They're not weak men. They're
not compromisers. They're not reeds shaken and
bent by the wind. They're bold and courageous and
faithful ministers of the gospel. And they're not covetous men.
They're not materialistic. They do not conduct themselves
in ways and means to call attention to themselves. And then they
are not professional preachers. They're not vocational preachers.
They're not prophets looking for a job. They're my messengers. I sent them. And they bear my
message before me. Something I read years ago, I
think answers any individual who covets to be a prophet or
a preacher or a pastor. And that is one of the old timers
said, no prophet of God ever applied for the position. Think about that. No prophet
of God ever applied for the position. All of them are called, and most
of the time to their own amazement. And then he tells us down here
in verse 11, we talked about this this morning. And yet while
these men are called of God and sent of God as his ambassadors
and messengers to bear his message before him. Yet there are no degrees in glory,
there are no degrees in position or place in his church. We are
all one body, members one of another, each member the least
of which is as important and vital as any of the members. He says in verse 11, among them
that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than
John the Baptist. Yet did you know John the Baptist
never performed one miracle, not a single one. His birth was
a miracle. He was born when both his mother
and father were welcome years, sent of God. But he never in
his ministry ever performed a miracle. He died when he was about 30
years of age, killed by Herod. And then down here in verse 12,
I gave you some light on this verse here. He says in verse 12, and from the
days of John the Baptist until now. Well, if he's talking about
from the birth of John the Baptist until now, that is now. John
is now. He's living. When this is said,
he's alive. But what our Lord is saying is
John is the law and the prophets from the Abraham to John. From Abraham to now, the kingdom
of God suffered violence. In other words, the violent take
it by force. The kingdom of God from the time
of Abraham or Adam, I mean Abel. brought the blood, Abraham, Saul
the Lord, Moses, these men. Turn to Luke 16, verse 16, and
you'll see something that will help you on that here. He's talking
about from John the Baptist all the way back. You see, in Luke
16, 16, the law and the prophets were unto John. John was included
in that group. The Law and the Prophets weren't
until John. He's one of the last of the Old Testament prophets.
Since that time, the kingdom of God is preached and every
man presses into it, just like they did then. There's no new
gospel, no new redemption, no new—men press into the kingdom
of God. They're energetic about it. They're
zealous about it. They're committed, they seek
God with all their hearts. He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. Now then, verse 16. And our Lord continued to speak
here. But he said, Whereunto shall
I liken this generation? He's likened to children sitting
in the markets, calling unto their fellows, saying, We've
piped unto you. You've not danced, we've mourned
under you, you've not lamented. I think our Lord is using an
illustration here which I understand having seen this in Mexico and
other places where they have marketplaces where the parents
living out in the jungles and out in the communities bring
their wares and their vegetables and their fruits and their their
arts and crafts into the marketplace to sell. And of course when they
come in, husband and wife, they have to bring their children.
And most of them have a lot of children. So they bring the children. The marketplace is a big place
and a crowded place and they set up these booths everywhere.
And the children, sometimes they help their parents, but sometimes
they go over here in a little group and somebody entertains
them. Keeps them occupied throughout the whole day. And he says, these
children are children with a bad attitude. And they said to these
children, we've hyped to you, we've played happy music and
you won't dance. You just sit there with your
arms folded. Can't make you happy, can't please
you. And we've lamented to you, we've told sad stories and you
won't cry. We mourn to you and you won't
cry, we pipe to you and you won't dance, mourn to you and you won't
cry, you won't, just we can't communicate with you, no matter
what we do, but as happy as I am, now watch this. Now John came,
John came ministering in the wilderness, I read you about
John this morning, Matthew 3, let's go over there and review
it, just a moment, Matthew chapter 3. John came, and here's his
ministry. Matthew 3 verse 3, this is he
that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying the voice of one,
cry out in the wilderness, prepare you the way of the Lord, make
his path straight. St. John has his raiment of camel's
hair, a leather girdle about his loins, his meat with locusts
and wild honey. This man John had a message of
repentance. A message of repentance, a rebuking
message, a convicting message. He never, in verse 18, John came
neither eating nor drinking. What a mournful type person,
a sad type person with a convicting message. But what did people
say about him? They said he has a devil. Now
everybody didn't say this. In a minute I'll show you something. Certain people, certain people
did. When Christ said, where unto shall I liken this generation,
he wasn't talking about everybody. Because some people heard him.
Some people believed him. Some people received his gospel.
Some people rejoiced in his gospel. Not everybody. But some, I'll
read on. The Son of Man came. The Lord
Jesus Christ came eating and drinking. One of the first things
he did when he left Nazareth and went to Cana of Galilee was
to attend a wedding. You wouldn't find John the Baptist
at a wedding. You wouldn't find John the Baptist at any kind
of party or get-together. He was out in the wilderness,
calling on people to repent or perish, you know. The kingdom
of God is at hand. Bring forth fruit, meats for
repentance. But our Lord went to a wedding
where he brought his first miracle. He came eating and drinking.
He came sitting with sinners, publicans. The Pharisees came
one time and said to his disciples, why does your master eat with
publicans and sinners? They gathered around him. Matthew,
when the Lord called Matthew the publican, well the first
thing Matthew did was give a dinner and invited all of his publican
friends and sinner friends to hear Christ. And Christ came
and ate and drank with them and preached to them. And what do
these people say that he's talking about here? They said, behold,
a man goodness, a wonderer, a friend of publicans and sinners. So he said, take pleasure. John came with a mournful message,
a sad man, a man who called on you to repent, mournful
message, convicting message. Son of man came friendly. warm,
hospitable. You say he's a gluttonous man.
John hath a devil. Turn to Matthew 7. I'll give
you a little light on this. Matthew 7. Our Lord has a certain
people in mind here. When do shall I liken this generation? Not everybody, but some of them. Now here it is in Luke 2. Here it is. Verse 26, Luke 7,
verse 26. What went ye out to see? See,
it's the same, it's Luke presenting this message of Christ and he's
interjecting some things that Matthew didn't put in here. He
carries us a little further into it. Now watch. What went ye out
to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you,
much more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare
thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those
that are born of women is not a greater prophet than John the
Baptist, but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater
than he. And Christ continues. And all
the people that heard him, publicans, He justified God. See, Matthew
didn't report this statement here. He stopped short of this
because he, for reasons known to the Holy Spirit. But here
the Lord Jesus said in all the people, the people that heard
him, and the publicans that heard him, the sinners that heard him,
folks that knew they were sinners, they justified God. God doesn't
need any justification. They justified the Word of God.
They justified the truth of God. They justified God in his condemnation
of sin. To justify somebody is to vindicate
them. It's to vindicate them. And so
these publicans, when John puts his message of conviction and
sin, the sinfulness of human nature, the wickedness, and the
fact we needed to repent, baptism. Baptism saying, I'm a sinner.
I'm worthy of death. I die. I'm buried. I'm rising to walk a new person
in newness of life. That's a baptism of repentance.
I'm guilty. I ought to die. Sin bringeth
forth death. And that's what I deserve. And
I'm showing it in baptism. And these people justified God. What's this? And were baptized
with the baptism of John. So those people, they heard John. They rejoiced in what John said.
They heard Christ. They rejoiced in what Christ
said. If you'd lived back then, being one of God's elect, being
one of God's children, you'd have heard John. You'd have rejoiced
in John's message. You'd have heard Christ. But
some of these people didn't. Now listen to the next verse.
But! Here's who he's talking about.
Here's this generation that can't be pleased. Here's the generation
that won't listen. No matter what you do, whether
you mourn or rejoice, whether you cry or laugh, whether you're
nice to them or not nice to them, they're not going to hear it.
But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected. Is it John they rejected? No. Is it Christ they rejected? It's the message. It's the message,
that's what they rejected. Whether it's a mournful message
or a happy message, whether it's a convicting message or a comforting
message, it's the message. The Pharisees and lawyers rejected
the counsel of God against them and refused to be baptized of
John. And the Lord said, whereunto
shall I liken the men of this generation? What are they like?
They're like children sitting in the marketplace. Calling to
one another, we pipe to you and you won't laugh, we mourn to
you and you won't weep. It's a message of grace that
men reject. And the self-righteous, these
people, who are these people? These Pharisees, these sinners
hurt John. They hurt Christ. The Pharisees asked, why do you
have to eat Republicans and sinners? Because the well need not a physician
but the saint. They heard John, they heard Christ.
They rejoiced in John, they rejoiced in Christ. There were sinners
who needed a Savior. But the Pharisees and the Sadducees
and the Laodicees rejected the counsel of God against them.
And they said, we don't believe you and we don't believe you.
No matter what you're like, we don't believe you. Now go back
to my text. And that helps. The people who
rejected John were people trusting their works, who would not hear
or admit that they were sinners. Would not hear it or admit it.
Now Matthew 11, verse 19. The Son of Man came
eating and drinking, and they say, these same people, who won't
admit they're sinners, who won't come to the baptism of repentance,
who won't justify God in his charge against them, They say
this man's a friend of publicans and sinners. But listen to this
statement. Wisdom is justified of her children. Wisdom is justified
of her children. Vindicated of her children. Turn
to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and you'll get a little light on
that statement there. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Here
it is. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 21. Wisdom is justified over children. Verse 21, 1 Corinthians 1. For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, but it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For
the Jews require science, the Greeks seek after wisdom, but
we preach Christ, Christ crucified. Under the Jews he's a stumbling
block, under the Greeks he's foolishness, but under them that
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ Jesus is the power of
God, and Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. So Christ is the
true wisdom, and when the wise man, by grace, by God's goodness,
hears the word of God, no matter whether he hears A mournful preacher
or a happy preacher, no matter what he means, hears a message
of conviction and condemnation, or whether he hears a message
of comfort and edification. He hears the Word of God, and
he hears it as it is in truth, the Word of God. And it doesn't
matter about the vessel that God's pleased to use. His faith
does not rest in the vessel. Know in the wisdom of the vessel
that his faith rests in Christ, who is to his wisdom. So when
a man has true wisdom, he's a child of God, and wisdom is justified
of her children. They vindicate wisdom. All right,
then look here. So it's the message. It's the
message. That's what it is. It's the message. It's the message of grace. That's
what's offensive. And Spurgeon summed it up as
well as anybody I've ever read. He gave four things. This is
what is offensive. This is why they won't hear John,
they won't hear Christ. First of all, when we preach
total depravity, I'm talking about total depravity, that we're
born dead in sins. We're born without spiritual
life. We come into this world. You call little babies sweet,
innocent children if you want to, but they're baby snakes. They got the venom, venom, venom
of Adam in them. That's a good song, isn't it? They got venom in them. Yeah, from the sole of their
feet to the top of their head. We're born that way. We're born
that way. It's total depravity. And that
offends man's dignity. That's offensive. It doesn't
matter whether John says it or Christ says it. It doesn't matter
whether a happy preacher or a sad preacher. That's what they hate.
Secondly, divine revelation. That man by nature is naturalized,
cannot see, ears cannot hear, heart cannot understand. the
gospel of God's redeeming grace, unless it's revealed to him.
That's right. Natural man receives it, not
the things of God. They're foolishness to him. Neither
can he know them. He can't even know. They're spiritually
discerned. It doesn't matter whether he's
a Ph.D. in education or a Ph.D., a post-hole
digger on the street. He cannot understand. The word
of God, bless it, is revealed to them. Now that offends man's
natural wisdom. That's right. It's offensive.
And fourth, thirdly, particular redemption. I'm telling you,
I'm telling you, this is the heart of the gospel, this substitution. I've preached it ever since I
heard the gospel, and I've preached it, God willing, The last time
I preached the gospel. Christ died for his sheep. The
Lord Jesus Christ on that cross did not shed his blood for people
who were already in hell. Or people who were going to hell.
His blood was shed for his elect. For his sheep. He said I lay
down my life for the sheep. Now if he died for all the sins
of all men, all men are going to be saved. If he just died for some of the
sins of all men, there's nobody going to be saved. If he died for all the sins of
some men, some men are going to be saved. That's just so. He shall not fail. He didn't
die in vain. His blood maketh atonement for
the soul. His blood cleanseth us from all
sins. Now that's offensive. It offends
man's pride. Because no matter who he is,
he wants some part in the redemption of his soul. He feels that when
he gets to heaven, God owes him some kind of recognition for
the money he gave, and the sermons he preached, and the songs he
sang, and the work he did for the church. He said, Lord, we
preached in your name. Now we've got something coming
to us. We cast out devils in your name. We're doing many wonderful
works in your name. He wants to contribute something
to the redemption of his soul. And I'm telling you, we don't
contribute anything to the redemption of our souls before God saves
us or after God saves us. It's by grace, sovereign, free,
unmerited, unearned, unsought grace, from first to last, by
the blood of Christ, by his perfect righteousness which makes us
holy. That's so, a substitution. The thief on the cross. is the
way God saves everybody He saves. That man never washed, he never
worked, he never witnessed, he never wore a sole, he never gave
a dime to the church. But when Christ went to glory,
He took him with Him. And if you go to glory, He'll
take you the same way. Free grace. Sovereign grace. Only on His righteousness and
His blood, not anything you and I ever have done or will do.
Because really, in the flesh no man can please God. In the
flesh dwelleth no good thing. If there's anything good in us,
he gave it to us. If there's anything righteous
in us, it's not us, it's him. It's Christ in you, the hope
of glory. That's it. But that's offensive. These are the people, the final
saints, who were going to heaven by their traditions and their
ceremonies and their tithing and their works and their duties
and deeds. He said, God, I thank you, I'm
not like everybody else. I tithe, I fast twice a week,
not just once, twice a week. I give alms to the poor. I'm
not like that publican. No, he's not. That publican is
one of God's children, he's not. He's not like him. That publican
is one of God's Americans, he's not. But he doesn't mean it that
way. That's right. Total depravity offends man's
dignity. Divine revelation offends man's
wisdom. Substitution. Plus nothing minus. Substitution. Christ's blood. That offends
man's pride. I'll tell you something else
that's offensive. The Lordship of the Son of God. Then in verse
20, he began to upbraid these cities in which his mighty works
were done. Let's look at verse 20. It's the mighty works which were
done in you. Christ preached in these cities.
He healed the sick in those cities. He did mighty works in these
cities. If these had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would
have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And I tell you this,
it would be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of
judgment than for you. Capernaum, that's the city he
came, that was called his city. His city, he came to Capernaum.
His headquarters were not in Nazareth, but in Capernaum after
he left Nazareth. You've been exalted to heaven.
The Son of God was in your midst. You're going to be brought down
to hell. If the mighty works which are done in you had been
done in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. What's
that got to do with this? Turn to Ezekiel 33. Ezekiel 33. What application does that have
to any day? This is Christ we're talking
about. Well, when Christ's preacher's there, Christ is there. When
Christ's prophet is there, Christ is there. So back in the days
of Elijah, Ezekiel, these men were God's preachers and today.
It's the Ezekiel 33, 30. Listen. Also thou son of man,
the children of thy people still are talking about thee. That
against thee is they're talking of thee. By the walls and the
doors of the houses speak one to another, every one to his
brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word
that cometh forth from the Lord. Let's go hear God's preacher.
So they come to you as the people cometh. And they sit before thee
as my people, and they hear thy words, but they won't do them. With their mouth they show much
love, but their hearts go out after their covetousness. That's
where these Jews, they profess to be God's people. They heard
John, they heard Christ, but they wouldn't do the things they
said. And lo, thou art among them as a very lovely psalm,
as one that hath a pleasant voice. You play well on an instrument,
they hear your words, but they do them not. And when this comes
to pass, and lo it will come, then shall they know that a prophet
has been among them. That's what he's talking about
here, the day of judgment. The day of judgment. It will
be more tolerable, verse 22, for the cities where there was
no prophet than for the cities where there was a prophet. And
thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven," verse 23, shall
be brought down to hell, if the mighty works that have been done
in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained. So, I
say to you, it would be more tolerable for the land of Sodom
in the day of judgment than for thee. Because you had the gospel. They didn't. You had God's servant. They didn't. You heard the word. Now verse 25, let's look at this.
At that time, when these religious leaders and people had rejected
John's ministry and Christ's ministry, at that time, when
our Lord charged these cities in which he had preached and
worked miracles, he charged them with indifference and unbelief.
At that time, Jesus answered and said, You know, I looked
at that a little bit. Jesus answered. Nobody asked
him anything. And I found that that's used
in other places in the Word of God. When no question was asked,
Jesus answered. Well, one writer said this. When
that's used in the Scripture, Jesus answered, answering in
the Word of God does not always signify replying to the questions
of another. because it's used when no question
is asked, as here. Sometimes he answers to declare
the truth of God that we ought to be asking about and don't
have enough understanding to ask. He answered anyway. We ought to be asking, but we're
not. They all started asking. You know, one time it said, from
that time on, nobody ever ask him another question. You remember
that Caesar that said, from that time, no man does ask him anything. Well, they ought to. They ought
to. So he answered. He answered. They wouldn't hear John. They wouldn't hear Christ. But he answered, and he said,
he addressed the Father. He said, I thank you, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because you hid these things from these
wise and prudent, religious, self-righteous people who wouldn't
hear, who bring their works, their ceremonies and their deeds
in your presence as offerings for sin. You hear these things
from them, from the wise and prudent, but you reveal these
things to babes. I thank you. I hear the Lord, he said this
is cause for praise and gratitude, the sovereign mercy of God. The
sovereign grace of God is cause for praise and gratitude. Every
time the Apostle Paul deals with election in the Bible, it's with
a note of praise. In Ephesians 1, that's probably
the most popular, he said, Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy. and without blame before
him, in law of having predestined us unto the adoption of children,
to the praise of the glory of his grace. Bless God. The second
Thessalonians, this is another that's well known. We're bound
to give thanks to God. Always for you brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God had from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification the Spirit and believe for the
truth. I thank you, Father. I thank you. I thank you, Father. I thank you, Father. He's the
author of Sovereign Mercy. I thank you, Father, that you
have heard these things. I thank you, Father, that you
have revealed these things. You know, I want you to turn to some scripture
here. Romans 3, verse 3. Our Lord is surrounded here by
people who don't need grace. Religious folks. And he's condemning
them. It says over here in Romans 3,
verse 3, What if some did not believe? And many didn't. Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? Is the purpose of God defeated?
Is the kingdom of God defeated? Is the fact that they don't hear
and they won't believe and they won't come to Christ choosing
rather to present their works of righteousness instead of His,
does that mean God's defeated? God forbid, Paul said, verse
4. God forbid. Let God be true and
ever man a liar. Turn to Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9. This is this.
Romans 9 verse 30. Romans 9 verse 30. What shall
we say then? What shall we say then? That
the Gentiles They call them Gentile dogs, sinners, publicans, pagans. The Gentiles, which followed
not after righteousness, they weren't religious. They've attained
to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel,
religious to the core. Israel, which followed after
the law. The tabernacle, the ceremonies, the priesthood, they
haven't attained to the law of righteousness. They don't have
it. What's wrong? Wherefore? Why? Because Israel
sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.
So they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it's written, I lay
in Zion a stumbling stone, a rock of a fence, and whosoever believes
on him Christ shall not be offended, but these fellows wouldn't do
it. One more scripture, Romans 11, listen. But his purpose will
be accomplished. In Romans 11, verse 5, listen. Even so, then at this present
time, there's a remnant, according to the election of grace, If
it's by grace, it's no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no
more grace. But if salvation be of works,
it's not of grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that
which ye seek it for. What were they seeking for? Righteousness,
acceptance with God. How did they seek it? By religion,
by works, by deeds. by ceremonies. Israel hath not obtained that
which you seek it for, but the election hath obtained it, and
the rest are blinded. And I thank you, Father, Lord
of heaven and earth. You've hid these things from
the wise and the prudent, and you've revealed them unto babes.
Verse 26, Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. It pleased God. I want to give you a little outline
here I gave you years ago, but I want to give it again because
some of you may not have heard it. Some of you may not remember
it. Some of you may remember it but have not written it down. But in Psalm 115, I want you
to look at this with me. Give me a few more minutes. Psalm
115. So far this seems good in your
sight. I thank you. And who has the right to do with
his own what he will? The Lord of heaven and earth.
I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. Who has the
power to do what he will? The Lord of heaven and earth. In Psalm 115, verse
2, verse 1, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, unto thy name give
glory. For thy mercy's sake, for thy
truth's sake. Wherefore should the heathen
say, where is now your God? Where's your God? Tell me where
your God is. Well, I'll tell you where our
God is, David said. Our God's in the heavens. What's
he like? He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. That's our God. Our God's in
the heavens. He's Lord of heaven and earth.
That's what Christ said, Lord of heaven and earth. And he does
what he pleases. And I looked at that one time
years ago, he does what he pleases. And I took the concordance and
looked in it at the word pleased. And I found that it says five
times the Lord did something because it pleased him. It pleased
God. It pleased God. Let me show you
those five things. First Samuel 12. First Samuel
chapter 12. Our God's in the heavens, he
does what he pleases. First Samuel 12. See what it says here. It pleased
the Lord. First Samuel 12, verse 22. Verse 22, 1 Samuel 12, for the
Lord will not forsake his people, he calls them his sheep, his
brethren, his church, for his great name's sake, because it
pleased the Lord to make you his people. It pleased him to
make you his people. He made you his people. He set
his love upon you, chose you from before the world. Watch
this, in Colossians chapter 1, I read this a few moments ago
before the service started, Colossians 1. Now, turn to that Colossians
1, verse 19. It says here, it pleased the
Lord, pleased the Father, that in Christ should all fullness
dwell. We've been reading about by him
were all things created, he's before all things, he's in the
body of the church, the firstborn from the dead, and in all things
he might have preeminence. Why? It pleased the Father that
in Christ should all fullness dwell. Isaiah 53.10. I found this over
here in Isaiah 53.10. It pleased God. What did it please
God to do? Make you his people. put all
grace and mercy and redemption, righteousness, wisdom, sanctification
in Christ. And then Isaiah 53 verse 10,
it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He had put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an orphan for sin, who made his soul an
orphan for sin? He shall prolong his days, the
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." It pleased God
to make you his people. It pleased God to make Christ
your surety, your substitute, your representative. It pleased
God to bruise him, make his soul an offering for sin to redeem
us. And God's pleasure will prosper in his hand. And then 1 Corinthians
1.21. And we stand here Sunday after
Sunday preaching this gospel of Christ crucified. Why? Because it, listen, 1 Corinthians
1.21. After that, in the wisdom of
God, the world by wisdom knew not God. They still do not know
God. They talk about God, but they
don't know him. It pleased God by the foolishness of That's
what people call preaching, a bunch of foolishness, a pack of foolishness,
sheer nonsense. It's pleasing God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe what's preached. That's
what pleases God. And then Galatians 1. I told
my Sunday school class this morning that Saul of Tarsus belonged to God. before God belonged
to him. Saul of Tarsus was loved of God
before he loved God. Saul of Tarsus was chosen of
God before he ever chose God. It pleased God to reveal Christ
to Saul. Listen to this. Here is his own
testimony in Galatians 1 verse 15. But when it pleased God,
when? The time that it pleased God.
He was over 40 years of age. He'd been in religion all these
years. In farm and ceremony and works and self-righteousness.
And God let him there in that religion. God let him there.
He said the things that were gained to me, that were profitable
to me, my heritage, my ancestry, my deeds, my works. And I know
a lot of people today who are in religion. And they just can't
turn loose of their righteousness, of their good works, of their
morality, of their efforts, of their striving, of their giving,
of their tithing, of their working, of their preaching. But when it pleased God, this
man was over 40 years of age, he didn't have but about 15 more
years to live. But it pleased God, listen, when
it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, God
knew me and loved me and chose me before my mother's womb. He pleased him to call me by
his grace. Saul! He wasn't on his way to
a prayer meeting. He was on his way to kill some
Christians. He wasn't seeking the Lord. He
didn't even know God. He claimed to. Saul! Why persecute us now, man? Who are you, Lord? Who are you? But it pleased him to reveal
who he is. He revealed his Son in me. In me. Praise God. Now that's what our Lord is saying
over here in Matthew 11. Verse 25. At that time, when
they were rejecting him and John and they were walking in their
religious righteousness, he said, Well, I thank you, Father, Lord
of heaven and earth. You've heard these things from
these fellas, but you revealed it to babies.