Chapter number one. You pray for me this morning. I have a little issue with my pride. And there's a good chance, I don't know for sure, but there's a good chance I've probably preached this here. And I struggle with that. I don't know if you other men do or not, but I try to keep track and keep a record of what I've preached and where I've preached it. For the simple reason I don't want to preach it twice. I don't know if y'all do that or not, but that bugs me. It's a pride issue, I'm sure. And maybe y'all don't have no trouble with your pride, but I really do. But I really believe it's for the Lord. Have us be just for a few minutes this morning, and we'll see what the Lord does. John chapter number one. I'll begin reading in verse number one. The Bible said, in the beginning was the word, And the word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him. Let me pause right here and point out to you, as we read, I want you to look how many times the word him is used, all right? All things were made by him. And without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life. The life was the light of men. The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came into his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, this was he of whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of his fullness have we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Let's pray. Father, we sure are grateful for the privilege you've given us to come this way this morning. I do pray, Lord, that you'd have your will and have your way throughout the rest of this service. Lord, please speak the hearts and do what only God can do for the next few moments of time. Touch me afresh, if you will, please, Lord, give me liberty. Lord, whatever you do, we're gonna try our best to thank you for it. Lord, for it's in Jesus' precious name that we pray, and amen. We read the first 18 verses of chapter one of the book of John, and I asked you to notice with me how many times John used the word hymn. So we pick up immediately, just in these first 18 verses, that there is a theme developing to what John is writing. That theme is this, it's all about him. I think we've done heard that this morning. It's all about him. If we had continued reading and we'd read the rest of chapter number one, that theme continues. It's still all about him. If we'd taken time to read chapter two, guess what? It's still all about him. Chapter three, still about him. Chapter four, all about him. Chapter five, if we had read the entire book, the gospel according to John, the theme is there. It's all about him. I wanna look at this book that John was used of God to pin down and give to us. I believe one of the greatest books that has ever been written. And I just wanna take a few things out of this real quickly this morning, and we'll go have lunch in just a little bit, all right? First of all, we see the theme around the gospel of John. It's all about him. Let me mention this quickly. I thought about the timing associated with the Gospel of John. If you'll look at history, study history, it's believed that it's somewhere between 85 and 96 AD when John takes the pen and begins to write. If that be the case, he's been in ministry over 50 years. He's an old preacher, if you will. If it's between 85 and 96 AD, then that means that Mark's gospel had already been recorded. Matthew's work was done. Luke's work was finished, including the book of Acts. That means that Peter's work was done. James's work was done. Even all the Apostle Paul's work had already been completed. He's the last writer for our Bible. Many things have happened in the life of John when the Holy Ghost leads him over to the desk and he takes the pen, dips it in ink, and begins to write. We'll come back to that one in a few minutes. There's a theme around the Gospel of John, the timing associated with the Gospel of John. Let me mention this one briefly. I believe there was a trust achieved before the Gospel of John. I'm gonna make a statement, see if you'll agree with me this morning. I believe if the Lord Jesus had a best friend while he was here, I believe it's probably old John the Beloved. What do y'all think? I don't know if anybody got closer to the Lord than what John did. You might make a case for Peter and for some of the others, but there's a couple of reasons I believe that John may have been closer to the Lord than anybody else. And before I go on any further, I wanna make a statement this morning, you listen to me good. You this morning are as close to the Lord as you want to be. He's not building any fences. There's no keep away signs. He desires a close walk with his people, amen? And I believe John got closer to Jesus than anybody else. Let me give you a couple of reasons real quickly. Go with me in your minds, if you will, to the upper room. And it's just a little while before Calvary, and they're sitting there observing the Lord's Supper, and the Lord is gonna make a statement there at the table. He says this, one of you is gonna betray me. Do y'all remember that? And almost simultaneously, one by one, they begin to ask a question. Do you remember the question they asked? They said, Lord, is it I? Lord, is it I? John asked the question, but he didn't word it like the rest of them did. Here's what John asked. He said, Who is it, Lord? As if to say he knew it was not going to be him. Amen? By the way, when he asked that, he had his head laid over on the Lord's bosom. I don't know that anybody got any closer to the Lord than what John did. If you're not convinced, go with me in your minds to Calvary. I want you to look at the foot of the cross and you tell me who was there. Who was it that went all the way? It ain't Peter. Peter's following from afar. I do see the mother of Jesus and a couple other Marys are there, but the only disciple I see at the foot of the cross is John the Beloved, amen? And while the Lord's hanging there on Calvary, paying the sin debt of the world. He looks down at the foot of the cross, he sees his grieving mother, and probably right there beside his mother was that dear, beloved disciple, oh, John. He looked down at John, and he said, he looked down at his mother, and he said, woman, behold thy son. He looks at John, and he said, behold thy mother. And according to the scripture, the Bible said that John took her into his own home from that very day. We'll see them together, I believe at Pentecost. But after that, John steps off the scene. You don't hear of John for a long time. I do believe and I've tried to find, I don't know how long Mary lived. I don't know when she died. Don't listen to the Catholics. Some of them will tell you she didn't die. Some of them will tell you she died and God raised her from the dead three days later. Amen? But I do not know how long she lived. I don't know when she died. But I do believe this on my heart. John took his mother, the Lord's mother, and took care of her until she died. Amen. Peter's the one standing up on Pentecost and preaching. Then Paul comes up on the scene, takes the gospel to the Gentiles. Where's John at? Why is it 85 to 96 AD before we hear anything? He's not not doing nothing. Amen. He's been given a special task of taking care of the Lord's mother. That's a trust achieved. I don't know anybody else achieved. Amen? There's the theme around the gospel. I'm going somewhere. There's the theme around the gospel of John. There's the timing associated with the gospel of John. The trust achieved before the gospel of John. Let me mention this quickly. Then there was the thrills accumulated in the gospel of John. See if you can picture this with me. The Holy Ghost has led the old preacher over to a desk or to a table. And he's led him to take the pen and begin to, y'all do believe it's Holy Ghost inspired, don't you? Takes the pen and begins to pen down the word of God. And what the Holy Ghost does, Brother O'Malley, is takes John back down memory's lane. It's been a long time since he actually walked with the Lord. But the Holy Ghost begins to remind him. Gets over, hadn't even wrote, but got into chapter two, and the Holy Ghost takes him back to a time when they were invited to the wedding at Cana. My, John now already knows what's gonna take place, but he's being reminded by the Holy Ghost. And he's reminded of the first miracle that he got to witness. when he took that wine and told those servants to fill those water pots and they filled them to the brim and God somehow miraculously turned that water into wine. I wonder what kind of thoughts came to John's mind as he's pinning that down. No doubt, Brother Stout, there was a smile on his face as he's reminded of that first miracle that he got to watch the Lord do. Chapter 3, I don't have time to preach all of these, but chapter 3 is reminded of when Nicodemus came to the Lord by night. He's reminded what God told him when he said, you must be born again. He's reminded of when the Lord said, I like John 3, do you not? You can't do much better than John 3. Say, preacher, that's too elementary for me. You need to go back to school then if it's too elementary for you. You can't do much better than John 3, amen? I like to hear it in a song. I like to hear the little ones quote it. I just soon hear a preacher take his text from John 3, because you can't do no better than God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Could you imagine hearing that roll off the lips of the Lord himself? I believe John put the pen down. I don't know if he's able to take a lap or not, but I guarantee he got up and walked around a little bit. Amen. I can see him taking no hanky and say, Lord, I don't know why you'd love something like me. But I sure am thankful you love me enough to send your only begotten son. Amen. Chapter four, he's reminded of that encounter with the woman at the well. Chapter five, the impotent man down at the pool of Bethesda. Chapter six, boy, that was a thrill, was it not? When he took the lunch of the lad and fed the multitudes. And then he don't get out of chapter six and he's reminded when the Lord came walking to him on the water. It's just thrill after thrill that he's getting a pen down, put on paper. Chapter 10, he's reminded when the Lord said, I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. Chapter 11, he's reminded of that time when they came running to the Lord and said, he whom thou lovest is sick. Lazarus was sick and he's reminded how the Lord tarried and they showed up what was considered to be too late. They'd already buried their friend Lazarus. He's reminded when the Lord said, where have you laid him? Amen? He's reminded when they go out to the cemetery and he tells them to move the stone away. He's reminded when he cleared his throat and he said, Lazarus, come forth. Every eye, you know this for sure, every eye went to the opening of that tomb. And they're thinking, ain't no way. Amen. But about that time, there he came. Wrapped in grave clothes. Thrill after thrill. But I ain't got time. Let me hurry on. Go with me to Calvary. The Lord has been crucified. He's, I don't know what all, Of anybody that really believed and understood, surely it would have been John, but I can't help but believe John's hopes are kindly being shattered as well. Amen. But then the women were down at the sepulcher early. And they found the stone rolled away and the tomb was empty. And they came back up to tell the disciples, you know, John got to pin this down. That other disciple did outrun Peter. Amen. They got down to the tomb and sure enough, the tomb, I'm talking about thrills now, the tomb was empty. was empty. Amen. My, the thrills that are accumulating. I'm hurrying. But then I thought about this, the truths abounding in the gospel of John. John was able to use simple terminology and put together the greatest book, I believe, ever been put on paper. He didn't get real deep. He used simple terminology, used a word like know, K-N-O-W, translated to know anyway, used that 142 times. Simple terms like believe, that translated out in John's writings 100 times. Used the word father 118 times. Simple terms, but put together some of the greatest truths that's ever been recorded. You ain't gonna do much better than John. It's been some time ago we had the opportunity to go down to the country of Honduras and a few months before our trip we loaded several containers of supplies to send on down ahead of us. We put some hygiene items and just things to be a help and a blessing to those people. But also on board that container we put 11,000 John and Romans in Spanish. I wish there'd been 11,000 Bibles, but we didn't have that availability of that, so we did the next best thing. Scripture portions, two books. Can I ask you a question this morning? Why John and Romans? Why not Genesis? Why not Leviticus? Why not something else? I'll tell you why. No two books of the Bible do a better job of introducing an old wretch like me and you to the darling Son of God. Amen. John put down some of the greatest truths ever been penned on paper. In chapter 1 alone, He's the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He's the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. He's a light shining in darkness. Chapter 2, He's a miracle worker. Chapter 3, He's the only begotten Son. Chapter 4, He's the living water. Chapter 5, He's the one that can make you whole. Chapter 6, He's the bread of life. Chapter 7, He's the living water. Chapter 8, He's the light of the world. Chapter 9, He's the giver of sight to the blind. Chapter 10, He's the good shepherd. Chapter 11, He is the resurrection in life. Chapter 12, He's worthy. Chapter 13, He's a servant to be served. Chapter 14, he's the way, the truth, and the life. Chapter 15, he's divine, we're the branches. Chapter 16, he's the comforter. Chapter 17, he's the interceder. Chapter 18, he's tried and found innocent. Chapter 19, he's the one that's finished. Chapter 20, he's alive. Chapter 21, he bids us to come and die. Some of the greatest truths ever been penned on paper. But then I thought about the tears that accompanied the Gospel of John. I'm not talking about John 11, 35 or Jesus swept. I'm thinking more of John's tears that accompanied this book. I believe, first of all, John shed quite a few tears by the time he's pinning this book down. I believe, first of all, he probably shed a few tears over a place. It's believed that he wrote this in Ephesus. And the reason for that is, in 70 AD, Titus came through Jerusalem and destroyed it. Y'all remember your history. If that be the case, then his church has been destroyed. His home has probably been destroyed. There's a reason he's in Ephesus. I don't know what that would do to you, but what if somebody came through your area? Preacher, they destroyed your church. They destroyed your home. That's enough to break a heart. I believe he probably shed a few tears over some places. I believe he shed a few tears over some personal things. According to history, I'm told, some of you might can clear me up on this if I'm missing it, but I'm told that according to history, at one time they took old John and dipped him in boiling oil. History. They've not been kind to the old preacher. Brother McBriar, he suffered quite a bit. We probably don't really know just what all he has suffered. A few tears. But I do know this, maybe I missed it on the first two. But I'm convinced of this one. He shed some tears over some people. If he penned this between 85 and 96 AD, then that means, of course, Stephen has already been stoned to death. You know he got word of that, don't you? Somebody has told him. If it's between 85 and 96 AD, we know that James has already been beheaded. We also know this, we know that Matthew has already been slain with a halibut. Mark has already been dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria. That also means that Luke has already been hanged in an olive tree. If he wrote this between 85 and 96 AD, that even means that Paul has already been beheaded in Rome. It also means that Peter has done been crucified upside down. I wonder where John was when he got word of Peter. John and Peter used to lay out under the stars at night. No telling what they talked about, preacher. Don't you know it's heart-wrenching when John heard about Peter. If he wrote this between 85 and 96 A.D., then that means that Thomas has already been thrust through with a spear. That means that Philip has already been beaten and then thrown in prison and then crucified in 54 A.D. Jude has already been crucified. That was 72 A.D. Andrew has already been crucified in Asia. That means that Bartholomew has already been beheaded, skinned alive and beheaded. That means that James the Less has already been beaten to death with a club. That means that Matthias has already been stoned to death in the streets of Jerusalem. If he wrote this between 85 and 96 AD, listen carefully, he's the only one left. They are all gone. My. But we look at the gospel according to John. You don't see no evidence of the heartache and the tears that have been shed when he begins to write. No evidence of that. I wanna ask y'all a question. Would you blame John if he just took a chapter or two and unloaded on us just a little bit. Just let us know how tough it had been to be a follower of Christ. How unfair life can be at times. Would you have blamed him if he just unloaded a little bit and told us about some of the hardships and the struggles he's had in ministry? How tough it can be trying to tell people that don't wanna hear about Jesus to try to tell them and sow the good seed. Would you have blamed him if he just unloaded just a little bit? I wouldn't blame him if he took a little. I'll be honest with you, Brother Sexton, I wouldn't blame him if he'd wrote a book about it. What about you? Amen. I sure wouldn't blame him if he took a chapter and just shed a little bit of, give us a little light on how hard it is, okay? But not John. When John began to pin down, he said, no, if I'm going to write a book, it's going to be all about him. He says, if I don't get but a chapter, it's going to be all about him. You don't give me but a verse, guess what you're going to get? It's going to be all. Help me, Lord. I want it to be all about Him. I don't want it to be all about me. It don't need to be all about ministry. It's not all about getting your support. Let me tell you what it's all about. It's all about Him. Can I help you right here? If you're making it all about support, you're gonna be miserable throughout your deputation. Amen. If it's all about your family and your problems, you're gonna struggle not only on deputation, you're gonna struggle when you get to the field. But while you're on deputation, and once you get to the field, if you'll keep it all about Him, Hey, man, you won't have near the problems that you think you're having or going to have. Amen? I'm telling you, say, preacher, I'm not writing a book. Oh, yes, you are. You've got a pen in your hand, and you're putting your life down on paper. Amen? Last week has already been put in the books. I want to ask you a question. Did Jesus even make the page? Amen. Today, you've got the pen in hand. I know if you're on a Friday spending all day in church, surely Jesus will be on the page today. But what about when Monday rolls around and you're back on the road, amen, and you don't have a meeting and you don't have to perform in front of a pastor? Is Jesus even gonna make the page on those Mondays? Is Jesus gonna make the page on them Saturdays? I'm wondering what it's all about What's it all about? It's not about another supporting church. Amen. It's not about another tank of gas. I understand all of those things are important, but if we'll get our heart and our focus on Him, and them problems won't seem near as big, the struggles won't be as hard, and the bigger God gets in your life, the smaller everything else again. You and I have got to make it all about Him. This ain't about me and you. Are y'all like me? I like to make it about me. I can't help it. I guess it's my flesh. I like me pretty good. If you'll be honest, you care about yourself pretty good too. If we ain't real careful, we make everything about us. Amen. Woe is me. I've got so many problems. I've got this. Nobody cares. You get your eyes off you, and you get your eyes fixed on Him. Amen. That's the only way you're going to make it. It's got to be all about Him. I'm hurrying. Let me give you just... One more real quickly. It's 1153. That's not too bad, is it, Preacher? Okay. Tears that accompanied the Gospel of John. Then I thought about the trial that came after the Gospel of John. Let's see if we can picture the old Preacher. Again, I may be playing him wrong. I don't know. Well, life hasn't been kind to him. It's been hard on him. He's an old preacher. And I don't know, he may not be able to walk too good. May not be able to stand up too straight. Josh may have to have a stick or a cane when he gets around. I'm not real sure. But I do know this. I think it was more than just on paper that John made it all about the Lord. I really believe that. What makes you think that? Well, I believe that's what got him in trouble. Amen. I can see him, if he's in Ephesus, I can see him going to the marketplace, can't you? If anybody got near him, it's something like this. Excuse me, sir. You got a moment? I'd like to tell you about my best friend. Instead of saying, excuse me, I'd like to tell you how hard it's been. I think it's all about him. Ask you, why else would they want to exile an old preacher that don't seem to be able to do much harm? Why else would they want to send him to a prison camp? An old rocky island called Patmos. Why would they want to get rid of him? He's not able to do no harm. I believe he's tired of hearing all about him. Amen. So they exiled him. They said, well, we'll fix him. We'll get rid of him. We won't have to listen to the old preacher no more. So they put him on Patmos, thinking that would take care of the old preacher. I'm gonna be honest with you now, help me here. If that'd been me, I don't know how well I'd handle that. Maybe I'll never do this, but I throw a pity party every now and then. I don't know if y'all do that or not. Nobody wants to come to it, but I still throw it. Seems like I'm the only one there. I'm the only one enjoying myself at my pity parties. Maybe you do that. I don't know. If you don't, you're blessed. You really are. I'm too open, I guess. But I get feeling sorry for myself every now and then. Do you? I mean, really, do you? Somebody help me. Please tell me you do. I hope I ain't the only one. I don't know how well I'd handled that. Lord, I've tried to be so faithful. I've tried to walk it, talk it, live it, and all it does is seem like getting me in trouble. You know what I've already been through, and then Lord, you gonna allow them to exile me to an old prison camp? Better hope John don't get the pen again. Surely he'll unload on us the next time. But wait a minute, he got the pen again. And when he did, guess what? Something like this. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day. And it's still all about him. In spite of what he's been through. Nobody told you it's gonna be easy. If they did, they lied to you. You think deputation's hard, wait till you get to the field. It's not gonna get any easier. Loneliness, and talking about feeling like you're by yourself, it's coming, it's coming. Struggles, you're gonna have them. But Tyson, maybe I shouldn't discourage them. Maybe I should lie to you and tell you, oh, it's just gonna be wonderful if you'll just stick in there and you're gonna have it made. Everybody's gonna treat you like royalty. Everybody's gonna love you and wanna hear what you've got to say. Churches are not gonna forget you. They're gonna communicate with you regularly. Nobody's ever gonna drop you. I mean, maybe I should tell you that, but I'd be lying to you. You're gonna get to the field, especially those of you that go and stay. You're gonna get there and you're gonna feel like there ain't nobody else trying to do anything for God but you. It's coming. I don't know what to take, but it's the truth. It's gonna get tough. And if it's gonna be all about you, I'll tell you what's gonna happen. One of them pity parties is gonna be the one that causes you to decide to throw the towel in and go to the house. One of them, you're gonna do that. But listen to me carefully. If you'll keep it all about Him, and you keep your focus on Him, and get your eyes off of you, I think you'll make it. The way the more we're losing too many. And got nobody else to take their place. I don't think it's just prayer baptist, Brother Brian. I don't think it's just y'all. I ain't seeing nobody coming. Very, very few. Maybe we just need to focus on strengthening the ones we still have. I still beg, please go for God serving. Take the gospel somewhere. We need some people to go. But I sure do want to try to encourage them. It's gone. They've gone. Keep your focus on Him. Please. For Jesus' sake, for your sake, for your people's sake, keep your focus on Him. That's not just for the missionary on the foreign field. That's for Ridgeview Baptist Church. Keep your focus on him. Amen. We can keep our focus, make it all about him. How you do that, preacher? Well, I'm done. 1201, I've gone past. Let me say this. You know what are you making it all about? I can tell you. It's whatever you love the most. It's whatever you love the most. I know where I'm at. I'm in East Tennessee. And it's not football season right now, but if it was, we'd know about it with some of you. You bleed orange. I know how it is. I'm not against that, but you love it so much. I don't know if that's somebody here or not. Maybe I missed it. If it's not, if it's not Tennessee football, it's usually something else. Just something you really, it's your passion. I would start asking some of you what it is, but I'm afraid to embarrass you. We've all got it. We've got that, that we really. Can I give you something of mine right quick? I've got another grandbaby since I was here last time. I got 10 of them now, preacher. 10 of them. I love my grandbabies. Is that okay? I think, Brother O'Malley, I might love them a little too much. Because you know what I'll do? I'll make it all about them. Can't help it. That's what I love. Missionary, church, if you love Him more than anything else, you'll make it. You'll make it. Don't go into these churches and try to convince them that you really love the Lord when you're about everything else. You fall in love with Him. I was asked one time by a sick, how do you fall in love with somebody like that? How do you fall in love with Him? You've got to spend time with Him. If you don't spend no time with Him, you'll never love Him. like you should. Here's my question for you. What's it all about this morning? Some of you get way more excited over a church taking you on than what the Lord's done for you. That's exciting. I understand. I know how that is. But oh, help us. Don't make it all about that. Father, we love you this morning. Please, please help us, Lord, to love you more. I want to say, Lord, this morning, I'm sorry for making it all about me, making it all about everything else but you. Lord, if I only loved you more, I'd make it more about you. Have you in our hearts, Lord, thank you for this meeting. Thank you for Brother Sexton and these people. Lord, how they work so hard. Bless them, Lord, I pray. Have you in our hearts, in Jesus' name.