Let's go to John 12. John 12. John 12. The name of
the message is, Christ lifted up. Christ lifted up our great
King. John 12. And if I be lifted up from the
earth, it will draw all unto me." John 12, 32. Let's read
the context, starting in verse 20. And there were certain Greeks
among them that came up to worship at the feast. Now these were
proselytes. They were Greeks who had forsaken
their idols. And they come to worship the
one true God. And remember, too, when the Gentiles came, and these
were Gentiles, when they came, they weren't allowed into the
temple. They had to stay in the court of the Gentiles, even still.
But they came. Came up to worship at the feast.
The same came, therefore, to Philip, which was of Bethsaida
of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. We would see Jesus. We had a
conference in Oregon, and that was the whole theme of our conference
for the preachers. Sir, we would see Jesus. Oh, that we'd see Christ. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew,
and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them,
saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into
the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall
lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep
it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him
follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be. If
any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul
troubled, and what shall I say? Father saved me from this hour,
but for this cause I came unto this hour." He's speaking of
his death. He came, he was on a mission.
He came to save his people from their sins. Father, glorify thy
name. Then came there a voice from
heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.
The people, therefore, that stood by and heard it said, it thundered. Others said an angel spake to
him. Jesus answered and said, this voice came not because of
me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this
world be cast out. And if I be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said signifying what
death he should die. The people answered, We have
heard of the law that Christ abideth forever. How sayest thou
the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet
a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light,
lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness
knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe
in the light, that ye may be children of the light. These
things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
Verse 32, and if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men, or all unto me, not all men, all unto me. The Lord
Jesus Christ has promised his church that when he is lifted
up, that he will draw us unto himself, in saving mercy, in
everlasting salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ, the crucified
one on Calvary's cross, is the mighty magnet. He's the mighty
magnet to attract multitudes of trembling,
doubting, ruined sinners, who by grace shall be drawn unto
Him, Drawn unto Him. You ever had a magnet you put
down? It just draws those metal shards. Drawn unto Him. And find eternal life in Him. Nowhere else. Not in their works. Not in their baptism. Not in
their church membership. Nowhere else but in Christ. And find eternal life in Him. In Christ alone. And there is no magnet like the
death of Christ. He is still able to draw men
unto Him because of the attractive force of His atoning sacrifice. When He died upon the cross,
He died for sins not His own, because He's perfect. He's spotless. He's sinless. But he did die
for the sins of all his people, all the elect of all the ages. Their sin is laid upon Christ,
and he bears the penalty. As our article said in the Bolton,
the sword of God's justice was plunged to the hilt into Christ. To the hilt. And he did this
willingly. Our sins were imputed to Him,
and praise God, His perfect, perfect righteousness is imputed
to us, so that we are able to stand before a holy and righteous
God, clothed in the righteousness
of Christ. Sinners, clothed. And this is the only sacrifice
that is acceptable to God. The only one. Men bring their
supposed offerings, just like Cain did, of their works. God
will reject that. Abel brings the proper sacrifice.
God accepts it. Christ is the proper sacrifice.
He's the only one who can cleanse us from all our sins. And as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up. Christ must be lifted up. He
must die upon the cross. He must. Friend, if you would,
1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Only through the Lord Jesus Christ
making atonement for our sin and making peace. Remember, we
looked at it Wednesday night? He is the peacemaker. He is the
great peacemaker. Sister Kara emailed me a text
after that the next day, where it says, good will and peace
to man. I looked it up in Gil. He called him the peacemaker.
The peacemaker has appeared on earth. Again, the only way we
have peace with God is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, He
made peace for His people through the blood of His cross. And then
He draws us to Himself. Look at verse 1 to 4 in 1 Corinthians
15. Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have
received. See, this again. Again, we looked
at this this morning. It is absolutely vital that we
preach Christ. Absolutely vital. He is the only
Savior for sinners. If I got up here and it wouldn't
happen, And I said, 15 ways to live a better Christian life.
That's not going to help you. But oh, the One. The One who
purchased His people with His own precious blood. Oh, He's
the Savior's only sinner. Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which ye have received,
and wherein ye stand. by which also ye are saved."
There's salvation in no other but Christ. If you keep in memory
what I preached unto you, unless you believed in vain, unless
it's just head knowledge, not a hard work. For I delivered unto you, first
of all, which I also received, how that Christ died for our
sins. The Lord Jesus Christ died for the sins of His people. We
saw that today. It is finished. Finished. He was a real man, and He really
did die. And He's God incarnate in the
flesh. Oh, Christ died. He died. How that Christ died for our
sins? Well, according to the Scriptures. It was prophesied. All those Old Testament sacrifices
were types and pictures pointing to the One. The One. Behold the
Lamb of God. Remember? Where's the Lamb? Behold the Lamb of God. The Lord
Jesus Christ. God incarnate in the flesh. How
that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day,
according to the Scriptures. He must be lifted up. He must
die upon the cross. And in turn, if you would, the
Colossians, we've been doing a study in Colossians. Colossians chapter
1. Colossians chapter 1. So Christ
being lifted up, To die for our sins is according to the Scripture.
It's according to the Scripture. Look at Colossians chapter 1,
from 14 to 20. In whom we have redemption. Oh,
beloved, if you're saved, if Christ redeemed you, if you're
born again, in whom we have redemption. We have it. Oh, it's marvelous. In whom we have redemption. How?
Where's the price? Through His blood. There's the
purchase price. Through the blood of Christ. Even the forgiveness of sins.
How many sins? All are sins. Every single one
of them. Who is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn of every creature. For by Him, Here's our great
King, for by Him were all things created that are in heaven and
that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones
or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created
by Him and for Him. This speaks of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and He is before all things, and by Him all things
consist. By Him, all things consist. And
look at this, and He is the head of the body. See, He gets the
preeminence. Preacher don't want the preeminence.
Those who are preaching Christ don't want it. Look to Christ. Look to Him. He is the head of
the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead. And think of this, where the head is, the body will
soon follow. The body will soon follow. Oh
my. That in all things He might have
the preeminence. Now there's the key. Christ gets
all the preeminence. All of it. All the glory. All
the honor. All the praise. Look at this
too. For it pleased the Father that
in Him should all fullness dwell. The fullness of salvation all
dwells in Christ. It's nowhere else. This is why
we say cease from your labors. Don't think you're good enough
for heaven, because none of us are good enough for heaven. We
have to be made fit. We have to be qualified. And
that's only by Christ, only by him. And look at this, here's
the great peacemaker. And heaven made peace through
the blood of his cross. Oh, there he is, the great peacemaker,
the Lord Jesus Christ. By him to reconcile all things
unto himself, by him I say whether they be things in heaven or things
in earth or things in heaven, all the elect, whether they be
here or in heaven. And then 1 Peter says this, for
Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit. Second point is Christ being
lifted up also refers to the Lord Jesus Christ in his glorious
resurrection from the dead. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter 4. And I'll read Romans 3.24, which
says, "...being justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus." Christ was raised up. He made full atonement for our
sins. And God is satisfied. He's satisfied. We are completely justified by
His precious blood. Look at Romans chapter 4 verse
25. Who was delivered for our offenses. Remember, He's sinless.
He's perfect. Not a sin in thought, word, or
deed. Was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. To prove that God was satisfied.
And then flip over to chapter 5. One chapter over. Look at Romans 5, verses 6-10. The reason Christ rose from the
grave was God was satisfied. Look at Romans 5, verses 6-10. For when we were yet without
strength, we couldn't save ourselves. In due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet pure adventure for a good man Some would even
dare to die. But God commandeth His love toward
us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified
by His blood. If you're a believer in Christ,
you're justified by His blood. Just as if I never sinned. It's incredible. It's amazing. Yet men turn away. Why? Self-righteousness. And we were all there. But what did Paul say that we
looked at? But I obtained mercy. Mercy. People say, it's not fair that
God chooses. I don't want fair. Do you? We want mercy, don't we? Mercy. We want mercy. We're mercy beggars. Oh, much more than being now
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Why? Because the wrath of God fell
upon him in our place. For if when we were enemies we
were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being
reconciled we shall be saved by his life. Lord Jesus Christ having put
away our sin, now the grave and the law have no claim on him. or upon we who believe. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
chapter 9, and I'll read. Matthew 11, 28, the Lord has
taken away all barriers and commands his people to come to him. Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. Come unto me, and I'll give you
rest. Matthew 11, 28. Look at Hebrews
9, verses 12 and verse 26. Verse 12, neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by his own blood. By his own blood. By the blood of God. God's blood. But yet man, the perfect sacrifice, But by his own blood he entered
in once into the holy place. Look at this, beloved, having
obtained eternal redemption for us. Now look, you think about
how many people in this world are trying to work their way
to heaven. Basically, if a person's trying
to work their way to heaven, they're trying to obtain eternal
salvation by their works, right? But we who believe, Our scripture
here tonight says the Lord obtained eternal redemption for us. He did it. He did it all. What a wonderful Savior. And He obtained it for us. This destroys works-based salvation. And then look at verse 26. For then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the
world hath he appeared to put away sin. How? By the sacrifice
of himself. Behold the Lamb of God. The perfect Lamb. Not by works
of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy
He has saved us. Come unto Me, all ye that are
heavy laden with sin. Flee to Christ. Come unto Me,
all ye, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest, our Master says. Rest. Rest for our souls. Rest from our labors, trying
to gain salvation on our own. Rest in the One who's obtained
eternal salvation for His people. It's only in Christ. It's nowhere
else. We are told to come boldly unto
the throne of grace. Not in a proud way, but boldly. Because of what our King has
done for us, that we might find grace to help in time of need. Christ being lifted up also refers
to His glorious ascension to the right hand of the throne
of God. Turn over, if you would, to Hebrews 8. And I'll read Hebrews 1.3, which
says this, "...who being the brightness of His glory, and
the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the
word of His power..." He has all power, doesn't He? when He
had by Himself purged our sins. Purged them. They're gone. God doesn't remember
them anymore. What a precious truth for the
believer. Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
And in Hebrews 8, which says, Now the things which we have
spoken, this is the sum. We have such a high priest who
has sat down on the right hand of the throne of the majesty
in the heavens. Do you remember in the Old Testament,
there was no chair for the high priest to sit in, was there? Because he was always laboring. No more work to be done. And
our King sits, triumphant. Triumphant upon his throne. He is a triumphant King. Then
look over to Hebrews 12, verse 2. We are to look to Christ in Him
alone. Hebrews 12, verse 2, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him, the joy that was set before Him,
endured the cross. He endured it. Why? He must save his people from
their sins. He must. There's no other way
for us to be redeemed but by his sacrifice, and he knew it.
Brother John and I were talking about, he set his face like a
flint, which is like a stone, unmoving, unmoving. He must. And think of it, as
He was going to the cross, and they're mocking and beating Him
and spitting upon Him, and He said His face like a flint. Oh, what a King. What a Savior. I ask, is there any other? None. None but Christ, who can save
us from all our sins. looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, the beginning and the ending, the
Alpha and the Omega, right? Hebrews 12, 2, looking unto Jesus,
the author and the finisher of our faith, for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God. He's not waiting
to rule. He rules and reigns right now. Right now, beloved. He's a King upon the throne.
Victorious. God is satisfied with the sacrifice
of Christ. He's our representative man,
our mediator. Turn, if you would, to Romans
8. Romans 8. He ever lives to intercede for
us? I'll read 1 John 2.1 while you're
turning there, which says, My little children, these things
write I unto you, That's a sin not. And if any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father. We have an advocate. Who is that?
Jesus Christ the righteous. Jesus Christ the righteous. Look at Romans 8, verses 31 to
37. What shall we then say to these
things? If God before us, Do you remember
who we looked at this morning, right? The Almighty God, who
controls everything. Everything. If God before us, who can be
against us? Who can be against us? He that
spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. How shall
He not with Him also freely give us all things? Oh, beloved, I know sometimes
our sin, it besets us, right? And we think about things in
the past and things that have happened, right? And sometimes
people falsely accuse us of things, right? But look at this. What a marvelous verse for the
believer. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Why can't anyone bring a charge
against God's elect? Because all their sins are forgiven,
beloved in Christ. All of them. Oh, what a beautiful verse. It
is God that justifies. We don't justify ourselves, but
God justifies his people. He has in Christ. What a wonderful
verse. Who is He that condemneth? Well,
sometimes we condemn ourselves, right, in our hearts. Who is He that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us. He makes intercession for us. He's the great mediator,
the representative man, and He ever lives to intercede for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress? We were talking
today about the book, Fox's book, Christian Martyrs. You read that,
you need a box of Kleenexes with you. It's incredible what people
went through. And the Catholic Church just
persecuting them and killing them and tell them they can't
and they refuse to. And they ended up taking them,
they killed them. But as you see, they can destroy the body,
but not the soul. Not the soul. So tribulation or distress or
persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword, that covers
pretty well everything, doesn't it? As it is written, for thy
sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep
for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through Him that loved us." Through Christ.
Through Christ and Him alone. We can't conquer these situations
mentioned on our own, can we? No. We'd fold like a deck of
cards. But Christ keeps His people.
He sustains His people. He gives you grace and strength
when you're going through a trial or a tribulation or persecution.
He will sustain His people. He'll keep us. He'll keep us. More than conquers through Him
that loved us. And in Hebrews 7.23 says this,
Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost. Some
folks think, well, Wayne, you don't know. I'm such a horrible
sinner. Well, we're just a bunch of saved
sinners here, aren't we? He is able to save to the uttermost. Who? Hebrews 7.25 says, them
to the uttermost that come unto God by Him. See, the only way
we have access to God is through Christ. Seeing the ever-liveth
to make intercession for them. But I love that, he is also able
to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. If
Christ died for his sheep, he will save them. You're saving. Oh, it's wonderful. We're on the trail of God's sheep.
We preach the gospel and God does the saving. He does the
saving. And this is great encouragement. Turn, if you would, to 2 Corinthians
5. And we'll look at verses 18-21. We are reconciled to God in Christ. Again, He's the peacemaker. The great mediator between God
and man. In all things, verse 18, are
of God who hath reconciled us to Himself. He's the offended party. And
Scripture declares He's reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. See? Only through Christ. He's
able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, by
Christ. And hath given to us the ministry
of reconciliation to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing no trespasses unto them, and
hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then,
we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you
by us, we pray you in Christ's deed, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him." The great transfer. Our sins are imputed to Christ.
He dies in our room and place. His righteousness is imputed
to us. It's marvelous. It's incredible. Guilty, guilty
sinners made righteous all by the sacrifice of Christ. What a great God we have. What
a great Savior. What a great Savior. Christ being
lifted up also refers to His promise to bless His Word through
the preaching of the Gospel. And I'll read this. Isaiah 55,
verse 1 says, Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye. There's the
general call. Ho ye, everyone that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come
ye, buy and eat. It's free grace. Don't bring
your money. Don't bring your works. Come
to Christ empty-handed with nothing. Nothing. Come ye buy and eat. Come buy
wine and milk without money, without price. Now it costs Christ,
right? He shed his blood. But without
money and without price for the believer, he just looks to Christ. He just looks to Christ. And the Lord has ordained the
preaching of His Word to draw out His people. The magnet aspect
again, to draw them out. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching. To save them that believe. The Jews require a sign and the
Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified.
That's our one topic. That's the one string on the
fiddle, like Henry Mahan used to say. He used to say, I have
one string fiddle, and it's Christ. Christ and Him alone. But we
preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block and
unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom
of God. 1 Corinthians 1, 19-24. Christ, the power of God and
the wisdom of God. Turn, if you would, to 2 Timothy
4. The Lord God has ordained the
preaching of the Word to call out and draw out His people. 2 Timothy 4, verses 1-4, "...I
charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing in
His kingdom, preach the word." Now we are charged as preachers.
Gospel preachers are charged. And whoever comes in this pulpit
to preach or to fill in are charged to preach Christ. Just preach
Christ. Preach the word. Be instant in season and out
of season. Repair, rebuke, exhort with all
long-suffering in doctrine. For the times will come when
they will not endure sound doctrine." Now, we are in a day where folks
say, well, doctrine don't matter. You know, doctrine's all about
Christ. It really matters. Doctrine's all about Him. But after their own lusts shall
they heap to themselves. Teachers have an itch in the
ears. The teachers will tell them what
they want to hear. We preach Christ. And it says, and they shall turn
away their ears from the truth. They shall be turned into fables.
Turned into fables. Oh, when the Lord Jesus Christ
is preached, when He's preached, when the gospel is preached,
the sheep of God are given eyes to see Him. Eyes which they never
had before. We sang that in that song, didn't
we? Before the message. There was
a time when we did not want to have the Lord reign over us. But now, Oh, my. He has given
we who believe eyes to see. And He's wondrous. He's amazing. And His grace is amazing. And
He's the only Savior of sinners. We who believe, we who are saved,
we're not haughty. We know what we are. You ever been accused of being
holier than thou? I'm not holier than thou. Oh my gosh. Oh my. I know what I am. A sinner in
desperate need of Christ. And I'm saved and I still flee
to Him daily. I need Him more now than I've
ever needed Him before. God's people through the preaching
of the Gospel are given eyes to see We see His beauty. Oh, we see His beauty. And we're
irresistibly drawn to Him. In everlasting love, the Lord
hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love. With loving kindness have I drawn
thee. Christ being lifted up draws
His people to Himself. Turn with me, if you would, to
John 10, and we're closed with this. John 10. Verse 24, Then came the Jews
round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make
us to doubt, if thou be the Christ? Tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice. And I know them. I've loved them with an everlasting
love. With loving kindness, he draws
us in. And I know them and they follow
me. And I give unto them, oh beloved,
I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish. Never shall any man pluck them out
of my hand. The Almighty God. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all. No man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. God in the flesh. My sheep hear My voice. And I
know them. And they follow Me.