1 John chapter number 5. 1 John chapter number 5. When you find your place, if you're willing and able, if you'll stand as we read the Word of God, 1 John chapter number 5. Let's read together in verse number 6, 1 John 5, verse number 6. The Bible says this, This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood, and is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. I like the simplicity of John right here. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. God, we love you tonight. Lord, I'm thankful we're able to get together one more time, Lord, on this Wednesday night. Lord, and I understand, God, this could be the last time your people gather, Lord, to worship you. Lord, we do not know what tomorrow holds, but Lord, we're not a people of fear. Lord, we belong to You. And Lord, whether we're here or whether we're with You, God, Lord, You're here to get the glory, God, and we praise You for it. Lord, I ask God that You just help us tonight. Lord, as we examine your word just for a couple of moments, Lord, help it to apply it to our life, and Lord, that when we leave this place, God will be better fit to serve you. Lord, as we enter into a dying and lost world, Lord, that we can be better witnesses for you, and Lord, that we can have victory, Lord, in this hour. Lord, You want us to have victory. And Lord, You want us to share with others how we got that victory. Lord, I ask God that You just help us tonight. Lord, we'll praise You for it in Your name we pray. Amen. You can be seated. Thank you for standing. Before a prosecutor begins a trial, there's much work to be done. The prosecutor has to become familiar with the facts of the crime. He has to talk to witnesses, must study the evidence, anticipate problems that could arise during such trial, and also has to develop some sort of strategy for the trial. The prosecutor may even practice certain statements that would be said during the trial. One of the first steps in preparing for this trial would be talking to witnesses who would be called upon to testify in court. A witness is a person who saw or heard the crime take place or may have important information about the crime or the defendant. Both the defense and the prosecutor can call witnesses to testify or to tell what they know about the situation. What the witness actually says in court, we would know to be called a testimony. In court, the witness is called to sit near the judge on the witness stand, and in order to testify, witnesses must take an oath to agree or affirm to tell the truth. The facts given from a proper witness can and will lay a heavy determination factor for the jury to decide whether or not a defendant is guilty or not guilty. Nine times in our text tonight you'll see that word witness or record. They both mean the same thing. If you were to examine your Strong's Concordance tonight, if you have one, you would notice that that word witness or record comes from the Greek word marteo. It's where we get our word martyr, somebody who is a witness for Christ. It's where we get that term martyr. But the word witness or record, it gives the idea to affirm that one has seen or one has heard or experienced something. To utter honorable testimony to give a good report. When it comes to what John is saying in our text, I want to ask you a question. This is going to be an elementary question. Can we really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I know that you've heard me say it, and I'll say it again. There's many people, if not the majority of people, will not deny that Jesus Christ walked the face of the earth. But what they do deny is that Jesus Christ is God's Son. Lawrence Metewick, an associate professor of library science at Purdy University and the author of the 2015 Biblical Archaeology Review, had an article on the extra-biblical evidence of Jesus. He notes that there was no debate about the issue in ancient times. Jewish rabbis who did not like Jesus or His followers accused Him of being some sort of magician or some person who would lead people astray. But what He does say is this, all of them together would not deny the fact that Jesus existed. With historical evidence and witnesses of the existence of Jesus, it's not debatable whether such man lived, but whether such man was God's Son. See, these Gnostics that come on scene in John's day, they were denying that Jesus Christ was God's Son. They would teach this false idea that when Jesus was born, when He was around 30 years old upon His baptism, and when He entered into the ministry, that the Spirit of Christ came upon Him. And when He died on the cross, the Spirit of Christ left Him. That is what John is refuting. He's refuting the idea that Jesus, who was a man, had the Spirit of Christ. What he's getting ready to explain is that Jesus didn't have the Spirit of Christ, that Jesus was the Christ. That Jesus was God the Son. John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us that we may believe the witnesses of men. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and John. We understand that over 500 people physically laid their eyes on this man named Jesus after He was killed, after He resurrected. The Apostle Paul who encountered Him on the Damascus Road. We can believe those witnesses of men. But John makes a statement. In verse number 9, if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. John's saying this, we can believe all those men. All the facts, all the different men who have their accounts, we can believe them. But let me tell you something that you should even believe anymore, and that's the witness of the Father. There's going to be some things we're going to examine tonight. I promise I'm going to keep you for long, but I want you to have your Bible ready because we've got to go through a little bit of Scripture tonight, and I hope that's alright. But John is telling us this, there's a greater witness than men. There's a greater witness in heaven other than men. I want to preach to you tonight on this thought. The witness of God. We see in verse number nine, if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. Number one, I want you to notice the proof of His witness. Verse number 6, the Bible says this, This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in the earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. Number one, I want you to notice, underneath the proof of its witness, we see this term that John uses called the water. Now y'all, I began to study this and I was reading this, I'm like, what in the world is 1 John talking about? I mean, it's been somewhat a little easy thus far to understand what John's been talking about. But he goes off and starts talking about the water and the blood and the spirit. So we have to dig a little bit. We find this term in verse number 6. This is He that came by water. Some believe this term water and blood points to the piercing of Jesus' side while on the cross. Without going into scientific detail of the state of Jesus' death, the fact that blood and water came out was not a miraculous event. It was a prophesied event according to Zechariah. Because they could not break his bones. But when they pierced His side, and listen, how many of you are saying, I can't give you everything that I read, and you can do the research for yourself when you get home, but based on the status of Jesus' body, and the things that His body physically went through, the fact that water and blood come out was nothing miraculous, it was just fulfilling Scripture. So this is not what 1 John is talking about when he's talking about this term that He came by water. This event on the cross was just a human affirmation that Jesus was really dead. Do you remember? They were going to break His legs to cause Him to die, but when they understood, when they stabbed Him in the side, that He was already dead. It was a human affirmation, if you will. It was during this event that God bore record and testified at this event. What is that event? I believe tonight that this term water is referring to the baptism of Jesus Christ, which was the onset of Jesus' public ministry. It was at this event that God the Father bore record and testified Jesus was baptized not because He was a sinner, but because He identified with sinners. He was a man who came and identified with us sinners. See, Jesus always performed what God required of His people, and this was no exemption. But when Jesus came up out of the water, there was a divine witness of the Father. I want you to take your Bible. We're going to look at three Gospel accounts, if you will. Matthew chapter number 3, if you'll go there for me. Matthew chapter number 3. We're talking about the testimony and the witness of God the Father. Matthew chapter number 3. Referring to this idea that Jesus came by water. Matthew chapter number 3. I want you to look in verse number 16. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the what? Water. And lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Now, if the statement here says that this is my Son, y'all help me out real quick. Who must be the one talking? The Father. God the Father. I want you to take your Bible and turn to the Gospel of Mark, chapter number 1. Mark, chapter number 1. You say, preacher, why are you getting us to turn here? I want you to see it for yourself. Mark, chapter number 1. And verse number 10, the Bible says this, "...and straightway coming up out of the..." what? "...water, He saw the heavens open, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him. And there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved..." what? "...son, and whom I am well pleased." Also, if you'll flip over to the Gospel of Luke chapter number 3. Luke chapter number 3. Luke chapter number 3. Verse number 21, Luke 3, 21, the Bible says this, Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus, also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son, In Thee I am well pleased." This was God the Father's stamp of approval as Christ began His public ministry. This was the record that John is talking about. This is how He came by water. God the Father approving of His Son. This one, and real quickly, I want you to turn to the Gospel of John, real quickly. The fourth Gospel, Gospel of John. The Gospel of John, and I want you to look at chapter number 1. I want you to notice what John the Baptist... How many of you understand that John the author is not the same as John the Baptist? But he's recording John the Baptist. John chapter number 1, and I want you to look at verse number 32. The Bible says this, we see that word again. And John bare record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. Listen to what John the Baptist says. And I knew him not. John the Baptist said, I didn't know the man. who that Spirit was descending. But look what he says here. Verse number 33. And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same as he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. In other words, here's what John the Baptist is saying. God the Father told him, you're going to see a man. And when the Spirit of God descends on this man, you're going to know, John the Baptist, that that is God's Son. So John the Baptist is looking. He sees Jesus. He sees when He's baptized, He gets up the member. Y'all know the story. John the Baptist didn't want to baptize Him. But remember, Jesus said, listen, it must needs that I be baptized, not because Jesus was a sinner, but because He identified with sinners. And when He was baptizing, come up out of the water, John the Baptist saw the Spirit like a dove descending. And then it clicked. John said, the one that sent me. Who's he talking about? He's talking about the Father. That was a declaration that this was God's Son. The Bible says that it came by water. The one whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Ghost. John, you can take your Bible and turn back to 1 John. This is what he's referring to when he says, this is He that came by water. But I want you to notice that John introduces a second witness. It's the witness of the blood. Verse 6, this is He that came by water and the blood. How many of you tonight are thankful for the blood of Jesus? Must I remind you tonight if I can just call time out and remind you where you were? where you were headed, what you deserve. And I want to remind you even a little bit further, what you and I deserve was a place called hell. But if it wasn't for the blood of Jesus, listen, we would be there. But listen, I thanks be to God that He sent His only begotten Son, and because He shed His blood for me, and He shed His blood for you, I know where I'm going, amen? John introduces the second witness, the water, but now he says the blood. He came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, verse number 6, but by water and blood. The blood points to the death of Jesus. Just at His baptism when God the Father bore His witness and His record and said, this is my Son. Could y'all think about, what would y'all do if I was baptizing somebody, And as I pulled that person up, we heard a voice. That'd be a little spooky. But this is what happened when John the Baptist baptized Jesus. There was a voice. Why did God do that? He was affirming, this is my son. But he also does it through the blood. The Bible says that it came by water and by the blood. This blood points to the death of Jesus Christ. Just at His baptism, just at Jesus' baptism, God the Father gives a striking testimony at His Son's death through miraculous events. I want you to take your Bible and turn to Matthew 27. How does God bear witness at His Son's death? Matthew 27. Matthew 27. The first among many miraculous events, and we're not going to go through all of them tonight, is the darkness. The miraculous events that God confirmed His Son. The record of God is through the darkness that happened. Matthew 27. I want you to look at verse number 45. The Bible says this, Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. Matthew 27.45 tells us about this great darkness that fell upon the land when Jesus Christ was on the cross. What was this preacher? It was the Father forsaking His Son as the sin-bearing sacrifice. You say, preacher, why did it get dark? All I know is this, at the same time that the darkness fell upon the land is the same time that God the Father turned His back on His Son. You say, how do you know that? Look at the very next verse in verse number 46. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, I must sing back to thee. This is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? God the Father turned the back on His Son. Darkness falls across the whole land. This was the Father forsaking His Son. God, being a holy God, could not look upon sin. Not only darkness, but we see the tearing of the veil. I want you to look in the same chapter of Matthew in verse number 51. The Bible says, Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom. This 30 feet wide and 60 feet tall veil was woven with 72 squares and has been suspected to be at least 4 inches thick, making it impossible for the strongest man to tear. But when Jesus Christ died on the cross, it was ripped from top to bottom. What did that mean? That was symbolizing the Father's acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice, allowing the common man now to have access to the Father, Jesus Christ, as the sin sacrifice. God the Father approved of that sacrifice, and now all men can have access to the Father. Not only did darkness fall across the land, But now this temple veil was ripped from top to... Ain't you glad the details of our Bible? Because you know if it was ripped from bottom to top, somebody would say a man did it. But it was ripped from top to bottom. Miraculous. Also, in the very same verse 51 of Matthew 27, we say earthquake that took place. The Bible says, And the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. What's that mean? The rocks split in two. And I've never understood this, y'all. And if y'all got any more details about it, I'd love to hear. But it says, And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. Not only did they arise, but look at 53, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Y'all ever heard of that show, The Walking Dead? I don't know what this looked like. I don't know how it happened. All I know is that when Jesus Christ died, graves were opened. This wasn't just an ordinary death, y'all. God the Father is showing some things here. He's throwing some darkness, some earthquakes, a veil. He's showing us some miraculous events. Why is He doing that? Because He's confirming that Jesus Christ is His Son. Even that battle-hardened soldier cried out. Truly, this was the Son of God. You think of all that soldier has seen as he confessed that this truly was God's Son. Can I ask y'all a question? When's the last time you've seen an earthquake when somebody died? I've been around a lot of dying folks, and I ain't never seen an earthquake happen when somebody died. But when this man died, the earth did quake. because the witness of God was saying, this is my Son. We see the darkness, the tearing of the veil, the earthquake, the water. Jesus' baptism. You can flip back to 1 John if you haven't already. The water. Jesus' baptism. The beginning of His ministry. God the Father saying, this is My Son who I'm well pleased. Then on the cross, the culmination of Jesus' ministry as God the Father did these miraculous events signifying that this was His Son. But also we're introduced to the Spirit. Verse number 6, the Bible says this, This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth, verse number 8. And there are three that beareth witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood. And these three agree in one. The Father beareth record that Jesus was His Son also through the Holy Spirit of God. See, how many of you know that the Spirit was involved in the conception of Jesus Christ? You don't have to turn there unless you just want to. Matthew 1.18 says this, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as His mother Mary was a spouse to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Luke chapter number 1 says, Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the high shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. The Spirit was involved in the conception of Jesus. But the Spirit was also involved in the baptism of Jesus. We were already there. You don't have to turn back. Matthew 3.16, And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove. Mark 1, verse 9, And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in the Jordan, and straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens open, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him. The Spirit of God was involved in the conception. He was involved in the baptism. But also the Spirit was involved in the temptation of Jesus. Mark 1, verse 12, the Bible says this, And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. Luke 4, verse 1, And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Jesus always did the will of the Father and the power of the Spirit. And I remind you tonight, the only way you're going to do the will of the Father is through the power of the Spirit of God. You are incapable of doing it. I am incapable of doing what the Father wants through my flesh. But listen, Jesus set the example for us through His baptism, through the way that He lived, everything that He operated, that He wanted to do by the Father, He did through the power of the Spirit of God. These witnesses that John refers to, He says, listen, there's a lot of men that have seen Jesus. He said, but I know a greater one. I know a greater witness. God the Father bore witness at His baptism. This is my Son. At His death, He caused earthquakes. He caused the rocks to split in two, proving that this was His Son. And He did so through His Spirit. That is the proof of God's witness. Number two, I want you to look at the purpose of God's witness. That was a really long point. My next two ain't that long, I promise y'all. I know, y'all just hang on, alright? So what does all that got to do with anything? Why do we have to understand that God had a witness proving that it was His Son? Why don't you look at the purpose of God's witness? Verse number 11, the Bible says this, Here we see that word again. That word record in verse number 11 is the same word as witness. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. Why did God bear record of His Son? so that lost sinners like me and so that lost sinners like you would understand that this is not just an ordinary man, that He was a miraculous man, that He was man 100%, but yet He was God 100%, and so that sinners like me and sinners like you could one day call upon the name of Jesus and we would not have to go to hell, but have eternal life through Him. That's what he says, verse 11, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. There is no other way to the Father, except through Jesus Christ. This is more than just living forever. Don't get me wrong, y'all. I'm excited to live forever. Alright? I only gotta die once. Some people's gonna die twice. This is the second death as they're cast into the lake of fire. We only got to die once. And I don't even believe we're going to feel the sting of it. Amen. But it's more than just possessing eternal life. Y'all, we can experience a life with Jesus right now. We don't gotta just hang up our hat, come to church and sing what a day. Don't get me wrong, I love the song, but we don't gotta just come to church with our pooch slit hanging out all sad and depressed because the world's infected with the virus and say what a day that'll be. We can experience victory right now. We can experience the abundant life that Jesus has right now. We don't gotta wait till we get to heaven. I believe we can experience a little bit of heaven down on earth. He says, this is the life. This is the record that God has given us. Eternal life. We can possess that right now. Y'all, this virus may get bad. I don't know. You know, I can't believe half the stuff you see on the news. You gotta discern what you hear. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Deep down, I wish I knew the future, but I don't know. I know people are dying. I know that we understand that mass graves are being filled. But at the same time, I'm commanded not to live in a spirit of fear. So we live a life victoriously with balance. But what I do know is I have a hope that's steadfast and sure. It reminds me of what Paul told the flipping church. And I hope I ain't trying to scare y'all. But look what he told the Philippian church in Philippians 1. I'll read it for you. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose, I want not. For I am a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. You know what Paul is saying? Whichever side of the fence I land on, I'm in good shape. He says, to die is to gain. If I leave you, I'm far better. I ain't trying to scare nobody, but if you're a saved person, this is your last day on this earth, you're about to get it better than all of us. The old timers say they're kicking up dogus on the gold street, amen? Paul said it's far better. He said, I'm in a straight. He said, man, part of my heart and my soul, like the old timers would say, heaven's getting sweeter every day. I wanted to part and be with Christ, but yet I know if I stay here that I can still work and be a part of the ministry. Y'all, if you don't get anything, you say, preacher, you all over the map tonight. If you don't get any of this tonight, know this, whichever side of the fence you land on, you'll be all right. You in good shape. God said, this is My Son. This is the purpose that I've declared through the water, the baptism, through the blood, to declare to you that this is My Son. We have people right now that are living in fear, that don't have hope, thinking that the world's coming to an end. The purpose of God's witness is to share with them the eternal life that we possess. The proof of the witness of God. He had a verbal voice. This is my Son at His back. Then the miraculous events. The blood at His death. The Spirit of God. The purpose so we can have eternal life. But then lastly tonight, I see the plea to God's witness. Verse number 10, the Bible says this. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar. because he believeth not the record that God gave of his son. Y'all know that there are people at the scene of the crucifixion. Am I getting out of a live stream, Brother Travis, when I come back? All right. I don't know if we got anybody watching me. We'll be all right. You know, there are people that witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus, the earthquakes, the veil that... I mean, dead people got up, y'all, and still rejected that Jesus was the Son of God. See, we're all forced with a plea. Judge will ask the defendant, Ms. Lisa, you know what I'm talking about. Sir, ma'am, how do you plead? There's only one or two answers. Guilty or not. The plea of God's witness, verse 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar. He's saying if you don't believe Jesus is who He says He is, if you do not believe that He's God's Son, you're calling God the Father a liar. Verse number 12. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. There's only two pleas to accept it or to reject it. There is no neutral ground. Jesus said in Matthew 12 verse 30, He that is not with me is against me. To deny that Jesus was the Christ, God's Son, is to make God a liar. You may be here and you may not believe that Jesus is who God said He was. There could be people watching, I don't know. I'm not here to comfort you. I'm not here to reassure you. I'm not here to patronize you. But I'm here to confront you with the statement, He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. And if you don't have Him, that means you're calling God a liar. Because tonight, you've heard the truth. You've heard the truth. And you can either reject Him, and God forbid you die without Him. And you profess to Him, God you're a liar. Then one day, He'll profess to you, depart from me. Miss Lisa, I want you to help me out on the piano. I want you to bow your head.