The title of the message this
morning is The Master's Message, The Master's Message to All Men. And I want you to look at verse
7 of Matthew 11. Matthew 11, verse 7, it says,
As they departed, as they departed. Now imagine a multitude of people who had been in the presence
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had been preaching. They had
been listening with these ears but not with their hearts. They
also had heard John. They heard John the Baptist.
At least they were present when he preached. They didn't really
hear his message. He that heareth the word of God
and believeth on Christ hath everlasting But these people
had been in John's presence and they had listened to him preach.
And here they had been in the presence of the Master and they
had heard him preach. The farmer, the fisherman, the
shepherd, the businessman, the servant, the wife, the lonely
widow, the old, the young, the rich, the poor, the wise, the
ignorant, they had been there listening for a long time. They
had heard John the Baptist preach in past days. And now they were
present when the Master preached, a throng of people from all walks
of life, much like this assembly here this morning, and assemblies
all over our nation, all over the world. And the scripture
says that they were leaving. The Master evidently had concluded
his message at that time, or stopped speaking, and the people
were departing. And as they departed, the Lord
had some things to say to them. as they departed. Now, listen
to these things. As they departed, as they were
leaving, as they were walking away, the Lord Jesus Christ said
to the multitude concerning John. Now, he's going back and picking
up where they were before. They went to hear John. They
went out into the wilderness where John was preaching. It
says all the world has gone out there to listen to him. And they
went out to hear. Now here's what our Lord asked.
Three times he uses this question. He said, what did you go out
there to see? What did you go out there to see? What did you
go out there to see? These people had assembled here,
they'd heard him preach, and they were men who had listened
to John preach, and they were leaving the presence of Christ,
and he said, what did you go out in the wilderness to see? Did you go out there, first of
all, in verse 7, did you go out there to see a reed shaken with
the wind? In other words, did you go out
there to hear a weak man? Did you go out there to hear
a man who was seeking to please men and who was swayed by every
wind of public opinion? Is that what you went out to
hear? That's what a reed is, shaken with the wind. If the
wind blows this way, it bends that way. If it blows this way,
it bends this way. If it blows this way, it bends
this way. Is that what you went to hear? Did you go to hear a
man whom you hoped would tell you what you wanted to hear?
Your mind was made up. You were following your own opinion,
your own reasoning, your own logic, and you went out there
to hear a man, and he crossed your will. And that made you
mad and you walked away? Is that what you went to hear?
That's what many men today go to hear. They pick a church that
suits their emotions, their fancies, their traditions, or their heritage,
or their background. And let a preacher cross that
will or cross those traditions and cross those ceremonies. I
don't believe that. I don't believe that. Well, what did you go in here
to hear? What did you go to hear out there at the wilderness?
Did you go to hear a compromiser? A fellow that would change his
message to suit you? And then verse 8, he says again,
what did you go to hear? I bet he caught their attention.
They were walking away. They were leaving. He said, now
wait a minute. What did you go out there to
hear when you went to hear John? What did you come here to hear? To
hear me. Did you come to hear verse 8, a man clothed in soft
raiment, a fancy-dressed fellow? I get so amused at some of these
TV preachers with their ruffles, and their ruffles around the
sleeve, and their diamond rings, you know, and fancy-dressed fellows,
up the latest style. So where did you go to hear a
fancy-dressed fellow in soft clothing, revealing prosperity
and popularity? A preacher that conforms to today's
affluence enriches a delicate fellow who is concerned about
his position, his possessions, his popularity. Is that what
you want to hear? But he says, folks that are dressed in soft
clothing live in kings' houses, palaces and castles, and that's
not where you find prophets. They do not cater. They do not
cater. If that's what you went to hear,
you went to hear the wrong fellow when you went to hear God's servant.
What did you go out there to hear? Did you go out to hear
a prophet, a preacher? Did you go out to hear a religious
teacher? Did you go out to hear a fellow who had had some schooling?
Four years of college, four years of seminary, apprenticeship as
an assistant pastor. He served, the denomination put
their approval on him. He had a doctor's degree. He'd
been this, that, and the other. Then what you went to hear? A
fellow that was accepted by the religionists and ordained by
the religionists and appointed by the religionists and approved
by the religionists. A prophet, a religious teacher,
a preacher acceptable. He's more than that. He's more
than that. Verse 10, he's more than a prophet,
he's more than a religious teacher, he's more than a reverend. This
is he of whom it's written. God says, I send my messenger. That's what he is. I send my
messenger. There's a lot of difference there.
What did you go to hear? Did you go to hear a fellow that
will tell you what you want to hear? Did you go to hear a fellow that
is popular, influential, his name's on every tongue, a fellow
in soft clothing, clothing which denotes his interest in conformity,
in position and possession? Is that what you went to hear?
Did you go to hear a religious man who has the right slant on
prophecy, who has the approval of the denomination, the approval
of his peers? But I'll tell you, when you got
to John the Baptist, he said, you got to more than that. You
were in the presence of my servant. That's what he said. My messenger.
My messenger. You heard God's messenger. Now,
all the prophets of God were great, but he was the greatest.
Christ said in verse 11, I say unto you, among all them born
of woman, among all that are born of women, there hasn't risen
one yet greater than John the Baptist. You mean the fellow
that's clothed in that camel's hair jacket? That fellow that's
living off of the locust tree and the wild honey? He wasn't
eating these wing creatures, he was eating fruit from the
locust tree and wild honey. You mean that fellow with the
beard, that fellow that's out there in the wilderness? You
mean that's the greatest prophet born of woman? God doesn't see
as man sees. Man looks on the outward countenance.
Man listens to the enticing words and the eloquent praises, and
God looks on the heart. And God had given this man not
only his spirit, but given him his heart. And he says in verse
12, from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom
of heaven, now watch this, suffered violence, is gotten by determination,
is gotten by force. And the violent take it by force.
What he's saying is this, is to that prophet sent of God,
the kingdom of heaven is his chief concern. That's his chief
concern. Entering it himself and causing
others to enter it. That's his chief concern. Seek
ye first the kingdom of God. It's the primary concern. It's
the primary desire of that prophet, the kingdom of God. Not his own
comfort, but God's kingdom. Not his own concerns, but the
concerns of Christ. That's his chief concern. And
those who enter the kingdom of God with God's messenger and
with God's prophet are those to whom the kingdom of God is
their chief concern. They're going to have it. I will
not, Jacob said, let you go till you bless me. The importunate
man who kept on knocking at the door, knocking at the door, knocking
at the door, I will not go away till you give me my heart's desire.
Our Lord said, keep on asking and you'll receive, keep on seeking
and you'll find, keep on asking, seeking and knocking
and you shall receive. And then verse 13, he said, all
the other prophets, all the other prophets prophesied unto John. In other words, they typified
Christ and John announced him. They said he will come, John
said he has come. They sacrificed the lambs, and
John pointed to the Lamb of God. They were all until John. Their
prophecies were until John, and there they were fulfilled in
Christ. Their promises were up until the day of John, and there
they were fulfilled. Their tithes and pictures were
up until the day of John, and there they were fulfilled. These
prophets, Moses wrote of Christ, John pointed to Christ. Behold
the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And our Lord said to these people,
now remember, as they departed, here they are going away. They
hadn't heard anything. They hadn't listened. They came
with their molds and he didn't fit in. They came with their
traditions and he didn't fit them. They came with their customs
and rituals and he didn't fit in. And they were leaving. He
said, now wait a minute, what did you go to hear? What did
you go to hear? Did you go to hear someone that
would tell you what you wanted to hear? Did you go to hear a
fancy fellow in fine dress, a soft, easy-going fellow that wouldn't
present any conflict or difficulty to you? What did you go to hear,
a prophet, a preacher, a religious fellow? More than that, I say,
you heard the greatest prophet God has. You heard my messenger,
he said, all that were before John. were prophesied of the
things that John preached. They typified the things that
John preached. And I'm saying to you that the kingdom of heaven
suffered violence. It must be the chief concern
of messenger and people. Now, verse 15, he said, you've
got ears to hear, you better hear. You better hear. He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. We're spending our time around here instructing
men how to preach. Now, we must do that. One of
our young men said in the class yesterday, the way to learn to
preach is just to preach, preach, preach, preach, preach. And there's
a lot of truth in that. Practice, practice, practice.
We're trying to teach men how to preach. But I tell you, you
know what the Lord's teaching men here? He's giving directions
how to hear. Now, you watch this. I want to show you something.
Turn with me to Mark 4. I want everybody to turn to the
book of Mark, chapter 4. And I'm going to say this first.
Now, most religious gatherings, it'd be better if you was hard
of hearing. You ought to be blessed like me, I can just turn them
off. Most preachers, it'd be better
if you couldn't hear them, or didn't hear them. There's just
a lot of froth and foolishness It's a lot of games and fun and
recreation and nothing, nothingness. That's what we're living in today,
religious nothingness. They don't say anything. They
keep wanting you to send money to help them preach the gospel
and not a one of them ever preaches any gospel. They entertain and
sing and beg for money and give away gimmicks. That fellow down
in Lexington, I was watching him last Sunday. I wonder how
big a fool he thinks I am and how big of fools he thinks you
are. You know what he said? He was trying to raise money
to support his program and he had a Bible in his hand. It had
an olive wood cover. Now this happened, that's Sunday
afternoon on TV after you go home, that's when he's on. He
said, I have here, and he can't even talk good, he said, I have
here a Bible that I want to give to you for a donation of $15
or more. Now, the reason they say that,
my friends, is if they sell it for fifteen, they have to pay
tax on it. But if you donate something, they don't have to
pay tax on it. So I'm going to let you have it for a donation.
Now, we're not selling it, we're giving it away. Fifteen dollars
or more. Now, you'll notice it has an
olive wood cover. He said this olive wood is made
from those trees in the Mount of Olives. Brethren, I tell you,
if they'd have made all the Bibles made out of olive wood from those
trees, there wouldn't be a tree from here to Jerusalem. But he implied that that wood
came from the trees. He didn't quit there. He said,
some of those trees are 2,000 years old. And he said, these
are the trees under which Christ knelt and prayed. That, my friend,
that's a con man's what that is. I don't care how he spells
his name. He's a con man. He's a liar. That wood didn't come from the
tree under which Christ knelt, but I'll tell you this, if they'd
have made that wood out of the cross on which Christ hung and
made that Bible out of, it wouldn't help you. It's not to cover the
Bible, it's what is in the Word of God, it's Christ! It's of
whom the Scriptures testify. They testify of me. But oh, there's
so much foolishness, and our Lord says, take heed, what you
hear. Take heed what you hear. We need
to give directions to the hearer. Listen to Mark 4. Take heed.
Don't go hear just anything, anybody, any word. Adam and Eve
listened to the wrong voice. They listened to the wrong voice. If any man has ears, look at
Mark 4.23. If any man has ears to hear,
let him hear. Let him hear. Take heed what
you hear. And he said to them, take heed what you hear. Now
watch this. With what measure you meet, it shall be measured
to you. What's he saying there? Let me
tell you. The measure of thought and study which you give to the
truth you hear will be the measure of understanding and knowledge
that comes back to you. That's exactly right. With what
measure you meet, how you hear, How you hear God's truth, God's
word, will determine the understanding and knowledge that comes to you
through what you hear, how you hear it. Hear it with discrimination, blot out
the error, blot out the foolishness, and hear with enthusiasm, hear
with a hungry heart, hear with a desire to learn, hear attentively. I'll tell you this, you can't
stay up and watch the late movie on Saturday night and be ready
to hear God's Word on Sunday morning. You just can't do it. I see people come in and sit
in church, they've stayed up half the night and they're sitting
there yawning. You can't hear the Word of God that way. You've
got to hear attentively. You have to prepare for worship.
You can't horse around in the world until midnight on Saturday
night and come into the house of God on Sunday morning half-asleep
and half-indifferent and careless and hear anything. For with what
measure you meet, it will be measured to you. That's what
I'm telling you. It's how you approach it. That's what you're
going to learn. Listen to it again. The measure
of thought and study and preparation to which you give to what you
hear. is the amount of knowledge and
understanding you're going to get from it. That's the reason I can't understand
dashing into the house of God at two minutes after the service
starts. There's not been any preparation. We just dash in
and sit down and catch me while I'm on the rest here. I can't
catch you. If God hadn't caught you already,
I can't catch you. There's got to be preparation
of heart. That's what I'm saying, preparation of heart. With what
measure? You take heed how you hear. Not
only what you hear, but how you hear. Listen, is that offensive?
It's so anyhow. And it shall be unto you that
hear shall more be given. What's that saying? That saying
is, the man that hears what he hears will hear more. That's
right, Chuck. The man that hears what he hears.
He hears. He's prepared his heart, he's
prepared his mind, he's prepared his body. He's come to worship
God. He's prepared to hear God's messenger,
whatever God's messenger says. If it crosses his tradition,
or crosses his will, or crosses his pattern, or crosses his pride,
or crosses his desire, that's all right. I'm here to hear.
I'm here to hear. I'm here to give careful thought
to what I hear. All right, God said, you hear,
and you'll hear more. You hear, you'll hear more. And
watch this now. This is what's dangerous. For
he that hath, to him shall be given. He that hath a desire
will have more. He that hath a hunger will have
more. He that hath a thirst will have more. He that hath a willingness
will have more. He that hath an ear will get
more. Watch it. And he that hath not,
from him shall be taken even that which he hath. What's that
saying, Preacher? That says the man who rejects
God's messenger and God's message, even the religion that he has,
Even the so-called knowledge that he has, even the understanding
that he has, will be taken away from him in forgetfulness, in
old age, in senile time, in indifference, in a hardening of heart. He'll
even believe a lie and think he's believing the truth. We'd
better be soft and pliable to the message. For with what measure? That's what our Lord is saying
over here in Matthew 11. Let's look back at it again. He says,
you better take heed what you hear. You better take heed. If John the Baptist is God's
messenger, it would be wise to listen to him. It would be wise
to listen to him. But, verse 16, whereunto shall
I liken this generation? I'm going to tell you, he said,
what you like. Here he was. He preached to them and they
were leaving. They'd heard John. They were leaving. They were
going about their business. They had nets to mend, and fish
to catch, and corn to hoe, and wheat to bring in, and they had
all these things to do. And they were leaving. He said,
Hang along now, just before you leave, I've got some things to
say. What did you go to hear? Well, I'm telling you this, he's
more than a prophet, he's my messenger, and you better take
heed of what you hear. For with what measure you meet,
it will be measured to you. And to him that hath will be
given more, and to him that hath not, God will take away what
he hath. But I'm going to tell you what
you're like, you see. You're like a bunch of children sitting
in the marketplace. Their parents have set up their
booths and are selling their wares, and the children have
got to have something to do. Have you ever been around a farmer's
market? Well, the parents are busy, they're stacking corn and
watermelons and sweet potatoes and all these things, and the
kids are over here playing in the dirt. They're running their
little cars and playing. You've seen them at the farmers' market,
kids over playing. And he said, you're like children sitting
in the marketplace. Nobody can satisfy you. You're
bored. You're bored. And the children said to you,
we've laughed and we've danced and we've sang happy songs, and
you didn't rejoice. And he said, we sang sad songs
to you, we sung sad songs and we've cried and we've told you
bad stories and you haven't wept. See what he's saying? We can't
get to you. Nobody can please you. And he
said, John the Baptist came like a hermit. He neither ate nor
drank. He was a man with poor clothes.
He had no exterior that was acceptable at all to this generation. He
didn't eat nor drink. nor he was a man with a serious
and a very solemn conduct and conversation, and you wouldn't
hear him. You'd say, well, he has a devil.
He has a devil. Look at him out there in the middle of the wilderness
with his camel-hairs coat, living like he lives, no home, nothing.
The Son of Man came, and I ate with you, and I went to your
weddings with you, and I laughed with you, and I drank with you,
and what did you say? Well, he's a gluttonous man and
a wine-devil. you wouldn't hear either one
of them. The Master ate and drank with
you, and it didn't move you. John the Baptist was a hermit-type
fellow, and it didn't move you. But look at verse 19. The Son of Man came eating and
drinking, and you say, well, he's just a gluttonous man, a
wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. He hangs around
with the worst type of people. But wisdom is justified over
children. That means this. True wisdom
is vindicated and manifested by those that are wise. The only
place you're going to find wisdom is from a wise man. Wisdom will
be found in a wise man. And then he sounded four important
notes, and I want to give you this before I close. There are
four important subjects he dealt with. Now, get the picture and
stay with it. These are just a general run
of people. Like I said, farmers and fishermen,
businessmen and laborers. wives and widows, young and old,
rich and poor, a general congregation of people that assembled to hear
him that heard John. And he said these things to them.
Now, before they left, he said, You don't hear. God sent his
messenger before his face, and you haven't heard it. Now, first
of all, he deals with man's responsibility, then God's sovereignty, and then
his invitation, and then the response. Now watch this. First,
he says, all right, verse 20. He upbraided the cities wherein
most of his mighty works were done. He said, Chorazin, Bethsaida,
Capernaum, Isaiah, If the things that had been done in you, if
the messengers that God sent to you and the mighty works and
miracles which God has done in your eyes, in your seeing and
hearing, had been done in Tyre and Sodom, Sodom and Gomorrah,
they would have repented. They would have stood to this
day. But I say unto you, you're going to be held responsible
for what you've heard. It's going to be easier at the
judgment and easier in eternity. for those cities of the plains,
then it will be for you. Brother Mahan, are you saying
that God's Word teaches degrees of punishment? Yes, sir. I'm
saying that. I'm saying there are degrees
of responsibility, there are degrees of revelation, and there
are degrees of suffering. Men will be required to give
an account of what they have heard and seen. That's what Christ
said. Our Lord said it again another
way. He said, He that knoweth to do his master's will, and
did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. He that knoweth
not the master's will, and did it not, shall be beaten with
few stripes. No, I do not believe the Bible teaches degrees of
glory, because Christ is our glory. I do not believe the Bible
teaches degrees of reward, because Christ is our reward, and he
is infinite, infallible in eternity. No, I do not believe God's word
teaches degrees of love and glory because God loves us with an
everlasting love. In heaven the first shall be
last and the last shall be first. That's what it says here about
John the Baptist. None greater than he, yet he that's least
in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist. You say, I don't understand that.
Well, the reason you don't understand that is because you're basing
what you're going to get on what you've done. And what we're going
to receive in glory is based not on what we've done, but on
what Christ has done. And he gave the illustration,
he said, I went out in the marketplace and hired some fellas at 6 a.m.,
and I promised them a penny, and I hired some at 9 in the
morning, and promised them a penny, and I hired some at noon, gave
them a penny, and I hired some at one hour before quitting time,
and I gave them the same thing. The fellas hired at 6 o'clock
said that ain't fair. He said, I give, I use my own
as I please. Can I not do with my own what
I will? And I'm saying if God calls a man in the eleventh hour
of life, heaven is heaven, Christ is Christ, glory is glory, eternity
is eternity. His love is his love. But men are responsible for the
light given. They're responsible for the truth
they've heard. They're responsible for the opportunity
God gives them. And they'll give an account for
it. They'll give an account. How does God call men? Why does
he call men by nature? Turn to Romans 1. There are so
many ways that God has revealed. Romans 1, look at this. He's
revealed in the things that are made. The things that are made. And what the Lord says is, if
a man hears the messenger God gives him, he'll hear more. If
he receives what God sends him, he'll send him more. But why
in the world should God give me more light out yonder when
I'm not walking in the light I have right here? You see what
I'm saying? You take a step in this light,
and God will reveal the next step. God will reveal it right
down the line. But if I'm going to put God here, there's no light
going to be out yonder. In fact, actually, this light
will become darkness. Romans 1, 9, 10, and 20. That which may be known of God
is manifested in them. God has showed it unto them,
for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
There isn't a son of Adam anywhere in this world. The voice of God's
creative wisdom is heard in every language. It is seen in every
country. The heavens declare the glory
of God and affirm him, but showeth his handiwork. It's not a man
that has an excuse. Turn to Romans 2. He calls men
by conscience. They're without excuse. You mean
if a man walked in the light of nature or the light of conscience,
he would get more light? That's what Scripture said. Romans
2, verse 14. Cornelius is an example of that,
as a devout man who cried unto God and God sent him a messenger.
The eunuch is an example of that. I find you examples all the way
through the Word of men who walked in what limited light they had. And God sent more like them.
Romans 2.14, look at this. do by nature the things contained
in the law, these having not the law, a law unto themselves,
which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience bearing witness, their thoughts the meanwhile accusing
or else excusing one another." Conscience. God gives every man,
every son of Adam, the light of conscience. Nature, conscience,
the law. The law is written in the heart.
You can go to the most pagan tribe in the darkest part of
this world, and they know it's wrong to kill somebody. Who taught
them? They know it's wrong to steal.
Who taught them? It's written on their hearts. So that's why he points out first,
man's responsibility. Responsibility. Secondly, God's
sovereignty. Man's unbelief is not going to
make void God's purpose. That's what Christ said at that
time. You get the picture, they're leaving. He had some things to
say to them about their unwillingness to hear. And he says, you're
responsible. You're responsible. Wait, I want
to tell you one more thing, he said, before you leave. If Sodom
had had the light you have, they'd have repented. If Tyre and Sidon
had had the word you have, they would have repented. They'd have
turned to God. But you won't believe, he said. And then he
lifted his eyes to heaven. He said, but I thank you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth. sovereign, creation sovereign,
and providence sovereign in salvation. I thank you, Lord, Father, Lord
of heaven and earth. You've hid these things from
the smugglers. You've blinded them by their
own human wisdom. They're blinded by their religious
tradition. Where is the thing hid? It's
hid from people it won't see. It's hid from people whose eyes
are closed. That glass of water is not hid
from me. When somebody comes in here blinded by the acid of
this world, blinded by the traditions of this world, blinded by their
logic, blinded, they can't see it. Everything is hid from them.
All this light and pulpit and everything is, I see it plainly.
But they don't see it. They don't see it. You've heard
these things from the wise and proof Those who will not see. There's none so blind as those
who will not hear. There's none so deaf as those
who will not hear. There's none so ignorant as those
who will not understand. But you've revealed it to babies.
God hath chosen the fruitless things of this world to confound
the wise. God hath chosen the weak things to confound the mighty.
God hath chosen the base things, yea, and the things that are
despised, that God chosen to bring to naught the things that
are, that no flesh should glory in his. But will you see? You'll
see. You'll see. You won't see? Then
you won't see. It's just that plain. Will you
hear? Then you'll hear. I'm not talking
about hearing God, I'm talking about hearing the voices of your
tradition and your religion and your denominations and your heritage
and what Mama said and what Daddy said. Mama and Daddy are usually
wrong, just like our first Mama and Daddy, Adam and Eve. But
God's right. What do you do that for, Lord?
Because it seemed good in your sight, it seemed wise to you.
But I'm telling you this, all things are delivered unto me.
That's what Christ said to them. I'm the source of all mercy,
I'm the fountain of all grace. God's invested everything in
me, in the Son. No man knows the Father save
the Son. And he to whom the Son will reveal
him. Oh Lord, God reveal him to me. That's God's sovereignty.
But then he gives the invitation. Who invites Christ? He says,
come unto me. God is sovereign. But he's invested
sovereignly everything in Christ. Come to the fountain. I am the
fountain. Come to the water. I am the water.
Come to the table. I am the bread. Come to the mercy
seat. I am the atonement. Come to me.
I'll give you rest. I'll give you rest. Are you laboring,
laboring, laboring in false religion, laboring in the service of self
and sin, laboring in a hopeless effort, heavy laden with guilt?
Are you heavy laden with guilt? Are you heavy laden with sorrow?
Are you heavy laden with these things? Christ said, come to
me. Come to me. Not to the front, not even to
the water, not to the sacraments, not to the law, not to the doctrines,
not to the preacher. Come to me. Come to me. I'll give you rest. And then
here's the commitment of the believer. Take my yoke upon you
and learn of me. I'm meek and lowly of heart.
you'll find rest unto your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden
is light." Take my yoke upon you. That's a commitment to Christ.
You know, I was driving down the highway the other day, and I saw an old house. The structure
was still good. It was an old brick farmhouse.
But I knew nobody lived there. Nobody lived there. It resembled
most houses I'd seen, but nobody lived there. Several reasons
why I knew nobody lived there. There was no light coming through
the windows. No sign of life within. There were no flowers
around the yard. The grass had grown up. No flowers. There was no smoke coming from
the chimney. It had all the appearance, you know, of being a home, but
it wasn't a home because nobody lived there. on down the highway
a little further, I knew somebody lived in that house because there
was smoke coming from the chimney, and there was light coming from
the windows, and the yard had been cut, and there were flowers
around it. And I thought, that's a whole lot like present-day
religion. If Christ lives in a man's heart,
there's going to be evidence of his presence. There's going
to be evidence of Christ being there. There will be. There's
going to be some light coming from those windows. There's going
to be some warmth and some heat coming from that house. There's
going to be some kind of arrangement of the life of that individual
that will glorify Christ. Now, we're like those old empty
farmhouses. We have the structure. We have
the doctrine. We have all of these things,
you know, but with just no life, no Christ. It's different. And that's why I'm saying the
believer's commitment is, you come to me. Come to me. Take
my yoke upon you. and out of your belly shall flow
rivers of living water." There's evidence that Christ is there.
Our Father, honor this word according to your will and for our good
and your glory. Bless the message. We thank you
for the gospel of Christ the Lord. We thank you for your mercies
to us in Christ the Lord. We thank you for the hope that
we have in Christ the Lord. We thank you for the righteousness
and sanctification that we have in Christ our Lord. Let the beauty
of Christ be seen in me. For his glory and praise I pray.
Amen. Bill, come lead us in a closing
hymn. Hymn 393. 393. Let's stand. Take my life and
let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my hands and let
them move at the impulse of Thy love, at the impulse of Thy love.