Hallelujah! Luke 12. Look at verse 32. The
Lord says, Fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good
pleasure to give unto you the kingdom. This verse has a special
meaning to me. It's blessed me many times over
the years, but particularly when I was a very young believer. I was working on the railroad
in my early twenties and walking down the railroad tracks. I often
walked great distances as a brakeman. And I was concerned about my
soul. that I might not be a child of
God, a believer. And I had a little Bible in my
pocket. And I pulled it out. And incidentally,
it would be a good thing to have one wherever you are, in your
car or purse or whatever, so if you can't remember these Scriptures,
you can look them up. At any rate, I opened it up and
it fell open. to this verse and said to me,
the Lord said to me as if he spoke out loud, fear not little
flock, it's your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
And I don't remember walking the rest of where I was going.
I was about six inches off the ground. Fear not, fear not. He gives your father great pleasure
to give you the kingdom. The Lord came preaching the gospel
of the kingdom, the good news that there is a kingdom, a spiritual
kingdom, an unseen kingdom, but it is real. The things that are
seen, he said, are temporary, but the unseen things, they return. It's an unseen kingdom. It's
an eternal kingdom. It's a world without end. It
is a kingdom wherein dwelleth righteousness. No sin. Nothing shall spoil it. No sin.
A kingdom of peace. There's no enemy. There's no
wars. There's no struggles. There's
no strife. There's no conflict. There's
no battle. Just peace. A kingdom of peace. A kingdom,
he said, of joy unspeakable. He said, if I tried to tell you
about it, and he did, you wouldn't understand because the eye hasn't
seen. The ear hasn't heard. Neither have really entered into
the hearts of His people the things that God has prepared
for them that love Him. But joy unspeakable and full
of glory. I thought about this. We're going
to glory in Him. We're going to glory in the King
of glory. We're going to see Him as He is and just be spellbound
and in love with Him. And we're going to glory in one
another. We're going to glory in one another and see one another. We're going to glory in the change
that has come over one another, In Pilgrim's Progress, the Christiana
and her friend, when they passed over the river of death, it says
they were immediately changed and they looked at one another
and one said to the other, you look beautiful. Oh, but no, but
you look beautiful. They were glorying in the change
they were made into his image. We're glorying ourselves. We're
going to glory that we're there. Glory, hallelujah, we're going
to say. Glory. In our surroundings, we're going
to be in paradise. We're going to glory in the table. We read of Solomon's table Sunday?
Scraps. That's just scraps. We're going
to glory in the conversation and glory in the time we have
together, which there is not. We don't have to go home. It's
never going to end. Have you ever had so much enjoyment
of something before, and you thought, I wish this would never
end. Well, it won't. It won't. Christ is going to
preach to us. The half has never been told.
He's going to tell it. We're going to sing. I know we're
going to sing. Perfect pitch. Can you imagine?
Can you imagine? Everybody in perfect tune, singing
from the depth of their being, eating, drinking. The marriage
supper, he calls it. We're going to be the bride and
Christ our bridegroom. Good news, our Lord said. The
kingdom, the kingdom. Interested? Well, he says it's
your father's good pleasure to give you that kingdom. Now, our Lord said fear not often.
This was not advice. This was a command. It was a
rebuke. We're going to see that. The
Lord said this three times here in this one chapter. He said
many things before he got to this, so let's just look back
at some of the things he said that led up to this. He warned
them in the first three verses of the leaven of the Pharisee. A little leaven will leaven the
whole lump, but he said it's hypocrisy. He's not warning them
of the Pharisees, but he's warning them of being like the Pharisees. Whatever the Scripture says is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof. Paul told young Timothy, reprove,
rebuke. If we're not reproved, if we're
not rebuked, then we're not his children. Who unto the Lord loveth,
he correcteth. And we need a lot of that. Even
as a father in whom he delighteth. The Lord doesn't delight to correct
us, but he delights in us. It is for our good. And we are
little Pharisees, aren't we? We are full of, still, hypocrisy,
which is saying one thing. He said they say, but they don't
do. Don't be that way. Don't be that
way, he said. Because, he said, whatever is
spoken in darkness is going to come out. So just be quiet. Be slow to speak. Verse 4, And,
he said, I say unto you, my friends, and here's a gentle rebuke, be
not afraid of them that kill the body. After that have no
more that they can do. I will forewarn you whom you
shall fear. Fear him, fear God, whom which after he hath killed
hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say unto you, fear. Fear
Him. Fear Him. Be not afraid of them
or whoever they may be, whoever you may be afraid of. And we
all are afraid. We would be dishonest if we said
we're not afraid. We're often afraid of them. And
the Lord gently, in love, rebukes us for our constant
fears. Fear of man. Fear of things.
It's human, yes. It is human to be afraid, but
it's also unbelief, because of all that our Lord has said to
us, all the promises that He has given us, and of all the
time, all the mercies He has shown us over the years. How
many years has He been faithful to His Word and protected us
and cared for us, and yet we're still afraid? Now, this especially
should apply to older believers, shouldn't it? Why are you so
fearful? Like he said to Philip, Philip,
he said, have I been so long time with you? Philip was afraid. They were all afraid. The Lord
had already told them over and over again what He was going
to do, where He was going to go. He was going to rise again,
come back, and He was going to prepare a place for them. And
they were all still afraid. And he said, why? How long do
I have to be with you before you realize who I am and what
that means to you? Why are you so fearful? So this
is a gentle rebuke, and we need it. And you know, it's unbelievable
because we tell our children things over and over again, and
we tell them to trust us. We tell them to believe us. We
tell them to be not afraid. We tell them that we're going
to do this or do that. And if they don't believe us
and they keep doubting us, it will provoke us, won't it? Doesn't it? It provokes us. Well,
how much does the Scripture say about provoking the Lord? Now,
I know that because I'm constantly provoked with myself, so I can
just imagine how I provoke my Lord. I provoke with myself. Why don't you believe Him more?
Why don't you trust Him more? What are you afraid of? So he
says, don't be afraid of things or people. Fear God. If you fear
Him, you need not fear anyone else, because He is God, and
all things are of Him. And in verses 6 and 7, he gives
this these promises and this reassurance to us, he says that
the five sparrows are sold for two farthings, and not one sparrow
is forgotten of God. You've seen the starlings, that's
a similar bird, same bird really, sparrow, starling, same in number. You know, you've seen starlings
get into trees outside. How many are there? Just thousands
of them. What are they worth? And our Lord does not exaggerate. He never exaggerates. He never
uses figures of speech. What He says is true. He says
there's not one sparrow that falls to the ground without your
heavenly Father's purpose. Not one. And then He says your
hairs are numbered. I didn't mean to look at you,
Stan. You looked at me. But honestly, not one hair falls
out of your head. What are you smiling at, Wesley?
What do you have that you haven't received? But every hair that
falls out of your head, the world thinks it's foolishness.
They think this is foolishness. No. How important is this? Something smaller than a hair
can kill you. Something that only can be seen
under a microscope will kill you. But if God's not in charge of
that, you're a goner, aren't you? So,
hairs are nothing. What about Adams? Well, he says, why be afraid? Don't be afraid. And then he
says of those, he promises that those who confess him before
men, He'll confess before the angels. Those who confess Him
before men, He'll confess before the angels. Now, the disciples
were sent out by the Lord. Turn with me to Luke 21. This
is a powerful passage of Scripture. Oh my, you need to commit this
to memory. Remember where it is. But the
disciples were to go out. These were unlearned men. were
to go out and preach before religious leaders and vast crowds and kings
and princes and rulers, Pharisees, that they were afraid of these
men. The Lord wouldn't say, be not
afraid, if they weren't afraid. And they were afraid. They knew
they were without ability, without learning. They couldn't do this. And they were going out. And the next thing he says to
them is, the Lord will tell you what to say at that time. Well,
look at Luke 21, verse 9, and here he tells them, warns them,
and tells them of what will happen to them and all around them. You'll hear of wars and commotion.
Be not terrified. These things must first come
to pass. My nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against
kingdom, great earthquakes in diverse places and famines and
pestilences. They're predicting that this
fall will be one of the worst hurricane seasons of all. Well,
what should we do? Trust God. That's what we should say. Don't
be afraid. All right? He says, in fearful
sights and great signs, they'll lay hands on you, verse 12, and
persecute you and deliver you to the synagogue and the prisons.
You're brought before kings and rulers for my namesake. But it's
for a testimony. Settle it in your hearts not
to worry, that is, about what you're going to answer. I'll
give you a mouth and wisdom with which all your adversaries shall
not be able to gainsay or resist. Do you think that Stephen He
stood up and was not afraid. He stood before all these men
and he was going to die. He knew he was going to die.
Do you think he was afraid? You know he was. He was a human
being, but God undergirded him and gave him a strength. and
ability. We read about the martyrs. We
read about those who laid down their lives. I told you about
William Tyndall. If you were called to do that,
if the time came for you to do that, the Lord will give you
the strength. Oh, yeah. Yes, He will. We worry about
being good witnesses, don't we? We worry about what to say. We
all, including me, worry that we won't know what to say. We
will say the wrong things or not say what we should and won't
be able to quote Scripture Just today I was at Walmart, and a
lady asked me, she found out I was a preacher, and she asked
me, and this doesn't happen very often, she said, well you're
a preacher, what is your, what does she say,
what is your perception of things? I like to hear what other Preachers
have to say their take on things, what the Bible says and so forth.
It kind of took me back, you know. I was waiting on her to
ask me, well, you're Baptist, Methodist, how many you have?
What do your curtains look like? You know? What would you do? What would
you say? What do you do when every one of us are faced with
somebody, aren't we? We come across people. What do
you do? What's the first thing that comes in your mind? What
do you do? Pray. Don't you? Lord, give me wisdom. Give me a word. Tell me what
to say. Give me courage. Give me strength. Don't let me be a coward. Let
me tell the truth. Don't let me be afraid of their
reaction when I tell the truth. These disciples, oh my, they
were afraid. Read on. He said in verse 17,
You will be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there
shall not a hair of your head perish until it's time. There shall not a hair of your
head perish. Now, here's the verse. In your patience possess
ye your souls. In your patience. The trial of
your faith works with patience. In your patience, waiting on
God, believing, trusting Him, knowing it's all of His purpose.
Possess your soul. In other words, what he's saying
is get a hold of yourself. Oh, what a verse that is. Go
back to Luke 12. So, he says, it will be given
you what to say. Those who confess me before Men,
I'll confess before the angels. And we do. You have. Most everyone
in here has confessed the Lord in believers' baptism and before
the world. They know you're a believer.
You try. Like Peter, we've all denied
him and wept bitterly. But the Lord gives us another
opportunity today. Oh, yeah, He knows that. He knows
who confesses Him. And then in verses 13 down through
verse 14, verse 15, there's a man who speaks out to him and says,
Lord, my brother is not going to divide the inheritance with
me properly. Would you make sure that I get what's coming, my
portion, that I get my inheritance? The Lord rebukes this man, and
us too, because we all think, well, you know, we've been done
wrong. Maybe we have, but in this world,
there is no justice. You're not going to get what's
right in this world. Beside, our Lord said, this is
not your portion. Abraham didn't get what was right,
did he? What did Lot get? He got the biggest portion, the
best portion, but it almost killed him. He almost perished with
it. So he says in another gentle
rebuke, verse 15, take heed, beware of covetousness. That's
not your life. These things that you possess
is not your life. Then he spoke a parable of this
rich man whose ground brought forth plenty. Oh, my. Our ground
has brought forth plenty, hasn't it? And he took no thought of
eternity in his soul. He was a fool. And he said, this
is what I'm going to do without any thought to the will of God
or to others, their needs, only for himself. He said, I'm going
to tear down my barns and build bigger barns. And our Lord said,
he's a fool. This man is a fool. Don't be
like him. He said, of this man, tonight
you're going to die. Then what? And every one of us
need to live every day in that way, thinking, what if I die
tonight? Don't we? Wouldn't that be a
wise way to live, thinking tonight might be my last? Then what would
we worry about? Then what would we be thinking
of? See this? So don't be a fool, he said.
And so when he said we need to be rich toward God. Oh my. Rich in trust toward God. We're very poor. We need to be
rich in communion with God. We're very poor. Oh my. Rich in thoughts toward God.
Our thoughts toward God. Oh, we're very poor. Most of
our thoughts are pretty low. And then he said in verse 22,
I say unto you, now this is to his disciples. Did you notice
that? Verse 1 is to his disciples. He spoke to them. Verse 22, he
said to his disciples, because they're the only ones that are
going to hear him. I say unto you, take no thought for your
life, what ye shall eat, nor the body, what ye shall put on.
The life is more than meat and the body is more than rain. These
men left everything. They actually literally left
all of their earthly goods. They left a wife, some of them
a wife at home and maybe children at home. They left their homes
and left their jobs. They had no way of providing
money for their families. And they literally did not know
where the next day's food was going to come from. They had
one suit of clothes on their back. And the Lord sent them
out and says, don't take another suit with you, another pair of
shoes. to prove to us who have many
suits of clothing and have freezers full of food, that you know, we don't, they
worried about that and they had legitimate, at least human, cause
for worry, didn't they? They literally did not know where
their next meal was coming from and the Lord had it every day
provided. And you know the Lord had to
provide it for Himself. I mean, our Lord had to depend on the
Father to provide for us. And we worry about other things,
don't we? We don't worry about food and rain. What we ought to worry about
is we have too much. But we worry about where we're going to get
the money to pay for our car, or where we're going to get the
money to pay for our mortgage, or where we're going to get the
money to pay for the medical bill, or whatever. That's the
things we worry about. He says, your father knows you
in any of those things. He knows that. He says, consider
the Ravens. They don't have barns. They don't sow with their food,
and they don't harvest it, and they don't have a place to put
it. And every day your Father, God, feedeth them. Are you not
better than the fowl? And then he goes on to say, consider
the lilies. They grow, but they don't toil. They don't plow. They don't reap
the cotton or the flax and whatever, and they don't spin it, and they
don't sew it into a garment. Nobody is more beautiful. Even
Solomon is more beautiful than one of these lilies. Maybe that's a word or two about
vanity, too, in clothing. So it says, if God clothes grass
and feeds birds, how much more will He clothe you and feed you?
Oh, ye of little faith. Verse 28, little faith. And don't
seek what you shall eat or what you shall drink. See, the people
of this world think on those things. That's all they think
about. Life is more than that. Think on things above. Verse
31, Seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things will be
added unto you. Seek ye the kingdom of God. You
know, I believe I do. And I believe you do, too. If
you're here tonight, you could be somewhere else. I believe
you do. I believe I do. When I spoke
of the kingdom, did that interest you? Do you want to go there?
Do you want to be there? Well, he said, all these things
will be added to you. Seek the kingdom of God. Keep
your mind on things above. Don't worry about this life.
Easier said than done. That's because without Him we
can do nothing. So pray without ceasing. Alright,
now he says, fear not. Anything or anyone. Fear not. You know, the Lord is wisdom. And it is great wisdom and great
eloquence to be able to say in a few words what it takes most
people many. To be able to say great things
in a short sentence. To be able to say profound things
with simple words. That's eloquence. Sixteen words
here. One and two syllable words, nothing
over two syllables. Two word phrases full of glory,
full of wisdom, full of comfort, full of consolation. Fear not. The first time. Fear not. Fear not what? Name something. We have, as we already said,
we fear our temporal needs. We said, your father knows what
you need. Don't be afraid of that. Just stop being afraid
of that. Everything you had, He gave it to you. Fear not present troubles and
trials. He said you're coming into a
kingdom and you must, through much tribulation, enter this
kingdom. It's to keep you from falling
in love with this place. It's to keep you from not wanting
to leave this place. It's to wean you from this place.
It's to show you that there's nothing here for you. That you
look for a better place. All the troubles and all the
trials will help you leave here. There was a young lady on a small
wooden ship years ago, hundreds of years ago, crossing the ocean. And she was crossing the ocean
to go to another country to marry a young prince who was heir to
a throne. She's crossing the ocean on this
little wooden ship. And in that voyage, the ship
went through storms, fierce gales. There was sickness on board that
ship, sea sickness. There were cramped quarters.
But all the while, someone noticed this young lady was just fairly
happy and seemed unconcerned. And they asked her, and she said,
this is but light afflictions, these cramped quarters and this
sickness and these storms that we're going through. She said,
I'm soon to be a queen. What would you endure? This is nothing. That's what
Paul said. Our light afflictions, but for a moment, worketh for
us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory. We're going
to be a queen. All of us married to the King.
Fear not future troubles. Our Lord said you must. It's
a necessity that you go through tribulation, but be of good cheer. He said, I went through it. And
you must too. And I have overcome it. And you
shall too. And whatever it is, realize this,
it is I. Don't fear future troubles. Fear
not. We fear being cast out, don't
we? We fear being cast out. Did not our Lord say, who cannot
lie, him that cometh to me? Who? Him. Her. that cometh to
me, not once, but however many, if they keep coming. The prodigal
son came back. He said, I will in no wise, for
no reason cast him out. Don't fear that. We fear falling
away. Don't we? We fear falling away. There's an old poem that says,
if one of God's sheep could fall away, I would fall a thousand
times a day. He said the preservation of the
saints is taught in Scripture just as much as the deity of
the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing more certain
than the preservation of the saints. You didn't save yourself,
and you're not going to keep yourself. You're kept by the
power of God. Don't fear falling away. Falling,
yes, you will fall, but not away. Brother Bruce Crabtree. Don't you love him? He said one
time in preaching, and he kind of got his words tangled up. And nobody will forget it. They'll
never forget it. He coined a new word which ought
to be in our vocabulary. The perseverance of the saints.
He kept talking about the perseverance of the saints. It was just what he said. They're
preserved and they persevere. Perseverance. You think he's
a dumb redneck? He's a wise man sent by God. Perseverance of the saints. It's both. They're preserved
and they will persevere. They will persevere because they're
preserved. Fear not. That's what I fear
more than anything. Fear not, little flock. Little flock? You know what the world uses
that term in derision? It's just a little church. They're
just little people. Little church. They've got a
little group down there. What they use in derision, the
Lord uses as a term of endearment to Him. Precious to Him. Little flock. Like a mother would
say of her little child, you better not say anything about
her little child. Now, she's more concerned about
that little child than she is the big one. Fear not, little
flock. Little flock. The world thinks
truth is in the majority, don't they? Nothing could be further
from the truth. It never has been in the majority. Never has. Always been the minority. The Lord said to Noah, shut the
door, or the Lord shut the door. He said, how many in here? Eight.
Shut it. That's enough. Eight. That's
enough. Lot, you and your daughters coming
out. That's it. Gideon from 32,000. 32,000. He said that's too many. whittled it down to 300. You know, there's no strength
in numbers. No truth in numbers, and there's
no strength in numbers. If God be for us, David said,
it doesn't matter if a host is against me. It doesn't matter. That's so. God's people are generally
little in number. Little in number. Brother Ed
told me that Charles Spurgeon said this as a prophecy. It's
virtually come true. He preached to many. Thousands.
But he said something to this effect. He said, after my death,
after I'm gone, most places where the truth is preached will be
Fifty or less. That's what he said. Is that not so? That's generally
the way it is in our modern day. Trying to pause this thing. I preached out in California
to about five people in a living room. Counting us. Two couples and us. The first
night. Yes, ma'am. Four people, not
counting that. That's just the way it is. That's
just the way it is. Little flop. Little flop. Does that mean the Lord's not
with them? Uh-uh. He said two, three. God's people are generally
little in number. They're certainly little in possessions.
They're not many wise, mighty, rich, noble disciples. You know what they had when the
Lord called them? A couple of old boats and some
nets. They had a business all right. It wasn't a vast thoroughbred
operation, was it? They were little in status. Fishermen. The Lord chose as his disciples
nobodies. You see your calling, brother?
Little in knowledge and wisdom and ability. Little they knew
they were little in faith. That's what he said, O ye of
little faith. They were little in their own eyes. little in their own eyes. But
the Lord was going to equip them to go out and confound the world.
He's going to take things that are naught to bring to naught
things that are. Fear not, little flock. Flock
means you're a sheep. Sheep. Flock. If you're a sheep,
that means you're dirty, dumb, weak, wandering, needy, following,
gregarious, fearful. You love grass. And you love
the shepherds. I didn't have time to go into
all that, but there you go. Sheep. They're not a noble creature. They're a pretty dumb creature.
But they've got a shepherd. Little flock, it is your father,
he said. Fear not. Little flock, your
father. Your father. If God is my father, If God is my Father, why would
I be afraid? And the Lord said, how do you
know God is your Father? Well, He said, the Father Himself
will love you because you have loved Me and know and believe
that I came out from God. And you know you love Him because
He first loved you. That's the only reason you love Him. Little
children. John said that over and over
again, didn't he? Little children, it's your Father. your Father's
good pleasure. It gives your Father good pleasure. It pleases Him. What pleases God? Well, the Scripture
says it pleased the Father, God, to make you His people. It just
pleased Him. God, our Father in Heaven, who
does whatsoever He hath pleased, it gives Him great delight and
great pleasure to give you the kingdom. You don't earn it. To give it
to you. Yes, by grace you say. Give.
It's more blessed to give. You're not going out and give
God. God is the blessed One. It's more blessed to give. And
He delights to give. He says, oh, God loveth a cheerful
giver. He must be very cheerful in giving. It says that of our Lord, with
a joy that was set before Him, endured the cross. He'd give
it. God of all grace, full of grace, is pleased. It just pleases
Him to give it to you. Give it to you. Who? You. Give
you. Who? Republicans, Harlots, thieves. This gives Him great pleasure.
He was hanging on a cross as an old thief hanging beside Him.
about the most worthless fellow on planet earth. And all of a
sudden, by the grace of God, this thief saw who this was and
saw his need of him. And he had never done anything
good to them and would never be able to do anything good after
that. And all he could say was, remember me. Today, you'll be
with me in paradise. This just gives me great pleasure. It's going to give me great pleasure
to introduce you to the angels in heaven. A thief. You know, it gives me great pleasure
to do things for those I love. How much more? And then he says,
the last two words are the kingdom that we talked about. Not part of it. All of it. This man said, make this man
divide my inheritance with me. He said, you don't need that.
You're getting the kingdom. All of it. The Lord never does
anything by halves. All of it. Give it all. Paul said to the Corinthians,
all things are yours. Everything. Christ is the heir
of all things. Everything. And I can't tell
you what all there is. It's too much. I hadn't seen
it. If I had, like Paul, he said,
I can't describe it. But he said, it's all yours.
Christ is the heir, and what do we call? Joint heir. All of it, not part of it. You
get a little of this and you get a little of that, but oh,
you get it all. The kingdom. Not the half, but the whole.
The kingdom. Fear not. Anything. Anyone. Little flock. We're little,
but that's good. The Lord says that's good. Little. It's good to be little. It is
your flock. He's your Father. You believe
and trust Christ, He's your Father. To give it to you. You don't
earn it. You don't have to do anything to make Him give it
to you. He just likes to give it to you. What? The Kingdom. Well, we'll
just have to wait and see. He's true. All right, stand with
me. Our Lord, we thank you for your
sure promises, sure mercies of David, sure mercies of the Son
of David. This is all our salvation that
you've made a covenant with your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, concerning
your people, ordered in all things and sure. You have promised us
eternal life of trust in Your Son, and You've even given us
that trust and that faith. Thank You, Lord, is about all
we can say. Thank You. Thank You for this
Word, as our brother has already said. We thank You again. Write
it on our hearts. Make it come up over and over
again when fears arise, when troubles come. Oh, Lord, let us not be little
in faith, but great faith, great courage. We know faith cometh
by hearing. So, Lord, let us hear Your Word,
but not be hearers only, but doers of the Word. Act upon what
You've said. Be not faithless, but believing. Thou art our Father, which art
in heaven. Lord, we pray for Your Kingdom,
that it would come. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, that
your will will be done on earth in our lives as it is done everywhere. It is thy kingdom and the power
belongs to you and the glory. It is for your glory we have
met here tonight, we pray, we hope. Amen.