Well, it's good to see you this
morning. I thank the Lord for this time we have to be here.
I thank Him that He has allowed us the privilege to be here,
to be able to come together and to hear His Word. You know, the
Word of God, Scripture says, is alive. It's alive. That's something that you and
I, by nature, we don't understand that. By faith, we believe it. But the Word of God is never
preached without effect. Never. Never. It is a savor of life unto life
to others. It is a savor of death unto death,
but it always has an effect. I pray the Lord might be pleased
today to bless His Word to the comfort and settling of His people,
the calling out of His elect, that Christ might be honored,
glorified, and that we don't just meet today, just to go through
the motions. Let's ask the Lord's blessing
on the services today. Our Father, how truly good it
is to call upon Your holy name and to know that by Your grace
and mercy, You've established a place in this part of the world
where the gospel can be preached. Lord, we know except You build
a house, they that labor, labor in vain. Lord, Your Word according
to Your Scriptures is alive, sharper than any two-edged sword. We ask You to bless today according
to Your mercy and grace. Cause us to hear. For Christ's
sake we ask these things. Amen. John chapter 1. John chapter 1. We're going through the gospel
according to John. Last week we looked at a group
that had approached the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sorry, they
approached John the Baptist. And they wanted to know who he
was. Who are you? Well, he told them in verse 20,
he said, I'm not the Christ. He was baptizing. And that baptism was unusual. Surely, if you're doing what
you're doing, either the Lord God Himself or someone sent by
God to do what you're doing, who are you? I'm not Christ. They said, Are you Elijah? Elijah, it had been prophesied
Elijah was come, and we read the scripture where the Lord
said, if you'll receive it, that John the Baptist is the Elijah
that I spoke of, he who'd come the spirit of Elijah. Are you
Elijah? And John said no. He was not the incarnation of
Elijah. That was his answer. Are you that prophet? that was
spoken of in Deuteronomy? No. Well then, who are you? They knew that he was the son
of Zacharias. So therefore, they knew that
John the Baptist was a Levite. They knew that he was the son
of a priest. Who are you? He said in verse
23, he said, I am the voice. Isaiah 40 verse 3 prophesied
the voice crying in the wilderness, make straight, make true, make
level, make sincere, steer, be a helmsman, make straight the
way of the Lord. John the Baptist was the one,
the forerunner, sent of God to set forth to announce the
Messiah that would come. Who are you? He said, I'm the
voice. No matter what is said from the
mouth of a believer concerning himself. It's always going to
be with the tongue of abasement. It's always going to be, I must
decrease. Believers just do not possess
a heart to exalt themselves. They just don't. They don't want
to bring attention to themselves. They're embarrassed if someone
says something to them that's complimentary. It's good and
it's right. I'm not saying that it's wrong
to do it. What I'm saying is, a believer,
when someone speaks of them in a kind of lofty way, it's almost
like, you know, who are you? This was John the Baptist, the
one that the Lord said of All who was born of women has not
been a greater than John the Baptist. And you know that God
is no respecter of persons, but this was the forerunner in his
position. He was the one that baptized
the Lord. I mean, what a privilege. I mean, you know, but when you
ask John, who are you? I'm just a voice. Paul the Apostle. Paul the Apostle. Scripture says, and it was concerning
Paul, you know this, he said, I knew such a man who went to the third heaven. Whether
in the body, out of the body, I don't know. I heard things that are unspeakable. And lest I should be exalted
above measure, there was given to me a messenger of Satan to
buffet me. And I besought the Lord thrice."
Which I truly believe that the literal of that is over and over
and over. But nonetheless, he said, I besought
the Lord, asked Him to take away that messenger of Satan. And
the Lord said, My grace is sufficient. Now that was Paul the Apostle.
You know what Paul said of himself? Unto me who am less than the
least of all saints is this grace given, that I should preach among
the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. This is what
Proverbs 27 says, Let another man praise thee, and not thine
own mouth, a stranger, and not thine own lips. Who are you? Who are you, John the Baptist? He said, I'm just a voice. In verse 24 of John 1 says, And
they which were sent were of the Pharisees. Now those Pharisees,
by and large, and the reason I said by and large is because
there's some Pharisees, two that I can think of. Nicodemus and
Paul. Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee.
It shows you that there are some out of every nation and kindred
and tribe and tongue, there are some that Almighty God has shown
mercy to. But by and large, here is what
the Lord said concerning the Pharisees, "...then spake Jesus
to the multitude, to His disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees
sit in Moses' seat. All therefore they bid you observe,
that observe and do, but do not ye after their works, for they
say and do not." So the ones that were questioning Him were
just religious bigots. That's all they were. They came
to Him and it says they asked Him, Who are You? And they were
Pharisees. And they asked him in verse 25,
and said unto him, Why baptizeth thou then, if thou be not that
Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? And I said a moment
ago, they knew of divers' washings
according to the law, but nothing like what John was doing. was
recognizable to them. They really felt as though they
were already in the covenant of God's grace. I mean, they were Jews. They
had been born. Abraham's our father. We're already
in. What are you doing? I mean, it's
this baptizing that you're doing. Are you baptizing? You're not
the Christ. You're not Elijah that Malachi
said would come. You're not that prophet. Why are you baptizing? Who gave you the authority to
do what you're doing? You're confusing us. And we want to know what's going
on here. Besides that, we're the authority
here. We're Pharisees. Really, if you're doing what
you're doing, I'm telling you, the Sanhedrin should have given
you the authority to do what you're doing. When He told them
that I am the voice, if they would have known anything spiritually,
if they would have been sensitive, And he would have told them that. They knew the Scriptures. The
Lord told them. He said, you search the Scriptures
and in them you think you have life. And they are they which
testify of me. When he told them, I am the voice
crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord.
I'm telling you, that should have perked their ears up. The kid already told him that.
Why? Why are you doing what you're
doing? And John the Baptist did something
that I think we would do well to recognize. They asked him, why are you baptizing? Why are you baptizing? Well, obviously, John was baptizing,
number one, being the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
was baptizing under divine inspiration. He was filled with the Holy Ghost
from his mother's womb. He didn't make that up. He was
doing what Almighty God had sent him to do. And they came to him
and asked him, you tell us why you're doing it. And I want you
to notice what John did. Look in verses 26 and 27. They
ask him, here was the question, why are you baptizing? And his answer was this, John
answered them saying, I baptize with water, but there standeth
one among you whom you know not. He it is who coming after me
is preferred before me, whose shoes latch it. I am not worthy. to unloose." Now John, when they
asked him for an explanation, you tell us why you're doing
what you're doing. In other words, they were saying,
now look, you're answerable to us. And you give us the answer. Why? And all he did was set forth
what Almighty God had sent him to do. 2 Timothy 2, 23-25 says this, But
foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender
strifes. And the servant of the Lord must
not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient
in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves. If God,
peradventure, will give them repentance to acknowledgement
of the truth, acknowledging of the truth. John the Baptist did
not allow them to get into a debate with him. You tell us by whose authority,
why are you doing what you're doing? He had just told them,
I am the voice. Almighty God has sent me. I am
the forerunner. He admitted that. wouldn't bring
any attention to himself, but he was truthful concerning his
calling. I am the voice. Why are you doing
what you're doing? They wanted to debate John's
authority, and John knew that the gospel is the power of God
unto salvation. He was not going to argue with
them. He wisely He spoke of baptism
in its proper light. He said, I baptize you with water, but I can't impart life. I can baptize, which is the outward
confession of faith, but I can't save a soul. I baptize with water,
but there stands one among you whom you know not. He it is coming after me, preferred before
me. I'm not worthy to tie his shoes. In Matthew 3.11, this is what
John said, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. And
John's baptism, I mentioned this last week, John's baptism was
the setting forth of our Absolute need of repentance. Our need of repentance. Believers
baptism today is the confession of faith that Christ is our righteousness. He's our hope. He's our peace.
John's baptism was according to the law. That's why the Lord
Jesus Christ was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. Why are you doing what you're
doing? He pointed them to Christ. I indeed baptize you with water
unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than
I, whose shoes I'm not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you
with the Holy Ghost and with fire. You know, men today speak of
being baptized with the Holy Ghost as if that's some kind
of a second blessing or That's something in addition to baptism of the Holy Ghost is
not a second blessing, but it is the primary work of grace
by Almighty God in the people of His choosing. That's being
baptized by the Holy Ghost. Baptism of the Holy Ghost is
regeneration. There's one that's coming after
me. I baptize you with water. John the Baptist said, I can
administer a sacrament. I can administer a sign. I can
administer the outward confession. But there's one that comes after
me that can actually perform what the sacrament that I'm administering
signifies. I baptize you with water. A man
can baptize you with water. And that's all that a man can
do. Nobody can administer life to
you by putting you in water. You get wet. That's what happens.
John said, I can do that, but there's one who comes after me,
preferred before me, that will baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
Why are you doing what you're doing? I'm setting forth Him. That's what I'm doing. There's
one standing among you that you don't know. You know, nothing's changed today,
has it? There's one standing among you that you don't know. Isn't it amazing when we consider
the miracle of regeneration when Almighty God set forth in the
glorious Gospel. And here, some hear and some
don't. Here are two people hearing the
same message, and one hears and one doesn't. Why? The grace of
God. The grace of God. Why did you
hear? Why was it that you heard in
power? Why? It's because Almighty God
opened your heart just like He did Lydia's. Lydia came down
and there they were. Paul had gone down. There were
some women down there, down by the river, and they had gone
down there to pray. And Paul started preaching. He
was doing what God Almighty had called him to do. Now here's
what I know right now. I know this, that the Word of
God is alive as we just talked about just a moment ago. I know
that God's Word is alive. Now I know, I know this, I know
this, that if Almighty God is pleased to bless this Word to
someone, it's going to be by God's will and God's power and
God's purpose. John said, I can baptize if God Almighty has called me
to preach. I can study. I can prepare. I can take these
scriptures and I can look and I can ask. I can ask, Lord, would you guide
me? I don't even want to start. I don't even open my Bible. I
don't want to write a note. I don't want to do anything before
I ask. Lord, would you help me? I can have these notes prepared.
I can come here and at 9.30 I can start. I can go through my notes. These notes that will help me
not start chasing rabbits I don't want to be a slave to them, but
I want to stay with what I'm talking about. And I do all of
that and set forth the gospel of God's free grace and set forth
Christ and set forth God's honor and God's sovereignty. I do all
of that. And if Almighty God doesn't bless
it to someone, To me, if God Almighty doesn't bless that Word, I can do nothing. What can I do? I can read Ephesians 1,
starting at verse 1. We can read about election. How Almighty God, before the
foundation of the world, chose a people in Christ. I can quote
2 Thessalonians 2. 13, and we're bound to give thanks
to you. God hath from the beginning chosen
you. I can preach. Ezekiel, can these bones live? Lord, you know. You prophesy. You prophesy to these bones.
You preach to these dead dry bones. You preach to them. Through the foolishness of preaching,
what people think of foolishness. Well, surely there's something.
I mean, I'd have to do something else besides preach to them.
You preach to them. You preach to them. And I will
send. I'll send the winds of power.
I'll send you's. I will. You preach to them. And I'll raise them up. Who are you? I'm just a boy. Why are you doing what you're
doing? There's one that's standing among you that you don't know. I'm not worthy to tie his shoes. He was born after me, but he
was preferred before me because he washed before me. Without Him, we could do nothing. Isn't it marvelous knowing that
salvation is all of grace? Here, right now, we believe. Lord, if You're pleased to bless
this, if You're pleased to bless this Word, Lord, You can save Your people. I know You can. Lord, I pray
You will. You said in Ezekiel, you said
that you were going to give a new heart. You said that you'd give
a new spirit. You said you'd remove that heart
of stone. You said that you would. You
said that we will. And you said, Lord, that for
these things you would be inquired of. Lord, I know this. I know this, that prayer, prayer,
asking, beseeching, calling. That's by the grace of God to
God's people to cause them to realize. Almighty God moves upon
His people to ask. In bringing honor to Himself
and showing them they are the needy ones. I'm thinking right now, Lord,
You can comfort Your people right now. This word, you said, comfort
ye, comfort ye my people. Lord, I can preach, but you alone
can comfort. Lord, would you comfort your
people? Lord, would you save? Would you save? We don't hide
this gospel under a bushel. I know what believers are accused
of. They're accused of trying to just close everybody else
out. Oh, y'all, y'all feel as though
that y'all, y'all don't, y'all the elect, you know, y'all don't
want to. Let me tell you something. If
Almighty God would call somebody off that road right there and
pull them in right here and walk, they'd walk in here and Almighty
God would save them. It would just, I'd rejoice if
God Almighty saves one, but I can't do anything. What are you doing? He said,
I'm just preaching Christ. I'm a voice. Verse 27, He it
is, who coming after me, born into this world after me according
to His incarnation, is preferred before me. He's been before me
eternally. Whose shoes latcheth, I'm not
worthy to unloose. God's people speak respectfully
of the Lord. These things were done in Beth-Arabah
beyond Jordan where John was baptized. I tried to find out. Beth-Arabah is a place that most
commentaries, most places I looked up and tried to find what I could
about Betharaba. It appears as though, and I'm
just telling you what I could find, that most think that actually
that was a place called Bethany. It was not the Bethany of Mary
and Martha. It wasn't that. It was another
place. But obviously, the Spirit of God was pleased to record
where those things were being done. And here's what I do know. No matter what I can come to
the conclusion of concerning Beth-Arabba, I recognize that
from that place John the Baptist was moved upon by the Spirit
of God to say, Behold the Lamb of God. And whether or not I
am able to come to the conclusion of where that little Obscure
word in God's scriptures actually was. What difference does it
make? That Almighty God said that this
is where these things were done. This is what I can know. The
Lord was pleased to bless that place with his presence. And from that fact alone, it's
worthy to be noted, as I've said before, Where's Katie West Virginia? I'm telling you the significance
of Katie West Virginia as far as this world is concerned. There's a little old green sign
right up here and it's not even incorporated. Katie West Virginia. But all the significance of Katie
West Virginia. when viewed in the light that
Almighty God has raised up a church and kept it here by His grace. Now there's that miracle right
there still to me right now. I look at that with amazement
and thankfulness that we were able to get up this morning and
the Word of God was going to be preached in this little place.
For the glorious sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, We thank Him
this morning for the privilege to be here, for our comfort,
for our good, for His honor. Amen. Let's take a few minutes
break.