John 1:14
Come Thou Fount

This verse is not talking about just anyone. It is speaking of the
God who stood out on the balcony of nothingness and called all things
into existence with nothing but His words. In this chapter, John has
referred to that Person as the Preexisting Word, the Powerful Light,
and in this verse, the Perfect Man. That name of that Person is given
in verse 17. He is Jesus Christ.

But verse 14 does more than just talk about Jesus. It describes Him.
It says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. What a marvelous
statement that is! He was full of grace and truth, but what does it
mean? It means that Jesus was so full of grace and truth that it just
poured out of Him. Jesus is like a fountain so full of water that it
cannot contain it all and so the water pours over the sides, creating
a stream as it collects to run to lower ground.

Let’s consider that for a few moments.

I. Jesus is the Fountain of Truth

John 1:14 … He was full of… truth.

    A. That means truth poured out of Jesus.
    B. We are living in a confused world today.
        1. This world is confused about many things but one thing it
            is terribly confused about is truth.
        2. So many things are said, believed, and even fought over
            today with some saying it is truth and others saying it
            is not.
    C. With so much confusion about truth in the world, let me take a
        moment to explain some things about truth.
        1. Truth must always be truthful.
            a. I know that sounds very simple but apparently, it is
                not know in today’s world.
            b. Truth is…
                (1) a guess
                (2) a hope
                (3) a theory
                (4) a wish.
                (5) I’ll be honest.  I don’t know many true things,
                     but I do know the Fountain of Truth and I put
                     my confidence in Him.
            c. Likewise, truth cannot be exaggerated or falsified.
                If it is, it’s not truth.
                (1) Remember,
                     (a) Truth might be misunderstood.
                     (b) Truth might be hated.
                     (c) Truth might even be denied.
                (2) But truth must always be truthful.
        2. I hope that we also understand that truth neither cares
            which side of the argument it is on or whose feelings are
            hurt.
        3. Truth is only concerned with one thing, i.e. being
            truthful.
    D. The Bible says of Jesus, He was full of truth.  What truth
        flowed from Him?
        1. If you want to enter heaven, you must be born again.

John 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

            a. While most of you probably understand what that means
                just in case there is one who does not, let me
                briefly explain.
                (1) We are all born sinners.  That is why we die.
                (2) But God offers…
                     (a) To forgive our sins,
                     (b) To move into us,
                     (c) To make us a new person, and
                     (d) To give us a new life.
                (3) That life cannot be had by doing better.
                (4) To get God to move inside of us, we must do two
                     things:
                     (a) We must believe what the Bible says about
                          Jesus.
                     (b) And, the best we know how—and I do mean the
                          very best, we must surrender ourselves to
                          God and His will.
                            i. Any attempts to hold out on God and He
                                will know about it and will not move
                                inside of you.
                           ii. If you are going to keep lying, keep
                                living in adultery, keep holding a
                                grudge, or anything else, God will
                                not move inside.
                          iii. Many do not understand the importance
                                of surrendering themselves to God and
                                so they are NEVER "born-again."
             b. Jesus was not only coining a new term for us when He
                 used that term, it was telling us a truth.
                 Remember, He is full of truth, and so that truth
                 just pours out of Him.
                 (1) He said you will never see the kingdom of God or
                      heaven.
                 (2) Friend, if you never see it, you are certainly
                      never going to enter it.
                 (3) I fully know and understand that there are
                      people today who say there are many ways to get
                      to heaven, but Jesus, the Fountain of Truth, is
                      in fact saying that they are liars.
                 (4) You might say, "Preacher, prove that to me."
                      And I will answer, "I cannot."  You will have
                      to look deep into your soul, study this Bible
                      for yourself, and try to hear from God as to
                      what is true, but I have done so and I am
                      convinced that Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven.
                 (5) What about you?  This is too important to
                      ignore or delay.  I suggest that if you have
                      any doubts that Jesus is the Fountain of Truth,
                      you get serious about finding out today.
        2. If you want to be a disciple, you will have to follow Him.

Luke 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross daily, and follow me.

            a. Notice Jesus’ words in this verse:
                (1) "If," that is man’s choice.
                     (a) That means not everyone is going to do what
                          Jesus was commanding here.
                     (b) Everyone should but everyone must make up
                          their own minds.
                     (c) Think on this:  You might live on this earth
                          100 years, but you are going to live
                          forever in eternity.  Whether you are
                          presently saved or lost, do you want to
                          live your 100 years selfishly and waste
                          your eternity or invest your 100 years
                          wisely and reap rewards for eternity?
                     (d) The word "if" gives you that choice.
                (2) "If any man (woman) will come after me," that is
                     God’s goal.
                     (a) That means if anyone will be saved (born-
                          again) and become His disciple.
                     (b) Jesus was stating a goal He has for our
                          lives and He has at least two goals for
                          every person:
                           i. That they be saved (born-again) and…
                          ii. That they follow Him, obey Him, become
                               His disciple.
                     (c) You have your own will and may do with your
                          life whatever is within your power to do,
                          but God is the Fountain of Truth, and He is
                          revealing what His goals for your life are.
                (3) "let him deny himself… take up his cross daily,
                     and follow me," that is the price that must be
                     paid.
                     (a) To be a disciple, a follower, of Jesus, we
                          must quit living for our selfish pleasures,
                          desires, and even our needs.  We must deny
                          what we want.
                            i. Four pronouns to measure your level of
                                selfishness: I, me, my, and mine.
                           ii. Three more could be relevant: us, we,
                                and our.
                          iii. How often do we use His and Him?
                     (b) To be a disciple, a follower, of Jesus, we
                          must take up our cross—every day.  Why
                          take up a cross?  There is only one thing
                          you can do with a cross, die on it.  Not
                          only are we to deny our selfish selves but
                          we are to die, kill, our desires and goals
                          so that they do not influence us.
                     (c) To be a disciple, a follower, of Jesus, we
                          must follow Him.  We must follow His
                          examples, His teachings, and His commands.
            b. Jesus was not just telling us what was necessary to be
                His disciple.  Jesus, the Fountain of Truth, was
                telling us that if we do not do these things, we are
                NOT following Him, that we are NOT His disciple.
                (1) Now we may not agree with that truth, we may not
                     obey that truth, we may not like that truth, but
                     Jesus, the Fountain of Truth, made it so it is
                     true.
                (2) You are here this morning because you have a
                     desire to know and follow God—either that or
                     someone made you come.
                     (a) If you have even the smallest notion in your
                          heart that you want to be a follower of
                          Jesus Christ, you need to let this truth
                          sink deep into your soul and then you need
                          to honestly examine yourself.
                     (b) How much of you is living your body and how
                          much of Jesus is living in there?
                     (c) Have you denied what you wanted?
                     (d) Have you nailed yourself to the cross?
                     (e) Are you following Jesus?
                     (f) The Fountain of Truth is before you this
                          morning, but you must believe what He is
                          telling you.

II. Jesus is the Fountain of Grace.

John 1:14 … He was full of… truth.

    A. That means grace poured out of Jesus.
    B. I believe grace to be the most powerful force on earth.
        1. Stronger than fire (video of forest fire), tsunamis,
            flood, hurricane, tornado is God’s grace.
        2. What is grace?  My definition of grace is that grace is
            GOD working in you and through you to accomplish His
            will.
        3. There is no force stronger than God working.  None.  Not
            one.
        4. John tells us that Jesus was not just the Fountain of
            Truth, but that He was also the Fountain of Grace.
    C. That means God’s power to bring people into God’s will just
        poured out of Jesus like water pours out of a fountain.  Did
        it?
        1. In John 4, Jesus passed through a place called Sychar.
            a. While there, He stopped at a well and met a woman from
                the area.
            b. It was no accidental meeting.

John 4:4  And he must needs go through Samaria.

                (1) That implies that it was Jesus’ strong desire and
                     purpose to go through that area.
                (2) I believe He wanted to go through there to meet
                     this woman and her neighbors.
           c. What happened?
               (1) On earthly scales, not much.  Just a few
                    conversations.
               (2) On heavenly scales, a tsunamis hit!  This woman
                    was saved and her whole village!
           d. Isn’t it interesting?
               (1) Jesus passed by this location and before He left,
                    the two goals that He has for every person on
                    this planet happened to the entire village!
               (2) How is that possible?  I am going to say a strong
                    force caused it, the strongest force that the
                    world has ever known, the grace of God came
                    through Sychar.
               (3) And why not?  Jesus, the Fountain of Grace, was
                    passing through.
        2. In John 5, Jesus passed through a pool in Jerusalem called
            Bethesda.
            a. \\#3\\ tells us that a great multitude of sick, blind,
                lame, and withered people sat there.
            b. But Jesus went up to one man who had been lame for 38
                years and asked him a question, "Wilt thou be made
                whole?"
                (1) Imagine a man who had never walked being asked if
                     he wanted to be healed.
                (2) Jesus told the man to get up, pick up his bed,
                     and to walk—and he did.
                (3) Jesus healed that man that day!
                (4) The crowds rush in and soon Jesus and the man are
                     separated, but Jesus found the man later and
                     told him who he was.
                     (a) The best I can tell, that lame man got saved
                          that day.  And while the Bible did not
                          follow up with what he did from that day
                          on, I would hazard a guess that the lame
                          man went on to follow Jesus.
                     (b) That was the powerful force of God; but
                          strangely, grace did not sweep through that
                          crowd and convert others.
                     (c) I think the religious leaders did not want
                          it.
            c. Lesson: No earthly force can stop the flood of grace,
                but God will not force grace where it is not wanted.
            d. Two more truths for lost people about grace.
                (1) It can and will peak.
                (2) It can and will end.
            e. But here, isn’t it amazing.
                (1) God has at least two goals for every person’s
                     life, that they be saved and then follow Him,
                     and when Jesus passed by, that lame man
                     surrendered to do BOTH!
                (2) But then, why not?  Jesus, the Fountain of
                     Grace was passing through.

But then, why should that be surprising?  Jesus, the Living Word made
flesh, is full of grace and truth.

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