- 00:00
- When the people were gathered together to think, he began to say, This is an evil generation.
- 00:08
- They see the sign, and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonas, the prophet.
- 00:16
- For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the
- 00:23
- Son of Man be to this generation. He called the generation an evil generation.
- 00:44
- Evil because they were seeking a sign. Too many people today, even in the church, even in the pulpits, are seeking after signs.
- 01:02
- What is a sign? Well, I think in this case, a sign is something visually you can justify or to accurately have proved something's occurred.
- 01:19
- So they're looking for some physical evidence that Jesus is who he says he is in some kind of worldly manner.
- 01:27
- That's right. If you listen to radio and television preachers, which we don't, but I can't help but hear, one in particular is seeking a sign, and he preaches it.
- 01:56
- He preaches that if you are doing the right things, you'll get wealthy.
- 02:06
- They want and expect material, financial, because they ask
- 02:13
- God for it. They ask God, and he spent quite a time this morning asking
- 02:21
- God, Bill, does it do any good to ask
- 02:29
- God a yes? God does not.
- 02:44
- He cannot respond to man. What will be will be. If God should do so, then he would be a respecter of the person.
- 03:01
- God does not make decisions. Prayer changes nothing except you. Do you believe that,
- 03:14
- Russell? Yes, sir. I do believe that. Jesus said the queen of the south should rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them.
- 03:34
- For she came from the upmost part of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
- 03:47
- What was he talking about? Jesus Christ is greater than Solomon.
- 03:54
- Jesus the Christ is here. This was the queen of Egypt that he was referring to.
- 04:03
- The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it.
- 04:09
- For they repented at the preaching of Jonas. And behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
- 04:17
- Jonah cast into the sea to save many lives. You remember the story of Jonah and Noah.
- 04:28
- Jesus was crucified to save many lives. Jonah in the belly of the whale.
- 04:38
- Jesus in the belly of the earth. Jonah cast down on the earth.
- 04:44
- Jesus was resurrected. The sign which the
- 04:50
- Pharisees here desired of our Savior was a miracle brought by him.
- 04:58
- Now, Jesus was willing and able to authenticate his purpose for being here by a miracle.
- 05:12
- To confirm the faith in individuals by a miracle. But he would not perform a miracle to satisfy the unbelieving
- 05:27
- Pharisees' curiosity. Accordingly, he tells them they should have no other sign than that of his resurrection.
- 05:48
- 33. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that all which come in may see the light.
- 06:03
- The light of the body is the eye. Therefore, when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light.
- 06:17
- But when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
- 06:24
- There light is darkness. Our conscience is to the soul what the eye is to the body.
- 06:42
- Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
- 06:49
- Now, a strange verse that he said. The light that is in you is darkness.
- 06:59
- If thy whole body, therefore, be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light.
- 07:07
- As when the bright shining of a candle doth give the light, or altogether enlighten.
- 07:21
- When the eye is perfect, it enlightens the whole body. Every object within the reach is as completely seen as if there was an eye in every part.
- 07:37
- Think about that. So, the eye is to every part of the body what the lamp is.
- 07:53
- He's talking about the eye. And as he spake, a certain
- 08:01
- Pharisee besought him to dine with him. And he went in and sat down to meet him.
- 08:08
- Now, a rather normal invitation, I suppose. He asked
- 08:14
- Jesus to go with him. What that evil generation could not comprehend was that the spirit was the same spirit that once moved upon the water.
- 08:38
- The Lord said that there be light and there was light. They had no light within themselves.
- 08:53
- And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first voiced before dinner.
- 09:04
- Now, David, do you still hear me? Yes. They had made a law or a rite and tried to bow down, given that they had to voice before dinner.
- 09:25
- But that was an external extremity. Christianity is an affair of the heart, not external.
- 09:40
- Their washing of the hands was a man -made law. The law was they had made a part of their religion, therefore have nothing to do with it.
- 09:51
- But wash your hands. And the
- 09:57
- Lord said unto them, Now the Pharisees may clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness, ye fools.
- 10:11
- Did not that same, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
- 10:24
- Did not God make the outside of you the same as he made the inside?
- 10:30
- He made it all. Religion is not a matter of externals.
- 10:38
- It's an affair of the heart. It has to be. But rather give alms of such things ye have, and behold, all things are clean unto you.
- 10:55
- Now, whatever it is that you have, what we have is not our own to use.
- 11:09
- Useless, unless God has his share also. Then we can expect
- 11:15
- God to bless it and all things are clean in his sight. If our conscience is right with the
- 11:26
- Holy Spirit, that's true. But woe unto you,
- 11:31
- Pharisees, for you tithe mint and rue and all and pass over judgment.
- 11:43
- And the love of God of what these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone.
- 11:53
- We don't have it in this church, but I suppose in this town that they made it.
- 12:02
- Someone makes a great show of getting it. I'll give this to the churches that put my name on a pew.
- 12:15
- The early church in this country. Old men to the foreigner that said that.
- 12:28
- They made a great show of that. By this they gained a reputation of good and can expect favors from the people, from the preachers.
- 12:44
- Today, he who gives most and makes it known seems to be favored also.
- 12:54
- He makes it all just and just an experience in sin when you do that.
- 13:04
- They had false values. He's not saying that it was wrong to tithe, but their wrong was in what they had left.
- 13:16
- Giving of your substance will not make you Christian. However, if you love
- 13:24
- Jesus Christ, you will give of your substance. Woe unto you,
- 13:32
- Pharisees, for ye love the upmost seats and the synagogues and greatness in the markets.
- 13:40
- Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are as graves which appear not.
- 13:48
- And the men that walk over you cause others to believe a lie.
- 14:03
- I'm going to have to stop here.
- 14:13
- They were struck with the letter of 45. I understand you're saying we shouldn't pray to God for thanks, for guidance and so forth.
- 14:38
- Talking about prayer at the very beginning. I misunderstand what you said. No. We pray to God in the name of his son,
- 14:53
- Jesus Christ. Now, if you're, I'm not saying you are, but if a person seeks worldly goods, he's promised to give us everything.
- 15:09
- Prayer is for, it changes you. It does not change
- 15:16
- God. Everything has been fixed. Everything.
- 15:23
- Your whole life has been fixed in God's plan. I'm not saying to not pray for those things.
- 15:35
- But I think as you, Well, thanks be to God.
- 15:48
- It's funny, he tells us that a lot of times we pray a myth. That's right.
- 16:00
- Salvation comes by prayer. Now, that's one of the parts of salvation.
- 16:08
- Just as you're hearing the word is part of salvation. Is there anything else?
- 16:24
- Clarence Christmas. Grace is heaven. Father, we thank you for this day that you've given us.
- 16:31
- To have the opportunity to come out and worship you. Praise to the Lord. And that we've heard your word being told.
- 16:40
- Expounded upon. And clarified so we can understand more. And walk closer with you.
- 16:46
- Pray for each and every one of us. As we go about our ways this week. And our work. And whatever we're doing in your will.
- 16:53
- That we'll glorify your name. As is now, we pray for the sick. That you'll be with them.
- 16:59
- Comfort them. And heal them with thy will. Knowing full well that your will will be done.
- 17:06
- In all things. But through prayer we grow closer to you. And it strengthens us.
