Good evening. Let's first bow before God's name. Jehovah Jireh. The Lord provides. He's seeing to it that we will receive everything we need. That we come looking for it. We pray, Lord, as we once again come and see the Lamb of God, that we may truly behold Him, that we may learn to love and appreciate what He has done for us, for sinners such as we are. We pray, Lord, as we open that word tonight, doublespeak, that we would not hear a man's voice, but the voice of the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Word, that we may hear Him, that we would see no man but Jesus. Help us, Lord, to focus in speaking and in hearing, in coming and in seeing, and in going and telling others about what we've seen, what Thou hast shown to us. Forgive us our sins, wash us, cleanse us in the blood of the Lord. We may see, behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. We pray this in his name. Amen. Dear friends, let's open the Bible and turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 1. The next day, John sees Jesus coming to him and says, behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me. And I know I'm not, but that he should be made manifest to his foe. Therefore am I come baptizing with water, and that bowed upon him. And I knew him not. But he that sent me to be baptized with water, the same said to me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw a bare record that this is the Son of God. Again the next day, after John stood, and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he says, behold, the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, what seek ye? They said to him, Rabbi, which is to say, being a very good master, where dwellest thou? He says to them, come. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, He will stop reading. We've heard quite a bit about the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb. If you turn to the outline in your folder somewhere, the first part is searching and believing. It's about seeking. And there's three aspects I want to just highlight. The first one, that this whole thing is not an afterthought. Behold. We read in verse 26, behold the Lamb of God. And in verse 29 we read, behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. Behold the promised Lamb. The one who's promised. The substitute Lamb. Genesis 22. The Passover Lamb. And note what John the Baptist says about this Lamb of God. He says three times, he was preferred before me. That doesn't just mean that he was more important than him, more exalted, but also that he existed way before John, way before any one of us, way before Adam and Eve. preferred before me. This was the fulfillment of God's eternal plan of salvation. You see, it didn't take God by surprise that sin came into the world. God didn't have to, reverently speaking, scramble around to find something for plan B, because plan A failed. Man's sin. No. The fact that the Lamb of God would come was always plan A. It wasn't an afterthought. It was a forethought. He was. before me. As a matter of fact, John made it very plain that this Lamb of God was God Himself. That's how he begins the Gospel. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God. It's God Himself and yet it's also a man. because we read in verse 14 and the word was made flesh and built on Mars and we beheld, we saw his glory. The only, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So it was not enough, it's not. A scurrying to rescue men. was decreed. God himself had from eternity planned to come and dwell in the flesh and be sacrificed as the Lamb of God. It's also not an unknown. It's also not an unknown. He not only decreed it, but he also made it known. He revealed it. We read in the beginning was the word. If you go in the very beginning of the Bible, we read in the beginning God. In other words, there was nothing but God. He was there from all eternity. And he made himself known. He put Adam and Eve, mankind, in the garden of Eden. That's a pity. Yes. Very good. That's the same Garden of Eden in Hebrew means the same as paradise in Persian. But what does it mean? No one. Yes. No. Yes. Garden of pleasure. You never knew that? God dwelt with man and it was pleasure. We often think Lord pleasure and we think the pleasures of sin, but you know what? Man ruined it. Pleasure was created by God and it was good. Within there's a river of pleasure. The garden of Eden is the garden of pleasure. Paradise in Persian language, garden of pleasure. That's where God put us. And we ruined it. We corrupted it. But the thing is that as soon as Adam and Eve did that, God was calling Adam, where are you? Where are you hiding? Where are you running to? And instead of putting you to death, the moment that he stood before God, because the day you eat of that tree you will die, God, happened? Blood was shed. A substitute died. Right there in paradise. Because what did God do? He killed animals and he covered animals with the skins of these animals. But blood was shed. So there you're getting it. The substitute died. As it were, really, Adam already beheld the Lamb of God. Adam saw, so Abraham saw the Lamb of God. Jesus says later that Abraham saw my day and rejoiced and was very glad. Every believer in admission in the Old Testament as in the New Testament beholds the Lamb of God, the One who died and was going to die. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish. And of course, if you do not believe, you will perish while love is extended to you, while pleasure is extended to you. Holy pleasure. Do you believe? Repent? Have you beheld the Lamb of God that You see, God made it known to us. It's not only that he foreknew it, it's not an afterthought, it's not unknown to us either. And therefore, third, it's not an excuse. Then people say, but what about all these people that never heard God's word? Romans 1.20, for the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even as eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Everyone and anyone that behold the glory and the beauty of the creation cannot but come to the conclusion there must be a maker any one of these paintings in the art that didn't just come by chance, someone made it. And this whole universe came just to be. We don't even believe it in this window, that it just came to be. That's about God. And if the whole world is without excuse, what about us? We have this whole beautiful creation and the glory that we know there is a God, but we know from Scripture also who this God is and what He's done. Not only do they have all people and knowledge from creation from around them that there is a God, but they also have a voice within. Romans 2, verse 15. All these people that do not have the Bible, show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness in their thoughts to meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. So we have an external and an internal witness of God and of the law. All people of all cultures know it's not right to take the life of someone else or to steal his property. The thoughts, it says, they mean while accusing or else excusing one another. The conscience tells them when they've done something wrong, they feel guilty. So either they're going to accuse them, so they're going to try harder, do better next time, or they're going to excuse themselves and say, push it away, push away their guilt and say, I'm going to live in sin, I'm going to forget and try to just that we hear every Sunday morning. The first thing we hear is not do this or do that, but the first thing every Sunday morning we hear from the word of God is, I am Lord, your God, that sets you apart from the Egypt of this world. And then he says, as I set apart people, I want you to do this, that, and the 10 commandments. And then when we have heard that, what happens? Everybody stands guilty, I hope. You do too. You're convicted, so you confess your sins, you take immediate refuge in the gospel of Christ, which is free. If the world has no excuse, we certainly have no excuse. Because we hear every time, come and see, the world is convicted, there is a God, there is a law, I'm guilty, I'll have to give an account of it, but where is he? How can I find him? Every Sunday we do it. Come and see. All the Lamb of God. How many times do you think, how many times, I'm now at the second part of the outline, come and see, how many times do you think, have you, I, been called to come and see, to behold? Because that's really what it means, behold means to come, this Lamb of God. Reflect upon Him. Think about who He is, what He's done and all that. How many times? I don't know how many times, but this week, this is the third time. Dr. Biggie, Dr. Barrett, now I say it again. Behold the Lamb of God. It's the same message, the same word throughout the whole scripture. Hold the Lamb of God that can also take or carry away your sins. Because that was the idea, right? A lamb, a sacrifice, literally had to carry away the guilt, away from the people, so that when fire would come from heaven, the sacrifice was consumed and the people lived. How many times have you heard that? But I think I should rephrase that question. What have you done while you came at the scene? Because you're coming and seeing right now. You're hearing his voice, you see. You know in the world, sometimes when people tell you a tall story, they say, I won't believe it until I see it. because they live as liars in the midst of liars. So it's a good reason to say, I don't believe until I see it. But you see the thought that's the other way around. It's not seeing is believing, but believing is seeing. So every time when you hear the word of God and you do not believe, You know, what they say, seeing blind. Actually, it's a common language, we use it sometimes, when you try to understand something. Somebody's explaining, I don't get it. Well, you say, let me explain it this way. And then suddenly you say, well, now I see it. It has everything to do with your brain, with your mind, it's enlightened your heart, your affections, everything is in response. Now I get it. I see it. So when you hear his voice, you see it. With the eye of faith, the eye. You see when John the Baptist said, behold the Lamb of God, in reading verse 37, the two of his disciples of John, left John to follow Jesus. I think that's a very important thing to picture. So what you have here is one man telling other people to behold the Lamb of God. That's what it has been throughout the Old and the New Testament. God speaking through a man's voice to behold his son. Behold, he says, my beloved son, in whom I'm God pleased. Here he is. And they followed him. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1, he says, be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. In other words, there's not a man in the world or a woman in the world, a father, mother, teacher, preacher, whoever it may be, cannot lead to anywhere where Jesus would lead him first. If anyone leads to others than where Jesus would lead you, you stop following that person. In other words, to come and to see is to hear and to follow. And that coming and that seeing and that hearing and that following is something that repeats itself over and over throughout the scriptures as well as in your own life. To hear is to behold and to follow. You know that word follow in the New Testament The Greek is the word that we have our words mimicked from. A follower of Jesus is a mimicker of Jesus. He imitates Jesus. Because how could you imitate someone unless you follow him and watch him closely? So it's a repeated thing. And the second thing, it's a result. It's something that you seek to put all your mind and effort and your heart and your thoughts and saw them following and said to him, what seek ye? And they said to him, rabbi, which is to say the interpreted master, where dwellest thou? That's a beautiful picture, isn't it? They began to follow Jesus. Jesus didn't see them. He was walking away. But he turned around. Now just as Jesus knew that these two people were following him, he knows that of anyone and everyone of us. And he asks, what do you see? What? What are you seeing? What are you living for? It's like God saying to Adam, where are you? Where are you running to? Where are you hiding from? It's always the same question. Adam, you can say, man, woman, where are you? Where are you going? What are you living for? Very convincing too. Just listen to what they're talking about. What they're talking about. Just watch what they love to do. That's what you're seeking. That's what you're looking for. What's exciting you? Listen to what they decide to say. They say, Rabbi, where do you live? Where do you dwell? You see, it's clearly not, they weren't asking for Jesus. Okay, what's the street address again? Where do you live? Okay, the number, all right. Nothing like that. Had nothing to do with that. Didn't have to do with a particular place, but more with their lifestyle. They wanted to be with him. They wanted to be taught by him. They wanted to learn from him. That's what the word rabbi means. It's teacher. Master teacher. They wanted to know Him. They resolved to find out not just where He lives, but how He lives. They want to get to know Him. Is that your desire? When you turn to the Bible, when you read, is that your desire to get to know Him, and to get to know Him better? To come and to see. That you say, now I see it! How come I was blind? I don't know what happened to me. One thing I know, I was blind, now I see. Of course that has to do with the little eyes. But for the believer who has come to see something, that's spiritual eyesight. The scales are taken from the eyes. Then you read the Bible and say, how come I miss it all the time? It's so clearly there. And he says, come and sit here. In other words, if you want to know what I'm like, come along. Come along for the walk, and the talk, and the fellowship, and the teaching, learning. Learn a bit of that meek and lowly and so many other things. and see. And they came and saw where he dwelt. In a boat within the day for about a tenth hour, maybe two hours before nightfall. That's just a detail for that particular day. It's obviously that it didn't stop there because maybe all that they kept following him. Come and see. So Jesus, if you wanna know where And how I live? Come along and have a look. Not that hard to understand, is it? If you want to get to know somebody, spend some time with that person. And just a little dating advice. If you want to know what your future husband, boyfriend, date would really be like, don't only watch him how he interacts with his friends, but how he acts at home. where the guard are let down often and where we find out really how he would treat his mother, how she responds to her father and things like that or to their siblings. Because however nice he or she may be to you now, it may be more like it where it might be that what he is doing at home. Once he gets to know you better and gets familiar with you and takes you for granted. Anyway, the disciples go with Jesus and they come and see where he dwells. And isn't that a beautiful picture? Isn't that what the Lord Jesus came to do? Not just in a house here, but in a heavenly mansion. Heaven is his home, and heaven is the home of all those that follow Jesus. Because he came down from heaven, he's Emmanuel, God with us, so that we may be with God. To bring us home. My father's house, John 14, are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And what comes to mind when you hear that? I go to prepare a place for you. I think about his ascension. But that was the second time he left. He had something else to do. Before he would be able to prepare a place in heaven, he had to do some preparation for that place on earth. When he left them the first time, he left his disciples to suffer and to die. They just didn't get it. They thought it was all going wrong. When he arose afterwards, when the second time he left them, they were all happy. They went to Jerusalem rejoicing. But the first time he left them was to suffer and to die. To prepare a place for sinners such as you and I by way of suffering and death. To really be that Lamb of God slain the blood shed, so that we may live. In Hebrews 2 verse 9, we read, but we see Jesus was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God, he should taste death for every man. Because those that don't believe and don't repent will not be saved. But it means there is power and enough to spare in the blood of Jesus. that none here tonight, none anywhere that hears this word would ever have to doubt that there is the forgiveness of sins through the shedding of the blood of Jesus. 1 John 1 verse 7, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins. And then verse 9, if you confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Faithful and just. Faithful means He promised. Just means he shed his blood. The price is paid. Come and see. That was the third part. Go and tell. Look what happens. And I want you to take close notice of what's happening. One of the two, verse 40, which heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. first finds his own brother Simon and says that we found the Messiah which is being interpreted the Christ, the anointed one, we found him, he's here, the one we've waited for, the one that was to be anointed. That's what Messiah means in Hebrew and Christ, Christus means anointed, one in Greek. Do you see what's happening? They came and they saw. And because of that, they went out to tell. They want others to know the same thing. They couldn't be silent about that. So they said, here we have Andrew talking to his brother Simon, Peter, named Peter by Jesus. We found him. The one that was to be the anointed one. And you see, Andrew knew what he was talking about, because if you remember what we just read in verses 32 and 33 and 34, we read that Andrew witnessed the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus when John baptized him. The anointed one, they heard the voice, behold, it's my beloved son, in whom I'm well pleased. And they saw the Holy Spirit descend upon him in the shape of a dove. They heard John the Baptist's testimony, they saw, they heard the voice of God, the anointed one. As he was anointed with the Spirit, so will be every one of them that will be believing in him. You see, so what's happening here, after you come and see, you will go and tell. You will want to share that. You cannot bear it that others would not come and see. You plead with these people. You plead with each other, your friend, your brother, your sister, your father, your child. Say, come, see. There's provision. The blood of Jesus has been shed. You may be saved from sin and from condemnation, from hell, and from the cheap pleasures of this world. to get something back in that's better than the garden of Eden ever had. That's why I asked, Tim asked me what he could read and I asked him, read Matthew 28, where these women go to the grave and the angel says, when they found that grave empty, he is not here. The place. So what did they see? They saw an empty grave. Oh, what did they believe? Jesus was no longer there. Now, they were confused at first, but very soon they realized what was at stake, because the angel said to them, didn't he say so? Can you tell me that he could arise from the dead? He's not here, for he's risen. and go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. And behold, he goes before you into Galilee. There you shall see him. Lo, I told you. And they did. They ran. They didn't just go walk leisurely. They ran. They had an excitement. There was something new, something new to tell that didn't compare to any other news in the world. Come see. If you have done that, there will be a go and tell. You may not be that concerned about how you come across. You just want the other person to come and see as well. So those are words to actions. And you know what, I want you to notice something very amazing that happens. And it happens a lot, and if not every single time, when you go tell of something that you have come To see, you will see Jesus in an other manner, in a different way, in your very experience. Because how do we come today? And how do we see today? You know, read your Bible, pray every day. It's a song that the children learn. Maybe you learn it when you're young. Read your Bible and pray every day. The question is, do you? You eat several times a day. your soul, your mind, your understanding, with the word of God every day. Just, it's one thing to know, it's quite another to act on it. The Lord made it very plain. He said, seek, you shall find. But you know what else is so amazing here, is that when you will go and tell others, you will see him in a very special light. You will not just see him as a boy with the eye of faith, but you will see them also in your feelings, in your emotions, your actions. I remember when, many a time, when I was discouraged or downcast or somehow depressed, my wife would always tell me, My dad told me that once, the very same thing, and he told me from 1 Timothy 4, 16, this verse, and this has been a great help to me. Take ye to thyself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. I don't know if you've had that, but if you have come and seen, and you go out and tell. When you get through that barrier and through your, whatever, false shame and embarrassment, whatever, you go and speak to other people about it. Not only are the other people able to see, but you will see in a different way, even more, your own faith will be strengthened. Of course, you don't literally save yourself, nor the people that hear you. But you will strengthen and more affectionate, because you'll feel that as you witness to others, the very power of the gospel is felt more strongly. Witness, not just words, but actions. Come and see by faith, instead of follow also by feelings. If you share good news, blind men that were, or these lepers that were in that city in the Old Testament where they kept all these goods to themselves. He said, it's not good, you should tell others. They felt bad about it. They wanted to share the good news with others. It will result in a seeing of Jesus as you follow him, witness him, and it will strengthen your assurance of faith. In other words, when you see him in a way that is beyond just faith, it also has to do with assurance of faith. And in that way, I think, a beautiful thing is that when the Lord Jesus met them in the way, when these women ran away from that grave to tell the disciples the Lord Jesus met them in the way, it's as if they're meeting you in the way of obedience. to strengthen your faith or to confirm your faith. All of this makes biblical Christianity totally different from any other religion. All other religions actually say, do and live. Do this, don't do that, and you'll have life. It depends on your doings. Biblical Christianity says, live and do this. God is life when we hear him speaking and believe his word and repent of our sins, the power to live is given to us. I find it so beautifully in the whole picture the way that these people fought in Egypt. Can you imagine if God would have given the law in Egypt and said to them, now you keep all these 10 commandments, and when you've done that perfectly, I'll lead you out. Reverently and simply spoken, they would have been still there. None would ever leave Egypt. What did God do? He had a Passover lamb slaughtered, blood on the doorposts. God said, I'll set you free, live. And then he went to Mount Sinai. And then do this. All the religions did the other way around. And they lock you forever in Egypt. That's what I said. I'm the Lord. You're God. They set you free from Egypt. On the way to Canaan. And on the way, here's the law. Keep reminding you how perfect This is what you need to be. This is how you can become it. By faith that acts. Not faith that plus works. But by faith that works. Faith that responds to the Word of God. God will motivate you. He will equip you. He will make you willing and able. He does everything. There's nothing the Lord doesn't require of us which he at the same time also does not provide. Anything and everything that God commands us to do, he is willing and ready and able to provide beyond what we can even ask or think. There's nothing like that. So until we see Is it seen in your life? Do your friends know that? What's your passion? What fills your minds, your hearts? What's your perspective of things? Don't take my word for that. The Apostle Paul never drew attention to himself. He would speak about Christ and he turned out nothing to know but Jesus Christ and crucified. It's the same as what John says, behold the love of God. It's the same word. Paul commended the ones in Berea. Above those of Thessalonica. In Acts 17 verse 11. He commended, he praised them because they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. And then you read the amazing next verse. Come and see. Behold the Lamb of God. In John 15, Jesus says, I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. Now the fruit there is, has a double purpose for now, there are more purposes, but the double purpose, one, is to to bring others to know and to come and to see, but also to strengthen your own faith, apart from the glory of God, of course, and many other good reasons. He says, but, he says, I am divine, you are the branches, he that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much for four, that is because without me he can do nothing. What does that mean, without me you can do nothing? If you look at the context, it's very clear. that is, without abiding in me, you can do nothing. But what does that mean? That means, without coming to me, you can do nothing. Because you couldn't possibly abide in this room, remain in this room, stay in this room, without first coming into it. So when Jesus says, without me, you can do nothing, he means to say, without coming to me, without seeking for me, without coming to see me, without abiding in me, day by day, following me, living, remember? Where dwellest thou, little beings? Where dost thou dwell? Where dost thou abide? Jesus says, if you abide in me for seven, of John 15. If you abide in me, my words abide in you. You shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. That's an astounding verse. You shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Can you imagine if someone would say to you, ask me what you want, and I'll get it to you. you will. But you say what he said first, if my words abide in you. Because what he is actually saying, if my words abide in you, he says, then that means that the word of God begins to dwell in you, begins to more and more conform your will with his will. You'll be asking increasingly the things that are pleasing to God. But only then, When His words come to you, so you read them, you listen to them, they abide in you, and they'll make you more and more think like Jesus, act like Jesus, pray like Jesus, and get more and more answers to prayer because you're more and more in the line of the will of God. So the more you'll be in the Word, the more the Word will be in you. The memorial asks what pleases Him and pleases you. Do you hear what pleases Him? Behold my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him. The pleasures of the Lord will begin then to flow again to us and through us. So come and see, go and tell. God will be glorified, because it's for his glory. It's not just about you and me. People around you will be edified, built up in their faith, and you'll be satisfied. This is the Word. This is the will of God, that we should have this, this week. the well-being of those around you, and your own peace and happiness. And Jesus says in John 15, and I'll pause with these words, these things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy