Okay, let's turn to Luke chapter
6 one more time. Luke chapter 6. We've been studying through the
gospel given to the doctor. Luke was not an apostle, but
he was certainly a believer and one who was used of God. we've
been studying through the gospel given to Brother Luke, we'll
call him. Brother Luke. And for the last
several months, and now we come to chapter 6. I'm entitling the
message from the words the Lord speaks here in this message He
proclaimed from verse 20 down through verse 26. And from the
contrast that the Lord clearly establishes between those that
the Lord declares that are blessed. And between those that our Lord
says are under the righteous judgment and curse of God. He says here four times, blessed
are you, blessed are you, blessed are you. And then he says, some
are under God's judgment. Woe unto you, woe unto you, woe
unto you. So, the title of the message
this morning, Blessings or Woes? Blessings or Woes? Now, the way of the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ and the way of salvation revealed in
Christ by His grace, sovereign grace, is totally contrary and
opposite to the way men naturally think. Most people naturally
think that good people are going to heaven. Right? That's what
we've heard. The opposite is true. God's going
to take sinners to glory and justify them because there is
none good, no, not one. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is totally contrary and opposite to the way we naturally
think. Now, when you think about something
spiritually, and you think or have a thought that, well, it's
this way, just think the opposite. And that's probably the way it
really is. And the reason being, the carnal
mind is enmity against God. The carnal mind receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God, their foolishness unto him, neither
can he know them, they must be spiritually discerned. The man
who is perishing in his sins, he finds the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ offensive and foolish. Offensive and foolish to those
who are perishing, Christ crucified is foolishness. The Lord said
this in Isaiah 55. He said, my thoughts are not
your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways,
saith the Lord. What we naturally think about
the Lord, our God, is totally contrary to the way it really
is. Men are prone to think that God
loves all men everywhere without exception. That's what's been
said in our day for the last several hundred years. You know
that is not true. It's not a true statement. The
love of God is revealed only in the Lord Jesus Christ. We've heard for years that the
Lord Jesus Christ died for the sins of all men everywhere without
exception. He's doing his dead level best
to try to save them, but they won't cooperate. Well, that's
not true either. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
died for His sheep, and He saves them by His grace. The natural
man and the world and the depraved mind of sinners would say, and
the opinion of this world would say, blessed are those that are
rich. They would say, the opinion of
this world would say, blessed are those that are full. They
would say, blessed are those that are always laughing. The opinion of this religious
world would say, blessed are those that are well-spoken of,
well-liked. But the Lord pronounces a curse
and a judgment upon every one of those things that the world
would say, well, those who are rich. Those are the people that
are really blessed. Just the opposite is true. Those
who are richly blessed are those who are bankrupt sinners. Those who are poor. Poor. Our Lord says this, that which
is highly esteemed among men is an abomination. The Lord says
here in our text, blessed are those who are poor. Blessed are
those that are hungry. Blessed are those that weep. Blessed are those that are hated. You see, that's just the opposite
of what we would naturally think. The poor, they're not blessed.
Those who are poor in spirit are. You see, in the Kingdom
of God, the way up is not up. In the Kingdom of God, the way
up is down. He said, I'll nigh them of a
broken heart, save as such as be of a contrite spirit. The
way to be spiritually rich is to be spiritually bankrupt. The
way to be full is to be emptied, stripped, put into dust before
God. The way to abundant joy is to
weep and mourn. Over what? Over my sin. The way
to be accepted of God and blessed in the Lord Jesus Christ is to
be hated of men and cast out as evil. That man on the radio this morning
who said evil things about the gospel
was talking about me. He called me an evil man because
of the things that we preach according to God's Word. But
he says here in verse 23, when men hate you and when they cast
you out, what are we to do? Look at verse 23. Rejoice in
that day. Rejoice in that day. Leap for
joy. For behold, your reward is great
in heaven. For in like manner did their
fathers unto the prophets. Rejoice in that day. When you're
persecuted for the gospel and hated for the gospel of God's
grace, rejoice in that day. You see, your reward is great
in heaven, great in the kingdom of God. It's not a reward of
debt, it's not a reward of merit, but it is the reward of grace. The reward of grace. You see,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Hold your place there and find
Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. You see,
believers are not interested in rewards. I hear people in
religion talking about, do this or do that and you'll have a
greater reward. You'll have more rewards. That's foolishness. That's the talk of a fool. Believers
are not interested in rewards. You see, Christ is our reward.
Colossians chapter 3 verse 23, "...Whatsoever you do, do it
heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of
the Lord you shall receive the reward..." Let's say rewards. "...of the inheritance, for you
serve the Lord Christ." You'll never find the word rewards
in the plural form in reference to believer. It's always singular. Christ is our exceeding great
reward. What is the believer's reward?
Well, it's given to us right here. Your reward is great in
heaven. Now what is great in heaven?
Are you really interested in pearly gates and streets? People talk about streets of
gold. There are no streets of gold. It is a street, singular, because
it's Christ. We're not interested in pearly
gates and mansions, are we? I'm interested in Christ. For
your reward is great in heaven. What is great in heaven? Christ.
All those things are just symbolic of the beauty and glory found
in the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the believer's reward?
Christ. The eternal inheritance we have
is Christ. Christ Himself is our salvation,
and the Lord Jesus Christ, He is all of our salvation. Turn
to Luke chapter 12. Verse 32, well verse 31, Luke
12 verse 31, But rather, seek ye the kingdom of God, and all
these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock,
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give unto you to
give unto you the kingdom. We've been made heirs of God
and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our reward is Christ
alone. He is our inheritance. We're
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Our reward is Christ. Our reward is incorruptible,
undefiled, fated out of way that's reserved for you in heaven. Christ is our reward. Turn, if
you will, to Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. I brought
the radio message this morning from Ephesians chapter 1. Look
at verse 11 of Ephesians chapter 1. Our inheritance and our reward
is one and the same. In whom also, Ephesians 1 verse
11, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance. Now it doesn't
say we earned an inheritance. We didn't earn a reward. We've
obtained it by his grace. We have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. that we should
be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in the Lord
Jesus Christ. We have an inheritance given
to us in Christ and He is our reward. Now look back at Luke
chapter 6 verse 20. And He lifted up His eyes on
His disciples and said, here's what He said, now remember, about
this sermon here and the one found in Matthew chapter 5, 6,
and 7. And I pointed this out in the
reading. In verse 17 of Luke 6, he came down with them, his
apostles, and stood in the plain. Now this is not a repeat or this
is not the same sermon as what's recorded on the Sermon on the
Mount. It's the same message, but it's
a different sermon. Because that was delivered on
the mountain, this is delivered in the plain. Delivered on a different occasion,
but it is the same message. Then the Lord here, when he says,
blessed be you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed
are you that are hungry now, for you shall be filled. Blessed
are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you
when men shall hate you. because of the gospel's sake.
He is not teaching or describing how men are justified because
we're justified by His grace. The Lord is teaching and describing
how those who have been justified in Christ are blessed in Him. We are blessed with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's
look at the blessed part of this. Who are the blessed? Blessed
be ye poor, for yours is right now. You have everything God
has in His spiritual kingdom, and you possess it right now. You are blessed right now with
all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus
Christ. You know, David, through the
Psalm, turn back to Psalm 32, uses that word blessed or blessed
if you will, blessed or blessed many times, but look at Psalm
32. Look at a couple of Psalms here.
Psalm 32, who is the blessed man? Our Lord says over in Matthew
5 verse 3, blessed are ye, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of God. Here is the blessed man, Psalm
32 verse 1. Blessed is he whose transgression
is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
imputeth not iniquity, in whose spirit there is no guile, no
hypocrisy. That is the blessed man in Christ. Turn to one other psalm, find
Psalm 65, Psalm 65, verse 4. Back up to read Psalm 65, verse
3. Iniquities prevail against me. As for our transgressions, thou
shalt purge them away. Blessed is a man whom thou choosest
and causes to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even thy
holy temple. or the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of God." Now, the Lord is not talking about
financial poverty, but rather of one being spiritually bankrupt,
knowing our total depravity, our guilt and sinfulness before
God. Knowing I'm a sinner is being
a blessed man. David often said, I am poor and
needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me. We by nature are without
God, without hope, and without Christ. Guilty before God. Knowing that I'm a sinner gives
me great hope. Knowing I'm a sinner gives me
great hope. You know why? Turn back one page. You remember from Luke chapter
5? The Lord Jesus Christ The Pharisees murmured, verse 30,
Why do you eat with publicans and sinners? And the Lord Jesus
answering, verse 31, Luke 5, They that are whole need not
a physician, but they who are sick. I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentant. I'm a sinner. For whom the Lord
Jesus Christ came to call. He came to seek and to save the
lost. Over in 1 Timothy we read, this is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners, and the Apostle Paul said, I'm the chief one. There's no greater sinner than
me. You see, knowing I'm a sinner
gives me great hope. Knowing that I'm ungodly gives
me great hope. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
justifies Who does he justify? He justifies the ungodly. He
says in Romans 5, the Lord Jesus Christ, when we were yet without
strength, the Lord Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. He didn't die for good folks.
He died for the ungodly. You see, knowing I'm a sinner
and knowing that I'm ungodly gives me hope. Gives me hope. Now, if the Lord has ever stripped
you and laid you in the dust and revealed unto you that you're
guilty before God, that you're a bankrupt sinner before God,
you know what you are? You're a blessed man. You're
a blessed man. Well, preacher, I just can't
come that low. Then you're not blessed. You
can't get low enough. You can't... I'm a worm and no
man. A worm. You see, if you know
you're a sinner, you're blessed. And here's the reason why. You
remember the prayer of Hannah, verse Samuel 2. He raises the
poor out of the dust. He lifts the beggar from a dunghill
to set them among princes unto him who loved us and washed us
from our righteousness. Know him to love, to him who
loved us and washed us from our sins. He has made us kings and
priests unto our God." Now that's a blessed man. You see what I'm
saying? Those who are bankrupt sinners
always come to Christ for mercy. The publican did, and he, God
said he went home justified. Those that confess their sins
always find forgiveness of their sins in Christ. He is faithful
and just to forgive all of our sins. The blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses us from all our sin. Those who know themselves to
be sinners, they always look to the Lord Jesus Christ for
all spiritual blessing. Blessed be ye poor. Can you identify
with that? For yours is the kingdom of God. Everything that God has is yours
right now. Kings and priests under our God.
You see, in Christ we are rich. Now, here's the second thing,
look at verse 21, Luke 6. Blessed are ye that hunger now,
that hunger now, For you shall be filled." Our Lord said in
Matthew 6 on that Sermon on the Mount, Blessed are ye which do
hunger and thirst after righteousness. Christ is our righteousness,
for they shall be filled." Again, this is not talking about natural
hunger for food that will satisfy our appetite, but rather a spiritual
desire, a spiritual hunger, the thirst after Christ, our righteousness,
and the spiritual blessings found in Him. Believers are always
hungering and thirsting and coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, for
He is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. David put it this way in Psalm
42, As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth
my soul after Thee, O God. As cold water is to a thirsty
soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25, 25. The
spiritual blessings we receive in Christ by His grace are eternal
and complete blessings. For you shall be filled. What are we filled with? We're
filled with Christ. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and we are filled in Him. We are complete
in Him. Of His fullness have we all received
grace or grace. All who truly seek Him shall
be filled and will never be disappointed. Turned away. Seek ye first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be
added unto you. Our Lord said, Come unto Me,
all you who are labor-heavy laden. I will give you rest. Come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy. Find grace
to help in time of need. The Lord said, Come to Me, and
I'll give you rest. You see, we are filled when God
makes us to hunger. and thirst after Him, He will
fill us with the bread of life, Christ Himself. Now here's the
third thing, the last part of verse 21, Blessed are you that
weep now, for you shall laugh. Laughter. Laughter is good for
the soul, you know that? Blessed are you that weep now,
for you shall laugh or you shall rejoice. What do we rejoice in? We are the true Israel, which
worship God in the Spirit, that rejoice in Christ Jesus, and
we have no confidence in the flesh. Our Lord said in the Sermon
on the Mount, Matthew 5, verse 4, Blessed are they that mourn,
they shall be comforted. Comforted. Blessed are you that
mourn. where you shall be comforted.
Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh." And here's
what he's talking about. Every believer mourns and grieves
over his corrupt, depraved, sinful nature. The Apostle Paul said
this, I know in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. And then he said,
O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body
of death? You remember the answer? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. You see, he was mourning over
his corruption, over his sin, but he was made to rejoice in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah did mourn over his sin. When he saw the Lord high and
lifted up, he said, woe is me, I'm undone, I'm a man of unclean
lips. And the message came from heaven
and said, the Lord has taken away your sin, rejoice. Job did,
Job rejoiced. He said, I've heard of thee by
the hearing of the ear, but now my eye seeth thee, wherefore
I abhor myself, I hate myself, I repent in dust and ashes. But
he also said, I know my Redeemer liveth. You see, there is a mourning
over our sin, but there is a rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are brought to perfect peace,
perfect joy, knowing the Lord Jesus Christ has put away our
sin and made us righteous in Him. That's the only reason we
can rejoice. is the fact that the Lord Jesus
Christ came in the flesh. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. That
was Paul's hope. That was Isaiah's hope. That
was Job's hope. That is every sinner's hope that
has been made to weep and mourn over our sin. We do rejoice that
we are comforted in Christ who put away our sin. Let me show
you this. Turn to Isaiah 40. When Isaiah
talks about being comforted, our Lord said, when He, the Holy
Spirit has come, the Comforter has come, He will comfort you. He shall take the things of Christ
and show them unto you. Isaiah 40 verse 1. Comfort you,
comfort you, my people, saith your God. Now here's our comfort,
those who are mourning over our sin, knowing that we are sinners,
knowing that we have sinned against God. Comfort ye, comfort ye,
my people, saith your God, speaking comfortably to Jerusalem, crying
to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned,
for she has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. That's our comfort. That's our
hope. The Lord Jesus Christ, the just
one, died for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God. Now here's the fourth, blessed.
Verse 22, Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when
they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach
you, and cast out your name for evil, for the Son of Man's sake. You see that? Blessed are you
when men shall hate you for the gospel's sake. In Matthew 5 verse
10, the Lord said, Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Our Lord
said in John 15 verse 8, If the world hates you, you know it
hated Me before it hated you. Turn to Luke chapter 7. You know,
they said this same thing of God's prophet John, known as
John the Baptist. Luke 7 verse 31. Wherefore, then, shall I liken
the men of this generation, and to what are they like? They are
like unto children sitting in the marketplace, calling one
to another, saying, We have piped unto you, and you've not danced. We have mourned to you, and you've
not weeped. That is, we can't satisfy you.
For John came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and
you say, he has the devil. The Son of Man has come eating
and drinking, and you say, behold, a gluttonous man, a wine-bibber,
a friend of publicans and sinners. Wisdom is justified of her children
being persecuted For standing firm for the gospel of God's
sovereign saving grace is not a pleasant thing, but it is always
welcome. Standing for the gospel of God's
sovereign saving grace and being persecuted for the gospel is
not a pleasant thing, but it's always welcome. It's always welcome,
and it should be expected. If you look at all the persecution
recorded in the book of Acts, whenever the apostles went preaching
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, everywhere they went,
they were hated, hunted, stoned, whipped, beaten, drug out of
the city as dead. What did they do? They told sinners
that God saves sinners by His sovereign mercy and His sovereign
grace. Grace alone. and the religious
folks, they got very angry, they got very, very upset. Now, here's the flip side of
those we've seen who God says are blessed. Now here's the flip
side, verse 25 and 26. Woe unto you that are full, for
you shall be hungry. Woe unto you that laugh now,
For you shall mourn and weep, warn to you when all men shall
speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets. Who are those to whom the Lord
pronounces a curse, and under the wrath and judgment of God,
warn to them, John said this, He that believeth on the Son
hath life, he that believeth not the Son shall not see life,
but the wrath of God abides on him. It's the same message as
we read before in Jeremiah 17. Cursed be the man that trusteth
in the flesh, that maketh his arm his strength, His power,
whose heart is departed from the Lord. Blessed is that man
that trusteth in the Lord, but cursed is that man that trusteth
in men. You see, those who trust in themselves,
their riches, their pleasures, the fullness of their righteousness,
their name, their reputation, Our Lord said, you or they would
justify yourselves before men, but God knows your heart. That
which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the
sight of God. Our Lord tells about those recorded
in the Revelation, those who thought they were rich, increased
with good, and had need of nothing. He said, you're miserable, blind,
poor, and naked. We rejoice in Christ, not in
our riches. These people here who prefer
the world, these are the people here who prefer the world to
Christ, who prefer the world to the Lord Jesus Christ and
the spiritual blessings revealed in Christ, who prefer earthly
riches of the world to the riches only found in Christ, those who
delight more in worldly gain, than finding righteousness revealed
in Christ alone. Who prefer the praise of men
rather than the praise of God. Turn over here to John chapter
12. Let me see if I can make good on what I'm trying to put
forth here. In John chapter 12, you remember
from our study, when Isaiah saw His glory, he spake of Him. John
12, verse 42. Nevertheless, among the chief
rulers also many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees
they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the
synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise
of God." They sought the approval of men. Now, in closing, let
me give you this. Let us examine ourselves whether
we be in the faith, whether we be resting in Christ. We read this 2 Corinthians 13,
5. Excuse me. Examine yourselves
whether you be in the faith, prove your own selves, know ye
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
you be a reprobate, except you be a castaway. Now I want to
turn and read this one more time. Turn to Philippians chapter 3.
May God give us in our heart the same testimony as this man
known as Saul of Tarsus, who was very religious by nature. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He said, verse 4, Philippians
3, verse 4, Though I might also have confidence in the flesh,
if any of the men thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust
in the flesh, I the more circumcise the eighth day of the stock of
Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, favorite tribe, the most legal
Circumcision. Hebrew of Hebrews. His mom was
a Hebrew, his dad was a Hebrew. Touching the law, he said, I
was a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, he persecuted
the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is Saul of Tarsus.
Touching righteousness, which is in the law, he saw himself
one time as being blameless until God stripped him and put him
in the dust. But what things were gained to me, Now I count
everything loss. Circumcision? Loss. Hebrew of
Hebrews? Loss. Pharisee? Loss. Yea, doubtless, I count
all things loss. For the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but rubbish, dung, that I may win
Christ, gain Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, by the faith
of Christ, not our faithfulness. Whatever men may think, those
who the Lord says are blessed are truly blessed. Those whom
the Lord says are blessed are truly blessed. Blessed are the
dead who die in the Lord. Those whom the Lord says are
blessed are truly blessed. Listen to this in Matthew 25.
Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world. Whatever men may think, Those
who the Lord says are blessed are truly blessed. Whatever men
may think, those who the Lord says are cursed, who are not
blessed, who are under the woe of God's judgment, are truly
under that judgment. Matthew 25 again, and these shall
go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life. Blessings. are woes. Blessings are woes. Blessed are
those in Christ. Woe unto them who do not see
their need of Christ. Woe unto them who do not rest
in the Lord Jesus Christ. May God give us grace in our
heart to look to Him always and find all of salvation in Him.