Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. If you would, turn with me to
John 1. John 1. John 1, I'm gonna read verses
1 through 7, at least for now. John 1, 1 through 7. 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. 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. God Almighty, Jesus Christ, because
Jesus Christ is God, but God Almighty created all things. Had he been pleased, he could
have revealed himself right away to all those he was pleased to
reveal himself. It could have been through a
dream or through some kind of vision that he revealed himself
to us. But it did not please him to do it this way. When He
came into the world, the world did not know Him, although He
was the very light of men, is what this tells us. Jesus Christ
is. He has been, and the only way
we can say it is, He has been from the beginning. From all
the way this way, all the way that way, if you will. He created
all things, and it was all created for Him. Jesus Christ is the
Word. It's quite evident in this chapter
that the word is Jesus Christ. Amen. Jesus Christ is the light. Jesus Christ is the life. Amen. You don't have to turn to this,
but I want to read Genesis 1, verses 1 through 3 from Young's
literal translation. I just really like how it says
this. In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the
earth. I just like how it says that.
God was preparing the heavens and the earth for a specific
reason. Then in verse two it says, the
earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness is on the
face of a deep, and the spirit of God fluttering on the face
of the waters. I said this one time before,
but I see God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit in
these first three verses. Because verse three says, and
God saith. Let light be and light is. I just like how that says that.
And this is not used in the other places, this word where it says
and light is. The light is not the sun here, S-U-N. The light
is the sun, S-O-N. It says here and it uses a different
word when it says and light is. Elsewhere it says and it was
so, and it's not that word. And my point here being that
the word is the light and the word was from the beginning as
we read in our text. What we see here is Christ is
alpha and omega. We see that he created all things
and the end of that is God's rest. Everything that has been
done from the beginning was done by him and it was all done for
him. It was all done for his honor
and glory. God has a purpose, and that is
to glorify his son. But then we read here that a
man was sent of God. John, we are told here, was his
name. This man came for one thing. Here it tells us, and that is
to give testimony about the light. This is what I want to talk about
today. My title is We Do Testify. So I want to go through scripture
and talk about what John testified about and what we testify about. And I'm going to look at it in
this way. Number one, what God testifies. Number two, what the
law and the prophets testify. Number three, what the scriptures
testify. Number four, what the spirit
testifies. And number five, what John testifies. So number one, what God testifies.
Turn over with me to 1 John 5. 1 John 5. If you want to follow
along. 1 John 5. 1 John 5 and I want to read it
verses 10 through 12. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath
made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave
of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. God testifies to us that life
only comes by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You want eternal
life? It will come from Jesus Christ.
It is Jesus Christ who is precious in the sight of the Father. It
is Him in whom He is well pleased. He loves us in Christ, having
chosen us from before the foundation of the world, that in Him that
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. God
the Father loves the Son. His covenant is with the Son,
and this covenant includes a promise to the Son that He should have
a people for His namesake. Jesus Christ was set like a flint
to do the will of the Father. We are told that the will of
the Father is, all that the Father giveth Him, He would lose nothing. This Christ accomplished by His
work on that tree. The glory is in the Son, because
the love of the Father a people were promised, and these people
will glorify the Son. We read of another time where
God spoke and gave witness. In Matthew 17, we read, and Joe,
I got this from Joe last week, and I just love this, that he
pointed this out. But in Matthew 17, we read that
Christ took Peter, James, and John into a high mountain, apart
or away from everyone else. His face shined as the sun, it
says, and his raiment was white as light. Moses and Elias, or
Elijah, stood with him there talking with him, with Christ.
Peter, of course, was frightened at this sight, and Peter said
he wanted to build a tabernacle for each of them. And after Peter
said this, he hears, and we read the following in Matthew 17,
five. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them,
and behold, a voice out of the cloud which said, this is my
beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. God did
not say he was pleased with all of them, although in Christ this
is true. But he said, hear Jesus Christ
only. As Joe pointed out last week,
we see typified here the law and the prophets. So next we
have the law and the prophets. Testify. So what the law and
the prophets testify. So what is it here specifically
that the law and the prophets were testifying of on this mount? They spoke of him of his decease. They were speaking to Jesus Christ
about his death on that tree and what would have to take place,
what had to take place. We are not told specifically
exactly what they spoke about, but it was concerning his decease
for sure because it does say that. The law and the prophets
both show us the need of Jesus Christ dying in the stead of
those whom he loves. This is the sum and substance
of the law and the prophets. There is no speaking of what
power he might give those to keep his holy law. They spoke
of one thing, his decease, and that's the only hope for a sinner.
We read it in the following way in Romans 3, verses 21 and 22,
very familiar to you all. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe, for there is no difference. The law and the prophets both
testify that the righteousness of God without the law is by
the faith of Jesus Christ. That is Jesus Christ believed
he would be made a curse and sin for us and die on that tree,
yet he knew he would be brought back to life. He believed this
without doubt or fault. What else do we read of Moses
and what he said? Moses, a typification of the
law. Acts 3.22 we read, for Moses
truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall
you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. All these
things we have mentioned so far are in the scripture. All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and it is profitable. So we have
next what the Scripture testifies. What are we told by Peter when
he was speaking about this very time on that mount concerning
God's Scripture? 2 Peter 1, if you want to turn
there, 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1, verses 17 through 19. 2 Peter 1 verse 17. For he received
from God the Father honor and glory when there came such a
voice to him from the excellent glory. And this is on that mount.
And this is God speaking. This is my beloved son in whom
I am well pleased. And this voice which came from
heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mount. And
we have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do
well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark
place until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. God-inspired word is a more sure
word of prophecy than the sight that Peter, James, and John saw. that sight that made Peter afraid
and he spoke those words out of fear. We are given by God his holy
word and God tells us that it pleases him through the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. So having this word,
hearing this word, preaching this word, I would say is very
important. What did Christ tell those Jews,
those ones who wanted to kill him for healing on the Sabbath?
John 5, 39. Search the Scriptures, for in
them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which
testify of me. The Scripture, that God-breathed
collection of words we have before us in our Bibles. These words
testify of Jesus Christ. If you are trying to find anything
else in the scriptures, you are looking for the wrong thing or
you are looking for the wrong person. The only thing the scriptures
testify is Jesus Christ, the son of God. When we hear the
scripture, if we are one of his, we know that it's talking about
Jesus Christ because of what we have next, what the spirit
testifies. Jesus Christ tells us himself
in John 15, 26, But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which
proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. Christ tells us that the Spirit
will testify of Christ. The Spirit of God will testify
to us when we hear his gospel, that coming from whom God sends
to you with that gospel. The Spirit of God will testify
to you that you are hearing of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God
seals to our heart that new heart given by Him that Jesus Christ
is our life. He testifies to us that Jesus
Christ by His crosswork has made peace with God on our behalf.
He testifies that because of what Christ did and we can now
rest. I think Paula and I was talking
about this in the car. She was talking about, Harold,
she was talking to someone about Scripture and it was said that
the work we do by His Spirit is to rest. It is work because
of this flesh to rest only in what Christ has done. But this
is the work that the believer does, working to rest. That leads us then back to our
text, what John testifies. So John 1 verses 15 through 18,
let's read that. John bear witness of him. And
the word witness is the same as testify in a lot of cases.
John bear witness of him and cried saying, this was he of
whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred
before me for he was before me. And of his fullness have we all
received and grace for grace. Grace means favor. Christ has
favor and we receive favor because of that favor. For the law was
given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Do I look to the law for grace?
Where does grace come from? Jesus Christ. So I am not looking
anywhere else for grace and truth because both came by Jesus Christ
the Lord. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Does John here start telling
us what he thinks? Does it say here, John sayeth
to them, let me tell you what I think. John tells us here and
we see that the book of John even starts out by first telling
us about Jesus Christ. And then it tells us about John.
And now John is telling us that Jesus Christ is before him, even
though he came after him. He is telling us that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God. He is at one with the Father.
He is the I Am. We have received favor because
of the favor Jesus Christ has with the Father. Grace for grace. Grace and truth do not come by
the law. What comes by Moses, what do
you get from Moses? The law. What do you get? What you get is what you hear
and what you see, law. For the child of God seeing the
law is nothing but condemnation. You want to know or be a part
in or be being given grace and truth? It will come from Jesus
Christ alone and nothing else. If you are looking for something
else, you are looking for the wrong thing. And it's as simple
as that. I know you are seeing a common
theme here as I've went through all these things very briefly.
The theme is that all things were created by Him and for Him. Therefore, everything testifies
of Him. So if John testifies of that,
what is it that those he sends out to preach his gospel testify
of? What is it that those he gives life to testify of? Nothing
other than Jesus Christ and what he has done for life and acceptance
before God. So now my conclusion, what do
we testify? If all these things we have read
and went through briefly, testify of Jesus Christ, and that is
God, testifying that life is only found in the Son, Jesus
Christ. The law and the prophets, all
testifying that the righteousness of God without the law is the
faith of Jesus Christ, and that faith seen in His shedding His
blood on that tree. Scripture, from cover to cover,
speaking of Jesus Christ and His work. It may involve other
things in the Scripture, but it is all about Jesus Christ.
The Spirit of God testifies of Jesus Christ, and at no time
does it testify as to how good you are or how good we are doing. It is all about Jesus Christ.
John testified that he is not the Christ, but that the one
that came after him is before him, and that one is the light
of men. If all that is so, and it is,
do we then begin to testify of how we are to keep his law? Do
we testify that God has done all He can do and now it's up
to us? Do we testify of anything other than Jesus Christ? If we
do, we are adding to or taking away from God's Word. We are
testifying a lie. And what does God tell us in
Revelations 22, 18? For I testify unto every man
that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any
man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues
that are written in this book. Here is what we testify, 1 John
4, 14 says, and we have seen and do testify that the Father
sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Salvation comes
from Jesus Christ our Lord. If anyone begins to testify of
something else as being your way of salvation or your way
to get to God, they are lying to you. Man cannot get to God
by his doing, although man must do. What else do we read in John
1? Let's look at that. John 1 starting
in verse 8. He was not that light, but was
sent to, this is about John, 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,
there are some who receive him. To them gave he power to become
the sons of God, and here are the ones that receive him, even
to them that believe on his name. Here is why they receive him,
verse 13, 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. What do we see from our passage?
John was not that light, and neither is any man, other man
that light, even if he is bearing witness of that light. Jesus
Christ is that light. Jesus Christ gives breath to
every man coming into this world. He made it all and He made it
all for Himself. But yet the world knows it not.
We know Him not as we were born in Adam. That's what it says
next. He came to His own and His own
received Him not. But there are some who receive
Him. To those, He gave the right to become the sons of God. This
is not every single individual ever born. It is not everyone
that decides to follow Jesus. It is not those who decide to
make him Lord. It is told us here is everyone
who believes on his name. What does that mean? Everyone
that believes life comes by Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. Salvation comes by Jesus Christ
and Jesus Christ alone. Christ is our life and Christ
alone. That's what it means. It also
means that Jesus Christ is God. We often say it as Jesus Christ
and him crucified. We believe Him for who He is,
and that is God, and what He has done. Who He is is God. Light is. What He has done is save His
people from their sin. If you do this, that is believe
God, you are born, not of blood. You were not born into this thing.
You're not wheeled into it by yourself or by another. If you
believe him, then you are born of God. God himself has conceived
you and brought you forth. This one that you believe is
a man. That's what it ends with there
with our reading. He has felt, God Almighty has
felt what it means to be a man. He was made flesh and not only
that, he dwelt among us. but he did something no other
human being could do, paid the debt of sin I owe, satisfied
God and gave me life through himself, making me holy and without
blame before him in love. What do we find when we seek
Jesus Christ, when we testify of Jesus Christ? Grace. What does grace give us? Mercy. Forgiveness of sin. And I wanna
stop here for just a minute. If you find yourself where you
cannot forgive a brother, at least a brother, we're talking
about in Christ, why is that? Pride, pride. Thinking too much
of yourself, you're not thinking of Christ. What Christ does is
he causes me to be like that publican. God propitiate me,
thee, sinner. Forgiveness. We find repentance. We find righteousness. We find
life. What do we find when we seek
Jesus Christ? Truth. What does that truth give
us? And these are just a few. I'm
not naming everything, but comfort, boldness, humility, When we look
to Jesus Christ, we are looking at that one who is full of grace
and truth. There is nothing else to be had
that has any value before thrice holy God. What do you testify? I pray God, being full of grace
and truth, work in me both the will and to do of His good pleasure.
Cause me to testify of Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of
the world. Cause me to seek Him where I
will find rest for my soul. What about you? Amen. Our sovereign God, thank you
for allowing us here once again, dear Lord. And we thank you for
this place, dear Lord. We're blessed here to be able
to hear the gospel every Sunday for all these years, dear Lord,
and we thank you for that. Be with us, dear Lord. Be with
Walter as he stands up here. Open our hearts, minds, and ears,
dear Lord. and be with those who are not able to be here.
Comfort them, dear Lord. All these things we ask in Christ's
name. I've been overwhelmed with doubts
and fears. When storms of sin Leave me to this divine retreat
My perfect righteousness and blood I rock my fortress and
my God When guilt lies heavy on my soul, And waves of death's
temptation roll, I'll to the rock for shelter flee, And take
my refuge, Lord, in Thee.