Let's take our Bibles now once
again. Turn with me to the book of Matthew chapter 11. Matthew
11. Last time we looked at the first
six verses of this 11th chapter. And now I'd like to look at verses
7 to 15. I've entitled this message, The
Kingdom of Heaven Suffereth Violence. Now the Lord has given the two
disciples of John that came to Him and they asked the Lord,
being sin of John, verse 3, Art thou he that should come, or
do we look for another? Now, his answer was one that
declared him to be the fulfillment of the Scriptures. They asked
him a question. Are you he that should come? They knew that the Messiah was
coming. Are you the Messiah? Or do we look for another? And
his answer was a declaration from the Word of God who he is,
verses four to six. He answered, the Lord answered,
Jesus answered, and said unto them, go and show John again
those things which you do hear and see. The blind receive their
sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear,
the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached
to them, and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me now
these miracles they were actual miracles but they they set forth
the spiritual meaning you know that we dealt with that last
time but these miracles according to the book of Acts chapter 2
when Peter was preaching on on the day of Pentecost these miracles
actually were the ordained confirmation of God to his person, who he
was. Acts chapter 2 and verse 22 says
this, Peter preaching, you men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, the man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which
God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. And not being offended, That's
what the Lord said, and you tell John, this is what you see, this
is what you hear. And you tell John that blessed
is he who is not offended in me, that knows me. In Matthew chapter 16, just a
few pages over, the scripture says, the Lord's speaking, in
Matthew 16, 13 to 17, excuse me, then Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples, saying, who do men say that I, the Son
of Man am? And they said, well, some say
that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, others Jeremiah,
or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, but whom
say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and
said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto
him, blessed, Art thou Simon Bar-Jonah? For flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
He told Peter, he said, Peter, you're a blessed man because
my Father has revealed to you who I am, that I am the Messiah. Now John's disciples, back in
Matthew 11, John's disciples have left and then the Lord now
will give his word of testimony concerning John the Baptist.
Now, John the Baptist is in jail. You know that. He's in jail for
his boldness of telling Herod the king, it's not lawful for
you to take your brother's wife, to take Herodias. And Herod threw
him in jail. And the Lord now is going to
give a testimony. Now you remember, John knew the
Lord. And as we said last time, John
sent his two disciples to the Lord to ask the question, are
you the one we're looking for? Not for John's sake, for their
sake. that they might hear the word
of the Lord, that they might hear the voice of the master
saying, you go tell John this. And when John, I mean, when the
Lord told those two disciples of John, you go back and tell
him, the Lord was talking to them, telling them something. And now the Lord is gonna give
his word of testimony concerning John the Baptist, verse seven,
as they departed. Jesus began to say unto the multitudes
concerning John, what went ye out into the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see?
A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing
are in king's houses. But what went ye out for to see?
A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more
than a prophet. For this is he of whom it's written, behold,
I send my messenger. before thy face, which shall
prepare thy way before thee. Verily, I say unto you, among
them that are born of women, there is not risen a greater
than John the Baptist. Notwithstanding, he that is least
in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Now, it wasn't John
who was set forth as being without knowledge of the Lord. It wasn't
John that was demonstrated to have a lack of faith. The Lord
set forth that this is the man that was chosen of God as the
forerunner of the Messiah. And wisdom himself would instruct
John's disciples concerning John. He asked them, he said, now,
he said, concerning the one that's now thrown into prison because
of his faithfulness, the one that sent you over here, The
one that all these people have been flocking to, to hear, that
was baptizing out in the Jordan River. He said, who'd you go
out to see? Did you go out to see a little
weak, tottering reed shaking in the wind? Did you go out to
see a little soft, wimpy man in soft clothing? Who'd you go
out to see? A prophet? He said, I'll tell
you this. He said, you saw more than a
prophet. What a blessing to hear the testimony of John from the
mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. What we see in the Lord's
testimony of John is the Lord's knowledge of his people. He knows, he said that, I know
my sheep, I know them. What a blessing to know that
Almighty God knows the trials, the sufferings, the labors of
His people. He knows. He knows them. And He knows their feelings of
themselves and feeling the weakness in their execution of that which
they truly believe the Lord has called them to do, whatever it
is. I've told you before, and I'm honest. This is an honest
statement right here. You're looking at the most insecure
man that when it comes to preparation of a passage and then the execution
of that passage. Always the trials and the questions,
you know, Lord help me. Lord don't leave me to myself.
I will begin to write out. My wife will tell you this. I
began to write out a set of notes. I got a set of notes right here.
You're looking at probably the third or fourth. writing of those
notes. Why? Because I'll go back and
read them. Scratch that out. Go back. And
you come to that point where you say, Lord, unless you bless
this. I meant that when I said, I got a set of notes, but unless
the Lord blesses it, it's just words. But I want to be honorable. Who'd you go out to see? A man
that's insecure in himself, yes. But he said, I'll tell you who
it is. more than a prophet. This is a man chosen of God,
directed by God. And remember, he who knows his
own, keeps his own, suffers his own. To go through these trials
and tribulation, and they know that the labors that they perform,
they'll readily admit they put no confidence in themselves.
Philippians 2. Philippians 2, verses 12 and
13, concerning the labors of God's people. Here's what scripture
says, Philippians 2, 12, 13. Wherefore, my beloved, as you've
always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Work out your own salvation. It didn't say work for your own
salvation. It said work out. I wrote this
down, make sure I got it right. Finish or fashion your own salvation
in that spirit concerning what the Lord's done for you. in dependence
upon him. I'm gonna prove what I'm saying
right here by the next verse. You fashion, you fulfill, you
walk. That's what it's saying. Work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God,
verse 13, which worketh in you both to will and do of his good
pleasure. You're not doing it. It's God that works out. Who'd
you go out to see? A prophet? I tell you, more than
a prophet. This was a man chosen, loved of God, directed by God,
kept by God. Imprisoned, yes, for the glory
of God. John was a man convinced of the
Lord's teaching. John was a man, now listen to
what I'm about to say, because I'm going to say it exactly the
way I want to say it. John was a man who was strong in the Lord
because he knew something of his own weakness. That's what
Paul said. When I'm weak, when I'm weak
in myself, weak in my ability, weak in my judgment, weak in
me, and dependent upon him, trusting him, calling on him, then am
I strong in the Lord. So here was a man, who'd you
go and see? A prophet, he said, more than a prophet. Verse 10
says in Matthew 11, For this is he of whom it's written, behold,
I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy
way before thee. And of John, it was recorded him being convinced
of the Lord being the Messiah. Him being the fullness of the
Godhead bodily. Here's what John said of the
Lord. He must increase. Is that not what a believer says?
He must increase. What does the old carnal heart
say? I must increase. John said he must increase, I
must decrease. Here's what John said concerning
the Lord. He it is whose coming after me
is preferred before me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy
to and loose. John, by the grace of God, knew
his place. He knew his weakness. He knew
his own unworthiness. But he had this testimony of
the Lord. Verse 11, Verily I say unto you,
Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. I said
last week, Moses, Abraham, all the prophets, he said there was
none greater, none greater than John the Baptist. None of them
excelled. John the Baptist. But there was
this testimony concerning John the Baptist, none greater. But then the Lord made this statement
at the end of verse 11. Notwithstanding, and none greater
than John the Baptist. Notwithstanding, he that is least
in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Now, let me preface what I'm
about to say with this. There cannot be, there cannot
be in the kingdom of heaven degrees of worthiness. There cannot be
degrees of worthiness found in the kingdom of heaven. All God's
sheep are loved with the same love. God's not a respecter of
persons. Same love of God everlasting.
They were all bought with the same blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. They were all called, regenerated,
sealed, led, taught by the same Holy Spirit. They're all robed
in the same righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ imputed
to them. So therefore, if there cannot
be degrees, now I do understand there's differences in calling
Position, I understand that. I understand that there was a
Paul the Apostle and I understand that there was a thief on the
cross that the Lord said, verily I say unto you, today you'll
be with me in paradise. I understand that there's differences
in positions in this life and where the Lord places, I get
that. But I'm talking about degrees of worthiness. What is it that
makes a man accepted In the Beloved. It's Christ. So there's no degrees
of worthiness in men and women as they're born in Adam. There
cannot be. Cannot be. So of whom does the Lord speak?
I respectfully say that the Lord is speaking of Himself. Himself. Turn with me to Philippians chapter
two. I want you to be sure and look
at these next few verses. Philippians chapter two. He that
is least, or may I say it this way, has made himself least. Philippians chapter two, verses
six to 11. Speaking of the Lord himself,
who being in the form of God, I thought it not robbery to be
equal with God. Now this next statement right
here, let me just go ahead and just tell you, Neil, I cannot
grasp hold of this statement. I cannot, I cannot. But made
himself, I read all the interpretations of what it says. He made himself
of no reputation. and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. God also hath highly exalted
him and given him a name which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven
and things in the earth and things under the earth, that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Now, he who made himself of no
reputation, one of the interpretations of
this no reputation, emptied himself. He did not empty himself of glory,
I can tell you that. He took upon himself in making
himself of no reputation, and I don't know how to say it any
other way, made himself of no reputation, that is, he took
upon himself the form of a servant. How much did he make himself the least? He that is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than John. None greater than John the Baptist. That's what the Lord said concerning
John. Notwithstanding, he that's least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than John Now here again, I ask the Lord's
direction and ask if I err, right here, if I err here, I pray the
Lord forgive me and give me understanding, but I'm gonna attempt to make
good on him who made himself the least. Turn with me to Psalm
22. Psalm 22. Psalm 22. I'd like to read verses
one to six. Psalm 22, one to six, my God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from
helping me and from the words of my roaring? Oh my God, I cry
in the daytime, but thou hearst not. In the night season, and
am not silent, but thou art holy, and thou that inhabitest the
praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee,
they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto
thee and were delivered. They trusted in thee and were
not confounded. But I am a worm. I am a worm. And I'll tell you this, except
for the Lord's revelation, who would dare? to speak, I know
this is Him. From the beginning, my God, my
God, He said that from the cross. I know that's Him speaking, but
what contrast? The one who declared, it was
the Lord Himself, the fullness of the Godhead bodily that declared
unto Moses, you tell Pharaoh, I am that I am have sent you.
That's who I am. I am the self-existent one. And then through the pen of a
man named David, he who made himself the least in his submission, the suffering servant, he said,
I am a worm. And I looked this up. I am a
worm. I am treated as a voracious. A strong, strong concordance.
You like to look this up. Treated as a voracious and groveling
maggot, not worthy of his notice. I am a worm and no man. What contrast can be found in
only the Lord Jesus Christ of himself? being Almighty God,
the God of all glory and honor and praise. There's none but Him, none like
Him. There is no God but Me. But making
Himself of no reputation, hanging upon the tree, bearing the sins
of His people in His own body, Forsaken of God and crying out. Our fathers cried unto you and
you heard them. You heard them. And you forsaken me. Forsaken of the Father. Why?
Because He was there bearing all the guilt answerable to the
punishment that was due. the sin he bore. I make myself
answerable. Answerable. And God forsook him. And God killed him. God killed
him. He died under the judgment of
God. Why? Because the wages of sin
is death. And he bore it. of all men born of women, and
none greater than John the Baptist. But he that is least, he who
made himself least in humility and servitude before God is the
exalted Savior of sinners. God is highly exalted in him,
and given him a name which is above every name, that the name
of Jesus every knee would bow, every tongue would confess. Hebrews
1, 8, 9 says, but unto the Son, he saith, thy throne, O God,
is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness, is the scepter
of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness
and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed
thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Back in Matthew 11. Verse 12, the Lord says, from
the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven
suffereth violence. And the violent take it by force. Now, from the days of John the
Baptist. Now, if you want to know what
that means, hold your place right there. We're coming right back
as I wrap this up. Look at Mark 16, 16. If you wanna
know what it means from the days of John the Baptist, I've read
numerous ones that said, well, the days of John the Baptist,
it wasn't that long, it was just a few months. Luke 16, 16 gives us insight. Luke, I'll get it right in a
minute. Luke 16, 16. The law and the prophets. were
until John. So when he talks about the days
of John the Baptist, the Lord is saying the law and the prophets
will come up to an end until John. Since that time, the kingdom
of God is preached and every man presses into it. So when
we say from the days of John the Baptist, from the days, verse
12, from the days of John the Baptist, Until now, the kingdom
of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force. The Lord is saying from the time
of the law and prophets which truly did set forth and declare
that the Messiah was coming. He's coming. It was until John
Until John, all the law and the prophets were saying, he's coming. The promised one shall come.
He's going to come. He's coming. He's coming. He's
coming. John was the one chosen of God to say, behold, the Lamb
of God. There he is right there. He's
here. He's here. From the days of John
the Baptist, Those days that set forth that
God truly had a people, a people chosen of God, a kingdom, a kingdom
of people that would be made willing servants in the day of
his power, the kingdom of heaven, suffereth violence. Now what
does that mean? There was a lot here again. It
says that there's a lot of violence toward them and there's no doubt
about it. But here's what this means. Suffereth
violence. It means you may have a marginal
reading in your Bible. It's gotten by force. It's gotten
by force. The kingdom of heaven suffereth
or is gotten by force and the violent take it by force. Now the whole
key to the understanding of that twelfth verse I believe is actually
in the last word of it, force. And the violent take it by force. Now, the kingdom of heaven is
plucked, is taken. And the word force right there
is from another word, and it's G138, if you wanna look it up.
G138 is from that word. Force is from that word. And
it means for oneself. It's taken by force for oneself. Herein lies the meaning. Without
a doubt, We know that whenever the Lord calls men, calls women
out of the darkness of sin and unbelief, they're given a new
heart, made willing in the day of God's power, and they stand
fast. Now this is the general interpretation
of this. The kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent take it by force. This is the general
thought of that. That men, women called by grace,
made willing in the day of His power, They walk with conviction. They walk with devotion. And
by the grace of God, they know that God Almighty is sovereign
in creation, and in providence, and in salvation. And they're
earnest in their desire for the glory. And they'll go wherever
they need to go. And they'll stand for the truth
of the gospel. And I agree with every bit of
that. I agree with all of that. I have no problem with that whatsoever.
I believe that. I believe the Lord who calls
a man, calls a woman, keeps them. Keeps them faithful. Kept by
the power of God through salvation. But that is actually the effect
of what has happened. They are not those that take
the kingdom of God by force. They are not the ones that take
it for themselves. They are not the ones who go
and grasp hold of God's people. Where does the force come from? Well, John 17 declares where
it came from. John 17 2 says, thou hast given
him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given him. Matthew 28, verse 18, what did
the Lord tell his disciples as he was getting ready to send
them out? Matthew 28, 18. And Jesus came and spake unto
them and said, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. You therefore go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature. God calls a man,
calls a woman, he calls them in power. And he takes them by
force. He takes them by his power through
the preaching of the gospel. It is God Almighty's power that
takes them. So whenever we read this right
here back in Matthew 11, when Scripture says, from the days
of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, it's gotten by force, and the violent, the powerful
one, the all-powerful one, God Almighty takes it. He doesn't invite them. He doesn't
try to move on their emotions. Spirit of God, we read this in
Ezekiel. He said, I'll remove that heart of stone. I'm going
to give you a heart of flesh. And you're going to be my people.
And I'm your God. And Almighty God takes them.
He takes them. I'm so thankful that He takes
them. And then in closing, back in Matthew 11, it says in verses
13 to 15, for all the prophets and the law prophesied until
John. And if you will receive it, this
is Elias, that's John the Baptist, which was for to come. He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear. Here is the revealed time of
the law and the prophets saying, he's coming, he's coming, he's
coming. John has declared he's here. The Messiah, the Lamb of God,
this is the one in whom all the sheep were chosen before the
foundation of the world and would powerfully come and rescue them
from the bondage of sin and unbelief. The Lord said, if you have ears
to hear, you hear what I'm saying. I'm here, he said. I am he of
whom John was the forerunner. May God bless these words to
our heart. For Christ's sake, amen. All right.