No Neutral Ground

Introduction: The Absolute Truth of No Neutral Ground

0:00 The Gospel according to Luke, Luke chapter 11 and verse 23, where our Lord Jesus speaking says, He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters. In many ways, perhaps I could do no better service to the soul of every man, woman, boy or girl in this place this morning than simply to quote this text at different rates of speed, with different points of emphasis about ten times,

0:44 than to ask four or five of the brethren to lead us in prayer and send you home with these words, ringing in the chambers of your heart, He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters. But I'm not going to do that, but I'm going to attempt responsibly to expound and apply this portion of the Word of God in which Jesus clearly sets forth this,

1:24 In this fundamental reality, there is no neutral ground. For he that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me scatters. I want you to note with me first of all the circumstances or the setting in which our Lord spoke these words. Now because He spoke them, they are true.

1:53 And had He spoken them, in a historical or circumstantial vacuum, that is simply sitting in a boat on the sea of Galilee in silence and all of a sudden would had blunted out the words, He that is not me is against me, He that gathers not with me scatters, They would be true words. For Jesus spoke only the words given to him by his Father. And he said that, He was not only the ways, He was not only the ways he did so, He was not only the ways he did so, but the truth as well as the life. But these words were indeed spoken in a very specific setting.

The Circumstances and Setting of Jesus' Words

2:35 And it was something of that setting which drew them forth from the lips of our Lord Jesus on this particular occasion. Who was present to hear these words? What was it that precipitated the Lord Jesus to speak them? Well, we know first of all that His devoted followers, called His disciples in that more technical sense, were part of the crowd that heard these words.

3:07 Notice how the chapter begins. And it came to pass as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray. And our Lord responds to this request of one of the disciples, and in the setting of that more intimate relationship with His more intimate followers, He speaks to them and gives them instruction with respect to the subject of prayer. Then we read in verse 14, And He was casting out a demon that was dumb, and it came to pass when the demon had gone out,

3:52 the dumb man spoke, and the multitude marveled. So we move from a setting, how much time elapsed is not the concern of Luke to set before us, but we move from a setting in which our Lord is surrounded not only by the inner circle of His intimate associates, those attached to Him in a life of discipleship, but He performs this miracle of casting out, casting out this demon that caused someone to be speechless. And when He did this, obviously it was done in the presence of a crowd large enough to be called a multitude,

4:35 because it says, the multitude marveled. So these words were spoken in the companionship of His own, or in the presence of His own inner circle of disciples, and then this multitude, who marveled, marveled when He cast out this demon that was causing this person to be unable to speak, and yet within that crowd, we read in verse 15, but some of them said, by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons, He is casting out the demons. Here were some of His avowed enemies,

5:16 the religious leaders that we find from parallel passages, constantly dogged the steps of our Lord Jesus Christ, and were determined to prove that He was not what He claimed to be, that He was an imposter, that He was not the Messiah, and so when they see Him casting out a demon, they cannot deny that He has performed this miracle, therefore they say, He has done this because He is in league with the devil himself. He does this because He has a special place of allegiance to,

5:56 and is under the approbation and influence of the prince of the demons. So there were these cynical unbelievers who say that this miracle was performed by demonic power, or by being in league with the prince of the demons. Verse 16, And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven. These were not so much perhaps the avowed enemies of our Lord, but they were some of the skeptics, saying, well, we see that something has been done,

6:39 that we know has elements of the supernatural, but we want something more, we want a sign from heaven. And then, when we read down further in verse 27, and it came to pass as He said these things, the things that are just recorded before that, in which our text is found, so it's in that very setting of that group, as He said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude, the multitude was referred to in verse 14, comprised of people who marveled, comprised of bitter enemies

7:21 who accused Him of being in league with the devil, comprised of some skeptics, but now we read that out of the multitude a certain woman lifted up her voice and said unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you did suck. And He said, Yea, blessed rather are they who hear the word of God and keep it. So there was in that group at least this one, enthusiastic woman, who may have been speaking on behalf of others, who was favorably disposed to the Lord Jesus, so much so that she expresses her approbation and approval of who He is and what He is doing

8:06 by crying out and saying, Blessed is the womb that bore you, blessed is your mother. Why? That she should give birth to one who performs such mighty miracles. So there is on her part this favorable disposition, this enthusiastic response to the words and to the works of Jesus.

Jesus' Categorization: Only Two Groups, Two Kingdoms

8:34 Now, in that very setting it would appear that there are at least three or four classes of people present. There are His disciples, those who are decidedly, and unquestionably with Him. Though we know that one of the twelve of those disciples, in other situations called the apostles, was the traitor Judas. Yet as a group, they are regarded as those who hear His word, who keep His word, who follow Him wherever He goes, who are attached to Him in faith and love and obedience.

9:15 So it would appear that there is the group of His true disciples. Then it is obvious there are some of His bitter and avowed enemies. Verse 15. Some of them that said, By Beelzebub, prince of the demons, He is casting out demons.

9:33 But then it would seem that there is a class that we might call maybe half-honest seekers, a bit skeptical. They try Him, seeking of Him a sign from Him, a sign from Heaven. And then certainly, this woman who may have had others who shared her perspectives, that we might call uncommitted, but certainly not opposed to Him, she speaks words of blessing upon the woman who bore Him. So it would seem that there are at least three, maybe four categories of people in this crowd.

10:14 But in the midst of that situation, the Lord Jesus says, He that is not with Me is against Me. He that gathers not with Me scatters and clearly indicates that within that group of people there are not to be found three or possibly four different categories of men and women, but only two. As surely as He has said, there are only two kingdoms. Up in verse 17, knowing their thoughts, He said, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation.

10:58 If Satan is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Verse 20, But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. And as surely as there are but two kingdoms, the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God, so all men are found either with him or against him, gathering with him or scattering. Furthermore, He has made it plain that in representing those two kingdoms there is the strong man and the stronger

11:42 than the strong man. Verse 21, When the strong man fully armed guards his own court, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he takes from him his whole armor wherein he trusted and divides his spoils. Here our Lord uses a figure of speech representing the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God.

12:10 Satan's kingdom is the kingdom of the strong man. Christ's kingdom is the kingdom of the stronger than the strong man for he has just spoiled his goods. The strong man, through one of his minions, had invaded the personality of a human being and caused him to be gripped in utter silence so he could not communicate. Jesus, the stronger than the strong man, has cast out that demon showing that he is the stronger than the strong man, that he has power over the kingdom of darkness and over the prince of darkness himself.

12:53 And it is in that setting that our Lord utters these words, He that is not with me is against me and he that gathers not with me scatters. In that setting, on that particular occasion, in the midst of this mixed multitude where there seem to be at least three or four different classes of people, our Lord Jesus says, No, no, there are only two classes of people as surely as there are only two kingdoms, the kingdom of Satan

13:36 and the kingdom of God, the strong man and the stronger than the strong man. He that is stronger than the strong just as surely as those two things are true, it is equally true, he that is not with me is against me. He that gathers not with me scatters. Now would anyone here sitting in the building this morning think me crazy or dare to debate with me if I made the statement in a very dogmatic way, there are gathered in this building this morning as to gender

14:19 only males and females. Wouldn't any of you kids think me crazy if I said everyone in this building is either male or female. You're either a boy or a girl, a man or a woman. There are no innocuous its or no neutral persons.

14:44 Every one of us, the whole congregation without excepting, he that is not a girl is a boy. She that is not a boy is a girl. Now you don't need to be brilliant to make a statement like that, do you? And no one would dare contradict that.

15:08 He that is not a girl is a boy. She that is not a boy is a girl. The line is clearly drawn. We could have one of the deacons go out and get a large piece of paper, a piece of chalk and a plumb line and draw a line right down the middle of this aisle and say alright, all the males on one side, all the females on the other, all the its stand on the line.

15:31 There'd be no one standing on the line. There are no its. You are a he or a she, a male or a female. No one would debate that.

15:41 It's clear, it's obvious. Well just as emphatically does Jesus say in this setting where there seems to be one or two other categories into which men and women can find themselves in the crowd. No, he says, there's a line down the middle of the building. To change the imagery I've drawn a line in the sand.

16:09 And he that is not with me is against me. He that gathers not with me scatters either with me or against me. You either gather with me or you scatter. And there's no one standing on the line.

The Meaning of Jesus' Words: No Neutrality to His Person or Work

16:29 Now that's the setting in which our Lord spoke these words. Now secondly, what did he mean by those words? What is the meaning of these words of Jesus? Well consider them under these two simple headings.

16:45 In their general affirmation and secondly in their specific delineation. They are set before us in their general affirmation. And in their general affirmation they constitute a categorical and unmistakable and irrefutable denial of the possibility of any neutrality whatsoever with respect to the person and the ministry of Jesus. You see that in the text?

17:17 He that is not with me my person is against me my person. He that gathers not with me my ministry is a ministry of gathering sinners to myself. And he that does not gather with me now notice he doesn't say is neutral. No, he said he is actively involved in scattering the opposite of gathering.

17:45 If he is not gathering with me he is scattering or driving from me. So the meaning of the words in their general affirmation is obvious. The children can understand it without knowing one letter in the Greek alphabet. Those of you who are in your early years can see it.

18:09 There is black and white and no gray. No neutral zone in which any one of you is found this morning any more than there was a neutral zone when our Lord spoke these words. Now that's their general affirmation but now notice in their specific delineations two specific things are identified with respect to the impossibility of neutrality. First of all there is no neutrality to his person and then secondly no neutrality to his work.

No Neutrality to Christ's Person: His Unique Claims

18:48 He that is not with me is against me. Now the preposition Jesus uses means alongside of in company of or with. He that is not alongside of me he that is not cast in his lot with me he who has not attached himself to me is against me is down upon me is in opposition to me. No neutrality to his person.

19:27 Now imagine how that must have sounded to many in the multitude who said wait a minute we're for you enough to leave whatever we were doing that could have legitimately occupied our time. We're for you enough to come out and find where you were and hear your words and see your miracles and marvel at what you are doing and surely that woman who cried out of the crowd blessed is your mother. That's a summary statement of what she is saying would say wait a minute Lord you're drawing the line too finely. You're making the edges too sharp in this matter.

20:06 You're saying that we are either wholly unreservedly identified with you alongside of in company with committed to you or we are actively against you. And yet our Lord said that was true. Whether they were conscious of it whether they felt the reality of it our Lord's word determines reality not their feelings or yours. And you may sit here this morning and say to yourself as no doubt some of them thought well wait a minute that's drawing the line a bit too sharply.

20:50 Yes, yes with respect to Christ person I cannot say that I am truly with him but I'm not actively opposed to him. Why did Jesus make the issue so definitive so inflexible so absolute? You see if you're sitting here and you are not attached to the Lord Jesus in the bonds of faith and love and giving to him supreme devotion and trust and yet you think you're not against him it's either because you are willfully submerging what you know about his claims about himself

21:35 his claims about his work his claims over you or you are ignorant of those claims. When Jesus said he that is not with me he was conscious first of all of the uniqueness of his person as the God-man. In the previous chapter he had made this claim in chapter 10 and verse 22 all things have been delivered unto me of my Father and no one knows who the Son is save the Father and who the Father is save the Son

22:18 and he to whomsoever the Son wills to reveal him. Here Jesus claims that only he fully comprehends and knows the Father. Why? Because only God can know God.

22:37 Only divinity can encompass divinity. Only he who is one with the Father in sharing of the very essence of deity can know the Father and he claims to have absolute right in giving a saving revelation of the Father. What a claim Christ makes. A claim made in other circumstances and in other ways that offended the Jews of his day because they said he being a man is making himself God.

23:18 He unashamedly claimed to come from heaven and that he would go back to heaven and that he came from the Father was one with the Father was the unique Son of the Father and therefore he dares to say he that is not with me is against me. He who has not aligned himself with me acknowledging me to be what I claim to be is a necessity against me because whatever may be your estimation of me

24:01 it falls short of the reality of who I really am. Likewise he had already made the claim to be God's Messiah. He had revealed himself in a particular way to the disciples and they confessed him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God and he had manifested the credentials of God's Messiah God's final prophet, priest and king the prophet who would fully reveal the will of God the priest who would offer the once for all final sacrifice for sin John had pointed to him and identified him as the Lamb of God

24:45 who would bear away the sins of the world. He was God's final and glorious King claiming absolute rights of rule and of sovereignty he would further on in his ministry before ascending back to the Father say all authority in heaven and in earth has been given unto me and he therefore throughout his ministry made uncompromising claims upon men he demanded absolute trust in himself he said this is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent if you believe not that I am he you shall die in your sins

25:28 I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but by me he claimed absolute trust in himself for acceptance with God he claimed the supreme affection of the hearts of all who would follow him we turn over a couple of chapters in this very gospel of Luke and we find again a great multitude following him they are interested in him they are concerned enough to leave their places of recreation and employment and associations to go out and follow him and it says Jesus seeing the multitude turned and said if any man come to me and hate not father, mother, brother, sister yea and his own life also

26:11 he cannot be my disciple you can't be with me unless you are prepared to give to me not only absolute trust as the only one who can make you acceptable to the Father but supreme affection above father, mother, brother, sister husband, wife and your own life also and he constantly made an uncompromising claim to implicit obedience if any man will come after me let him say no to himself take up his cross and follow me from henceforth my will govern your life from henceforth not your notions your desires

26:55 your appetites your interests no no you say no to yourself take up your cross and follow me well you see standing in the presence of such person there can be no neutrality no neutrality and it is the Lord Jesus who says in this very text he that is not with me is either you are with me having embraced me in the uniqueness of my person having embraced me in the perfection of my work having embraced me in my uncompromising claims you are either with me

27:40 or you are against me and as then so now sitting in this building every one of you boy, girl no its no innocuous persons you are either for him or you are against him you are for him or you are against him you are for him or you are against him you are for him you have drawn along side of him you have committed yourself to him by the spirit through the ministry of the word

28:22 you have come to see that Christ is not some noble religious figure head Christ is not one of many religious gurus who have made their way through the corridors of history he is God's only begotten son he is the revelation of the father he is Emmanuel God with us you have come to see that his identity as messiah God's final prophet priest and king and in the work he accomplishes in that office is the only way that your sins can be righteously pardoned that you can find acceptance with God

29:07 and having had your eyes open to behold by the spirit through the word the glory of his person and the perfection of his work you see him worthy of your absolute trust it is no burden for you to say nothing in my hands I bring simply to his cross I cling it is no burden for you to say Lord Jesus I give myself to you it is all that I can do and you do not find his claims for absolute trust and undivided affection and implicit obedience extreme you do not find them galling no you are with him

29:51 you find that his yoke is easy his burden is light you say yes he is worthy of absolute trust my greatest grief is that I do not trust him more simply and more consistently he is worthy of undivided religious affection supreme attachment of heart and my only grief and burden is that my heart is fickle and goes a-whoring after other objects of affection that have no right to that part of my heart that belongs to him and you say I see him worthy worthy of implicit obedience all that he says to me as a boy a girl a teenager young man

30:34 old man young woman old woman all that he commands is right and good and my greatest grief is that I do not cling more firmly and run more quickly in the way of his precepts and commandments that is what it is to be with him now is that you if not you are against him you according to Jesus are against him but you say that is not fair for him to say that I don't take his name in vain I don't say I don't believe in him I don't say he never came to earth as the Bible records I don't say that he is not worthy to be respected

31:18 ah but my friend you see that is not the issue he is not looking for some concession from you that you believe he came to earth and that he is worthy of a little bit of respect no no the issue is he makes claims over you that are absolute claims and he has every right to make them because of who he is and if you have not complied with those claims then you are against him you are set against the son of God you are set against the one who came as the stronger than the strong man the one who came bringing

No Neutrality to Christ's Work: Gathering or Scattering

32:02 with him the kingdom of God you are against him and he says as he delineates specifically the meaning of his statement there is no neutrality to his person but then secondly notice he says there is no neutrality to his work he that gathers not with me is scattering now what does he mean by gathering he describes his work as one of gathering now the word gathering simply means to bring together people or things if you turn to Matthew 13 you will see a couple of uses of the word

32:46 in Matthew 13 in verse 2 it is the gathering of people and there were here is our word gathered unto him great multitudes that is great multitudes came together around him drew near to him in Matthew 13 30 the gathering is used with respect to things in this case it is tares let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers gather there is our verb gather up first the tares bring together bundle up the tares so you get the picture

33:30 of what gathering is we say I have got to gather up my things your purse and your keys and your coat and your umbrella and anything else you have brought to your neighbor or to your relatives you gather them up you bring together what may be to some degree scattered and this is what Jesus said his work was it was a work of gathering people to himself gathering to himself a people a people who would see him exactly what he claimed to be a God man exactly what he came to do to seek him to save that which was lost who would see in him

34:13 one worthy of that which he claimed over men absolute submission to him unrivaled affection towards him and he is in a work of gathering you see in this very setting there were gathered around him a group yes one of them was a betrayer but the other eleven they were attached to him and when multitude scattered and he turned and said will you also go away they said to whom else can we go thou hast the words of eternal life they were gathered unto him in fact his work is described in John chapter 11 as a work of gathering into one

34:57 all of the children of God his work is described as a gathering unto himself and therefore with respect to that work Jesus said there is no neutrality he that is not gathering with me he who is not being actively engaged in seeking to bring others into this attachment into this supreme relationship of supreme attachment and devotion and trust and obedience he who is not gathering with me now notice it doesn't say he is doing nothing

35:40 but he says he is actively scattering driving people from me keeping people at a distance from me there is no neutrality not only to my person says the Lord Jesus but to my work and you say but how is it that all who are with him are also found gathering with him well they gather by the influence of a godly life they have come in their attachment to Christ to begin to reflect likeness to Christ and in those whose hearts are perplexed and wondering is there any true meaning in life

36:24 is there any fulfillment to be found beyond the things I can see and touch touch and taste and feel and enjoy here and now they see a life in which the very fountains in which they drink are the fountains that life has forsaken as polluted defiling destructive and soul damning fountains and lo and behold they see in that person a sense of true identity a sense of dignity a sense of purpose a sense of direction they see gentleness where in others there is harshness they see integrity and uprightness and honesty where with others there is double talk

37:09 and loose playing with the truth they see purity where in others there is uncleanness and by that Christ like godly life they gather with him for our Lord describes his people as the light of the world the city set on the hill that cannot be hid they gather not only by the influence of a godly Christ like life but they gather by the influence of their prayers you see they know that they were once against him that they once scattered and now that they are with him they long that others shall be with him and yet they know that they have no power to open

37:53 the eyes of others to see the loveliness of Christ the heinousness of their sins they know they have no power to open the hearts of others and to take those hearts and cement them weld them to Christ in supreme devotion and allegiance so what do they do they cry to God that God would be pleased to open the eyes of others to see their lost condition to see their need of Christ to see the loveliness of Christ to see how suitable Christ is to their deepest needs then in their own place and station according to their own development and

38:37 understanding and a host of other variables they bear witness to Christ with their lips they are not ashamed to acknowledge who it is that has made the change who it is that claims supreme allegiance now I'm not saying that every single individual they pass in every circumstance of life that they grab them by the collar and say do you know Jesus he's precious to me no I'm not saying that but what I am saying is this they do confess him with the mouth for the scripture says he that confesses me before men him will I confess before my father who is in heaven whosoever is ashamed of me of him will I be ashamed before my father

39:22 and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and so they seek to gather by their verbal witness and there is no neutrality he that is not with me is against me he that gathers not with me is scattering now I believe that's the basis of our Lord's drawing the line the basic significance of his drawing the line and saying no neutrality he that is not with me is against me he that gathers not with me scatters now having looked at the setting of the words the basic meaning of

Personal Searching Conclusions: The Frightening Reality of Being Against Christ

40:05 the words in their general affirmation in their specific delineation now thirdly some personal searching conclusions drawn from these words what conclusions can we draw from these words of Jesus the first and most fundamental one is this the absence of whole soul detachment to Christ in faith love and obedience is regarded by Christ as antagonism and opposition to himself he that is not with me

40:49 he does not say is neutral he says he is against me against me now let the words sink down into your ears against me who is it that you are against by your failure to be attached to Christ by implicit trust in him by undivided allegiance of heart to him by commitment to a life of implicit obedience to his word what does it mean that you are against him it means that you are in

41:32 league with the devil himself go back to the setting you see there is only two kingdoms there is a kingdom of darkness over which the prince of darkness rules and Satan does not fight against himself that was one of our Lord's arguments that he was not in league with the devil Satan does not fight against himself there is a kingdom of darkness over which Satan rules there is the kingdom of God ushered in by the presence of the king the Lord Jesus and if you are against Christ it is a frightening thing because it means you are in

42:16 league with the devil now that is not very flattering and I know some of you are offended at that for me to tell you because you say look I have nothing against Christ let him do his thing just so long as he lets me do my thing well that is the very essence of the spirit of the devil himself he did not want the rule of God over him and that is why he and all who joined him in rebellion against God were cast out of the presence of God that is what caused the fall in Eden when our first father refused to be under the gracious government of his God

42:59 and to have his life governed by the word of his God he would strike out on his own the temptation came by eating of this fruit you shall be as God's knowing good and evil if you are not with Christ if your heart has not been drawn to see him for who he is as revealed in the scriptures and you have not cast yourself upon him and been attached to him giving to him the place of supreme religious affection and if your life is not framed by implicit obedience to him as he speaks in his word you are in league with the devil

43:44 himself you are against him because you are still in the kingdom of darkness and when Paul was commissioned God made it plain to him the risen Christ did that in all of his evangelistic endeavors whenever the gospel would take hold of men this is what would happen to open their eyes to turn them from darkness to light from the power of Satan unto God clearly teaching him that wherever he went amongst Jews and Gentiles all who were not in Christ were under the power of the devil himself to be against him is to be in league with the devil secondly it is to be

44:28 in a place of present danger present danger and what is that present danger it was the danger that some of these very listeners to these words faced notice verse 24 has it puzzled you why the Lord followed these words about no neutrality with this strange passage the unclean spirit when he's gone out of the man passes through the waterless places seeking rest and finding none he says I will turn back unto my house whence I came out and when he is come he finds it swept and garnished then he goes and takes to him seven other spirits more evil

45:11 than himself and they enter and dwell therein and the last state of that man is become worse than the first what is our Lord saying well I agree with those commentators who believe our Lord is making a clear reference to perhaps many of these people who heard and sat under the ministry or stood under the ministry of John the Baptist they heard the word of God they heard the call to repentance and there was some initial stirring when John pointed to Jesus and perhaps some external changes occurred in the life but you see there was never any real internal

45:56 dismantling of the whole structure of their relationship to God and to his dear son and when one devil goes out seven other worse devils come in you see if you are not with Christ if you have just some proximity to Christ and to the gospel and to the things of God enough perhaps to make you respectable enough to make you feel comfortable around the people of God in terms of their decency and you like the fruit of the grace of God in their hearts you don't need to worry that the husbands of those men are going to be panting after your

46:41 wife or greedy for your pocketbook well you see if you come into proximity to the powers of the kingdom of God enough to have some external restraints and changes there may be seven worse demons self deception self justification self righteousness and the last state is worse than the first you see if you are not with Christ you are against him and to be against him is not only to be in league with the devil but to be in a place of present and frightening danger and that's one of my greatest fears for you dear children and you young people is that the influences

47:24 that you had no choice to put around you from your birth influences that perhaps have and will continue to keep you from many of the grosser sins of this present age that would make it plain to everyone that you are surely against Christ if you do not internally by the spirit of God come to be with Christ for who he is having your heart attached to him in personal devotion having your will brought subject to him in many ways

48:08 perhaps it would be better if you never had those influences you are in a place not only where you are in league with the devil if you are not with him but a place of present danger and thirdly you are in a place of future tragedy because if you go through life not with him that choice not to be with him in life he will validate in the day of judgment when he says depart from me forever you see how personal are the words of the judge he doesn't say go into hell prepared for the devil and his angels he first of all says

48:52 depart from me depart from me you would not have my person you would not be with me in life you wanted to be with your own lusts with your own desires with your own ideas of the meaning of life and the standards by which you would live in this life you wanted to be away from me now I'll give you what you wanted depart from me but it's depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels the absence of whole soul detachment to Christ

The Call to Immediate Repentance and Faith

49:37 is antagonism to Christ and it is a frightening place to be for you you are in league with the devil you are in present danger and your future will be tragic unless you repent then there is a second conclusion the declaration of Christ calls each one of us to ask the question where am I where am I he that is not with me is against me he that gathers not with me scatters where am I

50:21 not where is my wife where is my husband where is my mom where is my dad but where am I each one of you boys and girls young people gray haired men and women you must ask the question where am I Christ has drawn the line in the sand and he has said if you're with me if you're not with me you're against me if you're not gathering with me you're scattering there is no neutrality there's no neutrality there's no neutrality you say well I'm trying to be with him what do you mean you're trying to be with him well I'm praying that God will give me a new heart well that's good

51:06 but what else are you doing well I'm reading my bible and asking God to show his son to me that's good and keep on doing that but is that all he expects of you no he expects you here and now today to embrace the offer of his son in the gospel today if you hear his voice harden not your heart today is the day of salvation you see the idea well I'm praying for a new heart and I'm reading my bible and praying that God will someday out in the future save me can be a very subtle way of salving your conscience that maybe there's some middle ground no there isn't you're either with him

51:51 or you're against him and God in the gospel commands you to take the straightest line between where you are and what is necessary to be with Christ with Christ in the commitment of faith saying Lord Jesus I know I'm a sinner I know I don't know the 100 part of my sin but I know I know enough that if you do not save me if your blood does not cleanse me if your power does not break the chains that bind me I'm undone Lord you and you alone can save me Lord Jesus I cast myself upon you Lord Jesus

52:35 other lovers have had my heart my heart has been shared with too many lovers Lord Jesus you have the right to claim the whole of my heart to be loved above and beyond father mother brother sister yes in my own life also to be loved beyond the smiles and frowns of my peers to be loved beyond whether or not I'm accepted by this group or that group Lord Jesus I want to be accepted by you and I want to be accepted today take the straightest line between where you are to what is necessary to be with him

53:20 Lord Jesus I take you to be my prophet to teach me what reality is to be my priest to forgive me and cleanse me and intercede for me and keep me by your mighty intercession I take you to be my king to rule over me and to govern me to break the chains that would keep me from being your loyal subject and your obedient servant the declaration of Christ calls each of us to ask where am I am I with him or am I against him am I gathering or am I scattering and if I am not with him to take the straightest line to get there

54:04 that's the line of immediate repentance and faith forsaking your sin forsaking all trust in yourself casting yourself upon Christ as he is so freely and fully offered in the gospel let us pray