The Lamb of God — David Oliver

I'd like to read with you tonight From a very important chapter of the Bible. Actually, it is John's gospel chapter 1 the beginning of the last gospel. That was written and our reading will be limited in John chapter 1.

I want to ask you to read with me at verse 29 the next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and says Behold the Lamb of God Which taketh away the sin of the world? Now Verse 35 again the next day after John stood.

John the Baptist and John the Disciple

Now you'll have to understand this is probably known to all but it'll help me keep things straight. This John that we will read about in this text and in the previous verse is Is not the writer of the gospel.

So you have John the disciple who wrote the gospel and you have John the Baptist who is the subject in the stories of verses from which we are reading again the next day after John we know him as John the Baptist 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 saith unto them what seek ye they said unto him rabbi. Which is to say being interpreted master where dwellest thou?

He saith unto them come and see they came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that day. For it was about the tenth hour. As we were singing that third hymn that we sang together that you sang so well My mind went to a gospel hall just near to where we live and I was sitting up on the front right side and I remember That hymn at least him with that chorus was given out and we sang it and I happened just to look across.

And I saw a girl of maybe 11 years of age with a couple of long pigtails. And as we sang that hymn I saw her receive Christ. It's thrilling moment. I Would really hope that maybe somebody here in the meeting tonight would have had that moment in life even as we sang that hymn because the truth of that hymn is what is embodied in the truth of That moment of life that is absolutely crucial.

Conversion as an Unforgettable Grasp of Biblical Truth

And what I want to point out tonight, I'm gonna try to prove to you why I believe that John 1 and 29 behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world is the conversion of John the disciple.

Now whether you agree with me by the time we're ended or not. I hope you will get at least two things very clearly in your mind that the moment of conversion the moment of salvation is An incident an unforgettable incident in the life of a person.

But the more important thing that I want to emphasize tonight is this that in that moment There is an impression made upon a person's mind of truth from the Word of God. Salvation is not some emotional experience.

Salvation is not some good feeling. This matter of a conversion is a matter of when an individual grasps Bible truth for the personal salvation of their soul. So it'll be good thing to start tonight by asking every one of us.

Do you have a Moment of conversion. Is There a moment when everything was changed. From your journey going down to eternal darkness in a place of tragic Suffering and pain a place called hell changed from that destiny in a moment and started for heaven.

I'm glad I better not tell you the whole story, but I'm glad tonight that my mind goes back to a time when I was 16 years of age and My verse was quoted a number of times this weekend. I Number of times all we like sheep have gone astray.

We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all I go back to that Verse so often I go back to the truth of that verse so often I hear others quote it and my heart goes back to that moment a Moment of conversion and in fact if you look at this chapter, I just mentioned It's a very important chapter for a lot of reasons, but it's an interesting thing in this chapter that John the disciple John records at least three conversions.

He may be recording five conversions. But at least three conversions are in this chapter. Isn't it interesting that at the very beginning of his message of good news? He records how individuals came the moment they came to the Lord Jesus and the moment of their conversion and I wouldn't be surprised if Actually the first thing he tells us Is his own conversion because he's really just started the body of the gospel at verse 19.

And he hasn't gone ten verses into his message. He's just prepared the way to tell us the great moment when John the Baptist preached the message for which he lived Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

Let me then just draw your attention to some some reasons why I think this this is an incident in John's memory. No other gospel writer records the message behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world and John gives us that statement behold the Lamb of God not once but twice and nobody else does.

Somehow it's impressed on his mind. And when he writes this he is probably older than Any of the other writers who are writing their gospel? But it's something that's lodged in his memory after all these years and he looks back and he remembers The great message of John the Baptist and he followed I take it.

He was a follower of John the Baptist. He followed John the Baptist and yet this was the moment that he remembers Matthew or Mark or Luke will tell us other things that John the Baptist said here is the primary message of John the Baptist that the Lord that John the disciple recalls.

But not only that. You would know that in the gospel of John John never never tells us his name. But he lets us know he's the disciple whom Jesus loved and you know, he was here and you know He was there and you know, he was doing this and you know, he was doing that but he never tells us his name.

So it's no surprise for me to me if he doesn't tell us now I was there and I was saved at that moment. But I'll tell you what you can't mistake the fact and that's my reading my reason for reading the second Set of verses that he actually knows all the details.

You just noticed he was looking at the clock and he tells us the the hour When he was with the Lord Jesus and they abode with him that night and he says it was a tenth hour it's it's evidence that it's the it's the Man who is writing who is giving us such an accurate account.

But there's another thing alongside of that. You'll learn elsewhere that he and Andrew were partners. So it's not anything strange to think that the two of them would have been the two that are together.

One of them's Andrew wouldn't be surprising if the other one was John, but maybe there's a better reason I can give you John is the one who tells us at the end of his gospel why he wrote these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is The Christ and that believing ye might have life through his name.

So John if you have written to tell us that Jesus is the Christ and that we might believe your message and receive eternal Life through believing the message. What about you? Well, I'll go I'll go further.

John is the one who owned the only one who records the interview of the Lord Jesus with Nicodemus the only one who records Marvel, this is emphasized last night. If you weren't here, I'll emphasize it tonight Marvel, not that I said unto thee ye must be born again.

Except a man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God. So I think it would only be right to ask the man who has told us these truths you're telling us that people need to be born again, and you're telling us that your Purpose in writing is that they might believe that he is the Christ and that they might receive life.

So tell us John when did you receive life? I? Think that's a fair thing to do. I think it'd be alright if you ask the preachers tonight or if you ask these people that are so sure of going to heaven. If you ask them, how come you're so sure when did you start for heaven?

I think it would be alright to ask them. And so I think it wouldn't surprise me if the very first thing John does when he begins the body of his letter of his Gospel wouldn't surprise me if John says I'm gonna sneak in here the story of how I was saved.

Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. But but some of you aren't persuaded yet. Are you all right? I'm gonna go at it again. Let me point out to you because this is the more important thing even than the incident.

Although if you've come to know Christ, I just don't know how you could forget that moment in life but It is unforgettable because of the truth of the Word of God the truth from God. That is impressed on the mind at that moment.

And if you ask me tonight David, what did you learn? What's the truth that was impressed on your mind the moment you were saved? I would tell you tonight by the grace of God I am saved and I will never forget the moment when I understood for the first time in my life that Jesus died for me.

That it was my sins that were laid on the Lord Jesus at Calvary. You say David what part of Africa were you living in that? You had never heard the gospel. No, I was living in New Brunswick. Now that's not like Africa.

I Listened to the gospel from the time I was a boy. Ah from the time I was a baby the first the first things that I learned in talking. My parents said I David ye must be born again. So I said it you must be born.

I don't know how I said it but something like that and they said again, so I said ye must be born. I Heard the message of Christ and his sufferings on the cross through those 16 years of my life. There was a moment when I understood what took place at Calvary was for my sins.

I desperately needed someone to remove my sins or I would have been in hell suffering for my sins forever and I Discovered that night that he died for my sins John. What do you remember about this moment?

Well, what I want to tell you is this there are things that John emphasized for the rest of his writings. Emphasized when he was an old man writing that are the message of John the Baptist that we have in John chapter 1.

I'll just point out a few things. But what is the reason for the message? Why is there good news? Why is John announcing behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin? There's the reason. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

Sin, Slavery, and the Coming Wrath

John is the one that tells us whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. Could I remind you tonight that this matter of sin is a matter of greater gravity than you have ever realized? There is a power that is controlling the life of every person who has never had a moment of conversion.

The power of sin itself that power may be the power of pride that keeps you elevated Above this low type of preaching about being born again. It may be the kind of sin that drives you self-seeking for Self-gratification to a life of education.

Is anything wrong with education? No, but I'll tell you what there can be the power of this self-exaltation that's involved. Sometimes it's the power of a needle and sometimes it's the power of a weed.

The power of sin. Whosoever commits sin will find that sin becomes his master and every single one of us has Committed sin. The slavery of sin. The seriousness of sin. Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus as he says it's almost like a cadence and rhythm and John tells us about it.

If you believe not that I am he ye shall die in Your sins. If I could give you drop into your consciousness at this present moment some truth. Then let it be this whatever happens in life. Make sure you do not come to the end of life in your sins.

Make sure that you come to the end of life knowing that every sin is forgiven because the ultimate tragedy of existence is to die. In your sins, that's where the problem is. That's why there's good news in the gospel the great issue of your sin against God.

It will be a barrier to heaven. You will never be in heaven if you die in your sins. Oh the reality of sin the reason for the message the reason that the Spirit of God who is a divine person is Working in this world at the present time is captured again only by John when he tells us the Lord Jesus said about this spirit He shall convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment and you know There is a divine person that has an interest in you.

I Would think that there are some in the meeting. Maybe all in the meeting here tonight who do not know Christ who have never had this moment of conversion. I wouldn't be surprised that he's Knocked at your door today.

We don't trust our preaching to save souls. If God uses our preaching, it's just the furthering of the work that the Spirit of God has already been doing. And Will you understand that the times when? Conscience accuses you of things that you long for have long forgotten.

And the times when conscience brings up things that you wonder. What brought that memory to mind? He will convince the world of sin and the Spirit of God. Even as the gospel message is being preached.

Sometimes, you know, I think it's a it's a wonderful thing when it happens and it's a strange thing when it happens to people. They sit and listen to the message. And maybe they're along to hear the gospel for the first time and when the meetings all over they say to the person that invited Them to come it was all right, but I don't know why you told the preacher about me.

I Could tell you a time or two about that, but I won't take the time. It's not that the preacher has been informed it's that what the Lord says to the preacher is what the Spirit of God is saying to you and the Spirit of God knows exactly the points to touch because the reality in gospel preaching is we long that the Spirit of God will be free through the preaching to do his work of convicting men and women about sin.

Something very sobering about this matter of sin. See if I'm right about this if John the disciple Was listening to John the Baptist before this moment. Then he would have been listening to John who was scathingly direct and he told the soldiers what they ought not to do and he told Publicans what they ought not to do and the different ones at Cape John was right out front very direct.

So much so that when they listened to him, they would come to him and say what shall we do? You've pointed out the problem. What shall we do? And When there were some of these religious people that came to him, what shall we do?

John says now listen. John says who warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Because what John was after was this that men who and women who listened to his message would make a connection between their sins and the storm of judgment that was soon to burst.

The wrath of God who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come. There are a lot of things I'd like to do better when it comes to preaching the gospel a lot of things I'd like to do better when it comes to everything else, too.

But there are a lot of things I would like to do better when it comes to preaching the gospel. One of the things is I would love to be able to have men and women realize the dread consequences of sin.

We are not preaching and we are not concerned and we are not somehow or other trying to work on emotions. We are concerned about this. That there are souls in the meeting this evening who are living one breath away from the judgment their sins deserve and they are sleeping as if there were no such thing and.

And when it comes to this matter of the wrath of God, I think I can hear John. He's hasn't laid down his pen of inspiration before he writes. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life.

But the storm cloud of the wrath of God abides over him. He doesn't use those words, but I think that's a picture the wrath of God abideth on him. Would you wonder this evening as you sit in this gospel meeting?

Is it possible that over my head there hangs the judgment my sins deserve and the storm cloud is about to burst. I? May find myself before tomorrow morning facing the reality of the judgment of my sins soul in the meeting tonight.

This is absolute reality Bible based truth and men may scoff and belittle the message of the gospel. But the message hasn't changed. There is wrath to come the wrath of God abideth on us on them. John is writing later on.

He's writing his last book contributing to the inspired volume and he paints the scene when the great day of his wrath is come and The question is asked who shall be able to stand. And he tells about the great men and the poor man and this bond men and he tells about all these strata of society and they're all having a prayer meeting and the prayer meeting is to rocks and to mountains to fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand my soul.

What will you do when you are brought to a no-return point and you're facing the reality of the judgment of God? And the throne of God and your sins all to be brought out and for every single one of those sins an eternal sentence of judgment.

What will you do when there's no turning back? There's no place to hide. What will you do in that great day when heaven and earth shall flee away and all their pomp and glory here like morning dew shall Disappear and you from out your lonely tomb shall stand in judgments.

Awesome. Gloom my soul in the meeting this evening. Your sin is a serious problem. You need the message of the gospel because of your sin. But not only the reason of the message. Something in this message about the realm of the message and you see I'll point this out to you John of the four gospel writers.

The Gospel for the Whole World

John is the gospel writer that picks up this great truth first emphasized By John the Baptist and that is this. This is the gospel for the world. In fact, we're reminded he was in the world. John chapter 1 and the world was made by him.

And I want to remind you tonight That Jesus of Nazareth the Lamb of God sin-bearer for the world. Jesus of Nazareth is the creator of the world. He is the creator of all things. Without him was not anything made that was made and I'm not here tonight to Start a debate on the matter of creation.

I'm here tonight to tell you from the Word of God. There is no such thing as a gradual development without some divine intervention. There is a creator and that creator is a God to whom you are personally accountable, but more than that John tells us he's the creator that we might recognize.

He is not just the God of one people group called Israel. He is the God of the world and therefore he was in the world. And he came into this world with a purpose and interest in the world. It is John who tells us of God's concern for a world.

Great language great words. Great privilege to tell you tonight for God so loved the world. That he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God has a deep concern not for the world as a mass, but for every individual in that world. I Like to get to know the names of people. That I have the privilege of meeting with this message of the gospel, but there's a lot of folks here tonight.

I don't know your name. Sorry, but there's a God who knows your name. And he doesn't know it merely because he stores a lot of data. He knows it and He knows it because he loves you has a personal interest in you.

There's not a soul in the world. But there is a God who loves every individual in this world and the great proof is this you may say I've got so many Difficulties in life. I don't know that God loves me somehow.

He seems to take care of other people, but everything goes wrong in my life. Don't judge God by the limited data of your life. I'll tell you how you can judge God by the greatest act that God has ever done.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son and he gave his only begotten Son so that whosoever Believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. God loved you so much that he provided a salvation that if you personally trust Christ.

You will have this everlasting life and all the issues of life matter as nothing. Compared to this great matter of having everlasting life of being born again. Not only so I didn't quote the next verse and it will tell you about God's capability.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world. But that the world through him might be saved. Do you understand tonight that through the cross of Christ God has sufficient? To save every sinner in the whole world.

There is a full provision. He's a world God the creator of a world of men and women he is a God who has a deep concern for every soul in that world and he has made a full provision if you Find yourself going out into eternity dying in your sins.

It will not because there was it will not be because there was not sufficient in the suffering of Christ. It will be because you pass by the infinite value of the suffering Savior who died at Calvary for sins the Lamb of God sin bearer for the world.

This is a world message but more than that, I Want to tell you tonight about the remedy? Because That is what John the Baptist announced. He spent a lot of time. I think warning men and women but the moment came the climactic moment in his life and Here is the message from John the Baptist behold the Lamb of God Sin bearer for the world.

I will tell you that this message that John the Baptist had announced announced had a long history. It goes back at least to our father Abraham as the Jews would say and one unique day in the history of Abraham Going up to Mount Moriah to offer up his only son.

Who asked him? Behold the fire in the wood. We're going up for a sacrifice. We got the fire. You need that we have the wood. We need that but where is the Lamb for the burnt offering. And the most profound statement was uttered by Abraham.

My son God will look out for himself. God will provide a lamb for a burnt offering and you know something before they the day was over. Isaac was not offered on the altar. But Abraham says we'll call this place Jehovah Jireh because in the mount of the Lord.

The provision will be seen in the mount of the Lord. God will provide. And the Lord Jesus said Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it was glad and from the Mount Moriah and the mountain and the Mariah's Abraham saw.

No, no. Not visibly saw he saw by faith the day when there would be the Lamb of God provided and John the Baptist announced Announces the Lamb of God is here. From Genesis a whole nation should have been looking for the Lamb of God.

God says to them in the next book of the Bible That I'm going to make you a nation and I'm going to spare you from the judgment that will fall on the land of Egypt what a God was the mighty God of the Israelites who actually put to shame the gods of the Egyptians.

And Finally God says I Will deliver you they will suffer judgment. Because they will not believe the Word of God. But you will have a lamb in every house. You will have a lamb and the lamb will be the means by which you will be protected.

You take that lamb keep them from the tents of the 14th day. Then take his blood kill him take his blood put it in a basin and take a handful of hissop an available plant and dip it in the blood and sprinkle your doorposts and the upper lintel of your door and When I see the blood of the lamb when I see the blood I'll protect you and their deliverance and their nationhood.

Depended on the lamb, but it was just a fuzzy little lamb. But John says behold the Lamb of God and I'm not going to take the time to to establish it tonight. But if you read through John's gospel John will tell you a whole lot of things that connect with that lamb in Exodus chapter 12 one of them will be enough.

John is the only one that tells us that when the Lord Jesus was delivered to be crucified. It was when they killed the Passover. Because while they were killing the Passover lamb The Lamb of God was on his way to a cross at Calvary.

Behold the Lamb of God and here is the wondrous truth that lamb Was a sin-bearer for the world. Not only the Passover lamb whose blood was to be applied But the lamb providing for deliverance from sin all tonight.

Would you take a look at the cross? Would you take a look at the Savior and his sufferings on that cross? Would you see that he was the lamb that was led to slaughter? Would you take in the message tonight that on that cross God made a full provision for a world?

Through the lamb who finished the great work that he came to do sin-bearer for the world and just one other thing I'll leave the rest of what I had to say out because I just want to come to one more thing.

The Lamb in Revelation and the Hope of Glory

And if you haven't believed me to now, I hope you'll believe me now. John's an old man and he writes the capstone of the Bible the capstone book of inspiration and It's the book that is about The Lamb of God.

And John takes us to a wonderful day and John will be there and there are folks here tonight. That will be there and By the grace of God, I'll be there and I do hope tonight as you're listening. You will be there.

Because in heaven, this is what they sing thou art worthy for thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and people and tribe and nation and Has made us a kingdom of priests to our God.

Ah tonight, you know what we'll be singing in heaven. We'll be singing about the Lamb of God. And it's John who tells us about it tells us about the blood of the Lamb and the book of the Lamb. It is John that tells us that Everything about that coming glory is all related to what I learned in the first moment of my spiritual life.

The Lamb of God the sin-bearer for the world. Will you take these words of the text tonight? Behold. Look at him tonight. See the value of his glorious person. Behold the Lamb of God sin-bearer for the world.