Look to Jesus, He is Able to Save

[0:00] and appreciate the opportunity of coming and sharing these nights at the community centre. Thank you to all who have done a lot of work behind the scenes to make that possible.

[0:11] We do know that these things don't just come about, but I want to thank everyone who's helped us and stood with us and prayed with us and prayed for us all the way through.

[0:22] Thank you for that. I just wanted to look just quite briefly at this part of God's Word, John's Gospel, chapter 1. I'm thinking about just these words and these passages that we've read here.

[0:38] You know, if we had something, if we had one thing that we wanted to say to someone, if we had some direction that we wanted to point someone in, what would it be?

[0:50] Well, it would be surely just exactly what John the Baptist did. He just pointed people to Jesus. You know, that's what he did. He was a forerunner and he was preparing people for Jesus coming.

[1:06] And then when Jesus came onto the scene, that was what he did. He says, look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And that's how the church began and that's how the disciples, he started, began following him through John the Baptist.

[1:24] He wasn't pointing them to anything. He wasn't pointing them to any sort of activities. He wasn't pointing them to any sort of outward form. He wasn't pointing to any human achievement in any way whatsoever.

[1:35] He was just pointing them to Jesus, the Lamb of God. And he was doing the same thing the day before we read the next day. And we read the next passage the next day.

[1:46] And he's still doing it. He's still pointing people to Jesus. That's really straightforward, isn't it? He was a straightforward preacher of the word.

[1:58] He called people to repentance. That's what he was doing. He warned people about the wrath to come. That there is a day of God's judgment coming.

[2:09] And he was warning people about that. He warned the Pharisees. He said, you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? And he was calling people and urging people and crying out to people to repent.

[2:26] And he said, look, here is the Lamb of God. This is the promised one that was promised through the scriptures, through the Old Testament scriptures.

[2:37] And he's here. You need to look to him. Only he is able to do for us what we so desperately need.

[2:47] He is mighty to save. Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save. Rescue the perishing. Care for the dying. Snatch them in pity from sin on the grave.

[2:59] Weep or the erring one. Lift up the fallen. Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save the hymn says. Just keep doing that.

[3:10] That's what he was doing. You might not always see the results. But that's the calling. It's just go into all the world. And we know that there's many, that there's different ways.

[3:20] And you wouldn't just keep saying that. But in all that we do, whatever we do, we must always be pointing people to Jesus.

[3:30] Because only he can make a difference. John the Baptist was actually, he was actually sold out on this fact. He was in no doubt about it. There was nothing uncertain or unsure.

[3:42] He knew what he had to do. And he knew that if someone's gaze was towards Jesus, then, you know, miraculous things could happen. And he needed to get people to look to him.

[3:55] I wonder, why are people not looking to Jesus so much today? Why are people not following Jesus so much today?

[4:05] Why are we not seeing people? When the word is faithfully preached, when David comes here week after week and he's pointing people to Jesus, why are we not seeing people coming to Jesus?

[4:19] He says, I don't have the answers for that. Perhaps we're not just so convinced. Perhaps we're not just so sold out as John the Baptist was. If he could see people just looking to Jesus, that he would know.

[4:34] Perhaps you are not so convinced tonight. If you have never looked to him, what's it going to take to convince you that you need to look to Jesus? That that's all you need to do.

[4:45] You don't need to do anything else. It is that simple. He is able to save. But perhaps we're not saying like John the Baptist.

[4:57] Perhaps we're not decreasing so much and saying that he must increase. Is he getting the glory? Is he getting the place?

[5:09] Is he getting the honour that he deserves? And are we in a lowly place? The place that we should be? John was just so excited to see Jesus coming.

[5:20] He's the forerunner. He's telling people that the Messiah is coming. People need to repent. People need to be ready. He says, I baptize the water. But the one who's coming will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

[5:32] In other words, what I'm doing can't actually take away your sin. But one who's coming who can. That's what he said. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

[5:43] Here's one that's coming that can actually do something for you. He can take your sin away. And he knew. And he was full of seal for Jesus. He knew who he was.

[5:54] He knew of his life's transforming power. You see, John the Baptist himself couldn't give someone a new heart. He couldn't give someone eternal life. He couldn't break into the darkness of someone's life.

[6:08] But he says, look, here's Jesus. He can. You just need to come to him. You just need to look to him. Because he can make that difference. He was pointing people to Jesus.

[6:22] That's all that, in a very simple way, that I feel that I'm able to do. Other people can come and expand the word in a deep way.

[6:34] And God has gifted people in various ways. I just feel that all I can really do in these days is just tell people about Jesus. Because I know he is mighty to save.

[6:46] I know that he's saved just a wretch like me. And steeped in sin and rebelling against God. I know that he's able to save.

[6:58] And I know if you just look to him, he's able to save. If you come to him. You see, the point is this, too. That he was doing it before.

[7:10] The next day we read in verse 29. It says, behold the Lamb of God. He saw Jesus coming. He was coming toward him. But then we read in verse 35.

[7:21] The next day John was standing. And he looked at Jesus as he walked by. That kind of spoke to me of a day of opportunity. You know, he's coming toward him.

[7:33] And then he's walking by. Friends, do not give up. Do not miss the day of opportunity. Because you'll not always have an opportunity.

[7:47] You won't always have that day of opportunity. Make the most of every day of opportunity. Because time will run out.

[7:57] The gospel must be made known. Patiently. Repeatedly. We never give up. The next day.

[8:09] The next day. Pointing people to Jesus. And then notice secondly that there was just this compelling response when they heard.

[8:21] And they followed. They followed him. They followed him. In verse 37 we read the two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus.

[8:34] You know, what a wonderful response. And that's a response that we pray for, isn't it? That's a response that we look for and we long for when this gospel is preached.

[8:50] That people would follow Jesus. You know, there's no greater one to follow. And the reality is this. Tonight, if you're not following Jesus, who do you think you're following?

[9:07] You might think, well, I've got my own way. I can work it out myself. You know, well, I wouldn't say, some people say, well, I wouldn't say I'm not following.

[9:19] Well, you either are or you aren't. It's as simple as that. And according to the word of God, if you're not following Jesus, you're still grift and you're trapped in sin and following God's enemy, the devil.

[9:37] Because he is a deceiver and he is a liar. And we can only go one of two ways. We're either following the Lamb of God or we're following his enemy, the devil.

[9:52] But these disciples heard him say this. And they followed. Isn't that wonderful? They heard him say it. And what did he say? He said, look, the Lamb of God.

[10:03] He was pointing people to Jesus. He was saying, look, the Lamb of God. And they heard that. And you've heard these words tonight as well. And are you following?

[10:16] And if you're not, will you? Will you follow this wonderful Savior? Look, behold, the Lamb of God. Just a short sermon that was, wasn't it?

[10:30] But it was a very sincere sermon. It was a word from God to the hearts of people. And that's what preaching should be.

[10:42] And that's why it's so important to, that we spend time with God. So that we know what, something at least of what God would want to say when we stand up and preach.

[10:54] That's why it's so important that we take heed. That's why it's so important that we listen. Because it's not somebody standing up that just tries to think of a few things to say to people.

[11:05] No, no, no. It's far more important than that. It's God's word. And how many times, perhaps, is there someone here tonight and you've heard God's word over and over again and you're still not following?

[11:16] No, no. You need to look to him. Just look to Jesus, the Lamb of God. You know that you might find that friend.

[11:33] That you might find that friend in Jesus. That the hymn writer said, I found a friend in Jesus. He's everything to me.

[11:45] He's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul. The lily of the valley. In him alone I see. All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.

[11:57] In sorrow he's my comfort. In trouble he's my stay. He tells me every care on him to roll. He's the lily of the valley. The bright and morning star.

[12:10] He's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul. That's what we find in Jesus. A friend. You can say he's everything to me.

[12:25] That's what happens. And that's what can happen when someone looks to Jesus. A friend who is a friend like no other friend.

[12:39] A friend who will understand you. We've all got complications in our lives, haven't we? Perhaps we don't fully understand each other.

[12:52] Probably husbands and wives don't even fully understand each other. That's just the way it is. What about a friend that understands us just exactly as we are?

[13:07] Come to him. A friend who loves us when our love for him is even not there at all. But our love for him is not what it should be.

[13:21] A friend who still loves us. That's the one we need. Without him there's no hope. Without him the sin in our life will bring us to a lost eternity in hell.

[13:38] You know what a desperate end that is. And you know there's so many tonight and they're walking on through life's journey. Heading on that broad road to destruction.

[13:48] Like there's no accountability. Like it's just going to go on and people are totally unconcerned. Yet you know there's a day coming.

[14:00] There's a judgment day. When everyone, everyone, no one will be missing that day. We might hear on the news about a missing person.

[14:12] And there's missing people and they're still missing and they've never been found. The missing people will be there on that day. Everyone, there'll be no escape.

[14:24] We'll have to stand and give an account. We'll be asked on that day, did you look to Jesus? You see, remember even this night.

[14:38] Remember the times when your ministers faithfully preached the word. And they say, did you look to Jesus? You know, what a day.

[14:50] Standing at the judgment day. Having sat under the preaching of the word. Week by week, month by month, year by year. And still, you haven't looked to Jesus.

[15:04] Look to him. What did that mean for them? What did that mean for those who followed him? Well, it means that they were noticed.

[15:16] There's something lovely about that. You see, when they followed, we see in verse, in verse 38, Jesus turned and he saw them following.

[15:28] Isn't that wonderful? You know, sometimes we wonder, well, is anybody, is anybody noticing? Can, can anyone help me? You know, if you just make, make some attempt at least of trying to, to follow.

[15:45] It, it mightn't be great. Our faith might just be so weak. Like, hardly, we mightn't feel that we have hardly faith at all. But you know, if that's your heart's desire and you're sitting there tonight thinking, well, I would love to follow Jesus.

[16:01] And if there's a prayer in your heart, just, maybe crying out, Lord, help me. I don't really know how to follow you, but I pray that you would help me to follow you. Do you know what happens when, when you start to do that?

[16:14] Jesus notices. You know, when they began to follow him, we read there, and, and, and he, he saw them. He knows every detail of your life.

[16:26] He knows all the struggles. He knows all the muddles. He, he knows all the confusion. He knows it all. And you just need to come with it. You just need to, to come with all of that.

[16:37] And bring it to him because he sees you and he knows you. And he turned and he, he saw them. And he said to them, what are you seeking? And they said to him, Rabbi, which means teacher, where do you stay?

[16:51] And what, what a reply that was. Just think about that reply for a little while. He says, come and see. Come and see. You know, he could have just told them where he was staying.

[17:03] And, they might have just gone away happy with that. Does it all? Well, that, you're staying there. That's, that's where he's staying. And that could have been it.

[17:16] But no. You see, he says to them, come and see. Come and see. they might never have gone to see if they had just been told.

[17:30] You know, that's the invitation. That's the invitation. It's, it's not just about knowing. It's not just about knowledge. It's about experiencing him.

[17:42] Come and see. You see, some people, like, they, they follow, but they never really get to an intimate place. It's like people that just sort of know about him. Maybe, yes, maybe had some sort of experience at some time, but just knowing about him, knowing about him won't, won't do it.

[18:02] We need to get into an intimate place. And that, that, that's where he's bringing them. And it's obvious from the question that, that, that's what they were wanting.

[18:13] And that's what they needed. To spend time with him. You know, that's, that's what, that's what we need to do. We need to get into an intimate place. We need to spend time with him.

[18:24] We need to learn from him. It's, it's, it's no use thinking that we can sort of go part of the way. If we are professing to be Christians tonight, we need to go all of the way.

[18:36] All of the way. Just come and see. Spend time in his presence. And, and we read that, they spent the day with him. What a time that was.

[18:46] That was a life transforming time. You see, time in the presence of Jesus. It's life transforming. It's not about looking on. It's not about knowing. It's about being in his, in his intimate presence.

[18:59] Come and see, he said. And maybe tonight, he's saying to someone here, come and see. Stop looking on. Follow him right to where he is. And come, come and see.

[19:11] Sometimes he just asks a very obvious question. Like to Bartimaeus, for example. When Bartimaeus was crying, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me, blind Bartimaeus.

[19:23] And Jesus said to him, well, what do you want me to do for you? He would have said, that was very obvious. He was blind. He wanted to see. But Jesus asks very obvious questions to see if people are really serious about wanting to follow Jesus.

[19:40] You know, are you really serious tonight about wanting to follow him? Or are you just quite happy, perhaps just to, just to have a knowledge, just to, perhaps to look a bit from a distance.

[19:54] No, that's not the Christian life. It's come and see. Come and experience it. It's not about easy, believe us in. Following Jesus is never like that. But it's getting right into his company.

[20:08] Right into his presence. And you know, there's no better place to be. Yes, sir. There's no better place than that. Just being in his presence. Sensing his presence.

[20:21] Knowing that. And knowing the joy that that can bring. I wonder, have we lost something? So someone here, you've just lost something of that, the joy of the Lord.

[20:37] Lord, perhaps you're, you're looking at from a distance. You're not really. You're not sold out like John the Baptist was sold out. You're not that, so excited about Jesus anymore.

[20:52] Perhaps just traveling along. Yes, following perhaps, but, but at a distance. And he's saying, to you tonight, come and see. Come into my presence. Come near.

[21:04] You'll receive all that, that, that he has for you. But you need to, you need to come. Just, finally, the, this, the, the transaction was just so complete.

[21:17] They stayed with Jesus. And, what a testimony that they, they had. They said, we have found the Messiah.

[21:28] We have found the Messiah. I wonder, can you say that tonight? We have found the Messiah. Messiah. Some of us might be, if you said that, if I wasn't reading it from the Bible, you'd be, you'd be correcting me, wouldn't you?

[21:44] You'd be saying, no, no, no. No, you can't do that. Jesus has found you. Yes, I understand that. I'm sure they did too. But, this was their experience.

[21:55] They were so filled, and so full of seal, that they had found the Messiah, the one who was promised, the one who was promised through Scripture. Here he has come on the scene, and John the Baptist is pointing people to him, and people are finding Jesus.

[22:11] Well, what a, what a testimony. You know, have you ever said, told someone, you know, I've found the Messiah? That's, it's, there's nothing more wonderful to be able to know, isn't there?

[22:24] To be able to know that, to be able to experience that, to be able to tell others about this wonderful savor that I've found in my life, and he's everything to me.

[22:35] He's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul. As the hymn writer said, and oh, the joy that floods my soul. Something happened, and now I know he touched me, and made me whole.

[22:51] And you know, they had to tell others. And that's what they were doing. They were going, and they're finding his brother, and finding someone else, and they're telling people. You know, someone who never tells others, or speaks to others about their saviour, it must be questioned.

[23:07] Has that person ever had a true encounter with the living Christ? You know, if you've never told anyone, have you, you're, you're, you're, it's, it's not in you to, to speak to others, and tell others about Jesus.

[23:22] Have you really had a true encounter yourself? Have. Because if you had, you'd want to. Like the woman at the well, who was trying to share a little bit about the other night.

[23:33] What did she do when she left down her water door? She went and told, come see a man, who told me everything, I ever did. You see, here was, one, he brought him, he found, he first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which means Christ.

[23:55] And he brought him to Jesus, and he looked at him, and Jesus looked at him and said, you are Simon, the son of John, you shall be called Cephas. I don't know what he heard before that.

[24:06] He might never have heard any great preacher. He, he might never have even witnessed any great miracle. But he heard his brother saying, hey, we have found the Messiah.

[24:19] Messiah. And Jesus spoke to him, and he says, your name shall be called Cephas, which means rock, which means pier. And he followed him.

[24:31] They brought him to Jesus. It's wonderful to be a follower of Jesus. I wonder if you are tonight.

[24:44] Jesus knows all those who are following him. in Isaiah 43, verse 1, it says, but now, thus saith the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you.

[25:02] I have called you by name. You are mine. That's what the word of God says to you tonight, if you are a follower. He's called you by name.

[25:18] He says, you are mine. Would Jesus be able to say that to you? If not, you need to come to him.

[25:31] You need to experience for yourself. You see, I could talk here, well, I couldn't, but even if I could, all night. And it might make a lot of difference.

[25:46] But do you know what will make a difference? If you just come and see for yourself. Come and see. Experience him.

[25:57] Experience his forgiveness. Experience the love that was poured out of Kavi. Experience. You know what becoming a Christian is? It's really receiving the love of Jesus into your life.

[26:11] And all that that means, you can experience that if you would just come and see. May God bless these few thoughts to us.

[26:24] Let's pray, Lord. We thank you for your precious word. We thank you, Lord, for John the Baptist. He was just sold out on Jesus.

[26:36] All he wanted to do was to fade into insignificance himself. Point people to the Lamb of God who is able to take away the sin of the world.

[26:50] Lord, help us to see him. Perhaps for all, for us who know him, to see him afresh. Help anyone who has never yet looked in that way that they might come and see that they would be able to leave this place tonight saying, I have found the Messiah.

[27:13] Grant it, Lord, for your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you.