Reasons Why Some Will Not Come, Part 2

The point: Abandon whatever reason keeps you from coming to Christ and hear Christ today.

A hitchhiker cynically asks 'What's the question?' after seeing 'Christ is the answer' painted on an abutment, illustrating how some are ignorant of their desperate need for Christ.

He said on one occasion he picked up a hitchhiker and as he was driving along the highway he saw one of these large rocky abutments where someone in well-meaning perhaps misguided zeal defaced public property by taking a can of white paint and painting in large letters Christ. As they drove by.

6:37 - 7:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Abandon whatever reason keeps you from coming to Christ and hear Christ today.

A hymn by Thomas Binney is quoted to beautifully embody 'the question' of humanity's fallen state and sin before a holy God, to which Christ is the answer.

And why it is that Christ is the answer more beautifully than that hymn of Vinnie that begins with the words eternal light eternal light how pure that soul must be which placed within thy burning light shrinks not but with calm delight can live and look on thee but how shall I whose native sphere is dark whose mind is dim. Before the ineffable.

7:40 - 8:10 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are ignorant of your desperate need of Christ, cry to God to show you what you are in the light of His Word.

The prayer of the Pharisee is used as an example of self-righteousness, where one trusts in religious forms and morality rather than acknowledging a desperate need for Christ.

They thought that their religious forms and rituals their bloodlines and their privileges these things were enough to give them good standing before God. This is validated by the prayer that one of them dared to piece of God's best presence in the temple when he said is recorded in Luke's gospel chapter 18 I thank you I am not his other men. He brings his feathers of morality and religiosity. And his religious activities thinking that by these things he can find acceptance and life with God.

9:31 - 10:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third reason is unbelief regarding Christ's clear and all-embracing promises of rest, salvation, and acceptance for all who come. Martin argues that this unbelief is a…

The parable of the marriage feast illustrates the freeness, readiness, and all-sufficiency of the gospel provision in Christ, where all things are ready and only coming is required.

That beautiful illustration of how wide and how free and how utterly suited to all is the gospel provision in Christ in that beautiful illustration of the marriage feast in Matthew 22. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king who made a marriage feast and forth his servants, the original ones who were invited did not respond, and he sent forth other servants saying, tell them that are bidden, behold,

21:03 - 21:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third reason is unbelief regarding Christ's clear and all-embracing promises of rest, salvation, and acceptance for all who come. Martin argues that this unbelief is a…

The account of Jesus receiving a sinful woman in Luke 7 demonstrates Christ's willingness to receive and forgive even notorious sinners, challenging unbelief.

promises of Christ in the gospel are clear, and in the course of his recorded ministry, we see Lord Jesus receiving the sins of sinners. In Luke 7, 36 and following, he receives a notorious sinner. People said if he only knew who she was, he would not be allowing this sinful woman to be showing the affection and gratitude for her forgiveness in the manner in which she is doing it.

22:26 - 23:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third reason is unbelief regarding Christ's clear and all-embracing promises of rest, salvation, and acceptance for all who come. Martin argues that this unbelief is a…

The story of the thief on the cross illustrates Christ's immediate and unconditional salvation for a desperate, vile sinner who turned to Him, showing His delight in saving.

Sinners, remember, there was a man who, times brought legitimate capital punishment, and he's hanging on a cross, and in the first hours of his hanging there, he's even joining in the mockery of the Son of God. It says they both cast the same into the teeth of Christ, and he joined in the mockery, joined in the tragic expression of the unbelief and the hatred of the leaders of the Jews. And yet, at the point where his eyes were opened to see, that in this one hanging on the cross next to him, was God's messianic king,

23:10 - 23:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But it's wretched, wicked unbelief. And you don't see unbelief as a vile and a wretched and a horrible, soul-destructive sin.

Just as the shepherds could only hold the infant Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, so believers can only 'hold' Christ as Savior when He is 'wrapped up in his promises.'

When the shepherds visited the manger scene and found the young child wrapped in swaddling clothes, and they came to Joseph, may I hold this little one of whom the angels have told us is the Savior, Christ the Lord. They could not hold him in any other form but wrapped in the swaddling clothes. The only way you will ever hold Christ to your breast as your Savior is if you hold him wrapped up in his promises. He comes to us wrapped up

26:18 - 26:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Drawing from Luke 16 (the rich man and Lazarus), Martin argues that demanding additional revelation beyond 'Moses and the prophets' is a hellish insight, demonstrating the…

The account of the rich man in hell and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom is used to demonstrate the sufficiency of God's revealed Word ('Moses and the prophets') and to condemn the demand for additional, unwarranted revelation.

an engineer Insisting insight that comes out of hell regarding this fourth reason why some of you will not come to Christ. The insight comes straight out of hell. God wants to teach you in the classroom of hell lest you end up there. Turn to Luke chapter 16.

41:53 - 42:17 Read in full sermon