Of course, most supportive of my academic endeavors has been my family. My parents, Garry and Jan Weaver, have always encouraged and supported me in every pursuit. As long as I can remember they have been a model of sacrificial service to Christ. I am thankful for their example and investment in my life. They have recently reenlisted as missionaries at an age when many would be considering retirement. Their desire to finish strong and to see the nations reached with the gospel is a challenge and inspiration to me. They are my heroes. My brother and sister, Jeremy Weaver and Elizabeth Ramseyer, have been more than siblings, they have been lifelong friends who always bring laughter into my life. My grandparents, Frank and Hazel Weaver, have also been supportive throughout this long educational process. Their prayers and financial gifts have been used by God to meet needs at just the right time. My wife, Gretta, and our children have been patient with my long hours of writing and a constant source of encouragement. The children’s questions of “Are you done yet?” have provided motivation to finish the job as soon as possible. Gretta has always supported me, and her care for me and the children during what must have seemed like an eternity to her, is the key reason why I have been able to complete this project. Therefore, this dissertation is dedicated to her and our children, all of whom I adore.

I completed my Master of Divinity while serving as a pastor in East Tennessee. While as a student at the extension center in Maryville, TN, I was encouraged especially by professors Chad Owen Brand and M. David Sills. These men enabled me to believe that PhD work was a possibility for me in the future. I remain grateful for their encouragement then, and their friendship now. Although my love for history dates back to my reading of baseball history books as a child, I first remember a desire to do historical research while taking a course on the history of Baptists with Gregory A. Wills in the summer of 2003. His combination of meticulous historical research and impeccable Christian piety is one which I hope to emulate. As a PhD student at Southern, I have been challenged and encouraged by what seems like the entire faculty, but especially professors Gregg R. Allison, Michael A. G. Haykin, Thomas J. Nettles, David L. Puckett, Gregory A. Wills, and Shawn D. Wright.

While at Southern, I have been afforded the opportunity to work closely with two of the premier Baptist historians alive today. I will forever be grateful for the privilege of having Thomas J. Nettles as my doctoral supervisor. His trust of my instincts and confidence in my ability has been both inspiring and intimidating. To know Dr. Nettles is to know a Christian gentleman whose very demeanor makes you want to be a more devoted follower of Christ. Words will never repay the debt that I owe to Michael A. G. Haykin. Without him I likely would never have had the opportunity to pursue PhD studies. God, in his providence, used this man to open the door for me to study at Southern. Dr. Haykin has been my teacher, boss, mentor, and friend. In every relationship, he has been a model of Christian piety. His investment in me is such that every academic opportunity that I have heretofore, or ever shall be given, can be credited in some way to his influence and support. I must also express gratitude to Russell D. Moore who has always encouraged me and whose hiring of Michael A. G. Haykin in 2007 paved the way for me to serve as his research assistant for the past five years.

I still remember the first time I stepped onto the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I had arrived late on a Sunday night in January of 2002 for my first “J-Term” class, which was scheduled to begin the next day. Accompanied my friend and fellow East Tennessee Extension Center student Mark Martin, I walked into an empty and silent Norton Hall. I was in awe of the beauty of the buildings, but more so of the seminary’s legacy of confessional fidelity that had been recovered under the leadership of President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. As I walked by the office of Dr. Mohler (then on the first floor of Norton Hall), I was reminded of the reason I had become a Southern Baptist in the first place. It had been the theological commitment to biblical inerrancy in the Convention’s entities brought about the Conservative Resurgence that had brought this former Independent Baptist into the fold. The campus at 2825 Lexington Rd. was a tangible reminder that I was part of something bigger than myself and my small local church. Our participation in the Cooperative Program allowed us to have an investment around the globe in the work of God. One very important part of that work for Southern Baptists for over one hundred and fifty years has been Southern Seminary. Over a decade later, I still never walk onto the campus of Southern Seminary without a tremendous sense of gratefulness to God for the privilege of attending such a historic and strategic institution.

It was over 20 years ago that we first read Peace Child. In this book, Don Richardson tells the story of his encounter with an unreached people group in the early 1960s. In 1962, Richardson, his wife Carol and their 7 month old son arrived in what was then known as Dutch New Guinea, to begin work among a violent, cannibalistic, head hunting tribe called the Sawi.

The task before them was great because the Sawi language did not exist in any written form. They would have to learn the language by living with the people and slowly accumulate a vocabulary while at the same time giving the language a written form. This was difficult, discouraging and time consuming work but necessary before they could even begin to translate Scripture into the Sawi language for evangelism.

Their task was complicated by the constant tribal wars that kept the young missionary family in a continual state of danger. Not only was their task complicated by danger, but even after Don had reached a level of proficiency in the tribal language, so that he was able to present the story of the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus, he was confronted with a seemingly insurmountable problem involving their perverted system of moral values. A world view that made Judas Iscariot the hero of the crucifixion story.

Frustrated by their lack of progress in seeing conversions take place among the Sawi and frightened by the continual warfare that threatened the safety of his young family, Don issued an ultimatum: Either the fighting would stop or Don would take his family and leave. Because they valued the medical care provided by the Richardsons so highly, the Sawi took the dramatic step of ending the fighting. Unbeknownst to the missionary, the Sawi had a tradition that if warring tribes were going to enter into a peace treaty, then one of the tribes would have to give an infant from their tribe to their mortal enemies. After observing the ceremony that included the giving of the infant, known as the “peace child” to their enemies, Don knew he had at last had an open door to communicate the gospel. As soon as he could he gathered the tribe together and told them of how though they were enemies of God because of their sin, God had given his only Son as a “peace child” to make peace with his enemies.

Today, on this Good Friday we are remembering how God gave His only begotten Son to be our “peace child.” We are the natural enemies of God because of our sin, but God in His grace chose to provide a sacrifice for us to be reconciled to Him. This reconciliation came as a result of God’s Son making peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20). Don’t ever forget what it cost to establish peace between sinful humans and a holy God. I believe that John Piper has said it best when he said, “The wisdom of God devised a way for the love of God to deliver sinners from the wrath of God while not compromising the righteousness of God.” That way was through the sacrifice of God’s “peace child.”

A 2007 study by the academic journal Science indicated that humans speak an average of 16,000 words per day. The study found that the difference in the number of words spoken by men and women is negligible with women speaking 16,215 words and men speaking 15,669 a day. This study contradicted a study the previous year by Louann Brizendine, founder and director of the University of California, San Francisco’s Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic, in her 2006 book The Female Brain. This book claimed that women speak an average of 20,000 words per day, nearly three times the mere 7,000 spoken by men. I don’t want to get into this debate today. I will let you husbands and wives settle this dispute on your own time.

Let’s assume for a moment that we only speak 10,000 words a day. If that’s the case every five days enough words come from your lips to produce a 200 page book. Every five days! That’s 73 books a year. You can do the math on how many books your words would fill in your lifetime. Of all those words you’ve spoken in your lifetime, how many would you consider to be said carelessly? A lot of them! This is sobering when we consider the words of Christ in our text this morning that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” What does Jesus mean by this? There are two important principles that we need to consider. Let’s look at this morning’s text and see just what it means.

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)

I. Our Words Reveal the State of Our Hearts, vv. 33-35.

Remember in the context that Jesus has just addressed the Pharisees who have committed the unpardonable sin by rejecting the evidence provided by the Holy Spirit through the miracles of Jesus that He was indeed the Messiah. Jesus was able to pronounce his judgment upon the words of the Pharisees precisely because He knew their thoughts (v. 25). In other words, Jesus know that the Pharisees’ words of blasphemy reflected hearts of blasphemy and He was therefore able to pronounce their final judgment in advance. The principle is stated clearly in the second half of verse 34: “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” In other words, as I’ve stated it: “Our Words Reveal the State of Our Heart.” This is a scary proposition!

Having six children 13 and under means that for the last 13 years we’ve had a cup of something spilled every single meal. Often, someone will call out, “It’s just water.” This means they will be no sticky, sugary mess to clean up. We just have to get a towel and soak it up. Do you know what? We’ve never had anything come out of those cups that wasn’t in them. Whatever is in the cup, whether water, juice, milk, or Diet Dr. Pepper, that’s always what comes out. In a similar way, Jesus says that whatever is in our heart is what will come out of our lips with our words. When something jars you or upsets you and words come out of your mouth, it’s because they’re in your heart and they’re in your heart because you put them there!

We often say in words meant to comfort that “God knows our heart.” We are often reassured by thinking that although our actions and words may have been wrong, that God knows our heart and our heart is good after all. But this is not what the Bible tells us about our hearts. In Jeremiah 17:9, the prophet Jeremiah declared: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jehovah God responded, “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Biblically, it is usually not a good thing that God knows our heart! It certainly wasn’t good for the Pharisees in Matthew 12.

The teaching of Scripture is clear: the words that come out of our mouths reveals what is in our heart.

Therefore, the next principle is true.

II. Our Words Will be the Basis of Our Judgment, vv. 36-37.

Here’s where it gets serious! Jesus says that we will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word which we speak! How many careless words have you spoken? If you’re 10 years old, consider nearly 700 books filled with your words. If you’re 40 years old, then you can imagine a library of nearly 3,000 two-hundred page books containing the words spoken in your lifetime. If you’re 60, imagine almost 4,500 such books. We have a lot to give an account for.

Jesus says in verse 37 that our words will either justify or condemn us. We need to realize that no matter how careful we have been with our words in our lifetime, there is more than enough evidence to condemn us to hell forever. If this is the final word, then we are all hopeless condemned sinners.

But I like the glimmer of hope of justification that is hinted out in verse 37. Some commentators take a lot of pains to explain why the gospel word “justified” is used here. They say that it is being used in its technical sense to refer to an acquittal in a court of law. That is certainly true, but I think there is at least a foreshadowing of the justification that comes through the “word of faith” which Paul talks about in Romans 10:5-10.

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

These verses state the same truth in a positive sense that Matthew 12:33-37 states negatively. Namely, your words reveal the state of your heart and your words will be the basis of your judgment. But here we are told that belief in the heart that is confessed with the mouth results in being justified/saved!

There is, therefore, hope for sinners whose hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. There is hope for sinners whose words should result in eternal condemnation. The hope comes from the fact that there was One who lived a sinless life. As the apostle Peter, one who knew Jesus, said, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” Because He was sinless in his words, yet suffered in our place the punishment we deserve for our wicked words and hearts, we can be forgiven/justified by one word! The “word of faith.”

Isaiah tells us that “they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (53:9). Yes, He was crucified, dead and buried though He was the spotless Lamb of God. Therefore, His death was not for His sins, but for the sins of all those who would put their trust in Him.

Conclusion:

Won’t you trust Him? One of my friends posted a great reminder on Twitter this morning. He said, “The Triumphal Entry occurred on lamb selection day for Jews. Jesus’ gesture: “Pick me as your Passover Lamb without blemish.” [@greg_thornbury Sun 24 Mar 08:26] This is Palm Sunday, the day of the Triumphal Entry, lamb selection day. Why look elsewhere for salvation? Here is Jesus, the Lamb of God who will take away your sin if you trust in Him.

We have the first amendment, in large part, due to the efforts of American Baptists such as Isaac Backus and John Leland. Leland, prominent Baptist preacher at the turn of the 19th century, had petitioned his Virginia legislator, James Madison, directly regarding his concern that more needed to be done to ensure religious liberty in the new country than the “Religious Test” clause of Article VI, paragraph 3 of the Constitution. Since Baptists represented a significant portion of the vote in Madison’s district, Leland’s threat to run for Madison’s seat in the House of Representatives resulted in a visit by Madison to his home. Coming out of that meeting was a compromise that included Leland agreeing not to run for Madison’s seat and Madison agreeing to champion Leland’s and his fellow Baptists’ concern for religious liberty. Madison kept his word and pushed for the Bill of Rights. Without Baptist involvement in the political process, it is at least possible that the protection of religious liberty from Congress would not exist.

Today, more than at any point since the turn of the 19th century, religious freedom in America is in jeopardy. Once again, Baptists need to lead the way in guaranteeing that our commitment to freedom of conscience in religious matters is preserved. The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky today vetoed a bill (HB 279) which included important protections of religious liberty on the state level. This bill passed both houses of the Kentucky legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Kentucky Baptist Convention, in historic Baptist manner, championed this bill and called for its passage. Now, we stand in need for the Baptists of Kentucky to speak up and ask their representatives to overturn the governor’s veto. For information on how you can help, please see this post on the website of the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s Committee on Public Affairs.

This year marks the 450th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism. This Protestant document was written in Heidelberg in 1563 on behalf of Frederick III, Elector Palatine and spread over the world when it was approved by the Synod of Dort in 1619. A new volume has recently been released to commemorate this important event in church history—Power of Faith: 450 Years of the Heidelberg Catechism, edited by Karla Apperloo-Boersma and Herman J. Selderhuis. See flyer from the German academic publisher, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, here.

In this 454 page hardcover book, respected specialists in their fields present how the Heidelberg Catechism spread and influenced culture, education and ecclesiastical life. In addition to the text, over 700 pictures illustrate the contributions making an attractive volume for display. This work includes the following contribution co-authored by Michael A. G. Haykin and me: “To ‘concenter with the most orthodox divines’: Hercules Collins and his An Orthodox Catechism—a slice of the reception history of the Heidelberg Catechism.”

Power of Faith is slated to be released in Dutch, English and German editions. You can order the English edition from Amazon.com (German edition) now.

There has been a lot of speculation about the nature of the unpardonable sin. Some have suggested that divorce, murder or suicide. But none of those sins are identified as unforgivable in the Bible. Others fear that they have committed the unpardonable sin because of an unguarded thought or word against the God the Father, Son or Holy Spirit. Some think that an irreverent joke might be the unpardonable sin. But the idea of the unpardonable sin comes directly from the lips of Jesus. In our text this morning, Jesus says that every kind of sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, except for one. What does He say that it is? That’s what we want to consider in this passage.

Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:22-32

I. The Occasion of the Miracle, vv. 22-23.

The occasion that produced the statement by Jesus about the unpardonable sin is this. Jesus has just healed a man who was oppressed by a demon. Jesus had healed the man by exorcizing the demons. This is exactly the kind of action that indicated that Jesus was the Messianic King, the descendent of David, for which the Jews had been waiting. Isaiah 35:5-6 prophesied the coming of the kingdom of God: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Interestingly, when the crowd sees this miracle their minds must have immediately went to these Old Testament prophecies that link the coming of the Messiah with His Davidic kingdom to miraculous works such as they have just seen. No wonder, then, they ask the question “Can this be the Son of David?”

II. The Accusation by the Pharisees, v. 24.

It is unclear whether the crowd asks this question out of faith or doubt? There seems to be a hint of skepticism in the Greek at this point, like “He can’t be the Son of David, can he?” But the Pharisees did not even want the issue raised. They immediately reject this possibility by asserting that the miraculous deeds done by Jesus can only be attributed to Satan himself. Notice what they are doing. They are taking the miracles which Jesus has performed by the power of the Spirit which identify Him as the messianic king, the Son of David and are rejecting that evidence and saying that these miracles were performed by the power of Satan.

III. The Reaction by Jesus, vv. 25-32.

Jesus responds. He knows their thoughts, which was itself evidence of his divine power. He responds by pointing out two problems with their accusation:

• First, he points out the illogical nature of their accusation, vv. 25-26. 
• Second, he points out the inconsistency of their accusation, v. 27.

Then, in verses 28-29, Jesus argues that, contrary to the Pharisees, the inclination of the crowd to identify Jesus as the promised Davidic king was dead on. Jesus asserts that since He is performing this miracles, since He is casting out demons, this is evidence that the kingdom of God has come among them because the king was standing in their midst!

So, what is the sin that Jesus is discussing here that is unforgivable? It is a blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. John Walvoord has defined this sin as “attributing to Satan what is accomplished by the power of God.” D. A. Carson has defined the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as “the willful assigning of what is unambiguously the Spirit’s work in the ministry of Jesus (12:28) to the devil (12:24).” In other words, Jesus is referring to the sins of the Pharisees in this text who have rejected the evidence provided by the Holy Spirit through the miracles performed by Jesus that He is indeed the Messianic King. Their rejection is unforgivable at this point, because they have sufficient evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. They know the Old Testament prophecies and they have seen the miracles in person. Yet, they reject Jesus as their Messiah. Jesus essentially says in verse 30 that you’re either with me or against me. They have aligned themselves against Jesus by their rejection and therefore there is no forgiveness available for them.

Now, for the question: Can this sin be committed today?

If we take this question in a very strict sense, we would say no. This sin could only have been committed by people who were alive during Jesus’ earthly ministry who knew the Scriptures like the Pharisees and saw the miraculous signs performed by Jesus.

But, I believe that this sin can still be committed today. Because it is still possible to reject the evidence provided by the Holy Spirit in Scripture and through His internal conviction that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David, the Savior, the Son of God.

When an individual is brought to a certain point by the Holy Spirit where they are convinced that Jesus is indeed the only Savior, and they still reject Him at that point, then there is no other hope available for them and their sin is unpardonable.

I think this is what the author of Hebrews is talking about in Hebrews 6:4-6, 9. These people have been exposed to the working of the Holy Spirit, even having been enlightened, but not yet converted. If people brought to that point do not trust Christ, salvation is impossible for them.

Conclusion:

Don’t be that person! How can you guarantee that you’ve not committed the unpardonable sin? Don’t reject Christ. Respond positively to each step of revelation given to you by the Spirit. Don’t reject His testimony in the pages of Scripture and His working in your heart!

Again this sermon is not typical, but I think something like this can be done occasionally on special occasions. Thus, I believe it serves as an illustration of using church history in preaching. Of course, I believe that this can be done on a much smaller scale on a more regular basis (perhaps as a short illustration or introduction to a sermon). If you do this, you will not only be providing your congregation with an illustration of the text you’re preaching, but also providing a much-needed introduction to many of the great examples of faithfulness to God found in church history.

Just this past week there was an anniversary of sorts. On January 31, 1892, the famous British preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon died at the age of 59. During his lifetime, Spurgeon preached enough sermons to fill 63 volumes. The sermons’ 20-25 million words are equivalent to the 27 volumes of the ninth edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. The series stands as the largest set of books by a single author in the history of Christianity.

On January 6, 1850 (or 13th, see Lewis Drummond’s case for this date in his Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers), just less than 163 years ago, Charles Haddon Spurgeon experienced salvation on a snowy day in England.

The snow was so bad that the young Spurgeon could not make it to the church he had planned to attend that day. So he turned into a small Primitive Methodist chapel. The minister was snowed in and couldn’t make it there, but that day a lay member of the congregation took as his text Isaiah 45:22 and read, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” (AV)

In this short text three important aspects of the gospel message are evident:

1. The Exclusivity of the Gospel Message;

2. The Simplicity of the Gospel Message; and,

3. The Universality of the Gospel Message

I. The Exclusivity of the Gospel Message, “Look unto me!”
This text is a very exclusivistic one. In this text the LORD says, “Look unto ME!” He does not say look anywhere you please, one look is as good as another. No, He declares that “there is none else.” The context of Isaiah 45:16-25 is very clear. Notice the exclusivistic claims there.

The New Testament Parallel to this passage is John 3:14-15 which refers to the account recorded in Numbers 21:4-9 of the children of Israel’s experience in which they were bitten by poisonous snakes. This plight had come upon the children of Israel because of their continuous complaining against Moses and God. After many people had already died from their snake bites, the ones who had been bitten but had not yet died cried out to Moses acknowledging their sin. God then provided a means of healing from the deadly serpent’s bites. It involved the construction of a serpent of brass placed upon a pole (the debatable source for the medical symbol). Anyone who looked upon the serpent on the pole would be healed and escape death.

The serpent symbolized the sin of Israel. Because of the Israelites sin of unbelief God sent the serpents in judgment. The serpent was a reminder of judgment which in turn was a reminder of the sin. Those who looked on the brazen serpent were acknowledging that their sin was the cause of their judgment and death.

Similarly, as Jesus Christ hung on the cross He symbolized God’s judgment upon sin. This was testified in the Old Testament in the words of Deuteronomy 21:22-23:

And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: (23) His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Likewise, Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that God made Christ “to be sin for us”! This means that God the Father treated His own Son as if He had committed all of our sins!

For he hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

In John 3:15 it is stated that as the wounded who looked upon the brazen serpent were restored to temporary health, so in this case eternal life follows from the faith of the believer on the crucified and exalted Lord. This is the message which Spurgeon heard 163 years ago. He later recalled:

Then the good man followed up his text in this way: — “Look unto Me; I am sweatin’ great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hangin’ on the cross. Look unto Me; I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I ascend to Heaven. Look unto Me; I am sittin’ at the Father’s right hand. O poor sinner, look unto Me! look unto Me!

II. The Simplicity of the Gospel Message, “Look unto me!”
What a simple message! Look and Live! Look to Jesus now and Live! It is a simple message, but not simplistic. They are great depths of truth in the gospel that have occupied the greatest minds in human history, yet there is a simplicity that even a child can understand. As someone said of Scripture there are waters deep enough for an elephant to swim and shallow enough for a child to wade.

Again note the parallel to Numbers 21 and John 3.

To look, to believe, says more than mere cognitive awareness. It includes the recognition of a desperate need (Why else would one look?).

When someone turns to Christ, they are turning away from theirself. They are willing to be transformed. They don’t want to be left in the same state. They want to be changed! Faith and repentance go together!

Listen as Spurgeon describes his first encounter with the simplicity of the gospel:

Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. Just fixing his eyes on me, as if he knew all my heart, he said, “Young man, you look very miserable.” Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made from the pulpit on my personal appearance before. However, it was a good blow, struck right home. He continued, “and you always will be miserable — miserable in life, and miserable in death, — if you don’t obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.” Then, lifting up his hands, he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do, “Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to look and live.” I saw at once the way of salvation. I know not what else he said, — I did not take much notice of it, — I was so possessed with that one thought. Like as when the brazen serpent was lifted up, the people only looked and were healed, so it was with me. I had been waiting to do fifty things, but when I heard that word, “Look!” what a charming word it seemed to me! Oh! I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away. There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to Him. Oh, that somebody had told me this before, “Trust Christ, and you shall be saved.”

III. The Universality of the Gospel Message, “All the ends of the earth.”
Again, notice the parallels to Numbers 21 and John 3. In Moses’ day the invitation was open to everyone. Any who would look could be spared their violent death. In John 3:15, the text states that “Whoever believes will not perish, but will have everlasting life.”

This is a message that is for everyone of every race, class, gender and background. This the message that young Spurgeon also heard:

The preacher began thus — “My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, ‘Look.’ Now lookin’ don’t take a deal of pains. It ain’t liftin’ your foot or your finger; it is just, ‘Look.’ Well, a man needn’t go to College to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man needn’t be worth a thousand a year to be able to look. Anyone can look; even a child can look. But then the text says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Ay!” said he, in broad Essex, “many on ye are lookin’ to yourselves, but it’s no use lookin’ there. You’ll never find any comfort in yourselves.

Conclusion:
Have you ever looked to Christ alone? Are you still clinging to your righteousness? There must be recognition of your need for healing if you are to look to Christ. Do you realize that you need Christ?

Notice that I didn’t ask if you’re a church member. I didn’t ask if you’re a good neighbor. I didn’t ask if you’re a good father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, child, etc. Have you looked to Jesus?!?!

All of us were bitten by the serpent, the devil, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. As a result the poisonous venom of sin courses through our veins and will eventually lead to eternal separation from God in hell.

There is only one remedy, there is only one antidote! See the man hanging on the cross! See him bleeding and pleading for you! Look to him and you shall live! Look! Look! Look!