In Luke chapter 12, we have a
special message, a message from the master to his friends. You'll recall that in the closing
verse of chapter 11, the scribes and Pharisees were laying for
the Lord Jesus. They always were. trying to catch
him in some statement by which they might challenge his doctrine,
trying to trick him with questions, trying to find some pretentious
grounds by which they might accuse him of vile things. As these
scribes and Pharisees were laying wait for the Son of God, Literally
thousands. Our text here in verse 1 of Luke
12 says an innumerable company. Thousands. The word is myriads.
It stands for 10,000. Thousands of people were pressing
him, trying to get close so they could hear him as he was in the
streets. And they were stepping on one
another's toes because they wanted to hear what he said. And they
knew the Pharisees and the scribes were watching him and wanted
to catch his words too. And the Lord Jesus, in the midst
of all this, turned to his disciples, thousands around him, thousands. And he turned and looked at his
disciples, just like I'm looking at you. And he preached the sermon that's
contained in these 57 verses to his disciples. Now, as you
read these verses of Scripture, Most of what is said here, most
of the sayings that our Lord used here, are used in many places
in the scriptures. And while it is useful to seek
a a harmonious understanding of the four Gospels, that is,
to see how the various events line up in the history of our
Lord. Sometimes those men who write
what's called the harmonies of the Gospels, that is lining things
up in this historic fashion, make a terrible mistake because
they try to see to it that every statement, every phrase, every
verse fits in a certain context as though the Lord Jesus never
repeated himself. Some even suggest that what Luke
did here was just string together a bunch of things the Lord said
and put them to us at one time. But that's a terrible mistake.
Our Lord Jesus often repeated things, as any preacher does,
as anyone who teaches does, in various circumstances, different
times, especially things that were very important. Now, in
these first seven verses, we're going to look at just a portion
of our Lord's message. But it's a message in itself.
I'll give it to you in seven statements. First, look at verse
one. In the meantime, When there were
gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch
that they trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples. Now, the first lesson is taken
not so much from our master's words as from his conduct and
his behavior. Here it is. The Son of God, our
Lord Jesus Christ, was an exemplary preacher of the gospel. Sometimes,
frequently, men will refer to preachers as great preachers.
C. H. Spurgeon is known as the Prince
of Preachers. Well, Mr. Spurgeon would fully
agree. This is the Prince of Preachers. You want to know something about
what? preaching involves, what pastoral work involves. Look
to the pastor, the chief pastor, the chief shepherd of our souls.
Our Lord Jesus was constantly concerned for the welfare of
his people. He was constantly concerned.
These scribes and Pharisees were laying wait for him. He knew
what they were doing. He was fully aware of what was
going on behind the scenes. But his mind was occupied. His heart was consumed by his
every thought was focused upon his disciples. He did absolutely
nothing. Now listen, he did absolutely
nothing to defend himself, to protect himself, To keep his
name from being abused, to keep his name from being marred, he
did absolutely nothing to promote himself. His concern was for
God's people. What an example. God make me
such a pastor and such a preacher. A pastor, a preacher, fully devoted
to the welfare of God's people. serving the interest of your
souls with no personal interest. Now that's an absolute impossibility
with this man's flesh. But that's what a pastor must
be. I am faithful to you just in
proportion as I give no consideration to me. I am faithful to God's
cause, just in proportion, as I give no consideration to my
own cause. I am faithful to God's honor
and God's glory, just in proportion, as I give no thought to my own.
Now watch the master. There were, as I said a moment
ago, literally thousands of people gathered around him. What would
he say? Thousands of people. Thousands.
We can hardly imagine it. The streets were just jam-packed.
What will he say? How will he address this crowd?
What will his message be? Now remember, here is standing
in front of us this man who is God incarnate. He is that one
of whom the scripture speaks when it says, God is love. Here he is in human flesh. How's
he going to talk to men? How's he going to speak to men?
What will his message be? We will be wise to emulate him. Our Lord began his message to
these thousands in this public place where multitudes were around
him. He's speaking to his disciples,
but he's speaking in the hearing of the general public. And he
begins his message with a scathing, scathing pointed, direct, unmistakable
accusation charging the religious leaders, the most influential,
the most powerful, the most respected influential religious leaders
and the religion they represented with nothing but sheer hypocrisy. How different things would be
today. If gospel preachers everywhere would follow his example. You
see, the preaching of the gospel is of necessity confrontational. We talk about using winsome words. An ambassador sent to the enemies
of the nation does not go to a little peanut nation somewhere
who decided that they will take up arms against the United States
of America and speak with winsome words. Now, won't you pretty
please, if it would be kind enough on your part to put down your
rebellion and just let this go, our president would very much
appreciate it. You either put them down or you're
dead. That's all there is to it. We're not here to try to
persuade and coddle men and women to pretty please let Jesus have
some place in their lives. We're here as God's ambassadors,
speaking to men and women who are God's sworn enemies, to declare
to men and women God's terms of peace. And God's terms of
peace are surrender or die. That's all. That's all. Our Lord
here confronts the religious world around him because he's
more concerned for the glory of God than for the approval
of men. He was more concerned for the
welfare of men's souls than their applause. I don't mean to suggest
that he was callous and hard. I don't care what you think of
me. That's not the case. I don't preach like I do because
I don't care what you think of me. I preach like I do because
I care more for your soul than for what you think of me. There's
a huge difference. Our Lord was more concerned for
his people than for his own reputation, his own safety, his own comfort,
his own welfare. What an exemplary preacher. God
make me such. And that's the message to me
and to you, men who preach. Here's the second lesson. We
must constantly guard against hypocrisy. He began to say to
his disciples, first of all. He directed his message not to
the Pharisees, nor to the multitude, but to his disciples, particularly
to those men whom he had ordained to be preachers of the gospel,
because they were sent forth by him to preach the gospel.
He knew that these men must have an awareness. He knew that we,
as we are sent forth as his messengers in this world, and I mean now
not just those who stand here and preach, but you and I who
are his witnesses in this world. We must be made aware of the
pretentious devices, the pretentious, artful, cunning devices of the
scribes and Pharisees in the day in which we live, just as
these men must have that awareness in their day. He knew that we
would need to be warned and prepared and constantly aware of Satan
and his messengers who come as wolves in sheep's clothing. He
says, now look at this, before all things, what a statement,
before all things, above every warning, above every beacon light
that shines, above every caution that I've given you, above every
danger you face, above every obstacle that's out there, before
all things, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. which is hypocrisy. Now this is what that sounds
like to me, Sammy. There's nothing on this earth more dangerous
to you and me than hypocrisy. Nothing by which we are more
likely to be destroyed than hypocrisy. In doctrine and in conduct, The
whole of the Pharisees religion. Let me see if I can get this
thing just as plain as I can get it. In doctrine and in conduct,
the whole of all false religion. is nothing but an outward show
of piety. And it is, I do not hesitate,
yes, many women are deceived. They are deceived. But it is
a deliberately outward show of piety. The whole of their religion. The whole of their practices,
the whole of their actions, the whole of their services, the
whole of their ordinances are designed and practiced for man's
approval. It's just for appearance. I want to honor God. We want to honor God. But we
dare not, we dare not in any way be motivated in anything
we do by man's approval or disapproval. We dare not do anything to be
seen of men. We dare not. And yet, that's
exactly what religion is built on. Our Lord compares it to leaven. perhaps very small at first,
but leaven gradually increases and spreads itself through a
loaf until it's permeated the whole loaf. The doctrine and
the practices and the religion of the Pharisees, like leaven,
lies hidden and covered. And we're not able to discern
it very easily. Its agenda, its influence, its
effects are never open and above board, but given time, It infects
and corrupts every principle by which a man lives. It infects and corrupts everything
a man says he believes. It infects and corrupts everything
he does. You see, nothing is so natural
to us as hypocrisy. We're good at it. We've been
practicing it since the day we came into this world. We're good
at it. Nothing is so natural to us as
hypocrisy, and nothing is more promoted than hypocrisy. It's
promoted in every realm of society, in every realm of thinking. Don't
dare just be absolute. Don't dare absolutely acknowledge
to yourself what you are, much less to anybody else. Don't take
blame for anything. Whatever you are, it's not your
fault. No, it's not your fault. Your daddy warped your mind by
his insisting on you doing things in your head. Or he warped your
mind by his warped mind. But it can't be your fault. Oh,
no, not your hypocrisy. When in reality, you know what
you are and what you do is you. Nothing else. Nobody else. I
don't care what influences you've had. It doesn't matter who's
been involved in your life. It doesn't matter what society
you've been in. It doesn't matter what company
you've kept. What you are is what you are and what you have
deliberately chosen to be and practice exactly what you want
to practice. That's all there is to it. No
excuses. But hypocrisy is natural to us.
And our Lord here tells us, therefore, because the religion of the hypocrite
swells our thoughts and our minds and our hearts with pride like
nothing else, let us beware of every doctrine and every religious
practice that's intended for show, intended to make men and
women feel good, intended to impress, intended to impress
the eye, intended to impress the emotions, intended to impress
your affections, intended to gain your approval, intended
to gain your applause, beware of it. Preacher, if what you've
said is so, I wish you'd take that off, what I've just told
you is so. Everything that I see in religion. Everything that I see going on
in the religious world. Everything I read. Every publication. Everything I see on television.
Everything I hear on the radio. These clowns are on television
in religion. All of it. It's all fake. You know, it doesn't
take a brilliant fellow to figure that out. I flipped through the
channel the other night watching that Benny Hinn fellow. Yeah, I watched him. He claims
to have power to heal. Every time I see him, I think,
buddy, if I had powers you do, I'd sure heal that hairdo. But
it's fake. It's just as fake as it can be.
And anybody with half an eye can see that it's fake, except
folks who are just as fake. Beware of everything that seems
pretentious. It probably is. Beware, above
all else, of your tendency to these things. Beware, before
all things, of hypocrisy. If we would avoid the danger
of hypocrisy, the deadly plague of pretense, we must ever seek,
by God's grace, a simple, sincere, open honesty before God. Turn to 2 Corinthians 11 for
just a minute. 2 Corinthians 11. I'm not going
to labor this a great deal, but it needs laboring. Truth is not mysterious. Honesty is not hard to figure
out. You don't have to sit around
and guess whether or not you're being honest. You know. You don't
have to sit around and guess whether or not you're being truthful
with yourself before God. I don't know. I wouldn't attempt
to make the guess concerning any of it. But you know exactly
whether or not you're being truthful and honest with God. Look here
in 2 Corinthians 11, verse 2. Paul says, I'm jealous over you
with a godly jealousy. Now remember the context. He's
just like our Lord was in this regard. These false apostles
have come and accused him of everything under the shining
sun. And he said, I don't pay him any attention. I'm concerned
about you. Because I've espoused you to one husband that I may
present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I'm terribly afraid. I fear, lest by any means, as
the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, So your minds should
be corrupted from the simplicity, the singleness, the oneness,
the openness, the sincerity, the strictness that's in Christ. I'm concerned for you. Our Lord
said, before all things, beware the leaven of the Pharisees'
hypocrisy. Ralph Barnard used to say often,
honest men don't go to hell. He was dead right. He was dead
right. You be honest with yourself,
honest before God, you'll wind up sitting at the throne of God
in glory. But hypocrisy will land you in
hell. Alright, here's the third lesson,
verse 2. There's a day coming when all
things shall be revealed and made known as they really are. There is nothing, our Lord says,
covered. Rex will see that. Oh, brother Potts, he's got to
wear this. Bobby, I got him fooled. There's nothing covered. It shall
not be revealed. Neither hid that shall not be
known. Our Lord often repeated this
fact. He repeated it so often that anybody who paid attention
ought to have been aware he's telling you something very important.
Let me say two things about it. What a warning for hypocrites. The mask is going to be ripped
off sooner or later. God's going to flat rip it off.
And you're going to be exposed to yourself and before God Almighty
for what you are. And exposed in hell forever before
those whom you have thought you have all this time deceived,
exposed for what you are. But what a consolation for believing
sinners. There's nothing covered that
shall not be revealed. Nothing hidden that shall not
be made manifest. Nothing. Lord, you know that I love you. And it really doesn't matter
in this regard. Now listen. It really doesn't
matter what Larry Brown thinks or even what that dear lady thinks. You know that I love you. Turn
over to 1 Corinthians 4. I often have a tough time deciding,
determining whether or not my response to men about things
is proud, arrogant, sinful flesh, or whether it's maturity of faith. And I'm pretty sure it's got
a good bit to do with both. But folks write and make accusations
or call and make accusations. Not often does anybody say anything
to my face. That's not usually the way people
work. Even if you're a little fellow, they don't work that
way. But my response is? You know, I really
don't care what you think about me. Your judgment of me is irrelevant.
In fact, what I think about me is irrelevant. The only thing
that matters is what God thinks about me. And that's exactly
how Paul addresses this thing. Look here in 1 Corinthians 4,
verse 3. With me, it's a very small thing
that I should be judged of you. or a man's judgment, that you
should condemn me? You're irrelevant. Man is irrelevant. Insofar as I stand before God's
concern, every man is irrelevant. It doesn't matter what you think.
Yea, I judge not my own self. What I think doesn't matter.
For I know nothing by myself, yet I am not hereby justified. I'm not justified by what I know
or don't know. But he that judges me is the
Lord. In the day of judgment, we'll
find out. All right, here's the fourth thing. That which the Lord God has been
pleased to reveal and make known to us, the gospel of His free
grace, it is our privilege and responsibility to proclaim to
all the world. Look in verse 3. Therefore, it doesn't matter
what men say or do, knowing that all things will be revealed in
due time. Therefore, whatsoever you have spoken in darkness shall
be heard in light. These are proverbial statements.
And that which you have spoken in the ear in closets shall be
proclaimed upon the housetops. Why don't you sit around and
talk about God's goodness and grace and God's mercy. Get out
your undertow. That's what he's saying. We discuss
God's wondrous ways of grace. Get out yonder and tell it. Stand
on the housetop. Hide nothing, but proclaim free
grace to sinners everywhere. Don't act like the Pharisees.
Don't act like the scribes. Well, I don't know whether the
church is ready for this or not. Man, if they ain't ready for
it, they ain't never going to get ready for it. Preach it. Well, I don't
know whether they'll bear it or not. If they won't bear it,
they won't bear it. Preach it! Somebody's going to
bear it. Somebody's going to rejoice in
it. Don't weigh the consequences. Just proclaim what God has declared. As the Lord God revealed to us
the gospel of His grace, then let's declare it. Let's be like
Paul. I'm ready to preach the gospel,
for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It's the power of
God to salvation to everyone that believes. Somehow, somehow, we've gotten
the silly, absurd, unbelieving notion that the gospel needs
some help. We need to be careful now how
we talk about election. We need to be careful how we
talk about blood atonement. We've got to be careful how we
talk about depravity. We've got to be careful how we
talk about God's sovereignty. That means I ain't going to talk
to you about it. I ain't going to tell you the truth. That's exactly
what that means. What do you do? If you, what is it, that western Clint Eastwood,
Pale Rider, is that it? He getting ready to destroy those
fellows that are washing away the mountains looking for gold or
silver or whatever. And he got him a bag full of dynamite. And
he takes that dynamite, lights the fuse, sticks it down in a
nice soft pouch, polishes the stick, lays it down there, places
it just right. Give it a toss. It'll do its
work. It'll do its work. And that's exactly the word that's
used here. The word power, it's the word from which we get our
word dynamite. The gospel is the explosive power of God to
salvation to everyone who believes. What do we do then? We just preach
it. We just preach it. Just preach it. And if God lends
it in your heart, it's going to blow everything up and bring
you to Christ. That's all. Oh, but we need to
prove, and we need to justify, and we need to argue, and we
need to defend. Oh, I wish fellows would quit and just preach free
grace and watch God work. Here's the fifth thing. Hang
on till you see. There are some people in this
world whom the Son of God has made His friends. Oh, he is the friend of sinners. He's the friend who sticks closer
than a brother. But he has, by divine choice, he has, by distinguishing
love, taken from among his most implacable enemies, a people
whom he has befriended. But he's done more than befriend
them. He's made us his friends. He was our friend from eternity,
but we were His sworn enemies. We lived that way all our lives.
And He's conquered us by His grace, made us His friends. Turn back to John chapter 15
for a moment. Bobby read this back in the office
a few minutes ago. In verse 13, our Lord says, greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends. And then in verse 14, he says, you're my friends. Imagine
that, Bob Duff. You're my friends. You're my
friends. If you do whatever I command
you, if you believe me, Henceforth I call you not servants. You're
oh, yeah, you're his servants. He owns you lock stock and barrel
You got no choice. You're gonna serve him, but he
doesn't deal with it that way anymore For the servant knows
not what his Lord does but I've called you friends For all things
that I have heard of my father. I've made known to you You're
my friends. I've told you what I'm doing.
I've told you what I'm doing now then In that context, read
the next line and learn this. There is nothing so destructive
to our faithfulness and our usefulness as the fear of man. Our Lord
says in Luke 12, verse 4, I say to you, you're my friends. Now,
since you're my friends, since you're my friends, be not afraid
of them that kill the body. And after that, have no more
that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom
you shall fear. Fear him which after death, after
he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. I say to you,
fear him. Don't fear men. Don't fear them. And he's talking about this in
a spiritual context. I have no men in my life who
I believe would run single-handed in defense of a cause against
an innumerable enemy. I have no men in my life I believe
are just men. I mean men. 100% backbone. Backbones of steel. Who feared nothing. Just seemed
to fear nothing. And I've seen those same men
quake before the face of somebody who opposed the gospel of God's
grace. I'll give you one example. His name's Brother Peter. Isn't
that amazing? This fellow Merle, ready to take
on a Roman garrison single-handed with a pocket knife. And just
a little while, cussing and denying the Lord because he's scared
to death of what some little girl would think. Well, how do
you overcome the fear of men? Fear God. I'll take care of that. I'll take care of that. Fear
God. Fear God, you won't fear men.
Reverence God, and you won't give that reverence to men. Worship
God, and you won't give that to men. Seek God's favor, and
you won't care about man's favor. Alright, now here's the last
thing. Remember, he said, you're my friends. Don't be afraid of
anybody. It'll destroy you if you are.
Don't be afraid in my cause. I'm not talking about physical
things. I'm not talking about political
or social things. I'm talking about in the cause
of Christ. Don't fear anything. Nobody. Nobody. And learn this. God's elect have nothing to fear. Are not five sparrows sold for
two farthings, for two petties? And not one of them is forgotten
before God. But even the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore. You're more
valuable than many sparrows. Now what this passage is telling
us is that we who are God's friends, who have been made His friends,
are a people for whom all things down to the minute numbering
of the hairs on our head. And even for a fellow like me,
that's a job. To the numbering of the... I'm not talking about
now, God just counted them. That's not it. He numbered them. He's the one who determined exactly
what and where they are. Right down to that minute detail.
This is unlike any pagan concept of God. Unlike the pagan concepts
of God that are rampant in the religious world around us. You
see, the pagans all talked about gods who sort of had a a general
interest in the world, but by and large, just sort of let things
alone until they were really needed or had to step in, then
they'd do something. Kind of sounds like God. I hear
folks talk about it on television. This has sort of a general interest. And if you need him, you can
holler at him, and he'll help you. Or if he asks to, he'll
step in occasionally. But by and large, he just has
sort of a general interest. Oh, not God. Before the world
began, he determined the number of hairs on your head, and then
divine providence controls it. Well, why did he use that? To
make us understand that God's providence and God's purpose
are absolute, constant. His watchful care is constant. Get hold of that, and hell won't
make you tremble. His watchful care is constant. His providence, so minute, is
universal. Man, if he controls that, if he controls that, he controls
everything. His providence and his care. Very, very special. The hairs
of your head are all numbered. And God, who feeds the sparrow,
who put the seed down there on the ground, gave the sparrow
eyes to see it, wings to go get it, and He makes the sparrow
so fast the hawk can't get it. God, who takes care of that sparrow,
takes care of you. that cannot fall to the ground
in death, but by God's purpose, that God takes care of you. And
you're more value to Him than many sparrows. He doesn't care
for sparrows. He cares for you. Amen.