[0:00] And Happy New Year. It's good for us to come together on the first day of the year to worship God. And as we step into a new year and we reflect back on the past year, which for many of us has had challenges, for others it has been a year of rejoicing.
[0:21] We can acknowledge that our circumstances may change, our emotions may change, but as we were reminded last Thursday in the prayer meeting, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.
[0:35] And as we step forward into 2025, our prayer would be that you put your trust in Jesus, who never changes and will take us through the darkest of times, will take us through the best of times.
[0:51] And as we come, we're going to sing, come in, come in. Your seat's here at the front. We're going to worship God, singing for Mission Praise 494, for a closer walk with God.
[1:06] And wherever your circumstances are this morning, I would ask that you prayerfully take this hymn to yourself, particularly the last verse.
[1:16] So shall my walk be close with God. That you remember that God is with you, no matter what circumstances, and that your prayer would be that you would walk close with him each and every day.
[1:30] So if you're able, please stand and we'll sing together. Oh, for a closer walk with God, a calm and heavenly frame, a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the Lamb.
[1:41] Oh, for a closer walk with God, a calm and heavenly frame, a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the Lamb.
[2:17] Where is the blessedness I knew when I first saw the Lord?
[2:33] Where is that soul refreshing view of Jesus and his word?
[2:49] What peaceful hours I once enjoyed, How sweet and merry still, But they have left an aching void The world can never fail.
[3:22] Return, O holy dark return, Sweet messenger of rest, I hate the sins that made me mourn And drove me from my breast The dearest idol I have known Water that I will be Help me to tear it from thy throne And worship only thee
[4:27] So shall my walk be close with God Come and serve me my faith So pure I shall mark the road That leads me to the Lamb Let us bow in prayer, let us pray.
[5:13] Our gracious and ever-blessed Lord, we do indeed thank you that we can come into your presence this morning, And that we can call you Father, That we can come before you At this the start of a new year And we can come and worship you And we pray, Heavenly Father, that each one of us Would desire to know that closer walk with you That no matter what our circumstances may have been What you have taken us through in this past year That, Heavenly Father, all that it would do Is lead us closer to you That we would indeed in our own circumstances recognize That you are a God of refuge That you are a God of strength And that we can hide in thee And we pray, Heavenly Father, that As this new year starts That we would look forward Recognizing, as we have said already this morning
[6:15] That Jesus is the same yesterday Today And forever That as we leave the past behind us As we live today And as we look forward to a future If it be your will That we would know what it is to walk close with you And that indeed in walking close with you That we may reflect you In all that we seek to do That we don't seek to take glory to ourselves But that we seek to point others to Jesus We thank you That you have laid it upon the hearts of each one of us To come into this place this morning You know the individual circumstances Of our hearts this morning Not just those that are here in the building But those that listen online And may listen again later Heavenly Father, you know us
[7:17] The psalmist teaches us that you have searched our hearts You know our inward being And we pray, Heavenly Father That as you have taken us here That as you have called us to listen That our hearts would indeed be open and receptive to your word We recognize that life is busy But your word teaches us to be still And to know that you are God So as we come this morning We pray that not only our hearts would be still before you But our minds The things that run through our minds About what this year may bring for us What may be happening later today What may be happening tomorrow May we indeed be still before you at this time And may we know, Heavenly Father What it is to fully rely on you What it is to come
[8:19] In the busyness of life And be still and of our strength renewed That we may indeed know what it is To rise up on wings as eagles That, Heavenly Father That we may indeed soar for you And soar closer to you That in the reading of your word And the singing of your praise That, Heavenly Father That we may indeed grow closer to you Each and every day We thank you That we have a future Because you sent your son, Jesus But you don't just send him into this world You sent him into this world You sent him into this world With a purpose To take away the sin of the world And we thank you for his sacrifice on the cross And we pray, Heavenly Father That each and every one of us This day would look to the lamb The lamb that was slain To take away the sins of the world
[9:21] We pray, Heavenly Father That that was not the end of the story And we thank you for that That Jesus did indeed rise again And even now sits at your right hand Interceding for each and every one of us And we would pray, Heavenly Father That we would put our trust in him And that we would recognize That because he lives We can face tomorrow Because he lives Because he lives And because we know He holds the future Our lives are worth the living Because he lives Not worth living for ourselves But living for him So we pray, Heavenly Father That as we seek to worship you this morning That we would know your presence with us But most of all That we would know you That we would love you And that we would walk in your light
[10:23] In Jesus' precious name I wasn't going to do a children's talk But see, Cammy shifted the lectern And there are one or two young ones here this morning So just a short word To the young ones that are here We're going to be looking later on At John the Baptist And John the Baptist As we look at him this morning Is a role model A role model for us As to how we should live our lives for Christ And in this world There are various different people That are presented to us As role models We see them on the football pitch On a regular basis And when they score They run to the corner of the pitch And they put their arms out Look at me Look what I did Look what I was able to achieve John the Baptist Isn't that type of role model
[11:25] John the Baptist came Clear the way And as we go through The study this morning What we'll learn about John the Baptist Is that he deflected Any attention from himself Or pointed to Jesus At each and every opportunity So when you're looking for role models Don't look for role models That say, look at me Look for people that are pointing you to Jesus And seek to follow them And follow their example Because each and every one of you Have a responsibility To grow To know God To love God And be an example To those that God brings across your path That's just a couple of things And you'll maybe pick up As we go through the sermon Later on That John the Baptist came John the Baptist came
[12:28] To point us to Jesus And we'll learn What John the Baptist's legacy That sometimes We overlook I'm going to sing A favourite hymn of mine Still It's not a carol But it still teaches us About God sending his son And I've just realised You've now got no hymn books I'll give Amman a chance to Reboot the system I'm going to sing hymn 52 In Mission Praise God sent his son They called him Jesus He came to love, heal and forgive He lived and died To buy my pardon And an empty grave is there To prove my saviour lives John the Baptist came To prepare the way To point us to Jesus As we sing It points us clearly To God sending his son And why God sent his son
[13:30] He sent him To die To buy Our pardon Our pardon from sin And because he now lives Because there is an empty grave We've all got words now And we'll stand and sing And recognise And recognise That because he lives We can face tomorrow The past may have been difficult The past may have been challenging But because he lives Because he lives All fear is gone And because we know Our lives are worth the living Because he lives Let's stand if you're able to sing God sent his son They called him Jesus He came to love He unforgived He lived and died
[14:31] To buy my pardon To buy my pardon An empty grave Is there to prove My saviour lives Because he lives I can face tomorrow Because he lives Because he lives Because he lives Because he lives Because he lives All fear is gone Because I know I know He holds the future Our life is worth the living Just because he lives He holds the future He holds the future And life is worth the living Just because he lives How sweet to hold A newborn baby And feel the pride And joy he gives But he gives But he gives The calm assurance The calm assurance This child can face
[15:32] Some certain days Because he lives Because he lives Because he lives I can face tomorrow Because he lives All fear is gone Because I know I know He holds the future Just because he lives Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living Just because he lives And then one day I'll cross the river And find life's fun And then one day I'll fight my spine of war with pain And then as death gives way to victory I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives
[16:36] Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know, I know He holds a future And life is worth the living just because He lives If you turn with me in your Bibles, if you have them with you To the Gospel of John The Gospel of John and chapter 1 And we're going to cut into the chapter at verse 19 Gospel of John chapter 1 And reading from verse 19 down to the verse marked 42
[17:40] This is a testimony of John When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem To ask Him, Who are you?
[17:52] He confessed and did not deny But confessed, I am not the Christ And they asked Him, What then? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not Are you the prophet?
[18:05] And He answered, No So they said to Him, Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us What do you say about yourself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness Make straight the way of the Lord As the prophet Isaiah said Now they had been sent from the Pharisees They asked Him, Then why are you baptizing?
[18:30] If you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet John answered them I baptize with water But among you stands one you do not know Even he who comes after me The straps of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie These things took place in Bethany Across the Jordan Where John was baptizing The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him And he said, Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world This is He of whom I said After me comes a man who ranks before me Because He was before me I myself did not know Him But for this purpose I came baptizing with water That He might be revealed to Israel And John bore witness I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove And it remained on Him I myself did not know Him But He who sent me to baptize with water
[19:32] Said to me He on whom you see the Spirit descend And remain This is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit And I have seen and have borne witness That this is the Son of God The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples And he looked at Jesus As he walked by and said Behold the Lamb of God The two disciples heard him say this And they followed Jesus Jesus turned and saw them following And said to them What are you seeking?
[20:06] And they said to Him Rabbi Which means teacher Where are you staying? He said to them Come and you will see So they came and saw where He was staying And they stayed with Him that day For it was about the tenth hour One of the two who heard John speak And followed Jesus Was Andrew Simon Peter's brother He first found his own brother Simon And said to Him We have found the Messiah Which means Christ He brought him to Jesus Jesus looked at him and said You are Simon The son of John You shall be called Cephas Which means Peter Amen And may God bless This public reading Of His holy word Again sing to God's praise This time we'll sing in Gaelic We'll sing the last two stanzas Of Psalm 102 We'll read them first in English
[21:07] We remain seated For those that haven't been here before We remain seated for the Gaelic Singing Thou hast a vesture Shalt them change But day shall change it be But thou the same art And thy years Are to eternity The children of thy servants Shall continually endure And in thy sight O Lord Their seed Shall be established sure A reminder to us That God is indeed unchanging And that we can trust in HimNING!
[21:41] NING! SONG PLAYS SONG PLAYS
[23:06] SONG PLAYS SONG PLAYS SONG PLAYS
[24:36] SONG PLAYS SONG PLAYS Just before we turn back to God's word, let us pray.
[25:15] SONG PLAYS SONG PLAYS
[26:19] SONG PLAYS SONG PLAYS to witness for you, witness that we do indeed glorify your name, and that we enjoy you forever.
[26:30] and we pray that that would be the chief end of each one of us here this morning. So guide us as we open your word and teach us through it. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
[26:46] So if you've got your Bibles, if you can turn back to the word that we read, we cut into the chapter at verse 19.
[26:58] The passage before in verses 1 to 18 speaks of the light of the world and how Jesus came to be the light and John witnessed of the light.
[27:13] And on Sunday morning, Anthony very clearly shared with us from 1 John 1 the message of God being the light and the encouragement to each one of us to walk in the light.
[27:26] In fact, I think Anthony said to us that that should be a resolution for each one of us as we step into 2025 that we seek to walk in the light of God.
[27:40] And may that indeed be the prayer and the desire of each one of us this morning to know what it is to walk with God and to walk clearly with him.
[27:51] As I spoke to the young ones earlier on, I spoke about John the Baptist being a role model. I very often read about John at this time of year as we read into the Christmas story.
[28:05] We read of John's mother and father, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Mary meeting with Elizabeth.
[28:20] But then we don't really focus very much on John the Baptist thereafter. Now, just like this morning, as time allows us just to step through the passage, there's a lot in the passage that we read.
[28:34] What I want to do is just quickly step through the passage and looking at some of the things that we learn about John the Baptist, particularly the testimony of John the Baptist, the witness of John the Baptist, and then, as I said earlier on, the legacy of John the Baptist.
[28:53] And in thinking of these points, we can maybe apply them to ourselves. What is our testimony?
[29:05] What is our witness? And what is our legacy? Do we have a testimony? Are we witnessing? Or do we have any care what legacy we leave for those that come behind us?
[29:23] In the passage that we read, that we didn't read, sorry, at verse 10, it says, He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
[29:39] How many here this morning don't know Jesus? We celebrated Christmas, each and every one of us, the recognition that Jesus came into the world, that he was the Son of God.
[29:56] We gave and received gifts. But do we really know who Jesus is? Do we know him as our personal saviour?
[30:07] It may be the case that you sang the carols, you enjoyed singing them, but you never really thought very much about the words actually meant.
[30:19] You may even have sung the first hymn this morning, for a closer walk with God. Do you sing it because you like the way the words fit together?
[30:31] Or do you sing it because you know or desire to know what it is to walk with God? However, you may have chosen not to sing at all and just stood there.
[30:44] But you hear this morning. I ask that you listen. Not listen to what I've got to say, but listen to what God's got to say to us through the passage that we have before us this morning.
[31:03] There are three sayings of Jesus that are recorded in the passage. In some of your Bibles, they might be highlighted in red. The first of these is in verse 38.
[31:18] When Jesus saw the disciples following him, he asked them, what are you seeking? And then again, in the response that the disciples gave to him, he says to them, come and you will see.
[31:39] Now you may be like these two disciples. They're following Jesus. They're following Jesus at a distance. And when Jesus turns and asks the disciples, what are you seeking?
[31:51] It's a bit of a strange response that they give to him. They don't say we're seeking you. They don't say, well, John told us who you were and we want to find out more about you.
[32:06] They say, where are you staying? And he says to them, come and you will see. Why did they ask him, where are you staying?
[32:21] We can meet people, we can see people, but very often the only way that we can really actually get to know people is to go to their house and see if the way that they live outside is the way that they actually live inside the house.
[32:38] because that's sometimes the only way that we really get to know who somebody really is. And the disciples went and they followed.
[32:52] Each and every one of us is here this morning. We may be seeking very different things. Some of us might be seeking to get to know Jesus for the first time.
[33:04] Some of us may be seeking to deepen our relationship with Jesus. And some of us may just be seeking that this service finishes as quickly as possible so I can go home.
[33:18] But whatever you're seeking this morning, God has taken you here. And God has taken you here for a purpose. All I ask is, as I said earlier on, that you listen to what God has to teach us as we go through the passage this morning.
[33:38] First point, and in some of your Bibles it may actually be the heading that's given to the passage. The testimony of John the Baptist.
[33:50] We find John here having to give account of who he was. This wasn't a friendly group that had come to ask him questions. They'd been sent by the Jewish leaders and it wasn't just anybody that had been sent.
[34:11] It was the priests and the Levites. Those that were skilled and knowledgeable in the scriptures. And we see that by the questions that they then put to John.
[34:25] They would have known something about John. John's father was a priest. They would have heard the circumstances around John's birth. But now they wanted to find out who is this John the Baptist?
[34:42] And they ask him the question, who are you? And it would be like me coming up to you and saying, who are you really? They wanted to know exactly who John was and why John was here.
[34:56] John knew why they were asking the questions. And he very quickly says to them, without them even asking the question, I am not the Christ.
[35:08] Right away, John seeks no glory for himself. Before they even ask the question, he says, I am not the Christ. they continue to press him.
[35:22] Are you Elijah? Now they ask this question because some believed that Elijah was going to come back. It says in Malachi 4 verses 5 and 6, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
[35:40] And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction. Again, John responds to them, I am not.
[35:54] Then they ask, Are you the prophet? They don't ask, Are you a prophet? They ask, Are you the prophet? Again, knowledgeable of the scriptures, they were referring to what Moses had written in Deuteronomy 18 at verse 15.
[36:15] The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers that is him who you shall listen. Just as you desired of the Lord, your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see his great fire any more lest I die.
[36:33] And the Lord said to me, They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all what I command.
[36:44] They wanted to know was John the prophet that was spoken of here. John could have sought glory for himself and answered any one of these questions.
[36:59] Yes, that's who I am. But he didn't. The answer's no and the press, Who are you?
[37:10] We need to give answers. They had been sent by the Jews and they had to go back with answers and eventually they say, What do you say about yourself? John answers clearly and he answers straight from Scripture.
[37:28] He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord just as it's written in Isaiah 40. A voice cries in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord.
[37:39] make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low. The uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
[38:00] John told him clearly who he was. He told him why he had come. John knew the purpose of his birth. He sought no glory for himself.
[38:12] He came to prepare the way for the King of Kings. In days gone by when the King or the Queen came into a township there would have been a herald running before shouting the King is coming.
[38:33] And very quickly the gaze would go from the one that was calling out to the one that was coming behind. The herald was there only to clear the way for everyone to get out the way because somebody greater was coming.
[38:49] And that's exactly why John was sent. He was sent to prepare the way and he recognised that that was his purpose and that was his enduring testimony that he came to prepare the way.
[39:06] James Boyce writing on this says you cannot see a voice you can only hear it. No one looks much at the workman who is only preparing the road for the coming of the King.
[39:19] Yet this is what John the Baptist declared himself to be a voice and a workman. The last thing in the world that he wanted was for men to look at him.
[39:32] He said elsewhere in John 3.30 He that is Jesus must become greater and I must become less. John wanted men to forget him and see only the King.
[39:48] Boyce goes on what is it that will make a person forget himself in order to point to Jesus only an awareness of Jesus worth and his glory.
[40:03] As we step into 2025 do we truly have an awareness of the value and the worth of Jesus to each and every one of us?
[40:15] Do we know him? Are we walking in him and enjoying walking with him each and every day? We often quote man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
[40:31] Is that your lived experience? is that your testimony as you step into 2025? Is your chief end to glorify God and to enjoy him forever?
[40:47] The testimony of John the Baptist. We'll now look at the witness of John. Verse 26 says John answered them I baptise with water but among you stands one you do not know.
[41:06] John had come to point the people to Jesus. They didn't know him they couldn't see him even though he was there amongst them. But when the opportunity presented itself to John he didn't shy away from it.
[41:23] we read in verse 29 the next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and he said behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
[41:40] We know that John lived a lifestyle that was different to the people of his time. John lived out in the wilderness. John ate locusts and wild honey.
[41:54] People went out just to see this man. To see how he lived. But John always wanted to deflect attention from himself and he said behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
[42:15] Our lifestyle may show that we live our lives in a certain way. It may attract people to us. But Boyce says our witness must move out of the area of life and into the area of words.
[42:33] Important as it is the living of the Christian life by itself it is not enough for a complete witness. There must be a verbal witness.
[42:45] If we love somebody we want to tell people that we love them. If we truly love Jesus are we pointing others to Jesus?
[42:58] John sought to take the gaze of himself. He called out behold or look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
[43:09] His witness was spoken out in a manner and in a language that everybody that was there would have understood.
[43:20] The Lamb of God. Those around would have been acquainted with the use of lambs for sacrifice. Here John points to the Lamb of God.
[43:33] He takes away sin. When lambs were offered for sacrifice it was an acknowledgement that the sin committed by the person bringing the sacrifice would be forgiven.
[43:46] This was the purpose for which Jesus was sent to take away the sin of each and every one of us and restore our relationship with God.
[44:00] The sin of the world. By the sacrifice of this Lamb, the Lamb of God, the sin of the world was removed.
[44:11] The extent or impact of the sacrifice that was offered was for everyone who came and believed. In 13 words, behold the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world.
[44:31] John spoke in a witness that pointed directly to Jesus why Jesus came and what Jesus offers for each and every one of us.
[44:45] They would have known their scriptures. Isaiah 53 at verse 4, surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
[44:59] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds we are healed.
[45:12] All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. When John spoke to the people round about him, he could assume a certain knowledge of what the Old Testament scriptures had taught and what level of understanding the people that were hearing would have had.
[45:42] Sadly, as we've previously spoken about the decline in church attendance and the increase in people declaring that they have no interest in religion, the opportunity for us to speak is greater but what we need to do is understand the need that is there but also understand the lack of knowledge that some people have of why Christ came and who Christ is and how do we present Christ in such a way that people hear, understand and desire to follow on.
[46:25] We must be able to get alongside people. We must get to know them. The message doesn't change. Maybe the language that we sometimes use to present it needs to change but John's message was clear.
[46:42] Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. There's something to notice in this particular witness that John has here.
[46:58] We don't read. When John witnesses here behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. There's no record given that at that point anybody left and followed Jesus.
[47:12] Not every time we witness will we see a conversion. but that should never ever stop us taking the step to witness.
[47:25] It might not be the first time. It might not be the second time. It might not even be the third time. All we are encouraged and told to do is to sow seeds and water them in prayer.
[47:41] Be encouraged when John spoke on this occasion we don't have a record. let anybody follow Jesus. But it didn't put John off.
[47:56] The very next day we read in verse 35 the next day again John was standing with two of his disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and he said behold the Lamb of God.
[48:13] He hadn't seen anybody followed Jesus the day before. But the opportunity presented itself the next day and he pointed out again behold the Lamb of God.
[48:25] Don't look to me look to Jesus. Behold the Lamb of God. A new day came from a new opportunity. What opportunities are going to present themselves to you in 2025 to share the gospel?
[48:42] Maybe for the first time? Maybe for the hundredth time? Is God calling you to share a witness for him? What we do learn about this occasion when John witnessed we learn that he spoke in such a way that those round about him heard him.
[49:06] We read two of his disciples heard him say behold the Lamb of God. He didn't just mumble the words behold the Lamb of God. He didn't try and appease his own conscience by saying well I've said something.
[49:20] He said it in a way that people heard what he had said. Let us be intentional about our witnessing. Let's not just hope that somebody is going to catch what we thought we had said.
[49:35] Let us be clear as John was here behold the Lamb of God. God and as a result of that witness what do we see happened?
[49:48] Two of his disciples left him and they followed Jesus. They may have been around the day before we don't know.
[50:01] They may have heard John's witness about him being the Lamb of God but they never responded but on this occasion they did. John didn't give up when he felt that nothing had happened on the first occasion.
[50:18] He went back out the following day. Let us be consistent in our witness. Not just in how we live but how we actually verbalise our witness for Jesus.
[50:32] We don't know by what means anyone will come to Christ. What it is that is said that will change and open their heart.
[50:45] The important thing is that we are consistent in our witness. Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Just finally the legacy of John the Baptist.
[51:03] I said earlier on we can think of John the Baptist. We read about him every Christmas. He was born to elderly parents. He lived in the wilderness.
[51:15] He wore camel skins. He ate locusts and wild honey. And then he was beheaded by Herod. But that's not the whole story surrounding John the Baptist.
[51:29] Did you catch it? As we read in verses 37 to 39. The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus.
[51:43] Jesus turned and saw them and following and said to them what are you seeking? And they said to him Rabbi which means teacher where are you staying?
[51:53] He said to them come and you will see. So they came and they saw where he was staying and they stayed with him that hour for it was about the tenth hour. The disciples went with Jesus.
[52:06] Due to the lateness of the hour they stayed with him. Then the following day this is where John's legacy really hits home. Verse 40 one of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
[52:28] He first found his own brother Simon and said to him we have found the Messiah which means Christ. He brought him to Jesus. Andrew heard the witness from John the Baptist.
[52:44] His heart was stirred to seek to know more about Jesus and he followed him. He spent time with Jesus and having spent time with Jesus the following day he went out and he sought his brother.
[53:01] It was the first thing he did and on finding his brother what did he do? Not only did he witness to him and tell him that they had found Christ, he took him to Jesus.
[53:17] What did Jesus say when he saw Peter? Jesus looked at him and said you are Simon the son of John you shall be called Cephas.
[53:29] And then we read again in Matthew 16 and verse 18 and I tell you you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
[53:42] Therefore we can see that the faithful witness of John the Baptist led to the conversion of Andrew who went out and found his brother and on the rock there is Peter the church was born.
[54:02] None of us know the impact of what our witness for Christ will mean to anyone. John came to be a voice crying in the wilderness prepare the way and he fulfilled that calling and more.
[54:23] What is God calling each one of us as Christians here to do? It's the exact same as John. John was to prepare the way for Christ's first coming.
[54:34] coming back. Matthew 28 verse 19 go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing him in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching him to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I am with you always to the end of the age.
[55:03] Andrew was only one of the two disciples that we read of that came to Jesus. Others believe that the other disciple is John the author of this gospel.
[55:18] John the Baptist's witnessing look at the impact that it had on Christianity today. What legacy are you leaving for Christ?
[55:33] Are you quietly living for him each day hoping that someone sees something in you that points them to Christ? Or are you walking in him, speaking of him and looking for the opportunity to leave people in no doubt of their need to be saved and that Jesus is the only one that can save them.
[55:56] Just finally, there are some here this morning that have no testimony of Jesus. They may even be thinking I've survived this long.
[56:08] Why do I need Jesus? But if you had been truly honest, you're like the two disciples that were following Jesus at a distance.
[56:22] They'd heard the witness, behold the lamb. They sought to hear more. Are you following at a distance? My encouragement to you is come and see.
[56:38] Come and see the lamb that takes away the sin of the world. Oh, that's not the case for me, you're saying to yourself. I'm just here because I was giving a lift to somebody.
[56:48] I wanted to make sure somebody got here. Well, I'm here because I come every week. What difference does it make to me? That may be the case of the thought that's running through your mind to appease how you feel this morning.
[57:04] But the truth of the matter is we have a sovereign God. who has called for each and every one of us to be here this morning. Each and every one of us to be here, not to hear Gordon MacLeod, but to hear what the word has to say to us.
[57:25] Whatever your circumstances, whatever you think that you're in control of, God has taken you here so that you will look to the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
[57:43] That includes your sin and mine. Are you going to look to the lamb of God? God had a purpose for Andrew. When he was there to hear John's witness, he followed Jesus and God used him.
[58:04] What purpose has God God for each and every one of us here this morning? Are you going to come and see? Let us pray.
[58:18] Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word to us. We pray that anything that has been said amiss this morning would indeed be removed. And that Heavenly Father, that we would focus on the truth of your word, that you sent your son Jesus to die for each and every one of us.
[58:38] And an empty grave is there to prove that he lives. And we pray that each one of us would know what it is to put our trust in him, to know what it is to walk with him, and know what it is to face the future, because he lives and has promised that if we come to him, he will never leave us.
[59:00] We commit all these things to you. We pray that you would part us with your blessing. In Jesus' name. Amen. We finish the worship of God this morning singing in Psalm 51.
[59:16] Psalm 51 from verse Mark 7. Do thou with hyssop sprinkle me? I shall be cleansed so. Ye wash thou me, and then I shall be whiter than the snow.
[59:28] Of gladness and of joyfulness make me to hear the voice that so these very bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. I pray that each and every one here this morning would indeed hear the voice that says come and see.
[59:43] And then we'll sing down to verse 13. Then will I teach thy ways unto those that transgressors be, and those that sinners are, shall then be turned unto thee.
[59:54] as we go today, we go out into a mission field. Let us go and share the word of God with those that we come into contact with, and pray that others would indeed know what it is to be turned to God.
[60:07] Let us stand to sing. Amen. Do thou with his soft sprinkle me, I shall be cleansed so, yea, wash thou me, and then I shall be whiten at the soul of gladness and of joyfulness make me to hear the voice that saw his very bones which thou hast broken may rejoice for my iniquities blotted thy face hide from!
[61:32] my sin creates a clean heart Lord renew a right spread me within!
[61:48] !! me not from thy side nor take thy Holy Spirit away!
[62:05] With thy free spread me stay!! With thy free spread me stay!
[62:19] Then will I teach thy ways unto those that transgressors be!
[62:36] And those that sinners are shall then be turning on to me!
[62:52] Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy! To God our Saviour who is alone wise be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forevermore!
[63:07] Amen!