I Would But Ye Would Not --- Sermon --- Travis Case

Travis Case, Pastor Northgate Baptist Church

I Would But Ye Would Not

Matthew 23:23-37, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

John 5:40, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

John 8:24, "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."

Introduction:

A. This is the Greatest Tragedy for man and the Saddest Utterances that ever fell from the lips of the Son of God.

1. These people were Lost In Spit of Their Religion.

Romans 10:3, "For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."

2. They were lost in spite of the Nearness of Jesus.

3. They lost in spite of such wonderful Access To The Truth.

B. Why? --- Is Any Man Lost?

1. No man is lost because he Needs To Be Lost --- God is Not Willing that any should perish.

2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

2. No man is lost because he has gone down Too Deeply Into Sin.

a. Murderer --- Moses --- Exodus 2:11-12

b. Thief --- Luke 23:41

c. Polygamy --- John 4:5-29

d. Scarlet Sin --- Isa. 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

3. No man is lost because he is Too Weak To Live The Christian Life.

a. All of us are too weak in Our Own Strength.

Zechariah 4:6, "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

b. We are Not Saved By Our Works anyway.

Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

c. Even If We Should Fall, the Lord stills Holds On To Us.

Psalm 37:24, "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."

C. The Only Reason that man is lost is because --- He Will Not Come To Jesus!

John 6:37, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." --- V. 53-60, "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" --- V. 65-69, "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

I. People Will Not Come To Jesus Because of --- Unbelief.

A. Unbelief is the Most Horrible and Wicked and Fatal of all sins.

John 3:18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." --- V. 36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

John 8:24, "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."

1 John 5:10, "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."

B. It is God's Plan that a person would be Saved By Grace Through Faith --- Not through their Understanding It.

1. This is the reason Why Jesus Spoke In Parables.

Mark 4:11-12, "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."

2. Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

II. People Will Not Come To Jesus Because of --- Sin.

A. This is the same Reason why people do Not Come To Church.

John 3:19-20, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."

B. There are Many Sins which keep people from coming to Christ:

1. The Love of Money.

2. The Love of Pleasure.

3. The Fear of Man.

4. An Unforgiving Spirit.

5. Self - Will --- wanting to do it Your Own Way.

Proverbs 16:25, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

6. Pride --- Refusal To Admit You Are A Sinner.

Romans 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" --- V. 23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

1 John 1:8, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

III. People Will Not Come To Jesus Because of --- Procrastination.

A. God urges the lost to make haste in coming to Him.

1. The Passover --- Exodus 12:11, "... ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover."

2. Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

B. The most Subtle Trick the devil has ever used is that of Procrastination --- but God Says:

Proverbs 27:1, "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

Hebrews 3:7-8, "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:"

C. Felix --- Acts 24:25, "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."

D. Agrippa --- Acts 26:28, "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."

IV. People Will Not Come To Jesus Because of --- Sudden Death.

A. Ecclesiastes 8:8, "There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it."

B. 1 Samuel 20:3, "... truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death."

C. Psalm 89:48, "What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah."

D. Zechariah 1:5, "Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?"

E. Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"

F. Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

V. People Will Not Come To Jesus Because of --- Grieving Away The Holy Spirit.

A. Genesis 6:3, "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."

1. God does set deadlines.

2. You may only go so far and no further.

B. Pharaoh --- Exodus 10:27, "But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go." --- V. 29, "And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more."

C. God Told Jeremiah three times Not To Pray for the wicked people of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 11:14, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble."

D. In Romans Chapter One --- we read Three Times this awful expression --- "God Gave Them Up."

Conclusion:

A. Many people will not come to Christ because of the --- Work of The Devil.

B. Satan's master plan is to send you and your children to hell.

1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

C. Satan has the Power To Blind the spiritual eyes of the Unsaved.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

D. Why would you want to be a Child of The Devil?

John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

1. He is a poor provider,

2. He cannot be trusted,

3. His poison is sugar-coated,

4. His pleasures are just for a season,

5. He cannot comfort,

6. He has never dried a tear,

7. He has never lifted a heaven burden,

8. He offers no hope in death,

9. He offers no hope for the life to come,

10. His own doom is sealed.

Revelation 20:10, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

John 6:37, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

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The Worlds Current Population Is Approximately

What Are You Doing To Reach The Lost?

Number of Languages and Dialects In The World --- 6,528
Numbers of Countries and Territories --- 237
Global Literacy --- 79%
70% of The Languages of The World Have Not One Word of Scripture.
Only 4% (276 Languages) have the whole Bible.
85% of The Nearly Two Billion Bibles Ever Printed Hve Been Produced In English.
There Have Been About 5 Bibles Printed For Every English Speaking Person Alive Today.
And Only One Bible For Every 19 People Who Do Not Speak English As A Primary Language.

"... send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared ..." (Nehemiah 8:10)