Turn in your bibles to Philippians
3 I've had a lot of reason over the last couple of weeks
to just reflect on the history of this church and the things
that led to God raising up a church, a testimony for himself here
in Nowra. And it was interesting, I've
read a lot of stuff about revival and a lot of it's garbage and
I wouldn't recommend it. I have read some interesting
things about Pentecost and the ways the Lord works in hearts.
And all I can say is that it seemed like at a particular time
there were quite a number of individuals that were moved by
the Lord to consider just about everything about their
religion and everything about their lives. And one of the things
that was interesting was it seemed in each case that they put up
a white flag to trying to please God by their own activities.
They put up a white flag, in a sense, to all things that were
a requirement to serve God. The reason they put up the white
flag is because they'd been made to know they were sinners. They'd
been made to know that they needed saving and sustaining grace. And I say sustaining meaning,
it's a word we use as sanctification, a sustaining one in a state of
absolute holiness for all eternity. We'd realised that. It was common
to us. we'd realise that there was only
one hope for any of us and that was the gospel, Christ and him
crucified, the gospel and the gospel alone. And what's interesting is it
seems like we've been defending this stance, this one precious
truth ever since, over 20 years. Let's read Philippians 3, we'll
just start from verse one. He says, finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord. To write the same thing to you,
to me, is not grievous, but for you, it is safe. Every week we hear the gospel
and everything we do, we try and present the gospel in one
way or another. And it might be simple and it
might be repetitive, but it's good. It's what we need. It's
what we're convinced that we need. It's safe for us. And then he says, and we see
some strong language, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers,
Beware of the concision. Anyone that brings anything as
a law requirement for us to be in union with our God, to live
before him in this world in any way, we're to beware of. These are strong warnings. For we, believers, those that
are convicted of sin, are the circumcision which worship God
in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. No confidence in the flesh, what
does he mean? Whose flesh is he talking about? Which part
of our flesh? In regard to what aspect of our
flesh? We just have to read on, don't
we? Verse four. Though I might also have confidence
in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof,
he might trust in the flesh, I more. Have a listen to these credentials.
Now these are really good religious credentials. Any church should
have him preached. He circumcised the eighth day
of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew
of the Hebrews, as touching the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal,
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in
the law, blameless, incredible credentials. What part of flesh? Every part
of flesh. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted loss for Christ? Yea, doubtless, and I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge,
the intimate union that I have with Christ, Jesus, my Lord. See, it's personal. When he's
convicted someone of sin, a process has begun of revelation of an
intimacy of union between an individual for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things and do count them but done, not as nothing,
as a disgusting pile of excrement before the holiness of the Lord."
They're simple words. And why that I might win Christ. and be found in him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ. The righteousness which is of
God by faith. No confidence in the flesh. No
confidence in any way. No confidence regarding anything. What flesh? Look at those credentials
there. All flesh and all fleshly influence. You don't have to turn there,
but Paul also says in 2 Corinthians 11, would to God you bear with
me a little while in my folly. And then he says, and indeed,
bear with me. This is important. For I am jealous
over you with a godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one
husband, that's Christ, that I may present you as a chaste
version to Christ. But I fear, again this warning,
lest any, by any means, as the serpent beguiled leave through
his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity
which is in Christ. I need simplicity. We need simplicity
in our lives. And no matter what we think of
ourselves, we're much less able to do one thing before God. When God shows us our complete
and absolute inability, he convinces us that there's not one thing
we can do. But he also convinces us that there's not one thing
we can control because he's sovereign over all things. So he's the
one that we have to do with. Let's just sing again and we'll
keep going. Number 32, guide me over a great
Geneva. looking at the state of the natural
man. So turning the Bible to Genesis
3, Saul the Pharisee, we just saw a list of his credentials. And he's an illustration of the
pinnacle of man's natural religion. He's a pinnacle of the religion
of the world. He's a trophy of Satan's greatest
success story. And what did God do to him? He breathed life in him. He converted
him. Satan's greatest success story. And he showed him that every
aspect of his flesh is but done before the holiness of God. That's been another quite big
week of trials for us and the Lord often deals in weaknesses
in the lives of his people and I've had good reason this week
to think of our dear sister June and that verse she left us with
2 Corinthians 12 10. Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am
strong. You see, you have to be made
weak first. What's the order of that? When I'm weak, then
I'm strong. Now all the scriptures cry out
our complete inability to do anything, our complete dependency
on God for all things. And we've been tested in that
recently with our darling Noah. So I need something simple today. We all need something simple. The scriptures speak to us in
so many different ways, so many complexities, but so often it's
in a simple thing that'll speak volumes to the souls of men.
So I'm thankful the scriptures have got plenty of simple illustrations
of the gospel, illustrations that are common to our everyday
lives. Today, I'd like to look a little
bit at yeast. Angus mentioned it last week.
And it's a thing that puffs up, isn't it? In fact, when you look
at it, it puffs up with air, with vapor, with no substance
really at all. Nothing like it promises. It's
deceptive. And yet, we understand it naturally
as common sense in our everyday life. When we were kids, We used to scratch around for
change and we'd get it out of the back of the lounge or we'd
trade in a bottle for five cents and we'd work hard to get this
handful of money and we'd go and buy and we'd share it and
we'd go and buy a block of chocolate. Well, there was a chocolate.
And this has just reminded me of it. There was a chocolate
called Aero. It might be around still. And it looked like a block
of chocolate, but when you broke into it, it was full of air in
the section. And if you looked at the weight,
as kids we were reasonably discerning, if you looked at the weight,
it was almost half the weight of the chocolate that it promises. And so even in simple things,
we understand these and we discern these things. People apply it
to packaging and transport and all sorts of things, of business,
and it's simple and it's common sense. And yet when it comes
to spiritual things, it just seems to evade us. See, these things are simple,
but they're only simple if they're revealed to us as the Holy Spirit
works in us. See, have a pleased God. He gives
us a wisdom, a knowledge that we have absolutely no control
over this world, anything in this world. It should change
the way we look at these things. It should change the way we approach
our God and his worship. So when we are quickened, when
we're enlightened by God the Holy Spirit, it's then that we
see all these illustrations of the gospel in everything of our
life, and especially in the simple things. The first mention of the bread
in scriptures is in Genesis 3. So I've got you to turn there.
It's, as you know, it's our fall. And Genesis 3 is the right place
to always go back to with all things. And so we have this picture
of Adam and Eve in the garden of the grace of God and rejecting
that grace for the knowledge of good and evil. And in that,
they take full responsibility for both their salvation and
their sanctification. So reading in Genesis 3 verse
7, And the eyes of them were both opened, and they knew that
they were naked. Now remember they were naked
before they fell. And they sewed fig leaves together
and made themselves aprons, coverings. And they heard the voice of the
Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam
and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
amongst the trees of the garden, the trees of the provision of
the Lord. And the Lord God called unto
Adam and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard
thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid myself. Now, there's a number of punishments
handed down there in Genesis 3. But I want you to look at verse
19. It's the first mention of bread. And it's part of Adam's
punishment. And the Lord had frustrated every
way that he could go in the world. Every avenue of grace was shut
down. He was hedged, frustrated in
his endeavours. The Lord says, in the sweat of
thy face shalt thou eat bread. till thou return unto the ground. Now that's spiritual, it's as
much physical, don't get me wrong, but it's much deeper spiritually.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the true bread come down from heaven. It must come from heaven. This
is God's grace, not man's merits. It's the grace of God that comes
to us and sustains all things, that Jacob's ladder. Adam was
subject to frustration and failure in all he did. Now turn in your Bibles to Exodus
12. These are God's words and the
truth is he says this in so many ways, in so many different ways. The Old Testament comparisons
go on from here basically between law and grace, primary issue. And Levin is representing the
pride and the arrogance and the ignorance and the defiance of
the natural man against our holy God, especially by his religion. Whereas unleavened bread simply
represents the sinner's complete inability to do one thing acceptable
to God or one thing to sustain themselves, sanctify themselves.
In anything in this life, So here in Exodus 12, Moses is instructing
Israel on how to prepare and eat the Passover lamb, which
represents Christ, God's provision from above. And it's part of
a feast. And in verse 15, we read, Even the first day ye shall put
away leaven out of your houses. For whosoever eateth leaven bread
from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall
be cut off from Israel." That's what happened in Genesis 3, isn't
it? Adam cut himself off. He rejected the grace of God
and put his hand to the work. And in the first day there shall
be a holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be
a holy convocation to you. No manner of work shall be done
in them. It's simple, sounds simple, doesn't
it? Again, we need simple. Save that which every man must
eat. Now that's the story of a Christian's
life. Everything necessary for our
life in this world, everything is provided for by our great
God. And the only thing we do is eat.
How do we eat? We eat by faith. We eat by faith,
don't we? And we receive all the blessings
of God. that only may be done of you.
And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for in this
selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall you observe this
day in your generations by an ordinance forever." Nothing's
going to change about this reality, about this truth. In the first
month on the 14th day of the month at Even, you shall eat
unleavened bread until the 120th day of the month at Even. Seven days there shall be no
leaven found in your houses. For whosoever eateth that which
is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation
of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the land. You shall
eat nothing leavened in all your habitations, shall you eat unleavened
bread. So this was implemented. particularly
as an act of remembrance of our dependency on God for all things,
a remembrance of faith, and it was to continue forever. I don't
have to say it now, but Deuteronomy 16.3 says, Thou shalt eat no
leavened bread with it. Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened
bread therewith, even, and listen to what he calls it, the bread
of affliction. Why? For thou camest forth out
of the land of Egypt in haste. Egypt represents to in Adam. And it's by haste. They didn't have time to prepare.
They didn't have time to... This was a hand that reached
in and took them out. This wasn't something that they
were able to do or prepared to do or had the ability to do. And there was a purpose, that
thou mayest remember the day when thou came forth out of the
land of Egypt, all the days of our life, forever. Turn in your
Bibles to Luke 12, please. I'm sorry we're jumping around,
but I'll try to keep it pretty simple. Luke 12, again, Now, I don't know if it was wise
or not, I don't know if it was at the time, but I've got a black
kitchen bench and my idea is I can see all the dirt. Well,
I don't even have to cut bread. Like I get cut bread from the
shop and I bring it home and get it out and make a sandwich
and I'll pack it all up and I'll wipe it all up and I'll walk
past five minutes later and I'll see more crumbs and more. And
then I'll put glasses on and it gets, it's just, it's ridiculously
hard, but it's such a simple analogy of this. How do you get around and sweep
all the crumbs? And what are these crumbs spiritually?
Who's the one that sweeps out the children's of God's crumbs
of their fleshly confidence? It's God, isn't it? It's God
the Holy Spirit that comes and does that. So our theme continues, and it
continues through into the New Testament as a theme of remembrance
and a reminder. And we have the Lord in 1 Corinthians
11 implementing it, and we have it here today. It's still, and
it's reflective of the songs of heaven, isn't it? All your
work, God, none of ours. So in Luke 12, we're just gonna
read from verse one. In the meantime, when there were
gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch
that they trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples,
first of all, you see, this is the most important priority.
And there's that strong word again, beware. Beware ye of the
leaven, of the Pharisees, which is, you don't have to guess,
which is hypocrisy, a mask, a pretense. For there is nothing covered
that shall not be revealed. That's what they're doing. They
cover up their sin, don't they? That's what Adam was doing. There's nothing that should not
be revealed, neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore,
whatsoever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the
light. And that which you have spoken in the air, in the closet,
shall be proclaimed upon the housetops." You see, Levin represents hypocrisy
of works righteous religion. Anything that requires anything
of you in the saving of your soul, either in conversion or
either in your continued sanctification. It's interesting because I tell
my kids. I've got kids that say they're
believers and I've got some that would say they're not. I don't
know, that's the Lord's business. But I tell them. I tell every
one of them. If anyone comes to you telling
you that there's something you have to do for God, flee, run
away from them, don't listen to them. It's a lie. It'll lead you to hiding your
sin from the presence of God, just like Adam did. And those that run to the law
and run to their activities and weave their own robe of righteousness
will one day be revealed. You can read Matthew 7 about
that. It doesn't matter how flash they were in their religion. All right, turn back to Matthew
16. Again, sorry for jumping. Matthew 16, from verse 5. And when his disciples were come
to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said
unto them, take heed and beware, there's that word again, of the
leaving of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves,
this is just carnal reasoning, we all suffer from it. They reasoned
among themselves, saying, it is because we have taken no bread.
Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little
faith, why reason ye among yourselves,
because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, neither
remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskers
you took up?" See, this was a testimony to them, and they'd forgotten. How often do we forget? Neither
the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets
again you took up? How is it that you do not understand,
and I spoke it not to you concerning bread, that you should beware
of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Isn't it
amazing we're as thick as bricks until the Lord opens our understanding?
Again, on a simple issue. then understood, aye, how that
he bade them not beware of the leavin' of bread, but of the
doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." See, clearly
and simply, yeast represents the hypocrisy of work's righteous
religion. It affects us all, all the time. We have a Pharisee on board,
don't we? A natural man within us that
according to Romans 7 is a body of death and continues to contaminate
the host vessel. And it contaminates us with that
facade, that idea that we can pretend, that we can hide, that
mask, that presenting of ourselves as something that we're not.
It's a delusion that we're told about in 2 Corinthians
3. It's a blindness. And those that
are participating in it completely unaware of their predicament.
Now the Lord relates this to the Pharisees in so many places
of hypocrisy, but I just want to read you a place where he
plainly talks about it in Matthew 23. Well unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, there's that leaving again, for you may clean the
outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are
full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, there's
that blindness again, cleanse first that which is within the
cup and the platter, that the outside of them may be clean."
See, this is an act of faith he's referring to. Acts 15, purify
your hearts by faith. It's an internal working. And
if the Lord hasn't met with you and convicted you of sin, leave
the law alone and address him. Look to him, plead with him. And the purpose that it starts
in the heart is that the outside of them may be clean also. See, it's the gospel that causes
good works to flow from God's people. It's his activity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
again hypocrites, for you are like unto whitened sepulchres,
which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full
of dead men's bones and full of all uncleanness. God sees this in clarity, no
matter how hard you hide it. And even so, or in the same way,
he says, ye also outwardly appear righteous, not to God, but unto
men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Now you don't have to turn there
again, but Matthew 15, 6-9 says, Thus have ye made the commandment
of God. And notice it's a singular there.
What's the commandment of God? John 6, it's to believe on his
son. Thus you have made the commandment
of God, singular, of none effect by your tradition. given as a
teacher to humble men, to cause them to look at their sin and
be ashamed. But men just embrace it by tradition.
And where does that tradition come from? Genesis 3 again. By your tradition, you hypocrites,
well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, The people draw nigh
unto me with their mouth, with their lips, but their heart is
far from me. But in vain they do worship me."
And what do they teach for worship? What's their form of worship?
Teaching doctrines, four doctrines, the commandments of men. All right, turn in your Bibles
to Galatians 5. It's another use that I want
us to consider of this very, very simple and very, very, very
common element of this world. You see, we're warned about this
issue more than anything else in scripture. More than moral
wickedness, we're warned about religious wickedness. We're warned about rebelling
against God. We're warned about undermining
the faith of these people. You know, Saul was out killing
the children of God physically. Do you know these influences? Why? Because they're giving us
the ministry of condemnation, 2 Corinthians 3. And we're told
to beware, to have our guards about, our wits about us, our
guards up. It is dangerous for all of us.
How dangerous? Well, this is a promise from
God, okay? It will influence every part or every member, depending if
it's an individual or if it's a whole church, it'll just keep
going. And if you want to know about it, Cole's sitting over
there and he's told a story in his pulpit years ago about yeast
and just what can happen. But it's intrusive and it just
doesn't stop. In fact, we don't have the strength
to stop it. We think the law will help us stop it. It just
makes it worse. How dangerous? Beware, it's a serious promise
from God. So we're looking at Galatians
5 now. We'll just read some of the verses out of it. We don't
have time for it all. But again, look for the contrast,
the law and grace. It's right there in your face.
Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ has
made us free. and not be entangled again with
the yoke of bondage, the law. Behold, I, Paul, say to you that
if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." Not
a little bit, nothing. For I testify again to every
man that is circumcised, and circumcision is just a token
of entry, a single entry into the law. Every man that is circumcised,
that he is a debtor to do the whole law. See, it's a package. You can't turn to it at one point
and not be responsible for it at every point. James makes the
same point and he says that you've entered into the law if you just
make an external physical judgment on an individual. That's what Peter did in Galatians
2. In fact, Galatians addresses
this from cover to cover in so many different ways, in so many
different illustrations, with so many references to the Old
Testament. And this is just another one. and you're a debtor to the whole
law, Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are
justified by the law, you are fallen from grace." Again, Genesis
3, Adam fell from grace. In Christ Jesus, oh sorry, for
we, and here's the contrast again and the comparison, we, believers,
those that have been convinced that they're sinners, for we,
through the Spirit, wait. We don't give people a lot of
weight. It's an activity of the spirit, isn't it? That's what
he says there. Through the spirit weight, and
what do we wait for? The hope of righteousness by
faith. For in Christ Jesus, neither
circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision. What I do
or don't do has nothing to do with what he did in eternity.
But faith, which worketh by love. You want to be motivated to good
works, it's got to come from within your heart. And God will
do it. And he'll move you by an emotion
called love, which is very powerful. You did run well. And I want
you to listen to this language. This is a warning again. You
did run well. Who did hinder you? And how did they hinder us? That
you should not obey the truth. Believe on my son. This persuasion
cometh not from him who called you, not from God. And then here
it is again, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. And
like I said, go and talk to Cole about that. And then he says,
I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will be none
otherwise minded. He's a father to these people.
He loves these people. He's passionate for their souls.
His big issue, his big issue is that they just stand fast
in the faith. And then he says, but he that
troubleth you shall bear his judgment. And the reason he shall
bear his judgment is because he's entered himself into the
law, whosoever that be. And I, Reverend,
if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? And is the offense of the cross
ceased? See, opposition to this is proof. Opposition and offense that comes
to people and through challenges and trials, which are sent to
us by God's hand ultimately, but come through men. They even come through our own
flesh. And then he says these strong
words, I would they were even cut off, which troubled him. You see, yeast, it's such a simple,
simple illustration. It's such a common item. And yet it speaks volumes to
souls. It depicts the most dangerous
influence in this world. Believers, people that are being
convicted of sin, convinced of it, without a doubt, we might
stray like Peter, but we're easily restored by this one truth of
the gospel. Believers, Believers stand fast
in faith, not their activities. They walk by faith, not their
activities. They look not to themselves,
but to the finished work of Christ, our great Redeemer. They look
to His constant, continuous, and successful intercession before
our Father in heaven. We saw it in John 17. That's
an eternal intercession. He does it on our behalf. We
look to him to send his mighty, holy spirit of grace into our
lives to teach us and to grow us in what? Not our confidence,
not our ability, not our wisdom, in faith. And there's a purpose
so that we, as all the children absolutely no confidence in our
own flesh. So I pray that God would bless
us with all these precious promises, because they are promises. This
Word's full of promises and all of them I guess, and amen, in
our Lord Jesus Christ. May He protect us from the influence
that so often would take us back to our trusting our own activities
and our own wisdom. May you just keep us and may
cause us to look for our Saviour's voice in all testimonies. Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we know but
little of our weakness and I thank you that you continue to show
us and grow us in that understanding, that realisation. Father, I thank
you that you are faithful and you do this in spite of our unbelief
continuously and our propensity to go back to the flesh for all
things. It seems to be our first port
of call, Father, and I'm sorry about that. And I pray you would
just continue to teach us that you wouldn't give up on us. Even
if it is through trials and tribulations, the result His precious heavenly
Father, please work in our lives to cause us to look and have
our eyes fixed on one place, on your son and his finished
work on our behalf. Father, we're promised trials
and we will struggle. All of us will struggle in this
world. And I thank you so much that you do draw near to your
people in their struggles and you use those trials and their
tribulations to bring us to yourself. Father, we can just pray that
you keep doing what you've said you do. And we thank you that
you are truly a faithful God. We thank you that nothing stops
you from doing your will in this world. And we thank you that
all things are signed and sealed in the blood of your Son. And
Father, by your mercy, we pray that all things come to your
glory.