Establishes that God's promise of eternal presence is exclusively for those who serve Him, directly addressing the question of where one will be in eternity. It highlights Jesus' prayer in John 17:24 for believers to be with Him, contrasting this with the fate of those who do not accept Him as Savior, as stated in John 8:21. The core lesson is that being in Christ now leads to being with Christ in eternity, a state that transforms believers to be like Him. The message concludes by urging listeners to trust Christ as their Savior to ensure they will be with Him for all eternity.
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Thank you. And greetings, friends. The Gospel by John, chapter twelve, verse twenty-six. We have the Lord Jesus here using the two words, I am, I am, in a different manner than when he said, I am the door. I am the way, the truth, and the life. Or, as in the previous chapter, I am the resurrection and the life. He used I am the Son of God.
Nose described his person, his characteristics, who he was. But here in verse twenty-six he says, If any man serve me, that is, there's a relationship here established. He's a servant. He has become a servant of the Lord. And this raises the question, when did I become a servant of the Lord? There must be a relationship established. Of course. We don't just make ourselves servants. The Master is the one that makes us a servant. And when did we come to the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and acknowledge him as our Master?
When did we accept him as our Savior? Because then and then only would we be in a position to claim him as our Master. The Lord Jesus says here, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also... my servant be. My servant. Oh, these are magic words. My servant.
There shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my father honor. Wonderful. But here is a matter of place. Here is a matter of where. the Lord Jesus is going to be. This is a little different meaning, but it has a wonderful meaning. And certainly anyone in their proper person and proper mind would want to be where the Lord Jesus is. The old hymn writer put it very nicely when he wrote, What matters where on earth we dwell, and mountaintop or in the dell, in cottage or in mansions there, where Jesus is, tis heaven there?
Oh, yes. If we are asked the question, if the question is posed to you today, likely you would answer, where you want to be in eternity? Your answer would be in heaven. Of course you would. Anyone in their right condition of body and soul and spirit and mind would say, yes, I want to be in heaven. Man has a desire within him that he'll turn out well for eternity. God has implanted this desire within the soul. And here's something now that bends in that direction. Here's something that becomes a requirement in that direction.
If any man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servant be where I am. You know, in his great high priestly prayer, in the seventeenth chapter of John, he says in verse twenty-four, Father, in his prayer to the Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me. Here's the relationship of that. It wasn't just everybody. Oh, no, my friend. Sad to say, the Bible doesn't say. The Bible says the opposite.
Not everybody will be in heaven. Not everybody at all. Many are called, but few are chosen. Come unto me, but people don't come. And they'll not be where Jesus is unless they accept him as their Savior. You shall die in your sins, where I am, thither ye cannot come. My friends, these are the most important words to the individual soul alive on us today, who has reached God-conscious aid, where they are going to be in eternity. And as long as we have not our sins forgiven through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, because he has power on earth to forgive sin, here's where he does forgive sin, right here on earth while you and I are alive and well.
And unless we have our sins forgiven, through faith in the Lord Jesus, the one who suffered and bled and died at Calvary for those sins, who was the sin-bearer at Calvary, then, friends, Our sins are not forgiven. And if we die in our sins, he's the one who said, Not me, not the speaker. But the Lord Jesus Christ himself said, You shall die in your sins where I am, sither ye cannot come. But here he prays for those who are his, those whom thou hast given me, those that are saved by his grace, those who have trusted him. He says, I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me.
Be with me where I am. Oh, those are great ones. My friends, here's a special, here is the greatest blessing that's possible for mankind to have that relationship established between the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and you as the sinner and me as the sinner. accepting him as our Savior, and we're able to say, thank God he died for me. He died for my sins on Calvary's cross. I believe it. I'm his, and he is mine, forever and forever. And then we look forward to the time when we'll be in his presence to go out no more.
Where I am, there ye may be also. Oh, those are wonderful words, aren't they? If I go away, said he, in the fourteenth chapter of John, I'll come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also. Where I am, oh, my friends, where are you going to be in eternity? Are you going to be in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you going to be where the Lord is? He says here, And where I am, there shall also my servant be.
If any man serve me, him will my Father honor, and will be in his presence. You know, in Thessalonians, the fourth chapter of the first book of Thessalonians says that he's going to come. and take the church, the children of God, those who have trusted him as Savior, those who have become his servants down here, and do serve him graciously and kindly through this life, he says, they'll be with him. He'll come, and they'll be forever with the Lord. Oh, this is great language, friend.
This is great assurance. This is great joy. Where will you be in eternity? Will you be with the Lord Jesus? Paul says to depart and be with Christ, with Christ, that's far better. Oh, yes, beyond all our knowledge and comprehension, to be saved and know it and to show it. and to realize that the Word of God makes it clear that the soul of trust in Jesus will be in heaven with him for all eternity. Wherever he is, that will be heaven for us.
So he says, where I am, there shall also my servant be. Oh, just to think, friend, of spending eternity in the bliss of glory, where the Lord Jesus Christ is. To go to be with Christ, which is far better. Here in this world of sin and sorrow and sickness and disease and distress, oh, my friend, to trust Christ, lest you above it all, places you in him. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature, a new creation.
Well, then if he's in Christ, he's going to be where Christ is. He's going to be with Christ. This is a tremendous thought to be in Christ. Then we're going to be with Christ. And then when the Lord comes, he's going to make us like Christ. We shall be like him. These bodies of humiliation shall be changed. and will be given a body like unto his own glorious body, will be like him. So it's a question now of being in Christ. A little while, we'll be with Christ in body, in glory, and then we will be like Christ.
My, this is wonderful. I am where I am. there ye may be also. Oh, my friend, it's quite possible, for each and every human being has reached age of accountability, when they know the right and wrong, when they know that God is the Father in heaven, and the Lord Jesus, the Savior who died on the cross, they're old enough to trust him and be saved and be on their way to heaven, and to be in Christ now, and then to be with Christ wherever he is, and it matters not for truly the old hymn writer was correct, where Jesus is, tis heaven there.
Oh, my friend, are you on the way to heaven? According to the word of God, I don't ask whether you serve the church well. That's wonderful. That you are a church member, wonderful, perhaps. But no, it's whether you've trusted Christ or not. He's the one who died for us on the cross. He alone could take the burden of sin away. Have you accepted him as your Savior? Thankly, Heavenly Father, it's possible to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior. He came to bear our sins and make it possible for us to be cleansed from our sins so that we could be in him and that there could be where he is and be like him for all eternity.
Bless our country, Father. Bless our president. Bless all officials of state, wherever they might be. We pray thy blessing upon every man, woman, and child in our great country, that they may trust the Savior and be in him, and then with him and like him for all eternity. We ask thee, we praise thee, and thank thee for all the goodness and blessings and enrichment of this great land. In the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.