WEBVTT 00:00:01.359 --> 00:00:03.560 If you have your Bibles, we're back in the Gospel 00:00:03.560 --> 00:00:21.019 of Matthew this morning. It's been a hot minute 00:00:21.019 --> 00:00:23.620 since I've been in the Gospel of Matthew, so 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:28.160 we'll pick up again this morning at verses 16 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:32.549 through 24. Keep in mind the context, Jesus had 00:00:32.549 --> 00:00:35.570 just given John the Baptist affirmation that 00:00:35.570 --> 00:00:38.990 he is indeed the Messiah. John had been put in 00:00:38.990 --> 00:00:41.570 prison. He had some questions. Are you the one 00:00:41.570 --> 00:00:44.229 to come? Should we look for another? Jesus said, 00:00:44.369 --> 00:00:46.329 go back and tell John all the things that you 00:00:46.329 --> 00:00:49.710 have seen. And he then lists his miracles. And 00:00:49.710 --> 00:00:52.149 then he gives an affirmation of John's ministry. 00:00:52.710 --> 00:00:56.969 Now we will pick up verse 16 this morning. Jesus 00:00:56.969 --> 00:01:00.109 said, But to what shall I liken this generation? 00:01:00.750 --> 00:01:02.929 Those are the people there in Galilee who have 00:01:02.929 --> 00:01:05.450 been privileged to hear him. He said, it's like 00:01:05.450 --> 00:01:08.549 children sitting in the marketplaces and calling 00:01:08.549 --> 00:01:11.689 to their companions and saying, we played the 00:01:11.689 --> 00:01:15.849 flute for you and you did not dance. We mourned 00:01:15.849 --> 00:01:19.670 for you and you did not lament. For John, that 00:01:19.670 --> 00:01:22.349 is John the Baptist, came neither eating nor 00:01:22.349 --> 00:01:26.129 drinking, and they say he is a demon. The son 00:01:26.129 --> 00:01:28.629 of man, that is Jesus, came eating and drinking, 00:01:29.290 --> 00:01:32.069 and they say, look, a glutton and a winebibber 00:01:32.069 --> 00:01:35.510 are drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and 00:01:35.510 --> 00:01:40.129 sinners, but wisdom is justified by her children. 00:01:41.150 --> 00:01:44.090 Then he, that is Jesus, began to rebuke the cities 00:01:44.090 --> 00:01:47.069 in which most of his mighty works had been done 00:01:47.069 --> 00:01:51.650 because they did not repent. Woe to you, Chorison. 00:01:52.390 --> 00:01:55.629 Woe to you, Bethsaida. For if the mighty works 00:01:55.629 --> 00:01:58.109 which are done in you had been done in Tyre and 00:01:58.109 --> 00:02:02.290 Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth 00:02:02.290 --> 00:02:05.650 and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more 00:02:05.650 --> 00:02:08.830 tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment 00:02:08.830 --> 00:02:14.370 than for you. And you Capernaum, who are exalted 00:02:14.370 --> 00:02:17.870 to heaven, will be brought down to Hades, or 00:02:17.870 --> 00:02:20.090 some might say to hell, it's the grave there. 00:02:20.650 --> 00:02:24.030 For if the mighty works which were done in you 00:02:24.030 --> 00:02:27.650 had been done in Sodom, it would have remained 00:02:27.650 --> 00:02:30.949 until this day. But I say to you that it will 00:02:30.949 --> 00:02:34.490 be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the 00:02:34.490 --> 00:02:39.210 day of judgment than for you. Let's pray. Father, 00:02:39.229 --> 00:02:42.310 help us this morning to understand the weight, 00:02:43.550 --> 00:02:46.830 the gravity, and the importance of these words 00:02:46.830 --> 00:02:50.030 this morning, Lord. God, we need you, Lord. We 00:02:50.030 --> 00:02:53.150 have just asked you in psalm to speak. Lord, 00:02:53.150 --> 00:02:56.349 may the spirit give illumination and unction, 00:02:56.430 --> 00:02:58.909 Lord, as we look into the pages of sacred scripture 00:02:58.909 --> 00:03:01.930 to behold the glory of Christ. It's in his name 00:03:01.930 --> 00:03:06.270 we pray. Amen. So we're here first Sunday in 00:03:06.270 --> 00:03:08.110 January. I'm thankful that you've chosen to be 00:03:08.110 --> 00:03:10.789 here. It's a new year and we're going back to 00:03:10.789 --> 00:03:14.409 our study in the gospel of Matthew. I think if 00:03:14.409 --> 00:03:17.689 we're honest, most of us, maybe not all, Most 00:03:17.689 --> 00:03:20.509 of us begin a new year with optimism and hope 00:03:20.509 --> 00:03:23.210 that things will be different. I know every year 00:03:23.210 --> 00:03:25.590 I'm like, well, December 31st, I'll be 25 pounds 00:03:25.590 --> 00:03:27.389 lighter. And I've been saying that for about 00:03:27.389 --> 00:03:29.310 10 years, so I don't know why I should be optimistic. 00:03:29.370 --> 00:03:31.830 We're hopeful since it's not happened in 10 years. 00:03:32.750 --> 00:03:34.729 But we all buy new calendars, right? And we set 00:03:34.729 --> 00:03:39.310 new goals. Most of us like a reset or even a 00:03:39.310 --> 00:03:42.569 fresh start. But if we're honest with ourselves, 00:03:42.810 --> 00:03:46.590 most of us end the year the same way it began. 00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:49.729 And we do this not because we lacked opportunity, 00:03:50.530 --> 00:03:52.969 but because we did not want to do what it took 00:03:52.969 --> 00:03:56.330 to change. In our text today in Matthew chapter 00:03:56.330 --> 00:04:00.810 11, Jesus is pronouncing a woe, a judgment upon 00:04:00.810 --> 00:04:04.169 three cities. And these three cities had a front 00:04:04.169 --> 00:04:08.110 row seat to see God at work. I mean, the people 00:04:08.110 --> 00:04:10.430 who lived in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, 00:04:10.490 --> 00:04:14.349 they all saw Jesus do many miracles with their 00:04:14.349 --> 00:04:17.850 own eyes. They heard the truth from His own lips, 00:04:18.430 --> 00:04:22.069 and yet nothing changed in their lives. So Jesus, 00:04:22.089 --> 00:04:23.850 when He's issuing this woe, He's not speaking 00:04:23.850 --> 00:04:27.509 to pagans who had no exposure, who had no access 00:04:27.509 --> 00:04:30.449 to God or His truth. Rather, Jesus is speaking 00:04:30.449 --> 00:04:33.569 to His own people. These are Jewish cities all 00:04:33.569 --> 00:04:37.300 in Israel, and they had every advantage. And 00:04:37.300 --> 00:04:40.339 they wasted it. Just like a new year does not 00:04:40.339 --> 00:04:43.980 guarantee a new outcome, just because you are 00:04:43.980 --> 00:04:46.500 exposed to the truth does not guarantee that 00:04:46.500 --> 00:04:50.079 you will receive the truth. And this is the key 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.819 in this passage here. What you do with the truth 00:04:53.819 --> 00:04:57.980 will determine your future. Here in Matthew 11, 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:01.379 there is widespread rejection of Jesus and his 00:05:01.379 --> 00:05:06.000 ministry. Now that's bad enough. But it's worse 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:09.740 because they rejected him despite clear evidence. 00:05:10.899 --> 00:05:13.160 Keep up to this point, Jesus had performed in 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.899 Galilee, which is a pretty small area, many extraordinary 00:05:16.899 --> 00:05:19.839 miracles. In fact, he mentioned those earlier 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:22.579 in the chapter. He said, Go tell John what you 00:05:22.579 --> 00:05:27.120 see. The blind are given sight. The lame are 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:31.279 made to be able to walk. Lepers have been cleansed. 00:05:31.540 --> 00:05:35.110 Deaf are made able to hear. And even the dead 00:05:35.110 --> 00:05:38.310 have been raised back to life. Those are extraordinary, 00:05:38.490 --> 00:05:39.829 noteworthy. They're not like the miracles that 00:05:39.829 --> 00:05:43.870 we hear of on TV that can't be validated. But 00:05:43.870 --> 00:05:46.290 because of these miracles, Jesus was popular. 00:05:46.370 --> 00:05:49.129 He had the popularity of a rock star. Throms 00:05:49.129 --> 00:05:53.069 of people followed him everywhere. So it's true. 00:05:53.389 --> 00:05:57.610 The people were amazed by him, but they did not 00:05:57.610 --> 00:06:02.050 repent before him. Amazed, but not penitent. 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:05.680 His miracles were extraordinary, and yet, in 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:08.000 spite of all that they had seen, they still, 00:06:08.019 --> 00:06:11.879 by and large, not all, rejected him. But it wasn't 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:14.360 just Jesus they rejected. They also rejected 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:17.180 the witness of John the Baptist, the forerunner. 00:06:17.459 --> 00:06:20.600 Earlier in chapter 11, Jesus had affirmed both 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:24.060 John the Baptist's role and importance as the 00:06:24.060 --> 00:06:26.769 forerunner of the Messiah. beginning in verse 00:06:26.769 --> 00:06:29.050 11. We preached on this last time, so I won't 00:06:29.050 --> 00:06:31.230 take the time to really delve into it, but if 00:06:31.230 --> 00:06:33.629 you have your Bibles, look at verse 11. Jesus 00:06:33.629 --> 00:06:36.569 said, assuredly, I say to you, among those born 00:06:36.569 --> 00:06:39.750 of women, there has not risen one greater than 00:06:39.750 --> 00:06:42.449 John the Baptist. But he who is least in the 00:06:42.449 --> 00:06:44.769 kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from 00:06:44.769 --> 00:06:47.790 the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom 00:06:47.790 --> 00:06:50.629 of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take 00:06:50.629 --> 00:06:53.949 it by force. For all the prophets in the law 00:06:53.949 --> 00:06:57.040 prophesied unto John, And if you are willing 00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:00.480 to receive it, Jesus said, he is Elijah who is 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:04.399 to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:07.000 But then he says, but what about this generation, 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:08.439 the ones who were sitting there hearing him? 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:11.000 He said, they're like children sitting in a marketplace 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:13.360 and calling to their companions, and they're 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:15.680 complaining a little bit. He said, we played 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:19.459 the flute for you. We played music, and you didn't 00:07:19.459 --> 00:07:23.779 dance. We mourned for you, and you did not lament. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:26.420 Now the people had given their assessment of 00:07:26.420 --> 00:07:28.839 Jesus. They'd given their assessment of John. 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:32.480 They rejected him. And now in this passage before 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:36.139 us, Jesus is giving his assessment of the people. 00:07:36.620 --> 00:07:38.779 And he's going to use a common scene from everyday 00:07:38.779 --> 00:07:42.220 life to expose their hard hearts. He says, what 00:07:42.220 --> 00:07:43.860 am I going to like in this generation? It's like 00:07:43.860 --> 00:07:46.480 children playing in the marketplace. Keep in 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:48.699 mind the marketplace was the center of social, 00:07:49.079 --> 00:07:51.720 economic, even the cultural center of everyday 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:54.850 life. If you've ever been to Israel, some of 00:07:54.850 --> 00:07:56.930 these marketplaces are still standing. They're 00:07:56.930 --> 00:07:59.629 just, it's a long narrow road with throngs of 00:07:59.629 --> 00:08:02.670 people. Sometimes they would also be open -air 00:08:02.670 --> 00:08:05.290 squares, but they would have been packed with 00:08:05.290 --> 00:08:08.569 people and animals buying and selling. Weddings 00:08:08.569 --> 00:08:10.910 took place there. In fact, if you needed to buy 00:08:10.910 --> 00:08:13.149 something, you go to the marketplace. But if 00:08:13.149 --> 00:08:15.509 there was a social event, like a wedding, at 00:08:15.509 --> 00:08:18.209 the marketplace. If there was a funeral, it would 00:08:18.209 --> 00:08:20.980 be held at the marketplace. But one of the things 00:08:20.980 --> 00:08:23.800 you would always find there is children. Children 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:26.399 would be there playing because parents had some 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.259 shopping to do and they would bring their children 00:08:28.259 --> 00:08:30.779 in tow and let them play while they did their 00:08:30.779 --> 00:08:34.360 shopping. Well, how do children play? They play 00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:37.399 make believe. And Jesus is borrowing this scene. 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:40.679 They invent games all full of music and dancing. 00:08:41.259 --> 00:08:43.980 And so here, he said it would be a common image 00:08:43.980 --> 00:08:45.899 to see children playing and they might have been 00:08:45.899 --> 00:08:48.529 playing like dress up at a wedding. And at a 00:08:48.529 --> 00:08:50.669 wedding, they're playing at a make -believe wedding 00:08:50.669 --> 00:08:53.629 saying, there's music, festive music, we're playing 00:08:53.629 --> 00:08:56.549 the flute. But there's a complaint, he said, 00:08:56.690 --> 00:08:58.809 because even in this make -believe wedding, people 00:08:58.809 --> 00:09:02.590 aren't dancing. So they said, well, again, Jesus 00:09:02.590 --> 00:09:04.870 is using a metaphor here. He said, it's like 00:09:04.870 --> 00:09:08.509 children playing a funeral, a mock funeral. And 00:09:08.509 --> 00:09:12.049 it's all sad music, but no one is lamenting. 00:09:12.950 --> 00:09:14.850 And you're like, what's the point? That's a little 00:09:14.850 --> 00:09:18.340 enigmatic, isn't it? It's a little unclear. Jesus 00:09:18.340 --> 00:09:22.159 is making a comparison of how the people responded 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:27.080 to him and John the Baptist. John came on the 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:30.259 scene as a desert prophet. He was an ascetic. 00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:33.799 He lived an ascetic life. His life was characterized 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:38.139 by self -denial, marked seriousness, and the 00:09:38.139 --> 00:09:41.600 people rejected him. They thought John was some 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:44.120 kind of lunatic. He dressed like an old rugged 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:47.740 prophet. He ate locusts and wild honey. They 00:09:47.740 --> 00:09:50.220 said, if he's not lunatic, he must be demon possessed. 00:09:51.539 --> 00:09:55.500 John was too fanatical for them. But on the other 00:09:55.500 --> 00:09:58.879 hand, give Jesus. He comes preaching the same 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.860 message, the same message that John was given, 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:04.879 but he did it with a completely different style. 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.539 See, the word Jesus was no ascetic at all. He 00:10:07.539 --> 00:10:10.919 lived a normal life. He did not hold to the same 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:14.740 strict dietary laws that John held. Jesus would 00:10:14.740 --> 00:10:17.830 go to dinner parties. He would also attend weddings. 00:10:18.629 --> 00:10:21.529 He'd find him celebrating with the people. The 00:10:21.529 --> 00:10:23.889 very thing that they criticized John for not 00:10:23.889 --> 00:10:28.269 doing, Jesus did. And guess what? They criticized 00:10:28.269 --> 00:10:32.250 him. They said, John's a lunatic, but they said 00:10:32.250 --> 00:10:35.450 Jesus is a glutton and a drunkard. John doesn't 00:10:35.450 --> 00:10:37.929 eat or drink anything, and Jesus drinks everything. 00:10:39.250 --> 00:10:42.289 Jesus was also criticized for the company that 00:10:42.289 --> 00:10:46.570 he kept. He attended social events. but he had 00:10:46.570 --> 00:10:49.909 dinner with all the wrong people. He was willing 00:10:49.909 --> 00:10:53.649 to set a table with tax collectors. Those are 00:10:53.649 --> 00:10:57.950 betrayers of Israel. Those are traitors and sinners. 00:10:58.029 --> 00:11:00.129 We're talking about notorious sinners, women 00:11:00.129 --> 00:11:03.269 of ill repute. Jesus would set a table and have 00:11:03.269 --> 00:11:05.870 fellowship with them. And at that time, table 00:11:05.870 --> 00:11:09.169 fellowship was very, very important. So you have 00:11:09.169 --> 00:11:12.570 two different men, two completely opposite styles, 00:11:12.950 --> 00:11:15.879 preaching the same message. And yet both of them 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:19.039 were rejected. John the Baptist came with all 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:22.320 the seriousness of a desert prophet. The Lord 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:24.919 Jesus came with joy and a willingness to even 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:27.899 fellowship with the people. The fact that they 00:11:27.899 --> 00:11:30.899 were both rejected proved something. The problem 00:11:30.899 --> 00:11:34.600 was not in the style. The problem lay in the 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:37.279 hard hearts of the people. That's the problem. 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:40.740 Daniel Dorian in his commentary he said Israel 00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:44.100 did not like the austere message of John. with 00:11:44.100 --> 00:11:46.740 its call to repentance, and they did not like 00:11:46.740 --> 00:11:48.779 the sweet message of Jesus with its offer of 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:53.259 grace, they were hard to please. Nothing satisfied 00:11:53.259 --> 00:11:57.620 them. And Jesus went on to say that wisdom is 00:11:57.620 --> 00:12:01.519 justified by her children. God's wisdom is not 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:05.019 demonstrated or proved by appearances, rather 00:12:05.019 --> 00:12:07.379 the wisdom of God is proved by the results it 00:12:07.379 --> 00:12:11.600 produces. And Jesus is going to rebuke that generation 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:14.600 who is living at that time for their inconsistency. 00:12:15.419 --> 00:12:17.460 They're criticizing John for not eating and drinking, 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:19.860 and they're criticizing Jesus for doing so. You 00:12:19.860 --> 00:12:22.779 don't get it both ways. So in their pride, and 00:12:22.779 --> 00:12:25.259 that's really what the problem was, pride. In 00:12:25.259 --> 00:12:27.919 their pride, they failed to see John and his 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.700 role as the forerunner of the Messiah. He was 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:34.779 the Elijah to come, but they missed it. But worst 00:12:34.779 --> 00:12:38.220 of all, they failed to see Jesus as their Messiah. 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:41.179 And because they did not see him as the Messiah, 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:44.240 they failed to enter into the kingdom of God. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:48.679 Now, what's even worse than all this is it was 00:12:48.679 --> 00:12:51.559 inexcusable. There's no excuse for the unbelief 00:12:51.559 --> 00:12:55.240 of the people, for they had access to miracles 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:58.700 and witnessed them that no other generation had 00:12:58.700 --> 00:13:02.340 ever been proving to. And they were still unbelieving, 00:13:02.620 --> 00:13:07.259 still underpentant. And because of that, Jesus 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:10.610 begins to pronounce a judgment upon them. Verse 00:13:10.610 --> 00:13:14.169 20, he began to rebuke the cities in which most 00:13:14.169 --> 00:13:17.610 of his mighty works have been done. Why? Because 00:13:17.610 --> 00:13:21.809 they did not repent. They did not repent. They 00:13:21.809 --> 00:13:24.610 had access to the truth, they had access to the 00:13:24.610 --> 00:13:28.169 light and revelation of God, access to the miraculous, 00:13:30.250 --> 00:13:33.309 and still wouldn't repent. Jesus is looking for 00:13:33.309 --> 00:13:35.509 the people to change in light of his arrival. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:39.580 But they continued on and lived as if nothing 00:13:39.580 --> 00:13:42.240 was different. Nothing changed with the arrival 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:46.399 of Jesus. But what we find today, it's incredible 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:49.440 if you think about it, these people saw Jesus 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:52.299 perform these mighty miracles. These miracles 00:13:52.299 --> 00:13:56.700 were signs. They were proof, evidence, demonstrable 00:13:56.700 --> 00:13:59.519 evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. And yet, 00:13:59.580 --> 00:14:02.659 in spite of all that they had, they remained 00:14:02.659 --> 00:14:05.730 indifferent. Now, I think it's important to note 00:14:05.730 --> 00:14:08.110 this does not mean they were necessarily hostile 00:14:08.110 --> 00:14:11.389 to Jesus. No, the religious leaders were hostile 00:14:11.389 --> 00:14:15.049 to him, but he's rebuking common people. They 00:14:15.049 --> 00:14:17.549 weren't necessarily hostile, they were indifferent 00:14:17.549 --> 00:14:22.490 to him. And when someone is indifferent to Christ 00:14:22.490 --> 00:14:25.309 in light of the overwhelming evidence that is 00:14:25.309 --> 00:14:31.830 provided, it is sin. Neutrality is never ever 00:14:31.830 --> 00:14:35.470 an option when it comes to Jesus. So the Lord 00:14:35.470 --> 00:14:39.110 is going to pronounce a woe upon three cities, 00:14:39.990 --> 00:14:43.309 Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. All three 00:14:43.309 --> 00:14:46.049 cities are located on the north side of the Sea 00:14:46.049 --> 00:14:49.230 of Galilee in the area of Galilee, which is in 00:14:49.230 --> 00:14:52.990 Israel. These three cities are being judged because 00:14:52.990 --> 00:14:54.830 it's in these three cities that says where he 00:14:54.830 --> 00:14:58.879 did most of his mighty works. Most of his miracles 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:02.059 took place within this geographic location. And 00:15:02.059 --> 00:15:04.139 it's all pretty packed together, by the way. 00:15:04.980 --> 00:15:06.980 Coruscant and Bethsaida is just like a two to 00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:10.039 three mile difference there. Now keep in mind, 00:15:10.580 --> 00:15:13.940 we do not have in the scriptures a record of 00:15:13.940 --> 00:15:17.299 all the miracles that Jesus had performed. Sacred 00:15:17.299 --> 00:15:20.379 Scripture does not give us an exhaustive list 00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:23.899 of everything Jesus did. There are many things, 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.840 many words, many actions, many miracles that 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:29.039 took place that are not recorded. How do we know 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:31.620 that? The Apostle John tells us that in John 00:15:31.620 --> 00:15:35.639 21. He says, there are also many other things 00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:38.399 that Jesus did, which if they were written one 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:41.360 by one, I suppose that even the world itself 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:43.639 could not tame the books that would be written. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:47.289 Amen. So we don't have everything, but we have 00:15:47.289 --> 00:15:50.889 what we need to have. This is what God has preserved. 00:15:51.769 --> 00:15:53.809 Now these miracles that we just mentioned, the 00:15:53.809 --> 00:15:56.230 earlier mention in chapter 11, these miracles 00:15:56.230 --> 00:15:59.669 should have been enough evidence to cause the 00:15:59.669 --> 00:16:02.929 people to repent and turn to Christ in faith. 00:16:03.889 --> 00:16:06.929 But that's not what happened. And Jesus says, 00:16:06.970 --> 00:16:12.830 woe. Woe to you, Corson. Woe to you, Bethsaida. 00:16:13.570 --> 00:16:16.399 For... If these mighty works which were done 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:21.740 in you had been done in Tyre, in Sidon, well 00:16:21.740 --> 00:16:25.139 those two cities would have repented long ago 00:16:25.139 --> 00:16:28.919 in sackcloth and ashes. Now again, we don't know 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:31.399 a whole lot about Chorazin and Bethsaida in scripture. 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:33.440 We're not given a lot. We know that Bethsaida, 00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:35.720 it's the hometown of Andrew, it's hometown of 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:37.919 Peter, the hometown of Philip, but apart from 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:40.620 that we really don't know a whole lot about Bethsaida. 00:16:40.940 --> 00:16:43.899 But we know there's a woe. You see this a lot 00:16:43.899 --> 00:16:46.740 in the Old Testament. A woe is simply a pronouncement 00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:51.779 of divine judgment. Woe to you. Now what could 00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:55.240 be worse? What could be worse than the Lord Jesus 00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:59.179 Christ pronouncing the judgment of God upon you? 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:03.139 I mean, there's nothing worse than that. God, 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:05.859 now notice, he said, if the works that were done 00:17:05.859 --> 00:17:09.220 in you would have been done entire inside, and 00:17:09.220 --> 00:17:11.859 we'll get to that in a minute. They would have 00:17:11.859 --> 00:17:15.980 repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. So 00:17:15.980 --> 00:17:19.480 first of all, we see that God has absolute perfect 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:24.000 knowledge of all things and all people. God not 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:27.059 only knows what we will do, He knows what we 00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:30.420 would have done had circumstances been different. 00:17:31.740 --> 00:17:33.619 That's what we see here. It's often called contingent 00:17:33.619 --> 00:17:35.759 knowledge. You might hear it called middle knowledge. 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:39.859 Jesus said, if the miracles that I did were to 00:17:39.859 --> 00:17:42.140 take place in Tyre and Sidon, those two cities, 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:44.980 they would have repented a long time ago. Now, 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:47.980 what are Tyre and Sidon? Well, you need the Old 00:17:47.980 --> 00:17:51.980 Testament for that. Tyre and Sidon are notorious 00:17:51.980 --> 00:17:56.640 pagan cities which worshiped false gods and opposed 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.480 Israel. They were bordering countries to Israel 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:02.319 in the north. But they're always causing problems 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:07.000 for Israel. Pagans, false gods, idolaters. And 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:10.190 Jesus said, if these two pagan cities would have 00:18:10.190 --> 00:18:13.109 had the same amount of light and revelation that 00:18:13.109 --> 00:18:15.769 you enjoyed, they would have repented. And now 00:18:15.769 --> 00:18:19.369 notice verse 22, but I say to you, it will be 00:18:19.369 --> 00:18:24.089 more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the Day 00:18:24.089 --> 00:18:27.529 of Judgment than for you. The very first thing 00:18:27.529 --> 00:18:29.410 we've got to take note of from this is that there 00:18:29.410 --> 00:18:32.869 will be a Day of Judgment. Now friends, this 00:18:32.869 --> 00:18:34.750 ought to cause us to listen with rapt attention, 00:18:34.769 --> 00:18:39.059 and I don't say that hyperbolically. We need 00:18:39.059 --> 00:18:40.720 to listen up. Jesus ain't a day of judgments 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:43.859 coming. What this means is there's a day of judgment 00:18:43.859 --> 00:18:46.539 that is marked on God's calendar in which his 00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:50.480 anger and his wrath will be poured out on impenitent 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:56.259 or unrepentant sinners. Acts 17 verse 30. Truly 00:18:56.259 --> 00:19:00.019 these times of ignorance got overlooked. But 00:19:00.019 --> 00:19:04.779 now he commands all men everywhere to repent. 00:19:05.509 --> 00:19:08.170 because He has appointed a day on which He will 00:19:08.170 --> 00:19:12.390 judge the world in righteousness by the man whom 00:19:12.390 --> 00:19:15.049 He has ordained, that is Christ. He has given 00:19:15.049 --> 00:19:17.910 assurance of this to all by raising Him from 00:19:17.910 --> 00:19:21.269 the dead. You can be sure. As sure as Jesus is 00:19:21.269 --> 00:19:23.490 living, so also a day of judgment is coming. 00:19:24.049 --> 00:19:26.369 And friends, this is the truth. If you are not 00:19:26.369 --> 00:19:29.769 clothed with the righteousness of Christ, that 00:19:29.769 --> 00:19:32.950 day of judgment will be an absolute terror to 00:19:32.950 --> 00:19:37.470 you. You must be close with Him. Now friends, 00:19:37.710 --> 00:19:41.250 no one, especially man today, our culture, no 00:19:41.250 --> 00:19:43.269 one likes to think about God's coming judgment. 00:19:44.369 --> 00:19:47.430 But that doesn't change the reality of it. Every 00:19:47.430 --> 00:19:50.730 one of us, all people everywhere, will one day 00:19:50.730 --> 00:19:53.670 stand before the holy bar of God's judgment. 00:19:54.490 --> 00:19:58.150 And that's a sobering thought. But not all will 00:19:58.150 --> 00:20:01.599 receive the same judgment. Jesus, now look his 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:04.759 words, not mine. He said it will be more tolerable, 00:20:05.079 --> 00:20:08.380 more bearable for Tyre and Sidon. Those are those 00:20:08.380 --> 00:20:11.299 two pagan cities. Then it will be for the cities 00:20:11.299 --> 00:20:15.460 of Chorazin and Bethsaida, Israeli cities. So 00:20:15.460 --> 00:20:17.279 right here, this is something that the church 00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:19.440 has always taught and we see it clearly, there 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:23.940 will be differing degrees of punishment. Jesus 00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:26.819 said that. The punishment will be according to 00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:30.470 the right and to the light. and revelation that 00:20:30.470 --> 00:20:34.509 you have access to. In Luke 12, notice the words 00:20:34.509 --> 00:20:38.769 of Jesus. He said, that servant, slave, doulos, 00:20:39.390 --> 00:20:43.069 who knew his master's will and did not prepare 00:20:43.069 --> 00:20:45.549 himself or do according to his will shall be 00:20:45.549 --> 00:20:48.269 beaten with many stripes. He's going to get a 00:20:48.269 --> 00:20:51.849 bad punishment. But that servant, he who did 00:20:51.849 --> 00:20:54.730 not know, so there's one who knew, there's one 00:20:54.730 --> 00:20:57.849 who didn't. Yet he also committed things deserving 00:20:57.849 --> 00:21:00.970 of stripes. He deserved to be beaten as well. 00:21:01.710 --> 00:21:05.990 He shall be beaten with few. One who knew and 00:21:05.990 --> 00:21:08.269 didn't do it gets a greater punishment than the 00:21:08.269 --> 00:21:11.089 one who did not do, still did it, still punished, 00:21:11.210 --> 00:21:14.009 but with less stripes. For everyone, he says, 00:21:14.130 --> 00:21:17.250 to everyone to whom much is given, much light, 00:21:17.329 --> 00:21:20.849 much revelation, from him much will be required. 00:21:22.089 --> 00:21:25.130 And to whom much has been committed, of him they 00:21:25.130 --> 00:21:30.319 will ask the more. Querson, Bethsaida, had witnessed 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:33.819 firsthand the mighty miracles of the Son of God. 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:38.680 Much had been given to them, but they remained 00:21:38.680 --> 00:21:43.740 indifferent. Much will be required of them. These 00:21:43.740 --> 00:21:45.519 cities, and we're talking about cities, obviously 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:48.579 it's the people in the cities, they enjoyed access 00:21:48.579 --> 00:21:51.279 to God's truth. But they failed to do anything 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.619 with it. It didn't produce any result in them. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:56.579 Thus, judgment will be greater for them on that 00:21:56.579 --> 00:21:59.599 day of judgment. Jesus said so. And this is the 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:02.400 principle. Those who hear the Word of God, those 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:04.819 who have access to the Word of God regularly 00:22:04.819 --> 00:22:07.480 and still reject it, will receive the greater 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:10.019 condemnation. And here, let me just say, rejection 00:22:10.019 --> 00:22:13.680 doesn't mean outright unbelief. It can mean indifference. 00:22:14.359 --> 00:22:16.799 It doesn't do anything in you. That's the case 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:18.740 of these people. Remember, they're not hostile. 00:22:19.619 --> 00:22:22.119 They're indifferent. And they're going to receive 00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:25.059 greater condemnation because of the more like 00:22:25.059 --> 00:22:29.279 given and rejected makes them more guilty before 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:34.539 God. Paul mentioned this in Romans. Or do you 00:22:34.539 --> 00:22:38.799 despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, 00:22:39.099 --> 00:22:42.279 and longsuffering? Do you not know that the goodness 00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:46.599 of God is meant to lead you to repentance? But 00:22:46.599 --> 00:22:50.140 in accordance with your hardness, and your impenitent 00:22:50.140 --> 00:22:54.099 heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath 00:22:54.099 --> 00:22:57.859 in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous 00:22:57.859 --> 00:23:02.700 judgment of God who will render to each or every 00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:08.740 one according to his deeds. So bring words. You 00:23:08.740 --> 00:23:11.880 are treasuring up wrath for the day of wrath. 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:16.400 Because there are degrees of guilt, there are 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.140 differing degrees of punishment. Now that doesn't 00:23:19.140 --> 00:23:20.960 mean there are some who are innocent. The Bible 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:23.440 never teaches that. All are guilty before God. 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:26.460 That's Romans chapter 3. But some have greater 00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:29.059 guilt before God because they had greater exposure 00:23:29.059 --> 00:23:32.859 to the truth of God. And Jesus comes and he says, 00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:38.200 whoa, judgment is coming. But this itself is 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:41.940 an act of mercy. Jesus' judgment is coming, but 00:23:41.940 --> 00:23:44.640 it had not yet come. So that meant there was 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:47.839 still an opportunity to repent if the people 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:52.119 would do so. R .C. Sproul said this, we might 00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:54.759 be tempted to think that Jesus pronounced woe 00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:58.000 on Chorazin and Bethsaida because he hated them. 00:23:58.680 --> 00:24:01.539 On the contrary, he loved them. That was why 00:24:01.539 --> 00:24:04.740 he told them to wake up. The day of salvation 00:24:04.740 --> 00:24:06.640 had dawned upon them and their Savior was in 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:09.279 their midst. When you see God's warnings, you 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:10.759 see them in Hebrews 6, you see them again in 00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:13.819 Hebrews 10, Jesus often spoke of warning. When 00:24:13.819 --> 00:24:16.319 you see that, that is meant to be a wake -up 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:18.940 call. It's meant to awaken us out of our slumber 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:21.759 and stupor, to grab or arrest people's attention 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:25.019 and lead them to a place of serious repentance. 00:24:26.380 --> 00:24:28.440 This is why we must preach the whole counsel 00:24:28.440 --> 00:24:30.900 of God's Word. No one likes to think of the Day 00:24:30.900 --> 00:24:32.779 of Judgment, but the Day of Judgment's coming. 00:24:33.559 --> 00:24:35.299 And if we don't preach it, people are never going 00:24:35.299 --> 00:24:38.920 to be woken up. from their sin. This is what 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:41.599 Jesus is doing. Whoa, judgment's coming, and 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:46.079 you better repent. But Jesus reserved his most 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:49.819 severe criticism and judgment for that third 00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:55.019 city, Capernaum, verse 23 and 24. And you, Capernaum, 00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:58.160 who are exalted to heaven, you will be brought 00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:01.240 down to hell, to Hades. For if the mighty works 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:03.440 which were done in you had been done in Sodom, 00:25:03.740 --> 00:25:06.549 you know Sodom, Gomorrah? It would have remained 00:25:06.549 --> 00:25:09.329 until this day. Now why in the world is this 00:25:09.329 --> 00:25:14.730 city of Capernaum marked out so severely? Because 00:25:14.730 --> 00:25:16.910 of all the revelation they received. Do you know 00:25:16.910 --> 00:25:20.809 what Capernaum was? This was Jesus's base of 00:25:20.809 --> 00:25:23.089 operations. This was his hometown. You're like, 00:25:23.150 --> 00:25:25.069 no, no, no, no. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 00:25:25.230 --> 00:25:27.910 Yes, he was born in Bethlehem. He was raised 00:25:27.910 --> 00:25:31.869 in Nazareth, but Capernaum was his hometown for 00:25:31.869 --> 00:25:36.430 the entire years of his earthly ministry, which 00:25:36.430 --> 00:25:38.890 was about three years long. It's his hometown. 00:25:39.150 --> 00:25:40.730 In fact, if you go to Israel, when I was there, 00:25:40.730 --> 00:25:42.450 and you go into Capernaum, it will say the hometown 00:25:42.450 --> 00:25:46.890 of Jesus. Can you imagine the Son of God being 00:25:46.890 --> 00:25:50.029 a resident in your town? Can you imagine Jesus 00:25:50.029 --> 00:25:54.490 lived in Nierton? And then imagine rejecting 00:25:54.490 --> 00:25:58.170 the witness of the Son of God after he had done 00:25:58.170 --> 00:26:03.680 so many miracles in that city. He said, Capernaum, 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:06.380 you have been exalted to heaven. How? You had 00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:10.059 the privilege of having God's Messiah live there 00:26:10.059 --> 00:26:12.460 in your borders, but you will be brought down 00:26:12.460 --> 00:26:14.880 to hell. You will be brought down to the grave. 00:26:15.220 --> 00:26:18.819 You will be brought down to Hades. Why? Because 00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:21.799 he said, if the miracles that Jesus had done 00:26:21.799 --> 00:26:24.680 in, excuse me, if the miracles that Jesus did 00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:28.119 had been done in Sodom, he said that wicked city 00:26:28.119 --> 00:26:31.220 would have repented. and would not have been 00:26:31.220 --> 00:26:34.140 destroyed, it would have remained until this 00:26:34.140 --> 00:26:39.160 day. Sodom! Sodom is the paradigm in the Old 00:26:39.160 --> 00:26:42.839 Testament for wickedness. You know about Sodom? 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:47.099 So immoral, so cruel, so violent, because it 00:26:47.099 --> 00:26:49.099 wasn't just homosexuality, all that was a big 00:26:49.099 --> 00:26:51.539 part of it, it was also inhospitable, it was 00:26:51.539 --> 00:26:54.819 a violent city, so cruel, so immoral, so violent, 00:26:55.400 --> 00:27:00.069 that God rained down sulfur and brimstone on 00:27:00.069 --> 00:27:02.569 that wicked city in a terrible time of judgment. 00:27:04.190 --> 00:27:09.529 And Jesus said, listen up, it's going to be better, 00:27:10.130 --> 00:27:14.190 more tolerable for the people of Sodom on that 00:27:14.190 --> 00:27:17.150 final day of judgment than it will be for the 00:27:17.150 --> 00:27:21.250 people of Capernaum. The Sodom was not less sinful 00:27:21.250 --> 00:27:25.990 than Capernaum was. The Sodom had much less light. 00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:31.299 God's judgment is just. It is always right. It 00:27:31.299 --> 00:27:36.140 is proportionate. It is precise. Now think about 00:27:36.140 --> 00:27:39.119 us. What about those living in Lawrence County? 00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:44.019 If exposure and access to the truth brings greater 00:27:44.019 --> 00:27:49.039 guilt, then we better take note. There are churches 00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:52.980 galore in our county where truth is taught. We're 00:27:52.980 --> 00:27:56.180 not the only church here. We live in the Bible 00:27:56.180 --> 00:28:00.500 Belt. of the country. But even apart from that, 00:28:00.619 --> 00:28:04.079 we have the internet and podcasts, and there's 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.480 a strong Christian witness there. There are more 00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:10.039 opportunities today to hear the saving gospel 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:13.019 of Christ than ever before in all of history. 00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:17.759 You know what that does? It makes us more responsible. 00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:23.420 It also makes us more guilty if we reject. Now 00:28:23.420 --> 00:28:26.400 reject doesn't mean I'm outright hostile. if 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:30.740 I remain indifferent to the witness." See, that's 00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:33.079 what angered the Lord Jesus. That generation 00:28:33.079 --> 00:28:35.059 saw the miracles, didn't do a thing about it. 00:28:35.160 --> 00:28:40.940 They were complacent, just indifferent. The kingdom 00:28:40.940 --> 00:28:45.880 of God had clearly arrived, and they did nothing. 00:28:46.359 --> 00:28:50.819 They felt no need to repent. They had seen things 00:28:50.819 --> 00:28:54.160 that no other generation before or since had 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:57.779 ever seen. Now the people, they were familiar 00:28:57.779 --> 00:29:02.440 with him, but indifferent and I want to stress 00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:06.019 that and that is not an option that is given 00:29:06.019 --> 00:29:09.619 to us. Today, I think of so many people, especially 00:29:09.619 --> 00:29:12.779 in our culture, here in where we live. The word 00:29:12.779 --> 00:29:14.140 on the street, if we could interview a man on 00:29:14.140 --> 00:29:16.259 the street, most people would identify as a Christian. 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:17.900 They're not Muslim, they're not Hindu, they're 00:29:17.900 --> 00:29:20.000 not Jewish. Yes, I'm Christian. I'm of the Christian 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.180 faith. You see it in obituaries all the time. 00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:24.000 There's not a particular church, but they were 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:25.700 of the Christian faith, or the Baptist faith, 00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:29.339 or whatever. There are many who affirm Jesus. 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:31.680 They would even say He is Savior. They would 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:35.559 recognize that. Yet, they live their lives indifferent 00:29:35.559 --> 00:29:39.450 to Him. He doesn't make a difference in their 00:29:39.450 --> 00:29:43.369 life. People in Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum, 00:29:43.509 --> 00:29:47.569 they were amazed by him, but they didn't repent 00:29:47.569 --> 00:29:50.210 before him. Now there are people today, and they're 00:29:50.210 --> 00:29:53.109 like, well, listen, because everyone that you 00:29:53.109 --> 00:29:56.369 talk to around here has made a decision at some 00:29:56.369 --> 00:29:58.470 point. Yeah, I remember at a Bible school or 00:29:58.470 --> 00:30:00.950 at a church camp or whatever. They made a one 00:30:00.950 --> 00:30:03.950 -time decision, but repentance is not a one -time 00:30:03.950 --> 00:30:09.480 event. It is a posture of your life. Love and 00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:14.619 obedience to Christ are the evidence of repentance 00:30:14.619 --> 00:30:19.299 rather than what you say. It is true in any other 00:30:19.299 --> 00:30:22.079 relationship. You can say you love your spouse, 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:25.660 I love them, but your actions, if your actions 00:30:25.660 --> 00:30:28.779 show indifference and complacency and there's 00:30:28.779 --> 00:30:30.619 nothing ever being done for them, it doesn't 00:30:30.619 --> 00:30:34.640 matter what you say, it rings hollow. It's the 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:37.490 same thing with Christ. It is easy to say, I've 00:30:37.490 --> 00:30:40.829 repented, but the scriptures point us and teach 00:30:40.829 --> 00:30:44.029 us that the fruit of our lives will reveal whether 00:30:44.029 --> 00:30:47.410 that profession and confession of repentance 00:30:47.410 --> 00:30:51.130 is genuine or not. What the Lord does not allow 00:30:51.130 --> 00:30:54.009 is us to pay lip service to Him. You find in 00:30:54.009 --> 00:30:56.130 the Old Testament, God rebuked Israel over and 00:30:56.130 --> 00:30:57.970 over and over again. He said, their lips, they 00:30:57.970 --> 00:31:00.869 honor me with their lips. But what was the problem? 00:31:00.910 --> 00:31:03.970 Their hearts are far from me. You don't get to 00:31:03.970 --> 00:31:06.690 do that. John the Baptist, when he came, he started 00:31:06.690 --> 00:31:08.670 preaching repentance. And you're like, what does 00:31:08.670 --> 00:31:10.230 that look like? Well, let me tell you what it 00:31:10.230 --> 00:31:14.710 looked like in Luke chapter 3. This is John the 00:31:14.710 --> 00:31:16.730 Baptist. He said to the multitudes that came 00:31:16.730 --> 00:31:20.450 out to be baptized by him, brood of vipers, very 00:31:20.450 --> 00:31:23.650 welcoming, who warned you to flee from wrath 00:31:23.650 --> 00:31:28.650 to come? A loving message. Therefore, bear fruits 00:31:28.650 --> 00:31:31.109 worthy of repentance. And don't begin to say 00:31:31.109 --> 00:31:32.710 to yourselves, because he's talking to Jews, 00:31:33.089 --> 00:31:35.240 we have Abraham as our father. For I say to you 00:31:35.240 --> 00:31:37.640 that God is able to raise up children to Abraham 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:41.559 from these stones. And even now, the axe, it's 00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:43.000 laid to the root of the trees. It's going to 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:45.599 be cut down. Therefore, every tree which does 00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:47.700 not bear good fruit is cut down, thrown in the 00:31:47.700 --> 00:31:51.359 fire. So the people asked him, John, if you're 00:31:51.359 --> 00:31:54.359 preaching, what shall we do? He said, I'm glad 00:31:54.359 --> 00:31:58.339 you asked. He answered and said, he who has two 00:31:58.339 --> 00:32:01.160 tunics, outer garments, let him give to him who 00:32:01.160 --> 00:32:04.549 has none. And he who has food. Give to him who 00:32:04.549 --> 00:32:07.529 has none, let him do likewise. Then tax collectors, 00:32:07.609 --> 00:32:09.730 remember those crooks? They came and they wanted 00:32:09.730 --> 00:32:11.730 to be baptized and they said, teacher, what shall 00:32:11.730 --> 00:32:13.190 we do? And he said, I'll tell you what you do. 00:32:13.410 --> 00:32:15.369 You don't collect any more than what is appointed 00:32:15.369 --> 00:32:18.309 for you. Stop stealing. That's what repentance 00:32:18.309 --> 00:32:20.869 looks like. Likewise, the soldiers, apparently 00:32:20.869 --> 00:32:24.410 Roman soldiers said, and what shall we do? He 00:32:24.410 --> 00:32:26.950 said, stop intimidating people. Don't intimidate 00:32:26.950 --> 00:32:29.509 or accuse falsely. And by the way, be content 00:32:29.509 --> 00:32:31.869 with your wages. Stop trying to pill for people. 00:32:32.740 --> 00:32:36.640 John the Baptist clearly taught that our actions 00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:40.339 demonstrate our repentance. The Apostle Paul 00:32:40.339 --> 00:32:42.039 preached the very same thing. I'll just read 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:44.900 one verse here. Paul preached, he said, to the 00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:47.119 Gentiles, here's what he's preaching, that they 00:32:47.119 --> 00:32:52.720 should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting 00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:56.640 repentance. Do you see what all the witness of 00:32:56.640 --> 00:32:59.339 Scripture is trying to say? True repentance reveals 00:32:59.339 --> 00:33:01.640 itself in new ways of thinking about Christ. 00:33:02.439 --> 00:33:06.240 about sin, about ourselves, and about the will 00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:10.099 of God. That's what happens. One writer said 00:33:10.099 --> 00:33:14.960 this as we close. Biblical repentance. What does 00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:18.160 it mean? It is to change your mind about your 00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:22.299 sin. No longer is your sin something to toy with. 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:25.059 It is something to be forsaken as you flee from 00:33:25.059 --> 00:33:28.180 the coming wrath. It is also changing your mind 00:33:28.180 --> 00:33:31.980 about Jesus Christ. No longer seems to be mocked. 00:33:32.849 --> 00:33:36.690 discounted or ignored. He is the Savior to be 00:33:36.690 --> 00:33:41.529 clung to. He is the Lord to be worshiped and 00:33:41.529 --> 00:33:45.750 adored. He said, now what? What do we do? What 00:33:45.750 --> 00:33:50.309 do we glean from this passage? Jesus did not 00:33:50.309 --> 00:33:52.369 end this particular passage with words of comfort. 00:33:52.490 --> 00:33:55.309 We'll see that next week, Lord willing. But he 00:33:55.309 --> 00:33:58.509 ended with a warning. The warning that cities 00:33:58.509 --> 00:34:01.069 which had seen his miracles, they remained unchanged. 00:34:01.339 --> 00:34:05.200 and people who heard his truth remain unmoved. 00:34:05.900 --> 00:34:08.000 But the problem was not a lack of evidence at 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:12.460 all, it was a lack of repentance. Today, you 00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:15.320 and I, listen, you live with more light and revelation 00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:18.119 than even these cities enjoyed, because Jesus 00:34:18.119 --> 00:34:22.559 had not died and risen yet. There's not one in 00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:25.960 here who lacks opportunity. So the only question 00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:28.199 that would be left with concerns our response. 00:34:29.289 --> 00:34:32.869 I'm not asking you, have you ever heard, but 00:34:32.869 --> 00:34:35.829 did you respond? Or are you living your life 00:34:35.829 --> 00:34:39.389 indifferent to Him, ignoring Him? You may pay 00:34:39.389 --> 00:34:41.309 lip service. You may say, yes, He's Lord. I believe 00:34:41.309 --> 00:34:42.949 He's the Son of God. I believe He rose again. 00:34:43.030 --> 00:34:44.590 I believe He's the Savior of the world. And you 00:34:44.590 --> 00:34:46.429 can still die in your sins and face the judgment 00:34:46.429 --> 00:34:50.570 of God terribly. You cannot ignore Him. To ignore 00:34:50.570 --> 00:34:53.289 Him or remain indifferent to Him is to invite 00:34:53.289 --> 00:34:55.329 peril, the very judgment of God, into your life. 00:34:55.659 --> 00:34:58.940 But today, this woe that Jesus has pronounced, 00:34:59.820 --> 00:35:02.039 it's a wake -up call. So if you will repent, 00:35:02.599 --> 00:35:04.699 if you will leave your life as sin and you come 00:35:04.699 --> 00:35:07.199 to Christ in faith believing, come empty -handed, 00:35:07.340 --> 00:35:11.079 clinging only to Christ, friends, He will save 00:35:11.079 --> 00:35:13.980 you. Because His body was broken and His blood 00:35:13.980 --> 00:35:16.099 was shed for sinners, which is what we're going 00:35:16.099 --> 00:35:19.059 to celebrate and fellowship with right now. Let's 00:35:19.059 --> 00:35:23.650 pray. Father, thank you. Lord, thank you for 00:35:23.650 --> 00:35:26.710 your word. The incredible power it has to instruct 00:35:26.710 --> 00:35:29.170 us, Lord. Thank you, Lord, even when we read 00:35:29.170 --> 00:35:32.389 things that make us uncomfortable. Lord, a passage 00:35:32.389 --> 00:35:35.909 of judgment and woe, Lord, is terrifying. Lord, 00:35:35.929 --> 00:35:37.869 it's a fearful, terrifying thing to fall into 00:35:37.869 --> 00:35:41.090 the hands of the living God. But Lord God, we 00:35:41.090 --> 00:35:44.789 also, we would ignore this word to our own peril 00:35:44.789 --> 00:35:47.150 in the future, Lord. Father, I pray that you 00:35:47.150 --> 00:35:52.179 would awaken. people who are in stupor, who are 00:35:52.179 --> 00:35:55.139 lost in their sin, Lord, who are remaining indifferent. 00:35:55.320 --> 00:35:57.019 They live their lives, and Lord, you're just 00:35:57.019 --> 00:35:59.159 casually on the peripheral of their lives. Lord 00:35:59.159 --> 00:36:03.440 God, please allow them to see the glory, the 00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:07.780 weighty glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 00:36:08.539 --> 00:36:11.170 Let them behold His beauty. Turn their lives 00:36:11.170 --> 00:36:14.070 over to him run to him fall on their faces repenting 00:36:14.070 --> 00:36:16.030 before him confessing their sin and receiving 00:36:16.030 --> 00:36:18.809 Christ as Savior and Lord Oh father do this for 00:36:18.809 --> 00:36:20.889 thine own glory Lord help us Lord to make much 00:36:20.889 --> 00:36:23.570 of Jesus and Lord I thank you for this table 00:36:23.570 --> 00:36:26.269 we come to we're reminded of our sin Lord Lord 00:36:26.269 --> 00:36:28.610 this table is a table for fellowship for sinners 00:36:28.610 --> 00:36:32.170 Lord we don't come perfect we come weak and limping 00:36:32.170 --> 00:36:34.809 and halting Lord this is the table that where 00:36:34.809 --> 00:36:37.010 you invite people Lord who know they have no 00:36:37.010 --> 00:36:39.230 strength on their own to receive strength from 00:36:39.230 --> 00:36:42.840 Christ Lord, our only hope in life and death 00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:45.360 is the body and blood of Jesus Christ was given 00:36:45.360 --> 00:36:47.719 for us. And we thank you for that in His blessed 00:36:47.719 --> 00:36:48.719 name. Amen.