What is that to Thee?

Q: What does the Bible say about God's will for our lives?

The Bible reveals that God's will is pivotal in determining the course of our lives and providing us guidance. In the sermon, it is emphasized that God's will is not a burden but a refuge for believers. Scriptures such as Jeremiah 10:23 affirm that the way of man is not in himself; God directs the steps of His people. The will of God encompasses His providence for each individual, reflecting His wisdom and care in how He meets each of us where we are. Believers are encouraged to submit to God's will, recognizing that it is for their highest good and His glory, signifying a relational trust in God's ongoing work in their lives.

Q: Why is following Jesus important for Christians?

Following Jesus is crucial for Christians as it signifies obedience, love, and alignment with His mission. In the text, the directive 'Follow thou me' from John 21 is repeatedly mentioned to underscore the importance of personal devotion to Christ. This calling to follow Jesus goes beyond mere acknowledgement; it is about living a life out of love for Him and in obedience to His commands. This relationship is deeply personal and requires prioritizing Christ above all else, which is portrayed in Jesus’ examination of Peter's heart. By following Christ, believers participate in His ministry and discover their unique purpose within the body of Christ, ultimately glorifying God through their lives.

Q: How can we trust in God's promises?

Trusting in God's promises is rooted in acknowledging His sovereignty and faithfulness as revealed in Scripture. The sermon asserts that God's promises are founded on His divine power, which enables believers to rest in His will. When Jesus says 'If I will,' it affirms that His authority governs all aspects of life, giving Christians hope and assurance in His plans. Scriptures like Hebrews 10:37 remind us that although we may wait, God’s promises will be fulfilled in His perfect timing. This trust is cultivated through prayer, reading Scripture, and experiencing God’s faithfulness, which encourages believers to rely on His will rather than their own understanding, knowing that God providentially cares for each of His children.

Q: What does it mean to love Jesus above all?

Loving Jesus above all means prioritizing Him in our hearts and lives, reflecting our devotion and commitment. The text emphasizes the heart issue of love in the relationship between Jesus and Peter, where Jesus repeatedly asks, 'Lovest thou me?' This reiteration highlights the significance of an authentic relationship with Christ, characterized by deep love and commitment. Loving Jesus more than others or past lifestyles indicates a transformative relationship where His followers prioritize their affection for Him above all earthly relationships or former ways of living. As stated in the sermon, true love for Christ translates into action, such as feeding His sheep, which reflects how genuine love for Christ compels believers to serve and nurture others within the faith community.

Here in John 21, it shows us
here that our Lord shows himself to his disciples in different
ways. It says there in verse 1, After these things Jesus showed
himself, or made himself known, or revealed himself again to
the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and on this wise he showed himself,
or in this particular way. And our Lord shows himself, makes
himself known to his people, according to their need. According
to their need. Now, their need this night, you
know, they had toiled all night. Simon Peter went back fishing,
and all the fellows went with him, all the rest of them. And
they had caught nothing. And look what it says there in
verse 5. The Lord did come to them, and he met them where their
need was. He saith unto them, Children,
have ye any meat? have ye got anything to eat?
They answered him, No. And look what he said unto them.
He saith unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the
ship, and you shall find. You shall find plenty. They cast
therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude
of the fishes. So they hadn't caught anything.
They labored all night long. And the Lord says, You ain't
caught anything. You ain't got anything. No, no, we don't. That's
what we have to do. We're honest with the Lord. And
He says, Well, this is what you do. You do this, and you'll have
more than you know what to do with. So He meets us where our
need is. And then after they had dined,
the Lord Jesus says, come and dine to them after they got back
to shore and pulled it all. And there was a fire there and
bread and fish. And that's a mystery, you know.
It just goes to show us the power. Here they are. They're hungry.
They've labored all night. And they hadn't even got the fish
that they'd caught yet to shore. And the Lord Jesus already had
fish and bread on the fire and told them, come and dine. They're
hungry. And he just says, come and dine. He didn't say, would
you like to? I'd like for you to. I invite you to. He just
said, come and dine. And where'd that fire come from?
Where'd those fish come from? Where'd that bread come from? The master's going to see that
his children are fed. And then he comes This is the
third time that he had shown himself to his disciples after
he had risen from the dead. Then he begins to search the
secrets of Peter's heart with the threefold question in verse
15. So when they had dined, Jesus
saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me
more than these? Do you love me more than these
other disciples? Do you love me more than the
life that you lived before more than this fishing? Lovest thou
me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord,
thou knowest that I love thee. And he saith unto him, Feed my
lambs. He saith again a second time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest
thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord,
thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him a third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou
me?" You know it's a strange question that Simon had denied
the Lord three times. The Lord asked him three questions.
Never condemned him. He just searched his heart. Searched
his heart. And he saith unto him the third
time. I mean, all these other fellows are listening. The Lord
zeroed in on Simon Peter. And Peter was grieved because
he saith unto him the third time. He says, there's something evidently
wrong with me that the Lord just keeps asking me. It may be something
about me I don't know. And he was grieved, he said,
the first time he said unto him, then on, here's what he said,
Lord, thou knowest all things. You know everything about me.
You know things past, present, and future. You know all things
that could be and all things that will be. And you especially
know me, and thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto
him, Feed my sheep. Now, beloved, it's hard. You
know, our Lord Jesus here, this is one of the most severe examinations
to the gospel ministry. Now, he told Simon three times,
Feed my lambs, that's the babies, that's the babes. Twice, feed
my sheep. That's all a preacher's supposed
to do. Nothing else. Not supposed to discipline them,
not supposed to throw them out of the church or bring them into
the church. That's not our business. Not to reform the church, not
to set the church straight. Our business is to feed the sheep.
And look what he says here now. And our Lord Jesus, what He does
here is He has to do with the heart. He speaks to Simon Peter's
heart. Sayeth unto him, this is a heart
issue. Love's a heart issue. Lovest
thou me? Lovest thou me? Lovest thou me?
These are heart issues. It has to do more with the heart
than the head. It was a test of love. And no
matter the education, no matter the education, there must be, there must be
a heart love, a heart submission, a heart devoted to Christ, to
the Lord Jesus. That's the test. And that's the
best ministry. That heart that submitted in
love and devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ. And Peter confessed
his love to the Lord Jesus. Confessed his love to Christ
more than all the rest of the disciples. I love you more than
I love these other disciples. I love John. I love James. I love Matthew. I love Thomas.
I love these men. I do. I love them. They're my
brethren. We have traveled many a mile
together, and preached together, and worked together, and labored
together, and fished together, done lots of things together.
And he said, and I love these disciples, but I love you more.
I love my brethren, but my brethren will not hold a light to the
love that I have for you, the love that I have for them. And
it's because of my love for you and your love for me that I love
them. And so Peter confessed his love to the Lord Jesus Christ,
And then our Lord told Simon Peter the painful death, the
painful death that he would die to glorify God in his death.
And he says in verse 18, Verily, verily, I say unto you, truly,
truly, I say unto you, when you was young, you put on your clothes,
clothed yourself, you walked wherever you would, you went
where you'd go. Wherever you wanted to go, that's what you'd
do. But when you get old, you're going to stretch forth your hands,
And another is going to bind you and carry you, take you where
you wouldn't go. And what does he mean by this?
This spake he signified by what death he should glorify God. He says his death would glorify
God. You know, when our Lord Jesus
went to raise Lazarus from the dead, He says, you know, his death
is but for the glory of God. He said he died for the glory
of God. God's going to be glorified by
this death. And beloved, he says, you're going to die a death that's
going to glorify God's, going to glorify me, going to glorify
your relationship to me. And when he has spoken this,
he said this unto him. Follow me. Follow me. Now, if our Lord Jesus Christ
had been dead, this is the third time it appeared to him. Follow
me. Follow me. And Peter never complained. He
never asked him about his death. He never asked him when he was
going to be, how it was going to be, how painful it would be. He never asked him any of that,
what year it would be. You know, he told over there
in his own epistle, he says, the Lord has showed me I soon
shall put off this my tabernacle. Shortly, I'm going to put this
body down. Shortly, I'm leaving this world. And so here he goes. And he never complained. He accepted
it as the will of God. But he became concerned to know
how John was to end his life. Now look what it says in verse
20. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus
loved. He was falling alone. They evidently were walking.
And this is the same disciple which leaned on the Lord's breast
and suffered, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
Remember, John asked, Lord, who is it that betrayeth thee? And
he said, he that dippeth his bread in the sock with me. And
then Peter saith to Jesus, saith him, ask the Lord this, and seeing
him fallen, and he says, Lord, and what's John? What's going
to be the end of John? What shall this man do? What's
John going to do? And our Lord said unto him, If
I will that he tarry till I come, what's that to thee? Follow thou
me. Now that's what I want to talk
about. If I will. If I will. What's that to you?
If I will, what's that to you? If I will that he tarry and he
stays here For 2,000 years or 3,000 years or however long it
is until I come again, what in the world does that have to do
with you? I didn't tell you, I wasn't talking to you about
John, I was talking to you about you. I was talking to you about
following me. I was talking about your relationship.
You're the one that I was talking to about feeding the sheep. You're
the one I was talking to about feeding the lamb. If I will that
he tarry and stay right here until I come, what's that your
business? That's what he's saying. What's
that your business? The Lord, the answer that our
Lord Jesus gave Peter here reveals his unique methods and his matchless,
matchless character. He said, if I will, if I will,
and this I here, if I will, this I here stretches from the very
deepest, deepest parts of humanity to the very highest throne of
God in heaven. If Christ says, I will, to a
woman that's got seven devils, something's going to happen.
If He says, I will, to a dead man, something's going to happen. And, O Beloved, it reaches to
the heart of a man all the way to the heart of God. This I does.
And this I reaches all the way to eternity past. And all the
way to eternity to come. And these words of Christ reveal
to us, first of all, I want you to look at it this way. First
of all, it reveals the way He views life. The way He views
life. And our Lord, His will, His eye
was always on the great issues of life. He didn't deal with
trivial things. He didn't deal with the mundane
things of life. Our Lord, His will, His eye was
always on the great issues of life. No place for curiosity
for curiosity's sake. He didn't just ask questions
and that just for curiosity's sake. And that's why he says,
what's that to thee? Simon Peter wanted to know what's John going
to do? What are you going to do with John? How's John going
to die? How's John going to live? What's
going to be the end of John? Our Lord said, that's not your
business. That has nothing to do with you. What's that to you?
Follow thou me. And what he said, we must have
our eyes and our will taken up with him. We need to be more
anxious to follow Christ and not contrast our experience with
the experience of others. And that's what Simon's going
to do. What kind of experience is he going to have? This is
my experience. This is what you said is going
to happen to me. So what's going to happen to him? Never contrast
our experience with others, either in this life or especially in
death. Every one of us have different
experiences. Every one of us have different personalities.
Every one of us, God deals with us as we are, where we are, when
I need that we're in. He meets people where they are.
And, oh, He told, you know, you told me what's going to happen
to me. What about him? What about John? He said, oh,
my. We're talking about life here.
We're talking about your heart, your love. You're following me.
Your business is to feed my sheep. Your business is to follow me.
I'll take care of John. I've got a will for John. I'm interested in you. You ought
to be interested in what my will is for you. That's what he's
saying here. And his method of working, not only that, but his
method of working, if I will that he carry it till I come,
what's that to you? If I will, he doesn't deal with
these disciples in a way of uniformity, and I'm grateful for that. He
doesn't set up a rigid law that says, now you all got to act,
every one of you got to act just this way, and I'll deal with
every one of you just this particular way. I'm going to deal with all
of you mechanically. I'm going to deal with all of
you like you're a bunch of, you know, you're all exactly the
same, you think the same, you feel the same, you're going to
have to act the same, you're going to have to feel the same, you're going
to have to experience the same, you're going to have to, everybody's
got to do the same. I thank God that our Lord Jesus
don't deal with us that way. If He dealt with us that way,
then what would we do? There would be none of us feeling
like Christ was ours and ours alone, that He was dealing with
us personally. If He dealt with all of us exactly
the same. But our Lord is too wise, too
powerful to allow this. He deals with each individual
disciple. Every single one of them. John
was that disciple whom Jesus loved. He met Nicodemus where
Nicodemus was. He met the woman at the well
where she was. She had been married five times. She'd come out there in the middle
of the day. He had met her where she was. He met Simon Peter where
he was when he denied him. John was that disciple whom Jesus
loved. He met Thomas Didymus when Thomas
says, I will not believe unless I see. He met Thomas where his
need was. If that's what it takes, Thomas,
here it is. He deals with us individually. He dealt with His
own mother different ways at different times. Oh, my. And, oh, beloved, and
He deals as them specially considered. Each and every one of us, He
has a providence for every child of His and Him only. Look, you
take John. He asked about John. You know
how long John lived? John was way, way up in his nineties. He wrote this gospel. He wrote
three little epistles, what we call little epistles, 1st, 2nd,
3rd John, and he wrote the Revelation. He was exiled to the Isle of
Patmos, and they tried to kill him time and time and time. They
put him in the boiling oil one time, history says, and says,
we'll cook him alive. But he was like Daniel in the
lion's den. That lion laid down like a kitty,
and Daniel walked down and slept on him that night. They put the
three Euphrates children in a fire furnace, heated seven times,
and they walked out of it, not even with the smell of smoke
on them. And John, when they put him in
that boiling oil, brought him up out of there, and he was just
like he was before they put him in there. So you see, our Lord has a different
providence for every single one of us. He deals with us where
we are and how we are. And ain't you grateful for that? And oh, that's why He says He
calls His sheep by name. What that means, He calls them
by their individual nature. Whatever it takes to call you,
deal with you, and bring you, and teach you, and instruct you
by your nature and how you think and how you feel, that's the
way He's going to go after you. Huh? The same message you take
to reach me may not be the same message you take to reach you.
The same trial that it would take to try you may not be the
same trial it would take to try me. He deals with us as individuals. And ain't you grateful for that?
And I tell you, I know this about Him. If I will that He tarry
till I come, what's that to you? And He'll deal with them, He'll
deal with every one of His children for their highest good and His
highest glory. I do know that. I know that.
And then look at His glorious power. Look at His power. Divine power. He says, If I will. Ain't that what He says there
in verse 22? If I will, Daddy Terry. And what a will is this? If I will. What will is this? What a will is this? What a refuge,
what a refuge for a weary, troubled, trembling, confused, heartbroken,
tearful, fearful soul, if I will. You know, His will, and I've
thought a lot about this, His will is not a burden for us to
carry, but it's a pillar for us to rest on. A lot of people
make the will of Christ, the will of God, to be a great burden.
They make it to be a great burden. They make it to be a great weight.
They make you know if you don't do the will of God, this is going
to happen. If you don't pray, if you don't do this, don't do
that, then the will of God is going to come down hard on you.
He said, if I will, if I will, on a blessed place to rest, if
I will, if I will, Think of the dignity. Think of the authority. Think of the almightiness. Think
of the power that's in these words. If I will. If I will. He has but to will. Has but to
will. That's all he has to do is to
will. If I will. That's what's going to happen.
Let me show you that. Look over here at Psalm 135. If I will. Psalm 135 verse 6. If I will. Look what he says
here. If I will. He has but to will. whatsoever the Lord pleased. That did he in heaven, and in
earth, in the seas, and all deep places. Does that leave anything
out? Look at Daniel 4.35 with me just
a minute. I know I've quoted this so many
times, but look over there. Let's look at this together.
Oh my, if he wills to bless, who can curse? If God wills to bless, who can
curse? If God wills to keep you, who
in the world can harm you? If God's will is over you, and
Christ says, if I will, that's what you're going to, if I will,
And that's what I'm interested in. That's what I want to rest
in. That's what I want to know. That's why we're dinosaurs. If
I will, that's why we say, Lord, if you will, I'll go here. If
you will, I'll do that. If you will, I'll go. And here
in Deuteronomy, Daniel, chapter 4 and verse 35. And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing. And this is a king speaking here,
O Nebuchadnezzar. And watch this, "...and he doeth
according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth, and none can say his hand, or say
unto him, What doest thou?" And that's what our Lord is telling
Simon Peter. If I will that he turn till I
come, what's that to you? What a glorious power, what a
glorious divine power, what a refuge for us to hide in. When Saul
was seeking David, you know what David found his refuge in? The
will of God. Do you know what Christ found
His refuge in? When He got in the garden against
him and then He prayed till His sweat became, as it were, great
drops of blood. Do you know what He found His
refuge in? Not my will, but thine be done. Father, if it's Your will that
I take this cup, I'll take this cup. And oh, beloved, if He wills
to bless us, who in the world can curse us? If He wills to
keep us, who's going to destroy us? You're talking about how
much safer, how much more right can our lives be than if I will? How much more safe can we be
than in the will of Christ? Huh? How much safer can we be? How much more right can our lives
be? People say, oh, if my life was
this, if my life was that, if this was that, how much more
right can it be than if I will? Right now, He says, if I will.
You're right now in His I will. Whatever that may be, right this
moment, right this time, whatever's going on, you're in I will. And, oh, beloved, if I am sheltered
under thee, if I will. That's why we say, Lord, not
my will, but thine. Have thine own way, Lord, have
thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the
clay. Let me show you a verse over here, Jeremiah 10, verse
23. This is why we need the will
of Christ. This is why it's such a... Jeremiah 10, verse 23. This is why we find the I will
of Christ so precious to us. The I will of Christ. He says this, and this is why
we find it. Oh Lord, I know that the way
of man is not in himself. I know that the way of man is
not in himself. I'm going to, you know, and this
is, we learned this ourselves. We find this out ourselves. We
went our way, we went our wills, we decided what we was going
to go, where we was going to do, what kind of life we was
going to have, until the will of Christ came into picture.
It's not in man to know the way. If it's not in man, I know that
the way of man is not in himself. He ain't got sense enough to
take care of himself. He ain't got sense enough to,
as they say, not get in out of the way. He'll destroy himself if he's
left to himself. He will absolutely destroy himself
utterly. He'll sit and eat off of God's
table and come and hear the gospel and walk away from it, never
enjoying the grace of God. Destroy himself, leave himself
to... And that's why he says, if I
will... Thank God that's not in me. I
know that it's not in me to know my own way. I know this, that
the way I take is not God's way until He puts me in the way.
My ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts.
Thank God they're not. You thought I was altogether
one like you, but I'm not. And oh, listen, watch what he
says. It is not man in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Oh, the steps of a just man. What's to say? They're ordered
by the Lord. And I'm going to read you another.
You'll have to look at it. A man's heart devises his way,
but the Lord directeth his steps. Go down to Potter's house and
look. I've went down to Potter's house. I've seen. Oh, Lord. He puts that clay on
the wheel and he starts working at it. It's going to come out
the way he needs for it to do. It's going to be his vessel.
Whatever it takes to make it and to mold it and to shape it
and to feel it and to use it, he will. If I will. And then talk about his abiding
presence. So back over here in John 21. Oh, what a power in
that, if I will. What a resting place, what a
refuge, what a refuge. And then we have his abiding
presence. Jesus says there in verse 22,
If I will that he tarry till I come, what's that to thee?
Follow thou me. His abiding presence, follow
thou me. He says, I'll be with you. I'm
going to, you know, I'm going to always be with you. You just
follow me. And you know, he's going to go back to glory. He's
still yet, he says, follow me. He's already went to the grave
and raised from the grave. This is the third time he's appeared
to him. And he's going to go back to glory. He said, I'm going
to send back to the Father. He's done told him. And he says
this, follow me. How are we going to follow you,
Lord, if you're not here? Follow me. And, oh, beloved, I'll tell you
this, don't lead. Don't lead. We're not to lead,
we're to follow. Sheep follow the shepherd. And
our Lord Jesus is always with us, and He'll always be with
us to the very end. He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll never forsake you. I'll be with you unto the end.
Always. Paul says this, Therefore I will
not fear what man shall do unto me, for the Lord is my helper.
And I'll tell you, beloved, do you know how He's with us? I'll
tell you how He's with us. He's with us by His Word. He's
with us by His Word. Look over here in John 6.63.
He's with us by His Word. Right now He's with us by His
Word. He's with us by His Word when
we sit down to read. He's with us by His Word when
He calls things to our mind. He's with us by His Word by verses
of scriptures that come to our heart, come to our understanding.
With us by His... A lady wrote me the other day
and was going through some things. She said, do you have any scriptures
that will help me? Have anything you can say to
help me with the sorrow and grief and sadness I have? The first
thing I wrote her says this, I said, he was a man acquainted
with grief, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. So
I tell you, you're just partaking of what he went through. That's
what he says, you know, we're going to fill up the sufferings
of the body of Christ. He suffered grief and sorrow,
why shouldn't we? He shed tears, why shouldn't we? And Peter says, and he is a man
who knew what trials was. He said, think it not strange
concerning the five trials which shall try you, as if something
strange happened to you? Isn't that strange? And oh, he's with us by his word.
Look here in verse sixty-three, John six. It is the spirit that quickeneth,
the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you. They are spirit, and they are
life. The words that I speak unto you,
they're spiritual words. They're life-giving words. They
come from my mouth, they come from my heart, they come from
my will, they come from heaven itself. These words that I speak
unto you, the flesh don't profit anything. What I'm telling you,
Do all you can in your flesh, and it won't profit you nothing.
It's the words that I speak unto you, they're the ones that brings
the Spirit of God with it. They're the ones that bring life
with it. And oh beloved, and let me tell you something, we
can't separate Christ the living Word. Christ was the Word by
which God created this world and upholds it. Christ was the
eternal Word. God spake and it was done. Christ
was the Word by which God accomplished everything in this universe.
And that eternal word, that living word became flesh and dwelt among
us. And that living word dwells and
you can't separate Him from this written word because it tells
us about Him. That's why I said He opened the
understanding that we might understand all things written in the Psalms,
in the Prophets, and in the law concerning me. And oh beloved,
So I tell you, this business of separating Christ from the
living Christ and the written Word, no, no. It's Christ. Christ. And not only is He with
us by His Word, He's following me. How are we going to follow
Him? By His Word. By what He tells us in His Word. And then
He's with us by His Spirit. He said, I go away, but I send
you another Comforter. Even the Spirit of truth, He
shall abide with you. And the Scripture says in Romans
8, 9, if any man, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,
he's none of His. It's Christ in you that's the
hope of glory. And the Scripture says this in
Romans 8, 16, we know that we are the children of God. How
do we know? The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit
that we're what? The children of God. Huh? If we receive the witness of
men, how much greater is the witness of God? Oh, He's witnessed by His Spirit.
And it's by His Word and by His Spirit that we follow Him now.
That's how I know what He says. That's how I know where He's
at. You go somewhere where the Gospels preach, you go somewhere
where the saints of God love Him, and we're walking in His
steps. We're walking where He is. We're
following Him. Angels moved at his beck and call. Angels
counted a great delight to do his will. John Newton, we sung
that hymn that he wrote this morning. John Newton said, if
God sent two angels from heaven, one to rule the kingdom and another
to sweep streets, He said it wouldn't make any difference
whichever one of them they'd done, because they delighted
in doing what the Father sent them to do. Now, we're not that
way. We don't want to sweep the floor. We want to hand the broom to
somebody and tell them to do it. That's the way we are. But, oh, beloved, grab that broom.
And that's what our Lord is saying. What a privilege! What a privilege!
If angels move, and He's beckoned, called, and obeyed, and does
His will with such great delight, what a privilege it is for us
to follow Him, find Him in His Word, follow Him in His truth,
by the Spirit, by the Word. And I know we sometimes follow
Him, sometimes we, like those disciples, we follow Him afar
off. Sometimes we follow Him away far off. But you know what? God, in His
grace, God, in His grace, continues to cause us to follow Him. And
you know what He'll do? He'll wait for us. He'll bring
us to where we catch up with Him. I'm grateful for that. He'll
keep us where we catch up with Him. I've been far off, but the
next day I'm right there behind Him again. Have you all ever
experienced that? I was way off yesterday, but this
morning I'm right behind Him. And then look what it talks about,
not only His abiding presence, follow thou me. But He said again
there in verse 22, Jesus said unto him, If I will that it tarry
till I come. He says, if they tarry until
I come, watch that to thee, follow thou me. This tells us that He's
coming again until I come. This is the third time in John's
Gospel. where our Lord mentions His coming
again. You remember He told them, He says, I go to prepare a place
for you, and I will, I will come again. I will come again and
receive you unto Myself that where I am, there you may be
also. I will come again. And then He told them over there,
He says, I will, I will be with you. And you know, I'm going away,
but I'll be with you. I'll come again. I'm going to
be with you in presence. And beloved, here he says, until I come. You know, the first time he came,
he came to suffer for his people, to put their sin away by the
sacrifice of himself, to bury them in his own body on the tree.
Well, let me show you this. Let me show you Hebrews 9. Let's
look at this real quick together. Hebrews 9. He came the first time to suffer
for His people, to put their sins away, to be a representative
for them, to suffer for them, to bear their shame, to bear
their guilt, to bear their wrath, to bear the justice of God in
their stead, to fulfill the law in their room. It says in verse
26, For then must he have often suffered
since the foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the
world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, and add to this the judgment." Now watch this,
so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, now listen
to it, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time, not as a sin sacrifice, not as an offering for sin. Without
sin. Sin has been put away. We don't
need another sacrifice for sin. But those who will look for Him.
I'm looking for Him. Are you looking for Him? Unto
them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without
sin, and that's when we're going to be blood saved. The first time we saw Him. Look
here in Hebrews 10, verse 37. The first time we saw Him, we
saw Him on the cross. Oh, I could look with anchored
eyes. I looked with languid eyes, and
there's that man on that cross, and those eyes seemed to accuse
me of his death. And I looked again, and those
same eyes looked on me, and they said, I forgive. I forgive, freely
forgive. Yes, my sins was charged to you
and made you go to death. But yet the very life which I
kill is the life by which I now live. And oh, we saw Him the
first time on the cross for us, bearing our sins for us. You
know, the next time we'll see Him, we'll be on His throne.
He'll be in His glory. He'll be in His power. He'll
be in His majesty. And here in Hebrews 10.37 says
this, For yet a little while, just a little while, just a little
while, Just a little while, I was 20
years old. A little while ago, I was 20
years old. Just a little while ago, I was
30. A little while ago, I was 40. And a few minutes ago, I was
50. Just a few minutes ago. Just a few minutes ago, I brought
Josh home from the hospital. Sit down in a chair with him,
rock him to sleep. Verse 1, to rock him to sleep at home. He'll
be 21 years old tomorrow. That's just a little while. And
the Lord said, what does he say here? For yet a little while.
And he that shall come will come. And will not tarry. And let's see where he's at,
Revelations 11, and then I'm through. Revelations 11. You know, the
Lord Jesus prayed in His high priestly prayer, and He says,
Father, I will that Thou whom Thou hast given Me be with me
where I am, that they may behold My glory, which I had with Thee
before the world was. That's if I will. Father, I will.
Well, if I'm in that will, I'll see if it's glory. Revelation
11, 15, And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign
for ever and ever. And how long is it going to rain?
Forever and ever and ever. Oh, my. If I willed an eternal
icon, what's it to you? Father, may. Oh, that will of Christ. What
a soft, easy yoke it is. What an easy yoke it is. What
an easy yoke. Oh, our Father, Our Father, our
blessed, blessed Savior, thank you for your will. Thank you
for making us see your will, know your will, rejoice in your
will, find comfort in your will. Thank you that one day your will
crossed our paths and you made us willing in the day of your
power. And now we willingly, willingly follow your will, delight
in your will, rejoice in your will. God open hearts today,
open understandings, save you people in this place. And Father,
we thank you for the food that's been prepared today. Thank you
for the hands that prepared it, the love, the care that went
into it. And do bless our time together this afternoon that
we can enjoy one another's company, not be in any hurry, but to visit,
to talk, to rejoice in the love that we have for one another.
and find comfort in the love that you've given us and you've
given us for each other. We thank you for it in Christ's
name. Amen.

What is that to Thee?

What does the Bible say about God's will for our lives?

Why is following Jesus important for Christians?

How can we trust in God's promises?

What does it mean to love Jesus above all?

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What is that to Thee?

What does the Bible say about God's will for our lives?

Why is following Jesus important for Christians?

How can we trust in God's promises?

What does it mean to love Jesus above all?

Sermon Transcript

About Donnie Bell

Comments

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