Okay, now Luke 24, hold your
place there. And as I said earlier, put a
marker in over in Mark, a bookmark over in Mark chapter 16. I'm
taking the title for the message from verse 11, Mark 24, verse
11. And the title will be, Idle Tales
and Unbelief. idle tales and unbelief. The words seem to them as idle
tales, that is, fiction, a fairy tale. And because they didn't
consider the truth of God and receiving the word of the Lord
as it is in truth the word of God, the fruit of that is unbelief. They did not believe. Idle tales and unbelief. Now, how can you account for
such sorry conduct among these chosen fishermen? Well, they're men, sinners at
best. These women returned from the
grave with such great, grand, and glorious good news. The Lord
indeed is risen from the dead, just as He said. Don't seek the
living among the dead. He's not here, He's risen. He's
alive and well. The Lord had appeared even unto
Mary at first, as we read in Mark 16, and then also to the
other women, for it says in Matthew 28, 9, as they went to tell His
disciples, behold, Jesus met them and sang all hail. And they came and beheld him
by the feet, and they worshiped him. So it was just not Mary
alone. These other women had also seen
the risen, visible, bodily, resurrected, glorified Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what was the immediate response
of such grand and glorious news to the apostles themselves? idle tales and they believe them
not. Now remember the Lord had told
these apostles on at least three occasions that he must be betrayed,
he must be crucified, he must be raised from the dead. Now
take your Bible and let's find two of those occasions in Matthew
16. We read about one last week in Luke chapter 9 Verse 22, but
turn to Matthew 16, 21. From that time, Matthew 16, 21,
from that time forth, began Jesus to show unto his disciples how
that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things of the elders,
chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised again the
third day. Now that was pretty plain speaking.
Peter began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this
shall not be. Now this had to be on Peter's
mind. But he turned and said to Peter,
You get out of my way. Get behind me. Get out of my
way. You're an offense unto me. For thou savest not the things
that be of God, but those that be of men. Now, in the book of
Matthew, turn to the second time the Lord told them, Matthew 20
verse 17. And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem,
took the twelve apart in the way and said unto them, Behold,
we go up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man shall be betrayed
unto the chief priests, unto the scribes, and they shall condemn
him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock,
and to scourge, and to crucify him, and the third day he shall
rise again." So it wasn't for lack of information. The Lord
had told them on at least three occasions, probably more, that
he must die according to Scripture, that he must be raised up again. And yet we see in them such shameful
unbelief. How can you account for such
shameful behavior among these chosen disciples? You would think,
and here's what goes through my mind, you would think on that
third morning they would have been sitting outside the tomb
or in that garden. for the sun to rise. They're
getting there early in the morning before the sun comes up waiting
for the resurrection of the Lord. They should have been sitting
at the tomb waiting for the Lord to walk out of that grave just
as He said He would. But just the opposite was true.
The women had more faith than they did. Now, how frail is our
own sinful nature so prone to wonder, so prone to unbelief
and pride. You remember the man in Scripture,
the father who had that son that was so sick and dying, and he
brought him to the Lord, and the Lord said, if you believe,
all things are possible to those who believe. You remember what
he said? Oh, I believe. Help my unbelief. Help my unbelief. And we can
say that as well, can't we? Lord, I do believe. I do believe
by your gift of faith unto me. Lord, I do believe, but I yet
see within my own wicked heart so much unbelief. So much unbelief. I remember
reading a story years ago, I've given this to you before, probably
about nine or 10 years ago, of an older believer, a woman, As
she grew older and frail, she had lost most of her memory of
the Bible. But she did retain in her mind
the words of that chorus we read a moment ago, 2 Timothy 1.12.
For I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that
day. As her health became more frail,
each passing day she could only remember parts of the verse.
One part she could remember, that which I've committed unto
him. That which I've committed unto him. Later, she became more
frail, and just before she passed away, all she could remember,
and she would repeat that one word, him. Him. Him. She lost the whole memory
of all the Bible, but that one word. Yet, in that one word,
she had the message of all the scripture, didn't she? It's all
about HIM. This is the Lord's HIM book. H-I-M. As we know, this book
is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him give all the prophets
witness. We have come here today to worship
Him in spirit and in truth. I love what Cornelius said to
Peter and the men that day. We are all here present before
God to hear all things commanded thee of God. And Peter preached
to him, Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord. Now, I want you to know
and trust and fall in love with Him, Christ. Salvation, as I said on the radio
program this morning, salvation is in a person. I hope you can
say with the Apostle Paul, I know whom I have believed and I'm
persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
unto him and we've committed all of our salvation to him.
He's all of salvation. He accomplished all of our salvation
for us. Now, it's not my desire to simply
convince you of the resurrection of the Lord. I want you to know
Him who is the resurrection and the life. You remember what the
Lord said to Martha when her brother Lazarus had died? And
she said, if you'd been here, he wouldn't have died. And even
now that you're here, I know that you can raise him from the
dead. You remember what the Lord said to her? He said, I am the
resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Do you believe this? He asked. Yes, I do. To know him and the
power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering
to be made conformable unto his death, to know him is to have
eternal life. He that hath the Son hath eternal
life. Knowing doctrinal facts and knowing
the doctrine of the gospel is not salvation. Now you can educate
people on the doctrine of grace, T-U-L-I-P, and you can be straight
and narrow and recite all those doctrines that are true. But
I don't want you just to know the facts of the doctrine. I
want you to know Him who is life and salvation. I want you to
know Him who is salvation. Being made one with Him is eternal
life. Being vitally joined to Him by
God-given saving faith is salvation. Salvation and faith that's a
gift of God is always coming to Christ, looking to Christ,
believing Christ, and trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. He that
believeth. It's not, I believe, yes I did,
but I am yet believing, repenting, and looking unto the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, if you look back at Luke
24, The last part of verse 5 and
the first part of verse 6. Luke 24 verse 5. The messenger
from heaven said to those women, why do you seek the living among
the dead? For him that liveth, he is not
here, he is risen. as He spake unto you in Galilee,
saying, The Son of Man must be delivered in the hands of sinful
men, and be crucified, and be raised the third day again."
Now, I want to repeat some of what I said last week because
it's so important. The Lord gives us many indisputable
scriptural facts of His glorious resurrection.
If the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is a hoax, a fraud, if it could be proved that the
Lord Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead the third day as
he said he would and as he did, then the whole Bible must be
regarded as a lie. It must be dismissed as something
other than the Holy Word of God because it is impossible for
God to lie. He is our resurrection and He
is our life. Furthermore, if there is no resurrection
from the dead, that is, if the Lord Jesus Christ was not raised
from the dead that third morning, we have no atonement for sin.
We have no forgiveness for sin. We have no salvation from sin
and no gospel message how sin is put away by the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we are yet in our sin with
no hope of mercy. We read that in 1 Corinthians
15 last week, remember? How vital is His resurrection? But my friend, according to this
book, and by the witness of God the Holy Spirit within my own
heart, I believe and preach the real bodily resurrection of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if you want to turn with
me, you can, over to Acts chapter 1. Remember, we read in 1 Corinthians
15 last week that he was seeing a 500th brethren at once. At one time, 500 men. But look at Acts, the book of
Acts, chapter 1. Verse two, until the day in which
he was taken up after that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given
commandment unto the apostles, whom he had chosen, remember
he commanded them to go and preach the gospel, to whom also he showed
himself alive after his passion, after his sacrifice, by many
infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, speaking
the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Now, we know, look down to Acts
chapter 1 verse 9, And when he had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him at his
sight. And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel. Here's these same messengers,
these two angels, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why
stand ye up gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
seeing Him go up to heaven." He not only ascended 40 days
after His resurrection, seated on the throne of glory, but my
friend, the same is true that the Lord is coming back. The
Lord is coming back, as He said in John 14, to receive you to
Myself, that where I am there you may be also. Everything we
believe about the Gospel stands or falls upon the resurrection
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. But not only that, His ascension
and His enthronement sitting right now. The God-man mediator,
His body, a real man, a glorified body, sitting right now on the
throne of God, making intercession for us right now, praying for
us, making our worship acceptable unto God through His mediatorial
sacrifice. Now, aren't you glad that He
is raised up from the dead? He ever lived to intercede for
us? Turn to Mark 16. Here's the second
thing I want us to see. The sovereign risen Lord makes
Himself known to this woman named Mary Magdalene first. Look at verse 9, Mark 16, verse
9. Now, when Jesus was risen early
the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
of whom he had cast out seven devils. And she told, and she
is the one who told the disciples that the Lord is risen. Now, what do you see in that? I see the sovereignty of God
making salvation and himself known to whom he will. Of all
that our Lord could have chosen to show himself unto, maybe his
mother named Mary, or how about the Apostle John, or maybe even
Peter, he sovereignly reveals himself unto this fallen but
recovered woman named Mary Magdalene, of whom the Lord had cast seven
demon spirits out of her." If you hold your place there and
find John chapter 20, we'll see a little bit more about this
occasion. In John chapter 20 verse 11,
John 20 verse 11, but Mary stood without the sepulcher weeping.
As she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher
and saw two angels in white sitting, the one at
the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had laid.
And they said to her, Woman, why weepest thou? She said unto
them, Because they have taken away my Lord, I know not where
they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she
turned herself back and saw, Jesus standing and knew not that
it was the Lord Jesus. Verse 15, And he said to her,
Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? And she, supposing
him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou had borne
him in, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him
away. And the Lord said to her, Mary, called her by name, and
she turned herself and said unto him, Ribboni, which is to say,
Master. And the Lord said to her, Touch
me not, for I am yet not ascended to my father, but go to my brethren,
and say unto them that I ascend unto my father, and to your father,
and to my God, and to your God. And Mary Magdalene came and told
the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken
these things unto her. And when they heard her report,
they did not believe her word. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ is
sovereign. In salvation, he'll have mercy
on whom he will. Salvation as it's revealed in
the word of God teaches us that the Lord will have mercy on whom
he will. Salvation is always accomplished, determined, and
dependent, and based upon the Lord's immutable free grace. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but God that showeth mercy. The Lord
hid himself from these others and revealed himself unto Mary
and the other women. Salvation is always a matter
of free and sovereign grace, not merit. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. All are guilty. We've all sinned
and come short of the glory of God. All are deserving of eternal
condemnation. The wages of sin is death. Therefore, salvation is by the
free grace of God alone. being justified freely by His
grace through the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So
that leads us to this conclusion. is for sinners. Sinners. Just
like this Mary Magdalene. Salvation is for sinners. He
didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that
the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Mary Magdalene
did not clean herself up. in order for the Lord to save
her. She was a helpless, lost, ungodly woman that could not
rid herself of these demon spirits, and the Lord eternally chose
her unto salvation, sought her out, crossed her path, and had
mercy on her. That's exactly the way God saves
every sinner. Salvation is for sinners. He
makes great saints out of great sinners because it's the work
of God. Those who are filled with all
manner of evil spirit, as Mary was, He fills them with God the
Holy Spirit. The love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Those who were once far off are
made nigh now by the blood of Christ. Those who are cast out
to the loathing of the person, like the infant in Ezekiel 16,
He makes them sons of God, trophies of His grace. Behold what manner
of love. The Father hath bestowed upon
us that we should be called sons of God. Those who were once beggars
in the dung heap of sin, He raises them up to make them kings and
priests unto our God. And we sing unto Him who loved
us and washed us from our sin in His own blood. Those who were
one time dead in sin, He makes us new creatures in Christ. He
raises us from the dead. You have to be quickened who
were dead in trespasses and in sin. Now here's the point I'm
driving at. Salvation is not for good folks.
Good folks don't need salvation. Salvation is for sinners, for
the lost, for the ungodly. That includes me. That's me by
nature, lost, ungodly, and sinful. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
the ungodly. I quoted a moment ago, Matthew
9, where the Lord said, I didn't come to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance. Sinners to repentance. Take your
book there, The Word of God, and find over here in Ephesians
chapter 2, where he talks about everything we are by nature,
dead in sin, Children of wrath, even as others. Ephesians chapter
2 verse 4, but God. You see that? But God. We were
by nature children of wrath. Conversation in time passed in
the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
the mind. And we're by nature children of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith
He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us
together with Christ by grace are you saved, and hath made
and has raised us up together and made us to sit together,
made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ, that in the
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace
and His kindness toward us through Christ, for by grace are you
saved, through faith, and that's not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of
work, that any man should boast." Now, that ought to encourage
every one of us here. Sinners saved by grace. Now here's the third thing I
want us to see in Mark chapter 16. How merciful and gracious
our Lord, long-suffering, long-suffering, how merciful, gracious, and long-suffering
our blessed Lord is to His weak failing and sinful apostles. He did rebuke them for their
unbelief, but yet he sends them out to preach this gospel message. Three times in these few verses
here found in Mark 16, verse 11, it says, they did not believe,
and when the two men on the road to Emmaus gave their record,
It says there, they did not believe them, they did not believe the
women. And then He appeared unto them,
in verse 14 it says, and He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness
of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after
He was risen. Now He knows our heart. He knows these men. Three times
the Lord rebukes them, and yet the Lord is pleased to reveal
the gospel to them and to send them out. Look at verse 15. He said unto them, Go ye into
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. appear
to them, and upbraid them, and rebuke them for their hardness
of heart and unbelief. Yet He sends these frail, weak
creatures out to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
does rebuke them, but He does not forsake them. He does chastise
them for their unbelief, but He doesn't condemn them, does
He? He does this because He loves them supremely. And He uses weak,
frail, fumbling creatures, sinful as we are, to promote His glory,
His grace, and His gospel. He sends them out to preach. He said, go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature. You see, we have this
treasure of the gospel. We have it in earthen vessels,
don't we? that the excellency of the glory
of the gospel might be in Him, not in us. What if God sent an
angel down here to us this morning to preach the gospel to us? We
might glory in that angel. But He didn't send you an angel.
He sent you an old sinner, a wretched sinner, fallen and ruined and
guilty, who has been taught the gospel and who delights to declare
that good news to others. I'm one beggar telling another
beggar where bread is found in Christ Jesus." Now, what can
we learn from this? God's saints, at best, are only
men at best. God's saints are still sinners.
How many times do we find the disciples so full of doubt, fear,
and unbelief. How many times the Lord rebuked
them, not only here, but in other times, O ye of little faith. Let us cease to feel surprised
when we find doubt and fears within our own hearts. Let us
cease to expect perfect faith in us or in others. Now, I have
a perfect Savior. And I have a measure of faith,
but I don't have perfect faith. Let us cease to expect perfect
faith in us or in other believers. We are yet in this body of flesh,
which is most vile and corrupt, and we can all say, as the Apostle
Paul said, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from
this body of death? Remember the question, the answer?
What was the answer? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Let us pray to be delivered from
unbelief, but let us not conclude that we have no grace in our
heart if sometimes we have seasons of doubt, fear, and unbelief. You don't have that problem,
do you? I do constantly, constantly. I'm ashamed of it. I can say
with that man, when the Lord said, all things are possible
to you who believe. Lord, I do believe. Would you
have mercy on my unbelief? Have mercy on my unbelief. May
God help us not to despair, but with faith look to the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is merciful, who is gracious, who is long-suffering,
who says unto us, he said, come boldly unto the throne of grace
that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of
need. May God give us grace to do so. You see, salvation is just not
learning facts and doctrine. Salvation is being joined to
the Lord Jesus Christ by God-given, God-saving faith. He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life. He that hath the Son hath life. May God be pleased to grant us
faith. Live faith. or a measure, even
a little more faith. Little faith that's God-given
faith is saving faith because it looks to the Lord Jesus Christ
for all of salvation. Salvation is just not learning
facts and doctrines and gospel facts in the head. It's experiencing
the regenerating power of God the Holy Spirit in our heart,
making us to love the Lord Jesus Christ, to submit to the Lord
Jesus Christ, and to trust Him for all of salvation. Now, aren't
you glad that the Lord sent those men out to preach the gospel?
to tell us the good news of the Gospel. And aren't you glad the
Lord is still yet sending out men, sinful men, to tell sinners
where salvation is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.