Hunter, Jack: I Will Follow Thee ~ Deep Cove

Luke's gospel, please, chapter nine. Luke chapter nine, commencing at verse fifty-seven. Luke nine, verse fifty-seven. It came to pass, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Oxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Did Did you you know? note in the reading that the first man was a volunteer? Did you note in the reading that the second man was a conscript? Did you notice in the reading that the third man was a volunteer? It's one of those scenes at the roadside. Men are moved by listening to Christ. The first man jumps forward and he says, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. Would you take that commitment? The second man, Christ says, follow me. The man's no option. There's no way out. We don't like this, but it happened. Happened with Matthew. Follow me. The sovereign Lord exercises his sovereignty and demands that a man take the road. We don't like that sort of thing. The third man, he comes forward with his claim. Now let's look at him, shall we? Right down immediately now, please, to verse fifty seven. Now listen to this man. Lord, I w- Now listen to this man. Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. Contrary to the expositors, please, I accept it as bona fide. This man's in the middle of the road, oblivious to everyone else. He says, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. The Lord said, now listen now, now remember this, that the foxes have their homes and the birds of the air have theirs, but I have none. Remember, if you're going to follow me, you're following a man that's rejected by the world, a man that's a stranger, a man that's not accepted here. Now, just a minute, please. You'll need to allow me a little time here for textual exposition. Drop your eye again to the close of fifty seven. Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. Got it? Now listen. Lord, the assertion of lordship. Lord, I, the assertion of submission. Lord, I will, the assertion of dedication, consecration. Lord, I will follow thee, the assertion of sovereignty. Lord, I will follow thee whether so ever, the assertion of location. Lord, I will follow thee whether so ever thou goest, the assertion of leadership. I want to talk to you about these things. Lord. We're suffering from deficient gospel preaching. This idea that you come to him as Jesus now and later on acknowledge him as Lord is not apostolic preaching. Al- apostolic preaching is a presentation of Christ as Lord, and that involves saviourhood. You read the early chapters of the Acts. Remember Romans ten and nine? you've known since you were a little boy or girl? Some of us hardly ev- never knew that we were saved. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord. That is, in dealing with anyone, you give them to understand if you accept this message, if you believe in this savior, then you'll need to abdicate the throne of your life, and Christ will need to ascend. He's not Lord at all if he's not Lord of all. Is that right? Jesus Christ is Lord. Many years ago in our country, you could sail down the River Clyde. On the steamer, you would walk around this, and suddenly you would come to a door, and it was locked. Or you had come to a chain across, and it was padlocked. You weren't allowed there. But suddenly a man appeared in gold braid, and he took out a key, and he opened the door. Or another key, and he would open the padlock. Please tell me, what's the difference between the man with gold braid and yours truly? Well, very simple. He's the captain on the boat, he can go where he likes, I'm only a passenger. Now tell me, please, in God's name, is Christ in your life as a captain or a passenger? Are there places that he can't go, he's not allowed, you don't let him in? Or is he Lord of all? Unrivaled and supreme. Acknowledged and owned. Lord, Lord, the assertion of Lord. Ah, this gospel come to Jesus and they'll solve all your problems, not in the New Testament. You'll probably have a lot more problems. Lord, I. Here's the assertion of submission. It's the Lord and I, as if there were no one else. Absorbed, taken up with Christ, forgetting everybody else on the road, he bows and says, Lord, I. The assertion, the assertion of submission. This is not the assertion of pride. You remember the big Pharisee that you condemned? You remember five times he used the personal pronoun I. God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. Where did he learn that? This personal pronoun I. I'll tell you, he learned it from his father. You say, how'd you make that out? He learned it from his father, the devil. He used it once. In the greatest attempted takeover bid the universe has ever known. Satan said, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit upon the mount of the congregation on the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high. Oh, this awful I. This man submitted. And he'll trace it out for us. Lord, I, Lord, I will, I will follow. Have you reached that? No matter the cost price. You'll accept this assertion of consecration, of dedication. Have you made up your mind that now that you've converted, that the man who died on Calvary for you and rose again and lives to sustain you, you'll give your life to him completely, without reserve, without question? You'll bow and you'll say, Lord, I will. I will. Mind you, you'll be tested on it. It's not the first engagement has been broken, and the young man or young woman decided that they were going to follow Christ and Jesus. Watch now. He says, Lord, I will follow. The assertion of dedication, the assertion of consecration. I will follow. But just a minute. Supposing he follows Christ, where's he going? Listen to me now. He's going to Gethsemane. He's going to Gobata. He's going to Golgotha. If you follow this man, you'll need to follow him into the garden. Do you know anything about Gethsemane? I know these disciples slept. Would you follow today? Come on now. And you'll remember, oh yes, he left the disciples at the gate and went on alone. Would you allow me? Would you, would you follow without going to sleep? Will you kneel down beside him? Would you prostrate yourself? Maybe you don't do this sort of thing. I don't know. Lying in this, in the presence of God. Don't you believe the brethren that tell you that the conflict was between the devil and Christ? Not at all. He was going through in spirit what he would touch at Calvary. And as you, as you go down beside the Christ, you notice the blood-like sweat, concentrated. You'll never, you'll never know what he knew, but maybe in the mercy of God you'll reach the same end. You'll come to an end of yourself, and you'll say, not my will. It's the hardest thing I know. The hardest thing I know, to lie in the presence of God, lying down prostrate. Say, oh God, thy will be done and thine alone. You're fit now to go to the judgment call. You're following. They're giving their verdict, and they're all against Christ. I told you the other night, they've never reversed it. They don't want him. He's going out. If you're going to follow, you'll need to go the extra mile. You'll need to walk to Calvary. You'll need to look at that man dying. You'll need to face up to the cross and decide that you too will die for others. You'll pour out your life, you'll sacrifice it completely, that others might be blessed. When you're going down, you'll lift them up. Is that Calvary? Where the times are set there, these meetings. The way to go up is to go down, and the way to win is to lose. The way to victory is through seeming defeat. Didn't I tell you about the folks that came from America to Kilmarnock? With their drama and their band. I read it in the paper. They had come to show the young Christians of Kilmarnock and the young folks of Kilmarnock about how there was fun in Christianity. They brought a couple along with them that they advertised as Christian comedians. They were going to tell them off. Listen now, look, look at it. Not much fun at Calvary. Come on now. There's maybe a lot of joy in Christianity, there's not nothing about fun. As you look at it, that kind of things of the devil, it's destructive. It does not take into account the holiness of God, the awfulness of sin, the terribleness of divine judgment. Fails to recognize that men have said no to God. I tell you, there's not much fun in carrying a cross and being crucified. You take stock today, won't you? He says, I will follow thee. Lord, I will follow thee. The assertion of his sovereignty. Where you go, I'll go. Now, this is interesting. You see, in John's gospel yonder, you know, how, how a thing is down in the Bible and how, how, how, how it affects you and is received by you may be two different things. In John's gospel, it doesn't say, where I am, there shall my law be. Oh, not at all. It says, the law says, where I am, there shall my servant be. I will follow thee. She was coming out of the movies. The young sister. And as she come out the door of the cinema, her brother walked past. Never mind who he was. So he looked at her. She hesitated for a moment, and then she said, you know, Mr. So-and-so, I can take the Lord with me to the cinema. And he said, tell me, when did the Lord become your property to take him anywhere? I tell you, he doesn't go to these places. You may go, but he doesn't go. And that'll go for your hockey match and your baseball match. And you can sit at home and enjoy it without the guilt of association and think it's all right because you're not at it. You're feeding your soul in the same thing as the man of the world. I will follow thee whithersoever. The assertion of location. That's just not easy. Location is just to be where God wants you to be. And if he'll follow you, he'll take you there. So that if you're in Vancouver, you're in Vancouver for God. The same as if I'm in Kilmarnock, I'm in Kilmarnock for God. I wasn't always in Kilmarnock. I can remember a time when it was obvious through a communication that things were going to change. The location was being changed. And ultimately we moved to Kilmarnock. I've spent most of my life there. I'd leave tomorrow if God wants. The assertion of location. When you start out on this road, there's no saying where you'll end. Some of us never ever thought we would cross seas. I will follow thee whithersoever. There was a wreck lying off the Atlantic coast. They called out the lifeboat. The captain lined up his men to give instructions. Suddenly, the youngest member of the crew spoke up, white and frightened looking, for it was a terrible night. He said, sir, the wind's offshore and the tide's running out. If we go out tonight, we'll never get back. If we'll never get back. The captain looked at him and his, and his eyes swept the crew, and he raised, he raised his arm and he said, gentlemen, gentlemen, we've got to go. We needn't come back. We've got to go. We needn't come back. Oh, this, this daring for Christ, this sacrificing everything among the altar. Ah, brethren, Christ and Paul know nothing of self-preservation. You all know of the five young men, don't you? They gazed over the river where the Oke Indians were. And they felt the compulsion to go over and take the gospel to them. Some of them were married, little family. But they felt they had to go. My brethren, they never came back. They never came back. Many are lonely grave bears witness and testimony to a life of sacrifice. The Bible talks about men that have hazarded their lives for the Lord Jesus. What we want to give, as long as it doesn't hurt. We give out of our superfluity and we never feel it. And the blood never flows. We have no objection to working all the overtime in the world, but no overtime for Christ. How about dropping a few thousands or few dollars a year and leaving those time to do something for the Lord and to trust the Lord? Gave it all. He gave it at thirty three years of age. I I will will talk. follow thee whithersoever thou goest. He's in front, you were following behind. You know, the Bible's like that. The Bible will talk about men sent by God and Christ. Isn't that right? And they'll talk about people following Christ. The Bible's full of these paradoxes. All right then. You're prepared to follow me. He welcomes the heart that is dedicated and consecrated. But remember this, there's no place for you here. No place here. The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has no place. Isn't that right? No room in the system for Christ. Well, well. Room in the sister- system for Caesar the king. Room in the system for Pilate the governor. Room in the system for Judas the traitor. But no room for Christ. There's no room in system for you either. If you're going to be loyal and devoted to the Son of God, there's no place in the system. He said, if they hated me, they hate, they'll hate you. Look at the second man. Oh, he's five. The Lord looks at him and he says, follow me. Follow me. Follow me. You've got that. That's the primary thing. The primary thing is not following your career. The primary thing is following God. And he said, Lord, Lord, suffer me first to go and... Oh no, oh no. Listen to the third man just a moment now. Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first. No! Second and third man are saying, Lord, then they say me first. Come on now. Is that a picture of you? You're saying, Lord. All the time. Number one's paramount. You're making sure. You can't call him Lord and say me first. Let me first go and bury my father. Those who travel out there tell us that... the possibility was his father wasn't dead. What he wanted to do was wait on and look after his father and get the inheritance, and then he would go. You don't need money to serve and follow Christ. Come on. Let the spiritual dead bury the physical dead. You go and preach. The Kingdom of God is paramount. Do you believe it? Did Christ not teach, seek first the Kingdom of God and all that you're looking for will be added to you, all that you need? Now God's been good to us all, hasn't he? Now let's be honest. I'm not throwing bricks or stones at you, God knows. He's given us far more than ever we deserve. We're a big middle class community. Little wonder these folks think it's a, it's a, it's a secret society. And this last man. He says, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. Well, well, well, well, did you get all this? At home at my house. My home, my house. My folks. Let me go and bid. This boy wanted a farewell meeting before he went. At least we got a farewell meeting when we're finished. He wanted a farewell meeting before he went. No one putting their hands to the plow and turning back. Oh, there are rules. You put your hand to the plow, isn't that right? There's the par, and you look back and you think... Consecration, concentration, dedication. Never mind what's going on around you, get on with the job. I'm choosing not what it was. Things are bad there. Some of the assemblies are not keeping, keeping up with the death rate. Extinction. Why don't you call a meeting for prayer and confession and repentance? For chance that God might be gracious and come in and help. Why go on without shedding tears, breaking your heart, or losing sleep as if everything was all right and the things dying around you? Brethren, we've come to help you, you know that. Lord. Lord, I will follow. Prepare for it. My glorious victor, prince divine, clasp these surrendered hands in mine. At length my will is all thine own, glad vassal of a savior's throne. Master, lead me to the door. Pierce this now willing ear once more. Thy bonds are freedom. Let me stay with thee to toil, endure. Take them, Lord, ear and hand and thought and will and use in thy dear slavery still. They belong to us. I tell you, if God works today and today, over these meetings, you've heard all these things from Brother Baker and our brother Malcolm here and myself. We've come from the presence of God, with heart smitten, wishing to God he wouldn't ask us to say things. Take the easy way out. God help me. God bless you. God give you courage. God give you that spirit of sacrifice, blood red. Then he'll lift you up. Lift you up in the strength of resurrection. So we go our way. It's been good to have been here. To meet old friends and make new friends. Brethren, it's all written in high. I tell you, the preachers will meet it one day up there. Grant that when that day comes, we'll hear them say, well done. Good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy law. Let us pray. Our Father, we bow very humbly. Our hearts are touched. Our spirits are stirred. Oh God, we love thee. We love thy son. We love thy spirit. Help us to love one another. Give us a desire to follow thee, whether so ever, home or abroad, just here or there. Remembering, O God, that every place is sanctified where thou art. So teach us and continue to teach us thy truth. We commend thy people to thee, the saints, the assemblies. O God, where'er our lot is cast, so use us for thy glory and good, the good and blessing of others. Lord, hear our cry as we place it before the throne. Answer, O God, in thy sovereignty and in thy mercy. Grant that we might never forget these times together. We spread it all before thee and give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Just a couple of verses, please, while they clear the chairs at the top of the stairs there. Savior, thy dying love, thou gavest me, nor should I aught withhold my Lord from thee. Help me the cross to bear, thy wondrous love to bear, some song to raise or prayer, something, something, something for. Maybe we could rise and sing the first and third verses only, please, and the meeting's over.