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Amen. Right, so Matthew chapter 22, and as I have been doing, I'm just going to remind you where we were, Matthew 21, because this does does definitely follow on from there as well. Matthew chapter 21, we saw Jesus triumph for an entry into Jerusalem on a donkey and a young colt or foal, and we saw how he was just fulfilling more prophecy there. I mean, we've just been seeing him fulfilling all this different prophecy in this in this gospel here of Matthew's. And if you remember, they're laying palm trees in the street and shouting out Hosanna to the son of David. So many people there seem to be very aware of who he is. He walks into the temple and just starts kicking people out of his temple. And just the point on that is something God has a right to do, isn't it? God has a right to kick people out of what, you know, was at that point in the house of God. This is a house of God here, and God has every right to kick people out, doesn't he? You got those people out there like, you know, church is for everyone. Well, that's not what God says in his Bible, does he? You know, there are people that need kicking out of church and God has a right to do that. And we see God doing that, God in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ going around and kicking people out of his church or at least out of the temple at that point, which was the house of God. He cleans house. He heals people after cleaning house and then goes out and curses the fruitless fig tree. And that was picturing the nation of Israel, wasn't it? Well, at least Judea, what was remaining of that really, as you know, the nation of Jude, well, at least the region of Judea now. He gave a lesson on faith, didn't he? And showed up the chief priests and elders as he sort of insincere faith, sorry, fence sitters, didn't he? They were just kind of trying not, you know, to say the right thing, to not upset because they were scared of the people. But then, you know, didn't really know what to say. So, you know, they just when we see that often nowadays, he gave them a lesson on the difference between looking and sounding the part and actual faith, didn't he, as well. Then he gets back to basically teaching replacement theology. Yeah, Jesus Christ was teaching replacement theology loud and clear with the parable of the wicked husbandman. And Matthew 21 ended with it saying in verse 45, And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, this verse 46, they feared the multitude because they took him for a profit, which leads into this chapter where the dialogue continues and with the chief priests and elders. Matthew 22, verse one, then reads, And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come. And I'd like to pray before we continue with this chapter. So, Father, thank you for, well, a great chapter of the Bible. Thank you for the many lessons that we can get out of here. Please help me to teach those clearly tonight. Help me to just preach boldly and clearly, Lord, help everyone to have attentive ears, attentive hearts. What your word's got to say to them, Lord, help all these things to be done in Jesus Christ's holy name. Amen. So we've got another parable which, although can be applied to all, is first and foremost aimed at these Jews, isn't it? OK, I think that's pretty clear when you read this. We're going to look at that in a second. And what's interesting is that he's actually preaching to them at the same time. So he's preaching to these Jews and at these Jews. Yeah. And look, that's, you know, if you think about that, imagine being there. Imagine just seeing this. Jesus Christ is just preaching to what were powerful people as well. These were like powerful people in the nation of Judea, really, now it was known as. And he's just preaching at these people. Is it because he's hoping to get them saved? Was Jesus Christ thinking, right, if I preach this clearly enough, maybe they're going to, you know, change their minds and get saved? You know, it's for the benefit of everyone else, wasn't it? I mean, not only is it for the benefit of all of us, we're still really learning from this sort of thing today, but also for everyone there at the time as well. There are other people there and he's preaching for the benefit of others. But he's preaching at these wicked people who are there in front of him and he's preaching at them. And preachers still do this, don't they? And they will preach at wicked people, whether they're inside or outside a church. And the idea really with it is if they're not wicked, they're going to respond. Yeah. And this is something that obviously a lot of you experienced. I had someone coming up to me the other day and just talking about it, just chatting about how they were looking back at some past sermons and just going, you were clearly preaching on these people now, looking back with hindsight, time and time again, these wicked people in our church. Yet they were saying, but it just kind of went over their heads at the time. But it is very biblical to do that, because if they're not wicked, if you're not wicked. Yeah. And you're hearing preaching on things that you're thinking, whoa, that does sound a bit like I might be doing something like that as well. You need to get right quick. If you're in the house of God, you need to get right, sort yourself out quickly. Or if not, you do what all of those guys did and just kind of hammer down and knuckle down even more and try and get their claws in even more. And but the point is, but ultimately with it, is you're either going to get these people right or you're going to edify the church and help the church to understand and see and be able to look back and go, OK, yeah, I can understand what was going on there and what the preaching was about. And Jesus Christ is doing this. He's preaching clearly at them. But that is biblical. You have to turn to 2 Timothy 4, 2 says, preach the word, be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. So, look, that is part of it. And that's part of church life as well. Sometimes you're going to sit in a church and sit there thinking, whoa, that feels a bit close to Mark maybe with me. But the good people hopefully will, you know, people want to progress in their spiritual life are going to respond to that. Wicked people are just going to either go over their head or just kind of dig their heels in even more. Right. OK, so but it is biblical and we see Jesus Christ doing that. Verse one says, and Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables and said, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come. So he's he's teaching it in a parable. The king is God, the father, the son is the Lord Jesus Christ. The servants are not just the prophets, but you could say all those serving God and that includes those preaching the gospel. Now, everyone here who goes out and preaches the gospel is a prophet. OK, you are all modern day prophets going out and preaching the gospel. Those first bidden here are what we now, you know, were known of as Jews at the time. And, you know, people will continue to refer to people as Jews. That's what the world knows them as. However, the Bible says there are those that say they're Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. But we're going to continue reading. Verse four says again, he sent forth other servants saying, tell them which are bidden. Behold, I've prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready come unto the marriage. But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them, which means to kill them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, the wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways and as many as you shall find bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good. And the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment and he saith unto him, friend, how came a sowing hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, bind him hand and foot and take away and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called, but few are chosen. And look, there are many truths in this story, aren't there? This story, this parable has many truths in it. Verse two, let's look back again then. So verse two said the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for some. Remember, it's like unto a certain king. It's not the kingdom of heaven, it is this. OK, so this is a picture. This is a parable. OK, we take the truths of salvation from clear scripture. OK, and we need to realise that with after, because you can imagine a fool's coffee going, oh, look, you can be cast away having gone in. Look, OK, you can't lose your salvation. OK, clear scripture is what we go with with that. But this is a great still picture of the kingdom of heaven. It says here it's like unto this. OK, so he's made a marriage for his son. And the coming eternity is often described as a marriage between Christ and believers. We see this many times. Revelation 19, you don't have to turn there, it says, And he saith unto me, Right, blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. The marriage supper of the Lamb being the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what it's picturing here, the marriage between Christ and believers. OK, it says, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come. So although this is clearly about these Christ rejecting Jews, and it clearly is, you know, the kind of remaining of the nation of Israel now at this point, it is this kind of they would not come is the same now, basically, with what we see as this holier than thou work salvation type spirit. OK, and we see that across all so-called denominations of Christianity, don't we, this work salvation. They're being called, but they will not come, OK? They're just not interested in the gospel for many, many reasons. And it's the same with with these Jews here. Verse four says, Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden. Behold, I prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage. So God was long suffering with them, wasn't he? God was long suffering with them. He sent more and more. He's sending prophets to them often, and he's long suffering with people now, isn't he? It's not that you get one chance and that's it. There are people that sometimes you might knock on a door and they've already heard the gospel before. You've you've already spoke to them and then they get saved. You know, we had someone who came here, kind of heard it on YouTube, still a bit unsure about salvation, came to the church, heard the gospel, put his faith in Christ. I think, you know, it's not it's not just like that's it. God is long suffering, isn't he? Now, look, yeah, some people do end up rejecting and doing all the stuff we see in Romans one, and that does happen. But but often, look, some people it's not a write off just because they haven't heard the gospel the first time. And we can often it's a good thing to remember with family isn't as well, because sometimes often we can just be so frustrated. I've preached to them. They haven't put their faith in Christ. Doesn't mean it will never happen. OK. And here he sends them again. However, here we do see that obviously they don't respond. But here he sends more. And obviously we're talking about the nation here. Obviously, as a first application, verse five says, but they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And again, how often do we see people make light of it? They make light of it, don't they make light of it? And, you know, whether you could say that's kind of the mocking way. That's how I kind of see that. Just a bit mocky, a bit like, yeah, whatever. Too busy. How many? You know, we had that tonight. Oh, well, you know, got something cooking or. Well, you know, not really a bit busy right now, and it's just they're really just making light of salvation, aren't they? Making light of the gospel, making light of the things of God. You got someone at your door, knocking your door with the King James Bible ready to preach the gospel and you make light of it. And that's what the Jews did. Often they're making light of really salvation and of the things of God. Then it says and the and obviously they've got their excuses here, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And then verse six says, and the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them. So remnant is those that are left. So you've got people going their way, making excuses. Then you've got the haters, haven't you? OK, and yeah, just because someone's making an excuse and everything else doesn't mean they're a God hater. But there are those who are haters and there are those that want to slay his prophets. And and look, we talked about how this happened to some of the Old Testament prophets. But but again, that is something that is going to going to happen en masse in the end times, isn't it? OK, so this is although it was something that had happened with them, with that spirit of basically that work, salvation, rejecting of Christ, that sort of Jew type spirit that we see now. This is going to be an en masse thing as well, isn't it, to come? And there are going to be people getting slayed en masse by the remnant, which, you know, end up taking servants and slaying them. However, it doesn't stop us, does it? 7 says, but when the king heard thereof, he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. I mean, that did happen, obviously, that was due to happen sort of around like we spoke about last week, 40 years from this point, 70 A.D. But it's also due to happen again, isn't it, Lee? And ultimately with the whole world as a whole, you could say. And of course, there's a burning up, you know, the picture of hell. But there is going to be a physical burning, isn't there, as well? And we're going to see some physical burning going on with the whole world. And obviously we saw that, you know, in a small kind of first fulfillment with with Jerusalem at 70 A.D. And I mean, like I spoke to you about last week, it was it was, you know, horrendous, like I said, estimates of about a million people dying in that, in that siege there and of the of the Romans and what who I think eventually became the emperor Titus. But at the time was kind of the commander of the army there. And they just absolutely destroyed it. And they got wrecked and it got razed, you know, and burnt to the ground pretty much. And that was something, 12th Simon, something he's even talking about here, isn't it? But it is something that's going to happen as well in the end. So he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. Then verse eight says, Then saith he to his servants, the wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. And what was it that would have made them worthy? Just accepting the invite, just accepting the invite. That's all that's needed to be worthy. They weren't worthy because they didn't accept the invite. Verse nine says, Go ye therefore into the highways and as many as ye shall find bid to the marriage. Now, the highways are outside the city. OK, so this is really for me picturing the non Jews now. OK, this is going out into the highways. The highways are outside of the city. And it's just picturing going out elsewhere now. Right. Verse 10 says, So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found both bad and good. And the wedding was furnished with guests. And for me, that's just showing it's just about accepting the invite. It wasn't like, right, just go out and find those really good people that are deserving of salvation. Look, no one's deserving of salvation. It's the bad and the good. Look, there are some people that aren't as bad as others. OK, there are some people that you might go, that's a pretty good person. Some people go, they're a pretty bad person. OK, but unless they've ultimately been given over, which is still a minority, I think it's going to start increasing that minority, sadly, it already is. But ultimately, for the vast majority of people, bad and good people can accept the invite. Then it says, And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. And he saith unto him, Friend, how cameest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. What's the wedding garment? Well, turn to Revelation chapter three. The garment or clothing is essential to be a part of the marriage supper. It's white raiment. You're turning to Revelation chapter three. He just said, he said he saw or he saw that there a man which had not on a wedding garment. And he saith unto him, Friend, how cameest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? Revelation chapter three and verse five says, He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment. And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. That's what the wedding garment is. It's a white raiment. How do you get the wedding garment? How do you overcome? Oh, is that, you know, being perfect to your life? No. First John 5, 5 says, Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God? It's believing the gospel. It's putting your faith in Jesus Christ. That's how you overcome the world. It's faith. And that's obviously believing the whole gospel there. So the picture here is of a fraud, isn't it? Someone coming to the supper masquerading as a guest. But to God, he's naked. You're in Revelation three. Look at verse 18. It says, I counsel thee to buy of me gold, tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with thyself. That thou mayest see. It's a shame to be without that wedding garment, isn't it? It's a shame. It's a shame to be unsaved, really, isn't it? That's a shame. And I don't mean like, oh, what a pity. I mean, it's shameful, really, isn't it? You've got the gospel. You've got you've got just free salvation. And there are so many out there that reject it. That's a shame, isn't it? What a shame to them. And it's a shame of thy nakedness without really that that raiment which pictures salvation. Did the king say then back to Matthew and Chapter 22? Here's one last chance to get one. Let me find one for you. Let me find you a wedding garment. Now you just you know, you come up here with that. And again, this is a picture, OK? This is a picture. It's not talking about losing your salvation. No, it's just showing you that you can cannot come up. You cannot be in heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb without the raiment, which comes from faith in Christ. No, because once it's too late, it's too late. Verse 13 said, Then said the king to the servant, bind him hand and foot, take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And he said the same thing in Matthew 812, where he said, But the children of the kingdom, talking about the Jews, shall be cast out into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And for me, that's just referring to the lake of fire. And really, look, just to understand this, OK, it's not that every single person that had some claim to being a Jew or whatever in those times was now that's it. They weren't able to get saved. Yeah, they could still get saved by faith, by belief. But as a nation, as a whole, they were losing that. They lost what what was, you know, before that. They were known as a nation. They were God's nation. And that was given then to believers to be this new nation. But what we have seen is with that, so many of them did end up rejected of God as well and ended up being reprobates. However, there were, you know, obviously as individuals, there was still that chance of salvation. And we see Paul preached that, obviously, as well. Now, where are we? Verse 14 says, But for many are called, but few are chosen. And we looked at that briefly last week. Everyone is called, but few put their faith in Christ. That's the criteria for being chosen. OK, it's faith in Jesus Christ. So verse 15 then says, Then went the Pharisees and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. So they're getting preached at. Yeah, these guys are there. They're live there. Jesus Christ is just preaching them, preaching at them. Do they respond by sorting themselves out? They go, oh, man, we better we better get right with God here. No, they're wicked false prophets. So instead they took counsel. He says they took counsel how they might entangle him. That's a really weird thing to think, isn't it? That people are kind of like discussing and talking about how are we going to entangle the Lord Jesus Christ and his words? What are we going to do? How are we going to get him? And but that's a reality of wicked people. And it's really hard to get your head around, isn't it? How people do that, how they can like plot and plan together to and to go against the things of God. But that's what people do. And it's something that that I think often we will, you know, as we just go through the Christian life, we'll keep just not really believing it when we see it happen in various places, in various ways. We're just talking about inside the church, outside the church, because we're just constantly trying to get in the mind of someone, aren't we? So we're constantly trying to justify it and trying to understand and understand how someone thinks. But these people are wicked false prophets. So they're they will actually just take counsel together to entangle the Lord Jesus Christ in his words. And we see this on varying scales today. What about, you know, here's one. And again, they'll obviously try and justify themselves. Yes, this is how heady, high minded lovers of their own selves people do. But what about the anti-NIFB pastors out there? Have their little anti-NIFB type conferences where they're trying to find ways of convincing people about this doctrine or that or fight against this doctrine and everything else. Are they stupid? If they're saved, are they stupid? Because it's so clearly in the word of God. So so much of what they're so angry about the, for example, you know, the replacement theology or the reprobate doctrine or something like that. It's just there clear as day, isn't it? Clear as day, if you just look to go, well, I need to get to the bottom of this and see how I'm going to deal with this. If you if you looked at with open heart, you're just going to see it in the Bible and you're going to go, well, I'm going to have to start changing what I think. But instead, they have these little conferences and meetups and sort of finding ways of, well, how can we entangle them in their words? Basically, how can we somehow, you know, convince people that these people are in the wrong? But again, you know, the church infiltrator types as well. It's just bizarre to think, isn't it? You've got people, groups of people in churches that are literally whispering to each other, how can I take down the man of God preaching? How can we somehow entangle him in his word who will actually come up to you? And I had this before. He will come up and ask you little like questions on this and question that. And they're just trying to get you to slip up in one way or another, trying to ask an awkward question and see how you respond. And look, just a, you know, a side point here. If you've got an awkward question you want to ask me, you're welcome to ask me. All right, I must be wicked. They dare to ask me a question, which is a bit, that's not the point. But, you know, when then in hindsight you see and also the sorts of questions ringing me up on the phone to, oh, I'm just dealing with my work salvationist brother-in-law brother. And he asked me this really interesting one. How do you explain this? And how do you explain that? And he's just constantly trying to see what he can do with me or whether or not I'm like, I might be able to be part of their gang or not. And this stuff goes on, right? How did they do it here in verse 16? Look, and they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodian, saying, Master, we know that thou art true and teaches the way of God in truth. Neither care a self or any man, for thou regardest not the person of men. Turn to Psalm chapter five. Luke 20-20 says, And they watched him and sent forth spies which should feign themselves just men. So this is a parallel passage. It adds us something here. They feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. OK, so they want to deliver him to the power and authority of Pilate. So they feign themselves just men. OK, yeah, this stuff was going on with Jesus Christ, same as it goes on and has gone on with proper churches ever since. And then what do they do? How do they try and disarm him? Flattery, flattery. They try to disarm him with flattery. OK, and that's something that we have to be really aware of. Why? Because the flesh loves flattery. We love it. You know, it's like it's much nicer when someone's flattering you than when they're spitting poison at you. So we so easily get drawn in by the flattery. But really what they're trying to do, they're trying to disarm him. They flatter him before they then ask a question. Hopefully they can catch him and get him basically arrested. But they flatter him first. And now here's the thing with that, because then you go, oh, man, I better just not give anyone any compliments, you know, especially, you know, people in churches and things like that, because I might be perceived as a flatterer. Well, what's the difference with flattery to a compliment is that it's not genuine. Flattery isn't genuine. A compliment is. Yeah. So they're feigning themselves just men, said Luke 20 20. They said, We know that thou art true and teach us a way of God in truth. Neither care a self for any man, for thou regard is not the person of men. So they're trying to appear as if they like him and respect him. But really, they hate his guts. And that's the difference with flattery. OK, it's people that try and set you up. But really, they don't believe what they're saying, or at least they don't really like you. And it's to disarm you to gain advantage. And with that, that's that's pretty wicked, isn't it? Yeah. Can you imagine the sort of mind again, you can't get your head in it. The sort of mind that look, some people are just, oh, you know, sometimes people just kind of want to be liked by you. So some people that maybe the flattery, it's not for like wicked reasons. It's just kind of flattering because they kind of like you and they want to give you a compliment and stuff. And maybe it borders on flattery. Maybe not. It's very different when it's with a goal, when you're flattering someone. But in your mind is I'm going to flatter this person to get what I want out of them. I'm going to flatter them so I can take this or set them up or get them in trouble or something. I mean, that is severely twisted, isn't it? It's twisted, isn't it? That is like some that is some just messed up behavior. And again, this happened and this continues to happen. So they flatter. They flatter to disarm, to disarm, to gain advantage. And Psalm five, where you've turned, describes these sorts of people. It says here these sorts of flattering types that do this sort of stuff that are just so dishonest. Verse five in Psalm five says, the foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. God hates reprobates. God hates them. The Bible says that time and time again. Workers of iniquity is another name for a reprobate, a child of the devil, a child of Belial. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing. That's like an old word for lying. The Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. OK, all goes hand in hand, doesn't it, with these types of people. But as for me, I will come into the house and a multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies. Make thy way straight before my face, for there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their inward part is very wickedness. Their throat is an open sepulcher. They flatter with their tongue. So again, it's one of the one of the kind of characteristics of these types of people. Destroy thou them, O God. Let them fall by their own counsels. Cast them out in a multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against thee. Sound like God's kind of willing to let these people off, does it? He's saying here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, destroy them, O God. Cast them out in a multitude of their transgressions, because it's a multitude for they have rebelled against thee. And look, just another just another kind of side point on this. So much of the Bible would not make sense without the Reprobate Doctrine, would it? How do people that don't believe in that, that believe in everyone can be saved up to their dying breath, you know, and God, you know, would, you know, all the kind of nonsense you hear. How do they how do they even explain verses like this? I mean, you say thou hatest all workers of iniquity. The Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. He said, he said, destroy them, O God, for they have rebelled against thee. Anyway, so they flatter him before trying to catch him out. OK, back in Matthew 22. And here it's just given that description. It's one of the characteristics there of these works of iniquity, these reprobates. And sometimes with that as well is another way it's done. It's not always what I'm going to flatter you and then I'm going to get you arrested. Sometimes it's what I've noticed before. It's something that it can be termed of termed as mining for information. So I've had this before where what they do is they kind of flatter you briefly. So you kind of you start to like be a bit softened by them. And then they start asking you lots of questions. Questions about your family, questions like personal questions, weird questions, question about your job, question about this. And it's just weird. It's like, oh, no. And you kind of step away. You're like, well, it's like I've just been interrogated. Yeah, I got flattered first. Super weird, right? But again, what are they trying to do? They're trying to get info on you, trying to get stuff because they want to take you down, because they want to entangle you in one way, whether it's through the words that you've said to them, your actions, whatever it is. So here, here in Matthew, though, it's to get him to say something that they can accuse him of to the Romans, to the governor. But also notice how they're happy to team up with the Herodians, by the way, as well. So again, like we saw before, they're not really sincere. So they sound like, oh, yeah, they've got these real strong beliefs and everything else. Did the Herodians believe he's acting like the Pharisees? I'm sure they didn't. In fact, we saw before they were teaming up with the Sadducees, before they believed the opposite stuff. But none of it really matters because they all hate the Lord Jesus Christ and they all hate the truth, they all hate the gospel. And they're happy to just team up with each other. It always, always makes me chuckle when you see these sorts of weirdos online and stuff, and they're all being kicked out of churches for varying reasons, varying beliefs. They all believe something different. They've all got some weird reprobate, dodging of their own, but they're all happy to be friends together, support each other, gang up together, like all chat together. It's so weird, but never ceases to amaze me. Anyway, verse 17 says, Tell us, therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not? So basically, if he says no, then he'll be accused of some sort of rebel rouser to the governor. And if he says yes, then they'll accuse him of being anti-God and pro-Roman. So it's like, right, we got you on this one. Yeah, flattered him first. Oh, yeah, you speak the truth and everything else. You know, set him up to just say it straight off. And then here's the question. But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? I said, was that an insult? Jesus Christ insulted them. Well, wait till we get to next chapter, 23, because we're going to see a bit more of that. And you know why? Because wicked people often need insults. Yeah, wicked people need insults and we all want to be more Christ-like, don't we? So sometimes it's not going to be every week, but sometimes when you're preaching and sometimes when you talk about these types of people, you're going to throw out an insult. And there's nothing ungodly about that. In fact, it's quite godly, isn't it? It's quite godly to call wicked people certain insults like you hypocrite to their face. You hypocrites is what he's saying to them. Verse 19, Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny and he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesars, then saith he unto them, render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. That's just a great answer there, isn't it? I mean, you can't you can't write this stuff, can you? It's just like, how on earth? He just just smashed him, you know, smashed him. He just, yeah, just said, OK, well, give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, i.e. the tribute and stuff to it's his superscripture, it's their kind of monetary system unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marveled and left him and went their way. So it kind of like just left them speechless, didn't it? And if only we could all deal with these sorts of people like the Lord Jesus Christ does. But, you know, you know, I've said this many times before. That's why really our goal, our goal is because we're always going to be getting attacked. Everyone here is from time to time in different ways and everything else. As as people, you know, serving in a church and and serving the Lord Jesus Christ, playing out soul and everything else. And you just need to basically that's what's so important to have your full armor on and to be as as spirit filled as possible. And obviously, you know, morning by morning, you know, you've got to keep keep kind of plugging away and restarting and everything else, because you need to be as in the spirit, because it's only really the Lord Jesus Christ that can really deal with these types of people. They're clever. Look, devils are clever. Devils are clever. You can't do it without the Lord with this stuff. You can't do it in your own strength. You're going to be in trouble. And how do you do that? Well, you try and have the full armor of God and try and live in the spirit as much as possible. Right. OK, so. Verse twenty three, then says, so that's not the end of it. Verse twenty three, the same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection and asked him. So we've got the next lot. These are like we said before, the kind of rational skeptic types. Yeah, the kind of sciency intellectual types with their kind of mocking question. Because this is just a mockery. That's what it is. Yeah. They say this, they say in verse twenty four, saying, Master Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren and the first when he had married a wife, deceased and having no issue, left his wife unto his brother. Likewise, the second also and the third unto the seventh. And last of all, the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her. Now, what's funny is that religion is full of these type of Bible criticisers. Because that's really what this is. They're trying to criticise the law and criticise the belief that comes from the word of God of the resurrection. And they're like, see how you marry up these two, you know? And these are like the kind of Bible correcting type. It's just allegorical. They basically will just make it up as we'll take what we want because we'll decide what's not true and what's not. And obviously, they're just trying to limit God's power, as we see Jesus say as well, because they don't really want God to have that sort of power, because then it's kind of not spelling a good end for them, is it? So and they like to just try and make out, try and sound intelligent and just kind of discredit and laugh and go, oh, well, they're just stories, aren't they? Yet they still go to a church. And how many? You'll get these people, won't you? Knock on the door. Oh, yeah, yeah, I'll go there, blah, blah, blah. OK, well, the Bible says, well, yeah, well, the Bible says many things. Well, I don't think you can just take it all like as fact. You can't just take that verse which says clearly, you know, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Well, yeah, but, you know, you just you can't just take it all like that. You've got to understand the whole thing and the whole picture. And basically, we'll make it up and we'll be the bosses here of what the Bible says. It doesn't. But turn to Acts 23. Well, I read Acts five and verses 17 to 18. You turn to Acts 23, Acts five and 17 to 18 says, then the high priest rose up and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation and laid their hands the apostles and put them in a common prison. So the high priest seems to have been a Sadducee here. Said then the high priest rose up and all they that were with him, which is a sect of the Sadducees. However, he doesn't believe half of the Bible. So he got the high priest is and that's the high priest, the top guy of like the kind of the religion of the religious, you know, nation itself was a Sadducee. And then we see where you are in Acts 23, verse six, it says here. But when Paul perceived that the one part was Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I'm a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee of the hope and resurrection of the dead. I'm called in question. And when he had so said there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees and the multitude were divided for the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit. But the Pharisees confess both. So basically, the Sadducees don't believe the Bible at all, pretty much. They just say, no, we don't believe that, don't have that, none of that kind of none of that spirit stuff, no, no angels, you know, none of that sort of thing. And basically, they're just kind of discarding bits. They don't like taking bits. They do want to sound a bit more clever, a bit more rational. Again, we see many of these types of people today. Back in Matthew 22, they're literally mocking Bible believers. And like I said, you know, it's not so it is familiar, isn't it? Very familiar. We have that. We see these people out there. They're all over the place. We speak to them often. They're often trying to mock people that just believe the word of God. So of course, you've got the kind of atheist type, but you've got there are many that claim to be religious, claim to follow a version of Christianity, but then mock those that just believe the Bible and believe the whole counsel of God and open up a Bible. And it's and it'll say things like Bible bashes. I think even people that probably have gone to churches and everything else, they just it's just amazing, isn't it? How, you know, 2000 years on and it's the same people. But so what what have they done in Matthew 22? They've just come out with this ridiculous scenario. That's the whole point. It's just ridiculous. Yeah, based. I mean, they could have just done this with like a couple. But like, why the seven? You know, they're just mocking. And it's based on the law of a deceased brother marrying his wife and raising seed to his name. OK, so that bit's right. But then they're just going, right, OK. Then he's remarried, remarried, remarried or she's remarried. She's remarried, et cetera. What does Jesus say? Verse 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. And that's really what all of these miracle deniers, these mockers and scorners are undermining the power of God, aren't they? They don't want God to have that power, because really, if he's got that power, then he's got the power to judge them and cast them into an eternal damnation in hell. So they just want to limit that and convince themselves that he doesn't have that. And really here as well, the power of God, they're talking to God. They talk to the Lord Jesus Christ. So as well here, they don't know the power of God either, because do they really think that they're going to somehow hamstring him with some criticism of the word of God? He is the word of God. He then says in verse 30, for in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. So in the millennial reign, when we rule and reign with Christ, we won't be married, but more like the angels. Now, I don't really, look, I don't know exactly how that's going to work. Me and my wife were talking about this recently. I don't really know how it's going to work. But Luke 2036 adds, neither can they die anymore, for they are equal unto the angels and are the children of God being the children of the resurrection. So we don't die either. So, I mean, you could argue that maybe if we were still given in marriage and married to our spouses, I'd get a bit sick of you. Kind of as you're going into the kind of 100, 200, 300, 500, 700 man, they might get a bit bored of you by then, I'm kidding. But I don't know. I don't know how it's going to work. What I do know is that Jesus said that they're neither given in marriage, you know, neither do they marry. And really, in the context of saying to go, which one will she be? Well, obviously none of them. Right. OK, so there isn't there's not going to be that sort of marriage unity. But however, I think we're all going to have some great fellowship up there, aren't they? I think maybe, you know, for for those of you married, I imagine it's going to be your best friend up there, isn't it? However, you're just not going to have that kind of marriage unity anymore. Yeah. And when I say up there, sorry, millennial reign here on this earth. Well, you're ruling and fading with Christ and will be like the angels and won't be able to die. That's going to be pretty amazing, isn't it? Pretty amazing. Let's keep going. Verse 31 says, But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Remember, they don't believe in the resurrection. Right. So this is from when God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush. Again, you don't have to turn there. It's pretty, pretty much identical. Exodus 3 says, Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face for he is afraid to look upon God. So Jesus is saying that the statement was present tense. Yeah, they all still live. Right. He's saying, look, you know, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. And when Moses wrote what God said to him in Exodus, it was God speaking to everyone. Verse 31 says, Well, as well as saying it's present tense, he says, but as touch the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying this didn't he? And that's I like that little verse said, doesn't it? Have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God? God speaks to everyone through the word of God. That's God speaking to us. And when we say us as well, ultimately, it's really speaking. I mean, he's for me, these Sadducees here. Well, they definitely ain't saved, are they? OK, God speaks to everyone through the word of God. However, they don't understand it really till they get saved, do they? But that's how he speaks to us. It said it was spoken unto you by God. And, you know, whether he's speaking to Moses and Moses writing down what he said to him there, it was God speaking to everyone. And he's, you know, in a way, really, if you think about it, he's also making this point to these skeptics, isn't he? So they're obviously questioning. And these guys don't believe half the Bible. And he's saying, look, God, God spoke to you. This word of God is God speaking to you. That's what the Bible is. It's not just some fairy tales. It's not just some kind of, you know, people come out with all these stupid kind of, you know, age old goat herders in the desert, you know, writing. They're just showing what absolute morons they are, because, look, man can't write this. This is something else, isn't it? And and he's saying that he's saying, have you not read which was spoken unto you by God? And obviously the point being, though, there that the statements present tense. Yeah, they're still alive. He's he's he's not the God of the dead, but of the living verse 33. And by the way, they're the dead. He's not their God, is he? Verse 33 then says, talking about this, the Sadducees, that is, and when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Now, we basically have a slight difference here to the other attempts to entangle Jesus. OK, so verse 17, you know, the tell us, therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Jesus or not? That started with flattery, didn't it? That was flattery. And there he's basically trying to get him into trouble with the governor. OK, the Sadducees in verse 24 onwards were mocking and scorning the word of God. Yeah. However, this lawyer here, although trying to find fault, yet did say that that he asked him a question tempting him. He's not the same ilk as the others, is he? And look at the question. He said that one of them, which was a lawyer, asked a question tempting him and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself on these two commandments. Hang all the law and the prophets. Now turn to Mark 12, because Mark's gospel records his response. OK, Mark's gospel records the response of this man. It says in verse 32 of Mark 12, Mark 12 and verse 32 says. And the scribe said unto him, Well, master, thou has said the truth, for there is one God and there is none other but he. And to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, with all the strength and to love his neighbor as himself is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God and no man after that dost ask him any question. So he said thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And my point is, is that there are people mixed up with false religion that haven't been given over yet, though. So you've got these other two. You've got one is mocking, scorning the word of God. You've got the others that are trying to flatter him and then basically destroy him in one way or another. And then you've got this guy that, yeah, he's questioning. Yeah, he's trying to tempt him. Yeah, he's trying to find fault in the Bible. Yet, however, he's not far from the kingdom of God. He's questioning. But then he's answering a bit quiet, because really, he's obviously still open to the truth, isn't he? And, you know, these types of people might even try and catch us out and ask seemingly tricky questions. But for me, there was still hope for him, wasn't there? And there are people out there that will seem to be negative and trying to kind of catch us out in one way or another or try and ask maybe. And you can you know, there's a danger that you just quickly just discard him straight. Oh, yeah, yeah. Trying to like trying to show the fault in this or trying to prove work, salvation through this. However, they're not always done, are they? They're not always done for the the. And we're going to see what his answer was here. So go back to go back to Matthew 22. So the first or top, greater, most important commandment, OK, is to love the Lord thy God with every part of you. OK, and that's from Deuteronomy six. We're not going to turn there. The second is to love thy neighbour as ourself. And that's from Leviticus 19 and verse 18. Now, I've heard it described like this, is that you got several hundred commandments in the Bible. The Ten Commandments are like the condensed version. So you got like the several hundred and then you kind of got this summary in the Ten Commandments in a way, and then you got these two commandments are kind of like a summary of the Ten Commandments. You know, so you just kind of this is like the ultimate summary of all of God's commandments to these two commandments. Because if you think about it, loving God with all your heart, soul and mind would encapsulate if we just think about the Ten Commandments being pretty much a summary of everything else. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Well, if you love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul and mind. You're not going to have other gods before them. Thou shalt not make or bow down myself to any graven image. You're not going to do that. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Right. Observing the Sabbath day and obviously Christ fulfilled that. And then loving thy neighbour as thyself would include honoring thy father and thy mother. It would include thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear full sweetness against thy neighbour, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's things. So he said that on these two commandments hang all the law and profits, because it's basically either about your behaviour toward God or your behaviour towards other people, isn't it? And that's pretty much what it kind of all hangs on, really. Yeah. How you treat other people and and and your kind of your attitude towards God, your attitude to people, your attitude to God. But the point with all of this, so really, is that everyone fails at both of these. Yeah, everyone fails at that. Who here can say that they're just constantly loving the Lord God with all their heart, with all their soul? Where were we in, sorry, in verse 40? I think it was, wasn't it? Sorry, earlier on in verse 37. With all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind. So there's a couple of versions of this, aren't there? Understanding sometimes and strength, but with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind. And is everyone saying, can anyone here say I do that all day? Every day. Always say no. And to love thy neighbour as thyself. Really? You really love your neighbour. Because we see when we see the story of the Good Samaritan, who your neighbour is, that's pretty much everyone, isn't it? Do you love your neighbour as yourself? And obviously there's a caveat there, like we talked about earlier, those that God hates, but they're few and far between. Really, do we? No, we all fail at that. Hence the need for Christ. Hence the need for Christ. And then we then see Jesus asks him a question. And just last point on that question. That was quite a difficult question, really, wasn't it? Now, we have the kind of hindsight of Jesus Christ's answer on it. But if you never read any of this before and said, right, which one is the greatest commandment? You'd be like, oh, well, I don't know, actually. And Jesus Christ just answered it. Well, yeah, it's loving the Lord your God. And actually, you know, this is like it. Loving your neighbour as yourself. And these aren't like, you know, in the Ten Commandments. These aren't, you know, like the first commandment of the Bible. Or these are just kind of two commandments, one taken out of Deuteronomy, one taken out of Leviticus, that encapsulate all the other commandments. Because Jesus Christ has the full knowledge of the word and can just pull them out like that, can't he? Before anyone had ever read this, would they have just pulled out those two verses? No, but Jesus Christ did. So again, great answer. Three times they've tried to test him, this last one being slightly different. But really, that last one is showing that need for Christ. It says, while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them. So it's now it's his turn to ask them a difficult question. He says in verse 42, saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Don't miss there that it's in spirit. Why is it in spirit? Because it's in the preserved word of God. Yeah, because it's David writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, because holy men of God spake as they are moved by the Holy Ghost. So turn to Psalm 110, because this isn't just some obscure verse that someone could have missed. OK, it's not that he's just kind of mentioning a verse that they're going to have to go home and go, we're going to have to look up this one. Yeah. It's from a prophetic psalm clearly about the coming Christ. OK, so Psalm 110 is clearly, you know, a psalm about the coming Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 110, 110 and verse one says a psalm of David. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. So again, he's talking about this, this one to come, the Lord, that he's just said the Lord with this, with the small letters, the Lord said unto my Lord. He said, he then says, rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. He's going to be, he's a rod of the strength out of Zion. Then verse three says, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning. Thou has the dew of thy youth. So he's going to be young. He's going to be, he's going to be, the people be willing in the day of his power. Then it says, the Lord have sworn and will not repent. Thou, talking again of this coming Christ, art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, of whom we saw on Sunday, we spoke about Abraham giving tithes of all. Verse five says, and we obviously saw he's, you know, without descent. And we saw even back in Genesis, we saw, I think it's Genesis 14, Melchizedek coming, you know, bringing bread and wine. And, you know, and obviously what that was a picture of. So Abraham gave tithes of all to him. Verse five says, the Lord at thy right hand. OK, talking about at the right hand of the Lord God, they're talking here, shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. OK, his wrath, not not not God, the father's wrath, his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall he lift up the head. So clearly talking of the Christ, OK, so where verse one said, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. This is clearly referring to the coming Christ. And David is calling Christ my Lord. OK, so this is what he's referred to here. And obviously these are people that at least are well versed in the Bible. It's just a quick point on that, because I've heard people kind of try and say this before, but they had such a knowledge of the Bible or something, it doesn't mean anything. Yeah, it's like, look, people can know where things are. People can memorize it. People that have memorized the whole Koran. Yeah, and it's a pile of absolute tripe rubbish. And that's kind of the polite version of it. OK, people can memorize that. People have memorized like Shakespeare, which isn't so bad. OK, much better than the Koran. OK, however, it's not like the word of God, right? OK, people can do it. People can know the Bible. People can know so many things about it. OK, and people can really masquerade as well and repeat off stuff. I mean, we had a guy here who I think I remember like one of his men's preaching nights, someone had listened to the exact same like part of his sermon by a fairly well-known preacher. So he just basically just parroted it, you know, and people can do that stuff. Yeah, and can probably know where to go for something. It doesn't mean anything. Yeah, and here just because like here, like Jesus is referring to something that they're going to know. They know Psalm 110. They know because they've been looking for the Christ, they've been waiting for their Christ, so their idea of the Christ, because they didn't really want, you know, who the real Christ was. And they know, you know, they know this passage, right? OK, this is why he says this to them. Back to to Matthew 22. He said in verse 45, if David then called him Lord, how is he his son? So it's a part of the mystery of godliness that they just don't understand, do they? So they're just like, how on how are they even going to answer this? And no man was able to answer him a word. Neither does any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. So he's just dealt with three different attacks here, and then he just smashes them and they're done. And now this is a great chapter of the Bible, isn't it? Just to show just just, I don't know, just so, so amazing, isn't he? And the more you read this stuff, the more you like look into it deeply like this study, the more you just start to kind of just get to know more about Jesus Christ. It's just amazing. And again, no one can write this stuff. It's just impossible, let alone for it all to just marry up. Just talk about talk about marriage, just like the marriage stuff of the Lamb and marrying up with like the Book of Revelation and marrying up with other verses out of Isaiah and other places to talk about this unity, the marriage, you know, and everything else. And obviously, Ephesians five and all these things, just it's just amazing. Absolutely. It's awe inspiring. And I love Bible studies because you just you're just seeing this like week by week, just all just this amazing stuff in there and ultimately how Jesus Christ dealt with wicked people. So they tried to ask the difficult questions. He deals with all them and asked one in return. And kind of there we go, false prophets smashed. And and and along the way there, he kind of gave, you know, a good truth, didn't he, really, to that kind of scribe or lawyer, whatever you want to call him, who maybe in the meantime, maybe went away and thought about that a bit more and everything else. So anyway, on that, we're going to finish up and pray. Father, I thank you for well, I thank you for your word. Thank you for just a great, great chapter in the Bible there. Just so many great truths and just watching Jesus Christ in action there through your word and just just dealing with these wicked people. And of course, you know, that's the battle that we're in as well. You know, we battle not against flesh and blood, but, you know, it's these principalities and powers. And, you know, the spiritual wickedness in high places and the rulers of the darkness of this world and this sort of thing and these sort of like devils just coming to try and tear us down, to entangle us, to catch us in our words, to discredit us, to get us into trouble, to do many different things like we're seeing here, to take disciples after themselves and all this sort of stuff. And and you just, you know, we just see a great example of the Lord Jesus Christ dealing with it without having to. You know, he didn't have to get physical. He didn't have to, you know, start screaming all sorts. He just just dealt with them, you know, through the word of God, Lord. And, you know, we just, you know, we want you to help us to be more like him. Help us to learn from this. Help us to get to know our Bibles more so we can deal with this sort of false doctrine with these attacks, with these ways of people trying to bring us down. Help us to be a strong church. Lord, please protect us. Please help us to have a good end to the end of the week. Help us to all get here on Sunday for another day in your house. In Jesus' name, for all of this. Amen.