We're gonna look at two passages,
two separate but similar passages in the scripture. I don't know
how this is gonna come across. I hope I can articulate it. That's part of my problem is
trying to articulate things, but this is from my heart. and
it seemed to affect me somewhat, so I hope it will affect you
as well. Let's turn first to the first
passage in Matthew chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10. We start reading in verse 24.
Matthew 10, verse 24. The disciple is not above his
master, nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the
disciple, the believer, that he be as his master, Christ,
and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the master
of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of
his household? Fear them not. therefore for
there is nothing covered that shall be revealed and hid that
shall not be known what i tell you this is christ speaking in
darkness that speak ye in light and what you hear in the ear
that preach ye upon the housetops and fear not them which kill
the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear
him which is able to destroy both body so and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for
a farthing? And one of them shall not fall
on the ground without your father. What comfort is that? But the
very hairs of your head are all number. Fear ye not, therefore,
ye are of more value than many sparrows. Luke chapter 12. Luke chapter 12. We'll start in verse 1. Luke chapter 12, verse 1. In the meantime, when there were
gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch
that they trod one upon another, Christ began to say unto his
disciples, First of all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,
which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered
that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known.
Therefore, whatsoever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard
in the light, and that which you have spoken in the ear in
closets shall be proclaimed, preached upon the housetops. And I say unto you, my friends,
be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have
no more they can do, but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear,
fear him, fear God, which after he hath killed hath power to
cast into hell. Yea, I say unto you, fear God,
fear him. And then he gives us illustrations,
kind of like in Matthew chapter 12. Are not five sparrows sold
for two farthings? And not one of them is forgotten
before God. But even the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, you are of
more value. than many sparrows." So in these
two texts, it's not necessarily the theme, but it is, these two
texts we have the thought of preaching the word and the persecution
that will follow. As he says, you know, in Matthew,
in verse 28 he said and feared them not which
kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear
him who is able to destroy both soul and hell but he says in
verse 27 preach ye upon the housetops so speak the truth speak the
truth of christ in him crucified Speak the truth of man's total
depravity. The three R's. Speak ruin by
the fall, redemption by the blood, and regeneration by the spirit.
Speak those things. You're gonna be hated, you're
gonna be persecuted, you're gonna be tried. And in our passage
in Luke, in verse 13, he says, I got that wrong there too. I'm
sorry, verses one and three. In the meantime, they were gathered,
innumerable multitude of people, and Christ began to speak, to
preach, to speak. And then he said in verse three,
whatsoever you have spoken in darkness, shall be heard in the
light and what you have spoken in the ear and closet shall be
proclaimed upon the housetops. He's speaking of proclaiming
the gospel and as is normally the case with our Lord, he tells
his people not to fear. You're not going to be above
me. If they persecuted me, they're going to persecute you. We don't
like persecution. We don't like trouble. That's
why we talk about the weather more than we talk about Christ.
That's why we talk about things. things that we are interested
in more than the one we love. You know, Bruce is constantly
saying we speak of the one we love. Do we? Do I? We, that's all included. It's
easy just to, it's easier not to say anything. But I think this way, wouldn't
that person that I'm withholding the truth Wouldn't he be a precious,
or she, wouldn't they be a precious brother or sister? Wouldn't they
be better for us than against us? The world is against us,
but wouldn't it be better if they, your neighbor down the
street, The person you run with, the person you ride with, the
person I play with, you know, guitar, all these different things
that we do, these extracurricular things we do. Wouldn't it be
better if these folks were for us and not against us? Well,
you're not going to know if you just don't say anything. Tim
James made a comment a long time ago. Sheep beget sheep. You tell? And I, Melinda and
I, we've wrestled this And I've wrestled with this and I've talked
to some other pastors and they have their opinions, but a lot
of us think that putting this stuff out on social media, sermon
audio and all that, doesn't do much, if anything, really, really. Bruce Crabtree made a comment,
he's told me, he said, seems like the people who are close
to the proximity of the church, they're the ones that make good
members, they come, they're here, but when you start having to
drive from miles and miles and miles, I never thought about
that. But I really wonder how good
social media, and I know I can hear Henry saying we need to
take all the means, every means possible, and I understand that,
but, and I'm not saying we need to hide the gospel for our gospel
to be hid to them that are lost, But just to give you an example,
about 264 people or more see our boosted ad of our conference. And this time, more than any
other time, I've gotten ridiculous comments, mean comments, and
people laughing. So I just go in there and I delete
them. I can delete them being the moderator.
But how harmless is that? Announcing we're having a conference
to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Over 200 people have
replied, thumbs up. Will they be here? Have they
ever been here? I wonder how good it is, but
don't despise the day of small things. It costs a little bit,
so I put these out. So here in Matthew, in our text
in Matthew chapter 10, he uses the word fear not several times.
This phrase is often used throughout the whole of the scriptures.
And if he uses it so often, we must need to be assured of this
exhortation. Because we have the fear of man,
we have the fear of insulting people, and all these different
things. But again, if we speak the truth
in love, The responsibility is on their side. It's on them. Jeremiah, Isaiah, Genesis, just
to name a few, all these are filled with the comforting and
high language as we tell fellow sinners how God saves and can
save and be just in doing so. This is the gospel. It's never
popular. It never has been popular. This
gospel is all grace. There's no works on our part,
which Bruce read in John chapter one. It's not, not if they keep
it in context, it's, it's obvious, man, you will not come to me
that you may have life. It's all of grace. This gospel
is never attributed to our works, our worth, or our will this gospel. It always brings ultimate glory
to God in Christ Jesus. And that's what we talked to
men talked about back there. That's why Paul said, we preach
not ourselves. And it's very, it's easy to do.
It's easy to do. We talk about experiences that
we've had when we ought to be speaking of Christ. It's very
easy to do. Telling men, women, and boys
and girls that they cannot work or even earn their way to glory
is insulting. It's insulting, and we have to
bring counselors to school to make sure that the children are
okay. This gospel knows no political correctness, and I do not apologize
for not being politically correct. I won't be, and neither should
anybody that's behind this pulpit. If it offends, in some things,
Paul says, we offend all. And I would say that that's the
gospel. Rightly spoken, in truth, in love. Now, I know the gospel
can be used like a battering ram, and I've done it, and you
make people mad, and that's not. But even Paul, when he was in
prison, Philippians, he said, nevertheless, I rejoice, Christ
is preached. Their attitude, their conduct wasn't proper. He said, they do it, they preached
it, supposing to add to my bonds. And being mean, that's not the
right attitude. But we teach and preach Christ
must and has satisfied all things against us by the sacrifice of
his person on Calvary's tree. But I want to look further into
this passage, because there's something in here that I'd never
seen before. And I want to share it with you.
It's comforting if you're in this passage. We've already heard,
fear not, the persecution that's going to arise because of the
gospel, whether it's your mom or your dad or your parents. I think about my family. And
I ask God, he would do something, almost daily, I pray for your
children. You pray for me. That I speak
the words as they need to be spoken. And I think this will
help if you fit this category. So we've seen the story about
the sparrows. Now look with me again quickly
at Matthew chapter 10. Listen to what he says. Listen
to how he phrases this. Verse 29, are not two sparrows
sold for one farthing? That's verse 29 in Matthew 10. Are not two sparrows sold for
a farthing? and one of them shall not fall
on the ground without your father but the very hairs of your head
are all numbered." This is comforting when we go through anything.
Fear not therefore you are of more values than many sparrows.
He's talking two sparrows worth one farthing. What is a farthing? I thought I had it written down
here but I had it written down on my other notes that I was
a farthing is a tenth, is a Roman coinage, it's a tenth, a tenth
of a penny. A farthing is a tenth, we don't
even, we don't, we have a penny, that's as low as we go. That's
as low as America goes on money. A farthing is one-tenth, if you're
into decimals, it's .10. of a penny. Okay, two sparrows. Now turn with me to Luke, and
we'll stay here. Luke. I want us to see this as
well. I wanna draw our attention to
Luke chapter 12, verse six and seven. Now remember, this is
preaching the gospel and the persecution that's gonna arise,
preaching the truth in love, being concerned for your neighbors,
your family, your friends, those who do not know Christ, God is
going to protect us. He's going to protect us like
He protects these sparrows, okay? Look at verse 6 and 7. Are not
five, five sparrows sold for two farthings? Okay, you had
in Matthew, you had two sparrows, a farthing, one for two. This
one you got five. For two farthings, there's two,
there's two, you got an odd, you got an odd sparrow. He's
not even worth a tenth. It'd be, what, a twentieth? You
see my point? And he compares us to sparrows.
That's what I want to get at. We are nothing in our own eyes. And the quicker we realize that,
I'd say that God may do something with us, and may do something
with you. He may do something with this church. Are not five sparrows sowed for
two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
Two sparrows for a farthing, in Matthew. In Luke, five sparrows
for two farthings. So we see an odd sparrow thrown
in the mix. In the equation, so to speak,
this is God's math. This isn't our math, this is
God's math. It's an odd one, this sparrow, numerically. But
also, if God reveals this to you and to me, grace in the heart,
we're this sparrow. Spiritually, characteristically,
odd by account of sin, we're that odd sparrow, on account
of the truth, we're a sparrow. Not even a tenth of a penny,
a twentieth. And what is a lowly old sparrow
worth? Now, those of us here that have
bird feeders, I bet the most prized bird you want to see is
a sparrow, right? No, not at all. Humanly speaking,
this sparrow is worth nothing. Ornithologically, they're unimpressive. When you put out a feeder, these
sparrows are often overlooked. They're almost a pest species. We want to see the showy ones.
We want to see the bluebirds, the cardinals, and the blue jays. That's what we want to see, something
impressive. What of us here today? The scripture
says there's none good, no not one. God has chosen the fullest
things of the world to confound the wise, 1 Corinthians 1. God
has chosen the sparrows of the world. That's what we are. We're
sparrows. Old Benjamin Franklin, he wanted
to make the turkey the national bird, but the turkey's so ugly,
we thought we need something a little more regal. So we went
with the bald eagle. I'm glad we did. It's, I tell you, it's better
to be seen and known and felt to be a worthless old odd sparrow
than all the glitter and gold this world has. You can be all you want to be,
but in this world it isn't much. It isn't much. We won't hear
such truth as this as it is in Christ in this world. This world,
I'll tell you what this world will do, it'll build you up,
it'll pamper you, it'll feed us unholy food, and then leave
us at the very gates of hell. That's what this world will do.
If you follow this world, if you're ambitious, you wanna do
all these things that the world says good people do, nice people
do, church people do, It's unholy food, because it's
self. It's not the sparrow. It's not
this bird that's only worth 1 20th of a penny. Brethren, let
us not be deceived. Let us not be mocked. For what
is it worth? Be an old sparrow, or that is
be lowly of a humble mind. God gives grace to the humble,
but he resists the proud. Yes, he resists the proud. May
we take our place at the feet of our sovereign. May we bow
to his rights and his claims over us, and therefore be at
peace and have great hope. I just still remember that picture
of that old man. Everybody's got one, or I've
seen one, or you can get one, a picture of the old man. He's
at an old wooden table, and he's leaning over that with bread
and water, and he's giving thanks. And then I remembered somebody
said, bread and water and Christ too? We've got to have all this
stuff. And I'm not saying sell everything
you've got. and bring it to the church and
now live your life. But live it under the watchful
eye of He who is righteous, who is just. He who desires to hear from us.
I was thinking, reading again the other day, one of these writers,
we don't go to him enough. He desires to hear our voice.
There's nothing too big, too small, a 20th of a penny. And he takes note of these sparrows. He takes note of these and he
says, are you not worth more? Yes, yes, indeed. The very hairs of our head are
numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are
of more value than these many sparrows, more value. Let's put
a financial, 1 20th of a penny. How insulting. But now if we
look at both texts together, we see the reward or the comfort
that we have, and that is that we are of more value than even
these worthless sparrows. In and of ourselves, We can see
it, Genesis through Revelation, in and of ourselves, we're not
worth anything. But under the blood, and given
what Christ has done, what he's done to his only begotten son,
for his sheep, for his sparrows, as lowly and as nothing and less
than nothing as these feathered creatures are, each child of
grace is worth or held in a higher, in the highest esteem in the
eyes of God. So yes, children, you're nothing, but in Christ,
everything, everything. Again, what's the world say?
Don't listen to the world. We're in the world, we're not
of the world. Don't listen to the world. Don't listen to the world. If
you are a believer this morning, if you desire to be a believer
this morning, if you desire to confess Christ, and worship Him
and follow Him. You are protected by sovereignty. You are protected by divine providence
and Holy Spirit enabling. You are guarded. You are surrounded
by omnipotence, majestic power, kingly decrees, and royal mandate. That's what we have. For anything
to reach us, us sparrow types, for anything to reach you, it
must go through the will and protection of our preeminently
regal watchman. It's got to do that. It cannot
come directly at us. Satan, he's got to ask permission. So I just step back and say,
what an amazing thing this salvation by grace through Christ is. There's
nothing like it. There's no religion like it.
There's no God like our God. There's no gospel like our gospel.
There's no Christ. There's no Holy Spirit like the
ones we serve. There's nothing like this being
kept by the power of God, by the accomplishments of our elder
brother Christ. There's nothing like it. It's
the most wonderful thing in the world. That's why Moses could
say to his Deuteronomy, Can you remember his relation? I'll just
say it that way. Come with us. We will do you
good. We will do you good. Now we can't
provide unlimited money. We can't provide unlimited resources. We can't provide the things that
the world counts dear. But the older you get, the more
you'll see. The world's not it. It's just
not there. It's like a politician's promise.
Promise, promise, promise, promise. And if you do get success, if
you do get wealth and prosperity and all these things, what does
it gain a man to gain the whole world and lose your soul? He said, that's who you need
to be afraid of. But have you Christ here this morning? Have
you tasted that he is gracious? Live your life. He cares for you. And he will
not. It may be cancer. Death's coming. Death is coming. It's going to
hit everybody, unless the Lord returns. We're not spared a lot
of these things. But in these things, we can have
peace that passes all understanding. We The 10th or 20th part of a
penny are dear and precious in his sight, for he sent his only
son to bleed and suffer and die upon the accursed tree for his
church, for his elect, for his remnant. I wanna close with an
article. I'm not gonna be politically
correct, but that's okay. This is written in the early
1800, mid 1800s. And listen to the whole thing,
because I read half of it and I was like, wait a minute, that's
not right. Read the whole thing. Keep it in context. A poor, half-witted
man. Okay, that's somebody who's probably
not educated, slow, whatever you want to say. I'm just going
to read the article. A poor half-witted man was asked
by his minister, his pastor, how he came to be saved. And
this is what he said, it was between me and God. Makes sense. God did his part and I did the
other. Oh, wait a minute. Listen, listen,
don't judge. Well, said the minister, which
was a good question, what part did you do? And this is what
he said, God saved me. and I stood in his way. God saved
me and I stood in his way. Wasn't that the hymn we just
sang in the course booklet? I've long rebelled, I've long
resisted. These are the words, you know, this was the gentleman
that wrote that hymn. That's what he was saying. And
so I read that, I'm like, okay, we're on the same page. This
is what Mr. Spurgeon said about this comment.
This is the part I must confess in which I was most conspicuous. I was very stubborn and willful
and put from me the invitations of the Lord's love. I willed
to remain a rebel, but he would not have it so. Did I not resist
his spirit? Did I not put from me his gospel? Did I not resolve to abide in
my own self-righteousness and continue as I was? But he He,
this one who loves the sparrows, loves us more than the sparrows.
But he would not suffer to be so, and at last I was compelled
to cry, I yield to the all-conquering grace of God and bless the hand
that sweetly bows me to its mightiest way. Isn't that what we talked
about back there, Romans, conquering? Now I know we like to think God
does this and that. You tell me who among us, other
than after we were made willing, which he dealt with that, were
not rebels. We would not have him to reign
over us. That's our nature. So let's just
own up to that. And by God's grace, You realize
we're kicking against the pricks. Was it Paul? Saul of Tarsus? Wasn't he doing that, kicking
all the way? Yes, we do. But then there's a day of grace,
a day of reckoning, a day of salvation, a day of when you
realize, I'm not worth a 20th of a penny. And then, You see
God's led and fed the whole way. You see God cares for you through
Christ. You desire to worship him. You desire to serve him. You
desire to be baptized and follow him and love him and worship
him. Amazing lessons that an odd sparrow
can teach us. There's a lot we can learn. I
pray God would teach us and we would. Bruce, would you close
us?