Alright, I invite your attention
this morning back to Matthew chapter 9. Matthew chapter 9. In this brief account of the
call of Matthew, we read these words in Matthew chapter 9 and
verse 9. And as Jesus passed forth from
thence, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom,
and he saith unto him, follow me. And he arose and followed
him. And it came to pass, as Jesus
said it, meet in the house. Behold, many publicans and sinners
came and sat down with him and his disciples. And let me stop
and say a moment This is the Spirit's word to Matthew of what
to call these people. They were publicans and sinners. And when the Pharisees saw it,
they said unto his disciples, and isn't that the way it usually
is with rebellious man? They always try to come in the
back door somehow, don't they? Why eateth your master with publicans
and sinners? When Jesus heard that, He said
unto them, they that behold need not a physician, but they that
are sick. And then think about these words,
but go ye and learn what meaneth. You see it? Go find this out
for yourself. You know what he said? But go
ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice,
for I am not come to call the righteous. but sinners to repentance. Thus far we have seen from this
brief account, detailed by Matthew, we've seen
this. Called to repentance. That's
why Jesus Christ came. He came to call sinners to repentance. As I tried to point out in that
message, He did not say here that I've come to call on sinners
to repent. He said I come to call them to
repentance In other words the work to get them to repent is
his work It's his work Secondly, we looked at this Christ Jesus
came to save sinners I'll sum up that message this way sinners
only The only kind of people Jesus Christ has ever saved is
sinners. I Thirdly, we looked at this,
when Christ calls, men will follow. When we speak about that call,
it is that call associated with the predestinating purpose of
God, and that call cannot be thwarted. That's just the way
it is. Men, some want to debate that.
There is no debate. People, I haven't had it happen
yet, want to debate. I've seen those who want to debate.
And the only answer is this, no, with an exclamation point. And that's enough. No, God didn't
call me to debate. He called me to proclaim. Now,
having said that, having reminded us of the past three messages,
I want to ask a question and I will put it in question form,
but we will look at The statement of it, in fact. Why did Christ
use such terse and poignant language with some? Terse means short. He was short with them. Why does
your master eat with publicans and sinners? This was his answer. When he heard that, he said unto
them, they that behold thee not a physician, but they that are
sick, but go you and learn what that meant. Sadly, many in so-called
Christian religion today portray Jesus Christ as doing his best
trying to explain to men what the truth was, and hoping that
they in some way would hear his words and believe what he was
telling them, and that is not the Christ of God. It's that
imposter that Paul the Apostle warned us about. It's that another
Jesus. And it goes along with another
gospel, which Paul said is not another, but is a perversion
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said, you don't get this,
you go figure it out. That's what he said. But go learn
ye. Now fellas, let me say it a different
way. Is that what he did? Let's see
if I could put another spin on this. No, but go ye and learn
what that meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. And sadly, in my experience,
most who profess to be Christians have no idea what that still
means. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. What God demands, you and I cannot
provide. It's not up to us, it's not about
us trying to give up something for God. He said, for I am not come to
call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. So why did Christ
use such terse and poignant language with some? He didn't use that
kind of language with all, Joe. But he did use that kind of language
with some. What many today do not understand
is that Christ's strongest words of rebuke were not against the
drunks. His strongest words of rebuke
were not against the whores. His strongest words of rebuke
was not against the swindlers. His strongest denunciations were
against the religious of his day. especially those who professed
adherence to the Holy Scripture. Do not misunderstand me. According
to Holy Scripture, you'll be turning to 1 Corinthians 6 if
you want to follow along. Do not misunderstand me. The
drunks, the whores, the swindlers, the cheats, et cetera, et cetera,
et cetera, Mason. All of these people, they will
perish apart from an act of God's grace. Do not misunderstand me. He says, I am come to call sinners
to repentance. Remember that. Let us always
remember that. This is not heaven is populated
by a bunch of sinners. Those who actually go to heaven
will no longer be sinners. But they are sinners now. And
He's calling sinners now to repentance. He will change them one day when
they enter into glory itself. But look at what Paul said in
1 Corinthians 6 and verse 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetousness,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit
the kingdom of God. And that's just the way it is.
That's just the way it is. But he came to save people like
this. He came to call people like this to repentance. For
Paul goes on and says, and such were some of you. But, you've
straightened up your lives. What'd he say? No, but ye are
washed. But ye are sanctified. But ye
are justified. And how? By what you do now? No, not even by what you believe
now. Not even by so much who you believe
now. although all of those things
have their proper place. Here's what he says, but you're
washed, but you're sanctified, but you're justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. God does this
work. God does this work. So do not
misunderstand me. One of these days, Jude said
he'd go come back and punish ungodly sinners for their ungodly
ways. But thank God he is still saving
sinners. Aren't you grateful for that
this morning? Aren't you grateful? But let men be warned. But let
men be warned. Some types of righteousness engendered
rebukes and woes from the Son of God. We live in a day and
age where some people think any kind of righteousness is accepted
of God. Now I mentioned this somewhat
in one of the other messages, but it's just not so. My message for this morning is
this, beware of condemned righteousness. There is a righteousness that
God condemns. Now it's not a righteousness
in God's sight, but it is a righteousness in men's sight. Think about this. Let me give you just three examples
of this. Christ rebuked some people concerning
their giving. Did He not? Go back sometime
and look at Matthew chapter 6, the Sermon on the Mount, and
look specifically at Matthew 6 verses 1 all the way through
verse 18. He rebuked some people for giving
alms. Helping out the poor. Did he
not? He rebuked them. He said they
do it for outward show. They do it for the praise of
men. They do it to be seen. And he said they have their reward.
That's all they'll ever get out of that. But I thought all giving was
right. No. He rebuked some for their prayer.
Not only did he rebuke the Gentiles for their repeating things and
saying it over and over and over again and think they're gonna
aggravate their God long enough till he gives them what they
want. But he rebuked the Jews, the Pharisee, he calls them the
hypocrites of his day, who made pretense of prayer, prayed long
in the streets, and basically said, I want people to know I
believe in God. And I'm going to show people
I believe in God. You see this all the time when
you go out to eat on Sundays. People stop and bow their head
and pray before they eat. Are they doing it to be seen
of other men? I'm asking, are they? Some may
be, some may not be, but if they are, Christ said they have their
reward. If you're doing it, trying to
show somebody you're a believer, you have your reward. So there
he has rebuked giving, he has rebuked praying, and then he
goes on and rebukes fasting. Right? That's something that
some of us I don't think know much about. Do we? If I turn that way, you can tell
that, can't you? Don't know much about fasting, yet he still rebukes
men who fast to be seen of men, to show somebody you're spiritual,
or to show somebody you believe in God. Oh boy, I've been on
a fast for the Lord. I hear people say that. They're
saying it to me. Christ said they had their reward. Now listen to me, that causes
me some pause. Yes, sir. I'm not preaching down
even to them. The son of God had the right
to preach down, Joe. He's on high. He's above everything
and everybody else. I'm not. I am simply preaching
what he said. I am declaring what he said. This gives me pause because when
I give, I wonder, am I giving with the right attitude? When
I pray, not only am I praying in a wrong way, but am I praying
with the wrong attitude? When I fast, and I don't do it
very often, but when I fast, do I do it to be seen of men?
Do you do anything in service to God, put that in quotes, because
you want somebody else to know you're a Christian. Christ said
you got your reward. That's all you're going to get
out of it. When they say, boy, that guy's, that woman, that man,
that woman, they're certainly spiritual, ain't they? You got
your reward. So that causes me pause. Secondly, Christ pronounced woe
to such religious people. Now let's read this one, Matthew
chapter 23. This is fairly lengthy, so I will begin this read and
make a comment here or there. Matthew chapter 23, verse one.
Then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples, saying,
the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. In other
words, they have a place of authority. That's what he's saying. All
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and
do. But do not ye after their works, for they say and do not. I want to ask you a question.
Have you ever said and not done? I haven't. Oh, I know there are
those in this day, they're bragging about what they do for the Lord.
Get on the radio, listen to it. Turn on the TV, listen to it.
You'll hear it. They brag on what they're doing
for the Lord. Look, for they bind heavy burdens
and grievous to be born. There are men today, there are
denominations today, there are places today where they come
up with rules and they'll tell you this is a sin and that's
a sin. Why? Just trying to put more weight
on your shoulders. For they bind heavy burdens and
grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders but they themselves
will not move them with one of their fingers. You see it? It's about trying to help out
sinners. Right? But it is rebuking those
who think they're not sinners. This is the truth that Christ
taught. But all their works, here we are, they do for to be
seen of men. They make broad their phylacteries
and enlarge the borders of their garments. They gotta have a Jesus
fish on their car. I don't know if that's what that's
called, but you've seen the little fish? Oh, I know, we found it in the
catacombs in Rome of some who were supposed to be Christians.
But whether they were Christians or not, I don't know. We ain't
never met none of those folks. And I certainly ain't gonna base
a man's Christianity upon a symbol. Or a God loves you bumper sticker,
something like that. Or a fish. Or a fish. And they
love the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues.
and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi,
Rabbi. Don't they just love Reverend
today? That's the equivalent our day. Reverend so-and-so. Holy and reverend is God's name,
and that's the only one that's holy. But be you not called,
Rabbi, for one is your master. Here's the even Christ. Here
is the Christ telling them, the Christ. is your rabbi, you see
it? Your master. And all ye are brethren,
and call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your father
which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters,
for one is your master, even Christ. But he that is greatest
among you shall be your what? Servant. And whosoever shall
exalt himself, God will bring him down. They shall be abased. And he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted, but woe. Do you see that? These are words
from the same lips that said, come unto me all ye that labor
and heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you
and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you'll
find rest for your troubled souls. But who was he saying that to?
To those who were troubled. to those who knew their corrupt
state before God, to those who had some idea about what it's
like to be a sinner in God's sight. But to others, he said,
woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut up the
kingdom of heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. This is the same Christ. This
is that little baby that was born in that manger in Bethlehem. Is it not? Woe unto you scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye devour widows' houses, and
for a pretense make long prayer. Woe, look at this next phrase.
Therefore ye shall receive the greater condemnation. Now, Mason, I don't know what
all that entails. I mean, I really don't. I have my opinions, but
that's all I would give you would be my opinion. But I know it's
gonna be greater for some than for others. Right? He said so. So I know it's so, even if I
can't define, Neil, what the so is. Woe unto you scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites, for you can pass sea and land to make
one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more
the child of hell than yourselves. This is tough language. Woe unto
you, you blind gods, which say, whosoever shall swear by the
temple, it's nothing, but whosoever shall swear by the goat of the
temple, he is a debtor. What do they say today? Don't
put another book on top of your Bible. Ye fools and blind, for whether
is greater the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold, and
whosoever shall swear by the altar, they'll say it is nothing,
but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon the altar,
he is guilty. Ye fools and blind, for whether
is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift. Now
let me tell you something, Jesus Christ is both. He is both altar
and gift, therefore all the sanctity relies in him. Whoso therefore
shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon,
and whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by
him that dwelleth therein, and he that shall swear by heaven,
sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon,
woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, Because you pay tithe
even of your spices. Right? Do you not hear men bragging
about tithing? Do you not hear them binding
men with a tenth? And they don't even realize that
it's at least three tenths. Tithing ain't just one tenth,
there is under the law three tenths. But look what he says. You pay tithe of mint and anise
and cumin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment. That's one. In other words, get
things right. What God says is what God means. Mercy. You know why? Because
we all need it. Mercy and faith. These ought
to you have done and not leave the other undone. You blind gods
would strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Think about that today. Let me just give you an illustration
of that. You can't smoke a cigarette, but you can put an unborn baby
to death in the womb. That's a modern day illustration
of gagging at a gnat and swallowing a camel. Can't have no Winston,
but I can kill my kids. Go ahead. That's just the way
it is. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for
you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but
within they are full of extortion and excess. You see, people in
this day and age, the greatest majority of people, I am afraid,
I can't give you figures and facts, the actual figures, Brother
Mason, on that, but I know this, most people think it's all about
what I present to others. and they deny the corruption
that's down in here. You know why that's so? Because
we like for other men to see us and brag about us. That's
why. Look at what it says. First went thou blind Pharisee
cleanse first that which is within the cup and the platter That
the outside of them may be clean. Also, you don't start on the
outside work your way in It must start on the inside and work
your way out But you know what the scripture is clear on who
can say I've made my own heart clean The work that starts on
the inside is a work of God Woe unto your scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, for you're likened to the white and sepulchers,
which indeed appear beautiful outward. You ever went to the
cemetery and seen all these great, nice mausoleum, really nice head
stuff, marvelous things, Joe. But you know what's down in that
ground? A bunch of dead flesh. Rotten bodies. Even so ye also outwardly appear
righteous unto men, but within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, because you build the tombs of the prophets and
garnish the sepulchers of the righteous. Now look at this.
And you say, if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would
not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
We wouldn't have killed those prophets like our fathers did.
That's not what we would do today. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto
yourselves, that ye are the children of them that killed the prophets.
You're saying this is my mommy and daddy. That's what they did. And the old saying is this, the
apple don't fall too far from the tree. You ever seen that? Here's a
modern day example of that. Men talk about men like Charles
Haddon Spurgeon, about John Kerry, They talk about all these other,
oh, what great preachers they were, but they won't preach the
gospel those men preached. We are preaching that very same
gospel, and very few people want to even hear it. Look at what
he then says. Look at these next words, and
I'll just stop right there. We'll stop. Fill ye up then the
measure of your fathers. Go ahead and do what's in you
to do. Isn't that what he told him,
Mason? That's what he told him. He didn't say, well, let's see
if I can say something to stop this. Hmm, no. Ye serpents, ye
generation of vipers. Oh, here's the thing. How can
ye escape the damnation of hell? Hmm. Christ rebuked saying and not
doing. You know what he told some people?
Matthew 21 verses 23 through 32. He told some people, he said,
the publicans and the whores are going to enter the kingdom
of God before you do. That's what he said. Because he'd give
an example. Here a man had two sons. The
one son said, the father said, go do this. And that one son
said, I'll go do it. But he don't. That's right. The
other son, the father said, go do this. The son said, I'm not
going to do that. But later he repented and went. Christ asked
the question, which did the will of his father? The one that said,
I ain't doing it. But later repented and did. He
said, that's the one right there. That's the one right there. Because
every time you say, if you don't do, it is rebellion against God. Now ask yourself this question.
Have I ever said not done? I have. I have. Let us hear the testimony of
one who taught about God, or taught, talked of and had great
pride in himself that he was a believer in God. And hear what
he says about that righteousness that just don't cut the muster.
He said, the righteousness I had was above everybody else's. You
want to talk about what you had in the flesh? He said, I had
more. That's a man named Paul the Apostle.
who I circumcised the eighth day, I was of the tribe of Benjamin,
goes on down the line. But what does he say? I count
all those things, but what? Dung. Dung. What? Those, yes, Mason, those
very things. But for what purpose that I might
win Christ? and be found in him. Not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that righteousness
which is by the faith of Jesus Christ, that's where it's at.
Amen. Pharisees are still alive and
active today. Are they called that? No. They
don't call themselves Pharisees anymore. Nowadays they call themselves
Christians. That's what they do. They're
in every Christian denomination. Maybe some more than others,
but we're not here to talk about that in particular. They call
themselves Christians now. They're in every Christian denomination. They inhabit the podium and the
pew. Today they cry free will, not
free grace. That's what they do. Today they
tout man's choice, not God's choice. Today they exalt man's
will and not the will of the Father. Where is those believers
of old who would cry out, oh, wretched man that I am, who shall
deliver me from the body of this death? Turn on the TV for the
most part and see if you hear people talk, these preachers
talking that way. No, they're bragging about how they keep
the Sabbath day. There are some who actually go into great detail
about how the Sabbath day is the day of worship. Do you understand
how nonsensical that is? The Sabbath day is the day of
rest. That's right. Friday evening to Saturday evening,
that's the Sabbath day. That's the day of rest. Every
day is the day of worship. Amen. That's it. The Sabbath was not even the
day you're supposed to gather to synagogue. Right. The Jews
did. The Sabbath was the day you were
supposed to rest. That's right. They don't even
talk about it in that light. They talk about, well, are you
supposed to meet on Saturday or Sunday? The seventh day or
the first day. You see how men convolute the
truth of God? Where are those of old who, when
men brag on, say, Jesus, this man here's got a need, and you
ought to do this for him, because he's worthy. He built us a synagogue. He's helped out our nation. And
you know what that man told the Lord Jesus Christ himself? He
said, don't even, don't come to my house, because I'm not
worthy for you to even enter under my roof. And I wasn't even worthy
to come ask you for anything. He said, you just say the word,
it'll be done. You don't have to deal with me
personally at all. I'm not worthy. How many people
do you hear crying that today? I'm not worthy. How many people
do you hear crying today? Lord, I believe. Help thou mine
unbelief. Listen to the radio. Watch the
TV. Are they crying that today? No,
sir. Nowhere are they crying that
today. In summary, let me just say this. All gospel preaching
warns that some people's going to perish even because of their
righteousness. Yes, sir. Even because of their
righteousness. Turn to Acts chapter 13. I'll
close with this. Paul, the apostle, began preaching
to some people here, to some Jews in particular, And you look
at Acts chapter 13, he begins to preach to them Jesus Christ.
And he says in verse 38, be it known unto you therefore, men
and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins. He never offered them any forgiveness
of sins. He preached unto them forgiveness
of sins only through that man. And by him all that believe,
now do you see what he said? He didn't say, and by free will,
all that believe. He said, and by him, all that believe are
justified from all things from which ye could not be justified
by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore. You see that? Beware, therefore, lest that
come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets. Behold, ye
despisers and wonder and perish. For I will work a work in your
days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man
declare it unto you." What is Paul telling these people?
That it's already been prophesied some people will not believe.
You better beware that you're not one of them. Isn't that what
he's saying there? That's what he clearly said.
And then we find, go on through the account, we find some Gentiles
said, Mason, they must have heard through the talk of the town.
They heard, this man's preaching something really different than
what anybody else has been saying. And they, the whole city, it
says, the next Sabbath day, they gather together. Now automatically,
wouldn't you think, boy, what a revival this is. Wouldn't that
what they'd be doing today? They'd be having it on banners.
Revival taking place. Raleigh County, West Virginia.
The whole city. Tallabecly, the whole town's
come out. But what happened? People got angry. Look at it. People got angry. And what was
the end of all this? Look at what he said. Verse 46.
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, it was necessary
that the word of God should first have been spoken to you, but
seeing you put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of
everlasting life. How do you do that? By admitting
you're a drunk? By admitting you're an adulterer?
That's the way you admit that you need it. No, it's by touting
your own righteousness. It's by saying you know better
than God. Look, he said, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For
so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be
a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation
unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And here's
what's summed up. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. You see, it takes the act of
God to get over your own self-righteousness. Amen, yes sir. Ask Saul of Tarsus. It takes an act of God to get
over your own sinfulness, your immorality, or your unrighteousness. Ask Mary Magdalene. Ask that
man who had those demons, who was out there in that, remember
in that grave, graveyard? Running around naked, and they
would bind him up, and you know what? He'd break those chains,
all the ropes, everything, he'd break them apart. But when Jesus
Christ, the God Almighty manifest in the flesh, conquered his soul,
what does the record say then? They found him sitting at Christ's
feet. Clothed and in his right mind. And that's where it boils
down to. It takes an act of God to get
over yourself. No matter what part of self is
the problem. It takes an act of God. Father,
teach us these truths. bow us to these truths, but even
beyond that, Lord, cause us to love them. In Christ's name I
ask, amen.