He's a man of love He's a man
of love He's a man of love He's a man of love He's a man of love
He's a man of love I'd like to welcome you to the
office. It's an honor to be here today. It's an honor to be here today. It's an honor to be here today. It's an honor to be here today. It's an honor to be here today. Luke chapter nine. When your pastor read that passage
of scripture, I especially wanted you to hear how those people
were described as sheep without a shepherd. Now, can you imagine
what a sheep is without a shepherd? That's a hard thing to think
about. I'm not sure. how much I understand about that, but
a sheep without shepherds is in bad shape. And the scripture
says that the Lord was moved with compassion toward these
people. Now, in Luke chapter 9, beginning
in verse 10, and the apostles, when they were
returned, he'd sent them out two and two to preach the gospel
and to heal the sick And they had returned and they told him
all that they had done. And he took them. And went aside privately. Into a desert place belonging
to the city called Bethsaida. Now, he took them aside in order
for them to rest for a while. We read in that passage of scripture
that they didn't even have any leisure to eat. There were so
many people pressing upon them all the time, wanting to see
the Lord Jesus, wanting their needs met from him and they didn't
have any private time and they went off by themselves. Verse
11 and the people, when they knew. Followed him. And he received
it. We've already read in Mark chapter
six how he was moved with compassion when they came to him. He wasn't
irritated, he wasn't aggravated, he left to get away from the
multitude. It seems yet when they come to
him, he was not irritated. He was not aggravated. He received
them, the Christians were. He received them, and spake unto
them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of
healing. Now, I'm in the habit of looking
up the meaning of words passages that I preach from sometimes
it gives a little more light and for some reason I looked
up the word people. And I thought it was interesting
when I read the definition of that word the word people is
the word that's generally translated multitude when we read in the
scriptures the multitude and the definition the dictionary
gave of this particular word was the confused strong. The confused strong I could identify
a little bit with that. And these people are described
as sheep without a shepherd. So you can see where these people
were a confused throng. Now, I entitled this message
a message for the people, but I could have just as easily entitled
this a message for the confused throng. That's who our Lord was
dealing with at this time. Now, verse 11 is our text, and
the people the confused throng, the multitude, when they knew,
not before them, but when they did know it, they followed him. Now, what was it they knew that
inspired them to follow him? Well, they knew where he was.
It really is very simple. They knew where he was. He was
out in the desert place. outside of the city of Bethsaida.
But when they knew where he was, they followed him. They came to him. And my dear
friend, if you know, if I know where he is, we will follow him. Now it's absolutely necessary
that we know where he is. But if we do know where he is,
we, too, will follow him. Now, in our text, he was in a
desert just outside of the city of Bethsaida. That was then. This is now. Now, I've got a
very simple question. Where is he right now? Well,
I'm speaking with you. Where is the Lord Jesus right
now? Would you turn with me to Hebrews
chapter one? Hebrews chapter 1. Let's begin reading verse 1. God, who at sundry times and
in diverse manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made
the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his
power, when he had by himself our sins sat down on the right
hand of the majesty on high. I want to ask you two questions. First, is he still there? Is he still seated at the right
hand of the majesty on high? And second question I want to
ask you is what does that mean? What does that signify? What
can we learn from that? Well, the fact that he's seated
at the right hand of the majesty on high tells us that he's seated
right now while I'm speaking. He is seated in the place of
all authority and all control and all power. He's at the right
hand of God. And you know what he's doing
there? He is reigning in absolute, uncontested, irrevocable sovereignty. He is reigning. His sovereignty, when we talk
about his sovereignty, that means he reigns. He has a will, he
has the power to make sure his will comes to pass, and he has
the right to make sure his will comes to pass because of who
he is. Now that's talking about the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus
Christ. His sovereignty is universal.
That means it extends over all of his creatures and all of his
creation. I don't care if we're talking
about the hurricane going on right now, if we're talking about
demons, the devil, men, believers, unbelievers, the weather. His
sovereignty is universal. He's in absolute control of everything. His sovereignty is absolute.
That means there's no limit that can be placed upon His authority.
You can't overstate the sovereignty of God, can you? It's impossible
to do. His sovereignty is absolute and
His sovereignty is immutable. It cannot not be. It cannot not
be. What I'm saying is He reigns. where he's at right now, the
place of absolute control. And the fact that he sat down
there tells us that his work has already been completed. He
sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Now, why
did he sit down? Well, the first question is,
what was his work? Well, remember that passage of
scripture in Hebrews 1 3? He by himself. I love that. He by himself. No,
no contributions from us. No contribution from any man.
He needed no help from you or I. He by Himself, unaided by
creature strength, He by Himself purged our sins. And when He sat down, you know
what that means? My sins have been purged. Put
away. They are no more. Isn't that wonderful? What sin? It's been put away
by what Christ did. Now that's where he's at. He's
seated right now as I speak, floundering around. He's seated
at the right hand of the Father in absolute sovereignty. He's
sat down because his work, the work of purging his people from
their sins, is already a completed work. He's sat down because the
job is finished. I come to him who has salvation
in his hand. Now, when I know where he is,
and I mean really believing this, I'm not talking about somebody
says this and I get it memorized, wait to see if it's the right
hand, I'm talking about really believing it. When I know where he is, at the right
hand of the majesty on high, the place of all power and authority,
and I know his posture there, seated, Seated having finished
his work completed salvation nothing for me to do what I'm
going to do. I'm going to come to him. I'm going to follow him.
And look what it says back to our text in Luke chapter 9. Would
you turn with me there? And the people this poor confused
multitude and the people When they knew where he was, that's
what that's talking about. 9-11 and the people, when they
knew it, they knew where he was, they followed him. Now, what's
this mean? They followed him. Well, the
word is very simple. If I follow someone, that means
I go in the same way they go. And if I follow the Lord Jesus
Christ, where's he at? He's at the right hand of the
Father. He's in the very presence of God. If I follow the Lord
Jesus Christ, that means I come into the presence of God, where
He is, the precise same way He did. Now, is that clear? If I come into the very presence
of God, following Christ, I come the exact same way He did. Now, how did He come into the
presence of the Father? Would you turn with me to Hebrews
9? I love this. This gives me some
confidence. Look here in verse 12, Hebrews
chapter 9. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Now how did
he enter into the presence of the Father? He came with his
own blood. He came and offered himself without
spot under God. He came with his own blood. Do you know how I come? The same
way. I come pleading nothing else.
I come no other way. I come pleading nothing. And
as I'm speaking to you right now, oh, may this be the truth.
May I be honest here. I hope I am. I'm pleading nothing
but His blood. That's it. Nothing else. Not
even thinking of anything else. How did He come into the presence
of the Father? With His own blood, by His own merit. I come pleading
nothing but His I come the same precise way. Now, that's how
you follow the Lord Jesus Christ. You come into the presence of
the Father the same way. He came pleading nothing but
His blood, His righteousness. Now, I want to ask you a question.
Have you come to God by Him? You see, we're to come to God
by Him. When we say, My salvation is
based upon His righteousness. You know, that's not really very
accurate. My salvation is not based upon His righteousness.
My salvation is His righteousness. It's not based upon Him. He is salvation. I come to God by Him. That's
the way I come. I don't... I come by Him. He said, I'm the door by Me.
If any man enter, I won't dare plead anything else. Oh, may
the Lord deliver me from it. He's able to save them to the
uttermost that come to God. Anybody know the next word? By
Him. Seeing He ever liveth to make
intercession for them. Now, if we come to God by Him,
that's what it means to follow Him. We reach the destination,
the presence of the Father, in the precise same way He came. He came by His own merit. We
come the same way. And what's it say? In our text,
verse 11, and the people, when they knew, they followed him
and he received them. He received them. He embraced
them. You know, he welcomed them. Now, when you read what took
place, it seemed like he was going there to get away from
them, doesn't it? I mean, that's the way it appears. He wanted
to get away. They didn't have any leisure,
not so much as these. I mean, they had people on them
all the time. I can understand him wanting
to get away. And I can also understand when he sees them coming forward.
He thought, oh, you know, here they are. But that's not what
happened, though. Our Lord is not like that. The scripture
says he welcomed them. He received them. As a matter
of fact, that passage of scripture we read in Mark chapter six says
he was moved with compassion. And he received them, he welcomed
them, he embraced them. You see, he has made this promise.
John chapter 6 verse 37, he said, All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise, for no reason whatsoever cast
out. You know what that means? That
means if you come to him, he won't turn you out. I don't care
what your condition is, I don't care how Are you falling? I don't care how low you feel.
It doesn't make any difference. If you come to Him, He has promised
He will not cast you away. Now that's the promise of the
Savior. Him that cometh to me, if you come to God by Him, you've
got this promise. He will not cast you out. You know, you'll be accepted. I can't describe how bad that
I hate the phrase, won't you accept Jesus? I find it offensive. It offends me. You know, the
Lord Jesus Christ is not up for your acceptance or rejection
or man's acceptance or rejection. You know what I'm saying? We
don't like that bit. Won't you accept Jesus? That's not the
issue. You'll accept him. I'm sure he
feels really good about it. You know, I mean, it doesn't
work that way. The issue is not, would you accept him? The issue
is, will he accept you? Will he receive you? Will he
embrace you? Will he welcome you? Well, the
answer is, if you come to the Father by him, the answer is
yes, he will. You know, the leper understood that. I love that
passage of Scripture where that leper, he's full of leprosy,
the Scripture says, and he comes to the feet of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He says, Lord, if you will, If you will, now I can
understand why I said that. If you will, I can understand
why you think, well, maybe he won't. I can see why I wouldn't. I certainly
wouldn't charge him with injustice if he didn't. But if you will,
it's in your sovereign hands. If you will, you can make me
clean. You know what the Lord said to
that fellow? I will. He always does. I will be thou
clean. Now, beloved, Come right now. Don't wait. Whoever comes will
be received. And listen to me, it's not a
long journey. It's not a process. It's not something that takes
a lot of time. You come in your heart right now by simply believing
that who he is and what he did is enough to make you accepted
before God. Nothing else is needed. Come right now. And let me remind
you this. Your pastor's already alluded
to this. This is not an invitation. This is a command. Are you weary and heavy laden? He doesn't invite you to come.
He commands you to come. And I like it better that way
because if all this is an invitation, I'm going to figure out a way
to think maybe He didn't mean me. Or maybe He meant somebody else.
But I'm commanded. I'm commanded to come right now. He received them. They followed
Him and He received them. And what did He speak of? Look
in verse 11. When they knew where he was,
they followed him and he received them and spake unto them of the
kingdom of God. What was his subject? He spake
unto them of the kingdom of God. Now, would you turn with me for
a moment to Romans chapter 14? This would be a summary of what
he said regarding the kingdom of God, because he's the one
who inspired Paul to make this statement. Romans chapter 14, verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink. Maybe a simple way to put that
is the kingdom of God is not do's and don'ts. It's not what
you eat and what you don't eat, what you drink and what you don't
drink. It's not do's and don'ts. What is it then? It's righteousness. Whose righteousness? I was listening to a preacher
preach this week and he was preaching out of Revelation chapter I believe
it's Chapter 17 or Chapter 19, where it says regarding the church,
under her was granted that she would be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white, and this is the righteousness of the saints.
And the preacher made this statement. This is not talking about imputed
righteousness. This is talking about the good
deeds of the saints. I don't believe that for a second.
I know that's not what he's talking about. For one thing, it's what's
given to her was granted graciously bestowed. What is the righteousness
of the saints? Is it your good works? Is it
your anything? It's the righteousness and merits
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that perfect garment of righteousness
that he covers his people with that at all. Justification by his righteousness.
Just as if I've never seen, goes further than that. Not only have
I never seen, I've never seen Him in Christ. That's righteousness. That's
what we're talking about. That's the righteousness. The
kingdom of God is not meat and drink. It's righteousness. The
righteousness of the Redeemer. That perfect obedience before
the law that He worked out. And what comes from that? Takes pressure off, doesn't it?
Matter of fact, makes your body relax. Peace. And what else? Joy. Joy in the Holy Ghost. Oh, the joy of knowing that He
is my righteousness before God. That's joyous. That's what He
spoke to them about. This confused multitude. They
come to Him. He speaks to them of the kingdom
of God, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Now
back to our text. Here's the phrase that really
caught my attention. And the people, from when they
moved, they followed him. They went to where he was, the
same way he went. And he received them and embraced
them and welcomed them and spake unto them of the kingdom of God
and healed them that had need of healing. You can tell how many different
kinds of diseases there were in this confused multitude. Here comes a blind man, groping
his way there, had never seen before. And he gave him sight. He healed him. Here comes a leper,
who knows what his body looked like at this time. Disgusting
to the multitude. Everybody moved away when he
came through. And he healed him. His flesh
was made pure and clean. Here comes a quadriplegic on
a stretcher. They bring him in. He's never
walked. He heals him. Here comes somebody who's deaf.
He's never heard a voice. And he heals him. He hears. And he had a 100% success rate. There wasn't anybody who came
and they didn't have enough faith to be healed. No. He healed them
with a word. They present themselves to him.
He healed them by word. Speak the word only and my servants
shall be healed. All he had to do was will it
and it took place. A 100% success rate. Everybody who came to him, he
healed without any exceptions. No case too hard. No instance
where he was unable for any reason. He healed them that had need. Of healing. Notice how these
people are described whom he healed. He healed them that had
need. Repeat that he healed them that
felt their need. Say that. You know, we sing that song.
Let not conscience make you linger, nor fitness fondly dream. The
only fitness he requires is to feel your need of him. Well,
sometimes I feel it, sometimes I don't feel as much as I ought
to, but I tell you this, at all times I have a need, whether
I feel it or not. I have a need. He healed them
that possessed a need, that had a need. of healing. This is the one description given.
They had a need. Now, some may have felt more
acutely their sense of need than others. Perhaps there were some
who could not feel at all, and they perceive themselves as having
a greater need than the ones who are good. Whatever the case
was, he healed those who had need of healing. Never forget, the whole need
not a physician, but they that are sick. Now this word healed is sometimes
translated lack. Lack. He heals them that lacked
healing. I utterly and completely lack
righteousness in myself, and I need one. I utterly lack a
payment for my sins. I lack any way to atone for my
sins that I can come up with. And I need one. I lack a way to get to God in
and of myself. I can't get there. And I need
one. He heals those who lack. This same word is sometimes translated
needful, needful, need, needful. Think of that passage of scripture
where Martha was busy, cumbered about with much serving and Mary
sat at the Savior's feet and heard his word. And Martha got
upset. She said, Master, don't you care
that my servants left me alone to serve? Bitter, therefore,
that she come and help me. She tells the Lord what to do.
She was way out of line. Martha, Martha, you're careful
and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful. One
thing is absolutely necessary. And Mary's chosen that good part.
What was that good part she chose? To sit at His feet and hear His
Word. And I know this. It is absolutely
necessary for me to hear from Him. It's not going to do me
any good to just hear from a man. I need to hear His Word. Saying to my soul, David said,
I am thy salvation. I need to hear His Word. This
Word is translated what? He healed them that wanted healing.
Well, you know what? I want healing. I want to be found in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in Him. I want that. I want to know Him.
I want to know the power of His resurrection. I want to be healed.
He healed them that wanted to be healed. Now what you need
is what is absolutely necessary to you. I mean, it's necessary. It's not like there's options.
It's not like there's a plan B. What you need is what is absolutely
necessary to you. I'm a sinner. I need a Savior. I need one to save me from my
sins. I can't save myself. I need a
Savior. I need mercy. I must have mercy. I can't stand before God without
mercy. I must have him not give me what
I've got coming to me. I can't stand before him. I must have grace. I must have
unmerited favor. If it's got to be merited, I'm
finished. I must. I must have unmerited,
pure, free grace. I must. I'm diseased with sin, and I
must be healed. I must. It's not like there's
an option. I must. Let me show you Psalm
38. Would you turn with me there?
I believe this expresses... In verse one, Psalm 38, O Lord,
rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure,
for thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presses me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh
because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones
because of my sin, for mine iniquities. are gone over my head, as an
heavy burden. They're too heavy for me. My
wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I'm
troubled. I'm bowed down greatly. I go mourning all the day long,
for my loins are filled with a loathsome disease, and there's
no soundness in my flesh. I'm feeble and sore-broken. I'm
roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desire
is before Thee, and my groaning is not hid from Thee. My heart
panteth, my strength fails me. As for the light of mine eyes,
it also has gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand
aloof from my soul, and my kinsmen stand afar off. They also that
seek after my life lay snares for me, and they that seek my
hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceits all the day
long. But I as a deaf man heard not, and I was as a dumb man
that opened not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth
not, and whose mouth are reproofs. For indeed, O Lord, do I hope,
Thou would hear, O Lord my God, for I said, Hear me, lest otherwise
they should rejoice over me. When my foot slippeth, they magnify
themselves against me, for I am ready to halt, and my sorrow
is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity.
I'll be sorry for my sin, but mine enemies are lively, and
they're strong, and they that hate me wrongly are multiplied.
They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries, because
I follow the thing that good is. Forsake me not, O Lord. O
my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord,
my salvation." Now there's somebody who needed healing. Last phrase. Last phrase. What is the one requirement for
the Lord to heal you? What is it? Need. Like I said, I might not feel
it as much as I ought to, but I quite sure have it. Need. Need. Now, what do you do with everybody,
without exception? What did he do for everybody
that had this need? He healed them. He healed them with a word. Speak the word only
and my servant shall be healed, that Roman centurion said. He
said, I understand something about authority. I am a man who
have men under me. I say to one, go. And he goes.
Another comes. He comes. And another do this. And he does it. I understand
something about authority. And I know all you've got to
do is say it. And it is. It is. Speak the word only, and
my servant shall be healed. He heals them with the word.
But you know, there was something behind that. Would you turn with me
to one last scripture, 1 Peter chapter 2. Verse 23, Who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously,
who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness
by whose stripes you were healed. Now I want you to notice it doesn't
say by whose stripes you are healed. It says by whose stripes
you were healed. You know what that means? It means
you're already healed. means you're plumb healed. Not you will be if. Not you are
as you, but you were healed. You know what that means? It
means it's already taken place. That means it's history. History
can't be changed. It's history by whose stripes
you were healed. There's a scripture in Romans
chapter 6, verse 11. says this. Reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin. But I don't feel dead to sin.
Are you though? If Christ died for you, what's
your sin have to say to you? It's gone. Reckon yourselves
to be dead in the sea, but alive and gone through our Lord Jesus
Christ. You would God tell you to reckon
yourself to be dead to see if you want. No, he says you are. Believe
it. Believe it. And understand this
to one of these days, we're going to experience this in its fullness.
David put it this way in Psalm 17, verse 15, asked for me. I will behold thy face in righteousness. I'll be satisfied when I awake
in thy light. I can say to every believer, what's a believer? Somebody who
really relies on the Lord Jesus Christ as their way to the Father.
I come no other way. That's a believer. They believe
that who Christ is and what he did is not merely the minimum,
but the maximum and everything else. And he's the way to the
Father. We come no other way. We come
to the Father the same way he did. That's who a believer is.
Every believer, they've been healed. Been healed. He healed them that had need
of healing. Let's pray together. Our merciful and gracious heavenly
father, we ask in Christ's blessed name, the high and holy name
of thy dear son, that name that's above every name. We ask in his
name that you would give us the grace to come to you only by
him. Lord, we're so thankful for the
healing power of his blood that purges every spot and every and
makes us perfectly clean before you. And Lord, we ask in his
blessed name that you would give us grace to honor you in our
words, in our actions, in our conduct, in our attitude. Lord,
give us grace to glorify thy dear son and his healing power
for Christ's sake. In his name we pray. Amen. You're
dismissed. Thank you very much. you