Would you turn with me to 1 Corinthians
chapter 16? It's a blessing to be with you,
and I've heard that you've got a new place to meet soon, and
I'll certainly be remembering you that the Lord will continue
to bless you. 1 Corinthians chapter 16, I'd like
to read the 22nd verse. If any man, doesn't matter whether
he's white or black, rich or poor, religious or irreligious,
educated or uneducated, if any man, love not the Lord Jesus
Christ. Let him be anathema, maranatha, cursed when the Lord returns. That's what that means. Now there
is no stronger language in the Word of God than right here. Paul says regarding that one
who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, Let him be damned upon
the return of the Lord. Let him be cursed by God. Let him spend eternity in the
lake of fire with the devil and his angels. Let him be eternally
tormented in the flames of hell, where the worm dieth not and
the fire is not quenched. May the smoke of his torments
rise forever and ever. May he spend eternity suffering
the wrath and righteous indignation of a holy and offended God. Is Paul saying anything less? I've entitled this message, The Most Unconscionable Sin. The most unconscionable sin. Unconscionable means out of all
reason. There is a reason for men committing
sins. They feel like they get some
benefit out of it. A liar lies to get himself out
of trouble. A thief steals in order to get
something. You understand men's reason for
these sins. I suppose you could say that
there is pleasure. Well, I don't suppose you could
say. The Scripture says that there is pleasure in sin for
a season. And men have a reason for sinning
in that sense. But the only thing that could
create this sin, not loving the Lord Jesus Christ, is nothing
less than monstrous, malicious wickedness. It is the same wickedness that
the Lord spoke of in John chapter 15, verse 25, when he said, They
hated me without a cause. Now, remember who's speaking
when he says, If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let
him be anathema, maranatha. This was a very special man by
the grace of God. This is Paul, the apostle. He's
the same one. who said under the inspiration
of God the Holy Spirit, I could wish myself accursed from Christ
for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. And he said, I'm
not telling a lie. I'm telling you the truth. This
is what's in my heart. Now, this man loved men. He wasn't one of these crazy,
ranting preachers trying to scare people to death with hellfire
and brimstone. He was someone who loved the
souls of men so much that he would say, I could wish that
myself were cursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen,
according to the flesh. I don't know what to say about
that. That's such a remarkable passage
of scripture. And it's him who says, If any
man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha. Now remember, to not love him
is to hate him. And let me repeat that. To not
love the Lord Jesus Christ is to hate him. And this is the
sin of all sins. This is the most unconscionable,
unreasonable, purely wicked, malicious sin. Now you think
of all the sins that you've committed that you're ashamed of and that
you would, oh, you're ashamed. This one is infinitely worse. To not love the Lord Jesus Christ. Was Paul overstating the case
when he said, if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let
him be anathema, accursed by God upon the return of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, what I want to attempt to
do is speak of the Lord Jesus Christ as he's revealed in this
book we call the Holy Bible. And then we will see that to
not love Him is the most unconscionable, unreasonable, the most malicious
of all sins. And surely everyone who does
not love Him ought to be cursed eternally by God Himself upon
the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Obviously, I need some
help preaching this. And you need some help hearing.
May God bless this to our hearts. Let's think of His name. The
Lord Jesus Christ. He's the Lord. That refers to
His reign. His dictatorship. He is the Lord. This speaks of His power and
His sovereignty. He reigns. I'm not saying that
He has the right to reign, although He does. I'm not saying that
He ought to reign, though He should. But He does reign. He is the Lord. And He is in
absolute control of everybody in this room. and everybody outside
of this room. He is the Lord. He said all power,
all authority is given to me in heaven and in earth. We read in Daniel 4.35 that he
doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or
saying to Him, What doest Thou? He is in complete control of
everything and everybody. He is the Lord. Thou hast given
Him power over all flesh that He should give eternal life to
as many as Thou hast given Him. Our eternal destiny is not in
our hands. It is in His. We have no Control. None. Zero. Nada. And not love Him? Jesus. He's the Lord Jesus. This One who is Lord. This One
who reigns is also the Savior. Did you need saved? Well, I need somebody to save
me. This One who reigns is also the Savior. Thou shalt call His
name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. The Lord Jesus, and not love
Him, The Lord Jesus Christ. Christ
means anointed. Anointed. Now, in the Old Testament,
there were three persons who were anointed. God's prophet
was anointed. God's priest was anointed. And God's king was anointed. The Lord Jesus Christ is God's
anointed. God's anointed prophet. What's
a prophet? He brings a word from God. Christ
is the Word of God. What a prophet he is. A priest. A priest is one who represents
men to God. And what a priest he is. He says, Father, forgive them. And you know what the Father
does? He forgives them. Every single person he prays
for. What a priest he is. He is the
anointed king. That means he's the king of kings. And he's the Lord of lords. He is King Jesus. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. And not love him? I think of
what Peter said. On the day of Pentecost, God
hath made this same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and
Christ. To not love Him is unconscionable. You have to hate Him without
a cause to not love Him. And isn't it sad? I can say this
to every believer here, every believer here. Isn't it sad to
think that you've been guilty of not loving the Lord Jesus
Christ? What about the person behind
the name? The Lord Jesus Christ. He's God. You know, I like saying
this. This is my favorite thing to
say. Jesus is God. Isn't that a wonderful
statement? That's who He is. He's God. He's man. The God-man. Utterly unique. None can be compared
with Him. No one's like Him. He's the God-man. The Lord Jesus Christ. I love
how He's described in Isaiah 9, verse 6, For unto us a child
is born. Yes, He was born 2,000 years
ago. But unto us a Son is given. He's the Eternal Son. He wasn't
born. He's always been. And the government
shall be upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. He is God So much so that he
said, he that hath seen me. He didn't say it's as if he saw
the Father, did he? He said, he that had seen me
hath seen the Father. The scripture says that in him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead in a body. He said, you believe in God?
Believe also in me. Do you believe God is absolutely
sovereign? He says, I am too. Believe the
same thing regarding me. Is God holy? That's me. Is God
gracious? That's me. Is God all powerful? That's me. Is God all wise? That's
me. He's God. You believe God? Believe
also in me. Not only is He God, He is the
man. Christ Jesus, bone of our bones
and flesh of our flesh. There's one God and one mediator
between God and men. The man. The man. Christ Jesus. The Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. He was and is the sole representative
of the being and the character of the One who sent Him. He is
the only begotten Son. This is the unoriginated relationship. He is eternally and necessarily
the Son, the Person who possesses every attribute of Godhood. There is a real man in glory
right now who is God. The Lord Jesus Christ. And to
not love Him is the most malicious, the most unconscionable, of all
sins, the flames of hell. And I hope I'm saying this with
the right spirit. The flames of hell cannot be
heated hot enough for that man or woman who has no love for
the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's think for a few moments
of the attributes that the scripture reveals concerning the Lord. Jesus Christ, there's so many
things we could say and think about. I like to think about
his omnipresence. I don't understand how this could
be, but he was looking at Nicodemus and he was talking to Nicodemus
and he was speaking of himself. And he said, even the son of
man, which is in heaven. Now, while he was speaking to
Nicodemus, he speaks of himself as the son of man, which is in
heaven. And while he's in heaven, he's
still Immanuel. which being interpreted is God
with us. I love to think of his omniscience.
You know, he never learned anything. He's never been informed. He
is all wise. His name is wisdom. I love to think of his omnipotence. I love the way he said, all powers
give it to me. You think of this, the Lord Jesus
Christ. There's three things, there's
probably more, but this is what comes to my mind. There's three
things that only God can do. Only God can bring matter into
existence. Only God can create. Secondly,
only God can make something to not be that was. You know, they say it's impossible
for matter to lose existence. It may change form. You know,
wood keeps catching on fire. The energy goes up. Ashes are
still there. I mean, it's always swirling
around the universe. Matter, they say, is it's impossible
to get it out of existence. But only God can make something
to not be that was. And only God can make something
to be what it was not. Jesus Christ brought matter into
existence. He brought bread into existence
that was not there before. You see, he'd done something
like this before. It's called creation. It was he who created
the world. The Lord Jesus Christ makes something
not to be that was. You know what that is? the sins of everybody He died
for. They're gone. They're not there. They're not simply covered. They're
put away. They're not there. Isn't that
wonderful? And He makes something to be
what it was not. Remember when He changed that
water into wine? It was water. And He made it
wine. He made it to be what it was
not. He makes me to be what I was not. I was not holy. I was not
righteous. I am now by what He's done for
me, what He's done to me. That's the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. I love to think of His holiness. He never sinned. Now, I can't imagine that. Can
you? He never even, sin never passed through His mind. He kept
God's law perfectly. I love to think about his justice.
He would rather go to the cross and suffer his father's wrath
than let one sin go unpunished. And not love him? I love to think about his faithfulness.
He is the faithful and true witness. He can always be believed. He can always be trusted completely. He's always faithful to do what
he said he would do. You know, everything he did was
faithful. It was an answer to what the
father determined for him to do. Everything he did was in
faithfulness to his covenant engagements. Oh, the faithfulness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here's the scripture I love
to think most about his faithfulness. I love that passage of scripture
in second Timothy, chapter two, where Paul says, if we believe
not. He abideth what? Faithful. He cannot deny Himself. Now here's what is so glorious. I'm united to Him. Every believer
is united to Him, one with the Lord Jesus Christ. As He is,
so are we in this world. For Him to deny me, even if we
believe not. What all does that mean? I don't
know, but I do. I experience it. If we believe
not, Yet He abideth faithful. He cannot deny Himself. You see, I'm Himself. For Him to deny me would be for
Him to deny Himself. Oh, He can't do that. He's faithful.
He's the faithful God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And not love Him? This One who has such power,
Oh, we think of the power and the greatness and the glory of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And I'm not describing His greatness
sufficiently. You know that. I know that. But
oh, what power He has. Yet, He is meek and lowly in heart. You heard that statement? Power
corrupts, well, regarding every son of man, Adam, that's true.
The more power you have, the more corrupt you'll be and the
more corrupt I'll be, but not him. He who has all power is
meek and approachable and gentle and kind. He said, Come unto me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden under a burden of sin, is what
he's talking about. Come unto me and I'll give you
rest. Rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. And you shall
find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy. And my burden
is light. And not love him. Think of his obedience to his
father. The scripture says he became obedient unto death. His father told him to go and
be nailed to the cross, and he said, yes, father. It was the
ultimate act of obedience. Oh, his courage, you think of
his entire life, he knew that was waiting on him. That's why
he's called a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He knew the grief that he was
going to experience all that time. What courage and yet what
approachableness. This man receiveth sinners and
Edith within I'll tell you what now, let me bit. Let me be honest
with you If I knew what was going on in
your heart I'd look down my nose at you. I guarantee you I would
Because I'm such a self-righteous idiot just like you are and you
do the same And the fact of the matter is, there's only one person
in all the world that somebody can come into their presence
and not be judged and not be condemned. Isn't that amazing?
The Lord Jesus Christ, sinners could come into His presence
and they weren't condemned. You know, you're around somebody,
you feel like you're under their microscope and they're looking
you over and all that's so offensive, but He's so approachable, so
approachable, meek. and lowly in heart, delighting
in salvation, and not love Him? What about the way He forgives? As they drove the nails through
His hands and His feet, you know what He said while that was going
on? Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. And
I want you to think of the manner of His forgiveness. Oh, I'll
forgive you. You sin against me, I'll forgive
you. But it's going to be in the back of my mind somewhere.
I'm watching out for you. I shouldn't be that way. That's
hypocrisy for me to be that way. But that's the way human beings
are. But what does he say regarding his forgiveness, their sins,
and their iniquities? Will I remember no more? You know why? Because, bless
God, there's nothing there to remember. Not a thing. Now that's how He forgives. He
doesn't forgive you, but watch out for the next time. No. A
complete embrace of full and free forgiveness. And not love
Him. What about his willingness to
save? He said, Him that cometh to me, I will what? In no wise. For no reason whatsoever. I don't care who you are. I don't
care what you're guilty of. Him that cometh to me is an empty
handed sinner needing mercy. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise, for no reason whatsoever, cast out. and not love Him? What about His compassion? That
letter comes to Him and falls on His face and says, Lord, if
You will, You can make me clean. And the Scripture says, Jesus
moved with compassion, reached forth His hand and touched Nobody
else would, but He did. He touched it saying, oh listen
to these words, I will. Be thou clean. And if He says be thou
clean, you know what you are? Clean. Plum clean. No filthiness there. Perfect
in Christ. And not love Him? You think of His love. His love
to His Father. Who can describe that? His love
to His people. Having loved His own which were
in the world, He loved them to the end. And not love Him? Is Jesus Christ the Lord altogether
lovely? That's the testimony of every
one of His people. Yea, He is altogether lovely. What's not to love? What's not to cause us all in
spirit to bow down at His feet right now in worship and adoration? He is altogether lovely. And what about that one who does
not love Him, who is altogether lovely? Was Paul using too strong a language
when he said, if any man, I don't care who it is, If any man love not the Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha. Now, I know I'm saying
the same thing from a slightly different angle, but what about
his salvation? You know, you can't separate
him and his salvation. You can't talk about the Savior without
talking about his salvation. It's impossible. What about his
salvation? 1 Timothy 1.15 says, this is
a faithful save. You can rely on this. And it's
worthy of all acceptation. Everybody in this room and everybody
outside of this room ought to embrace this as the best news
they've ever heard. That Christ Jesus came into the
world to save. Who? Let's say it out loud. Who? Sinners. No adjective to
describe them. You can put yourself in that
group. Didn't say sorry sinners. Sinners are sorry, but it didn't
say sorry sinners. Didn't say repentant sinners. Didn't say
sensible sinners. Yeah, I thought sinners were
stupid, you know, sensible. Says he just came to save sinners. That's me. Did he do it? Did
he do it? When he bowed his mighty head
and said it is finished, everybody he came to save They were saved
and not love him. Turn with me for a moment. A
couple of scriptures I want us to look at. Would you turn with
me to John 21? So when they had dined, Jesus
saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? I can't help but wonder if the
disciples were listening and maybe nudged one another and
said, what do you reckon he's going to say? Remember what he did? What's
he going to say? Maybe they weren't doing that,
but I can't help but think one or two of them would, because
that's probably what I'd be doing. That's what I'd be doing. What's he
going to say? After what he's done, what's he going to say? He seems like
he'd just keep his mouth shut, doesn't he? But what does he say? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. I love your person, you know. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second
time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord,
thou knowest that I love thee. Todd, son of Charles, lovest
thou me? Yea, Lord, thou knowest. You see me all the way through.
Thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him the third time,
Simon, Son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because
he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me? And he said unto
him, Lord, thou knowest all things. I appeal to your omniscience. You know exactly what's in my
heart and you know that I love, that I adore, that I worship
your person. I recognize that the love I have
to Him is because He first loved me. We say that, don't we? We love Him because He first
loved us. God forbid that I would trace
my love to anything in me. The love that I have to Him is
the gift of His grace. And that doesn't take away from
this, if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ. If after hearing who He is, as
He's revealed in His Word, if any man love not the Lord Jesus
Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha. You know, I like the
way Paul ended Ephesians chapter 6, I think it's verse 24, it's
the last verse, one of the last verses of Ephesians. Grace be
with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. You know what that sincerity
is? You'll find this interesting. The word is literally uncorruptness. It's the love of the new heart. The same word is translated in
first Peter three, four, not corruptible. Even the hidden
man of the heart, which is not corruptible, even the meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
Now this love is not natural. It comes from the new heart,
but we do love the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I want to close with
this. Would you turn to Luke chapter seven? Here's the key. Here's the key. Verse 36. And one of the Pharisees separated
ones. They believed something that
they had done separated them from other men, made them different.
This is the same ones who said, Lord, I thank Thee that I'm not
as other men are. And one of the Pharisees desired
him that he would eat with him. And he went in under the Pharisee's
house and sat down to meet. And behold, a woman in the city,
which was a sinner. Now she wasn't a hypothetical
sinner. She wasn't a theoretical sinner. She was a real sinner. When she knew that Jesus sat
at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment
and stood at his feet behind him, weeping and began to wash
his feet with tears. And did wipe them with the hairs
of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now, when the Pharisee, which
withbidden him, saw it, He spake within himself, saying, This
man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner
of man, woman, this that toucheth him. For she's a sinner. And Jesus answering, you see,
he read his thoughts. He's reading your thoughts right
now and mine. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have
some what to say unto thee, and he saith, Master, say on. There
was a certain creditor which had two debtors. The one owed
500 pence and the other 50. And when they had nothing to
pay, he frankly, freely forgave them both. Tell me therefore,
which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose
that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, thou hast
rightly judged, and he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
seest thou this woman? You know, she never said a word.
But oh, how powerful her actions are. He said, I entered into
thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath
washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of
her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman, since the time
I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil,
thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with
ointment. Wherefore, I say unto thee, her
sin which are many are forgiven. For she loved much, but to whom
little is forgiven. The same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins
are forgiven. And they that said it meet with
him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgive us sins
also? God? I do it is. And he said to the woman, Thy
faith has saved thee. Go in peace. Now that one who
has been forgiven much. Now, I'm not asking you how drastic
your sins are. You know, some people when they
give their testimonies, religious people, they try to outdo each
other who had the most wicked sins and the most glorious, you
know, just I'm not talking about that. But when I'm talking about
being forgiven much, that means that every breath I've taken
is a sin. And I've been forgiven. much. He that's been forgiven much. Here's the key. He that's been
forgiven much loveth much. Amen.