Well, I'm going to turn back
with you to Luke's Gospel, chapter 12, this morning. We've been
thinking in recent weeks about true blessing, how much we yearn
for true blessing, and also about the things that hinder true blessing,
the things that hinder it. True blessing comes from Holy
Spirit enlightenment. That's where it comes from. It
comes, as Jesus said, from hearing and keeping the Word of God.
And you only truly hear the Word of God with Holy Spirit enlightenment. The natural man doesn't receive
that Word. It's by Holy Spirit enlightenment
that you hear the Word of God. It's by that revelation of Him
within that you keep the Word. It's by that revelation of the
Holy Spirit that you see the only sign, there's only one sign
will be given to this generation. This generation is adulterous,
idolatrous, an evil generation that seeks for signs. physical
things that its senses can sense in order to trust and believe
God. But Jesus said only one sign will be given. It's the
sign of the prophet Jonas. And we saw how that is a picture
of gospel grace. It's the gospel of sovereign
grace and particular redemption. It's the only sign. That's the
only thing. You will not see dead bodies
rife from their graves in local cemeteries. You will not see
miracles be done, whatever men or women might say to you about
their religion. You will not see any of that,
you will just have this, truly from God, one sign of gospel
grace. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. That's it. Effectual salvation
accomplished in all that he's done. But that blessing of knowing
that is subject to various hindrances. And we saw last week the hindrance
of the leaven of the Pharisees. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees. The leaven of the Pharisees is
hypocrisy. It's self-righteousness. It's
legalistic dead religion. And it's alive and well all around
us today. There are so many that follow
it. There are so many that adhere to it. There are so many that
are in bondage and slavery to it. Beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees. True riches true liberty, true
peace, true eternal assurance, true eternal safety is independent
of our physical, worldly situation. This is what it is to learn about
blessing, true blessing. This is what this passage is
about. It really is. True riches, true liberty, true
peace, true eternal assurance, true safety is independent of
whether we're well or we're sick. Oh, if only I'd be well, completely
well, then I would be so rich in so many ways. No, no, no,
independent, independent of health or sickness. There are those
that would testify they've been on their deathbed and they've
known more of the glorious, enriching presence of God than they ever
did while they were in the peak of health. Poverty or riches? Oh, give me riches! If only I
had all my debts paid and the mortgage paid off and all that
sort of thing, then how blessed I would be! No, independent.
The scriptures say, give me neither poverty nor riches. that I don't
covet and I'm not subject to irrationality. Please, Lord,
give me a nice, easy, medium path. But, irrespective of poverty
or riches, you experience blessing from God. It's not dependent
on that physical state. Liberty or prison? I'm not talking
necessarily about a real jail but you know they did lock John
Bunyan up in Bedford jail for 12 years and do you think for
one moment he was not totally free in his spirit because of
the gospel of grace that he knew? You know if they could have opened
the prison doors and he couldn't have been more free walking the
streets of Bedford as a free man. He was free in the gospel
of grace that he knew and believed, whether in persecution or in
safety. What we're talking about is heavenly
treasure versus the things that the world treasures. And in this
passage we have two warnings and two encouragements. That's
what I want to look at with you this morning. Two warnings and
two encouragements. The first one uh... is in verse
fifteen he said to them take heed take heed and beware of
covetousness beware of covetousness that's our first warning you
see what had happened was our Lord Jesus Christ had been teaching
this crowd he'd been teaching profound things as we've seen
there'd been spiritual conversation going on there'd been conversation
going on that had its focus on eternity, on heaven, not on the
things of this world. And one of the company in verse
13 says, there's an issue between me and my brother. He's got all
the inheritance and I want some of it. Tell my brother that he
needs to be fair and share the inheritance with me. Surely you're
a fair man, this Jesus of Nazareth. Surely you're a fair teacher.
Judge between me and my brother and get him to give me my share
of the inheritance. You know how much the flesh wants
that. one of this company with his heart set on money. He'd
been listening to the words of eternal life from the lips of
the Son of God, and yet he's consumed with covetousness. He's consumed with seeking the
benefits that come from worldly riches. Do you know nothing is
more likely to rob us of spiritual riches than worldly covetousness,
and it's something to which every one of us is prone. There are
other sins to which each one of us is prone in different degrees,
but I would say that when we let our guard down, this flesh
is always prone to covetousness. It was the one Paul the Pharisee
felt he could say as the Pharisees, as the Jews judged righteousness
against the law, against the Ten Commandments, that he was
blameless in all things, but when it came to the Tenth Commandment,
thou shalt not covet. that went as a sword right through
his heart, and he knew he was guilty, completely guilty. He
thought he was not a sinner until that convicted him of sin. And
why is it that covetousness will rob us of spiritual riches? Because
verse 15, look at the second half, a man's life consisteth
not in the abundance of the things which he has. Your life, the
blessing of life, The blessing of knowing it is well with me,
I'm in a good place. Blessing does not consist, does
not come from the abundance of the things that you possess.
Oh, if only I had this, then I would be happy. Oh, if only
I had that thing, or that experience, or went to that place, then I
would be happy. No, you wouldn't necessarily.
There's nothing wrong. Paul says, I've learned that
in itself there's nothing wrong with anything, but what's your
heart saying about it? A man's life consisteth not in
the abundance of his possessions. Society all around us thinks
that your blessedness consists in nothing else. but the abundance
of the things you possess or the experiences you have. Look
at the numbers of people that you work with, or live next door
to, or who are all around us. In our society, one evil I would
say, how long has it been going now? At least, well, probably
the best part of 20 years, hasn't it? The National Lottery. How
many people wake up each week motivated by this one thing?
Maybe this week, you know, they cross their fingers like the
advert does, maybe this week will be the week that my numbers
will come up and then I will be blissfully happy forever.
Thou fool, this night your soul shall be required of you. That's
the parable that Jesus taught. You see, society thinks that
The possessions that we have, the experiences, are the things
that make for our happiness, and our ease, and our comfort,
and our blessedness. But it's not just money. Don't
be deluded. It's not just money. I can speak from personal experience.
Oh, if only I had the liberty of freedom from work. Retirement. Oh, if only I had that. Oh, if
only I had full health. Oh, if only I had that house.
You know, you see the TV programs, don't you? And how much covetous
there is now around your house has got to be a certain way.
And it's no good unless you knock it down and build some grand
design on the site and do all of these things. Oh, how much
these things are going to leave you absolutely blissfully happy
forevermore is what the message is. Society thinks it is like
that. Oh, if only I were to travel
to these exotic destinations and experience these fantastic
experiences. And even for some around us in
religion who go around trying to build up a currency in religious
good works. They build a currency in religious
good works, and they think that those things are going to make
them satisfied and blessed. But Paul says this, Philippians
chapter 4 verse 11, I have learned in whatever state I am therewith
to be content. What a blessing that is, isn't
it, if you've learned that? I have learned in whatever state
I am therewith to be content." Can you see how that opens the
door to freedom and liberty and blessing and comfort? I've learned
in whatever state I am therewith to be content. Why? Because I
know my Heavenly Father's put me there and He's ordained all
those things for me. Hebrews 11 verse 5, let your
conversation your life, your interaction. Be without covetousness
and be content with such things as you have. He tells this parable
of the rich fool in the following verses. This rich fool is a farmer. You know, it's an agricultural
economy. And we can map that across to the current economy
in which we live. But this was an agricultural
economy. And the ground of a certain rich
man brought forth plentifully. He probably just did what he
ordinarily did every year. In 2012, I dug my garden, I sowed
my seeds, I planted out my plants, and it was a terrible year. because
it rained and the sun didn't shine very much, and the tomatoes
rotted on the vine and got blight, and the potatoes were a mess.
They went to pulp in the saucepan when you boiled them. And it
was a dreadful year, was 2012. And in 2013, do you know what
I did? Exactly the same. And 2013 has
been a wonderful year. I've never known a better year,
horticulturally. The beans have been wonderful,
the potatoes have never been better. The tomatoes were the
sweetest tomatoes I've ever tasted. I did exactly the same both years.
But God ordained something different. God ordained things to be different,
and so it was for this rich fool who thought within himself, what
shall I do, because I've no room where to put all this bounty
that I've got. And he said, I'll tell you what
I'll do, these barns are too small, I can't keep everything
in them, they're not big enough, it'll rot, so I'll pull down
these barns and I'll build bigger ones. And when I've got these
bigger ones, I'll store it there. And then what will I say? I'll
say to my soul, I will do this, I will do this. Verse 19, I'll
say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Now, you don't need to worry
about anything now. That pension pot's there, that's nice and
comfortable. You don't need to worry about
anything at all. Everything's nice and settled. Take thine
ease, eat, drink, and be merry, because we're gonna have a really
happy time. And God said to him, thou fool. Thou fool, this night
thy soul shall be required of thee. And when you've gone, when
you've returned to dust, when your body has returned to dust
from which you were made, for dust you are, and to dust you
shall return, said God to Adam when he fell. When you've returned
to dust, whose things then shall all this be that you've striven
over and thought was gonna be your salvation? It's vanity,
you see. All future efforts to build your
own barns. Vanity. As Ecclesiastes says,
it's vanity of vanities. It's like, somebody wrote, it's
like gripping a handful of fine dry sand. Have you ever been
on a beach on a lovely hot day, on silver sand that is so fine,
you know, and you pick up a handful of it, right? Because you want
to keep as much of it as you can. So you squeeze hard, and
do you know what happens the harder you squeeze? the more
of it pours out of the little gaps through your fingers. Isn't that just like the things
of this world? The harder you grasp at it, the
more easily it slips away. It's like putting your wages
in bags with holes, it just falls straight out. What idolatry it
is to worship things, to worship worldly states and situations
above God, who ordains them and made them. Do you believe Christ?
Is there a new man within who trusts Christ? Well, the principles
of the gospel, the precepts of the gospel throughout the New
Testament are, and throughout the whole scriptures, subdue
that old covetous man of the flesh. Subdue him. Put him down,
keep him bound, and promote that new spiritual man who delights
in the things of God. Are you an unbeliever today?
Are you an unbeliever? Nothing will more keep you from
eternal riches than covetousness. covetousness, for the things
of this world, for the currency of this world. Teach me, oh God,
to see these things as just temporary things, temporal things, rusting,
fading baubles. It's going to be Christmas soon,
the Christmas decorations are appearing in the shops already.
And, you know, if you put a tree up and you decorate it, we've
got some Christmas decorations that we've had for years, and
we'll put the gold tinsel on it, and we'll put the baubles,
you know, those coloured glass balls, we'll put them on it.
And from more than about three feet away, you can't tell the
difference between our cheap Christmas decorations and the
dead expensive ones that you can pay a fortune for in Harrods. You can't tell the difference.
They look just the same. But you know, if I put all of
our Christmas decorations in a box and put it on eBay, I doubt
whether we'd get five pounds for them. I doubt whether anybody
would be bothered to turn up to collect them. And that's what
the things of this world are like. When it comes to eternity,
that's what they're all like. They're just temporary, rusting,
fading baubles. They look like they sparkle for
a short period. Mark chapter 10, verse 24. How
hard it is for them that trust in riches
to enter the kingdom of God. He didn't say how hard it is
for them that have riches, he said them that trust in riches.
There's nothing wrong with having riches, it's your approach to
them, it's your view of them, it's your opinion of them, how
hard it is for them that trust in riches. Because you cannot
serve two masters, you cannot serve that master of worldly
covetousness and our Lord Jesus Christ. How hard it is to enter
the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said this, It's easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for
one who trusts in riches to enter the kingdom of God. Who then
can be saved, said the disciples? Ah, with man it's impossible,
but with God, the God of grace, the God of sovereign grace, no
one is beyond his reach. So then, that's the first thing.
Beware of covetousness. Then verse 22. And he said to
his disciples, this is a message to his disciples, he's turning
aside to his disciples, his believing followers. He turns to his disciples
and he says, therefore I say unto you, take no thought for
your life, what you shall eat, neither for the body, what you
shall put on. Take no thought. Don't be concerned. Don't be anxiously eaten up with
worry about, is what he's saying. A message for his disciples.
This isn't a license to careless irresponsibility. This isn't
a scriptural license to tell you to throw your job in and
go and live on benefits because you can't be bothered with dirtying
your fingers in the world. I've heard in the past people
in the name of their religion say that they gave up work and
lived on state benefits because they just didn't like the idea
of working for the corporation anymore. That's a terrible thing
to admit to, that really is. Take no thought for these things,
but this is not an encouragement to careless irresponsibility.
Paul writes to Timothy, 1 Timothy 5 verse 8, but if any provide
not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he
hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. No. True
believers, true believers act responsibly. Work is good. The
Protestant work ethic, as it's called, is built on a scriptural
view of diligence and selfless care for others around us. Work
is good, and work as unto the Lord. Not working for your own
advancement, but work as unto the Lord. Riches as such are
not wrong, and diligence is truly rewarded. But beware, says Christ,
of constant motivation of these things. Beware of constantly
being eaten up by concern for these things. I have been young,
says the psalmist in Psalm 37 verse 25, I have been young and
now I'm old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his
seed begging bread. The righteous are those who are
believers, who are made righteous. by the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus. He hasn't seen them forsaken,
because he said, Christ said, I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee, nor his seed begging bread. Don't worry about these
things. Verse 25, he said, look around you at creation all around.
Look at the ravens. They don't go building barns
and storehouses, but your father God feeds them. They know where
their food comes from. I'm sure they do. They do. The
lilies of the field. Look at them. They don't bother
about where they're going to get their clothes from. Yet they... are arrayed in greater finery
than Solomon in all of his glory, all of his man-made glory. They're
arrayed in greater finery. He said, so don't worry about
these things. Look at verse 25. Which of you with taking thought
can add to his stature one cubit? You can read into that any parameter
of life. Not just your height, not just
your strength, not just your mental powers, any parameter
of life. You don't have power to influence
the parameters of your life. So verse 26, why then do you
worry about it at all? Think of the lilies, think of
Solomon. God provides for his children. Be holy. Be separate. Be not conformed,
he says. Hebrews 12. Be not conformed.
Romans 12, likewise. Don't be in your minds. Be conformed
to the thinking of this world. Be transformed by the renewing
of your mind. Be separate. Be holy in your
minds. Don't be conformed to the thinking
of this world. Verse 30. All these things do
the nations of the world seek after. And your father knows
that you have need of these things. The world is scrambling after
these things. After its lottery win, after
its advancement, after its enrichment. It's bothered about all of these
things. Don't be conformed to the thinking
of the world. Trust in your father's care of
his children. He knows. He provides. Don't be lazy. Don't be slothful.
But don't be concerned about these things. Covetousness and
worldly concern are tyrants that rob people of their true liberty.
They think that those things will free them and they find
that they do the very opposite. the hymn which is based on Jeremiah
chapter three, the fountain of living water, this I have against
my people, that they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters,
and have hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, which
can hold no water. And there's that hymn which says,
I tried the broken cisterns, Lord, but all the waters failed. And even as I stooped to drink,
they mocked me as I wailed. This is what this world is doing,
is constantly trying to make cisterns but each one of them
that will hold the water that will give them riches and happiness
and blessing and they failed because they're all broken cisterns
which can hold no water when there is that fountain of living
water that fountain which Jesus said to the woman at the well
I will give me to drink He said to her, and she starts talking
to him, and he says, if you'd asked me, I would have given
you a fountain of living water, welling up inside you. This is
the Holy Spirit. This is heavenly treasure. This
is riches from on high. Right, our third point. But rather
seek, verse 31. You see, look at creation around,
look at the way that God deals with his creation and his people,
and don't be anxiously concerned, don't be covetous, don't be anxiously
concerned about these things, but rather seek, rather seek
the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. All these things. Verse 31, make
this your number one objective, to seek God's kingdom. his kingdom,
and his righteousness, it says in the Sermon on the Mount. Seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness. Seek, what is it to seek the
kingdom of God? It's to seek that assurance that
you are a citizen of the kingdom of God. That you have the right
of domesticity in the kingdom of God. that you have the eternal
passport of the kingdom of God, that you have the assurance that
you are numbered with God's elect. And where does that assurance
come from? Your belief of the truth. We are bound, says Paul
to the Thessalonians, it doesn't matter how many times we remind
ourselves of this, this is such a solid foundational thing. We
are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren, beloved of
God, for he has from the beginning chosen you to salvation. He says
to them elsewhere, knowing brethren your election of God. How does
he know? through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth. What manner of entry we had unto
you when you turned to God from idols to serve the living and
the true God. Rather seek that kingdom and
that assurance that you're a citizen of that kingdom, that you're
numbered with God's elect. You're numbered amongst that
number for whom Christ died. That comes by hearing and keeping
God's word. Faith comes by hearing and keeping
God's word. Faith, not of yourself, the gift
of God. It comes by grace, it is the
gift of God. Seek that kingdom of God. The
things you need, for which the world strives, there's no doubting,
you need liquid to drink, and food to eat, and shelter, and
clothing, you need all of these things, and the world strives
for it, but God knows you need them, and God gives them anyway. Seek the kingdom, and you shall
find. He said, seek, and you shall
find. Knock. Do you feel you're outside
of the kingdom of God? Seek the kingdom of God, and
you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened
unto you. This is an exaltation. Beware
of covetousness. Take no careful heed of the things
that the world strives for, but rather seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness. And then, finally, verse 32,
Fear not. Fear not, little flock. And this
is what I've given as the title for this message. Fear not, little
flock. This is an encouragement to us.
Do you remember how in the first eight verses, Jesus had said
to them, fear him. He said, I'll tell you who to
fear. I'll forewarn you whom you shall fear. He says, fear
him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell.
Yea, I say unto you, fear him. And here he's saying to his disciples,
fear not, little flock, fear not. Don't be afraid, little
flock, his disciples, his church in this world, not that which
calls itself his church, but his true people who believe the
gospel of his grace and of particular redemption, that gospel of sovereign
particular redemption. It's a little flock. It always
seems to be. Few in number. They were few
in number there. And here was the Son of God.
Here was the God-man proclaiming these things. And yet, the ones
to whom he addressed himself as his disciples were just a
little flock, few in number, subject to great opposition,
and not least from religion. Who was it who gave him the most
trouble in earthly terms? Was it not the Pharisees and
the scribes and the lawyers, the religionists? Is it not true
today? Cliff came across something yesterday
evening in respect of Don Faulkner's ministry and the venom was really
quite appalling to see it, wasn't it? I mean, you probably saw
Cliff in my response that it lit my blue touch paper a little
bit. It was just absolutely outrageous. What men, sounding so pious and
quoting the scriptures and sounding so, oh, high and mighty, that
the venomous things that they'd said were subject to great opposition,
this little flock of Christ, mostly from religion, constantly
up against difficulties. And not only that, look at us,
weak, sinful people, and we're commissioned to bear witness
to the gospel of his grace. We're a multitude which no man
can number when we're all gathered before the throne in glory at
the end of time. Revelation says, a multitude
from every tribe and tongue and kindred, which no man can number,
but known every one of them to God. But in each place, in each
time, little flock, in every place, every period of time,
just an insignificant little flock, with no worldly status,
who pays any attention to us? None whatsoever. Nobody. Nothing at all. In fact, you
can be sure of this. If ever you hear that I've been
invited to give the talk on Thought for the Day on Radio 4's Today
program just before eight o'clock in the morning, you can be pretty
sure I've stopped preaching the gospel sometime before that.
Pretty sure of that. No. No worldly status. No voice
to be heard in the great debate of politics. Have we? We don't
have a denomination to give some clout and some significance that
the world will pay attention to. We don't, like the Vatican,
have an ambassador in the courts of government around the world.
We're not some great big parachurch organization that has some influence
and some sway and some respect and some standing that people
will sit up and take notice of. No. we're just a little flock
with no worldly status. Just a little flock. And do you
know what a little flock in this context consists of? Sheep. It's a little flock of sheep.
Vulnerable, dependent sheep. But Christ's sheep, all the same. His sheep. His vulnerable sheep. My sheep, he said, hear my voice
and they follow me. When his word is preached, his
sheep hear his voice and follow him. Religion is not of his sheep,
as he said to the Pharisees. He said, you are not of my sheep,
that's why you don't believe me. That's why you don't believe
my word. It's because, it's not that you're
not of my sheep because you don't believe my word, you don't believe
my word because you're not of my sheep, but my sheep hear my
voice and follow me. Fear not, little flock, you're
his sheep who hear his voice. when the world around doesn't
hear His voice. You hear His voice and follow Him. And not
only this, but as we saw a few weeks ago in Psalm 23, Christ
is the shepherd of His little flock. Oh, He appoints under-shepherds,
but He is the great shepherd of the sheep. That great shepherd
of the sheep, who is not only the shepherd of the sheep, but
the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of His people.
His sheep were his father's gift to him before the beginning of
time, chosen before the foundation of the world, bought with precious
blood. You are redeemed, says Peter,
not with corruptible things, corruptible currency that this
world values, silver and gold and precious stones, but with
the precious blood as of a lamb without blemish and without spot,
bought with precious blood. Oh, little flock, think what
has been done for your eternal good. the Son of God has poured
out His lifeblood as the price of sins, the soul that sins it
shall die and the Son of God has poured out His infinite lifeblood
that His people and only His people and every one of His people
should have their sins paid for that justice might be satisfied
this is the currency to be concerned about Don't be covetous. Don't bother about your inheritance.
Don't be covetous about these things. This is the currency
to be concerned about. Not the lottery win, or the inheritance,
or the high-paid job, but the price of your redemption. The
price to satisfy divine justice. Has that been paid for you? Do
you know that Christ has paid the price of your justice before
God? How shall a man be just with
God? Has Christ paid the price of your sins that you might be
just before God? Now the righteousness of God
is revealed without law. That righteousness which is by
faith of Jesus Christ, by His faithful work. This is heavenly
treasure. This is it. This is every spiritual
blessing in heavenly places. This is why you're liberated
from all other concern, because if Christ has bought you with
his precious blood, if Christ has justified you, if God has
justified you from all eternity in the blood of the Lamb, and
the one slain from the foundation of the world as Revelation 13.8
says, if he's done that, then what more could you want? you
have every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Does it matter
what man can do to you? What religion can do to you?
What this world can do to you? You've got that sweet smelling
savour in God's nostrils that comes up from the altar of the
cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. As when Noah built an altar and
sacrificed one of the animals that came out of the ark with
him and The smoke from the burnt offering went up and we read,
it was a sweet-smelling savour. We haven't time now but look
at Ephesians 5 verse 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ is called
that sweet-smelling savour. I want God to look on me and
smell a sweet-smelling savour. And that's from looking at the
cross where the blood of his son was shed to pay the price
of my sin. In Christ are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. This is nothing ethereal and
mysterious to the child of God, this is the price of redemption
paid, and knowing it was paid for me. This is the assurance
of salvation accomplished. It's that which enables him to
say to his elect, fear not, little flock, What is there to fear?
Oh, you've got to fear that day of judgment, you've got to stand
before the judgment seat of Christ, and all, everything's going to
be there, and oh boy, you're going to suffer loss, and you
might not get the reward that you're hoping for. Fear not,
little flock. To the sheep he will say, come,
enter into the blessing that's prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Fear not, little flock, it's
accomplished. His perfect love drives out fear. There's a reverential fear of
God of the children of God for their heavenly father, but it's
the fear of children who come crying, daddy, father, Abba,
father. Christ has sought his sheep and
found them. He will find every one of them.
He is carrying every one of them all home to be with him. He will
not let one of them go. He is caring tenderly every step
of the way to glory. And look, He said in verse 31,
Seek ye the kingdom of God. Make that your objective to look
for that. But look at this encouragement.
Fear not, little flock. It is your father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. Your father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom. The sovereign of the universe.
The one who speaks and it is done. The one who nobody can
counter his will and purpose. He delights to give the kingdom
to his little flock. Fear not, little flock. It is
your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Above and
beyond all other things around, it's the Father's good pleasure
to give the kingdom to those that Christ has redeemed. Is
that not a glorious thought? that this is the pinnacle of
the glory of God, His grace to sinners, His redeeming of sinners,
His bringing sinners home to glory. This little flock that
is a multitude that no man can number, seek it first, He says,
and you shall be given it, because that's what God delights to do.
The elect of God are chosen in Christ, predestinated to be conformed
to the image of the Son, called by his name, wedded to Christ,
adorned with justification and righteousness. They are cherished
by God, cherished, the apple of his eye, he calls them. They're
cherished by him. They're his jewels, he says.
I forget which of the prophets that's in. Is that Zechariah?
I can't remember, never mind now. But they're his jewels.
He says, my jewels, his people, they're cherished and they're
received by him. Oh, that we might seek first
his kingdom, his glory, submission to his will, to be led into his
paths, to be useful for him in his service. He's promised to
give it by his grace. It's a gift. It is the gift of
God. It's not earned. He's promised
to give you the kingdom by his grace. Could anything ever make
you more blessed or more rich than that?