Jesus Christ's Testimony #2 — Hoseah Wu

Seeking More of Christ Rather Than Spiritual Comfort

We come short of these testaments. So as I've been meditating before the Lord, there's a new prayer in my heart. I have to confess. Because I do feel quite comfortable where we are in South Jersey. It's wrong.

The Lord has something more he wants to give to us. There's more. We are so easily satisfied. But he has more. Do we want more of him? If we want more of him, then his testimony will be with us. So brothers and sisters, a crisis if the Lord can shake us out of where we are and so that we plant into who he is, that is a tremendous liberation.

Then his testimony will be with us. I believe our life on this North American continent is too comfortable. That's why the testimony of Jesus Christ is very weak. Because we are easily satisfied. We equate spiritual blessing with earthly things.

We equate spiritual blessing with earthly things. We make things more important to us than the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. How often do we ask for things? Not just physical things, but many spiritual things.

We ask for gifts. We ask for power. We ask for evangelism. We ask for deeper life. We ask for church life. Often times we fail to ask one thing that we need to ask. That is the person of the Lord Jesus himself.

Nothing can take his place. What is evangelism? It is Christ. What is deeper life? It is more Christ. What is church life? It is life bringing order into our fellowship. It is all Christ. And so the Lord really has been teaching me a new lesson.

The Lord forgave me. Because we often pay attention to things rather than the person. Because we are afraid of going through a real crisis. But a crisis will shake us all of ourselves and plunge us into the fullness of Christ.

Spiritual Earthquakes and the Fullness of Christ

So what a spark reminds us of a spiritual reality. It is on the cross of the Lord Jesus. Many things happen. They are all recorded in the scripture. Because we talk about many of those events that took place while he was on the cross.

We talk about it. And we preach. But he said there is one thing we miss. It is when he was hanging on that cross. There was an earthquake. We failed to talk about that. Because on the cross everything will be shaken.

What is not of Christ will be shaken off. So that what is of Christ can be brought in. So I feel we need a spiritual earthquake. To shake us out of where we are. So that we can plunge into Christ. We can immerse in him.

So that we can enjoy the testimony of who he is, the fullness of Christ. For instance, just remember. God is after fullness for his people. That is why he gives his Christ to us. Christ is God's fullness.

And the church is to deposit the fullness of Christ. The church is to deposit the fullness of Christ. So that is our mission. When fullness is there, everything is taken care of. And that is a great lack with all of us.

And thank God for this weekend. For this few days. The Lord is reminding us what is really in his heart. It is a testimony of God. The testimony of Jesus Christ. And our testimony. And they are all one.

For instance, we need to pray much. We need to pray the right prayer. Lord, we need you. We need more of you. We continue in need of you. Don't be satisfied with what you have. The Lord desires to give you much, much more.

But for him to pour out his blessing, his richness, his fullness upon us. We need to be enlarged. We need to be broken. We need to be empty. So that he can fill us more of himself. The testimony of Jesus Christ is himself.

Is himself in fullness. When he can see himself in us, that is his testimony. So may the Lord help us. We have a long way to go. But thank God the work has begun. And let's hold fast. Let's pray. What can we say to you?

Prayer for Hunger and Consecration

We are so privileged to come to some understanding of what is in your heart. We thank you for the theme of this conference. We know this is what you are after for yourself. Your testimony in fullness in your people.

Lord, we pray that you create in us a hunger for more of you. Remind us that there is always something more in you that you want to give to us. We do pray that you shake us out of ourselves. That we may be shaken into who you are.

Then your name indeed will be glorified. Make us like John the Baptist. We become smaller and smaller. And become bigger and bigger. And so that you can be the great I am to us and all of us. And to you be all the glory.

Lord, do your work. The kind of work that will satisfy your own heart. And we give you all the praise. In the praise of Lord Jesus. Shall we look to the Lord for a short word of prayer? Lord, we thank you that you are with us.

If you are with us, what more do we want? Lord, we thank you for your presence with us this evening. Our hearts look up to you. We say to you, Lord, speak your words to our hearts. Lord, through your words we see yourself.

Lord, delivering us from just hearing messages. Lord, we want to see you. We want to hear you. We want to bow our knees and worship you. Be Lord over this meeting tonight. And to you we give all the glory.

In the precious name of Lord Jesus. Amen. This is our last evening session for this conference. And I thank the Lord for this conference. This conference is not just for us. It is ultimately for the Lord himself.

Because the Lord is after something for himself in us. I remember last Biola conference, last year. At the end of the first ministry of the world, I heard a comment from a brother. He said, that message we heard is enough.

He said, we can all pack and go home. Because what we heard from that first message it will be good for the rest of our lives. And Brother Spock often used to say the same way. He said, what I share at this conference or with this particular message it will take the rest of our lives for the Holy Spirit to walk in that reality into us.

So brothers and sisters, we thank the Lord for speaking to us. And the reason why he speaks and speaks again because we are so slow to respond to what's in his heart. And the Lord is indeed very patient with us.

He will not give us up. He has committed his testimony to us. And he is there to fulfill it. So I just want to share a couple of thoughts on how we go to the Gospel of John. We often hear brothers that are more advanced spiritually.

They often put it across to us this way. They put it across. That's what they try to tell us. And all our difficulties are because we have an inadequate knowledge of who Christ is. If we truly know who he is we will be set free from many of the problems we do face.

The Creator’s Purpose and the Unseen God

Now this evening I'd like to use the few words we find in the book of Genesis. The beginning few words. Those words are of great significance because those are the first few words God uttered. Those are the first words the Holy Spirit recorded for us.

And we are all very familiar with those few words. But we often fail to see the import of it. The importance of it. Because those few words reflect who he is. So in the beginning God. Those words are really, how shall I put it, very profound.

There's a great depth into it. And often times we read them casually. And it was through those few words God was introducing himself to us. I am the beginning of everything. The reason why I begin because I have a plan, I have a purpose.

And this plan of this purpose that I have in mind I have the will, the purpose, I have the ability, I have the power, I have the faith to see to it that it's ultimately fulfilled. Put it in our language.

God is in real business. He's in real business. He's really in his enterprise. He's engaged in real business. That's right. Because he has something in mind. And what he has set out to do he will surely do it.

Because our God cannot fail. If our God can fail then he is not God. So brothers and sisters when we look at ourselves when we look at God's people and the conditions that we are in it's easy to be disappointed.

It is so easy to be discouraged. And the reason why we are discouraged because we look at the tangible we look at the visible. But it's almost difficult very difficult almost impossible to see him who is invisible.

Then if we can see him who is invisible he's real then that is our great deliverance. No matter how you feel about yourself no matter how we feel ourselves as a company of God's people God has already committed God has already committed his testimony to us.

And the reason he has committed to us because he has faith in himself that he will accomplish it. But we have to have faith in our God. So our brothers say God's testimony remain the same and change. And God is going to work that into us.

God is going to work that into us. And we may resist him we may delay his work but ultimately he will be successful. And what he is doing Now brothers and sisters God is in real business. He is also looking for people who are in real business with him.

The reason why the Lord cannot commit him totally to us because we do not mean business with him wholly or completely. On his part he has already totally committed himself to us. But on our part our commitment is all often time partial.

And often time it is inconsistent. When we come to the conference we commit it. And when we go home it is a different story. So I want to just read one verse with you brothers and sisters. God is looking for those who mean business with him.

And it is hard for him to find such people. OK. So we turn to 2 Chronicles. 16 Verse 9. The first half of verse 9. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show him strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him or whose heart is perfect before him.

Whose heart are perfectly toward him or put it in a very casual way he is looking he is looking for those for those for those whose heart mean business with him. The Lord is looking for those he can commit himself.

Commit his testimony so that his testimony can radiate through them. Now we know through the history through the church history and even in our days within the last few 50 or so years in the past 50 years the Lord has found few here and there those who were really committed to him and how the Lord used them.

We are blessed today because of those who have committed themselves totally to the Lord. Because of their total commitment we are blessed and the Lord is looking for such people. Now the scripture says his eyes run through throughout the whole earth.

Hence they are very rare very few. He has to search for them. But thank God there here there the Lord do find those whose hearts are toward him. Now boys the Lord is still looking for such hearts. So we often heard today the problem is not with God himself.

The problem is with us. We are delaying his work. We are slowing down his work. But in the end he will succeed. Because here and there there will be those who will respond. And our brother called them as the overcomers.

And if the Lord can get hold of those overcomers it is guaranteed the Lord can get hold of us all. Brothers and sisters we need that kind of people today in our local fellowship. We need those whose hearts are totally toward the Lord.

And through them the testimony of Jesus Christ will come to us. They are channels of blessing. So we need to pray the Lord in these last days to raise man whose hearts are perfect toward him. Now this week this last few days we heard much from the Lord.

Christ as God’s Purpose, Will, and Work

We heard the testimony of God the testimony of Jesus Christ and our testimony. Even though there are three how shall I put it we approach in three different ways. But actually it is one. Because the Lord Jesus came for the purpose of making his father known to us.

Because the only begotten who is in the bosom of the father he came to declare him the father. And if you look into the gospel of John how often the Lord said my father father from his own lips. There's a frequent mention of the father from his lips.

It's not just lips saying it because the father was with him. At least three times in the gospel of John he said I was never I am never alone. He is always with me. He is in me. And then the father he loved his son so much he touched his son from the heaven.

It is a universal declaration that Jesus Christ is God's only beloved son. God has given everything to his for his son. And he showed his son everything he was going to do. So Christ is God's purpose.

Christ is God's will to us. Christ is God's work for us. Outside from Christ God has no other purpose. Outside of Christ God has no other will. Outside of Christ God has no other work. Everything is in Christ.

And Christ is everything. Now we have to get hold of that. That is a foundational truth. And we need to solidly stand on that truth. Now this evening I would like to share from some of the signs we find in the Gospel of John.

How the Holy Spirit used those signs to show us Christ or work Christ into us. As we share according to Gospel of John the theme of the Gospel is the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now according to John what is the testimony of Jesus Christ?

In John we find the testimony of Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ himself. No one can testify for him. No one is qualified to testify for him. Our testimony is that we testify for him. Our testimony is he in us testifies himself through us.

So what comes out is not me. What comes out is the Lord Jesus. So what comes out is not me but our Lord Jesus. So brothers and sisters we feel that we need to use our hearts. In the Gospel of John there are seven mentions of I am.

I am he is once we are in union with Christ so all that he is become ours. That's how God loves us. So let me put it this way. How God the Father is to his son our Lord Jesus Christ. So also shall we if we are in Christ.

So in Christ what God is real to his son should be also real to us. So we often heard that people put it this way. If I be in Christ God cannot love me less than he loves his son. Because I am in Christ.

The love the Father gives to the son is the love he gives to me. Because I am in Christ. Some of these things I'm sure you heard on many occasions. It's not new to you. But we need to be refreshed again.

And that's why I share on Thursday evening. John's gospel was God's reaction to the spiritual condition of his people in John's days. Because there is a spiritual declension. The testimony of Jesus Christ has been weakened.

The world came in. Man came in. Tradition came in. And we become fixed in our ways. And we become fixed in our ways. And John saw that. Once we come to a fixed rate we limit God. And God will not allow us to limit Him.

Because He is so big. He refuses to be limited by anyone. So John wrote his gospel. And our deliverance from our smallness is to see how great Christ is. It's about how we need to take a good look at God's beloved Son.

Not just through messages. But through an inner seeing in the spirit of who He really is. Now I have a longing in my heart. I say Lord don't bring me to a place where I'm in a fixed position. If I'm fixed in myself then God cannot move on with me.

He will bypass me and He will walk in somebody else. I miss out but others come into the good of it. But God's intention is that we must all move on with Him. From grace to grace and there's no end to it.

If Christ is an end then He's very small. The end is glory. You cannot measure glory. It's always beyond us. And how we need God to set us free from ourselves. If His testimony is to be committed to us and if we are to be found faithful before Him now for Him to work for for Christ to work Himself into us that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not so interested in signs and wonders. His one mission is to exalt God's beloved Son. His one mission is to incorporate His beloved Son in all of us because our testimony is Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ in us fully formed we can see and satisfy the Father's heart.

The Five Signs and God-Created Crises

Now we're going to look at some of the signs. Let me just before I introduce the signs let me just quickly share this one point. In all of these signs I'll try to share five signs this evening. Okay. Every sign that you find in the Gospel of before Christ can work Himself into that situation the Holy Spirit solemnly created a crisis.

One person would say if we are not brought into a real crisis spiritually we'll never get revelation. Our easy life is not conducive for spiritual revelation. So in all of the five signs you will see God allow a crisis to come into that situation.

It has come to a point either the Lord Himself or nothing. Or we are brought to a place we have no other choice but hold on to the Lord. But that is grace. If the Lord can work in us in such a way that we can just hold on to Him that is grace.

That is real grace. Grace is unto purpose. It's to get hold of Christ. And who is indeed the grace that we need. Now I've mentioned the crisis first then we'll share how the Lord get through those crises.

Now we avoid crises. We avoid crises. We think it's bad for us. But in all these five signs we say it's very necessary. The first is the marriage in Cana. Now there was a real crisis. Very very embarrassing.

If the Lord was not there I don't know how that couple are going to live through for the rest of their life. That's right. I don't know how they can live through the rest of their life. So the crisis the Lord allowed in that situation is they ran out of what?

Wine. So that is a crisis. Now the second sign is the healing of the noble man's son. Do you think he will go to the Lord voluntarily? Without the Lord create that situation that his son is almost at the point of death.

So his son at the point of the death was the way Christ was brought into that situation. Now the third sign is the informed man we find in the Gospel Gospel John chapter 4. Now that man was sick lying in that bed for 38 years.

A desperate situation. Longing to walk longing to rise up but totally incapable. But through that crisis the Lord when the Lord comes in that man rise up and walk. Through all this crisis the Lord make himself bigger.

And he make himself how real how living and how true he can be. Now the other is man born born blind. Now interesting it says this man who was born blind was for a purpose. It says that God's work should be revealed in him.

Now this I in God's work is to be revealed in him. OK and then when he come to Lazarus come to Lazarus OK now Lazarus was dead. And yet the Lord say this disease this sickness is not unto what? This sickness is for the glory of God.

As a son of God may glorify through it. Now death and glory go together. God's work and blindness go together. Ah God's way is strange. His way is above our way. It's humanly inconceivable. Now that's God's way for our blessing.

The Wedding at Cana and Christ’s Fullness

Now let's go to take a look at Cana situation. OK we'll read a few verses. Chapter 2 of John the Gospel. OK we'll read from verse 1. On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there.

Now both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine the mother of Jesus said to him they have no wine. Jesus said to her woman what does your concern have to do with mine?

My hour has not yet come. Jesus said to her woman what does your concern have to do with mine? His mother said to the servant whatever he says to you do it. Now there were set there six water pots of stone according to the manner of purification of the Jews containing twenty or thirty gallons a piece.

Jesus said to them fill the water pots with water and then fill them up to the brim. Draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast and they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and did not know where it came from but the servant who had drawn the water knew the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

And he said to him every one at the beginning every man at the beginning set out good wine and when the guest had well drunk then the inferior you have kept the good wine until now. This is the beginning of signs.

Jesus did in Cana Galilee and manifest his glory and his disciples believed in him. Now what a glorious end. What a glorious ending of this incident. Because 11 is what he came for. For him to manifest his glory and the disciples believed in him.

So all the signs are pointing to Christ. So the mother did not quite understand the Lord Jesus. The mother did not quite understand the Lord Jesus. All she think about is to solve the immediate problem they faced.

Because without wine that wedding would be most embarrassing to the couple. Now brothers and if you read this account, I personally think this young couple prepared as much as they were able to do it.

I'm sure you know if you see a young couple going to get married. Yeah. They could not think of anything. They think of anything and everything. Make sure everything is covered. Because their wedding to be most perfect.

Not just for themselves but for their guests as well. Nothing is overlooked. Because this is once in a lifetime. So we do not know why they wanted the wine. Maybe some of the invited guests just keep coming.

We don't know. But we know one thing. The Jewish tradition, marriage feasts usually take several days. Now, if a family is quite wealthy, usually seven days. So it's a long feast. So there's a lot of eating and there's a lot of drinking.

Now, I'm sure this young couple prepared enough for all the guests that were invited. But I believe this crisis was created solemnly by God. For Christ to manifest His glory. And for the disciples to truly believe Him.

Now, from this incident, we know God want us, the Lord Jesus want us to discover, to find Him, that He is the God of fullness. His fullness. And that's why there were six big, strong water pots. Now, when the Lord say fullness, He means fullness.

Because those strong water pots, they contain twenty to thirty gallons of water. And there were six of them. Now, six is the number of man. You know, when the Lord comes into our situation, it's for the first time we discover how empty we really are.

When we compare with each other, I think I'm pretty full. If we all compare with Lord Jesus, then we discover how empty we really are. We have nothing. Now, another thing that we discover in this incident, because we often times do not know that we are empty until we are told we are empty.

So when the Lord told the servant, he said, fill those water pots with water to the brim. The Lord is saying, do you know those water pots have been empty for a long time? Someone was neglecting their duty.

Because when the guests are coming in, they need water to wash their feet. So something is wrong when the pots were empty. All the jars, all the stone pots were empty. And no one was aware of it. The Lord knew it was empty.

He said, fill them to the brim. And He said, take them out, draw them some, draw some out. And the moment the Lord gave the command, said, draw, the water turned into wine. When the Lord said, draw, He put Himself into the wine.

He put Himself into the water and the water turned into wine. So when the Lord comes into our situation, there is transformation. We cannot transform ourselves. When He comes, He transforms. There is no need to try to transform.

But when we allow Him to come into our lives, transformation begins. And His transformation is a lasting transformation. Because those six water pots will fill to the brim. Speak of His fullness for us.

For us, do we know we are empty without the Lord Jesus? It is good for us to know that we are empty. Because God will step into that situation. And to show us He is our fullness. He will come and fill us to the brim.

Now, one brother said, this sign is the first sign you find in John. But all the other signs are based on this one sign. Because when the Lord gives His life to us, He gives His life in fullness to us.

He never gives His life to us in measure. The reason why we do not find fullness is because we restrict that fullness with our flesh. So the more empty we become of ourselves, the more He can fill us with Himself.

Our testimony is the fullness of His life in us. The fullness of His life in us. Or put it another way, He wants to testify to us that in Him, there is fullness of life. Now let's quickly go to the next one.

The Nobleman’s Son and the Sufficiency of Christ’s Word

At the end of chapter four. Now, I don't think I need to read that incident. I think you know pretty well by heart. The healing of the normal man's son. Now, he, apparently this normal man heard the Lord Jesus was in Cana.

I also heard the Lord Jesus did many miracles. And when he discovered that his son was at the point of death, immediately he went to Cana with the purpose to plead to the Lord Jesus, come to Capernaum and heal his son.

He said, come down and heal our son, heal my son. A desperate need. A real crisis. It's a crisis it's hard to face. The boy was at the point of death. And this father went to Cana to try to invite the Lord Jesus, plead with him to come to Capernaum and to heal the son.

Now, we often say the Lord is very compassionate, he's very sympathetic, he's very loving. But the Lord's love and compassion is not sentimental. There's truth behind it. Because his love is true love.

Our human love oftentimes is sentimental. But his love is true love. It's real. You may find difficult to accept, but it's real love we need. But the Lord's reply seems to, how shall I put it, is not all that helpful to this sorrowful noble man.

He was in desperate need. But as though the Lord poured cold water on him. That's right. The Lord just simply replied and said, unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe. That's the Lord's reply.

Because the Lord saw through his heart. The Lord saw through what was in his heart. You remember in the Gospel, At the end of chapter two. It says, the Lord did not commit himself, the Lord did not commit himself to them.

Because all they're looking for were signs. The Lord knew what was in their heart. They are looking for signs and wonders. And when it comes to the feeding of the five thousand, the Lord said, you come not because you saw the signs, because you ate bread to satisfy your stomach.

For instance, sometimes we approach the Lord with the wrong motive. And we find the Lord very difficult for the Lord to answer our prayer. So the Lord said, you want signs and wonders, unless you see signs and wonders, you won't believe.

This normal man has some measure of faith. He went to Canada because he has faith. He has faith in the Lord Jesus. But his faith is not in himself, his faith is in his signs and wonders. And the Lord is trying to help him draw him away from just looking for signs and wonders.

The Lord is trying to draw him away from just looking at signs and wonders. And the Lord is trying to draw him out to have faith in himself. So the normal man replied in verse 49. He said, sir, come down before my child die.

That was a desperate plea. Because if you don't come, he die. Come. And what was the Lord's reply? He said, go your way, your son lives. Is that enough? Is the word come from the mouth of the Lord Jesus, is that enough?

Most of us, we don't find it quite enough. May the Lord have mercy on us. So, G. Campbell Morgan, he put it this way. The normal man was brought to a place. He came to a conclusion. Sign or no sign. Whether you come with me to Capernaum or not come with me to Capernaum.

I have no choice now. I take your word. And he went. And the child lived. How merciful God is. His dealing seems to be harsh. Harsh. That is all good for us. But he wants us to come to know him in such a way.

His word is enough. Because he says so. But if we can believe that, it will save us from a lot of trouble. And how we can just follow him in such a wonderful way. So, brothers and sisters, there was a real crisis.

But a wonderful lesson was learned. His word is enough. Because his word is life. His word is spirit. His word is truth. His word is himself. His word is his own work. That's why in the beginning was the word.

Everything came about because God spoke and it was happened. God is still unchanged. And his word is still true. Can we believe him? Where can we find the testimony of Lord Jesus? Where his word is believed.

His testimony is there. Because his testimony is his word. And let's quickly go to the other side. We find in chapter 5. The man was 38 years infirm. 38 years. Desperate situation. So I was meditating on this passage.

The Infirm Man and the Power to Rise and Walk

I admire this man very much. Because he has such long endurance. He was lying there for 38 years in that one condition. Now if I am right, reading from this account, I saw he was lying with that group of sick people near the pool for all this time.

Because no one, he said, no one carried me. When the water stirred, no one carried me. So if he was carried there every day, those who carried him would carry him into the water. So those who really would help him would help him all the way and not just halfway.

And he was lying there for 38 years. So I think for myself. If I were in his condition, would I lie there for 38 years? I don't think so. I think a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, I'd give up. Why try?

Why try? It's a hopeless situation. Somehow in this man, there's a ray of hope. And I think it's that ray of hope allowed the Lord Jesus Christ to come and approach him. Brothers and sisters, what God is looking for?

Weak as we are. If we have a small hope just for him. Genuine hope. He will work wonders for us. Thank God. And the Lord walked into that situation. And he said, Do you want to get well? He said, When the water stirs, no one can put me into the water.

So by the time I crawl myself near the edge of the pool, someone else already got in. Now I have no idea how many times he tried that. I'm sure he tried very hard. I mean, for a man to be in that condition, I think the one wish is that I can walk one day.

Now brothers and sisters, spiritually we are all crippled like this man. We can never get up ourselves. No strength. Sin make us powerless. And flesh make us tied down to the earth. If we are determined to rise up, we have no strength.

We are totally incapable. And all that man needs is the Lord to say a few words. The Lord said, rise up, pick up your bed and walk. Very short, few words. We need to listen to the Lord to say just a few words to us.

It's from him. It's life to us. The power of his life to rise up and walk. Now brothers and sisters, bed is something we all need. So what do you do when you go to a night? Do you all go to your bed? A place of comfort.

A place of rest so needed. But you will not careful. What is a blessing can be a curse to us. Because a bed should be a blessing. But if comfort is all we seek, our comfort becomes a curse. For instance, we have a great temptation in this North American continent.

Because we all seek the comfort of this life. You will not careful. Our comfort could be a curse. Becomes an idol to us. All we seek is comfort. Our comfort takes the place of Christ. If that is the case, we are spiritually paralyzed.