PP0716 DATE
THE LAMB IS BECKONING
Matthew 11:28.
Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (KJV)
INTRODUCTION: Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God in the N.T. He is called that because of the sacrificial lamb in the O.T. In the N.T. He is the Sacrificial Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (KJV)
Jesus taught His disciples that He came to the earth to give Himself a ransom for all lost souls. Mt 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (KJV)
There are 27 references in the book of Revelation concerning the Lamb of God. Each of them picture the Lamb holy, majestic, and connected with the throne of God. Re 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (KJV)
I. THE LAMB IS BECKONING.
A. The Lord Referred To Himself As The One Who Would Bring Eternal Life.
Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (KJV)
Lu 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (KJV)
B. The Lord Is Continually Beckoning For Sinners To Come To Salvation.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (KJV)
“Almost persuaded,” come, come today;
“Almost persuaded,” turn not away;
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are lingering near
Prayers rise from hearts so dear;
O wanderer, come!
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
C. The Lamb Is Given As A Sacrifice For The Sins Of Man.
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (KJV) Sin has always been dealt with by sacrifice. God requires that all sin be removed by a sacrifice. The Lord Jesus made that sacrifice once and for all on the cross.
Abraham and Isaac on Mt. Moriah picture the sacrifice of the Lamb of God on the Cross.
The Lord’s Supper pictures the same sacrifice. His body was broken, and his blood was shed, as represented by the bread and wine. (Juice)
Every time you hear a Gospel song, hear a Scripture read, or you hear a sermon preached the Lord is beckoning you to come to salvation.
II. THE LION IS BUSY. I Pet. 5:8.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:(KJV)
Seeking whom he may devour. He can’t devour everyone. Only those who are not protected by the blood of the Lamb, and who are faithfully following the word of the Lord. Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;…. Who would be forming a weapon against you? Certainly not the Lord, not your friends. Only the devil or some of his people. As long as you keep your self protected within the shield of the blood of Christ, the wicked lion has no access to you.
The wild beasts always attacked the herds of sheep by going after the weak and the young first.
Jer 4:7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. (KJV)
A. He Is Devouring Our Homes.
1. Six of ten marriages fail in the US. Satan is responsible for all of these.
2. Children are being abused, kidnapped and murdered. Some are even being sold for pornography market. He lurks at every corner of the earth to grab and consume your children.
a. Through TV.
b. Through the internet.
c. Through the philosophies of society.
B. He Is Devouring Our Society.
Who would have ever thought that our society would ever allow the freedom for people to openly blaspheme the holy name of God. There have always been those who opposed and attempted to discredit the Lord Jesus Christ, but today the “Lion” is busy trying to stamp Him out of our reality and memory.
Had the efforts of the present news media, and TV media attempted to do in the 1930’s and 1940’s what they are doing today the churches and church leaders would have risen up against them before they even left the starting gate.
C. He Is Devouring Our Churches.
There are not many old-fashioned Bible believing Baptist churches that are truly functioning in a N.T. fashion today. We are content to meet, to greet, expect a treat and then retreat to our places of comfort. Not many are seeking the souls of men. The “Lion” is enjoying every moment of it.
About 30 years ago the New Age Movement swore that they stamp out Christianity by the year 2000. They have come close to accomplishing their goal. I realize their will always be a voice and a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ and His church, but our number has been reduced greatly.
Somehow the impression has been created that we need to rethink the inspiration of the Scriptures and revamp all our theology and work out a new code of Christian conduct in line with the times and acceptable to the “www. com” age. Actually the “www. com” age is not much different from any other age, except for the increase of its gadgets and gimmicks. This is a generation of poor lost sinners and the need of the hour is a fresh crop of N.T. Christians who believe the Bible, trust Christ as Saviour and obey Him as Lord, are filled with the Spirit of God, and out to make the gospel known. That’s what the N.T. church did in the First Century.
D. He Is Devouring Our Heritage.
Many Baptist churches are removing the name Baptist from their marquee and their stationery. I say if they can do that and still continue on then do it. They weren’t Baptists to begin with. I couldn’t function as a preacher or pastor and not have the name Baptist associated with my ministry and work. I am not saying that the name Baptist is more preeminent than is Jesus Christ, but it is sole effort of the heritage of the N.T. doctrine. Baptists have always stood for the preaching and spreading of the Gospel. If the name Baptist can be diminished then so will the preaching of the Gospel. When the name Baptist goes – the preaching of the Gospel will go soon thereafter.
We have too many hyphenated Baptists today – “Charismatic Baptists” – Calvinistic Baptists” – “Contemporary Baptists” – “Southern Baptists” – “Independent Baptists”. Any congregation is either Baptist period, or they are something else – and that something else is usually wrong.
III. THE LOST ARE BLINDED. II Cor. 4:4.
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (KJV)
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (KJV)
In the 1930’s my dad started digging a water well on the North end of our home place. He dug down about 25 or 30 feet and then for some reason stopped. I don’t know why he stopped, but about once a year he would go out to that will and cut down some small trees and place them over that gigantic hole to keep cattle and people from falling into it. About once a month or maybe even more often some varmint would blindly come up to that hole and fall in, and of course eventually die. I am reminded of that old well when I think of most of the lost folks in this community. They blindly walk along everyday not alert as to where they are spiritually and sooner or later they will fall into the Hole of Hell, and be there for all eternity. They are blinded to the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ. See them as they drop off. Every day there are a couple of dozen listed in the obituary. Who knows how many of them are in hell.
It is the responsibility of every church to tell every person about the saving Gospel.
No one will go to heaven without believing the Gospel – no can believe until they have heard it. Most will not hear it until someone goes to them.
The Lamb is Beckoning – The Lion is Busy – The Lost are Blinded.
IV. THE LIBERALS HAVE BLUNDERED. II Pet. 2:21.
2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (KJV)
Most of the liberal churches have dropped the traditional services where the Gospel is preached week after week. The have gone to a “Seeker” or social type service. A service programmed for man instead of God. They feature a program that features man rather than the Lord Jesus Christ. Making man the featured object will do nothing for man, but make him feel good, yet leave him empty and lost inside.
Focusing on the man and not on God.
A. They Have Taken The Cross Out Of Their Preaching.
Several years ago they took the cross out of their hymn books, and now there is none or little preaching on the cross in any liberal church. That’s why I say it is important what kind of music is used. The cross is offensive to the liberal Christian. They want a gospel that is not bloody. Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (KJV) Listen very closely; If an angel would appear in this room right now with a shining halo, and wings flapping, and tell us, in an angelic voice, that there was a new say of salvation, I would have to rebuke him and tell him he was speaking the message of the devil. Why? Because there is only one message of salvation. Last week we heard Brian Sharp show us there has always been just one plan.
Attempting to preach the gospel without the cross or the blood is nonsense just as playing football using a feather for the ball.
B. They Have Taken Faithfulness Out Of Their Expectation.
I still think every church member should be faithful to every part of the church functions. Sunday AM, Sunday PM, Wed. PM, The outreach, visitation program. Why should we expect anything less? The Old Time Baptist was built by folks who came in wagons, some as much as 10 miles or so, on foot, on horse back – in rain or snow. They attended every meeting. Sometimes those meetings would last until midnight. That was just part of the procedure. No one complained. They were faithful. It has sure changed in this day. If the preacher goes past the time they have appointed they will give him looks of threat, and anger.
C. They Have Taken Old Fashioned Soul Winning Out Of Their Ministry.
Many have replaced it with lifestyle Evangelism. That won’t get anyone saved. Lifestyle evangelism is to make the one being sought a social friend and participate in their social life. Make them feel part of the church even though they are not saved. Then through this friendship association the lost person will grow into a relationship with Christ and get saved without ever knowing it. That will cause the Christian person to lower his standards so as not to offend the lost. I am not for offending the unsaved, but I am for holding to biblical standards and let people do and feel as they choose. The way we live, as Christians, should make the lost person feel uncomfortable. Sin must be uncomfortable when it is around righteousness. If I was to go into saloon I would feel very uncomfortable – would the owner of the saloon put all the liquor out of sight, and have the bar dancers to put on full length robes? Of course not. He would say, “Welcome to the show, preacher– hope you like it”. We must keep living for Christ and being a verbal witness to all we come in contact with.
The liberals boast on their numbers and how they are changing the community. I don’t see very many changes. Numbers does not mean they are reaching the lost. Changed lives, changed homes that are living for God, young people that are surrendering to the missions fields, and the full time ministry are indicators of growth. That is the way we can know that a church is reaching the community. Just because several hundred people attend on Sunday AM wearing the soccer shorts, and halter tops, and their cut-off jeans mean nothing as far as the church performing a ministry. That’s the way the Wal-mart crowd dresses. A person would have as much change going to heaven by going to Wal-mart as going to a liberal church. A ministry that doesn’t preach the gospel is nothing but a social program. Social programs will lead their followers into hell. Social Christianity makes it easy for one to go to hell.
D. They Have Taken Godliness And Holy Living Out Of Their Churches.
It is kind of like the person who went into the darkly light restaurant and when his food came he said he could hardly see the food, and had to eat it by faith and not by sight. Then he said the longer he sat there the better he could see and he thought for a moment that the room was actually getting brighter, when all along he was just getting used to the dark. When people set in darkness for a while they get used to the darkness and actually thing the room is getting brighter. The longer you set in a dark place the more you will imagine that more light is breaking in.
This same condition has crept into many churches over the last 50 years. Christians have fraternized with unbelievers until false doctrine becomes less and less objectionable. Now we can actually make room for the Church of Christ, the Catholics, and the Mormons. It is better to accept them than to offend them.
Living in darkness causes us to excuse sin. We give it some new fancy name. Adultery is “free love.” Drunkards are now alcoholics. Sodomy is homosexuality. The Murderer is temporarily insane. We cannot change the fashion of sin by making it fashionable.
Jesus told us that we are the light of the world. Our light should shine to the point that it makes sinners see themselves in darkness and want to live in the light.
A lot of churches have dimmed their light so as not of offend those in darkness. We would rather grieve the Holy Spirit than to offend the wicked.
Oh! But listen to this:
Liberals have blundered.
V. FUNDAMENTALISTS ARE BOASTING.
While men slept. Mat 13:25. Mt 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. (KJV) Fundamental Christianity has been asleep for several decades and the “enemy” has come and sowed tares among the wheat. While we sleep he continues to sow “tare” churches among the “wheat” churches, and now we have to live with these churches side by side and attempt to produce wheat while the tares are producing false wheat. Consequently, we don’t have much depth in many churches today. The only thing that will produce strength and solidity is a steady, non-wavering, doctrinally sound, preaching of the Gospel.
A. Boast About Using The King James Bible – But Is It Changing Our Lives? To carry a copy of the KJV every Sunday will do nothing for the one carrying it. It must be read, and applied. If you are not allowing the Word of God to work in your life, and to change you then you are not progressing and have nothing to boast about. No matter where you are in your Christian life the Bible will continually change you as you consume it more and more. I have heard the “Old Time Men Of God”, who have read the Bible through a hundred times or more, tell how, that particular morning in their private time, the Lord gave them a new thought or principle from His Word and their heart was rejoicing over it.
B. We Boast About Following Baptist Doctrine – But Is It Bringing Us Closer To God, and taking us out into the highways and byways? The gospel inside of our church walls only, will reach very few people. When we take it to the four corners of our community on a repeated basis, then we will see it working in peoples lives. We really don’t have much to boast about.
C. We Boast About Our Missions Programs – But Are We Regularly Taking On New Missionaries? Are we choosing missionaries that are really called to the field? I am going to start looking only at those who have had a successful ministry here in the US. If a man doesn’t win souls to Christ here in America where he knows the language and in his own culture - what makes him think he can in a foreign country where he doesn’t know the language nor the culture. I understand there is a time of adjustment in any land, but sooner or later there must be some kind of results take place. Paul and the Apostles went into a culture and had immediate response to the Gospel.
1. The Faith Promise is the best plan, I believe. How many of our church membership is participating in the F/P plan? It may be the best plan, but if we are not sending more and more missionaries and starting more churches, then what good is it doing?
2. When Christians can keep driving new cars, buying new homes, taking four and five week vacations to some foreign country, setting in their living rooms watching 60 inch digital TV’s – how can we say we are really a church with missions as our heart beat?
D. We Boast About Being Born Again – But are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Ro 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (KJV)
When a person tells about being born again 30 or 40 years ago and has not grown into a Soulwinning – consecrated Christian, something doesn’t add up. Longevity in the Christian life spells growth.
E. Boast About Being Evangelistic In Our Approach – But are we seeing the waters of baptism being stirred often? Successful evangelism is more than passing out tracts on some street corner. It is to personally confront people with making a decision about accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour. Not too many Baptists are doing that. We are more comfortable setting in our S/S classes telling each other about the grandkids.
F. We Boast About Being Strong Doctrinally, But Say Little About Being Broken In Our Will.
Lu 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (KJV)
Dying to self is not a thing we do once for all. It must occur “daily” – Luke used the word “daily”. All day long the choice will be before us to die daily. It will mean no plans, no time, no money, no pleasure of our own. It will mean a constant yielding to those around us, for our yielded ness to God is measured by our yielded ness to man.
What good does it do us to have the best of every physical attraction and object and not be sold out to God? Mr 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (KJV) We can apply that verse to our evangelistic efforts. What have we gained if we gain the whole world and our neighbors and friends go to hell. The worldly gain will do nothing for us in heaven, and our friends will be in hell forever. There are a lot of Christians who had an abundance of the world’s goods, go to heaven with empty hands and have to witness there lost friends and family be cast into hell. How dreadful that will be. That’s why I keep challenging each of you to make some effort to witness to your friends and family and go all out to get them into church. Not very many people will attend a church like BHBC for four or five years and remain lost. They will get under conviction of their sin and get saved. But that will happen only when each of us have our will broken and conformed to the will of God.
