It's good to see you all out.
It seems good to be home. Remember those who have requested prayer
don't have Bulletin with them, but add Jesse Smith to your prayer
list. Also, Cynthia's doing better. We're glad to hear that. Debbie's
brother had his back operation today, and he texted her that
he was still alive, so that's something. and her other brothers
just finishing up with his chemotherapy for his pancreatic cancer, so
remember him in your prayers and seek the Lord's help for
those. Other than that, I think we got $3,000 more dollars in
for the relief fund while I was up in Kentucky, thank you. I got another
$500. One of the men said that a lady
had been sending $20 a month to the church. She didn't have
much money, but she sent $20 a month to the church. She sent
an extra $20 tagged for the relief fund to give to us. People from
all over were just being so kind and generous. And also, if you
know somebody that needs some help, let me know. We'll give
them a check. Let's begin our worship service
with hymn number 517 on Jordan's stormy banks I stand. On Jordan's stormy banks I stand
and cast a wishful eye to Canaan's fair and happy land where my
possessions lie. I am bound for the promised land. I am bound for the promised land. Oh, who will come and go with
me? I am bound for the promised land. All o'er those wide extended
plains shines one eternal day. There God the sun forever reigns
and scatters night away. I am bound for the promised land. I am bound for the promised land. land. Oh, who will come and go
with me? I am bound for the promised land. No chilling winds nor poisonous
breath can reach that helpful shore. Sickness and sorrow, pain
and death are felt and feared no more. I am bound for the promised
land. I am bound for the promised land. Oh, who will come and go with
me? I am bound for the promised land. When shall I reach that happy
place and be forever blessed? When shall I see my father's
face and in his bosom rest? I am bound for the promised land. Oh, who will come and go with
me? I am bound for the promised land. Hymn number 46. Oh, for a thousand tongues to
sing. My great Redeemer's praise. Oh, for a thousand tongues to
sing my great Redeemer's praise, the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of His grace. My gracious master and my God,
assist me to proclaim, to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name. Jesus, the name that charms our
fears, that bids our sorrows cease, tis music in the He breaks the power of canceled
sin. He sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest
clean. His blood availed for me. Here, hear me then, his praise
ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ. Ye blind, behold, your
Saviour come, and leap ye lame for joy. Glory to God and praise
and love be ever, ever given by saints below and saints above
the church in earth and heaven. Here, the Bible's turned to John
chapter 1. We'll begin reading with verse 35 and read through
the end of the chapter. Verse 35, Again the next day,
after John stood, and two of his disciples, and looking upon
Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the
two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And
Jesus turned and saw them following, and saith unto him, What seek
ye? And he said unto them, Rabbi, which is saying, Be interpreted,
Master, where dwellest thou? And he said unto them, Come and
see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him
that day, for it was about the tenth hour. And one of the two
which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's
brother. He first findeth his own brother
Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which
is being interpreted the Christ. He brought him to Jesus, and
when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas,
which by interpretation is stone. The day following, Jesus will
go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow
me. Now Philip was at Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Philip foundeth Nathanael, and saith to him, We have found him
of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus
of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanael said, Can there any
good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and
see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to
him, and saith, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.
Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered
and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou
wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and
said unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the
King of Israel. Jesus answered and said, Because
I said unto thee, I saw thee under a tree, believest thou?
Thou shalt see greater things than these. and saith unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven
opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon
the Son of Man. Let us pray. Our Father, great
and glorious, majestic, all-powerful, merciful and kind, tenderhearted,
piteous toward your children, for you know their frame and
remember that they're just dust. We thank you for your great scheme
and purpose of salvation brought by Jesus Christ according to
your purpose and predestination in all eternity. With Aaron on the cross, he finished
their salvation and your Holy Spirit revealed
to them what had been done for them and that Jesus Christ has
been made to be unto them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, so that they can say with joy in their heart,
His name shall we call the Lord, our righteousness. Father, we pray for those who
are sick and going through trials. We're thankful that Cynthia's
doing well. Pray for my sister Ann as she's
recovering from knee surgery. to Debbie's brothers, Grant and
Randy, after their surgery and the chemotherapy. Pray for Miss
Smith, she's fallen and broken her shoulder and arm. We pray,
Lord, you'd give her a quick healing and be with charity as
she ministers to her. Pray for the others who requested
prayer, Lord. Thou knowest every case. We ask
your help for them. And in the end, we pray you'd
bring their hearts and minds to Jesus Christ. Help with this
night. As we consider these things before
us, we might worship you in spirit and in truth. We pray in Jesus
Christ's name, amen. Now this is the record of the
Lord calling his disciples, or many of them. The account is
interesting on many levels. Not the least is that there was
no religious council gathered to assess who might be qualified
to be the disciples of the Most High God. There were no doctors
of theology, no seminary students or learned men involved in the
Lord's choice of these men. Also, among the disciples there
were no men of letters or education. Rather, they were just common
folk who, according to this passage of Scripture, were looking for
the Messiah. They were looking for him. We
know they were looking because of their reaction to the words
of John the Baptist when he pointed out Jesus Christ and said, Behold
the Lamb of God. In verse 35 and 36 it says, And
again the next day, after John stood and two of his disciples,
and looking upon Jesus as he walked, John the Baptist said,
Behold the Lamb of God. Now the two of the Baptist disciples
that immediately followed Jesus Christ. They left John just upon
those words, Behold the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God
and they left immediately. They were Andrew who was Simon
Peter's brother and the unnamed disciple was John. referred to
himself that way, the other disciple or another disciple. He rarely
used a personal pronoun like I or me in his own writing of
the Gospels and also except for a few examples in his epistles
and the revelation of Jesus Christ. There is no way to describe how
much gospel is in the phrase that the Baptist spoke, but a
Jew, especially one who has been taught by the scriptures, might
glean from those words the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of
God. Behold the Lamb of God. They
knew about the Passover lamb that was slain in Egypt and the
blood was put on the doorposts and the lentils. God passed over
every house that the blood was on the doorposts and lentils.
They didn't see the blood. They were inside the house. They
didn't do anything except eat. That's all they did. And they
waited. And that night our Lord came
through and destroyed the firstborn of every household in Egypt,
either the firstborn of the Egyptian or the firstborn of him. The
only begotten Son of God is pictured by the Lamb's blood on the door.
They knew about the Passover Lamb. So when He said, The Lamb
of God, maybe that entered their mind. They knew about the Lamb
that was offered on the Day of Atonement, the Day of Atonement
Lamb. they knew the multitude of lambs
from burnt offerings to sin offerings and peace offerings all had to
do with the atonement for sin, for putting away sin. And all
of these were preceded with the indefinite article. All of those
characters, those lambs in scripture were a lamb. A lamb. Take a lamb from the flock. Take
a lamb and slaughter him. Take a lamb and shed his blood. But now the article is thee.
Behold THE Lamb of God! John had said before, The Lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And what they heard
stirred them in their hearts, and they immediately left John
and followed Christ. Well, that's what John was here
for. This was John the Baptist's desire and it was his ministry
because he said Christ was preferred before him and was before him
and he came as a voice of one crying of the willingness to
make way for the Lord to come. These men had heard the Word
of God and were convinced immediately that they were in the presence
of the Messiah. All they heard was, Behold the
Lamb of God! Our Lord invited John and Anu
to His lodging after they asked Him where He lived. That's found
in verse 38 and 39. Though we are not privy to what
was said at that time, their reaction was to immediately find
their kin and tell them some good news. They went out as soon
as they left Christ. Whatever went on in that lodging
when he talked to them up to the tenth hour, they left and
they went out looking for somebody to tell what they had found out. Andrew found Simon, his brother,
Simon Peter, and he said that he had found the Messiah. He
had found the Messiah. That's an interesting phrase.
A lot of times in religion people talk about finding Jesus Christ.
I found him. That word carries with it a sense
of anticipation. anticipation and excitement as
if to say we found what we were looking for. We found, as one
parable said, the pearl of great price. And when Simon was brought
to the Savior, the Lord knew him because he knows his sheep
by name. That's what he says in John 10. I know my sheep by
name, and I called them by their name. And he called them, You
are Simon, son of Jonah. He said the same thing in Matthew
6, Simon, thou son of Jonah, Simon bar Jonah, flesh and blood
has not revealed this, but the Lord which is in heaven. The
Lord gave Simon an additional name. He says, I'm going to call
you Cephas. I'm going to call you Cephas,
which means the stone. The stone. Now when he said to
Peter, upon this rock I'll build my church, in Matthew chapter
16 he wasn't talking about Peter being the rock because Peter
was a stone but that word rock there is actually the rock and
Peter's name can also mean a pebble just a pebble a little teeny
stone he was not the rock we know who our rock is and our
rock is not as their rock it says in Deuteronomy chapter 32
the next day the Lord saw Philip and simply said follow me There
was Philip. The Lord walked up to him and
said, follow me. And Philip followed him. It's a wondrous thing when
you think about it. If someone came up to you and
said, follow me, do you think you would? Why did they follow
him? The Holy Spirit is the only answer
you can give. And later it was Philip, many
days later after Pentecost, that Philip was there preaching Christ
in the early church. And the Lord came to Philip and
said, go out into the desert. Strike out. Start running in
the desert. And Philip took out a running.
And he ran into a man from Ethiopia, an Ethiopian eunuch who was the
chief accountant for Candace the Queen. And that man and I
had a copy of Isaiah 53 somehow. It was hard to get copies of
anything in those days because a scribe had to write it out
by hand. And so it was probably expensive, but he was a rich
man because he served the queen and he had a copy of Isaiah chapter
53. And he was reading it, but he didn't understand what he
was reading. So Philip came up alongside his chair and said,
you know what you're reading? And he said, well, not unless
somebody tell me what it means. He said, this fellow's talking
about going to the, as a lamb goes to the slaughter, he's dumb
and he speaks not a word. He says, is that prophet talking
about himself or somebody else? Who's he talking about? And he
said, from that point, place, in Isaiah chapter 53, Philip
preached to him Jesus Christ, preached to him the gospel, and
the man was baptized that very same day because he believed
Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Philip played an important part
in the early church. He was one of the first whom
the Lord said, and actually was the first who the Lord said to,
follow me. Follow me. Philip found Nathanael. Philip found Nathanael and told
him the good news. There was a process going on
here, wasn't there? First they heard John the Baptist
say, behold the Lamb of God, and they immediately followed
the Lord Jesus Christ. and after the lord and talk to
him they were immediately went out and found somebody to tell
and went out and told simon and now simon's been told and so
philip leaves simon and goes to around where he lives in bethsaida
and he finds nathaniel and he said to him we've found him he
says it again same thing this is who we've been looking for
this is who we've been talking about this is who we've been
reading about in the old testament because he says this in verse
forty five We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and
the Prophets write, Jesus of Nazareth. We have found him,
and he repeated that phrase. He knew that Jesus was the Messiah.
How? From the writings of Moses and
the Prophets. Most people think that the New
Testament is the only one that talks about Jesus Christ. But
all Philip had when he was talking to the Ethiopian music was Isaiah. That's an Old Testament prophet. But beginning in Genesis chapter
1, going all the way through Malachi, you have representations
of Jesus Christ in one form or another. That's why Peter said
in Acts 10, he said all the prophets gave witness to the Lord Jesus
Christ. The law and the prophets speak of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord declared that all the scriptures testified of Him.
In John chapter 5, verse 39, He talked to the Pharisees who
lived on this book. Now, they lived on the laws and
the regulations, and they made up their own if they couldn't
find what suited them, and they ruined people's lives by them.
But He says, You do search the scriptures, for in them you think
you find eternal life, but they are they which testify of Me,
and you will not come to Me that you might have a life. in Luke
chapter 24. Turn over there. Disciples on
the road to Emmaus. Jesus Christ is risen from the
dead. The disciples are full of dismay because these disciples
hadn't seen him since he was raised from the dead and he somehow
cloaked their eyes where they couldn't see who he was as he
spoke to them. He cloaked their eyes and he
spoke to them about things and they were They were disturbed
and distressed because their lord had been crucified. And
they thought perhaps he was going to be like the king of Israel
and set up an Israel down here, set up a nation down here and
fight these Romans. Oh, he didn't know what was going
on. And he was crucified. It tore
him up because he was hung on a tree like a common criminal. He was given capital punishment.
He was hung on a tree. They were upset. and he said,
well, ought not Christ to have suffered and died and rose again
the third day? And then it says this in verse
27, and beginning at Moses, what's Moses? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy, and several Psalms, and beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, all the prophets, he expounded unto them
in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Then if you
look down at verse 44, He said unto them, These are the words
which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all
things must be fulfilled, which are written in the law of prophets,
and in the Psalms concerning me. And after he had done that,
told them what the word of God was, preached to them the word
of God, then opened he their understanding, that they might
understand the scripture. Unless you understand that, the center of the scripture is
Christ. If these scriptures are about Christ, you don't understand
the scriptures. How do you open up the scriptures? By explaining
to them everything was about Him in the Psalms and the Prophets,
the Old Testament, Moses. That's what He did. That's how
they understood the scriptures, and that's how you'll understand
them if you ever understand them. Now you can quote scripture,
and you can learn all about Bible history. You can be a theologian
in it. You can learn all kinds of really
fine stuff. Unless you see that this Bible
is about Jesus Christ, you'll never understand the Bible because
it's about Christ. This is His story. His history
is His story. The Lord declared that all the
scriptures testified of Him. You see, faith, the wonder of
it, it comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. that's how
a person believes. It's a miracle that God gives
a man faith to believe these things. You think about how foolish
it is to the world, what you're doing just here tonight with
these seven or eight people gathering together. I mean, y'all could
be watching TV, you might be watching a sporting event, who
knows what, but you're here. Why are you here? You're here
for some jackleg to stand on his hind feet and tell you the
things that he's been telling you for 46 years and you still
love to hear it. What a wondrous thing. What a
wondrous thing. Why do you do that? because God
has given you faith to believe this book. This is the Word of
God. Faith comes by hearing. Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Paul said
in Romans chapter 10. But how shall they call on Him
in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be seen? So faith
comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. manual uh... manual described
as jesus of mazars or nathaniel uh... jesus described here to
describe jesus jesus of mazars and son of joseph and he had
a response to that it's an interesting response he said in verse forty
six and then he said can there be anything good come out of
naza? can anything good come out of naza? just as come and see you'll see
what we can come out but that was his response why did he say
that? why did he say that? with the mention of Nazareth
this disqualified Jesus from being Messiah as far as Nathanael
was concerned Nazareth Nazareth was a horrible city a little
city full of crime and wouldn't advanced in him any scholars
there any scholars there and how in the world could messiah
come from that place in his mind jesus had a place to come from
because the scriptures said so in micah chapter two it was written
that jesus would come forth out of bethlehem bethlehem of ephratah
And so Nathaniel, probably a student of scripture, said, well anyway,
Nazareth, Jesus of Nazareth. Secondly, of all the cities in
Israel, Nazareth was the most despised among the Jews, seeing
that Nazareth was a place no one was willing to even claim
a home. Some of the historians said people wouldn't tell people
where they were from if they were from Nazareth. possibility
of someone of good character or high standing, especially
a prophet or the messiah could never come out of such a horrible
place. Philip says, come and see. Come
and see. Come and see. And as Nathanael
approached the Lord said, behold an Israelite indeed in whom there
is no God. He already knew something about
this man. He already knew this man. The Lord knew him and he
knew his heart. He was a true son of Jacob and
an Israelite, a son of Israel. The phrase about Nogal is interesting
in that it suggests that the Lord knew he was an honorable
man and a man of good character. That does not mean he was without
sin because we are all sinners. All men have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, but he was a man of upstanding character.
There are some people like that in this world. It might also
suggest that his words when our Lord said this, that there is
a light in whom there is no God. Now he knew what he had said.
Can anything good come out of that? The Lord knew he had said
that because he knows the very thoughts and the words that you
will speak as they are on your tongue before you speak them.
He suggested the words concerning Nazareth wasn't considered as slammed
by Christ. anything good come out of man? Come and see. The
Lord wasn't bothered by the fact that he said that. And what follows
is a conversation between Christ and one of his disciples, Nathanael.
It begins with Nathanael asking how the Lord knew him. Whence
knowest thou me? He said in verse 48. Jesus answered
and said to him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou
was under the fig tree, I saw thee. Boy, there you go. you
want to know some of the sweetest language we'll get to John chapter
5 one of these days when that poor old man was sick and couldn't
get to the pool of Bethesda said the Lord saw him the Lord saw
him I saw you when you was under a tree and this is so interesting
because Nathaniel's immediate response was to glorify God to
glorify God The foreloved Philip called thee when thou wast under
the tree. I saw thee, and Nathanael answered and said unto him, Rabbi,
Rabbi, thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel.
How did he get that out of that? How did he get that response
out of that statement? I saw you under a tree. Well,
you're the Son of God. You're the King of Israel. Ain't
but one way to explain that. had to be the spirit of god no
other way to explain rabbi called rabbi this term used to honor
masters and teachers of scripture though when the pharisees began
to require it as a title the lord condemned it as self-righteousness
among the pharisees he said they in matthew twenty three verses
five through eight he said they do what they do to be seen of
men and they love to be called rabbi in the marketplace to be
called Master because that's one of the meanings of it. When
Nathaniel called him Rabbi, he was honoring him. Master, you're the king, you're
the son of God, you're my master. He immediately took the place
of a servant in the presence of the Lord God. The Lord said
to Nathaniel, do you believe me to be the son of God because
I saw you under a tree? Is that why you believe me? uses jesus answers in verse fifty
because i said uh... uh... said yes all the other
victory believes that and then he said that she'll see greater
now she'll see greater words of verse fifty one metaphor
very very i say in you here after you should see him heaven already
been open jesus that jesus baptism that happened before He said,
You shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and
descending on the Son of Man. Angels coming up and down from
heaven and lighting on the Son of Man. What does that say? Well,
angels are messengers, aren't they? In Scripture, an angel
is a messenger. Jesus Christ is called the angel
of God. Capital A in one of the prophecies. He's the messenger of the covenant,
which is another word for angel. But angels are messengers. What
that simply means is that everything from this point on, with His
disciples, everything is going to be about Christ. that's where
everything will meet all knowledge and all understanding right in
him that's where it's going to be centered in the lord jesus
christ based our lord is declaring the disciples will see and do
great things in the name of the lord they will factor in john
chapter fourteen verse twelve you think of what christ did
in the very next chapter he's going to turn water into wine
but in john fourteen The verse 12 says, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do, he
shall do also. And greater works than these
shall he do, because I go to my Father. And the Holy Spirit
is going to come and imbue these men with power, especially these
twelve disciples for the apostolic age. But you, as a believer in
the Lord Jesus Christ, you do great things, you just don't
know it. You tell somebody about Christ and God uses that to bring
them to a knowledge, it's as if you opened their eyes. It's
as if you opened their heart. You didn't do it, God's gonna
get the credit and the honor for it. But he uses you. Greater things. He says, you're
gonna do greater things than I did. As great as I did. And
that's what he's talking about here. Finally, in this passage,
we see a simple truth. those who have seen christ have
a plane though they know who the lord they know what he has
done they know salvation belongs to the lord the lord is the author
and finisher they do not and elaborate system religious doing
to entice me one one two three simple plan of salvation you
know what to do and someone shows any kind of interest in
what they're saying or even if they don't, they say, come and
see. Come and see. A lot of people
try to solve theological questions. Next time somebody and you talk
about Christ, say, come and see. Come and see, come and hear the
word of God. Father, bless us to understand and pray in Christ's
name, amen. Oh, is that a birthday card or
something?