We would see Jesus

John 12:20-21 "And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."

I had not worked with my father-in-law very long until he called me into his office and said, There are two scriptures that should be mounted on the pulpit of every preacher - on the preacher's side, John 12:21 and on the people's side, Galatians 4:16. These two passages work in tandem with one another to set a proper atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to work.

Today we want to consider just what these Greek Jews came to see. It was not the resurrected Lazarus who many had come to see. It was not the woman healed of her issue of blood, or the lame man who now walked, or the blind man who was made to see, or even the demoniac who was given his right mind. It was Jesus Who they had come to see.

When we get a correct view of Jesus our soul is satisfied. See Him as the Saviour of the sinner, the Sovereign of the saint, and the Solace of the soul.

The lost world does not need to see the persuasive personality of the slick talking, compromising charlatan. The unsaved are not benefitted by the church which offers nothing more than a "feel good about yourself" gospel. And it is not enough to talk about Jesus - they need to see Jesus.

Seeing Jesus is a soul saving, life changing experience.

The Lord's Perfect Instructions

Matthew 21:1-4, "And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them."

There are three things that we can always say about the Lord's instructions to us:  1) His directions are always specific; 2) His directions are always scriptural; and, 3) His directions are always sure. It was the Lord's mother who gave some great advice, "Whatsoever he saith unto thee, do it." One could never go wrong with such advice.

False signs are dangerous. I like the story of the highway patrol officer who was waiting along a busy road to catch a speeder when along came a car just puttering down the road. The officer thought, "This is just as dangerous as a speeder." So he pulled the car over and found five little old ladies inside. The driver said, "What is wrong, Officer? I was not speeding." "No, Maam, but you were going slower than the speed limit and that is just as dangerous." "Oh, no, Sir. I was doing the speed limit exactly...22 mph." The patrolman explained that they were on highway 22 and that was not the speed limit sign. Then the officer asked, "Are these other ladies OK? They look a little pale."  "Oh," said the driver, "they are alright. We just turned off of Highway 135."

Beloved, make sure you are following the Lord's instructions and not false signs.

Words Plainly Spoken

There are words, concepts, statements in the Word of God that are hard to understand. I will admit that several of them escape me. I suppose it will be that way until we reach Glory. I am not suggesting that the Lord muddles words or hides truth in obscurity. We must study to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen un-ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.

However, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is not obscure in any way. 1 Cor.15 defines it as the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, according to the Scriptures. And along with that statement comes a list of truths:

1.  Salvation is by grace alone.

2. All men are sinners and fall short of the righteousness of God.

3. There is a literal and eternal hell for the penalty of sin.

4. God is merciful toward the sinner and is willing to save him.

5. The grace and mercy of God are accessed by faith in Christ and through calling upon His name.

The Gospel rings so loud and clear that its distinctness is undeniable.

When it comes to the salvation of a precious soul, God's trumpet does not sound an uncertain sound. It is so plain that even a small Sunday School boy could understand it and believe. Praise God!

If you are reading this and wonder how you could come to know the Lord in such a way, having all your sins forgiven and become a child of God, please contact me. I would appreciate the opportunity to should you in the Bible what God says about being saved.  pastor@fbc-indy.org

Soul Winning

This is a word which is not used much these days. Seems the heart and soul of a few decades ago has been lost to this generation. Too much TV religion I am afraid. Modern emphasis appears to be on discipleship, but how can we teach a Christian discipline to a lost man who has not the Spirit of God in him, nor truly knows Who Jesus is?

Some claim to be winning the lost to Christ, but adherence to a creed, church attendance, and empty profession does not a born again child of God make. A real believer is not born by corruptible things, but by the Word of God.

This preacher is old enough to remember the powerful witnessing from the pew that accompanied the Spirit-filled preaching from the pulpit. Men and women were convicted of sin and turned to Jesus Christ for salvation and redemption. Not enough of that happening today.

I am resolved to have a personal revival of soul winning and witnessing despite the distractions of the world, the deception of satan and the deterioration of the flesh.