KINGSPORT SOVEREIGN GRACE CHURCH
LOCATED AT 905 YADKIN STREET IN KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE WOULD
LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO LISTEN TO A MESSAGE OF SOVEREIGN GRACE
BY THEIR PASTOR, GABE STONIKER. AND NOW, PASTOR GABE STONIKER. If you would like to follow along
with me in your Bible, we will be looking at John chapter 1
today. THE BOOK OF JOHN, CHAPTER ONE. AND IN THE FIRST 14 VERSES
OF THIS CHAPTER, OUR GOD HAS SPELLED OUT HIS ORDER, HIS WORK,
THE ORDER OF HIS WORK, THE MEANS THAT HE HAS ORDAINED IN SAVING HIS PEOPLE. HE HAS
LAID OUT THE PROCESS, IF WE WANT TO SAY IT THAT WAY, THE PROCESS
THAT HE HAS CHOSEN TO QUICKEN AND TO CALL HIS PEOPLE. OUR LORD
CHOSE A PARTICULAR PEOPLE TO SAVE, AND CHRIST REDEEMED THOSE
PEOPLE ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY. TO PAY THE SIN DEBT OF EVERY
SOUL GOD THE FATHER GAVE TO HIM, AND HE PAID IT. HE PAID IT IN
FULL. AND IN TIME, EACH ONE OF THOSE SOULS WILL BE QUICKENED
TO LIFE, CALLED TO LIFE, CALLED TO THEIR LIVING UNION WITH THE
SAVIOR. GIVEN HIS ORDER, GIVEN HIS MEANS
RIGHT HERE IN THE BEGINNING OF JOHN, CHAPTER 1. THERE ARE FOUR
MAIN COMPONENTS IN THIS START TO FINISH WORK OF REGENERATION,
THE GIVING OF LIFE. AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND
TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE, AND THEN WE WILL SEE THEM AS WE READ DOWN
THROUGH THESE VERSES. BUT NUMBER ONE, IN THIS WORK
REGENERATION, IN THIS WORK OF QUICKENING, IN THIS WORK OF A
SINNER COMING TO KNOW AND EXPERIENCE SALVATION. NUMBER ONE, THE WORK
STARTS WITH GOD. THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS. IT STARTS WITH GOD. THAT'S WHERE
THE WHOLE THING STARTS. NUMBER TWO, THE WORK MOVES THROUGH
THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL THE GOOD NEWS OF WHAT CHRIST DID. THE MESSAGE. THE PREACHING. THAT'S HOW IT COMES TO GOD'S
PEOPLE. THAT'S HOW THEY COME TO KNOW
ABOUT IT. THAT'S HOW IT REACHES THEM INDIVIDUALLY AND SPECIFICALLY
THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST. NUMBER THREE,
THE WORK PRODUCES LIFE. THE MESSAGE THAT IS PREACHED.
THE WORK OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT WILL TAKE THAT MESSAGE, MEANING THE WORD OF GOD. WE PREACH
THE WORD OF GOD, AND THE SPIRIT WILL TAKE THAT MESSAGE AND CREATE
A NEW SPIRITUAL CREATION IN THE CHILD OF GOD. THAT'S A WORK THAT
GOD'S SPIRIT DOES. AFTER THE SPIRIT TAKES THE MESSAGE
AND THE WORD AND THE PREACHING AND CREATES THAT NEW LIFE, NUMBER
FOUR, THE CHILD OF GOD RESPONDS TO THE WORK. THE CHILD LIVES,
THE CHILD MOVES, AND THE CHILD HAS HIS BEING. SO THAT'S THE
MEANS THAT GOD HAS ORDAINED. THAT'S THE ORDER. THAT'S THE
PROCESS. THAT'S HOW GOD HAS CHOSEN TO
WORK IN AND TO WORK ON HIS PEOPLE. SO, LET'S READ THESE 14 VERSES,
AND THEN WE'LL DIVIDE THEM INTO THESE FOUR SECTIONS AND SEE THIS
WORK THAT GOD HAS DONE, ALL RIGHT? VERSE 1, JOHN CHAPTER 1, VERSE
1, IT SAYS, IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THAT'S SPEAKING
OF CHRIST, AND THE WORD WAS GOD. MEANING,
GOD THE SON WAS WITH GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE SPIRIT, AND
THEY THREE COLLECTIVELY ARE GOD. IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD.
THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, THE WORD WAS GOD. VERSE 2 SAYS, THE SAME
WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD. ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM,
AND WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE. IN HIM WAS
LIFE, AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN. AND THE LIGHT SHINETH
IN DARKNESS, AND THE DARKNESS COMPREHENDED IT NOT. THERE WAS
A MAN SENT FROM GOD, WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN. THE SAME CAME FOR A
WITNESS, TO BEAR WITNESS OF THE LIGHT, THAT ALL MEN THROUGH HIM
MIGHT BELIEVE. HE WAS NOT THAT LIGHT, BUT WAS
SENT TO BEAR WITNESS OF THAT LIGHT. THAT WAS THE TRUE LIGHT
WHICH LIGHTETH EVERY MAN THAT COMETH INTO THE WORLD. HE WAS
IN THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD WAS MADE BY HIM, AND THE WORLD KNEW
HIM NOT. HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN, AND HIS
OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT. BUT AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM,
TO THEM GAVE HE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, EVEN TO THEM
THAT BELIEVE ON HIS NAME, WHICH WERE BORN NOT OF BLOOD, NOR OF
THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD. AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH,
AND DWELT AMONG US, AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY AS OF THE
ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH." NOW,
DID YOU HAPPEN TO NOTICE THOSE FOUR EVENTS AS WE READ DOWN THROUGH
THAT? PHYSICAL CREATION, PHYSICAL CREATION,
THAT IS A PICTURE OF SPIRITUAL SALVATION. THE WAY THAT CREATION
CAME ABOUT, THAT'S THE WAY SPIRITUAL SALVATION COMES ABOUT. IN BOTH
CASES, THE WORK STARTED WITH GOD. THE WORK STARTS WITH GOD. VERSE 1 SAYS, IN THE BEGINNING
WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD.
THE SAME WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD, AND THEN VERSE 3 SAYS,
ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM. AND I WILL POINT OUT THAT VERSE
1 IS SPEAKING OF JESUS CHRIST, AND THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD.
THAT IS PROVEN TO US BY VERSE 14. IT SAYS, THE WORD WAS MADE
FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US. THAT'S THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS CHRIST, VERSE 3 SAYS, ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM. EVERYTHING. AND WITHOUT HIM WAS
NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE. ALRIGHT, NOW WATCH VERSE FOUR.
IT SAYS, IN HIM WAS LIFE. IN HIM WAS LIFE. THAT'S WHERE
ALL LIFE COMES FROM. BEGINS IN HIM. HE'S THE SOURCE. HE IS THE SOURCE. HE DOESN'T JUST HAVE LIFE. HE IS LIFE. HE IS LIFE. OVER IN JOHN 14, HE SAID, MEN AND WOMEN WANT TO KNOW, LIKE
THOMAS SAID RIGHT THERE, HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WAY? HE SAID,
I AM THE WAY. MEN AND WOMEN WANT TO KNOW, WHAT
IS THE WAY TO GOD? HERE'S THE ANSWER, CHRIST IS.
HE SAID, I AM THE WAY. HE SAID, I AM THE TRUTH. IF ANY
MAN OR WOMAN WANTS TO KNOW, WHAT IS THE TRUTH? THIS ONE'S SAYING
THIS AND THAT ONE'S SAYING THAT, THE LORD SAID, I'M THE TRUTH. DON'T LISTEN TO ANY MAN. THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN LISTEN
TO A MAN IS IF HE IS MERELY REPEATING THE WORDS OF CHRIST ALONE. HE'S
THE TRUTH. HE'S THE WAY. HE'S THE TRUTH.
AND THE LORD SAID, I AM THE LIFE. I AM LIFE. I AM ETERNITY. I AM THE RESURRECTION, HE TOLD
MARTHA. HE IS HEAVEN. PEOPLE WANT TO,
YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THEIR TIME HERE ON THIS EARTH, THEY
WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN. HE IS HEAVEN. BEING WHEREVER
HE IS. THAT'S HEAVEN. THAT'S ETERNAL
LIFE. TO BE IN HIM IS TO BE IN LIFE. HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH
LIFE. SO VERSE 4 SAYS IN HIM WAS LIFE
AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN. THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT. IF YOU LOOK AT VERSE 9, IT SAYS,
THAT WAS THE TRUE LIGHT WHICH LIGHTETH EVERY MAN THAT COMETH
INTO THE WORLD. CHRIST IS THE TRUE LIFE THAT
LIGHTS EVERY MAN THAT COMES INTO THE WORLD. THE PHYSICAL LIFE
THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO EVERY MAN AND WOMAN AND THING IN THIS WORLD,
HE'S MENTIONED EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE WORLD. THERE IS A PHYSICAL
LIFE THAT IS GIVEN TO EVERY MAN AND WOMAN AND LIVING THING IN
THIS WORLD. AND IT'S A PICTURE OF THE SPIRITUAL
LIFE THAT ALL OF GOD'S PARTICULAR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST. PHYSICAL LIFE IS A PICTURE OF
SPIRITUAL LIFE. IN VERSE 13, IT SAYS, WHICH WERE
BORN NOT OF BLOOD, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE
WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD. THAT'S SPEAKING OF SPIRITUAL
LIFE. AND PHYSICAL LIFE IS A PICTURE
OF THAT. EVERY PERSON PHYSICALLY LIVING
ON THIS EARTH IS A PICTURE OF GOD'S SPIRITUAL WORK IN SALVATION. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY VITAL
ORGANS IN THIS BODY THAT KEEP US PHYSICALLY ALIVE, MANY VITAL
ORGANS, BUT WE'LL JUST FOCUS ON ONE. WE'LL FOCUS ON THE HEART.
YOU JUST THINK ABOUT THE HEART THAT IS INSIDE EVERY LIVING MAN
AND WOMAN ON THIS EARTH. IN ORDER FOR A PERSON TO REMAIN
ALIVE, THAT HEART HAS TO KEEP BEATING.
IF A PERSON IS GOING TO REMAIN ALIVE, THE HEART HAS TO KEEP
BEATING. NOW, HERE'S THE QUESTION. HOW DOES IT DO THAT? MY HEART IS BEATING RIGHT NOW.
HOW IS IT DOING THAT? YOU'VE SEEN ON TV. I KNOW YOU'VE
PROBABLY SEEN HEART SURGERIES. YOU'VE SEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS
CAUSED YOU TO SEE A HEARTBEAT. HOW IS IT DOING THAT? THAT'S
AN AMAZING THING. THE HUMAN HEART IS AN AMAZING
THING. THAT IS AN AMAZING THING. IT IS BEATING THAT RHYTHM OF
LIFE FOR DECADES AND DECADES AND DECADES. HOW IS IT DOING
THAT? ARE WE DOING THAT? AM I RIGHT
NOW MAKING MY OWN HEARTBEAT? AM I CONTRACTING MUSCLES INSIDE
ME AND MAKING MY OWN HEARTBEAT? NO. GOD IS DOING THAT IN ME. GOD IS THE ONE WHO IS DOING THAT.
THAT IS GOD'S WORK PHYSICALLY INSIDE EVERY MAN AND WOMAN THAT
COMES INTO THE WORLD. HE IS THE AUTHOR OF THE HEARTBEAT. HE'S THE ONE WHO CREATES THE
HEART INSIDE A SOUL. HE IS THE ONE WHO GIVES THE HEART
LIFE AND CREATES THE HEARTBEAT. HE IS THE GIVER AND THE DOER
OF THE HEARTBEAT OF EVERY MAN AND WOMAN THAT COMES INTO THIS
WORLD. HE'S THE FINISHER OF THE HEARTBEAT. HE'S THE ONE WHO IS
SAYING BEAT, BEAT, BEAT UNTIL THE MOMENT HE SAYS THAT'S ENOUGH. HE'S THE AUTHOR OF IT. HE'S THE
FINISHER OF IT. ALL PHYSICAL LIFE STARTS WITH,
COMES FROM, IS PERFORMED BY, IS SUSTAINED BY HIM IN THE SAME
WAY THAT PHYSICAL LIFE IS, SPIRITUAL LIFE IS. IT'S THE SAME THING.
IT'S A PICTURE OF HIS WORK IN HIS PEOPLE. HIM? HE'S THE AUTHOR OF SPIRITUAL
LIFE? HE'S THE GIVER OF SPIRITUAL LIFE?
HE'S THE DOER OF SPIRITUAL LIFE? NOW LOOK WITH ME AGAIN AT VERSE
FOUR, JOHN 1, VERSE 4, IT SAYS, IN HIM WAS LIFE, AND THE LIFE
WAS THE LIGHT OF MAN. AND THE LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS,
AND THE DARKNESS SINFUL MAN WAS DEAD, DARKNESS. OUR GOD CREATED IN THE BEGINNING,
GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND IT WAS NOTHING BUT
DARKNESS. IT WAS WITHOUT FORM AND VOID. THAT'S MAN SPIRITUALLY. THAT IS MAN SPIRITUALLY. MAN
IS DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS AND MAN IN HIS DEADNESS CANNOT
COMPREHEND THE LIFE OF GOD. CANNOT SEE THE LIFE OF GOD, CANNOT
EXPERIENCE THE LIFE OF GOD, NOT ON HIS OWN. MAN IS DEAD. BECAUSE OF HIS SIN, MAN BECAME
SEVERED FROM GOD, DEAD TO GOD. YOU KNOW, IF I HAVE A FINGER
RIGHT HERE, IF THAT FINGER GETS SEVERED FROM MY BODY, IT WILL
DIE. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO MAN SPIRITUALLY. HE WAS SEVERED
FROM THE LIFE OF CHRIST, AND HE DIED. BUT GOD PURPOSED TO
BRING HIS LIFE BACK TO HIM FOR SOME PEOPLE, FOR GOD'S CHOSEN
PEOPLE. THE LORD GOD FIRST GENERATED
MAN PHYSICALLY, GAVE LIFE TO MAN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, AND
MAN HAD SPIRITUAL LIFE ALONG WITH THAT. AND THEN MAN SINNED
AND DIED RIGHT THERE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, BUT GOD CHOSE TO GIVE
LIFE AGAIN. HE GENERATED AND THEN HE CHOSE
TO REGENERATE AFTER MAN LOST THAT LIFE. HE CHOSE TO GIVE SPIRITUAL
LIFE AGAIN AND THIS IS HOW HE CHOSE TO DO IT, ALRIGHT? THIS
IS THE MEANS THAT HE CHOSE TO USE. JOHN 1, VERSE 6, IT SAYS,
THERE WAS A MAN SENT FROM GOD WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN. THE SAME
CAME FOR A WITNESS TO BEAR WITNESS OF THE LIGHT THAT ALL THROUGH
HIM MIGHT BELIEVE. THE WORD MEN IN THAT VERSE IS
IN ITALICS. THAT MEANS IT WAS ADDED BY THE
TRANSLATORS TO MAKE IT MORE EASILY READABLE. AND WHEN WE READ IT
THE WAY IT WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN, IT'S A VERY CORRECT DECLARATION. THE SAME CAME FOR A WITNESS TO
BEAR WITNESS OF THE LIGHT THAT ALL THROUGH HIM MIGHT BELIEVE. ALL WHO WERE ORDAINED TO ETERNAL
LIFE MIGHT BELIEVE. VERSE 8 SAYS, HE WAS NOT THAT
LIGHT, JOHN WAS NOT THAT LIGHT, BUT WAS SENT TO BEAR WITNESS
OF THAT LIGHT. TO APPLY HIS SPIRITUAL LIFE,
TO GIVE HIS SPIRITUAL LIFE TO HIS PARTICULAR PEOPLE THROUGH
THE MEANS OF A MAN WITNESSING HIM. GOD SENT A MAN NAMED JOHN
TO WITNESS THE LIGHT, TO PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD. AND THAT'S
HOW GOD HAS CHOSEN TO QUICKEN HIS PEOPLE. GOD STARTED THE WORK. HE DID IT ALONE. IT ALL COMES
FROM HIM. ALL LIFE IS FROM HIM. BUT HE
HAS CHOSEN TO USE THE MEANS OF A PREACHER WITNESSING HIM TO
BRING THAT LIFE TO HIS PEOPLE THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE
GOSPEL. AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF THAT. YOU KNOW,
WE JUST SAID THAT CREATION IS A PICTURE OF SALVATION. WELL, THIS IS THE SAME PICTURE
OF HOW GOD HAS CHOSEN TO APPLY THIS. GOD HAS CHOSEN TO GIVE
HIS GIFT OF PHYSICAL LIFE. HE HAS CHOSEN TO PASS ALONG PHYSICAL
LIFE THROUGH THE MEANS OF A MAN. AND WE UNDERSTAND HOW HE HAS
CHOSEN TO DO THIS. HE HAS CHOSEN TO USE THE MEANS
OF A MAN TO CARRY LIFE FORWARD. ALRIGHT? THAT'S HOW GOD HAS CHOSEN
TO GENERATE PHYSICAL LIFE. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT THAT
WAY. OUR LORD DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT THAT WAY. DO YOU KNOW HOW
HE MADE MAN ORIGINALLY? HE MADE HIM FROM THE DUST OF
THE GROUND. OUR LORD COULD HAVE SPOKEN EVERY MAN AND WOMAN INTO
EXISTENCE JUST LIKE HE SPOKE ADAM INTO EXISTENCE. HE COULD HAVE JUST SAID, BE ALIVE,
AND MAN COULD HAVE BEEN ALIVE, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW GOD WAS PLEASED
TO DO IT. HE WAS PLEASED TO PASS ALONG
LIFE THROUGH THE MEANS OF A MAN. AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW HE HAS
BEEN PLEASED TO PASS ALONG HIS SPIRITUAL LIFE, THROUGH THE MEANS
OF A MAN, WITNESSING HIM IN THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. THAT'S
AN AMAZING THING TO ME, BUT THAT'S WHAT GOD HAS CHOSEN TO DO. IF
YOU WANT TO LOOK WITH ME AT 1 CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 1, IT SAYS IN VERSE 17,
1 CORINTHIANS 1, 17, THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID, HE SENT ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.
PAUL SAID, CHRIST SENT ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, NOT WITH WISDOM
OF WORDS, LEST THE CROSS OF CHRIST SHOULD BE MADE OF NONE EFFECT.
VERSE 18, HE SAID, FOR THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IS TO THEM THAT
PERISH FOOLISHNESS, BUT UNTO US WHICH ARE SAVED, IT IS THE
POWER OF GOD, THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
VERSE 21, HE SAID, FOR AFTER THAT IN THE WISDOM OF GOD, THE
WORLD BY WISDOM KNEW NOT GOD, IT PLEASED GOD BY THE FOOLISHNESS
OF PREACHING TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE. SO THIS IS THE MEANS
THAT IT HAS PLEASED GOD TO USE. THIS IS THE ORDER OF HIS WORK
THAT HE HAS ESTABLISHED. ROMANS 10, VERSE 13 SAYS, WHOSOEVER
SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED. THAT'S SO. BUT TO BACKTRACK JUST A LITTLE
BIT, VERSE 14, HE SAID, HOW THEN SHALL THEY CALL ON HIM IN WHOM
THEY HAVE NOT BELIEVED? AND HOW SHALL THEY BELIEVE IN
HIM OF WHOM THEY HAVE NOT HEARD? AND HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT
A PREACHER? AND HOW SHALL THEY PREACH EXCEPT
THEY BE SENT, EXCEPT GOD LAY HOLD OF THEM, AND PUT HIS MESSAGE
OF TRUTH IN THEM, AND SEND THEM FORTH IN THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT? HOW SHALL THEY PREACH EXCEPT
THEY BE SENT? AS IT IS WRITTEN, HOW BEAUTIFUL
ARE THE FEET OF THEM THAT PREACH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE AND BRING
GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS." AND THIS MEANS OF QUICKENING
IN SALVATION, QUICKENING TO LIFE, IT STARTS WITH GOD, IN HIM IS
LIFE, AND HE SENDS IT TO HIS PEOPLE THROUGH THE PREACHING
OF WHO CHRIST IS AND WHAT HE'S DONE FOR HIS PEOPLE. CHRIST IS
GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH WHO CAME TO GIVE HIS LIFE, GIVE HIS
BODY, GIVE HIS BLOOD, TAKE THE SIN DEAD OF HIS PEOPLE UPON HIMSELF. PAY THEIR DEBT, WIPE THEIR SLATE
CLEAN, REDEEM THEM BACK TO FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD. THAT'S WHAT CHRIST
DID. AND THE LORD USES THAT PREACHING OF THE CROSS, THE PREACHING OF
THE FINISHED WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO GIVE REGENERATION TO HIS PEOPLE. THAT'S HOW LIFE COMES BACK TO
THEM. SO BACK IN JOHN, CHAPTER 1, VERSE 6 SAYS, THERE WAS A
MAN SENT FROM GOD WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN. THE SAME CAME FOR A
WITNESS TO BEAR WITNESS OF THE LIGHT THAT ALL MEN THROUGH HIM
MIGHT BELIEVE. HE WAS NOT THAT LIGHT, BUT WAS
SENT TO BEAR WITNESS OF THAT LIGHT. THAT WAS THE TRUE LIGHT
WHICH LIGHTETH EVERY MAN THAT COMETH INTO THE WORLD. HE WAS
IN THE WORLD, THE LORD WAS IN THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD WAS
MADE BY HIM, AND THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT. HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN,
AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT. BUT AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM,
TO THEM GAVE HE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, EVEN TO THEM
THAT BELIEVE ON HIS NAME. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, GOD MANIFEST
IN THE FLESH, CAME INTO THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD THAT HE MADE KNEW
HIM NOT AND RECEIVED HIM NOT. AND THAT'S WHY GOD SENT A WITNESS.
MEN AND WOMEN NATURALLY DO NOT KNOW GOD. THEY DO NOT KNOW JESUS
CHRIST. THEY DO NOT KNOW WHO HE IS, WHY
HE CAME, WHAT HE DID, WHY HE DID IT, WHO HE DID IT FOR. MEN AND WOMEN DO NOT KNOW THIS.
SO GOD SENT A WITNESS IN HIS GOODNESS IN SPITE OF MAN, IN
SPITE OF MAN'S HATRED AND REJECTION, IN MERCY, IN KINDNESS, IN GRACE,
HE SENT A WITNESS. AND THROUGH THAT WITNESS, THE
HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD QUICKENS. HE STILL QUICKENS. HE STILL USES
THE WORD OF GOD. TO QUICKEN HIS PEOPLE TO SPIRITUAL
LIFE. EVERY SOUL THAT HE GIVES EYES
TO, EVERY SOUL THAT HE CAUSES TO SEE THESE THINGS, TO SEE THE
WORD. EVERY SOUL HE GIVES AN EAR TO
HEAR THE TRUTH CONCERNING CHRIST. EVERY SOUL THAT HE GIVES A HEART
TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH CONCERNING CHRIST, THE WITNESS OF THE WORD. EVERY ONE OF THEM WHO HE CAUSES
TO HEAR THE WITNESS OF THE WORD, THE MESSAGE. AND WHAT IS THAT
MESSAGE? LOOK AT VERSE 29 RIGHT HERE. JOHN, THE NEXT DAY, JOHN SEETH
JESUS COMING AND SAID, BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHICH TAKETH
AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. THAT'S THE WITNESS. THAT'S THE
MESSAGE. BEHOLD GOD'S SACRIFICE FOR SIN. LOOK TO HIM. THE ONLY REMEDY
FOR SIN THAT THERE IS, BEHOLD HIM. LOOK TO HIM. CAST YOUR ALL ON HIM. CAST YOUR
ALL ON HIS WORK, NOT YOUR OWN. THAT IS THE MESSAGE. AND THROUGH
THAT MESSAGE, THE SPIRIT OF GOD GIVES LIFE TO ALL OF HIS PEOPLE. LIFE TO ALL OF HIS PEOPLE. OUR
LORD TOLD A MAN NAMED NICODEMUS, THAT WHICH IS FLESH IS FLESH,
THAT WHICH IS SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. HE SAID, MARVEL NOT THAT I SAY
UNTO YOU, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN. LIFE MUST COME AGAIN, REBIRTHED,
REBORN, AND GOD'S SPIRIT WILL DO IT FOR EVERY ONE OF HIS PEOPLE.
SO BACK IN CHAPTER 1, VERSE 13 SAYS, WHICH WERE BORN NOT OF
BLOOD, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN,
BUT OF GOD. THIS IS GOD'S WORK. ALL LIFE
BEGINS IN AND BEGINS WITH GOD. AND GOD SENDS FORTH THAT LIFE
TO HIS PARTICULAR PEOPLE THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE FINISHED
WORK, THE FINISHED BLOOD, THE SAVING WORK OF THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST. AND WITH THAT PREACHED WORD, THE HOLY SPIRIT TAKES THE
THINGS OF CHRIST AND REVEALS THEM TO GOD'S PEOPLE, AND THAT'S
A NEW CREATION, SPIRITUAL CREATION. AND HERE'S THE LAST THING. HERE'S
THE END RESULT OF EVERY BIT OF HIS WORK, EVERYTHING HE DOES.
WITH THAT NEW GOD-GIVEN LIFE, ALRIGHT, WITH THOSE SPIRITUAL
EYES, SPIRITUAL EARS. VERSE 14 TELLS US THE END RESULT. IT SAYS, AND THE WORD WAS MADE
FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US, AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY
AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. THAT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE TIME.
IN HIM WAS LIFE. HE SENT THE WITNESS OF THAT LIFE
TO US. THROUGH THAT WITNESS, HE CREATED
LIFE IN US. AND THE RESULT OF ALL THAT IS,
WE BEHOLD HIS GLORY. AND WE DO. THAT IS THE ONLY PART
THAT INVOLVES US AFTER EVERYTHING HE DOES IS FINISHED. WE JUST
BEHOLD HIS GLORY. AND MY PRAYER IS THAT THROUGH
HIS WORD, HE MIGHT REVEAL THAT GLORY TO US. MAY HE CAUSE US
TO SEE HIS GLORY. MAY HE CAUSE US TO GLORY IN HIM.
IF ANY MAN GLORY, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD. AND WE DO. TILL
NEXT WEEK, MAY THE LORD BLESS HIS WORD TO OUR HEARTS. YOU HAVE
BEEN LISTENING TO A MESSAGE BY GABE STONIKER, PASTOR OF KINGSPORT
SOVEREIGN GRACE CHURCH IN KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE. If you would like
to come and worship with us, our service times are Sunday
morning Bible study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 1045 a.m., and
6 o'clock p.m., Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Please tune in next
week for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.