but it also says all/this is an interesting thing, you realize that Jesus has has the power that maybe you're thinking will some people don't act like he has power over them all.

They will one day she were told in Philippians chapter 2 verse 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father can happen.

Every person, every person in here every person you will see today at some point will confess that Jesus Christ is God and died for the sins of the world.

The question is when will they come to that recognition will I come to it here. I would highly suggest that you meet Jesus here you're going to meeting but I suggest you meeting here for the first time and not wait until then, because if you wait until then, loved one is going to be a different relationship and so in here is the concept of the elect.

That means God has chosen certain people. You and I don't know who they are. We not been given that knowledge and you know what, rightfully so because the whole unit is so profound and so simple in his wisdom and because think at this point it all the elect had like a well. Spurgeon said you know it if it would help him of all the elect had a like a yellow stripe down the back and then he would know exactly who to preach to. But since nobody has a ghost or strike down the back. He just preached everybody I like that I like that could you know as best people if we knew who was who was going to end up going to heaven who wasn't. Can you imagine of the mentality that we would have me would have greeters at the door okay in her payloads called doodle after my call to the right to the left to the right you can go in there you don't have yellow stripe to the left of the rhyming that would just make things so bizarre that I didn't set it up like that, but everyone will admit, at some point that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Everybody will meet Jesus just question when verse three and this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent notice what eternal life is.

He describes it right here is to know God and you know what we often use un-biblical terms to describe heaven.

You know when we talk about angels in the hearts, and you laying around on clouds and golf courses and just all kinds awareness meant no offense, but it will be heaven to me of the golf courses that's balls tortured me to too many times soaked now, so those are unscriptural things, but understand what heaven really is what heaven is about is not a nice place.

What is a nice place but it's much more than that is the place where God is she having is going to be heaven because God's care because it's just a nice place and what's interesting is sometimes people talk about what she wonder I'm gonna make it in by the skin of my teeth to me to be honest, what was our conversation. The conversation is this the God that you know I kinda said a prayer, but never wanted have anything to do with thing I never wanted fellowship with him. I never wanted to follow him here on this earth but now I want to spend eternity brazen. What a bizarre question, why would you want to spend eternity with God that you didn't want to hang out with. Here I don't understand that general like the city and before we get to heaven heaven gets in the us heaven gets in the eyes unto the place to be honest that Sunday's man I would just rather go with just rather be there with him. But it's his timing, not mine.

Amen. But see, here's the thing we think of Christianity or salvation or the born-again experience in so many ways. But here, right here, Jesus describes it. We may know God. We may know God, the life lesson there simple we can know God. We can know God. Some people say we can't know God diagnostic say probably just but you can't know when it the Bible says we can. Jesus says we can anoint millions and millions of people claim that they know God there's just a few people pop up sooner you can't know know know you. You can know God.

Now it's a different conversation is my was to say I don't want to know God, but you can know God is he's there and is not silent he want you to know him. He want you to know there's a lot of people around here they know about God. As a matter fact it's almost inoculated them to the truth and know about God. That's not to question the question is do you know God and understand and in the in the Hebraic sense and in the Hebrew to know intimately the same. We are word used for an intimate knowledge between a man and a wife that we can know God and have that intimate relationship now notice he also says the only true God is what Jesus said is not what I'm saying I'm I'm just saying what he is saying, Jesus says the only true God, you know, we know from that, there's only one is not me is my fact, since we know there's only one true God was. It also tells there will be many false gods while you point that out because some Christians believe that they have the option of believe in Jesus but believe there's many ways to heaven. They think it's okay to believe in Jesus and yet believe in other gods at all and Buddha and all these are tentative Jesus did leave that open to you now understand there's some people that don't believe Jesus understand that there some people that are following other gods understand that this person say I believe Jesus but I think there's other gods and I think there's other ways to heaven. I'm sorry you have to make up your mind yet to make a choice because either Jesus was telling the truth and he is who he says he is raise a liar. You should go follow one of these other things but don't sit on the fence and say well I believe in Jesus, but I believe in all these. Otherwise, I'm sorry that that can't be an option for you because Jesus is the only true God. You're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com there's a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be safe. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior. You need people to pray for them.

You need someone to present God's word to them every day were present in God's word to here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee. We can play for them as well. Just by simply going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button.

All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love that needs know Jesus as Savior. Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones.

What an awesome way to bring your love ones to Jesus. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want take just a minute to pray for seven cities in our listening audience. Raymond and Waynesboro Mississippi Branson Chillicothe, Festus, Joplin, and Nevada, Missouri, Lord, thank you for everyone listening in the cities where we know that you're at work in their hearts because her tuning and now Lord, I pray that you remind them of that that you're at work you have a good plan to protect them. Lord, give them wisdom and discernment help them to not fear during these tumultuous times that we live in Lord help them to constantly be in prayer for their family.

For the love ones and for their coworkers and use them as divine ambassadors in the cities that they live in an Lord anyone who doesn't yet know you and the cities. We pray that you would encourage them to put their trust in you use us father to be a blessing to them with your good news in Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse four. I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do these verses are so deep Jesus glorified father God do the things that he did on the earth. And here he saying you want I finish the work. Now we understand, in part, Jesus is speaking prophetically of when he was on the cross and he said to tell us. I am the Greek it is finished. But what is singly to say you know I finished the work which you have given me to do and have you ever seen a little cartoon, the lady says you know I won't I won't go to be with the Lord until I get done with you know everything on in here to do.

That means it's like years away. But you know reality is we don't know we don't know when we finish does Charles and John Wesley was interesting.

Years ago I think it was John that was coming over and Charles sit with you go over there.

You can die and the crossing and he made an incredible statement. He said you know what a man is a mortal Antilles finish what he was sent here to do but to finish the work suggests the cry of my heart. I don't know when I cross that finish line.

You have to be on it. It could be today. It could be five years. It could be 20 years.

I don't know where that line is that I do know that I want to be able to say what Jesus is finish the thing that you told me to do. I finished what you gave me to do not litter, not should not the not making excuses but you know what I was gone so for you. I was I was full. Lynn is 24 seven that's what I want people to say that may not never fail no does not mean that unfortunately that means my heart wants to accomplish what God has given me to do me ask a question is that the cry of your heart because we get so easily distracted. Only and I'm not pointing my finger. You guys I'm saying we get so easily distracted. We get our priorities out of whack in the Lord speaks in a soft voice in society need to do this you need to do that and we we reject that weekly turn away from the she one of the reasons we talk about serving a lot.

Here is his will to put wheels on your face, she somehow, in the church setting.

In America we think okay you know one sure saying that that's the end goal. We just want to get saved I was never the end goal for Jesus free to be walking in faith. When did Jesus ever walk up anybody go. I agree with me never one time. What did he say follow me know what that means. He was asking for an action mean as a disciple Jesus lots of Jesus, follow me, you wouldn't sit there and where they're going down following you might look like and still sit here but I'm with you and heart follow me an actual now I can meet me clarify faith and works. We are saved by faith were saved by faith.

God does not require you on the front end to do anything except accept him somehow on the church today, we've actually built into this that you have to repent before salvation now is repentance apart.

Salvation absolutely, absolutely. Let me ask a question when theologically to somebody repent before they get saved. I'm sorry can't because you can't have the Holy Spirit having you turn from your sins to God before you get saved can do it. There is part of you that wants to do that, but you do not yet have the power to do that. But as you turned to God you turn from your sins, and that begins to work out in your life. So again, so it's clear repentance is part of salvation, but as part of salvation, not a pre-salvation thing are we are we clear on that. Are we on the same page, because see you. It is not a matter of you getting your life cleaned up to come to God. See, that's a shame. Some people think well since I get this right.

Not right and come to God when it when is that going to be. You can get perfect and then you're going to come the God I'm sorry if you could be perfect. You would need God. What you were saved on faith and by faith alone.

Nothing works. I have seen some people got saved and immediately all the baggage dropped off amazing people that were smoking crack and doing all these things also make it safe manner on fire seen other people that it seems like it's a really gradual process and I'm so glad that God is in charge. Amen. Not me. So were saved by faith. I want to be very clear on this, but Jesus mentioned work so what is the work. The book of James, which is encouragement and how to live our lives out in Christianity has a few verses that I'd like to share this morning. James 122 says, but be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. So as you hear the word of God and I make sure that you hear the word of God. Be sure you're beginning to do the word of God. Again, let me clarify many people in here are doing the word there doers of the word. James continues in the epistle and 2/14 is what does it profit my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works can faith save him. That new living translation puts it like this, dear brothers and sisters.

What's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your action that kind of faith can't save anyone is a strong word directly from the word of God see to put your faith into gear. This is very convicting, and in part of this is to be honest I want to shatter the spectator Christianity thing that has crept into the church today has no place in the body of Christ. Somehow we think okay it's kind like a professional sporting event in the 5% of the people in the middle of the field doing the stuff in the 95% are going gay know it's not like that was not supposed to be like that once you come into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. There's just something that happens everything changes you begin to think well I want to do something for the Lord.

I want to get involved. I want to get in game and you know I love you enough to say this, if your content was sitting on the sidelines and not pursuing the Lord and not living out a life that is glorifying to the Lord, you probably need to ask yourself some hard questions because you don't see that, faith in the Bible Jesus himself. In Matthew 516 says let your light so shine before men, how do how do we let our light shine before men that they may see your good works and they glorify your Father in heaven, even in the in the verse that we quote a lot to talk about the grace that is saving grace. Ephesians 289. Remember verse 10 for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them and why you may sit back and think, kind of overwhelmed cannot do these things that the Lord wants me to do, can actually follow him. Will this is a really cool thing. Evidently Jesus thinks you can. Jesus, as you know I saved you knowing that you can do these things. So for a believer to Safeco.

I can no longer an option. I'm sorry because with God all things are possible know what that means to you. I'm not sure some of you are called to do this or do that but I just know that in following Jesus.

It's in thing is not a passive thing friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible. You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working your life you're the Bible tells us that the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. But it does cost for us to come and bring that message to you and to others in your neighborhood through radio through the Internet and through the mobile technologies that God has gifted us to be able to use so if you like to support this ministry.

Please go to cross the bridge.com. Click on the donate button and ask God how much he would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out through cross the bridge. Thank you so much ODA before we go.

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