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All right, John chapter one and
verse forty five, John chapter one, verse forty five. Philip find Nathaniel and sent
them to him, we have found him of whom Moses in the law and
the prophets did right. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph and Nathaniel said unto him, Can there any good thing
come out of Nazareth? Philip said unto him, Come and
see. Let's pray. Father, I pray now that tonight
we'll be able to come and see the mercy of God, the goodness
of God, the great grace of our God. Lord, I pray that his love would
be seen so perfectly that we would allow that love to do its
work in our heart and life. In Jesus Christ's name, amen. Today we again think of valentines
and sweethearts. I hope you enjoyed your meal
at 7-Eleven. I did. And some of you received that
little candy heart that said, be mine, be kind. Some of you dads gave your daughter's
boyfriend that said, be gone. But the Ballantyne card is sent
to the object of your affections. I have a book from someone. Whom
I am the object of their affection. And you have it too, and of course
that book is the Bible. It's God's love letter to us. He breathed every word of it. And he loves you so much. He
preserved. and does not allow one word of
it to fall to the ground. So we look at our text and we
see the question of our text and the question is, can any
good thing come out of Nazareth? And that was a fair question,
because the Bible was very clear that Messiah would come out of
Bethlehem. The men of Jerusalem were troubled
the day that these wise men entered and said, Where is he that is
born the king of the Jews? Herod inquired of these priests
and these Pharisees and said, What about this? And they said,
Oh, yeah, he'll be born in Bethlehem. Now, isn't it interesting? These
men knew the word, but they did not know the God of the They
knew that he would be born in Bethlehem, but they did not know
the God of the words. Just like people today can tell
you all about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
but they're not saved. Well, that was the story with
these men. Nazareth, in that day, was seen
as more of a derogatory term because it wasn't really a city
of nobility that you'd associate with the name David, with a king. You know, I think sometimes fundamental
Christians do the same thing today. We'll hear, and we find
this more among us folks, we go to, we've been in a different
fundamental college. As a matter of fact, if you look
at it, you look up here at the platform, you have Brother Chase,
he's from Bob Jones, and Brother Matt was from Maranatha. I went
to Pensacola Christian College. We graduated from those colleges.
And it's easy for any of our colleges, for someone to look
at the other two colleges and say, should send your kids there
and you look down your nose at him, you know, because it wasn't
your college and they begin to run down fundamental colleges.
Now, I'm all for standing up for your college being for your
your alma mater. I think it's a great thing. As
a matter of fact, I think Bob Jones, you get enough people
to take care of that today. The Bob Jones thing. The kids
come and didn't get enough. Do that. All you got to do is
put newspapers down on the floor for those kids and you'll be
fine. OK, but but nonetheless, nonetheless, people get like
that. And here's here's the danger
of that. OK, let me tell you just a little bit of a danger.
That's getting a little bit off my subject, but just let me tell
you the danger of that. You get a kid fired up to go
to Pensacola, go to Bob Jones, go to Maranatha, Crown College,
West Coast or whatever it may be. And they go there and there's
a problem. And they are out of that school.
And you've already run down all the other ones. And you've been used of the devil.
To attack an institution that perhaps God established to be
very careful when you do that of another fundamental school.
If it's another school has named fundamental, but they're teaching
false doctrine. Yeah, I have no problem with whatever. But
you're attacking the false doctrine. Attack the false doctrine. Now,
having said that, but that's what was going on in that day.
Now, the false assumption is that Jesus was born in this place
called Nazareth. On the way back from Egypt, Joseph
heard that the son of Herod is now king, and we're told that
he does not go back to Bethlehem. There are some that would say,
well, old Joseph was out of the will of God, and he went into
Bethlehem. He didn't go to Bethlehem. Instead,
he turned into Nazareth, and boy, that caused problems. Others
say, well, the angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph and told
him to turn into Nazareth. Now, just understand, when Joseph
left Bethlehem, he went to Egypt. He got completely away from there.
God told him to go back into the land. not necessarily go
back to Bethlehem to go to Nashville to go back in the land. So really,
we don't know for sure either way which God wanted him to go.
People have their opinions. That's fine. But the Bible doesn't
say specifically that God said, go to Bethlehem or go to Nashville.
We don't know. But like Nathaniel, we have a
tendency to make assumptions and give our two cents on it.
Unfortunately, we'll hear gossip about someone and we automatically
assume that gossip is true. Now, it was true that Jesus Christ
was reared in Nazareth, but because he was reared there, people assumed
that he was also born there. And that assumption led to many
false things, and Satan was so glad to use that false assumption. But we know, even by the Word
of God, there was a prophecy that he would be called a Nazarene.
Joseph moved to Nazareth. Right or wrong, he moved there.
And that move will not only affect Joseph, but it will affect the
life of his family. And by the way, in the will of
God or out of the will of God, whatever decision you make, it
does affect others. and it will directly affect your
family. It's rare that a decision ever
affects only yourself. On a day when we do nice things
for the object of our love, we must also think of the fact that
the actions that we do affect others. Seek God's will always,
as said earlier, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall
direct thy paths. In John 7, 52 shows that Jesus
is coming out of Galilee. And that becomes a stumbling
block to the others. Others who are religious, but
not really true to the word. It says in John 7, 52, they answered
and said unto him, that is, they said this unto Nicodemus, Art
thou also of Galilee? Search and look, for out of the
Galilee ariseth no prophet. So these men are spending their
time undermining Jesus, trying to show that he's not a true
prophet of God, that he's not a righteous man. Well, why would
they do that? Well, I think John chapter 7
verse 7 gives us the reason when he's on his way to Jerusalem,
he acts like he's not going. His brethren say, aren't you
going? He says, no. They say you need
to go up and show what you can do. No, you guys go ahead. And
he says to his brethren, the world cannot hate you, but me
it hated. Why did they hate him? He says,
because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. See, we're living in a day-to-day
when men are trying to make Jesus Christ a hip Jesus instead of
a holy Jesus, the holy Jesus of the Bible. 2 Corinthians 11,
verse 4, calls it another Jesus. I believe that today with all
the... No, you should only be positive.
You should only think positive. only say positive things. And
those people would have just literally hated Jesus Christ. Boy, read Matthew chapter 23
and hear how Jesus preached. He called them hypocrites, vipers,
fools. I mean, why did sepulchers? He
didn't spare any words. He let it rip. And if you don't
like preaching against sin and you don't like what they call
negative preaching today, then you would have hated the Lord
Jesus Christ, because that's the way he preached. He called
it as it is. But I like Philip's answer to
Nathaniel's question. Come and see. Just come and see. Taste and
see that the Lord is good. We also read the words of Jesus
coming to me. All you that labor on the heavy
laden and I will give you rest. Just like Nathaniel. You must
come. And see. What is interesting? Is that
Nathaniel's question? I believe is in the form of the
way he says it. Can any good thing come out of
Nazareth? It just seems to be like Is that really good enough
for me? Is something out of Nazareth
good enough for me? It seems to be the attitude that
is there. It reminds me of the story of
Maltrodder. Maltrodder was a drunkard. Now,
today they like to say alcoholic. But nonetheless, he was a drunkard.
Maltrodder had a baby and that baby died. He took the shoes off the dead
baby in the casket. and sold them so he could buy
another drink. On his way after his drink, he
was contemplating suicide. He heard some singing coming
out of a mission. He stepped in there and that
night was gloriously saved and become one of the great preachers
in the mission work. God changed his life. Billy Sunday,
a drunken baseball player. God saved him. God cleansed him. God changed him. And he became
one of America's great evangelists. We could go on with those who
were thieves and whatever else, who were used mightily of God.
Never think of anyone of being, well, they're just not good enough
to come to our church. Don't shun to bring in that tattooed
person with all the piercings in their body. Don't shun to
bring in that drug addict, that homosexual, that drunkard to
hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. They might get saved. And they
might be used of God to bring a wayward person to Christ, and
the wayward person they bring to Christ may be one of your
own loved ones. You see, God cannot only change
them. God wants to change them. He wants to. And He can do it. You see, it's not just the down
and outer God wants to save. It's the up and outer as well. Just like the woman at the well,
he also wants to save that Zacchaeus, that's the well-to-do man, but
without Christ. The up-and-outer, the down-and-outer,
God is in the business of salvation. He wants all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And that leads
us to the next point, to come and see what God can do with
you. Now, remember this. You are the
object of God's affection. Isn't that great? An almighty
creator. Nothing is too hard for him.
Nothing is impossible with him. And you are the object of his
affections. That's tremendous. You ever hear
someone say, man, if I come to your church, the walls will fall
in. And I usually tell, well, praise God, let me tell you where
to sit when you come. I've been wanting to do some
remodeling, you know, and usually that just kind of gives them
a strange look at me, but sometimes they'll laugh and come. But people
do wonder. When they say something like
that is, can God do anything for them? It's. How could God
love me? I'm a fake. I'm not what I appear. And the question becomes is how
could God love me? How could God use me? Look what
I've done. What have I to offer? And the
devil will add to it and let you know God could never use
you. No one cares about you and you
mean nothing to this world. But greater than a Valentine
card and greater than an engagement ring for that young lady, the
Lord Jesus Christ committed himself to your life by the incarnation,
the death, the burial and the resurrection. He made the commitment
and he invites you to come as you are and allow him to clean
you up. The Apostle Paul consented to
Stephen's death. Moses killed a man and buried
him in a grave to try to hide his crime. Mary Magdalene had
seven devils, in other words, witchcraft, possessed of devils,
but God used them. So be encouraged. In 1 Corinthians
6, verses 9 through 11, we read, No, you're not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, he said the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And that he gets specific,
be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, that covers the homosexual, nor the abusers of
themselves with mankind. That pretty well covers your
predators, your pornographers and everything else. nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revelers, nor extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God." Those people don't get
saved and go in that same life. He says, "...and such were some
of you." were is past tense. They're no longer that way. Why
aren't they that way? He says, but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God. How were they cleansed?
By the blood of Jesus Christ. My friend, it happened in that
day, but Jesus' blood has not lost its power, and it can still
save the most wicked of souls. He can make a difference. And
he will make a difference. We just need to share that gospel.
And yes, such were. There was repentance and there
was faith. There was trust in Christ to
change them. As the object of his affections,
see his promises to you. In John 6, 37, he says, He that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. That's a promise. Romans
10, 13, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall
be saved. That's a promise. And taking him up on that promise,
after that, if you take him on those promises, the next promise
is this, Hebrews 13, 5, I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee. Matthew 28, 20, lo, I am with you always, even unto the
end of the world. And for that whole earthly sojourn. He promises in 1 John 3, 22,
And whatsoever ye ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments,
and do those things which are pleasing in his sight. Now don't
expect to pray and get answers if you're not keeping his commandments.
You're not doing those things that are pleasing in his sight.
You say, I'm not going to keep his commandments. That's legalistic.
That's fine. Don't keep them. But just understand,
don't expect answered prayer. Well, I've got liberty. I don't
have to do those things that are pleasing in his sight. That's
alright. Just don't expect answered prayer. God doesn't make you
obey his commandments. He doesn't force you to. You've
got to choose to because you love him. And if you don't do
it, that's fine, but don't expect answered prayer. And when it's
your loved one laid up in the hospital, don't expect answered
prayer. Just don't expect it. Our next point is, come and see,
nothing is too hard for him. You know Jesus Christ can do
something for you even if you're from a broken home. He created
heaven and earth, a virgin birth. Perhaps, as in our men's Bible
study that we've been studying about Abraham and Sarah, a hundred-year-old
man and a ninety-year-old lady and they have a child. And in Genesis 18 and verse 14,
when they doubt that this is going to come about as God said
it would, God said to them, is anything too hard for the Lord?
Is anything too hard for him? You see, God is still God, and
He always will be God. Jesus Christ is saying yesterday,
today, and forever. The problem isn't with Him. The problem is with our faith. That's where the problem comes
in. My friend, my life, your life, even our life, is not too
hard for Him. Our life is not too hard for
God. He can take that addictive sin from you. If you let him. If you really wanted to. He'll
do it. Is there any proof of God using
a troubled home and making something out of it in the scripture? Oh
yes, there's the Prophet Hosea. His wife leaves him. She plays
the harlot. and she becomes a lust slave
to another man's harem. Now he's a prophet of God. And
his wife does these things. And obviously, publicly humiliated
and embarrassed. Heartbroken and betrayed. And
so what does God do? He says, OK, Hosea, she's gotten
to the bottom. She hit bottom. She's at the
bottom of her rope. She's at the bottom of the pit.
Now, you go in and you buy her back. Well, who wants her? But this man is obedient to God
and he buys her back and he keeps her. And he continues to preach
the truth of God's Word. You see, God can take a broken
life and he can restore it. All that trouble in Hosea's home
life and God used him. As a matter of fact, in a 6,000-year
history of man, only 40 men were used in the writing of the Word
of God. Hosea is one of the 40. One of the 40 men that are chosen
to take the dictation of the Holy Spirit to place in holy
writ. There's the widow. Boy, she is
dirt poor. But she has a room in that old
piece of a thing she calls her house. And she keeps Elijah for
three years. Now, there were other ladies
and other people who were of higher society and rank. But
God chose her. Does Jesus care? Oh, yes, he
cares. I know he cares. His heart is
touched with my grief. And when the days are dreary
and the long nights weary, I know my Savior cares. God's resources
are much greater than all our need. God can use a filthy mouth
sinner. Isaiah said that he was a man
of unclean lips, but he submitted to the cleansing
of the Lord and God used him. I remember right after I was
first married, and I was working at Sears and Roebuck in the warehouse. And the warehouse manager, the
man I worked for, had to see him every day, with him throughout
the day. I think every other word out
of his mouth was a cuss word. And I'd given him cracks, and
I tried to witness to him. One day I had witnessed to him,
and he'd come back up to me. I mean, not that moment, but
hours later. And he said, I'm getting ready
to leave for a couple weeks. As far as I'm concerned, you
can take your God, and he told me where to stick my God. But
you know what? God saved his soul. He became
a deacon in his church, and today he's with the Lord. God can take
a wreck of a life and change it into a trophy of his grace. What about the introvert? Can
God use him? Come and see. Just come and see. We think of David who parted
giant, Daniel who said take me into the king and I'll tell him.
Or Peter standing before the Sanhedrin and said whether we
should obey you or God, you decide, but I'm going to serve God. Those
men weren't introverts. Not at all. But then there is
Moses. The Bible says that he is the
meekest man on the face of the earth. Now, if the Bible says
that a person is the meekest on the face of the earth, you
chalk it up, they're the meekest on the face of the earth. That
just wasn't a statement, a generalization. That was a truth, because God
said it. The meekest man on the face of
the earth. And he says, I'm slow of speech. Although he'd been
taught in the learning of Egypt, probably in our day to day, he
would have been equal to a PhD. And see what Acts chapter 7 verse
22 says of him before he kills the Egyptian and flees to the
desert for 40 years from Pharaoh. And Moses was learned in all
the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and in deeds. In his first 40 years he obtained
this great education and he was mighty in words. He could really
speak. But then he fled for his life
into the wilderness and was there for 40 years. At eighty years
of age, God appears to him. And now Moses, he's stuttering,
he's stammering. I can't speak plainly. God, can
you use me? We've had Evangelist Jerry Savinsky
here for revival meetings on several occasions. Jerry Savinsky
was born to Russian-born parents. So, they spoke a lot of Russian
around their house growing up. And when he went to college to
study for the ministry, and he came out of a rough home, he
stuttered and stammered. How in the world could he be
called to preach? He couldn't speak a sentence. And yet, we've seen God use him
in this place. God can do something. Moses was an introvert. Jerry
Savinsky is an introvert. But they come out of that closet.
They trust God to give them the words they need to carry out
his call. That's what you have to do is step out, come and see
what God can do for you. If I might even say he's your
Valentine. But what about the untalented? Again, let the Word of God be
our testimony. Come and see. Amos, the prophet,
another man used as one of those who write the Word of God, who
take dictation from the Holy Spirit and put it in holy writ
for it to be preserved for us. He says, I am neither prophet
nor the son of a prophet. He was just uneducated sheep
farmer. Today's society likes to look
at the beautiful people, the athlete, the rich, the successful,
the academic achiever, the people of power and achievement in society
and in politics and business and entertainment. But they don't
want the thief on the cross. They don't want the blind beggar. They don't want the lunatic that
is dwelling among the tombs, crying and cutting himself and
breaking all the chains they try to chain him with. We do not read the sermons, the
great sermons of Andrew, of Cornelius, or Thaddeus. But God took those
ordinary men and he used them. Although they may not have seemed
to have had talent to be used of God. God used. You don't have to be somebody
in this world to be a vehicle of God's use. As a matter of
fact, if you read 1 Corinthians, the first chapter, you'll find
it's not the mighty. It's not the powerful that he often uses for his work. See, the need may be that you
just surrender all to Jesus in order to be used of him. Surrender
the sin, the weight that so easily besets you and be separate from
this world. Be dedicated unto the Lord Jesus
Christ. You've got to understand. We're
not citizens of this world. On our way to heaven. We are
citizens of heaven. as Christ's ambassadors in this
world. So come out of the closet, get
out of the box of fear, get out of the box of doubt, get out
of the box of saying, well, I just can't do it. And realize that
the one you're doubting is the same one who said, is there anything
too hard for me? Get out of the comfort zone.
Get out of wondering, well, what will my family think? What will
my neighbors think? What will my friends think? Will
they like me? Get out of that. Instead, get
out of that box of the world. Get in the box of God's will.
And my friend, if you get in the book of God's will, in the
box of God's will, you'll also get in the local church. You'll get in the way of holiness.
You'll get in the way of righteousness. You'll get in the way of standards.
You'll get in that way that wants to be pleasing and acceptable
unto Him. And you'll be in that way that
includes the Great Commission, to be a witness and to teach
them to observe all that He's commanded us. You'll be daily
in God's Word. You'll be daily in prayer. It's God's way. So the point
is that you come. and you surrender all to Jesus,
and you come and you see that the Jesus Christ from this Bible
of which we speak, this is the same Jesus of whom all the prophets
spoke. You just come trusting His promises
and His love. He is who He says He is. Come and see. God can use you. in his way and in his time to
bring glory to his blessed name. Will you let him? Will you let
him? Let's bow our heads, please.
Now, dear Lord, I pray that as we get ready to sing this hymn
of invitation, Hymn 337, Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior. I pray
that each Christian would realize Jesus does not want to pass them,
but if they're unwilling to surrender, then he may pass them by. And
a blessing that he wanted them to have, an eternal reward, eternal
joy, may be for someone else. Lord, I pray that we'd die to
self Whether it's being an introvert,
just thinking, I have no talent, maybe we just get off that me,
me, me, and say, I will trust Jesus. There's nothing too hard
for Him. And I pray that tonight they'll
believe that very phrase from the lips of our Lord. There is
nothing too hard for God. And they'll take Him up on that
promise in Jesus' name. Amen.
Come And See Valentine
| Sermon ID | 215101049394 |
| Duration | 33:59 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday - PM |
| Bible Text | John 1:45-46 |
| Language | English |