Luke chapter 1. Let's read the
first four verses. For as much as many have taken
in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things
which are most surely believed among us, even as they deliver
them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and
ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect
understanding, perfect means complete concerning the message
the gospel having had perfect understanding of all things from
the very first that is from above from the very first is from above
to write unto thee in order most excellent Theophilus that thou
mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast
been instructed. In the very first verse, Luke
speaks of those who had already set forth in an orderly fashion,
an orderly declaration of those things most surely, most surely
believed among us. Most surely. When I read that,
looked over this message, was studying. I thought, oh, what
a blessing that is in itself. Those little words, among us. Among us. How I thank God for
that. How I thank God for you, my brothers
and sisters in Christ. Those of us who have received
light, precious faith. Our fellow believers. Oh, what
a bond that binds us, is it not? Redeemed and called by the same
grace of God. I so much enjoy having my brothers
here with me last week. We have the same parents. We
have a bond, brothers. Oh, but this bond that binds
Christians is the precious blood of Jesus Christ. We've been called. We were chosen, redeemed, and
in time called by His grace. Of every child of God, we have
this blessed experience in common. But oh, how uncommon it is. We
share it, but oh, what an uncommon miracle it is to experience the
grace of God that's in Christ Jesus. Turn, if you will, to
Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Paul, right
into this church there, speaks of this experience of grace. Chapter 2. This is what we have in common.
This is what we share. And you had he quickened. Made
alive. Made alive. He did for us spiritually
what he did for Lazarus physically. Gave us life. Come forth. My sheep will hear my voice. And they will follow me. and
I'll give them eternal life. You have He quickened. And where
were we when this took place? Were we seeking Him? Were we
desiring Him? Absolutely not. Just like solid
horses on the Damascus road, we had our back to him. We were
going away from him. The great shepherd sought us.
We didn't seek him. He found us. You had the quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins. Oh, what a picture of absolute
helplessness. You don't get much more helpless
than that, do you? Dead. wherein in times past ye
walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, among whom also among whom also
we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath even as others." Were
by nature among those who didn't know God, perhaps religious,
Very religious, again, like Saul of Tarsus. Thought he was doing
God's will. When he was on the road to Damascus,
with authority from the chief priest to arrest all those who
called upon the name of Christ, he actually thought God was pleased
with what he was doing. Oh, how blind, how spiritually
dead. That's where we were. Children
of wrath, even as others. Verse 4. Oh, I love this. But God, but God, what happened
to you Saul? Now you stand up to preach the
gospel that you once labored to destroy? That name that you
were determined with your last breath? to destroy, to wipe off
the face of the earth. Now you say, I don't want to
know anything else but Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. What happened
to you, Saul? But God. But God. What happened to any child of
God? What makes any believer? Baptist doesn't do it, don't
do it rather, but God who is rich in mercy for his great love
with he loved us even when we were dead in sins. You see why
I say blessed? be the tie that binds. Even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us, together with Christ, by
grace ye are saved, and hath raised us up together, and made
us set together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the
ages to come he might put us on display in the trophy case
of heaven, and say, look what my grace hath done. Look what
my grace hath done in the ages to come. He might show the exceeding
riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Yes, we share the unspeakable
gift. We are possessed by and we possess
the Lord Jesus Christ. I am his, a hymn in our hymn
book, says I am his and he is mine. Loved with an everlasting love,
led by grace that loved to know, spirit breathing from above,
thou hast taught me it is so. Oh this full and perfect peace,
oh this transport all divine, In a love that cannot cease,
I am his and he is mine. Heaven and earth may fade and
flee, firstborn light in gloom decline, but while God and I
shall be, I am his and he is mine. But while God and I shall be,
I am his and he is mine. Oh what a bond. Turn if you will
to Philippians chapter 1. I think in every epistle that
the apostle wrote he makes mention of this glorious blessed fellowship
the redeemed have in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Philippians
chapter 1 beginning at verse 3 look what he writes here. And this is true of every believer.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer
of mine, for you all making requests with joy, for your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day unto now, being confident
of this very thing. Where does your confidence lie,
Paul? In the believers at Philippi? Oh no. In their God, in His grace. Being confident of this very
thing that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform
it, will carry it on until the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is me, proper, for
me to thank this of you all because I have you in my heart, inasmuch
as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the
gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace." One more, Galatians
chapter 1. Along the same line the Apostle
writes in the church at Galatia, chapter 1 verse 3, We give thanks
to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always
for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of
the love which ye have to all the saints through the hope which
is laid up for you in heaven. Whereof ye heard before it in
the word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you,
as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth
also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace
of God in truth. in truth. Our dear friend Henry
Mahan, I heard say more than on one occasion, you cannot tell
what you haven't experienced any more than you can come back
from where you've never been. Oh, this glorious grace of the
blessed God. Paul in these places that we
read of says this is the experience of every child of God. And that's
what Luke says, those things most surely believed among us. You've heard me say that salvation
is not in what you know, but who you know. We're not saved
by believing things but Christ. That's exactly so. But Luke tells
us here, those things that he makes mention of are things that
every believer surely believes that concern the Lord Jesus Christ. Those things concern him. Luke's
gospel begins with and ends with the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn,
if you will, to the last chapter in Luke's Gospel, and we're told
this very thing in Luke chapter 24. Our Lord appears to two disciples,
sad, broken-hearted, confused, confounded disciples, as they
walk to Emmaus. One's name is Cleopas. The other, perhaps, was Luke
himself. We really don't know. It may
have been Luke. But as they walk and are sad,
our Lord joins Himself to them. And look what He says at verse
25. Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses,
and all the prophets. He expounded unto them in all
the scriptures those things concerning himself." We just sang from a
hymn book. H-Y-M-M. Oh, but this, it's a
hymn book too. H-I-M. It's all about the Lord
Jesus Christ. Are you still in Luke 44? or
Luke, I'm sorry, 24, look at verse 44. Now he appears to his
disciples, not just the two, but the eleven. And look what
he says in verse 44. And he said unto them, These
are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law
of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning
me. Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the Scriptures. And he said unto
them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ, it was
necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the
third day." Now let's go back to Luke chapter 1. In verses
2 and 3, Luke tells us that God's servants, God's ministers, God's
witnesses, all of them, those sent to declare His Word, they
tell what they know. They tell what they know. Now
I realize, strictly speaking, these words refer to the disciples. They alone saw the Lord Jesus
Christ in the flesh. They learned the gospel concerning
the God's Son from the Son himself. He was their teacher. But all
that God calls to preach are eyewitnesses and minister of
the Word. I don't come here, God forbid,
I don't come here telling you theories, my theories, or speculations,
or second-hand knowledge, oh no. But what I know is so. I think I'm being sincere now. honest, should be, when I say
if I wasn't sure of the things I preach, if I wasn't sure that
this is so, that this is God's Word, God's Gospel, I wouldn't
be here. I wouldn't stand here and tell
you about things I'm not sure of. But I know these things are
so because I've experienced them for myself. I know that this
is the true grace of God, as Peter wrote, wherein we stand. I know that sounds strange in
our day, of religious confusion and just chaos. We often hear,
and it's religious folks that make the absurd statement, it
really doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere. I mean, if you want to go out
here and kiss a frog and hug a tree, if that's your religion,
it's okay as long as you're sincere. It really doesn't matter what
you believe. It's fashionable in our day,
sadly, to claim to be a Christian and not to believe anything,
much less to believe those things, Luke says, most assuredly. Speaking of the experience of
grace, the grace of God and claiming to have experienced that, people
say, you're delusional. Paul, they said of him when he
spoke of these things, much learning doth make thee mad. Speak matter-of-factly
about knowing Christ, insisting that there's no other name whereby
we must be saved and you'll be called Take my word for it. You'll be called a narrow-minded
bigot. I've been called that. I've heard
that and perhaps have been called worse than that. A narrow-minded
bigot. Well, if I'm narrow-minded because
I believe these things are so, if that makes me a narrow-minded
bigot, I'm in real good company, Joe. Because so was Luke. So was Matthew, so was Mark,
so was John. And more than that, so was the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself who plainly said, who very plainly
said, could words be more clear than this? I am the way. I am the way. I'm not one of
many ways. I'm not even one of two ways
to the Father's presence. I am the way. It's not possible
for any man to come to the Father and try to detour me. It can't
be done. It can't be done. Outside of
Jesus Christ, God Almighty is nothing, can be nothing, and
will be nothing to sinners but a consuming fire. Oh, but to
that redeemed one. that called one, that one who
has experienced His grace. He's not a consuming fire. He's
our Heavenly Father. And in Christ Jesus, He's my
God as He is our Lord's God. And my Father as He is Christ's
Father. Now look at verse 4 here in Luke
chapter 1. He says, Theopolis, I'm writing
these things. And remember, Luke is writing
under divine inspiration of God's Holy Spirit. And he says, this
is why I'm writing these things. That thou mayest know. God wants
us to know. That thou mayest know the certainty. I like that. I like that. Because we're dealing with eternal
issues. We're speaking of where I spend
eternity. I don't want to be uncertain
about that. Again, I've heard folks say,
and you have too, often, well, we really won't know. There's
no way to be sure until we stand before God whether we're saved
or not, whether we enter glory or we're cast into hell forever.
There's no way to really know. I beg to differ. Look what Luke
says here. I write these things that you
may know the certainty of those things wherein doubt has been
instructed. I want you to know, you that
believe, I want you to know in order to be encouraged. Now I
know you, brothers and sisters in Christ, like myself, have
a constant struggle. Every child of God does. Every
day, while we make our journey through this world to that celestial
city, we have a constant struggle with the sin, the horrible sin
of unbelief. Anybody exempt from that? Any
believer here that doesn't struggle with unbelief, that doesn't often
cry out, I believe, Lord, I believe, but help thou my unbelief. You see, the old nature hasn't
been eradicated. Old Adam is still there and he
hasn't changed. Oh, bless God, we have a new
nature. created after the image of Him
that created him, the Lord Jesus Christ. But the old nature, He's
still there too. He's still there. And sin doesn't
have dominion over us, but sin is still there. It's still in
us. That's why we have the struggle.
Because the spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against
the spirit. That's what gives rise to the
constant struggle. This is exactly what Paul was
speaking of when he cried out, O wretched man that I am. Wait
a minute, Paul. Hasn't the old nature been eradicated? Don't you want to correct yourself?
Don't you want to say, oh, wretched man that I used to be? Oh, no. Oh, no. Paul said, wretched man
that I am right now, even as I write these words under inspiration
of God's Spirit, I'm a wretched man. He struggled with old Adam. And that nature in the new birth
is not eradicated. It's not even changed. It's exactly
as it was before. And thank God by His grace, sin
shall not have dominion. Oh, but it's there. And that
is why we have the struggle. Even that, as some have referred
to, the fifth evangelist, the fifth gospel, Isaiah. Even he
cried out, Lord, who had believed our report? Who had believed
our report? To whom is the word of God revealed? The arm of the Lord revealed. Turn, if you will, to 2 Timothy
chapter 4. Look what Paul says in his last
words to his beloved Timothy, his last epistle. before he was
taken out and beheaded, before he was absent from the body and
present with the Lord. In the last chapter of his last
epistle, verse 1, he says, I charge thee therefore before God and
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick, that is the
living, those who are alive, and the dead in his appearing
and his kingdom, preach the word, be instant, in season and out
of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.
That time has come, hasn't it? But after their own lust shall
they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they
shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned
unto fables. Fables. Turn, if you will, to
2 Peter, 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 15, or 2 Peter 1, verse 15. Moreover, I will endeavor that
ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in
remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly
devised fables, We may know unto you the power and coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, but we're eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received from God the Father honor and glory when there
came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is
my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which
came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy
mount. But Peter doesn't stop there.
He says that you and I have a more sure word than what he just spoke
of. a more sure word of prophecy
than what Peter experienced on the mount. He saw the Lord of
glory talking to Moses and Elijah about his decease. But Peter
said, you have something more sure than that? And he tells
us in verse 19, we also have a more sure word of prophecy,
where unto you do well, that ye take heed as unto a light
that shineth in a dark place. until the day dawn and the day
star arise in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy
of scripture," that's what he's speaking of, this more sure word
is God's word that you hold in your lap, is of any private interpretation. Men didn't receive it as a result
of their own thinking. Verse 21, for the prophecy came
not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Those things most surely
believed among us, as we just read in those several places,
are not fables, but blessed realities. Blessed realities. God help us
to remember the absolute certainty, as Luke put it, of those things. And here's one of them. Here's
one of those blessed realities. Not fables, but realities. Christ Jesus came into this world. That is not a fable. The Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us, John said, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth. Are you still in Luke? Look at
verse 26 of Luke chapter 1. This is the blessed reality spoken
of here, of He who was God. Becoming a man. He was very God
of very God. Becoming flesh of our flesh and
bone of our bones. Can you explain that? No. and
you can't either, but I can bow down and adore and wonder and
proclaim Hallelujah! What a Savior! Mary receives
the news in verse 26, and in the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent from God into a city of Galilee named Nazareth. to
a virgin's spouse, to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house
of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail thou that art
highly favored. The Lord is with thee, blessed
art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what matter of salutation
this should be. And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. God's been
gracious to you. And behold, is it any wonder
that the angel introduced what he was about to say with this
word, behold. Behold this. Oh, adore this. Bow in holy wonder at this. Behold, thou shalt conceive in
thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus. Jesus, the salvation of the Lord. He shall be great. He shall be
great. He won't attempt to be great.
He shall be great. And shall be called the son of
the highest. And the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign. I
like the shells of God's Word, don't you? And he shall reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall
be no end. He shall be great. During his
earthly ministry, he was challenged as to his greatness by the religious
folk of his day again and again. He said, I'm greater than the
temple. This temple was 40 years in the
building, and you're going to destroy it and raise it up again?
He said, Behold, there is one among you greater than the temple. Again, he said on another occasion,
Behold, one greater than Solomon is here. Solomon possessed the
gift of God's grace of wisdom. Oh, but concerning this one,
whom the angel said, Jesus, he shall be great, he doesn't obtain
wisdom, he's the very wisdom of God. Behold, you're greater
than Solomon. Only in him can the question
be answered, how can a man be just with God? How can God forgive
and pardon a sinner and yet remain just in doing so? Solomon didn't
have the answer to that. Oh, but he who is greater than
Solomon, the great I Am, the eternal God who became man, oh,
through Him, righteousness and peace kiss one another. Solomon was rich in royalty possessions. Oh, but this one, this one, Jesus,
He comes bringing the sinners. He comes possessing all the riches
of the grace of the triune God. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. Oh indeed, behold, He shall be
great." John said, we beheld Him. We beheld Him. Are you listening? Are you listening,
child of God? Are you listening, suffering
Christian? Are you listening while you have
that struggle with unbelief? Are you listening as you cry
out, O wretched man that I am? Behold, John says, He's full
of grace. He's full of grace. All the grace
you'll ever need. You say, Larry, that's a whole
lot. I know exactly what you mean.
Because I need the same grace. I'm the weakest of God's vessels.
Oh, but I behold Him. Oh, God give me grace to lift
up my eyes away from self. away from the arm of flesh, my
own or any other, and behold the Lamb of God, full of grace
and full of truth, and to cast my weary soul upon Him, and without
a doubt, without question, with the ease of absolute sovereignty,
He can bear me up. He can bear me up, because underneath
are the everlasting arms. Another time, this one who is
great, our Joshua, he said, Behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
Jonah was a type of him, pictured him. Jonah cried out, salvation
is of the Lord. Oh, but Jesus Christ is himself
God's salvation. Look in chapter 2, if you will.
Chapter 2 of Luke's Gospel. What Gabriel foretold. The message
he delivered from the throne of God to Mary comes to pass. This too is not a fable. But it is those certain things,
among those certain things believed among us that Luke wrote about. No fable. Luke 2 verse 6. And so it was that while they
were there, that is Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem, the house
of bread. Bethlehem means house of bread.
There the bread of life would come forth. And so it was that
while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should
be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn
son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were
in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night, and lo, the angel of the Lord
came upon them, And the glory of the Lord shone round about
them, and they were sore afraid. And lo, the angel, I'm sorry,
verse 10, and the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold,
another behold. Oh God, give me grace to behold
this. Give me grace not to get over
this. Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall
be to all people. For unto you is born this day,
this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the
Lord. And this shall be a sign unto
you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in
a manger. Yes, that babe in that manger
is himself God come to save. Behold, there is born unto you
a Savior, a Savior. Thank God my Savior came. He didn't leave me in sin. He didn't leave me to live and
die in sin. He didn't leave me to wake up
in hell. Oh no! Behold, a Savior is come,
one that is mighty to save. Behold, Paul said, when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman. My, what a mystery. Made under
the law to redeem them that were under the law. Lo, he said, I
come, O Father. In the volume of the book it
is written of me, I come to do thy will, O my God. Behold, this is not a fable. He perfectly, completely, once
for all, eternally, did the will of His Father. And here's the
second reality. Remember when the angel, after
appearing to Mary that we read of in Luke 1, he afterward goes
to Joseph, who discovering that Mary was with child, was perplexed,
wondering what he might do, and because he loved her, I'll put
her away privately. I'll just send her away so nobody
will know. And the angel of the Lord appeared
to Joseph. Don't be afraid to take Mary
to be thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the
Holy Ghost, and when he's born, Joseph. Call his name Jesus. He shall
save his people from their sins. Were there ever sweeter words
spoken? Were there ever sweeter words spoken? Was there ever
a sweeter, glorious message delivered to this sin-cursed world than
that? Jesus shall save his people from
their sins. Our Joshua, the captain of our
salvation, he, nobody else can do it. He, by himself, he shall
save. He shall save. People talk about
making salvation possible. Do you find any comfort in that?
Do you find any comfort in that? What comforts you? What gives
your soul comfort? What do you lie your weary head
down upon at night? The possibility of your salvation
or the absolute certainty of your salvation? Because He shall
not fail. He shall save, not make possible,
and certainly not enable men to save themselves. No, He shall
save. Whatever that takes. Whatever
that involves, whatever that requires, He shall do and He
shall save His people. He's a certain Savior. He came
on a certain mission and He came for a certain people. He said,
I came down from heaven not to do my own will. And He was speaking
these words in John 6, the some that believe not. He said, I've
spoken unto you but you believe not. Well, then what happens? Is the purpose of God made void?
Because so many deliberately, willfully believe not, turn their
back upon the gospel and upon Christ and refuse to believe?
Does that make the purpose of God void and of none effect? God forbid. Christ said, no,
it doesn't. You believe not. But all that
the Father giveth, they believe. They believe because
I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will
of Him that sent me. And this is the will of Him that
sent me. Oh, hear the voice. Hear the voice. Hear these blessed
words, the certainty of these things, from the lips of the
captain of your salvation. He who shall not fail of all
that the Father giveth me, I shall lose none, but raise them up
again at the last day." Are you encouraged? The third reality,
the third certainty, Christ did exactly what he came to do. Joe
read it earlier to begin our service. Look at the great shepherd
of the sheep. Oh, behold him. Behold him. He goes out seeking his sheep
and he searches until he finds them. And he puts them upon his shoulders. Can you picture that? Do you
see your great shepherd? He picks up that poor, lost,
helpless, wandering sheep and puts it up on his shoulders,
and he takes it halfway and says, well, it's just too heavy. He's
just too stubborn. He just won't cooperate and puts
it down and says, you're on your own. Enough of this. Oh, no,
no, no, no. Bless his name. That all may
be true concerning the sheep, concerning this sheep especially. Oh, but he never lets it go.
He never casts it aside. He keeps it up on his shoulders
and he brings him all the way to glory. Bless his name. That's
the great shepherd. See our Joshua as he enters Jericho
in Luke 18. And there sits a blind man by
the wayside. Let's look at that in Luke 18. You're familiar with it, but
it'll perhaps do our hearts good to be reminded of it. It may encourage us. concerning
our blind sons and daughters. In Luke chapter 18 verse 35, And it came to pass
that it is he, that is Christ, was come down to Jericho a certain
blind man set by the way side begging. There we are. And hearing
the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant, and they told
him that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. What a day! This is a day unlike any other
in the life of that blind beggar. And I'm so thankful that Jesus
of Nazareth came to where this blind beggar was. He didn't pass by. And he cried,
verse 38, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
And they which went before rebuked him that he should hold his peace.
But he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy
on me. And look at this. And Jesus stood. Matthew, I think
it is, says, And Jesus stood still. Jesus stood still. My soul, he's going to Jerusalem
to obtain eternal redemption for his people. He's going to be made sin. He's
on his way to bring in an everlasting righteousness, to trod the winepress alone.
And as he's going, he hears the cry of one poor blind beggar and he stands still. I'm not thinking about Barnabas
right now. I'm thinking of Larry Criss.
I sat by the wayside begging. I'd wasted my life and thought,
man, if this is all there is to it, I'd end it all. I would just end it. But I was
afraid. And Jesus came to where I was.
And he heard the cry of this beggar, and he just, he stood
still. What do you want? What will you
have me to do? And he said, that I might receive
thy sight. And Jesus said, receive thy sight. And what a sight it was. What a sight. The first thing
this blind man saw when he opened his eyes was Jesus Christ. Receive thy sight, thy faith
hath made thee whole, hath saved thee." And immediately he received
his sight and followed him, glorifying God. Jesus, the great shepherd,
finds a sheep as he enters Jericho. In verse 19 you have the familiar
story where he's leaving Jericho, but on his way out he finds another
lost sheep and he says, Today I must abide at thy house. This
day is salvation come to this house for as much as he also
is a son of Abraham. For the son of man, verse 10
of chapter 19, is come to seek and to save that which was lost. He seeks and he saves. You know
what? The Lord Jesus Christ has a 100%
success rate. A hundred percent. He shall not
fail. Let's wrap this up. Turn if you
will to Luke chapter 24. Another blessed reality. After
being made sin, after redeeming his people, he arose. He arose. Luke chapter 24. Now upon the first day of the
week, verse 1, very early in the morning they came unto the
sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain
others with them. And they found the stone rolled
away from the sepulcher. And they entered in and found
not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass as they were
much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining
garments, and as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to
the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among
the dead? He is not here. He is not here,
but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you
when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third
day rise again. Remember what we read earlier
in Luke 24? Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things, and to enter in to His glory, to enter into His
glory. Yes, thank God, He arose. Right now, the Lord Jesus Christ sits on
the throne of universal dominion with that name above every name.
And because He does, there is now no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus. And this also is a certainty,
that he's able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto
God by him, last of all. Last of all. One more blessed
reality, certainty. He's coming back. Did you hear
me? He's coming back. It's not a
fairy tale. Peter said in the last days there'll
be scoffers and mockers come and say, well where's he at?
Where's the sign of his coming? He's coming. He's coming. Turn
if you will to Acts chapter 1. And Acts is really just a continuation
of the Gospel of Luke. He makes mention of that in the
very first chapter. But look what He, in Acts chapter
1, our Lord appears for the last
time to the disciples before He ascends back to glory. And
as He ascends back to glory, they just stand there looking
in utter amazement. And that's understandable, but
look at verse 9. And when he had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up. And the cloud received him out
of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, whilst
then ye gazing up into heaven, this same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go unto heaven. He's coming back. Because He
said, where I am, there ye shall be also. That thou mayest know
the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. The certainty. The certainty. Do you know the certainty of
these blessed realities concerning the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you? Then thank God for His amazing
grace. Is this your personal experience? Is this your personal experience? Can by His grace you say, I know
whom I have believed. He's the only hope for sinners.
That's certain. And that's reality. God bless
you.