Good morning. Let's all stand
together. We'll sing hymn number 450. Number 450. There will never
be a sweeter story Story of the Savior's love divine
Love that brought him from the realms of glory Just to save
a sinful soul like mine Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful, it is wonderful Isn't
the love of Jesus something wonderful? How wonderful it is to me. Boundless as the universe around
me. Reaching to the farthest soul
away, Saving, keeping love it was that found me. That is why my heart can truly
say, Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful, it is wonderful. Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something
wonderful? ? Wonderful it is to me ? Love
beyond our human comprehending ? Love of God in Christ, how
can it be ? This will be my theme and never ending ? Great redeeming
love of Calvary Isn't the love of Jesus something
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful? Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something
wonderful, wonderful it is to me? Be seated. We'll sing hymn number
354. What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to carry everything
to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a prince of faithful? Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden,
Covered with the load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge,
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do Thy friends despise, forsake
Thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms He'll take and shield
thee, Thou wilt find a solace there. Mark chapter 14. Mark chapter 14. I'm going to
read. Starting at verse 46 and read
down to verse 65 in your hearing. You know, Judas had betrayed
him. And in verse 46, and they laid
their hands on him and took him. And one of them that stood by
drew a sword and smote a servant of the high priest and cut off
his ear. And our Lord answered, said unto
them, Are you come out as against a thief with swords and with
staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple
teaching, and you took me not. But the scriptures must be fulfilled. And they all forsook him and
fled. And there followed him a certain young man having a
linen cloth cast about his naked body. And the young men laid
hold on him. And he left the linen cloth and
fled from them naked. And they led Jesus away to the
high priest and with him and were assembled in all the chief
priests and all the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed
afar off even unto the palace of the high priest. And he sat
with the servants and warmed himself at the fire. And the
chief priest and all the council sought for witness against Jesus
to put him to death and found none. For many bear false witness
against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there
arose certain and bear false witness against him, saying,
We heard him say, I will destroy this temple, and that is made
with hands. Then within three days I will
build another one made without hands. But neither so did their
witness agree together. And the high priest stood up
in the mist, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness
against thee? But he held his peace, and answered
nothing. Again the high priest asked him,
and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am, and you
shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and
coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his
clothes and saith, what need we any further witnesses? You
have heard the blasphemy. What thank ye? And they all condemned
him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on him,
and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and say unto him,
Prophesy. And the servants did strike him
with the palms of their hands. Our great, glorious, blessed
God and Father, by Lord Jesus Christ, Our blessed Savior, Lord, we
just read how He was treated, how He was maligned, how He is
despised and rejected, how He was hated without a cause. But,
Lord, He did all that, that the scriptures might be fulfilled,
that sinners like ourselves might be saved, washed in the blood
of the Lamb of God. All our sins gone, forgiven,
put away once and for all by that sacrifice of himself. And,
Lord, we're grateful that we know that he is the great I am.
You showed us that. You taught us that. You revealed
that to us, that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the great I
am. And, Lord, meet with us today.
Would you please come among us? Come down. Lord, and visit the
trees of your planting. And Lord, cause the gospel to
run well here. May sinners be saved by the grace
of God. May sinners have their heart
open to the grace of God, open to the Lord Jesus Christ, bearing
their sin, bearing it away in his own body there on that tree.
May our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified and may the saints
of God be blessed and encouraged and build up in the faith. Lord,
we pray again for our lost sons and daughters, children and grandchildren,
husbands and wives that don't know Christ. Lord, you're the
only one that can make them understand what condition they're in. And
we ask you for Christ's sake to do that. All of us, all of
us have loved ones. Some of them are steeper in sin
than others, but all of them have to be saved the same way
by God's grace. Please, oh Lord, cause the gospel
to run well. Save sinners for Christ's sake.
In his holy name we pray, amen. Let's stand together and sing
the hymn of the day in the bulletin. Dear Lord, to us assembled here,
reveal thy glorious face. While we, by faith, with love
and fear, Approach the throne of grace, Approach the throne
of grace. With holy boldness may we come
Up from a sinful race, Thankful to find in Christ there's room
before the throne of grace, before the throne of grace. Dear Lord, our many woes supply,
a tip to every case. While humble in the dust we lie,
low at the throne of grace, low at the throne of grace. We bless Thee, Lord, our word
of truth. We bless Thee for Thy peace. And we do bless Thee, Lord, because
there is a throne of grace. There is a throne of grace. Be seated. Just have a brief
announcement. There's a birthday missing from the bulletin here. Somebody forgot to put that in
there, so. I didn't want it mentioned, because
I tell you what, it got out. I just want it mentioned. I told
them not to put it in there, and don't tell nobody. Well, happy birthday, brother. Thank you. Boy, this happens every year
to every one of us. To every single one of us, it
happens every year. But I remember they had a big
thing here for me when I was turned 70. And I never was so
surprised. I didn't know. I thought we were
going to have lunch. And they had a big shindig for me. And
my sons were here. My grandsons were here. Oh, it
was something. And I appreciate it. And that,
you know, I got over them birthday parties a long time ago. Oh, boy. We'll go get a cupcake
after a while. But I love you and appreciate
you. Thank you, every one of you,
for your birthday wishes. I appreciate it. But it happens every year. Happens
every year. I hope I don't act my age. I
hope I don't act my age. Because I don't know how you're
supposed to act every year when you get older. I don't know how
you're supposed to act. You know, oh Lord. It is awful,
oh my goodness. Oh boy. I'll get there soon enough. But oh, I love you and appreciate
you. But now, let me deal with this message here. You know,
it says there in verse 46 of Mark 6, 14. Mark chapter 14,
verse 46. It's going to be my jumping off
place. And they laid their hands on him and took him. They laid
their hands on him and took him. You know, the Lord Jesus was
and is holy. He was holy when he dwelt in
eternity. That's his nature. He is holy
when he was born, holy every day of his life, and he's still
holy, as he says, is the right hand of God. And he's harmless. Scriptures tells us he's harmless.
He never harmed anybody. went about doing good, healing
all that were oppressed of the devil, harmless. He was harmless. And he was undefiled. Nothing
ever defiled our Lord Jesus Christ. He come in contact with sinners
and yet sin never affected him except when he was on the cross.
He would touch a leper and not become unclean and the leper
would become clean. And then he was separate. He
was absolutely separate from sinners. He's the only man that
ever lived who had never had any sin of his own. And yet it
says here, they laid hands on him. They laid hands on him and
took him, took him. You know, our Lord Jesus Christ
had been touched before. Mary sat at his feet. The woman
with the issue of blood said, if I can just touch the hem of
his garment, And they brought children to him for them to lay
their hands on him, for him to lay their hands on him. Mary
came and broke up a box of ointment and poured it all over his head.
But she said, you've done a good work on me. She's prepared my
body. So our Lord had been touched
before. People had touched him before. But this time when they
touched him, he was all together for a different reason. They
laid hands on him. Laid hands on him. There's over
500 people went out there to get him and they wretched and
got a hold of him. Got him on both sides. Laid hands
on him. And took him and took him. And look what our Lord says down
here in verse 48 And Jesus answered said unto
them Are you come out as against a thief you thinking you come
out against somebody that's really done something bad You think
I've stole something you think I've robbed somebody You think
I've took something that didn't belong to me. I Did you come out here with swords
to get me? And you got sticks, you got staves,
you got clubs in your hands. Have you come out to get me as
a thief? Oh, my. And oh, look what else
he says. That's what he said. You come
out against the thief. He's going to. These folks are
going to have to answer for all this. I went and bought groceries.
I'll tell you something about thieves, and you know, a man don't become a thief when
he steals something. He steals something because he
is a thief. And I went and bought a bunch of groceries for somebody
one time, and we got out to the car to unload them. Here comes
the manager out. Unbeknownst to me, the person
I was buying the groceries for stole some stuff. I didn't have a clue, but they
got them. Got them. Got them. And oh my, you come out after
me with a sword and with sticks? And then look what he says down
here in verse 49. I was with you daily. Every day
I was with you in the temple. Daily I was with you in the temple. You all saw me in the temple. Teaching, I was there teaching.
You heard what I had to say. But you took me not then, you
didn't get me then. But the scriptures must be fulfilled. Now you keep Mark 14 and look
with me over in John chapter 18. Look with me in John chapter
18. Down verse 19. Oh, I was daily with you in the
temple teaching, preaching. The high priest then asked Jesus
of his disciples and his doctrine. They want to know them that follow
you, and I want to know what you taught. Our Lord answered
and spake openly to the world. I answered him, I spake openly
to the world, and I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple,
where the Jews always resort, and in secret have I said nothing. I never started a rumor, I never
started a lie, I never done anything, I never said nothing that's secret.
Why askest thou me? Now listen to this now. Ask them
which heard me, what I have said, and they'll tell you what I've
taught. And that's the thing about it, when a pebbler's telling
the truth, you ask, somebody questions you, ask them that
heard me. That's what our Lord said, ask
them that listen to me. Ask them that listen to me. And
all the Scriptures must be fulfilled. And that's what our Lord, even
when He's on the cross, on the cross. And over in John 18, He
says, you know, Jesus, knowing all things that should come upon
Him, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. And everything
that happened to Him, the Scriptures was fulfilled. And I tell you,
the Scriptures will always be fulfilled. And heaven and earth
will pass away, but the Word of God will never pass away.
And then look what it says there. And down in verse 53. And they led Jesus away. Jesus away, they led him away.
Why does it say they led him? Why does it say they led him? Every place you find where they
come to get the Lord Jesus Christ, they led him. He wasn't dragged,
he wasn't pushed, he wasn't pulled, he was led. Because the scripture
said he was led as a lamb to the slaughter and he opened not
his mouth. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not
resist anything that was done to him. Never ever did he resist
the way they treated him. Never did he find anything wrong
with what they did. He was led. They led him. God led him to be born of a virgin. God led him to be laid in a manger. God led him to live a life in
this world as somebody else's representative. God led him to
the cross. God led him to death. God himself
poured out his soul unto death. Our Lord Jesus Christ. He wasn't
dragged. He wasn't pushed. He wasn't pulled.
He was led. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. The first lamb that was slain.
You know where the first lamb was slain at? right outside the
garden. You know the first lamb that
blood was shed that shows that the scriptures must be fulfilled?
That was Abel. He took the firstlings of the
flock and slew it and brought the blood. And the Lord had respect
under his offering. The first blood that was shed
was shed by Abel for his sin before God Almighty. And they
led that. And they led our Lord Jesus Christ.
And look who they led him to. to the high priest. This is the high priest over
all of Israel. You know, you can go through
Deuteronomy and Numbers, and the Levites had all the responsibility
of setting up the tabernacle and taking down the tabernacle.
And they had some of them, they had certain ministries that they
had to do. And every one of them had theirs
to do. And this high priest was the one that was to offer the
sacrifices, the one to intercede before God, between the God and
the people. But I tell you what, This high priest right here, this high priest right here is
nothing like our great high priest. We have a great high priest that's
passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. We have one that's
already, our great high priest, he offered one sacrifice forever
and sat down at the right hand of God. Our great high priest
stands even now at the right hand of God. We have a high priest,
great high priest. And I tell you, he's not like
this one here. He treats everybody exactly what
they deserve. This man didn't deserve to be
treated like this, but our Lord, we, we deserve to be, but not
him. The high priest has got a hold
of Christ and Christ himself is the great high priest. And a high priest has to have
something to offer. Well, what did he offer? He offered
himself. To who? To God. Without spot
and without blemish. Oh my, but now there's three
groups here. Now listen to me now. Look what it says. And they
led Jesus away to the high priest and with him, with the High Priest,
they were already assembled. You see, they were already assembled.
They understood what they were fixing to do. They had already
paid somebody to do this. And there were three groups here.
There was the High Priest, and with him were assembled. They
all got together. They knew exactly what they were
doing. They assembled for this one reason. That's why you don't
have church business meetings. When you get a bunch of people
assembled together to have a business meeting, you know what you're
gonna have? Somebody's gonna be hurt, bothered,
aggravated, and got mad, and you'll have to call the high
sheriff to come in and separate them. That's why you don't have
a business meeting. But oh my, here they had a business
meeting. They were assembled. All the chief priests, Well,
they say all of them, because all of them had certain things
that they had to do. And the elders, and the elders,
and the scribes, oh my, there were 70 of them all here gathered
together. Oh my, and they had already assembled. They got together, they assembled,
they assembled. Now I want you to notice two
things about our Lord Jesus Christ in this situation. First, he
is unshakable. He is not upset. He is not bothered. Here he is, unshakable and majestic
in his composure. So composed here. You know, in
John 18, let me just keep Mark's 14 and look over at John 18 with
me again. Look in John 18. Look what happened
here. This is what happened. And our
Lord Jesus Christ, look down here in verse four, John 18 four. Oh my. He'd been betrayed. He's all
forsook him and fled, but he's unshakable, majestic composure. Jesus, therefore, knowing all
things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto
them, they come out to get him now. And they answered him, Jesus
of Nazareth. They didn't say Christ the Lord.
They didn't say the Lord of Glory. They didn't say the Miracle Worker.
They didn't say the Christ. Jesus of Nazareth, just a man
born over in Nazareth and raised in Nazareth. And Jesus said unto
them, I am. I am. He just said, I am. Watch
what happens. And Judas also which betrayed
him stood with him. And as soon as he said unto them,
I am, They went backward and fell to the ground. Went backward and fell to the
ground. Now that's the kind of power
he had. That's how composed he was. They were uncomposed. They didn't, they, they didn't,
they expected him to resist. They expected him to fight. They
expected his people to fight. But our Lord Jesus said, who
are you looking for? Jesus said, I am. Oh, they all fell backwards,
who? I am, I am. And oh, that's so, he's unshakable. Oh, what majestic composure.
It don't take nothing to make me lose my composure. But oh,
not him. And here's the second thing I
want you to notice about him. His willingness to suffer alone. His willingness to suffer alone. His disciples forsook him and
fled. He is betrayed. And his enemies come and take
him. But he's willing to suffer alone. He faces his enemies alone. He suffers alone. Alone he's gonna go lay down
his life No wonder we sang hallelujah. Hallelujah. What a Savior is
Jesus our Lord What a Savior he is willing to suffer alone
They come to get him and he said if you want me take me but you
gotta let these go. I Gotta do this by myself And
he's got to be betrayed by himself. He's got to be forsaken by himself.
He's got to suffer by himself, alone. David Edmondson's on his
little CD that he made, that music that he made, that his
songs that he made. He's got ones called Alone. He's got a
song on there called Alone. And I told him that's the best
song, and he wrote that himself. Alone. Alone, our Savior was
alone. He by Himself purged our sins. Everything our Lord did, He did
alone. God Himself left Him alone. Alone, alone. Oh, what a Savior,
what a Savior. And then look what happens now.
He got lied on. Down to verse 55, down to verse
55. And the chief priest and all
the council went looking for some witnesses. Said, we need
some witnesses. If we're gonna kill him, if we're
gonna crucify him, if we're gonna We're gonna have to find a reason
we're gonna have to find something to do it with So they they got
together and they started counsel. They you know people's gathered
around there and they sought witness Against Jesus and listen
to this to put him to death They're just not wanting to mistreat
him we want him to die and to put him to death. They saw
somebody, a witness, bring up a witness here that we could
charge him and put him to death. And listen to this, and found
none. Found none. Never found a one. Never found a one. Not a one
did they find. Oh. And listen to this, these
men are super, super, super religious. They're not just religious, they're
super religious. They're law keepers. They're
the kind of people that if they caught you in certain ways, doing
certain things or anything, they'd put you out of the church. Tim
James talks about when the first time he joined the church when
he was a young man, he said they put him on probation for 60 days
or something. Got to wait and see if you're
going to turn out to be all right. But they looked around trying
to find witnesses and found none. Found none. Found none. And you know, by the mouth of
two or three witnesses, every word's established that they
went looking for somebody. And oh my, they're law keepers. They're like these reformed people,
boy. They got to keep the Sabbath.
They got to stay holy. They got to stay clear. They
got to uphold the law. They got to uphold church discipline. They got to uphold it. But now
they found some witnesses after a while. And look what it says. They found some liars. That's
what they found. They found some liars. And for many bear false witness
against him." Anybody here got anything to say against him?
Oh, I'll tell you what I'll say. I'll say something about him.
Another one got up, I'll say something about him. Another
one got up, I'll say something about him. A whole bunch of them
got up. Many bear false witness against him. But every one of
them that bore witness, every one of them, none of them agreed.
Whenever you start lying, you can't keep your lies straight.
And that's what these fellas are doing. And I said, I saw
him and said, and you know, and one witnesses, another comes
up with something. And if they all were saying the
same thing, they would agree. But none of them agreed. They
didn't agree on the truth. They didn't agree on their lies.
They didn't agree on the falseness that they was accusing Christ
of. Oh my, and look what it says, false witnesses against him. against him." Oh my, boy, when you make up
lies, it's hard to keep them straight. And look what it says,
their witnesses agreed not together. If that happened in a court of
law where we're at, and today, you know what they'd say? Turn that fella loose. These
fellows are lying on him. That happened in court, in our
courts today. Well, some places it would. But
oh my. And then it says here, in verse
57, and there arose certain and bare false witness against him. Oh my. They found one who met their needs, and this is
what they said against him. This is one of the things they
said against him. We heard him say, and that's the first thing they'd
tell you in a court of law. Hearsay. Can't have hearsay.
We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with
hands, and then within three days, I will build another made
without hands, but neither did so their witness agree together. Now you keep this and look in
John chapter, keep Mark 14, look in John chapter 2. This is what
actually happened. This is what our Lord said. This
is what happened to our Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 and verse
18. John chapter 2 and verse 18.
They found one who met their needs, but still they didn't
agree. They didn't agree. Everybody was saying different
things, and none of those fellas, their witnesses, agreed together.
They couldn't get it together. Then answered the Jews and said
unto him, What signs showest thou unto us, seeing that thou
dost these things? Our Lord answered and said unto
them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it
up. Then said the Jews, forty and
six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear
it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of
his body. Destroy this temple. That's what
he is talking about. His body, his body is what he
is talking about. And their lives, their lives
did not agree together. Now, look what happens here.
Oh, they heard it, but all these fellas told all these lies, and
not one of them agreed together. Not one of them agreed together.
And there's nothing, you know, if anybody that lies on you,
and let me just say something right here about us, us. If anybody lies on you, tells
a falsehood on you, How are you supposed to react if you're a
believer? How are you supposed to react? Exactly the way Christ did, say
nothing. Do not never ever, if you're
a believer, never defend yourself. Never ever defend yourself. No
matter what's said about you, who says it, how fast and far
it goes, It goes from one church to another church to another
church. Do not ever defend yourself. If your life and your character
does not defend you, I don't care what it, I know You
know, I know from experience that you do not, you do not respond
to what people say to you. Do not respond to how they treat
you. Do not respond to how they, if
somebody lies on you, just take it. What's done in secret will be
brought to the light. What's done in darkness will
be brought to the light. Do not, never defend yourself. Don't do it. And like Don Fortner
said, whatever you say, if it's not true about me, at least I've
thought it. I've thought about doing it.
And that's the way most of us are. If we haven't done it, we've
thought about doing it. But please, whatever happens
to you, do not never defend yourself. I've known preachers. Over the
years, it's had some awful things said about him. I told you one
time I was up in Kentucky and some people come to me and told
me some awful things about a preacher. And I said, that's a lie, that
has to be a lie. There's no way that's true. But
that preacher, he was accused of some of the awfulest things
ever was. But that preacher and his wife
never ever defended themselves. never said a word and you know what happened the
people start to lie I have no idea where they are and what
that happens to them but they're gone that's what I'm saying they lied
against Christ they bore false witness against Christ and if
somebody lies on you take it I'm serious about that. The truth's
bad enough. Somebody used to say, the truth's
bad enough without lying on me. Ain't that right? The truth's bad enough, ain't
it, James? Without lying on us. Yeah, just
tell the truth, and that's bad enough. Okay, all right. You know, I just thought I'd
say that, because it's true. It really is true. Don't never
ever defend yourself. Let vengeance belongs unto me,
saith the Lord, and I will repay. It'll all come out eventually. And then look what it says down
here in verse 60. And so here's all these people,
about 70, 80 people there, and then a big crowd in the high
priest's palace. That's where they got him at,
in the palace. And the high priest stood up in the middle of them. I'm the one that got all this
organized, that's what he's saying. I was the one that organized
this. I was the one that assembled this. I was the one that orchestrated
all this. I want everybody to know that
I'm the main daddy rabbit around here. I mean, I'm the big shot.
I'm the main piston rod around here. I'm the main wheel in this
place. That's what he want to know.
I am somebody. And he stood up in the midst.
I'm the big shot around here. And he wanted everybody to know
that he's the one. And he going to speak to the
Lord Jesus himself now. God, they found the witnesses,
they found everything that they, and they didn't agree together.
And he stood up, wants everybody to see him, want everybody to
know, he's right in the middle of them. And he asked the Lord,
he said, are you not gonna answer anything? Are you not gonna answer
anything? You're not answering for yourself? You're not gonna say nothing?
You've heard all these people get up and accuse you, and accuse
you, and accuse you, and accuse you, and accuse you. What are
you going to say? Ain't you going to answer them?
If these people lying on you, you know you got to get up and
say something about it. Oh, my. They want everybody to
see his boldness. Are you going to answer these
witnesses? You going to answer these? Which these witness against
thee? What these witness against you?
You're going to answer him? Oh, he was, oh. Can you imagine what this man's
going to, how he going to feel in hell? He'd been in hell since
right after this. How he'd been down there all
these centuries. And oh my, but look what our
Lord said. But he held his peace. That's what I talk about. He
was talking about composed. He just held his peace. He's
got peace. You know, he said, my peace I
give unto you. My peace I leave with you. Peace
be unto you, he says to us. But he held his peace. You know,
he really has peace. That's why he can hold his peace.
He can hold his mind. He got peace in his mind. He
got peace in his heart. In the Garden of Gethsemane,
he was very troubled. He was troubled, wept, and very
troubled in spirit, even unto death. But now he's at peace. He's calm. His mind and heart
are not troubled now. Not troubled now. Not troubled
now. But oh, my. But he held his peace
and answered nothing. Answered nothing. Oh, boy. We just, you know, Simon
Peter opened his mouth all the time. We dealt with that last
week, how Simon Peter, every time the Lord said something,
he had to say something back to him, had to answer him. But
now here's a whole multitude against Christ, and he's never
said a thing. Never said nothing. Now, boy, that aggravates you.
You want somebody to say something. Well, say something. Say anything. Just say something. Answer. He didn't say a thing. Didn't
say a thing. Oh, my. And then say, well, he
asked him another question. He answered nothing. Oh, my soul,
I wish we could be that way. I wish we could understand. David,
somebody read the other day in Psalms, said, Lord, set a watch
before my mouth. Set a watch before my mouth. And then the high priest there
in verse 61, and again the high priest asked him and said unto
him, now they're all talking about him, talking to him. Art
Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Are you the Christ? Are you the Christ? Are you the
Messiah? Are you the Son of David? Are you the one that God promised
to send here to be our ruler, to be our King, to be our Savior,
to be our Master, to be our Lord, to be our King, to restore Israel? Are you the one? Are you the
Christ? Are you the son of the blessed God? Are you the son
of God? And oh my, art thou not the Christ? Are you? Are you? This is what our Lord said. I
am. I am. You know the first time
I am is ever said? You know the first time I am
is ever said? Keep Mark and look with me over
in Exodus chapter 3. Exodus chapter 3. This is the
first time that I am is mentioned. Christ is called I am seven times
in the Bible. When he said I am, they fell
backwards. Moses, verse 13, God sent him
down to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let his people go. And Moses
said unto God, behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and
say unto them, the God of your fathers hath sent me unto you,
and they shall say to me, what is his name? What shall I say
unto them? God said unto Moses, I am that I am. I am. What was he in eternity? I am
God and there is no other. I am sovereign. I am merciful. I am all powerful. I am gracious. I am forgiving. I am love. I am. I am. That means that I
exist by myself. By myself. I alone exist as I
am. Self-existent. Self-sustained. Need nothing or nobody. Everything
I do, I am. And you know what? When we get
into eternity, you know what he'll be? I am. I am. That's what he said in the
end. Are you the Christ? Are you the son of the blessed?
I am. I am. And you know what I came
forward just like God told Moses. He said, you go down to Egypt
and let my people go. And oh, who said, and our Lord
said, I am. I'll go down there and let my,
tell them, who are you going to say sent me? I am sent me. Who are you going to die for?
I am the one that they gave me. Oh my, I am. I am. And that's the first time I am's
ever mentioned. And oh my, that means that God,
everything that God is, he said, I am, I am. And oh my. And you know the Lord said, look
how else he answered him. And you shall see the Son of
Man sitting on the right hand of power. Coming in the clouds
of heaven He said you ain't seen the last of me yet. That's what
he's telling these fellas. You all have seen the last of
me yet You're gonna have to see me again. You don't have to deal
with me again and all my look over in Revelation chapter 1.
Oh You're gonna have to see me again In Revelation chapter 1 verse 7. Oh Yeah, I've seen the last of
me You're going to see me again. And here's the thing about it,
which says when He comes in the clouds of heaven, you know, we'll
see Him as He is and we shall be like Him. But he sins with
a shout, the voice of an archangel. We which are alive shall remain,
shall be caught up together with them and joined with Christ in
the air. But look what he says here in
Revelations chapter one, verse seven. He said, wait till you
see the Son of Man coming in power. You ain't seen the last
of me. Behold, he comes with clouds. And listen to this, and
every eye shall see him. And they also which pierced him, the men that crucified Christ,
are going to see him again. Those that nailed the nails in
his hands and in his feet, that took that spear and opened his
side up. He said, every eye. And oh, in
one place it says, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. And oh, my, and they also which
pierced him and all kingdoms of the earth shall wail because
of him. You imagine that high priest
was wailing when he saw Christ brought him from the grave and
he had to see Christ coming? Oh, he started wailing, started
wailing. Even so, amen. Listen to this
now. I'm Alpha and Omega. I'm beginning
and the end. That's A to Z in the Greek alphabet. He said, I'm the beginning and
the ending, saith the Lord. Now listen to this. This is the
I am again, but he says it a different way, which is, which was, and
which is to come, the Almighty. He goes, you think you're doing
something to me? He said, you really think you
got the upper hand? Pilate said, don't you know I've
got the power to let you go, I've got the power to crucify
you? Our Lord spoke that time too, and you know what he said?
You ain't got any power. You ain't got any power. My father,
you know, You don't have any power. I've got the power to
lay down my life. I've got the power to take it
up again. You don't have any power over me. You just think
that's what people say. Do you know the authority I've
got? You know the power I've got? Oh my. It all go back over in our text. Now look what this high priest
does in verse 63. Then the high priest rent his
clothes, got up here and ripped him just a little bit, rent his
clothes instead of his heart, down in verse 63. And saith,
what need we any further witnesses? We don't need to call nobody
else to the court. Don't need nobody else to swear
in. We don't need no more witnesses. And we have heard the blasphemy. That's what they called it, blasphemy.
Blasphemy What do you think about it? They asked every one of them
right now. There's a 70 or 80 ask all what
do you think? What do you think? What do you
think? And listen to what it says here
and they all All of them contemned him to listen to this to be guilty
of death guilty of death oh my I want to show you something
in John chapter 10. They've done this before. You
know, I hope I'm not taking too long. I hope I'm not. John chapter 10. You know, I
may go to John next time. But look what it says down here
in verse 30. You know, you've heard him blaspheme.
You heard him blaspheme. No, he's the only one in that
bunch that told the truth. The only one in that group that
told the whole truth. He said in verse 30, John chapter
10, verse 30, I and my father are one. One. Then the Jews took up stones
again to stone him. They'd done this before, because
he said, before Abraham was, I am. And our Lord said, answer
them, many good works have I showed you from my Father. For which
of these works do you stone me? What are you going to stone me
for? What have I done? I've done wonderful works here.
The Jews answered him, saying, for a good work we stone thee
not, but for blasphemy, blasphemy, because thou being a man, make
us thyself God. They understood clearly what
he was saying. And oh, let me, oh, they condemned him, found
him guilty of death. And then look what he said over
down in verse 65. And some began to spit on him. Well, we found him guilty. I
mean, you know, some began to spit on him. It's awful spit
on people, spit in somebody's face. And they began to cover
his face with spit. They spit all over his face. Covered his face with spit, cleared
their throats and spit in his face. Covered his face. Then
they began to slap on him, beat on him, hit him. And to say unto
him, prophesy for us, prophesy for us, tell us something about
the future. And the servants stroked him,
striked him with the palms of their hands. Palms of their hands. They laid their hands on him.
Let's get some witnesses. They found none. But I tell you what, Our Lord
says, You are witnesses of Me. I'm a witness of Christ. I gladly
witness for Him. I'll stand up anywhere, anytime
and witness to who He is, what He did, what He accomplished,
and where He is now in His glory. And I'm just waiting for Him
to come back. And you know what? His voice is going to be so loud,
it's going to wake the dead. Trumpets gonna sound. Oh, there's
a trumpet! His voice gonna holler out. Dead
are gonna hear his voice. Our Lord, our blessed Savior,
how blessed are you? How glorious are you? How powerful
are you? How merciful are you? And Lord, Oh, Lord, if I'd have been in
that crowd, and before you saved me by your grace, I was in that
crowd. I was in that crowd. And if I'd
have lived in those days, I would have been one of those spitting
on you, one of those slapping you, one of those hitting you,
beating on you. I'd have been one. But oh, Lord. Thank you for your wonderful,
wonderful, blessed, eternal, loving grace and mercy. Thank
you for coming. Thank you for enduring all these
things for your lack sake, for your blessed people. We thank
you and bless you in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. The morning is a beautiful day,
and the King's Father will proclaim. in the light of his glory and
grace. See you tonight, 6 o'clock, God
willing.