Lamb
jmichaelwalls
message from two weeks ago. I am sending this as a blessing to some one
today.
THE LAMB AND THE DOVE AND HOW THEY RELATE TO OUR LIVES AS BELIEVERS.
John 1:29-36
1 Peter 2:21-24
Introduction: 1 Peter 2:21 tells us "For even hereunto were ye called:
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye
should follow his steps".
His life is portrayed as the Lamb as an example for us in how our lives
ought to be also. Phil. 2:5-8 reminds us of this truth also- "Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Think of the suggestive picture that John 1 has for us. The Dove is
descending upon the Lamb and resting on Him. The Lamb and the Dove is
surely the gentlest of all God�s creatures. The Lamb speaks of meekness
and submissiveness and the Dove speaks of peace. Surely this picture
shows us that the heart of Deity is humility.
When the eternal God chose to reveal Himself in His Son, He gave Him the
name of Lamb; and when it was necessary for the Holy Spirit to come into
the world, He was revealed under the emblem of the Dove.
The main lesson of this incident is the Holy Spirit as the Dove, could
only came upon and remained upon the Lord Jesus because He was the Lamb.
Had the Lord Jesus had any other disposition than that of Lamb- humility,
submissiveness and self-surrender, the Dove could never rest upon Him.
The Dove being so gentle would have been frighten away had not Jesus been
meek and lowly in heart.
How impossible for the Holy Spirit to rest upon us while self is
unbroken, proud, arrogant and self-serving. The manifestations of the
unbroken self are the direct opposite of the gentleness of the Dove.
Let�s look quickly at the contrast that Galatians chapter 5 holds-
Gal. 5:19-23--" Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are
[these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that
they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
The Dove longs to fill us. The contrast is Gal. 5:19-21 to Gal. 5:22-23
is likened unto the snarling wolf with the gentle dove.
With these thought is mind, let�s look at sheep and how Christ is the
Lamb left in the pages of this book and our hearts is our example of life
that a believer should be living.
I. HE WAS THE SIMPLE LAMB.
A. The illustration
1. the simplest of all God�s creatures.
a. has no schemes or plans for helping
it self.
b. only exist in helplessness and simplicity.
2. Has no strength of His own
3. Has no schemes to get Himself out of
difficulties.
4. Simple dependence on the Father at all
times. John 5:19
"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for
what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."
B. The application
1. We scheme all the time to help ourselves
2. We work to get ourselves out of difficulties
3. We try to live the Christian life in the flesh without God�s help.
4. We are unwilling to be simple lambs for the Holy Spirit to come upon
to give His presence and power.
II. HE WAS THE SHORN LAMB.
Shorn means the shearing of the sheep.
A. The illustration
1. He was shorn of His rights.
a. He had the right to demand authority
b. He has the right to demand respect
c. He had the right to demand honor
d. he had the right to demand loyalty
BUT HE DID NOT.
2. He was shorn of His reputation
a. He was called a devil
b. He was called a troublemaker
c. He was made to look like a traitor
3. He was shorn of every human liberty just as a lamb is shorn of its
wool.
4. Yet He never resisted.
5. He was reviled for our sakes, He reviled not again.
6. When He suffered, He threatened not. He never said, "You cannot treat
me like this. Don�t you know that I am the Son of God?"
B. The application
1. We are unwilling to be shorn of that we feel is our rights.
2. We are unwilling for His sake to lose what we regard as our own.
3. We insist to be treated with respect. We resist and fight constantly.
4. The Dove had to take His flight from us for we were not willing to be
shorn lambs.
5. We are left with peace and are hard and unloving.
III. HE WAS THE SILENT LAMB.
Isa. 53:7
"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he
is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers
is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
John 19:9-11
"And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art
thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest
thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and
have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power
[at all] against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he
that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
A. The Illustration
1. He said nothing in His own defense
2. He did nothing to explain His position
B. The application
1. We are quick to defend our actions
2. We are quick to vindicate our positions
3. We have anger in our voices
4. We excuse ourselves.
5. The Dove had to take His flight and withdraw His peace and blessing
from our hearts because we will not be willing to be a silent lamb.
IV. HE IS THE SPOTLESS LAMB.
1 Pet. 1:19
"But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot"
A. The illustration
1. Not only did nothing escape His lips, but there was nothing in His
heart but love for those who had sent Him to the cross.
2. No resentment toward them, no grudges or bitterness. Luke 23:34
"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
Listen carefully to those words-- They did not only ask to the Father to
forgive them but they say also "I forgive you."
B. The application
1. What resentment and bitterness have we had in our hearts toward this
one and that one and over so much less than what they did to Christ.
2. Each reaction leaves a stain on our hearts
3. The Dove had to fly away because we were not willing to bear it and
forgive it for Jesus� sake. Eph. 4:31-32
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you.
V. HE IS THE SUBSTITUTE LAMB.
Since our actions and attitudes which drove the Holy Spirit from our
lives, as far as present blessings are concerned and they are all sin.
Sin is the only thing that hinders revival of His church. The question
that should stand out to us is this: How can the Dove return to our lives
with His peace and power? The answer is simple: The Lamb of God. He is
the simple Lamb, the shorn Lamb, the silent Lamb but above all He is the
substitute Lamb.
A. The illustration
1. The lamb in the Old Testament which was offered by the Jews was always
a substitute lamb.
2. He became that substitute Lamb upon that cruel cross our Scapegoat.
3. It was so that we might have the forgiveness of sins and cleansing
from the very stain of those sins. 1 John 1:7, 9
"7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin."
"9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our]
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
B. The application
1. What a sobering, solemn thought that He carried my sins to that cross.
2. We must be broken and willing to repent of those sins and make it
right.
3. Only then can the Dove return with peace and blessing to our hearts.
Conclusion:
He humbled Himself to the manger,
And even to Calvary�s tree;
But I am so proud and unwilling
His humble servant to be.
He yielded His will to the Father,
And chose to abide in the Light.
But I prefer wrestling to rest
And try by myself to do right.
Lord, break me, then cleanse me and fill me
And keep me abiding in THEE;
That fellowship may be unbroken,
And Thy name be hallowed in me.
Our hearts need to be broken and only when they are shall we be willing
for confessions, the apologies, the reconciliations and the restitutions
that are involved in a true repentance of sin. Then, when we have been
willing to humble ourselves, as the Lord humbled himself, the Dove will
return to us.
"Return, O heavenly Dove, return
Sweet messenger of rest!
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn
And drove thee from my breast."
Since the Dove is the emblem of peace, which suggest that if the Blood of
Jesus has cleansed us and we walk with the Lamb in humility, the sign of
the Spirit�s presence and fullness will be peace. Col. 3:15 says "And let
the peace of God rule in your hearts". If the Dove ceases to sing in our
heart at any time, if our peace is broken, then it can only be because of
sin. In some matter we have departed from the humility of the Lamb. We
must ask God to show what it is and be quick to repent of it and bring
the sin to the cross. Then and only then will the Dove return again in
His rightful place in our hearts and the peace with God is ours.
This will be a constant battle and we will be humbled many, many times
but this shows real conformity with the Lamb of God. It will be the only
victory that will be worth anything that is the conquest of self.
Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
http://freedombaptistchurchnc.wordpress.com/
http://iglesiabautistalibertad.wordpress.com/
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