I turn to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11. When you
get there, I want you to listen as I read
these words. I thought to myself, Walter, you've changed. I remember I used to stand in
this place and did not have the seriousness with which I believe
I should have had. Earl would preach. Earl took
care of all this and that. Just didn't understand the seriousness
of it. And I still don't know that I
understand the seriousness of it as I should. And I'm not saying that you have
to be here to be sitting listening. You have to be a stick in the
mud, but this ain't about laughing and jokes. Listen to what is said, what
was written by Matthew in Matthew chapter 11. And I will stop where
I stop for a reason. And it came to pass And the Scripture says, it came
to pass, listen up. There's something specific God
has in His Word here. And it came to pass. When Jesus
had made an end of commanding His twelve disciples, He departed
thence to teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John
had heard in the prison the works of Christ, that is, John the
Baptist, he sent two of his disciples and said unto him, Art thou he
that should come? Or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto
them, Go, and shew John again those things which ye do hear
and see. The blind receive their sight. Think about that. We read that,
but we didn't witness. These people had been witnessing
these things. I know we have the hucksters
in our day in religion, but I'm not even here to preach about
them. That doesn't matter. Jesus said to those two disciples
of John the Baptist, you go tell John again. Those things which
you do here and see. The blind receive their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. And the deaf hear. The dead. Do you see that? And this was real. This wasn't
stories that were circulating around. This wasn't rumor. Jesus
Christ was doing these things. The dead are raised up. And the poor have the gospel
preached to them. And Blessed is he Whosoever shall
not be offended in me I Stop there for a reason I Look back this way I Can tell
there's not too many people have any idea what this is I? If people had any idea what this
said, this place could not contain the people. There would be a lack of space
to hold the people if they really understood what this says. Our Lord makes a statement here. It is a statement defining the
present personal spiritual state of every person alive at any
given time. Christ made this statement in
summary to his messianic proofs which were to be given to John
the Baptist by John the Baptist's two disciples. The statement here is not about,
well, should certain men be taught before others are taught? Of
course they should. Christ did. He commanded His
disciples first. Then He went out. This don't
all come as just some willy-nilly out of the sky. God purposed,
as I said over and over again, God purposed to teach sinners
His truth by other sinners. You are not Abraham. I am not
Abraham. God taught Abraham personally.
He doesn't teach you and I that way today. That's just the way
it is. It's just the way it is. I've not met one person that
I've ever talked to that said, I've never heard anybody ever
preach the Gospel. But God Almighty Himself preached
the Gospel to me. And then tell me what the Gospel
really is. I know of a lot of people that
say, God personally preached to me, God personally taught
me, but then when they tell you what God taught them, you can
tell it ain't the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But that's not the point here.
The point is not, did John have some doubts? Read on and you'll see. Christ
asked people, what do you go into the wilderness to hear?
A reed shaking in the wind? No. He wasn't being blown to
and fro by every wind of doctrine. Did John have some concerns?
Yeah, he did. But that's not the point. So much so that our Lord even
said, He that's least in the kingdom of heaven is greater
than John. Look at it right here in the
context. You know, I say our Lord here makes a statement.
that defines the present, personal, spiritual state of every person
alive at any given time. Think about it. Here's the proofs.
That's what it was all about. to prove that Jesus Christ was
the Messiah. The blind see. That's glorious,
isn't it? If I was to witness someone who
had severe cataracts and could not see at all, and all of a
sudden, Mason, those cataracts, before my very eyes, vanished,
and that person could see, I'd have to say, that's a glory.
Wouldn't you? The blind see. The lame walk.
If you actually seen that happen, what would you cry out, at least
within yourself? That's a miracle. Right? That's a miracle. Lepers, people
with rotting flesh, are cleansed. People who are deaf, now hear. Corpses raised from the dead. Can you imagine witnessing these
things? Huh? Would you not cry out that
this is a miraculous glory? Huh? We're so cynical in our
day, I think we even lose sight of the fact this really took
place when our Lord Jesus Christ condescended to this earth. We're
so surrounded by the hucksters and the liars, we pass over these
things as though it's just some fairytale story. Now let me show
you why I say that. But here's another equally miraculous
glory. And the poor have the gospel
preached to them. We ought to be crying, glorious
miracle! That is an equivalent to all
these other things. Do you see that? And yet, men
and women in this world today, when the Gospel is out there
all over, especially in this country, the Gospel is out there
on radio, some on TV. There are places that preach
the Gospel, sometimes in spite of themselves. And yet, everybody is looking
for a blind man to see. If you've ever heard the Gospel
preached, that's just as much a glorious miracle as if you
had seen a corpse raised from the dead. Now that's a message in itself,
and I started once to preach on that, but then this next phrase
struck me, and blessed is he Whosoever shall not be offended
in me. And I noticed, and as they departed. So I realized, here's the something
in and of itself. Is it not? I don't know if Christ
said more to these two disciples of John. He may have. We don't
know. But we know this is the important part. This is the important
part. The poor have the gospel preached
unto them. Do I ever think of the gospel
in that light? In the light in which Christ
put it? Sometimes I wonder. Huh? That's why I said what I did
before. I've stood in this place before. Far too flippant. If we was coming to this place
because you knew God Almighty was going to raise up somebody
you cared about. Someone that was rotting, stinking
flesh. You think you'd be a little somber
when you got here? You think your ears would be
open to hear what's going to be said? If you had a loved one
that was rotting, stinking, rotting flesh with leprosy, and you knew
that here's a man coming into town that can say, be thou clean,
and he's clean. You'd pay some attention, wouldn't
you? And yet how flippant are we about the gospel sometimes.
Now maybe you're not. But sometimes I am. Take it for granted. Huh? Take
it for granted. And here we gather in a little
pitiful group like this. Nothing in numbers. And I become
discouraged. And yet the Gospel is being preached
to the poor. That's a glorious miracle. Who
am I? Who is Joe? Who are you? For
God to allow that to even come out of our lips. when we should
be damned in the darkness and blackness of hell forever. Do
I think of the gospel in that light? I wonder. I wonder sometimes
if I do. I know I don't always, but I
should. You see the proof? Here's how
to prove to John that I'm the one you're looking for. The Messiah! And he sums it up with this.
The poor have the gospel. I preach to them. This in connection
with all these other glorious things. But he doesn't stop there.
He says, and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. There's the defining statement. Verse 6. That's the title of
my message. The statement that defines every
person's state right now today. How you and
I react to Jesus Christ defines where we are and who we are and
what we are. Are we though maybe as though
we would not look and yet bowed in reverence or are we like Ashamed. Confounded, maybe. And, blessed is. And you can look at it. He is
in italics. Doesn't hurt it, but hey. And
blessed is whosoever shall not be offended in me. Those not offended, blessed. Those offended, not blessed. Is that it or not? That's pretty
simple, ain't it? And yet, Joe, and yet so profound. Is it not? Because, here's one
of the first things. The blessing must precede the
lack of offense. It does not. He did not say,
those who are not offended in me will be blessed. That's the
way pseudo-Christianity always does everything. They'll twist
everything around. And if you'll not be offended
in Christ, then He'll bless you. That ain't what He said. Is that what He said? No. And
blessed is whosoever shall not be offended in me." The blessing
must come first. Now that to us is probably so
simple. That's that primer doctrine.
And yet, the vast majority, millions of people out there who even
profess to be Christians don't get that small little point. They think that it's up to them
to not be offended in Christ. And therefore, then God will
show me grace. Then God will show me mercy.
Then God will show me compassion. Then God will show me salvation
and blessing. No, Jesus said, and blessed is. Is! Whosoever. shall not. So it shall not be. So it's like
you're starting from a place. Okay, we don't know whether they
will be or not, but they're already blessed. If when it comes along,
they're not offended. Guess what? That person's blessed.
And that what he's saying. So again, I say those not offended,
they are blessed. Those offended, no blessing. And why must the blessing precede
the lack of offense? The reason is because light is
coming to this world. And men love darkness rather
than light. Now in that very same passage
in John 3, 19 and 20, you will find that there are some, there
are some who seek God. There are some. But that's not
what any man or woman does by nature. Light. This is the condemnation
that light, and who is light? Christ is the light. That light
has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light. Men are ashamed. Men are ashamed
of Jesus Christ and yet brag about coming out of the closet.
Now you think about that. May that, I started to say let
that, no, may that sink in. They're offended in the personal
work of Christ, but boy they wouldn't touch a cigarette for
nothing. Some even believe they can drink
arsenic and it proves their faith. But they wouldn't touch a bottle
of Jack Daniels for nothing. I mean, go figure. What's the
difference? I think because arsenic, your
body can build up a little tolerance to it, your body ain't gonna
build up no tolerance to Jack Daniels. Let that sink in for
a little bit. Romans chapter three, Paul says
this, and he says this is not something I come up with. He
said it's written in scripture. Are the Jews better than the
Gentiles? No. We've proved before that they're
all under sin. All under sin. Now think about
it. Somebody, according to this, it's indicated, somebody's not
going to be offended in him, Joe. And that person has been
blessed. But how in the world did they get? Are they better
than someone else who is offended? No. We're all under sin. There's none that seeketh after
God. There's none that understandeth. I mentioned that to a couple
of fellows the other day. And I said, now let me tell you,
is that true or not? I said, because if that's true, then
something has to happen first before you ever desire to serve
God, believe God, repent, or anything, right? And they were
like... Because they don't think of it
that way. They think Romans 3 verses 9-18
are talking about all them homosexuals out there. And all them drunks. And all them women selling their
body into sex. That's what they think. They're
really bad people. No, Romans 3 verses 9-18 is talking about
me. And it's talking about you by
nature. And as God Almighty blesses you
first, you cannot but be offended in Jesus Christ. Why? Because you don't even fear God.
There's none that fear God. Think of it, we are so corrupt
by nature that even the declaration of our corruption offends us.
How much more God's glory in the person of Jesus Christ? We
get mad at God when God tells us the truth about ourselves,
let alone the truth about himself. Don't we? That's how bad we are
by nature. And somebody says, we don't have
to keep reminding me about it. Yeah, that's how bad you are.
I've got to keep reminding you. I've got to keep reminding me
about how bad we are. And every day I need the blessing
of God first. First. Every day I need the,
wait a minute, a lot of the poor heard the gospel. But they were
offended. Do you see it? Huh? I figure
thousands, at least hundreds, probably seen Lazarus, if not
at least raised from the dead. They seen Lazarus after he was
raised from the dead and some said, well, let's just kill him
again. Go figure. Right? Every man, Mason, should
have bowed down in wonder at the feet of Jesus Christ at that
event. The word should have started
spreading all throughout Judea and going into the northern kingdom
and spreading throughout even to South America and everywhere
else where men and women began to go. Here's one that can raise
the dead. And yet the equivalent with that
is the poor. have the gospel preached unto
them. But don't stop there. And blessed is whosoever shall
not be offended in me. Now we'll give you three things.
And I give you these three things not because they are an exhausting of the subject. We're going to
look at three examples where men and women were offended in
Him. The reason I limit it to the
three because it's clear from these three examples that what
Jesus Christ taught offended some people. Therefore I know,
according to Christ's words here, they weren't blessed. Right? But people who were, not offended. People who were not ashamed at
Him and the truth He taught, they what? Had already been blessed. Here's the first example. According
to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in Luke chapter 4, verses 25-28,
where in verse 25 He said, but I tell you of a truth. Now He
specifically states here, here is a truth. What he taught was God does not
send blessing to all. Do you remember that? Luke chapter
4 verse 25-28 Christ taught in his own hometown in the synagogue
that I suppose that he probably raised up in. Don't you figure?
And he goes back there when he starts his public ministry and
the minister hands him the book which lets me know Mason he evidently
they were accustomed to that with him. They didn't just hand
it to anybody and everybody. And he stands up and he rolls
out the scroll of Isaiah to a certain passage. And he reads it. And
they think to themselves, what gracious words. And they said,
but in my truth I tell you something. God doesn't send blessing to
all. And you notice this says that
they were filled with wrath. Wrath. Even so much, they wanted
to kill him. I think that's being offended
in him, don't you think so? That's not the end of it. Yet,
even today, with that right in front of us, that testimony right
in front of us, Christ's own words, God manifests in the flesh,
His own words, yet men obfuscate right here in that passage in
Luke 4 and say, well that was just them Jews being upset about
Gentiles. No. If you ever hear a man say that
that was the reason, then you mark it down. I don't care what
he professes, he don't really get it. Because our Lord did
not say there were many widows in Israel, and God went over
here and fed a Gentile. And there were many lepers in
Israel, and God went over here and cleansed this one leper.
And then they all were filled with wrath. That's not what it
says. He said there was many widows
in Israel. God didn't send a one of them
Elijah But he sent Elijah just another man a prophet yet, but
just another man and sent that man to that woman You think God
could have just it could have just done that right out of the
blue couldn't he Joe? Remember that all that them them things
of bread oil wonder couldn't have God just and that stuff
been there and Here's God's ordained way. He'll send one sinner to
another sinner to speak about blessing. You see it? And what Christ said was there
was all kinds of widows in Israel. God didn't send not one of them
a prophet. He sent it to a Gentile woman. And there were many lepers in
Israel. God didn't cleanse one of them. He cleansed only Naaman. And they were filled with wrath. Does God's sovereign right to
do what he pleases with who he pleases offend you? It don't,
mate. You're right, Mason. I'm glad
somebody actually said that a little bit. No, it don't. Why? Is it because I'm smarter than
somebody else? Because I'm better than somebody else? Because I'm
more moral than somebody else? Because I'm more righteous than
somebody else? No, it's because God blessed me. Blessed is whosoever shall not
be offended in me." If you can hear that message, and it rings
in your ears, and you say, Truth! That is the truth! God has the
right to do as He pleases! Then you're blessed. Because
most people become full of wrath. when they hear such as that.
Don't they? So much so they'll try to obfuscate
and change it into something else. Right? It doesn't really
mean he's really sovereign. They had Rahab in their genealogy. And they weren't ashamed of that.
Were they? They had many strangers in their
company that had been circumcised. They weren't ashamed of that.
The problem was what they were filled with wrath about is Jesus
Christ was saying God Almighty has to bless first and He only
blesses whom He will and He definitely leaves some people out. You cannot tell the truth and
obfuscate that. That's a prime example. Here's
number two. God does not enable all to come
to Christ. Turn to John chapter 6. God does
not enable all to come to Christ. Verse 60. Remember, He just said,
you're going to have to partake of Me. Eat My flesh and drink
My blood. Right? Verse 60, many therefore
of his disciples. These were people who are called
disciples. When they heard this, that's
a good interpolation there. When they heard this said, this
is a hard saying. This is difficult. This is tough. Who can hear it? When Jesus knew
in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto
them, Does this, what? What? Does this offend you? Now you would think, no. Some people would think that
now Jesus needs to start backtracking just a little and ease up just
a little because after all, does Jesus want somebody to be offended
in Him? Now hold that thought. Hold that
thought. When He knew in Himself that
they murmured, He said, does this offend you? I'm going to
tell you a couple more things now. What if you shall see the
Son of Man ascend up where He was before? See it. What if you would see me ascend
right into Heaven? He's saying something here. It
is the Spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing,
no matter what you see with these, unless God Almighty does something
for you first. That's what he's talking about.
Huh? It is the Spirit that quickeneth.
The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are Spirit and they are life. But there are some of you
that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him. And
He said, therefore, now He's reminding them of something He's
already previously said, but He knew it went right over their
head. Now He says it again. And even in light of some of
them were already offended at something He said. And look,
And he said, therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto
me except it were given unto him. Notice he didn't say every
man who is given to me shall come. That's true, is it not?
He didn't put it that way though, did he? He's saying to them,
unless God Almighty, my Father, does something for you first,
you can't come to me. He wasn't pussyfooting around
the truth. He wasn't trying to slip it in
the back door. He wasn't trying to make it a
little more palatable for a man. He said, therefore, I've already
told you. that no man can come unto Me
except the sceptre were given unto him of My Father. From that..."
Now you mark out the time because it has nothing to do with time
here. "...From that many of His disciples went back and walked
no more with Him." And that's what happens when you're offended
in Him. You'll quit following along. That's what happens. That's
what happens! when somebody is offended in
Him. And He said, blessed is whoever is not offended in Me. There's number two. And yet,
right here in this passage, right before, men belittle and excuse
even concerning this passage, don't they? It's right there
in black and white, even written. These are the words of Christ
Himself. And they just bypass right over it. Don't they? Does the absolute necessity of
God's preceding, not prevenient, God's preceding grace, does that
offend you? Doesn't offend me. I got to have
it. I had to have it. If I hadn't
already had it, I wouldn't be where I am today. Remember, remember,
I said to you, Christ makes a statement here that defines every person's
state. Blessed is whosoever is not offended
in me. Here's your third one. The cross work of Christ is an
offense. As a matter of fact, it's of
the same Greek word that Christ used here in Matthew 11, 1-6. Blessed is he who is not offended
in me. And then Paul comes along and
says, then, if I preach circumcision, why do I suffer persecution?
Then is the offense of the cross ceased. Contrary to pseudo-Christianity,
the good news of Jesus Christ is not good news to a man who
hasn't been blessed. First, it's not. The cross work of Christ is not
another chance. The cross work of Christ is justice
satisfied. It says that He sat down on the
right hand of God the Father having purged our sins. Paul taught in Romans 5 that
the cross work of Jesus Christ did this. It reconciled enemies
to God in such a way that they shall be, everyone who is reconciled
by his death, they're going to be saved by his life. Romans
chapter 5. Does that offend you? I think
it was Chris Cunningham had a fine example for this. Most people
think of it this way. Here's Peter walking on the water.
They think of the cross work of Jesus Christ this way. Here's
Peter walking on the water and Peter starts down. And I figure
he went down quick. You know what I'm saying? I don't
think he just probably started to slowly sink. He went down. Why did he say, Lord give me
another chance? That's what Chris Cunningham said. Is that what
he cried? Lord give me another chance. That's what people preach
concerning the cross of Christ. Do they not? That he died for
everybody to give everybody a chance. Do they not preach that? Peter
didn't cry out Lord give me another chance. What did he cry out?
Lord, save me. He said He didn't need another
chance. He needed saving. And that's
what the cross work of Christ is. It is that Jesus Christ,
judicially, penally, satisfactorily, in the justice and eyes of God,
He saved a people when He died on that tree. He purged a people's
sin and He reconciled them to God. By His death. Does that
offend you? It offends thousands today, don't
it? Does Christ's efficacious sacrifice
offend you? Now turn to 1 Peter. Remember the question I asked
you to hold on to? When Jesus realized. Turn to 1 Peter chapter
2 first. And then I'll finish up this.
Remember 1 Peter chapter 2. Remember Christ knew that when
He talked about you will have to eat my flesh and drink my
blood, you got no life in you. You have to partake of me. And
they said this is a hard saying. Christ's response then lets us
know they were offended by that, weren't they? He said does this
offend you? Now did He back up? Did He start
treading water? Did He try to pave the way and
make it a little easier? No, He did not. You know why?
Because it's not meant. The Gospel's not there to pave
the way and make it easy for sinners. The Gospel is to declare
what it took for God to be just and yet justify him which believeth
in Jesus. Now listen to what Peter said
in 1 Peter 2. Verse six, we'll start there for the sake of time.
Wherefore, also it is contained in Scripture. So we know this
ain't no new thing, Mac. This ain't something new. It's
contained in Scripture. What? Behold. In other words,
think about this now. Set your eyes on it. Behold,
I, who's speaking now? Who do you think's speaking?
God is. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone, elect and precious, and he that believeth on him
shall not be..." What? You can translate it this way. Offended. Ashamed. made to blush is a literal rendering. What is it when you blush? You're
ashamed about something, right? Embarrassed about something,
right? But he said, whosoever believes in me, what? Shall not. Well, see now, I believe, but
I don't know about all that. I don't care how much you profess
to believe. If you are ashamed of these three
truths, you are not blessed of God. Now there's more than just
these three, but I've given you three that are in direct reference
to people being offended in Him, right? And you don't pick and
choose which ones you want. He didn't say, blessed is he
who is mostly not offended in me. If you're not offended in
Him, you're blessed. If you are offended in Him, God
ain't done nothing for you yet. I don't care what you say you
believe, because he that believeth on him, do we cry out believing? Of course we do, do we not? Do
we emphasize believing? Of course we do. But there's
a believing that's vain. There's a believing that's empty.
There's a believing that's wrong. And he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe
he is what? Are you ashamed of anything that's
precious to you? If you are, it ain't precious
to you. Huh? Unto you therefore which believe,
that's this real kind of belief here. This God-given faith. The faith that is a fruit of
God's Spirit. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious,
but unto them which be disobedient. the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a
stone of stumbling, and a rock of what? A fence. even to them which stumble at
the Word. I'm not believing any preacher.
That's the only way you'll ever believe is that God Almighty
is sending you one sinner to you and to preach the Gospel
to you and you'll believe what that sinner says when he's telling
you the truth of God and God's already blessed you. That's just
the way it works. who stumble at the Word, being
disobedient, and then what? Whereunto also they were appointed."
Who did the appointing? God did. Because God is the one
that said, I lay this stumbling stone in Zion. I'm the one that
makes him a rock of offense. I meant it that way. So let us
quit being disturbed when God manifests it. How about that? Let us quit being disturbed when
God says, alright, there's somebody, they're offended, they get mad,
they leave. Start rather than complaining and murmuring, say,
thank you God. If God's pleased to do something
for them truly later, that's His business, is it not? But
if God's pleased to make them ashamed, Joe, leave them where
they are. That's His business too. He has
mercy on whom will have mercy, right? We believe that. We love
that. But it also says, and whom He will, He hardens. And our Lord said, Lord, I thank
You. And the first thing He thanked
Him for was not that He revealed it unto some people. He said,
I thank You that You've hid it from some people. and revealed
it unto others. You see how opposite even we
get from the truth? Our Lord, His first thought,
thanks to God, was that God had hid it from some folks. And yet
we always... God, if you'll just show it to
a few, it'll be alright if you hide it from others. We just
got backwards around, don't we? Here's a question. I could ask
me, and I asked you, does that offend you? Does that offend you? It is no
wonder that even the prophet David, king over Israel, the
sweet psalmist said in Psalms chapter 2 verse 12, kiss the
Son. And that's not S-U-N. That is
S-O-N. And that is capital S, little
o, little e. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry
with thee. And his wrath is kindled, what? But a little. If you're ashamed of him, God
has not blessed you. He may. He may. But if you're ashamed of him,
if you're offended in him, he's not blessed you. But if you're
not offended in him, what did he say? What's that next little
T? Is. Now do you believe Him or
not? Blessed is whosoever that is
not offended in me. Now if you're not offended in
Him, that ought to cause you to just go... I don't understand a lot of it,
Lord. I don't. Sometimes I'm afraid.
I don't say it the right way. But I know what it says here.
And I know He hasn't made it palatable to the natural man.
He's actually put it in a way that it offends the natural man
and it's meant to be. Oh, but if it doesn't offend
you, Christ says this morning, you're blessed. Right? Isn't
that what He said? Joe, that's a glory. I'm talking
about my message is a glory. That's a glory. That's a glory. Father, oh God, give us that
comfort and assurance that comes in believing Your Son. Help us
to believe that verse, Lord. Verse 6. Help us to fall before
You in humble submission and thanks and honor and adoration
and on and on, Lord. Help us to bow before you, loving
your son, serving your son, believing your son. I ask it in his name.
Amen. Thank you, Joe.