[0:00] Good morning. If you take your Bibles and go with me to John chapter number 13 this morning, John chapter number 13, that's where we begin. And it's good to see each of you out this morning. And I love the spirit of this church.
[0:13] And I love the emphasis of this church. You're going to see on behind me, I've asked him to put up a slide. Brother John Pearson has seen this slide before. I think they'll find it there. There it is.
[0:25] He mentioned to you, this was the front of our church a couple of years ago. We did an unreached people groups missions conference. And what that represents, as you will see on the left side, 9.8 percent of the world in green, they have the whole Bible.
[0:43] And so that's all. Less than 10 percent of all of the world has a whole Bible. Now, remember, how many of you have? How many do you have? I mean, you you decided which one you were going to bring this morning, which one you study out of, which one you lay in certain places or have at the office.
[1:00] But only 10 percent of the world have a whole Bible. 20.8 percent have New Testaments. That's in the yellow. And so that brings us all the way almost to what? 30 percent.
[1:11] Just over 30 percent have either a new either the whole Bible or a New Testament. Then you will see the orange color to the left there.
[1:21] Fifteen four point four percent have a Bible portion. What do you mean by a Bible portion? Brother Holt, I was going to ask you if I could have your video today because you are. That's a great video for Seedline.
[1:33] And we have Seedline out of our church. And of course, Seedline is churches like yours, putting scripture together, sending them to missionaries like you're going to do. And there are John and Romans.
[1:44] There are some they do the book of John. There are some they do the book of Mark. We have done different books for different ones, depending upon what they have. But 15.4 percent have a Bible portion.
[1:55] So they have something. Everything in the red. Have nothing. Nothing.
[2:09] No John. No Romans. No verse. No portion. No Bible.
[2:21] We have a ministry called First Bible. And that's what it's. That's the entire premise of that portion of ministry is First Bible.
[2:35] That's where we why we developed a translation school. A school to train men who have had the missions training, but feel like God would have them into the translation portion, going to places that don't have it.
[2:52] And so this is why, because more than half, 54.6 percent, have nothing. It's quite the visual, isn't it?
[3:05] Just to imagine that we're so blessed in the green. And they're so without. In the red.
[3:15] They have not. The word of God. And we enjoy it so much. So it's changed our lives. It's what we preached about last night.
[3:27] And that is we have to have the right relationship with the word of God. And we can have a right relationship with the word of God. And we can let the word of God, as we looked at Friday night, we can let the word of God impact us.
[3:41] And it does. And then not only does it impact us, it becomes our instruction. Becomes our instruction manual. Where we go so we know what to do.
[3:53] Where do we get that from? We get that from the word of God. Once we're impacted by the truths of God. And God impacts our life. And we cross our paths, cross with God.
[4:03] And we become his child. From that point on, we have a book. And that book becomes our instruction. And then once that book becomes our instruction, it becomes our influence.
[4:15] It's not only do we just read it, but now we obey it. Now we say, if that's what he said, then I'm willing to do that. And so it has to get there.
[4:27] And then it has to be put into place. And then it has to start action. It has to start producing in our life. But yet that will never happen.
[4:39] At this point for 55, almost 55% of the world. I've never read John 3.16. I've never, maybe I've only seen a sporting event all around the world.
[4:55] You can see them everywhere. You can see them on the internet. You can see them everywhere. You know what? We know what that little sign behind home plate means. When somebody raises it up and says, John 3.16.
[5:10] They don't even know what that is. They wonder what that marker means. They don't know what John 3.16 means. They may see it, but they don't have it.
[5:22] And so would you pray for bearing precious seed? We saw Friday night, Haggai chapter number one. Bible says, Haggai, the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message.
[5:37] The two things it's going to do to reach the world is the message and the messenger. The message can be printed, can be sent.
[5:49] But somebody has to say, as Acts chapter number nine, when the Ethiopian eunuch or an eight, an Ethiopian eunuch, how can I? How can I understand what I'm reading unless someone tells me?
[6:04] So we need the messenger and we need the message. And I'm so thankful that I've had the privilege of being here these couple of days because I see a church that is invested in investing in sending missionaries.
[6:23] The young man stood here that leads the music in the back and threw up a slide of five missionaries out of this church in the last year.
[6:35] I've been, I'm in church after church after church after church. It's never sent one. It's been in existence for years and years and never had one.
[6:48] So I'm encouraged and challenged and thankful for the vision of Vision Baptist Church and this pastor and you as a people to train and to develop.
[7:01] We partner with you in the message as you continue to work on the messenger. And we do the same. So thank you for what you do. I want to go to John 13.
[7:13] I'm observant of my time. And so I'll go there. What time do I have? 20 minutes? Whatever you tell me, man, that's all I'm getting. 25 minutes.
[7:25] Okay. So if you want to watch your watching time, we've been kind of kidding about that this week. I try to be very time sensitive and get out when you are typically getting out.
[7:35] John chapter number 13, if I could. This past week, we've looked at, we need a right view of the Almighty. That was Thursday night. We need to have a right relationship with the Word of God.
[7:46] That was Friday night. And today I want to speak to you on having the right heart of God. Having the heart of God. And what it means to have that. If we can have God's heart, we will love in a worthy manner.
[8:00] We will serve in a worthy manner. We will do what God would have us to do if we have God's heart. I want you to go with me, if you would, to John chapter number 13.
[8:13] John chapter number 13, verse number one. Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of the world unto the Father. Having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
[8:29] Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, thank you for yourself. Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be here this week. And encouragement and challenge that's been in my own life for, Lord, what I need to be involved in and what my part is in your work.
[8:44] And I pray that each person will understand that they have a part in the work. And you've placed them here. They're part of the body. It might be a hand. It might be an eye. It might be a foot. But, Lord, they all have a part.
[8:56] And I pray that you'd help them to know their part and do their part well and surrender themselves for what you have for them. Lord, I pray that you bless the remainder of our time this morning as we gather around your word now just for a few moments and see what you have to say and what you said to those before you left and before you ascended into high and before you stepped out.
[9:21] And, Lord, I pray that you just give us your mind and your heart today. And I thank you for yourself. Ask in Christ's name. Amen. You know, in this passage of Scripture, it kind of just finally has said it's time.
[9:36] It's time. If you were to go back through the book of John, there are a couple of times when his hour was not yet come. You would find a little phrase, mine hour is not yet come. But here in John chapter number 13, it's not that case.
[9:50] It's now time. What time is it? Well, in chapter number 18, him and his disciples, he's going to take off his disciples. They're going to walk through the garden in chapter number 18.
[10:01] Judas is going to come and he's going to betray him with a kiss. They're going to take him and they're going to place him on the cross in chapter number 19. They're going to crucify him.
[10:12] And then, of course, we're so thankful that in chapter 20, verse one, he raised up from the dead on the third day, just like he promised. But the Bible says here now, before the feast of the Passover, look at this little phrase, when Jesus knew his hour was come.
[10:30] When Jesus knew his hour was come. If you knew, what would you do? If you knew what would be on your mind? If you knew what would be the things you would say?
[10:43] If you knew, like he knew, what was about to happen in his life? If you knew that, what kind of response?
[10:53] What would come out? What would seep through? What would be your mindset? What would be your heart? What would be your actions?
[11:05] What would be if you knew? The Bible said here that he knew that his hour was come, that he should what? He should depart out of the world.
[11:16] He knew his time was coming. He knew the cross was before him. He knew what was about him. Now, the difference is he knew. We don't know. We don't know if today's our hour.
[11:28] We don't know that option. He knew. He knew what was coming. He knew the garden. He knew Judas. He knew the cross. He knew the resurrection because he's God. He knew the beginning from the end.
[11:39] He's the Alpha and Omega. But yet here in this passage of Scripture, we find that the Bible said that he knew. Now, because he knew, let me give you just a couple of things that I see about God that we ought to be like him, though we don't know the hour.
[11:59] And the hour could be coming just as soon as it was coming for him. But what should be true in our lives? May I say to you, in John chapter number 13, what takes place?
[12:11] Verse number 2 said supper being ended. Verse 3 said Jesus knowing. So here again, he has this phrase. Verse number 11, the Bible says, for he knew. So Jesus is knowing exactly what is going on.
[12:24] So what does he do? It's amazing to me. What he does is he takes a bowl of water and a towel and washes his disciples' feet. Wow.
[12:37] You've got to be kidding me. He knows that his hour is coming. He knows his hour is there. He knows the cross is before him. He knows that he is about to pay the sin debt of the world.
[12:50] And he grabs a bowl of water. And a towel. And washes the disciples' feet.
[13:04] What is he doing? He's giving us an example of what we should be doing.
[13:16] We should be humble enough to serve one another. If we're going to do the assignment that he is about to give, or already has given, but is about to give five times.
[13:30] Acts 1, at the end of John, at the end of Matthew, when he gets done, before he ascends up into heaven. He's going to give us a great commission. But before then, what does he do? He gives us an example.
[13:41] He gives us an example of humbling ourselves and washing one another's feet. His last action here, before he goes to the cross, is to show us we must be humble and we must care one for another.
[13:57] We must wash one another's feet. It's the last thing he does here. And then he moves from there to chapter number 14. And he begins his last sermon.
[14:09] His last sermon. Now, you know his first one. His first one is Matthew 5, 6, and 7. The mount in the beginning, he takes them up in the mount.
[14:21] In Matthew chapter number 5. And he talks through the Beatitudes. Chapter 5, chapter 6, and chapter 7. In those three chapters, at the beginning, he says, I'm going to teach you how to become.
[14:36] So what you need to be. Now he's going to get to the end. And he's going to teach them how to do. So he teaches them what to be or how to be in the first sermon, 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew.
[14:51] Now he's going to teach them how to do what he's about to tell them what they are to do. You see, because somebody, as we heard this morning, you tell somebody what to do, you need to be specific.
[15:04] You need some direction on it. That's what Jesus did. So in John chapter number 14, John chapter number 15, John chapter number 16, he taught them how to accomplish the assignment that he was about to give them to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
[15:20] Now how do you do that? How do you do that is you have the right relationship with God the Father in chapter number 14. Stayed out sometime. We don't have time to go there. That's not my message this morning.
[15:32] It's all introduction. Chapter 14 is the Father. The Father, the Father, the Father. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house. Father is mentioned, I think, I don't know, 12 or 13 or 14 times in the book of John chapter number 14.
[15:48] You have to have a right relationship with the Father. John chapter number 15, he's the vine, you're the branches. You can only bear fruit in him. So a right relationship with the Son.
[15:59] John chapter number 16, there's the introduction of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will come and expedient for you that I go away. I send one great to myself. He's the comforter. He will lead you into all truth.
[16:09] What is he? Who is he? If you and I are going to accomplish the great commission, we're going to accomplish reaching the world for Christ. If we're going to accomplish his assignment, we've got to be humble one towards another.
[16:23] We've got to be humble and serve one another. Number two, we've got to have a right relationship with God the Father. Number three, we have to have a right relationship with God the Son. Number four, we have to have a right relationship with God the Holy Spirit.
[16:38] Now, go with me to John 17. John 17. What was on his mind? Did you ever see somebody just kind of staring off into the abyss?
[16:51] And you kind of just watch them and you think, what do they think? Or have you ever went to the mall and seen somebody, you know, their hairs in, you know, different colors and their clothings in such a way.
[17:08] And they're dressed in such a way. And you think to yourself, what are they thinking? I mean, you've got to be kidding. Or you'd see somebody go out.
[17:22] I don't. These are pet peeves of mine. Did you ever go someplace? You go to the mall and you see somebody walking around in their pajamas. You think, God, you take your pajamas off before you come to the mall.
[17:35] You don't need to come that way. That's really not the way you're supposed to dress. You're just thinking in your mind, what are you thinking? Watch.
[17:47] Jesus has told them and showed them and modeled to them, be humble and serve one another. You've got to have, you've got to love the Father.
[17:58] You've got to understand the Son. You've got the Holy Spirit of God that's going to, that is going to give you the power to do what my assignment is. That's what Acts 1.8, the Holy Spirit will give you the power to do it.
[18:12] Now, let's look at, let's look at what he had on his mind. And here's where we, here's where we find that. Here's where you find what somebody's really thinking. John 17 is the Lord's Prayer.
[18:28] You want to know what's on someone's heart? Listen to them pray.
[18:41] Now, here's what I'm saying to you. I don't mean a public prayer. I mean a private prayer. I mean when you're alone by yourself and you're praying, you'll find out what's on someone's heart.
[18:55] But Jesus, God, opens up and allows us the privilege of seeing his heart before he walks in the garden and is betrayed with a kiss.
[19:13] And we see what he's dealing with in his heart. And I want you to go with me, if you would, to John 17.
[19:27] And I want you to mark the first word that I want you to mark in John 17. Is this word. It says. In John 17.
[19:38] I want you to drop down for sake of time. To verse five. And now, oh, father. Glorify me thou.
[19:50] Or glorify thou me with thine own self. With the glory which I. Had with thee. And would you mark that phrase. Before. For. The world.
[20:03] Look in verse nine. I pray for them. I pray not. Mark the phrase. For the world. Verse 11. And now I am no more.
[20:14] Mark the phrase. In the world. Mark the next phrase. But these are. In the world. Verse 12. While I was with them. In the world.
[20:26] Verse 13. Now I come to thee. And these things I speak. In. The world. Look at verse 14. He closes out. As I am not.
[20:37] Of the world. Verse 16. For they are not of the world. Even as I am not. Of the world. Verse 18 closes. I also sent them.
[20:47] Into. The world. Verse 21. In the middle of the verse. That the world. Look at verse 23. That the world. Look at verse 25. Oh righteous father.
[20:59] The world. You know what he has. On his mind. Is the world. Well why should we be surprised.
[21:13] John 1. 10. 1. 10 says. He was in the world. And the world was made by him. And the world knew him not. John 1. 29.
[21:24] John the Baptist said. Behold. The lamb of God. Which taketh away the sin. Of the world. John 3. 16. Tells us. For God so loved. The world.
[21:35] Verse 17. Says. For God sent not his son into. The world. To condemn the world. But that the world through him. Might be saved. John chapter 6. And verse 33.
[21:46] Says. For the bread of God. Is in he which cometh down. From heaven. And giveth life. Unto. The world. You know what was on his mind.
[21:58] The world. He's headed to the cross. He's washed the disciples feet. He's taught them. Be humble. And take care.
[22:09] One for another. And then his mind. Shifts to the world. But I want you to notice a phrase. And I close. With the thoughts.
[22:21] On from this phrase. I want you to go to verse 9. Look what he says. I pray for them. He's speaking of those.
[22:32] In verse number 8. Who he says. For I have. Given unto them. The word which thou gavest me. And they have received them. So he's talking.
[22:43] About those who have received him. And so he says. I've given to them. Thy word. They have received it. I have known surely. That I come out from thee. And they have believed. That thou did send me.
[22:54] I pray for them. I pray. Not. For the world. You see.
[23:06] The world was on his mind. But his prayer. Was on his followers. His prayer. His prayer. His prayer. Was on those.
[23:16] Who had received him. That those. Who received him. Would accomplish. The assignment. He's about to give them. Because.
[23:28] He's not going to be here. To reach the world. But they're going to be left. To reach the world. And so the whole prayer. Though the world's on his mind.
[23:39] The whole prayer. Is about. His people. It's about you. And I. It's about what he desires. For us. His church.
[23:50] And what is. That prayer. What does he desire. For them. And we again. We can go through. There's so much of it. What. What does he pray. For them. What does he desire.
[24:01] For them. Let me give you a couple of them. Go to verse 13. Here's one of the things. He's praying for. He's saying. And now I come. To thee. And those things. Which I speak.
[24:12] In the world. That they might have. Here's one of the things. That God wants us to have. While we serve him. And accomplish the assignment. That he's about to give them.
[24:22] He wants them. To enjoy. And have joy. In serving him. You know. It's not a drudgery. To serve God. God. Well I got to give up everything.
[24:35] Oh no. You don't understand. What you get. If you just give up. But isn't that what God tells us. It's exactly what he's telling us.
[24:47] So he says. First of all. In verse number 13. He said. I pray that they might have joy. Let me show you another one. And just give you a list of them. He said. I. I given. I have given them. Thy word.
[24:57] Verse 14. And the world. Hath hated them. But they are not of the word. Even as I am not of the world. I pray not. That thou shouldest take them out of the world.
[25:08] Watch now. Jesus praying. Don't take them out. Just do what with them? What he says. I don't take them out of the world. But that thou shouldest keep them from evil.
[25:22] So God's Christ is praying. He's praying for the believer. He's praying for those who are following him. He's praying for his disciples. He's praying for those. Who are going to take the assignment.
[25:34] And he's praying for them to have joy. And he's praying. Don't take them out of the world. He's talking to the father. Don't take them out. But keep them from evil. Isn't that amazing? That our God's praying for us.
[25:45] To stay from evil. So he wants us to stay out of evil. To be. To do. Not. To not have fear. To do. Not do that. Look what he says in verse number. 15.
[25:56] He said. Keep them from evil. Verse number 16. They're not of the world. Even as I am not of the world. Do what? Sanctify them through the. Through. Thy truth. Thy word. Is truth.
[26:07] As thou has sent me. Into the world. Even so. Have I also. Sent. Them. Into the world. All we're doing.
[26:18] Is being obedient. Like he was obedient. You see. If you were to go back. In this passage. Look in chapter number 17. Verse number 2. Look what Jesus said.
[26:28] As thou has given him. At the end of verse number 2. Thou has given him. Look in verse number 4. At the end of it. As thou gavest me to do. Look in verse number 6. As thou which gavest me.
[26:40] And he says. Thou which gavest me. Verse 7. You hath given me. Look in verse number 8. Thou has given me. Verse number 9. Has given me. Verse number 11. Has given me. Verse number 12. Has given me. You know what?
[26:50] Jesus is obedient. You know what he's saying? I've done the same. What I've done towards you. Is what I want them to do towards you. I want you to be obedient.
[27:01] I just want them to obey. What I've told them to do. He continues on. Verse 21. He says. That they may be one. You know who he's praying for?
[27:14] He's praying for unity within the body. He's praying for them to be one in assignment. One in task. One in purpose. One in goal. One in vision.
[27:26] He wants them to be that way. He's praying. He's praying not for the world. He has the world on the mind. He knows he's about to pay the sin of the world. But he doesn't. He's not praying for the world. He's praying for you.
[27:37] He's praying for me. He's praying for followers. He's praying for those who have received. And he said that they may be one. Verse 21. As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, they also may be one in us.
[27:52] Why? That. Here's the purpose. That the world may believe. That the world may believe.
[28:04] Look at verse 23. I in them, thou in me. That's unity. They may be made perfect in one. That the world may what? Why doesn't the world know?
[28:21] Is it that he doesn't care? Is it that he doesn't love them? Is it that they're less? Is it that we're special? No.
[28:33] The sad part is. We've not been obedient. We're not following. We're not submitting.
[28:46] We don't surrender. We don't give. We don't go. We have our own lives. And so what's Jesus doing here?
[28:58] He's going to the cross. His last hours. He knows he's going to the garden. And he takes a towel and says, treat one another this way.
[29:10] This is how you live. This is how you serve together. Father. And then he says, make sure you have the right relationship with the Father, right relationship with the Son, right relationship with the Holy Spirit.
[29:20] And then he says, I want you to know I'm praying for you. See, the Bible says he may ever make it intercession for us. You have to understand that's more than just when we go to him and say we're wanting to the Father and we get to him.
[29:37] He goes for us. It's like Romans chapter 8. The Holy Spirit does what? He does it for us. Holy Spirit works for us on our behalf.
[29:48] So does Christ. He's praying for you. That what? That we might have joy. That we might have unity. We might have. We might fear God.
[29:59] We might have strength. That we would be like him. Why? For him. For himself.
[30:10] For his glory. For his praise. For his name. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, I love you. Thank you for yourself.
[30:21] I just want to be like you. So I give myself to be like you. And so, Lord, your word then becomes my instruction manual.
[30:33] And it becomes the place where I am influenced from. Is what you tell me to do from your word. Whether it's in my personal reading or whether it's through preaching and proclamation of the gospel.
[30:47] I am to allow you to influence my life for yourself. And Lord, you were done. You were going to the cross. You had finished your assignment.
[30:58] You were about to cry. It is finished. And yet you turned to your people. You turned to your church. And the last thing you told them to do was how to treat each other.
[31:11] Then you told them you were praying for them. And so, Lord, as we pray one for another, it just gives us, you've given us another example of how we ought to live.
[31:22] And how we ought to care one for another. For you care for us. And we should care for you. And we should care one for another. Thank you for yourself.
[31:34] I ask in Christ's name. Amen.