We bow our heads for the word of
prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank you that again we
are found in your very presence.
We thank you that you promised us that
you will not leave us at all.
You will be with us until the end
of this age.
We thank you for your presence with us
last evening.
We thank you for your presence with us
this morning.
We thank you tonight you are with us.
We thank you.
If you are with us, you will do
the work.
You will do the speaking.
And you will realize your purpose.
And we will wait before you to see
you work.
To see you work.
And to see you finish your work.
That your heart may be satisfied.
And your name be glorified.
We commit our time to you.
We commit our heart to you.
Lord, reign over us this time.
And to you be all the glory.
We give praise.
We give thanks.
In the victorious name of Jesus.
Amen.
Before we open God's word, I'd like to
say a few words from my heart.
I'm very thankful to the Lord for what
our brother shared last evening.
I'm very thankful to what the Lord shared
through our brother this morning.
Indeed, the testimony of God and the testimony
of Jesus Christ in our testimony are inseparable.
Because God is in Christ and Christ is
in us.
And we are in Christ and Christ is
head in God.
And therefore, it's inseparable.
Whether it's God's testimony or the testimony of
the Lord Jesus Christ or our testimony is
all one testimony.
Now, in Revelation 19 verse 10, an apostle
Paul, he put it this way.
He said, the testimony of Jesus Christ is
the spirit of prophecy.
In other words, every word that's uttered by
the prophet is not just about things
and events that is all focused on a
person.
It is God's beloved Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ.
So this book is all about God's beloved
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
This book is also about the Godfather of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
This book is also about the people that
belong to Jesus Christ in God.
So these three areas are inseparable.
And they are one.
Now this evening, I'd like to share with
you from the book of John about the
testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But before we read those verses I want
to share with you tonight, I'd like to
share with you a little background about this
gospel of John written by Apostle John.
Why the Holy Spirit prompted or moved John
to read this gospel?
Now we all know John the Apostle, he
lived the longest of all the apostles.
He lived to about 100 years old.
He had a long walk with the Lord.
He knew the Lord personally and very intimately.
He was one who leaned on the Lord's
bosom.
He called himself disciple whom Jesus loved.
Now we are told the Gospel of John
was the last book in the Old Testament
that was written.
The last book written by John the Apostle
Now before he wrote the Gospel of John,
he also wrote the Epistle.
He also wrote the Revelation.
But the last book he wrote is the
Book of the Gospel.
And that's the reason why the Lord moved
him to write this gospel at his mature
age, when he's in his maturity.
So he was very mature in the Lord.
He knew the Lord very, very well.
And through the years he witnessed how the
Lord worked.
Now as he looked back through the years
as he looked back through the years and
he witnessed what transpired and then
because of what had transpired the Holy Spirit
moved him to write this gospel.
Now the condition of God's people in John's
day were not all that very good.
Because at the end of his age there's
departure.
There's spiritual decline.
So at the end of John's life the
churches were not what it was once upon
a time in the beginning.
And so John in his epistle particularly the
fifth epistle the end of chapter five he
said, Little children keep yourselves from idols.
Now it's very unusual for one to finish
a test or letter with such a phrase.
He ended his epistle with a real warning.
He said, Little children keep yourselves from idols.
Now it is a warning because it's very
easy for us to fall into adultery.
And in fact many of the saints in
that day in his days had already fallen
into adultery.
Foreign elements came in.
So the testimony of Lord Jesus was polluted.
It was not as pure as it was
at the beginning.
So if we go to the book of
Revelation first chapter we saw the Lord Jesus
as a son of man.
He was walking in the midst of the
lampstand and he was looking for himself.
Then when we come to chapter two of
Revelation we have what John wrote to all
the seven churches in Asia.
And almost every church that we find in
Revelation two and three there's something the Lord
was not pleased with.
He was looking for himself but he could
not find himself in his people.
And even to the church in Philadelphia and
there was even a warning there is that
keep what you have and so that no
one may take away your crown.
Even something that we have possessed eventually if
we are not careful we can lose it.
Now it's a warning because the adversary is
out there.
He's out to destroy out to kill God's
testimony.
And therefore it's costly very costly to maintain
his testimony.
Now when we come to the last church
church later this year we discover it's a
very sad very sorry state.
The Lord was outside of his own church.
He was locking the door he wished to
come in.
But he was set up.
Man became the ghost.
And the Lord he's just mere guest.
So when we need him we open the
door and we allow him to come in.
Because we need him.
So when we don't need him we can
do without him we put him outside of
our door.
Now Pauline says is that true in a
lot of those gatherings?
Is that true with our own condition?
Instead of Christ center we become man center.
And it's Christ center it becomes our need
center.
Everything is revolving around us or me.
And the centrality of the Lord Jesus is
no longer there.
Because if the ark is there where is
the testament of the Lord Jesus?
If the ark is not there where is
the testament of the Lord Jesus?
Because the ark is a type of Lord
Jesus.
So Pauline says we have to search our
ark and our gatherings locally.
What is the center what is the main
attraction for us to meet together?
Is the Lord himself or something other than
the Lord himself?
Now because of the declension spiritual decline in
John's day and the Holy Spirit moved John
to write the gospel when there is departure
when there is pollution when the church is
not in pure state where the Lord cannot
be comfortable with his people he is treated
more or less like a guest.
He is the right true boss but he
was treated like a guest.
Now when God the Father who loves his
son so much when he saw that kind
of condition then he reacts he will react
so Pauline says John's gospel is a reaction
of God and he reacted in a very
positive way he wants to bring us back
to the beginning he wants to bring us
to the original he wants to have a
new and fresh look of who Christ Jesus
is so without Jesus Christ what is
there?
what is there for us?
and therefore John was moved to bring Christ
back to his rightful place and so he
begins with the Word and this Word in
the beginning was the Word now we all
know that this beginning is not the beginning
of time this is the beginning before there
was time so it brings us to what
was in God's time so we see John's
gospel is a gospel about the testimony of
God's beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ now
I think we should be very clear with
that Gospel of John was written for a
very specific purpose because of our departure from
God's original thought and mind for his people
God's purpose cannot be changed remain the same
he wants to bring us back to his
original purpose when we come back to his
original purpose God can begin to do his
work now we can look at some of
the scriptural verses so we turn to Gospel
of John chapter 1 I
hope you don't mind we will read some
pauses from the Gospel of John I think
it will help our young people to familiarize
with this gospel and not only for the
young people but also for myself I need
it chapter 1 of the Gospel of John
we will read verse 1 we will read
verse 1 to 8 in the beginning was
the Word and the Word was with God
and the Word was God he was in
the beginning with God in the beginning was
the Word and the Word was God he
was in the beginning with God all things
were made through him and without him nothing
was made that was made in him was
light and the light was the light of
man and the light shined in darkness and
the darkness did not comprehend it there
was a man sent from God whose name
was John this man came for a witness
to bear witness of the light that all
through him might believe this man came for
a witness of the light that all through
him might believe He was not that light,
but was sent to bear witness of that
light.
And let's go to verse 14.
Verse 14 to verse 18.
And the Word became flesh, brought among us,
and we beheld His glory.
The glory of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness of Him, and cried out,
saying, This was He of whom I said,
He who comes after me is preferred before
me, for He was before me.
And of His fullness, we have all received
graceful grace.
For the law was given through Moses, but
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
For the law was given through Moses, but
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
No one has seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Let's turn to verse 11.
Let's read from verse 11 to verse 13.
Now you know, this is the conversation our
Lord had with Nicodemus.
Very, very, very late, or as surely as
surely, I say to you, we speak what
we know, and testify what we have seen.
And you do not receive our testimony.
I say to you, we speak what we
know, and testify what we have seen.
And you do not receive our testimony.
I have told you earthly things, and you
do not believe.
If I tell you heavenly things, how can
you believe?
But He who came down from heaven, that
is the Son of Man, who is in
heaven.
And we will now go to verse 30,
chapter 3 of John's Gospel.
Now, verse 30, John says, He must increase,
but I must decrease.
Now, G.
Campbell Morgan told us that this verse was
the last utterance of John the Baptist.
These are his last words.
When he said these two words, he faded
away.
And the Lord Jesus came to interview him.
One, out of the way.
One, was stolen.
And so from verse 31, we have the
welcoming of the new man.
Now, before John said, He must increase, I
must decrease, there is a history behind that
utterance.
Now, before John said, He must increase, I
must decrease, there is a history behind that
utterance.
We know that in Jerusalem, there was an
investigator who investigated who Jesus was.
Because he was drawing a large following.
And the religious hierarchy, they were just curious,
just who was this man?
Could this be the Christ they were waiting
for?
And you remember John's reply to the committee
that was sent to inquire about him?
And you recognize that every time John uttered
something, he got himself smaller and smaller and
smaller.
Now, you remember he first said, I confess,
I do not deny, I am not the
Christ.
Now, you remember he first said, I confess,
I do not deny, I am not the
Christ.
And then he said, Are you Elijah?
He said, I am not.
He said, Are you one of the prophets?
He said, No.
Then he said, I am but a voice
crying out in the wilderness.
But at the end he said, He must
increase, I must decrease.
So you notice in John's ministry, he did
not get bigger and bigger and bigger.
His ministry is getting him smaller and smaller
and smaller.
To make room for the I Am to
come.
Because in the Gospel of John, we have
the seven great I Am.
So in the light, in the presence of
that great I Am, what can John do?
But he said, He must increase, I must
decrease.
So Brother and Sister, that was John's ministry.
Not to make himself bigger, but to make
himself smaller.
And when he's making himself smaller, he's making
Christ bigger and bigger.
Now, let's read on from verse 31.
He who comes from above is above all.
He who is of the earth is earthly
and speaks of the earth.
He who comes from heaven is above all.
And what he has seen and heard, that
he testifies, and no one receives his testimony.
He who receives his testimony has certified that
God is true.
Now, Brother and Sister, verse 32.
What he has seen, what he has heard,
he testifies, and no one receives his testimony.
What he has seen, what he has heard,
he testifies, and no one receives his testimony.
What is from above is very foreign to
us.
We are going to touch it just a
little bit.
Because the natural man has no way, he
has no way to know everything.
The spiritual thing is foolishness to the natural
man.
In Matthew 11, there's one verse.
It says, no one knows the Father but
the Son.
No one knows the Son but the Father.
Unless the Son wills to reveal Him.
So, Brother and Sister, unless we have revelation,
there's no way we can understand the spiritual
thing.
Now, we find that at the very outset
of John's Gospel.
You remember, John said, he came to his
own way, with his own mind.
We remember he said, he came to his
place, his place did not welcome him.
Because immediately when he came, there was a
rejection.
Because this world is not friendly to the
testimony of the Lord Jesus.
When he came, there was rejection.
He was not welcome.
But there were those who received.
As many as received him, he gave them
the right to become God's children.
When he came, their very, very true hearts
were prepared to respond or to receive him.
So, Brother and Sister, we see that when
he came, there were very few who were
prepared to receive him.
This is what we call the heart of
God's Father.
He sent his Son into this world.
This world was made by him.
It belongs to him.
But we rejected him.
Now brothers and sisters, to know the Lord
Jesus Christ is a mighty miracle.
It is the greatest miracle of this whole
universe.
The greatest miracle is that we can know
God.
We can know God through his Son Jesus
Christ.
Because knowing him is life.
Knowing him is everything.
Now this is the gospel job.
Now we have departed.
We have to come to a fresh knowledge
of who Jesus Christ is.
Now let's read a couple more verses, then
we'll continue.
Because our time will just wait a few
more verses.
Let's turn to John chapter 20.
These two last passages, John shows us why
he wrote this gospel.
John chapter 20 verses 30 and 31.
And truly Jesus did many other signs in
the presence of his disciples which are not
written in this book.
But these are written.
You may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God.
In that believing, you may have life in
his name.
And let's turn to chapter 1.
And read the last two verses.
24 and 25.
Now let's turn to John chapter 21.
This is the disciple who testified these things
and wrote these things.
But we know that his testimony is true.
And there are also many other things that
Jesus did, which if they were written one
by one, I suppose that even the world
itself could not contain the book that would
be written on it.
And I think we should read just one
more verse.
Let's turn to the book of Hebrews.
Chapter 11.
The chapter 11.
of faith.
This is in verse 6, Hebrews 11.6.
But without faith, it is impossible to please
him.
For he who comes to God must believe
that he is, and that he is the
rewarder of all those who diligently seek him.
Now, this verse is a very important verse.
Because it gives us the key of the
secret to how one may
please God.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
It is a black and white statement.
There is no gray area.
Without faith, there is no way.
It is impossible to please God.
But, he who comes, he who seeks him,
diligently, he will be rewarded.
Now, I have been meditating this past few
months.
You know, I was given the responsibility to
share on the testimony of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
And I thank the Lord for giving me
enough time, just to wait before him, and
to meditate some of these important passages we
find in the scriptures.
Now, because this word, faith, is a very
key word in the gospel of John.
Now, if you count them, or you can
go through the concordance, it is mentioned 98
times.
Now, this gospel is the gospel to the
church.
I'm sorry, this gospel is the gospel to
the church.
We don't just preach gospel.
We need gospel.
We need the gospel.
The church needs the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
You know why it is 98 times mentioned
at the end of this word, belief?
Because it's possible to get so used to
faith, that the belief, the impact of that
faith, is weakened.
Because we are so used to some of
the terms.
We are used to some of our practices.
Yeah, so we quote scriptures.
We say we believe.
But do we really believe?
Belief is really an encounter with God himself.
It's always God's word.
Because when God is believed, God is pleased.
There is a connection there.
So if we believe there is something coming
from God, that he is pleased.
Now, when you really believe, it's because you
diligently want to know if it's true.
But faith is not cheap.
The way we treat faith, that is something
very cheap.
Faith is God's word.
That word, we wait until there is a
contact.
We will not give up until there is
a contact.
Because God is.
He cannot deny himself.
Those who wait before him, surely they will
find him.
Now the waiting on his part is simply
testing our faith, whether it is genuine faith
or not genuine faith.
Because if it comes easy, then faith has
no real value.
So there is seeking him diligently.
And your faith will be rewarded.
So I'm here thinking, what is this reward
after we seek him diligently?
What do you think, brothers and sisters?
So immediately, somehow, the Lord clicked in my
spirit.
Do you remember in Genesis 15-1?
Do you remember Abraham is called the father
of faith?
That Abraham was a friend of God?
And how they communed with each other?
Later on, in Genesis 18, and when the
Lord came with two of his angels, and
the moment they approached Abraham, Abraham immediately recognized
one of them is God.
So faith somehow enabled Abraham to recognize who
God is.
And so God appeared to Abraham.
He said, Abraham, do not be afraid.
I am your shield and your exceedingly great
reward.
So what is this?
He is his objective truth.
But through faith, through opinion, through opinion, we
take him as he is.
Then he becomes the I am to me
and you.
He is.
But by faith, he wants to be the
I am, and you, and me.
So what is the testimony of the Lord
Jesus Christ?
It's not you and me.
It's who he is.
And when he comes into us, he becomes
the I am in us.
That is the testimony.
And that's why in the Gospel of John
we have the seven great I am.
Because those seven I am's are the testimony
of who he is.
And he wants to be the I am
in us individually.
He wants to be the I am in
the church.
Now I'll give you an illustration.
You know Moses.
We know Moses in chapter three of the
book of Exodus.
Now the Lord wanted him to go to
Egypt to deliver his people Israelites out of
Egypt.
And he was arguing with the Lord.
And the Lord prevailed.
He said to the Lord.
He said when I go to the Israelites
and tell them that you sent me to
deliver them out of Egypt.
If they ask you what is your name,
what should I say to them?
Now we are all the pagan gods they
have named.
All the pagan gods they have named.
They call this, this name.
They call that, that name.
And also all the pagan gods they are
only capable of doing one small thing.
So you have to have many gods.
For them to do all the things you
want them to do for you.
So you go to this god for this
thing.
You go to that god for that thing.
And you go to the other god for
something else.
And it keeps you very very busy.
And in the end you get nothing.
But our God is simply the I am.
He wants to be your all.
Anything you want, He is the I am.
Now anything is not what we want.
It is what He thinks we want.
Because He knows our true needs.
We don't know our true needs.
We deceive ourselves.
We fool ourselves.
Only He knows our true needs.
And He wants to come to meet our
true needs.
So He told Moses, I am that I
am.
And the Lord said, this name of mine
you must remember through all your generations.
In other words, as my people, you cannot
live without me.
If I am not in your midst, you
are finished.
But if I am in your midst, you
have no lack of anything.
You will be satisfied.
Because I am.
Now that was true with the Israelites.
And so in chapter 33 of the book
of Exodus.
Now you know the event behind chapter 33
of the book of Exodus.
Because they sinned against God.
And God was angry with them.
God said, I will not go with you.
I will send an angel to go with
you.
God said, if I go with you, I
will destroy you.
Because I am holy, you are sinful.
If I go with you, I will destroy
you.
But Moses knew that God is full of
compassion.
God is full of forgiveness.
And God's purpose is into a twine with
his people.
So Moses, who knew God very well.
Because God's purpose for delivering out of Egypt
is to bring him into Canaan.
And Moses knew, we may fail as his
people, but God can never fail.
So he hold on to God's faithfulness.
And it says, God was drawing Moses out.
Because all along, God wanted to draw Moses
out.
So God wanted to take his people into
Canaan.
But God wanted to draw the people out,
so that their faith will be utterly on
him.
And so Moses said, unless your presence go
with us, don't bring us forward.
And the Lord promised to accompany his people
into Canaan.
So Moses said, if your presence does not
go with us, do not take us up.
In other words, Moses said, Lord, I want
you, the I Am, to be with us.
In other words, Moses said, Lord, I want
you, the I Am, to be with us.
And we can see the whole history of
their wilderness journey.
They failed many times.
But I Am remains the same.
The tale of cloud, the tale of fire
will always be there.
Manna never fails.
And that rock, all of them, first strengthened
10,000 years ago.
That is Christ.
So all, so we can see the presence,
the I Am was with the Israelites.
Now that is a picture, Israelites is a
picture of the church in the wilderness.
And how the Lord can get us through
the wilderness, the same God can get us
through on this journey that we are in.
Now, let's pause for a moment to share
what is God's testament, or testament to Christ
according to the Gospel of John.
Now, if you read the Gospel of John,
we can see quite clearly, the testament of
Jesus Christ is Christ himself.
He himself is the testament.
Now, for those who do not know, are
interested in this word, testimony, or testifying, there
are 47 mentions in the Gospel of John.
In all John's writings, including the Epistle and
Revelation, there are 77 mentions of that word.
Now, the testimony of Jesus Christ is also
linked with glory.
Because when there is a fullness of the
testimony of Jesus Christ, God's glory is there.
So that glory is mentioned about 42 times
in the Gospel of John.
And there is another word that is very
important.
There is another word that is also very
important.
It is truly, truly, or verily, verily.
Now, that is a very, very important word
in the Gospel of John.
When the Lord uses verily, verily, He is
saying something very, very important.
Now, truly, truly, or verily, means Amen, Amen.
God is God of Amen.
What He says is true.
He himself is the truth.
So when He says verily, verily, He wants
you to pay special attention.
So this verily, if you take them apart,
mentions 50 times.
50 times.
If you put them together, then it's 25
times.
25 times.
Verily, verily, verily, all together 50 times.
But if you put them verily, together in
pair, it's 25 times.
You understand now?
So whenever you read these two words, put
together, verily, verily, the Lord is saying something
very important.
Now, let me just repeat.
The testimony of Jesus Christ according to John's
Gospel.
The testimony of Jesus Christ according to John's
Gospel.
This testimony of Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ
himself.
He himself is the testimony.
He is who He is.
He is what He is.
He is who He claims to be.
So His Word is just as good as
Himself.
So His Word is Himself.
So in the beginning was the Word.
The Word was with God, the Word was
God.
So you cannot separate His Word in the
person, Jesus Christ.
You cannot separate His Work with the person.
Because He Himself is God's Work.
He Himself is God's Word.
Now, let me just give you a few
examples.
Can we turn to Gospel of John, Chapter
4?
His encounter with a Samaritan woman is very
remarkable.
Sometimes I envy this Samaritan woman.
She seems to have a very thorough knowledge
of who Christ is.
Somehow she seems to have a better knowledge
of who Christ is than some of the
disciples.
Because through her Christ fully revealed Himself.
And somehow she caught on.
But sometimes the disciples with the Lord for
so long, they did not caught on.
But this woman caught on.
Now, should we look at Verse 10 of
Chapter 4 of the Gospel of John?
These are the words of the Lord Jesus.
Jesus answered and said to her, If you
knew the gift of God and who it
is who says to you, give me a
drink.
You would have asked Him and He would
have given you living water.
You would have asked Him and He would
have given you living water.
Now let's go to Verse 13.
The Lord answered again to this Samaritan woman,
Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again.
Now referring to the physical well.
In Verse 14, But whoever drinks of the
water that I shall give him will never
thirst.
But the water that I shall give him
will become in him as a function of
water springing up into everlasting life.
Jesus answered to this Samaritan woman, Whoever drinks
of this water will thirst again.
This water refers to the physical well.
In Verse 14, Whoever drinks of the water
that I shall give him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him
will become in him as a function of
water springing up into everlasting life.
Now brothers, we see the connection between water
and the Lord Himself.
The Lord does not give this Samaritan woman
a thing called water.
He is giving of Himself.
He said if you know the gift of
God, and who is talking to you, and
you will ask Him, and you will give,
and He gives Himself.
That's why He came forth.
For God so loved, He gave His Son.
And the Son came so He may give
Himself to us.
Now we find that truth with the living
bread in Chapter 6 of the Gospel of
John.
The Lord did not come just to give
us a thing called bread.
He said I am that living bread.
I am.
I am giving Myself to you as the
living bread.
And He even said He is giving Himself.
He does not give us a life.
He is life.
He and us becomes our life.
We have to see that.
Now we just wait.
We behold His glory.
And then He slowly comes to us in
the form full of grace and truth.
And John said of Him we will receive
grace upon grace.
Grace is not a thing.
Grace is a person.
He is a person.
He is full of grace.
He is full of truth.
Now for us, unfortunately we are not very
conscious of that.
Because we are living in this physical material
world.
We relate to everything as things.
Because if you are not careful God becomes
a thing to us.
So sometimes we pray I need grace.
I need grace.
But strictly speaking what we need is a
law.
I need more of you.
If you have more of you then I
will have more grace.
Because grace is not a thing.
Grace is a person.
Because He Himself is full of grace.
If we have Him we have grace.
If we have Him we have truth.
Everything is from Him.
Truth is the He is.
By grace we can appropriate Him.
By grace we appropriate Him.
Through faith we appropriate what is in Him.
Then He can become the I am.
Therefore He is my life.
He is my light.
He is my food.
He is my way.
He is my strength.
He is my hope.
And that's God's desire to make Christ all
in all.
Because from grace we move to grace.
Everything is grace.
Everything is in Christ.
Apart from Christ there is nothing.
So everything is grace.
And why grace?
Now this evening I just want to share
a couple more things.
Because of the departure decline of God's people
in John's day.
Besides the seven I am besides all these
seven I am there are many other hidden
I am.
They are very very significant.
So don't overlook some of those hidden I
am.
Tonight I will just mention one.
Now shall we turn to John's gospel chapter
one.
Verse 51.
Now this to me the key to the
whole gospel.
If we catch this verse we have the
whole gospel.
And also this word that we find in
this particular verse is to Nathaniel.
And the Lord only spoke to Nathaniel this
one time.
Now we are told Nathaniel was not one
of those three disciples that are in the
inner circle with the Lord Jesus.
So Nathaniel represents all of us.
Because spiritually we are not very special.
And the Lord spoke to Nathaniel only this
one.
But this one opened up the whole heaven
to us.
If we catch this verse we have everything.
Let's read that.
And the Lord said to him verily verily
I say unto you and some versions say
most surely and some versions earnestly I am
telling you.
Very very strong very impacted.
I say to you Hereafter you shall see
heaven open and the angels of God ascending
and descending upon the Son of Man.
Now the Lord was pleading with us.
Pleading.
That we pay very close attention to what
he said to us.
Because it is something very important.
If we miss it we miss everything.
He said truly truly I say unto you
It is a fact.
It is a reality.
It is so.
Amen.
It is so.
That's right.
You will see heaven open and the angels
of God are ascending and descending upon the
Son of Man.
Now this Son of Man is the I
Am.
It's He.
Now brothers and sisters it opens up.
All the activities of God we can see
now are all centered in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Apart from Christ God has no work.
Apart from Christ God has no other purpose.
Apart from Christ there is no other calling.
Apart from Christ there is no redemption.
Apart from Christ there is no church.
Apart from Christ there is nothing.
All the activities of God are now centered
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is our open heaven.
What can never come down from heaven is
now available to us.
He brings heaven to us.
He brings to us what we don't have
down here.
So brothers and sisters that's why we need
to be born again.
Why do we get this new birth?
It's not earthly.
It's not of blood.
It's not of flesh.
It's not of the real man.
By God born us.
He took initiative from above.
It's our new birth from above.
Do we have the experience that we have
been born from above?
Our new birth is from above.
Our life is from above.
And with this life we can see spiritual
reality.
And that's why there is the light comes
after night.
Because if it comes to light with our
natural self we will be slaughtered.
Because God is holy.
His righteousness and we are sinners.
How shall we approach Him?
And the reason why we can be in
the light is because of the new life
that's given to us.
As one father said once we've been born
from above heavenly light breaks in and
dispels all darkness.
And so His light is a light in
His life there is light.
So the light is a product of this
new life we have.
This new sight that we have is given
to us from above.
It's not a restoration of a sight that
we had before.
It is just like chapter 9 that one
was born blind but he was given a
new sight.
So everything he sees he sees it for
the very first time.
It's brand new to him.
Now that should be our spiritual condition.
Yeah, I believe this time this conference everything
we heard I would say is new to
me.
Maybe old.
But it's also to be new to us.
Now I just want to share a few
more words about Richmond Conference which is two
weeks ago.
Now, it's about re-digging the well.
Because the well the Abraham dug in his
day when he died the Philistines came and
they filled those wells with dirt.
So all the springs fresh, pure water are
now buried under the dirt.
The origin remained the same but there was
none that can spring forth because it's all
filled with dirt.
Now, to recover the fresh water that's at
the bottom of the well we need to
re-dig the well again.
But the test methodologies is himself.
Where today can we find such a test
method?
It's very hard searching.
Where can God find people that are truly
longing for him to restore his testimony in
our midst?
The reason why we do not cry out
to them is because we are comfortable with
what we have now.
We are comfortable and we thank God his
presence is with us.
We thank God his presence is with us.
But what is the measure of that presence?
Is it just life or is there we
find abundance?
It's the fullness of him who dwells.
It's the fullness of Godhead dwelling in him.
It's the fullness of Christ.
Because all the fullness of Godhead dwells bodily
in Jesus Christ.
And we are called to express that fullness.
Our sisters call us we have life but
it's absent the fullness of his life.
Without his fullness he will not be satisfied.
If he is not satisfied we shall not
satisfy either.
We heard our brothers say God's standard is
Christ himself.
Only that which measure up to him that
is a testimony of Jesus Christ.
So brothers it's very hard searching.
God is up to fullness.
We have life but do we have the
fullness of his life?
The last few minutes I want to share
I feel very important.
John chapter one through chapter nine we witness
the Lord's dealing with two individuals.
For example his conversation with Nicodemus it was
one to one encounter.
Of course Nicodemus represents the religious system of
his days.
But basically he is a person.
Then we have the single Samaritan woman who
had an encounter with Lord Jesus.
In chapter five we have the first encounter
with Lord Jesus with a man who was
crippled for thirty eight years.
Then chapter nine we have the man who
was born blind.
Now all these individual characters they speak about
individual spiritual conditions.
It also speaks the Lord's interest in the
individual.
He takes an interest with each one of
us.
He comes to you personally.
He will reveal himself to you personally.
He does not want you to hide among
the crowd.
He will seek you out.
Some of the men who were lying there
for thirty eight years.
The Lord came and he singled him out.
No matter what kind of condition we are
in personally, his interest in us personally.
But that's not the end.
He is gathering individuals.
He is gathering all these parts.
Then from chapter ten onwards the Lord turned
from individual into something called.
Because from chapter ten onwards the Lord is
at the fullness in his people.
Because the testimony of Jesus is the fullness
of Christ.
And that fullness requires a vessel to express
it.
Every individual, each individual, no matter how spiritual,
you are but a very limited vessel or
member of the body.
No individual can express the fullness of Christ.
No small group, no group can express the
fullness of Christ either.
And so chapter ten he's putting all these
parts together.
Now they can become one.
It's because they share one life.
They are one because of the one life
they all share.
So the Lord talked about sheep.
He also mentioned about foal.
He also talked about the one flock.
He also spoke about the great shepherd.
He also spoke about that he came to
give life, to give life more abundantly.
He also said, I'm that door.
If we go through that door, we find
our great shepherd.
Now but that door, there's only one door,
singular.
But foal is plural.
So there's a foal of Jewish foal.
And there's a Gentile foal.
And then among the Gentiles, there's a sub
foal.
So the Americans, they have American foal.
And so the Chinese, we have the Chinese
foal.
And so the Taiwanese, they have the Taiwanese
foal.
And in the end, they have the Indian
foal.
In the fold, God's testimony is very much
limited.
One brother, he puts this in.
He said, the foal represents the Lord.
Law, law, law, law, law, law.
That's right.
And the flock represents grace.
The law was given through Moses.
But the grace came through what?
Jesus Christ.
Where can you find grace?
In Jesus Christ.
Why do you find restriction, limitation, legalism?
It's in the fold.
Because in the fold, yes, you hear God's
voice.
But he cannot speak freely to us.
He cannot speak freely to us.
Because he's limited by us.
So in the fold, you hear his voice.
But also, you just hear man's voice.
You also hear man's voice.
So you hear God's voice plus man's voice.
But if you come out of the fold,
go through the door, the narrow door, in
that narrow way, there we find our one
great shepherd.
That's grace.
He is the great shepherd.
He is the great shepherd of the one
flock.
The reason why he is called the great
shepherd is because all good things come from
him.
All in him.
It's the one brother puts it this way.
It's when we come to him and make
him our rightful shepherd.