We Would See Jesus

Before we begin the message, we'll go to God in prayer again. Ask your prayers for me. I want to preach this message. There's just no power, there's no ability in a man to preach the word without the Spirit of God. There's just none. It just doesn't matter. who the man is. It's impossible for the message to go forth in any power or affect any heart except God himself.

Carry the message. Make it applicable. I desire to preach the gospel with clarity and plainness of speech. I want the the smallest, the most uneducated person to be able to comprehend what I'm saying. But again, without the Spirit, without God sending it, you'll accomplish nothing. You'll fall to the ground. I have hope every time I preach because Paul said this, we do always triumph. That's encouraging. Because I don't feel it. It doesn't really matter what I feel or think. It just matters. The promises of God are yay and amen. Not yes or maybe. Yes and no, Paul says. It's not yes and no. It's not maybe. It's yes and amen. Those are his promises.

And I'm so thankful he has promised to be with us. Isn't it wonderful that he doesn't wait for us to merit his presence? He doesn't wait for us to earn his presence. In grace he comes every time his gospel is preached. And it's my heart to have the same heart as these men in our text. Every time we meet together, I want this same thing. Sir, I would see Jesus. Well, that's my hope, to present Jesus again as He presents Himself.

Pray for me as I desire to do this and pray that God the Spirit would move on every heart with the message that Christ gives. Pray for God's churches. Pray for God's men wherever they are, whoever they are, preaching his word in every place. Pray for them, pray for God's word to go out and shine forth. I always think of that illustration of the two men sent with the message to David.

There was a man who was sent. And he had the message. And there was another man that just wanted to run. He didn't have a message. But he ran a lot faster than the other guy. My pastor used to say this, a lial get around the world twice before truth puts on his shoes.

That's just true. It takes a long time. But we know it's God's time. It's God's word. and he'll apply it at the appointed time. Pray for his messengers. Pray for those that are sick, those who are suffering, not just physically, but spiritually. God's people have, we all have great difficulties we don't tell anyone about, the trials, the conflicts, that happen within our own selves, the battle that takes place. I know this, we are victorious in Christ, but I'll tell you this, many times I am defeated by my own self. I feel overcome, overwhelmed. But I'm thankful that he never leaves me. He never leaves us. Even though I feel I deserve to be forsaken, he won't. He won't because of Christ. He won't do it. He won't leave me.

Let's go to him in prayer. Father, we come bowing ourselves again before you. coming, resting, trusting only in the merits of your Son, only the merits of His blood and righteousness. Only by grace are we saved through faith, and that not of ourselves. It is your gift to us by the Spirit. We come tonight seeking to worship. We come to seek Christ. We come to see again the glory of his salvation, the glory of his life, the glory of his death, the glory of his resurrection. It's all our hope, Father. It's all our salvation. And you have made it so.

I pray that you'd take the message and comfort every believer's heart. And take the message and convict every sinner of their sin in need of Christ. move them to flee from the wrath to come. I pray, Father, for your people as we struggle within and without. Enemies constantly seeking to draw us away, wound our hearts, leave us for dead.

But Father, I know you're with us. I know you will never leave us because your word is sure. Your promises are yes and amen in Christ. Make this message effectual to your people, not by the power of the preacher, but by the power of your spirit and all this for your own glory. We pray this in Jesus name and for his sake. Amen.

Turn back with me to John, John chapter 12. John chapter 12. The title of my message is, We Would See Jesus. We would see Jesus. I know this is the heart and mind of every believer every time we worship to see Christ. to hear Him preached, to hear His message, His gospel proclaimed. May God do that tonight for us.

Now, by way of introduction, I want to take you through some of the things that have taken place already in this book of John. In previous chapters, our Lord here proves His deity. In chapter 9, He deals with this man who was born blind. Never in the history of the world has a man been healed who was born blind. And the Lord Jesus Christ heals this man.

What? To prove his deity. This had never been done. Who else but God could do this? And He heals this man who was born blind in chapter 9. And then we have in chapter 11 the Lord raises Lazarus from the dead. Who but God could raise a man from the dead? Our Lord, by these miracles, proves his deity. God manifests in the flesh. But not only this, not only in giving this man sight and raising Lazarus from the dead proved his deity, it also preached the gospel.

These are two gospel messages. Both of these men, this man born blind, is a picture of every man spiritually. We are all born spiritually blind. We cannot know the things of God, we cannot understand, we cannot perceive who God is or what God requires This religious world is a bunch of blind men groping in the dark, trying to figure out what it is that will please God. Everyone has their own way.

Some people, it's just a couple of things you gotta do. In other churches, it's a bunch of things you gotta do. You ask them, are you sure? No, they're not sure. So enough, what we learn about religion is enough's never enough, is it? They grow open in the dark. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 4 it says, And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, Yet not the wisdom of the world, nor the prince of the world, which come to nothing, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a hidden wisdom of God.

Why? Because men are blind. They can't see it. You that see it, I know this, when you tell it and they don't see it, you say, how can you not see it? Yet you and I forget that we were blind. that we could not see until God opened our eyes. We could not see.

See, the gospel is hidden. I hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the thing which God prepared for them that love Him, but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. That's the only way you and I know anything. Know anything at all about the holiness of God or the death and blood of righteousness of Jesus Christ as our only hope.

We were blind and yet he came to us and gave us sight. Not only this, we were born dead. We were like Lazarus. We were dead. We not only could we not understand the things of God, we could not move toward him. We could not come to Him. We could not believe on Him because we were dead.

You can do anything you want to a dead man. You can dress him up. You can prop him up. You can put strings on him and animate him. One thing you can't do is give him life. Only God can give life. Only God can raise a man from the dead. Jesus told us this plainly, no man can come unto me. It's a simple statement, isn't it? It's not a complicated... You know, but just as those Jews murmured, They were murmuring about him being the bread of life. He said, why are you murmuring? Why are you guys talking and debating about this?

No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him. When Adam fell, he was not bruised, friends, he died. And when he died, we all died. So no man is willing to come to Christ. No man can come to Christ. The proof of this is the total depravity of man is proven by the fact that men won't come.

I mean, the message of the gospel is one of the most is the greatest message ever told. It's a message of free mercy. It's a message. of eternal life and salvation, peace with God. It's a message of grace that Christ came into the world to save sinners.

And I tell you, everyone who comes is saved. Everyone who comes. He said this, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And what's his response? Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise, for no reason cast him out. Anyone who believes in Christ has eternal life. They're given a new nature, holy nature.

And the proof of depravity is that men still will not believe. They won't give up their works. That's proof of depravity, isn't it? I know this. Most men try really hard not to work in everything else but this. They'll try to get out of work. You tell them that something's free, and man don't flock to it. You know, I got free tickets to this, and boy, they'll just all run fast as they can. Free money over here, come get it, and they'll run to it. Free salvation! No, no, I gotta work for that. I gotta have my way in that. That's proof of depravity. He won't give up his works.

Anyone still trying to, add to the righteousness of Christ by their obedience to the law is proof that they are dead. Paul says of his brethren, he said, in Romans chapter 10, he says, I bear them record, they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of the righteousness of God. What's the proof? Going about to establish their own righteousness. That's proof of the ignorance of righteousness. But we know something. We have been given life. We have been made to see. We know this. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. We know this.

There's none righteous. No, not one. There's none that understand it. There's none that seeketh after God. They are altogether becoming unprofitable. There's none that doeth good. No, not one. Therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in sight.

And yet you still see men clinging to that law. They can't let it go. Why? Why is it that men can't let go of the law and trust completely on Christ? It is because they are blind and they are dead. They are dead. The word is clear, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.

Just ask somebody who wants to be under the law. They'll tell you, they love it. They think it's the, yeah, you gotta do that. You gotta do that. Well, cursed is everyone that continueth not in what? All things written in the book of the law to do them.

Why can't they see that? Because they're blind. They're blind. You can't see that Christ has accomplished salvation. So they keep seeking to add their own righteousness. But this was our state, wasn't it? We were blind. But by the grace and power of God, what is it we see? What do we see?

We see that I am nothing but a sinner. From the sole of my foot to the crown of my head, there is no soundness in this. There is no righteousness in this. I see God demands righteousness that I can't provide. And then by the grace of God, I see Christ. I see Christ as the fulfillment of everything, everything God requires. And the glory of this is I contribute nothing to it. I add nothing. I add nothing to his work. I simply by faith receive it, believe it.

What's the evidence of life? I mean, how did they know Lazarus was alive? I mean, Christ called him from the grave. They unwrapped him. How'd you know he was alive? Well, he's breathing. Look at that. He wasn't breathing and now he is. He's moving. Look at him. He's walking. He must be what?

Must be alive. How do you know you're alive? Faith is the evidence. Faith is the breath of the resurrection. You believe. Now you that believe, do you want to do anything else? Is there anything else you want to do but believe? No. God help me. I know that my faith is weak, and I want only to believe more. What about love? Do you love enough? Oh, no. I want to love more. I want to love more. This is the evidence of one who was born blind. Now, this has happened. This has taken place.

Now Jesus Christ has come and he went through his triumphant entry. Remember, he comes into Jerusalem on that colt, the foal of an ass, and he's coming down and they're crying, Hosanna, Hosanna, glory to God in the highest, laying those palm trees. He comes triumphantly into there. And now the feast of Passover is at hand. The feast of Passover, they're celebrating this feast. And now come these Gentile believers.

Now look at this. It says in verse 20, and there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. These were proselytes to the Jewish religion. These were Gentiles, pagans who had heard the Jewish religion concerning God and His commandments and His law. And they came up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover.

Now, they had witnessed many of these things. This was not done in a corner. All these miracles that Jesus had done, they were well spoken of. You've got to understand, this was not a very large place. And the sound of these miracles had gone abroad. And these men came to the Passover feast. They had saw the sacrifices. They had eaten the bread. They had done all the rituals and things like that. But now they realize something. That's not enough. That's not enough.

So they come here and look at this in verse 21, the same came therefore to Philip, which was a Bethsaid of Galilee and desired him saying, sir, we would see Jesus. They heard of his miracles. They heard of his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. They had heard the whispers of the people saying, this is the Christ. This is the Christ.

And now they themselves had desired, they separated themselves from all the festivities of the feast and they came with one purpose, a single purpose. Sir, we would see Jesus. And when God moves on the heart of the sinner, When our sin is exposed and the holiness of God revealed, there is no word of man, there is no deeds of religion that would suffice us except this, I would see Jesus. When a sinner is convicted of sin, there is nothing else in the world that will satisfy. They didn't come to see the disciples. And he came to Philip because he knew he was not worthy to go to Christ himself.

He goes to a man of Galilee, a man that was among his Gentile people. They figured that if he had an end, this would be the way in. Is there any such sinner that has a need? Is there any such sinner that has realized their need of righteousness? Is there anyone who seeks to be accepted of God and have eternal life? Then you yourself must see Jesus. You must see Him. You must come to Him and you must hear Him. These Greeks understood that that ceremony was not sufficient. They must have him. They must have him. When we come to ourselves by the Holy Spirit, we begin to see something that we need a righteousness we can't provide.

Go to Micah chapter 6. Go to Micah chapter 6. Micah chapter 6 and verse 5. This is speaking about this man, this king, Balak, who came to this prophet, Balaam. And God commands his people to take note of this. He says, O my people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab, consulted and what Balaam, son of Boar, answered him in Shittim of Gilgal. He said that you may know the righteousness of the Lord. This is what he said.

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the most high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with 10,000 of rams, with 10,000 rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? This is the question, what does God require? Will any of this satisfy God concerning righteousness? Listen to the man. He said, He has showed thee, O man, what is good. You know the law of God's written in your heart? You know this. You know this. Every man knows this. Look at this.

What does the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love mercy? Now, you understand the impossibility of that, right? To love justice and mercy, how can you do it? We can't ever figure it out, can we? How can you be just and merciful at the same time? And yet God said that's exactly how you have to be. You have to be righteous. in every way and still love and be merciful in every way. You can't do it. And look at this, and walk humbly with your God. In other words, if you could figure out how to do the first, you knew this, you wasn't going to be humble about it. You and I would not be humble about it, would we?

Only one ever did that was Jesus Christ. The only man that ever did justly and loved mercy and walked humbly with his God was the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the only man that's ever done that. What does God require of thee? He requires perfect righteousness.

Therefore, we, when we come to ourselves, we're like these guys, these Gentiles. We realize that you can offer a thousand of those lambs. And it would never take away the sin of my soul. Therefore, enough with religion is never enough. If God will ever show you, save you, this is where he first brings you. This is the first place he brings you. He brings you to an end of yourself. And you find like these Greeks, It's insufficient. The law was insufficient. That's what they were finding out, that they were proselyted to this religion. They found out this, that none of this could remove sin. Go to Hebrews chapter 10. Look at Hebrews chapter 10. Look at verse 1.

He says, for the law, having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year, continually make the comers too perfect. For then they would not have ceased when they have not ceased to be offered because of the worshipers once purged should have no more conscience of sin. But in these sacrifices is the remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible by the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sin. Look at verse 11. Every priest standeth daily ministering, offering same, oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sin.

But this man, Jesus, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, what did he do? He sat down. He finished it. He accomplished it. What all of those Old Testament sacrifices only picture, Jesus Christ came in and actually fulfilled what they pictured.

The removal of sin, righteousness restored, Do you desire righteousness? Then you have to do what these men. You have to see Christ. You have to come to Him. Come near and hear Him. And that's what they wanted to do. They wanted to hear Him. Well, notice what the Lord preached. If you need righteousness, and you realize religion is not enough, listen to His message. This is not what you would expect him to say. Of course, Christ never usually says what we expect him to say.

But I want you to see this. Jesus Christ immediately preaches his death. Immediately. Look at this. Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has 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. The gospel of his death. Do you realize that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is the center of the gospel? It is the grounds and the foundation of every promise of God, the blood of Jesus Christ.

Somebody once said this, I don't know who said it because it's been a long time since I quoted it, but I think I'm paraphrasing it. He said, any sermon without the blood of Jesus Christ as its sum and substance is a travesty in its conception and an abomination in its delivery. Any message without the blood of Christ is a travesty and an abomination. It's useless. The blood of Christ, when they In the law, when they put that furniture and they anointed that furniture and they set it aside, the scripture says they were, almost everything was sprinkled with blood. Every promise in the scripture is sprinkled with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without this blood, there is no promise to you and me. So Jesus begins at the most important point, his death.

He likens himself to a corn of wheat. What an easy picture this is. You gotta see You got a seed, a wheat seed. Now, if you put this wheat seed on this podium and you just leave it there, it'll do nothing. It will not produce anything unless you bury it and it dies. Then it yields life, fruit. That's simple, isn't it? Jesus is liking himself to that seed. to that corn of wheat. Now consider this. What if Christ abode alone?

The Son of God had every right to stay where he was. Had Christ maintained his right as deity and not condescended There would have been no life for us. We would have been as the fallen angels. That's what happened to the fallen angels, isn't it? When they sinned, he stayed. He maintained his deity.

He did nothing for them. When Adam sinned, he had every right to leave him in the fig leaves of his self-righteousness and condemn us all to death. He had every right to. In other words, listen, God's salvation was he was not constrained by us. You see, he didn't do this or plan or purpose our salvation or accomplish our salvation for us. You understand he did it for himself. For his own glory, he did it. He had every right to stay, but that's not what happened.

God, in free mercy, when Adam sinned, he came down to fallen man and preached what? What did he preach? He preached the death of Jesus Christ. That's what he preached. He preached the cross. He preached the blood of Jesus Christ as the only hope for Adam and his race.

He said the seed of the woman, what is he gonna do? He shall crush the head of the serpent. And sin came, death fell upon us all, condemnation fell. And he said when Christ comes, when the second man, the second Adam comes, he's going to do away with all the works of the devil. He's going to destroy sin and death by his perfect work. And what was that work? The scripture said, he shall crush the head of the serpent and he shall bruise his heel. This is a message of his death. That he would come and destroy the works of sin and death only by the bruising of his heel.

And you know, he didn't Didn't leave us to guess what that was. He gave us a picture right after that, didn't he? Adam and Eve were naked. And what did he do? He slew an animal and took the skins and covered their nakedness. What a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's the animal that was slain. He was the lamb that was slain. To what?

Cover our nakedness to give us righteousness. And so even from the beginning, the message of Christ's death was the center of God's glory and grace. It is the blood of Christ that God purposed to be the only remedy for sin. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood. Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ. Scripture said, without the shedding of blood is no remission.

So accept this corn of wheat, fall in the ground, and die. There would be no one saved. But here's our hope. Here's our hope. He did. The seed came down in human flesh as our representative man, and he died. He died. This was the purpose and will that Christ should come and die. In verse 27, he says, now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. He said, but for this cause came I under this hour.

He always had this in view. His death was always his work. Remember when he rose from the dead and he was walking with those disciples and they were sad? He said, why are you so sad? He said, you stranger around here, you didn't hear what happened. We thought he was the Christ and they crucified him, they killed him, he's gone. You know what the first words, he said, ought Christ not to have suffered these things and entered into his glory.

And beginning at Moses. Where do you think he began? He began in the garden, didn't he? He began with that message that he gave to Adam. And from that message all the way through from Moses and all the prophets and the Psalms concerning himself, his death, Those Gentiles had just come from the Passover, the sacrificing of the Passover lamb.

They had not yet recognized that the lamb that they just saw killed pictured him. And that's what he's telling them. He said, I am the lamb of God. I am the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Behold, he has come and he has died, his blood has been shed for the remission of sins. And I'll tell you this, this is the glory of His death.

So satisfied was God with His death that He raised Him from the dead, and not just raised Him from the dead. You understand, when Christ rose from the dead, there were several saints that rose with Him at that time. You know what distinguishes Him from all them? God set Christ on the throne. That's how successful his sacrifice was. He shed his blood. Behold, Jesus Christ was lifted up upon the cross, and God smote the shepherd, and by this Christ obtained eternal redemption for all of his elect.

So come and see the glory. You desire to see Christ? then you're going to see a victorious Savior. Every time I preach, I want to hold up this one thing, that Christ is a victorious Savior. Every time I preach, I want you to understand that everyone He died for, He saved. Everyone.

Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep. Isn't that something? You know He knows His sheep. Why? The Father gave them to Him. He knows them. And listen, I am known of mine. You that are His sheep, you know Him. You know Him. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father. And I lay down my life, listen, for the sheep. Is there any question who He laid His life down for? Any question of that?

The sheep. The sheep. These are the elect of the Father, those given to him. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. Listen to what he said. Them I also must bring. Any question about that? Is he speculative? We speak in speculative language, maybe I'll do this tomorrow or maybe we'll do that tomorrow. He doesn't speak like that.

He said, no, I know my sheep and they know me. And I know this, I lay down my life for them and other sheep I have which are not of this fold, I will bring them and then there shall be one fold. See, there's no more Jew and Gentile. There's no more two folds here. There's one fold and one shepherd.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was so successful and victorious. He says in that same chapter in John 10, he said, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I've given to them eternal life. And listen, they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. The Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." Now, what secures us? What keeps us? How do we know that we shall never be removed from Him?

Here it is! The blood! The payment rendered! Isn't this wonderful? The payment has been made! Sin has been atoned! And this, before I ever knew it. This was done before we ever knew it. How the grace and the power of God came to us, his sheep. You know what he preached to us? He preached the same message he preached to his Gentiles. He said, I'm the corn of wheat that falls into the ground. And when I die, I'm going to bring forth much fruit. It's not going to be a speculative thing. I'm going to bring forth much fruit. Behold the glory of Jesus' death.

I can't help but think what a blasphemous doctrine of universal atonement. Universal atonement spits in the face of everything Christ preached. It presents Christ to be a failure. It presents Him to make salvation possible, but actually accomplish it for no one. That's not the Christ we come to. That's not the Christ we see. We know this, that Jesus is a victorious Savior. His death has accomplished salvation, obtained redemption for all those that the Father gave Him.

And He says this in John 6, I will lose nothing. I will lose nothing. He said, now, and I want you to understand that the glory of God is tied to the death of his son. This is vital. Because if Christ failed in his work, the glory of God has failed. Look what he says in your text again. Look back here.

He says, the hour, verse 23, the hour is come that the son of man should be glorified. That the son of man should be glorified. Go over to John 17, these are similar words our Lord used in his high priestly prayer. In John 17, verse 1. He said these words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son. Why? That thy son also may glorify thee. You see, the death of Christ is the glory of Christ. Because in the death of Christ, God was glorified. And notice how God is glorified. Look at this. In verse 2, As thou hast given him power over all flesh, listen, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, that they might know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work. thou gavest me to do." Does that sound like he's defeated? No, he said, when I'm lifted up, I'm going to do something. I'm going to glorify you.

Do you not see the perfections of God in the death of Christ? When he bore our sins in his own body on the tree, so holy was God that God must have punished him. But the glory of God in this is that when he punished him, he punished him for our sins. And because of our union with him, when he died, we died. The law was then forever satisfied with us. When he died, This is the glory of his grace and his mercy that when he died, he glorified God.

Therefore, my salvation is tied to the glory of God, isn't it? In Ephesians, we read that quite often, Ephesians 1. It says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and blessed with all spirit and blessing in heavenly places in Christ, according as He had chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him, in love having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto Himself. according to the praise of the glory of His grace.

The praise of the glory of His grace. Why did He do it? The praise of the glory of His grace. Why did He choose you? The praise of the glory of His grace. Why did Christ die for you? The praise of the glory of His grace. Why did the Spirit come to you? The praise of the glory of His grace. Every bit of your salvation is tied to the glory of God.

You see what an abysmal failure that abominable doctrine of universal atonement is. So we see that the glory of God did not fail. When I see Christ, I see victory. When I see Christ, I see success. I see salvation accomplished because that's what he said. When the corn of wheat falls into the ground, it will bring forth much fruit.

What's the fruit? We are. We're the result of his death. We're the fruit of his death. By his death, he gives us what? Life. Life. I'm going to show you just the effect of this, and we're going to go real quickly with this one. Go back over there and look. There's always an effect. When the Spirit of God comes to a sinner, there's always an effect. Look at this effect.

He said in verse 24, verse 25, he said, He that loveth his life shall lose it. He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Man, by nature, loves this life. It's all we know. By nature. By nature, we love our sin. By nature, we love the pleasures of this world. By nature, we want to hold on to the things of this life. Whether it be passions or possessions or family or lust, whatever it is, we long and crave to hold it, keep it. The life of religion. We love religion. Man is a religious being. He loves the sights and sounds and smells of religion. His works, he seeks to hold it. He seeks to keep the life of his religion.

Anybody that keeps that, what does he say? You're going to lose it. What do you got in this world that you ain't going to lose? That you see men holding it. with every ounce of it. They won't let it go. When God the Holy Spirit comes, and that man sees Jesus, what does he do? You can have that. I gotta have you.

This is a man who hates his life in this world. You know, I don't have time, but if you look in Ezekiel chapter 36, this is part of the covenant. He says, I'm gonna give you a new heart, take that stony heart out, give you a heart of flesh, a heart of love. But in the last part of that section, he says this, and you shall remember your iniquities and love your neighbor. Well, that's not the religion of the world, is it? Religion of the world said you need to love yourself.

Man, you need self-esteem. I got a lot of self-esteem. I know this. When you see Christ, you'll loathe yourself. You'll see all the sin that you've committed and how he in love took your sin and died in your favor. That's love. And when we see his love, it moves and stirs our love for him.

To what? To let go of these things. Yet this is a constant struggle for believers, isn't it? A constant struggle. All these things are trying to pull you away, aren't they? But he says this of his people, they'll hate this life and they'll keep the lives going. That's the most important thing, isn't it?

If any man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there also my servant shall be. Is it not our desire to serve him? Now why is this? Because where he is, is where you are. You. You that serve him. Isn't it your desire to always be with him? It is our desire to be with Him. It is our desire that He is continually with us. And this is His promise. Where I am, there you shall be also. Why? Because that's where God put us. He put us in union with His Son, didn't He?

In eternity, but of God are you in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. You are in union with Him. And you were in union with Him when He died. You were in union when He lived. You were in union with Him when He rose again. And by the grace and power of God, you were in union with Him by the experience of this grace. I know this. There was a time where I didn't have any hope of our union. I didn't have any hope of our union. I didn't want it. But by the grace and power of God, I've now experienced this union.

He said, I in you, and you in me. Union. What's our promise? Where I am, there you shall be also. So when he says things like, accept a man, I hate his father and mother and sister and brother and his life also. He cannot be my disciple. What do you say? Okay. Okay. Those things, anything that would interfere with my service to you must be abandoned.

Isn't that reasonable? That's just reasonable seeing he died. Seeing he rules and he's my king. Just reasonable. It is always my hope and prayer that you see Jesus. It is my desire always to see Jesus. As he says of himself, he is the victorious Savior. And I'm thankful that he is. I'm thankful that he has saved us from our sins. I hope God will comfort you with this.

Let's stand and be dismissed in prayer. Glenn, would you dismiss it in prayer, please? We'll warm you up when you fall asleep. We ask you, in the Song of the Lord Jesus Christ, for your God to protect us all, for our faith to keep us, and to fight for peace. What's all this about? We don't know what we're about to do, but we pray that you would look at the Lord at our hands. This year, for all of us who've been through this, for those of you I'm sorry to watch, but I'm going to give you something called the Holy Cross. I received a message from the leadership of Jesus to give us something called the Holy Cross.

We Would See Jesus

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