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oh good morning to everyone welcome to free grace baptist church welcome back for all of our regular folks it's good to be back in the house of the lord on another lord's day any visitors out there with us this morning it is always a joy to have you with us welcome to our church if you're new if you have any questions afterwards please feel free to approach us and ask a couple of announcements before we begin worship this morning the first is that dr. james renehan will be with us next lord's day he'll be here in the morning hour giving a presentation on the institute of reformed baptist studies and plans for the seminary there those of you who don't know dr. james renehan he's a dean and professor of historical theology at the institute of reformed baptist studies a very influential man and a dear man in the reformed baptist world a wonderful servant of christ and he'll be here to give that presentation 9 30 to 10 30 so if you can join us please do come and sit in for that and then he'll be preaching for us as well morning and evening so we look forward to dr. renehan coming up and being with us the second announcement is that it is the lord's supper this evening we will be observing that blessed ordinance of our lord at this evening service well let's begin our worship this morning that if you'll turn in your Bibles with me to Psalm 19 that will be our call to worship Psalm 19 psalm 19 the word of the living and true God to the chief musician a psalm of David the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork day on today utters speech and night untonight reveals knowledge there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world in them he has set a tabernacle for the Sun which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices like a strong man to run its race its rising is from one end of heaven and it's circuit to the other end and there is nothing hidden from its heat the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb moreover by them your servant is warned and in keeping them there is great reward who can understand his errors cleanse me from secret faults keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me then I shall be blameless and I shall be innocent of great transgression let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer amen well let's stand together and sing you can turn with me to him 87 in your hymn books that's him 87 let's stand and sing together Oh let's go to our God in prayer let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice now that we can gather here as the Saints of Christ to worship Father Son and Holy Spirit and we do pray that you would help us now to do so we would ask again as we have gathered another time on your lord's day Sabbath that you would bless this gathering of the saints that we might hallow your name that we might rejoice in you are God that we might rejoice in Christ whom you have sent and that we might sing the praises of Amazing Grace we do pray that you would receive praise and honor this day we thank you for the many blessings the many benefits that you do pour out upon us we enjoy so many things that we can very often take for granted and we rejoice in in all of those things we rejoice above all in salvation by Jesus Christ our blessed Savior and we do pray that you would help us now to be rejoicing in him we know that we've been saved not by deeds of righteousness which we have done but according to your mercy you saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit and we know this is by virtue of the perfect and saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ so we do pray that you would cause us now to reflect upon his riches and excellencies the perfection of of his saving work we thank you that he lived a life of obedience unto your law in the stead of all those who believe we have a righteousness in him we thank you Lord God that upon Calvary's tree he rendered a substitution aerie sacrifice bearing the wrath at your wrath against all of those who believe in you for the transgression of your law for sins committed for heavy transgression we know that Christ bore all of that he bore in his own body the sins of those who believe in him and we do pray that we would rejoice in the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ that by the shedding of his blood we have the remission of sins that blessed forgiveness of sins we thank you that he was buried and that he rose again the third day in power and in great victory and we rejoice that our saving King has been set upon your right hand where he does ever live to make intercession for his people and that he has been given Dominion and glory in a kingdom and that he rules and reigns for the good of his people and over his enemies and we do pray that you would cause us now to rejoice in our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ we pray God that you would help us to avail again of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ the Lord wash us a fresh and that fountain that's opened up for sin and for uncleanness we pray that when we transgress we would always quickly fly to our advocate with you the Lord Jesus Christ who alone is the propitiation for our sins we do pray that you would cause us now as well to rejoice in the Holy Spirit we know that by virtue of the saving work of Christ you and your appointed and accepted time brought us forth from deadness to life in Christ Jesus by your spirit and four-year Glorian we do pray that we would your gathered Saints be rejoicing in so great a salvation we would ask God that you would be with those who need prayer for many things we think now of the the Saints down in manual Baptist Church in seatac and the loss of pastor Martin we pray that in light of his death we that the Saints there would agree viet not as the world grieves not as the Christ lyst world grieves but rather as Christians so grieve and can quickly move on to the thoughts of peace that our brother is now with you he is with his Lord in a manuals land and we do just pray that you would comfort those who remain that you would just protect them and guard them and cause them to to know the peace of christ which surpasses all understanding in the midst of this loss we do pray that you'd bless the family a Colleen and the kids that you would cause them as well though grieving they would nevertheless be rejoicing that their husband and father has now gone to be with the Lord we would pray Lord that you would be with this Johnson family in aldergrove in light of the the loss of their young daughter little girl we do just pray God that you would comfort them in the midst of this tragedy and we do pray God that you would just come Swift day after day and just knit their hearts back together in light of this loss we pray that you would just be with them and cause them to look to you you would cause them to be resigned unto your will and your promises and we just pray Lord God that you would bring much healing to this family and those who do know them we do pray God that you would be with many who are in our midst who suffer physically with disease with injury with recovery from surgeries as we prayed this morning for many we do pray for each and every one again that you would strengthen them and uplift them and cause them to know a daily gains and strength and that they would wholly be resigned unto you and your good will and counsel in all things we do praise praise you for the fact that pastor Butler can be with us again we pray that you would strengthen him we pray that you would continue to heal his hip and cause him daily to make gains and we look forward to him returning to this pulpit and preaching to us and we do just pray that you would continue to watch over him we would ask God that you'd be with all the mothers with with children in their wombs those pregnant ladies God that you would strengthen them and help them daily we pray that you would be with those young ones in their wombs watching over them protecting them daily sustaining them we do look forward God in due time for them to be brought forth by your grace by your mercy and kindness and we do pray Lord God that at a young age all of these would know our Redeemer and bless the name of our God we do pray that you would continue to be with the Saints around the world Lord who struggled persik in the face of persecution who are the recipients of such anger and hatred by the enemies of Christ we would ask that you would gird them up and strengthen them you would cause them to know peace in the midst of suffering and affliction and we do pray that you would cause them to look with great vigor of faith upon the risen Christ and find their strength in our exalted Savior we do pray that you would again deal with those who do persecute that you would save many who are presently your enemies that you would bring them forth from the madness of their idolatry and the the madness and darkness of false religion that you would bring them forth by Christ and by your spirit to a knowledge of our Savior and to salvation we just pray that you'd bring Amazing Grace to them that they might be brought forth from darkness to light we do pray God again for those who remain in opposition to you whether these who persecutor those in the the ranks of the government those who rule over us we pray if they continue in rebellion that you would remove them from out of the way and put those in their place that would uphold righteousness and equity and justice we long to see those ruling in our land that do so after proper truth and we do pray that you would give us nevertheless patience and praying hearts and until such time and you would cause us to be obedient to those who rule over us you would cause us to be prayerful for those who rule over us as well that we might live peaceable lives in this lower world and have those opportunities of Liberty to proclaim the riches and the excellencies of Jesus Christ and we would ask now that you would be with us in worship Lord God we would pray that you would help the preacher as he preaches to proclaim your word accurately we pray for all of us gathered Lord that we would take in your preached word that your Christians here this morning would be strengthened and edified and well equipped to go out into the world rejoicing in Christ and living for your glory and we do pray again God that you would be here unto salvation that you would by spirit and word bring forth those from darkness to light and from death to life that you would cause hearts this day stony hearts to be removed and hearts of flesh to be replaced and that people who came in these two doors outside of Christ God would leave this place singing the praises of our blessed Savior and it is in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord that we pray amen well let's stand again and sing this time we're going to sing him 89 in the same hymn books let's stand and sing hymn 89 as a church you you please be seated you can turn in your Bibles to Revelation 21 that's our new testament scripture reading revelation 21 we near the end of the book a few Lord's days we'll be back at Matthew chapter 1 we read consecutively through the New Testament so this is revelation 21 once again the word of the living and true God now I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away also there was no more sea then I John saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people God Himself will be with them and be their God and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying there shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away then he who sat on the throne said behold I make all things new and he said to me write for these words are true and faithful and he said to me it is done I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end i will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts he who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son but the Cowardly unbelieving abominable murderers sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me saying cotton excuse me come I will show you the bride the Lambs wife and he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God her light was like a most precious stone like a Jasper stone clear as crystal also she had a great and high wall with 12 gates and twelve angels at the gates and names written on them which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel three gates on the east three gates on the north the three gates on the south and three gates on the west now the wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them were the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb and he who talked with me had a gold read to measure the city its gates in its wall the city is laid out as a square its length is as great as its breath and he measured the city with the reed twelve thousand furlongs its length breadth and height are equal then he measured its wall 144 cubits according to the measure of a man that is of an angel the construction of its wall was of Jasper and the city was pure gold like clear glass the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones the first foundation was Jasper the second sapphire the third Cal Sidonie the fourth emerald the fifth SAT onyx as sardonyx the sixth sardius the seventh chrysolite the eighth barrel the ninth topaz the tenth Chrissa phase the eleventh jackin and the twelfth amethyst the twelfth gates the twelve gates were twelve pearls each individual gate was of one pearl and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass but I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple the city had no need of the Sun or of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it the lamb is its light and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it its gates shall not be shot at all by day there shall be no night there and they shall bring the glory in the honor of the nation into it but there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life amen just two very quick things there when you say that with a chapter such as revelation 21 it's almost doing it a disservice it is but to open up a little bit here one thing we notice is the Worth and the value of the Church of Jesus Christ the church of christ is not something that is to be of a second-rate thing in christianity it's not something to be ignored we should not be living an individualistic christianity because of what the bible discloses regarding the high value and the preciousness of the church of jesus christ it's called the bride of the lamb the wife of the lamb it's depicted here in this beginning in verse 9 when we read this language then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me saying come I will show you the bride and the Lambs wife and we see this beautiful picture all these languages of similitude and symbology and visionary depiction highlighting the glory of the Church of Christ never count the Church of Christ a small thing it is big in the eye of God it is precious to Christ and it ought to be precious to Christ's people the Church of God and we have the the Blessed reality of everlasting life of heaven of Emmanuel's land what a blessed thing to be in such a place and to look forward to such a place where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes where there is no more death no more sorrow no crying no more pain because the former things have passed away and this language of verse 27 but their shell by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life but a blessed place to look forward to that blessed bliss of everlasting life in heaven where there will be no bad things but only good things and God and Christ are there and we can cast eyes no longer of faith upon them because we will look with eyes of sight upon our Blessed Christ let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your revelation to men we rejoice and what we have read from your Holy Scriptures and we pray that you would give us much courage and confidence in this lower world even as we come up against suffering and tragedy and affliction and in all of these things as we have eyes that can look forward with great and sure hope to that time when tears will be wiped away when sorrows will be taken away when there will be no pain or crying or death nor any abomination or defiled thing but only only your bride in that blessed reality of paradise of heaven of Emanuel's land where we can cast our eyes of sight upon the risen and exalted Christ and sing with unending praises throughout eternity we do pray that you would give your Saints much comfort in this lower world and that you would now be with us as we continue in worship help us to come to you still with songs help us to come to you still with prayers and help us as we engage in that act of worship the preaching of the word to do so rightly and unto the end of your Glorian it's in Christ's name that we pray amen well our last him then before the preaching let's stand and sing hymn 56 together him 56 please be seated turn in your Bibles please to John chapter 20 John 20 our focus this morning is going to be primarily on verse 31 we want to read in John 20 picking up at verse 19 remember what's going on here the resurrected Christ has appeared to his disciples and he appears to them of course on Sunday which would become the lord's day Sabbath he appears to them here and again in the evenings we pick up in verse 19 and when we get to verse 24 we see that he appears one week later on the same day the first day of the week the New Covenant New Testament Sabbath this second time to Thomas in order to if you will confirm his faith we want to pick up reading in John 20 beginning at verse 19 once again the Word of God then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews but this sir sighs we pray that you would come in that Christ by his Spirit would strengthen our hearts would illuminare minds that we might know our Christ more and Lord God that your Saints would be instructed that sinners would be saved and that this would be an occasion for your glory sake that the Lord Jesus Christ as well would be exalted upon the praises of this gathered assembly and it's in Christ's name that we pray amen well when we come to the Holy Scriptures there are some things that can be hard to understand Peter himself recognizes that with respect to the Apostle Paul's writing there are things that can be hard to understand they are to be understood but nevertheless they can be hard to understand our confession puts it this way all things in Scripture are not alike plane in themselves nor like clear unto all yet those things which are necessary to be known believed and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some piece of Scripture or other that not only the learner but the unlearned in a do use of ordinary means may attain to a sufficient understanding of them what it's saying is that while there are some things that are hard to understand they are to be understood but nevertheless hard to understand there are things that are so clearly propounded they are clear there is an aspect of clarity they're easy to understand we have such a thing here that not only is it easy to understand but the author of the gospel here John even augments the clarity of understanding by giving a purpose statement for the entirety of his book we have an instance of this as well in Hebrews 81 where the Apostle Paul or the author to the Hebrews says this is the point of the things that we have been saying it give brings a kindness to us you know us dumb pupils of Christ in order to make the point and to make it clear and the Apostle John does that here when he gives this summary statement if you will in John 20 30 and 31 I'll reread now and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name this is an instance of condescending divine kindness by revelation John gives a purpose statement kids that means a words that give a reason for something and here John is giving a reason as to why he wrote this book these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name Ryle uses the language something like this there are many weak children in Christ's family there are many dumb pupils in his school many raw soldiers in his army and many lame a sheep in his flock and he condescends with the revelation of himself with clarity of words in order to make known that he is the Christ the Son of God and that all who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life you see when we come to the Bible we come to a book that is not shrouded in mystery it's not shrouded in in some sort of incoherent babble it's not esoteric that means it's not some sort of Gnostic hard to understand thing that only a few can understand but rather the Bible comes to us and with clarity of words it holds forth the Christ the Son of God and the Blessed truth that all who believe in him will have everlasting life we want to look at John 20 30 and 31 under two headings and perhaps Don Lindblad would be proud of the alliteration the first is the deliberate divine design of gospel revelation and the second is the clear Christo centric character of gospel revelation will define what those things mean but it's fun to a now first off we want to note the deliberate divine design of gospel revelation that simply means that God had a particular purpose in revealing himself in the 66 books of the Old and New Testament there is a divine design in God's revelation to us the Bible comes to us and it comes to us with a divine purpose in the background and in the foreground now we have this statement in verse 30 not all things were written notice what it says and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book now there there are a couple ways we could look at that first off we have Matthew Mark and Luke some of the things written there are not recorded in John and so there may be something here where John aware of the other gospel authors comes and he says truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but they are written in the other books and there is an element of truth to that but it does not stop there and we cannot confine that statement there because notice what we find in John 21 25 and there are also many other things that Jesus did which if they were written one by one I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written amen and so we have in view here the reality that God superintending the in scripture a shin of the Bible so revealed things after a particular purpose there was a deliberate divine design in gospel revelation the Bible is not a detailed manual for all things a pastor Lindblad talked about that in his preaching last Lord's Day morning we do not have in the Bible and extensive opening up of the history of the world though everything it does say about history is inspired infallible and inerrant we do not have in the Bible a science manual it's not a manual for science or the sciences though everything it says with respect to science is inspired inerrant and infallible all of this to say the Bible has a peculiar design while it might not say everything about everything what it does say is holy trustworthy are the scriptures trustworthy and all that they affirm the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments being inspired are therefore inherent and infallible in all that they affirm concerning history science doctrine religion ethics and every other thing there is a trustworthiness to the scriptures because they are God breathed but there is a peculiar design behind them not all things were written but the things that were written come to us and they are sure and certain again the text reads and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written so not all things are written but some things are because there is a grand divine purpose in revelation remember our Bibles don't come to us as some sort of haphazardly slapped together collection of ancient documents for our edification you know for for having a better life in this lower world or for you know availing of you know preaching that will introduce 17 golf analogies on how to be more religious in this lower world the Bible comes to us not haphazardly put together but put together by God for a purpose and that purpose we're going to get to but we'll say it now to set forth his glory in the salvation of sinners through Jesus Christ the blessed Redeemer and so we have a grand divine purpose in Revelation we see this in other places in the Gospel of John as well you can turn with me to John 19 for a moment the deliberate divine design in gospel revelation in the scriptures notice what we have in John 19 this is the occasion of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ and notice in verse 35 of 19 and he who has seen has testified and his testimony is true and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you may believe you see the grand divine purpose of gospel revelation there so that you may believe we have this blessed divine purpose in the Bible given to us and we have to understand and we have to draw the application of the importance of the written word you hear that a lot in this church the importance of the written word of God and hopefully you never roll your eyes because we have in God's revelation to us all that is sufficient for faith for salvation and for our life and godliness we have in the written word God's revelation two men concerning his will and his purpose and salvation by so rich of Christ the written word and the importance of it is is set in view quite clearly and hopefully you see that in the occasion of Thomas you see we are not to seek after signs Jesus himself in his earthly ministry says a wicked and perverse generation seeks after a saina a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign instead of availing of the written given revelation from God in the occasion of Thomas what do we have here we notice what we have and this speaks to the importance of the written word notice the obstinate rejection of apostolic testimony by Thomas in verse 24 now Thomas called the twin one of the twelve was not with them when Jesus came the other disciples therefore said to him we have seen the Lord so he said to them unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side I will not believe we don't get the weight or the import of this of this reality Thomas's is often called doubting Thomas and doubting that modifier I think reduces the severity in the gravity of Thomas's transgression here he is rejected the Apostolic testimony of his fellows remember what John just just wrote in John in John 1935 he who has seen has testified and his testimony is true and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you may believe in this week between Christ's resurrection appearances John would have testified to Thomas I saw the Lord he ate broiled fish and honeycomb before me I put my hand into hid the print of his nails I I cast my eyes upon the risen Christ and yet Thomas rejects apostolic testimony and it's not just that remember what we read in 2nd Timothy 3 the old testament scriptures are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus the Old Testament comes and it promises a Christ who would be crucified and who would rise again and Thomas in the face of the written revelation of God in obstinate rejection opposes those things now we do have to have a measure of kindness here because our Christ is kind to Thomas he was weak and beaten if you will by the reality that his Savior had been put to death by lawless hands and so no doubt there is grief there is lament there is loss but nevertheless in the face of the scriptures and in the face of apostolic testimony he rejects and he demands a sign he demands these evidential proofs all of that to come back to this point the importance of the written word we have the written word the testimony of those who laid eyes upon him prior to that the testimony of those who promised that this one would come and that many would put a cast eyes upon him we have that testimony and we are to avail of it we are not to demand signs we are not to demand evidential proves proofs but we are to avail of the word that God has committed to us and we are to thereby and therein believe in this Christ who is proclaimed who is preached in this in ferent inspired and infallible word the importance of the written word is brought out in these simple words these are written a veil of your Bibles kids read read your Bibles adults read your Bibles I know that's the it's the simple it's the simple admonition and exhortation by preachers throughout the years but why do we say read your Bibles it's not to check off a list but it's to glory in your Christ it's not to check off a list it's to adore your God it's not to check off a list it's to read of the fact that by God's grace you have been brought forth from darkness to light from deadness to life in this Savior and by this Savior if you're outside of Christ read the Bible why because these things were written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and believing have life in his name there is a clear statement delivered by John in this same gospel and it ought to strike fear in the heart of everyone who is outside of Christ those who believe in Christ have life but those who do not believe shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on them the wrath of God and this revelation comes to you and it sets forth the glorious Christ the Saviour of sinners believing in him you will have everlasting life and brethren when we when we tell you to go to the scriptures when anyone tells you a parent a mother a father a brother a sister and uncle and aunt or whoever tells you to go to the scriptures and to read them what a glorious book in the manner in which it reads there's a statement in our confession that says the speaks about the attributes of Holy Scripture you see we don't come to a dry tome of antiquated truths that just rehearses you know these ethereal truths to to just take in and have a head full of knowledge that the statement in our confession speaking about the attributes of scripture says the heavenly pneus of the matter the efficacy of the doctrine the majesty of the style the consent of all the parts the scope of the whole which is to give glory to God the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation and many other incomparable excellencies and entire perfections there of our arguments whereby the Scriptures testify to their own authority and inspiration their own glory it's not a dusty tome of antiquated truths it is the rich and the excellent word from on high that's why we call you to go to the scriptures what a book what a book and in this book is set forth for you the Christ the Son of God so the deliberate divine design of gospel revelation it is not to give us information on all things but it is peculiarly in its inspiration infallibility and inerrancy to disclose certain things concerning the purpose of God for the salvation of his elect through Jesus Christ the blessed Redeemer and that brings us then to the second and last heading here with regards to this passage the clear Christo centric character of gospel revelation hopefully we all know what clear means Christo centric kids and everyone else just means christ-centered the Bible is Christo centric it sets forth Christ as the heart and the center of its revelation to men and so we have in John 20 31 the clear crystal centric character of gospel revelation again I read but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name the first thing we want to observe is the scope of the book of John is here in stated if we ask John the Revelator if we ask John hear the gospel writer why did you write the book of John why did you write the Gospel of John so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name it's Christo centric in its character this is Cyril of Alexandria on this particular point of Jesus the Christ the Son of God and the Gospel of John for all the signs he says that is John are not written in this book but those only have been inserted by me which I thought best able to convince my hearers that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God this is what the inspired evangelist says and I think to that it may be of use to make the following observation for the whole meaning of the record is directed to producing in us this faith and is well calculated to make us steadfast in the conviction that the child of the Holy Virgin who was called Jesus by the voice of the angel is the very Christ whose coming was proclaimed by Holy Writ and if he be indeed very Christ and none other not merely a son but the son of God in a unique and special sense the scope of the book of John is Jesus the Christ the Son of God we come to this book and we see this purpose statement given that our eyes are to be drawn in a collection of all the data in a collection of all of the signs and a collection of all of the truths are all eyes are to be drawn and to be focused upon the Christ the Son of God that we might believe in him and have life in his name Nehemiah speaking about cristo centricity again kids the Christ centeredness of our Bibles the Christ Senate centeredness of the Gospel of John he says for in all our search after the mind of God in the Holy Scriptures were to manage our inquiries after Christ this one the Son of God this one who gave his life for guilty sinners so in a sense actually not in a sense but really this is the scope of the book of John but it is also Christ is the scope of the whole of the Scriptures the full discovery it makes concerning the only way of salvation the only way for men to be saved Christ is the scope of Scripture he is the intended end the target the goal all of the all of the washings and the ceremonies and the sacrifices for shadow him all of the the promises and the types and the proclamations have Christ as their inglorious intended terminus they're ending point notice what we have in John 5 on this very point from the lips of the Savior himself in John 5 we have these words beginning in verse 38 notice what Christ himself speaks but you do not have his word abiding in you because whom he sent him you do not believe you search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me but you are not willing to come to me that you may have life I do not receive honor for men but I know you that you do not have the love of God in you I have come in my father's name and you do not receive me if another comes in his own name him you will receive how can you believe who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God do not think that I shall accuse you to the father there is one who accuses you Moses in whom you trust for if you believed Moses you would believe me now note for he wrote about me but if you do not believe his writings how will you believe my words Jesus Christ in two places here speaks with regards to the reality that he is the focus the target the end goal of the revelation from on high verse 39 you search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me verse 47 but if you do not believe his writings that is Moses writings how will you believe my words he wrote about me Christ says you think about that you go back to the the Pentateuch go back to the book of Genesis Moses wrote about Christ from the outset of Revelation brothers and sisters we have the promise of Christ the hero born of woman who would crush the serpent with his heel and from there on out revelation follows a trajectory Christ's word in setting forth the promises the prophecies of this one who would come a very simple summary of the Bible by William Ames the Old Testament promises Christ to come the New Testament testifies that he has we have these things written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing we might have life in his name the scope of John the scope of Scripture is salvation through Jesus Christ the Lord it is Christo centric it is Christ centered and brethren that wonderful language that we have in this summary statement in this purpose statement that jesus is the christ the son of god john takes pains through throughout his gospel to stress the identity of Jesus Christ to press the Blessed identity of Jesus Christ this is no regular man this is not Jeremiah this is not Elijah this is not john the baptist this is not some other prophet this is the Christ the Son of God this is the promised Messiah this is the promised Anointed One this is the promised Savior this is the Promised One of Genesis 3 15 says the Promised One of Psalm 22 this is the Promised One of Isaiah 53 this is the one that the angels cried out before his glory holy holy holy is the lord of hosts the whole earth is filled with his glory this same one that was a babe wrapped in swaddling bands lying in a feed trough it's the king of kings and Lord of lords wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father Prince of Peace is the Christ he's the prophet priest and king of the church those three offices of the of the Lord Jesus Christ are not theological impositions upon the scripture prophet priest and King the Old Testament had what three offices primarily prophet priest and King multitudes of them separate individuals but in Christ they all converge into one glorious prophet one glorious priest and one glorious King and unlike the prophets of old this Christ is both messenger and the content of the message preached I am the way the truth and the life no one goes to the Father but by me unlike the priests of old who were one after the other he is both priest and sacrifice offered and unlike those sacrifices of old which could never take away sin which were offered time and again year after year this one once and for all offered one sacrifice for the quick and the dead and a perfect one and the only one that can forgive sins and offer that blessed salvation and he's the king remember what we looked at a number of Sundays ago the blessed and only potentate the king of kings and Lord of lords there is one king there is one monarch there is one potentate there is one true ruler who has it essentially originally and non derived and that is the lord jesus christ the king of kings and Lord of lords this is the Christ the Son of God that language of son of God is rich it's not simply son of God by virtue of his incarnation and you know divine bestow love blessings but son of God really and essentially he is true and essential deity if we as we've studied in our Christology sessions Christ is true and essential deity Co essential with the father means he's up the same substance of the same glory of the same essence he's not lesser than the father is equal to the father I was thinking about this as I'm reading this for those who have been in the christology session there are some high things that we've covered that that really with my apology sometimes have not been opened up to adequacy we say statements like Christ is true an essential deity Co essential with the father you see when we say those things though we are to then mount to Thomas's declaration my Lord and my god because that's what that means sometimes affirmation apprehension of a theological truth and the affirmation of it it's not supposed to stop there but it's to lead to adoration Christ is true an essential deity Co essential with the father that leads us to my Lord and my god you see Thomas is to be prototypical of every true Christian throughout the ages we are to be cast down in humility before the king of kings and Lord of lords and with eyes of faith unlike Thomas's eyes of sight with eyes of faith we look upon an exalted Redeemer with the print of the nails in his hands with the wound in his side now exalted given Dominion and glory in a kingdom and we cast down before him our faces to the ground and we say with Thomas my Lord and my god he is the Christ he is the son of God blessed King blessed Redeemer the end goal then we look we're looking at the clear crystal centric character of gospel revelation the scope of the book of John and we can say truly the scope of Scripture is Christ Jesus the Lord and now the end goal of the book of John so if the scope of the book of John is Jesus the Christ the Son of God then what is the end goal of the book of John well first it is that sinners believe in Jesus sinners believe in Jesus but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name the end goal of the book of John is unto this and that sinners would believe in Jesus so this our hope is hopefully it's our hope as Christians that sinners believe in Jesus and we pray to that end we even have opportunities sometimes set before us by God that we can preach Jesus unto that end should be our hope as parents that our children would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ children if you're here this morning and you haven't believed on the Lord Jesus Christ believe on the Lord Jesus Christ John wrote this gospel yes to his first century audience that they might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing they would have life in his name but it comes to you today by the guiding and glorious and condescending Providence of God you've been planted time and again before preacher before parent before whomever you've had these truths opened up to you you've had the glory of Christ set before you yes sometimes yes always veiled behind the fal ability of the preacher but nevertheless the infallible word comes to you and it sets forth is glorious savior that saves you from your sins believe on him and you will have everlasting life notice just a few places in John here to rehearse that brings this out if we were if we were to work through the Gospel of John and sort of highlight two words or tooth synonymous themes related to those words that come up a lot it's two that come up in verse 31 it's believed and its life other words to be sure but there are those two things that come up throughout the gospel of John believe and life believing unto life Jesus is the life and we are to believe in him as the only one who can and does give life notice in John 3 and beginning in verse 12 on this reality that the Gospel of John is set forth that we might believe Jesus excuse me John 3 beginning in verse 12 if I have told you earthly things and you do not believe how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things no one has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven that is the son of man who is in heaven and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved he who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned you see the the Gospel of John comes and it brings forth those things of blessed clarity see the the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ boils down to this God is Holies just he's righteous he is infinite eternal and unchangeable in his holiness righteousness and justice and all other things man has sinned and transgressed his holy law and you know that each and every one of you don't you this doesn't come as a mystery to you your conscience speaks to this reality that you have transgressed the mighty laws of a holy creator the holy God again the language of Spurgeon that are if we if we peruse the diary of our memories they're the witnesses of our guilt have faithfully recorded their names your transgressions against the high and unrivaled majus our lake witnesses who have written down their names upon the book of your memory and they're there you violated his law and you know that it is righteous with him to not only punish you in this age but eternally in the age to come and yet God through his Christ through his servants pen these things of divine superintendence they come to us and they disclose the remedy the answer the Blessed the Blessed answer Jesus Christ died to save sinners he rose again to save sinners he ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high to ever live to intercede for those self-same believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he will not have the eternal hauntings of those signatures of your transgressions throughout eternity a damned eternity he come to the one who is set forth by John and you have life you have life not death and condemnation eternally but life eternal in the presence of God and the Holy Angels wonderful wonderful truth the end goal of the book of John is that sinners believe in Jesus we have this blessed progression throughout the Gospel of John what a majestic opening to the Gospel of John its Cristo centric and it's designed so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God in the beginning was the word the Word was with God and the Word was God he was in the beginning with God later on the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth that same Christ as the one who brings dead sinners to life by his Spirit by virtue of his perfect saving work we follow the the Gospel of John and we see these mighty signs that he truly did do you see we don't need to seek after our own signs we go to the written word and we find the faithful testimony of those who witnesses thus I witnessed the signs that he did we there in believe the Word of God but Christ did these mighty sign says Peter says he was a man attested to you by miracles wonders and signs the Gospel of John E turns water into wine he heals the the nobleman's son he heals blind men he raises Lazarus from deadness to life we have after his resurrection the that miraculous that miraculous catch of fish testimony after testimony that this is the Christ the Son of God and in some Jon brings before us who Christ is what he has done and the Blessed exclusivity of salvation by him alone from the lips of Christ I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but by me you see those are those are feel fearful words of exclusivity no one can come to the Father but by this Christ if anyone who does not come to this Christ he will not go to the Father but rather will be damned eternally but you see there's Blessed hope and blessed things in that statement as well Christ that with the clarity of which there is no greater clarity Christ says I am the way the truth and the life so why any of you are you going after any other way any other truth or any other life first off there are no any other ways truths and lives they're there they're false they're phony they're counterfeit if anyone tells you they have another way other than Jesus they're wrong run away if you have the the vigor and the strong heart of an apologist you can say not even an apologist just someone who's firm in their faith you can say now you're wrong Christ is the only way the only truth and the only light bring me that madness I'll tell you of the way the truth and the life there is only one way and only one truth and only one life and it is in Christ and with a raging and blessed clarity he gives that to us by his own lip so why do you go anywhere else come to Christ all you who are weary and heavy-laden and he will give you rest the end goal of the book of John is that sinners may believe in Jesus and secondly that the believing have life in his name again the text reads but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name blessed life we are brought cursive death by our association with Adam outside of Christ curse of death and yet in the second Adam in Christ we have blessed life and it's because he did everything that Adam failed he upheld the coven ental responsibilities he performed the perfection of obedience he bore the wrath of God on Calvary's tree in our stead and in him we have everlasting life and let's not confine this only to eternal life in the age to come though it most blessedly includes that the language we have here that believing you may have life in his name it's spiritual life in this present age and it's eternal life in the age to come it's too blessed things concerning the life that Christ brings to sinners those who believe in him we have spiritual life in this present age were brought from deadness to life we're brought forth we're born again by the power of the Spirit and brought forth from darkness to light and deadness to life isn't this the language of the Apostle Paul can turn here with me speaking of the life we have in Ephesians chapter to notice what we have there in Ephesians 2 a passage of Scripture well familiar but hopefully every time it's rehearsed it causes your heart to skip with joy notice the language of Ephesians 2 1 on this very reality life in Christ in this present age Ephesians 2 1 and you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins in which he once walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit now works and the sons of disobedience among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of Wrath just as the others but God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved see we noted earlier the consent of the parts of Holy Scripture and that might just sound like a you know confessional statement that sort of you know reserved for people who study confessions and stuff notice the Blessed consent of the parts here in Christ in that in John 20 31 so that all who believe might have life in his name and here we have another apostle the Apostle Paul not contradictory not contradicting John but upholding with Blessed clarity and harmony that we are made alive to kept together with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses Christ brings life were brought from death to life and regeneration our minds not no longer seek after the death of vain velocity and the deadness and the madness of lives of sin but are made alive after the image of Christ to seek after righteousness and holiness this spiritual life in this present age would would have in view all those blessed things of salvation regeneration faith and repentance justification adoption sanctification the perseverance and holiness the ultimate and blessed end of glorification all of those things it has in view the stuff of Romans 6 that Christ has brought us from deadness to life so that we might walk in newness of life brethren if you're here this morning and you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you are no longer dead but you are alive and you are alive in him and it's not because you're awesome it's not because of deeds of righteousness and holiness which you have done no Christian Pat's himself on the back but he says God forbid that I should boast save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ you've been brought from deadness to life by the grace of God amazing sovereign victorious irresistible we have this blessed truth that we have spiritual life in this present age and just very quickly before we close notice in John 6 and this connects many of the things that we've talked about including the importance of the word of God believing and life in his name notice in John 6 in two places first John 6 and verse 63 notice what we find there it is the spirit who gives life the flesh profits nothing the words that I speak to you our spirit and they are life and verse 68 but Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go you have the words of eternal life see the importance of the word of God the words of Christ and everlasting life Jesus Christ has the words Jesus Christ has the life because he is the way the truth and the life and we have eternal life in the age to come we have blessed spiritual blessings and life in this lower wet world in this present age as Christians but we have that life eternally that blessed eternal life in the age which is to come notice in John 5 John 5 what we have there at this very point life in the age to come connected with the Lord Jesus Christ John 5 and verse 24 most assuredly I say to you he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but has passed from death to life what a beautiful statement a number of observations and when I mean that I don't mean a half hour I just mean very briefly these blessed words notice Christ as most assuredly I say to you you see there is certainty in the Word of God there is surety in the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ only ever dripped Verity and truth and certainty and he says most assuredly I say to you he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life blessed assurance Jesus is mine a Christian if you're here this morning you can say that by the authority of the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ if you believe on him you have everlasting life most assuredly believe his words and rejoice in them this language of of verse 5 of chapter 5 verse 24 here shall not come into judgment or condemnation but is passed from death to life Calvin says there is here and implied contrast between the guilt to which we are all naturally liable and the unconditional acquittal which we obtained through Christ brethren if you're here this morning and you are in Christ Jesus you have no condemnation there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus you deserved condemnation by virtue of sin after sin transgression after transgression you know there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus if you're in him fear not do not like the Catholics have guilt upon guilt loaded up do not have as many and other you know even Christian traditions those who fly the banner of Christ go off on seasons of inordinate guilt where you're doing everything and anything to atone and to feel bad for your own sins should we feel bad for sins yes really genuinely but momentarily and immediately fly to the king of kings and Lord of lords the Redeemer of men who died to bear the penalty for your sin in him is forgiveness in him is remission not in your own sorrow and guilt fly to the Savior who alone is the salvation the forgiveness the redemption the reconciliation all those things of blessed salvation so lastly we want to close with two brief observations the Bible is not simply so that you may have knowledge the Bible is that you may believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name let us never stopped at the Bible as a thing wherein we take in knowledge so that we can beat up others with less knowledge upon their noggins we don't come to the Bible as a fount of knowledge only it is absolutely assure fount of knowledge but let us move from affirmation to to mystic and by that I mean Thomas of the Bible adoration my Lord and my god we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because the deliberate divine design of gospel revelation is that we would believe on him this revelation that is Christ centered in its proclamation to men we come to it and we are to believe let us come to the Bible and yes gain knowledge gained knowledge that we might do many things preach to others the riches and the excellencies of Christ rejoice ourselves after the joy of our regenerate hearts and the things of the revelation concerning Christ who came into this world sinners to save we might rejoice in song return prayer and praise unto God we might have and enjoy life in Christ Jesus the Lord and we have the certainty of the things written concerning Christ this goes two ways and then we close in prayer the certainty that we have in the revelation concerning Christ for you believer blessing joy peace confidence in the things that are written most assuredly Christ says you read the Gospel of John you read the Bible Christ is there in proclaimed and if you believe on Him you have everlasting life praise God Wow but you see with certainty upon sir most assuredly comes from the lips of Christ's to you and if you reject his word there is no everlasting life but only everlasting death and loss those witnesses of your guilt will haunt you forever transgression upon transgression when you die there is no more forgiveness for sins you die outside of Christ it is eternal condemnation and judgment away from the glorious presence and grace of God holy and loss and darkness the hot Justice of God tormenting you forever and the wholesome severity of God tormenting you forever for your rejection of such a glorious Christ it's madness it's the height of sin it's the height of human rebellion to reject the Son of God the second of the Blessed triune the brightness of the father's glory the Express image of his person who upholds all things by the word of his power who came into this lower world who willed to enter the womb of the Virgin Mary to be wrapped in swaddling black bands and lying a feed trough to live a life of rejection to that ultimate rejection upon Calvary's tree yet by it he's victorious giving his life for guilty sinners rising again in power and in great victory ascending to the right hand of the Majesty on high if you're here this morning and you leave these two doors saying no to Christ you're mad it's colossal folly the Bible comes to you by the most sure words of Christ by the the blessing of Almighty God and it discloses a savior the only Savior for sin who is glorious who was beautiful believe on him and you will have everlasting life reject him and he doesn't come as one in sweetness and beauty but he comes in one in the hot Justice of his holiness and in his righteousness and he comes as judge and condemning King believed on him and you will have everlasting life I know my eyebrows when I talk about that and hopefully it's hopefully it's you understand it's genuine and you understand the severity of the matter blessing in Christ cursing outside of Christ don't reject such a glorious one as I try to lift my eyebrows up believe on him you'll have everlasting life don't don't tarry don't dangle upon these propositions in these blessed truths and say you'll consider them another time a bus might hit you affliction might curse you something could happen to you before you consider these things when you have more time consider them now the holiness of our God your own sinfulness but the glory of Christ as the savior of men believe on Him and these things will be sure of you that in believing you will have life in his Most Blessed name let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for the truth of John 20 a 31 we rejoice in our Savior the Christ the Son of God we pray that you would help us Lord God to rejoice in him daily to find in him our all in all the way the truth and the life we do pray God that you would be with all of us here your saints that we would be strengthened by your word and for your glory that we would go out from this place seeking to live in light of a glorious gospel we do pray God that you would by your grace save many here who came in this morning outside of Christ even all Lord God because it is possible only with you that you would by your grace cause them to leave this placing the praises of our Savior and it's in his name that we pray amen well let's all stand in and sing the doxology together that's the doxology roman numeral 16 if you don't know it by heart the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen we'll have a brief time of prayer and when the piano is finished you're dismissed you