Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 947
Delivered on Lord’s-Day Morning, August 21, 1870
“Seeking for Jesus.” John 6:24.
THE persons who are here described as seeking for Jesus were looking after Him from a very mean and selfish motive—not because of the gracious words which He spoke, nor to render Him thanks for benefits received at His hands— but merely because they had eaten of the loaves and fishes, and hoped to do so again. From such sordid motives let us flee. May we all shun with detestation the very idea of making a profession of religion for the sake of worldly advantage. It is detestable to the last degree. Those who seek Jesus Christ with the groveling desire to make a gain of godliness are hypocrites of the meanest order.
Like Judas they will follow the Lord while they can steal from the bag, and like that “son of perdition,” they will sell Him when the thirty pieces of silver are the reward of treachery. Let them know that such gain will involve their souls’ eternal loss.
I shall apply the words before us to those who really and spiritually seek Jesus, seek Him as Jesus—the Savior who saves His people from their sins. Last Sunday morning I tried to speak concerning maturity in Grace, giving the advanced Believer a word. And as we are bound to give a portion of meat in due season to all classes, I will now deal with those who are but babes in Grace, if indeed they are babes at all. I shall speak to those who cannot say, “We have found Him,” but who are earnestly “seeking for Jesus.”
I. First, let us notice THE CHARACTER OF THE STATE described as “seeking for Jesus.” In it there is a mingling of good and evil. We see in it much of light, but too much of darkness. It is neither day nor night, a dim twilight, hopeful but overclouded. I may call it “not light, but darkness visible.” It is one of those miry places, a marsh, not altogether sea, and certainly not land. Like the brackish water of the river’s mouth, not altogether salt, but assuredly not sweet.
“Seeking for Jesus” has a large amount of hopefulness in it. It is as the almond tree in blossom, though as yet there is no fruit. The seeker at any rate is not indifferent now. He is not a careless sluggard, demanding yet more sleep and folding of the hands. He is not a defiant rebel, daring the wrath of God with blasphemous audacity. He is no longer a denier of Revelation. He would not be seeking for Jesus unless he had some kind of faith—at any rate, a theoretical faith—in a Savior, and in his need of Him.
Now it is a very encouraging sign when we see men aroused and willing to hear. When we can bring men to think, we are very grateful, for thoughtfulness lies on the road to conviction of sin, and conviction is on the way to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am glad, my dear Friend, that you are now no longer deaf to the appeals of God’s Word. It is well that your ears are open, and though as yet what you hear is far from bringing you any comfort, rest assured it is a great blessing to you to hear the Truth of God, even when it condemns you. I rejoice to see you under concern and I hope that something may come of it.
Your face is now turned in the right direction, now that you are “seeking for Jesus.” When you sought sinful pleasure you were facing the pit of Hell—now your face is heavenward. I am glad that Jesus is the Object of your search, for depend upon it, nothing else is worth seeking for—salvation from sin and Hell should be the first object of your soul’s desire. For an alarmed and awakened sinner to seek rest in ceremonies will be a search for bread among ashes. To labor for salvation by your own righteousness will be looking for substance among dreams.
Your seeking after Jesus shows that you are on the right tack, and though as yet you have not reached the haven, the helm is set in the right direction, and I am grateful to God for it and encouraged concerning you. I regard your present state as the little cloud which foretells the coming rain. But, alas, I may be disappointed, and the early cloud may melt into nothingness! Hope tells a flattering tale, but she may be deceived. What a pleasing sight it is to see a man who has formerly been prayerless casting himself upon his knees in secret!
How gratifying to see the unread Bible brought out from the dust and carefully studied! Methinks an angel must look on with holy interest when he sees the fresh tear fall in the solitary chamber, and the unaccustomed suppliant bow before his God. Glad are those blessed spirits when they hear the seeker say, “O God, I will seek You until I find You. I will cry unto You till I receive an answer of peace.”
Intelligence of such a vow would make a Church rejoice in hope—trusting that the time for newborn children of God to be found in her midst was fully come. A heart that turns itself to Christ if haply it may find Him, is evidently in a hopeful condition. Yet in the state of “seeking for Jesus” there is much that is doubtful, for, my Brethren, the seeker after Christ remains disobedient to the great command of the Gospel. If he were obedient to the great Gospel precept, he would at once cease to be a seeker, and become a happy finder.