Good singing. Thank you, Sherry. All right, Pastor Nybert is no
stranger to most everyone in here, but just in case, this
is Pastor Todd Nybert from the Todd's Road Grace Church in Lexington,
Kentucky. And we're so very pleased to
have you with us tonight. You come and preach to us and
take all the time you need. I'm just delighted to be with
you. It's always a treat, and I've never been here when I haven't
felt so at home, and I'm glad to be here with you again. Turn
with me to Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24. Now in this 24th chapter of Matthew,
if you're familiar with it, you know that the Lord is telling
his disciples what will take place immediately preceding his
second advent. And you will notice in reading
this chapter, we're not going to look at the entire chapter,
but you will notice that three times in this chapter, our Lord
says, verily, I say unto you." Now, that is something the Lord
said quite a bit. Verily, the word simply means
truly, I say unto you. Now when the Lord says truly,
I say unto you, you know that means a whole lot more than if
a man says it. When a man says, truly I say
unto you, he's making an admission when he makes that statement
that quite often he lies. Isn't that so? Just the fact that he has to
say that makes you hold what he's saying suspect. But when
the Lord says that, here's someone who's never exaggerated, he's
never over-exaggerated, he's never under-exaggerated. He's
told nothing but the truth. And when he sees fit to say,
truly, I say unto you, it must be something of great weight
and great importance, something we should listen to very carefully. And in this passage of Scripture,
in Matthew chapter 24, three times he says, verily, I say
unto you, and I've kind of divided this message into three points.
I even did it in alliteration. Which means everything starts
with the same letter. I never do that. I never can
think of them. So when I do, I'm usually pretty impressed.
I couldn't know I'd come up with something like that. Not smart
enough to. But the three points are what
won't, what will, what then? What won't, what will, what then? Okay, let's look at these first
two verses. of Matthew chapter 24, and Jesus
went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came
to him to show him the buildings of the temple. Now, I've always
wondered about these verses. We know more especially from
Luke and Mark's account that the disciples were struck with
the beauty and the grandeur of the temple, and they wanted to
show the Lord the temple. They were impressed with it.
In Mark's accounts, we read where the disciple said, Master, see
what manner of stones and buildings are here. And in Luke's accounts,
We read where the disciples spake of the temple, how it was adorned
with goodly stones and gifts. And they were impressed with
this temple. And they thought the Lord ought
to be impressed with the temple. They bring the Lord up to the
temple that was 46 years in building, and they say, look at this place.
Now, have you ever thought about that? They're speaking to the
creator of the universe. The one who spake the world into
existence. And they say, look. I suppose they expect him to
be impressed. Well, look how our Lord answers
them in verse two. They show this temple. And Jesus said unto
them, See ye not all these things? Verily, truly, I say unto you,
there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall
not be thrown down." You see these things? They're
all going to be thrown to the ground. One could look at this as a prophecy
that our Lord was giving that indeed did take place in the
year 70 A.D. The Roman soldiers came into
Jerusalem, just like our Lord said, and leveled it to the ground. And when they were finished leveling
it to the ground, they took a plow and plowed up everything and
poured salt all over the place. They did everything they could
to utterly destroy the temple. There was not left one stone
standing upon another. But I believe our Lord means
much more than that. Now think with me. This temple represents the pinnacle
of human achievement for God. Now think about it. They were
impressed with it, and they thought the Lord should be impressed
with it. It represents the pinnacle of human achievement for God. It was built for the worship
of God and for the worship of the God of the Bible. Now it's
interesting, it was not merely the Jews that built this temple.
This temple had been torn down over and over and over again
through history. inherited to help build this
temple during his time. But you remember that passage
somewhere in the New Testament. I can't remember where it was
where the Lord said, see this temple and in three days I'll
destroy it and raise it up. And he was speaking of the temple
of his body. And the Pharisees said, forty and six years was
this temple in the making and you're going to destroy it in
three days. Now you think about that. What if a construction
project began in 1952? and hadn't been completed yet.
You'd say, now that is an impressive construction project. I've never heard of one going
on that long, but that's how long it took to build that temple.
That's how big it was. It was the greatest human achievement
that they knew of, that they thought the Lord should be impressed
with. And he says, it's all going to be thrown down. And here's
the point I'm trying to make. Remember the title, What Won't? Or the first point, that's this
title, What Won't? What Won't? What Won't Last?
Anything that man has anything to do with. Man's greatest effort at pleasing
God, the greatest human achievement that man had ever done for God,
it won't last. Now this temple represents the
best man has to offer God and what's going to happen to it.
It's all going to be thrown down. Now, before anybody says this is awfully
negative, let me make a few comments I'd like you to consider. God, the Lord God we've met here
to worship, God is holy. Now, when I make that statement,
I'm aware that I have very little understanding of what all that
means, but I know this much. God is so holy that when sin
was found on his only begotten son, he killed him. Turn to Psalm 22. Now, most of
you know that this is one of those
Messianic Psalms with the actual words of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And these are his words from
the cross. You're aware of this in Psalm 22, beginning in verse
1. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Why act thus so far from helping
me and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime,
but ye hear not, and in the night season am not silent, but thou
art holy." Now that's the answer to that question. Why did God
forsake him? Because he is holy. God requires perfect holiness. He can't have fellowship with
one who is not perfectly holy. That's what God requires. Leviticus
22, 21 says it shall be perfect to be accepted. How good do you have to be to
have fellowship with God? How righteous do you have to
be to have fellowship with God? You have to be perfectly righteous,
don't you? Now, how are you going to get to be that way? You know,
the only way we can be perfectly righteous is for God to make
us that way in his Son. God is holy and he requires perfect
holiness. And if you and I have our hand
on it, whatever it is we've done, whatever it is we've intended
to do, if there's flesh in it, that makes it unholy. That makes
it sinful in and of itself. Because we touched it. The best
that man has to offer, and I'm even talking about what we are. God doesn't accept my sincere
obedience. He doesn't accept my desires
to please Him. He accepts Christ, and He accepts
me in Him. He can't accept me any other
way. And if my flesh is in it, it's
unacceptable to God. Let me give you some examples
in the scripture. And if you read the book of Leviticus, have
you ever looked at all those laws of uncleanness? You've got
for the leper the laws of uncleanness, for a woman who was During the
time of month for her, she was considered unclean. She couldn't
touch anything. If you touched a dead animal
or a bone that was an unclean animal, if you touched it, you
became unclean. You became ceremonially unclean.
You couldn't have a sacrifice offered for you. If you touched
something, it was unclean. It had to be washed. And I mean,
if I touched this, if this had touched something that was unclean,
and I touched it, and then I touched this, it would be unclean. It
would have to be washed. Everything had to be washed.
Now, what was the point behind all that? It's to show us that
anything our flesh touches becomes unclean. It's unclean in God's
sight. It's not just useless ceremony. It's to teach us something about
sin. If I do it, that's what makes it sin. Unclean. Turn to the book of Exodus chapter
20. This is right after the giving
of the law. I've never seen this till recently. You all probably
seen this before, but this struck me. Exodus chapter 20. And this
is right after he gave the Ten Commandments and then verse 22.
And the Lord said unto Moses, thus thou shalt say unto the
children of Israel, you've seen that I've talked with you from
heaven. Verse 23 of Exodus 20, you shall not make with me gods
of silver, neither shall you make unto you gods of gold. An
altar of ours thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice
thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy
sheep, and thine oxen, in all places where I record my name.
I'll come unto thee, and I'll bless thee. And if you will make
me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of ewe stone. For
if you lift your tool up on it, you've polluted it. What do you think of that? They
build an altar. He says you can't even work on
it. If your tool touches it, if you do anything to shape it,
to put the sacrifice on, if you've made it and shaped it, that makes
it polluted. I can't accept it. You couldn't
even offer a sacrifice if you worked on the stones. Now think
about that. Turn to 1 Kings 6, in the building
of the temple. Now, they cut the stones out
for the building of the temple. But look what God's command concerning
the building of the temple is. Now, they cut the stones out,
but look how they had to go about this. 1 Kings 6, verse 7. And the house When it was building,
was built of stone, made ready before it was brought thither.
What do you think of when you think of that? I see election right there, really.
The building of God's temple made ready before it was even
prepared. So that, now here's why they
had to bring it in. So that there was neither hammer,
nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was
in the building. There couldn't be any noise of work going on. Now you think of the law of the
Sabbath. What is the law of the Sabbath? Thou shalt not do any
work at all. Period. Now, religious people
of our day, they try to modify. They have what they call the
Christian Sabbath. They change it from Saturday to Sunday. And
it's okay if you work in the sense that, you know, sometimes
you've got to work on Sunday. That's just the way it is. And God overlooks
that. And they kind of modify the Sabbath.
That's so utterly blasphemous to do something like that. The
command of the Sabbath is to do no work at all. And there's
one place over in, I think, Deuteronomy where a fellow was just gathering
up sticks to set a fire and cook his dinner. And they stoned him
for it. Now what's the point behind the
Sabbath? It's to teach us that there are no works at all to
do in gaining God's acceptance. And here's the point. If I try
to offer up my work to Him, I'm offering up that which is unclean. I'm offering up that which is
polluted. I'm offering up that which is
vile in and of itself because I touched it. Let me ask you
a question. I want you to think about this.
Do you believe that the work of God's grace The work that
he's doing in your heart is what makes you acceptable before God. Now think about it. Do you believe that God justifies
a person by enabling them to live righteously? That's works. Plain and simple. That's works. Our acceptance before God is
based totally on a work that's outside of our experience. And this is the only thing I
have any confidence in. This is the only thing that rejoices my heart
right now. Here's what my salvation is based upon. When the Lord
Jesus bowed his mighty head on Calvary's tree and said, it is
finished, my salvation became history. You can't change history, can
you? My salvation became history. And my salvation was accomplished
by a work totally outside of my experience. Doesn't have anything
to do with what I've intended to do, what I've said. It's what
He did. My salvation became history. And that's what I rest in. I
love history lessons. We're talking about history right
now, aren't we? Have you ever noticed? Turn over
to 2 Peter. 2 Peter. Now, I have read this passage
of Scripture in the past, and deep down in my subconscious,
I guess, well, 1 Peter, excuse me. I have thought, well, Peter
just wasn't as smart as Paul, and he didn't use real good grammar.
Now, I didn't come out and say that, but that's really what
I was kind of thinking when I read this passage of Scripture, because
it never made that much sense to me. Look here in verse 22. It says, talking about the work
of Christ, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
1 Peter chapter 2, verse 23 now, who, when he was reviled He reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously,
who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness by whose
stripes you were healed." Now, when I would read that, I would
think it ought to say, by whose stripes you are healed. But that's
not what it says, is it? Pay attention to the tense. When
was I healed? When he suffered those strides.
When he died. Now, here's the point. Our salvation
is a work done totally outside of our experience. Now, I experience
it in here now and looking to him, but that's really not what
I'm resting in. I'm not resting in my faith.
I'm not resting in the strength of how tightly I believe this
even. It just doesn't have anything
to do with it. I remember an experience I had,
and this made a real impression on me. Every time I go somewhere, I
tell people about this, so maybe you've already heard of it. If
you haven't, forgive me. But I was on a particular medication
some years back. where I went through a time of
depression because of that. It was a medication-related depression,
and I became so unbelieving, and when I was preaching, I became
suicidal, I became so depressed. And I mean really suicidal. I
told my Lynn, Lynn, I told my Lynn, Lynn, I told her, you better
not let me drive, I'm afraid I'll run into a tree or something.
I was down so low. And I remember preaching was
such a chore at that time, because I didn't even believe what I
was preaching. I really did, and I didn't believe, I didn't
believe even in God at the time, you know. And you know, if there
was ever a time when I knew Christ was my only hope, it was then.
And do you know, at that time, I believe I came closer to really
having faith than I ever had before. Because I knew at that
time I couldn't even look to the strength of my faith, because
I didn't feel like I had any. I looked to Christ alone then.
I wasn't so much aware of it at that time, but I think that's
the closest I've ever come to believing. Just like that. And that's... You see this temple that you
guys are so impressed with? It's all ever stone's gonna be
thrown to the ground. And if my flesh touches it, it's
no good. And here's what I want to leave
you with on this point, and I want you to think about it. I hear
people make this statement quite often, well God's doing this
in my life, and God's doing that in my life, and I'm, well I'm
glad He is, but what's He done? My standing before God is not
based upon what He's doing, it's based upon what He's done. And
that's the message of the gospel. And if flesh is in it, it's going
to be turned down. It's going to be torn down. David
said in Psalm 71, 16, I've made mention of thy righteousness."
You know what he said next? Even thine only. Now that's the point. Okay, let's go back to our text. Matthew 24. We see what won't. What will? Anything man does isn't going
to last. What will? Well, let's begin in verse 32. Now learn a parable of the fig
tree. Now, you know the context. Our Lord had been telling them
about the things that were going to happen preceding his return. And he says, Now learn a parable
of the fig tree, when its branches yet tender and put forth leaves,
you know that summer is nigh. So likewise you, when you shall
see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily, truly, I say unto you,
this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my words shall not pass away. What will? What will last? What won't pass
away? Well, he tells us in this passage,
doesn't he? My words shall not pass away. Turn to 2 Peter 3. Hold your
2 Peter 3. We're going to look at several scriptures on this
point. Men's words and men's works will
pass away. Look here in 2 Peter 3, verse
10. But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night, in the which the heaven shall
pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein. shall be burned up." Now that
goes with the first point. That's all going to be taken
away, but what will last? His words. His words. The words of Christ are eternal. He said in John chapter 6, verse
63 to his disciples, he says, the words that I speak to you,
they are spirit and they are life. And indeed, isn't that
true? Don't you find that concerning
the Lord's words, the words of men? You know, I'm not interested
in anything any man has to say. Paul and I were talking before
the service, and people get so taken up with books, reading
books and books. Folks in our church, I've even
read them. And I was reading a book just this week, and I
became so weary. My brain started getting tired
and aching, and I just thought, you know, this guy, stick with
God's word. You can't go wrong with God's
Word. And the more books we read of other men, the less we're
going to be reading His Word. And this is the Word we need
to stick with. His Word. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. Now, let me show you a
couple of examples of this in Scripture. Turn to John 16. This
passage of Scripture kind of tickled me because I see myself
so clearly in it. John chapter 16. Let's begin
in verse 29 of John chapter 16. His disciples said unto him,
Lo, now speakest thou plainly? Wait a minute, he'd always spoke
plainly. They're almost giving him a compliment
here. Now speakest thou plainly? And speakest thou proverb? Now
are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that
any man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou
camest forth from God." Now they felt pretty confident then at
that time, didn't they? I mean, everything was going down hill.
We got it down now. We believe now. Jesus answered
them, do you now believe? Now these same fellows who were
making this bold statement, we believe now, These same fellows
are going to deny they even know Him. They're going to run like
cowards. And the only people they're going to be around the
cross are a few women. They're the only ones who confess to
Him. These bold disciples. Now we believe. He said, do you
now believe? Do you really? Look what he goes
on to say. Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come that you shall
be scattered, every man to his own, and you'll leave me alone. Yet I'm not alone, because the
Father is with me. These things have I spoken unto
you, that in me you might have peace." You see, right now you're
trying to have peace in the strength of your faith. Now we believe,
well, you're going to deny you even know me. These things have I spoken unto
you, that in me you might have peace. And that's what, our peace
is in Him. It's not anywhere else. His words,
they're words of eternal life. I love what Peter said, when
those men were leaving Christ, 5,000 men who claimed to be His
disciples, and our Lord watches them go, and He looks at His
disciples and He says, will you go also? Will you also go away? You can if you want. And Peter
looked at Him and said, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast
the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that
thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." You see,
you can't separate the person of Christ from his words. You
know, I had a lady arguing with me about that, and she said,
she was saying, we don't worship a book, we worship a person.
I said, tell me one thing you can tell me about that person
apart from his book. Not one thing. His Word represents
who He is. His Word is who God is. Let me
give you one example of His Word. He said to His disciples, He
said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Now think of that.
He said, I am the way. Show us the way to the Father.
I am the way. Notice He didn't say, I'll show
you the way. He didn't say, I'll point you in the direction of
the way. He didn't say, I'll hold you by the hand and lead
you along the way, did he? He said, I am the way. The doing and the dying of the
Lord Jesus is the way to the Father. What else? Nothing else.
He is the way. He said, I am the truth. He didn't say, I'll tell you
the truth. He didn't say, I'll explain it to you. He said, I'm
it. John 117, I love this verse where our Lord says, the law
was given by Moses. Now, the law is true. The law
is holy. The law is glorious. The law
was given by Moses, but grace and truth come by Jesus Christ. You see, the law is true, but
it's not the truth. What is it we are to tell in
a court of law? The truth The whole truth and
nothing but the truth. You know, the law, if that's
all we tell, we've told a lie. Are you saying God's law is a
lie? Of course not. I love God's law, but here's
the point. God's law does not reveal the whole character of
God. It reveals His holiness. It reveals His justice. It reveals
his righteousness. I love God's law and I want to
keep God's law. I mean, I'm not, no way would
I ever speak in any derogatory term about the law of God. But what does the Lord say? He
said the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. The law is not the truth. Christ
is the truth. Christ gives the whole picture. We see on Calvary Street, in
the person of Christ, what was going on there. We see the justice
and holiness of God, but we also see the love of God, and the
grace of God, and the mercy of God. We see the whole picture. Now, if all I tell is half the
truth, what have I done? I've lied, haven't I? Oh, the words of Christ! Hebrews chapter 12 Verse 26, "...whose voice then shook the
earth. But now he hath promised, saying,
Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven."
And this word, yet once more, signifies the removing of those
things that are shaken as of the things that are made. That
those things which cannot be shaken may remain. What can't be shaken? Now, I take the best thought
I've ever thunk, the best prayer I've ever prayed, the best desire
I've ever had, the most generous gift I've ever given, and you
give it a shaking, and just like anything else rotten, it'll fall
apart. And it will. I would hate to
stand before God and have Him judge anything about me apart
from Christ. The only thing that remains is
what He has done. I love to preach to people who
believe that. I see some folks here that believe it, too. What will last? What Christ has
done. His Word, which reveals His work. What won't? Anything that man
has anything to do with. What will? What Christ has done. What then? What then? Back to our text in
Matthew 24. How can all of this be applied
to us? What then? Verse 42. Watch therefore, for you know
not what hour your Lord doth come, Remember, he's talking
about his second advent. Hasten the Lord today, even so
come Lord Jesus, like John said. But know this, that if the good
man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come,
he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to
be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready. For in such an hour
as you think not, the Son of Man cometh." Now, how many times
have you heard people say, well, I want to be ready when he returns?
Well, I do too. I do too. But you know what most
folks mean by that? They mean, well, I want to make
sure when he returns I'm not doing anything I'd be ashamed
of. Well, I'm not saying anything against that. I don't want to
be either, but I think most folks think, well, I'd hate to be in
a bar when he returns, or I'd hate to be in a movie or, you
know, watching something. Well, if you would hate to be
there when he returns, you ought not be there. I'm not justifying
that in any way, but that's not the point. How is somebody ready
for his return? When he shall come with trumpet
sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness
alone, faultless to stand before the throne. That's how one is
ready. Go on reading. Therefore be ye also ready, verse
44, for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man cometh.
Who then is a faithful and wise servant? whom his Lord hath made
ruler over his household, to give them their meat in due season. Blessed is that servant whom,
when his Lord, when he cometh, shall find him so doing." So
doing. Verily I say unto you that he
shall make him ruler over all his good. This servant There,
now here's our Lord's truth, truly I say unto you, blessed
is that servant who when I do return, I find him so doing. So doing. Now here's, you say,
what am I supposed to do? Well, here, listen, listen real
carefully. When he shall come, may I be found as one who really
believes that anything man has anything to do with is going
to be thrown down. And all that lasts is what Christ
has done, and he finds me trusting him. When the Son of Man cometh,
shall he find faith on the earth? Oh, what a question. Well, may
I be one of those found so doing, so looking only to him. You know, when we talk about
Christ alone, Looking to Him alone, that's
exactly what we mean. Not looking to your experience? If I got to look back to some
time when I felt God was dealing with me and teaching me some
things to give me assurance that I'm saved right now, I've missed Christ. Right now, while I'm talking
to you, Christ is all in my salvation. And I don't look anywhere else.
Not a thing. May he find me so doing And you
know, it also means when he, blessed is that man whom when
his Lord cometh, you'll find him so doing. We live like we
really believe this. Like we really believe this world
is all going to be folded up pretty soon. And that the things
that are done here just really don't amount to much and don't
really matter. And all that truly matters is
my relationship with Christ, being found in Him, knowing Him,
resting in Him, honoring Him, glorifying Him. And everything
else, it's just not going to last. All the works of it, it's
going to be burned up. And if I'm living like I don't
believe that, I don't believe it. That's so, isn't it? Look in verse 48. Here's the fellow who doesn't
believe it. But, and if that evil servant shall say in his
heart, My Lord delayeth his coming. Oh, he wouldn't deny his coming,
he just lived as if it wasn't going to happen. And he shall
begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the
drunken. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks
not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall
cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth." Well, what then? Well, I'm going
to trust Christ only, and by the grace of God, my conduct
will prove that I really believe that only what He has done will
last. Oh, may God, by His grace, make
this real to our hearts. Thank you. Let's stand and be dismissed
in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we thank
you so much for your Word. All that we know, all that we
believe is based upon it. And we do believe that your word
will not pass away. And consequently, we shall not
pass away because you have made so many promises concerning your
people based on what you've done for them. Thank you, Lord. Thank
you for this message you've given this man and given to us. Bless
him. Bless his family as they travel. Give them journey and mercies.
Bless your people. Be with them tomorrow as they
go to work and various places. May the Word find a place in
their heart and not be taken away by the fowls of the air
and thorns and the cares of this life. In Christ's name we have
met together for His honor and glory. Amen.