Begin With Amen

It's so good to be back. I love it. I'm excited today because I'm starting a brand new sermon series. That's right. That's right. I didn't even tell anybody. I hardly even told Holly. I put something down in my phone over a year ago, and I've been saving it for the season that I felt that the Lord wanted me to release it. And that season is here. So from now until Easter, we're going to be in a special sermon series. And the series is called Seeking Jesus. Seeking Jesus. Praise the Lord. Something to help us get past all of the distractions that are in our life and seek Jesus. Something to help us tune out all the noise and seek Jesus. Something to help us stop scrolling so much and start seeking Jesus. Stop digging through the dumpster to find a meal and start seeking the bread of life. Seeking Jesus. Stop groping around in the darkness looking for wisdom and start asking the one who is wisdom what to do with our lives. Seeking Jesus. I'm believing that he's going to speak to you, and I'm excited about these next few weeks. I want you to go ahead and be seated as the worship team is dismissed as we set up our Scripture and the title of my first message for this new series. It may sound backwards when I say it, but I promise you it'll make sense by the end. Today I want to teach you how to begin with amen. Thank you so much, LJ.

We're going to be in John chapter 1, and throughout the course of this series, I hope to be able to give you several pictures of Jesus from the New Testament that will help you to see him for who he is. When I was in my 30s, I did a series called Savage Jesus. I guess I'm getting soft in my old age. Now I'm preaching about seeking Jesus. Now, when we say seeking Jesus, as you find John chapter 1, verse 43-51 in your Bible, understand that when we say seeking Jesus, we're seeking someone, not something. Here's the difference. The other day, Holly lost her ring, and I could see she was getting frustrated. I said, "'Move aside. The professional is on the job. I paid for it. I guarantee you I'll find it. I'll stick my hand through your nostril to find it if I have to.'" The ring was expensive. I said, "'I bet you I'll find it in three seconds.' It wasn't three seconds, but it was only about two minutes. I was seeking her ring. I found her ring. I handed her her ring, and we were done. Because when you're seeking a thing and you find it, you're done. When you're seeking a thing and you get it, you're finished. Seek, find, finish. That simple. When you're seeking someone… Let's use the context of marriage again. I gave Holly a ring, made her my wife, and that's a relationship. When I found my wife, I didn't stop seeking. Because when you seek a thing and you find it, you're done.

But when you seek someone and you find them, you go deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper. An entire marriage seminar was just presented in the first two minutes of my sermon. Half of y'all missed it because you're still getting your notes out. At the top of your page, write, Seeking Jesus, week one, and then put in your notes. Just say, Begin with Amen. We're studying the beginning of Jesus' ministry on earth in John, chapter 1. If I was about 20 years younger, I would say Jesus has motion. But since I'm not, I'll just say his ministry is beginning with significant momentum. John the Baptist, who was the man who jumped in the womb, recognizing the voice, or at least the frequency, of his cousin Jesus in Mary's womb, has pointed the way. He said, Look, the Lamb of God. Somebody say, Look, the Lamb of God. He had that ability to see Jesus. He saw Jesus before Jesus was even visible. He knew Jesus for who Jesus was. was. He saw Jesus as the Lamb of God who was prophesied and slain from the foundations of the earth. John began to do something very unusual in ministry. He began to give his members to another pastor. Well, I was going to say I've never done that before, but there are a few members I've gladly given to another pastor, but not the good ones. John the Baptist gave the good to another pastor. He said, Here you go. That's the Lamb of God. Follow him. One of those two was named Andrew, and Andrew had a brother who went by the name of Simon. Simon had his name changed to Peter, which means rock. So, Jesus takes Simon and turns him into Dwayne Johnson. Y'all have missed my corny jokes. I can tell you've been starving. There are at least three or four of them at this point in John, chapter 1, that are following Jesus. Another great term we want to talk about today is following Jesus. In John, chapter 1, verse 43… Let me go ahead and read the Scripture now. The Bible says, The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, Follow me. Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Can anything good come from Nazareth? Nathanael asked. Come and see, said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said to him, Here truly is an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit. How do you know me? Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you. Then Nathanael declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. Jesus said, You believe? Because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You'll see greater things than that. He then added, Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. I'm going to throw out a few phrases, and you finish them if you know them. This is not going on your permanent record. Just relax and take the test. Say it out loud if you know it. These are not Bible verses either. You've got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them. By the way, you can play along online too. Just type it in the comments. Let's do another one. It's going to get a little harder now. You've got to crawl before you can walk. How about this one? You've got to see it to believe it. That's true. Sometimes I just need proof. I'm not picking on anybody, but if you tell me as a man that you bench press over a certain amount and you don't look like you bench press… I met a guy the other day who told me he could bench over 300. I said, Okay. He said, You don't believe me. I said, No, I would have to see it to believe it, because first of all, I don't know what kind of funky form you've got going on to get 300 pounds up in the air. You might break your back getting 300 pounds up in the air. First of all, that. Secondly… Never mind. He said, What do you mean? I said, Well, to be honest with you, it just doesn't look like… Then he goes, Oh, no, I can't do it now. In college, he said. In college. The man was 52 years old and still has a frame of reference for his bench press number. I'm like, College. Yeah, you look like college. You look like you graduated too. You have to see it to believe it. It's the craziest thing. Nowadays, people just see things and believe them without even verifying the source. One of my relatives the other day said, I heard your friend… They named my friend who's in ministry. They said, I heard they're selling CBD oil and products now online to raise money for their ministry. Well, I know this person. This person would never do that. That would be the last thing they would do to raise money for their ministry. So, I said, Show me.

Show me the post that you saw that would cause you to believe that Joyce Meyer would be selling CBD oil. Joyce ain't selling CBD oil. I don't even think Joyce Meyer eats French fries. She's so holy. She's the holiest person I know. You're not going to convince me you can bench 300. You're not going to convince me Joyce Meyer is so… I know her. You've got to show me, because I know her. You've got to see it to believe it, and that's not a bad thing to live by, even when it comes to this church. Some of y'all who have been around for a while remember when they were saying that we had a water slide on the stage for baptisms, and the worst part was they had a picture of it. But you can't believe it because you saw a picture of it. Do you not understand Photoshop? There were people calling our front desk of our ministry, "'Well, I saw the picture,' but you never came to the church, and until you come to the church, don't tell me about the picture.'" That'll preach. Don't tell me if you're not willing to see it. There's a sense I get in John, chapter 1, where Philip is saying to Nathanael, "'You've got to see it to believe it.'" That's what Jesus taught Andrew and the other disciple who wanted to see where he stayed. He said, "'Come and see.' And they went and hung out and got convinced." Now, Jesus did not feel the need to convince them. I need us to understand that we do not serve a Jesus who explains but a Jesus who demonstrates, so that even when he taught the kingdom of heaven, he did it with parables, because it was a demonstration, not an explanation.

To seek Jesus… This is all I'm trying to say by my first point. You have to follow to find out. You can't know what God is like evaluating God. You can't figure out what it's like to walk in faith. You have to follow to find out. Put that in the comments and write it down as my first point. You have to follow to find out. Most of us are used to calculating our decisions in life, so we want to figure out and then follow. Most of us would have never had the faith of Philip, the first character I mentioned, where Jesus said, "'Follow me,' and he did." I would need a little bit more details than follow me. I don't know the exact profession Philip gave up to do this, but it would take a little bit more than follow me. I at least need to know where we're sleeping tonight. But Jesus is leaving for Galilee, which is where he did his ministry. Not where he was born. He was born in Bethlehem. He ministered in Galilee, and that is where he lived, and he's going back there for some undisclosed reason. Then he turns to Philip and says, "'Follow me.'" For what? You'll find out if you follow me. When God speaks, reason can never answer. God cannot be sought at the level of mind. God must be experienced at the level of Spirit. I don't know who I'm preaching to right now, but you keep telling God when he shows you more, you'll go more. You keep telling God that you will obey him once you understand the outcome, but in matters

of faith, you have to follow to find out. Abraham, go to a land. I will show you. What's it going to be like? You have to follow to find out. You'll find out why I called you as you follow. I cannot describe to you what the next season of your life will be like if you follow God in faith. You will have to follow to find out. This is where most of us would have never gotten past. John 1, verse 43. The whole thing would have ended right there. Follow me. We would have waited for details, and he would not have given them, because Jesus does not call you to figure out. He calls you to follow. Maybe that gives you relief, because there's a sense in which some of you in your mind right now are trying to figure everything out for the future of your life and the next season of your life. Maybe it can be an exhale for you or a sigh of relief or a surrender to the Savior to know that he never called you to figure out. He just called you to follow. But how are we going to pay for it? Follow. But how is it going to… Follow. What's going to happen in three… Follow. We might not even be here in three years. Have y'all watched the news?

I don't know about no three years. I'm just following Jesus the best I can today. Somebody asked me, what's the 10-year plan for the church. I'm doing good to have a 10-minute plan for this sermon. I don't even really know what I'm going to say after this first point, if you want to know the truth, but I'm trying to follow. And as you follow, you find out. That's what Philip knew. I've got to find out. There was something in Philip that said, I want to find out. I believe there's somebody in here who God is calling you to follow him, and it is unseasonably difficult for you to do that right now, but don't you want to find out what your life can be in his hands? Don't you want to find out how freedom feels when you finally decide to forgive that person? Don't you want to find out what it feels like to lay your head down on your pillow at night knowing that you've confessed your sin instead of continuing to hide it? Don't you want to find out what it's like to get beyond this selfish, me-first generation where I'm simply just following the crowd and I say goodbye to the crowd and I start following the Christ, who is greater than the crowd? And something in Philip… I can't prove it, but something in Philip I just inferred from the text, and I deduced it from what is written. He said, I don't know what my future is, but I want to find out behind this man. You have to follow him to find out. Sometimes you have to see it to believe it. Here's what I want to talk about today. Other times you have to believe it to see it. Now, these are the moments in life where you have no physical proof that what God spoke is true, and it actually contradicts the way you feel in that moment. We're going to move on from Philip for a moment, and we're going to move to this character called Nathaniel. This is really who I wanted to talk to you about today. I was just telling you about this character, and we're going to move to this character called Nathaniel. This is really who I wanted to talk to you about today. I was just telling you about Philip, just in case you can't figure out your life right now, but God is calling you to follow him anyway. That's probably not anybody in here. You probably all have it figured out, but some of us are just trying to figure out what to do, and we don't know what to do about this situation with an aging parent or this situation with a struggling child. We don't know what to do about this issue in our body, and we're trying to figure it out, but God is just calling us to follow. So, that was for some of us, but for the rest

of you who have got it figured out… Like Nathaniel. Nathaniel has got it figured out. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law.'" In other words, all of these prophecies that were about Jesus. After meeting Jesus, he said, "'We found him.' And about whom the prophets also wrote, "'Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'" We are seeking Jesus in this season of our church, and as we seek him, we need to pay attention to everything we can learn about him. One of the things we need to learn from is the label that was associated with him as he walked the earth. They didn't call him Jesus, the Savior, yet. He hadn't died for them yet. They did not call him Jesus, the Healer, yet, because he hadn't performed any miracles yet. Not yet. They would see all of that as they followed, but at this point, they only knew him this way. Watch. Jesus of Nazareth. It was common to call somebody by where they came from back then. And then they call him the son of Joseph. Well, that one's kind of complicated, isn't it? Because remember Mary's story, and she's like, I promise, Joseph, it was the Holy Spirit. He came from a questionable background. So, when he called him Jesus of Nazareth, watch Nathaniel's response. I was laughing at it as I read it, and maybe you didn't know why. He said, verse 46, Nazareth. You said you found the Messiah, and he comes from Nazareth? Yeah, that's right. Nazareth. And then Nathaniel wants to know, can anything good come from there? Come and see, said Philip. Now, the reason Nathaniel had a negative perspective of Nazareth is because it was small, and I studied this week. Y'all, I studied so much this week, I have no idea how I'm going to say amen at the end of this sermon. That's why I called the sermon Begin With Amen, so wherever we end, we'll just end and come back next week. I studied so much for this sermon. This is how much I studied. I was waking up last night every hour on the hour, 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m. At 4 a.m., I had this horrible nightmare that on my way to preach, I got in a terrible car accident. I was in the hospital. They had me all hooked up, but I was trying to scan my credit card to pay for the hospital visit, and I was telling them, "'I've got to go teach this series at the church. I studied too much.'" That's how much I love y'all.

I was my fictitious hospital bed. I got out of my not-really-hospital bed to preach this to you. I studied and found out that Nathanael came from somewhere near Nazareth, but not Nazareth. Follow me. Nathanael came from a place called Cana. Cana was also in Galilee, but Cana was north of Galilee. Cana was distinguished. Cana was sophisticated. Cana was a wealthy place. Picture the part of town where you drive through and judge the people and say, "'It must be nice if I had all their money.'" That was Cana. Cana was a place where if you came from there, you wore the sweatshirt. Right out of Cana, you would not feel like you came out of the mud. You would feel like you came from privilege. I'm not calling Nathanael a snob. I'm just saying that he looked down on where Jesus came from. When he says, "'Can anything good come from there? Come and see,' he's giving a negative interpretation of where Jesus came from based on his background. He believes a certain thing about a certain place. Because he believes a certain thing about a certain place, he cannot accept a certain person that came from a certain place. Only problem is John chapter 1 verse 1. John chapter 1 verse 1 says, "'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all things were made. Through him, Jesus, all things were made. Without him, nothing was made that has been made.'" The Lord stopped me and showed me something.

Nathanael thought that Jesus came from Nazareth, but Jesus didn't really come from Nazareth. If John chapter 1 verse 1 through 3 is correct and through Jesus everything that was made… That means Jesus didn't come from Nazareth. Nazareth came from Jesus, and I came to preach about Jesus today. Oh, I preached that better than y'all responded. Through him, all things were created. He is not subject to what he made. He is not subject to a human label. He is not a baby that was born in a barn. He is the preexisting God who, in John chapter 1 verse 14, became flesh. Incarnation, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the one who came from the Father. So they said he came from Nazareth. He said he came from the Father. They said he came from a small place. He said, I came from a place that you've never seen, because in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and nothing exists without him. So all I'm saying is God is bigger than your background. God is bigger than what you think about him. God is bigger than your little tradition about him. God is bigger than what you were taught about him. God will come to places you were taught he'd stay away from. God will use people you were taught he hated. God will do things you were taught were impossible. God will do things… Now, I'm not saying I've seen all of it, but sometimes you have to believe it to see it. So if the Enemy can keep you from believing it because you've never seen it, he can keep you from ever seeing it and experiencing it, and he can keep you from seeing it if he can keep you from believing it. Not Nazareth.

Nothing good can come from Nazareth. Somebody say, not Nazareth. Now, for Nazareth, just put whatever in the blank you don't think God can use. Not heartbreak. Not Nazareth. No, no, no. Nothing good can come from a broken heart. The Bible says a broken and a contrite heart he will not despise. He will dwell in what you despise. Not Nazareth. I know you didn't want to get a divorce, and now you're saying, not after… a divorce God can't use me, I have a word for you. Follow him and find out. One man said, "'Fool around and find out.'" But this is the church version. Follow him and find out. I don't care what they called you. I don't care what they said about you. I'm going to come over on this side. I always come down that wrong side of the steps. God is looking for somebody today who will follow him and find out. No, God can't use me. I'm an alcoholic. Follow him and find out. What if God gives you that same passion for his presence that you used to have for a substance? Follow him and find out. I speak to somebody who's a drug dealer right now. You're about to be a disciple, and you're about to turn the chain of supply and demand on his head, because when you get hooked into this vine, there's an unlimited supply. I don't care what they said about you, and I don't care what you said about yourself. I don't even know what you've been labeling your kids. I don't even know what the doctor told you Tuesday, but follow him and find out. He's a healer. He's a waymaker. He's a chain breaker. He's a stone roller. Yes, he is! He came from Nazareth. So, if you're going to seek Jesus, you might have to look in Nazareth. You might have to look in a dirty place. You might have to get honest about what you're going through. You might have to get authentic and quit pretending like you have it together and stop saying, "'Praise the Lord! We're fine,' and pick up the phone and call a counselor and say, "'I need help,' because the help might come from Nazareth.'"

I kept saying it wrong all week. Nazareth. Like I was saying Lazarus and Nazareth. The Lord said, "'Well, what do the two things have in common?' I said, "'Both were situations where everybody thought it was over, and both were places where God displayed his glory.'" You'd better follow him and find out. I know when the Lord is speaking. I'm not moving to my next point. It would be a shame for you to let the shame of where you came from stop you from seeing the glory of who you came from. I have to show him verse 14. It says, "'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father.'" Can anything good come from Nazareth? Can anything good come from that? Well, it depends, because before he came from Nazareth, he came from the Father. Everything God allowed to happen in your life passed through his hands, and it has to go back through his hands. "'And we have seen his glory.'" Now, they say you have to see it to believe it, but back up to John, chapter 1, verse 12. "'Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.'" Do you see it? "'Circled the Word, believed in his name, and the Word became flesh,' that's Jesus, "'and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory.'" Sometimes you have to see it to believe it. I get that, but sometimes you have to believe it. See, if I don't believe God is my provider, I won't see the provision. You get it? It's a complete inversion. That's why Jesus' kingdom is upside down, but it's actually right-side up, because it's a complete inversion. The gospel of John is not just about miracles. The gospel of John is not just happy meals being fed to a crowd of 5,000. The gospel of John is not just water walking in storms. The gospel of John is not just unique conversations. The gospel of John is themed around belief, belief in the Son of God, belief in Jesus, not just what he did but who he is. It is the theme of the gospel. Believe, believe, believe. He said to those who believe, you see the glory. So, when you believe God is a provider, it opens your eyes to see provision you were walking past just the day before. If I remind you today that he

a provider, and if I force you by faith to follow him and find out in your next step of your life, you may see that he has already made the plan to provide for the thing you're praying about. He may have already worked out the situation you are so worried about. I have found it to be true that if I do not believe he's my provider, I won't see the provision. Old Testament example. Let's do this class real quick. In 2 Kings 4, a woman came to Elisha. He was the prophet. He said, "'My husband is dead. I need you to help. I need you to provide for me.' The prophet said back, "'What do you have in your house? How can I help you?' She said, "'Nothing except a jar of oil.'" What happened? The moment she believed, because the prophet said, "'You have something in your house.'" She could see what she was unable to see before she believed. So, when I believe God is my provider, it opens my mind and opens my eyes to begin to consider some of the things he has given me in my life that may be in seed form right now, but just because it's a seed doesn't mean it's not supply. Can I give you another example? If I don't believe God has the power to do what I need him to do, I will not see his power operate. That's true. Think about in the Old Testament book of Joshua, chapter 6. You see this group of people who have been marching around a wall in a city called Jericho for six days. Now, on the last day they march, they start shouting. You walk up to this army and say, "'What are y'all shouting about?' Because you would expect to see something that they would be shouting about, but nothing has happened yet. They had to believe that the walls could fall. Shout in faith to find out.'" I said they had to shout to find out. You can figure out. You can count the walls. You can measure the walls. You can climb the walls. You can come up on the walls and pray over the walls and anoint the walls with oil, and you can take a seminar about the walls, and you can have a Bible class about the walls, but nothing is going to happen to those walls until you believe they can fall, and the proof of your belief is in your shout. So, when you shout… Look, I know not everybody shouts in church, and that's fine. You don't have to. You don't have to shout out loud in church to get the content and the substance of what I'm saying. But even when I preach… Okay, listen to me. Even when I preach, once in a while you ought to say, "'Amen.'" Every once in a while, when something hits you and you believe by faith, even if it's hard to hear… I used to have a preacher I sat under, and he'd always say, "'If you can't say amen, you ought to say ouch.'" I have all of these country preacher shenanigans. I could pull them out any time. All of these Baptist preacher shenanigans. One guy used to say,

"'I don't preach for the praise of men. Amen, amen.'" Kind of ironic. I went to church one time with my dad. I think most of y'all know about my dad. He was kind of from a Nazareth situation. His dad committed suicide. He dealt with alcoholism not only in his family but in his own personal experience, and his life was very rough as a boy. I won't tell you the story all over again, because I know you come every week and you have all my stories memorized. But one time, my dad wanted me to go to church with him, and he was so excited to go to church, because the Lord turned his life around. We went out to this little church in a place like Nazareth. Just a little town. Four hundred people lived in Nazareth, by the way. Well, there couldn't have been 400 people in this town. We pull up to the church. I'm like, "'What are you bringing me to?' It is like independent Baptist fundamentalists. Just absolute condemnation turned up to level 11. Like, everybody was going to hell. The president was going to hell. The senator of the state was going to hell. Mickey Mouse was going to hell." Do y'all remember when the Baptists hated Mickey Mouse for a minute? It was a whole cultural moment. He's yelling at everybody, and he's preaching so hard, and everybody in the church is in, and everybody is saying, "'Amen, that's right,' and preach it," and all this stuff. One little boy… He couldn't have been more than 8 years old. He stands up on the pew while the preacher is preaching, and he's shouting something I've never heard in my life. He didn't say, "'Amen.'" He didn't say, "'Praise the Lord.'" He didn't say, "'Preach it.'" He hollers at the top of his lungs, and this is what he says. "'Let the wild hog eat!' My man, with a trademark shout. I don't know what it meant, but I felt it in my bones. I'm like, yes, let the wild hog eat. Indeed! Somebody shout amen! Amen! And when you shout amen, realize what you're shouting means so be it. When you shout amen, it doesn't mean preach, Pastor Steven. When you say amen, you're not talking to me at all. You're talking to the one the word came from. So, when you say amen, you're saying, God, let it be like that in my life. God, what you just spoke to me, I don't care that my kid's on drugs. If you say they'll be saved, they'll be saved, so be it! Somebody shout amen! God, if you say I'm coming out of this, I'm coming out of this, so be it! If you say the fire won't burn me, my clothes won't even smell like smoke, so be it! Shout amen!

I'm going to turn this into a Pentecostal church by the time it's all said and done, but it's not just going to be for the people who have an outward-expressing personality. It's going to be for everybody who has been fighting against insecurity and fighting against lies and fighting against the Enemy telling you that's all it's ever going to be. Nazareth… Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Well, if God says something good can come out of this, then amen to what he says and let every man be a liar, because I have my own amen. Amen. I love the words. Say amen. If you want to take it to the next level and you just might, then you can do what Jesus did in John, chapter 1, verse 50. You know, Nathanael comes toward Jesus, and I love Jesus because he sees the best in me. I'm grateful that he knows the worst of me, but he sees the best in me. You can't say that about anybody else. Yes, I can. My mother… She doesn't know the worst. Not the worst. I'm not talking about what she caught you for when you were in 10th grade. I'm talking about what you still deal with. God knows that. That was Nathanael's issue with Jesus. He said, "'How do you know me?' I thought about doing an illustration, but I didn't have time to work it out in advance. I was just going to walk up to somebody random that I didn't know and start saying stuff about them. "'How's your daughter? Is she doing good over there at Samford University? How's that new Honda Civic treating you? Do you like it?' I was going to find out from somebody else. I was going to walk down, and there's no way I could know all this, and just freak them out." That's what it must have been like for Nathanael, because he's like, "'We'll see about this. Jesus of Nazareth…' I had never heard of Jesus from Nazareth." The Bible doesn't say Jesus is going to come from Nazareth. It says he's going to come from Bethlehem. I know my Bible. So, he didn't come from Bethlehem. Well, he did come from Bethlehem. You just didn't dig deep enough. So now Nathanael has kind of like a cynical or skeptical attitude. He's like, "'I've got to see it to believe it. Show me this Jesus.'" Now, this is crazy. He's like, "'I've got to see it to believe it.'" Verse 47. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "'How's that Honda Civic working out? How's your daughter doing there at Samford University?' Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.'" He knew something about him that he shouldn't know. Nathanael said, "'How do you know me? Are you a stalker or a Savior?' Jesus answered, "'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you. Before they called you, I knew you.'" Oh, that's good news.

I'm so glad God picked me before I was born, because after that he might not have wanted me. I've done some dumb stuff since then. I'm so glad he knit me together in my mother's womb. I'm so glad he chose me and he saw me under my fig tree. Under the fig tree was a euphemism in Judaism. It wasn't a literal term. It meant when you meditated. You know how we might say, "'I'm in the lab.'" That doesn't mean you're a scientist. That just means I'm working on something. You know how you might say, "'I'm cooking.'" You're not really making spaghetti. Getty? You mean I'm working on something. Under the fig tree was the way they would describe meditating. It could have been physical too, but there is rabbinic evidence to suggest that Nathanael was meditating, and Jesus is saying, I know what you've been thinking about. In other words, I know what's in you, and Philip may have found you, Jesus says. But who do you think found Philip? This is the funniest thing I've ever seen in the Bible, y'all. I've been preaching at this church for 20 years. I preached for 10 years before that, and I never laughed harder reading the Bible than I did this week. Did you see in verse 45 where it says Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law? I laughed when I saw that, because he said, We have found the one. We found Jesus. But all you have to do is back up two verses to see why I laughed. Verse 43. The next day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee, finding Philip. How quick we forget that I didn't find him. I didn't choose him. He chose me. You want to know why I'm here today? Not because I found Jesus. The truth of the matter is some of us weren't even looking, but he was. Some of us weren't even seeking, but he was. Some of us didn't even want to come to church, but something made you come, didn't it? Why? Because you had to get this word. Philip didn't find Jesus. Jesus found Philip, and the same is true of me. My story is not the story of Stephen seeking Jesus. My story is Jesus sought Stephen. He found me, and the reason that's good is if I found him, that means I could lose him again. But if he found me… I said, If he found me, that means there's no valley too low, no mountain too high, no road too far, no Nazareth too small, no sin too great, no chain too strong, no grave too deep. He found me. That's why I'm happy. That's why I'm excited. That's why I'm confident. The psalm is said in Psalm 27, verse 13, I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land

of the living. Check out the verse. I would have despaired, given up, quit, no hope, unless I believed that I would see. You say, See it to believe it. God says, Believe it to see it. And if you believe the walls can fall, and if you shout while you're still staring at them, and if you start declaring over my family, my family is blessed. I know everybody is acting dysfunctional right now, but my family is blessed. The roots are blessed. The branches are blessed. My body is blessed. My mind is blessed. Depressed but blessed. Stressed but blessed. Confused. He sees you under the fig tree. He sees what you're crying about. He sees what you're confused about, and he calls you anyway, and he calls you while you are still under the fig tree. He told Philip, Come and see, and he told Nathaniel, Nathaniel, you think me seeing you under that tree is a reason to believe? Nathaniel, you ain't seen nothing yet. Think about all of the things Jesus could have said. Think about all of the things Jesus could have said to Nathaniel. He could have said… Look at it in verse 47. He could have said, I'm approaching him, and he knows he just talked bad about Nazareth. That's his hometown, y'all. He could have said, Oh, here he comes. Oh, Nathaniel. Oh, negative Nate. Aren't you glad he sees the best in you? He could say, Oh, messed up Matt. But he doesn't see messed up. He sees a miracle. I don't know who I'm preaching to, but he called you while you were still under the fig tree. He called you right in the middle of the messed-up mind. He called you right in the middle of the messed-up… Nazareth. Can anything good come from Nazareth? Follow me and find out. That's what he's saying. He don't call him Negative Nathaniel. You know how we nickname the Bible characters according to their absolute lowest point? Doubting Thomas. What do you mean doubting Thomas? Thomas said, I'll go and die with you. Doubting Thomas.

More like honest Thomas. If we could read your mind, if we could get under your fig tree, everything going up under there ain't that good either. By the way, I just felt the Lord drop this in my spirit, so I'll say it. Some of you need to remember this who are raising kids who are lost right now. The Lord knows where to find them. He found you, didn't he? He found you. That's why I called the sermon Seeking Jesus, because I realized I'm not really the one seeking, he is. He is the seeking Jesus, not just the saving Jesus, not just the healing Jesus. He's the seeking Jesus, and he's looking for one who's lost, and he'll leave 99 to get him. A lady came up to me the other day, and she gave me a… I brought one. She gave me a little Jesus. You can't even see that, can you? I said, That's nice. Thank you. I said, What am I supposed to do with this? She said, No, just for the love. It's cute. I'm like, It is cute. Thank you. I'm not hating on this, but something about it… Something about mini-Jesus. Then she told me… She goes, They're cool. You can hide them different places, and people can find them. I was preparing this message, thinking, That's how we think about him sometimes.

Oh, isn't that wonderful? Let me remind you what to think of when you look at it. Remember every time you pick it up. Remember that this is just a reminder that I'm not holding him. He's holding me. I'm not interested in shrinking Jesus down to where I think… My life really runs up on the types of battles I have to fight as a grown man. I don't need mini-Jesus. I need a mighty Jesus. You ain't seen nothing yet, Nathaniel. You think that's something? He says in verse 51, he says, Verily, or truthfully, I tell you the truth, you will see heaven open. You will see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. He's prophesying from Jacob in the book of Genesis, but he's prophesying about the cross. He's prophesying about salvation. He's saying, You ain't seen nothing yet. Put it back up. Verily, I say unto you, the King James says, Very truly, I tell you, you will need the original language to really get this. In the original language, he doesn't say, Very truly, I tell you. He says, Amen, Amen. He says it twice, 25 times in the gospel of John. Not in Matthew, not in Luke, not in Mark. In John alone, Jesus is recorded. Twenty-five times he says, Amen, and then he says it again. Now let's break this down. He said, Very truly, I say to you, you ain't seen nothing yet, Nathaniel. You are only getting started. You want to see what it looks like to walk by faith?

Follow me and find out. Follow me with questions. Follow me with doubts. Follow me with impurities. I'll work them out. Follow me with sin. I'll wash it away. Follow me. Just seek me for who I really am. Just follow me, and you will find out. Amen, Amen. I tell you, you will see heaven open. But what is interesting about Amen in this culture is not just that he said it twice. twice is that he said it for himself. Normally, when someone makes a statement of truth, someone who is listening will say, "'Amen' in response." But when Jesus… I'm going to put this one up here with you, LJ. I don't need him right now. When my great, big, water-walking Jesus speaks a thing, he doesn't wait to find out if you agree. If he said it, that settles it. Somebody shout, "'Amen.'" He said, "'I'm healed.'" He said, "'I'm free.'" He said, "'I'm forgiven.'" He said, "'I'm righteous.'" He said, "'I'm cleansed.'" He said, "'It's done.'" It is final. It is finished. It is settled. It is written. Amen. Amen again. Amen, amen. High-five three people. Say, "'Amen' and amen.'" I have something for you, loves. Watch this. Not only did he say it twice, which means it's a covenant, not only did he say it for himself, which means he'll fulfill it, he said it before the truth he spoke when he said it, because Jesus doesn't need to wait for the amen. He is the amen of God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He said, "'Amen.'" Whatever comes after it is true. He said, "'Amen.'" Nothing can cancel it. He said, "'Amen.'" It's as good as done. So be it. Amen. Amen. The first words of John's gospel are, "'In the beginning.'" The last words John writes in Revelation 22-21 on the island of Patmos,

the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. Amen. And if you believe, you will see Jesus. Not little Jesus. You will see King Jesus. I want to start a series today called See King Jesus, the one who was and is and is to come. So be it. Amen. When the King speaks a word, it cannot be overturned. Now I need the whole church to receive this song. You stand up right where you are, and you throw your hands in the air right now, and you say amen to God. Amen. I'm not waiting until it's over to say amen. God, I come into agreement with you right now. In the beginning was the Word, and in the end is the amen. I'm starting with an amen. I'm starting with the one who called me. When the King speaks a word, it cannot be overturned. It's as good as done. So get the liars out of the way. They don't have the final say. I want to see King Jesus in every word he speaks. Yes. And amen. So celebrate the victory, Nathaniel. The Lamb of God has overcome. My testimonies is my claim. He said that it is done. It is done. So be it, God. Amen. So be it. To the Alpha Omega, that's who I'm seeking. In Jesus' name. Let's go! The weapons of the enemy They have no power over me The one with all authority covers me So be it not So be it not So be it not So be it not From the throne to the cross Who would pay such a price For the sake of the world Here's your key Crucified Seize your nails

And your tears And your wounds See the crown That you wear That is sin Prophesied That it was Not the end Wipe your tears From your eyes Don't forget That it's sin He will rise He's alive He's alive He's alive He's alive He's alive He's alive He's alive He's alive The Lamb of God Is on the cross My testimony Is his blood And if you say That it is done So be it not The weapons of the enemy They have no power over me

The one with all authority covers me So be it not So be it not It is final It is written It is settled It is finished That old grave He was in it Now he is in it He is risen It is final He is in it He is settled He is finished That old grave He was in it He is risen Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah So be it He said it So be it So be it

Amen Amen Amen Hallelujah Hallelujah