Wednesday evening the message
was from Luke's gospel chapter 12. The first 21 verses. My text was verse 21 and primarily
the last three words which are these, rich toward God, rich
toward God. And as our Lord taught in his
parable Those in this world concerning the rich man of the parable,
the fool, our Lord called him, those such people in this world,
no matter how much of this world they may accumulate, they're
poor. They're poor because they're
without grace. without Christ, without God,
without His great salvation. They're poor because as our Lord
taught, they're not rich toward God. They're not rich toward
God. Again in the parable, but God
said to the man, this night thou fool, thy soul shall be required
of thee, then who shall those things be which thou hast provided? You've labored for the wind.
It's all vanity. And here's the application our
Lord made. So is he. So is he, no matter
who he is. No matter who he is. Without
Christ, you're just like this rich man. So is he that layeth
up treasure for himself, but is not rich toward God. On the other hand, those who
are in this world and may possess very little of this world, but
by God's grace, they're not of the world. Mike, they've been
separated. That's all that can do it. God's
mighty grace, the great shepherd comes to them and calls them
out of darkness into his marvelous light. They're separated. You're
not of the world, though you're in the world, the Master said.
And such people are indeed rich. Rich. Rich toward God. If we are God's children, that
means God is our Father. And that's to be rich. John again
quoted this, or read it, 1 John 3, Behold what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God. The sons of God. Beloved, now
are we the sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, don't know
exactly what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear
we shall be like him. Well then, that's good enough.
I'll wait for that. Don't need to know any more than
that. that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall
see him as he is." No wonder John says, behold this, behold. May God our Father allow us to
do that this morning. Part of our message Wednesday
evening concerning being children of God were three things and
we'll just be brief. The children of God, the father's
children, enjoy the very best food. The very best food. Turn, if you will, to John's
Gospel, Chapter 6. John, Chapter 6, and I'll show
you what I mean by that, and you probably have already guessed.
But that's okay. John, Chapter 6. The children live on the bread
of life. They live on the bread of life. They are sustained by the bread
of life. They derive their very life,
that eternal life, from the source of life, Jesus Christ himself,
the bread of life. In John's Gospel, chapter 6,
verse 35, Jesus said, I am the bread of life. Not the bread
of temporary existence. No, I'm the bread of life, eternal
life, everlasting life. He that cometh to me shall never
hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Verse 48 in the same chapter. Again, our Lord says, I am that
bread of life. Verse 50, this is the bread which
cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not
die. I am the living bread. I'm the
living bread. Anybody that eats of him lives
as he lives. I am the living bread which came
down from heaven. If any man eat this bread, he
shall live forever. And the bread that I will give
is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. God's children enjoy the very
best food. And all the father's children
are the very best dressed. Are the very best dressed. What do you mean by that? I mean
this. I mean what God means. God had made him who knew no
sin Jesus Christ, Him. He's the only one who knew no
sin, Mike. And made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that
we might be made the very righteousness of God in Him. My soul, you can't be better
dressed than that. You can't be better dressed to
stand before God Almighty in the perfect righteousness of
his own son. That's why Paul said, in that
day, in that day. I wonder if I'm speaking to anyone
this morning who in that day will not be found in him. is
not dressed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, or trusting
the fig leaves of self-righteousness. Oh, I hope not. I hope not. Because
if you are, no matter how pretty they may appear to you, No matter
how much you've worked weaving that robe of self-righteousness,
God's going to say, it's not enough. Get out of my sight. Depart from me. Your righteousness
is filthy rags. The only righteousness that I
will accept is the righteousness of my son. That's being rich
toward God. Rich toward God. Paul said in
that day, in that day that I know most folks consider a fairy tale,
Most folks, Louis, your neighbors, mine, our children, most of them
consider it a fable. That day when God Almighty is
going to usher all men like He did the rich fool in the parable
in Luke 12. This night thy soul shall be
required of thee. What if God says that to you
tonight? What if the night, what if this
night is your last night? What if this very night you'll
not open your eyes to another morning? That could very well be. That
could very well be. Paul said in that day, I want
to be found in Him. I want to be found in Him. When
I'm ushered into the presence of that high and holy, glorious
God, I want to stand in Christ, in His perfect righteousness. John said, I saw a multitude
standing before the throne. Standing. Standing before the
throne. It's there, and I can't find
an adjective to describe it, But it is their greatest joy
to stand before the throne. They're standing in the sunlight
of God's smile. God's smiling on them. They're
not afraid. They're not fearful. They don't
pray for the rocks in the mountains to fall on and hide them from
the face of him that sits upon the throne. They're not afraid.
Why? Because they know. They're standing there, John
said, waving the palm leaf of victory. Whose victory? The victory
of King Jesus that he wrought for his people. And all clothed
with white robes. The righteousness of Jesus Christ. That's why they're before the
throne. The best fed are the father's children. The best dressed.
And they have the best home. The best home. Their elder brother
said, I go to prepare a place for you. I'm going to the father's house.
My father and your father. And my God and your God. You're
my brethren. And in my father's house, my
father's house is your house, just like it's his house, our
great shepherd. I go to prepare a place for you
and if I go, if I go, where did he go? Oh yeah, he went. He went back. He finished the
work God gave him to do here and he ascended back to glory.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. Just as surely as he came the
first time and went back, he's coming again. And I can't help
but repeat, I know that most people think that's a fairy tale.
It doesn't alarm anybody because they've been put to sleep. They enjoy a sound
slumber. You know why? Because they've
been given a sleeping pill with another Jesus that says it's
all up to them. Therefore, when they hear you're
going to stand before God, they think, well, that's not a problem.
That's not a problem. He's the old man upstairs. I've
got nothing to fear about. Oh, but not so. Christ says, I'm coming back
for the children, and I'm taking them back to my Father's house,
that where I am, there they may be. That's a good definition
of heaven, isn't it? where Jesus Christ is, where
Jesus Christ is. I hear people, I saw two men
almost come to blows, real spiritual fellas. One claimed to be more
spiritual than the other and they almost came to blows because
one said that the streets of gold were only gold covered and
the other said, well, I have you know, there are gold through
and through. And if you don't believe me,
I'll give you a taste of that. Man, heaven is where Jesus Christ
is. Heaven is to be where He is.
He's the glory of heaven, and the heaven's glory is Jesus Christ
Himself. What more, what more could a
sinner want than to be living in the presence of Jesus Christ
forever and forever and forever? What more can there be? than
that. And then I read this verse of scripture
in Revelation chapter 2 verse 9 to close my message Wednesday
night and I'd like to just pick it up right there. Our Lord said,
I know thy works and tribulation. He's talking to his people. I
know your tribulation. I know your trials. I'm not unaware
what you're going through. Oh no. I know that works in tribulation
and poverty, and poverty, and in parentheses, but thou
art rich. But thou art rich. These are
the words of Christ. Christ the King. That one whom God made heir of
all things. These are His words. He says
to every one of His children, you're rich. You're rich. That one whom God has lifted
up as a prince and a savior, that one that we are a joint
heir with, think about that. I don't know that I told you
this story. It just now comes to my mind. It must have been
30 years ago or longer. I had a cousin who's a lawyer. He traced our roots. I don't know why people get intrigued
about that. It's okay, but no matter, you can trace all of
our roots back to fallen Adam. We fell when Adam fell. But any family tree you shake,
old Adam's going to fall out. But he traced our roots and claimed
there was some fella in England that had died that was rich and
they were trying to seek any relatives he had left. And Danny,
my cousin, claimed that we were kind to him. Man, he worked for
months trying to prove it, because we were going to get a share
of that fellow's inheritance. And by the time he figured it
all out with all the cousins, I think we would have got $16.50
a piece. It wasn't worth the trouble.
It wasn't worth the trouble. Wasted effort. Oh, but with Jesus
Christ, oh my soul, Jesus Christ says, thou art rich. I'm a child
of the king. I'm a child of the king. Louis,
Cates, you're looking at a child of the king. The king of kings
and the lord of lords. How rich is he? How rich is that one whom with
we are joint heirs? We're going to receive everything
he earned. Mmm. We're going to partake in
everything he merits. My soul. Don't let that rush by too quick.
Chew the cut on that a while. Jesus Christ is going to say,
enter into the joy prepared for you from the foundation of the
world. Come into the Father's house
and see all that I have for you. Joint heirs with Jesus Christ. How rich is he? Is there anything
that he does not own? Is there anything that he does
not own? Is there anywhere that he does
not rule? I read a statement by Pastor
David Edmondson in one of his bulletins several months ago.
He said if there is a square foot, one square foot, anywhere
on earth where Jesus Christ does not rule, that he's not sovereign
over, David said, I would be afraid that that was the square
foot I was standing on. Oh, but not so. Our God is in
the heavens. ruling and overruling everything
and everyone for His own glory and the salvation of His people.
And it doesn't make any difference who likes it or don't like it
or won't bow to it. It doesn't matter. Jesus Christ
is Lord over all, God blessed forever. Where does He not rule? He owns the psalmist said, the
cattle on a thousand hills. One preacher said, do you hear
that? He owns all the cattle on a thousand hills and he said,
if there's any taters in them hills, he owns all that too.
He owns it all, does he not? Turn if you will to 1 Corinthians
chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. This is what we're told here. So many places in scriptures
that tell us this. But we'll just look at a couple.
1 Corinthians 3, look at verse 21. 1 Corinthians 3, verse 21. Therefore, let no man glory in
men, for all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or
Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come, all are yours. How can that be, Paul? He tells
us how. Verse 23, and ye are Christ. You're Christ. And Christ is
God's. Again, our text from Revelation
2 and 9, but, but, you are rich. But, remember whose you are. Remember who you are and whose
you are. Yes, you may be poor as the earthly
goods. Yes, he says, I know your tribulation. I know your heartache. I know
your sorrow. I see every tear that falls from
your weeping eyes, but don't forget, Don't be so overcome
with these present things that you forget who you are and whose
you are. You're rich, but thou art rich. How much poverty could there
be for someone that Christ Jesus has made rich, Joe? How can any
child of the king be poor? Rich toward God. Consider this
part two of that message Wednesday night. Oh, no, that's not enough.
That's not enough. Two parts won't do it. Must be
more. With Christ as my Savior, being
a child of the King, there must be a part three and a four and
a five and on into eternity. Eternity will not exhaust the
riches, the enjoyment of the riches that his people have in
Christ Jesus. They won't run out in eternity. They'll go on and on. Like John taught this morning
and was almost overcome in teaching it. I understand how you feel,
John. My soul just stand in holy wonder. When we think about we shall
be with Him forever, all that He is, all that He has is ours. Eternity will not exhaust the
blessed riches of His grace, of that inheritance awaiting
us. And that we already have. Paul
tells us in Ephesians 1, we already have. God has already given us
the earnest, the down payment. The sure promise, the earnest
of our inheritance in the saints. You remember years ago, do they
still do this? I remember my mother, several
months before Christmas, with nine children at home, would
lay away at Murphy's or Worworth's in Oak Hill, West Virginia. I
don't know that there was a mall around back in those days, but
she would have to put so much down, earnest money. earnest
money, promised that she intended to pay in full and upon doing
so she would get it out. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1
verses 12-14 that God our Father has given us the earnest of the
Holy Spirit. The earnest. the guarantee, the
promise that we shall receive the full inheritance that's waiting
for us now. The earnest is like the first
fruits, like the first fruits were. They were the assurance
of the harvest that was sure to come. The first fruits are
evidence and promise that the full harvest is awaiting. Even so, because ye are sons,
God has sent the spirit of his Son into your hearts, the earnest,
crying, Abba, Father. And that's the guarantee of our
inheritance. Bobby sang it a moment ago. I
am His and He is mine. That's who I am and whose I am. I am His and He is mine. One with Jesus. One with Jesus. By eternal union one. One with
Jesus. One with Jesus. Oh, the wonders
grace has done. One with Christ from everlasting. One with Him upon the tree, one
with Him on high ascending, one with Him eternally. I noticed in driving home from
Crossville yesterday, passed a lot of churches. They all had
signs out, quite a few of them, about Father's Day. Don't forget
your heavenly father, they said. You mean everybody that drove
by could take that to mean that God's their father? I guess so,
but it's a lie. God's not everybody's father. God is not everybody's father. He's everybody's creator. But
he's not everybody's father. Our Lord sent us some people
who thought they had a lock on God because they were Jews. He said, you're of your father,
the devil. Woo! Woo! My soul! He couldn't
win friends and influence people that way. He told the truth. God is not your father. The only
way I can know that God's my Father, the only way I can know
that God loves me, the only way I can know that I am His and
He is mine if I know His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the only way. I cannot know otherwise. I can't
go out preaching to everybody that I bump into, God loves you,
God loves you. I don't know if God loves them
or not. Bow to God's Son. Seek mercy
from His Son. Then I'll know God loves you.
He's loved you with an everlasting love and with His mighty arm. He's drawn you to Himself. Father's Day. Turn if you will
to Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9. We're told
here who God's children really are. Romans chapter 9, just the first sentence of verse
6. Not as though the word of God
hath taken none of fact. Paul, so to speak, throws up
a caution light. And he says, don't misunderstand
what I've just written. Don't misunderstand my great
heaviness. and continual sorrow in my heart
for my brethren. Don't you misunderstand my burden,
my concern for their salvation. Don't you misconstrue that for
a minute to imagine that I don't think God's purpose won't be
realized. That's what he's telling us.
Not as though the word of God had taken none effect. And then Paul explains that.
For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. They're
not all the children of God. They all may be Jews, but they're
not all children of God. Verse 7 of Romans 9. Neither
because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children.
Whoa, wait a minute, wait a minute. You telling me all them Jews
over in Israel are not God's children? Well, read it, read
it. Neither because they are the
seed of Abraham, and they are, are they all children. But in
Isaac, in Isaac, he represents the son of promise. In Isaac
shall thy seed be called. For this is the word of promise,
verse 9. Are you looking at this with me? Romans 9 and 9. For this is the word of promise,
at this time will I come. This is God speaking to Abraham
concerning Sarah giving birth to Isaac. That's in Genesis chapter
10. For this is the word of promise,
at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. Sarah
shall have a son. You remember when that happened?
We're told that the Lord appeared, the Lord himself appeared to
Abraham as he said in his tent. That's in Genesis 18. I don't
think I was correct in what I said. But listen to this. Well, the
Lord appears to Abraham, and he said, I will certainly return
unto thee according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah thy wife
shall have a son. Man, Abraham's nearly 100 years
old. Sarah's 90 years old. And Sarah
heard it in the tent which was behind him, and she laughed.
She laughed. Are you kidding me? Are you serious? The Lord said, I heard Sarah
laugh. Sarah said, oh, no, no, no. People think God doesn't
know. And then he asked, is anything
too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed, this is
what we read in Romans 9. At the time appointed, I will
return unto thee according to the time of life, and Sarah shall
have a son." They waited. So Sarah thought she would take
matters into her own hands, help God out, and gave Abraham Hagar,
who bore Ishmael. He's not the son of promise.
He's the picture of man-made religion. He's the picture of
what men do with their own will. Oh no, God wasn't in that. God wasn't in that. No, God's
in this. At the appointed time, I will
come. I will come in mighty power. I will come and do that which
is impossible for you to do otherwise. Sarah shall have a son, so is
everyone that is born of God. God must come. God must come. All these churches for generations
have been producing a bunch of ishmaels, the work of the flesh. Move your foot, raise your hand,
say a prayer. These are not the children of
promise. No. For a true son of God to
be born into his family, God must come to him. Otherwise it's
impossible. It's impossible, remember. Remember
when Gabriel appeared to Zacharias? He was old too. So was Elizabeth. At the time appointed, just like
he said to Abraham, God's going to come. Elizabeth's going to
have a son. And Zacharias said, how can this
be? How can this be? And Gabriel
said, shut his mouth. He said, nothing's impossible
with God. Nothing's impossible with God.
And because you don't believe, I'm the messenger of God, Gabriel
said. I stand in the presence of God. I'm telling you what
God said. And because you don't believe
it, I'm going to shut your mouth. You can't speak. And when John
was born, by the miracle, the miracle of God's power and operation
of grace, just like he raises a dead sinner to life, They handed John a tablet. They
wanted to name the baby this and this. Zacharias said, give
me a tablet. And he wrote John. His name's
John. He believed that. His name's John. And we're told
his mouth was opened. And what did he do? He praised
God. God had visited his people. God
has made known his great salvation. That's what it takes. I was driving
home again yesterday, and I was trying to find something
on the radio worth listening to, and there's a heap of religious
stations. Can't hear the gospel on any
of them, but they're running 24-7. At least I haven't found
one. If you find one, tell me what it is. But they were all
talking about being born again. This guy was talking about how
easy and simple it was. I mean, he bumps into waiters
and says, are you born again? Nah, would you like to be born
again? Say this prayer after me. That's sad. That's sad. It not only robs
God of his glory, it gives sinners a false hope. A false hope. It tells them to trust in themselves. It reduces this great operation
of God's mighty and powerful grace. That time in which He
comes, just like He came to Sarah and she had a son. It reduces
that glorious, glorious miracle to no more than what a man can
do. That's sad, that's sad. And it
doesn't give that sinner any hope at all. It gives him a false
hope. Our Lord, in Luke 10, when those
70 came back rejoicing that he had sent out to preach the gospel,
to heal the sick, to cast out devils, they came back just bubbling
over. Lord, even the devils are subject
unto us through thy name. You remember what he said. You
remember what he said in this? Rejoice not. In this, rejoice
not that the devils are subject unto you, but rather rejoice
that your names are recorded in heaven. In the book of life,
in my Father's house, under the first name Jesus Christ is the
name of every child of God, and we're told he rejoiced in spirit. Jesus Christ rejoiced in the
election. He didn't have a problem with
it. He said, even so, Father, for so it seems good in thy sight. Thou art rich. Rich. Paul in Romans 8 said,
we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God. We all know that verse. That
them who are called according to his purpose. And sadly, folks,
stop there. Just stop. But Paul goes on and
explains this glorious purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate. Oh, my soul. This is what God's
working? To be conformed to the image
of his Son. That he, his Son, might be the
firstborn among many brethren. Wow! Wow! What a glorious purpose that
is. Who else would God mold us after?
We are his workmanship, Ephesians 2, created in Christ Jesus. Who else would the great Father
of glory mold us after other than his own Son? God demands
perfection. Man, if that ever dawns on people
who lie down at night trusting their decision, Man, if God in
His mercy ever turns the light on, or trusting their Calvinism,
let's bring it a little closer home, trusting anything to Jesus
Christ, if God ever in His mercy and grace turns the light on,
my soul are they in for a rude awakening. When God in grace
strips that sinner and brings him down. But he does that Grace
teaches first our hearts to fear and then that same grace relieves
our fear. God must get us lost. If you've
never been lost, you've never been saved. That's just a fact.
If you've never been stripped, don't tell me about I believe
1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Don't tell me what you believe,
tell me whom you believe. If you've never been stripped,
you've never been clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ,
and that's all that matters. That's all that matters. I know
it's warm in here, and I'm going to wrap up. But my soul, our
Lord said to the religious folks in his day, And they believed
a lot of stuff, believed a lot of things. Dotted every I and
crossed every T. But he said, you don't come to
me, you don't have life. If you don't believe that I'm
he, you're going to die in your sins. I might be preaching to
somebody, Louie, for the last time that tonight's going to
die in their sins and I'm going to stand before God Almighty
and give an account. Behold the Lamb of God. The Father is molding us, His
children, His sons, in the image of His own Son. God demands perfection. Where else would He find it?
God answered that Himself, didn't He? God says, I demand absolute
perfection, absolute satisfaction, absolute. And He said, I found
it. This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased. Well pleased, eternally pleased,
completely pleased, satisfied, forever pleased. And now, God is well pleased
with everyone that's in His Son. Everyone. And in Him, God is
well pleased with all of His children. Turn to Hebrews chapter
2. Hebrews chapter 2 for a moment.
This is what we read here. Hebrews 2 verse 10. John saw a multitude, he couldn't
number, in bringing many sons to glory
to make the captain, don't you like that, the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings, the captain, the firstborn, who
for the joy that was set before him, in bringing these many sons
to glory for whom he suffered, For that joy set before him,
he endured the cross, despised the shame, and is now set down
at the right hand of the majesty on high. Behold your glorious
captain, child of God. But that's not all. He's not
alone. Look down at verse 13. I will
put my trust in him, and again, behold, this is our captain.
speaking to God the Father, and he says, Behold, I am the children
which God hath given me. Oh my soul! John said, I beheld the Lamb,
but with Him, with Him, all His sons, all the children, And my
soul, they've all been made like unto God's own son. They've all been made like unto
the captain of their salvation. And there they stand. And of
course, he has the preeminence. He stands at the forefront. He's
our captain. Oh, but look what he's done.
Bless His name, look what He's done. Father, I brought them
all back home. All of them, they're all here. They're all here. I've lost none. No wonder John said, behold what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should
be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now, but thou art rich. Now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when
he shall appear, we shall be like him, our captain, our elder
brother. For we shall see him as he is. Amen. Amen.