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. I invite you to turn with me
in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 1, the Gospel of
John chapter 1, and let's begin by reading verses 43 to 47. It says, The day following, Jesus
would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith
unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and
said unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the Law
and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him,
Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith
unto him, come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to
him and said of him, behold, an Israelite indeed in whom is
no guile. Now our Lord just spoke to Nathanael
before Nathanael said a word. Nathanael was walking towards
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Lord said, Behold, an Israelite
indeed, in whom is no guile. And listen to Nathanael's response.
Verse 48 says, Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou
me? Whence knowest thou me?" How
do you know who I am? How do you know who I am? Now
clearly, Nathanael doesn't know who he is. In verse 45 it says,
Philip findeth Nathanael, and he said unto him, We found him. of whom Moses in the Law and
the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. I'm sure Nathanael had read all
about him. He'd read the Law, he'd read
the Prophets. I'm sure Nathanael had heard of him. But now he's
confronted by him. And the Lord immediately tells
Nathanael, I'm omniscient. That means all-knowing. I know
everything about you." And Nathanael says, whence knowest thou me? How do you know me? Who are you? Who do you think you are that
you would know me? Oh, Nathanael, how do I know
you? Acts 15, 18 says, known unto
God. are all his works from the beginning. Nathaniel, don't you know I've
known everything since the foundation of the world? Turn with me over
to Ecclesiastes chapter 12. Ecclesiastes chapter 12, when
this life is over, this physical life we have on this earth, when
it's over, Ecclesiastes 12 verse 7 says, Then shall the dust return
to the earth as it was, and the spirit or the soul shall return
unto God who gave it. God is the one who originally
gave it. Nathanael, I'm the one who put
the soul in your body. I specifically paired that soul
with that body. How do I know you? I formed thee
in the belly. Before I formed thee in the belly,
I knew thee. Let's turn to Psalm 139. Psalm
139 says this, Oh Lord, thou has searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting
and my uprising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. You know everything about me,
my thought. Verse three says, Thou compassest
my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways.
You know everything I do. Verse four, for there's not a
word in my tongue But lo, O Lord, thou knowest it all together.
You know everything I say. Thou hast beset me behind and
before and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto
it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit
or whither shall I flee from thy presence? Where could you
go? Verse 8 says, if I ascend up
into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold,
thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall
thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say
surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light
about me. There's nowhere to hide. Verse
12 says, �Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night
shineth as the day. The darkness and the light are
both a light to thee.� There's no difference to God. Day or
night, He sees all. Verse 13 says, Thou hast possessed
my reins. Thou hast covered me in my mother's
womb. I will praise Thee, for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Thy works, and
that my soul knoweth right well. Lord, You made me. I'm fearfully
and wonderfully made by You. Verse 15 says, my substance was
not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously
wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. That's the womb. Verse
16 says, thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect. And in thy book, all my members
were written. which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them. You knew everything about
me before it was made. The scripture says the very hairs
of your head are all numbered. That's unimaginable, isn't it?
God knows the exact number of hairs on my head. Verse 17 in
Psalm 139 says, how precious also Are that thoughts unto me? Oh
God, how great is the sum of them? Nathaniel said, how do
you know me? How do I know you? How precious
are that thoughts unto me? Oh God, how great is the sum
of them? Can you imagine the thought?
Can you handle this thought that if I belong to God, and if you
belong to God, if we were chosen by God to be in His Son, Jesus
Christ, then God thinks about us. Isn't that amazing? He's
been thinking about us since before the foundation of the
world. And that has no beginning. It's eternal. If God chose to
love me and if God chose to love you, He thinks about us. Do you really think we could
count the thoughts that He has had about us since before the
foundation of the world? Verse 18 says this, if I should
count them, They are more in number than the sand. If I could count the thoughts
that my God has had toward me, they are more in number than
the sand. Now you think about all of the beaches along all
of the oceans in the world. That's a lot of sand. But the
sand goes inland. Florida's mostly sand. That's
a lot of sand. Now add all the sand in all the
deserts of all the world. Now add all the sand that's on
the ocean floor under the waters of the whole world. If I should
count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I
wake, I'm still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked,
O God. Depart from me therefore, you
bloody men. For they speak evil against thee
wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate
them, O Lord, that hate Thee? And am not I grieved with those
that rise up against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred,
I count them mine enemies. So verse 23 says, search me,
O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked
way in me. and lead me in the way everlasting."
Nathanael so foolishly asked the Lord, how do you know me? Oh, Nathanael. Our text, John
1, verse 48, Nathanael said 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." When you were under the fig tree, Nathaniel,
that's where I saw you. Now, let me show you something.
Turn with me over to Matthew chapter 21. Matthew 21, and let's begin reading
in verse 12. It says, Jesus went into the
temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in
the temple and overthrew the tables of the money changers
and the seats of them that sold doves and said unto them, it
is written, my house shall be called the house of prayer, but
you have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came
to him in the temple and he healed them. And when the chief priest
and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children
crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David,
they were sore displeased. And said unto him, Hearest thou
what these say? And Jesus said unto them, Yea,
have you never read? Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings hast thou perfected praise. And he left them, and
went out of the city into Bethany, and he lodged there. Now in the
morning, as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when
he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it and found nothing
thereon but leaves only, and said unto it, let no fruit grow
on thee henceforward forever. and presently the fig tree withered
away. And when the disciples saw it,
they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away?
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you,
If you have faith and doubt not, you shall not only do this which
is done to the fig tree, But also if you shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it
shall be done. In all things whatsoever you
shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." Now I want
to look at this same account in the book of Mark. Turn with
me over to Mark chapter 11. Mark chapter 11 verse 12 says
this, And on the morrow when they were come from Bethany,
he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree afar off
having leaves, he came, if happily he might find anything thereon.
And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for the time
of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto
it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples
heard it. And they come to Jerusalem, and
Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold
and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers
and the seats of them that sold doves, and would not suffer that
any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught,
saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all
nations the house of prayer? But you have made it a den of
thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought
how they might destroy him, for they feared him, because all
the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was
come, he went out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed
by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter,
calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold, the
fig tree which thou cursed is withered away. And Jesus answering,
saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you,
that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed,
and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart,
but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come
to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto
you, what things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you
receive them and you shall have them. He used this fig tree as
an example and a reason to tell them, have faith in God. Or that translates, have the
faith of God. Faith. Now turn with me to Genesis
chapter 3. Genesis chapter 3 verse 6 says
this, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
this is Eve, she's eating of the tree God commanded her not
to. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that
it was pleasant to the eyes in a tree to be desired to make
one wise. She took up the fruit thereof
and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did
eat and the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that
they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together
and made themselves aprons. They covered themselves. They
tried to cover their sins with fig leaves. That fig tree is
man's own work. That's what that fig tree is.
Man says, I'll cover myself. I'll cover my shame with my own
works. I'll sow my own righteousness. The Lord said, the fig tree is
cursed. The Lord told Nathanael, I've
seen you in your own works. That's where I saw you, in your
own works. And Nathanael, your works are
cursed. Your works lead to death. But let me show you another work.
Let me show you a work that's already finished. Let me show
you a work that leads to life. Let me show you a work that's
a free gift to you. I want you to turn with me over
to 1 Kings chapter 4. This is King Solomon, the son
of David. He represents the Lord Jesus
Christ. 1 Kings 4, verse 22 says, and
Solomon's provision for one day. Was thirty measures of fine flour
and threescore measures of meal, ten fat oxen and twenty oxen
out of the pastures, and in hundred sheep besides harts and roebucks
and fallow deer and fatted fowl, for he had dominion over all
the region on this side the river, from Tifspha even to Aza. over all the kings on this side
the river and he had peace on all sides round about him and
Judah and Israel dwelt safely every man under his vine and
under his fig tree from Dan even to Beersheba all the days of
Solomon His vine. It was His fig tree. Everything belonged to Solomon. It was Solomon's fine flower,
Solomon's oxen, Solomon's land, and it was His vine and it was
His fig tree. Come and see the work of Jesus
Christ. There's safety there. You can
dwell safely there. Well, our text back in John 1
verse 49 says this, Nathanael answered and said unto him, Rabbi,
thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel. Now, when I see the words Son
of God, there's something I think about that helps me understand
what that means. I think horizontally. Not vertically. Most people believe that Jesus
is the Son of God. Ask anybody, they'll tell you,
yeah, I believe that. Jesus is the Son of God. But that's where
they leave it. They actually believe He is less
than God. As though God the Father is up
top, God the Son is in the middle, and God the Spirit is on the
bottom. But remember this, God is a Trinity. It is God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Spirit. These three are one. He's the
Son of God, the Trinity. What Nathanael was saying was,
Master, thou art God. Master, I see your work. I see it. Thou art the King of
Israel. Here's what Nathanael saw. Turn
with me over to Matthew chapter 27. Matthew 27 verse 42 says this,
he saved others himself. He cannot save if he be the King
of Israel. That's exactly right. He saved
others. Himself, he cannot save if he
be the king of Israel. Master, I see the great work. I see the work of thy sacrifice. And I find great rest and safety
there. Well, our text in John 1 verse
50 says, Jesus answered and said unto him, because I said unto
thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt
see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, verily,
verily, I say unto you, hereafter you shall see heaven opened and
the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man. Now at this time, they didn't
have the New Testament. We have the New Testament to
read. Nathanael didn't have that. The New Testament wasn't written
yet. All they had was the Law. And Nathanael has just met the
Christ. And over the next three years,
he's about to witness the New Testament being written. He's
about to watch it play out. He said, you're about to see
heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the Son of Man. Nathanael, behold, you're an
Israelite indeed. You're a descendant of Jacob. Jacob was the sinner. He was
the trickster, the supplanter. You're a descendant of that sinner. And I'm about to show you what
I showed your father Jacob. Turn with me over to Genesis
28. Genesis chapter 28 verse 10 says this, And Jacob went
out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a
certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was
set. And he took up the stones of
that place, and put them for his pillows, and laid down in
that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, a
ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven,
and behold the angels of God ascending and descending upon
it." Verse 16 says, And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and
he said, Surely the Lord is in this place. And I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How
dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house
of God, and this is the gate of heaven. This Christ is the
gate of heaven. That ladder is the Son of Man. God manifests in the flesh. Christ Jesus, the only mediator
between God and man. He's the door. He's the way. And He says to us now, Those
whom He's revealed the truth to. He says, because I've caused
you to believe for the rest of your days on this earth, you're
going to see heaven opened. And the angels of God, that word
means ministers, preachers, the angels of God ascending and descending
on the Son of Man. Everywhere they go, everywhere
they teach will be on the Son of Man, all the way up, all the
way down. It's Christ. It's Christ. It's all about Christ. The gospel is all about Jesus
Christ. Everybody's talking about the
gospel. Do you know what the gospel is? It's Jesus Christ. The gospel means good news, and
the only good news I know is the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven
came down. Christ was manifest in the flesh. Back in our text, in John chapter
1, Nathanael answered and said unto him, Rabbi, thou art the
Son of God. Thou art the king of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto
him, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree,
believest thou thou shalt see greater things than these. And
he sayeth unto him, verily, verily, I say unto you hereafter, you
shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the son of man. Oh, I pray that the Lord would
open the doors of heaven to us, reveal the truth to us, reveal
the son of man to us. I pray that the Lord would have
mercy on us and cause us to see who he is. See him high and lifted
up. See that He knows everything
about us. And all we can do is say, Lord,
have mercy on me, I'm a sinner. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord God bless His Word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. 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 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.