Okay, now I want you to turn
in your Bibles this morning to the last part of Luke. Luke 20,
verse 45. And we want to consider down
through Luke 21, verse 4. Now as I pointed out earlier,
when we read this in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, there's
no chapter division here. I've got kind of an unusual title
for this message. I could have named it different
things, but what I've chosen to call this message is A Great
Contrast. A Great Contrast. The Lord in these verses points
out the difference between those who were hypocrites, where it
says, Beware of the scribe with desire to walk in long robes. I love the greeting places. They
love the highest seats, they devour the substance of poor
widows, and they make a long show in the flesh, and he says
these people will be condemned. So the Lord makes a strong contrast
between these hypocrites, these rich men who are casting in a
lot into the treasury, And then he takes a notice in verse 3
of Luke 21 of this poor widow woman. Now what a contrast. What a contrast. This poor widow
woman. Now, it's quite a contrast like
that we studied once before if you turn over to Luke 18. Remember
the Lord has a contrast of these two men in the temple. He spake
this parable, verse 9, The certain was trusted in themselves that
they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up to the
temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a Republican. Remember
what the Lord said of those Pharisees? The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, a long prayer, God I thank you, I'm not as other
men, I'm not an extortioner, I'm not unjust, I'm not an adulterer,
I'm not even like that publican over here, I fast twice in a
week, I give tithes of everything I possess. Now there's a contrast
here, and the publican standing far off would not lift up so
much his eyes into heaven but smote upon his breast saying
God, be merciful to me, the sinner." Now, just looking at that story,
and naturally speaking, if you would look at the prayer, so-called,
of the Pharisee and the notable sinner, the publican, which would
you say would be justified before God? Well, naturally thinking,
we think, well, the Pharisee, this man prays, this man does
all this, seemingly outward deeds. The publican just smote upon
his breast and said, God be merciful to me, the sinner. Now, look
at verse 14, I tell you this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other. The Pharisee justified himself
and was condemned. The publican condemned himself
and was justified. And the Lord said, everyone that
exalts himself shall be abased, and those that are humbled shall
be exalted. What a valuable lesson given
by contrast. You see the contrast there? Contrast. Oftentimes, when we read scripture,
our wise Lord and sovereign God sets forth the gospel, and he
does so by way of contrast. Have you ever noticed that? By
way of contrast. I'll give you an example. Jeremiah
17. Cursed be the man that trusteth
in man, that maketh flesh his arm, his strength, whose heart
departed from the Lord. That's a cursed man. And then
the contrast is found in Jeremiah 17. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in the Lord, whose hope the Lord is. Now you see the contrast
there. The Lord sets forth gospel truth by way of contrasting,
and that's the way we try to present the gospel. And then
I'll give you two other examples. John 3, 36. You're familiar with
this. Don't turn and read it. He that
believeth On the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him.
You see the contrast there? Believing, life, unbelief, judgment. What's the contrast, is it not?
It's true contrast. And then, you're familiar with
this one too, Romans 6, 23. The wages of sin, death. I'm glad for that little word.
But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord. That's truth set forth by contrast. And that's what the Lord does
here. Between saying beware of those Pharisees and scribes,
beware of their doctrine, beware of them. They have no truth.
They have no gospel. I want us to consider the harsh
rebuke the Lord has for the religious hypocrite as it's given here
in verse 45 down to verse 47 of Luke 20. In the reading of
Matthew 23 where we have the full sermon of our Lord in his
rebuke where he says, of the scribes and the Pharisees as
we read earlier in Matthew 23. That whole chapter is the full
explanation and the full sermon the Lord brings to these people.
He has the strongest rebukes for those who are most religious,
who appear before men outwardly righteous, but who appear before
God the way they truly are. Remember he said, outwardly you
appear like a nice, white, shiny, marble tomb. Within, you're full
of rotten, dead men, bone, and sinful to the core. There is something that's given
here in verse 47 in Matthew 23, 14. Look carefully at Luke 20,
verse 47. "...which devour widows' houses,
Why would they do that? To enrich themselves? Why wouldn't
they take care of that poor widow? And for she'll make long prayers,
and notice these words right here, the same shall receive
greater damnation, greater condemnation. One old writer said this, those
who make long prayers to be seen of men The only beseeched men
shall receive long damnation from the hand of God. That's
so. Be sure you get what this teaches.
There are no such thing as greater rewards of grace. Rewards, plural,
of grace. No such thing as degrees of heaven's
glory based upon your good deed. Because we know that salvation
is all of grace. all of faith alone and all in
Christ alone. The Lord Jesus Christ alone is
our reward. Now the person who does not know
the gospel and who is an unbeliever is deluded in his mind that he
is giving, going, and striving to receive a bigger reward or
more reward, more stars in my crown in heaven. There is no
such thing as rewards, plural, because Christ is our reward. Listen to the Apostle. Whatsoever
you do, do it heartily to the Lord, not unto men, knowing that
you shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve
the Lord's Christ. Never one time in Scripture,
check me out, never one time in Scripture, is the word rewards,
plural, in reference to a believer, always singular, because our
total reward and salvation is all vested in a person, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Heaven's glory was all earned
for us by the doing and dying and the faithful obedience of
the Lord Jesus Christ and has nothing, emphasized upon the
word nothing, to do with our works. You heard me right. Has nothing to do with our work,
not even our faith. Faith does not accomplish salvation. You heard me right. Faith simply
receives Christ who did accomplish salvation. Now, if you think
your faith has earned you salvation, you've missed the gospel. Faith
receives Christ who is our salvation. All of our salvation, heaven's
glory, was all earned by the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Even our faith, where does that
come from? By grace are you saved through faith and that knowledge
of yourself. Jerry, what's it called? The gift, the gift of
God. None have worked that any man
should boast. God saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace, given us in Christ before the foundation of the
world. Now I quote that scripture every time I bring the gospel
message. And then the book of Titus says
it's not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to His mercy He saved us. His purpose, His grace, His mercy.
You got the idea? That's what the gospel is all
about. Not about what you're going to do with Jesus. According
to what the Lord says here, there is such a thing as degrees of
damnation and everlasting torment. Now there are no degrees of glory. We're all glorified the same
in Christ. But according to what he says here, they shall receive
the greater Damnation. The greater condemnation. The everlasting torment of the
damned in hell are measured out and executed by divine justice
according to the measure of man's wickedness. Now don't ask me
to explain that. That's just what that verse teaches.
they shall receive the greater judgment, greater condemnation. Now there is a fountain, thank
God, filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's vein that is
open for sinners of all kind And we are made clean through
the blood of Christ. The Lord came to save sinners,
not to call the righteous to repentance, but He came to save
sinners. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that the Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. And I say with Paul, get out
of my way, I'm the chief sinner. I'm the chief offender. I'm the
guilty one. Those who say they are righteous
by their deeds, who insist upon salvation by their works, you
remember what he said to those in Matthew 7? Those in Matthew
7 said, Lord, we preached in your name. Lord, we've done all
these wonderful works. Lord, we've done this. Lord, we've
done that. Lord, we have done all this. Remember what he said? Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity." You see, when we talk about salvation, we talked about
what He has done. Now, I don't know how many of
you read the newspaper, the local News Express, but there's a section
in there that's a religious section. And they had a whole big layout
of a man in a local church here, his name was George, who died. Didn't any of you read that?
This man named George, he died. And they talk about George did
this, and George did that, and George did this, and George did
all this other thing, and George did this, and George did that.
Surely, George is in heaven now. Now do you see anything wrong
with that? Not one word, you go home and read it. I read it
twice. Not one word what Christ had
done for George. but everything what George had
done for the local community and the church. Therefore, those who trust, there's nothing
more wicked before God than to trust your own sinful self for
salvation. They shall receive the greater
damnation. That's what he's talking about,
these Pharisees who trusted themselves, you remember? You remember what
they said? Turn back a few pages. Luke 17.
Luke 16. Luke 16. 15. Here is what the
Lord says to those who go about to justify themselves before
God. I hope this is not describing
you. You are they which justify yourselves before men. You see
verse 15, Luke 16. But God knows your heart, that
which is highly esteemed among men, What's the rest of it? It's an
abomination in the sight of God. George was highly esteemed among
men. George was a good old boy. I'm sure he was. He's a good
neighbor. But my friend, that's not salvation. Salvation is not
what we have done for God. It's what God has done for us
in Christ. You see the difference? That's
what sets this ministry apart from everybody else in this valley.
I don't know if anybody else in this valley is preaching this
message. If you know of them, I'd like to meet them. Now, here's the contrast. Okay, you got one side, right?
Here's the other side. Luke 21 verse 1, He looked up
Here's the Lord of glory who knows all things. He's been in
the temple this whole day teaching and preaching. And he looked
up and he saw the rich men, the rich men who had devoured widows'
houses, the rich men, the scribes, the Pharisees who loved the recognition, the rich men
casting their gifts into the treasury. This is the treasury
in the temple. And he saw also a certain poor
widow casting in there two mites. Now that word in verse 2, where
it says that poor widow, that word means that she was in great
need. Great need. And then he said
of a truth, verse 3, I say unto you that this poor widow, this
poor widow, and the word here, poor, is a little different word,
it means beggar. This woman was a needy beggar,
she was a widow, and she was flat-busted, and cast in more
than they ought. For all these have of their abundance
cast in under the offering of God, but she of her poverty hath
cast in all the living that she hath." Now, you see the contrast? It's obvious, is it not? This poor woman who was in need,
who was a beggar, she cast in all she had, and what an example
of faith and grace this woman demonstrates. And she did so
not to be seen of men, but to worship God. She thought what
she was doing was secret between her and her Lord, but the Lord
Jesus Christ, who sees all things and knows all things, sees fit
to record this for us right now, for us to consider 2,000 years
later, He doesn't even give our name. In Romans 16, the Lord
named 36 different people. But here, see, just a poor, poor
widow. A poor widow, but the Lord knows
her heart. We read in Scripture, "...neither
is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but
all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom
we have to do." David said, "...I am poor and needy, yet the Lord
thinketh upon me. Thou art my help, my deliverer,
O God, make no tearing for me." Is this your case, like this
woman, a poor beggar before the throne of God? Do you see yourself? Can you take your place with
this poor woman and come to God and cast everything you have
aside and trust Him for all your salvation? That's what she's
doing here. She's taking what little she has, throws it away,
gives it away, said, I'm trusting the Lord to take care of all
my need. That's what faith is all about. Is that your case? Believers like this poor widow
woman, as mercy beggars come before God, depending upon Him
to provide all things for us, poor bankrupt beggars, mercy
beggars, living by nature spiritually in poverty, but by His grace,
by His power, coming to the Lord for all of salvation, coming
to Christ because Christ is all and in all. Now, in what part,
what part does the Lord Jesus Christ play in our salvation? What part does He? He has no
part, because the whole salvation is of the Lord. You see, it's
not he has a part, and the church has a part, and you have a part,
and we put all these parts together, and then we have the whole. That's
not the way it is. Salvation is totally by the Lord
alone. The Lord fixes His attention
on this poor, needy beggar of a woman, a widow woman who had
no husband, no way to provide for herself. She gave the only
two mites she had, very small, insignificant amount compared
to the riches that were cast in the offering box that day.
But the Lord of Glory considered it a higher, greater value because
of how and why it was given. Listen to his instructions here.
The rich man cast in a part of what they possessed. She gave
all that she possessed. The rich gave a portion. She
gave her living, her daily provision. They gave out of their abundance
and wealth. She gave out of her poverty.
They gave and had much remaining. She gave everything, all her
provision, and had nothing remaining. They gave out of a sense of duty.
She gave because she wanted to out of love. They gave to be
seen of men. She gave because she loved the
Lord. They gave to get glory unto themselves,
to be seen of men. She gave to glorify the Lord
Jesus Christ. Make me a giver like that. They
gave What they did not need, she gave what she very much needed,
she gave sacrificially. That's how we're to give, as
unto the Lord. One example the Lord sets before
us on how to give, how to worship the Lord in giving. Little did
this woman know that we'd be talking about her this morning,
all these years later. You know the scriptures teach,
let me turn, let's turn to two scriptures. You turn with me,
find 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Giving is a privilege. Those
who love the Lord give as unto the Lord. They give as unto the
Lord. 2 Corinthians 9, look at verse
7. Every man according as he purposed
in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity,
But God loved with a cheerful giver. I want to give with a
cheerful heart, with an open hand. And then the great example,
you know the New Testament does not teach one time anywhere a
tax or tithe. That's Old Testament law. God's
people are not under the law. They give out of a cheerful heart
as unto the Lord. And the example of giving is
this. Find 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 right across the page. For you know, verse 9, the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your
sake he became poor, that you through his poverty might be
made rich. That's how we are enriched in
the Lord, in the Lord Jesus Christ. So there's an example of giving,
an example of great faith. She departed with what she had
and trusted the Lord to provide for her. That's faith. This is
what faith does and how it acts, giving up everything we think
might recommend us unto the Lord, and trusting Him for all of salvation.
Think of this for a moment. Everything the Lord demands of
us to be accepted and justified before Him, everything the Lord
demands of us to be justified before His holy throne, He freely
and fully and eternally provides for us everything. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? My God shall supply all your
need according to His riches in glory through the Lord Jesus
Christ. You know, that's His name. Those
seven names of Jehovah. One of those seven names is Jehovah
Jireh. You know what that means? That
means the Lord will provide. He provides a perfect salvation
for His people. A perfect justification for His
people. A perfect sacrifice for our sin. The Lord will provide. And know
this. Jot this down somewhere. Only
that which God provides will God accept. Only that which God
provides will he accept. Now, that comes from Genesis
22. Remember the story of Abraham and Isaac. Isaac said to Abraham,
his father, and said, My father, and he said, Here am I, my son.
And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the
lamb for a burnt offering? Remember they went to the mount
to sacrifice and to worship God. Where is the lamb? Abraham said
to Isaac, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they both went, them together. The Lord will provide himself
an offering. Who is that offering? The Lord
Himself. He is that offering. God will
provide Himself as the Lamb. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh
away our sin. God will provide for Himself
a Lamb. As I've told you these many years,
the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is not offered to men. Did you know that? Salvation
is not an offer. First of all, but the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ is not up for your acceptance or your
rejection. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ is offered unto God. It's offered unto the Lord. This
is the Lord's lamb. Is he satisfied with it? That's
all that matters. Now his people are, don't get
me wrong. But the essence is, is he satisfied with Christ crucified? This is my well-beloved son,
in whom I am well pleased. God will provide himself as a
lamb. God will provide for himself
a lamb, Christ crucified. Only that sacrifice which God
has provided will be accepted. You see, God has blessed us with
all spiritual blessing in the heavenly in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily and we are complete in Christ. Now,
turn to 1 Corinthians this time, 1 Corinthians chapter 1. As I said a moment ago, everything
that God demands of us is freely, eternally provided in the Lord
Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30. Now we quote this all the time,
but I want you to see it with your own eyes. You see verse
30? 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30. But of him are you in Christ,
in Christ Jesus. Being in Christ Jesus is salvation. How'd you get in him? How did
you get in Christ? If God didn't put you in Christ,
you've never been put in Christ. But of Him are you in Christ
Jesus. But of Him. It's of Him. When did that happen? God has
from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Who of God is made
to us? Here's what He has made to us.
Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Everything I
need stands before God. He's made to me. He's made to
me. Christ is our wisdom before God,
in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom. He is able to make
us wise unto salvation in Him. He is our wisdom. He is our righteousness. You see that? Christ is our righteousness
before God. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
imputeth righteousness with outworks. The Lord, He is the Lord, our
righteousness. You see, we're not going about
to establish a righteousness of our own. Christ is my righteousness
before God. He's made unto me righteousness.
And then it says there, He is my wisdom, He makes us wise to
salvation. He is our righteousness that
justifies us before God. And then He is our sanctification.
Now we do not teach and we do not preach what they call progressive
sanctification. That is His flesh just gets holier
and holier and holier as it sees more and more and more. We don't
preach a progressive sanctification, we preach a complete sanctification
in Christ. Christ is our holiness before
God. Now, it says in Hebrews 12, follow
peace with all men, with all men in holiness, without which
no man shall see the Lord. Now, how holy do you have to
be to stand before God? Have you ever done anything holy?
If you think you have, you need to go back and re-examine yourself. You see, everything we do is
tainted with sin. I've never had a holy thought
because of this sinful, wicked mind that I have. Christ is our
holiness before God. He's my sanctification. Can't
get any better than that. That's why we don't preach progressive
sanctification. He is our sanctification. Now
we teach a growth in grace, and that's so. And then Christ is
our Redeemer. He's our redemption. And that
word redeem means deliver. He has delivered us. He's called
the Deliverer. Deliver them from going down
to the pit, I have found a ransom. He has delivered us from our
sin. The guilt of sin to condemn,
He delivered us from it. He put away our sin by the sacrifice
of Himself, His own blood. Now, of Him are you in Christ,
who of God has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, that according as it is written, He that glorieth,
let him glorieth in the Lord. Now, I said to you a moment ago
that Christ is all and in all. Listen to this. I'm almost done. I'm just about out of wind here. Christ is all and in all. Christ
is all that God is. Christ is all in the Scriptures. Christ is all in every doctrine
of Scripture. Christ is all as the object of
our faith. Most especially, Christ is all
we have. Is that enough? If that's all
you've got, that's enough. Christ is all we have. We have
nothing to plead but Christ before the throne of God. He who, all
he has is Christ, has everything. He who has everything but Christ
has nothing. You know who said that? My pastor friend in Lexington,
Todd Nyberg. Christ is all and in all. If
you have Him, you have everything. If you don't have Him, you don't
have anything. He that hath the Son hath life. May the Lord teach
us to worship the Lord this way, to come to Him as a poor, needy
beggar, seeking all of our salvation in Him, totally depending upon
Him to supply our every need. He promised that He would never
leave us nor forsake us. He said, I'll be with thee, I
will not fail thee, I will not forsake thee. That was the promise
made to Joshua. Remember Joshua chapter 1? I'll
be with thee, I will not fail thee, I will not forsake thee. And we read in Isaiah 42.4, He
said, He cannot fail. I cannot fail. He is the unfailing Redeemer,
the successful Savior, the victorious One. Thanks be to God who has
given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.