Good morning. How is everybody? Turn with me if you would to
Matthew chapter 10. I'd like to have a word of prayer.
Let's bow for prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we come
before you now asking if it be thy will, would you help us to
enter into your word? Dear Lord, we are weak, weak
vessels. We need your spirit and we need
your presence. Dear Lord, I pray that we are
met together in your name. Lord, would you meet with us?
Forgive us, Lord, of our sin. We ask these things in Christ's
name. Amen. I have a vital question this
morning. I was sitting there just a minute
ago thinking about the young people. Not many young people want to
attend worship. And I remember being your age,
sitting there listening to these men. And I don't care how old we are,
except we become as little children, we're not going to enter the
kingdom of heaven. I have a vital question. What we're doing here
is life and death. You know that? And we don't think
about that when we're young. But it's life and death. I remember
I was very young at Brother Don Fortner's conference. And Brother Scott Richardson
was preaching and he said, He said, well, we're going to
have a Bible conference. He said, one guy stands up and he preaches
for a while, and then the next guy gets up and says, move over,
brother, and give me a shot at that thing. And that's kind of what we view.
But this is life and death. You know that? This is life and
death. We could go meet God today. Today. This could be it, today. Matthew chapter 10, look at verse
11. And into whatsoever city or town
you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide
till you go thence. And when you come into an house,
salute it. And if the house be worthy, let
your peace come upon it. But if it be not worthy, let
your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive
you nor hear your words when you depart out of that house
or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto
you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah
in the day of judgment than for that city." Our Lord is telling
this to those whom he called to preach. Verse 7 says, And as you go, preach, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. We could go meet God today. Verse 11 says, And into whatsoever
city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy,
and there abide till you go thence. Who in it is worthy? Now verse 1 says, And when he
had called unto him his twelve disciples, so he said this to
them, his twelve disciples. But turn with me over to Luke
chapter 10. Luke chapter 10 verse 1 says,
After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent
them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither
He Himself would come. Therefore said He unto them,
The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers
into His harvest. Go your ways. Behold, I send
you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor script,
nor shoes, and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever
house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the
Son of Peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it. If not, it
shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain
eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer
is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And
into whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such
things as are set before you. and heal the sick that are therein,
and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
But into whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you not,
go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the
very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off
against you. Notwithstanding, be ye sure of
this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I
say unto you that it shall be more tolerable in that day for
Sodom, than for that city. So he said this exact same thing
to 70 more. 70 more. And he recorded both of these
to say the exact same thing to every single man that he's ever
called to preach. Every single person who preaches
the truth. So back over in our text in Matthew
chapter 10, Verse 11, he says, into whatsoever city
or town you shall enter. And I have now entered Apopka,
Florida. He says in verse 11, inquire,
and that means ask the people. Who in it is worthy? So according to the commandment
of our God, I'm going to ask you a question. And I want to
strongly encourage you not to answer me. As I ask this out loud, ask yourself
this question in your heart. Who in here is worthy? Who in here is worthy of this
gospel? Can you believe you're sitting
here? Can you believe it? How many
people live in Orlando? Why are we sitting here? Who in here is worthy of the
gift of God? Worthy of His blood? Worthy of
His death? Anybody? Who in here is worthy of the
peace of God? The Prince of Peace. Who in here is worthy of Jesus
Christ? As I hear that question, this
is what my mind answers. I'm not. I'm not. That's a really convicting question,
isn't it? Isn't that convicting? Here's why it's so convicting.
This text right here says, some people are. Look at verse 11. It says, And into whatsoever
city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy,
and there abide till you go thence. When you find the worthy ones,
stay with them. That's scary, isn't it? Verse 12, and when you come
into a house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let
your peace come upon it. But if it be not worthy, let
your peace return to you. Our Lord is saying some people
are worthy, And some people are not. Turn with me over to Luke 20. The Sadducees are asking the
Lord a question about a woman who married seven different brothers. Luke 20 verse 29 says, There
were therefore seven brethren, and the first took a wife, and
died without children, and the second took her to wife, and
he died childless, and the third took her, and in like manner
the seven also, and they left no children and died. Last of
all, the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection,
whose wife of them is she? For seven had her to wife. And
Jesus answering said unto them, the children of this world marry
and are given in marriage, but they which shall be accounted
worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage, neither can they die
anymore for they are equal unto the angels and are the children
of God, being the children of the resurrection. Our Lord said,
They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world. Isn't that something? Go to Luke
21. Verse 36 says, Watch ye therefore
and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all
these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the
Son of Man. Go to Acts chapter 5. The apostles were apprehended
for preaching the gospel and brought before a council. And
Acts chapter 5 verse 40 says, And to him they agreed, and when
they had called the apostles and beaten them, They commanded
that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them
go. And they departed from the presence
of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for His name. And daily in the temple and in
every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. They were counted worthy to suffer
shame. The Apostle Paul told the Ephesians,
walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. He told the Colossians, walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. He told the Thessalonians, walk
worthy of God who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. He said in 2 Thessalonians 1,
just listen to this, verse 11, wherefore also we pray always
for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, worthy,
and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work
of faith, power. Now let me ask this question
again. Who in here is worthy? While I was writing these notes
out, my heart started hurting right here. I was nervous. Are you worthy to suffer for
Christ's sake? No. I'm not. I believe my brother Paul and
Silas. I esteem them higher than myself.
I'm not. Are you worthy to walk before
God, pleasing Him in His kingdom? No. I'm not. Examine yourselves. Whether you
be in the faith, prove your own selves. In just a minute, we're about
to walk out of that door. And we're going to walk out of
here one of two ways. One of two ways. We're either
going to walk out of here really sad. Really sad. Because we just heard the worst
news of our lives. Or we're going to walk out of
here really glad. Because we just heard the greatest
news of our lives. The gospel. Let's examine ourselves. Who
is worthy? What are God's requirements to
be worthy of Christ? Worthy of his salvation? All
of his requirements are in our text. Go with me back to Matthew
10. Our Lord called His disciples,
and He equipped them with their abilities and their message,
and then He told them who it was for. Look at verse 6, it
says, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. God's first requirement to be
worthy is, you gotta be lost. First requirement. You've got
to be lost. I can be that. I can be that. I can be a dumb, blind, lost
sheep. I'm lost. Examine yourself outside of Jesus
Christ. If you are left to yourself,
if it's left up to you and your own free will, can you make it there on your
own? Or are you lost? I'm lost. I'm lost. Jesus, Savior, pilot me. I'm lost. I'm blind. I don't know the way. Lord, don't leave me. I'm lost. If you can honestly say that
in your heart, you might be worthy. You might be. Because this is what our Lord
said, I came to seek and to save. that which was lost. I'm lost. I'm lost! Let's look at our Lord's next
requirement. Verse 8 says, Heal the sick in order to feel the healing
touch of the Master's hand. In order to be worthy of the
balm of Gilead, you've got to be sick. You've got to be sick. Look at
Matthew 9 verse 12. Matthew 9 verse 12 says, But
when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, They that be whole
need not a physician, but they that are sick Go ye and learn
what that meaneth." David learned, didn't he? Oh
man, he learned. The Lord let him catch a glimpse
of the condition he was really in. This man's the king. He had it all. The Lord gave
him a glimpse of what he really is. Go over to Psalm 38 with
me. Psalm 38, verse 1. David says,
Oh Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in
thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in
me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in
my flesh because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in
my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone
over my head. As in heavy burden, they're too
heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt
because of my foolishness. I am troubled. I am bowed down
greatly. I go mourning all the day long,
for my lungs are filled with a loathsome disease and there
is no soundness in my flesh. Sick. I'm sick. Is that you? Is that you? Our Lord's next requirement is
back in our text in Matthew 10. Verse 8 says, Cleanse the lepers. Who is worthy of the soul-cleansing
blood of the Lamb? Our Lord said, lepers are worthy. Lepers are. Now examine yourself. Do you
see a little bit of good in you? When a leper thought he had leprosy,
he went to the priest. And if he had just a little bit
in him, he had to be shut up, he's a leper, he's unclean. But as soon as it took over and
he was totally white, from the top of his head to the bottom
of his foot, completely covered in it, he was pronounced clean. Now do you see a little bit of
good in you? or just a little bit of bad in
you, yes, I have a spot right there. I'm not totally perfect. Do you see that or are you forced
to cry? Unclean. Unclean. From the sole of my foot to the
crown of my head, I'm nothing but filthy and putrefying, full
of sin. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. If you can say that, you might
be worthy of this healing. Let's look at our Lord's next
requirement. Verse 8 says, Raise the dead. In order for a man or woman to
be worthy to receive eternal life in and of himself, In His
own flesh, He's got to be dead. Has to be. Turn with me over to 2 Samuel
chapter 9. Mephibosheth was a poor, crippled man. We know his story. Listen to the words of Mephibosheth.
2 Samuel 9, look at verse 7. And David said unto him, Fear
not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's
sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father,
and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And Mephibosheth
bowed himself and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest
look upon such a dead dog as I am?" Based on the scripture, do you
know what he sounds like to me? Worthy. Sounds like he's worthy. You tell a man, you're dead in
your trespasses and sins. You know what he's going to say?
No, I'm not. No, I'm not. Well, then you're
not worthy. Not worthy of eternal life in
Christ. The Spirit of Christ quickens the dead. That's who
He quickens. Our Lord's last requirement is
in verse 8, back in our text, Matthew 10. He told his apostles to cast
out devils. Go with me over to Isaiah 61.
Isaiah 61 verse 1 says, The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings
unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound. What makes a sinner worthy
to be delivered by the work of Jesus Christ? They have got to
be held captive. They've got to be. They've got
to be captives of Satan and his army. If I'm going to be worthy of
deliverance, I must acknowledge that everything in me that is
in my flesh is only evil continually. Go with me to John 8. Verse 33 says, They answered
him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any
man. How sayest thou that you shall
be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant
of sin. And the servant abideth not in
the house forever, but the Son abideth forever. And if the Son,
therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. I know
that you are Abraham's seed, but you seek to kill me, because
my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen
with my father, and you do that which you have seen with your
father.' They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If you
were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.
What did Abraham do? He believed God. Verse 40, But
now you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth,
which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. He didn't
seek to kill me. You do the deeds of your father.
Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication. We have
one father, even God. Jesus saith unto them, If God
were your father, you would love me. For I proceedeth forth, and
came from God. Neither came I of myself, but
he sent me. Why do you not understand my
speech? Even because you cannot hear
my word. You are of your father the devil,
and the lust of your father will you do. He was a murderer from
the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh
of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it." They said,
don't say that about us. Don't you call us that. Now go with me to Ephesians 2.
Let's see what we say. Ephesians 2 verse 1 says, And
you, is this you? Hath he quickened who were dead
in trespasses and sins? Wherein in time past you walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation
in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath, just like everybody else. But God. If a person doesn't possess God's
Holy Spirit, then he possesses some other kind of spirit. And
every other spirit than God's Holy Spirit is an evil spirit. Back in John 8, our Lord said,
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
What makes a person worthy of deliverance in Christ? Here's
what it is. In them must dwell no good thing."
Nothing good. Is that you? I ask myself, is
that me? I'm the preacher. No good thing. No good thing. Go back with me to our text in
Matthew 10. Verse 11 says, And into whatsoever
city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy,
and there abide till you go thence. And when you come into an house,
salute it. Preach these things to the house. Verse 13 says, And if the house
be worthy, If the house is lost, if they're sick, if the house is completely full
of lepers, lepers who continually cry unclean, if the house knows that they're
dead in their trespasses and sins, And if the house is afflicted
and tormented over their captivity of sin, then you speak peace to that
house. Peace. Peace be unto you. Because they are my lost sheep. The ones my father gave to me
before the foundation of the world. That's how you're going
to know them. Show my lost sheep the way, Christ. Tell my sick sheep about the
great physician, Christ. Tell my sinful leprous sheep
about their great shepherd who became sin for them. That's Christ. Tell my evil, tormented sheep
that captivity has been led captive. You're all free. Everybody's
free. Verse 13 in Matthew 10 says,
If the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it
be not worthy, if they say, I'm not lost, I don't know what you're
talking about. They may be lost, not me. There's nothing wrong with me.
I'm not sick. I'm past my sin. I'm already
past all that. I was a leper. Oh man, you don't
even know what I used to be. Let me tell you what I used to
be, but not anymore. Don't tell me I'm dead. The devil ain't got nothing on
me. He can't touch me. Man, how sad is that? That's
a puppet. Verse 13 says, if the house be
worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it be not worthy,
let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive
you nor hear your words when you depart out of that house
or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto
you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah
in the day of judgment than for that city. Now, if a house is
worthy, It's only because that house
was made worthy. That's the only reason. Jesus Christ did all the finding. We're just lost. Jesus Christ did all the healing. We're just sick. Jesus Christ did all the cleansing. We're just filthy. Jesus Christ
did all the raising. We're just dead. Jesus Christ
did all the delivering. We were just captive. So let's
ask this question one last time. Who is worthy? How does a house full of lost,
sick, dead sinners respond to that question? There's a song
that we're all going to sing forever together. Forever and
ever. And that song is in Revelation
5. Turn with me over to Revelation 5. Revelation 5 verse 8 says, And
when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty
elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps
and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy. to take the book, and to open
the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to
God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people,
and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests,
and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the
voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beast and
the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten
thousand and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every
creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,
heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for
ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders
fell down and worshipped Him that liveth forever and ever."
I like that song. Amen. Amen. Lord, Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy. He alone. is worthy. Thanks be to God that
He would make us lost and sick and leprous and dead. I pray the Lord will bless His
Word. Once again, our God has been
pleased to bless us. I'm so thankful. Thank you, Gabe.
Jesus Christ the Lord is precious. He's precious to sinners, made
worthy by the grace of God. That's what we've heard this
morning. That's what I heard, I hope. Paul said in 2 Corinthians chapter
12, He said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my
strength is made perfect, my strength is made perfect in your
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. I hope the Lord will continue
to speak to us today about the things we've heard this morning,
that we'll be able to meditate, ponder on these things, talk
about these things with one another as we have opportunities to fellowship
today, and that he'll be pleased to bring us back again tomorrow. to hear again. So I know there's a group that's
going to lunch at a restaurant just across the highway and down
the road a couple of blocks, so you can ask about that. I
know they've prepared for us, and I'd be happy for you to join
them. So let's stand together, Brother
Tom. We're going to sing number 30
from the softback temno. If you'll stand. I'd like for
us to have a word of prayer and then we'll sing this hymn and
you'll be dismissed. Our Heavenly Father, we are reminded
again of your great grace and we thank you that it is a worthy,
acceptable saying that Christ Jesus came to save sinners. We
thank you that you make your children to be the chief of those
sinners, cause us to see our dependence and our need for the
Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for a precious Savior,
one who has finished the work one who makes sinners acceptable
in thy sight. And we ask, Lord, that your Holy
Spirit would strive with us today and cause us to rejoice in what
we've heard, to encourage one another, the testimony of your
grace. We ask it in Christ's name, amen. Number 30, the soft bacternal.