Well I want to turn your attention
back to the Gospel of Luke and the 13th chapter this week, and
I want to look at the verses at the end of the chapter from
verse 30 down to the end. Thinking about the nature of
God, who God is, what God is, the source of all life, the creator,
the sustainer of all things, Thinking about the fact that
we are creatures created in his image, we are creatures of eternity,
we have immortal souls. Given the fact of who God is
in his holiness, in his purity, in his absolute sinless perfection,
and what we are as sinners before the law of God, and what the
justice of God is, to be compatible with the very nature of God,
we must surely note the only place of safety for eternity
is in the Kingdom of God, in the Kingdom of Heaven. It's the
only place, and that's why we looked at the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ in verse 24 of this chapter last week, strive to
enter in. Be serious about it. Strive to
enter in. Because a day of judgment is
coming as verses 25 to 28 make plain. There's a day of judgment
coming when a lot of people will be presuming that they are heirs
of the kingdom of heaven, that they are safe in the kingdom
of heaven. And Jesus says, strive to enter
in because an awful lot of people are going to say, Lord, Lord,
let us in, surely you'd let us in, we've been religious, we've
done all the right things, we've been to church, we've said all
the right sort of things. And he'll say, depart from me,
you who work iniquity, you who work unbelief, you who work rejection
of the truth of God, depart from me. I never knew you. You think,
but you're wrong. You think you know me, but you
don't. And there was that warning, and hence the admonition. Strive
to enter in. We mustn't presume regarding
salvation. Presumption is a dangerous place
to be. Look at verse 30. And behold,
there are last which shall be first, and there are first which
shall be last. Don't think any of us has a birthright
because of human connections, because of who our relatives
are, or the family we come from, or any other thing. Don't presume
that any of us have a birthright to salvation by nature. No. The elect of God, the ones he
saves, the ones to whom he says, welcome, come in on that day
of judgment, are seldom those that we would choose. Human wisdom
doesn't choose wisely in these respects. Listen what God says
through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 26 to 28, talking
about those who are called to eternal life, those who are the
elect of God. He says, not many wise men after
the flesh, think about Think about when you're kids playing
games, you know, and you choose teams, and, you know, everybody's
there, and two captains are chosen. Choose the teams, and, of course,
they always, they take turns choosing the teams, and they
always want to choose the best players for their teams, don't
they? You know, they want the one that's going to score the
most goals, or whatever other sport it is. And it gets right
down and it's such a shame for the poor kids that are left over
that are not very good and they're the ones that only get called
last well look not many wise men after the flesh not many
mighty God doesn't choose like we do not many noble are called
you see we'd choose all of those if it was down to human reasoning
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise to confound man in his own wisdom. And God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things that are
mighty, and the base things of the world, and the things which
are despised hath God chosen. Yea, and things which are not
to bring to naught, to bring to nothing, things that are,
things that are in this world. So Where does that put you? Where does it put me? It's a
serious question, is this. A very serious question. Verses
31 to 35, which I want to look at this morning, teach us three
main lessons. And these are the three main
lessons. Nothing can impede the success of Christ's purpose of
salvation. Nothing, nothing, not us, our
waywardness, our sinful, nothing can impede the success of Christ's
purpose of salvation. Secondly, secondly, so salvation
is certain for the elect of God, but secondly, the call of the
gospel, the call of the good news of salvation is wide and
is gracious, as we'll see. How often, how often would I
have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings? And
you would not. How often? There's a wide, wide
gracious call of salvation. And thirdly, If you, listen,
if you in unbelief reject the gospel call, you alone will bear
the eternal responsibility for your lost state. For all in the
end will say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Okay, so I want to look at these things with you this morning.
First of all, perfection is certain. Look at verses 31 to 33. So Jesus
has just been exhorting people to strive to
enter into the kingdom of God and not be complacent for a day
of judgment is coming and many will be cast out and those we
think should be there won't be there and those that we think
shouldn't be there will be there. The first will be last and the
last will be first. And then that same day, verse
31, there came certain of the Pharisees saying unto him, saying
unto Jesus, get thee out. Depart hence, for Herod will
kill thee." Herod had jurisdiction in the north, in Galilee. And
these Pharisees, they weren't friends of our Lord Jesus Christ,
were they? They weren't his natural allies and yet here they are
warning him for his own safety. Or so it seems, they're actually
being cunning and devious and trying to get him to stop preaching
his gospel. Herod's going to kill you, you
better shut up now. Herod, get out of here, go into
hiding. Herod's coming, he'll kill you.
And Jesus said to them, go ye and tell that fox meaning Herod,
behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow,
and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless, I must
walk today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot
be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. Some would accuse me of belittling
sovereign grace. When I preached that message
last week, strive to enter in, some no doubt would be thinking
that's belittling sovereign grace. It's putting a sort of an Arminian
appeal out to people to believe the gospel of grace. But it was
Christ that exhorted his believers, sorry, his hearers, to strive
to enter in. It was Christ that did that.
I'm trying to be scriptural in this message. You know, This
is what the Scriptures teach. Christ says to you sitting, strive
to enter in. And so I'm not ashamed to echo
his words and say strive to enter into the kingdom of God. But
there will be those who will accuse me of belittling sovereign
grace. Nevertheless, Christ exhorted
his hearers to enter in. That exhortation in no way, in
no way does it negate or leave open to doubt the accomplishment
of God's purpose of grace. God has a purpose of grace. God has a purpose of grace that
many would want to thwart. Satan would want to thwart God's
purpose of grace. The world would want to thwart
God's purpose of grace. The world in the thrall of Satan
might try cunning to thwart God's purpose of grace. We read about
it throughout the scriptures. It's pictured in the book of
Revelation. As the woman is giving birth to the child, there is
the dragon waiting there to devour the child. It's a picture of
how this Satan and this world and all his devices are trying,
striving to destroy the purposes of God by cunning. But they can't. They can't. Christ cannot be
sacrificed until the time of God's decree. Beware, said the
Pharisees, Herod is going to kill you. And the answer, no
he's not, no he's not. That cunning fox who likes to
think of himself as a regal king, he's nothing more than a timid
fox. He tries to be cunning, but he's
pathetic in his efforts. He can no more stop the purposes
of God at all. He just cannot do it until the
time of God's decree, until his hour comes. How many times do
you recall reading in the Gospels Christ saying, my hour is not
yet come. His time had not yet come. He
must do his work until the time when his hour comes. God's time,
God's place according to the scriptures. What was God's time
and God's place for salvation to be accomplished? The book
of Daniel and many other places tell us it was to be in Jerusalem. It was to be at the appointed
time after the right number of weeks exactly the right number
of weeks when Christ would come Messiah would come and make an
end of sin and would make an end of sacrifice for he would
be the one sacrifice the Passover lamb sacrificed once for all
by one sacrifice. He would perfect his people according
to the scriptures. Nothing could stop that. Oh,
you can try and do what you want. But today I am doing cures because
that's my work. My hour has not yet come. Today
and tomorrow I am casting out devils, and that's my work while
I walk this earth in my ministry. The third day, eventually, in
the right time, in God's time, I shall be perfected. In the
right time, my hour will come, and I will accomplish the purposes
of God. If you count yourself by grace
to be in our Lord Jesus Christ, Can that salvation ever be affected
by your diligence in striving? Let's just get the balance right.
Can it ever be affected by what you do, or a sin you commit,
or a thought you have, or some other aspect of your life? The
answer is absolutely not. For Christ will accomplish his
work and be perfected. The third day I shall be perfected,
he said. What does he mean by that? he
will be perfected in perfecting all that the Father gave to him.
He says this about coming to belief in him, in the gospel
of his grace. He says, no man can come to me
unless the Father draw him. That's absolute sovereign grace,
pure and simple, isn't it? No man can come to me unless
my Father draw him. And he who comes, I will in no
wise cast out, he says straight away. So don't go saying, oh,
I need to sort out whether I'm amongst those first. He says,
whoever comes to me, I will in no wise cast out. But he says
this, I came to do my father's will. And this is the will of
him who sent me, that of all that he gave me in the last day,
I should lose nothing. When did God give those to the
son? Before the beginning of time.
When did God name a people, call a people in His Son, betroth
a people, His Church, to His Son? Before the beginning of
time He did that. Will He lose one of them? Not
a solitary one. What if they do terrible sins?
They will not be lost. He will save to the uttermost
every last one of them. And He will be perfected in perfecting
His Church. There is no doubt whatsoever.
The exhortation to strive in no way negates the certainty
of the salvation of God in sovereign grace and election, particular
redemption. He has come and He has satisfied
justice on behalf of the people the Father gave to Him before
the beginning of time, so that He is a just God. He doesn't
alter in his character, but he's a saviour. He is just and the
justifier of the one whose faith is in Christ. And he is perfected
in perfecting those whom the Father gave to him. Listen to
the scripture. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 10,
speaking of Christ in His work, He's bringing many sons unto
glory. And in bringing many sons to
glory, God makes the captain of their salvation perfect through
suffering. How is He going to be perfected?
Through His sufferings. When He goes to the cross at
Calvary and is made sin He who knew no sin made sin for the
people the Father gave to him. He, our Savior, our blessed substitute,
is going to be perfected, he's saying, in that day. And he was. God has made the captain of the
salvation of his people perfect through sufferings. Hebrews chapter
5, verse 9. Again, speaking of Christ, He
being made perfect. He, well you say He's God, He's
perfect, yes, but in this work of perfecting His people, He
had to come in time. Yes, justified from all eternity,
but not without coming in time. When the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under
the law, to redeem those who are under the law, because without
Him coming, Perfection could never be made. Satisfaction could
never be made. His people could never be perfected,
and they must be. Pursue holiness, follow it, without
which no man shall see the Lord. And we're only made perfect,
holy, righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ. He being made perfect,
He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey Him. In what way? In believing His
gospel. Christ is perfect, or is perfected,
in perfecting his people. The third day I shall be perfected. But until that time comes, until
that hour comes, there is absolutely nothing In the schemes and purposes
of man, of unbelievers, of principalities, of powers, there is nothing that
can thwart the purposes of God, that can trip him up. They cannot
take Christ in Galilee and kill him there and thereby undermine
the eternal purposes of God, that Christ should die for the
sins of his people in Jerusalem. It cannot possibly happen. Go
and tell that fox. He can do what he wants, but
he'll fail. He will not. He will not thwart the purposes
of God. Not in the slightest. Okay, and
in perfecting, in being made perfect, he perfects his people. Hebrews 10 verses 12 to 14, listen
to this, but this man, again, speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ,
this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
not the oft repeated ones, not the blood of bulls and goats
that can never take away sins for they're only pictures, they're
not reality, After he had offered one effectual particular sacrifice
for sins, the sins of his people, forever he sat down. Finished
work. Why did he sit down? Finished.
It's finished. He sat down on the right hand
of God. For by one offering, listen,
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Are you
called by God the Holy Spirit to belief of the truth? Brethren,
we're bound to give thanks to God always for you, beloved of
God, for He has from the beginning chosen you to salvation. How
do you know, Paul? Through sanctification of the
Spirit. Perfected forever, them that
are sanctified. Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth. He's perfected forever His people.
There's nothing that can alter that. Hebrews 11.40 They, meaning
the Old Testament saints of Hebrews chapter 11, the faith gallery,
by faith Moses, by faith Abraham, and so on, without us, they Old
Testament saints without us should not be made perfect. Yes, they're
made perfect, but not without us being made perfect too. For
we're all perfected in the one way, by the work of Christ. I
shall be perfected the third day. Hebrews 12, 23. ye are come. This is what Paul says. He says you're not come to Mount
Sinai, to the thunderings and the lightnings and the fear and
the terror of the law, but you come to Zion, the New Jerusalem. You come to the spirits of just
men made perfect. Do you hear that? This is the
accomplishment of God's salvation for sinners like you and me,
for his people. He has been perfected in the work of perfecting his
people. And it's complete, and it's done,
and nothing, there is nothing that can happen that can thwart
that. Striving or not striving or whatever,
God's purposes, God's purposes will be accomplished. This is
the work of God. to make perfect his people in
his son's perfect redemption. What should we do that we do
the work of God? This is the work of God, said Jesus, that
you believe on the one whom he has sent. Believe on his son.
This is the work of God, to make perfect his people in believing
on his son. Don't look to your flesh and
its ability to strive. Look to Christ in faith. Because
in him is salvation to the uttermost. Not by the skin of your teeth,
to the uttermost. Salvation to the uttermost. He
saves his people to the uttermost. And everything that happens in
this life, as illustrated here by what Christ said about Herod
and his schemes and the Pharisees and their cunning, everything
that happens is all in his control. Do you hear that? Meditate on
it. Everything that happens is all
in his control. Nothing can divert his purposes
of salvation. Ah, but what if this happens?
It doesn't alter his purposes of salvation. Christ will do
his work and will go to Jerusalem at the right time, where eternal
justice for his people's sins will be satisfied. And everything
that happens to you, believer, to me, believer, is all in his
control, in exactly the same way. You know, it shouldn't ever
become in our minds a cliche, but Romans 8, 28, he causes all
things to work together for good, to those that love God, who are
the called according to his purpose. If his purpose to save his people
then everything that happens, everything, every trial, every
temptation, every occurrence is all in his control, but none
of it will do anything other than accomplish his purpose of
taking his people to eternal glory. He controls everything. Listen to this lovely phrase
in Psalm 31 and verse 15. This is the believer's testimony
of faith and trust in God. My times are in thy hand. everything. Whether you wake
up tomorrow morning or whether you pass into eternity this night,
my times are in thy hand. Do you know that's a very, very
comfortable place to rest? in this world of uncertainty,
is it not? My times are in thy hand. Believer, resting and trusting
in Christ, you are saved to the uttermost. Herod can't do anything
to thwart it, and he didn't, we know. He knew he wouldn't
because he knew who controls. The heart of the king, even this
pathetic king, this fox Herod, is in the hands of God, he can
do nothing other. Satan can motivate him to the
most evil intentions, but how far can he go? As far as the
chain on which God holds Satan allows him to go, and no further. Not to thwart the purposes of
God, and he cannot thwart God's purposes of salvation. No one,
nothing, no thing can ever change that. No external force that
happens to you, nothing internally that happens to you. Why? Because
Christ said the work is finished. It is finished. Now a word to
anyone who doesn't have the assurance of faith of the believer. You know the believer, what marks
out a believer from an unbeliever? A believer can say with Paul,
I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've committed unto him. my sins, my situation,
my eternal good, against that day. For on that day, they will
look for the sins of Judah, for me, my sins, and they will find
none, for Christ has taken them away. I know whom I have believed,
I am persuaded, I'm convinced, there's no doubt in my mind,
I know. But if you don't have that assurance
of faith, Hear this. This is the second point. Hear
a gracious gospel call. Verse 34. Look at this. He said,
a prophet cannot perish out of Jerusalem. Now some did, but
what he's talking about is the general rule, and particularly
himself as the prophet of God, the prophet of whom Moses spoke,
coming, where was he to perish? He must perish in Jerusalem.
He must perish before the 72 strong council of the Sanhedrin.
It must be there, by their justice, that he perishes, that the scripture
might be fulfilled. There in Jerusalem, that symbol
of the revelation of God to mankind, it must be there that he perish.
And then he says about that place, about that institution, about
that people, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest you who are so
favoured with the things of God? O how have you repaid that favour?
You've killed the messengers that God has sent to you, and
you've stoned them that are sent to you. And you've not heeded
the call, because he says, how often would I have gathered thy
children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings,
and ye would not. Oh, you say, that's an awfully
Arminian sounding verse, isn't it? You know, Arminian preachers
love, you know, there's Jesus pathetically on the outside knocking
on the door, and nobody will let him in, and he's trying to
persuade them to welcome him, and he gets so frustrated, because
try as he might, Try as he might, they would not. Do you know,
this is not teaching that. You know, how do we interpret
scriptures that have an element of ambiguity in them? You interpret
them in the light of the ones that have no ambiguity whatsoever.
Salvation is certain. God will save his people to the
uttermost. There's nothing that can thwart that. But speaking
to you, unbelievers, in your position, speaking to you, he
says this. there's a door of grace that
is wide open. And the only reason you don't
come in, you see, why do you end up saved? Because of the
grace of God. Why do you end up unsaved? Well,
yes, the logical conclusion of that is because of reprobation,
but listen, this is what God says in his word. If you were
outside of that, it's because of your willful unbelief. That's what he says. It's your
willful unbelief. You would not. He doesn't say
because I didn't call you. because I didn't make you willing."
He says, because you would not. Now you say, that defies logic.
That defies human logic. It may well defy human, fallen,
sinful logic in this time state. But this is the wisdom of God
in eternity. This is what God has revealed
to us. By grace are you saved, and that alone. Not of works,
lest any man should boast. But, if you reject and end up
in hell, the message of scripture is, that the only thing that
you will blame, the only one that you will blame in eternity
is yourself, because ye would not, when there was such a gracious
message. Jerusalem was so favoured with
gospel light. Throughout all its years it was
favoured with gospel light. It was a privileged nation. It
had the prophets sent. It had the oracles of God, the
word of God, no other nation had that. The oracles of God. They only had their own man-made
religion, but they had the oracles of God. What advantage, says
Paul in Romans chapter 3, start of it, what advantage is there
in being a Jew? Much every way. For to them was
committed the oracles of God. They had such privileges. of
an eternal message coming to them by the prophets of God.
Listen to what God had said to Jerusalem down the years and
what he says to all you who have not yet believed the gospel.
Listen. Have you believed the gospel? If you have not, listen
to what he says. And tell me, are these not words of grace?
Isaiah 45 verse 22. Look unto me and be saved from
judgment, from condemnation, from eternal hell. Look unto
me and be ye saved. Who? Who? All the ends of the
earth. Without restriction. Look unto
me and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth. For
I am God and there is none else. Just look to me and be saved.
Does that exclude you? Does it? Does it exclude anybody? You say election excludes people.
Does that message exclude you? Look unto me, all the ends of
the earth and be saved. For I am God and there is none
else. Listen to this. Isaiah 55, verses 1 to 3, and
verses 6 and 7. Ho, I know you're familiar with
it, but listen to it. Wow, these words have power,
don't they? Ho, attention, everyone that
thirsteth, everyone that's thirsty, not for physical water for this
life, but one that is thirsty for spiritual water, for spiritual
satisfaction, for spiritual cleansing, for spiritual quenching. Ho everyone
that thirsteth. Come ye to the waters. Oh, but
I haven't got the money. He that hath no money. You don't
need money. Come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come. Buy wine and milk without money
and without price. You don't need money. This is
why it's free! It's free! The gospel is free! Wherefore do you spend money
for that which is not bread? We fuss around, as the book of
Jeremiah tells us, we frantically try to earn wages and we put
them in bags that have got holes in, so that it seems as though
as much as you earn, it swiftly pours out through the holes in
the bag. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken, this
is God speaking to the unbeliever, hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness, in fullness, in abundance, in riches. Incline your ear,
listen, and come to me, hear, and your soul shall live. That's promise, that's clear
promise. Your soul, here, and look how wide open it is. Oh
everyone that thirsts without distinction. All the ends of
the earth. Look, listen, come, I will make an everlasting covenant
with you. Even the sure mercies of David.
That's speaking. How? In Christ and all that he
has done. The sure mercies of David. Seek
ye the Lord. Now listen to this. Seek ye the
Lord while he may be found. What's the implication of that?
There is a day coming when, like those in those verses 25 to 28,
Jesus said, they'll come seeking me, seeking my favor, and I'll
say, depart from me, I never knew you. That day will have
come when they will not be able to find him. for he'll send them
away and say I never knew you so he says seek the Lord now
while he may be found call upon him while he is near let the
wicked forsake his, let the unbeliever forsake his unbelief and the
unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord
and he will have mercy upon him. Do you see how gracious and open
and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon. Abundantly. I'm not fit
to come. God will abundantly pardon. Could you possibly hear more
gracious words? Could you possibly hear more
gracious, inviting words to come? We've heard of a salvation that
is absolutely certain for a particular people whom God chose in Christ. But listen, does that ever shut
anybody out who wants to come? Oh, everyone that thirsts, come.
Come, come unto me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest." Jerusalem, Jerusalem, he repeats it in Matthew's
gospel and then it's repeated here in Luke's gospel. How often
would I have put you under my wings as a hen does her chicks.
John 7, 37 and 38, in that last day, that great day of the feast,
if any man thirsts, said Jesus in Jerusalem, he cried out, if
any man thirsts, let him come unto me. Do you thirst for eternal
life? Do you thirst for the knowledge
of salvation? Well, here's what the Savior
says. If any man thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He
that believeth on me, as the scripture have said, out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water. There's a gracious call,
a gracious call. But in our sin, an unbelief,
a willful rejection. You would not, but you would
not. I would have, but you would not.
Isaiah 59, 1 and 2. Behold, the Lord's hand is not
shortened that it cannot save. God can save. Neither His ear
heavy that it cannot hear. But, your iniquities, your iniquity
of unbelief, have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. He can forgive
all sins. Our Lord Jesus Christ said all
sins can be forgiven. All sins, but one, and that's
the sin against the Holy Ghost. What's that? It's the sin of
not believing the gospel of grace. That's the unforgivable sin.
You cannot be saved from that. If you reject that gospel of
grace, Search the Scriptures, said Jesus to the Pharisees,
for in them you think that you have eternal life. And the Jews
were right in that, the Pharisees were right. In the Scriptures
is the key to eternal life. These are they, they are they,
he said, these Scriptures which testify of me, of Christ. All
the Old Testament Scriptures testify of Christ. But then he
immediately says this to them, and ye will not come to me that
you might have life. You willfully won't come to me.
You willfully... Why don't you come? Because God
hasn't chosen... No, you willfully do not come.
It is of your own volition that you do not come. Salvation is
entirely of God's grace. And without the Holy Spirit quickening,
and turning a child of wrath, even as the others, into a child
of God, without that there is no belief. Only those whom Christ
has justified are saved. But listen, did you read, were
you listening when we read in Proverbs 31, you know, he says
from verse 30 onwards, Well, he says, verse 28, they shall
call those who have rejected him. They shall call upon me,
but I will not answer. They shall seek me early, but
they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of
my counsel. They didn't want it. They deliberately
didn't want it. They despised all my reproof.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be
filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple
shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall
be quiet from the fear of evil." Did you see what that says? Unbelief
is the unbeliever's fault. Is that illogical? Well, you
call it what you like, but it's what the Scripture declares.
It's what the Scripture declares. Don't try and equate logic and
human reasoning, fallen human reasoning now, with God's eternal
wisdom. Salvation is all of God, but
unbelief is the fault of man who would not. So what's the
eternal summary of this? Look at verse 35. He says this
to Jerusalem. And to all who reject, behold,
your house is left unto you desolate. And verily I say unto you, you
shall not see me until the time come when you shall say, blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. They did, of course,
some little time later, on Palm Sunday, that week before the
Passover, when Christ was to die as the Lamb of God. But then,
they went and got the occult, the cult of an ass. And Jesus
told his disciples, go and get it, and they put a blanket on
the colt, and he sat, Jesus, he sat upon that colt that the
scripture might be fulfilled. Behold, your savior's coming,
meek, riding upon an ass, the colt of an ass, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, and the people who a week later cried, crucify
him. crucify him, release Barabbas. The people, they strew palm branches
in front of him. They cried out, Hosanna to God,
Hosanna, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Yes,
they did that then, but there's a day coming, a day of judgment,
when he's coming again. And then, what this is telling
us is this, that everybody, including all who reject him now in unbelief,
will have to confess, blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord. Every knee, the scripture tells
us, shall bow. Isaiah 45, that verse we read
earlier, look unto me and be ye saved, read on a little further.
Every knee shall bow to God our Saviour. Every knee, every tongue
confess that he is Lord. And Paul quotes that in Philippians. Every knee shall bow, every tongue
shall confess that Christ is Lord. Our Lord Jesus Christ is
that Lord to the glory of God the Father. All who reject even
in their rejection, even in their condemnation to hell, even in
that, they will say, this is the message of scripture, blessed
is he, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, blessed
is God. Blessed is he. Not shaking a
fist at him, but they will vindicate him. They will vindicate his
justice. They will have to admit, as Romans
3 verse 4 says, let God be true, and every man, whatever he might
think, a liar. God is true. Have you heard the
gospel call and embraced it with joy? If you have, and I trust
some of you have, rejoice. Your name is written in heaven.
Don't rejoice that the devils are subject to you. Rejoice in
this, that your names are written in heaven, said Jesus to his
disciples. But have you heard the gospel call and said, just
like the fool did in Psalm 14, the fool hath said in his heart,
no God for me. That's what the fool said. No
God for me. I'm not going to have a God rule
over me. God's word says this, that you will call God just and
you will blame only yourself for your dreadful state. I'll
repeat what I said at the end of last week's sermon. Today
is the day of salvation. Today, seek the Lord while he
may be found.