The People of God 01 What Think Ye of Christ

The joy of being with you again, meeting again, the joy of being with you again, meeting again, for a long, long time. Some of you are meeting for the very first time. We're glad to meet you, too, before we get home to heaven, eh? You know, that may take place today.

Then, when we go home to heaven today, wouldn't that just be wonderful? Amen? Oh, the joy! We're looking for the Lord to come back at any moment. I know about you. I am.

Now, we're living on the tip of expectancy. So, Matthew 22, verse number 41. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ, whose son is he? They say unto him, the son of David.

He says unto them, How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemy thy foe. So David then called him Lord. How is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, nor did any man from that day forth answer any more questions.

The question is found in verse 22. What think ye of Christ? Now, go back to Matthew 16. 16th chapter of Matthew, and reading at verse 13.

Matthew 16, verse 13. When Jesus came to the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he answered his disciples, saying, Whom do men say I the son of man am? And they said, Some say thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah's are one of the prophets. He says unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood is not revealed unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And the word is found in verse number 15, Whom say ye that I am? One last scripture again, Matthew chapter 27. Matthew, and the 27th chapter.

Now, if you'll sit and use your eyes, you'll like to hear the rustling among the leaves as you're turning those pages. I think that's just wonderful. Matthew 27, verse number 19.

When Pilate was set down on the judgment seat, his wife said unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man? For I suffer many things as in a dream because of him. For the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of this way we shall release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

Pilate said unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all said unto him, Let him be crucified. The governor said, Why? What evil has he done? For they cried unto the Lord, saying, Let him be crucified. Now, look at his blessing in that short reading from his word, their hearts are this morning.

You'll notice in our reading, we looked at the three realms of our personality. First of all, what things your Christ has to do with our mind? What thing of Christ has to do with our speech? What shall I now do with Jesus which is called Christ has to do with action? Our mind, our speech, our action. What thing of Christ? The psychologists and others today say that the greatest thing in life is personality.

Be that what it may, the supreme personality of all his strength is Jesus Christ, but none so attractive nor unique as the man Christ Jesus. What thing of Christ is a question that confronts each and every one of us? For the Lord Jesus is not only magnetic in his personality, he is unavoidable and inescapable in his demands. Christ will provide them.

If you look backward, he is there. In the beginning, God created the heaven and earth. If you look forward, he is there.

From everlasting to everlasting, he is God. You look upward, he is there on the right hand of the magician heart. If you look around you, you'll find him right here in the affairs of men, in the corporate life of his church.

For he says, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. What thing he of Christ? William Gladstone, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom, some three times speaking to a crowded house, the Lord and the common were packed to capacity, and these were the days before women got into politics. The Winston church will never go over the tragedy of women getting into politics.

His avowed enemy was Lady Astor, the first lady ever in politics. And those two were sitting opposite each other one day at a conference table. Lady Astor looked across the church and said, if you were my husband, I would poison your tea.

The old bulldog looked across and said, if I were your husband, I would drink it. Anyway, William Gladstone, addressing that great crowd of wonderful statesmen and politicians, said, gentlemen, the question confronts us again, both as a people and as a nation, is this. What thinking of Christ? He said, our whole destiny depends upon our answer to that one question.

Now, I know this, beloved. I said a moment ago, this question confronts each and every one of us here this morning, and our destiny depends upon our answer to that one question. But, it's what you think of this picture, or that picture, this religion, or that religion, this political party, or that political party.

It's what thinking of Christ. As intelligent thinking congregates this morning, I want us to face to face with all the important questions that I pray God that, sincerely, fairly, and squarely, will answer this question this morning, and be able to say with many of us here, He's my Lord, He's my self, He's my all and all, He's the very light of my life. What thinking of Christ? Righto, what do you think of his virgin birth? There are many today who are denying as a virgin birth of our adorable Lord Jesus.

My friend, there are those who think it doesn't matter whether you believe in the virgin birth or not, as long as you believe in the crosswork of the Lord Jesus. Now, my friend, you see what's going to leave you, too? A savior is not like God. The ball of the virgin is not a savior at all.

We must believe in the virgin birth of God's beloved son. God's word is very clear about this. Is it unto you a son is given, proving his divinity? Unto you a child is born, proving his humanity.

The only time you ever read of the seed of the woman in the bible is in relation to the birth of the Lord Jesus. Other times, it's the seed of the man. The seed of the man, when it comes to the birth of Christ, is the seed of the woman.

You take your bible through your laser and go down through Matthew chapter 1. There is expression, soul shall be gat, soul shall be gat, soul shall be gat. When you come down to Jacob, it says, and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary. It does not say, and Joseph begat Jesus.

Oh no, Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Christ. We bow before him, we worship and we adore. It was that great theologian of a day gone by, the late John Wesley, who said, as he meditated upon the virgin birth, the great creator contracted to a stand, indescribably made man.

I'm told to say, great is the mystery of godliness God manifests in flesh. Our hearts sing of thou art the everlasting word, the father's only son, God manifested in her, and heaven's beloved one, worthy old lamb of God of God, every knee to thee I should bow. We bow before him.

Furthermore, as you think of Matthew chapter 1 again, you read it from Abraham to David are 14 generations. From David to Babylon, 14 generations. From Babylon to Christ, 14 generations.

In the first few, you'll find 14. In the last one, you'll only find 30 names, and yet the bible says there are 14. Is there a contradiction? Is it a discrepancy? A thousand times no.

The 14th one is the holy spirit. We bow again, we worship and we adore. As we hear in 1.1.1, in the beginning was the word, his eternity, and the word was with God, his personality, and the word was God, his deity, and the word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we beheld his glory.

Oh, I pray we're going to do that this morning, as we continue to see what thinking of Christ. What do you think of this virgin verse? Yes, we love to hear these wonderful words, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. In Agent Paul, verse number four, when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son born of a woman.

Not only do I think of his virgin birth, may I ask again the question? Forget all about your neighbor. What do you personally think of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus? Do you believe it? Amen? That's a pretty weak amen, but I know you're all with me, aren't you? That's right. That next part, then, what do you think of his virtuous life? Not only his virgin birth, but his virtuous life, his vicarious death, and so on, his wonderful character.

First of all, then, his father saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. His friend said he did no sin, he knew no sin, there was no sin found in him. The lamb referred to in Exodus chapter 12 had to be without blemish.

The figure upon the tenth day set aside the fourteen days, put in eyes very carefully, watched, and one little blemish, one little pimple appeared, the lamb was set aside, his life could not be applied to the two-sided, nor the upper lintel of the doorway. The lamb had to be without blemish. But John the Baptist says, behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

Let's go into God's Lamb, the darling of his own heart, the Lord Jesus. Well, what about his head? Well, let Paul answer that, the intellectual genius. He said he knew no sin, no impure thought ever passed through the holy mind of the Son of God.

Well, what about his legs? Classical Peter answers that by saying, and he did no sin. Well, what about his inward? John the Beloved, believing upon his bread, said, and in him no sin. His head, his reins, his inward, absolutely all pure.

The holy firmness of God. Think what about his throat? I'll say three times over, I find no fault in this man. Herod the King said, I find nothing worthy of death in this man.

Judas, the man who betrayed him, he said, I have sinned in that I betrayed, notice the definite article here, the innocent blood. Not just innocent blood, but the innocent blood. The only blood that is innocent, the only blood that is sinless, the only blood that is all pure.

What about the very things from hell? When they came, they cried, we know who thou art, thou holy one of God. So, Father, strength and truth, heaven and earth and hell, angels, men and demons, the all-pointer, adorable Lord Jesus, I may declare a sinless, a perfect man. Now, listen, what do you think of his character? What do you think of his virtuous life? Were those who teach the date of the cross for Christ to sin, but he did not sin? I heartily disagree with that.

There is never anything in my adorable Lord Jesus to respond to sin. He's a holy, sinless son of God. Had he been able to sin here on earth, he's still a man in the glory this morning.

Had he been able to sin, it could never have been your savior, not my savior. You take a pile of steel filings, you bring the magnet down over those steel filings, and it jumps towards the magnet. But I put my gold watch down, and I bring that magnet down ever so little, right down towards that watch.

It never moves towards the magnet. Why? Because it's gold. Nothing in it will ever respond to the magnetism, nothing will ever.

And my adorable Lord Jesus is the all-pure gold, the holy, sinless son of God, and nothing in it will ever respond to an attraction to sin. Do you believe that? Amen? Oh my friend, I want to get that today. God demanded a blood sacrifice, but it must be a sinless blood sacrifice, and it's only one that type of blood with a doubting in his own heart, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Say, what do you think of his power over the creation? Remember that particular day, this holy, sinless son of God? Was there in that boat? Remember how the waters were mounting his heart? The disciples thought the life was in jeopardy, and they're going down into watery graves. He said, the Lord Jesus said, not when we perish. He went beside the boat and said, he is still.

He really said, be muzzled. The muzzling of a ferocious dog. And what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the seas obey him? Bloody! Is there some heart here this morning's storm-tossed, and there's a terrible storm raging in that little breast of yours? There is discord, there is unrest, there's lack of harmony.

The one who could save these few to that great storm is beside you in your narrow pew. He wants to say peace to you this morning. And my friend, if you only allow him to come into your heart, out of discord there shall come harmony, out of unrest there shall come rest, out of distress there shall come tranquility.

My friend, we're all to bring this into your heart. Now, just retreat for one minute. A father prays and says, heaven and earth and hell, angels, men and demons, are nothing whatever but perfection in the Lord Jesus.

What fault do you find with Christ, you've never yet trusted him? Be honest. As a wise thinking man, a wise thinking woman, what fault, what blemish have you found in Christ, and you're not yet trusting for salvation? What thinking of Christ? Remember he could say to Peter, Peter the cock will not crow until you deny me Christ. The third time Peter denied the Lord the cock crow, he plowed over the plow.

Peter goes down to the lake, throwing the hook, and bring out the fish. You'll find a coin in the fish's mouth. He's plowed over the fish.

The spirit goes down, he brought out the fish. What did he find? The coin in the fish's mouth. He said he prepared the fish for Jonah.

He plowed over the fish. He plowed over the dumb animal. He goes riding into Jerusalem upon the back of that donkey, bareback.

He'd never been broken. He'd never had to yoke. Way back at Exton Downs in England, an evangelistic service is shared for the jockey.

This particular day, the evangelist giving the message, the preacher on his word, loosen and bring him, for the Lord hath need of him. Preparing a person's donkey. Sitting in that great congregation that day was a man called Frank Benford, a man internationally known as a jockey.

As he sat there and listened, he said to himself, that man must have wonderful hands. If he could ride bareback and control that ass that's never been broken, he'd never had to yoke, and all the people yelling around him, and he could control that ass, that man must have wonderful hands. And he said if he could control an unbroken ass, he can control me.

On their name that man gives his life to the Lord Jesus Christ in that service that morning. He placed himself in the all-powerful hand of the Lord Jesus. Frank Benford became one of father-in-law of three outstanding British evangelists, one was Fred Elliott, well known across North American continent and different parts of the world.

That man said that day, if he can control that ass, he can control me, and he gave his life to Jesus Christ. That same Christ is here this morning, nearer to good than your neighbor. Will you hand the life over to him right now? What about his power over disease? There's no cure, no disease comes insurable for the Lord Jesus concerned.

The blind may deceive, the deaf may hear, the dumb may talk, the lame may need to walk, the wicked may have to think straight, leprosy may fade to the splice, maimed with a drop to the heel. No peace comes insurable for the Christ concerned, and his cured were complete, instantaneous. He was complete.

What about his power over demon possession? The demons here this morning asked, the Lord said, come out of him, and he said, leave me, come out. And the very demon said to Christ, let us go into the swine. The demons can't act without his permission, his power over demons.

His power over death. Not only over demons, but over dead cells. Judas's daughter is dead.

He goes into hell, he takes his father's hand and says, little girlie, I send thee a ride. She's brought back to life, he says, give her to eat. She's only twelve.

A young man, the only son of a widow, being carried to the place of burial, the Lord Jesus meets him through a procession. He goes up, he saw the widow there, he saw the compassion move toward her, he touched the dear of the cross and said, young man, I send thee a ride. He sat up, and I love this about the Lord Jesus.

The man began to speak, and the Lord did something to my soul. He delivered him to his mother. Isn't that just like the Lord Jesus? Oh, how compassionate, how sympathetic, how understanding is our adorable Lord.

He gave him back to his mother. I love that, don't you? Something so human about that, something so understanding about that. There's something more.

The man was four days in the grave, and by this time he's sinking. What happens, the Lord goes along and says, thou shalt come forth. He ever said, came forth, found him and took the grave clothes.

The Lord said, loose him and let him go. She's only a little girl, age twelve. Just as vicious as the priest, but she's in life.

Corruption not sent in. Maybe some young person here this morning, and you need one. Maybe some young man, some young woman, full-blooded, full of vitality, vigor, vigor, bursting my brain with activity.

A friend, you need Christ. You need life. You need all the sins that I can give you, bonding with my friend, that you need forever.

You may be an old man this morning, you may be an older woman, and corruption has sent it, and corruption, my friend, has sent it to see its hand upon your cousin, and sin, my friend, it enrobed, and wrought havoc in your life, and you need life. You need life. A little girl, age twelve, but she needs life.

A young man, but he needs life. An old man, but he needs life. As this morning little friend walked into Christ, his power over the beast, his power over sin, his power over death, this mighty, conquering, victorious Lord, is right here this morning, right here this very morning.

What do you think of him? My friend, what do you think of his vicarious day, his own day, his days upon that rugged cross? Now listen, he, at whose voice death plays, he's death's champion, he's death's victor, he's the prince of life. Death, no disease, no demons, my friend, to stay in his presence, let it go. But listen, hear him, and in responding to the call of death, that we might hear and respond to the call of life this morning.

Death had no claim upon the Lord yet. Christ did not need to die. He knows to know his own, but we need to die, and blessed be his name, he died for you, and he died for me.

I thank him. Have you? Have you? He's not with you this morning. What do you think of his day? Why was the Lord Jesus there upon that cross? Why did he die? Why my friend, with those nails placed to his lovely hands and feet? Why was there trouble that cruel concern? Why was his whole body veiled in rich, royal, precious blood? Why? There was none other good enough to pay the price of sin.

He only could have locked the gate of heaven unless God was found among the mankind. He could not find one without sin. No man can by any means redeem his sin, nor give the God a ransom for his soul.

God demanded a blood sacrifice. It was a sinless blood sacrifice. Now, what do you think? What do you think, beloved, this morning of the death of the Lord Jesus? What do you think of that precious blood? And remember, the only time you ever read of precious blood is in reference to the blood of Jesus Christ.

You'll read of blood throughout the scripture. The only time you'll read of precious blood is his blood, and it's precious, because that precious blood of the Son of God. Precious, precious blood of Jesus, shed on Calvary, shed for me.

O heaven's God, shed for me. You too, amen? O friends, see from his head, his hand is deep. Sorrow and love's law mingles now.

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns come through through the crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small? Love so amazing, so divine, be that my heart, and I trust your heart and mindsets, shall have. My heart, my life, my own, isn't he worthy? O ten thousand times, ten thousand, dear Lord, is there worthy one that calls him in it? We thought a little of the physical suffering of the Lord Jesus. They were cute, they were intense, and my friend, all the physical suffering could never bring about the work of the atonement.

In the hour of darkness, when he who knew no sin, became sinful up, his whole being was distorted out of recognition. This is milder more than any man, this poor man. And we hear the cry of fearsome darkness.

Remember, so awful was that sight, the sun refused to shine. While God the incarnate maker died, for man is rich in sin. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Nothing.

And God cannot look upon sin, God cannot tolerate sin, when the very darling of his own being, God as God, not his father's son, God as God, turned his back upon him. We hear the heart cry, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? For I am not so far from helping thee as thou hast my way. Now listen, I said a minute ago, he's dead champion, he's dead victor.

Now listen, as he was laid upon the rugged cross, his whole body veiled in blood, he cried, Father, forgive them the law of what they do. Oh, dear boy, how does that beat your heart? How does the problem in your brain? Listen, he's son of death, but he is servant of heaven. He willed as he willed to die, and when he willed to die, man could not kill the Holy Son of God.

Satan was allowed to use men to put upon that ruined cross, but he could not kill him. The way in which there's a member to the dying sea, his legs were broke, his other legs were broke, and the King of Christ said, marvel, why, he's dead already. He's son of death, but he's his servant, and he died as he willed to die, and when he willed to die, and he died for you, and he died for me.

Will you thank him this morning? What do you think of the day of the Lord Jesus? Can you truthfully say, bearing shame and scoffing, in my place condemned he stood? Feel my pardon within you. Hallelujah. What a savior.

Amen. Oh, what a savior. Thank God this morning that cross is empty.

The tomb is a cavity, and what do you think of his bodily resurrection from Adam on the day? Not a mere peasant, not a mere spirit, but a bodily resurrection. Dear Lord, Lord on the grave you laid Jesus, my Savior. Wait in the coming day, Jesus, my Lord, and up on the grave you arose in the mighty triumphantly pose.

Hallelujah. Christ arose, and this morning for this delightful congregation, I don't present a code, not a creed, not a capitalism, not a covenant, not a church membership, not the seven demands, not the ten commandments, not a golden rule. I present a living Lord.

One who became dead with a life forevermore, and he's all conquering, he told his Christ over day and day and year and season, and where you're very hard you're saying now, if I could so approach the cross this morning, morning, would you ordinarily not have saved the day? That's because I'm not sure he could. What do you think of his coming again? He's gone away, but not to stay. He's coming back again, and it may be this very morning, the listening skies now down, will hear the bridegroom's voice saying, rise up my love, my fair one, and come away far above the clouds.

Oh, won't that just be wonderful? Surely your heart is my heart, joyous morning, Christ. Even so, come Lord Jesus, even so, come today, even so, come Lord Jesus, catch up thy bride away. Oh, how my heart is yearning, longing for thy returning.

Even so, come Lord Jesus, even so, come today. Friend, he's gone, but he's coming back, and by his spirit he's right here this morning, nearer to you than your neighbor, and asking you that question, what do you think of Christ? And, you must answer that question, and your destiny depends upon your answer to that one question. Will you do it? Hymn number 312.

Both sing hymns of Christ to many of us. He is the very life of our lives. He is actually everything to us, for Him none can be compared.

Our heart says, Lord, Thou art worthy. 312. Well, thoughtfully, prayerfully, the signature of majesty, and real challenge.

Jesus our Lord, with joy we adore Thee. Is that the language of your heart this morning? Do you mean that? God bless you. 312.

Verily God, made by Thy creatures and nailed to the cross, is of name, and of God, to forsaken, shunning not darkness, the curse, and the law. All for you, and all for me. Will you thank Him this morning, the only Lord and Savior? 313.

Does no one do pressing? Does no one do button-pulling and ease-kneading? If you are concerned this morning, then please, don't go away. For the others go, you come forward with pride to hear, and those here are only too happy to tell you. I meet some of our brethren here in the vestry, who are only too happy to tell you.

Be of yourselves, for Christ's sake, please don't go with your concern. If you are in a vaccine condition, please come back to Him this morning. Don't just say, He's worthy.

He wants to be Lord Supreme in your heart. This is the last verse here, Mark, of your whole-hearted dedication. This second verse is called, Revive Me.

It starts right here. God bless you as you sing the last verse now. You are doing so well in that chorus.

It's so softly in the first part, a little louder, and a little louder, and it fell right out of the breath. Can you sing the last verse now, or how hast thou triumphed? Thank you. How hast thou triumphed, and triumphed with glory? Then through this, through this, through this, daily, can we retreat? On seeing what Savior Christ, this morning what injured Christ, and the night what Savior Christ, be much in prayer, your local friends on the throne, tell others about the meeting, come back to yourself.

You are the best being to the very essence, you know. You have been blessed, Father, so tell others of it, and bring them along with you, will you? Shall we pray? Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thine name be honor, and glory, and power, and blessing, both now and forevermore, through Jesus Christ, the wonderful Lord. Amen.