Don't take my word for it.
Don’t Take My Word For It!!!
John 1:35-46
There is a proverb or wise saying that goes, “give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and not only will he eat, but he can feed his whole family.” There is a truth in that saying. But what does it have to do with the people of God? Far to often we want to be feed, but we don’t want to do the cooking. Far to often we want to be taught but we don’t want to do the teaching. Far to often we take the word of just about anybody that comes along with a sad enough story to tell or an honest enough looking face with out checking it out for ourselves.
What do I mean? When you watch the TV evangelist, Joyce Meyer, Dr. RWF, Rev. William Jasper, and TD. Jakes and the likes. How many times do you go and get your bible to follow along or do you just take their word for it? How often after the preacher done said amen do you go over the text for yourself when you get home. The bible says we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. The only way we can do that is by opening the bible for ourselves. Don’t take my word for it read 2nd Timothy 2:15. Sometimes we take the word of folks just because somebody called them Dr. this or that, or just because they name end with PhD, or MBA. This is not to say that they are not creditable, but what about when you are along and Dr. PhD isn’t there when you need strength for your trial, courage for your fears. What do you do then? If moma never taught you how to cook, and the restaurant is closed you will starve to death. My point is this; don’t be so quick to take the word of every body that comes along. Is there biblical support to this statement? Yes!
TEXT
Our text today is a call of faith. A challenge for obedience. A cry for action on our part. In this text John uses a lot of action words. Notice John, he looked and beheld. The two disciples they heard and followed. Jesus turned and commanded. But don’t take my word for it. The disciples inquired and Jesus responded, “come and see.” The disciples came, saw and stayed. Action words. After spending time in the presence of the Lord Andrew was moved to action, he hurried off to find his brother, one Simon sir named Peter. So the question here is where is your brother?
Every Sunday you are here in the presence of the Lord, and if you believe that Jesus is the messiah, go get your brother. And if he wont take your word for it, Jesus himself is every present for the text says Jesus found Philip, and Philip responded in obedience. Look at Philip running like he just found a lost treasure, running to find his brother Nathaniel. Nathaniel was like many of us today, full of doubt. And we must be careful when we witness to that doubting soul, careful not to argue or fuss about what the scripture says. Our duty is simply to do what Philip did, Philip told him they had found the messiah, and Nathaniel doubted. So Philip simply echoed the words that Jesus himself utter to Andrew and the other disciple, “Come and see.” When you come in search of the Lord for yourself, God will reveal himself to you in ways you never imagine, For He will abide with you. He will give you a new name. He will be your personal friend. He will remove all your doubt. But don’t take my word for it; let’s look at the text.
Verse 35-39
1) The Lord wants to abide or stay with you. John the Baptist had shown the Savior to his disciples, for as he gazed or studies Jesus, John said, “Behold the lamb of God.” And the disciples who had been longing for the Savior and listening to the message of John, John the one crying in the wilderness, John whom they trusted. When John pointed the way to the Savior the disciples left following the one preparing the way to follow the one who is the way, the truth and the light. But don’t take my word for it. Now there may be somebody here today who has been longing and search for Jesus. We stop by today to let you know that today salvation has come to you.
You say you got problems that you just can’t solve, Behold the Lamb of God. You say you are tired of carrying your burdens from day to day and week to week, Behold the Lamb of God. You say you are tired of living a life of sin, pressed down and bend over by the weight of it, Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Somebody you trust, mother, father or a faithful friend has been pointing you to Jesus for years, but you won’t take his or her word for it. How long must they cry behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world? How long before you come to Jesus for yourself? How long before you let him take up residence in your heart?
Jesus said if you abide in me and my word abides in you, you can ask what you will and according to the will of God it will be done unto you. But don’t take my word for it. Ask Samson, as long as Samson stayed in the will of God, he was able to do great things. Killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. But when he went his own way, when he did his own thing, when he would not see with his spiritual eye any longer the enemy came in like a flood and put out his physical eyes as well. Jesus did not force the disciples to follow him and he won’t force you either, but I can hear the Lord saying, “Whosoever will, let him come.” But don’t take my word for it. Read it in Revelation 22:17. “The spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. Let him that is a thirst, come. And whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely.”
Verses 40-42
2) Not only does the Lord want to abide with you, but he want to give you a new name. God knew what your name would be before you was even born. Jeremiah 1:5 prove it. For the Lord told Jeremiah, “before I formed you in the belly I knew you.” It does not matter what name folks have called you in the past, God has a new name for you. You see Folks will give you a name based on your character, based on your actions. You may be a thief to somebody, or a liar to somebody else. Your wife may call you lazy or you may call her trifling. But God has a new name he wants to give you. Before a butterfly becomes a butterfly, he is a caterpillar, ugly to look at and creepy to the touch. But when he puts off the shell that has him bound, every child want to play with him, every adult marvel at him.
The bible says if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old thing have passed away, and when you come to Jesus, the name you have now won’t fix the person you will become. God want to give you a name that is written in the lamb’s book of life. But don’t take my word for it, ask Saul. Saul did all he could to destroy the name of Jesus and those that walked in the way. But one day he came in contact with a man named Jesus. Saul had a little talk with Jesus, and when Saul humbled himself under the might hand of God, the Lord change his name from Saul the sinner, to Paul the preacher. But don’t take my word for it. Jesus is on the main line; just tell him what you want. Ask Jacob whose name was changed to Israel after a night of wrestling with an angel of the Lord. One day somebody told me about a man named Jesus, but I wouldn’t take their word for it, I was stubborn like Saul I was crafty like Jacob, but one day I met the Lord for myself, and I don’t know if you know it or not, but at the name of Jesus every knee must bow, but don’t take my word for it, try him for yourself.
Verses 43 & 44
3) Not only will he abide with you and give you a new name, but also he will be a personal friend no matter where you are from. Here in these verses we see how the Lord makes a personal connection with a man from a town that was not well respected, a town where the people did not receive the word of God with favor. For it’s recorded in Matthew chapter 11:21 that Jesus pronounced judgment on this city for their lack of faith in the might works that God had done in their presence. Bethsaida a name meaning house of fish, the home of Andrew, Peter and now we see the home of Philip. And when Jesus met Philip, he didn’t ask him where he was from or what his parents did for a living, but he simply said follow me. Again God is calling for an obedient people.
The bible clearly illustrates that Philip obeyed. Somebody may have told you that you are from the wrong side of the tracks, your clothes are not good enough, you don’t have enough money or you don’t speak well enough to be used by God. But we stopped by to let you know that God is no respecter of person. God is not concerned about the outward appearance of a person; God is concern about our heart, our actions, the inner man. For the bible says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raise him from the dead, you shall be saved.
The Lord is speaking to somebody today. Hus-s-s-sh, softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling to you and to me. But don’t take my word for it ask Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a corrupt tax collector who had spent all his adult life cheating folks. The poor and the rich despised him. But one day Jesus was passing by, Zacchaeus got in a hurry to see this man that spoke like a teacher man and fed like a grocery man. And even though Zacchaeus was high up the social ladder, he still had to climb higher to see the Lord. When Zacchaeus opened his heart to God salvation came into his house. Look at my God abiding with a sinner. But that is exactly who the Lord came to seek and to save.
It does not matter how much you have cheated, lied, stole. It does not matter how many drugs you have take, how much alcohol you have drank, or how unfaithful you have been. It does not matter how low folks have told you are, Just as God was able to call Zacchaeus from on high, he is able to reach way down and pick you up. But don’t take my word for it. Read it for yourself. If you search the scripture for yourself; you will find recorded in Hebrews 7:25, “That he is able to save to the uttermost anybody that comes to him in the name of Jesus.”
Verses 45 & 46
4) The last point we want to leave with you is this. When we abide with the Lord and he gives us a new name and becomes personal with us. But that is not the end of the story, God want to use us in the lives of those who doubt that he is. Andrew led Simon peter to Christ. Andrew brought the lad with five barley loaves and two fish to Christ. Philip took the gospel to Samaria and to a eunuch. Andrew and Philip introduced some Greeks to the Savior. And even though Nathaniel doubted if any good thing could come out of Nazareth, this did not stop Philip from testifying about the one who had called him out of darkness into the marvelous light. After receiving the saving grace of God, Philip stepped out on faith, ran in obedience to find his brother Nathaniel. So the question of the day is this, for those of you who claim you walk with the Lord, for those of you who say the Lord is my shepherd, how far are you will to run to tell somebody about the love of Christ, how much persecution are you willing to suffer to be called a child of the king? Who have you presented Christ to this year?
The Lord did not save you to be a bedside Baptist, but a bold solider in the army of the Lord. The bible tells us that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind. God has promised that he will never leave us nor forsake us, if we would only continue to hold up the blood stained banner. But don’t take my word for it; ask Daniel, or Shadrach, Meshach or Abed-nego. When we allow the light of God to shine in our lives we can point even the coldest doubter to the Lord, and in God’s good time he will give the increase. But don’t take my word for it. Ask the disciple named Thomas. The other disciple told Thomas that Jesus was risen and they had seen him. But Thomas would not take their word for it. Thomas responded like most doubter do, Thomas said “except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe.”
Scripture goes on to say that after eight days the disciples were together again and Thomas was present also, and then came Jesus came and stood in the midst of them. When Thomas saw the Lord his doubt became delight, his hesitation became hallelujah, he no longer wavered but he worshipped, Thomas cried out “my Lord and my God.” but don’t take my word for it, come and see. And when you see God for yourself; you run and tell somebody like the woman at the well, you will fall on your face like Paul, you will worship the Lord like Thomas and you will acknowledge the savior like Nathaniel, for he is the son of God.
I wouldn’t take my mother’s word for it; I wouldn’t listen to the preacher. But one day I had a Damascus experience. And I told the Lord how tired I was and he gave me rest. I told the Lord how hungry I was and he gave me the bread of life. When I get thirsty he gives me water that flows from the fountain of life. I confessed to the Lord how unclean I was and he purged me and forgave me all my sins. When I told the Lord how lonely I was he asked me to open the door of my heart and let him in. And every since that day, I don’t have no doubt.
The same God is able to come in and sup with you if you just open up and let him in, but don’t take my word for it, ol’ taste and see that the Lord is good. God want to walk with you, talk with you and call you his own, but don’t take my word for it. Come and see.
Application:
When it comes to your salvation, I could tell you that we are saved by grace. Don’t take my word for it. But if you read in Philippians 2:12 Paul tells us to work out our own salvation, in fear and trembling. For it’s God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
When it comes to repentance, I can’t forgive your sins. But don’t take my word for it. I can only encourage you to read 1st John 1:9, there your will find forgiveness and cleansing in the word of God.
When it comes to life everlasting, I could tell you that God has a place prepared just for you, a place where the rooms are to many to count. But don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself in John 14:1-3.
I could tell you that no matter how low down you think you are, or much dirt you think you have done, that you are still precious in the sight of God and he still loves you. But don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself in John 3:16. There you will find the Love of the father waiting to embrace you.
I could stand here and declare the whole council of God from now until the day I die, I could stand here and point you to chapter and verse that says God is love and he is all that you need. But if your mind is not ready to receive it, and if your heart is not ready to believe it and if you are not ready to search the scripture for your self to see whether these things are true it does no good.
John the Baptist preached to Andrew and John Andrew in turn went and told Peter, come see for your self. The Lord called Philip, and then Philip went and found Nathaniel. He told Nathaniel don’t take my word for it come and see for yourself.
I came to Jesus just as I was, weary, wounded and sad. I found in him a resting place and now my soul is glad, I’m glad he abides with, I’m glad he gave me a new name. I’m glad he is my friend. I’m glad he calls me his own. I’m glad I tell you, and when it’s all over down here, I got a home in glory land that outshines the sun, because I took God at his word.