Now in verse 51, our Lord asks these disciples, have you understood all these things? And as we've seen in all of the parables that he's told them up to now, in the last couple of chapters here, the message is the same in every one of them, that there is a master, that there is a householder, that there is a a keeper of the vineyard, a farmer, an estate holder. And it's always Christ, there is a pearl, there is a net, there is God's salvation of sinners by his will and power and by bringing sinners to faith in him and love for him. Now, after all of the parables that describe him and what he is to them, he tells them a parable about themselves. First, as we said this morning, in verse 51, he's confirming that they understood the things he had taught them concerning the kingdom of God. And we know he knew that they did to whatever extent he had given them each personally the light that they had on these things. He knew that they understood them.

The Lord teaches us the gospel. We do believe, though our unbelief is always present too. But he didn't do that for his own information. He wasn't asking them so he'd know that they were ready. He was asking them so that they would know that they're ready, that they would examine themselves. Do I really understand?

We're to examine ourselves constantly, whether we be in the faith. That's the scriptural language, not to see if we're measuring up, not to see if we're, you know, checking all the boxes. but to reaffirm in our hearts that we do look to Christ for all things. Being in the faith means we look to him for everything, that we are and everything that we need.

And confirming that first, he teaches them of the scribe that's like a householder. So those that do understand, those who are instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, do you understand these things? Okay. Then you are instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, and you're like a householder, and you're a scribe, and that word is not the same as regarding the scribes and Pharisees. The word scribe here means teacher, or someone instructed and qualified to teach.

That's what he's confirming with them in verse 51. Do you understand? You can't teach something you don't understand. You can't describe someone that you don't know. You've got to understand, you've got to know who Christ is and what he did in order to preach the gospel.

So he's saying that you've been instructed the Lord taught us and we teach others also. That was what Paul told Timothy, instruct those that oppose themselves and those whom you instruct, instruct them that they may be able to teach others also. Timothy was taught, he taught people, and they taught people. That's the way that the gospel is carried down through generations. The Lord teaches his people the truth. And they're qualified, they're scribes, they're someone qualified, instructed and qualified to teach. You know, it doesn't take long to find out if somebody knows what they're talking about or not. It's pretty, pretty, pretty plain usually.

So let's talk about for a little bit what it is to be instructed into the kingdom of heaven. Parables that our Lord taught all concerned the kingdom of heaven. What it is to know the Lord Jesus Christ and to bow to him as king and to serve him. He said, as he taught them in Matthew 13, 9, who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Those who were able to hear and understand, these were these scraps he's talking about, householders, someone responsible for others. He explained in verse 11 there In Matthew 13, it's given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given the Lord is Distinguishing in who he instructs to be qualified to teach There's no volunteers clearly taught in the scripture when the man volunteered he said go home And then he went and picked somebody that's the way the Lord does that Have you understood all these things?

Yeah, Lord. Yeah, Lord. Well, we know how that happens to you. It is given. It is given to know. And this scribe is somebody that knows and therefore is qualified to tell it, to teach it. I look at Luke 24 with me. Luke chapter 24. So the Lord taught them in these parables who He is and His power to save. He taught them how sinners are saved by the power of God, by the electing grace of God, by Christ and what He accomplished on Calvary. And then He teaches them what their service is to be, to be a householder. Luke 24 44 And he said unto them these are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me He taught them from the Old Testament The things concerning himself how that all of these men who wrote the Old Testament, Moses and the prophets, and David in the Psalms, and Asaph in the Psalms, were writing concerning him. And then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures.

Who understands? Do you understand these things? We know how that happens, doesn't it? If you can say, yeah, Lord, yeah, I see how you can be just and justify sinners. It's because He opened our understanding, and the way that He does that— don't miss this here, right there that you're looking at— the way that He does that, the way that He reveals to us who He is and what He did, is through the Scriptures. Through the Scriptures, through teaching us concerning the Scriptures. And He said unto them, Thus it is written. It is written.

And thus, verse 46 there, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. What he accomplished on Calvary and the result of it, that he lives for his people. They live in him. and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Seeing what he accomplished on Calvary, and seeing that he is Lord of the living and the dead, having risen from the grave, change your thoughts, change your mind about who he is. Change your preconceived notions of who God is and how he saves sinners. To what? Thus it is written, thus it is written. Verse 48, and you are witnesses of these things.

And behold, I send the promise of my father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And he came to pass that while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising, blessing God.

So you see how our text comes to pass, how a man, a sinner, is able to understand. Do you understand these things? That's the gift of God. So being blessed of God to hear his teachings, to hear the gospel, the word of Christ, and to understand they were instructed unto the kingdom.

Now, and they knew what doctors of theology don't know. They knew what the Pharisees and the scribes who went to the finest schools, the finest theological seminaries, or whatever they called them then, did not know. They heard it directly from the Son of God himself. They knew that God's kingdom is not a hopeful venture. They saw how he taught them. The Son of God is like a householder too. Remember that?

Verse 27, that sows good seed in his field. Now he's made us householders because he is the chief householder and we are his servants. He sows good seed in his field. It's a purposeful work done by somebody with an inevitable result. And we're like that householder, the Lord Jesus Christ. We're called in our text householders, like he was, like he is, because we're simply doing what he did. We're sowing the seed. Christ said, as my father hath sent me, so send I you. We want to know what business we're in here, what this is all about.

If I plant an earthly crop, I may get results and I may not, but this is God's spiritual crop and he always gets fruit and he gets exactly what he desires. The rain comes down, the snow from heaven, maketh it, it watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud. That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.

It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. He always gets a full harvest. So it's wonderful to be employed as one of his householders in this regard. Isaiah 55, look at Isaiah 55 with me. Verse 10, that's where I just quoted from, but really I want us to look at verse 11. And notice these words, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me empty or useless or having failed, but it shall accomplish that which I please. We don't, I don't think we think about that necessarily when we think of the ministry.

Whatever it is that God pleases is what's accomplished. It's not really, He's just using us for that. We're just employed in that service and to that end. And it shall prosper in the thing where to us said it. He sends it to prosper and it prospers. I'm glad it's not up to us to talk people into being saved. When God plants a garden, he always gets a full harvest. And he said that in the end of that parable that he told of the good seed in the very chapter, in the very context of our verses tonight, he said, the good seed in the end shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. They shall. He's not hoping for it. He's purposed it, and he'll do it. He's done it, and he's doing it.

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and I'll nowise cast him out. Now, we also know that there are in this world the reprobate. We've been taught that. We understand that because he taught that. There are the weeds. We don't know who they are, and we're not to separate them from the weed. We understand that. We're not to separate them. We're not to try. He said to leave that to Him. He'll send His angels to do that. But He does teach us to beware of them.

In chapter 10 of the context of all this, when He's teaching His disciples and His preachers, He said, Behold, in verse 16 of chapter 10, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

These are the instructions that He gave I want us to get the picture of this in our minds, the overall view of what he's done. He taught us concerning his kingdom. Here's who I am, here's who you are, here's who the reprobate are, here's who Satan is and what he does, and here's why. This is the purpose of it, that there might be a harvest unto the glory of the Father.

And he instructs them how to be and how to act and how to do that, which he sent him to do and to beware and all of this. He's warning them in all these things. And then he says, all right, now, do you understand these things? He revealed it to him, so he knows that they did and they have to be revealed to us. But when they are, then he says, now you're a householder. As the father sent me, I'm sending you. And he says, be wise as serpents.

Don't miss anything. Be careful. Be watchful. Beware and understand. Don't be naive. He doesn't call, what's the word, novices. You can't be a novice. And harmless as does at the same time. We're not trying to hurt anybody. We're not trying to to disprove anybody. We just want to tell the truth. I want you to be disproved if you believe a lie. But I'm not here to argue with you or to debate with you.

I'm here to tell you who Christ is and what he did for sinners like you. And that's how God saves them. By his word which goeth forth out of his mouth. So we watch for the enemy, we avoid the enemy, but we cast the seed everywhere. It's going to fall on different kinds of ground. We know that. He taught us that. Do you understand these things? It's going to fall on different kinds of ground.

It's not all going to take root. It's not all going to prosper. There's not all, it's not going to result in a harvest in every case. And yet it'll accomplish exactly what he sent it to accomplish. So we can't preach a failure. We can't say, well, the Lord's trying to save everybody, but, you know, they won't let him do it. So I guess it's not going to happen. They're going to go to hell. No, no. No, it's going to fall on bad ground sometimes.

We're told that up front. Do we understand that? And do we understand that it'll happen exactly according to his purpose so we can actually worship him instead of feel sorry for him? Do we understand these things? We know now, we understand by his grace that the kingdom is Christ sowing his good seed into good ground that he's prepared.

The good seed comes from him, the good ground comes from him, and we preach with confidence in the infallibility of his success. Paul was able to say, he didn't grieve and say, boy, you know, if we could just save the world. No, he said it's the saver of death unto death to some, and it's the savor of life unto life unto others, but God always causes us to triumph when Christ is preached. It's always a savor, a sweet-smelling savor unto God, and it accomplishes His purpose wherever it's preached, and so we rejoice in victory in that, in victory.

Some of it's going to fall among thorny, thorns and thistles, some on rocky, stony ground, some by the wayside, and we're told that in advance. And so our message is a message of warning, isn't it, because of that. If we understand that, then the watchman, when he sees the sword come and he doesn't blow the trumpet and the people be not warned, If the sword come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. Do we understand these things?

This is not playtime. This is not my opinion against somebody else's. This is God's business. Acts 13, 38. I love to see in the scripture the actual living out the truth that our Lord taught. Acts 13, 38. Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, through the Lord Jesus Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets." You know, he's sitting there saying that the Lord Jesus Christ justifies sinners.

The law can't do that. All that the law could not justify you from You say, well, I've never committed murder, but you have in your heart. The law can't justify you in that regard. You're a murderer. There's blood on your hands. And unless the Lord Jesus Christ is your representative before God and all of your righteousness before God, you are guilty in that. You're guilty in every aspect of the law. Only Christ can justify you. And then it's interesting that his next word is what? Beware. Beware. This is great news. This is wonderful news. There is righteousness that God gives without you keeping the law. Wonderful news, but beware.

Lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets, behold you despisers and wander and perish. Don't let this come upon you that you perish, standing in the light, and yet your heart is dark. having the truth of God in your ears, but despising Him in your heart, being taught the gospel, and yet, behold, you despisers, they understood what was being said, but they hated it and the one who said it. You despisers, and wonder and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. It's not done in a corner.

It's not going to be hit. You're going to hear it. You're going to hear the glorious gospel of the blessed God, but you're going to be a despiser. So when this good news goes forth, it goes forth with a warning. Beware. Don't be like that. Don't don't find yourself opposing God and rejecting his Christ. Beware, even though it's declared unto you plainly, you're not in any wise going to believe it. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. There were some there that wanted to hear it again.

What will keep you from the Lord Jesus Christ? What would keep you from believing on him, from casting your soul upon him? Will it be the carriers of this world, the thorns and the briars, Will you love this present world and despise the Lord Jesus? Will Satan snatch you away with the promises of fame and fortune in this world as the bird snatched the seed? Things that he can't give. Satan promises things he can't give. And if he could, they wouldn't be worth having. The whole world. What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?

Or will you be offended when tribulation or persecution arises? Will you say, well, I love the Lord Jesus, but then when the heat is turned on, your love is like a vapor. You say, well, I trust him. But then when persecution arises, you curse him in your heart. And will you leave the gospel There's this warning in there. Nothing is worth leaving the Lord Jesus Christ over. You're forsaking your own mercy if you reject the message of justification by the blood of Christ, as detailed there where we read.

And we know by God's grace, having ears to hear his truth, has been given to us to know concerning the kingdom. that what we're doing seems a small thing to this world, doesn't it? It's such a little, we're just in a corner somewhere. And yet we know that as a grain of mustard seed, that which seems the least to this world is in reality the greatest thing in the world. The great work of God in saving his people. Some were able to walk away from the Lord being offended by his gospel and his words, counted as unworthy of their time, but a few were compelled to say, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, small to this world, but everything to God's sheep. And we're like the little birds that nest in a mighty tree. He's our home. He's our refuge. He's our comfort. He's our rest. He's our provision.

We know that what God has done in sending his son into this world has transformed this entire world. We saw that in the parable of the leaven. That every sinner who receives this gospel, who receives Christ as a new creation by the almighty all transforming power of his grace. We understand by grace that a sinner who sees the Lord Jesus Christ by means of the preaching of the gospel counts him as the unspeakable, inestimable treasure that must be had at all cost.

We're simply putting the pearl on display We preach the pearl, we tell forth the beauty and glory and majesty of the pearl, and wait for a seeker. The Lord will send seekers. We don't use enticing words of man's wisdom, we just set the pearl. As Paul said to the Jews in the synagogue, he said, I'm just setting the table, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered.

And we know this from our study this morning, a sinner chooses Christ, but there's a reason he does. Because God has been from the beginning chosen them to salvation. Through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, a sinner loves Christ. If he's the Lord's, he comes to love him, but there's a reason that he does, because Christ first loved him. Do we understand these things? I fear that most who stand behind pulpits don't understand these things.

The Lord told the disciples to launch out into the deep and let down their net, and when they did, though they had been fishing all night and caught nothing, they could not draw it for all of the fish. that were in the net. You know what the Lord said to them?

Fear not. How can it be scary to catch fish? Because you've just seen God in your presence, that's how. You've just realized that the one standing in front of you is God Almighty. But he said, fear not. From henceforth thou shalt catch men. The Lord says, let down the net. The merchant man saw the pearl and must have it. But our Lord said, no man can come unto me except the father which hath sent me. Draw him, draw him. Do we understand all these things? Are we instructed unto the kingdom of heaven? Are we a scribe? Can we teach these things? Somebody instructed so that they might teach. A scrab. Can you give an answer, a reason for the hope that life within you?

And the Lord says you're a householder. Just a couple of points on this and we'll be through. You're like a householder. And again, he was called the householder in the parable of the good seed. Can we teach these things? Can we be a householder? The ruler of a house must rule with wisdom and discretion and love. A house cannot be run haphazardly or lackadaisically.

It comes with great responsibility, doesn't it? As Paul said, we're entrusted with the gospel. He's made us stewards of his grace. That's a householder, responsible for others. You know the word bishop means somebody that's responsible for others, that they do the right thing. Our Lord is the shepherd and bishop of our souls. And he's made us bishops, householders. Old Brother Don used to call me Bishop Cunningham.

I don't know about that. I don't know if any titles really describe me very well, but somebody that's responsible. And you look up that definition in Strong's, it's, I don't know if this is exactly word to word, but it means somebody responsible for others to see to it that others do that which is right. To see to it that others do that which is right.

The Lord says in his word that those that serve him in this capacity, that's a household that's responsible for others as a witness, as a preacher, as a teacher, he must be one that ruleth well his own house. You know, the Lord's taught us that too, hadn't he? If you're not responsible in that, It says it plainly, having his children in subjection with all gravity, for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

It's kind of cute these days, you know, for the women to wear the pants or whatever you want, however you want to say. There's nothing cute about that. That's rebellion against God. And a man that allows that, somehow revels in that it seems in some cases, is not fit to be a witness for the Savior, not that any of us are by nature. Be a man, is what it says. Be a man. We have a responsibility in our house as spiritual householders that goes far beyond putting food on the table and clothes in the closet. And the ladies aren't excluded from this either.

Do not your children look to you, father and mother, for guidance and for an example in what you will do and what you will say? Isn't everyone who is instructed unto the kingdom a debtor to some degree, wherever there's opportunity? Paul said, I'm debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. What do you owe, Paul? So as much as in me is, I'm ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. If the Lord has entrusted me with the gospel, then I owe it to him and to those that'll hear me to tell them the truth. we have a treasure as householders. See that in our text? Responsible person who takes seriously that responsibility by God's grace. God doesn't find us that way, he makes us that way.

And this householder in our text takes treasure, both new and old, and hands it out Paul had a desire for those to whom he wrote, listen in Colossians 2.2, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and under all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We're a householder with a treasure. And we deliver that, we openly set forth and bring forth, it says in our, we bring forth that treasure. And we have this treasure, Paul said, in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.

We bring forth things that are both old and new, the truth of God, which is as old as time and older. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory, but also new. His gospel is called the new covenant, though it's older than time. And his mercies, David's saying, are new every morning. Our savior is the ancient of days, and yet he has on his brow the dew of youth. And every time we hear the old truth, we learn something new. May God make us faithful householders to bring forth treasure for his glory.