He listens while they tell the
bitter pains they feel within. Oppressed with fears on every
side, they go on out of their day in. All right. Thank you, Sheriff. Now go with me to Matthew 12. Matthew chapter 12. I've never preached on this here
before. I thought I had. I distinctly remember preaching
it somewhere and looked over my notes and preached this in
Crossville, Tennessee in 1988, the year before I came here. So I remember it being a blessing
to me then, maybe now, seven, 18 years later, though this is
not the same message. I didn't Grab that old message. Rarely if ever do that, but.
The Lord told Isaiah. Chapter 40. To comfort his people,
comfort you, comfort you, my people, saith the Lord. My people. Speak ye, he said, comfortably. And that means to the heart.
Speak ye to the heart, speak ye comfortably. to Jerusalem,
that's God's people, that's the city of God, that's where God's
people dwell. Speak to the heart. Brother Tim
James, years ago when he was a young preacher, he said, Brother
Scott Richardson, who seemed old to him then, though he probably
wasn't, he was probably my age at that time, he said, Brother
Scott, it came up to him Right before he was to preach in one
of those early Bible conferences, he said he stuck his bony finger
right in the middle of his chest. He said, preach to the heart,
son. Preach to the heart. That's what God tells us to do.
And speaking to my people, he said, Wednesday night's a good
time to comfort God's people because I fully believe that
that's a time when most who attend are God's people. middle of the
week, middle of the week, middle of hustle and bustle of life,
been out in the world, got your feet dirty, need to come in here
and have them washed. I couldn't help but think midweek,
made me think of Habakkuk when he said, revive thy work in the
midst of the years, in the midst of years, make known. And in
the midst of this week, may the Lord make himself known in wrath. Remember mercy. May the Lord
revive his work. I hope to keep you revived by
making this short. I fully intend to do that. Make
it short. All right. Maybe I shorten these
things up. You'll be begging for more. This
is taken from Isaiah 42, where we read a moment ago. where God
said, Behold, my. And if I'm not careful, I'll
linger right there again, because that really blessed my heart,
thinking about God's servant, God's. Trustworthy, faithful
servant. Kept coming up with more things,
even after the message was over. A servant is usually that old
butler, that old servant of a landowner is the one who's been with him
the longest. One who came up with him. And that's exactly what Proverbs
8 says about Christ, that I was daily his delight, I was brought
up with him, God's servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. And this verse
that we're going to look at speaks of his kind, compassionate, and
tender mercies and dealings with God's people, God's house. As a faithful servant does not,
you'll know what I mean by this, lord himself or is overbearing
with his house, but is tender, kind, compassionate and deals
tenderly with his master's house. Well, verse 20 here in Matthew
12, we read it in Isaiah, reads, a bruised reed shall he not break,
and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgments
unto victory, and in his name shall the Gentiles tremble."
Bruised reed. Now, both of these are emblems
of true belief, bruised reeds and smoking flax. Both represent
believers, God's people. The reed may represent a young
saint. A little reed is a small tender
shoot or plant. Flax perhaps represents an older
believer. Or it can represent any and all
believers who are out of fellowship or fallen into sin, whatever,
smoking flax. But there are four things, if
anybody's taking notes, four things. We're going to look at
these things as weak things. They're weak things. They're
worthless things. They are offensive things. But they're victorious
things. Weak things. Now in God's kingdom
there have been some giants. There have been some men and
women who have stood like oak trees. Strong, unmovable oak
trees. We have a few around our new
home. Big oak trees. I wouldn't dream
of cutting them down. They're just emblems of strength.
Been there a long time. There have been men and women
throughout time, especially in Scripture, who have been strong
for the faith, courageous, bold as lion, like Moses. Men like Moses, women like Hannah. Men like Samuel, women like Deborah. Men like Ezra, women like Esther. Don't you love the story of Esther?
Would you like to hear that at some time in the near future?
Just take a couple of yeas. All right, the ayes have it.
What strong believers, men and women, yet most of God's people,
most of God's people, cannot relate to them. But most of God's
people feel themselves to be very weak indeed. And all of them start out that
way. All of them start that way. Moses, all started as a tender
plant, a little reed, and a bruised one at that. Moses, do you remember
when God called Moses? He couldn't even deal with the
people. He'd been in the desert with
sheep for 40 years. And the Lord told him he was
going to lead Israel. out of Egypt. Oh, and he said,
Lord, I can't even speak. And Jeremiah, I remember Jeremiah,
when the Lord called Jeremiah, what did he say? Most believe
Jeremiah was just 24 years old or so when the Lord called. Jeremiah
said, I used to read this all the time when I was a young,
younger preacher. Jeremiah said, Lord, I'm a child. They're not going to listen to
a child. And so they all start out that
way, a reed, a bruised reed. Have you ever been around a farm
pond and you see these reeds? These reeds are plants that they're
by the water. They grow by the water. And yet
there's finally little things they stick up there and it says
this. These reads are bruised reads
and there's nothing weaker than a little reed. It seems like
the slightest wind can just blow it off. Tender little stalk,
blue, young, reed, bruised. And that's all of God's saints
in the beginning and in the end. And all times in between. Feel
themselves to be very weak indeed. Listen to this poem. I found
this and I think you'll be able to relate to this. How weak and
frail am I? What enemies I have within? Lord,
save me is my cry from falling into sin. So weak I cannot stand
without thy mighty power. There's nothing but thy mighty
hand can keep me every hour. Sin in my evil heart And Satan
working there from Christ would make me depart and drive me to
despair. Blessed be his name, he will
not leave me so. Though sin will strive, yet grace
must reign to save me from this world. Though I so weak and found,
yet Christ is Lord of all. If in his hands I'm found, to
hell I cannot fall. So the Scripture says a bruised
reed he shall not break. The weakest grace is still grace. The weakest child is no less
a child. No less a child. A sore member. You ever had a sore member of
your body? An insignificant one. A little
toe. What will you do with that little
toe that becomes sore? Cut it off? Oh, no. Oh, no. And nor will Christ ever
sever his weakest member with the sorest. Smoking flats, he said. Smoking
flax, he will not quench. Now this emblem, this is a type,
a symbolic of the old lamps they used to use in the old days. Some of you still have them.
Old coal oil lamp. That wick that they use in that
was often made of flax. And this smoking flax is a lamp
that should shine brightly but only puts out smoke. It's a lamp that may be at one
time shown brightly but because of the time lack of oil it just
smokes. Anybody in here? And you know every one of us
get into bad states. And those who once shone brightly,
but now dim and smoldering, our Lord said, smoking flasks do
not quench. If there's life there, then there's
smoke. At least there's something. If
there's a spark there, if the light may be there, only very
dim. Spurgeon said he will fan the planet and blow on that coal. or dying ember and put fresh
oil in the lamp, the oil of his spirit, when asked for it. He
had but to ask for it, to receive it. These are weak things. A
bruised reed, no matter how weak, he'll not break it. And smoking
flax, he'll not quench. These are worthless things. Worthless
things. Is there anything more worthless
than a broken rush or reed or Or stock, anything? Can you do
anything with something like that? Can you make anything out
of it? Can you lean on it? Can you build anything with it? What about smoking flasks? A
smoking candle or a smoking lamp? Is it good for anything? No light
or heat? Do you ever think I'm not good
for anything. I'm useless. Do you? You can imagine, you know, how
I feel most of the time. I feel like, in this thing of
preaching, I feel like just smoking black. I feel like I just got
up and recited Word. Well, Christ said He will not
quench smoking black. or the brewery, really, but worthless
in and of ourselves, we are worth it. The Lord said of all human
beings, they're all together. You put them all together. They're
worth it. Unprofitable. He said, Lebanon
is not sufficient to burn for a sacrifice. If weighed in the
balance, it's dust. But in God's good purpose, And
in God's house, every. Every member. Weak as it may
be. As a vital part. As I talked
about that little toe or whatever. I don't know if anyone in here
has ever lost a digit or not. Anybody? Maybe you're ashamed,
isn't it? Finger. Some of you men may
have lost a finger. Anybody in here? My father-in-law
is missing a couple of parts of his finger. Other men I've
known. Ask them. They like to have it
back. Did they miss it and it was gone?
Certainly. Every member of Christ's body has a vital part of it.
Let me give you an illustration here. There's a young mother
at home. A mother, a wife. Unknown to
most people. No career. Really, that is in the world.
And nobody to the world. Nothing in the world. But yet sitting on her lap is
a small child. Whom she faithfully, diligently
teaches, speaks to. And when the time comes, she
brings it to the house of God to worship. That child's name? Samuel. Samuel. Now I ask you, what was that
woman's part in the kingdom? As vital as her son? Or a grandmother? There sits a grandmother caring for a grandchild. A small
boy sitting on her lap whom she teaches. whom she brings to the
house of God faithfully to worship. Her name? Lois. His name? Timothy. Could that be the next Timothy?
We hope and pray to God it is. Worthless in and of ourselves? Yes. And God's purpose? No. Now all things work together. Work together. Weak things, worthless
things, offensive things. A bruised reed. And our sister
Jeanette Barry can enter into this. She plays clarinet. Anybody
else? Hannah plays a little clarinet.
Anybody else play any wind instruments? Several in here. Any men? Y'all are just windy, aren't
you? Don't play and be just full of
wind. What do you use to play the melody
with? What is the most important part
of that instrument? What can you not do with that?
The reed. The reed. Have you ever had a
bruised or broken or cracked reed, Jeanette? How does the
clarinet sound? Terrible. Puts out a mad sound,
doesn't it? An awkward sound. Spoils a melody,
doesn't it? And it's offensive. It's offensive. You know, I've always wanted
to play the violin. Gabe claims he can teach me. But I don't
think Mindy wants me to start trying to learn. Is there anything more offensive?
than an instrument out of tune? Huh? You know, all people are made
by God to sing His praises. Everything is created for His
glory. Every human being should sing the praises of God, but
yet the most that comes out of the mouths of human beings is
foul, offensive. I was remarking to to Hannah
about her after listening, watching something together on television.
It just astounds me how many people use God's name now. It's just so common. And people
don't think a thing about it anymore. This is just clear proof to me
that God is completely taking his hand off. It's just almost
gone. That really is. Can't you see
that? children, everybody, God's name, is being blasphemed. And they don't even know they're
doing it. And so man that was an instrument made of God for
his glory, for his honor, should be singing sweet melodies, making
music under the Lord amidst a foul sound from his mouth. Give you
an illustration. Broken reeds is what they are.
There's a man, years ago, hanging on a Roman cross, being crucified. He's a thief and a murderer. And out of his mouth, in his
dying hour at that, he's cursing God. Cursing God. His mouth is full
of cursing and bitterness. But lo and behold, in a few minutes, out of that
same mouth comes a blessing. A bruised reed will he not break,
but sweetly tunes it to sing his praise. A bruised reed, now
singing, that mouth that was full of cursing and bitterness,
now singing sweetly of the sovereign grace of God. You know, this
this thing of offensive being offensive is the work of the
Holy Spirit. The first work of God's Holy
Spirit is to make us realize how offensive we are. We realize
how we are an offense to God, and then we become an offense
to even ourselves. And we think we're an offense
to everybody else. And the average to the center who comes into
God's house doesn't believe that long. And this is the work of God's
Holy Spirit smoking black. Smoking blacks have you ever
had an old coil or lamp just wouldn't burn right. Sure yeah
some of. It puts off but there's nothing
worse more up more noxious than a smoking. candle or. Or lamp someone bought us a thing
to burn incense in the other day now back when I was when
I was you know sixteen eighteen or somewhere around in there
I used to love burn that place and couldn't fill a room full
of them. But I'll tell you I burned one
of those just for about thirty seconds. I'm ready to put it out noxious
in the It's offensive to smoke the smoke in my nostrils. That's
what God said about so many people. A smoke in my nostrils. And we find ourselves to be sinners. We feel that we're an offense
to God and we're an offense to ourselves. That's God's work
to make us know our offense. You know, everyone whom he makes
to realize their offense against him, that person he will not
quench. That's the work of God. That's
an ember he's. Taken from the altar and when
we fall into sin and every one of God's people fall into sin. Falls from some temptation. Or
if we indulge sinful thoughts or whatever. And then you in
turn become offensive. You know sin indulged or fallen
into will make you. A rotten person. Or get out of fellowship. People,
we all get out of fellowship time, don't we? Whatever it may
be, backsliding, whatever it may be called, we all get out
of fellowship at times and somebody sits, smoldering, sulking, selfish,
keep to themselves. They have no value, no profit
to everyone else. but rather an offense. They're
there and they're just making the rule of it. Have you ever been there? We've
all been there. But he says, smoking flats do
not win. He'll not quit. And we all get
out of the way at times. Even the strongest believer,
I've mentioned some strong believers, they all got out of the way.
They all got this way. They all became like this. Abraham,
strong as he was, yet found him later on cowering, shamefully denying his wife, afraid. David, the most useful, perhaps
one of the most useful men or persons in all of Scripture. David, who was the salt of the
earth, lost his sabre. Lost his sabre. Most Christ-like
man. Simon Peter. The old man rears
his ugly head and you can't tell the difference. What he used
to be and what he is. So we all get like this, smoking
flax. But here's the problem. Smoking
flax, you're not quick. You're not quick. And here's
the thing about it. A bruised reed may be bruised
and broken. But if it's his reed, it's his
reed. Smoking flax may be noxious and
offensive. But if it's his lamp, he's going
to keep it. Someone wrote this. Paul, the apostle, was a great
man, was he not? A highly useful man and a king
of God. A wonderful man. But the Lord
paid the same price for Mary Magdalene as he paid for the
Apostle Paul. The Lord paid the same price
for the thief on the cross as he did Moses. Same price. It cost him his own
precious blood. It took the same grace to save
them both. They're both equal in his eyes.
They're both equal. And they're both his, bought
with a price. And look at our text here. It says in verse 20, Bruce Reed
shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till
he send forth judgment unto victory." Judgment unto victory. There's
going to be victory. This old broken and bruised Reed
will someday no longer be broken and bruised. That smoking flax
will someday, by His grace and power, Not be smoking. It'll be unto victory. His victory. It says He will send forth judgment,
dealings. He's the one that's going to
get the victory. It's not by our might or power. We're broken.
We're bruised. We're smoking. It's by His power. His victory. His glory. The laurel belongs to the victor,
doesn't it? He's the victim. He's the one salvation along
with under the law and. Our salvation, our victory, victory
for us, if he wins, we win. If he's victorious, we're victorious. If he's crowned, we're with him
as he is. So. Judgment under victory, full,
final, eternal salvation. mind, body, and soul. I like that verse back in chapter
42 of Isaiah that said, He shall not fail. Don't you like that? If your salvation is dependent
upon the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone, that may be one of
your favorite verses in all of Scripture. I mean, if you're
totally depending on Him and looking to Him to get you, to
bring you to God, to present you all holy unblameable
unapproved you're at the. With the pop. Then you like the
sound that he shall not. Now that was improper. Of the
Christ who was. And when he came. Hanging on
the cross he said what it is. It is. And then there's a scripture
after that that says, he says, all our children are here. Behold,
I and the children, which thou hast given me. He did not fail.
When he had by himself purged our sin, sat down. And it became him in bringing
many sons unto God. He shall not fail. That's a prophecy. Nor be discouraged. We're discouraged. We stay discouraged. We've been
discouraged. You may right now be discouraged
but you will yet be discouraged. But he never has been. His purpose
has never been discouraged. He's never been discouraged.
Never. So we should take courage in that. And he shall bring forth
judgment. So if there are any bruised reeds
in here, any bruised reed, you know a bruised reed you would
think can't take one more howling wind, one more strong storm,
it's going to break it. A bruised reed. Have you ever
seen, some of you I know have seen stops a corn laying flat
on the ground after a storm. I remember the first time that
I saw that. A storm came through and corn
laying flat on the ground like that. And I thought, oh no, that
crop's destroyed. And lo and behold, Margaret,
maybe the next day or day or two, it's dead. I had to do that. It didn't do
that. The Lord did that. That's the way the Lord... And
He made it do that, just as a type of what we're looking at. Bruce
Reed, you may think, I can't take one more temptation. I'm
going to break under this. I'm going to fall eternally.
Can't endure one more trial, I'm going to break. Well, one
day, Scripture says, you're going to wake up in glory. Free from sin. No more sin to
deal with. No more trials to endure. No
more temptations to pay. Victorious. Not you. The Lord obtained the victory.
Any smoking flats in here? Smoking flats. And you think,
you know, it's a candle or a lamp that's just smoking. You think,
well, the oil's almost gone. There's none left. It's about
to go out. About to go out. No light, no
life, no savor. The promise is, one day you'll
wake up in glory. Scripture says that Christ dwells
in light. His face is the sun that shines
in all its strength. We're going to be like him. Shining
lights, bright lights. From smoking flats to bright
shining lights. Who got the victory? Who did
that? The Lord Jesus Christ. How? Because verse 21 says, and
why? In his name shall the Gentiles
trust. See, salvation is found in his
name. Salvation is found in his name. He's the Lord. Salvation
is of the Lord. That means he's in control of
it. He's sovereign over it. He decides who he's going to
save, and he came to save them, and he did that. Lord Jesus,
that means Savior. Everything about His name means
Savior. Christ, Representative, Messiah,
Dayspan, and on and on. Covenant Head, Substitute, Lord
Jesus Christ. In His name shall the Gentiles
be troubled. Bruised wreaths you'll not break.
Smoking flax you'll not quench. Judgment of the Okay, stand with
me. I thank you so much for your great response,
for moving it over into the future. We are tenfold over it. Louie
Green is holding back all of this, all of it, and is far now
on his way. to step back from this actual
process. I'm glad to talk to you in your
voice. We have a certain time in the
world, and I'm glad to say we've changed the environment, we've
saved, we've changed the quality of our comfort zone. And I'm good. I'm good. Okay.