Let's get started I Would ask you to turn to the
gospel according to John chapter 1 The gospel according to John
chapter 1 what I want to deal with in general Is the account by John concerning
John the baptizer John was a Baptist not in the
sense of the modern day denomination, but really that is all that the
term Baptist means is a baptizer. And if you're not a Baptist,
you're not holding to the truth of God. That's just a fact. I don't care if you're a Methodist,
Joe, you still ought to baptize in water in the name of the father,
the son, the Holy ghost, because that's the method. But anyway,
I want to deal with Job the Baptist, generally speaking. Now, before
I read any passage this morning, let me say these few words to
you. As with all Scripture, and I mean all Scripture, whether
I can take you to every Scripture and prove this to you or not
is not the point. I know it's true. All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and it is profitable. So as with
all scripture, and as with all men sent of God, all men sent
of God, from the apostle down through prophets, and to evangelists
and pastor teachers, all men sent from God, as with all of
this, Christ is the sum and substance of what they have to say. Christ is the central theme of
what they seek to teach. Christ is the central subject
of all things pertaining to God. If a man claims to be speaking
to the honor of God and does not honor Jesus Christ, he is
giving no honor to God. No matter how much Bible he quotes
and expounds. Here, John's message, verse 19
of the gospel according to John chapter one. And this is the
record of John. That's John the Baptist, John
the baptizer. This is John writing about John
the Baptizer. And this is the record of John,
when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask
him, who art thou? That's a normal enough question,
is it not? Now remember, John the Baptist
was drawing the crowds. They came from Judea and came
and went east toward the Jordan. and people from Judea and Jerusalem,
and it says, and the regions round about all came to be baptized
of John, even some of the Pharisees. Did they not? We don't have that
happening around here with us too much, do we, Joe? Who art
thou? And he confessed and denied not,
but confessed, I am not the Christ. Does that not sound strange? Who are you?" Well, he confessed
and denied not, but what he did confess was this, I'm not the
Christ. Why did he bring that up? Because that was his message. He was the one promised by the
prophet in the Old Testament who would herald the coming of
the Messiah. And there are people that actually
think John the Baptist preached to people that they were to treat
other people right. Well, he did mention those things.
But you know why he mentioned those things? To prove to people
how wrong they were in their lives. Because who among us,
if we're an honest individual, can say we've always treated
people right? But he confessed He confessed
and denied not, but confessed, but confessed this, I am not
the Christ. And they asked him, what then?
Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou
that prophet? And he answered, no. Then said
they unto him, who art thou, that we may give an answer to
them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?
And boy, wouldn't preachers today take off with that one. There
you go. Turn on the radio. Turn on the
TV. That's not even a suggestion.
I'm just saying if you do, you will see that all over the place.
People said a lot about themselves. And he said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness. All I am is a voice. You see
it? And he said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the
Lord, as said the prophet Esaias, or that is Isaiah. And they which
were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him and said unto
him, why baptizes thou then if thou be not that Christ? Nor
he lies, neither that prophet. See, they're still wanting to
go back to men. And this is what false religion always does. It
wants to center on men rather than on Christ. John brings up
Christ to start with. And they don't say, well, where
is he? Is he coming? Is he near? Is he not? No, who are you? What's this
having to do with you? Because Mac, if they can get
John caught up with himself, then they know John will be caught
up with them. They could be caught up with another man, and another
man could be caught up with another man, and it's all man-centered. But John was Christ-centered.
Then answered John, saying, I baptize with water. What a profound statement. What a profound statement. Here's the fact. When it comes
to him, it ain't about truth. It's just facts. I baptize with
water, but there standeth one among you whom ye know not. Think of the indictment. Whom
ye know not, he it is whose coming after me is preferred before
me, whose shoes latch it I'm not worthy to unloose. Do you
see it? John's message was about a singular
individual that was coming. And he said, he's here. and yet
the multitudes did not say, who is he? Do you see it? Do you see the depravity of our
hearts and minds by nature? Even when we're intrigued with
a man, Joe, unless God gives us grace to see, we won't even
see his real message unless God opens our eyes. These things
were done in Beth-Abrah, beyond Jordan, that is, it would have
been on the east side of Jordan, that's always beyond. Everything
from this book here is from Jerusalem side, that's on the west side
of Jordan, that's why it says beyond, that means the east,
where John was baptizing the next day. The next day. You see, John's heart and mind
and soul was set to the heralding of the one to come. And the next
day, John seeth Jesus. Do you think of that? Picture
this in your mind, if you can. Remember, John, he had to look
rough. He had to look rough. His raiment was camel's hair.
And he had a leather belt, a leather girdle, just something to wear
around the middle. And that's all we're told about
what he wore. Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate, no phylacteries
like men in that day were used to seeing the Pharisees, the
masters of religion, right? Here he is in a camel's hair
garment with a belt around it and he's got the sticky residue
of honey and possibly a grasshopper leg stuck between his teeth. Now granted, not a hint of liquor
on his breath, right? He was a teetotaler of his day.
Not a hint of liquor on his breath, and here this man is saying,
repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. But what was his
message about the king of that kingdom? And then when all It's
all boiled down. When push comes to shove, what
do they call John the Baptist? He's a madman. He's crazy. Huh? He's crazy. Do you see it though? Here's
John. Probably, if it's true that he had taken a Nazarite
vow, which seems to be the case, most seem to think that that
was a part of the no alcohol thing, And if he'd taken a Nazarite
vow, Joe, it means he hadn't cut his hair or shaved his beard.
And he lived in the wilderness. He had to be rough. He wasn't
going to the barber shop to get cleaned up. And here he is standing
there near the Jordan, on the east side of the Jordan, preaching,
and over a knoll pops a figure. I don't know exactly how it happened,
but picture that in your mind's eye. Somewhere, Jack, all of
a sudden he's seeing this figure coming. The next day, John seeth
Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world. And I can almost picture him,
Joe, I don't know this for sure, this is my thoughts about it,
but I can almost see him, Joe, wringing that out to the top
of his lungs. Can you not picture something
like that? This is the one he's been looking for. This is the
one he's sent to acknowledge and herald, look. This is he
of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before
me, for he was before me. I bet you if they would have
checked the genealogical record, that would have confounded them
real well. He was born at least, what, six months before Jesus
was? But he said he's before me. And
I knew him not. In what way? He didn't know the
individual. He didn't know the particular
man, Joe. He knew this one that was coming,
this promised Messiah. He did not know the individual
man that he was. This is he of whom I said, after
me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before
me, and I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to
Israel. Therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John, by a record
saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and
it abode upon him. And I knew him not, but he that
sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom
thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same
is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw him, and
bear record that this is the Son of God. And again the next
day, and what did he say? Just read it there, look at it. Behold the Lamb of God. Almost Seth like a one note guitar
player. Don't that, wouldn't that just
get boring? Unless you love that one note. I mean if Seth got
up here and just ping, ping, ping, we'd probably all get tired
of the pinging. Unless you love the ping. But
if you love the ping, You don't mind to hear nothing but the
ping, ping, ping. Right? Note the two sides of
the one coin of all gospel preaching. Behold the Lamb of God. That's who He is. Which taketh
away the sin of the world. There's the second side of the
coin. That's His work. Do you see it? Have you ever
heard preachers like Joe or myself or others that you have some
persuasion to think that man is sin of God? And we always
talk about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Why do we do
that? Because the one who heralded
him put it that way. Behold the Lamb of God, that's
who he is, which taketh away the sin of the world. That's
what he did. And there's the two great themes
of all gospel preaching. the person and work of Jesus
Christ. Here and here only is the true
gospel ministry. If a man's talking about we,
we, we, us, us, us, or me, me, me, he is not a man's sin of
God. But if the preponderant testimony
of his message is him, him, him, that's the man that's sin of
God. He may be able to he made he
may not quote near as much scripture as some Antichrist liar But if
he's trying his best by the grace of God to exalt Jesus Christ
in his person of work That's a man's sin of God And you may have to take everything
he says with a grain of salt because he is a fallible man
yet Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. You can find no fault in that
message. I could say that statement this
morning, Ellen, and it's just as infallible as when it was
written by John, the apostle, quoting John the Baptist, who
said it. I can say, behold the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the world. That's not my word,
that's God's word. So again I say, here and here
only is true gospel preaching. Anyone who mixes, mocks, denies,
avoids, or rejects these two points of scripture, they are
anti-Christ. no matter how much Bible they
quote and spew forth. And that's just a fact. And that
is so simple, yet it is beyond the grasp of the unregenerate
man or woman. Do you know that? Joe, that is
profound truth, yet apart from a life-giving breath of God,
a person will never comprehend that. Behold John said I can
see I picture him and that scraggly looking thing Isn't it amazing
And he says behold and I can see people so gay what? the Lamb
of God and there he is you see He is this man that's coming
down the hill toward me Do you see it in your mind's eye? Behold,
it's not a beholding some what? It's always beholding a who? Countless thousands profess to
be Christians and all they ever talk about is what what what?
what God Took me away from Used to be a bad drinker now don't
drink no more Used to be a drug head, now I'm on a drug. They're
always talking about the what's. They rarely ever talk about the
who. Now am I telling you the facts
or not? Religion is caught up with the
what's. They're not caught up with the
who. But let me tell you something, when you begin by God's grace
to be caught up with the who, then you see the what's. are
not that hard to start letting go of. You know that? They're not that hard to start
letting go of. At least, Joe, they begin to be seen for what
they truly are, that even my best needs, my righteousnesses,
are as filthy rags in God's sight. Drunkenness? Homosexuality? Yes. That's ungodliness in God's
sight. It's perversion in God's sight.
but so is self-righteousness. So is bragging on yourself so
that others may see your bragging. That is just as condemned of
God as the other. Behold, behold the Lamb of God. Think about that. Behold the
Lamb of God. Not just the Lamb from God, mind
you. Now he was the Lamb from God.
Don't misunderstand me. But John didn't say behold the
Lamb from God. Did he? That's true. But he said behold the Lamb of
God. Now if you're of something, what's
that mean? It means it's who you are. Christ
is God the Lamb. Remember, it was prophesied by
Abraham, though I don't know whether Abraham knew it to be
a prophecy so far into the future. I do know he meant it for the
immediate context when his son said, father, here's the wood
and here's the fire, the live coal, some fire there. He said, but where's the lamb?
Where's the lamb? We're going up to worship, where's
the lamb? We got the wood, we got the coals,
where's the lamb? And what did Abraham answer his
son? My son, God shall provide himself
a lamb. He didn't say he will provide
for himself a lamb, though that happened in that immediate context.
But he, being one of God's men, He proclaimed through prophetic
word God shall provide himself a lamb. God will be the lamb. And there John the Baptist seen
God the lamb coming across the horizon. Christ is the Passover
lamb sacrificed for God's people. Did you know that? Paul said
it, just one brief phrase. The only time it's ever mentioned
in the New Testament. But that makes it just as valid
as if it had been mentioned a million times. Right? Even Christ, our Passover. What was the Passover? It was
a lamb. Was it not? Even Christ, our Passover is
sacrificed for us. And let me just give you a couple
things about Christ, the Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb of
God. Go back to Exodus 12 sometime
and look at it. Here's some facts about the Passover
Lamb. The Passover Lamb was for a specific
time. Right? Go back and read it. First
few verses, a specific time. And then Paul comes along in
the New Testament, said, but when the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under
the law. We also see about the Passover
lamb, which we know Christ is the Passover lamb, that the Passover
lamb was for a specific people. Directly stated, it's not for
other people. Yes or no, go back and read it.
You'll see that it's for the people of God. It ain't for the
Egyptians It's for believers, this is the way the New Testament
puts it it's for believers. It's not for unbelievers. I Have
no right if you are hearing me this morning I have no right
to tell you if you're an unbeliever Jesus Christ your path is that
your Passover sacrifice I have no right to tell you that. I'm
telling you Jesus Christ died as a Passover sacrifice for God's
people, for believers. You also see in Exodus chapter
12 that not only was there a specific time for the Passover lamb, not
only was there a specific people for whom the Passover lamb was
sacrificed, but we see that the Passover lamb had a specific
character. Go back and look at it. And he was as a lamb without
spot. and blemish. And not only that,
the Passover lamb was for a specific purpose. Who must see the blood for judgment
to pass over? Who must see the blood? God said,
when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Now let me ask
you this, you see if you could put Jesus' blood on your heart's
door. Show me anywhere in the scripture
where it says that is something, where it says it or even teaches
it that that's something that man can do for himself. God Almighty's the one that puts
the blood on the doorpost and the lentils. That's just the
way it works. That's the way the Lamb of God
was, now was it? Joe, that wasn't the way it happened
with that first one. That literal lamb, those literal
lambs that were slain, that's the way it is with the Lamb of
God. So Christ is God the Lamb. Christ
is the Passover Lamb, sacrificed for God's people. And thirdly,
Christ is the Lamb whose sufferings guaranteed the salvation of God's
people. And I know that has to be so
today because it was prophesied back yonder. Look at what Isaiah
prophesied, chapter 53. Oh, I know, I always go to Isaiah
53. But I also always go to Romans
chapter nine. So how could I always go to both?
Well, we always run to the scripture. That's where I have to run to.
Listen to Isaiah's prophecy, just even the last part of it. Isaiah, let me find it here,
okay, let's start at verse six. All we like sheep have gone astray. Who's he talking to? Isaiah's
talking to God's people. Israel, and we know what Paul
said, they're not all Israel which are of Israel. Isaiah was
talking to the elect amongst the Jews. All we like sheep have
gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. What him? This him he's talking
about. This him he's prophesying of. He was oppressed and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a,
what? A lamb to the slaughter. and
as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his
mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he
was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression,
and here he says it, oh God bow us down to it, for the transgression
of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death, because he had done
no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Now do you think that if Jesus
Christ died for somebody and they go to hell, you think that
would be prospering? This religious world has been
lied to so long that they think stupidity is the truth. I meant
to say that too, stupidity. Now look, he, that is, this is
God the Father now, he shall see of the travail of his soul,
that's God the Son, that is the Father shall see the Lamb's travail. He shall see the travail of his
soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for they shall repent and believe him.
Is that what it says? Now shall they repent and believe
him? Oh, you betcha. You could bet your last dollar
on that one. But that ain't what the prophecy
was, was it? What does it say? By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. That's the guarantee. Did he
bear the iniquities? Yes. So that means he justified
them. Preacher, you're talking like
he justified people when he died on that tree. Maybe you're finally
getting it. That's exactly what this book
teaches. It teaches that he justified
a people when he died. We're justified by his blood.
How many times did he shed his blood? Once. We're sanctified by the offering
of his body. How many times? Once. Once and he has perfected forever
them that are sanctified by that one offering You see John I'm
not saying exactly the same thing John did in his day He said behold
the Lamb of God which taketh away referencing Joe something
in the near future and You see it? I'm not saying that this
morning. I'm saying behold the Lamb of God, which took away
the sin of the world. Because what he came to do, it's
done. As the old songwriter said, that
great transaction, it's done, it's done, it's done. Behold
the Lamb of God. When that blood was put on the
doorpost and the lintels, everybody in that house was safe. From God. Because God was the
avenger. God said, when I pass through
Egypt, when I see the blood, then I will pass over you. You see? Because if God sees
anything other than the blood, what's he gonna see? If God looks
at me, Joe, and sees anything else other than the blood, what's
he going to see? Sin. And if God sees sin, he's
gonna condemn it. But God said, it's not up to
me to try to explain it, and it ain't mysterious, it has to
do with justice. But I don't have to explain it.
God said, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. Now do you
believe Him? Do you believe He does and is
doing what He said? That's what it means to behold
this Lamb of God. There are a lot of lambs out
there that men are saying, here's Jesus, over here's Jesus, Jesus
over there. This is what Jesus was like and
they lie on God. I'm saying behold this Lamb of
God. behold this Lamb of God, but note secondly, the Lamb of
God what? What he did. Look, which taketh
away. Which taketh away the sin of
the world. Do you see it? Would John really
say that? Ain't you got a problem with
that preacher? I ain't got a problem with that in the world. I'm glad
for that. Which taketh away. Now, Who takes
away the sin of the world? It ain't a what. Religion will
say, you do a what, that'll take away your sin. Oh yeah, Jesus
died to make it possible that if you do this what, then your
sins will be taken away. Am I lying on them or not? Is
that not what they teach? Jesus made it possible that if
you'll do the what, then your sins will be taken away. No,
John said, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the world. Who took away the sin of the
world? The Lamb did. The Lamb did. And the Lamb did
this when He suffered. I said, when He suffered? And
He suffered once. Hebrews 1, and specifically verse
3, said He, by Himself, put away sin. By the sacrifice of Himself,
then He went and sat down at the right hand of God the Father.
So when's He talking about? When He died, Jack, on that tree.
That's when he purged sins, that's the word he uses there. If you
purge it, Joe, it's taken away. You've got a stain over here
on your lapel and you purge it. What's that mean, Benny? It means
it's gone. You purged it out. It's taken
away. It's not there no more. But I
see it. Whose sight does this matter in when I see the blood? Do you see it? It ain't about
you seeing it. It's about him seeing it. Christ
didn't offer himself for you and me. He offered himself to
God. And that's what the book says.
And he offered himself once without spot to God and turned it. Look at Hebrews 10. Let's just
look at what it says. Such glorious language, and oh,
may it be that this very moment, God would not leave someone to
themselves, but they would hear this word of God, and he would
open their heart and their minds and their ears to hear this word,
speaking of Christ in Hebrews 10 verse nine. Then said he,
lo, I come to do thy will, O God. This is the Lamb of God speaking.
He taketh away the first, that's the law and all the old sacrifices,
the old way of service. He taketh away the first that
he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified,
how? Through really getting really
holy and coming forward and praying? Through believing and repenting?
No, not even that. How are we sanctified? By the
which will we are sanctified? Through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. That means he did it one time.
Once for all time you could actually say look And every priest standeth
daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices
Which can never take away sins ain't we talking about behold
the lamb of god which taketh away But this man aren't you
glad for that but but this man after he had offered one sacrifice,
four sins, forever, sat down, why? Because he was done. He
wasn't tired, he was done. Sat down on the right hand of
God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool for by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. When were you perfected preacher? Not when I believed and repented.
Mm-hmm. I was perfected when Jesus Christ
died on that tree Now my question is do you believe him? Do you
believe he did what God sent him to do Which taketh away the
sin of the world you see the world for whom Christ the Lamb
died they are reconciled go back and read 2nd Corinthians 5 verses
18 and 19 and They were reconciled. The world that Christ died for
was reconciled when he died. That's what it says. I believe
it means what it says. You don't need me to interpret
that for you. Just believe God. Believe what God says in his
word. And do you want to hear the world's
testimony about it? Turn to Revelation chapter five.
I will give you the world's testimony. Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world. That's the world I'm talking
about. Now you realize there are all kinds of different worlds,
don't you? There's the world of the believing, there's the
world of the unbelieving. There's the world of the regenerate,
there's the world of the unregenerate. There's the world of the Jews,
there's the world of the Gentiles. There's the world of the Democrats
and the Republicans. Y'all can relate to that one,
can't you? Right? There's different worlds, Seth.
All kinds of different worlds. As one studied behind this desk
one time and said, We play a World Series in baseball, and America's
won every time. Japan ain't never won the World
Series in baseball. Why? Because we don't let them
in that world. Right? Yeah, they're not let in that
world. They can have their own world, right? And we use that
language every day, but when a man stands up and preaches
the gospel with that language, they malk and poo-poo us. saying
we're heretics, no we're not. You want to hear the world that
he redeemed? Here's their words, Revelation five and verse nine.
And they sung a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book
and to open the seals thereof for thou was slain. Who was slain?
Look at it, I'm not out of context, the Lamb. The Lamb, read back,
the Lamb and thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Now it's not every single individual
in this planet or on this planet, Earth, but that's still the world.
Isn't it not really? That's the world. That's at least
one of every kind. Isn't it? Out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation, there's the world that he died
for as testimony about this thing. Oh, may it be that I'm a part
of that world. What about you? Behold this Lamb
of God. This Lamb. There's a lot of imposter
lambs out there being proclaimed and preached. You hear me? I'm
warning you this morning. There's a lot of imposter lambs
out there being preached. I'm talking about this Lamb because
that's the Lamb John was talking about. And John was saying, he
will take away the sin of the world. He's going to do it. I'm
saying he has done it. That's what the preponderant
testimony of the New Testament says. When he died on that tree,
he took it away. He took it away. First, John put it this way.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, Now, first of
all, it doesn't say, whosoever has accepted Jesus as his personal
Savior. The Bible doesn't say that, nor
does it teach that anywhere. But it does say, whosoever! That means every, just like that
word, every. out of every kindred, tongue,
people, and nation. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ, that promised one, that one that John was sent
from God to herald, he's coming. You know what I'm saying? I'm
saying he's come. And he's done everything he was supposed to
do while he was here. He's put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. He took away the sin of the world.
That's what I'm saying. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ, not that he's your personal Savior, do you
believe he's the Christ? He is. He is born of God. And that's one of the only things
that ever gives me true comfort in this world. Because I find
myself, Roy Pendleton, I find myself believing that in spite
of myself. In spite of the sin that I see
in me. I still see it. But you know what? If I'm in
Christ, God don't see it. God said he's put it behind his
back. He's cast it into the sea of forgetfulness and he's got
a perfect forgetter. He forgets on purpose. Try to
do that sometime. The more you try to forget on
purpose, the more you remember. Isn't it true? But God's got
a perfect forgetter. He can say, I won't forget that
because justice is satisfied. Paul, he does that and it's gone.
You see, those who are truly sin of God, they press upon men
and women by gospel proclamation, they press upon men and women
this truth, behold the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin
of the world. I'm on this side of Calvary,
John the Baptist was on that side. But that's the only difference
between what he preached and what I preach. And if you think
that's not a difference, Joe even referenced it. There is
a difference. There's the baptism of John. There's the baptism
we're now baptizing with. It's the one baptism that's in
the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. So what are
we saying? What Jesus Christ did when he died, was buried,
and rose again, that's all it takes. Everything else will come
as a result of that. You need repentance? If he did
that for you, it'll come. You need faith, if He did that
for you, it'll come. You need to follow Him, and you
do. If He did that for you, you'll follow Him. Behold the Lamb of
God, and behold His finished work of redemption. People are
not believing that. They're believing He came and
made it possible for me to be saved, if. I. And now we're all the way back
to I again, ain't we? All the way back. No, I'm saying
that behold Him, look to Him, submit to Him, follow Him. That's what I'm saying, behold
Him. Can you behold Him? Do you behold Him? Because if
you can, you do. You do. And if you do, you will. You can't see a sight like that
and never get over it. Joe, I would think, I don't,
no, I know it's not written in the holy rite, but when John
the Baptist's head was laying on that stump or whatever it
was, and that ax or blade or whatever came down and whacked
his head off, I bet you he was still thinking about that man
he first seen when he popped over that knoll, and then the
spirit of God descended upon him. Don't you think he was still
thinking about him? Him? He didn't say, well, I thank
God I didn't drink all those years. God I took a Nazarite
bound boy. I tell you what them grasshopper
teeth in my teeth are good. They'll get me to God You think
you're being silly preacher people live like that all the time they
base their hopes of glory Well, I don't eat this. I don't eat
that. I don't drink this. I don't drink that that wasn't
John's. Hope was it It was that lamb
that he beheld Joe The one that he knew would take away the sin
of the world Do you believe him? Do you believe He took away the
sin of the world? That's what believing God's all about. Let
me put it this way, that's where it starts at. There's a lot of
other stuff that goes with it, but that's where it starts at,
believing God concerning the record He gave of His Son. If
you bypass that, nothing else is faith, no matter how religious
and moral it may seem. If you bypass the record God
gave of His Son, you bypass God altogether. Teach us these things in reality
and far more than doctrine. Teach us these things in our
experience. Lord, be with us as we fellowship together and
eat together. May these things rejoice our
hearts, even amidst all of our sufferings and sorrows. And Lord,
God, forgive us even our sin. I thank you in Christ's name.
Amen.