August 21, 2005
Scripture:
Can we turn back to John 1 for a moment; I was struck by a contrast. This time we will read vv. 35 & 36: “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” We read the beginning of this chapter and found some of the glories of the Lord. In v. 4, He was light; His life had a radiance; as our brother read in Hebrews, a brightness. What light is this? what brightness? what radiance? We know the effect of this light. V. 5, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” What a darkness this is, it seemed to swallow up the light. We read Isaiah 53; the arm of the Lord was reaching down. It is the root that grew in dry ground, not desired, no beauty. In the heart of man, so much of what God shone forth was lost. However, in what we read, John the Baptist, in rapture, beheld the Lord as He walked; almost talking to himself, he says, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Two of his disciples heard what he said and left their leader to follow Jesus. Precious words! In the whole land, there were two who heard John and followed Jesus. There is nothing Jesus likes more than followers. In v. 39, He says something very revealing to them: “Come and see.” They went and spent the day with Him. What I find so precious is that later in John’s Gospel there is a verse my brother reads often; John 17:24, “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.” Knowing that this, beholding His glory, is the greatest joy that we will ever know, He says “Come and See.” Those two disciples had a desire that matched the Lord’s: To be together. And that’s our desire, too; by faith here, someday soon, by sight.
EG Hymn 338 – I love my Saviour Prayer • We all have hearts. Your heart pumps blood; if it stops, you would die. The Bible mentions the heart a lot, but it doesn’t mean your blood pumping heart, it means a place to store things. Psalm 119:11 • When you memorize verses, you put them in your head. How do you put them in your heart? By believing them and doing them. • There was a young man in England named Steve who went on a vacation at the seaside. He was walking along the beach when he heard a voice, “Yoo- hoo, can you help me!” He noticed an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair. “Youngman, can you please move me into the shade; it’s getting hot here in the sun.” “I’d be happy to do that,” agreed Steve, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” “No, thank you, though,” the man replied, “I’d love to go down to Pender’s Point, but you don’t have to do that.” “I’d be happy to bring you there” “I wasn’t expecting you to do this,” the man said thankfully as they started. They had a good walk at Pender’s Point and when they started back to the man’s cottage Steve said, “I’m glad you trusted me to take you on that walk.” “Well, you’re a strong young man, why wouldn’t I?” “When I get home, I am taking a Sunday school class, and I was wondering how to tell them to trust Jesus to save them. I’ll tell them that just as you trusted me, they can trust Jesus.” “I didn’t expect to get a sermon along with the walk; that stuff isn’t for me, I’ve never done anything to keep me out of heaven,” the man huffed. “But sir, in the Bible, it says ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Eph. 2:8 & 9),” Steve responded. “I’ve got a book at home,” the man went on, “If I can find it, I’ll give it to you. You sound like the kind of person who could appreciate it.” When they arrived at the man’s cottage, Steve asked, “Would you like to go on a walk tomorrow?” “I would love it, and thank you!” the man said. The next few days, when Steve looked for the man, he wasn’t there. Finally, on the last day of Steve’s vacation, the man was out in front of his cottage, waiting for Steve. “I found that book I told you about,” he started, “and I found that verse you quoted; I’m not going to give you the book, because it was through that verse I was saved!” If Steve had not hidden that verse in his heart, he couldn’t have helped the man.
Hebrews 5:11–14 • V. 11 begins a parenthesis that goes to the end of chapter 6. Verse 10 and ch. 7:1 have the same subject of Melchisedec. Between them are “many things to say” that are “hard to be uttered.” • The writer is rebuking the Hebrew Christians because they are dull of spiritual hearing. Kelly says two things can cause spiritual hearing dullness: 1) tradition, as in our chapter, and 2) worldly wisdom, as in the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians. • The Greek word for dull, νωθρός, nōthros, is used twice in the New Testament, once in our chapter, and once in Heb. 6:12, translated slothful. • Mr. N. Burgess used to work near a textile mill. It was so loud that you could shout four inches from someone’s ear and they wouldn’t hear you. It’s a picture of what is happening to many people spiritually. People everywhere need noise: radios, headphones, televisions, etc. “Be still and know that I am God”, Satan is doing just the opposite. He doesn’t want them to hear that still, small voice. • V 12.—These teachers should be able to teach others, but because of their dull hearing, they need to be taught again! • “First principles of the oracles of God”—these refer to what was taught before the crucifixion. This is what John the Baptist and Jesus taught. • Milk/Meat—A baby can’t eat much more than milk. The writer is not saying milk is bad, but God is looking for progress. If all you can take is milk, you are not growing. Peter says to desire the milk of the Word as much as a baby desires milk. EG Hymn–Two little eyes to look to God Prayer