Coming to Christ

You'll never cast me out. A resting place. Matthew 11. Matthew 11. These are the last words here, the last words of this chapter. Our blessed words. What he says in his last words to this multitude, verse 28. Come unto me. All you that labor are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your soul. My yoke is easy, my burden is light.

Come unto me, our Lord says. Salvation, eternal life, is for Christ to call you and for you to come to him. He that cometh to Christ, he that hath a son hath life. Love, joy, peace, mercy, grace, is if Christ calls you and you come. And he received those things. He said, I am come that they might have life. And when he calls you, he gives you life. You come to him. Life begins then. Peter said this. Turn to 1 Peter 2 with me. Peter wrote these blessed words in 1 Peter 2. Look at it. 1 Peter 2, you have it?

Verse three, if so be you've tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming? As unto a living stone. To whom coming? Simon was called one day. He knows what it is to be called. He knows what it is to come to Christ. Simon was called one day and he came. And he never quit coming. He never quit coming. The Lord never quit calling him.

And he came, and what it means to come to Christ is you follow him. He that cometh after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. So Simon Peter followed him all the days of his life. Christ is the Lamb. And it says in Revelation 14, of those people that are there with him, these followed him wherever he went. Christ calls His people, and He keeps calling, and they keep coming.

If you ever quit coming, you're not His disciple. Literally, come. And even when we wander, though, He calls us, doesn't He? Especially. That's how you especially know that He's called you. If He calls you again, and you come, he must not be done with you.

Old Simon Peter, when the Lord called him the first time, he left the boats and the nets and he followed Christ. He came to Christ. Well, you remember they were out in the boat and the Lord was not with them and they all missed him, wondered where he was. They needed him desperately. They were in that storm. And the Lord came to them, walking on the water, remember? And they're all terrified. I love that verse where when he got back in the boat, he said, why do you imagine things in your heart? Why do you always imagine the worst? They thought they'd seen a spirit. They thought their lives were over.

He that believeth on the Son will never die. You believe that? That's not rhetoric. That's fat. You can't die anymore if you believe Christ. But anyway, so Christ came and Peter said, Lord, if it's you, bid me come to you on the water. Why, Peter? Can't you wait till he gets in the boat? No. Been looking for him all night. Well, he came. The Lord said, That's all he said, like he did the first time. And bless his heart, Peter got out of that boat and came walking to cry on the water. Well, that's not the last time. Poor old Simon Peter. He denied the Lord, just like the Lord said he would.

The Lord told the disciples that he was gonna go before them and meet them, meet and go before them in Galilee. Said he'd be there waiting on them. And he said, tell my disciples and Peter. Well, when the Lord arose and he was on the shore and he's cooking them a dinner and John said, it's the Lord. Old Simon dove out of the boat, cast himself in the sea to come to Christ. He can't stay away. See what I'm saying? If the Lord calls you, you will come. He will come.

Now here we are again tonight. We're gathered here again for the, how many thousands of times? I've preached thousands of messages and most of you have heard them. Here we are again, gathered together in this little tabernacle in the wilderness, outside the camp, outside of town. Why? Wednesday night, not many. Few people meet on Wednesday night anymore, but here we are again. Been doing it for years, haven't we? Why? Why do we come to this place? We come to meet with Christ. If you come here for anything or anyone else, you'll go away empty. But if you come to Christ, you'll go away full of his fullness.

Will you receive? He said, open your mouth wide and I'll feel it. And he come, he keeps calling us by the gospel and we keep coming to whom coming. To whom coming, Peter said. Listen to this. Tonight, I just want to... Sunday, I hope to show you a little bit more about what it means to come to Christ. But tonight, I want to show you to whom we're coming. John sent the men. Are you the one we look for? Are you the Christ? We look for another.

To whom coming? Who are we coming to? Well, David said this, thou art my rock, my fortress, in whom I trust. To whom coming? Whom? He said, my goodness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust. To whom? To whom coming? Whom?

By whom we have received grace. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation. Whom? by whom we have access unto the Father, by whom we have received the atonement, by whom you were called, of whom are all things, to whom be glory forever, in whom we come unto, in whom we have redemption, in whom we have obtained an inheritance, in whom you trusted after you heard the gospel, in whom we are builded together as a building, Of whom the whole building is fitly framed together. For of him and through him and to him are all things. To whom be all glory, both now and forever. To whom coming? That's who we're coming to. And much, much more. Just a few verses.

Well, this chapter tells us who he is. It reveals, look at it and go back to verse one. This chapter, he reveals, and he said, no man knoweth the Son, but the Father, and no man knoweth the Father, but the Son, he to whom the Son will reveal it. Well, he reveals himself here to his disciple, to John. He sends special word and certain ways by which you'll know who it is, who he is.

Came to pass, verse one, he made an end of commanding Not inviting. Commanding his 12 disciples, as said, every single one of them, they heard the gospel command. Thou hast given commandment to save me. Aren't you glad John is my command? We love that verse, don't we? We've quoted it thousands of times. We still never tire of hearing it. Because if he doesn't command us, he doesn't call us, we won't come.

He departed thence to preach in their cities. Don't you love preaching? Don't you love the preaching of the gospel? Wouldn't you have loved to have heard the Lord preach? Well, you have, in a sense. You know that? Yes, you have. Christ said of his disciples, they'll hear you, they'll hear me. Didn't you? John heard in prison the works of Christ. He sent two of his disciples, said, art thou he that should come? Or do we look for another? Are you the Christ who's to come? Jesus answered and said, go show John again. The things which you do here and see. What have you heard and saw? You want to hear it again?

All right. The blind receive their sight. This is how I know this is the Christ. He's the Christ. This is how I know he's called me. I once was blind. But now I see, blind to God, blind to myself, blind to the truth, blind to the God of this world, blind, blind, blind, but God. Said open that man's eyes, give him sight, see me, see my glory. The lame walk.

There was a time I walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, child of wrath, even as others. But God set my feet in paths of righteousness, caused me to walk by faith in him. I'm still doing it. I know he's the Christ because I'm still doing it. If he's left up to me, I wouldn't be here. My feet shall stand in thy congregation, they would say. Why? Because he called you. Verse five, he said, lepers are cleansed. Lepers are clean. I'll tell you one thing what it is to come to Christ. Go back to Matthew 8, just a couple pages back. Turn back. We might not make it till Sunday, so I'll tell you what it means to come to Christ.

To come to Christ, to really come to Christ. And this is how you're gonna come to him the first time. And keep coming. This is how the true comers, those that are called, to whom coming, this is number one, principally, first and foremost, to worship him. Look at Matthew eight.

When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. Even today, they seem to be followers of Christ. Well, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him. Worshiped him. Oh, man. On and on it could go. In Matthew 15, that woman of Tyre and Sidon, the Canaanite woman, had mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David.

My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. And he answered her not a word. He ignored her. He said, I'm not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I'm sent for God's elect. Then came she and worshiped. That's how you come to Christ, number one. When you come here, when we come here, hopefully by God's grace, we come here principally and more than anything else to worship him because he's worthy.

They asked, I don't know who it was, Calvin or Bunyan or one of those old fellas. Somebody asked him that didn't believe in election, sovereign eternal election. Somebody didn't believe in the Lamb's Book of Life names in that book. And they said to Calvin or Bunyan, I forget which, doesn't matter. They said, if you could look into the Lamb's Book of Life and your name was not there, would you still worship him? He said, yay, I would. The man said, well, why? He said, because he's worthy. Whether he saved me or not, he's worthy.

I remember coming, when he first called me, I remember coming to hear the gospel. I didn't know if I saved or not. I had no real confidence or assurance that I belonged to Him, but I sure liked what I was hearing. I sure wanted to hear of my Lord, exalted, sovereign God. I just loved to hear it. I believed it. I wasn't sure I was one of His. If you love the truth, He's calling you. You've come to Him. So you come to worship Him.

So that's principle. Look at verse five. He said, lepers are cleansed. Oh, my. The deaf hear. This is how we know he's the Christ. Only he can open blind eyes and deaf ears. I know it's so. I know it's so. And I've seen some of you. I've seen some wild asses coats tamed right before my just by preaching the gospel. I know he's the Christ. He does what only he can do. The dead are raised up. You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.

This gospel is an offense. to mankind. The more time goes on, the further man gets from the truth. In these last days, Scripture says, they're going to turn away their ears from the truth unto fables. They've always believed lies, but more and more, they turn away their ears from the truth because this gospel, it talks about a sovereign God, Depraved man, vile, wicked man, an evil world. Who believes that? The world doesn't believe that. God's people do.

It's an offense to this world. Offends their wisdom, offends their works, offends their religion, it offends their righteousness, it offends their choice, it offends their will. It's offensive to me. Is it offensive to you? Does anything Christ say offend you?

That Canaanite woman, he ignored her. We're the ignorant ones. He ought to ignore us, shouldn't we? We ignore him all our lives until the day he calls us. Why should he call us? Why should he have anything to do with it? He ignored her. You know what she said after all he said? One word. Truth. Called her a dog. Ignored her. Said, I'm only here for the elect. It's not fit to give this to dogs. She said, truth. Is that what you say? Does this offend you? I believe he's called you. I believe you've come to him. Well, he'll never cast you out. A sinful soul I come to, he'll never cast me out. I need no other argument. Well, verse seven, go on with me. Verse seven through 10, they departed.

He began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, what did you go out to see? A reed shaken with the wind, a man in soft clothing, you know, long robes of silk and gold and purple and all that. What did you go out to see, a prophet? He said, I say unto you, more than a prophet.

And he went on to say, he quoted Malachi 3, this is my messenger. Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Whenever God calls people, he calls them through a preacher. Brothers and sisters, God has not quit calling, Christ has not quit calling and sending his messengers before his face. Before you see his face, before you hear his voice, you're gonna see and hear a man in a pulpit preaching Christ. And that's how you're gonna see his face and hear his voice. The world doesn't believe that. They call it foolishness. Not those who believe. They know it's the power of God and the wisdom of God preaching.

He sends his messengers before his face to prepare the way. What do they do? What does the messenger do? What did John do? What did he preach? Every time, every day, what did he preach? Three words, behold the Lamb. Didn't he? They came that day and that's what he preached. Came back the next day, same message, behold the Lamb. Pharisee says, is that all you preach? That's all there is. That's what this whole book is about. Three words. Christ is all. All you need.

Behold the Lamb. Is that what your preacher preaches? He's called you. He sends his messengers before his face. You're not going to see his face. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face the person, the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, except through the preaching of the gospel. And he does it every time.

That's why he calls his people, and they come. Where do they come? As I said, why do we come here? We come here to see Christ high and lifted up, to hear his voice, to worship him. Because that does us good, doesn't it? It gives us life, peace, joy, hope, comfort.

Is your preacher a weak, effeminate fellow? A man pleaser? Neither was John. No true preacher is. He preaches in such a manner that men want to take his head off. They call him a devil. They call him a devil. They call his preaching doctrines of devils. That's what they say about the gospel we preach, and that's what they say about your preacher. It hasn't changed. It hasn't changed. That's how you know he's called you. If you come, you keep coming. If you keep coming, it doesn't offend you. Well, look at verse 16. Verse 15. Is this familiar? Verse 15.

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. How many times did we hear that recently? Seven times? That's what he says to his church. And those that come to Christ, they hear his voice. They come to hear his voice. They come, like Cornelius said, we're here to hear.

Was Christ there? No, Simon Peter preached. And Christ was there. Yes, he was. He said, where two or three are gathered, I wrote you that text. And that's not That's what Christ said, didn't He? Where two or three are gathered, I'm right there in the middle of it. Did He mean it? I sure did. There have been times that, you know, we come here and the Lord actually speaks to us. Look at verse 16. Whereunto shall I liken this generation? It's like children sitting in the markets calling unto their fellows saying, we piped unto you, you have not danced. We mourned unto you, you have not lamented. What about you fellas? When I call, when I preach this gospel, did it ever make you want to dance? Before the ark? Remember when David was bringing the ark back? Dancing before the ark?

His wife, Michael, hated it. He said, you're making a spectacle of yourself. You sure did bring yourself down in front of those maidens. He said, I'll be more vile. I'm happy, the hark's here. Worship, the true worship of God. Sacrifice, the blood before the Lord. Mercy seats with us. Can't worship God without the mercy seat. He's bringing it back. Oh, let's dance. Gospel ever make you want to dance? What about mourn? Weep? Does it? Does it? Look down at verse 12, I passed by this.

He said, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the kingdom of heaven suffered violence. Violent, take it by force. We preached the whole message on that verse, showing that that's Christ that took it violently. And violence fell on him and he took it violently. But in another place, he said the kingdom of God suffered violence and men press into it. It's a pressing matter.

And when the gospel came to you, was there not violence that took place? Didn't a warfare begin you never were in before? Two laws began warring in your memory, it wasn't there years ago before you heard the gospel, no problem. You didn't have a problem with sin, you didn't have a problem with yourself, you love yourself. You didn't have a problem with the world, but then Christ called by the gospel, violence, warfare inside, and it hadn't let up yet.

Everybody in the Lord's kingdom were called into his army, into his service, and it's a pressing matter, he said, men press into it. It's a gospel, a pressing matter. then you've come to Christ. You've come to Christ because there's pressing matters that you need to hear about. Don't come for entertainment, food, fun. We come to Christ. We come to Him. Hear from Him. We need to hear from Him. It's pressing matters. Our souls, the souls of our children are at stake. It's a pressing matter. Well, verse 19, what a verse.

They said of Christ, he's a friend of publicans and sinners. A friend of publicans and sinners. How does that make you feel? Well, if you're a publican, it makes you feel wonderful. Publicans were the worst. Nobody liked publicans. They're the worst sinners on a publicans.

Our Lord's one gave that Illustration of a publican and Pharisee went in the temple one of them the Pharisee just like to hear himself right God here I am aren't you glad to see me? Hmm That's what preachers are telling people today You need to come God wants you to come Do him a favor won't you? The Pharisee, the publican wouldn't come up close. He stood in the back, pounding on his chest, seven words, God be merciful to me, the sinner.

That's the perfect prayer. And our Lord said, that publican went out of there justified, rather than the other. Why? Because he justified God. Look at verse 19. This is a great verse here, people. He's a friend to public and the sinner, and wisdom is justified of her children. Christ is wisdom. We are his children, and we justify him. I want you to see that. I want you to remember it. I want you to mark it, Luke 7. I want you to see this now. This is good.

Buddy, when you come to Christ, you throw away your past profession of faith. You throw it away. You throw away your religion. You throw away your knowledge. You throw away your righteousness. You throw away everything. You throw away everything you thought you knew about God. You cast it away like a filthy rag. Yes, you do. Come to Christ, you come naked to be clothed. You come hungry to be fed. You come empty to be filled. Yes, you do.

That's what it means to come to Christ. I've already entered Sunday's message. But look at this, verse 29, Luke 7, 29. All the people that heard him, all the people that heard him and the publicans justified God being baptized with the baptism of John. What's that? Repentance, sinners. But the Pharisees and the Lawyers rejected the counsel, the word, the truth of God against themselves.

That's what this book says about mankind. He's nothing, he's nobody, can do nothing, knows nothing, he's evil, he's vile, he's wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. He doesn't deserve saving. He deserves death. And God's people, the children of the Lord, justify God in everything He says about Himself, about them, about man, about salvation. They justify, they say, let God be true and every man a liar. God is true. God is God. We are not. God does according to His will. Man doesn't have a free will. They justify God.

They say man is dead. What's that mean? Bernard, you say graveyard dead. How dead can you get? Like Lazarus. Stinking dead. That's Psalm 14. They're altogether filthy. Stinking is a word. Is that what you think? Do you ever now get a whiff of yourself? And you justify God. And like David, you say you'll be just when you judge man. Right? That's what it means to justify God.

Men don't do that today. All of God's people do. And they say salvation is not by works. It's not by man's will. It's not by our choice. Salvation by Jesus Christ alone. His work. His will, His blood, His righteousness. This is what it means to justify God. Wisdom is justified of her children. All of them, without exception. There's no varying from this truth. Now, this is what they all believe. They all believe the same thing. See, I, they agree with God. Yes, they do.

Isn't that a great verse? Do you? When you come to Christ, you'll be like that woman. Keep bringing her up. Truth, Lord. It's true. The leper, you'll be like that leper. You'll come and fall on your feet as a leper and worship him. Say, you don't need me and I can't cleanse myself. But if you will, if thou wilt, you can. That's how you come to Christ. All right. Then he began to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done.

Brothers and sisters, the town of Rocky Mount, Virginia has heard the gospel for a long time, haven't they? Yes, they have. Where is everybody? The town of Fairmont, West Virginia has heard the gospel a long time. John, they've heard of John the Baptist, haven't they? And they're still hearing one. Where are the overflowing crowds? They're not coming. Because they're not coming to worship Christ. They're not justifying God. All God's people do. All Christ's children do. They come to Christ. Glorify Him. Hear from Him. Worship Him.

And it's going to be more tolerable in the judgment for San Francisco, California than Rocky Mount, Virginia. That's where this whole, much of this perversion and all started back in, at least in modern times, San Francisco, city of love, you know. They say back in the, even in the 60s, a quarter of the population were homosexual, sodomites. That's 60 years ago. What is it now? 70%.

But our Lord said he'd be more tolerable in the judgment than for these towns in the Bible Belt in the deep South with good old Christian people. It'd be more tolerable in the judgment for them than these towns. They've heard it and rejected it. Well, what'd the Lord say about it? What was his reaction to this? Look at verse 25. At that time, Jesus' answer said, I thank thee, Father. I thank you. In another gospel it says, he rejoiced in spirit. What it was, in another version of this in the gospel. He sent, he called 70 preachers.

70. You know, Philip and Stephen were a few of them. Do you know the rest of them? No, you don't. Their names aren't important.

But they were called just as much as Simon Peter and Bartholomew and Matthew. Yes, they were. They were called to preach to God. And they went out and devils were subject to them too. And people, the blind received their sight. And the lame walked and lepers were cleansed by these 70 men that you don't even know who they are. And they came back rejoicing, Lord, Lord, we preach the gospel to people who are blind to see it and the deaf are hearing, Lord, this is wonderful.

And it says, the Lord rejoiced in his spirit. And I know he smiled. He says he answered. Who's he answering? Did you hear a voice? He didn't. You hear a voice that men don't hear. He was in constant fellowship, communion with his father, never, ever, except when he went to the cross. Heavens were brand. My God, my God. He said, he's smiling, John, I know he's smiling. And you need to smile. I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.

You've hid these things from the wise and the prudent. Not many wise, not many mighty, not many strong or called, noble or called. Anybody? You see, you're calling brethren. He's revealed these things. Who? What? Him. Himself. The Christ, the true Christ, the living and true God, the truth, He's revealed these things unto them. So, Father, it seems, why? Well, men reject it. Why? Men aren't worthy. Why? Because God is sovereign.

He said, I will be merciful. Isn't that something? That He will be merciful, that He will be gracious. To whom I will be merciful. What do you think about that? What do you think about mercy? Isn't it the most wonderful thing there is? Grace. Sovereign grace. Eternal grace. Saving grace. Redeeming grace. Forgiving grace. Inheriting grace. Revealing grace. What do you think about grace? Oh, I commend you to the word of His grace. And you keep hearing it. Men don't want to hear that, Dad. We do, don't we? Makes us rejoice in spirit. Makes you want to dance. It's even so, it seemed good in thy sight. It pleased the Lord to make you his people. Isn't that something? It seemed good in God's sight to call John Sheasley from Rocky Mountain. Where were you born, John? Northern Virginia. It pleased the Father. Isn't that something? Does that amaze you? Amazing grace. How sweet to sound.

That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost. But now I found Jesus. No. No, he found me. I once was blind. I saw the light. No, no, no. The light saw me. Shined around about me. Apprehended me. Right? That's right. Oh, look at verse 27. What do you think about this?

All things are delivered unto me and my father. All things, all souls, all everything, all righteousness, all justification, sanctification, all things. Provisions for everything are mine. All men, women, and children belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's Lord over heaven and earth to do with them as he see fit. What do you think about that? David said, my times are in thy hands and I'm sure glad. Hmm. All things are delivered unto me and my father.

And here he makes it very plain that no man knoweth. No one knoweth. They're ignorant until he reveals. No man knoweth the son. They thought they knew Jesus. We know who you are. You're, you're Joseph's son. You're Mary's son. Really? Remember the question he asked them? What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? Remember that?

Well, they said he's the son of David. He said, then why did David say, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit there on my right hand till I make thy enemies their footstool. If he's David's son, how can he be David's Lord? If he's just the son of God, why did God call him God? If he's just the Son of God, why did he let people worship him as God? Why did he let Thomas call him my Lord and my God? Why? Because he is.

And he that cometh must believe that he is. You can only worship one God. So he says, all things are delivered unto me. No man knoweth the Son, but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father, that is, That he's not every man's father. That he's the father of God's people by sovereign choice, by sovereign adoption, by a sovereign new birth. And that's not of blood or the will of the flesh, but it's of God. No man knoweth that, and they'll argue against that until they're born of God.

Then there's no more argument. Right? Ask Saul of Tarsus. No man knoweth save the Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him. All things He said are mine. All judgment, all souls, everything, salvation, everything is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What do you think about that? His disciples were glad. They were so glad. And so are we, all of his true disciples. So he says, and we'll continue this again. We need to continue this. The half has not been told. So he says, come into me. Nope. Don't go anywhere else, to anyone else, for anything else, because all things are his. Christ is all. So he says, come to me, come to Christ. Okay, stand with me.

Coming to Christ

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