Luke chapter 10, coming back
to where we left off in our study from last week. And if you missed
that message, there's a CD out there on the table. And if you
don't want to pick up a CD, you can find the sermon on sermonaudio.com
under my name. Now, I'm taking the title for
the message today from verse 11 of Luke 10, verse 11. And
what caught my attention when I read through this is this statement
here found in the last part of verse 11. Be sure of this. Be sure of this. You can count
on this. The kingdom of God is come near
to you right now. You can be sure of this. You
can count on it. The kingdom of God that is spoken
of here is the same as the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ. For He is King of kings. He is Lord of lords. He is King in His kingdom. It's the same gospel that Paul
writes about in Romans chapter 1, the gospel of God promised
for by the prophets in the law concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And this kingdom of God that
is spoken of here, this of God, of His planning, of His purchase,
of His doing, this kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, and
it is an eternal kingdom. Our Lord clearly says that in
John 18 verse 36. He said, My kingdom is not of
this world. He said if it was, My servants
would fight. His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. Now how can it be said to us
this morning, and I take this personally to us this morning,
that the kingdom of God has come near Nigh unto us right now. Here's how. In the plain preaching
of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, of which Paul said, I'm
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of
God and the salvation to everyone that believeth. The apostle again
writes in 2 Corinthians 3 verse 12, seeing then that we have
such a hope Christ who is our hope. Christ in you, the hope
of glory. Seeing that we have such a hope,
we use great plainness of speech. Now, on the front cover of our
bulletin, there has been this scripture verse since I started
doing bulletins more than 23 years ago. For we preach not
ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servant
for his sake. This ministry is not about me. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is not about you. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is about Him. It's all about Him. Not about
you, not about me. It's about Him. You see, it's
the Kingdom of God. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?
He is God, our Savior. Now in our message last week
was taken from verse 1 down to verse 7, and we find that the
Lord appointed 70 men, that is, He sovereignly chose them. They didn't send themselves,
they were appointed of the Lord. They were sent of the Lord, and
He sent them with His message, with His Word. They were sent
with the power of God upon them. And we studied that from verse
1 down to verse 7. Now today I want to consider
the second part of his message in verse 8 down to verse 16. The Lord appointed these 70 men. Now who were these 70 men? They
were sinners. They were sinners. They were
men just like us. Guilty, vile sinners justified
by the Lord's grace. These 70 men were called out
and sent by the Lord. They were called out of darkness
into His marvelous light and they were sent to go and preach
the gospel of the kingdom of God. They were not sent to entertain
folks. They were not sent to pat folks
on the back. They were sent to heal and to
preach the gospel. Now we know the Lord is still
appointing, calling, and sending sinners today to go and preach
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to everyone that will
hear it." He said, go into all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature. The Lord still uses men, sinners,
to tell other sinners where they found bread. Preaching is simply
this, it's one beggar telling another beggar where he found
bread. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
bread of life. Preaching is just repeating what
God has already said. If you notice that I often repeat
myself over and over and over again because I'm repeating the
truth that God has revealed in His Word. The Lord still uses
men to tell other men, sinners to tell other sinners where bread
is found, where water is found. He's the bread of life. You thirsty?
He's the water of life. You hungry? He's the bread of
life. Now, whenever and wherever and to whomsoever the Lord Jesus
Christ is about to come in saving mercy, he will send that man
a gospel preacher. He will cross that man's path
with the gospel. He will put that man under the
ministry of the gospel. God has ordained that and it
has not changed. I'm most thankful that the Lord
crossed my path one day with a gospel preacher. And He did
so by His sovereign purpose, and He did so by His sovereign
grace. I didn't just bump into the gospel one day. He sent me
a gospel preacher. And God blessed that word and
the power of God the Holy Spirit, and He used that message to raise
this sinner from the dead that I might tell other sinners how
to be raised from the dead by His grace and His grace alone. The Lord has not changed. His
method or His ways, it pleased and it still pleases God to call
out sinners through the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, notice I said, I just didn't
say preaching. Now, there's a lot of preachers.
I have found out over the years that the woods are full of preachers.
Everybody and their brother is a preacher, a preacher, a preacher.
Oftentimes I run into people, they say, well, you know this,
when they find out I'm a preacher, they say, well, you know this
preacher, you know that preacher, you know this. No, I don't. I don't want
to know them either. I'm interested in knowing him
and preaching Christ. But I tell you, the woods are
full of preachers. They're everywhere. I mean, on every corner. You
drive up and down the street, churches on every corner. Are
they all preaching the gospel? No. Is every man that calls himself
a preacher, a preacher of the gospel? Sadly, no. I wish they
were. Now, here's the first point,
verse 8 and 9. Into whatsoever city you enter,
and they receive you, They received the message of the Son of Peace,
the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. You fellowship with
them. You can eat the things that are
set before you. You can fellowship with them.
You can worship with them. And then he says this, heal the
sick that are therein. If there's any sick, heal them.
And saying to them, the kingdom of God is come into your house. Now, how is that so? In the preaching
of the gospel. Whatsoever city that you enter
in and you receive or the message of the gospel is received, receive
what is given unto you, what is provided for you. Put no demands
upon the city for riches or rewards, fame, fortune, popularity, or
prosperity. You preach the gospel. and fellowship
with those who believe the gospel." And then he tells them what to
do. Everybody wants to know what to do, don't they? He says here,
"...heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom
of God is come near unto you." Heal the sick. Now oftentimes
you'll see in the newspaper and different people advertising
that they're going to have a healing service. Some people even have
gone so far as to say that we're going to have a healing service
for our dogs, our cats, and our cows, and our horses. Just bring
them and we're going to have a healing service for the animals
as well. Isn't that nice? Oh, that's just
so kind. I'll tell you what it is. It's
foolishness. It's foolishness. Now, these 12 apostles and these
70 men were given special credentials and special gifts to demonstrate
that they spoke in the name of God with the power of God. Remember, turn back over to Luke
9 verse 1. When he called the twelve disciples
together, he gave them power and authority over devils, demons,
to cure diseases, and he sent them to preach the kingdom of
God and to heal the sick. You see, the sick are healed,
by the preaching of the Gospel. It says in Hebrews 2 verse 4,
God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders and gifts
of the Holy Spirit. These men had special credentials
that they spoke for God in that they could, by the power of God
and by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, heal the sick, lay hands
on them, and to be healed. So much so, they had so much
success in doing that, being sent of God with the power of
God. Look what they say down in verse 17 of Luke 10. The 70
returned with joy. I mean, these folks were puffed
up, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through your
name. through your name. The Lord blessed
them because the Lord sent them. And they had a successful ministry. But remember this, all healing
and all subjection, the devils are subject unto us. All healing
and all subjection is of the Lord because salvation is of
the Lord. It's of His doing. So He told
them what to do. He healed the sick and then He
told them what to say. Say unto them, and to them the
kingdom of God is come near to you." Now, our ministry today
is no different than it was when the Lord sent out these 70 men.
As they preached, wait a minute now, do you heal the sick? I've seen a lot of sick folks
healed. How do we heal the sick? We don't. The Lord does the healing
of a sin-sick soul through the preaching of the Gospel. You
see, we read in Scripture, with His stripes we are healed. That's how we're healed. With
His stripes. All healing is of the Lord. And
we do so in preaching the gospel. We go with the simplicity, preaching
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, lifting up the Lord Jesus
Christ. He said, if I be lifted up, I'll
draw all unto Me, all of His elect. We go preaching the gospel
of Christ, lifting up the Lord Jesus Christ, pointing sinners
to look to Him, And the Lord does the healing of his soul.
The Lord raises up the dead. The Lord makes us new creatures
in Christ. It's the Lord's doing. This is
marvelous in our eyes, as David said, this is the Lord's doing.
And it's marvelous in our eyes. If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold,
all things become new. You see, our message is one That's
a simple message. It's a singular message. They
say, the kingdom of God is coming to you. Now the apostles said,
we preached on ourselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ and ourselves,
your servant for his sake. For God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness has shined in our heart to give us
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we have this treasure of
the gospel in an earthen vessel That's all I am, that he might
receive all the honor and glory. We preach not ourselves, but
we preach Christ and Him crucified. Paul the Apostle, when he was
in prison there in Rome, as we read in Acts 28, 23, you remember? Don't turn, let me just read
it to you again. And he expounded unto them and testified of the
kingdom of God, persuading them concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what we do, we preach
the Lord Jesus Christ King in his kingdom, that's the power
of God unto salvation. Now if you would like to turn
with me, you can, but if you'll find 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians
4, verse 20. 1 Corinthians 4, verse 20. The kingdom of God, you see that?
1 Corinthians 4, verse 20. The kingdom of God is not in
word, but in power. In power. In power. Now, turn back to Romans chapter
14. Verse 17, Romans 14, 17. The kingdom of God is the power
of God and the salvation. You see Romans 14, 17. For the
kingdom of God is not, now here is what it is not. The kingdom
of God is not meat and drink. Abstain from this, abstain from
that. Salvation is not in meat and drink. But the Kingdom of
God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Now, two words caught my attention
there in verse 17. The Kingdom of God is righteousness
and peace. Now, I jotted down Psalm 85,
Psalm 85 verse 10, a very familiar verse. Where it says, mercy and truth
are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other,
that's in Christ and Him crucified. For the kingdom of God is righteousness. Now, we talked about that in
our Bible study this morning. He is the Lord our righteousness,
blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without
works, and we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
That's what the kingdom of God is all about. His righteousness
and the peace that He made for us with His own blood. Now, you see what He's saying
here? Look back to the text. Go heal the sick. Preach the
gospel of the kingdom. Now look at verse 10 and verse
11 of Luke 10. Luke 10. 10. And into whatsoever
city that you enter, and they receive you not, Go your ways
out of the same, street of the same, and say, even the very
dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against
you, as it says in another place, as a testimony against you, notwithstanding,
be sure of this, the kingdom of God, has been preached in
your city. The kingdom of God has been preached
in your hearing. Now here we learn something of
the dire, serious consequences of hearing the gospel preached
and putting it from you, or not receiving the gospel of Christ,
or rejecting the gospel of Christ. He that believeth on the Son
hath life, right? He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Now let
me read another scripture to you. This is found in 1 John,
let me just read it to you. 1 John chapter 5 verse 11. This is the record that God has
given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that
hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
does not have life, does not have forgiveness, does not have
salvation. You see, hearing the gospel and
rejecting the gospel by willful unbelief is a terrible, dire
consequence. To have the privilege of sitting
under the gospel ministry and rejecting the message of the
gospel leaves you with no hope. and leaves you with a certain
fiery judgment to come. Now, look at this statement again
found in Luke 10 verse 11. Be sure of this. Now everything
connected with the gospel of God, concerning the kingdom of
God, is certain and sure. Certain and sure. I thought about
these scriptures. Romans 4, 16. It is of faith
that it might be by grace that the promise might be sure to
all the seed. And then Isaiah 28, 16. God said,
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious
cornerstone, a sure foundation. You can count on it. You can
rest in it. And then this scripture. Be sure, be sure now, the kingdom
of God. Be sure of this. The foundation
standeth sure. This is 2 Timothy 2.19. The foundation
standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are
His. And then in 2 Peter 1.19, we
have a more sure word, a prophecy, and we should do well to take
heed, as into a light that shines in a dark place. Now be sure
of this. Be sure of this. God saves sinners
just one way. Be sure of this. One way. Not
Buddha. Not Mohammed. Not morality. Not by works or water, God saves
sinners only in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, by listening and waiting for
our radio program this morning, our radio program comes on at
8.30, and I trust that you listen to
it. That's easy to find on the internet or on the radio, 96.5. And there's a preacher that comes
on before my program comes on, and I usually set my radio up
right here and tune it in, get it ready to listen to the gospel.
And I heard this man say out of his own mouth, here's what
he said. And here's what false religion promotes. Here's what
he said. Your destiny, I wrote it down,
as soon as I heard it, I walked right over here on my lectern
over here and I wrote it down. Here's what he said, your destiny
is determined by how you live. Now, what does that say to us? Well, for one, I know that man's
a liar. I know two, that that is totally contrary to what the
Bible teaches. Salvation is not by what you
do. Now, I can give you several scriptures.
For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God, not of work, lest any man should boast.
So salvation is not based upon my obedience. Salvation is based
upon the Lord's obedience, His faithfulness. What a terrible
thing to say that your destiny is determined by how you live. Well, that's my rule of life.
You're going to perish. You're going to perish in your
sin, trusting your own filthy rags of self-glory and self-righteousness. And I thought of this scripture.
Be sure of this. Salvation is by grace alone,
not works. I thought of this scripture,
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to His mercy He saved us. He saved us! So it's not of works,
lest any man should boast. Paul, when he's sitting in prison,
writes to young Timothy, he says, God who saved us, God who called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
God's own purpose and grace. Be sure of this, God saves sinners
just one way. Now, I know a lot about works
religion. I cut my teeth on works religion. I grew up in works
religion. They call it Mormonism. I was
a Mormon, raised a Mormon, raised on works. One day God taught
me that salvation is by grace. Thank God. Be sure of this, God
saves sinners one way. Not Buddha, not Mohammed, not
morality, not works, not water. Some say, well, salvation is
in the water. That's how we touch the blood
is through the water. Tommy Rot. Tommy Rot. Tom Fullery. Salvation is by the blood of
Christ. He justifies us by His own blood. God saves sinners only in Christ. Be sure of this. For as much
as you know, we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
Is that right? The blood of Christ cleanses
us from all our sin. Neither is there salvation in
any other. There's no other name under heaven
given among men whereby we must be saved. Be sure of this. Salvation
is in Christ. Only in Christ. Secondly, be
sure of this. There's just one way God justifies
the ungodly. There's just one way He makes
us righteous in Christ. Now here's a scripture. God made
him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Christ. That's why the Apostle Paul said,
I count everything else, loss, dung, ruin, that I might win
Christ and be found in him. Now I've got over here behind
my garden out here, I've got a pile of dung. A dear friend
brought me a truckload of manure. It is good for the garden, but it's not good for righteousness.
And here's the thing, all the best deeds you have are nothing
but a pile of manure as far as justification before God goes. Paul calls it Philippians 3,
9. I'm not just preaching now, I'm
telling the truth. He calls it done. Oh, that I
may win Christ and be found in Him. Be sure of this. God justifies
sinners just one way, in Christ. Thirdly, be sure of this. Now
be sure of this. Our Lord said, if you believe
not that I am, you'll die in your sin. If you die in your
sin, you'll be raised in your sin, you'll face God in your
sin, and you'll be eternally damned in your sin. Be sure of
this. The judgment of God is certain
and sure. Who shall be punished, He says,
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
from the glory of His power, when He shall come to be glorified
in His saints, and to be admired in all them, that believe, to
you who believe, He is precious. Now, point number three. I've got four, but here's number
three. Found in verse 12, 13, 14, and 15. And I'll move through
this quickly. But I say unto you that it shall
be more tolerable in that day, now talking about
the day of judgment, for Sodom, than for that city, that had
the gospel and rejected it, or that person who had heard the
gospel and rejected it, woe unto thee, Chorazin, these are Jewish
cities, on the Sea of Galilee where the Lord ministers so many
times, woe unto thee, Bethsaida, for if the mighty works had been
done in Tyre and Sidon, in these Gentile cities, which have been
done in you, They had a great while ago repented city in sackcloth
and ashes. The goodness of God would have
led them to repentance. But it shall be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment day than for you. Thou Capernaum
which are exalted to the heaven, Capernaum was another Jewish
city therein, Galilee, which are exalted to the heavens."
He said, you're going to be brought down to hell. They gloried, they
gloried in their city rather than glorying in Christ. Now,
it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom
and Gomorrah than for you. These Gentile cities were known
for their great wickedness, Sodom and Gomorrah. God rained fire
from heaven upon them. These other cities of Galilee,
Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum were Jewish cities. The Lord
had done many miracles, preached many sermons among those cities,
yet they rejected the great light of the gospel. and the Lord Jesus
Christ that walked among them." We see something of the hardness
of the depraved heart of every creature. The Lord walked among
them, He preached among them, did miracles among them, and
they remained in the hardness of their heart. You see, it's
the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. He must grant
repentance. Now, here's the lesson. The Lord
is going to hold all men accountable in the day of judgment for the
light they had, whether great or small, whether it be the light
of nature or the light of the gospel. You know, the heavens
declare the glory of God. All men are accountable unto
Almighty God, and what we study from Romans 1 verse 20, all men
are without excuse. Those who sin against more light
will receive the greater condemnation. Now, here's what one old writer
said about this verse. These inhabitants of Sodom and
Gomorrah, though they sinned against the light of nature,
despite the advice and admonition of Lot, Abraham's nephew, you
remember, ill-treated the angels of God, the messengers of God,
yet will be more mildly punished than the wicked Jews who rejected
the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember they said, away
with him, crucify him, we have no king but Caesar and his gospel,
despite his apostles and ministers because they sinned against so
much more like such means of grace and mercy revealed in Christ
Jesus. It's greater condemnation to
hear the gospel and to reject it than to having never heard
the gospel and to still reject it. Those who have received more
light will receive a greater condemnation. Now, here's the
last thing, verse 16. He that heareth you, hears me. And he that despises you, despises
me. And he that despises the son,
despises the father who has sent him. God in the fullness of time
sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law. Faithful gospel preachers are
God's ambassadors to your soul. Now that's what I am to you.
I can show you that in Scripture. Find 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians
chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. We'll begin reading at verse
17. 2 Corinthians 5, 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature, All things are passed away, behold, all
things become new. All things are of God, who hath
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us
the ministry of reconciliation to wit, that is, namely, God
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word
of reconciliation. That's the kingdom of God. Now
then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech
you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled. Look at verse 21. For God made
Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
to righteousness of God in Him. Faithful gospel preachers, let's
read one more verse. Romans 10, turn over there. Romans
10 verse 13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. Romans 10 verse 13, you got it?
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a
preacher? God sends forth His messengers
with the gospel. And how shall they preach, except
they be sent? Now those who are sent of God,
they all preach the same thing. Those who are sent of God all
have the same message. Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Those who come saying that your destiny is determined by how
you live, mark it down, they're not sin of God. They are messengers
of Satan who parade as angels of light and righteousness. How
shall they preach except they be sent as it is written? How
beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace
and bring glad tidings of good things." And that's from Isaiah
57. God's preachers, faithful gospel
preachers are ambassadors to your soul. They are to be heard,
received, and treated as the servants of the Lord. The Lord
has put this honor upon them. Those who despise them are not
despising them so much as the Lord himself. Those who reject
salvation which is of the Lord, which they are commissioned to
preach, are doing an injury, not so much to them, but as to
God our Savior who sent them to preach the gospel. Now, a
warning. God's servants are not to be
worshipped. I would not have that at all.
You remember in Acts chapter 14, when Paul and Silas, or maybe
Barnabas, were preaching there in a city, and Lester, I believe
the name of the city was, and they healed a man. And they started
to run toward them and to fall down and worship them. And Paul
said, don't do it. I'm a servant. I'm a man of like
passion, just like you. I'm a sinner, saved by grace
alone. God's servants are not to be
worshipped, However, they are to be respected and appreciated. Now, here is Isaiah 52.7, How
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth
good tidings, that publish peace, that bringeth good tidings of
good, that publish salvation. The kingdom of God is come thine
to you, that sayeth unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. God is absolute
God, sovereign over all things. I would encourage you to go back
and listen to the radio message that I brought this morning.
Of Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be
glory both now and forever. You see, these servants of the
Most High God show us the way of salvation in Christ. Now, a couple of closing statements.
One of the greatest blessings the Lord can give to any community,
church, people, is a faithful gospel preacher. A faithful gospel
preacher. One who is committed to preach
and set forth the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ,
that preaches the salvation of the Lord. Now, one of the greatest
complaints that I have received Over the last 12 years that we've
been doing the sermon audio ministry, over the last 12 years, and I
hear from people all over the world and all over this country,
that one of the greatest complaints I've received through the sermon
audio audience and from people all over this country is this
complaint right here. They say there's no gospel ministry
in our city. I've heard that hundreds and
hundreds of times. In emails, written letters, and
phone calls, there's no gospel ministry in this city. Isn't that sad? It's sad. Thank God that there is some
gospel ministries in cities here and there. Zebulun. Where in the world is
Zebulun? It's right here where God raised
up a gospel ministry. A gospel ministry that preaches
salvation is of the Lord. Thanks be to God that He has
raised up one here and there, and in other places, in Dingus,
in Ashland, in Kingsport, in Lexington, and other places where
we know the gospel of God's grace is declared. Down in Crossville,
they've had a Bible conference this weekend, and other places.
Aren't you thankful that the Lord is still calling sinners
and sending them with the message of God's grace pointing sinners
to the Lord Jesus Christ and declaring that salvation is of
the Lord, being confident of this very thing, that God, who
hath begun a good work in you, will finish it unto the praise
of the glory of His grace. You see, the bottom line in everything
is this. And here's one acid test. You remember when you were in
school in chemistry, they had that little strip that you would
dip and it was an acid test. Well, here's the acid test to
find out who is preaching the gospel and who is not. You know
what it is? Who gets the glory. Who gets
the glory? Now, if salvation depends upon
the creature, who's going to get the glory? The creature.
But we know that salvation is of the Lord and that gives Him
all the honor and glory. You read Revelation 1 and Revelation
5, it's all about unto Him who loved us and gave Himself for
us and washed us in His own blood. What about our works? They don't
count for anything but done. Be done with it. Look to Christ,
Christ alone. You see, this ministry and every
gospel ministry about the Kingdom of God is all about His glory,
His glory alone.