It is not that I did choose thee,
Lord, O Lord, that could not be. Yuba-Sutter Grace Church
would like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Rick
Warda. We currently meet at the Yuba
County Library, located at 303 2nd Street in downtown Marysville,
California, on the corner of 2nd and C Street. Weekly services
are held on Sunday at 11 a.m. at the library. For more information,
visit our website at ysgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Rick Warda. The text of our sermon today
is in Matthew chapter 14, verses 1 through 11. Let's read it together. At that time Herod the Tetrarch
heard of the fame of Jesus and said unto his servants, This
is John the Baptist. He is risen from the dead, and
therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him. For
Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in
prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. For John
had said to him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when
he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because
they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was
kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased
Herod. Whereupon he promised with an
oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before
instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head
and a charger. And the king was sorry, nevertheless,
for his oath's sake. And for them which sat with him
at meet, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent and beheaded
John in the prison. And his head was brought in a
charger and given to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother.
I've entitled this sermon, The Cruelty of Unbelief and the Victory
of Faith. In Matthew chapters 11 through
13 we saw the increasing hardness of the unbelieving Jews. Here
in Matthew 14 we see the cruelty of this world. Anti-Christian
religion and anti-Christian politics join hand in hand against the
Lord Jesus Christ and against his people. But he who sits in
the heavens shall laugh. He shall have them in derision.
Psalm 2 verses 1 through 4. I want to consider four lessons
from this scripture. First, the conscience of wicked
men torments them. Second, outward beauty and worldly
skills hide evil within. Third, unbelief produces savage
cruelty against Christ and his people. And fourth, why God's
people suffer and the victory of God-given faith. First, the
conscience of wicked men torments them. When Herod heard of Jesus
and the mighty miracles he did, he jumped to the conclusion that
he must be John the Baptist risen from the dead. He hoped to live
at peace in his murderous lawlessness. He was wrong. Be sure your sin
will find you out." Numbers 32, 23. In the same way, in hell,
man's conscience will remind him of his willful rejection
of Christ and opposition to his own salvation. Romans 2, 15 says
that men show the work of God's law written on their hearts because
their conscience either accuses them or excuses them. And in
Proverbs 20.27, the Lord says, "...the spirit of man is the
candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of his belly."
God uses a man's own conscience as a witness against him, and
in the day of judgment, he will prove that his sins were against
both light and truth. Second, outward beauty and worldly
skill hides evil within. Men look at the outward appearance,
but God looks on the heart, 1 Samuel 16, 7. Our eyes deceive us. Men praise worldly beauty and
skill. Men praise knowledge, but they
despise and reject Christ. Can anything be more convincing
to show that we are not equipped to judge by what we see? Jesus
said that that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination
in the sight of God. Luke 17, 15. The heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Jeremiah
said in Jeremiah 17.9. God sees man's inward thoughts
and motives and he tells it like it is. Jesus said, evil comes
from man's heart. From within, out of the heart
of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil
eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these things come from within
and defile the man, Jesus said in Mark chapter 7 verses 21 through
23. As outward works mask inward
hypocrisy, outward beauty and skill mask inward evil. How often
have you heard of a sports star, a politician, or a movie star
who lived a secret life of utter lawlessness and immorality? Third, unbelief produces savage
cruelty against Christ and His people. A dancing girl proved
to be a murderer at heart. Her mother proved to be a murdering,
savage adulteress. And the king was an unjust executioner
with no backbone for justice, but with foolish generosity towards
senseless women. For all of the pomp and position
and pretense of men in this world, God reveals that there is nothing
good in man. So the fourth question we have
to ask is, why God's people suffer? In light of the cruelty to John,
why do God's people suffer? Is there any victory in their
suffering? First, understand that God's
people suffer because it is the will of God. Isn't it enough
to know that? God is good and His will is good. If we trust God, it is great
comfort simply to know that His will is always done. Peter said,
Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the
keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing, as unto a faithful
Creator. Everything that happens is by
the will of God, but it is the revealed will of God that Christ's
people suffer. Philippians 1.29 says, Unto you
it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on
Him, but also to suffer for His sake. God has ordained that believers
undergo trials of all kinds to refine their faith. In all suffering,
we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last time, Peter said in 1 Peter 1.5.
And he said, wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season,
if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold, that is various,
temptations. Trouble does not make us righteous
or acceptable before God. Our only righteousness before
God is Christ. But trouble serves many purposes
by God's goodwill. In all trouble we are kept by
the power of our wise God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The second reason that God has ordained suffering for his people
is that suffering in God's people honors God. Let this always be
our highest aim, the glory of God in Christ. We should not
first think, what shall I get out of it? Our first priority,
indeed our greatest delight, will ultimately be that Christ
is honored in our lives. Peter said again in 1 Peter 1.7,
The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found
unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Faith honors Christ. He gives it. He upholds it. He
is all of our confidence and hope. He saves us in our utter
unworthiness and in our weakness. Faith sees. Christ saves. The sufferings of Christ honored
God. It seemed good to God that His
sons suffer. Hebrews 2.10 says, It became
Him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in
bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings. Jesus, facing the prospect of
being made sin and suffering under the wrath of God, said,
Thy will be done. He trusted on the Lord. He said
in John 12, verse 27 and 28, What? Shall I say, Father, save
me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto
this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. He suffered in obedience. His
sufferings honored God, and so do the sufferings of every believer.
And third, suffering for Christ's sake is the believer's highest
honor. Jesus said in Matthew chapter
5 verse 10 through 11, Blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. As one martyr said when facing
death, to die for Christ is an honor I do not deserve. And third,
suffering is the means by which God makes himself known to his
people. For example, by Job's sufferings
we see that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy. James said in James 5.11, you
have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of
the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.
Peter's suffering was for Christ's glory. By Jesus recovering Peter
from his denial, Peter loved him all the more. And the Lord
Jesus committed to Peter what was dearest to his heart, the
feeding of his sheep. Paul also said he sought the
Lord three times to be delivered from his thorn in the flesh.
But the Lord said, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength
is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore, Paul said, I take
pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I
strong. 2 Corinthians 12 verses 9-10.
Paul was not sadistic or suicidal. He was happy to suffer for Christ's
sake and for the sake of his people. Christ was his life. He wanted to do his will. He
wanted the power of Christ to rest on him that he might overcome
every enemy and Hezekiah. Hezekiah learned God's love in
Christ by his suffering. He was sick and near death. But
when the Lord healed him, he said, Behold, for peace I had
great bitterness. Hezekiah's sickness had become
bitterness to his soul. But God's revelation of His eternal,
unchanging love in Christ became His joy and His assurance. He
saw that it was the love of God that moved Him to make His Son
an offering for the sins of His people, and that moved Christ
to bear those people's sins. 1 Peter 2.24 And so Hezekiah
said, Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit
of corruption, and thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. Isaiah 38, 17. The fourth reason
God's people suffer are that sufferings prepare us for service
here and for glory hereafter. Romans 5 verses 3-5 says, We
glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience,
and patience experience, and experience hope. And hope maketh
not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. We do not glory
in trouble as an end in itself, but we glory on account of trouble,
because trouble produces these things, patience. Patience is
constancy. It is continuance in faith. It
is standing under the truth of the gospel. Patience is perseverance
in the truth of the gospel by faith in Christ. Through trouble,
we repeatedly and increasingly trust Christ more and more as
everything in our salvation. We are humbled at the sight of
our own sinfulness, our unworthiness, our unbelief, our weakness, and
our seeming lack of growth to do the will of God. But these
drive us to see, with clearer persuasion, that Christ is our
all before God. Galatians 2 verse 20. He is the
propitiation for our sins. He is our righteousness. He justified
us by His blood. He made us holy. He perfected
us before God. No, we do not see these things
in ourselves, but by faith we see them in our covenant mediator. Patience obeys God under proving
trials. Remember Abraham? Some 25 years
after God said, I have made thee a father of many nations, Sarah
gave birth to Isaac, the son of promise. Abraham endured the
doubts and temptations and yes, even the falls. But through it
all, he was fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was
able also to perform. Romans 4.21. When God told him
to offer up Isaac, Abraham understood that because God had promised
eternal salvation to him and to all of God's elect in Christ,
and because Christ must come through Isaac, therefore God
must raise Isaac from the dead, if he required him to take his
own son's life, by faith, when Abraham was tried, he offered
up Isaac. His faith proved to be genuine.
And then patience produces experience. Experience means the proving
of faith. Patience in faith under suffering
proves God's faithfulness. He is faithful to uphold our
faith in Christ. Believers may be helpless and
confused, but they cry to the Lord. The righteous cry, Psalm
3417. And when they cannot cry, God's
own spirit makes intercession for them with groanings which
cannot be uttered. Romans 8.26 And our patience
in suffering proves the genuineness of our faith. In every trial
we appeal to Christ as our righteousness and look again to the cross.
Naomi proved Ruth. Would Ruth return to her gods
in the land of Moab? Ruth replied to her as every
believer replies to Christ. Entreat me not to leave thee,
or to return from following after thee. For whither thou goest,
I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall
be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I
die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more
also, it ought but death part thee and me." Ruth chapter 1
verses 16 through 17. Jesus tried his own disciples.
He told them that only his obedience unto death was their life and
living before God. Some were offended by this and
left. He asked the twelve, will you also depart? Peter passed
the test. He said, To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God. Thus, suffering produces an ever-increasing
steadfastness in faith. This steadfastness enables us,
by the grace of God, even to die for Christ. Revelation 12,
11. Trouble produces patience. Patience
produces proving experience. And hope does not leave us ashamed
in disappointment. Hope is confident expectation
of eternal glory. Because our eternal glory is
by Christ's obedience alone, it is sure. God considers eternal
glory to be an appropriate reward considering all Christ accomplished
for his people. God looks at him and says to
us, eternal glory with Christ is the only appropriate reward.
Eternal life is the gift of God on the ground of Christ's righteousness. Romans 6.23 It is never because
of anything in us. It is especially not for our
obedience or our faithfulness. All is ours on one ground only,
because Christ obtained all for us as our covenant husband. He
prayed to his father, The glory which thou gavest me, I have
given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. John
17, 22 Christ and his people are one. He is the head, they
are the body. What was theirs became his, and
what is his is now theirs. 2 Corinthians 5, 21 Believers
are victorious in suffering. They do not merely endure trouble. They are more than conquerors
through him that loved them. Romans 8.37 Maybe you have endured
conflict and won, but if you lost property, or a job, or were
injured, the win may have been a net loss. but because Christ
did all for his people in their place and on their behalf, they
not only win, but they are more greatly benefited than if they
never suffered. Think of the large-scale conflict. We gained more in Christ than
we ever lost in Adam. This principle is seen throughout
scripture. Romans 8, 17-18 says, If we are children, then we are
heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If so be that
we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us. there is no comparison. Eternal glory is infinite in
its blessings and in its duration. What comparison can temporal
sufferings have to eternity with Christ? Believers find Christ's
throne to be their sanctuary in sufferings. In Psalm 73, the
psalmist was in turmoil of soul when he saw the prosperity of
the wicked. They seemed to have no problems.
In Psalm 73, 17, he says, Until I went into the sanctuary of
God, then understood I therein. What is the sanctuary of God?
The sanctuary of every believer is Christ enthroned in glory. He has obtained our eternal redemption. Jeremiah 17.12 says, A glorious
high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. The psalmist was confused. He
was hungry to hear from God. He wanted deliverance. He had
stumbled by looking at the prosperity of the wicked. His forward progress
was in retreat. But when he looked again to Christ
on his throne, having conquered all, he learned that the victory
of his deliverer was his victory. His victory is in His victor. His triumph is Christ's triumph. The sanctuary of rest and assurance
and sure blessing is the throne of Christ. He died and rose and
now reigns and intercedes for me. Romans 8.34 What I did by
sinning was laid on Him. He bore it. He answered for it. What He obtained, He obtained
for His people, given to Him in eternal election. He did all
on their behalf and in their place. All that God gives to
Him is given to them with Him, because they are one with Him.
Romans 8.32 says, He that spared not his own son but delivered
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give
us all things? Believers have nothing short
of eternal glory with Christ. Later in the psalm, the psalmist
says, So foolish was I, and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee.
Nevertheless, I am continually with thee. Thou hast holden me
by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy
counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Listen to what he
says, Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon
earth that I desire beside thee. Do you see how his sufferings
had prepared him for glory? everything on earth had become
distasteful and unimportant to him in comparison to glory. All of his hope was in the Lord
Jesus Christ, whom have I in heaven but thee. And fifth, suffering
furthers the kingdom of God and the ministry of the gospel in
this world for the elect's sake. Paul was bound in prison. In
his affliction, he said, I endure all things for the elect's sake,
that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory. 2 Timothy 2.10 Ultimately, the
sufferings of Christ's people benefit the Church of God. Remember
Stephen? The believers were scattered
because of his death, and the gospel was spread. The Church
grew. His death benefited the Church.
Remember Joseph? Joseph's sufferings, which his
brothers inflicted with evil intent, were ordained by God
for their salvation. And Paul said to the Thessalonians,
What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even
ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? You
are our glory and joy. No earthly trouble was too great
for Paul. He wanted to see Christ's people
inherit eternal glory and be in the presence of Christ. And
he wanted to be with them. And sixth, our suffering is fellowship
with Christ in his sufferings. Christ suffers all that his people
suffer. This is difficult for us to grasp.
Saul persecuted Christians to death. Jesus met him on the road
to Damascus and said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Our Lord said that what Paul
did to believers, he did to him. Jesus said that in the day of
judgment he will say to those on his right hand, inasmuch as
you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have
done it unto me. Matthew 25, 40. God says to his
elect, he that touches you touches the apple of my eye. Zechariah
2.8, and Paul said that by his own sufferings he filled up the
sufferings of Christ for the church. Colossians 1.24, I rejoice
in my sufferings for you, Paul said, and fill up that which
is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his
body's sake, which is the church. Now, when sailors on the same
ship suffer, it creates a bond between them. Just so, Christ
and His people suffer as one. This creates a bond between us.
Our sin becomes more odious and Christ becomes more precious.
Seventh, suffering assures us of God's love. God chastises
only those He loves. Revelation 3.19 says, As many
as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Troubles are gentle chastisements
that make known the tender love of our Heavenly Father. There
is no sweeter time than when we are at our own wit's end,
when we see no way to escape, and we cry to the Lord in our
trouble, and He delivers us for His namesake. Psalm 107 repeatedly
calls to the redeemed, O, that men would praise the Lord for
His goodness, for His marvelous works unto the children of men.
and eighth, suffering will be our entrance to glory, our triumph
and victory with Christ. Peter says in 1 Peter 5 verses
10-11, But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal
glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while,
make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To him
be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. And Paul reminds
the Philippians, for to me to live is Christ, but to die is
gain. By these things we ought to be
immeasurably comforted. We ought to have the greatest
confidence and assurance that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. As Job said, though He slay me,
yet will I trust Him. Let us marvel at this unsurpassingly
glorious truth. The triumph of Christ is our
triumph. His victory is ours. His reward
is our inheritance with Him. Nothing happens to one for whom
Christ died that is not His burden. All Christ is and has belongs
to His people with Him. Let us therefore glory by our
triumph in Christ in all of our afflictions. We are, right now,
by faith, more than conquerors through Him that loved us. And
we will be, in eternal glory, more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. You've just heard a sermon by
our pastor, Rick Warda. You may contact us by email or
by phone, or download a copy of this sermon by visiting our
website at ysgracechurch.com.