Behold the Lamb of God

Behold the Lamb

Introduction

Good morning brothers and sisters. If we reflect on the period or time of Covid, we consider it was a scary and dark time for us all. A time when people where in search of answers. For some this was science, but sadly science became the control of governments to dictate their narratives and propagate their outcomes. Studies once reliable were shown to be easily polluted, easily accepted and the community that were supposed to gate was thin.

An example was 3 people who wrote 20 hoax papers about gender-identity, group-identity and sexuality etc. 6 of their papers were rejected. 7 were under serious peer reviews and the rest were progressing to approval. Another random sample of 5000 papers in one field alone, Neuroscience, revealed 34% of papers were plagiarized or just made up in 2020.

During Covid we also saw a divisions in society, as there were those against vaccines and those for. People were ostracized. Society and people turned on each other. The media took sides and pushed agendas from governments right or wrong. What was clear, was that truth was relative. It was cheap. Easy to deny, easy to twist. Information was censored. People were scared. People were confused. They were looking for truth, but deceived or unable to discern truth. It was a dark time.

Not only where we fighting a diseases, government intervention, but there was a mindset being proliferated and that of gender-politics (still making it's rounds today). Men could call themselves women, trans individuals wanted to be called by specific pronouns, people could be whoever they wanted to be. A women could label themselves man, and a man label themselves a woman despite their clear physical design. This thinking continues today in America and now in Europe. Again, truth is not based on reality but is not defined from the figments of peoples imaginations.

But amidst these dark times, where truth is relative and controlled, there are some truths no man can alter.

Our God is true. Basic human reasoning could tell you that.
And the second, the focus for the message today, The Gospel is true and is the worlds only hope.

READ 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

May blindness be removed

This morning, that light has shone out of darkness, for today there be some seated here whose blindness has been removed. But there are also others who remind blind. Darkness is upon you, but you believe you are in the light. Be warned friend, it is easy for darkness to appear as light, when darkness is all you know. May the Lord awaken you this morning, may your eyes open, may the glorious light of the gospel shine and may it give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

Let's turn to the Lord in prayer.

Pray for someone to get saved. For the darkness to be removed

Body

1. Hell matters, are you going there?

1.1 Hell is real

i. The logical argument

I just want to say this morning, if it's not immediately clear, hell is real.
Look out at the very basics mechanics and patterns of the our world.
There is a very definitive law embedded in all things. You reap what you sow. You sit around and do nothing and well you will be without a job. You don't study for exams and you will fail. You break the law, you are punished. Why should the fundamental mechanic be any different when it comes to eternity when this is our reality?

ii. The biblical evidence

But perhaps if the logical argument doesn't suffice how about the truth, accuracy and reliability of scripture. There are 54 verses in scripture that tell us of hell (Deut 32:22, Isa 5:14, Luke 12:5, 2 Peter 2:4).

Deu 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Isa 5:14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

iii. Call out the guilty

Hell is a place of eternal torment. A place of darkness. A place suitable enough for the bounds of evil. A place filled with those who have murdered, killed, raped, stolen, cheated, lied and had evil thoughts. Jesus says in the book of Mark,

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Note scripture says, "all liars", not some. All liars shall have their part in the lake of fire. If you have lied before, you stand condemned before a Holy God!
How clean are your thoughts?
As sure as the Sun will rise tomorrow, we have all fallen short of God's glory. Do you see it brother, do you see it sister?

iv. Hell is scary

You think the challenges in this life are hard, there are nothing in comparison to come for the torment, pain, affliction and burning that awaits you in hell. In fact, hell will be cast into the lake of fire. There will be no respite. There will be no momentary relief. There will be no joy, there will be no laughter, only pain, only death, only destruction and continual evil.
Not for one lifetime, not for two, but for all eternity. All you will know is PAIN. All you will know is suffering. You have broken God's law and God in His Holiness has defined the judgement. If God was so creative to create a world as beautiful as this earth, imagine when He applies His mind to creating an eternal prison for those who have murdered, raped, blasphemed, lied and rejected Him.

1.2 Death and Hell ride together

i. What hell is?

Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.

Hell accompanies Death. They ride together.
If you have to die today, if you had to step out of this church and meet you death, where would you go?

ii. Have you broken the law?

If you have broken but just one of God's laws, you have failed to meet God's requirement for heaven.
Being in church, attending church does not redeem a sin committed.
Popes, men, money, good deeds cannot undo breaking God's law.
Your father, your mother, your family cannot redeem you from the judgement to come.
No ordinary man, no woman can stand as substitute.
Where are you going when you die? Have you met God's standard?

2. Jesus matters, do you believe in the right Jesus?

2.1 Jesus is God (John 1:29)

i. The many Jesus

Turn your Bibles to John, and read verse 29.
We see John gaze out and say a most prophetic thing.

ii. Exposit verse

Behold, gaze with intent, pay attention
Jesus "taketh away the sin of the world" (how amazing, the disciples and those closest to Him could have learnt much from these simple words of John). Yet for them they were awaiting the literal kingdom, and missed God's plan. Jesus was going to take away sin.
But John the Baptist, is not called the greatest prophet without reason by Jesus (Matthew 11:11). Not only is it revealed what God would do with sin, but also "how" He would do it.

iii. Jesus the Sacrifice

"Lamb of God" - Jesus would be that way, He would be the means by which sin would be atoned. He was pointing to the cross. He was talking to Jesus being God's son. The creator dying for His creation. The son dying for the atonement of sin.
Does this not reflect the Holiness of God, by the payment required.
Does this not reflect the extreme cost for sin, God needed a payment for your sin and mine, and He His son, to be beaten, to be pierced, to walk this earth and be mocked, and to be crucified, so you and I can have freedom from sin, atonement from sin, and life eternal.

2.2 The real Jesus (John 1:1-3, 14; 1 John 5:7)

i. The Jehovah Witness

I've run into the JW's many times, had some great conversations through the years.
And while I was growing up, being in an Indian school, had many muslims try to convert me.
But what was interesting and common hooks both used in their conversion process as a form of gateway to their religions was Jesus. Both see Jesus as a great prophet and that's it.

Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

ii. Not the same Jesus

Their Jesus is not our Jesus. Their Christ is not our Christ of the Bible. Their Jesus is a prophet, our's is God

iii. Why does this matter?

How can sins of the world be atoned for by the death of a man, even if he were perfect. Perhaps he would pay for 1 or 2. But to be the atonement for all sin, for all men and women since the dawn of time. This is significant. The payment has to be great, and the only thing that makes sense is that Christ himself, God himself becomes that payment, that atonement. Jesus MUST BE GOD FOR THE PAYMENT TO BE SUFFICIENT.
Only an ETERNAL PAYMENT, can stand for an ETERNAL JUDGEMENT.
Only an ETERNAL PAYMENT, can stand for ETERNAL SECURITY.
Only an ETERNAL PAYMENT, can redeem you from HELL.
That PAYMENT has to be Jesus Christ as GOD.

iv. The supporting verses

The verses that are irrefutable to the fact that Jesus is God is in John 1:1-3, 14-15, 1 John 5:7.
Please turn to John 1:1
1. So we see there is the Word. This word was in the beginning with God (the Word is eternal)
2. The Word was also creator.
3. In v14, 15 we learn His identity.
4. Another irrefutable verse is 1 John 5:6-7 as it affirms Jesus is a part of the Trinity.
Jesus part of the Trinity, and He is God, and He is your Savior, and He is the ONLY atonement for sin.
This is the TRUE JESUS. There is NONE OTHER.

3. The Romans Road

3.1 Romans 3:23

i We are all guilty

The Bible says that all have sinned. That mean's you and I. We are sinners.
And have fallen short of God's glory.

Romans 3:10, As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.
Do you see it friend? Your good works can't help. You could save 50 million lives but it would be insufficient to atone for the sin you have already committed in your thoughts, with your body or in your actions.

3.2 Romans 6:23 (a)

i. Our sin brings death

What does sin bring?
Well two things,
1. it destroys your life. Sin separates from you God, but it also pushes you further into darkness. But it can also accelerate God's judgement. If you reject His word, the Gospel and continue to pursue your own, the Lord may choose to end it.
2. secondly, sin brings the second death.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This morning, do you see your destination?

3.3 Romans 5:8

i. God made a way

Death hangs of you sinner, death hangs over you. Eternal torment and condemnation.
But friend, but for Jesus.
Read Romans 5:8.
How amazing is our Lord, while we were yet sinners, while we were still sinful.
It's not about being clean and then coming, but about being contrite, being convicted of your sin, and seeing the need for you Saviour.
Jesus has made a way.

3.4 Romans 10:9

i. You can be saved

But how can I be saved you ask? How can I be rescued from the fire?
Read Romans 10:9.
But it is not enough to confess, to speak or to think in one's mind.
The devil understands the scriptures. We see how he referenced it when He tried to tempt Jesus. He believes in a God, He knows God exists.
But that is insufficient. You have to confess and believe in thine heart. It has to be down to your core, to your innermost parts.
And when you have thou shalt be saved.

3.5 Romans 8:10

i. Free from condemnation

The Bible says in Roman 8:1, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
When you are saved, you are free from God's wrath, you are free from His eternal judgement.
Oh praise the Lord, for His work, for His redemption for you and I.

Conclusion

READ Spurgeons PLEA

Take a moment now, and you speak to the Lord. If your heart has been convicted by the light of the gospel, call upon the Lord. After a short moment, I will pray.