BEHOLD!

Pastor Rick Jackson

"Behold!" What an attention grabbing word! The dictionary tells us when behold is an intransitive verb —it is used in the imperative especially to call attention. This is how the Lord uses it in the verses we will look at in this message.

I. A "BEHOLD" TO TAKE AWAY PRIDE [Ps. 51:1-5]

David not only confesses sin in Ps. 51 he readily admits he was born a sinner as were we all! Of what do lost sinners have to be proud? Nothing. Some are proud of their heritage but their heritage is that of being a sinner, born of sinners and condemned to producing sinners. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. A cow isn't a cow because it moos, it moos because it is a cow! All of us are born wrong and all need to be born again. A few years ago I heard the pastor of a presidential candidate saying on nation-wide TV that his church member candidate didn't need to be born again because he was born right the first time. I daresay that candidate and his pastor need to heed the admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ who said, "Ye must be born again!"

II. A "BEHOLD" TO TAKE AWAY SIN [John 1:29-34]

John gives a clear identification of Who can take sin away. it wasn't Buddha, Mohammad, Joseph Smith, science or ourselves. It was the sacrificial, perfect, Lamb of God! In the law God had required the Jews to bring as near perfect an offering to illustrate the perfect sinless coming Saviour, God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ! Simon Peter agreed with John the Baptist's assessment as he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 1 Peter 1:18-25. Here is not a partial payment. Here is not a limited atonement [I Jn. 2:2]. Here is God doing for man what he could not do for himself. Like the blood of the Passover lambs it must be applied to be effective.
Paul adds his own "behold" to this point in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

III. A "BEHOLD" TO TAKE AWAY WORRY [Mt. 6:26-30]

What Jesus is trying to teach here is quite simple. Let me make 3 statements.
God CAN take care of you!
God WILL take care of you!
Are you in the right line? [Mt. 6:33]

IV. A "BEHOLD" TO TAKE EXCUSES AWAY [Rev. 3:8]

God opens the door. No man can shut it. There is no excuse for not serving Him. We are not the first to say we can't (Moses, Gideon, Saul - son of Kish, Jeremiah, etc). We can do all things through Christ!

V. A BEHOLD TO TAKE BELIEVERS AWAY [1 Corinthians 15:51-58]

Jesus is coming! Paul expected it in his lifetime we should expect it in ours! We are almost 2000 years closer than Paul was though he was right to expect it. The rapture of the Church. For all believers. he will not leave part of His body here and take part away. It's the rapture not the rupture of the church.

Are you ready?

Based on a series of devotionals given over Gospel Dynamite (WDYN-FM) by Dr. J. R. Faulkner in the year 1990. May the Dear Lord continue to bless that great soul!