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Sermon #1822 Miscellaneous Sermons Title: Three Great
Wonders Text: John
1:29 Subject: Three
Wonders Revealed in Holy Scripture Date: Sunday
Evening—December 6, 2002 Tape # Z-76b Readings: Rex
Bartley and James Jordan Introduction: There are
certain, specific things revealed in the Scriptures that we are called upon
to behold as matters of unquestionable
truth, to behold with confident
faith, reverent wonder, deep gratitude, and exulting praise. LetÕs look at
three of these wonders of Divine Revelation. Behold The Lamb John 1:29 The first
wonder I want us to mediate upon tonight is The Wonder of the Lamb. — The
first great wonder revealed in this Book is the wonder of the Lamb—The
wonder of redemption through the sacrifice of the Lamb (Gen. 3 and
4—The First Sacrifice—AbelÕs Sacrifice) Our blessed Savior is
constantly referred to and typified in the Book of God as the Lamb of God.
But the first time he is specifically called ÒThe Lamb of GodÓ is here in
John 1:29. (John 1:29)
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Now watch
this, John specifically identifies the Messiah, the Christ, as the Lamb of
God and directs his disciples to follow the Lamb. (John 1:30-37) "This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man
which is preferred before me: for he was before me. (31) And I knew him not: but that he should be made
manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. (32) And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit
descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. (33) And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize
with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit
descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the
Holy Ghost. (34) And I saw, and
bare record that this is the Son of God. (35) Again the next day after John stood, and two of his
disciples; (36) And looking
upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (37) And the two disciples heard him speak, and they
followed Jesus." ÒBehold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world.Ó
I am calling upon you to behold the Lamb of God as the sin-atoning sacrifice
of God himself, who bore our sins, and bore them away forever, in his own
body on the tree. á
Christ is presented to us as the Lamb. á
He is the Lamb of God. á
He is the Lamb who is God. á
He has taken away all the sins of all his people
scattered through all the world. I call upon you who are yet under the wrath of
God to ÒBehold the Lamb of God.Ó — Some of you are yet without Christ, lost, under
the wrath of God. The weight of your guilt and sin is crushing your soul. The
terror of GodÕs wrath is driving you mad. You simply cannot go on like you
are. You feel that you are sinking into hell, and there is nothing you can do
about it. You are as helpless as you are miserable and wretched. I call you
now, like that very first Baptist preacher called on his hearers, to ÒBehold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.Ó Look to Christ, like the Jews looked to the brazen
serpent in the wilderness, and be saved (Isaiah 45:22). (Isaiah
45:22) "Look unto me, and
be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." My message is the same to you who are born of
God, to you who are already heirs of
eternal life. — Whatever your soulÕs trouble is, whatever your need is,
whatever your heart craves, whatever your present condition is, this is what
you need to do this hour—ÒBehold the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world.Ó á
Behold the Lamb of God, and worship! á
Behold the Lamb of God, and wonder! á
Behold the Lamb of God, and be ravished with his
mercy, love, and grace! á
Behold the Lamb of God, and find inspiration for your
soulÕs devotion to him! á
Behold the Lamb of God, and be broken over your sin
and indifference! (Zechariah 12:10) "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and
they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him,
as one mourneth for his only son,
and shall be in bitterness for him, as
one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." á
Behold the Lamb of God, and be revived, renewed, and
refreshed in him! á
Behold the Lamb of God and follow him. GodÕs saints
are described as followers of the Lamb (Rev. 14:4). (Revelation 14:4) "These are they which were not defiled with women;
for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he
goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." á
Behold the Lamb of God in all the Scriptures as he is
prophesied, typified (Ex. 12), identified (John 1:29), crucified (Isa. 53),
and glorified (Rev. 5). The first great
wonder revealed in this Book is the wonder of the Lamb. How I thank God for
that Lamb who was slain at Calvary, slain from the foundation of the world,
and for that Book of Life of the Lamb, in which our names were written by the
finger of God from eternity! What a wonder! Behold the Sorrow Lamentations 1:12 The second
wonder revealed in this Book, revealed as the constant theme of this Book, is
the
sufferings, sorrows, and death of Christ as the Lamb of God. — LetÕs hear the Lamb of God
himself, as he speaks in Lamentations 1:12, and calls for us to behold with reverence his
sufferings and sorrows as our Substitute. ÒIs it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see
if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith
the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.Ó Do you see the Son of God
hanging upon the cursed tree, suffering all the horrid ignominy and terror of
GodÕs unmitigated wrath? In his body, in his heart, and in his very soul, the
Son of God was filled with sorrow, suffering the hell of GodÕs wrath for us! Yonder, amazing sight I see! ThÕ incarnate Son of God Expiring
on thÕ accursed tree, And
weltering in His blood. Behold, a purple torrent run Down from His hands and head, The
crimson tide puts out the sun; His
groans awake the dead. The
trembling earth, the darkened sky, Proclaim
the truth aloud; And
with thÕ amazed centurion, cry
ÒThis is the Son of God!Ó So great, so vast a sacrifice May well my hope revive: If
GodÕs own Son thus bleeds and dies, The
sinner sure may live. Oh that these cords of love divine Might draw me, Lord, to Thee! Thou
hast my heart, it shall be Thine! Thine
it shall ever be! Samuel Stennett The enormous load of human guilt Was on my Savior laid; With
woes as with a garment, He
For sinners was arrayed. And
in the horrid pangs of death, He
wept, He prayed for me; Loved
and embraced my guilty soul When
nailed to the tree. Oh love amazing! love beyond The reach of human tongue; Love
which shall be the subject of An
everlasting song. William
Williams ÒBehold, and
see,Ó our Savior says, Òif
there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.Ó What was the source of his sorrow?—It was that, he says, ÒWherewith the
Lord God hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.Ó (See
Isaiah 53:9-10.) (Isaiah
53:9-10) "And he made his
grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no
violence, neither was any deceit in
his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased
the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall
see his seed, he shall prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
prosper in his hand." What was the cause of his sorrow?—The holy, immaculate, spotless, sinless Son
of God was made to be sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). (2 Corinthians 5:21) "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." Why did he endure such sorrow?—He endured all the agony of our hell that he might
redeem and save his people, Òthat we might be made the righteousness of
God in him.Ó The sorrow he experienced was our sorrow. The hell he
endured was our hell. The death he died was our death (Isa. 53:4-6). (Isaiah
53:4-6) "Surely he hath borne
our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was
wounded for our transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon
him; and with his stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us
all." What is the result of his sorrow, suffering, and
death as our Substitute?—The
everlasting salvation of our souls! á
Redemption á
Pardon á
Righteousness á
Acceptance á
All the Glory of Heaven Behold the Love 1 John 3:1 Here is the
third wonder revealed in the Book of God that I want us to meditate upon for
just a few minutes—The Wonder of GodÕs Love revealed
to us in the Lamb. It is in consideration of all these things that the
apostle John calls upon us to behold, with deep gratitude and joy and
exulting confidence and praise, the love of God for his elect in Christ. ÒBehold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GodÓ (1
John 3:1). When I began
preparing this message, I had planned to preach to you from the last few
verses of John 17 on the love of God. But I was simply taken up with these
great wonders of GodÕs love and got no further than 1 John 3:1. The Lord
willing, we will look at the passage in John 17 soon. Let me wrap this
message up by showing you a little of what is revealed here in 1 John 3:1. (1 John 3:1) "Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." First, John would
have us behold with wonder the love of God bestowed upon us.
— We rejoice to know that ÒGod is love!Ó Love is an attribute of his holy Being without which he would not be
God. We know that God is love because his love is revealed and made known by
his deeds. Love is active. It is never dormant. Like fire, it must break out.
It cannot be contained. It is known only when it is experienced, not by
words, but by deeds. We know the love of God is that love that Òpasseth
knowledge.Ó Yet, GodÕs love is revealed
and made known by these six deeds of indescribable love. The first act of GodÕs love was
OUR ELECTION IN CHRIST (Deut. 7:7-8). Deuteronomy 7:7-8 "The LORD did not
set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than
any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: (8) But because the LORD loved you, and because he
would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD
brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of
bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." Election is not a hard
doctrine. It is a delightful doctrine. Were it not for GodÕs electing love
toward sinners, there would be no salvation (Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13). We
would never have come to know and love Christ, had he not first loved us
(John 15:16; 1 John 4:19). The second act of GodÕs love
was OUR REDEMPTION BY CHRIST (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-10). ÒGreater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends!Ó This was compassion
like a God, That when our
Savior knew - The price of pardon
was his blood, His love he neÕer
withdrew! Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 1 John 3:16 "Hereby perceive
we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and
we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren." 1 John 4:9-10 "In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten
Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to
be the propitiation for our sins." Because he loved us, the Son of
God assumed our nature, assumed our sin, assumed our guilt and died under the
wrath of God as our Substitute, to put away our sins. ÒThe Son of God
loved me and gave himself for me!Ó The third act by which God
reveals his love to sinners is HIS EFFECTUAL, SAVING GRACE
(Jer. 31:3). — Those whom the
triune God loved, the Father chose to save. Those whom the Father chose to
save, the Son redeemed. And those whom the Son redeemed, the Holy Spirit will
effectually call, by his irresistible grace, to life and faith in Christ. ÒBlessed
is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto theeÓ (Psa.
65:4). The love of God is revealed
fourthly in THE ABSOLUTE PRESERVATION OF HIS
ELECT IN A STATE OF GRACE (Rom. 8:39). Romans 8:39 "Nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." John 10:28 "And I give unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand." Can you imagine one who is
loved of God falling from a state of grace, perishing and suffering the wrath
of God forever in hell? Why, such a notion is worse than nonsense, it is
blasphemy! The love of God isÉ á
Without cause! á
Without beginning! á
Without condition! á
Without change! á
Without end! á
It is free! á
It is discriminating! á
It is indestructible! á
It is everlasting! Fifthly, GodÕs love for his
elect is seen in OUR SAVIORÕS TENDER,
PROVIDENTIAL CARE FOR US (John
11:35-36). John 11:35-36 "Jesus wept.
(36) Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!" Our God and Savior really is
touched with the feeling of our infirmities! We really are the apple of his
eye! —— But there is one act of love that goes beyond election,
redemption, effectual calling, preservation, and providential care. Great and
marvelous as those things are, there is one act of God that goes beyond them
all. If the climax of GodÕs love is
our redemption by Christ, the apex of GodÕs love is OUR ADOPTION INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD (1 John 3:1). 1 John 3:1-3 "Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
(2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as he is. (3) And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as
he is pure." á
By birth, we are all sons of Adam, fallen, depraved
and spiritually dead (Rom. 5:12). á
By our deeds, we show ourselves to be children of the
devil, sinful, deceitful, and wicked (John 8:44). á
By nature, we are all children of wrath (Eph. 1:3). á
By grace, we who believe are the sons of God! ÒSons we are
through GodÕs election, Who in Jesus Christ
believe; By eternal
destination, Sovereign grace we
here receive! Every fallen soul,
by sinning, Merits everlasting
pain; But Thy love,
without beginning, Has restored Thy
sons again. Pause, my soul, adore and wonder! Ask, ÔOh why such love
to me?Õ Grace hath put me
in the number Of the SaviorÕs
family!Ó Election is the great fountain
of grace. Redemption is the greatest mystery of grace. And Adoption
Is The Greatest Privilege Of Grace. ÒBehold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us,that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.Ó Why has
God adopted us into his family?
— No reason can be found in all
the Bible for GodÕs adoption of sinners into his family except his sovereign
love (Eph. 1:4-5). Ephesians 1:3-6 "Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ: (4) According as he
hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his
will, (6) To the praise of
the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved." Adoption is experienced and
known in time; but it began in eternity. We were not adopted into the family
of God when he gave us his Spirit, but when he chose us and accepted us in
the Beloved. He gives us his Spirit in regenerating grace, not to make us son
of God, but because we are the sons of God! Galatians 4:1-7 "Now I say, That
the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a
servant, though he be lord of all; (2) But
is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
(3) Even so we, when we were children,
were in bondage under the elements of the world: (4) But when the fulness of the time was come,
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we
might receive the adoption of sons. (6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit
of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (7) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son;
and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." The only distinction between
the children of God and the children of wrath is the distinguishing love and
grace of God (1 Cor. 4:7). And this distinction was made by God in eternity. 1 Corinthians 4:7 "For who maketh
thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst
not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" Illustration: JohnnyÕs #60! By what power
do sinners become the sons of God?
— Were it not for the perversions of religious tradition, this
question would be redundant. Man, by nature, is enmity against God. He cannot
become one of the sons of God because he chooses to be! á
The preacher has no power to make men the sons of
God. á
The church has no power to make men the sons of God. á
You certainly do not have the power to make yourself
a child of God! (Rom. 9:16). á
The only power that can translate a sinner from the
family of nature into the family of grace (Jer. 3:19) is the power of God. Jeremiah 3:19 "But I said, How
shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly
heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father;
and shalt not turn away from me." Adoption is GodÕs work! You
cannot become a child of God but by the choice, power, and grace of God! What is the method
of GodÕs adoption? — We must never suggest, imply, or imagine that God
must do anything, or that he must do anything in a specific way. God is
totally free and sovereign. He can do whatever he is pleased to do. And he
can do it however he is pleased to do it. But God does reveal in his Word his
method of grace in adoption (John 1:12-13). John 1:12-13 "But as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on his name: (13) Which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God." NOTE: If we would understand
the doctrine of this text, it must be read backwards. Here John tells us
three things about GodÕs method of grace in adoption. First, God drops the life of grace into a personÕs soul (v.
13). ÒBorn of God!Ó The new birth is
GodÕs work. NOTE: Here GodÕs adoption
differs from civil adoption. He gives his sons his nature! This gracious gift
of God is altogether the work of his free and sovereign grace in Christ.
As soon as God drops life into the soul, the regenerate sinner
receives Christ, believing on his name. — To believe on his name, ÒThe Lord Jesus
Christ,Ó is to receive Christ as myÉ á
My Lord! á
My Redeemer! á
My Savior! á
My Righteousness! And as soon as you trust Christ, God gives you the right, the power,
the authority, the privilege of being his child. — This power, authority, and right of sonship is the
assurance of sonship conferred upon believing sinners by the Holy Spirit.
That person who trusts Christ alone as Savior and Lord knows that he has the
right in Christ to speak to God almighty as his heavenly Father. NOTE: If any of you think you
are the sons of God who have not yet believed on the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, it is a lie - Sonship, Adoption is bestowed upon faith - á
Not Feeling! á
Not Conviction! á
Not Conversion! á
Not Repentance! Why are the children of God so misunderstood and misrepresented by the people
of this world?—ÒTherefore the world knoweth us not.Ó — If
you are born of God, if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, if you live in this
world as a child of God, the men and women of the world will never be able to
know you. You will be misunderstood and misrepresented. á
Your Doctrine. á
Your Devotion. á
Your Desires. The
reason for this misunderstanding is quite simple – Because we are the
sons of God—ÒTherefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew
him not.Ó What are the blessed privileges of adoption? — I have already told you that the greatest
privilege of grace is adoption. Now let me show you that that statement is
true. Being the sons of God, ours is a blessedness beyond comparison. We have an assured interest in GodÕs infinite, everlasting love (John 17:23-26). John 17:23-26 "I in them, and
thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know
that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (24) Father,
I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that
they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me
before the foundation of the world. (25) O
righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and
these have known that thou hast sent me. (26) And I have declared unto them thy name, and will
declare it: that the love
wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." 1. We have the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14-16; Gal. 4:6). — God the Holy
Spirit has been given to us, bequeathed and bestowed upon us by Christ our
Lord. Galatians 4:6 "And because ye
are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father." Romans 8:14-16 "For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (15) For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God:"
2. We have been brought into the discipline of our
FatherÕs house (Heb. 12:5-11). Hebrews 12:5-11 "And ye have
forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son,
despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked
of him: (6) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what
son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are
partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which
corrected us, and we gave them
reverence: shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (10) For they verily for a few days chastened us
after their own pleasure; but he for our
profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit
of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." The FatherÕs chastening rod is
a blessing of grace by which our heavenly FatherÉ á
Proves Our Faith. á
Strengthens Our Faith. á
Purifies Our Faith. á
Weans Us From The World. 3. We are assured of our perfect conformity to the
image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). Romans 8:29 "For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." 4. And our adoption into the family of God makes us
the heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. — Our inheritance is an inheritance of grace! An
inheritance of pure, free grace in Christ!
Revelation 7:16-17
"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither
shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. (17) For the Lamb
which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto
living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes." I really cannot tell you what
the blessing of being an heir of God shall be. Only eternity can do that. But
I can tell you this—It beats being an heir of hell! I know. IÕve been
both. Application: If you come to
Christ, you shall be an heir of God; you are a child of God! May God make you
to do as Mary did long ago, to choose that good part that shall never be
taken away from you! á
Believe on Christ! á
Confess Christ! á
Live for Christ! á
Live with Christ forever! AMEN! Don Fortner Listen to sermons
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