That's a song worth singing,
and we sing that a lot. And we chose that at a venture
this morning, actually. Chose Psalm forty five to read.
Our scripture reading and then this him afterward. I didn't realize. This was taken from that scripture
was. Very clearly speaking of things
as such in the king majestic sweet no mortal can with him
compare among the sons of man that's what. The psalmist wrote,
and what a hymn worth singing. For me, he bore the shameful
cross and carried all my grief. Oh, I tell you, you can't sing
that. All right, go with me to Matthew
27. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 27. The story of the Lord Jesus Christ
being crucified really began back in chapter 26, when the
Lord was in the garden. And there, as we saw, he was
being made sin, swept, as it were, great drops of blood. And
from that time, Matthew 26 until now, we have been a long time
here. We can't seem to leave here,
and that's fine. We've stopped at the foot of the cross, and
we've spent over fifteen messages now, fifteen weeks on this, because
Christ crucified is the sum and substance of the gospel. Is it
not? Now while the gospel, that is
the good news, includes all that God has said and all that Christ
has said, the whole counsel, all that Christ said and did,
yet it all points to this event, Christ crucified. This is what
the apostle meant and several of our brethren use this as sort
of a slogan or a way to identify preaching we say we preach Christ. Christ crucified. We preach and
believe the gospel. As written in first Corinthians
fifteen how that Christ died for our sins according to. Christ prophesied how. How he's clearly revealed and
why why Christ died. You know Matthew's gospel. It's Matthew's account of the
gospel same gospel of Mark Luke and John. But Matthew's account
of the gospel as we have seen includes so very much of what
our Lord said doesn't so very much of what our Lord said and
did, his miracles and so forth. And every time we look at whatever
we try to point men to Christ, don't we? Christ crucified. And
Matthew's gospel, you see, contains many things, such as the Sermon
on the Mount. But the whole gospel of Matthew was leading up to
this, wasn't it? See, after this, there's nothing
more to write. After our Lord crucified and
died, buried, and rose again a few days, forty days after
that, ascended back to glory. The end. Christ crucified and risen. And
so this whole Gospel of Matthew culminated in this event, didn't
it? Christ crucified and then risen. That's why we've stayed
here. And as we said, it began over in chapter 26 where the
Lord said to his disciples, and we're going to Jerusalem. And
the Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of wicked men,
and they will take him and crucify him." Read with me Matthew 27,
verse 22. This is what Pilate said to the
people. What shall I do then with Jesus,
which is called Christ? They all say unto him, they all
say unto him, let him be crucified, Christ crucified. Verse 23, the
governor said, Why? What evil hath he done? Well,
none, but Christ must be crucified. They all said unto him, let him
be crucified. Our Lord said that, didn't he,
Samuel? He said, after he arose, he said, ought not Christ to
have suffered these things? Yes, all the Old Testament scripture
from Genesis to Malachi speaks of a lamb slain, doesn't it? That's Christ crucified. And so it culminates in that. Christ and him crucified. So it is in preaching, though
we may not deal with actual crucifixion of our Lord or the atonement
in every single message. This is the subject we've been
dealing with in every particular message. Yet all we say and all
we do is for the purpose of pointing men to that one who hung back,
like the serpent that was lifted up on the pole in the wilderness,
the remedy for sin. But our Lord is not on a cross
now. He's on a throne. He's on a throne. And so I said all that so you
know when we say the gospel whenever we say the gospel. Whenever we
say we preach Christ what we're talking about is Christ Christ
of Scripture and him crucified. How he died for our sins according
to Scripture. And why and Christ crucified
risen not just crucified he's not dead he's now risen He's
ascended, he's exalted, he's seated at the right hand of the
majesty on high, and he's coming again. This one who was slain,
all men, it says, shall behold him whom they have pierced, the
slain one, the crucified. He said, I am he that was dead,
but lo, I'm alive. And he's got scars to prove that
this is indeed Christ. Well, the Lord has just been
crucified, and now his lifeless body hangs on the tree. And as I said, as we said Wednesday
or Sunday, this is just a mystery of mysteries. His lifeless body
Hangs there. Hung there until the evening. That's amazing, isn't it? This
is the body of which Scripture says, A body hast thou prepared
me. Christ said that. A body hast
thou prepared me. A tabernacle, a dwelling place.
He tabernacled among us. He dwelled among us. Made in
the likeness of sinful flesh. a man. Great is this mystery. God was manifest in flesh, but
here his body hangs, his body hangs lifeless on this cross. And ours shall one day be lifeless. This mortal shall put on, this
corruption, this body is mortal, and it shall be But even more amazing than that
is that this the Lord Jesus this body of his hangs on that cross
now stay with this is a blessing to be a blessing to. This body
that hung on that cross that was the Lord's body that was
the body that God had prepared him right. And his body hangs there, and
yet it's lifeless, and yet in three days he's going to get
back in it. That body. You say, no, no, it's a glorified
body. Well, yes it is, but it's that body. Because if you went
to the tomb, that body was gone, and it didn't corrupt. It didn't rot. In a few several
years you'll go looking for hours and it won't be there not because
it rose but because it rotted. Not his. Not his. His body, scripture says, would
never see corruption. Listen to this. Think about this. Had his body been left in the
tomb for three hundred years, not just three days, but three
hundred years, it would not have rotted. Because God said it wouldn't
suffer corruption but he had no sin. Sin is the. The corrupting influences
upon our body. This body is not a simple thing. But sin is that as ravaged it
has the effects of sin on it. I believe our Lord Jesus Christ,
according to Scripture, had the dew of youth on his brow as a
thirty-three-year-old man. That's not... Gabe, I was looking
at pictures of you the other day, and you first came here,
and you've aged a little bit. You're still young, thirty years
old, but you're aging. As a matter of fact, in the last
month, you've aged greatly. Loss of sleep will do that to
you. Sin now is what ages us. Sin is what ravages these bodies. You know that? Sin, a life of
sin, is what ravages these bodies. It's sin with all of its aging
effects, with its disfiguring, marring. Adam, I don't know how
long he lived in the garden before sin, but he didn't age. But just
as soon as he did sin, walked out of that garden. He began to age, didn't he? And I believe the dew of youth
was on the brow of the Lord Jesus Christ, though he was not beautiful
to look at. Scripture says he was not no
former comeliness that we should desire him, though he was not
what you would call a handsome man, yet he was young looking.
Now, I don't think there was one spot
or one blemish in his flesh, do you? I know there was. This is our land. And. He's without spot and without.
And yet our Bible but now listen to that here's a mystery though
yet our vile bodies that's what Paul called these bodies vile
bodies because of the corruption that CNN has done to it. And our vital vial body, Paul
wrote, he said, the Lord shall raise our vial body. Someday
we are going to get back into this body. Yes. These bodies. Our Lord, his body was changed
or else that veil, whatever it was that covered his physical
body when he was here was removed and his glorified body. I believe
he had a body that he appeared to walk and talk with Adam. We're
using son of God. That was the body. And whatever
happened, but it was him is his body. Because when he appeared
to his disciples afterward, he said, it's me. Myself. This is the one you've known.
I look different. They didn't recognize him, did
they? Those that knew him best, Mary and others, they didn't
recognize him at the tomb. They thought it was a young man.
Well, it is. Eternal and so. And so it will be with God's
people, though ravaged by sin and though eons of time may reduce
these bodies into dust. You know, God created us out
of dust, didn't Can you recreate. The start of the stuff that return
but. This mortal shall put on immortality. The Lord shall raise these by
yes it will be us ourselves. And a glorified body without
seeing it would be no more. And we we might be even unrecognized
we will be will be like him will be unrecognizable to the Lord
but will know each other. We'll know each other just like
Moses and Elijah were known and our Lord said it's me it's myself. It's us. But that's not our subject that's
not our story. And I thought you'd enjoy that.
In a moment in the twinkling of an eye we shall be changed
made into his likeness yet it's going to be these bodies. That's
a mystery isn't it? It's all a mystery. Any man thinks
he knows anything and yet he ought to know. But it's a glorious
thought, isn't it, that when I see, by the grace of God, when
I see Deborah Huff, it'll be Deborah
Huff. And she'll know me and I'll know her. Now, if you saw Bergie Jones
right now, you wouldn't recognize her. You all would not know your
own mother. She had to say it's me. But when you get there you'll
be like her and you'll know or you'll know even as you've been
known you'll know each other like I love the story bit bunions
follow up to the pilgrims progress where Christiana and her her
faithful companion. Uh, they went over the river
of death and got over the other side and says, in a moment, they
were both changed. And the Hamptonian says they
both were looking at one another and one would say to the other,
said, well, you're, you're beautiful. And the other one would answer,
you're gorgeous. Look at you, but it's you. It's me, Job said, whom I shall
behold. Me, myself, in my flesh, with
these eyes. But as I said, that's not the
story. Look at verses 55 and 56 of Matthew 27. Here is our
story. Now, the Lord's body hangs there.
And it says, verse 55, many women were there. Beholden. far off. Which followed Jesus
from Galilee ministering unto him. Among which, or that is
these many, among them was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother
of James and Joseph. You know, it doesn't call her
the Lord's mother there, does it? James and Joseph. She's not going
to be referred to as that anymore, the Lord's No, he's the mother
of James and Josie. That's Mary, the former virgin.
That's who that is. James, Josie, Jude, and Simon,
and sister. She was there. And it says in
the mother of Zebedee's children, her name was, I wrote it down,
Salome. Go over with me to Luke chapter
8. This is recorded in all four Gospels. I believe I know it's
three. Should have looked it up in John,
but Luke chapter eight. Luke chapter eight, and we just
read how that many women, many were there. Following him, standing
far off, but beholding, listening, watching, observing, and they
had been following him for quite some time, ministering unto him.
Luke chapter eight, verses one through three came to pass. Well,
right after this is right after the story of the woman who came
and washed his feet with her tears and drive them with the
hair of her head is right after that story. That blessed story,
Mark 8. Would you like to hear that?
Oh, my, what a story that is. Well, after that, verse 8 of
chapter 8, it came to pass afterward that he went throughout every
city and village preaching and and showing the glad tidings,
good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him,
twelve apostles were with him, men, twelve men, and certain
women, certain women, that is, chosen women, elect women. You love that when you see that
word, don't you now? You see it often, don't you?
Certain women, particular, peculiar, chosen, loved, ordained. called justified women, certain
women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmity. Mary, called Magdalene, out of
whom went seven devils. And Joanna, the wife of Chisa,
Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, many, which
ministered unto him. They waited on, they served the
Lord Jesus Christ of their substance. This is what they did all the
time. This is all they did is follow him around and wait on
him. And listen to him. Ever since he called them, this
was back in Galilee, they just followed him. And that's all
they like to do. They didn't have to speak, they
didn't have to be apostles, they just wanted to be beholders,
followers, ministers, servants. Says many of them many are just
twelve men but there were many women. Many women. They they they follow. They follow. We'll go back to our text and
in chapter twenty seven of Matthew says in verse. Fifty. Fifty five that they beheld afar
off. They were beholding afar off. Now. You've seen that I've just
got to make this statement, OK? So much of what is taught and
believed today is just just absolute a lie and superstition and tradition
and so forth. You've seen that blasphemous,
graven image of Mary holding the lifeless body of Jesus. You've
seen that. That's just not so. Is it? You find that here anywhere that
Mary took his body down and held in her arms? Absolutely not. And that's indicative of modern
religion. You've got a helpless Jesus in the arms of a woman.
Huh? Are you paying attention? That's
indicative of modern, the great horror religion. You've got a
helpless Jesus, a dead Jesus in the arms of an evidently pretty
powerful woman to hold this 150 pound man in her arms. That's just not so. That's just
not so. Mary didn't touch that body. Pilate had that body taken down
by his soldier. Right? We're going to read it.
We're going to look at this Wednesday night. The rich man. We're going
to look Wednesday night at the Lord willing at a rich man. And
how he was buried with the rich. You know where that comes from?
Well, anyway. uh pilot had his soldiers and
I'm I think I know one soldier that volunteer for the job. Do
you? To take this body down? Huh? Wednesday night, we looked at
the centurion. I believe he said, let me let me attend to this,
to the removal of the body. So he's not going to be abused
anymore. And the Lord, yes, say this man's life about this center
and you don't touch this body. You don't treat with dignity
and respect. His sufferings are over, his humiliations are over.
And he took that body and then Joseph of Arimathea is the one,
the rich man Joseph is the one who took the body and wrapped
it up and put it in his own tomb, but that's not our story. And
I brought all that up to show you how that all that stuff you
see is a lie. They were a far off. They say
that they were beholding a far off. You say, well, what about
when the Lord spoke to them at the foot of the cross? I believe
John brought her up here when he first came. John brought her
up to see, but then removed her, Tammy, to keep her from witnessing
any more of this horrible scene. Didn't he? Took her out of there. And it says she stood. She wasn't
leaving, though. She's going to hold from afar. She's not leaving here. She's
followed him. Barbara, she's followed him a
long time. She's not leaving now in the end. How about you? This is the whole picture. He
followed afar off from Galilee. Verse fifty five ministry on
the says many women many following him from Galilee whenever they
first heard him free and ministered on him. They were followers they
were beholders said beholding a far off what beholding what
what were they taken with who were they taken with Christ crucified
John Davis that's who they were beholding. Christ crucified, behold, and
ministers of servants of the blessed Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, and him now crucified, beholding him. Many women, many
women. There are quite a few women in
here. I haven't counted them, but I think there are probably
more women than men. It's a little different than
Armenian religion. which you look hard to find any
man. But generally the case it was
back then. Well well possible but many women. As a reason for the many women
see the Lord Jesus Christ. Is called the son of David. You
ever wondered why Solomon had so many wives three hundred wives Because the Lord Jesus Christ
has the resilient. A greater than Solomon has been
here. Many women. That followed him as the stars
of the sky. That's how many he's a greater
than Solomon, the Lord Jesus. Now, don't anybody in here or
anybody listens to this use this in any evil or fleshly means
get that. to the impure, there's nothing
pure. But the Lord Jesus Christ had
many women, not for sinful purposes, but
for the purpose of getting rid of their sin. You see? And this perverted generation,
this anti-Christ generation has taken that altogether loveless,
sinless, pure Son of God and His relationship with these and
made it to be impure thing. God Almighty has got nothing
but judgment for this generation. Huh? This so-called Jesus Christ
superstar, that thing, folks? The Lord Jesus Christ had many
women, not for sinful purposes, but for the purpose of removing
their sin, redeeming them from their sin.
Mary Magdalene was one. She was one that lived in open
sin and that lifestyle. She was an adulteress. That's the way she lived with
any man. The Lord Jesus Christ came and
removed that sin from her. And now she has one man. Now she knows one man and is
known of one. Now she's a chaste virgin until
the day, well, forever. Reserved completely for this
one man. her husband, the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see, the Lord has met and known many more women at Wales. Hasn't he Irene? The Lord has
had many women he's met at the Wales. This is the well. This is where
the Lord Jesus Christ was waiting on you, waiting to be gracious.
Yes, it is. This is the wellspring of water, which is Christ, the
water of life, where you came drawing, trying to get something
out of. You were religious, weren't you? And couldn't get anything
out of. But Christ was waiting on you. I said, you're mine. You're mine, Irene Davis. The
Lord has had a lot more women than just one at the well. The
Lord, the kinsman redeemer. Our great Boaz has had a lot
more a lot more Moabite maidens land in his field. Huh? Is anybody enjoying this like
I am? The great kinsman redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, has had
many more Moabitin, poor Moabitin beggars land in his field. Their
help was to land in his field of our great Boaz, whom he let
fall handfuls on purpose, whom he brought to his table, whom
he spread his skirt over you, whom he said, you're mine. That
one. You don't want that one. Yes,
I do. That's a certain woman that I brought here for this
purpose. See, a much greater than Boaz has passed by us and
lay and looked upon us. The Lord has many more women
than just one. The Lord has had many more women
than one with an issue of blood. Hasn't he? Many more women who've
tried everything for years. Just to get rid of this awful
malignity. And when the Lord came in the
gospel, he dried it up. Who, they by faith, reached hold
and took the hem of his garment. And immediately, the fountain
of her blood was dried up. And they confessed with their
mouth like she did. The Lord's had many, many women.
Many women followed Him. Many. You see, listen. All of
Christ's people are female. That's right. All of Christ's
people. When the scripture says in Christ
there's no male or female, no Jew or Gentile, that means there's
no stature, no rank. There's no difference. There's
not going to... Right now, in Christ, right now,
there's no respecter of persons with God because you're a man.
doesn't mean you're greater in God's eye, because you're a woman
doesn't mean you're lesser, because you're a man, all servants, all
servants. But the spiritual, the truth
of the matter is, all of God's people are female. How does a
female describe the scripture? How are women to treat their,
or how are men to treat their wives as the what vessel, what
kind of vessel? Weaker. All of God's people are weak,
aren't they? Women are told to keep silence,
aren't they? You know, do you want to speak
in the presence of the Lord? I don't, but I've been called
upon to do so, but do you? No. I put my hand over my mouth. I want to. All of God's people in that sense,
Nancy, are female. He's the great male. the man,
the husband, the God-man. We're all called his bride, aren't
we? The wife of Christ. All of us. His bride. We're the
dependent ones. A woman is generally thought
of as being a dependent one. Boy, I don't care if this gets out
or not. Only, you know, an ungodly woman would resent this. A liberated
so-called woman would resent this. But women have always been
the servants to men over the years. good description of the
bride of Christ. We're just certain. Oh, he served
us for thirty three and a third year but. He does. But you know what I'm
saying we're not we are subservient to him we are the weaker vessel
we are the dependent one he is the provider we don't get it
we don't provide anything. My wife I get a check and I don't
feel like you. Many of you may have that way. That's where the type starts
and I better get off of that. But we are the dependent ones
aren't we God's people the dependent one we're not independent. He's
our great provider he's a Jehovah Jireh Jesus Christ is Jehovah
Jireh the Lord that provide all things we're recipients. Recipients
of all that he provides. A woman is. Is the recipient
of the man's seed. And then life comes forth. So it is with us. So it is with
the Now notice, it says they had been following the Lord from
Galilee, ministering unto him. Verse 55 says they were ministering
unto him. They were waiting on him. They
were watching to see when his cup was empty. This was, this
is what they were doing. Wasn't it? They were watching
to see when his cup was empty. And when I would run, Hannah,
get up, get your son. You know, the disciples were
there and he was talking. This is. Interested in their
thought about it, but they followed him everywhere, but far off.
They knew their place. What's wrong with place? This
is what's wrong with people today. All of God's people know their
place. No. And anyway, they were they were
following him at any time his cup became empty. Or they would
run to fill it and his clothes needed washing. Clothes needed washing. Ever
thought about this? I don't believe he ever needed
it. He didn't have body odor. He
might have got dirt on him, but dirt's not dirty. Is it? It's not unclean. We are. He wasn't. You have to brush his teeth.
You ever thought about these things? Sin is what corrupts
us. We can wash ourselves and thirty
minutes later we start smelling. We have to take all kind of man-made
things and try to cover it. It won't cover. My wife just
the other day told me something. She warned me about something. You ever thought about the Holy
Spirit's the one that tells you you don't smell good. That's the Holy Spirit. And anyway. They washed his clothes. They served him food and drink. Wouldn't you have? Wouldn't you have? There's a
Mary. Mary. What if the Lord Jesus Christ
was here walking this earth you love him now what if he's actually
here. Where would you go and what would
you be doing? What would you be interested
in? Who would you rather spend time with? Come on. Who would
you if the Lord Jesus Christ was around right now? Who would
you be spending time with? Who do you think you'd be taken
up with? Wouldn't you think it was the highest privilege and
the greatest honor just to just be around him and just serving
tea or something, wouldn't you? How about now? How about now? He is here. That's how you know. That's how
you know women. They're following. Right now let me ask you can
you think of anywhere you'd rather be. Anyone you'd rather be with. You see when price. And if this
is a love affair is. A marriage at night and have
some man sent. To know her. And she knows him. And they enter into a vital you
heard that a lot and they become one these two one. And they fall in love with one.
One's a provider. One's a redeemer. One's the boy
one's the head One's the ruler, one's the master, the other's
the servant. One, Christ. We are his members. And he said, where two or three are
gathered, there I am. He said, lo, I'll never leave
you. This is going to be the last thing we read in Matthew's Gospel.
I'm with you always, even to the ends of the world. A good husband stays with his
wife. And a good wife stays with her
husband. If he's a loving one like this,
you wouldn't want to leave, would you? You wouldn't want to leave.
And neither do God's people, right? And though we sometimes—go
back to Matthew 25—though sometimes we feel that we're afar off.
They beheld him afar off, yet Scripture says we're always nigh.
And he's nigh unto us by the blood of Christ, nigh by the
spirit of Christ. And we feel unworthy to come
near, but he says, come, come near. And all of God's people
are ministers of him, ministers to him. There's no greater service.
Look at Matthew 25, verse 32. The Lord said, Before him shall
be gathered all nations. son of man shall be gathered
all nation he shall separate them one from another. As a shepherd
divided his sheep from the goats he shall set the sheep on his
right hand the goats on his left. Now here's how you're going to
know the difference. All right. God looks on the heart doesn't
he? You can. But how are they known outward?
The Lord says, say unto them on his right hand, that's the
sheep, come ye blessed of my father. That's why you're on
the right hand, that's why you did what you did. You were blessed,
you were called, you were the Lord in you. But he says, come
inherit the kingdom prepared for you, the sheep, from the
foundation of the world, for I was hungry. and you gave me
meat, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and
you took me in, naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you
visited me, I was in prison and you came unto me. Then shall
the righteous, that's the people, answer him saying, Lord, you
see they are not, they're not going to acknowledge anything
that they've done, they're not going take more. They don't even they
don't even bring it up. I mean they don't even think
of it as a good work. It's a reasonable. They did it
out of love. Freedom. Then shall the righteous
answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee and hungered and
fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw we thee
a stranger and took thee in, or naked and clothed thee? Or
when saw we thee sick or imprisoned and came unto thee? And the king
shall answer and say unto them, Verily, verily, truly. This is not figuratively, but
this is truly. When the Lord says, Verily, that
means this is the way it is. I say unto you, inasmuch as you've
done it unto one of the least of my brethren, you have done
it unto me. How do we serve the Lord Jesus?
He's in heaven. He's in heaven, isn't it? How
do we serve him? Serve the body. That's right. By this shall all men know you're
my disciple. You love him that's begotten. You love him that beget. You
love him that's forgotten. That's how you know. How do they
know you love them? How does anybody know? You don't
say it, do you? Prove the sincerity of your love.
Do it. That's how you know. You love old so-and-so, well,
he's sick. If your husband or wife were
in the hospital with you. It goes without saying that. So
this is really what our Lord said. He said it. Verily done unto me and then
he looked at these goats. He said to the goats you never
visited. You know I'm on site. But we've got the right doctrine.
Get them out of my sight. As much as you've not done it
unto me. Not done it unto one of these
things, you've not done it to me. Convicting? Yes, it's meant to be. Comforting? Yes, it's meant to
be. Do you love these, brethren?
Huh? Do you love the Lord's gospel?
I love this Lord I live to that you love those of preaching. You can't love the message and
hate the messenger. Especially the one you heard
of. Love him that began this is how
you know you love those that are again. And notice these three particular
I'm closing with this OK if three particular women that followed
him that are mentioned here. All right, three very different
women. Three very different women, two
married, actually married, there were three married. And it mentions
in another place, but three particular or certain women, stay with me,
you're going to like this. Three women were mentioned, though
there were many, there were three that were mentioned in verse
What a verse fifty six is Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of
James and Joseph that's the former virgin. And the mother said these children
Salome three particular women very different yet they're the
same. They've lived different lives
but really to the Lord and his. I went these three women all were loved by
and love the Lord Jesus Christ. Chosen by and chose to follow
the Lord Jesus Christ. Look. Salt by him and now following
him just like a a dog. All the same, needy women, all
three of them were needy women. What did they need? Him. You know, I've never made this
connection. I don't know why I'm so dumb. But the passage
in Isaiah 4 that says this, In that day shall seven women take
hold of one man. I never made the connection. And they will say, let us be
called by thy name and take away our reproach. Would you marry
us? All of us will take you as our one husband. Take away our
reproach. I never made that connection. I guess I'm just ignorant. Oh
boy. And that day. Mary Magdalene,
three very different women, Mary Magdalene, a harlot. She lived
a rough life, didn't she? Before the Lord saved her, or
Mary the Virgin for that matter, they wouldn't have had anything
to do with each other, would they? Mary the Virgin would have
been very proud of the fact that she was a virgin and looked down
on this Mary Magdalene, wouldn't you? a Salome you know she was
a mother apparently she she wed young and they usually did and
she had two fine boys James and John the Lord said they were
sons of Mary to a husband faithful wife
a good mother and so forth she would have anything to do with
Mary Magdalene now they're bosom buddies they go everywhere together
They're inseparable companions. Who drew them together? Bosom buddies, having lived different
lives according to the sovereign providence of this one. One could
have been the other, the other could have been the one, right?
It's only the sovereign providence that made Mary Magdalene, that
allowed her to be as she was and Salome as she was, right?
Who maketh thee to differ? Having lived different lives
according to the sovereign restraining grace of God. I love this. My
pastor years ago said most people, these so-called holiness people,
are another stench in God's nostrils. Taking credit for something they
have nothing to do with. He said most people mistake the
sovereign restraining grace of God for their own personal holiness. Did you hear that? Listen to
me. Most people think That what the reason they don't do this
and don't do that and do do the right thing and are moral and
so forth is their own goodness or righteousness or holiness
and all that when it's nothing more than a restraining grace
of God keeping them from. That's right. But let me go a
little further, our Lord said that publicans and harlots will
go into heaven before they do. There's going to be more former
prostitutes in glory. than deaconesses and so-called
churches. Right, right. The Lord said that. Because who make a thing of it?
And why would you glories if you didn't? And I thought about
this. You know, they walked and women
talk. You know, some women talk a little bit, don't they? They
were walking and talking all the time. They were buddies.
They followed each other for a long time. Mary and Mary and
Salome and many. Pick a bunch of. And I just imagine
at first Mary Magdalene thought I don't have I don't belong with
you ladies. Don't you fancy don't you think
that Mary Magdalene thought said that maybe Mary the mother of
James and Josie the so-called mother of our Lord don't you
think she said. I'm so ashamed. The life I've lived. I don't
belong with you, you good ladies. Don't you think she thought that?
Huh? And I know what Mary said back
to her. Don't you? Mary said, Jenny,
Mary said, Honey, you did it. I thought it. I wanted to. The Lord kept me from it. Honey, my soul does rejoice in
God my Savior. I'm a sinner saved by the grace
of God, just like you. I'm no different than you. In
fact, I feel myself to be the chief of sinners. Mary, I'm not
one whit better. Now let's go follow the Lord. Don't you? You know she did,
because you're doing it too. I've seen many come in here,
if not all of you, come in here thinking, I don't belong here.
I don't belong with you, with these good people. Good people.
Would you tell, would you show me one? Ask them. Ask them. Ask Salome. She'll
tell you, oh honey, you don't know my heart. My, my. I'm the one that feels unworthy.
And we're no different. Three centers saved by the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mary, Mary and Salome. Anyway,
beholding our. Well, they came now, we're going
to see in a little bit if they're everywhere, they're everywhere,
the Lord is John, they're everywhere. But they're there and they're
going to end up with. Still want to minister to. And
I just, I am just quite confident right now that there's those
three ladies and many others right now, right now in glory,
sitting at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, ministering unto
Him, beholding Him. Is that where you want to be?
Is this where you want to be? Blessed art thou among women.