Alright, let's open back up to
Matthew 10. Matthew 10, we referenced this
chapter last Sunday morning. Remember, we were talking about
Samaria. The Lord said, here, don't go
into any city of the Samaritans. And while I was studying that,
I kept reading. And something stood out to me,
so I thought we'd look at it tonight. Verse 11 says, And into whatsoever city or town
ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide
till ye go thence. And when ye 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's called to preach. And I'll tell you
what really struck me, is the word worthy. He's telling those that He's
called to preach. Okay, look at verse 7. He said,
As you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
And then he told them in verse 8, to heal the sick. And in verse
9, provide neither gold nor silver. And verse 11 he says, into whatsoever
city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy. Alright now, verse 1 says, when
He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power
against unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all manner
of sickness and all manner of disease. So when He called His
twelve disciples, He said this to them. Alright? Now turn with me over to Luke
chapter 10. Luke chapter 10, and look at verse 1. It 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 of 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 the exact same thing
to 70 more. Alright, He said it to His 12,
and then He said it to 70 more. Now He recorded this to say the
exact same thing to every single man who stands up and declares
the truth. That's why He put this in His
Word. So back to our text, Matthew chapter 10, In verse 11 he says,
into whatsoever city or town you shall enter. And I have now entered Kingsport. Alright? He says in verse 11,
inquire, and in our concordance that word
means ask the people, Who in it is worthy? That's something, isn't it? If we can enter into that, that'll
scare you. In whatever town or city you
enter into, inquire who in it is worthy. So according to the
commandment of our God, I'm going to ask you a question. And I strongly urge you not to
answer me. Very strongly. But as I ask it
out loud, I want you to ask yourself this question in your heart. Who in here is worthy? Who in here is worthy of the
gospel? Who in here is worthy of the
gift of God? Anybody? Anybody want to go first? 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 myself say that, my
mind immediately answers, I'm not. I'm not. Alright, now this is a convicting
question and I want to show you why. This text says some people are. This is where it gets shocking,
okay? 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. When you find the worthy ones,
stay with them. Verse 12 says, 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. Our Lord is saying some people
are worthy and some people are not. Alright, now turn to Luke chapter
20. Luke chapter 20, the Sadducees
are asking the Lord a question about a woman who married seven
different brothers. Do you all know that story? A
woman married seven different brothers, okay? Now look at Luke
20 verse 29. 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." All seven of
them. 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 any more, 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. Alright, now go to Luke 21. Luke
21 verse 36. Watch ye therefore, And pray always that you may
be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come
to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." Accounted worthy. All right, now turn to Acts chapter
5. The apostles in this chapter
were apprehended for preaching the gospel. And they brought
them before a council. And Acts chapter 5 verse 40 says,
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 you 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 of glory.
He said in 2 Thessalonians 1.11, just listen to this, Wherefore
also we pray always for you, that our God would count you
worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His
goodness and the work of faith with power." Alright, now let
me ask this question again. Who in here is worthy? Does that bring heart palpitations
to anybody? I was studying this, and I know
when the Lord reveals these things, sometimes the outline flashes
before your eyes. And you're just hoping that the
Lord will recall it to you, you know. And I knew what I wanted
to say in the end of this, but while I was writing this out,
I was nervous. I was nervous. I'd have to stand up and go,
oh, this hurts just for a little bit. Are you worthy to suffer for
Christ's sake? Are you worthy to walk before
God, pleasing Him in His kingdom? 2 Corinthians 13 verse 5 says,
Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith. Prove your own
selves. Now, here we are at the Renaissance
Center. In just a few minutes, we're
about to walk out of this building one of two ways. We're either
gonna walk out of here really sad, because we just heard the
worst news of our lives. Or we're gonna walk out of here
really glad. Because we just heard the most
relieving news of our lives. We just heard the gospel. Alright,
let's examine ourselves. You ready for this? We're going
to examine ourselves. Who is worthy? What are God's requirements? To be worthy of Christ. What are His requirements to
be worthy of His salvation? All of the requirements are in
our text in Matthew 10. Alright, let's go back to our
text. Matthew chapter 10. The Lord told the apostles I don't want you to go to the
Samaritans. I don't want you to go to the way of the Gentiles. Verse 6, but go rather to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel. God's first requirement to be
worthy is you've got to be lost. I can be that. I can be that. I was pretty worried there for
a minute. I can be a dumb, ignorant, lost
sheep. Examine yourself. Examine yourself. Outside of Jesus Christ, if you're
left to yourself, If it's left up to you and your free will, can you make it on your own or
not? Can you get there or are you
lost? I'm lost. I'm lost. That song says, Jesus, Savior,
pilot me. I'm lost. I'm blind. I don't know the way. I don't know what to do. Lord, don't leave me. I'm lost. I'm just lost. If you can honestly say that
in your heart, there's a chance you might be worthy. You might
be. Our Lord said, I came to seek
and to save that which was lost. You've got to be lost first. All right, now let's look at
our Lord's next requirement. Matthew 10, verse 8, our Lord
said, Heal the sick in order to feel the healing
touch of our Master's hand. in order to be worthy of the
balm of Gilead, you've got to be sick. You've got to be. Turn over to
Matthew 9, chapter 9, verse 12. And then he said in verse 13,
but go ye and learn what that meaneth. Go learn what that means. David learned what it meant.
You think about David. Think about that blessed man.
And I love him. Boy, he learned what it meant,
didn't he? The Lord let him catch a glimpse
of the condition that he was really in. Turn with me over
to Psalm 38. Psalm 38. Verse 1 says, "...O 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 a heavy burden, they are 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 loins are filled with
a loathsome disease, and there is no soundness in my flesh."
Just sick. Lord, I'm sick. Is that you? You've got to be sick. Our Lord's next requirement is
in our text, verse 8. He told His twelve disciples,
you go out and in verse 8, cleanse the lepers. Who is worthy of the soul-cleansing
blood of the Lamb? Our Lord said lepers are worthy. Now examine yourself. Do you
see a little bit of good in you? Really? I heard that a lot. Some of these
things are cliched, and you guys grew up in religion. And you
heard a lot of things that I didn't hear growing up. To me, they're
just cliched lines. But some of these things, I heard
a lot of people say, you know, there's a little bit of good
in everybody. Is there a little bit of good
in you? Or are you forced to cry, unclean? I'm unclean. Everybody who comes
by unclean, I'm unclean. From the sole of my foot to the
crown of my head, I'm nothing but a filthy, rotting leper. That's all I am. If you can say
that, you might be worthy of this healing. You might be. Alright, let's look at the Lord's
next requirement. Matthew 10 verse 8, He said, 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. He's got to be. Turn with me over to 2 Samuel
9. 2 Samuel 9. Listen to the words
of our brother Mephibosheth. 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." He said, Mephibosheth, I'm going
to give it all to you. And Mephibosheth said, I'm just
a dead dog. Based on Scripture, do you know
what he sounds like to me? Worthy. Worthy. Tell a man you're dead in your
trespasses and sins. Tell somebody you work with.
Let me tell you something, friend. You are dead in your trespasses
and sins. No, I'm not. Well, then you're not worthy. Not worthy. Not worthy of eternal
life in Christ. The Spirit of Christ quickens
the dead. Our Lord gave us one more requirement
in this text. Back to Matthew chapter 10. In verse 8, He told His apostles
to cast out devils. Alright, now turn with me 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 in 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've got to be held captive.
You've got to be a captive. They've got to be captives of
Satan and his army. If I am going to be worthy of
deliverance, I must acknowledge that everything in me that is
in my flesh is only evil continually. Alright, now turn with me over
to John chapter 8. John chapter 8, verse 33. They answered him, We be Abraham's
seed, and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou,
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 for ever, but the Son abideth for ever. 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.
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. 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 said
unto them, If God were your father, you would love me. For I proceeded
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 you will 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." He was
telling that to the Pharisees. He was telling that to the people
who show up in a suit and tie to Cheddar's for Sunday lunch. That's who he was telling it
to. They said, we're of Abraham. He said, no you're not. If you
were of Abraham, you would love me. You're of your father, the
devil. You're born of the devil. Born
into this world. Now turn with me to Ephesians
chapter 2. What he's telling them is, you
think you know what captivity is, but you have no idea. True captivity. Ephesians 2 verse
1 says, And 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."
You did whatever he told you to do. "...the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience." Every sinner. "...among whom
also we all had our conversation in time 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, even as others, but
God." 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, don't turn there, our Lord said, You shall know
the truth, and the truth shall set you free. What makes a person
worthy of deliverance in Christ? What makes a person worthy of
deliverance in Christ? in them must dwell no good thing. No good thing. Back to our text
now, Matthew chapter 10. Verse 11 says, Into whatsoever
city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy,
and there abide till you go thins. And when you come into a house,
salute it. And if the house be worthy, let
your peace come upon it. When you come into a house, salute
it. That means you preach these things
to that house. And if the house be worthy, if
that house is lost, And if they say, we're lost.
If they're sick, if the house is full of lepers, and thanks
be to God, I think this house is. It's just full of lepers. People who cry unclean, they
just walk out of here, I'm unclean. They come in, I'm unclean. They
walk out, I'm unclean. If the house knows that they're
dead in their trespasses and sins, If the house is afflicted
and tormented over their captivity to sin, then you speak peace
unto that house. Peace be unto you. Because he said in verse 6, those
are my lost sheep. Those are my sheep. The ones
My Father gave to Me before the foundation of this world. That's
how you'll know My sheep. You go show My lost sheep the
way. They wander in here, they're
down the hallway, everywhere. Here's the way. Tell My sick
sheep about the Great Physician, Christ. You tell My sinful, leprous,
vile sheep about their great shepherd who became sin for them. You tell my evil, tormented sheep
that captivity has been led captive. You're free. You're free. Verse
13 says, And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon
it. But if it be not worthy, let
your peace return to you. If they say, I'm not lost, don't
stand up there and tell me I'm lost. I've had different pastors
tell me that somebody will come for a while, and then after a
while, they'll come up to them and say, is all you're going to ever talk
about is sin? Is that all you're ever going to talk about? Aren't
you ever going to get past that? If they say, I'm not lost, they
may be, but I'm not. There's nothing wrong with me.
I'm good. I'm fine. I'm not sick. I'm past my sin. I was a leper. There was a guy who used to come
in and tell me all the time, you have no idea what I used
to be. But I'm past all that now. Don't tell me I'm dead. The devil ain't got nothing on
me. He can't touch me. Oh, man. Verse 13, 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 he made that
house worthy. Right? So let's ask this question one
more time. Who is worthy? Turn with me to Revelation 5. Revelation 5 verse 1 says, And
I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book
written within, and on the backside sealed with seven seals. And
I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy
to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? And no man
in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to
open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because
no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither
to look thereon. And one of the elders said unto
me, Weep not. Behold, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo,
in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the
midst of the elders, stood a lamb, as it had been slain, having
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God,
sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book
out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when
he had taken the book, the four beasts and the 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 in 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, forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders
fell down and worshipped Him that liveth forever and ever."
Amen. He's worthy. Alright, let's stand
together.