Matthew chapter 24. I'm taking
the title for the message from what it said in verse 28. Matthew
24 verse 28. For where so ever the carcass
is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Now, we see
here two things. We see the body of Christ. And
the eagles there, being the elect of God, be gathered unto the
Lord Jesus Christ. The gathering of His elect. That's
going to be the title of the message. The gathering of His
elect. The gathering of His eagles unto Himself. The Lord Jesus
Christ came to save His sheep, His people, from their sins,
and He did not fail to do that. Call His name Jesus. He shall
save His people from their sins. He came to save us and He did.
He chose His bride in eternity. He put their name in the Lamb's
book of life. He wrote their name in that eternal
book, cannot be erased. The Lord Jesus Christ came in
the fullness of time to redeem us and to deliver us, to rescue
us from our sin. And He did fail to do so, in
whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sin, according to the riches of His grace in the fullness
of time. The time God sent forth his son made of a woman, made
under the law to redeem them that were under the law. He will
in due time gather his lost sheep unto himself, and he'll do so
through the preaching of the gospel. That's how he calls out
his eagles, his elect, and they swiftly fly to the Lord Jesus. He said, my sheep, hear my voice.
I know them. They follow me, and I give unto
them eternal life, and they shall never perish. He will, the Lord
Jesus Christ, come again in that last day and take us home to
glory, to everlasting glory, where we will enjoy Him forever
and ever and ever and ever. Don't turn. Let me just read
this to you. It says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Comfort
one another with these words. Now in Matthew, 25 and Matthew
24, Matthew 24 and 25, we see here and we read here the Lord's
last sermon preached to his disciples and to us before the Lord was
betrayed, arrested, Beaten and crucified for us the just one
Laying down his life for the unjust that he might bring us
unto God He said no man takes my life from me. I lay it down
to myself. I have power to lay it down This
commandment have I received with my father. I have power to lay
it down. I have power to take it again Thank God He was delivered
for our offenses and raised again because he justified us the Lord
has given us his word, and think about it, we have the privilege
of reading his last sermon before he dies for us according to the
scriptures. I would encourage you to read
these chapters repeatedly over and over again and ask the Lord
to reveal himself unto you. And I pray for us this morning
that God would give us ears to hear and a heart to receive his
word Everything he speaks to us is absolute truth. Every promise
he has made, and he's made a, well, he's made exceeding great
and many precious promises, right? But I like what Joshua said,
of all that God had promised, not one word will fail. Everything
he said is true. It's impossible for God to lie.
We're persuaded as Abraham that all that God had promised, he's
able to perform all that he, promised unto us. Let's begin
here at verse 23, 24, and 25 of Matthew 24. Then if any man
shall say unto you, lo, here is Christ, or there is Christ,
don't believe that. Don't believe that. For there
shall arise false Christs. You see that, verse 24? There
shall arise false prophets. and shall show great signs, wonders,
maybe even by hocus-pocus some kind of a miracle, insomuch that
if it were possible, they shall receive the very elect of God.
He said, behold, I've told you these things before. To be foretold
is to be forewarned. I've told you these things before.
One preacher of the past would often say to his congregation,
before he would preach the gospel to them, he would say, I'm going
to tell you what I'm going to tell you, and then I'm going
to tell you, and then I'm going to tell you what I've done told
you. I think that's a pretty good outline. I'm going to tell
you what I'm going to tell you, and I'm going to tell you, and
then I'm going to tell you what I've done told you. And that's
what the Lord does here. I've told you before, He said.
The Lord speaks with absolute clarity of what is going to happen
in Jerusalem. You remember He said over here
in chapter 24, verse 2, when the disciples were so impressed
with this building of the temple, and He said, See ye not all these
things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left want
here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down." Talking
about that prophecy of Daniel, that abomination of desolation
when Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. The Lord speaks
with absolute clarity what's going to happen in Jerusalem.
And did it happen? It did. And the Lord, with absolute
certainty and clarity, speaks about the last days. Will it
happen in which we live? Will the Lord come back? He's
coming back. He's on His way. And He speaks
with absolute clarity and certainty because the Lord has declared
all things from the beginning. He's declared all things from
the beginning. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning. God knows all things because
he's decreed all things. His foreknowledge is not based
upon his ability to foresee the future. His foreknowledge is
based upon his decree of the future. There's a difference. It's always good to hear the
gospel truth over and over again. The Lord had repeatedly warned
his disciples about false prophets who teach something other than
the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember in the same chapter,
he mentions that. Look at verse 4, Matthew 24,
verse 4 and 5. Take heed that no man deceive
you, for many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ and
shall deceive many. Verse 24, he mentions again,
for there shall arise false Christs false prophets and shall show
great signs and wonders and so much that if it were possible,
if that were possible, they deceive the very elect of God. So there's
a warning in scripture about, about being deceived, being deceived. Hold your place there. And let's
turn and read a couple of places. I want you to find second Corinthians,
the apostles, Peter, John, and Paul, 2 Corinthians chapter 11,
they're all warned the same thing the Lord warns about. This is
2 Corinthians chapter 11. He said, verse 1, unto God, you
could bear with me a little of my folly, and indeed bear with
me, for I'm jealous over you with a godly jealousy. I've espoused
you to one husband that I might present you as a chaste virgin
to Christ, but I fear lest by any means as a serpent beguiled
Eve through his subtlety, your mind should be corrupted from
the simplicity that is in Christ. That word simplicity means oneness,
singleness. Verse four, for he that cometh
preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you
receive another spirit which you have not received, or another
gospel which you have not accepted, you might bear with me. Well, bear with me. Notice the
marginal reference there. In this same chapter, look at
verse 13. For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles
of Christ. And no marvel for Satan himself.
He transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it's no
great thing if his ministers also be transformed as ministers
of righteousness whose end shall be according to their deeds.
They don't preach the righteousness of God revealed in Christ. They
preach righteousness by human effort or morality. So Paul warns
about that. So does Peter. Let's turn over
here to 2 Peter. 2 Peter. 2 Peter 2. It says 2
Peter 2. Peter warns about it as well. In verse 1 of 2 Peter 2 verse
1. But there were false prophets
also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you. That was true in Paul's day.
It was true in the Lord's day. It's true in our day. Who privilege
shall bring in damning heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
them and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall
follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom The way of
truth is evil spoken of. And that's what people who are
untaught of God, they hate the gospel of God's sovereign grace.
Turn over here to 1 John 4. See the Lord warns about falsehood,
about false deceitful preachers. Those who say they are sin of
God and are not. This is 1 John 4. And I'm trying
to establish the fact that Paul was concerned about it, Peter
was concerned about it, John was concerned about it, and we
should be as well. 1 John 4, verse 1, Beloved, believe
not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be of God,
whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone
out into the world. That is, try those prophets.
Try them by the Word of God. Hereby you know the Spirit of
God. Every spirit or preacher that
confesses that Jesus Christ is coming to flesh is of God. And
every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is coming to
flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of Antichrist,
whereof you've heard that it should come even now already. is in the world, so beware. He said, I've told you before,
I'm going to tell you again, beware, beware. False prophets,
false gospels will only produce false converts, false professors
of false religion. It is only the truth of the Word
of God that sets sinners free. John 8, 32, you shall know the
truth and the truth shall set you free. All those who are not
the elect of God will be deceived because they are born deceived
and will die deceived because they're dead in their sin unless
God is pleased to enlighten them. unless God is pleased, as we're
going to read here in a minute, to cause a lightning to strike. We read in 2 Thessalonians 2,
because they receive not the love of the truth that they might
be saved, God shall send them strong delusions that they may
believe a lie and be condemned. Be condemned. Now look at verse
26. Matthew 24, wherefore, if they
shall say unto you, if they shall say unto you, now who's gonna
say this? The false prophets. If they say
unto you, verse 26, behold, he's in this place. He's in the desert. Go not forth. And they may say,
well, he's in the secret place. He's in the place that we put
him. And again, the Lord said, don't believe them. Don't believe
them. Don't believe them. When they
say, when false prophets say that Christ or that salvation
is in a place or position or in a profession, believe them
not. Believe them not. Because salvation,
my friend, is in a person. Salvation is not in a place,
salvation is in a person. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
salvation. This is a record God has given
to us, the eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 1 John
5, He that hath the Son hath life. Verse 11 and 12. He that
hath not the Son hath not life. Now you may have a lot in this
life, but if you're not one with the Lord Jesus Christ, you don't
have salvation. Now I repeat what I said last
week. And I try to write something
in the bulletin on the back page. Don't look at it now, but you
look at it later. I usually put my articles on the
back of the bulletin, usually the last of the bulletin. And
I don't usually put a name. I usually don't put my name there.
So if you see an article that doesn't have an author, I'm the
one who wrote it and put it in there. But salvation, we don't
preach. I repeat what I said last week.
We don't preach a church salvation. We preach a Christ salvation. Salvation is in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Our Lord said, come unto me,
all you that labor and heavy laden. I will give you rest.
So we point centers to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the Savior.
He's the true Savior. Don't come to me. Don't come
down front. We don't have an altar call.
Christ is our altar. Go to Him. Look to Him. Believe
him. Our Lord said, come unto me,
all ye that labor, every laden, I'll give you rest. The Lord
said, I'm the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life, more than all in
him I find. As John Wesley wrote, the Lord
is the way of salvation. The only way. God's preachers
don't secretly go around to gain a following. They openly, publicly,
boldly declare the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
Lord will bless his word to his elect. We see that so plainly
written in the book of Acts. When the apostles in the early
church were beaten and threatened to stop preaching the gospel,
I mean they were actually whipped. and told to stop preaching the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They went everywhere preaching
the gospel. And they said, we can't but tell
those things that we've seen and heard. We're not going to
stop. You know, all of them kept right
on preaching, including Paul. They were all in prison for preaching
the gospel. The Apostle Paul was in prison
for preaching the gospel, not for crimes against the state,
but for preaching the gospel that all gave their life for
the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Paul
writes from prison, and he's in prison for preaching the gospel,
and yet when he writes back to young Timothy, who was somewhat
timid and a little bit Lacking in boldness and confidence, Paul
writes back to him from prison and says, don't be ashamed of
me, nor of the gospel. And then he says, I charge you
before God, go preach the word. Go preach the word of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We are not, Paul said, we're
not as many which corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity,
but as of God in the sight of God, speak we of Christ. We don't
preach ourselves. We preach the Lord Jesus Christ. So if they come and they say,
well, here is Christ, there is Christ. Behold, he's in the desert. He's in the secret chamber. We
know the secret way. We have the secret way. No, Christ
is the way. Beware of those. You remember
our Lord said what when he sent his disciples out preaching?
He said, what I tell you, What I tell you in darkness, that
speak ye in the light. And what you hear in the ear,
you preach that upon the housetop. Preach it loud and clear. The
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is meant to be declared openly,
boldly, candidly, as much as we can. Preach Christ as all
of salvation. Now look at verse 27. Matthew
24, verse 27. Where the lightning cometh out of the east, And it shines into the west.
We've all seen that, haven't we? A flash of lightning. I mean,
you hear that thunder, and then you hear the thunder, or you
see the lightning, then you hear the thunder. The speed of light
travels faster than the speed of sound. So you see the lightning,
and then you hear the thunder. But as it shines in the east,
Even to the West, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man
be." He's going to come. There's no such thing as a secret
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no such thing as a secret
rapture. The Lord is coming back and He's
going to take His people to Himself, enjoy them forever, and He's
going to destroy this world and make a new heaven and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness. This has reference to the destruction
in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. It came on them quickly. But
also, this has reference to the final and second coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to consider this verse
in this light. I want us to consider this verse
also as the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in regenerating
power unto his people, in quickening, saving grace. As the lightning
shined from the east to the west, he has shined in our hearts to
magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. You have the quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sin. The gospel in Romans 1 is called
the power of God unto salvation. And if you look that word up,
power, it means dynamite. dynamite, the lightning explosion
of the gospel. He has commanded the light of
the gospel to shine into our hearts, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians
chapter 4. Let's turn over there and read
that, 2 Corinthians chapter 4. It's been a while since we looked
at that reference. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse
5. This verse has been on the front
of your bulletin for the last 30 years, 2 Corinthians 4. Verse
5, for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and
ourselves your servant for Jesus' sake. Now you see verse 6, for
God who commanded the light to shine, that's that lightning,
the quickening of his word out of darkness has shined in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
that shines in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. For we have
this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of power
may be of God, and not of us." Who controls the lightning? Man doesn't. God does. Who controls where the lightning
of the gospel strikes? When he strikes in the heart
of a sinner. Who controls that? God does. He'll quicken whom
He will. He'll have mercy on whom He will.
Our Lord prayed, all powers given to me in heaven and earth, go
therefore, all powers given to me, over all flesh that He should
give eternal life to as many as God has given to Him, and
He'll quicken whom He will. I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy. I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So as the lightning comes out
of the east and shines into the west, the Son of Man has come
unto us in a revelation of the glory of God that shines in the
face of Jesus Christ. Now, verse 28. Well, wheresoever the carcass is, there
the eagles will be gathered. Now there's a reference given
there on verse 28. You see it in the marginal reference?
Luke 17 verse 37. Luke 17 verse 37. Let's turn
there and read that because there's something I want you to see.
Luke 17 verse 37. Luke 17 verse 37. And he's talking about, and this
is the same word that the Lord is preaching in Luke 17, Look
at verse 37. And they answered and said unto
him, where, Lord? And he said unto them, wheresoever
the body is. Now notice, the body. Carcass is the body. Wherever
the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Were gathered
together unto him. The church is what? His body. He's the head, we are the body. We're gathered unto Him. Wherever
the body is, there the eagles, His elect, will be gathered.
Now, two references here on the word eagles. Isaiah 40 verse
31. But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength. They shall mount up wings as
eagles. They shall run and not be weary.
They shall walk and not faint. Ever watched an eagle fly to
its prey? How swiftly, how keenly they
see things, and how swiftly they fly? And then another reference,
Revelation 12 verse 14, and the woman there, the church, were
given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness
into her place where she is nourished for a time. The old songwriter
said, run, run, the law demands, but gives me neither feet nor
hands. The gospel bids a sweeter song.
It bids me fly and gives me wings. That eagle has great wings that
God gives. And that's what God does for
us. He gives us wings that we might fly to him. Like Paul,
we're determined to preach the gospel, and the Lord will bless
that to draw his people, his eagles, unto himself. That's
why Paul said, I'm determined. There's no nothing among you
but Jesus Christ and him crucified. Our Lord said in John 12, if
I be lifted up from the earth, talking about him being lifted
up and crucified, he said, I will draw all unto me, all of his
eagles, are drawn to the body, the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He loved the church and gave himself for it. And then
you remember in John chapter 3, our Lord said to that Pharisee
Nicodemus, Our Lord said, you must be born again. But he said,
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the
Son of Man must be lifted up. John 3.14, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish but have everlasting life. He that
heareth my word, our Lord said, and believeth on him that sent
me, ha, got it, everlasting life. shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life. Those that are effectually
quickened, irresistibly quickened by the gospel, will be irresistibly
drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of God's power. All that the Father giveth to
me, turn over to John chapter 6. Let's read that one more time.
John chapter 6. John chapter 6. Look at verse 37. John 6 verse
37. All those eagles are flying home
to the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives us wings, makes us willing. John 6 verse 37. All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will
which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should
lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. And this
is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth
the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and
I'll raise him up at the last day." God said, I'll raise him
up at the last day. are gathered unto him because he is our food. He is the bread upon which we
feed. Christ is that bread of life.
He said that he that believeth on me and cometh to me shall
never hunger, shall never thirst. Christ is that water of life.
Our Lord said to that woman, well, whosoever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him shall never Never thirst, but the water
that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life. Remember what she said? Lord,
give me that water. Give me that water. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the bread upon which we feed. He's the water
of life upon which we drink. Christ is the sincere milk of
the word that the eagles desire to drink of. Christ is that strong
meat upon which believers desire to feast upon. Christ is that
water of life that quenches our dry and thirsty need. Believers desire to feast upon
Christ, his person. He is altogether lovely to you
who believe he is precious. Believers desire to feast upon
Christ because he's altogether lovely. Because the Lord Jesus
Christ, we feed upon His priestly work. He has obtained eternal
redemption for us with His own blood. Believers never weary
of hearing about the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot preach Christ
too often, too high, or give Him all the honor and glory.
We lift up Christ. in the preaching of the gospel,
and believers never weary of hearing of him, of who he is,
altogether lovely, of what he's done. He's put away our sin. He's established righteousness
for us, and we glory in him, don't we? God forbid we should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. David writes,
as a heart pines after the water brook, so pines my soul after
thee. O God, my soul thirsteth for
God, for the living God. Let me give you some reason why
Christ is our desire. The eagles are his elect that
fly unto him. He calls us by his grace. Let
me give you some reasons why in closing. Why we desire the
Lord Jesus Christ. His name is our salvation. No
other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be
saved. His blood is our complete atonement for sin. The blood
of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all our sin. His righteousness
is our covering. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputes righteousness without works." His sweet promises are
our confidence, aren't they? That's our confidence. All the
promises of God in him are yes, and in him, amen, unto the glory
of God by Christ. 2 Corinthians 1, 20 and verse
21. The Lord Jesus Christ, His grace
is our insurance. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to
His own purpose and grace. His mercy is our hope. We have
a good hope through grace. It's not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. His
love is our comfort. He's loved us with an everlasting
love. Here in His love, not that we love God, He loved us. and
sent His Son to be the sacrifice for our sin. If you tasted that
the Lord is gracious, feast upon Him. When you read the Word,
look for Him. Set your affection on Him alone. As the psalmist said in Psalm
37, O taste and see, O taste and see, the Lord is good. May God give you that desire
in your heart to hunger and thirst for righteousness where it's
found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He gathers his eagles to himself.