John

[0:00] as the Lord may be pleased to help me this afternoon I'll direct your attention again to the 12th chapter of John and reading the last part of verse 21 John chapter 12 the last part of verse 21 saying so we would see Jesus saying so we would see Jesus when we were in the Sunday school we used to sing a little hymn that went something like this

[1:06] I am not too young for God to see he knows my name and nature too and all day long he looks at me and sees my actions through and through our text here this afternoon is the opposite way round isn't it and it could be said we're not too young to see Jesus and we're not too old to see Jesus the difficulty with man is he as I said this morning he does not really want to see Jesus putting it another way he has not a desire he has not the eyes to see Jesus and we sometimes say there's none so blind as those that do not want to see but friends we have a character before us who does want to see we do not know how old they were that does not matter we're not sure what nationality they were that does not matter either

[2:42] I know it says Greeks but referring to what we said this morning that was a name often given to anybody that had taken up the religion of the Jews who was not a Jew by nature so I say here there's something working in the heart of these people who wanted to see Jesus and surely that is the work of the Holy Spirit I go a step further there are people that could not be satisfied with a religion that was anything but Jesus a desire that Jesus may be seen and known all amongst them there's some wonderful teaching in this chapter and I was it brought it home very much to me as we read through the chapter of how when Jesus rolled up to Jerusalem on that ass how the children cried

[4:16] Hosanna unto the son of David they rejoiced to see Jesus now some might query and say oh but they may not they may not understood they may have followed one another yes and so that is often the argument of unbelievers it's so often the disputation of those who reject Christ but my friend I put it like this I believe those children they cried Hosanna for what they had seen and what they had understood thus far is that unreasonable that they should praise the Lord in this way and be thankful for what the Lord had given them with that sight in early years we do not say to children you haven't got to say thank you when they're given their food across the table do we no indeed not but we just the reverse we may withhold it until they say thank you friend

[5:45] I say so may the Lord Jesus put this in our heart today to thank him for we would see Jesus we would be partakers of the gospel for Jesus said I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance and surely it is sinners that he calls to repentance that will say sirs we would say Jesus friend to repent of sin indeed is to abhor the sins we once so loved and therein earn is proved by doing so no more I say is it not often a great grief to us because we have reiterated or repeated the sins that we have previously committed those besetting sins those sins that cause us to mourn before

[7:10] God who can wipe away those tears of sorrow and contrition my friends we may say sorry we may apologise to those of our fellows in life but still that does not put it right with God friends there's only one you can put the whole matter right with sirs we would say Jesus I believe when Hezekiah received the letter from Sennacherib a dreadful letter a frightening threatening letter a letter which was more than his poor heart could bear a letter he could not take to anybody else and tell them about but my friends he could take it to Jesus he would see Jesus in this matter we read that he took that letter up and he spread it before the

[8:31] Lord God oh some might say well you haven't got to carry all your problems and difficulties and parade them around that is not so it's got nothing to do with man it's between your soul and God isn't it between your soul and God you would see Jesus for to appear before God and confess to him oh it can only be done through Jesus Christ his dear son for he has surely said I am the door I know I often quote those words but you know they are wonderful words to me they really are I am the door no one else is that door you cannot enter in before almighty

[9:34] God a poor needy wretched sinner so black so vile without Jesus we would see Jesus there in our approaches unto almighty God cleanse me wash me oh begin anew within me what a mercy that is for he has said he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out I know you may be sick and tired of me quoting that text but I hope I shall never be tired in quoting it because friend I believe in it no man cometh unto the father but by me bless his dear name we would see

[10:40] Jesus always the only way the only means whereby we can approach unto God we may indeed have grown tired of putting our trust in man I say oh it's not this often our folly putting our trust in man I shall never forget some I suppose 26 years ago now having a problem and a difficulty I took the telephone in my hand and I rang up one whom I esteemed to be one of the Lord's aged servants and what happened friend put it in a nutshell the result was this

[11:45] I was completely and utterly disappointed I put the receiver down at last couldn't believe it could happen was the man wrong my friend the point was I was wrong I went to man before I went to God oh if I could but emphasize this oh both young and old alike take it to the Lord in prayer take it to the Lord in prayer oh we would see Jesus oh seated on the mercy seat ever interceding for us we may be led to think well if

[12:48] I go to somebody who has summered and wintered so much then surely I shall be delivered from my inexperience my weakness inability to speak friend there's nobody that can speak for you like Jesus because nobody understands you like Jesus no we would see Jesus doing everything in us and for us I say how compassionate and how merciful is this one we would see Jesus him that never turns a poor sinner away some folk don't like that phrase but you know

[13:53] I like it I like it I believe in it friend and I know it's true he won't turn that poor sinner away that comes of seeking salvation through his precious atoning blood so he answers these men and these people saying except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit he uses this humble illustration to set forth his own self and his saving virtues in suffering pleading and dying for his people ever notice this

[14:58] Jesus here upon earth was absolute pure humility in and of himself he never exalted himself he never made himself of any reputation so as we would see Jesus to know him as a perfect pattern and the way of salvation for he said goes on to say he that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life shall keep it unto life eternal then if any man serve me let him follow me so as we would see

[16:01] Jesus oh to follow him has the Lord I say put this in thy heart this day to follow the Lord Jesus Christ oh we're not conscious sometimes of that phrase but they say but they think this or that my friends we would see Jesus and what he says and what he thinks therefore the words of men and the thoughts of men they stand for nothing my thoughts said Jesus oh God almighty are not your thoughts or my ways your ways he speaks he speaks with God to his word that it shall not return unto him void you think upon those words we might think well we can plan the word has come and we can plan the way it will go the way it will develop and what it will bring forth is that really so see how

[17:23] God almighty sets it forth before us is it is like the rain that cometh down from heaven or the snow that watereth the earth why it is on the earth and it softens the dry ground it waters the plants and it filters through the soil and goes into the streams into the sea or into the plant life and both systems we know have the system of evaporation and so it goes back again into cloud formation again so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth if you cannot trace those earthly things how can we trace those spiritual things but we know those earthly things happen so that we would see

[18:27] Jesus that we may behold the spiritual things that the word the Lord has sent into our souls is for our good for our life and nourishment no wonder the psalmist said remember the word upon which thou has caused me to hope I say poor soul this afternoon as the Lord given your word and you have to cry take it to him with that prayer Lord remember the word he does not forget his word but my friend he uses that word for you to draw near to him and to plead that word he makes sure of this that you are not ashamed of that word for he is not ashamed of that word neither will it be ashamed of it but will bring it forth to his honour and to his glory ah so as we would say

[19:44] Jesus I put it to you this way if somebody had said to those Greeks and what are you doing here on this occasion they had an answer for being there but those that may ask the question may have not the answer they would have said surely sirs we would see Jesus I say what a mercy if we are so favored that we can answer the question well and I would see Jesus in coming into the house of God we would say

[21:05] Jesus the prophet Isaiah said I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord how often coming to the house of God and meeting others we mention all kinds of things do we not other than Jesus oh what favor I say if we can say I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord we would see Jesus that has not cut off the poor sinner has not cut off him who he has chosen with an everlasting love and mercy from the foundations of the world we would say Jesus Jesus speaks often of his people as sheep and we are not ignorant of the fact that sheep will stray they go on and on and grazing and not lift their head up and may push through the hedge and graze the next field and a bit in the next field and so on

[22:31] I say is it not so that we're apt to stray also we have to confess Lord seek thy servant for I'm like a lost sheep I've gone astray oh a desire to bring me back sir we would see Jesus only Jesus can bring me back to himself bless his dear name my friend I'm often thankful for the illustration of sheep in his word I've said this before I know that so often people love to ridicule and mock and say they're like a lot of sheep they follow one another well it's a poor accusation you know for there's one mark of a true sheep and it's this they don't follow one another but it is that all the sheep hear the same voice so you will not be amazed if you find others going in the same direction as you seeking the same voice that you heard speak to you and their desire to see his face

[24:11] I say my sheep hear my voice and they follow me they have a desire that they may be seen not as the attendance to man but our attendance as waiting upon the good shepherd of the sheep food from his hand yes sirs we would say jesus jesus feeds his flock he does and he does not feed them with any rubbish does he friend he feeds them with his flesh and with his blood espion or when we come to the ordinance table those of you that do what did you come for can you say sir we would say jesus oh we would have everything shut out beside oh that we might be alone with Jesus Christ and him alone there behold him the broken bread remembering his broken body there behold the wine towards forth as remembering the precious blood shed upon Galvary for the purging away of our sins then so we would see

[25:56] Jesus as our Lord and our Saviour I say has the Lord put a desire and a divine inclination for you also to come to the Lord's table friend to please other people or have any empty notion of any other thing we would come wrongly or you would come wrongly but when you can say sir we would see Jesus the Saviour of sinners as the Lord my Shepherd my Saviour and my all I desire to acknowledge him I desire to own him and confess him as my Lord and my Saviour and we all know that we very believe the right way to come to the ordinance table through the ordinance of baptism so we would see Jesus in that and what's it set forth the Apostle Paul speak very clearly on the matter why as entering into the water we profess and confess that it was buried with him into his death as dying to the world as leaving behind the prospects of the world and all that he formerly held out and offered to us but now we would see

[27:57] Jesus he who came from above to suffer bleed and die for poor sinners friend our soul we come like the eunuch who said what hinders me to be baptized why what prompted him to say that and what prompts you to say that why Philip the it was directed to draw near to him and he opened up the same scripture that the eunuch was reading and he preached unto him Jesus so that we would see Jesus effectively wrought in our hearts that we too may have that desire also to die to this world but what before us but to rise again buried with him risen again oh the newness of life desires of life that is not to build an empire an estate here below but rather oh to find

[29:30] Jesus who has gone to prepare a place for his people in heaven so as we would see Jesus and Jesus speaks so beautifully in that 14th chapter of John and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also friend what would I speak foolishly what would heaven be without Jesus my friend and what is heaven with Jesus friend it is seeing Jesus face to face without a veil between to see him who loved us when we were born in sin shape and iniquity he who separated me says Paul from my mother's womb and cured me by his grace so as we would see

[30:55] Jesus who so put forth his almighty hand who led us who taught us in things that we could never have been taught by man by we would see Jesus my friend even in his present day and I teach him people the way of salvation friend are not people marked and set at naught who profess Jesus Christ before all others but be that as it may oh Jesus clearly shows to us that his people are not ashamed of him so we would see Jesus in such a way that I'm not ashamed of him that often concerns me and exercises me in many things am I ashamed to Jesus am I ashamed to preach the Lord

[32:09] Jesus Christ am I ashamed to preach Jesus lest people misinterpret what I'm saying and say that I am cutting across the doctrines of free and sovereign grace friend how Satan loves to get at us in the ministry and out of the ministry but I say he does not like us to say sirs we would seek Jesus but friend it is he that can save us from the power of Satan my friend only Jesus can overcome the power of Satan we've read today with regards to Mary Martha and Lazarus and we know that

[33:13] Mary in particular prior to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ she was a sinful character but when my friend she was brought to see Jesus I say what a change of heart what a change of spirit how she loved him how she washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head how she drew forth even the criticism of the religious world about her when she united the head the feet of Jesus with the ointment my friends we read that the odour filled the whole house oh so as we would see Jesus to know that heavenly odour of love in a poor sinner's heart which he has put there oh yes it does not grow in and of ourself no it's that of the means of grace we love him because he first loved us surely the evidence the testimony of every child of

[34:42] God is sir we would see Jesus working in you and for you and that you have been overcome and reconciled by his love whereas we were ashamed but now we are not ashamed oh sir we would see Jesus I'll close this afternoon with the lines of the hymn which says his track I see and I'll pursue yes what a mercy if we can say that his track I see and I'll pursue oh the way that leads to God oh may he then pardon and forgive all that we may have spoken amiss but oh may there be a few handfuls of purpose a few crumbs from the master's table where we lose sight of man and we can say sirs we would see

[36:03] Jesus a desire in the heart to seek him to know him and to follow him the rest of our life here below amen