All righty, if you'd like to
grab ahold of your handouts there, we'll read a little bit from
Matthew 4.12 through 17, and the rest of our study tonight
will be from the handout. I've got plenty of scripture
in there for us to read and to look at in depth. The gospel
according to Matthew, part 11, We begin in verse 12 of Matthew
4. Matthew 4, verse 12. Now, when Jesus had heard that
John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, he came
and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast in the
borders of Zebulon. Nephilim that it might be fulfilled
which is spoken of Isaiah as the prophet saying the land of
Zebulon and the land of Nebulim by the way of the sea beyond
Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, I thought that was interesting
how the Lord put, phrased that, Galilee of the Gentiles, the
people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them
which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up
from that time Jesus began to preach and to say repent for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now, if you'd like to take your
handouts and follow along. The Lord had been baptized, fulfilling
righteousness, as it's stated in verse 15 of chapter 3. He
was tempted as we, yet without sin. That's chapter 4, verses
1 through 11. And now, he begins his ministry. Now, I want to stop there for
a moment because I didn't put this in the handout. Notice when
the Lord started his ministry. immediately following the time
that he found out John was in prison. John's work was done. As a mortal man, his work on
this earth was done, and it was time for him to go home. Herod
was going to take his life, cut his head off, and the Lord knew
what was going to happen. He had purposed all that happened
to John the Baptist. So here John the Baptist, his
work as a messenger of God was done and the Lord steps in next
and takes over being the messenger himself. He begins his ministry
as it says there in verse 17. So continuing on in our handout.
He begins his ministry shining the light of himself and the
hearts of his chosen beyond the Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles,
a prophecy that was spoken of by Isaiah. And we read that,
I put that in the handout for you, Isaiah 9, verses 1 and 2.
Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation,
speaking of Israel. when at the first he lightly
afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Nephetali, and
afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the
sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations. The people that
walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwell
in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light
shined." Now, I want to be very clear about something. Let's
be very clear here. Only God can turn the light on
where darkness once ruled. Listen to 2 Corinthians 4 verses
3 through 7. But if our gospel be hid, it
is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto
them. For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus'
sake. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. If the light of truth shines
in this poor heart, it is because he, God, has chosen and made
this sinful soul to be a vessel of his mercy. In Romans 9, 15,
we read, for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion,
page two. And in Romans 16, he then says,
so then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that showeth mercy." Now, I want to stop there again.
I've been mentioning this a couple of times in the last few messages. We have to stand up, folks, to
those who say God loves everybody, and this scripture right here
That's what freewillism is. Freewillism is saying that my
will, I have the will to accept or reject God's love. That's
putting you above the power of God. And it's time we stand up
and speak out against that, because that is an absolute false doctrine,
an outright lie against God, and as one who is loved of God
and knows that the love of God goes deeper than anything we
can understand, it offends me. It offends me greatly for people
to say that God loves everybody and is waiting for you to do
something about it. His word says right here, so
that it is not of him that willeth, it is not your free will, it
is not your decision, nor of him that runneth, it's not the
good works that you do, but God that showeth mercy. And every
single one of God's people are taught this to their heart by
God Himself. And then in verse 21 through
26 we read these words of Romans chapter 9, Hath not the potter
power over the clay? Is not God sovereign over all
things to do what he wants? Of the same lump to make one
vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing
to show His wrath to make His power known, endured, withheld
with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath He put up with them?
He puts up with the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction
and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the
vessels of mercy, which He had aforeprepared unto glory." He's
prepared His people from before the world was. He's loved us
with an everlasting love. Folks, everything God has created
is for His people. for Him to call His people out
of the darkness they once walked in and shine the light of His
Son in their lives, in their hearts. What a glorious God! What a wonderful God to love
a people such as us! to make known the richest of
His glory in vessels of mercy which He had aforeprepared unto
glory, even us whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, and boy,
this is good news to me, this is great news to me right here,
but also of the Gentiles. As He saith, also and I'll say,
I will call them My people. I will call them my people which
were not my people, and her beloved which was not beloved. And it
shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto
them, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called the children
of the living God." Now, folks, the Word of God is quick and
powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit. Now listen to this. and of the
joints and marrow. Did you catch that? Our Lord's
Word is, it defines us under, right down to the soul, right
down to the spirit, right down to the marrow and the joints
of our bones. And is a discerner of the thoughts,
not just the bones, not just the soul and spirit, but our
very thoughts and the intentions of our heart. That's in Hebrews
4.12. It's God giving life where there was no life through the
preaching of His Word. Life to a heart that was spiritually
dead, dead in sin. This is what our text is saying. The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light. That great light has quickened
His people. That means made alive. All come into this world born
in that darkness, unregenerate, spiritually dead. We know Him
not as He is, yet He has chosen to be merciful by revealing the
truth to His people who could not, who would not, could not
call upon Him. Oh, what amazing grace that would
save a sinner such as I. When one has been brought to
see the truth of what they are before a thrice holy God, how
could they not bow in admiration for the one who loves them and
gave himself the substitute for their sins? Matthew 4, verse
17, we read these words from that time Jesus began to preach
and to say, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, page three.
But not all who have heard God's word have been given life to
hear with ears of the heart. To some, the truth is hid. It said in the title of tonight's
study, is hid to them that are lost. Folks, the best way I know how To exemplify
and magnify God's grace is to point out where we would be without
Him. And that's exactly where we would
be without God, without the mercy of the Lord, without the grace
of the Lord. We would have these things hid to them that are lost. Not all, as the world would like
you to believe, are loved of God. This must be pointed out
as part to our understanding to the depth of His love for
His people, for me, for you. God does not love everyone. He
hates the wicked, and if I were not by His grace washed clean
and made righteous in the blood of His Son, He would hate me
as well, for in this flesh dwelleth no good thing. Isn't that what
we read over in Romans? Look here, Romans chapter 7,
beginning at verse 14. For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow
not. This is Paul expressing himself.
Now remember, Paul He knew all of the customs. He knew all of
the regulations of the Jews. He was a Pharisee. He was right
there at the top. He carried letters to persecute
the church before God called him out of that darkness. He
knew the scriptures. He had been studying them all
of his life. He was very familiar, yet here,
listen to what he says about himself. For that which I do,
I allow not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would
not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no
more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that
in me, that is in my flesh, writes Paul, dwelleth no good thing. Now this is after the Lord, this
is quite a while after the Lord had called him. This isn't just
yesterday. This is talking about quite some
time back that the Lord had called him out of the darkness. For
I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.
For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which
is good I find not. For the good that I would do For the good that I would, I
do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now, if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. You
know, I stopped there for just a moment. I know as many on one hand who
claim to be Christians that are just so righteous within themselves
and what they are now compared to what they used to. God's people,
we know better. We know that in this flesh we
never get better. That was one of the things that
just highlighted the preaching of God's word from Gene Harmon
when I first started coming to church, when the Lord first started
bringing me to church. was, I was sitting in the pews
knowing that what he was preaching was absolutely correct. There's
still nothing good in John Regensburg. To this day, 25 years later,
there's still nothing good in the flesh that sits before you
on this computer. There's still nothing good in
me in the flesh. But, I have a Savior who's perfect in every
way. I find then, Paul writes back
in verse 21 again, than a law that when I would do good, evil
is present with me, for I delight in the law of God after the inward
man. Oh, how we wish and desire the
law of God would be more filling in our hearts, in our bodies,
in our flesh. Verse 23, But I see another law
in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? And then he answers his own question,
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind
I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of
sin. This truth of sin and the depth
of it in us is hid to those that are lost. the world. Natural man thinks and believes
that they can change their spot. We can turn over a new leaf if
we'll just try hard enough to do something to go to church
on Sundays on a certain day or to get baptized or to walk the
aisle. All we have to do is make a decision.
Folks, as the Apostle Paul stated, even in our goodness, even in
the good works that we may do, The people of God find evil in
this flesh. Oh, wretched man that I am, said
Paul, not that I was. Having this truth of salvation
in his son, the Lord Jesus, revealed unto us and hid from some, how
can we not bow and give thanks and praises and glory to the
one who has revealed his truths to us? Luke chapter 10 verses
21 through 22, we read this, In that hour Jesus rejoiced in
spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,
and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for it seemed
good in thy sight, All things are delivered to me of my Father,
and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father, and who the
Father is, but the Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him. In Matthew 16, we read verse
15 through 17, He saith unto him, 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, blessed are you, Simon
Barjona, for flesh and blood. He didn't learn this from flesh
and blood. He learned this, it says, for
flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which
is in heaven. Only God can reveal who God is
to the dead heart, to give heart life. This revelation is the
light of the world, eternal life. It springs up as a living water. The Apostle John records the
Lord's words in John 7, verses 37-38, If any man thirst, let
him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. Christ told the Samaritan woman
at the well, he said, if thou knewest the gift of God, and
who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldst
have asked him, and he would have given thee living water. Notice how he puts that. It's
in the correct order. If thou If thou knewest the gift of God,
that's the Lord Jesus, and who it is that saith to thee, who
it was that was speaking to him, if she had known, all she had
to do was ask, and he would have given it to her. She had to know
before she could ask. Isn't that what we read about
in Romans 10? Let me just read that. I know
I should be able to quote that, but I'm getting so old I can't
quote anything anymore properly without reading it. Just read it. For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they
call on Him in whom they have not believed, in whom they have
not known? And how shall they believe? How shall they know
in Him in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear
without a preacher? Back in our handout, page four,
bottom paragraph, Christ told us, oh no, it's always good,
it always comes back to this. It always comes back to this. This is the message that saves. Grace. God's sovereign grace. No better way is grace shown
unto the people of God than through the salvation through the death
of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The blood that was shed on the
cross for God's people, page 5. If God in His works of grace
has shined the light of His Son in your heart, There shall be
rivers of living water flowing from within. A light is not put
under a bed. It is displayed that some may
see." I remember the first time I heard Gene give the explanation
about going into a dark room, so dark you can't even see your
hand in front of your face. Somebody turns on the light and
hears all the furniture and everything. It's always been there. You just
couldn't see it. I didn't understand that for
probably the first two or three times he explained it. It didn't hit my heart what he
was talking about. I love that, though. And as the people of God go through
this world, sojourning, traveling our way to our heavenly home,
we pass through a world of death. Everything around us, all that
we see, will eventually die. The grass withereth, and the
flower fadeth away. So will all things around us,
yet death is but a shadow to the people of God. Our death
has been dealt with. The death we deserve has been
laid upon the spotless Lamb of God. for all for whom God has
loved with an everlasting love died in His Son on that cruel
cross just over 2,000 years ago. Our substitute, the only one
who knew no sin, was made sin, made to be our sin, and died
our death. And that revelation is precious
to a sinner. Listen to 1 Peter 1.18-1.21,
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, and we could also put in there, saved
by corruptible things, the flesh, from your vain conversations
received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ. as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot. Folks, Christ was perfect in
every way. He never sinned. He knew no sin. When he was tempted of the devil,
he was tempted as you and I, yet without sin. It was the precious blood of
Christ as the lamb without blemish and without spot who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest
in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God
that raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory, that your
faith and hope might be in God, and in God alone. like the inhabitants
of Capernaum, like the Gentiles of Galilee long ago. You and
I were in great darkness. We sat in darkness because we
loved it. We did not seek the light But upon us a great light
has come, the light of Christ, and the grace and the glory of
God in Him has shined into our hearts, creating in us life and
faith in Himself, in Christ. Listen to John 1.14. These are
words that God's people are brought to believe. Believe with every
ounce of our being. In the beginning was the Word.
This is the Word of God. This book that God has inspired
men to record the words, there are the words of Him. The Word
of God. If I was to say in the book of
Peter, this is God's Word saying grace and peace be multiplied
unto you, I'd be accurate in that. Even though Peter wrote
it, it's the Word of God. In the beginning was the Word.
Christ is always, and we know the Word is Christ because the
Word was made manifest in Christ. He was made flesh. Christ has
always been the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He just wasn't
the God-man. He had not been born of a woman
yet. But He's always been there since the beginning of time.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not
anything made that was made. In Him was life. and the life was the light of
men. That's the light that is shining
in the hearts of God's people, the Son of God. That's the light
that is revealed into those who He has loved from before the
beginning of the world. It's the light of His Son, the
Lord Jesus, as the Son of the living God. And the light shineth
in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. I know that
I didn't understand who God was before he called me. I know it
as clear as a bell now. I can see just as how dark my
darkness was before God came and shined his light in my heart.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same
came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through
him might believe. He was not that light, but was
sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was
in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew
Him not. He came unto His own, and His
own received Him not. But as many as received Him,"
now listen to this, we just saw how Those who loved the darkness
turned away from the light. He was in the world, and the
world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto
His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received
Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. Did you notice it wasn't something
they had done? Who was it that did the work
there? Once again, we see it's God's sovereign power that brings
men to know who He is. He gave, gave He power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believed on His name, which
were born not of blood, and here again, that free will, how can
they read this and not understand it? Nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. And the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The glory is the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. When the
Gospel comes, Light comes. Listen to Luke chapter 1 verses
77 and 79. To give knowledge of salvation
unto his people by the remission of their sins through the tender
mercy of our God whereby the day spring from on high hath
visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the
shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace. In John 3, 19, we read these
words, and this is the condemnation, that light is coming to the world,
and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil. When the gospel comes into the
heart, in the grace and the power of God, the Holy Spirit, we are
made new creatures in Christ. Listen to Genesis 1. 1 through
3, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and
the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the
face of the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters, and God said, let there be light, and there was
light. Now, I want to stop there for
just a moment. A lot of folks are going through this
world thinking that God created light. Did you read what we just
read there? I want you to back up and take
a look. One more. And God said, let there be light. He created everything else we
see there. Created the heavens and the earth and without form,
and it was void and darkness upon the face. And the Lord said,
let there be light. He didn't create it. Christ's
light has always been there. And there was light. In 2 Corinthians
5, 17, we read these words. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new." Page 7. Brother Don Fortner wrote
this. He said, he came to Capernaum
because Capernaum in Galilee was the place of Gentile nothings
and Gentile nobodies. It was the place from which he
would fetch trophies of his grace. And he quotes from, or he refers
to 1 Corinthians 1, 26-31 where we read, for you see your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are
despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring
to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his
presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto his wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. So we see that the Lord has come
to Capernaum to the Gentiles, the Gentile nothings and the
nobodies. He's fetched his trophies, his trophies of grace from the
heathen. Don goes on to say there, Galilean speech was crude. Galilean
people were poor, illiterate, and uncouth. Galileans were the
roughnecks of the other side of the track. These are the people
from whom our Lord would call out a people to serve Him. And
we'll look at that next week as our Lord calls His disciples
along the Sea of Galilee, by whom He would build His church
and His kingdom. The message our Lord preached
was the same of what John the Baptist preached. From that time,
Jesus began to preach and to say, repent for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand. Our Lord preached one message.
He preached the necessity of repentance in hand with the necessity
of trusting him alone for acceptance with God. testifying both to
the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God and faith
towards Christ, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. That's
in Acts 20, 21. He preached that message constantly,
as we can see in Luke 13, 1 through 5. There were present at that
season some that told hymns, told Christ of the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had meagled with their sacrifices. And Jesus
answering said unto them, suppose ye that these Galileans were
sinners above all Galileans, because they suffered such things?
I tell you, nay. But except ye repent, ye shall
all likewise perish. And then he adds another group
of folks to that. He says, or those 18 upon whom
the tower of Siloam fell, and slew them. Think ye that they
were sinners above all men that dwelt? that dwelt in Jerusalem, I tell
you nay." Page 8. Except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish. And he also preached that message
urgently. He said, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand. No time to waste. It's here right
now. The Lord of glory was a preacher.
Let all who claim to be preachers follow his example and reiterate
his message. J.C. Rowe wrote these words,
he said, there is no office so honorable as that of a preacher.
There is no work so important to the souls of men. It is an
office which the Son of God was not ashamed to take up. It is
an office to which he appointed his twelve apostles. is it is
an office to which Paul, in his old age, specially directs Timothy's
attention to. He charges him with almost his
last breathing words, preach the word, as it says in 2 Timothy
4, verse 2. It is the principal means which
God has always been pleased to use for the conversion and the
edification of souls. The brightest days of the church
have been those when preaching has been honored. and the darkest
days of the church have been those when it has been lightly
esteemed. It is my prayer that the Lord
will press on my heart to continue preaching His gospel with earnest
care for the souls whom He has come to command His light to
shine in. Amen.