Glen Bond
Picayune, MS
Sunday July 15, 2007

Subject : 


Luke 4:16-30
4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 
 
4:17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 
 
4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
 
4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 
 
4:20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 
 
4:21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 
 
4:22  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 
 
4:23  And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 
 
4:24  And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 
 
4:25  But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 
 
4:26  But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 
 
4:27  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 
 
4:28  And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 
 
4:29  And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 
 
4:30  But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 



Look at vs 22

4:22  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

All of the people loved the words that he spoke.
He spoke about delivering the captives, he spoke about recovering of sight. 
He said that salvation was come to them.
They all wondered at the gracious words he spoke.

Are you like this tonight?
I tell you that Christ died for you. Isn't that a gracious thought.
That you can be saved?

These people loved what he said.
But look what happened... he put his finger on a rotten spot in their life.
He told them how they had rejected God.
He told them that they would not accept him.
He told them of their unbelief.
They should have hung their head in shame and asked for forgiveness.
But instead, they wanted to kill him.

Is this what you are doing?
When the Lord puts his finger on a rotten spot in your life, are you confessing it
and asking for the Lords help? or are you getting mad and saying "I won't have this man to rule over me".

That is what these people did, and if you are not saved, that is what you are doing.
You are rejecting Christ. You want to get rid of him. You won't have him.

Look at Matt. 
   13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. 

You are not saved because of your unbelief.

James 2:14-20
   14   What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
   15   If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
   16   And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
   17   Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
   18   Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
   19   Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
   20   But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Do you have any faith?
Is your faith dead?

...The devils also believe, and tremble.
They tremble, this is their works. They believe, and TREMBLE.
You believe and don't tremble.
Why don't you tremble?

2 reasons:

1 - You really have no faith, you don't believe that there is a God.
2 - Your faith is dead.

If you believe that there is a God who will "judge the quick and the dead"
Then you should know that he will judge according to the LAW, and that you have not kept the law, therefore, you are condemned.
If you are condemned, you know that you are condemned to an eternal hell...
Why don't you tremble?

It is because you don't believe.
You don't believe that there is a God who will judge you or save you. 


   Mark 5:25 
      25   And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
      26   And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
      27   When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
      28   For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
      29   And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

This woman believed, and her works by her faith made her whole.
She believed that she would be healed by Christ and she came and only touched his clothes.
But notice one thing, this woman had a need.
She had a need that no one else could fill.

Do you have a need that no one else is able to help you with.
If someone else is able to help you, you will never come to Christ.
If someone else is able to help you, you don't need Christ.
But if no one else is able to help you, you can come to Him and he is willing and able to help you.
You can come, but you won't. 
Why?
What if this woman would not have came to him?
She would have suffered much more and probably died much sooner.
It's about the same with you.
You will suffer much more when you die the second death in Hell.

Look at this:

Salvation is like the man seeking pearls:
   Matt. 13:45
      45   Again, the kingdom of heaven (or salvation) is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
      46   Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

He believed that this was a good pearl. He had faith.
He went and bought it, that is, he acted on his faith.
If he had only said, "That is a good pearl, I wish I had it", then his faith would have been dead.
But he acted, he did something about it.

you must believe that there is a God and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:6   But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Do you believe that God will save you if you come to him?

def.- diligent: careful; painstaking; not careless or negligent.
          Interestedly and perseveringly attentive; steady and earnest in application to a subject or pursuit;