If that starts giving you trouble,
just turn it off. This is for us tonight. We need
to hear it. It'd be good for us. All right,
brethren, if you will turn to John chapter 8. Just a reminder, a week from
today, next Wednesday, there won't be a midweek service, but
we'll meet this Sunday and follow on Sunday, Lord willing, and
resume after that. John chapter 8, time of messages. You want to be glad? You want
to be glad? You want to rejoice? You want
to be happy? It ain't like it is on the TVs, and the movies,
and the commercials, and the postcards. It may look a little
bit different in shoe leather. Our Lord was speaking here in
John 8 to those Pharisees, and they had brought up Abraham,
all of these serpents. These hypocrites, these children
of darkness, these ones that the Lord condemned, every one
of them believed in election. Did you know that? Well, they
had their doctrine as straight as a gun barrel and just as empty.
They checked all the blocks. They did. They were the Lord's
people. They were the physical offspring of Abraham. They believed
in election, didn't they? And they brought up Abraham,
and our Lord spoke to them. He instructed them. We'll pick
up verse 51, John 8, 51. He said, Verily, verily, of a
truth of a truth, truly, I say unto you, if a man keep my saying,
he shall never see death. All the things he'd said up till
now, everything he said, leaving on him. You keep his sayings,
you'll never see death. Verse 52, Then said the Jews
unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil, Abraham's dead,
and the prophets. And thou sayest, if a man keep
my saying, he shall never take my life. Art thou greater than
our father Abraham, which is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom makest thou thyself? They
said, Who do you think you are? Jesus answered and said, If I
honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father that honoreth
me, of whom ye say, that He is your God. Yet ye have not known
Him, but I know Him. And if I should say, I know Him
not, I shall be a liker like unto you. But I know Him, and
keep His saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced
to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. God incarnate, the Messiah walking
this earth as a substitute for his people, the lamb he's provided
himself for. Abraham saw this. He knew this
was coming and he rejoiced. That word rejoice means jumping
for joy, ecstatic, elated, overjoyed to see the day of the Lord Christ. And when he saw that day, it
says he was glad. Glad is a verb. It means to be
full of cheer. I talked before about happy.
Happy comes from the word happenstance. It's every now and then. It ain't
all the time. But it's to be calmly happy. Calmly. That's contentment, isn't it?
It also means well-off. How you doing? I'm well-off.
I'm glad. I'm content. Abraham, throughout
the scriptures, known for his faith. For believing God. Not believing in God, but believing
God. Believing what God said. David
was known for his compassion, wasn't he? For love and tenderness.
Abraham is faith. Same way. Was all this cheering
and jumping up and down and dancing and everybody happy, happy, happy?
Was that all it was? Oh, no. This salvation is not
what the world thinks. This isn't health and wealth
and prosperity and you'll never see another cloudy day. Never
be sad again. That's not the case. No. This
believing God, seeing Christ, knowing Him, loving Him, following
Him. It's not all roses. It's not
all prosperity and health and wealth. No, sir. Turn to Romans
chapter 4. This is serious business not
to be made light of. And equally so, it's serious
gladness. This is serious contentment and
rejoicing. It's not fleeting, it's not momentary,
and it's not feigned. It's not pretend. It's lasting
and meaningful contentment, gladness. We should pay attention to Abraham.
He's the father of the faith and he's our pattern. Paul wrote
to us in Galatians. He said, Know ye therefore that
they which are of faith, those that believe God, his children,
the same are the children of Abraham. That's his spiritual
seed. That's his spiritual children. You know, Abraham was mentioned
a lot in the scriptures. I looked that up today. Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st
and 2nd Chronicles, Nehemiah, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
Micah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 2nd Corinthians,
Galatians, Hebrews, James, and 1st Peter. James said he was the friend
of God. The Lord wrote about his friend. The Lord moved those
pins to tell us something about Abraham. Maybe we ought to pay
attention to him. This is our example. This is
our pattern. We ought to learn how to be glad. We ought to learn
from Abraham, shouldn't we? Look here, you got Romans 4.
Speaking of Abraham, Paul writes here in Romans 4 verse 20. He
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith. giving glory to God and being
fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also
to perform. And therefore, it was imputed
to him for righteousness." There's four serious things here Paul
mentioned about Abraham. He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief. He believed God. You know what
he said? You and Sarah, your wife, Y'all
been married for 50-some years. She's 70 years old, you're 75.
You're gonna have a great nation." I believe him. For 25 years,
the Lord said, Y'all gonna have a child. And he didn't stagger. He didn't stutter a step. He
didn't say, I don't know if I can pull this off. Maybe he's talking
about something else. Now we see through his actions and doubt
and stuff. But he didn't stagger. He didn't
mock God. He didn't charge him with folly,
did he? He says, but was strong in faith. Not in head faith and
heart faith. How do we know there was a difference?
He acted on it. God told him to do something.
And what did he do? He did it. He said, come out
of Ur and the Chaldees. What did he do? He left Ur and
the Chaldees. Take Isaac up that mountain. You just talked about how that's
a strong brother. He's still sitting down in Ur
and the Chaldees, but he never left. But he's a strong... No,
he ain't. He was strong in faith. He believed God. giving glory
to God. He didn't say, I did this. You
know what? I left, I packed up, I brought Lot with me and I went
here and I went there and I obeyed God and I took Isaac up that
mountain and I saw the ram and I booted Hagar and Ishmael just
like, oh, Lord made me do that. How'd you come out of there?
God made me. His hand moved me. How could you do such a thing?
Oh, what strong faith you had. It wasn't me. It was him doing
it. He give glory to God and being fully persuaded. Oh, what
we could learn from that. I read these things and dwell
on these things throughout the week. And I think my faith ain't
worth even speaking of. Oh, what little faith I have.
He was fully persuaded. What's that mean? You ain't got
a backup plan. Do I have a backup plan? Well,
what if the Lord don't work it out the way I think he's going
to? Well, I got something to fall back on. That's what Paul
dealt with up there in Athens, wasn't it? They had an idol to
every god, and just in case their god wasn't god, they had an idol
to an unknown god. They had a backup plan. I believe
God. I don't think I have to be baptized
to believe, but I was baptized. I got a rope down here on a card
in my wallet. It's a backup plan, and he was fully persuaded. What if we lose it all? So what?
God said He was going to provide. I don't think He's lying. He
was fully persuaded. That's what Paul said. I'm fully
persuaded that He's able to keep that I've committed not unto
a doctrine, not unto a church confessional, not unto Spurgeon,
unto Him. I've committed unto Him against
that day. That's what it was. He was fully
persuaded, fully committed, and God's worth committing to. I
can't say it about nobody else. This one's worth committing to.
It's worth giving y'all to. It's worth taking your son up
a mountain and killing him for. Like Lot, it's worth giving you
two daughters for. He's worth it. He said, Your father Abraham
rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. How are
some of the ways that Abraham saw the day of the Lord and was
glad? It's not all of them, but I'm gonna go through a few of
them with you if we got time. If you will, turn to Genesis 12. Genesis chapter 12. The Lord came to Abraham and
spoke to Abraham. Here in Genesis 12 verse 1, it
said, Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country
and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land
that I will show thee. and I will make of thee a great
nation. I will bless thee and make thy
name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless
them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee, whom ye
hedged about. And in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed.' So Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken unto him."
God Almighty came to Abraham. God spoke to Abraham, commanded
him, told him what to do, told him how he was going to bless
him. And then what happened? That man that was strong in the
faith, that believed God, that staggered on at these promises.
We don't even have kids yet. What's he talking about? And we're too late already. Up
75 years old. He believed him and so Abram
departed. He acted. That faith acted. It
did something. Now you think about the man. You put yourself
in Abraham's shoes. Because it sounds so easy to
read. Well, the Lord called Abraham and he pulled him out. Abraham
had lived there in Ur of the Chaldees for 75 years. He'd lived
there. He knew that place. That was
home. You get that? It was home. That's where his barber shop
was. That's where he got his hair cut. And that's where he
went fishing. And he knew all the fruit trees around town.
He knew where he could go get him an apple or something, or
a fig. He knew every sweet spring of water. Just around the corner
over there, I know there's a well over there. He knew where the
water was, which one was best. There was a rock. Every time
he passed that rock, going to that heathen church he went to,
he thought, you know what, that's the place Sarah was sitting the
first time I kissed her. Isn't that sweet? That's where his
memories were. That's where his memories were.
Daddy whooped me over there. I remember that. Remember when I broke that
window out? All these memories he had. That's
the best fishing hole in the lake. I know right where it is.
This is where me and all my religious friends, we'd dress up a couple
times a week and we'd play with our idols. He was an idolater,
wasn't he? A religious man, superstitious
man. He went to church every week
twice on Sunday. Super religious. And they were
so zealous. Zealous. They did what they did
earnestly for God. There was a mountain. See that
mountain right there? That's the one we throw the little kids off
of to worship God. You think all Abraham's crew,
when he said, me and the boys will go up the mountain and worship.
Oh boy, he's slipping. He's backsliding. He was comfortable there. How
could that be gladness? To leave his home, his family,
his friends, everything he's ever knew. How could that be
gladness? Because he heard God. God called
him and that's rare. That's a rare, precious thing.
How could Abraham be glad in doing this? He saw Christ in
it. Christ revealed himself to Abraham and he spoke to him and
he called him out. Called him by name. People call
on the Lord, don't they? I grew up, they read the scriptures
and prayed in school whenever you started school. When everybody
started in the morning, they had, oh, that's good. Now I've got a heathen teaching
them what God they're praying to. I see them signs. There's always prayer in school
as long as there's tests, isn't there? There's always prayer
in a foxhole when the bullets are flying. Everyone calls on
God, oh God, help God, help me, Lord. If rent's due or the bullet's
flying, they call on him. But it's rare for God to call
on a sinner. That's a rare thing. That's a precious thing to be
spoke to by God. Our Lord said in Matthew 7, Not
everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father
will enter the kingdom. What's that will? He said, This
is the work of God, ye that believe on him whom he said. Believe
on the Son. How are you going to believe
on him if you ain't heard about him? How are you going to hear without
a preacher? He has to call. I can talk and talk and talk
and talk. Unless God is pleased to speak to the hearts of His
people, it ain't gonna happen. He has to do it. The Lord said,
many will say to me that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
thy name? Abraham did all kinds of prophesying,
didn't he? He had all kinds of idol play.
And in thy name we've cast out devils. We've done many wonderful
works. I'll profess to them, I never knew you. Depart from
me, ye that work iniquity. What's our hope? God has to come
to us. He has to come to His people. Abraham was glad. The Lord did not come and deal
with him and his sin. The Lord did not come and deal
with his guilt. The Lord didn't meet him in the condemnation
he rightfully earned. He came in mercy. Get you out. When we look at Lot the other
day, them angels came and said, get up and get out. Get everybody
you love, get them out of this town. Mercy. Judgment's coming. Destruction's
coming. Get out. He saw the day of Christ. He
rejoiced. He was glad. He saw the Lord. and he did not
stagger at his word. He didn't say, well, we're going
to live. He was strong in the face because he got up and he
got to walking, not knowing where he's going. And this wasn't Abraham's
idea. They said, oh, you're such a
strong man. He said, oh no, the Lord talked to me. The Lord came
to me. I didn't pick this. The Lord
told me what to do. You packed up. Yeah, he gave
me the strength to do it. He glorified the Lord and he was
fully persuaded. How do we know? He left earth.
He got to walking. You think on that walk as he
left earth, we'll put it in shoe leather. You think he passed
some trees that reminded him of home? He sure did. He kept on walking. Do you think
that he may have had some memories while he was walking on those
long days of loved ones and of memories of where he grew up
and things that were so precious to him? Of course he did. But
he kept walking. He kept walking. He staggered
not strong in the faith, gave glory to God, and he was fully
persuaded. And he was glad. because the Lord came to him
and spoke to him. The Lord was merciful to him.
The person of the Lord came to Abraham, and his work was declared.
He met him again. Genesis 14. Look over a couple
pages there. Genesis 14, verse 17. Genesis 14, 17. And the king
of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter
of Jeodileomer. And the kings that were with
him in the valley of Sheba, which is the Kingsdale, and Melchizedek,
king of Salem, king of peace, brought forth bread and wine.
And he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed
him and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor
of heaven and earth, and blessed be the Most High God, which hath
delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes
of all. Now wait a minute. Abraham just
defeated those four kings that had defeated five kings, didn't
he? Didn't he just take 318 farmhands and win this massive victory?
Now the kings are lined up that he rescued and about to give
him just pomp and circumstance and rewards and all these earthly
riches. We're going to keep the people, but you get all this
stuff. What a warrior we have! A great general. Before all those
praises come, before all that great wealth comes, Melchizedek
comes to Abraham. Abraham didn't go to Melchizedek.
Melchizedek comes to Abraham and he blesses him. Bread and wine. They observed
the Lord's table. He brought Christ to it. Christ
brought Christ to Abraham. And to Lord Jesus, the same night
which he was betrayed, he took bread, and when he gave thanks,
he broke it and said, Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken
for you. And do this in remembrance of
me. In the same manner, he took the cup, and when he had sucked,
he said, This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This is
Old Testament stuff. Yeah, the law hadn't even come
in yet. There was no mosaic law. This is the New Testament in
my blood. This do ye as oft as you drank it in remembrance of
me. How was this possible? The law wasn't even around yet.
That's the believer's rule of life. It's Christ. Not the law. How could Enoch
have walked with God if the law was our rule? How could Noah
have walked with God if the law was our rule? They had no rules. As far as man was concerned,
that's something that ruled them is in their heart, wasn't it? That
law of Christ ruled in their heart. If Christ's blood did
not free us from all the law, none of these men would be saved.
If he didn't free us from the moral law, Abraham died in his
sins. You understand that? That's the
only law he had. He had to free us. Was Abraham ashamed that he didn't
get to worship like all the other people? Israel did that, didn't
they? We want a king like everybody
else. We want our preacher to do this. We want him to go around
and visit little old ladies and have tea with people and visit
the sick. We want him to say prayers like
this. We want him to read this seven times a day. No, we'll
do it God's way. Wasn't it? Was Abraham ashamed
he didn't get to worship like other folks? No. He praised and
gave God the glory for the work that he accomplished. He agreed
with Melchizedek. He said, Amen. What was another
way he saw and was glad of Christ? That covenant of the Lord in
the heart. He gave circumcision to Abraham, didn't he? In Genesis 17. He had to circumcise
all of his house and himself. That faithful servant Eliezer,
he was there with him. He had to be circumcised. Eight
days and up. From eight days old to 80. It
didn't make a difference. If you was in my house, either
bought with money or born in this house, you're going to be
circumcised. How could Abraham be glad in
doing this? He was wrong. They didn't have lidocaine back
then, you understand? God gave this to him. He said, do it.
He did it. He was glad in doing it. Abraham is the one that God
spoke to, that God met with. He revealed his person and work
to Christ in substitution of his broken body and his bloodshed.
He said, you're going to be circumcised. What's that mean? Now we know
what that covenant means, don't we? That covenant of grace that
God does in the heart. He said, this is a token outwardly. But
how's that? What's that manifest? What really
is that? And shoe leather, what is that? You're different than
everybody else, Abraham. Out of all the nations on this
earth, you're different. You ain't like everybody else.
I've come to you. I've revealed my son to you.
You're different than everybody else. You're bought with a price.
You're different. You know who you are and whose you are. That makes all your decisions
change, doesn't it? The heart's different. It beats different
than other people. You see things from Christ our
high tower. We looked out there in the Psalms
the other day. Now we see His providence at play. We see His
will being performed. That changes how we... Do we
still show up at work on time? Yeah! You still work hard? Work
a little harder than others, don't you? You may quit a job
and get hired back that fast, huh? Before you leave the parking
lot. A little different. Different
than everybody else, because you know what it means to be
His. You know that covenant of grace. A natural man may not
think too much of this, but another believer will see it. Another
believer will know the difference. They'll see that working in them.
Now there's mercy where there never was mercy. Now there's
forgiveness and long suffering and loving kindness shed abroad
in our hearts. That's different. That wasn't
there before. Easy to speak with. The way they speak, the way they
think, the way they see things, it's different. What's another
way Abraham saw Christ in his day and believed him and was
glad? Abraham and Sarah got together
many, many years, 20 years went by. The Lord keeps saying, we're
going to have children. We don't have any children yet.
Sarah said, I got a great idea. We're going to put our hand to
the work. I got this little girl here,
Hagar, we got from Egypt. Go into her and have a child.
That's the means the Lord's going to use instead of waiting on
the Lord. They had Ishmael. Well, then
time came. Isaac, his little brother, little
half brother. And Sarah got mad. She'd been
mad at Hagar for 18 years. And she told Abraham to cast
them out. We have Isaac now. This is in Genesis 21 verse 10.
Wherefore she said unto Abraham, cast out this bond woman and
her son. For the son of this bond woman shall not be heir
with my son, even with Isaac. And the things which was very
grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. This was hard. Did he do this? Yeah, he loved
his son. That was his flesh and blood,
and he taught him how to shoot a bow and arrow, and he taught
him how to tie his shoes, and he took care of him when he was
sick, and showed him how to use a shovel and a hammer, everything.
That's his child. His teenage son would be with
him his whole life, whenever where he went. Grievous because
of a son, verse 12. And God said to Abram, let not
this be grievous in thy sight because of the lad and because
of the bondwoman. And all that Sarah hath said
unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. And also the son of the bondwoman
will I make a nation because he's thy seed. And Abraham rose
up early in the morning and took bread and a ball of water and
gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder. And the child
was sent her way. She departed and wandered in
the wilderness of her sheep. You think, in the next couple
of days, every time Abraham went to take a drink of water, he
picked a glass up and he thought, I wonder if they're out of water.
I gave them one bottle and sent them on their way in the desert.
You think they're out? You think it's hard on him? You
think he was glad when he did that? You think that was joyous
that he just clapped and did cartwheels and everything else?
That was his son that he loved. Lord told him, it'll be fine,
it'll be all right. Give him a bottle of water, give
him a loaf of bread, tell him to hit the road. And he did. He
staggered not. He was strong in the faith. How
in the world could Abraham be glad about this? If he is to
rejoice, if anyone's ever going to have true contentment, if
anyone's ever going to truly rejoice, if they're going to
truly worship God, it's going to have to be because they see
Christ. Feelings come and feelings go
and feelings are deceiving. That contentment. Get some out
of the deathbed. Put a pistol in somebody's mouth.
Now you're gonna see if rubber meets the road. How about diagnosis
come in? You got three months left. Or
we'll see then, won't we? The Lord's gonna prove it to
you. He had to see Christ in this.
That's what Paul was writing over in Galatians 4. He said,
tell me you that desire to be under the law. Don't you hear
the law? It's written that Abraham had two sons, one by a bondmaid,
by his hand, by the works, and the other by a free woman. But
that bondwoman was born after the flesh, and he the free woman
by promise. It goes on to say, so it was
written, we're not the children of the bondwoman, we're the free.
Abraham saw that, his heart was ripped out of his chest. He probably
couldn't sleep at night, tossing and turning, because that son
he loved left. And he said, but Christ, I see Christ in him.
That was my works, and the Lord put that away. Because His promise
will stand. What He's declared, salvation
that He's accomplished will stand. And he was glad. He was content. He was calmly
rejoicing, calmly acting. He said, this is right. This
is right. Last one. Abraham saw the day of Christ,
and he believed Him, and he was glad. And this is just, you see
how this builds. The Lord came to him and said,
lead me home. He did. And then here's how we're going
to worship God. Melchizedek come. There's going to be a body broken.
There's going to be blood shed for you. Christ in substitution. That's what this is. This is
how we're going to worship God. And then he comes, says circumcision.
Gave this covenant to him. You're going to be different
than everybody else. You're going to be like other people. You're
my people. And I'm your God. This is what you're going to
do. Now, what you put your hand to, those works of the flesh,
You thought it was such a good idea. Put that away. You're going
to stand by my word, by my promise. That's how you're going to be
saved. This keeps progressing on. You think it's a little rougher?
I had to leave home. That's pretty bad. Well, now
I can't play charts like my friends used to when I'd worship God
for real. With this funny business, now it's going to hit me where
I live. I'm going to be circumcised in
the flesh. And everybody in my house, well,
I don't like it. Well, you're going to do it or get out. You think there's some ripples
in them 318 men? You bet there was. Now kick out Ishmael. Now. This
is progressing, isn't it? He's growing in grace. The Lord's
growing him. The Lord's proving himself to him that Christ truly
did die for his people. He truly saved his people from
their sins. And you truly ain't got a hand
in it. It ain't up to you. It ain't dependent on you. He's
going to have him sacrifice his son Isaac. He said, you take
your only son that you love, take him up that hill and sacrifice
him. There was no backup plan. Did
you know that? He was fully persuaded. He didn't
have a rabbit. Well, just in case, I changed
my mind. In case the Lord don't come through, I'll cut this,
there'll be some blood. I got a couple of chickens in
a bag. No! Put the wood on that boy's back,
I got the fire, let's go. He said, Daddy, I got the wood
and the flame, where's the lamb? Son, the Lord will provide himself
for you. He thought, walking up that hill, he's going to kill
Isaac. And the Lord's going to raise him from the dead, because
he believed God. God said, through Isaac shall your seed be. That's
what we read over in Hebrews 11. By faith, Abraham, when he
was tried, offered up Isaac. And he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was
said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that
God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, And whence
he also received him in a figure." He knew he was going to receive
him in a figure. He knew Isaac was going to be raised up because
he knew down the road, Christ, the seed was going to be raised
from the dead. I believe God. He wasn't stumbling around in
the dark, was he? No, he was talking to God. Put yourself in Abraham's shoes.
You believe God. God said, sacrifice him. And
through him, my seed is going to come. And you believe him.
Now he got a knife, got that 15-year-old boy strapped out
there. 115-year-old man ties up a 15-year-old boy. I think
the boy believed. It was hard enough to tie up
a five-year-old, much less a 15-year-old, isn't it? And he got the knife
out. He was about to have piercing
food and quarter him, sacrifice him on that altar. Is that going
to physically hurt him? You bet it's going to physically
hurt him. Is blood going to be everywhere? You bet blood's going
to be everywhere of your only son. Is it going to smell like
iron? It's going to smell like iron.
God had to give faith to do that. In that, when was Abraham jumping
for joy? When was Abraham calmly happy
and content and glad? When he saw the ram in the thicket.
Christ said, when he saw my day, he was glad. He knew what was
going to happen. He knew Christ was coming, and
he saw that lamb. That ram stuck in the thicket
when he looked behind. Already there, walked right past him.
That angel spoke to him. Said, Abraham stretched forth
his hand, took the knife to slay his son. The angel from the Lord
came, called to him from heaven, said, Abraham, Abraham. He said,
here I am. And he said, lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither
do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest
God. That angel, the Lord knew he feared God. He just wanted
to put the fear in him. He said it out loud so Abraham would
know he's a good, I believe you. Amen. I believe you made me because
he gave all the glory to God. Now, I know that the fierce God
seeing now has not held by son, not only son for me and Abraham
lift his eyes and look to behold behind him a ram caught in the
thicket by his thorns. And Abraham went and took the
ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son. And he called that place Jehovah. How was Abraham glad? God came
to him, he revealed Christ's person and work to him, and in
him, he changed him, made him different, and proved to Abraham
that the Lord was his all in all. He proved to Abraham that
the faith he'd given him was faithful to Christ. He was who
he said he was, and the promises that he made were true. And he
shall save his people from their sins by making himself an offering
for their sins. He's going to have to become
Isaac. That ram's going to have to take Isaac's place. How am
I going to be saved? Christ's going to have to become me. Blood's going to have to be shed.
God's going to remain just, and He's going to justify His people.
You going to be glad? You ever truly want to be glad?
You're going to have contentment? You're going to have to see Christ.
You're going to have to see His day. His day. Now back in our
text. John chapter 8. Christ is God in human flesh,
the substitute, the kinsman redeemer, the lamb slain before the foundation
of the world, believers all in all. John 8, verse 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced
to see my day. He sought and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him,
Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Our sense of time just got blew
out of the water. Before he was, I am. This is the great I am
standing right in front of you. That great one that calls his
people. That great one that teaches them how to worship him. That
great one that changes them from inside out. That great one that
teaches them that Christ is our only hope and his blood and his
righteousness are nothing. Verse 59. Remember how his chapter
started? They brought him a woman and
adultery. They said, we're going to stone her? What say you? He
was going to stone a woman at the beginning of this chapter,
wasn't he? Or took her place. Look how it's
flip-flopped. Verse 59. Then they took up stones to cast
at him. Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going
through the midst of them, and so passed by. Because his hour
was not yet come, was it? It wasn't time. So I ask you, are you glad? Or do you still have rocks in
your hands? Does that make you happy? He did everything. If somebody's
going to be saved, God had to do it all. And it's because it
was His will. And it pleased Him to do so.
And nothing in us. And He does all the work. And
He gets all the glory. And His people will believe Him.
And they will have acting faith. And they'll be fully, plumb,
teetotally persuaded. Because they're plum saved. Does
that make you happy? Or do you want to kill him? No,
I won't have this man reign over me. I'm going to do something
he's worthy to be persuaded of. This one here. You said Him so plainly. Allow
us to hear Your voice when You come to Your people. Teach us
how to worship You. Give us a heart that believes.
Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. Thank You
for this scripture that You've given us. we ask. Amen.