December 24, 2010, Sheepfold Ministries
Pastor Phil Roland
LOOK UPON THE LAMB
John 1:1-19; 29,30
“It wasn’t just a cute little babe G-d sent into a manger, He came Himself and took on human flesh that He might become the awesome Lamb that takes away the sin of us all!” Pastor Phil
Revelation 5:11-13
"Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
LOOK UPON THE LAMb:
I. LOOK UPON THE LAMB’S MAJESTY
A. Worthy is the Majestic Holiness of the Lamb!
B. The Majestic Lamb of G-d says, “Come!”
1. Peter heard and answered the Call - Matt. 14:22-33
"Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking
on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea,
they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for
fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good
cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 28 And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 So
He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus."
2. Look Upon Jesus' Power to Walk on Wind and Wave
a. Become a Victor
b. Reject being Life’s Victim
II. LOOK UPON THE LAMB’S MERCY
A. He Died on the Cross for Our Sins - Phil 2:8
“And being found in fashion as a man, He (Jesus) humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.”
1. Jesus, the Lamb is God’s Mercy in Human Flesh
2. Forgiveness is God’s Awesome Revenge for our Unworthiness
B. Jesus was Merciful in Life and in Death
1. Forgiving His tormentors as He died
2. Can we follow Him there?
LOOK UPON THE LAMB, cont., p.2
III. LOOK UPON THE LAMB’S MINISTRY
A. Our Salvation was made Complete on the Cross
“It is Finished. . .”
1. His Ministry Is Salvation - John 3:17
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him.”
2. Eternal Victory Over Sin and Death
B. His Kingdom Ministry is Still Unfinished
1. You and I Are Given Authority to Finish His Work - Jn. 14:12
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works
that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do,
because I go to My Father."
2. We Will See What Jesus Is Doing and Do It - John 5:19
"Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to
you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the
Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like
manner."
3. Magic is man telling G-d what to do
a. We do not and cannot manipulate God
b. We aren't in control, God is
4. Faith is man doing G-d’s ministry at His instruction
a. Forsaking All I Trust Him
b. I have decided to Look upon the Lamb
c. Have you?
LOOK UPON THE LAMb, TEXT
John 1:1-14; 29-30
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.
8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’
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LOOK UPON THE LAMb, cont.
Rev. 5:11-13
11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
12In a loud voice they sang:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
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John 3:16,17
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
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John 14:12,13
12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
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John 5:19
19Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
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LOOK UPON THE LAMB
SERMON STARTER
This year's holiday season has been difficult for religious people, who enjoy attending holiday services. Christmas eve fell on Friday night, Christmas day on Saturday and the next morning was Sunday. Our small Sheepfold flock decided to spend Christmas eve with family and attend church on Sunday. I spoke with a number of other pastors who had the same experience. Honestly, the cold, icy weather hasn't helped either.
I went through my archives and re-cycled a decade-old sermon that fits the in-between days of Christmas and New Years. The lamb of God has saved us from our sins. The tiny bit of human and divine DNA, that babe in a manger is a wonderful image of God becoming human flesh, but it wasn't the tiny babe in His mother's arms that saved us: it was the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. He alone accomplished that awesome task.
As we approach the New Year it is an excellent time to re-focus on the original vision and call that Christ has made on our lives. Turn your heart and mind toward Him. Look upon the Lamb.
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