Okay, we'll turn to John's Gospel,
Chapter 1. I want to look this morning with
you at verses 35 to 42 of this passage, of this most profound
of the Gospels. All Scripture is profitable,
but some is so deep, and the Gospel of John clearly stands
out as one of these high watermarks of profundity in the Gospel. and the reason for having a week
off our studies in the Acts of the Apostles is just because
of something that stood out to me just whilst reading this for
the umpteenth time but you know how it is you read and you read
and you read and it's very familiar and then all of a sudden a light
goes on in one particular place and something occurs to you and
that's what happened with me this week I was particularly
struck by these verses because we live in days when we're finding
it very hard Very hard. We don't realize how hard. We
don't realize how hard it is to get anyone to believe the
truth. Do we? Because it's impossible.
If it's down to man, it's impossible. The Apostle Paul said he didn't
come with the persuasiveness of human speech. That isn't the
thing that brings anybody to believe the truth. And all the
religion that we see all around us is all devising schemes to
try and persuade with methods of human reasoning and worldly
business to get people to come and participate and join in their
schemes and we don't do that we stick to the truth it's impossible
to get anybody to believe but you know what struck me? it's
in verse 36 and 37 John the Baptist looked upon Jesus as he walked
and he saith behold the Lamb of God and the two disciples
who were with him heard him speak and they followed him how readily
they followed him that's what struck me how readily they followed
Christ when they heard that message and when their hearts were opened
how readily they heard and they followed the Lord Jesus Christ
and that's what we must think of everybody around us in our
society to whom we seek to make this message known. If the Holy
Spirit comes with a heart-opening message, they'll follow Christ. They will follow him. You who
have believed know that that was the case. There was nobody
more blasphemous and rebellious than me. But when a word came,
when that word, he got me. And I don't say I knew everything
all at one go, but I do say this. there was this fascination maybe
that doesn't sound reverent enough but it was a fascination that
in this one were the words of eternal life you know as Peter
said to him later on you are the Christ the son of the living
God to whom shall we go he said will you also go away to whom
shall we go you have the words of eternal life and stubborn
hearts hard hearts stony hearts unliving hearts spiritually speaking
are taken out of people And God says in Ezekiel 36 and verse
26, and I will give you a heart of flesh, a new man, a warm heart,
a heart that's beating with spiritual consciousness and life and stubborn
deaf sheep. As a boy, I used to like helping
out on the farms around the village where I grew up. And a lot of
the time it was go out and get the sheep. Well, I'm telling
you, you know continental sheep seem to be a bit wiser than British
sheep. British sheep are very very stupid you might remember
the series one man and his dog that was on the television for
years and years where the competition was to send the dogs out to round
up the sheep because the sheep were very very stubborn sheep
and they wouldn't come into the fold you didn't open the gate
and go here sheepy there's some nice hay and stuff here and they
all come flocking, no they're very very very stubborn creatures
but Jesus says my sheep which he calls his people hear my voice
They hear my voice. And when they hear his voice,
they follow him. For they know, of all the other
messages I'm getting in the world around me, the voice of Christ,
the Good Shepherd, is the true voice. And they hear it, and
they follow him. They hear the voice of the Saviour,
and they follow him. So there are some lessons here
for us regarding calling and making disciples of Christ. What
makes a disciple of Christ? The first thing I want you to
notice is preaching Christ. You knew I'd say that. If I said,
right, you people here, guess what my first point's going to
be? You wouldn't have needed much persuasion, would you? Preaching
Christ. That's the first thing. That's
the very first thing. John the Baptist preached Christ. He was the herald of Christ.
Do you know what a herald is? Michael ought to know, being
a trumpeter. You know the heralds go out before the royal event
with the trumpets, with the the big long trumpets without valves
on them. They sound out the call, something
important is happening. They go out as buglers to sound
out the call, to herald. And John the Baptist was a herald
of Christ. The promised one, the anointed
one was coming. We read it in Isaiah 40 and verse
3, exactly what he said. They asked him in verse 21, who
are you? Are you Elijah? No. Are you that prophet? No.
Are you the Christ? No, I am not the Christ. Well,
what are you then? Who are you that we may give an answer? And
he said in verse 23, he quoted Isaiah 40 and verse 3, what the
prophet Isaiah had said hundreds of years before, I am the voice
of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the
Lord. As said the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah is how the authorized
version in the New Testament puts Isaiah from the Old Testament.
Isaiah had foretold this. The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. Prepare for him. And
what was the message of John the Baptist as a herald? It was
this, get ready and look. Those two things. Can you remember
that? He said, get ready for Christ is coming, for the Son
of God is coming, for the Anointed One, for the Messiah, for the
Christ, for the one about whom all these scriptures speak, He
is coming. Get ready. And then what did he say? Look.
Look to him. Look at him. His message was
Christ, not himself. So many in these days preach
themselves or their church or their organization or this good
thing or that good thing, but not Christ. The message of John
the Baptist was Christ, not himself. Look at verses 26 and 27. They
asked him, why are you baptizing if you're not Christ and you're
not Elijah? and you're not that prophet. John answered and said
I baptize with water but there standeth one among you whom you
know not it is he who coming after me is preferred before
me whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to unloose. Do you know
the undoing of the shoes latchet was a job for the lowliest of
servants it was the job that went along with washing the feet
of the traveler you know you get the lowest of the low in
the organization in the inn can I have a job in your inn No track
record at all. Right, you can have the lowest
of the low jobs. What's the lowest of the low jobs? You undo the
feet, the sandals of the travelers who come in and you wash their
feet. And that's your job. Not a very
nice job, but that was the job. And he said, I'm not worthy to
do that. To the one who later showed his
disciples humility by washing their feet. He said, I'm not
worthy to even unloose the latchet of his shoe. You see how he pointed
away from himself and he pointed to Christ he says later on two
or three chapters later on where we read of him again in chapter
3 in verse 30 John the Baptist again speaking of Christ he must
increase but I must decrease all of Christ's heralds would
say this he must increase but I must decrease don't give any
power or authority to man He must increase, but I must decrease. He didn't preach about himself,
but he said prepare for Christ and look to Christ. He wasn't
preaching moral change. He wasn't preaching what some
have called back to basics in society. He was preaching Christ. He was preaching, he was telling
people, people of Nedworth, people walking up and down the streets
this morning, people in the various churches who do not know this.
This is the message that we have. Christ Christ, the anointed one. We'll see why as we go through
this. God's anointed one, the one promised. What did God say
when the audible voice came from heaven during the earthly ministry
of Christ? This is my beloved son, hear
him. This is my beloved son in whom
I am well pleased, look to him. This was the message, God's anointed
one. The promised seed, the seed who was promised to Eve. when
she fell, when she sinned in the Garden of Eden, of you will
be born a seed and in that seed will the destruction of sin and
Satan be found. The seed that was promised to
Abraham, in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
People from every tribe and kindred shall be blessed with the knowledge
of God and with salvation from sin in this one, this promised
seed in whom all nations shall be blessed. And what was the
blessing? What is the blessing that's promised in the Lord Jesus
Christ? It's this, reconciliation to God. Peace with God. Oh, people every day, I don't
know, I don't know the, I haven't done the mathematics. How many
people will pass into eternity today? How many? Around this world. Millions around
this world. I don't know, I don't know the
figures. It must be, it must be. There are over 6,000 million
people on this planet. there must be a lot of people
pass into eternity today there must be many many thousands many
many thousands are they ready? are they ready to meet God? it
is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God our
God is a consuming fire the God of the universe is holy the one
with whom we have to do and he will in no wise clear the guilty
he must punish sin but in this seed that's promised is reconciliation
with God is peace with God and he says behold behold it's an
old word we don't use it much but behold look look at him Isaiah
45 verse 22 says this God speaking through the prophet look unto
me all you ends of the earth and be saved without distinction
whichever tribe or kindred or language you come from look unto
me and be saved for I am God and there is no other." And who's
speaking in Isaiah 45, 22? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. It is. It's the Lord Jesus Christ.
You read the passage, there's no other way. There's nobody
else it can be. It's Christ who is speaking. I am God and there
is no other. Look unto me and be saved. And
exactly the same way, do you remember the story of the Israelites
in the wilderness after they'd left Egypt? and because of their
rebellion they were bitten by poisonous snakes venomous snakes
bit them and they were dying and God said to Moses make a
serpent make a bronze serpent fashion it in the shape of the
thing that's causing the problem and hold it up on a pole and
say this to the children of Israel look look behold look at this
and those who looked lived and those who refused to look they
died And so it is with this one who is the promised one, the
anointed one. Why look to Christ? What does
he say? Behold the Lamb of God. This is what he says. This is
what he's preaching because he is the Lamb of God. He's the
one of whom all of the other lambs and all of the other animal
sacrifices in the Old Testament order, they were all pictures
and types. But he says, look at the real
one. Look at the real thing. Here, this man coming. with no
form or comeliness that we should desire Him. Here He is, but look
at Him. He is the Lamb of God. He is
the Lamb of God. He is the one of whom all the
others were mere types. All of the Passover feasts, and
the altars, and the temple sacrifices, and all of the ways of worship,
and the Holy of Holies, and the mercy seat, and the Ark of the
Covenant, they were all pictures of this One who is the Lamb of
God. Look at Hebrews chapter 9. Let
me remind you of some scriptures. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 11. There's so many, of course, you
could look at. But getting your doctrine straight
in your mind is a question of being familiar with what the
Scriptures say. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 11. But Christ, He's making the difference
between those animal sacrifices and the temple worship and Christ
who came to fulfill it all. But Christ, verse 11, being come
and high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not the old temple of stones, not made with
hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the
blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption,
having paid the price eternally for us. For if the blood of bulls
and of goats and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifyeth to the purifying of the flesh there was point
in it, it symbolically cleansed the people that participated
in it how much more if that did its job, how much more shall
the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself
without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God look to him get ready, he's coming and
then behold the Lamb of God you see, he came to establish, to
satisfy divine justice. Our God came in the Lord Jesus
Christ because God is holy. God is holy. He dwells in unapproachable
light. He hates sin. He must judge it. There is a debt to be paid. There
is a debt that must be paid. And as Jesus himself said in
the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 and verse 26, illustrating
what the judgment will be like, you will not be released until
you have paid the last farthing. Do you know what a farthing is?
You children won't know this, but if you lived before about
1960, I think we still had farthings in. There were many, many pennies,
12 pennies in a shilling, 20 shillings in a pound, and within
a penny it was broken up into four farthings. And you could
go to the sweet shop and you could buy some sweets that would
pull your fillings out if you weren't careful, with a farthing.
It was a tiny, tiny little coin. And I think, if I remember, did
it have a wren on the back of it? I think it was a little bird,
the wren on the back of it, wasn't it? Jesus said, speaking of judgment,
every last bit of the debt must be paid. You know, people think,
ah, God will be all right with me. He'll let me go. I won't
have to pay it all. You know, it'll be like justice
in our society. You know, you go before the courts
and you're convicted of doing something horrible, so you're
given some community service and you don't really have to
do it. You can pack up halfway through and they're trivial jobs
anyway. I'm not making this up, I was listening to a news item
this morning on the radio where they were saying that this is
the case. This is the case. No, in the case of the judgment
of God, every last farthing of the debt must be paid. But He
has paid it for His people. Look at Revelation chapter 5. Look at Revelation. With every
one of these scriptures we could stop a while, but if we did,
we'd never move on. We wouldn't get very far. Revelation
chapter 5 and verse 5. this vision of the same writer
that we're reading, John, the apostle who wrote John's gospel.
He says, and one of the elders, he's looking into heaven, he's
been given this vision into heaven. One of the elders said unto me,
weep not, because he was crying, because how are things going
to be sorted out? And he's told to behold, again, behold, look,
the lion of the tribe of Judah. He's told to look at one who
is a lion. What does a lion tell you? He's strong. He's powerful. He's awesome. He's the root of
David. David, that great revered king,
he's the root of David. And this lion has prevailed to
open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. And so John
looks, he's told to look, and I looked. And what does he see
in the midst of the throne? Does he see a lion? In the midst
of the elders stood a lamb. And what about that lamb? It's
been slain. It's a lamb that's been slain
and shed its blood. And what about this lamb? It's
got seven horns, it's got perfect power. It's got seven eyes. It
can see perfectly. It's got the seven spirits of
God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book
out of the right hand of him who sat upon the throne. The
one of whom this is speaking is our Lord Jesus Christ, whom
John the Baptist says, Behold the Lamb of God. And when he
had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty
elders fell down before the Lamb, worshipping a Lamb, having every
one of them harps and golden vials full of odours. which are
the prayers of the saints and they sung a new song saying thou
art worthy this lamb is worthy to take of the book to open the
seals thereof for thou was slain why was he slain here's our answer
verse 9 and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred and tongue and people and nation and has made us unto
our God kings and priests and we shall reign on earth and so
they go on with their praise and their adoration of the Lamb
who was slain, that Lamb of whom all the others were just types
and pictures. This is what John preached. He didn't preach what
you need to do to make yourself acceptable to God. He proclaimed
full acceptance in Christ alone. And this is what we say to those
all around us who will hear, who will listen for a moment,
who will stop and think. You must meet God. You must face
an eternal God. There are some who are closer
to it than others, but we all must meet Him. We must all stand
before that judgment seat of Christ. And we either stand there
bearing the responsibility for our sins in the judgment of God
ourselves, or we stand there clothed in the righteousness
and redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ, the acceptance
that is in Him. And this is why the Gospel is
called, as Paul writes to the Romans chapter 1 and verse 16,
the power of God unto salvation. because it's got the power to
satisfy justice to save people from their sins and so it's Christ
that we preach in making disciples there's all sorts of things that
we could do we could get people to come to all sorts of events
we know that you know when it's Christmas and we have a carol
service it's dead easy to fill the room with people who want
to come and sing nice well-known tunes no problem whatsoever but
we don't preach those things we don't preach carols we don't
preach you know, bringing daffodils for Mother's Day. We don't preach
all those sorts of things that you can get people to come together
for. We preach Christ, not a church. We preach Christ, not creeds. We preach Christ, not what's
going on up the road at the moment, which is sacraments and dressing
up in robes and doing all sorts of things. We don't preach sharing,
although Christians do share and are kind to one another.
We don't preach discussion, though Christians do talk about their
faith. We don't preach music and the power and the emotional
content of it, though it's got tremendous power and emotional
content, we preach Christ. And as Paul said, he was determined
not to glory in anything other than the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He must glory in that cross,
glory in it, that place that people think is dreadful. And
in a sense it is dreadful, for by wicked hands they took Christ
and crucified him and killed the innocent one. Yet, it's where
God triumphed over Satan in the justice of saving his people
from their sins and so we glory in the cross of Christ and what
he did there so John preaches it and look at verse 29 John
sees Jesus coming and says behold the Lamb of God which takes away
the sin of the world and what's the response to it? I know I'm
maybe implying a lot more than is obvious here, but I think
it's worth implying. The reaction to it was nothing.
We don't read of anybody following Christ. He preached it and nobody
followed Christ. So what did he do the next day?
He preached again. Verse 36. Behold the Lamb of
God. He preached it again. He kept
on preaching it. And that's what we must do. And
we often quote Isaiah 55 and verse 11. that when God's word
is preached, he sends it out and he sends it out with a purpose.
God sends out his word via his servants, he sends it out with
a purpose and it will not return to him without having accomplished
the purpose for which he sends it. He sends it for two reasons.
Do you know this? It's worth bearing this in mind.
He sends it out to call sinners to repentance, to call his people
out of darkness into his marvellous light. But he also sends it to
act as a judgment against those who reject look at Matthew's
gospel chapter 11 just turn back there, Matthew's gospel and chapter
11 you know this is an awesome terrible thing but it's true
verse 23 we could read more than this but for the sake of time
we'll restrict it to this and thou Capernaum, verse 23 of chapter
11 which art exalted unto heaven." Why were they exalted unto heaven?
Because the Lamb of God was preaching gracious words in their midst.
This lovely place, Capernaum, near the Sea of Galilee, and
the words which were being spoken by the Anointed One of God, it
was exalted to heaven, but it shall be brought down to hell.
For if the mighty works, the miracles, the preaching which
had been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have
remained until this day instead of being overthrown in the judgment
that fell upon Sodom but I say to you it shall be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for Capernaum
because the gracious words were preached there and the people
paid no attention and they went where was where was it he went
and and they you know again and again in the synagogue they would
do violence to the Son of God for the gracious words he spoke
you know when he went to back to Nazareth and he said there
were many widows in Israel but Elijah was sent to a widow who
wasn't an Israelite and there were many lepers and Elisha was
sent to Naaman the Syrian and because he said those things
which were the truth of scripture they went to throw him down the
cliff because they were so angry with him and those gracious words
which were spoken you know the Spirit of the Lord is upon me
for he has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor to heal
the sick to heal the blind to do all of those things and there
it was in their midst and the hardness of hearts they rejected
him they rejected him and he says it'll be more tolerable
for Sodom in the day of judgment than for those places that had
gracious words spoken in them and they rejected well then secondly
I want you to see this Christ was preached but there's a meeting
with Christ when disciples are called there's a meeting with
Christ look at verse 37 the two disciples heard him speak that
is John the Baptist and they heeded what was preached and
what they heard and they followed Jesus who were they? well we
know one of them was Andrew and the other one we're not given
his name but we're pretty sure it's the writer of the gospel
because John the Apostle whenever he wrote about himself he never
identified himself other than to say the one whom Jesus loved
and he's talking about surely he would have named the other
one if he's naming Andrew he would have named the other one
so we think it was John himself but what came to them was an
effectual call do you know what an effectual call is? it's one
that you respond to you know if you children are playing and
you don't fancy coming in and you're called and you're called
And it's not effectual calls, is it? Because you hear somebody
calling, and I don't need to respond to that just yet, and
then all of a sudden, one comes in now, and it's just knowing
where that line is, and you know, ah, right now, I better go. Could
be in trouble if I don't go now. They heard an effectual call.
They heard a call from the Spirit of God. They were made willing
in the day of His power. You see, there was an initial
contact, and in that initial contact, there was so much they
didn't know. There was so much that they didn't
know. Anybody hearing this for the first time, you must have
all sorts of questions. You cannot know the end of this. There's so much to know that
you don't know now. But, but, but, is there a hunger
to know more? Is there a desire to know more?
Is there a realization that something to do with this Christ is exactly
what my soul needs for all eternity? That's what it was with these
disciples. and knowing that they there was something in him that
they must find out more about knowing a little but knowing
that they must know more about him it reminds me of that hymn,
we're not having it this morning but I know not why God's wondrous
love to me has been made known and so on and so forth but I
know whom I have believed and there's a whole load of stuff
I don't know but I do know this that my soul's good for all eternity
is in this one and I must find him I must meet him I must come
to him I'm persuaded that He is able. Able to do what? To
save to the uttermost those who come to God by Him. To save for
all eternity. To bless with peace from God. And to follow Him. To follow
Him. They followed Christ. What is it to follow Christ?
It's to follow Him wherever He leads you. That might be a geographical
leading. There are many of us that are
in places that wouldn't be our first choice geographically being
a Lake District boy and brought up by the sea I would love to
live near the mountains I absolutely would but for one reason or another
in his sovereignty the God of the universe has placed us here
in this place and he shows you how to like it and he shows you
how to get on there and be okay with it but you know that you
go where he leads you and it's not just geographical but in
his doctrine you know you follow him in his doctrine not in the
doctrine that men think he's right or that we by nature might
think he's right read the article that I picked it was from Gary
Shepard's bulletin but I thought it was very good and that's why
I picked it out the doctrine is clearly this that Christ died
for a specific people that's his doctrine that's what his
word teaches there's no shadow of a doubt about it Any other
gospel that claims to be a gospel and doesn't proclaim that is
no gospel at all. But we follow his doctrine. And
these disciples followed Christ. Real disciples follow Christ
in his doctrine and in his example. Because he is an example to his
people. What is he an example of? He's
an example of meekness. He washed his disciples' feet.
He's an example of kindness and of mercy and of graciousness.
He was so strong when the situation required strength, but he was
so gracious and tender in other situations. They follow his example. Real disciples follow Christ.
And so they heard the preaching and they followed Christ. And
then next, and I'm rushing on for the sake of time, next, they
stayed with Christ. True disciples stay with Christ. Look at verse 38. They followed
him, And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them,
What are you looking for? What seek ye? What are you looking
for? And they said to him, Master, where are you living? I don't
know what sort of a question that was. I mean, maybe there
was something they couldn't put into words. They wanted a conversation
with him, but they didn't know how to open the conversation.
So they just asked him, Where are you living? Where are you
staying? You know, as it might be with us in a first meeting. You don't know what to say. You
don't know that person yet. You want to know them more, so
you're looking for an icebreaker question to get the conversation
going. And so, where do you live? Christ turned to them because
He knew their hearts. He's the sovereign God. He knows
their hearts. And so He asked them a question
that they might ask Him a question, that they might start the conversation
off. And so it is when we meet Christ, the conversation starts,
the understanding, the listening to His Word being preached, the
reading of His Word in the Scriptures. They ask, where do you live?
an icebreaker question for a much deeper and a much more profound
conversation but you know it's got some relevance to us where
do you live? it's not just casual where do
you live? Oh I live down on the such and
such a place look at Job's the book of Job chapter 23 chapter
23 and verse 3 Job 23 and verse 3 you see Job was in a terrible situation with tremendous
suffering and all of his comforters, so-called, were around him accusing
him, pointing out his faults, saying he'd brought it all upon
himself that God wouldn't have done this to him if he hadn't
done so many things wrong. But what's the cry of Job's heart
in verse 3 of chapter 23? Oh, that I knew where I might
find him, that I might even come to his seat. Oh, isn't that the
cry? of the heart that's seeking.
Oh, that I knew where I might find God, where I might find
Him, that I might even come before His presence. And do you know
what he says? If with all your heart you truly seek me, you
shall ever surely find me. This is it. We sung that hymn
which says how it really is. I sought the Lord and afterward
I knew He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me. if with all your heart you truly
seek him you shall ever surely find him oh that I knew where
I might find him where will we find him? I'll tell you where
he lives do you know who it is that we're dealing with? look
at Isaiah 57 Isaiah 57 and verse 15 for thus saith the high
and lofty one that inhabits eternity whose name is holy You know,
these who breeze into the presence of God in an air and demeanour
of disrespect, in an air and demeanour of casual approach,
they don't realise He is the High and Lofty One who inhabits
eternity, whose name is Holy. I dwell in the high and holy
place, but listen, the One who is so exalted, with Him also
that is of a contrite and a humble spirit, This high and lofty and
holy and almighty God is pleased to dwell with those who are of
a contrite and a humble spirit. To revive the spirit of the humble
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. And so Christ
answers when they say, where do you live? Where are you dwelling?
Christ answers, come and see. Come with him, come and see.
And so he says to all who are seeking, come and see. Come and
get to know him. Where does he gather? He gathers with his people. Matthew
18 verse 20, one of the most commonly quoted verses, especially
if you assemble in a small group. Where two or three are gathered
in my name, there am I in the midst. Just a small group. This
is where Christ dwells. He dwells with two or three gathered
in his name. This is where to come. Where
are you living? We'd say to the people around
us, oh yes, there's two or three of us, a few more than that,
but you know what I mean, a small number in the eyes of the world.
Come and see where Christ lives, because he dwells where two or
three are gathered in his name. Not where hundreds are gathered
in some false name, but where two or three are gathered in
his name. He says in Revelation 3.20 to that church that was
drifting away from him, he stands at the door of his people and
knocks and if anyone opens that door he will come in and sup
and commune with us. Where does he live? He lives
with his people, he lives in his people and Jesus in chapter
14 of John and verse 23 he says this, if a man love me he will
keep my words and my father will love him and we will come unto
him and make our abode with him How do we stay with Christ? They
came and they stayed with Christ. It was the tenth hour. That isn't
ten o'clock in the morning. That's four o'clock in the afternoon.
So in the Jewish way of reckoning time, there was just a couple
of hours before the end of the day. So the idea was that you
stayed overnight and they spent the next day with him. And they
came and they stayed with Christ. They went and they learned of
him. What conversations they must have had. teaching must
have flowed from those lips of the Lord Jesus Christ to teach
these disciples who had followed him as they stayed with him but
how is it now? how is it now? he sent his comforter
he sent the Holy Spirit and as we gather as his people he gathers
with us as we gather together to worship and hear his voice
and then finally and I know I'm going over time but witnessing
to Christ verse 41 verse 41 true disciples hear the preaching,
they follow Christ, they stay with Christ, and they witness
to Christ. He first findeth his own brother
Simon, this is Andrew, and says to him, we have found the Messiah,
which is being interpreted, the Christ, and he brought him to
Jesus. Andrew had found Christ this
side of eternity. All men will find Christ beyond
death, all men will. be aware of it, every knee shall
bow, every knee, everyone shall know in that day but Andrew as
we have found Christ this side of eternity and as such he must
tell his brother he must go and tell Simon Peter he must go and
tell him you know there was a man that we read of in one of Jesus's
parables you know the rich man and Lazarus the poor man and
that rich man when he saw the true situation it's in picture
language but nevertheless the lesson is true he longed and
he desired to be able to go and tell his brothers who were still
living to pay attention to the gospel of God's grace and what
was the answer it's too late it's too late let's not let it
be too late let's witness to this let's do what Andrew did
let's go and find others to tell, and let's tell them, let's give
them a leaflet, let's witness in personal witness, let's encourage
people to listen to the preaching of the gospel of his grace. And
what was his message? What was the message of Andrew?
I found a really good church? No, we found the Christ. We found
the Messiah. We found the Lamb of God. We
found the promised seed in whom all nations of the earth will
be blessed. We found the anointed servant,
because that's what Christ means, the anointed one. We found the
Lord high and lifted up. We found true God. This is true
God and eternal life to know Jesus Christ. We found David's
son and David's Lord and finding him. And remember they'd been
with Christ for some hours so they knew a lot more than when
they asked that first question, where are you dwelling? They
knew a lot more and they said we found peace with God and we
found forgiveness of sins and we found acceptance with God
in the beloved and we've got a glorious hope of eternity for
this is the one. who's come to save his people
from their sins. And what did they say to him?
Come and see for yourself. Isn't that our message to those
around us? Come and see for yourself. Just
come and see. Throw it in the bin if you want,
but here, take this disc, take this tape, whatever it might
be. Come and see for yourself. As Jesus said to the man on whom
he performed a miracle in Mark 5 and verse 19, go home to your
friends and tell them how great things the Lord has done for
you and that he's had compassion on you just go and tell them
go and tell them of your experience true disciples hear preaching
of Christ they follow Christ they stay with Christ and they
witness to what they've seen and heard and experienced and
to the hope that they have