The following message was given at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Coconut Creek, Florida. The text I want us to look tonight at this evening, excuse me, is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 6. Verse 37, it's a well-known text to most of us. John 6, 37. Jesus said, all that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out. And here in this text, We have one of the most precious gospel promises in all of the Bible. In fact, it's one of my favorite verses. It's a promise that was greatly used of the Lord in my own conversion and still as a Christian. I find myself running back again and again to this precious promise of our Lord that the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out. And the context in which these words were spoken, I think, is very helpful for us here in understanding the state of mind, as it were, of our Lord when He spoke these words. Jesus has been speaking of the bread of God, which has come down from heaven. And that bread of God, of course, being Himself. And back up in verse 35, He gives this wonderful gospel promise. And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. So he uses, you'll notice there, he uses these two words, coming and believing, synonymously. In other words, there are two ways of describing the same thing. To believe on Christ for salvation is to come to him and to come to him is to believe upon him. So Jesus gives this wonderful promise that all those who come to him in faith shall be saved. The spiritual need of their soul shall be met. So the context is one in which our Lord has been setting forth this wonderful gospel promise. But then notice what we have in verse 36. After he speaks of himself as the bread of life and he who comes to me shall never hunger he who believes on me shall never thirst he then immediately follows by saying this in verse 36 but I say to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe do not believe in spite of our Lord's promise In spite of the freely offered provision of himself, as the true bread sent down from heaven, there is this problem of rejection and unbelief. Though Christ has freely and sincerely offered himself to men to be their Savior, most of those to whom he preached in his lifetime, and the same remains the same today, most of them rejected him and would not come to him. that they might have life. And it's in this context that Jesus gives this strong statement. of the sovereignty of God in salvation in the first part of our text. He says, all that the Father gives me will come to me. You notice he says, you have not come to me. You do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me. So what then is the connection between verse 36 and the preceding context? Well, I think J.C. Ryle catches it very well when he says the connection of this verse with the preceding one seems to be this. Your unbelief does not surprise me. I foresaw it and have been aware of it. Nevertheless, your unbelief will not prevent God's purposes taking effect. Some will believe, though you remain unbelieving. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me in due time, believe, and be saved. In spite of your unbelief, all my sheep shall sooner or later come to me by faith and be gathered within my fold. I see your unbelief with sorrow, but not with anxiety and surprise. I am prepared for it. I know that you cannot alter God's purposes, and in accordance with those purposes, regardless of your unbelief, a people will come to me, though you do not." So you see the connection. Bunyan actually refers to this text as Christ's repose. In other words, Christ, by these words, and by the reality declared in these words, is comforting himself. He's comforting his own soul in the face of rejection and unbelief, and after much labor and many sermons spent upon these people, as it were, in vain. He comforts himself with this truth, all that the Father gives me will come to me. and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out." Now as we look at this verse this afternoon briefly, you'll notice there are actually three simple and yet profound truths clearly contained in this text. First we have the fact of the Father's giving of certain persons to the Son. All that the Father gives me. Secondly, we have the certainty that all who are given will come. All that the Father gives me will come to me. And then thirdly, we have the promise that all who come to Him shall be received. And the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out. So as we look at this text, notice, we'll look at these three points briefly. First of all, we have the Father's giving of certain persons to the Son. Now, what does this mean? Well, right here we have God's sovereign election. There are those that the Father gives to the Son. He gave them to the Son in the eternal covenant of redemption in eternity. They were given to the Son. He came into the world to save them. To save all those that the Father had given to Him. In verse 39, Jesus refers to them as those He has given Me. It is a giving of the Father. In that giving of the Father, you'll notice in the text, it precedes the coming of the sinner. Which comes first here in the text? The coming of the sinner or the giving of the Father? Well, obviously, the giving of the Father. And here Jesus is referring to that great divine truth of divine election. Quoting again from Rael, we learn from these words the great and deep truth of God's election and appointment to eternal life of a people out of this world. The Father from all eternity has given to the Son a people to be his own peculiar people. So, we have the Father's giving of certain persons to the Son. Secondly, we have the certainty that all who are given will come to Him. All that the Father gives me will come to me. In due time, they will all come to Him. It is eternally settled and so settled that it cannot be altered by either man or devil. All who from eternity were given by the Father to the Son, all of them, every single last one of them, shall in due time hear the gospel and be effectually drawn by the Holy Spirit and shall surely come to Jesus Christ and be saved." You see, as our Lord faces these people who had rejected Him in their impenitence and unbelief, He comforts His soul. with these glorious truths that the father's eternal purpose cannot be thwarted that there are persons given to him by the father from every kindred tribe nation and tongue and in due time they will not they might but they will all of them in due time come to him and coming to him what will happen well thirdly He gives a promise that all who come will be received. The Father's giving of certain persons to the Son, the certainty that all that are given to him will come to him. And then thirdly, he is the promise that all who come will be saved. And the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out. And that language, in the way he states that, he seems to anticipate by this language that those who are coming to him, those who are moving toward him in their hearts and in their minds, they're being drawn to him and they want him to be their savior. They're coming to him. He's not talking about a physical coming of my body, but he's talking about a coming of the heart and the mind to him for salvation. And he's anticipating here that there are those, many of those who are coming to him for mercy and salvation might be tempted to think that he will not receive them. And so he underscores, I will by no means cast them out. My sins are too great, perhaps, or I've waited too long, or I'm not coming in the right way. No, no, he says, as long as it's me you're coming to and no one else. In other words, you're not coming to the priest. You're not coming to the law to try to find salvation by doing the deeds of the law. You're not coming to anything else for your salvation. You have no hope in anything else but Jesus Christ. If you're coming to me to save you from your sins and to reconcile you to God, then you're coming in the right way. And I promise you that whatever your condition, whatever your sins may be, however great they may be, however long you have put me off until now, yet if you come to me, I will by no means, under no circumstances, ever, ever, ever cast you out." In other words, He will receive you and He will save you. and the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out. Now as I bring this together with just a couple of applications, consider these two things. First of all, this text rightly received ought to be a great motivation and a great encouragement to us in the work of evangelism and missions. And someone says, well, Pastor, you're really going crazy now. I mean, the first part of the text speaks about election. How in the world can you say that the doctrine of election ought to be a great encouragement to evangelism and missions? Well, I say it again. This ought to be a great encouragement to evangelism and missions. And how is that? Well, on the one hand, you see, it's intended to keep us from being overcome with despair and with discouragement in the face of men's unbelief and impenitence. While on the other hand, it's intended to support and to inflame our zeal to press on in this great work of taking the gospel to sinners. Isn't that what it did for Christ? That's what the doctrine of election did for Jesus Christ. Jesus was faced with the unbelief of these people. But did that cause him to fall into despondency? No. He was grieved over it, yes. We read where he wept over Jerusalem. He broke his heart, but he wasn't indifferent to it, but at the same time, he didn't give way to a paralyzing despondency. He encouraged his soul in the confidence that though these persons refused to believe, God has a people out there who have been given to me from eternity, and in due time, they will come to me. My blood will not be shed in vain. God has given to me a people. You may not come, but all that the Father gives me will come. They will come. And I say that ought to fill us with zeal and encouragement in the work of evangelism and missions. It's not a hopeless cause. It's not merely up to us. If it were, it would be a hopeless cause. This is what, it shouldn't be a surprise to us that the greatest missionaries in church history have been Calvinists. Shouldn't be a surprise to us. What kept William Carey six years, the first six years in India without one convert? Because he was convinced that Christ has a people in every kindred, tribe, nation, and tongue, including India. In that due time, they would come to him. And he kept working. Same thing with Adam and Aaron Judson. What kept these men going to these parts of the world where people would say, oh, there's no use going there, going to the headhunters in the South Sea Islands, John Payton. They're not gonna believe. And after years of laboring among them, he may have been beginning to feel that way himself. I'm not very good at doing this. I'm explaining the gospel. I must not be explaining it well. I'm not really moving their wheels like I ought to be able to. I don't think they'll ever. He knew it wasn't ultimately up to him. He was to preach the gospel in the confidence and the assurance that Christ had a people on the island of Anahuah and Tannah because he has a people from every tribe, kindred and tongue, and that in due time, they would come to him. That's what motivates. evangelism and missions. And we never know who it's going to be, right? We cast out our seed upon the waters, our bread upon the waters, and we receive it in due time. We're like the sower in the parable of the sower, sowing our seed. Some of it falls on good soil, some of it doesn't. But it will in due time bring forth a harvest if we faint not and we continue to labor for the cause of Christ. Secondly, secondly in this text, This text points lost sinners to the right way to know that you're one of God's elect. How do I know if I'm one of God's elect? Jesus said in Matthew 11, 28, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And here he promises, the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out. If any person outside of Christ this afternoon in this building tonight, if you're wondering, if you're one of God's elect, and this can really trouble people. And they can drive themselves crazy with that question. How do I know if I'm one of God's elect? Well, this text tells you there's nothing that anyone can bring forth as a proof that you're not one of God's elect, but your own refusal to come to Jesus Christ. And if you only turn from that and come to Christ for mercy, then you'll have certain proof that you're one of God's elect. But not until then. Not until then. God, in giving His Son for sinners, has provided a free redemption and salvation that is freely offered to all and is given to all who come. There is no work to be done by us. It is a free gift to be received with an empty hand. No one is excluded unless you exclude yourself. by refusing to receive him. If you wait until you know you're elect before you come, you'll never come. Because the only way you can know is by coming. And Christ has promised that anyone, anyone who comes to me, I will by no means cast out. What a wonderful simple promise this is. And the one, literally, and the one, anyone, whoever it is, Who comes to me, I will by no means, that is under no circumstances, will I ever, ever, ever not receive them. Will I ever, ever cast them out. There is no being mistaken here. The wrong person cannot come. And you can't come too soon. If any sinner comes to Christ, he's certain to be the right one. If you come to Christ, my friend, I assure you on the authority of God's Word that He will not cast you out. Perhaps you say, well, but how do I come? How do I come? Well, I'll ask you this. Are you ready to be saved with the salvation that Christ offers? Do you wish to be saved from the guilt of your sins? To be delivered from the wrath to come? Would you have Christ to wash away your sins by His blood, to make you holy by His Spirit and to preserve you by His power unto His heavenly kingdom? Do you want that? Well, if you would have such a salvation, then come to Christ and it's yours. And if you ask, how do I come? The answer is, come as you are. Let me borrow an illustration from Charles Spurgeon. Speaking to this, here's a man. He's nothing but an old, ragged, filthy, dirty beggar. But one day he receives a message from a king. And it says this, you are hereby commanded to come just as you are to my palace to receive certain great and special favors from my hand. And if you stay away, it will be at your peril. Well, the man reads the message. And at first, he hardly knows what to think about it. And then he thinks to himself, well, I need to take a bath and prepare myself first. But then he reads the royal summons and he's struck by the words, come as you are. So he starts right out just as he is and he catches a train that will take him to the king's castle. And as he begins telling people on the train where he's going, they all begin to laugh at him. And they think he's crazy. But finally he reaches his destination. He goes up to the castle door and there he's stopped by a guard. And the guard says, wait a minute, you can't go in there. And so he explains to the guard why he's come. He shows the guard the king's message. Finally, he's allowed into the foyer. And he's told that the king will be down in a few minutes. So he sits there and he waits. But while he's waiting, as he looks at himself, and he's all nasty and covered in filth and grime, he becomes afraid. He thinks, maybe I've made a mistake. There's no way the king would ever receive me. And he's tempted to run right back out the door. But then he remembers those other words in the royal summons. If you stay away, it will be at your peril. So he stays. And then finally the king appears. And he tells the man how glad he is that he has come just as he is. And the king tells him that his purpose to provide him with clean and suitable clothes and to make him one of the princes of the court. And then he adds, I told you to come as you are, and it may have seemed like a strange command to you, but I'm glad you've obeyed and you've come. And my dear friends, that is exactly what Christ says to every sinner. In the gospel, he invites all who hear the gospel to come. And he promises that anyone who comes to me, I will by no means cast out. And you must come just as you are. And if you don't come, it will be at your own peril, your eternal peril. The gospel invitation is very simple. Come to Christ and be saved. Someone says, but let me feel more. I need to feel more conviction or I need to feel more this or that. No, come just as you are. But let me clean myself up first. No, come just as you are. Trusting in Christ to clean you up. I mean, if you could clean yourself up, you wouldn't need Jesus to save you and clean you up. You come to Christ to save you and to clean you up. And if anybody should say, who are you? Who do you think you are? If you should think that about yourself, you say, I'm nobody, but Christ told me to come. If anybody objects and says, but you're such a terrible sinner, or you're thinking that about yourself, you say, what do you say? Oh, no, I'm not that terrible. No, you say, yes, it's true. I am a terrible sinner, but Christ himself told me to come. And he came into the world to do what? To save sinners. And if anyone says, but you're just so, you're so ignorant. There's so much about God and about the Bible you still don't know. Yes, you say it's true, but I do know this. I know myself a sinner and Christ the only Savior. And he told me to come to him and that he would receive me. Someone says, you're not fit to come. You say, I know I'm not fit. But He told me to come. And if you come to put your soul into Christ's hands as your only hope, willing to be washed by His blood, justified by His righteousness, sanctified by His Spirit, and preserved by His power, if you come, taking Him to be your Savior, your Teacher, and your Lord forever, He will not cast you out. in the whole question of your election and eternal salvation will be settled right now. That can be settled right here. Right now. This very moment. At that very moment, the secret decree, as it were, of divine election will be open to you. And you can know that the Father has chosen you to be here tonight. to hear His word, and He has chosen to reveal these things to you. And you came to Christ because you were first given to Christ by the Father, way back in eternity before you ever were born. And believers, as we come to the Lord's table tonight, we still come to Him in the same way. I mentioned at the beginning, I go back to this promise over and over as a Christian. And I remind myself, Christ is still as free to me now as he was the first time I ever came to him. When I first came to Christ, I didn't have anything to offer Christ. You didn't either. And he's still as free to me now. And if I come to him, he will not cast me out. And you know what? As I come to him and we've come to him as believers, we come to the Lord's table tonight, he's reminding us of these things. and he's displaying before us once again in this symbolic way his love for us, that he died for us, he shed his blood for us, and having done all of that, having suffered everything that he suffered for the very purpose of saving sinners, do you think that he would ever reject any sinner who comes to him for that very salvation he suffered and died to provide for us? Perish the thought. He wants you to be assured of His love, His mercy, His forgiveness, that He receives you when you come to Him. And something else, believer, we're reminded tonight that that love that He has for us and He displays for us in the Lord's table, that it's an eternal love. It traces all the way back to eternity. God loved me and chose me in Christ, not because of anything good in myself. I hadn't done anything. He just looked down. God knew I was a sinner, right? That's all I have. But He loved me. And He sent His Son to die for me. And He redeemed me. And in due time, I heard the gospel and I came to Christ. And listen, He's not ever gonna stop loving you. That love that began in eternity will carry us all the way through to the end. And he who has begun a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, what a Savior! And what a salvation! And if you haven't come to Christ tonight, I plead with you, come to Christ. Come to Him. Throw out all the excuses and arguments of your unbelieving heart and of Satan himself, and just listen to his simple promise. Anyone who comes to me, I will by no means cast out. Praise the Lord. Amen. We hope you were edified by this message. For additional sermons, as well as information on giving to the ministry of Emmanuel Baptist Church, and on our current building project, you can visit us online at ebcfl.org. That's ebcfl.org.