=======================================================
----- THE PREACHER'S NOTEBOOK -----
Ecclesiastes 12:10
-------------------------------------------------------
A Free Email Newsletter Sent to List
=======================================================
THEY DID NOT RECEIVE HIM.
Luke
"And sent messengers before his face:
and they went and
entered into a village of the Samaritans, to
make ready
for him. And they did not receive him,
because his face
was as though he would go to
I. IN OUR TEXT,
JESUS IS
PLANNING TO PRESENT HIMSELF IN
as He passes
through on the way to
FROM A HUMAN
PERSPECTIVE,
IT WAS NOTABLE THAT
HE WOULD
PRESENT HIMSELF TO
THE SAMARITANS AT ALL.
JESUS WAS A JEW;
the Jews and Samaritans had no dealings
with each other.
John 4:9
Then saith the woman of
him, How is it that thou, being a Jew,
askest drink of me, which am a woman of
with the Samaritans.
Jesus was unique
among all men;
He lacked the bigotry
normally manifested in His culture.
He demonstrated this on the occasion
Of the incident with the woman at the well.
Jesus clearly is
the Savior of all men.
(Even those considered most unworthy)
He makes himself available to all!
His gospel must be preached
even in unfriendly country
and inhospitable settings.
Walls of bigotry
and barriers of nationality
must come down.
II. HE SENT MESSENGERS TO ANNOUNCE HIS COMING
Luke
"And sent
messengers before his face: and they went
and entered into a
village of the Samaritans, to make
ready for him.
This is the
practice of the Lord.
To send messengers before Himself.
To give people time and opportunity to prepare.
There is a long history of this in the Old Testament.
The job of the
messengers was to make ready for Him.
That is still the job of His messengers.
1. He still selects His Messengers.
2. He still sends His Messengers.
3. He still selects where they go.
& To whom they speak.
4. His messengers still have the same job.
To encourage people to receive the Lord.
What a blessed priviledge
we messengers have.
We get to announce to the world
That He is willing to come dwell
In them and with them
if they will receive Him.
III. WHAT IS MOST NOTABLE IN
OUR VERSE TODAY
IS THAT THEY
REFUSED TO RECEIVE HIM.
Luke
"And sent
messengers before his face: and
they went and
entered into a village of the
Samaritans,
to make ready for him. And they
did not
receive him, because his face was
as though he
would go to
The messengers
were announcing the good news:
The one who works miracles is coming here.
He can heal your bodies; forgive your sins;
give you eternal life.
Our Master has sent us to tell you
that He wishes to
come here.
You would think they would welcome Him
with rejoicing and
with praises
that He was willing
to come,
but sadly it is not
so.
Things haven't
changed much since then.
THERE ARE MANY
TODAY WHO REFUSE TO RECEIVE HIM.
IV. THEIR REASONS FOR
REFUSING
WERE NOT GOOD
ONES.
Luke
"And sent
messengers before his face: and they went
and entered into a
village of the Samaritans, to make
ready for him. And
they did not receive him, because
his face was as
though he would go to
1.
THEIR OWN PREJUDICE
HINDERED THEM.
They were unwilling to come
In the same way as the Jews came.
But, all must come in the same way.
2. PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS WERE IN THEIR WAY.
They believed that
they already knew the way to God.
They had been taught where to worship,
& it wasn't at
They clung tenaciously
to what they had been taught.
People today are clinging tenaciously
to what they have been taught.
Evolution
Salvation by works.
3. PRIDE STOOD IN THEIR WAY.
They could not admit
that they were not already right with God.
LOST FRIEND,
What is you reason for not receiving Him?
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT MORTAL MAN
HAS EVER CONCEIVED OF A TRULY VALID
REASON FOR NOT RECEIVING CHRIST.
V. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT JESUS
ACTED ANY DIFFERENTLY THEN
THAN HE DOES
TODAY.
1. He could have brought instant judgement on them.
James & John called for this.
Lu.9:54
And when his disciples James and John saw this,
they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire
to come down from heaven, and consume them,
even as Elias did?
He could have done this that very day,
but He didn't.
They rejected Him, and it seemed
that nothing happened – nothing at all.
Lost friend,
you can reject Christ today,
& do you know what will happen to you
this afternoon.
Probably nothing,
(But there are no guarantees.)
Just as with those Samaritans,
Nothing changed that day or the next.
They were busy as usual.
They probably thought no more about it.
That's the really scary part.
SOME MAY REJECT HIM BECAUSE
they are just too busy
& then they think no more about it.
You will stay busy . . .
Right up until you wake up in hell.
2.
BELIEVE ME TODAY WHEN I TELL YOU THAT
HE COULD SCARE YOU INTO INSTANT ACTION
IF HE WANTED TO DO SO.
But He probably won't.
3. NOTICE IN OUR TEXT WHAT HE DID.
Luke
"they went in the way,"
They just went on their way.
Christ has no interest in forcing Himself
into anyone's life.
He did not devise a plan to secretly slip in,
Nor to boldly kick in doors to gain entrance.
He could have claimed the right
To lodge anywhere He chose that night.
Remember, He owns it all;
We are but squatters on His land.
Not even renters; just squatters.
But He had no intention of
Forcing himself.
We have no intention of bullying you,
or pressuring you to receive Him.
If you refuse Him,
we have no thought of retaliation against you.
In fact, we pity you.
& then we pass you by;
We move on.
MANY HAVE HEARD THE MESSAGE HERE IN THIS PLACE;
AND PAID IT NO HEED.
Do you know what we do in those cases?
We shake the dust off our feet,
And we move on.
* Lu.9:5
And whosoever will not receive you,
when ye go out of that city, shake off
the very dust from your feet for a
testimony against them.
* Lu.10:11
Even the very dust of your city, which
cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you:
notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that
the
JESUS HAD ALREADY TOLD THEM WHAT TO DO
IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.
MOVE ON.
Win someone else who wants to hear it.
WHEN YOUR SHADOW HAS PASSED OVER THEM,
AND IT HAS BEEN NO EFFECT,
THEN KEEP YOUR SHADOW MOVING.
Ac.5:15
Insomuch that they brought forth the sick
into the streets, and laid them on beds and
couches, that at the least the shadow of
Peter passing by might overshadow
some of them.
4. YOU
SEE,
WE ARE TO BE LIKE OUR LORD IN THIS MATTER,
& WE KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT JESUS . . .
HE ENTERS WHEN HE IS RECEIVED GLADLY.
* Lu.8:40
And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was
returned, the people gladly received him:
for they were all waiting for him.
Ac.2:41
Then they that gladly received his word
were baptized: and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls.
Ac.21:17
And when we were come to
the brethren received us gladly.
NEVER FORCE YOUR PRESENCE
WHERE IT IS NOT WANTED.
Follow the example of our blessed Lord
In this matter.
A forced conversion is no conversion.
5. HE SIMPLY LEFT AND LODGED ELSEWHERE.
Worry not;
He, the King of Kings, will have lodging.
HUMANLY SPEAKING, AT THAT TIME,
HE HAD NONE.
Luke
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have
holes, and birds of the air have nests;
but the Son of man hath not where to lay
his head.
BUT HE KNEW THAT
HE STILL HAD HIS HEAVENLY HOME,
AND ULTIMATELY A HOME IN MANY HEARTS.
Your refusal does not send Him
Into panic.
You refuse Him to the detriment
Of your own soul.
What blessings might He have conferred
If He had only been allowed to enter.
Think of the healings
That did not occur.
The sins that were not forgiven.
It was said of His own home town:
Mt.13:58
And he did not many mighty works there
because of their unbelief.
6. IN
OUR STORY TODAY
CONCERNING THIS
HE SIMPLY PASSED THEM BY.
Is not that more terrifying
than if fire had fallen from heaven?
Just think of Him moving on
and leaving you behind
To await something that
Abides yet in the future for you.
Is that not what Hell ultimately is?
God moving on, and leaving you behind?
Eternally left behind.
7. HE
SIMPLY OFFERED THE BLESSING OF HIS PRESENCE
TO OTHERS.
Do you remember what the Lord of the Great Feast
did in the parable of the wedding feast
when he was angry at their refusal to come.
He was angry
& showed his anger
By extending the invitation to others
To come in their place.
LUKE
15
with him heard these things, he said unto him,
Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man
made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to
say to them that were bidden, Come; for all
things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to
make excuse. The first said unto him, I have
bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go
and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke
of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee
have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife,
and therefore I cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord
these things. Then the master of the house
being angry said to his servant, Go out
quickly into the streets and lanes of the
city, and bring in hither the poor, and the
maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as
thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out
into the highways and hedges, and compel them
to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those
men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
BELIEVE ME, IF YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE HIM;
THERE ARE OTHERS WHO WILL.
The Book of Acts ends with such a note.
& I will end my sermon on such a note.
ACTS 28:
25 And when they agreed not among
themselves, they
departed, after that Paul had spoken one
word, Well spake
the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto
our fathers,
26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say,
Hearing ye shall
hear, and shall not understand; and seeing
ye shall see,
and not perceive:
27 For the heart of this people is waxed
gross, and their
ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes
have they closed;
lest they should see with their eyes, and
hear with their
ears, and understand with their heart, and
should be
converted, and I should heal them.
28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the
salvation of
God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they
will hear it.
29 And when he had said these words, the
Jews departed, and
had great reasoning among themselves.
30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own
hired house,
and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the
which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with
all confidence,
no man forbidding him.
ARE THERE ANY HERE TODAY
WHO WILL HEAR THIS MESSAGE OF GRACE?
He is here today, and would like to come in.
WHAT SAY YE?
GOOD INVITATION SONG TO USE: PASS ME NOT, OH GENTLE SAVIOR.
=========================================================
The preceeding is a sermon written by Ben Shepherd.
Copyright 1999 Ben Shepherd
Permission is freely granted to those who
minister
to use in public proclamation without
stating
attribution. All other rights
reserved.
Written and edited after reading &
rereading from the
sermon(s) cited below by C.H.
Spurgeon. Some of the
thoughts and ideas were inspired by
Spurgeon's sermons,
which are in the public domain.
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume
42, No 2464
WHY MEN REJECT CHRIST.
A SERMON INTENDED FOR
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE,
==============================================================
