Before we come to our text this morning
may I underscore the welcome that has been
given by the Reverend George Lowe to friends
that may be visiting us today.
As usual we want you to know that
we welcome you heartily and warmly in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Warmly I suppose is the appropriate term this
morning.
We are beginning to experience your Canadian winters
and I was afraid at one stage this
week that I might be more croaky than
I am today.
But if I have to indulge in a
sip of water now and again I'm sure
you will understand the weakness and the frailty
of the British fray.
Well now we turn again this morning to
the theme, the subject that we began to
consider a few weeks ago.
We have entitled it from Simon to Peter.
And our theme this morning the aspect of
the subject we are going to consider briefly
is Simon's confrontation by Jesus Christ.
I want to read one verse namely verse
42 in that first chapter of the gospel
recorded by John.
Jesus looked at him and said, so you
are Simon the son of John you shall
be called Cephas.
Which means Peter.
Apart from any direct divine action not revealed
and not recorded in Scripture.
Two complimentary ministries have thus far been involved
in preparing Simon for the third and crucial
event recorded in the passage from which our
text is taken.
The exposition of God's law by John the
baptizer and the expression of divine love by
Andrew Simon's own brother.
These are the two things that have been
woven together to bring Simon to this particular
point.
Together we must we must see this.
Together John and Andrew have brought Simon to
Jesus.
You may say the text doesn't say that.
There's no reference to John no no.
But it was John's dynamic ministry that so
dealt with the innermost soul of Simon and
indeed led Andrew to a knowledge of the
Savior.
That in turn Andrew was able to bring
his own brother Simon into the presence of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
So we repeat the combined ministries of John
the baptizer and of Andrew Simon's brother have
now resulted in bringing Simon right out into
the open.
And there he stands before the face of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
John the Baptist's ministry had opened a deep
wound in the soul of Simon.
Whether Simon was personally a disciple of John's
is really irrelevant.
Because in either case, whether he was, whether
he was not, the impact of John's teaching,
the message that John proclaimed has been conveyed
to Simon via his own brother Andrew.
And it is evident that his soul is
wounded by the thrust of it.
But who knows?
If John's testimony is true and if Andrew's
testimony is right.
Then the very one who is able to
heal the broken-hearted may be there at
hand waiting for Simon to come to him.
Simon came, Andrew came you remember, to Simon
and said we have found the Messiah, the
anointed one.
Who is the Messiah?
He is the anointed of the Lord.
Of whom we read in the scriptures this
morning in Isaiah chapter 61.
Scriptures which the Lord Jesus Christ applied to
himself in the synagogue in Nazareth as Luke
tells us.
These are the words, the spirit of the
Lord God is upon me.
I am the anointed one says Jesus.
The spirit of the Lord God is upon
me.
Because the Lord has anointed me to bring
good tidings to the afflicted.
He has sent me to bind up the
broken-hearted.
To proclaim liberty to the captives and the
opening of the prison door to them that
are bound and much else.
John and Andrew's combined action therefore have resulted
in Simon's appearance before Jesus at this point.
And here they confront one another.
It's a dramatic moment this.
Here they confront each other.
The sinner and the Savior.
The seeking Savior and the needy sinner, conscious
of his need.
Face to face.
Eyeball to eyeball.
Heart to heart.
Jesus and Simon confront one another.
In what must be one of the profoundest
and most pregnant moments in human history.
Everything that has happened thus far in the
life of Simon.
Everything I repeat by the providence and sovereignty
of God.
Everything has led up to this moment.
And we will go so far as to
say that everything that is going to happen
hereafter will issue out of what happened now.
This is the mighty moment.
Not only in the life of this sinner,
but upon the issues of this moment hang
the destiny of multitudes of men and women.
Who throughout the years of time have become
in due course debtors to the fact that
Jesus Christ saved Simon Peter.
Now I don't know how you feel, but
I'll tell you how I feel.
I feel very much as if I were
in the shoes of Moses by the burning
bush.
Summoned by an unseen God to take my
shoes from off my feet.
For the ground on which we stand is
holy ground.
And it is with I trust due reverence
and humility that I would like to lead
you this morning and bid you come with
me and examine the inspired record of this
momentous event.
Happily it's not left for the preacher to
divide the text up this morning.
I do like this.
There are times when it is necessary for
us to try and divide a text in
order to to elucidate its truth.
But we don't need to divide this.
It divides itself into two.
Listen to it again.
When Jesus beheld him he said thou art
Simon the son of Jonah thou shalt be
called Cephas.
Which is being interpreted the Christ.
I'm sorry I've given you the wrong text.
When Jesus beheld him he said thou art
Simon the son of Jonah thou shalt be
called Cephas.
Which is by interpretation a stone.
A stone or a rock.
That word divides itself naturally into two.
A look and a word.
A look of unlimited penetration and a word
of unqualified prediction concerning the sinner in the
Savior's presence.
We are going to examine it in that
way.
First of all the Savior's look of penetrating
perception.
As Andrew brought Simon into the presence of
Jesus the evangelist tells us that Jesus looked
at him.
Now we tend quite naturally to gloss over
that.
But actually what John tells us here is
that Jesus did more than look at him.
If you confer and if you examine the
other translations you will find that they bring
out this point.
And it's necessary to see it.
It isn't Jesus looked at him he did
that of course.
But he went beyond that.
Moffat translates he gazed at him.
Rue translates looking at him closely.
And Knox's translation is this looking at him
fixedly.
Now why do they vary?
I'll tell you why they vary because everything
that they say is involved in the word.
Jesus fixed his eyes upon him.
Jesus gazed at the man.
Jesus looked not only at the man but
into the man.
Jesus looked upon the man, looked at the
man, looked into the man, as only God
himself can look upon a man.
That's what we have here.
It's not as I'm looking at you good
people now.
I do see you.
And you see me.
But it's not that kind of look at
all I haven't got that capacity.
He looked upon, he looked into, he read
the heart.
You see nothing is hid from him with
whom we have to do.
And here the incarnate word manifests a characteristic
also of the written word.
Of which we read in the epistle to
the Hebrews that nothing is from him which
is the word written apparently.
Jesus looked at him.
Other uses of the same verb serve to
underline this point.
Can I just use one or two examples
this morning because I think it's necessary to
get this.
If we miss this then we miss something
which is vital to an understanding of the
whole epistle.
Mark tells us that when Jesus was approached
by a certain rich man, who knelt before
him and asked him what he must do
to inherit eternal life.
Mark tells us Jesus looking upon him loved
him.
What did that mean?
Well it certainly didn't mean that Jesus looked
upon him and thought well now here's a
nice specimen of a film.
He was physically attractive and so forth.
Not at all.
Jesus was reading the heart.
Jesus was considering the motives.
Jesus was weighing in the balances of his
mind what he alone could read.
Something behind the surface, something beneath the superficialities,
something inwardly in the soul of the man.
Now here's another illustration of it which brings
that out even better.
The same evangelist Mark stresses the fact that
as Peter some three or so later stood
in the high priest's courtyard while Jesus was
being interrogated.
One of the maids of the high priest
came and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked
on him and said you also were with
the Nazarene Jesus.
Now I'm not suggesting that that girl could
read into Simon's heart as Jesus could read
into Simon's heart.
But you notice the difference.
There is a distinction.
Seeing him, oh yes she saw him, that's
the ordinary word for seeing.
But then she began to puzzle and she
began to scrutinize and she began to examine
as far as she could.
And when she had really taken a jolly
good look at Simon she said to him
uh-huh she says you also were with
the Nazarene.
Now that's the word we have here.
But it represents the capacity of Messiah, Son
of the living God, to look into the
mind, to examine the heart, to scrutinize the
soul, to search the deep recesses of a
man's being and to read it as an
open book.
It's the look of thoughtful scrutiny.
Now there are two things only that I
want to note concerning that penetrating gaze of
our Lord's.
One it was a look that expressed his
knowledge of Simon.
Now that's obvious in what we've said already
but I need to underline it.
If you had been in Simon's shoes you
would have known that.
Any man that has passed through the throes
of conviction of sin will have some realization
of what that means.
It is given to all of us as
we enter into the kingdom of God at
some point or other to be singled out.
And we know in that moment that God
sees us and God knows us and God
reads us.
He knows me.
I hope we all know something of this,
discomforting though it may be.
But now here of course there is the
physical presence of the Messiah which makes the
whole thing the more obvious and the more
realistic.
You may have seen a pale reflection of
this kind of look.
For example on the face of a physician
or a surgeon.
When not on his first examination of the
patient when there may be a few things
that are puzzling.
Though doctors don't always show us that they're
puzzled and perplexed.
They're a wonderful way of evading that and
avoiding it.
But it isn't that look when there are
questions raised and there are issues that are
as yet unresolved.
But now with x-rays in hand and
all the tests completed.
The physician or the surgeon comes back to
the bedside.
He examines the patient.
He looks at the diseased organ or whatever
the case may be.
And now he sees the whole thing fitting.
He knows exactly the meaning and significance of
all the symptoms.
He can fit it all in.
And if you look at his face you
can see yes yes he understands.
He knows.
Jesus knew Simon.
He knew him and he knows you and
he knows me.
And Simon recognized the fact from his look.
Not only did the Savior know his name
and his pedigree.
Thou art Simon son of Jonah.
He could very well have got that from
Andrew.
I don't know whether he did I can't
tell you.
But but he might very well have got
all that from Andrew.
But Jesus knew him in a different way.
He knew his heart.
He knew the man of the heart.
He knew his tendencies.
And may I suggest reverently that particularly at
this point Jesus knew his uncertainties.
Jesus knew how at this point Simon was
torn with uncertainty as he compared and contrasted
the teaching that he had inherited as a
good Jew with the principles concerning the king
and the kingdom enunciated by John the Baptist.
Between the tradition of the fathers and the
dynamic word of the Lord Jesus Christ with
its more spiritual understanding of things.
Of John the Baptist I should say.
With its understanding of things in a more
spiritual way.
And he was equally uncertain as to what
he should make of Andrew and his bold
confession.
John it is true has said that Jesus
is the Messiah.
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
Jesus is the sin bearer and the spirit
baptizer.
But no one else seems to agree.
No one else knows him as such.
He's not over 30 years of age and
and the people of the Jews are not
going after him.
Now should Simon join forces with Andrew and
make such a confession?
Or should he not be as reticent as
those around?
The thing I want you to get my
friend because it's so important for us.
Jesus knew Simon.
Now we shall have to point out the
significance of this much and much more as
we go along.
But the second thing I want to say
at this point is this.
Not only was it a look that expressed
knowledge of Simon and of Simon's inner life
and thinking and hoping and his fears and
so forth.
But it also explained at least in part
Andrew's ring of certainty.
I suggest to you that when Simon heard
Andrew's testimony in the first place.
It seemed so premature.
It seemed a little bit crazy.
Here comes Andrew bounding in and says to
Simon, Simon, Simon we found the Messiah.
How could it be?
I'm amazed that the Bible doesn't record for
us that Simon must have said some very
uncouth things at that moment.
Knowing Simon that the Bible doesn't say anything.
So we must be careful.
That if he didn't say anything I'm almost
sure.
I hope I don't do Simon Peter an
injustice.
I'm almost certain he must have thought a
lot.
Crazy notion.
But with the eyes of the Son of
God upon him.
I've no doubt but that he's thinking something
like this.
My word who else could look at me
and look through me and understand me and
know my thoughts are far off.
Other than him of whom the prophets wrote.
And the testimony of Andrew begins to become
credible.
It may well be that this is none
other than the Messiah.
The promised deliverer of God.
A look of penetrating perception.
Now the second matter here this morning is
this.
It's the complement of that.
It's what went along with it.
The other side of it.
The Savior's word of prophetic prediction.
So you Simon the son of John or
the son of Jonah.
You shall be called Cephas.
Which is by interpretation Petros.
Which is Greek.
Herak which is English.
All meaning the same thing.
Aramaic, Greek, English.
Cephas Petros Herak.
The silence that prevailed as those holy eyes
searched and scanned the hidden recesses of Simon's
soul.
Was at last broken.
Broken by a word that was electrifying in
its significance.
The one who seemed to know him through
and through.
Assumes to have authority to change him and
to give him a new name.
Now when we started this series we said
that this is something quite significant.
A change of name in the Bible is
something very significant.
It assumes that the person who suggests it
has authority so to do.
As for example a slave owner would change
the name of his slave.
You have that in the case of Daniel
for example.
And the three young men of whom we
read in the book of Daniel.
They were Hebrews but they were given different
names.
They were not prisoners.
They were in the hand of a foreign
power.
Their names were changed.
And this is very common.
And Jesus looking into the depths of this
man Simon son of Jonah says I'm going
to change your name.
And he doesn't ask his permission if you
please.
He says you shall be called Cephas.
But behind that there is something even more.
He is assuming according to the biblical usage.
That he has the power to change Simon's
character from what was signified by Simon to
that which is signified by Cephas or Petros
or Peter.
In other words he assumes or presumes as
Simon may well have thought at that point.
That he has the power, the authority, the
ability, the grace and whatever else is needed
to change his character.
So that the unstable son of a dove,
son of Jonah.
That's what Jonah means.
The unstable son of a dove becomes the
stable, solid, rock like Petra.
Thus does Jesus substantiate John and Andrew's testimony
with this claim to authority and ability.
Did not John say he will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
His baptism is not a baptism of cold
or warm water that can only touch the
skin.
His baptism is a different thing altogether that
can transform and penetrate and change.
Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah.
He is substantiating the testimony of Andrew who
said to Simon without the Messiah says Jesus
I'll change you and I'm exercising my authority
over you.
I'm claiming you as my own.
Without any apology he assumes the right to
make what he pleases of the man in
front of him because he's the Lord.
Oh my dear friends we need to get
this.
It's the Lord that stands before us.
The speaker at our missionary conference this year
made something of this.
And rightly so.
He did not dwell upon it but he
referred to it.
We do not make Jesus Lord.
I know what is meant by that.
We acknowledge him as our own Lord.
That's what is meant.
But you see you and I don't make
Jesus Lord.
He is Lord.
He always was Lord.
You don't make him Lord.
You acknowledge his Lordship.
That's all.
There's a world of difference.
He's Lord here.
And he puts his hand upon Simon and
he says Simon I'm going to change your
name because you're going to become my own
man.
And I have the power and the authority
and the ability so to do.
Simon the past is over and done with.
The future is going to be quite different.
I'm claiming you as my man.
Christ's man.
I hope this morning service will mean something
similar to some dear people here.
On this cold first Sunday morning of December
1974.
May it please the Lord of glory to
stand and look someone eye to eye.
And say to a man or a woman
a fellow or a girl look.
I'm casting the mantle of my divine authority
over you and I'll not let you be
what you've been until now.
I'm going to change your name.
And I'm going to make you mine.
Because I'm the Lord.
That's the gospel.
Now we must note two things concerning this.
There is something in the background.
There is something in the foreground.
What is in the background again is a
repetition of what we've already noted.
But we must bring it up.
In the background stands the realism of our
Lord in his understanding of Simon.
In the foreground stands the revelation of our
Lord in his understanding of himself.
His realism and his self-revelation.
One the realism he assumes in relation to
Simon.
So you are Simon.
Or as the authorized version puts it and
it's lovely here.
Thou art Simon.
Underlying those words is the claim to a
personal intimate knowledge of the man he has
only just met for the very first time.
Now you and I are in a position
to recognize something of the startling significance of
this.
We've not known each other for long.
But here is a person that's been introduced
to the Lord Jesus Christ for just a
moment.
He's just come into his presence.
He never met him before.
And after these few brief pregnant moments the
Lord Jesus says to him.
So you are.
I know you through and through.
You couldn't say that.
You couldn't say you know me like that.
I can't say I know you like that.
It's great to come to know you little
by little.
And it's enriching to meet the people who
love the Lord and serve him.
I'm delighted with it.
But you don't know me and I don't
know you like this.
And we never will.
For no human eye can penetrate into the
soul of another as the eyes of the
Lord Jesus penetrated the camouflage of Simon's life.
The point is that the prophecy and the
promise that follow these words are not made
in ignorance.
Now this is what I want to bring
out.
When Jesus goes on to say to him.
You are Simon son of Jonah.
You shall be called Cephas.
He didn't say that in ignorance of what
Simon really was.
He didn't say that in ignorance of the
facts concerning Simon.
He said that knowing all the facts.
They do not represent the optimism of someone
who has miscalculated the situation.
But the promise of one who knows everything
there is to be known.
Can I put it to you in one
sentence like this.
Our Lord does not promise the best because
he does not know the worst.
Knowing the worst he never the less promises
the highest.
His calculation is based on the most realistic
appraisal of man and he knew Simon.
Now Simon will be tempted to doubt that
over and over again.
You see we are always in the same
situation.
Haven't you gone through this?
Christian people haven't you had this kind of
temptation?
You go on in life and you come
to a point and you say oh Lord
I'm such a failure.
Haven't I been a bit of a surprise
to you?
Do you really love me still?
Did you know what you were in for
when you put your hand on me and
called me?
Haven't I been a little bit of a
surprise to you?
Are you sure you don't want to change
your mind?
Now we may not say that exactly but
we mean it.
And we have a fear that the Savior
who began the good work in us will
abandon us half way through because we are
a bit of a surprise to him.
He didn't know us.
His appraisal of us in other words was
was was inaccurate or incomplete.
Oh my good friend I want to come
to you this morning I want you to
get hold of this.
Jesus knew Simon before he set out and
before he made one promise to him.
And in the full total knowledge the realistic
appraisal of what he was and would be
he never the less said that he would
be different.
He is not a physician who promises healing
because his diagnosis is inaccurate or incomplete.
His prognosis is unequivocal.
Even though we know Simon through and through.
Let us take this to heart.
I'll put it to you in this way
as I pass from this point.
Right at that moment as they confronted one
another Jesus Christ knew that in order to
save Simon there must be a Calvary.
Simon needs a Calvary.
There must be a resurrection.
Simon needs a living Lord.
There must be an ascension.
Simon needs a reigning Lord.
There must be a Pentecost.
Simon needs an indwelling Lord.
Nothing less can save Simon.
He knew that.
You know my friend he knows all that
about you this morning and about me.
I don't care what kind of suit you
wear.
If you're a man outside of Jesus Christ
he faces you and he confronts you in
our morning service and he knows that your
sin is such without a Calvary you die.
Without a risen Lord you perish.
Without an ascended King of Kings and Lord
of Lords you die.
And without the Pentecost that brings the reigning
Lord to dwell within you, you cannot live
the Christian life.
He knows that.
And he knows that about us all.
And yet he has arranged that the good
news should be proclaimed to Jerusalem and Judea
and Samaria and to the outermost parts of
the earth.
To the Greeks and to the Barbarians.
To men everywhere in all sorts of conditions.
The good news.
Behold I bring you glad tidings of great
joy.
Why?
Because Calvary is over and done with and
the work finished.
The resurrection is a fact and needs not
be repeated.
His ascension is real.
He is enthroned at the Father's right hand
and the Spirit is given.
Ours is a full and a completed salvation.
Thou art a realistic appraisal of the man.
Now my last main thought this morning is
this.
Turn now from the Savior's realism as it
related to Simon to his revelation of himself.
To Simon and to us.
Thou shalt be called Cephas.
But you say that's not a revelation of
himself.
That's a promise of what Simon will be.
Yes yes it's true but this is the
other side of the story.
Let me put it like this.
If Jesus knew Simon's heart.
Now those of you who read the Gospels
well.
Will at this very moment be thinking of
some of the manifestations of arrogance and pride
and instability and oh what not.
That are yet to be evidenced by Simon's
life.
Now if Jesus knew all Simon's heart and
everything that was in it.
If he knew Simon's heart and soul.
Knew it's hidden tendencies and evil propensities.
Knew it's every latent mood and temper.
How can he proceed to make such an
unqualified prediction or promise as he now makes.
Because there is no qualification here.
Jesus didn't say look Simon if you then
I.
He didn't say that.
There's no if here.
Thou shalt be.
But how can he make that.
How can he say that.
Is it not somewhat precarious and dangerous.
You know he may lose his character.
He may lose his good name by making
a prophecy like this about a man like
that.
No.
This is not a precarious prophecy.
Unequivocally not and for this reason.
The Savior's prediction depended not upon what Simon
was.
But upon what he himself is.
And who he is.
The Savior's prediction doesn't depend upon Simon being
able to pass an examination that will give
him entrance into the kingdom of God when
he gets so many marks.
Simon may be the roughest and the most
rugged and the most lost of all lost
men if we may thus speak.
But it doesn't matter.
The Savior knew himself.
He knew that he was Messiah.
He knew that he was Lord.
And because he knew himself he can look
into the teeth of Simon's most terrifying expression
of evil and nevertheless promise that he will
reign in glory in a future day.
It's his knowledge of himself that enables him
to make this prophecy.
Now the reformers from John Calvin down have
been very fond of speaking of the messianic
office as embodying in one person the combined
ministries of prophet, priest and king.
Only such a conviction about himself can explain
the words of the Lord Jesus now before
us.
He is able realistically to examine and analyze
the life of Simon Peter and yet redemptively
to say to him, Simon you are going
to be different.
He is able to say it because Jesus
knows himself to be Messiah.
On any other basis Jesus is shown to
be a reckless promiser of things he cannot
fulfill or may not be able to fulfill.
That is why if we have time I
would like to talk about the liberal approach
to all this when they say that Jesus'
consciousness of Messiahship is something that evolved.
Of course they've got to write out these
early parts of the book of John, John's
gospel in order so to establish a premise
which is a false one.
No, no, no, no.
Right at the beginning Jesus knew himself and
it's only because he knew himself to be
Messiah he can say to a man like
this look man you're going to be changed.
And I'm the authoritative one who can do
it.
And the consciousness of Jesus is the consciousness
of one who is prophet, priest and king.
Take them in the obverse order.
He knows himself to be anointed king.
It's only a king that can rule over
a man like this.
Was it not written of him?
He will be great and will be called
the son of the highest.
And the Lord God will give to him
the throne of his father David and he
will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
And of his kingdom there will be no
end.
And he knew himself to be king.
King enough not to fail.
In the face of the most stubborn unyielding
praise in Simon's character.
Now if you can look ahead into the
Gospels this is what you will see.
You will see the king dealing with a
rebel now and again.
Oh a man that has been changed but
in whose hearts there are pockets of rebellion
coming up in this way manifesting itself in
that way.
But he knew himself to be king.
Right at this stage the anointed king is
speaking.
He knew himself to be the anointed priest.
Simon is a sinner.
As a sinner he is under the wrath
of God.
But Jesus Christ knew himself to be priest.
High priest after the order of Melchizedek who
would bear away the sin of Simon so
that they could no more stand between him
and God and God's purpose for him.
That's why he could speak like this.
That's why he could prophesy.
That's why he could predict.
It's not if or maybe but Simon thou
art thou shalt be.
He was the anointed prophet as well as
priest and king.
Oh my good people can I draw towards
a close by stressing this.
There's only one who can at one and
the same time be realistic and reassuring.
In a fallen world I say realistic and
face the issues of human sin and of
individual need on the one hand and then
come to us and say I've got good
news for you.
Despite the world, despite the flesh, despite the
devil, despite all the evil influences of Lord
I bring you good news.
There's only one who can be realistic and
reassuring today.
That is none other than the Son of
God.
He is the Messiah.
He is the Lord's anointed one.
Anointed of heaven to be your savior and
mine as well as Simon.
Now I'm wrapping it all up.
Can I just apply it in two or
three ways as we draw to a close.
Where do we come to?
Where do we arrive?
In the first place let us notice that
normally there will be more than one person
involved in the bringing of a sinner to
Jesus Christ.
It took let me repeat John and Andrew
to bring Simon to Jesus.
You may be one link.
Someone else may be the other.
But a question to ask is this.
Are you?
Am I being a link at all?
Notice next that there is a positive balance
here.
John's emphasis upon the harsher aspects of the
law.
What Alexander White used to call the dark
lines in the Almighty's face.
John's emphasis upon the harsher aspects of the
law and the judgment of God are counterbalanced
by Andrew's representation of love and of care.
It is not either law or love.
It is law and love.
Don't let us separate what God has united.
The law of God must be declared in
all its solemnity and in all its eternity
for eternal it is.
But so must the love of God be
canalized to the sin sick soul.
We must have an Andrew as well as
a John.
It is exceedingly important also that in our
attempts to bring men to Christ we are
even more certain of the Lord's power to
save than we are clear of the need
of the person we bring to him.
Can I say one word about that?
In recent years in theological circles the emphasis
has been almost totally upon know your man.
You must know men.
You must understand men.
Now I'm not minimizing.
I'm not taking away from the need to
understand people.
Please don't please don't misunderstand me.
But the emphasis has been almost completely in
our theological colleges on this.
You preachers and you teachers in Sunday school,
you Bible class leaders, you must know your
people.
You must be psychologically expert in this realm.
Understand people's problems.
All right.
So far.
But I tell you one thing you need
to know more.
You need to know the grace of Christ.
You need to know that he is able
to meet the need of the man before
you irrespective of the complexities of his need
which ultimately even though you be the specialist
himself you cannot fully unravel and understand.
There is only one that knows all the
depths and ramifications of sin.
There is only one that understands man through
and through.
The thing I need to know as I
look into the face of any man or
woman, boy or girl who is a sinner
is this that my God, my Savior is
able to save to the uttermost this boy,
this girl.
And my last, very last word.
However much John and Andrew could do alone,
the work can only be completed by bringing
the man to Jesus himself.
John could point behold the Lamb of God.
Andrew could say come Simon.
But ultimately, ultimately Simon can only be changed
when he's face to face with Jesus Christ.
Now my friends, I have a very urgent
message to bring to you in these closing
moments.
I want you to be Andrews.
Not so much John's sending men to Jesus
Christ.
But I want you to become with me
involved in the task of bringing men to
where Jesus is.
But where is Jesus?
Well in the first place he's at the
throne of grace.
Waiting for us to bring men in our
arms of concern and plead and pray and
ask his blessing upon the word of the
gospel.
Will you do that?
How many souls have you brought to Jesus
at the throne of grace this last month?
Sunday school teachers, Bible class leaders, heads of
families, officers in the church, my fellow ministers
and I.
Bring him to Jesus.
Bring him to Christ.
But wait a moment.
Jesus Christ is where his word is proclaimed
and where his people meet.
For he said where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I
in the midst of them.
You say what can I do?
There's nothing I can do.
I find it so difficult.
I want to tell you something you can
do by the grace of God.
Starting on the third Sunday evening in January
and then continuing on every third Sunday evening
in the month until June at least.
We are going to have a series of
guest services here in the office.
By guest services we mean this.
We are going to make it possible for
every member, every household, every friend of the
church, every adherent to go out to your
relatives that are unconverted, to your friends and
to your neighbors and to say be our
guest.
Because you're going to hear good news.
The service will be geared not to people
who come here every Sunday.
It's good to see those who come morning
and evening.
We welcome you and we're always glad to
see you and you must be here then.
But these services will be geared not to
the people who come regularly but to the
people who as yet may never have darkened
the doors of the church.
And you are going to be the Andrew
to bring them along.
They're your brothers and sisters.
They're your neighbors.
They're your friends.
You know them.
Will you pray with me that first of
all the Lord will show you who is
the first Simon that you can approach and
bring along.
And when you've prayed some time over this
then may I suggest that you make a
contact.
Say something about the Lord and His grace.
Bear some witness or other.
Hand over some decent literature or other that
speaks of Him.
Continue to pray.
And then about a fortnight or so before
the service is due, invite them for a
little tea on Sunday afternoon.
And tell them that you're inviting them to
be your guest at Knox Church on the
Sunday night and bring them along.
With your eyes not upon a man or
upon men but upon God.
And His promises that you're leaning upon and
the prayers that you've offered to Him.
Expecting that He will confront men and women
in the power of His grace and say
to Mary or Simon, I know what you
are and I know who I am.
And I'm going to change you and transform
you and save you.
Will you do that?
My friends, the times are serious.
For my part as Minister of the Word,
I have to examine myself every week as
to whether I'm toying with spiritual things.
Playing with solemnities.
And the time for playing is over.
It is gone.
But I can't reach you, your relative.
Neither can the staff of Knox.
I can't touch your friends.
Neither can the staff of Knox.
You can.
Are you concerned about their salvation?
In the name of my Lord, who came
to seek and to serve that which was
lost, I beg you this morning, set to
it now.
And in the fullness of the time, may
it please Him that all of us should
see the fruit of our labors in men
and women and boys and girls leap into
life.
Which is life indeed.
Let us pray.
Our Heavenly Father, we have been in Thy
presence, we believe.
And there are some lessons that we have
learned from Thy Word.
Some which relate to things happened yesteryear.
But there are lessons that we have also
learned about things that should happen now.
And how they may and how they ought.
Grant us the grace to implement Thy Word
to us.
Draw us to Thyself.
Help us to put ourselves actively upon the
altar and at Thy disposal.
And may the grace of the Lord Jesus
be with us as we become increasingly involved
in bringing our loved ones to Jesus.
We ask it in His name.
Amen.