Genesis: Creation, Fall, and Dominion

Despised Truths - Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2014-05-21

Synopsis: John Weaver introduces the concept of despised truths, showing from Scripture that individuals, nations, and even believers can despise God's Word and God Himself. He then focuses on the first despised truth: fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ. Using Luke 4 and other passages, he demonstrates that neither physical descent from Abraham, nor fleshly relationship to Christ, nor human merit gives anyone a right to the sovereign Lord. Christ is God, sovereign and free, and sinners must come to Him as beggars seeking mercy.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles tonight to the book of Luke chapter 4. Luke chapter 4. Let me tell you that I will start the message tonight and finish it tomorrow night. Tonight will be more introduction and one point and the remainder of the message will be mainly tomorrow night. But the title of the message is Despised Truths. Despised Truths. So if you look in Luke chapter 4, I want us to read verses 16 through 30. Luke chapter 4, verse 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. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he opened the book, he found the place where it is written.

[John Weaver] The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance of the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book and he gave it again to the minister and sat down and the eyes of all of them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

[John Weaver] And he began to say to them, this day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bear him witness, and wonder at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? And he said unto them, You will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself. Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

[John Weaver] But I tell you of a truth. Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. But in none of them was Elijah sent, save as a rep to the city of Sidon, and to a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them were cleansed, saving Nahum and the Syrian.

[John Weaver] And they all in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way." The title of the message, as I told you, is Despised Truths. Despising truth is a concept that is foreign to the mind of any real Christian. We really cannot conceive of anyone who is a real child of God, or really anyone for that matter, despising truth. and especially despising the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the God of truth. And yet the Bible says this in Isaiah 53 in verse three, talking about Christ.

[John Weaver] He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hit as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not.

[John Weaver] Now, throughout biblical history, There have been given numerous illustrations of men who despise God. They not only despise God, but they despise His worship and His service and everything about Him. I suppose the first example that is given in the Bible is that of Esau. The Bible tells you in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 16 that he was a profane person. And yet the Bible says in Genesis 25 and verse 34, Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he did eat and drink and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. Now you have to remember that Esau was the oldest son. The birthright not only meant he was to be the head of the the clan, the family clan.

[John Weaver] He also would get a double portion of the inheritance because he'd be responsible for taking care of his elderly parents. But also in line with that was the lineage of Jesus Christ. And so he despised all of that and sold it for a morsel of meat, the Bible says. So it's possible then for individuals to despise God and despise his truth. But what many people have a difficult time in understanding, it is also equally possible for an entire nation to despise God and His Word.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in your Bibles, whole Luke 4, but go if you would please to Leviticus chapter 26. Leviticus chapter 26, and notice if you would verse 43. We'll be looking at a number of passages right quickly, just to establish this one principle. But in Leviticus chapter 26 and verse 43, God is saying this concerning Israel. He says, The land also shall be left of them and shall enjoy her sabbaths while she lie desolate without them.

[John Weaver] That is, he will send them away into captivity. And they shall accept the punishment of their iniquity. Why? Because even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred or hated my statutes." So God says here is an entire people who despised my judgments and my laws. Their soul abhorred. Anytime you see the word abhor in the Bible, it is a very strong word for hatred. It literally means extreme hatred. They abhorred my statutes. You know, one of the most difficult things for you and I really to consider and to accept Is the fact and the reality that it is true? That even Christians. Can despise the word of God? You say I don't see how that is possible.

[John Weaver] Well, let me ask you. If David. Who was considered a man after God's own heart? despised God's Word and despised God himself. Is it not possible for those of us who may not be as holy as David could end up despising his Word as well? Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 12. 2 Samuel chapter 12. Everyone knows the story how David committed adultery with Bathsheba.

[John Weaver] He also had her husband Uriah the Hittite killed with the sword of the children of Ammon. There are many other sins that he actually committed against Uriah as well. But if you look in 2 Samuel chapter 12, when God sends Nathan to confront David, look what he says. Look in verse 9. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart out of thine house, look, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife." Now, if you look back in verse 9, David is asked, wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord? Now, he says in verse Eleven or verse 10. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart out of thine house because thou has despised me.

[John Weaver] I want you to understand something. Any time that we despise the word of God at the same time, we're despising the God of the word. I pointed out last night, it is impossible to maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward his word. No, they stand or fall together. And if you look, if you would please, at verse 9 again, God asks, Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Any time anyone despises the word of God, the ultimate result and outcome is going to be doing evil in the sight of God. Now, let me just try to clear this up for you, because, you know, You said, well, Brother Weaver, as a Christian, I don't really despise the Word of God. I believe the Word of God. I love the Word of God.

[John Weaver] But have you ever stopped to think about this? When you do something that you know that is contrary to God's Word. And you're going to do it anyhow. What are you doing? You're despising the Word of God. You're saying, Lord, I'm going to do what I want to do regardless. You're despising. That's what David did. David despised the word of the Lord. Consequently, he ended up despising God.

[John Weaver] So it's not that we just sit here and say, well, I despise all of it. No, no, no. We pick and choose because here's something that we really want to do that we know that's wicked and wrong. And God said, if we go ahead and do that, that is not only despising his word, it is despising him as well. Why? Because we're setting our own will and our own desires and our own pleasures above God.

[John Weaver] So, basically, we are idolaters. Now, I want you to turn to Isaiah chapter 5. Again, I'm showing you it's not just individuals, even godly individuals, but also sometimes it's entire nations that despise God and His Word. So, in the book of Isaiah chapter 5, look, if you would, please, at what God says in verse 24. Isaiah 5 and verse 24.

[John Weaver] Now, remember, He's talking about Judah and Jerusalem. This whole chapter is about Judah and Jerusalem. In fact, if you look in verse 3, he said, and now inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, who took me in my vineyard. So he's talking about Judah and Jerusalem. So if you'll skip down to verse 24, he says, therefore, is the fire devoured the stubble and the flame consumed the chaff.

[John Weaver] So their roots shall be as rottenness and their blossoms shall go up as dust. Why? because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Remember, I showed you the passage last night from Second Chronicles, chapter 36, where the Bible said when God had compassion on his people, he sent his messengers. But what did the people do? They despised the messengers of God and his word. And the Bible says the wrath of God arose against them until there was no remedy, just simply for despising the Word of God. If you look in the book of Amos chapter 2 and verse 4, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Amos 2 and verse 4, and look, if you would, what God says again to Judah and Jerusalem. Look carefully now, Amos chapter 2, verse 4, Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Judah and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies cause them to err after which their fathers have

[John Weaver] walked." Note if you would, God says, I'm not going to turn away their punishment because they have despised the law of the Lord. So it's possible then, not only for individuals, unsaved individuals, to despise the Word of God, it's possible for saved individuals to despise the Word of God. It's possible for entire nations to despise the Word of God. And in Ezekiel 22 and verse 8, God even charged His own priests with despising him. He said in Ezekiel 22 in verse eight, Thou hast despised my holy things and hast profaned my sabbaths. So all through the Bible, God is speaking about individuals who despise his word.

[John Weaver] Now, have you ever read Proverbs chapter one and you consider the awful judgment of God against those people in that passage? Let me tell you why God is going to judge the wicked so profusely. He said in Proverbs 1 in verse 30, they would have none of my counsel. They despised all of my reproof. They wouldn't listen to God. God said, therefore, they're going to cry to me and I'm not going to listen to them. I will destroy them. So it's possible then for individuals and nations to despise the word of God, it's possible For professing Christians despise the Word of God. In fact, in Proverbs 5 in verse 12, Solomon says this. After the man has sinned, he must say, how have I hated instruction and my soul despise reproof?

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Do you know what the penalty was in the Old Testament? For despising the Word of God. It was death. It was death. I want you to turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. And look, if you would, what the Bible says in verses 28 and 29. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 28 and 29. I'm going to start showing you despised truth just momentarily. But look at Hebrews chapter 10, verse 28. The Bible says, he that despised Moses's law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. So in the Old Testament, when Moses issued the law that was given by God, it was actually God's law was given through Moses. When Moses issued it and people violated, they despised it, they would not keep it, they would not obey it. The penalty was death. Now watch verse 28 again. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.

[John Weaver] Of how much sorer or worse punishment! Suppose you shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite it in the spirit of grace."

[John Weaver] Now, here's the reasoning in this passage. If the death penalty was given to those who despised the written word Under Moses, how much worse judgment is asked if one despises the living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow. The penalty for despising in the Old Testament was death, and it should be worse. In the New Testament, because now we're not just despising the written word, but the living word as well.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn back to Luke chapter four. Just get ready, because I'm showing you that people may despise God's word and consequently despise God. Let me ask you something about anger. These folks in Luke chapter four got exceedingly angry. Have you ever been angry? And I know that you have been. Oh, let me ask you this question. Have you ever. Experienced an unbiblical anchor?

[John Weaver] And the answer is, oh, yeah, oh, yeah. Do you realize there is a difference between an unbiblical anger and a biblical anger? You know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Let me just quote it. He says, Be ye angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So there is a way to be righteously angry. There is a way to be biblically angry and not sin. Most of the time, our anger is not a righteous anger. It is not a biblical anger. It is an unrighteous and an unbiblical anger. Well, how do we know the difference? How can we discern which is a righteous anger, which is an unrighteous anger? Well, it's really very simple. You see, an unbiblical or an unrighteous anger will always manifest itself in one of two ways. The first way most of us are very familiar with. It's what I would term a volcanic eruption. You know how volcanic volcano all of a sudden just start spurting out the magma, the heat and the rock and the lava and all this kind of stuff.

[John Weaver] Hey. You know, that's exactly what happens to individuals when they get so angry, they just blow up and cuss everybody out and tell them off and holler and scream. And very obviously, it's close to a volcanic eruption. That's an unbiblical anger. Another way that you can tell it's non-biblical anger is this. It's not a volcanic eruption, but rather it is an internalization. It's like if Kevin made me angry.

[John Weaver] I could look at him and smile. And on the inside, I could be saying, hmm, you just wait, big boy, your time is coming. I'm going to nail you. And I'm smiling the whole time. And I keep internalizing that anger, and I'm getting so upset, it's basically eating my insides out. In fact, there's a wonderful book that's been in print for years, Dr. S.I. MacMillan, a little paperback book, None of These Diseases, and he shows how an untypical anger actually creates medical problems in your system.

[John Weaver] Colitis, Ulcers, all kinds of it because you internalize. And it just eats you up. You see, a biblical anger always deals with sin or it deals with the problem. So if there's a problem that exists between Kevin and I, if I'm righteously angry, then I'm angry at the sin and I'm going to do what's necessary. To make sure there's repentance and reconciliation in that sin is dealt with.

[John Weaver] I don't blow up at him. I don't internalize it in my own heart, in my own life. No. I just say, this is the problem. This is a sin. Let's deal with it and let's get on with our lives.

[John Weaver] Now, each one of us understands that unrighteous anger is sin. It's wicked. It's wrong. It's ungodly. One of the big problems with an unrighteous anger is that it usually gets out of control. So let me ask you. Have you ever been angry enough to fight? I've seen my father who's been dead close to 20 years now. But I saw him. Ready to fight only two times in my life. One time.

[John Weaver] was over a man who was abusing me and my sister. And believe it or not, he was a dentist. And my father caught him by the shirt and held him up against the wall. And he said, if you ever touch my children again, you'll be sorry. Actually, he said something else. You know, the only other time I saw my father ready to fight, I was in the courthouse with him.

[John Weaver] There was a big meeting of all the farmers. Now, the county agent stood up and he called my father a liar. My dad never said a word. He just stood up and started walking straight to that county agent. And when he got about six feet away, the county agent started backtracking, said, oh, no, no, no. I've got to apologize. It was not Mr. Weaver that lied. I'm the one that lied. And when he said that, dad just turned around and came back and sat down in his seat.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you this question. Have you ever been angry enough to murder? These people in Luke 4 were angry enough to murder, they tried to murder. You see, this is where an unbiblical anger really gets out of control. And those who have no control over their anger inevitably end up suffering the consequences. Just in the last three months, I read about two murders. One, a father murdered his grown son because his son would not get cable television for him. And the second one, the son, a grown son, murdered his father because they were fighting over the remote control. You can go online, you can read newspapers and you can find people have murdered each other over a quarter, over some small, insignificant amount. It's all because of an unbiblical anger. Now, the people of Nazareth, became so angry with Jesus Christ simply because He told them two stories, which I will tell you about tomorrow night. He told them two stories that they had heard about all of their lives. And they became so angry, they took Him and was willing to push Him over the cliff and murder Him.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look at verse 16. Look in Luke 4, verse 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. Now skip down to verse 29. And rose up, that is the people, all the people in the synagogue, according to verse 28, they rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. So the question is. Why did these people at Nazareth become so angry that they were willing to murder an innocent man? What was it that made them angry?

[John Weaver] Christ simply told them two stories that they had known since they were children. They knew these stories. Yet upon hearing them from Christ, they became so enraged and so inflamed and so insist that they were willing to murder Christ. So you have to ask this question, what was it about these stories that set them off. What was it that they finally grasped or finally understood that they had never understood before in hearing these stories told?

[John Weaver] What was it they really did not want to hear? Well, the same truths that enraged and incensed the people of Nazareth. still enrage and incense people today. People do not like these truths. But dislike and despisement does not change reality. The sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth is the determiner of reality and not fallen man. Men may despise the truth. They may dislike the truth, but they cannot overthrow the truth or destroy the truth. So. What is the very first thing I want to share with you tonight to show you that is a despised truth?

[John Weaver] It's found right here in Luke chapter four, and that is this. Listen carefully. Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ. Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ, not in and of himself. Look in verse 16. And he came to Nazareth. where he had been brought up. One must remember that Nazareth was the hometown of Jesus. You say, but he was born in Bethlehem. I understand that. But Nazareth was his hometown. Because in Matthew 2 and verse 23, the Bible says, And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophets, he shall be called a Nazarene. By the way, Christ was a Nazarene, which means he was from the city of Nazareth.

[John Weaver] He was not a Nazarite. A Nazarite took a vow. There's a Nazarite vow, but a Nazarene is someone from the city of Nazareth. Adam Clark said this concerning Nazareth. He said, it is likely that our Lord lived principally in this city till the 30th year of his age. But after he entered his public ministry, his usual place of residence was at the house of Peter in Capernaum.

[John Weaver] John Gale said it like this. Nazareth is where he was conceived, though not born, and where he had his education and wrought it a trade and was well known to the inhabitants. and therefore it was proper that he should first exercise his ministry and obtain a character in other places which would prepare him a reception among his townsmen who otherwise in all likelihood would have treated him at once with neglect and contempt. So Christ was raised in Nazareth. Now you would tend to think that the people of Nazareth would really want to claim Christ. You would tend to think they would really want him because, hey, he's our hometown boy. Look what he's been doing. But that's not so. I want you to turn to 2 Samuel, whole Luke 4, but turn to 2 Samuel chapter 19 and let me show you how the people of Israel were actually fighting over David. You have to remember.

[John Weaver] That in this passage, Absalom had run his own father off the throne and had tried to kill him. There was a war and Absalom was killed. So now David is going to be brought back to Jerusalem and reestablish the kingdom and be enthroned again. And look what happened, 2 Samuel 19, beginning there with verse 41. And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen thee away, and have brought the king in this household, and all David's men with him over Jordan? And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, because the king is near of kin to us.

[John Weaver] Wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? Have we at all of the king's cost, or hath he given us any gift? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts of the king, and we have also more right in David than you. Why then did you despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel."

[John Weaver] So they're fighting over the fact. We wanted to bring it back. You would think the people of Nazareth would be fighting over Christ. But the truth is. They really didn't want him. They could care less about him. In fact, I'm going to show you. They were offended with him. They were upset with him. I want you to go, if you would, whole Luke 4, but turn to Matthew chapter 13 and verse 54. Matthew 13 in verse 54, then we'll go to Mark 6. We'll look at Matthew chapter 13 in verse 54.

[John Weaver] This is an amazing statement. I want you to understand. What is said here, Matthew 13, verse 54, and when he was coming to his own country. He taught them in their synagogue in so much as they were astonished and said, let's have this man, this wisdom and these mighty works. Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas and his sisters?

[John Weaver] Are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, saving his own country and his own house. Look in Mark chapter 6, if you would. Beginning there with verse 1. Mark chapter 6. Notice this was his own country, which would be Nazareth where he had been brought up. Here it is again. Mark 6 verse 1, and he came from Thess, and came into his own country, and his disciples followed him.

[John Weaver] And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing him were astonished, saying, For whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hand? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, Jude, and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?

[John Weaver] And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief, and he went around the villages teaching." So the people of Natrop then were actually incensed at our Lord's knowledge, at His power, and at His wisdom. Here's basically what happened. Our Lord goes there and He begins teaching. And they begin looking around saying, whoa, wait a minute.

[John Weaver] Who does he think he is? Where did he get all this wisdom? Who does he think he's coming here trying to teach us? He's trying to straighten us out. We know him. We know his father, we know his mother, we know his brothers, we know his sisters. Who does he think he is coming here trying to teach us like this? I mean, let's be honest. They not only did not want to claim Him, they were offended at Him.

[John Weaver] They wanted to ignore Him. Do you realize, unhappily, that is the attitude of most people? I want to quote that verse again I quoted earlier. When I started preaching tonight, I quoted Isaiah 53 and verse 3. I want you to listen to this. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from him. Now listen, he was despised and we esteemed him not. What does that little phrase, and we esteemed him not, refer to?

[John Weaver] We didn't even think he was worth thinking about. Why should we waste our time over him? Who does he think he is? That was the attitude, not only of the people of Nazareth, but most people around then. Don't you understand something? Fallen man does not have a claim upon Christ. I'll show you this more tomorrow night. But even some individuals who tend to think They might have a claim upon Christ. No, they don't.

[John Weaver] You said, well, wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I am a physical descendant of Abraham. Oh. Guess what that means now? Zilch, zero, nothing. Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 3, Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist was preaching. He had a lot of these Sadducees and Pharisees and other people come to his preaching and do his baptism. In John chapter 3, beginning there in verse 7, look what our Lord tells us about John. John said this, but when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come.

[John Weaver] Bring forth therefore fruits, meat, or evidencing repentance. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children of Abraham.

[John Weaver] Now also as the axe is laid to the root of the tree, and therefore every tree which brings forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. What do you say? Don't even begin to say, We've got Abraham to our father. God is able to raise up stones to Abraham. You have nothing Special, unless you repent what John is saying, you will perish.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you this in greater detail, because even some who might think they might have a claim upon Christ in reality do not. For instance, in Matthew chapter 12, we'll see this in a couple of passages. Matthew chapter 12. Look at verses 46 through 50, Matthew 12, beginning there of verse 46. Matthew 12 verse 46, While he had talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without desiring to speak with him. Then one said of him, Behold, my mother and my brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee. In other words, stop what you're doing, get out there and talk to your mother and talk to your brothers. But he answered and said to them that told him, Who is my mother? And who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren, for whosoever shall do the will of my father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, my sister and my mother. What's he saying?

[John Weaver] Even the fleshly relatives of Christ had no claim upon him. Turn right over to Luke chapter eight. You'll see it again. Luke chapter eight, beginning there, verse 19. Luke eight, verse 19. Luke 8 verse 19. Then came to him his mother and his brethren and could not come at him for the press. Plenty of people around him. And it was told him by certain which said, thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to see thee. And he answered and said to them, my mother and my brethren are these who would hear the word of God and do it. What is he saying? I'll show you this from the Bible just momentarily, but he's saying all fleshly relationships are now basically null and void. Look in Luke 11. Luke 11. Look how our Lord very quickly straightens out this one woman.

[John Weaver] And by the way, if you want a passage that demonstrates that Mary idolatry is idolatry. Here it is. Luke chapter 11, beginning there, verse 27. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said of him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it." Wow. What did the woman try to say? The woman tried to say, Blessed is the woman who gave birth to you and blessed are those breasts that you nursed upon. Our Lord said, Ah! No, blessed rather are they that hear the word of God and keep it. Prayers to Mary are basically worthless.

[John Weaver] She has absolutely no influence upon Christ. And I'm going to probably make someone very upset when I say this, but Mary is not the mother of God. She is the mother of a human body of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ assumed that body, I want to show you something. Look back in your Bibles, Luke chapter one, Luke chapter one. I think this is the big difference between sound theology and what you might call idolatry. But look in your Bibles, Luke chapter one. I know the Catholics say that Mary is the mother of God. No, not so. Look in Luke chapter one, verse thirty five. In fact, let's begin reading there with verse thirty one. Watch what happens. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary. And he says in verse 31, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great and should be called the son of the highest. And the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father, David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom.

[John Weaver] There shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be seeing? I know not a man. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the high shall overshadow thee. Therefore, also that holy what's that next word? What's the next word that holy thing? Which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. What is the thing? The thing is just the human body that was shaped in the womb of Mary.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. Christ was God before he became incarnate. Christ was God. He is God. He always will be God. And Mary was not the mother of God. She was the mother of the body that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, assumed. and took upon himself. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 3, verse 16, listen carefully. And without all controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.

[John Weaver] God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. And without all controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you. I want you to turn to Philippians chapter 2. Look in Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2, beginning there with verse 5. I want you to see that Christ assumed the body. He took a human nature to himself. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Notice, if you would, Philippians chapter 2, beginning there with verse 5, the Bible says, Let this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, Thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation. And did what he took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Now, what does the Bible say in verse seven? He made himself of no reputation and did what he took upon himself. So he assumed that body that was being prepared in the womb of Mary. He took upon himself the form of a servant.

[John Weaver] So what is Christ? Christ is one person with two natures. He has a divine nature. He has a human nature. When Christ became incarnate, what he did was he assumed that nature, that body that was born through Mary. And thus he now has two natures, the divine and the human. But he's one God. He's one person. And the Bible says in Galatians four and verse four, but when the fullness of time was come, Notice what the Bible said. God sent for his son.

[John Weaver] Made of a woman made under the law. Wow, let me just show you a couple of verses. I want you to go to the book of John very quickly. John Chapter 10. Just showing you the language in the Bible that showing that the father sent the son and the son assumed Human nature and John chapter 10 and verse 36. Look what he said, John 10 verse 36. Say, give him whom the father has sanctified and sent into the world. What did the father do? He sent Christ into the world. Look in John chapter 16 and verse 28. John chapter 16 and verse 28. Look what Jesus Christ said. I came forth from the Father and am coming to the world. I came forth from the Father.

[John Weaver] Mary was not the mother of God. God assumed the human body that was produced in her womb. He was always God. You know what the Apostle Paul said? 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15. This is a faithful saying where they've all acceptation what the Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. I want you to look in Hebrews chapter one very quickly. Hebrews chapter one and look at verse six. Look what the Bible says concerning Christ. And again, when he bringeth into his first begotten into the world. He saith, and let all the angels of God worship him again when he bringeth the first begotten into the world. What did God do? He brought him into the world. How did he bring in the world when he assumed the body? It was produced by the Virgin Mary. Look in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse five. Hebrews 10 and verse five. Here's what our Lord says. Hebrews 10 verse five. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he says, sacrificing an offering that what is not but a body Has thou prepared me?

[John Weaver] So there was a body prepared for Christ and Christ assumed that body. You know what the Bible said in Isaiah nine, verse six, everybody quotes this verse, especially around Christmas time. Isaiah nine, six. Under you, a child is born. Under you, a son is given. So the son was given by the father. And yes, he assumed that body. In the womb of the Virgin Mary, because he was born according to the flesh in the lineage of David, it was our Lord's humiliation. And then he assumed that human nature. Mary may have been the instrument of our Lord's birth, and that birth was real and genuine. But our Lord was the Son sent from the Father who assumed that body that was produced by Mary.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn to Luke chapter 1 because I want you to see something that's vitally important. I want you to see Mary's confession and Elizabeth's confession as well. Because you remember, Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist. When Mary conceived. And went to her. Watch this and Luke chapter one beginning there with verse 26. And in the six months the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee named Nazareth. To a virgin, a spouse to a man whose name was Joseph of the House of David and the Virgin's name was Mary and the angel came in under her and said, hail thou that are highly favored.

[John Weaver] The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. An angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.

[John Weaver] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the high shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, by cousin Elizabeth she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who is called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias, and slew Elizabeth. And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe, that is John the Baptist, leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost."

[John Weaver] Now watch what Elizabeth says. And she spake with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? For lo, as soon as thy voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior."

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note something. Elizabeth confessed and acknowledged that the babe was her Lord. Mary now says, my soul doth magnify the Lord. So Mary is now confessing and acknowledging that that babe is her Lord. Here's my question. I want you to think about this. The word Lord and the Hebrew is Adonai and the Greek is Kyrios. The word Lord literally means boss, owner, master, sovereign. So Mary, the mother. Of the body of the Lord Jesus. Has acknowledged him As her Lord, as her boss, as her sovereign. Now, let me ask you, if Jesus Christ is sovereign. What possible influence could Mary have upon him? If Jesus Christ is sovereign.

[John Weaver] How can she persuade him? If Mary or anyone else can have influence upon Jesus Christ and persuade Him, in that case, He is not sovereign. If He is not sovereign, He is not God. If He is not God, then He is not Lord. The one attribute that demonstrates and proves that God is God is He is absolutely sovereign. Let me just quote Daniel 4 and verse 35. Here's what the Bible says in reference to God.

[John Weaver] And all the inhabitants of the world are reputed as nothing. And he, God, doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say of him what doest thou? What is the one attribute that shows that God is God? God is sovereign. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and always as He pleases. Why? Because He's God. He's the Sovereign of heaven and earth. If Jesus Christ is Lord, if He is Sovereign, no one can have any influence upon Him. He does as He pleases.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you an excellent example. I want you to turn to John chapter 5. I want you to look at this. John chapter 5. This is one of the best illustrations of our Lord's sovereignty in the entire New Testament. Watch it. John 5, beginning there with verse 2.

[John Weaver] Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. Now look at verse 3. In these, that is, in these five porches lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of water. For an angel went down in a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water. Whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, watch now, and knew that he had been now a long time, in that case he said unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, and said, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool.

[John Weaver] But while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked, and on the same day was a sabbath."

[John Weaver] Now let me just ask you some questions. How many people were in these five porches? A large multitude. How many of these people needed healing? All of them. How many of these people did our Lord heal? One. Did they not all need healing? Yeah. Could he not have healed all of them? Yes. But he didn't. Let me ask you, the man that he healed. Did he cry out for mercy? No.

[John Weaver] Did he recognize Jesus Christ? No. Christ just simply walked up to him and said, well, don't be made whole. Well, I don't have anybody help me get to the pool. Rise, take up your bed and walk. So here's my question. Why did Jesus Christ walk in the midst of all of these sick, impotent, lame folks who need healing? and single out one individual who did not even know Him, who did not cry for help, who did not recognize Him. Why did He single out this one man and heal him? Well, when the Jews got wind of this, that our Lord healed this man on the Sabbath, well, they were very upset. So they finally tracked Christ down.

[John Weaver] Look, if you would please, verse 15. The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. Now watch. But Jesus answered them, My father worketh hitherto and I work. Isn't that an amazing statement? My father worketh hitherto and I work. Now look. Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill him. Why? Because He not only had broken the Sabbath, that is their interpretation of it, but also said that God was His Father making Himself equal with God. They understood exactly what He meant when He said, My Father worketh hitherto and I work. What Christ was saying, as my Father's God, I am God.

[John Weaver] And they were very upset with Him. Now, here's my question. Why did Jesus Christ Walk into this multitude of sick, halted, laymen, blind folks and heal just one man. Why? Well, I want you to look down to verse 21 because the Bible is telling us. Look at it. John 5, verse 21. Our Lord says, for as the father raises up the dead and quickeneth them, now look. even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. So as the Father quickens whom He will, likewise the Son quickens whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man but that committeth all judgment of the Son. Why? Look, that all men should honor the Son even as or equally as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him." What did our Lord say?

[John Weaver] The one attribute that proves that God is God is he's absolutely sovereign. He raises up whom he will. And he said to demonstrate my sovereignty and demonstrate that I'm God, I walked in and I healed one man. I can do as I please. I'm God. That's what he's saying. And if you understand that Jesus Christ is God. You understand that fallen man has no claims upon him by nature, and they have no right to him by nature.

[John Weaver] Let me make some applications tie together for you. First of all, if the physical and earthly family of Jesus Christ had no claim upon him, how much less would we have a right to lay a claim upon him? We do not have the physical relationship that Mary had with him. Or James, or Joseph, or his sisters? No. Did you know that the half-brother of Jesus, James, is the author of the book of James? Do you know how James begins his book? Here's how he begins it. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. What? James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't claim to be the half-brother of Christ. And yet the Bible tells us in Galatians 1 in verse 19, Paul said, But of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. So James was an apostle, not one of the twelve originally, but he was later an apostle and he was the Lord's brother.

[John Weaver] And yet he claims nothing. He just says, I'm a servant. How would James say that? I want you to turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said. If you understand this passage, you will understand why James just simply described himself as a servant of God, because now the spiritual transcends the physical. The physical is nothing. Look in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5.

[John Weaver] And notice if you would please verse 16. Look what the Apostle Paul said. Second Corinthians 5 verse 16. Wherefore, henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth know we Him no more. What? Henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature.

[John Weaver] All things are passed away, all things will come to. What did he say? The physical has been done away with. The spiritual transcends the physical. If Jesus Christ was here physically on this earth and you could physically hear him speak and you could physically touch him. It wouldn't amount to anything. People in the New Testament heard him and touched him, and he didn't do anything for them. And now, Paul said, even though we've known Christ out of the flesh, yet henceforth now know we even know more. It's the spiritual that counts. Christ is God. Are you listening? Since Christ is sovereign, that means He is no longer It never was, really.

[John Weaver] But He is not under the control of man. Christ is not a babe in a manger. You know why everybody loves Christmas? And why everybody loves a Nativity scene? Here's why. Who's afraid of a baby? Who's afraid of a baby? They don't fear a baby. Christ is not hanging on a cross somewhere. He's not on a crucifix. Who is afraid of a dead Christ? But you begin to proclaim a risen, resurrected, ascended, glorified, sovereign Christ who is seated at the right hand of God. And all of a sudden, people don't like that. Because they understand Christ is not a baby. They have no control over Him. Christ is not on a cross. They have no control over Him. He is God. He is sovereign.

[John Weaver] He does as He pleases. And we have no claim upon Him by nature. His mother said, I want to talk to my son. Who is my mother? His brothers said, we want to talk to our brothers. Who are my brothers? He that doeth the will of God. So that means this, if we come to Christ, we must come to Him in a spiritual relationship, one of grace, one of mercy, and one of power.

[John Weaver] And here is what people do not like to hear, but it is the truth. we must come to Him as beggars, as helpless, as hopeless, and as lost sinners, seeking His salvation and His mercy, because we have no claim upon Him. Fanny Crosby wrote that hymn, Do not pass me by. Save your Savior. Follow in others' heart calling. Do not pass me by." He passed by all of those on that porch and went to one man. Do you realize, as fallen and rebellious sinners, we have no claim upon Christ? He may lawfully and justly pass us by. But we better cry and we better pray, Lord, do not pass me by. It's only your grace and your mercy that you deal with sinners. Here's a truth, folks, that is despised by many people, that man by nature has no claim upon Christ. We don't.

[John Weaver] And tomorrow night, I will show you that really and truly he does not owe us anything. And when these people found out in Luke chapter 16. What they found out. They were so angry they were willing to kill him. If we come to Christ, it's got to be on His terms, not ours. And His terms are repentance and faith. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night.

[John Weaver] We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for Your love. Lord, we acknowledge this is indeed a despised truth in the Bible. that man by nature does not have a claim upon you, does not have a right to you. We forfeited all of our claims by virtue of our rebellion and our sin and our depravity. But, Lord, we are so thankful tonight that you are merciful to sinners and that you do grant repentance and grant faith. And we would ask you tonight to have mercy by Your infinite grace. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we do pray, Amen. Amen.

Despised Truths - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	521142123104
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Genesis: Creation, Fall, and Dominion
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-05-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 148: Despised Truths — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	88

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Reality of Despising Truth

Weaver introduces the message 'Despised Truths' and reads Luke 4:16-30, where the people of Nazareth attempt to murder Jesus after He speaks. He notes that despising truth is foreign to a real Christian, yet Scripture shows it happens.

Let's open our Bibles tonight to the book of Luke chapter 4. Luke chapter 4. Let me tell you that I will start the message tonight and finish it tomorrow night. Tonight will be more introduction and one point and the remainder of the message will be mainly tomorrow night. But the title of the message is Despised Truths. Despised Truths. So if you look in Luke chapter 4, I want us to read verses 16 through 30. Luke chapter 4, verse 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. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he opened the book, he found the place where it is written.

Scripture Reading — Luke 4:16-30

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has 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, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book and he gave it again to the minister and sat down and the eyes of all of them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 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? 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. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 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. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

The title of the message, as I told you, is Despised Truths. Despising truth is a concept that is foreign to the mind of any real Christian. We really cannot conceive of anyone who is a real child of God, or really anyone for that matter, despising truth, and especially despising the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the God of truth. And yet the Bible says this in Isaiah 53 and verse 3, talking about Christ.

Biblical Examples of Despising God and His Word

Weaver cites Esau despising his birthright, Israel despising God's judgments, David despising God's commandment, and nations like Judah despising the Word, showing that even godly individuals and entire nations can despise truth.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Now, throughout biblical history, there have been given numerous illustrations of men who despise God. They not only despise God, but they despise His worship and His service and everything about Him. I suppose the first example that is given in the Bible is that of Esau. The Bible tells you in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 16 that he was a profane person. And yet the Bible says in Genesis 25 and verse 34, Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright. Now you have to remember that Esau was the oldest son. The birthright not only meant he was to be the head of the clan, the family clan.

He also would get a double portion of the inheritance because he'd be responsible for taking care of his elderly parents. But also in line with that was the lineage of Jesus Christ. And so he despised all of that and sold it for a morsel of meat, the Bible says. So it's possible then for individuals to despise God and despise his truth. But what many people have a difficult time in understanding, it is also equally possible for an entire nation to despise God and His Word. I want you to look in your Bibles, hold Luke 4, but go if you would please to Leviticus chapter 26. Leviticus chapter 26, and notice if you would verse 43. We'll be looking at a number of passages right quickly, just to establish this one principle. But in Leviticus chapter 26 and verse 43, God is saying this concerning Israel. He says, The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them.

That is, he will send them away into captivity. And they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes. So God says here is an entire people who despised my judgments and my laws. Their soul abhorred. Anytime you see the word abhor in the Bible, it is a very strong word for hatred. It literally means extreme hatred. They abhorred my statutes. You know, one of the most difficult things for you and I really to consider and to accept is the fact and the reality that it is true that even Christians can despise the word of God. You say, I don't see how that is possible.

Well, let me ask you. If David, who was considered a man after God's own heart, despised God's Word and despised God himself, is it not possible for those of us who may not be as holy as David could end up despising his Word as well? Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 12. 2 Samuel chapter 12. Everyone knows the story how David committed adultery with Bathsheba. He also had her husband Uriah the Hittite killed with the sword of the children of Ammon. There are many other sins that he actually committed against Uriah as well. But if you look in 2 Samuel chapter 12, when God sends Nathan to confront David, look what he says. Look in verse 9. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Now, if you look back in verse 9, David is asked, Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD? Now, he says in verse 10, Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me.

I want you to understand something. Any time that we despise the word of God, at the same time we're despising the God of the word. I pointed out last night, it is impossible to maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward his word. No, they stand or fall together. And if you look, if you would please, at verse 9 again, God asks, Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? Any time anyone despises the word of God, the ultimate result and outcome is going to be doing evil in the sight of God. Now, let me just try to clear this up for you, because, you know, you said, well, Brother Weaver, as a Christian, I don't really despise the Word of God. I believe the Word of God. I love the Word of God.

But have you ever stopped to think about this? When you do something that you know that is contrary to God's Word, and you're going to do it anyhow, what are you doing? You're despising the Word of God. You're saying, Lord, I'm going to do what I want to do regardless. You're despising. That's what David did. David despised the word of the Lord. Consequently, he ended up despising God.

So it's not that we just sit here and say, well, I despise all of it. No, no, no. We pick and choose because here's something that we really want to do that we know that's wicked and wrong. And God said, if we go ahead and do that, that is not only despising his word, it is despising him as well. Why? Because we're setting our own will and our own desires and our own pleasures above God.

So, basically, we are idolaters. Now, I want you to turn to Isaiah chapter 5. Again, I'm showing you it's not just individuals, even godly individuals, but also sometimes it's entire nations that despise God and His Word. So, in the book of Isaiah chapter 5, look, if you would, please, at what God says in verse 24. Isaiah 5 and verse 24.

Now, remember, He's talking about Judah and Jerusalem. This whole chapter is about Judah and Jerusalem. In fact, if you look in verse 3, he said, And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. So he's talking about Judah and Jerusalem. So if you'll skip down to verse 24, he says, Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff,

so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Remember, I showed you the passage last night from 2 Chronicles, chapter 36, where the Bible said when God had compassion on his people, he sent his messengers. But what did the people do? They despised the messengers of God and his word. And the Bible says the wrath of God arose against them until there was no remedy, just simply for despising the Word of God. If you look in the book of Amos chapter 2 and verse 4, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Amos 2 and verse 4, and look, if you would, what God says again to Judah and Jerusalem. Look carefully now, Amos chapter 2, verse 4, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have

walked. Note if you would, God says, I'm not going to turn away their punishment because they have despised the law of the Lord. So it's possible then, not only for individuals, unsaved individuals, to despise the Word of God, it's possible for saved individuals to despise the Word of God. It's possible for entire nations to despise the Word of God. And in Ezekiel 22 and verse 8, God even charged His own priests with despising him. He said in Ezekiel 22 and verse 8, Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. So all through the Bible, God is speaking about individuals who despise his word.

The Penalty for Despising God's Word

Under Moses' law, despising the written word brought death without mercy. Hebrews 10 argues that despising the living Word, Christ, deserves even greater punishment.

Now, let me ask you a question. Do you know what the penalty was in the Old Testament for despising the Word of God? It was death. It was death. I want you to turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. And look, if you would, what the Bible says in verses 28 and 29. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 28 and 29. I'm going to start showing you despised truth just momentarily. But look at Hebrews chapter 10, verse 28. The Bible says, He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. So in the Old Testament, when Moses issued the law that was given by God, it was actually God's law was given through Moses. When Moses issued it and people violated, they despised it, they would not keep it, they would not obey it. The penalty was death. Now watch verse 28 again. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? Now, here's the reasoning in this passage. If the death penalty was given to those who despised the written word under Moses, how much worse judgment is asked if one despises the living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow. The penalty for despising in the Old Testament was death, and it should be worse in the New Testament, because now we're not just despising the written word, but the living word as well.

Unbiblical Anger and the Reaction at Nazareth

Weaver distinguishes between righteous and unrighteous anger, noting that the Nazarenes' anger was unbiblical and murderous. He poses the question: what truth did Christ reveal that so enraged them?

Now, I want you to turn back to Luke chapter 4. Just get ready, because I'm showing you that people may despise God's word and consequently despise God. Let me ask you something about anger. These folks in Luke chapter 4 got exceedingly angry. Have you ever been angry? And I know that you have been. Oh, let me ask you this question. Have you ever experienced an unbiblical anger?

And the answer is, oh, yeah, oh, yeah. Do you realize there is a difference between an unbiblical anger and a biblical anger? You know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Let me just quote it. He says, Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So there is a way to be righteously angry. There is a way to be biblically angry and not sin. Most of the time, our anger is not a righteous anger. It is not a biblical anger. It is an unrighteous and an unbiblical anger. Well, how do we know the difference? How can we discern which is a righteous anger, which is an unrighteous anger? Well, it's really very simple. You see, an unbiblical or an unrighteous anger will always manifest itself in one of two ways. The first way most of us are very familiar with. It's what I would term a volcanic eruption. You know how a volcano all of a sudden just starts spurting out the magma, the heat and the rock and the lava and all this kind of stuff.

Hey. You know, that's exactly what happens to individuals when they get so angry, they just blow up and cuss everybody out and tell them off and holler and scream. And very obviously, it's close to a volcanic eruption. That's an unbiblical anger. Another way that you can tell it's non-biblical anger is this. It's not a volcanic eruption, but rather it is an internalization. It's like if Kevin made me angry.

I could look at him and smile. And on the inside, I could be saying, hmm, you just wait, big boy, your time is coming. I'm going to nail you. And I'm smiling the whole time. And I keep internalizing that anger, and I'm getting so upset, it's basically eating my insides out. In fact, there's a wonderful book that's been in print for years, Dr. S.I. McMillen, a little paperback book, None of These Diseases, and he shows how an unbiblical anger actually creates medical problems in your system.

Colitis, ulcers, all kinds of it because you internalize. And it just eats you up. You see, a biblical anger always deals with sin or it deals with the problem. So if there's a problem that exists between Kevin and I, if I'm righteously angry, then I'm angry at the sin and I'm going to do what's necessary to make sure there's repentance and reconciliation and that sin is dealt with. I don't blow up at him. I don't internalize it in my own heart, in my own life. No. I just say, this is the problem. This is a sin. Let's deal with it and let's get on with our lives.

Now, each one of us understands that unrighteous anger is sin. It's wicked. It's wrong. It's ungodly. One of the big problems with an unrighteous anger is that it usually gets out of control. So let me ask you. Have you ever been angry enough to fight? I've seen my father who's been dead close to 20 years now. But I saw him ready to fight only two times in my life. One time

was over a man who was abusing me and my sister. And believe it or not, he was a dentist. And my father caught him by the shirt and held him up against the wall. And he said, if you ever touch my children again, you'll be sorry. Actually, he said something else. You know, the only other time I saw my father ready to fight, I was in the courthouse with him.

There was a big meeting of all the farmers. Now, the county agent stood up and he called my father a liar. My dad never said a word. He just stood up and started walking straight to that county agent. And when he got about six feet away, the county agent started backtracking, said, oh, no, no, no. I've got to apologize. It was not Mr. Weaver that lied. I'm the one that lied. And when he said that, dad just turned around and came back and sat down in his seat.

Now, let me ask you this question. Have you ever been angry enough to murder? These people in Luke 4 were angry enough to murder, they tried to murder. You see, this is where an unbiblical anger really gets out of control. And those who have no control over their anger inevitably end up suffering the consequences. Just in the last three months, I read about two murders. One, a father murdered his grown son because his son would not get cable television for him. And the second one, the son, a grown son, murdered his father because they were fighting over the remote control. You can go online, you can read newspapers and you can find people have murdered each other over a quarter, over some small, insignificant amount. It's all because of an unbiblical anger. Now, the people of Nazareth became so angry with Jesus Christ simply because He told them two stories, which I will tell you about tomorrow night. He told them two stories that they had heard about all of their lives. And they became so angry, they took Him and were willing to push Him over the cliff and murder Him.

Now, I want you to look at verse 16. Look in Luke 4, verse 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. Now skip down to verse 29. And rose up, that is the people, all the people in the synagogue, according to verse 28, they 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. So the question is, why did these people at Nazareth become so angry that they were willing to murder an innocent man? What was it that made them angry?

Christ simply told them two stories that they had known since they were children. They knew these stories. Yet upon hearing them from Christ, they became so enraged and so inflamed and so incensed that they were willing to murder Christ. So you have to ask this question, what was it about these stories that set them off? What was it that they finally grasped or finally understood that they had never understood before in hearing these stories told?

Despised Truth #1: Fallen Man Has No Claim Upon Christ

The first despised truth is that fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ. Despite being His hometown, Nazareth rejected Him. Physical descent from Abraham, fleshly relationship, or human merit gives no right to Christ.

What was it they really did not want to hear? Well, the same truths that enraged and incensed the people of Nazareth still enrage and incense people today. People do not like these truths. But dislike and despisement does not change reality. The sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth is the determiner of reality and not fallen man. Men may despise the truth. They may dislike the truth, but they cannot overthrow the truth or destroy the truth. So, what is the very first thing I want to share with you tonight to show you that is a despised truth?

It's found right here in Luke chapter 4, and that is this. Listen carefully. Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ. Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ, not in and of himself. Look in verse 16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. One must remember that Nazareth was the hometown of Jesus. You say, but he was born in Bethlehem. I understand that. But Nazareth was his hometown. Because in Matthew 2 and verse 23, the Bible says, And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. By the way, Christ was a Nazarene, which means he was from the city of Nazareth.

He was not a Nazarite. A Nazarite took a vow. There's a Nazarite vow, but a Nazarene is someone from the city of Nazareth. Adam Clarke said this concerning Nazareth. He said, it is likely that our Lord lived principally in this city till the 30th year of his age. But after he entered his public ministry, his usual place of residence was at the house of Peter in Capernaum. John Gill said it like this. Nazareth is where he was conceived, though not born, and where he had his education and wrought at a trade and was well known to the inhabitants; and therefore it was proper that he should first exercise his ministry and obtain a character in other places which would prepare him a reception among his townsmen who otherwise in all likelihood would have treated him at once with neglect and contempt. So Christ was raised in Nazareth. Now you would tend to think that the people of Nazareth would really want to claim Christ. You would tend to think they would really want him because, hey, he's our hometown boy. Look what he's been doing. But that's not so. I want you to turn to 2 Samuel, hold Luke 4, but turn to 2 Samuel chapter 19 and let me show you how the people of Israel were actually fighting over David. You have to remember

that in this passage, Absalom had run his own father off the throne and had tried to kill him. There was a war and Absalom was killed. So now David is going to be brought back to Jerusalem and reestablish the kingdom and be enthroned again. And look what happened, 2 Samuel 19, beginning there with verse 41. And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan? And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

So they're fighting over the fact. We wanted to bring him back. You would think the people of Nazareth would be fighting over Christ. But the truth is, they really didn't want him. They could care less about him. In fact, I'm going to show you, they were offended with him. They were upset with him. I want you to go, if you would, hold Luke 4, but turn to Matthew chapter 13 and verse 54. Matthew 13 in verse 54, then we'll go to Mark 6. We'll look at Matthew chapter 13 in verse 54.

This is an amazing statement. I want you to understand what is said here. Matthew 13, verse 54, And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. Look in Mark chapter 6, if you would. Beginning there with verse 1. Mark chapter 6. Notice this was his own country, which would be Nazareth where he had been brought up. Here it is again. Mark 6 verse 1, And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. So the people of Nazareth then were actually incensed at our Lord's knowledge, at His power, and at His wisdom. Here's basically what happened. Our Lord goes there and He begins teaching. And they begin looking around saying, whoa, wait a minute.

Who does he think he is? Where did he get all this wisdom? Who does he think he's coming here trying to teach us? He's trying to straighten us out. We know him. We know his father, we know his mother, we know his brothers, we know his sisters. Who does he think he is coming here trying to teach us like this? I mean, let's be honest. They not only did not want to claim Him, they were offended at Him.

They wanted to ignore Him. Do you realize, unhappily, that is the attitude of most people? I want to quote that verse again I quoted earlier. When I started preaching tonight, I quoted Isaiah 53 and verse 3. I want you to listen to this. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him. Now listen, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. What does that little phrase, and we esteemed him not, refer to?

We didn't even think he was worth thinking about. Why should we waste our time over him? Who does he think he is? That was the attitude, not only of the people of Nazareth, but most people around then. Don't you understand something? Fallen man does not have a claim upon Christ. I'll show you this more tomorrow night. But even some individuals who tend to think they might have a claim upon Christ, no, they don't.

You said, well, wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I am a physical descendant of Abraham. Oh. Guess what that means now? Zilch, zero, nothing. Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 3. Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist was preaching. He had a lot of these Sadducees and Pharisees and other people come to his preaching and do his baptism. In Matthew chapter 3, beginning there in verse 7, look what our Lord tells us about John. John said this, But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. What did he say? Don't even begin to say, We've got Abraham to our father. God is able to raise up stones to Abraham. You have nothing special, unless you repent. What John is saying, you will perish.

Now, let me show you this in greater detail, because even some who might think they might have a claim upon Christ in reality do not. For instance, in Matthew chapter 12, we'll see this in a couple of passages. Matthew chapter 12. Look at verses 46 through 50, Matthew 12, beginning there at verse 46. Matthew 12 verse 46, While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. In other words, stop what you're doing, get out there and talk to your mother and talk to your brothers. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. What's he saying?

Even the fleshly relatives of Christ had no claim upon him. Turn right over to Luke chapter 8. You'll see it again. Luke chapter 8, beginning there, verse 19. Luke 8, verse 19. Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. Plenty of people around him. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it. What is he saying? I'll show you this from the Bible just momentarily, but he's saying all fleshly relationships are now basically null and void. Look in Luke 11. Luke 11. Look how our Lord very quickly straightens out this one woman.

Christ's Sovereignty Demonstrated

Weaver explains that Christ is God, sovereign and free. He assumed a human body through Mary but was not created by her. Mary herself acknowledged Him as Lord. At Bethesda, Christ healed only one man to demonstrate His sovereign will.

And by the way, if you want a passage that demonstrates that Mary idolatry is idolatry, here it is. Luke chapter 11, beginning there, verse 27. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Wow. What did the woman try to say? The woman tried to say, Blessed is the woman who gave birth to you and blessed are those breasts that you nursed upon. Our Lord said, Ah! No, blessed rather are they that hear the word of God and keep it. Prayers to Mary are basically worthless.

She has absolutely no influence upon Christ. And I'm going to probably make someone very upset when I say this, but Mary is not the mother of God. She is the mother of a human body of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ assumed that body, I want to show you something. Look back in your Bibles, Luke chapter 1, Luke chapter 1. I think this is the big difference between sound theology and what you might call idolatry. But look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 1. I know the Catholics say that Mary is the mother of God. No, not so. Look in Luke chapter 1, verse 35. In fact, let's begin reading there with verse 31. Watch what happens. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary. And he says in verse 31, And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom

there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. What is the thing? The thing is just the human body that was shaped in the womb of Mary. Let me tell you something. Christ was God before he became incarnate. Christ was God. He is God. He always will be God. And Mary was not the mother of God. She was the mother of the body that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, assumed and took upon himself. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 3, verse 16, listen carefully. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. Now let me show you. I want you to turn to Philippians chapter 2. Look in Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2, beginning there with verse 5. I want you to see that Christ assumed the body. He took a human nature to himself. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Notice, if you would, Philippians chapter 2, beginning there with verse 5, the Bible says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Now, what does the Bible say in verse 7? He made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. So he assumed that body that was being prepared in the womb of Mary. He took upon himself the form of a servant.

So what is Christ? Christ is one person with two natures. He has a divine nature. He has a human nature. When Christ became incarnate, what he did was he assumed that nature, that body that was born through Mary. And thus he now has two natures, the divine and the human. But he's one God. He's one person. And the Bible says in Galatians 4 and verse 4, But when the fulness of the time was come, notice what the Bible said. God sent forth his Son,

made of a woman, made under the law. Wow, let me just show you a couple of verses. I want you to go to the book of John very quickly. John chapter 10. Just showing you the language in the Bible that showing that the Father sent the Son and the Son assumed human nature. And John chapter 10 and verse 36. Look what he said, John 10 verse 36. Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world. What did the Father do? He sent Christ into the world. Look in John chapter 16 and verse 28. John chapter 16 and verse 28. Look what Jesus Christ said. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. I came forth from the Father.

Mary was not the mother of God. God assumed the human body that was produced in her womb. He was always God. You know what the Apostle Paul said? 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. I want you to look in Hebrews chapter 1 very quickly. Hebrews chapter 1 and look at verse 6. Look what the Bible says concerning Christ. And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. Again, when he bringeth the firstbegotten into the world. What did God do? He brought him into the world. How did he bring him into the world? When he assumed the body that was produced by the Virgin Mary. Look in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 5. Hebrews 10 and verse 5. Here's what our Lord says. Hebrews 10 verse 5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.

So there was a body prepared for Christ and Christ assumed that body. You know what the Bible said in Isaiah 9, verse 6, everybody quotes this verse, especially around Christmas time. Isaiah 9:6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. So the son was given by the Father. And yes, he assumed that body in the womb of the Virgin Mary, because he was born according to the flesh in the lineage of David. It was our Lord's humiliation. And then he assumed that human nature. Mary may have been the instrument of our Lord's birth, and that birth was real and genuine. But our Lord was the Son sent from the Father who assumed that body that was produced by Mary.

Now, I want you to turn to Luke chapter 1 because I want you to see something that's vitally important. I want you to see Mary's confession and Elizabeth's confession as well. Because you remember, Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist when Mary conceived and went to her. Watch this in Luke chapter 1 beginning there with verse 26. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.

Now watch what Elizabeth says. And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Now I want you to note something. Elizabeth confessed and acknowledged that the babe was her Lord. Mary now says, My soul doth magnify the Lord. So Mary is now confessing and acknowledging that that babe is her Lord. Here's my question. I want you to think about this. The word Lord in the Hebrew is Adonai and the Greek is Kyrios. The word Lord literally means boss, owner, master, sovereign. So Mary, the mother of the body of the Lord Jesus, has acknowledged Him as her Lord, as her boss, as her sovereign. Now, let me ask you, if Jesus Christ is sovereign, what possible influence could Mary have upon him? If Jesus Christ is sovereign,

how can she persuade him? If Mary or anyone else can have influence upon Jesus Christ and persuade Him, in that case, He is not sovereign. If He is not sovereign, He is not God. If He is not God, then He is not Lord. The one attribute that demonstrates and proves that God is God is He is absolutely sovereign. Let me just quote Daniel 4 and verse 35. Here's what the Bible says in reference to God.

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? What is the one attribute that shows that God is God? God is sovereign. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and always as He pleases. Why? Because He's God. He's the Sovereign of heaven and earth. If Jesus Christ is Lord, if He is Sovereign, no one can have any influence upon Him. He does as He pleases.

Now, let me show you an excellent example. I want you to turn to John chapter 5. I want you to look at this. John chapter 5. This is one of the best illustrations of our Lord's sovereignty in the entire New Testament. Watch it. John 5, beginning there with verse 2.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. Now look at verse 3. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool:

but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. Now let me just ask you some questions. How many people were in these five porches? A large multitude. How many of these people needed healing? All of them. How many of these people did our Lord heal? One. Did they not all need healing? Yeah. Could he not have healed all of them? Yes. But he didn't. Let me ask you, the man that he healed, did he cry out for mercy? No.

Did he recognize Jesus Christ? No. Christ just simply walked up to him and said, Wilt thou be made whole? Well, I don't have anybody to help me get to the pool. Rise, take up your bed and walk. So here's my question. Why did Jesus Christ walk in the midst of all of these sick, impotent, lame folks who need healing, and single out one individual who did not even know Him, who did not cry for help, who did not recognize Him? Why did He single out this one man and heal him? Well, when the Jews got wind of this, that our Lord healed this man on the Sabbath, well, they were very upset. So they finally tracked Christ down.

Look, if you would please, verse 15. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. Now watch. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Isn't that an amazing statement? My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Now look. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, that is their interpretation of it, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. They understood exactly what he meant when he said, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. What Christ was saying, as my Father is God, I am God.

And they were very upset with Him. Now, here's my question. Why did Jesus Christ walk into this multitude of sick, halt, lame, blind folks and heal just one man? Why? Well, I want you to look down to verse 21 because the Bible is telling us. Look at it. John 5, verse 21. Our Lord says, For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. So as the Father quickeneth whom he will, likewise the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. What did our Lord say?

The one attribute that proves that God is God is he's absolutely sovereign. He raises up whom he will. And he said to demonstrate my sovereignty and demonstrate that I'm God, I walked in and I healed one man. I can do as I please. I'm God. That's what he's saying. And if you understand that Jesus Christ is God, you understand that fallen man has no claims upon him by nature, and they have no right to him by nature.

Application: Coming to Christ as Beggars

Since we have no claim on Christ, we must come to Him as helpless, hopeless beggars seeking mercy. The spiritual relationship transcends the physical; we must come on His terms of repentance and faith.

Let me make some applications and tie together for you. First of all, if the physical and earthly family of Jesus Christ had no claim upon him, how much less would we have a right to lay a claim upon him? We do not have the physical relationship that Mary had with him, or James, or Joseph, or his sisters? No. Did you know that the half-brother of Jesus, James, is the author of the book of James? Do you know how James begins his book? Here's how he begins it. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. What? James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't claim to be the half-brother of Christ. And yet the Bible tells us in Galatians 1 in verse 19, Paul said, But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. So James was an apostle, not one of the twelve originally, but he was later an apostle and he was the Lord's brother.

And yet he claims nothing. He just says, I'm a servant. How would James say that? I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said. If you understand this passage, you will understand why James just simply described himself as a servant of God, because now the spiritual transcends the physical. The physical is nothing. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

And notice if you would please verse 16. Look what the Apostle Paul said. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. What? Henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:

old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. What did he say? The physical has been done away with. The spiritual transcends the physical. If Jesus Christ was here physically on this earth and you could physically hear him speak and you could physically touch him, it wouldn't amount to anything. People in the New Testament heard him and touched him, and he didn't do anything for them. And now, Paul said, even though we've known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. It's the spiritual that counts. Christ is God. Are you listening? Since Christ is sovereign, that means He is no longer—it never was, really—

but He is not under the control of man. Christ is not a babe in a manger. You know why everybody loves Christmas? And why everybody loves a Nativity scene? Here's why. Who's afraid of a baby? Who's afraid of a baby? They don't fear a baby. Christ is not hanging on a cross somewhere. He's not on a crucifix. Who is afraid of a dead Christ? But you begin to proclaim a risen, resurrected, ascended, glorified, sovereign Christ who is seated at the right hand of God, and all of a sudden, people don't like that. Because they understand Christ is not a baby. They have no control over Him. Christ is not on a cross. They have no control over Him. He is God. He is sovereign.

He does as He pleases. And we have no claim upon Him by nature. His mother said, I want to talk to my son. Who is my mother? His brothers said, we want to talk to our brother. Who are my brothers? He that doeth the will of God. So that means this, if we come to Christ, we must come to Him in a spiritual relationship, one of grace, one of mercy, and one of power.

And here is what people do not like to hear, but it is the truth. We must come to Him as beggars, as helpless, as hopeless, and as lost sinners, seeking His salvation and His mercy, because we have no claim upon Him. Fanny Crosby wrote that hymn, Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry; While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by. He passed by all of those on that porch and went to one man. Do you realize, as fallen and rebellious sinners, we have no claim upon Christ? He may lawfully and justly pass us by. But we better cry and we better pray, Lord, do not pass me by. It's only your grace and your mercy that you deal with sinners. Here's a truth, folks, that is despised by many people, that man by nature has no claim upon Christ. We don't.

And tomorrow night, I will show you that really and truly he does not owe us anything. And when these people found out in Luke chapter 4 what they found out, they were so angry they were willing to kill him. If we come to Christ, it's got to be on His terms, not ours. And His terms are repentance and faith. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Despising God's Word

Summary: Individuals, nations, and even believers can despise God's Word by disobeying it, which is equivalent to despising God Himself.

Evidence: Weaver cites Esau, Israel, David, and Judah as examples, and states: 'Any time that we despise the word of God, at the same time we're despising the God of the word.'

Sovereignty of Christ

Summary: Christ is absolutely sovereign; He does as He pleases and is not subject to human influence or control. This is the attribute that proves He is God.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'If Jesus Christ is sovereign, how can she persuade him? ... The one attribute that demonstrates and proves that God is God is He is absolutely sovereign.' He uses the healing at Bethesda as illustration.

No Human Claim on Christ

Summary: Fallen man has no natural claim, right, or merit before Christ. Physical descent, family ties, or religious heritage are worthless without a spiritual relationship.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ, not in and of himself.' He shows that even Christ's mother and brothers had no special claim.

The Danger of Unbiblical Anger

Summary: Unrighteous anger manifests as volcanic eruption or internalization and leads to sin and destruction, as seen in the Nazarenes' attempt to murder Christ.

Evidence: Weaver describes the two types of unbiblical anger and says: 'These people in Luke 4 were angry enough to murder, they tried to murder.'

Spiritual Relationship Transcends Physical

Summary: In Christ, physical relationships are superseded by spiritual ones. Knowing Christ after the flesh is irrelevant; only a new creation matters.

Evidence: Weaver quotes 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 and says: 'The physical has been done away with. The spiritual transcends the physical.'

Key Arguments

Despising God's Word is despising God

Summary: One cannot maintain a different attitude toward God's Word than toward God Himself; they stand or fall together.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'Any time that we despise the word of God, at the same time we're despising the God of the word.' He cites 2 Samuel 12:9-10.

Even believers can despise God's Word

Summary: David, a man after God's own heart, despised God's commandment by committing adultery and murder, showing that believers are not immune.

Evidence: Weaver asks: 'If David... despised God's Word and despised God himself, is it not possible for those of us who may not be as holy as David could end up despising his Word as well?'

Christ's sovereignty means no human influence

Summary: If Christ is Lord and sovereign, no one—including Mary—can persuade or influence Him; otherwise He would not be God.

Evidence: Weaver argues: 'If Mary or anyone else can have influence upon Jesus Christ and persuade Him, in that case, He is not sovereign. If He is not sovereign, He is not God.'

Physical relationship to Christ is worthless

Summary: Christ's own mother and brothers had no claim on Him; only those who do the will of God are His true family.

Evidence: Weaver cites Matthew 12:46-50 and Luke 8:19-21, where Jesus redefines family as those who hear and do God's Word.

Sinners must come to Christ as beggars

Summary: Since we have no claim on Christ, we must approach Him in humility, seeking mercy and grace, not demanding rights.

Evidence: Weaver concludes: 'We must come to Him as beggars, as helpless, as hopeless, and as lost sinners, seeking His salvation and His mercy, because we have no claim upon Him.'

Scripture References

Luke 4:16-30

Context: The main passage for the sermon; Jesus reads Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue, is rejected, and the people attempt to kill Him.

Isaiah 53:3

Context: Prophecy that Christ would be despised and rejected by men.

Hebrews 12:16

Context: Esau described as a profane person who despised his birthright.

Genesis 25:34

Context: Esau despised his birthright by selling it for a meal.

Leviticus 26:43

Context: Israel despised God's judgments and abhorred His statutes, leading to captivity.

2 Samuel 12:9-10

Context: Nathan confronts David for despising God's commandment and despising God Himself.

Isaiah 5:24

Context: Judah and Jerusalem cast away the law and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Amos 2:4

Context: Judah despised the law of the Lord and did not keep His commandments.

Ezekiel 22:8

Context: God charges His priests with despising His holy things and profaning His Sabbaths.

Proverbs 1:30

Context: The wicked would have none of God's counsel and despised all His reproof.

Proverbs 5:12

Context: After sinning, a man laments that he hated instruction and his heart despised reproof.

Hebrews 10:28-29

Context: Despising Moses' law brought death; how much worse punishment for despising the Son of God.

Ephesians 4:26

Context: Be angry and sin not; do not let the sun go down on your wrath.

Matthew 2:23

Context: Jesus dwelt in Nazareth to fulfill prophecy that He would be called a Nazarene.

2 Samuel 19:41-43

Context: Israel and Judah fought over who had more right to bring back King David.

Matthew 13:54-57

Context: Jesus' own countrymen were offended at Him, questioning His wisdom and mighty works.

Mark 6:1-6

Context: Jesus could do no mighty work in Nazareth because of their unbelief.

Matthew 3:7-10

Context: John the Baptist warns not to trust in physical descent from Abraham; God can raise up children from stones.

Matthew 12:46-50

Context: Jesus says whoever does the will of His Father is His brother, sister, and mother.

Luke 8:19-21

Context: Jesus says His mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.

Historical References

Esau

Context: Esau despised his birthright, selling it for a meal, illustrating that individuals can despise God's truth.

David and Bathsheba

Context: David despised God's commandment by committing adultery with Bathsheba and having Uriah killed.

Absalom's rebellion

Context: Absalom drove David off the throne; after Absalom's death, Israel and Judah fought over bringing David back.

Adam Clarke

Context: Clarke commented that Jesus likely lived in Nazareth until age 30, then resided mainly in Capernaum.

John Gill

Context: Gill noted that Jesus was conceived and educated in Nazareth, and it was proper He first minister elsewhere to gain a reception.

Dr. S.I. McMillen, None of These Diseases

Context: Weaver references McMillen's book to illustrate how unbiblical anger creates medical problems.

Fanny Crosby, 'Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior'

Context: Weaver quotes the hymn to illustrate the plea of a sinner who has no claim on Christ.

Important Quotes

Any time that we despise the word of God, at the same time we're despising the God of the word.

Significance: Establishes the inseparable link between one's attitude toward Scripture and toward God Himself.

Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ, not in and of himself.

Significance: The central thesis of the first despised truth; summarizes the message's main point.

The one attribute that demonstrates and proves that God is God is He is absolutely sovereign.

Significance: Highlights sovereignty as the defining attribute of deity.

We must come to Him as beggars, as helpless, as hopeless, and as lost sinners, seeking His salvation and His mercy, because we have no claim upon Him.

Significance: The practical application: sinners must approach Christ in humility, not demanding rights.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Significance: Quoted from Isaiah 53:3 to show that Christ was despised, setting the theme of the sermon.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight?

Significance: Nathan's rebuke to David, showing that despising God's Word leads to evil.

Henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Significance: Paul's declaration that physical relationship to Christ is superseded by the spiritual new creation.

Discussion Questions

In what ways might we, as believers, be guilty of despising God's Word in our daily lives?

Context: Weaver argues that doing something we know is contrary to God's Word is despising it. How does this challenge our view of sin?

Why did the people of Nazareth become so angry at Jesus' teaching? What truth did they find offensive?

Context: The sermon poses this question to introduce the first despised truth. What does their reaction reveal about human nature?

How does the sovereignty of God challenge our tendency to think we have a claim on Christ?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that Christ does as He pleases. How should this affect our prayers and our sense of entitlement?

What does it mean that 'the spiritual transcends the physical' in our relationship with Christ?

Context: Weaver uses 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 to show that physical lineage or contact with Christ is irrelevant. How does this shape our understanding of the church?

Why is it dangerous to view Christ primarily as a baby in a manger or a dead man on a cross?

Context: Weaver says people are not afraid of a baby or a dead Christ, but a risen, sovereign Christ. How does a low view of Christ affect worship and obedience?

How should the truth that we have no claim on Christ change the way we share the gospel?

Context: The sermon concludes that we must come as beggars. How does this affect our evangelism and our own assurance?

Applications

Examine your attitude toward God's Word

Summary: Recognize that willful disobedience is despising God's Word and God Himself. Repent of any area where you are choosing your will over His commands.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'When you do something that you know that is contrary to God's Word, and you're going to do it anyhow, what are you doing? You're despising the Word of God.'

Approach Christ with humility, not entitlement

Summary: Since we have no claim on Christ, we must come to Him as helpless beggars, seeking mercy and grace, not demanding rights based on heritage or works.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'We must come to Him as beggars, as helpless, as hopeless, and as lost sinners, seeking His salvation and His mercy.'

Guard against unbiblical anger

Summary: Unrighteous anger leads to sin and destruction. Deal with sin and problems directly rather than erupting or internalizing.

Evidence: Weaver describes volcanic eruption and internalization as unbiblical anger, and says biblical anger deals with the sin to bring repentance and reconciliation.

Trust in Christ's sovereignty

Summary: Rest in the truth that Christ is sovereign and does all things according to His will. This should produce awe, worship, and submission rather than fear or manipulation.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Daniel 4:35 and says: 'God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and always as He pleases. Why? Because He's God.'

Value spiritual relationship over physical

Summary: Do not rely on religious heritage, family background, or external associations. True relationship with Christ is spiritual, evidenced by hearing and doing God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'The physical has been done away with. The spiritual transcends the physical.' He cites 2 Corinthians 5:16-17.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:44:54Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:58:44Z

Clean Transcript

Despised Truths - Part 1

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Let's open our Bibles tonight to the book of Luke chapter 4. Luke chapter 4. Let me tell you that I will start the message tonight and finish it tomorrow night. Tonight will be more introduction and one point and the remainder of the message will be mainly tomorrow night. But the title of the message is Despised Truths. Despised Truths. So if you look in Luke chapter 4, I want us to read verses 16 through 30. Luke chapter 4, verse 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. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he opened the book, he found the place where it is written.
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The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has 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, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book and he gave it again to the minister and sat down and the eyes of all of them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
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And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 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? 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. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
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But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
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And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 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. But he passing through the midst of them went his way. The title of the message, as I told you, is Despised Truths. Despising truth is a concept that is foreign to the mind of any real Christian. We really cannot conceive of anyone who is a real child of God, or really anyone for that matter, despising truth, and especially despising the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the God of truth. And yet the Bible says this in Isaiah 53 and verse 3, talking about Christ.
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He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
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Now, throughout biblical history, there have been given numerous illustrations of men who despise God. They not only despise God, but they despise His worship and His service and everything about Him. I suppose the first example that is given in the Bible is that of Esau. The Bible tells you in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 16 that he was a profane person. And yet the Bible says in Genesis 25 and verse 34, Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright. Now you have to remember that Esau was the oldest son. The birthright not only meant he was to be the head of the clan, the family clan.
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He also would get a double portion of the inheritance because he'd be responsible for taking care of his elderly parents. But also in line with that was the lineage of Jesus Christ. And so he despised all of that and sold it for a morsel of meat, the Bible says. So it's possible then for individuals to despise God and despise his truth. But what many people have a difficult time in understanding, it is also equally possible for an entire nation to despise God and His Word.
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I want you to look in your Bibles, hold Luke 4, but go if you would please to Leviticus chapter 26. Leviticus chapter 26, and notice if you would verse 43. We'll be looking at a number of passages right quickly, just to establish this one principle. But in Leviticus chapter 26 and verse 43, God is saying this concerning Israel. He says, The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them.
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That is, he will send them away into captivity. And they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes. So God says here is an entire people who despised my judgments and my laws. Their soul abhorred. Anytime you see the word abhor in the Bible, it is a very strong word for hatred. It literally means extreme hatred. They abhorred my statutes. You know, one of the most difficult things for you and I really to consider and to accept is the fact and the reality that it is true that even Christians can despise the word of God. You say, I don't see how that is possible.
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Well, let me ask you. If David, who was considered a man after God's own heart, despised God's Word and despised God himself, is it not possible for those of us who may not be as holy as David could end up despising his Word as well? Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 12. 2 Samuel chapter 12. Everyone knows the story how David committed adultery with Bathsheba.
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He also had her husband Uriah the Hittite killed with the sword of the children of Ammon. There are many other sins that he actually committed against Uriah as well. But if you look in 2 Samuel chapter 12, when God sends Nathan to confront David, look what he says. Look in verse 9. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Now, if you look back in verse 9, David is asked, Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD? Now, he says in verse 10, Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me.
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I want you to understand something. Any time that we despise the word of God, at the same time we're despising the God of the word. I pointed out last night, it is impossible to maintain one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward his word. No, they stand or fall together. And if you look, if you would please, at verse 9 again, God asks, Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? Any time anyone despises the word of God, the ultimate result and outcome is going to be doing evil in the sight of God. Now, let me just try to clear this up for you, because, you know, you said, well, Brother Weaver, as a Christian, I don't really despise the Word of God. I believe the Word of God. I love the Word of God.
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But have you ever stopped to think about this? When you do something that you know that is contrary to God's Word, and you're going to do it anyhow, what are you doing? You're despising the Word of God. You're saying, Lord, I'm going to do what I want to do regardless. You're despising. That's what David did. David despised the word of the Lord. Consequently, he ended up despising God.
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So it's not that we just sit here and say, well, I despise all of it. No, no, no. We pick and choose because here's something that we really want to do that we know that's wicked and wrong. And God said, if we go ahead and do that, that is not only despising his word, it is despising him as well. Why? Because we're setting our own will and our own desires and our own pleasures above God.
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So, basically, we are idolaters. Now, I want you to turn to Isaiah chapter 5. Again, I'm showing you it's not just individuals, even godly individuals, but also sometimes it's entire nations that despise God and His Word. So, in the book of Isaiah chapter 5, look, if you would, please, at what God says in verse 24. Isaiah 5 and verse 24.
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Now, remember, He's talking about Judah and Jerusalem. This whole chapter is about Judah and Jerusalem. In fact, if you look in verse 3, he said, And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. So he's talking about Judah and Jerusalem. So if you'll skip down to verse 24, he says, Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff,
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so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Remember, I showed you the passage last night from 2 Chronicles, chapter 36, where the Bible said when God had compassion on his people, he sent his messengers. But what did the people do? They despised the messengers of God and his word. And the Bible says the wrath of God arose against them until there was no remedy, just simply for despising the Word of God. If you look in the book of Amos chapter 2 and verse 4, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Amos 2 and verse 4, and look, if you would, what God says again to Judah and Jerusalem. Look carefully now, Amos chapter 2, verse 4, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have
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walked. Note if you would, God says, I'm not going to turn away their punishment because they have despised the law of the Lord. So it's possible then, not only for individuals, unsaved individuals, to despise the Word of God, it's possible for saved individuals to despise the Word of God. It's possible for entire nations to despise the Word of God. And in Ezekiel 22 and verse 8, God even charged His own priests with despising him. He said in Ezekiel 22 and verse 8, Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths. So all through the Bible, God is speaking about individuals who despise his word.
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Now, have you ever read Proverbs chapter 1 and you consider the awful judgment of God against those people in that passage? Let me tell you why God is going to judge the wicked so profusely. He said in Proverbs 1 and verse 30, They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. They wouldn't listen to God. God said, Therefore, they're going to cry to me and I'm not going to listen to them. I will destroy them. So it's possible then for individuals and nations to despise the word of God, it's possible for professing Christians to despise the Word of God. In fact, in Proverbs 5 and verse 12, Solomon says this. After the man has sinned, he must say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof?
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Now, let me ask you a question. Do you know what the penalty was in the Old Testament for despising the Word of God? It was death. It was death. I want you to turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. And look, if you would, what the Bible says in verses 28 and 29. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 28 and 29. I'm going to start showing you despised truth just momentarily. But look at Hebrews chapter 10, verse 28. The Bible says, He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. So in the Old Testament, when Moses issued the law that was given by God, it was actually God's law was given through Moses. When Moses issued it and people violated, they despised it, they would not keep it, they would not obey it. The penalty was death. Now watch verse 28 again. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.
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Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
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Now, here's the reasoning in this passage. If the death penalty was given to those who despised the written word under Moses, how much worse judgment is asked if one despises the living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow. The penalty for despising in the Old Testament was death, and it should be worse in the New Testament, because now we're not just despising the written word, but the living word as well.
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Now, I want you to turn back to Luke chapter 4. Just get ready, because I'm showing you that people may despise God's word and consequently despise God. Let me ask you something about anger. These folks in Luke chapter 4 got exceedingly angry. Have you ever been angry? And I know that you have been. Oh, let me ask you this question. Have you ever experienced an unbiblical anger?
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And the answer is, oh, yeah, oh, yeah. Do you realize there is a difference between an unbiblical anger and a biblical anger? You know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Let me just quote it. He says, Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So there is a way to be righteously angry. There is a way to be biblically angry and not sin. Most of the time, our anger is not a righteous anger. It is not a biblical anger. It is an unrighteous and an unbiblical anger. Well, how do we know the difference? How can we discern which is a righteous anger, which is an unrighteous anger? Well, it's really very simple. You see, an unbiblical or an unrighteous anger will always manifest itself in one of two ways. The first way most of us are very familiar with. It's what I would term a volcanic eruption. You know how a volcano all of a sudden just starts spurting out the magma, the heat and the rock and the lava and all this kind of stuff.
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Hey. You know, that's exactly what happens to individuals when they get so angry, they just blow up and cuss everybody out and tell them off and holler and scream. And very obviously, it's close to a volcanic eruption. That's an unbiblical anger. Another way that you can tell it's non-biblical anger is this. It's not a volcanic eruption, but rather it is an internalization. It's like if Kevin made me angry.
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I could look at him and smile. And on the inside, I could be saying, hmm, you just wait, big boy, your time is coming. I'm going to nail you. And I'm smiling the whole time. And I keep internalizing that anger, and I'm getting so upset, it's basically eating my insides out. In fact, there's a wonderful book that's been in print for years, Dr. S.I. McMillen, a little paperback book, None of These Diseases, and he shows how an unbiblical anger actually creates medical problems in your system.
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Colitis, ulcers, all kinds of it because you internalize. And it just eats you up. You see, a biblical anger always deals with sin or it deals with the problem. So if there's a problem that exists between Kevin and I, if I'm righteously angry, then I'm angry at the sin and I'm going to do what's necessary to make sure there's repentance and reconciliation and that sin is dealt with.
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I don't blow up at him. I don't internalize it in my own heart, in my own life. No. I just say, this is the problem. This is a sin. Let's deal with it and let's get on with our lives.
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Now, each one of us understands that unrighteous anger is sin. It's wicked. It's wrong. It's ungodly. One of the big problems with an unrighteous anger is that it usually gets out of control. So let me ask you. Have you ever been angry enough to fight? I've seen my father who's been dead close to 20 years now. But I saw him ready to fight only two times in my life. One time
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was over a man who was abusing me and my sister. And believe it or not, he was a dentist. And my father caught him by the shirt and held him up against the wall. And he said, if you ever touch my children again, you'll be sorry. Actually, he said something else. You know, the only other time I saw my father ready to fight, I was in the courthouse with him.
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There was a big meeting of all the farmers. Now, the county agent stood up and he called my father a liar. My dad never said a word. He just stood up and started walking straight to that county agent. And when he got about six feet away, the county agent started backtracking, said, oh, no, no, no. I've got to apologize. It was not Mr. Weaver that lied. I'm the one that lied. And when he said that, dad just turned around and came back and sat down in his seat.
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Now, let me ask you this question. Have you ever been angry enough to murder? These people in Luke 4 were angry enough to murder, they tried to murder. You see, this is where an unbiblical anger really gets out of control. And those who have no control over their anger inevitably end up suffering the consequences. Just in the last three months, I read about two murders. One, a father murdered his grown son because his son would not get cable television for him. And the second one, the son, a grown son, murdered his father because they were fighting over the remote control. You can go online, you can read newspapers and you can find people have murdered each other over a quarter, over some small, insignificant amount. It's all because of an unbiblical anger. Now, the people of Nazareth became so angry with Jesus Christ simply because He told them two stories, which I will tell you about tomorrow night. He told them two stories that they had heard about all of their lives. And they became so angry, they took Him and were willing to push Him over the cliff and murder Him.
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Now, I want you to look at verse 16. Look in Luke 4, verse 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. Now skip down to verse 29. And rose up, that is the people, all the people in the synagogue, according to verse 28, they 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. So the question is, why did these people at Nazareth become so angry that they were willing to murder an innocent man? What was it that made them angry?
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Christ simply told them two stories that they had known since they were children. They knew these stories. Yet upon hearing them from Christ, they became so enraged and so inflamed and so incensed that they were willing to murder Christ. So you have to ask this question, what was it about these stories that set them off? What was it that they finally grasped or finally understood that they had never understood before in hearing these stories told?
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What was it they really did not want to hear? Well, the same truths that enraged and incensed the people of Nazareth still enrage and incense people today. People do not like these truths. But dislike and despisement does not change reality. The sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth is the determiner of reality and not fallen man. Men may despise the truth. They may dislike the truth, but they cannot overthrow the truth or destroy the truth. So, what is the very first thing I want to share with you tonight to show you that is a despised truth?
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It's found right here in Luke chapter 4, and that is this. Listen carefully. Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ. Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ, not in and of himself. Look in verse 16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. One must remember that Nazareth was the hometown of Jesus. You say, but he was born in Bethlehem. I understand that. But Nazareth was his hometown. Because in Matthew 2 and verse 23, the Bible says, And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. By the way, Christ was a Nazarene, which means he was from the city of Nazareth.
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He was not a Nazarite. A Nazarite took a vow. There's a Nazarite vow, but a Nazarene is someone from the city of Nazareth. Adam Clarke said this concerning Nazareth. He said, it is likely that our Lord lived principally in this city till the 30th year of his age. But after he entered his public ministry, his usual place of residence was at the house of Peter in Capernaum.
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John Gill said it like this. Nazareth is where he was conceived, though not born, and where he had his education and wrought at a trade and was well known to the inhabitants; and therefore it was proper that he should first exercise his ministry and obtain a character in other places which would prepare him a reception among his townsmen who otherwise in all likelihood would have treated him at once with neglect and contempt. So Christ was raised in Nazareth. Now you would tend to think that the people of Nazareth would really want to claim Christ. You would tend to think they would really want him because, hey, he's our hometown boy. Look what he's been doing. But that's not so. I want you to turn to 2 Samuel, hold Luke 4, but turn to 2 Samuel chapter 19 and let me show you how the people of Israel were actually fighting over David. You have to remember
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that in this passage, Absalom had run his own father off the throne and had tried to kill him. There was a war and Absalom was killed. So now David is going to be brought back to Jerusalem and reestablish the kingdom and be enthroned again. And look what happened, 2 Samuel 19, beginning there with verse 41. And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan? And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us:
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wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
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So they're fighting over the fact. We wanted to bring him back. You would think the people of Nazareth would be fighting over Christ. But the truth is, they really didn't want him. They could care less about him. In fact, I'm going to show you, they were offended with him. They were upset with him. I want you to go, if you would, hold Luke 4, but turn to Matthew chapter 13 and verse 54. Matthew 13 in verse 54, then we'll go to Mark 6. We'll look at Matthew chapter 13 in verse 54.
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This is an amazing statement. I want you to understand what is said here. Matthew 13, verse 54, And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters,
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are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. Look in Mark chapter 6, if you would. Beginning there with verse 1. Mark chapter 6. Notice this was his own country, which would be Nazareth where he had been brought up. Here it is again. Mark 6 verse 1, And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
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And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?
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And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. So the people of Nazareth then were actually incensed at our Lord's knowledge, at His power, and at His wisdom. Here's basically what happened. Our Lord goes there and He begins teaching. And they begin looking around saying, whoa, wait a minute.
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Who does he think he is? Where did he get all this wisdom? Who does he think he's coming here trying to teach us? He's trying to straighten us out. We know him. We know his father, we know his mother, we know his brothers, we know his sisters. Who does he think he is coming here trying to teach us like this? I mean, let's be honest. They not only did not want to claim Him, they were offended at Him.
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They wanted to ignore Him. Do you realize, unhappily, that is the attitude of most people? I want to quote that verse again I quoted earlier. When I started preaching tonight, I quoted Isaiah 53 and verse 3. I want you to listen to this. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him. Now listen, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. What does that little phrase, and we esteemed him not, refer to?
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We didn't even think he was worth thinking about. Why should we waste our time over him? Who does he think he is? That was the attitude, not only of the people of Nazareth, but most people around then. Don't you understand something? Fallen man does not have a claim upon Christ. I'll show you this more tomorrow night. But even some individuals who tend to think they might have a claim upon Christ, no, they don't.
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You said, well, wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I am a physical descendant of Abraham. Oh. Guess what that means now? Zilch, zero, nothing. Look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 3. Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist was preaching. He had a lot of these Sadducees and Pharisees and other people come to his preaching and do his baptism. In Matthew chapter 3, beginning there in verse 7, look what our Lord tells us about John. John said this, But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
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Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
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And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. What did he say? Don't even begin to say, We've got Abraham to our father. God is able to raise up stones to Abraham. You have nothing special, unless you repent. What John is saying, you will perish.
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Now, let me show you this in greater detail, because even some who might think they might have a claim upon Christ in reality do not. For instance, in Matthew chapter 12, we'll see this in a couple of passages. Matthew chapter 12. Look at verses 46 through 50, Matthew 12, beginning there at verse 46. Matthew 12 verse 46, While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. In other words, stop what you're doing, get out there and talk to your mother and talk to your brothers. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. What's he saying?
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Even the fleshly relatives of Christ had no claim upon him. Turn right over to Luke chapter 8. You'll see it again. Luke chapter 8, beginning there, verse 19. Luke 8, verse 19. Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. Plenty of people around him. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it. What is he saying? I'll show you this from the Bible just momentarily, but he's saying all fleshly relationships are now basically null and void. Look in Luke 11. Luke 11. Look how our Lord very quickly straightens out this one woman.
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And by the way, if you want a passage that demonstrates that Mary idolatry is idolatry, here it is. Luke chapter 11, beginning there, verse 27. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Wow. What did the woman try to say? The woman tried to say, Blessed is the woman who gave birth to you and blessed are those breasts that you nursed upon. Our Lord said, Ah! No, blessed rather are they that hear the word of God and keep it. Prayers to Mary are basically worthless.
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She has absolutely no influence upon Christ. And I'm going to probably make someone very upset when I say this, but Mary is not the mother of God. She is the mother of a human body of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ assumed that body, I want to show you something. Look back in your Bibles, Luke chapter 1, Luke chapter 1. I think this is the big difference between sound theology and what you might call idolatry. But look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 1. I know the Catholics say that Mary is the mother of God. No, not so. Look in Luke chapter 1, verse 35. In fact, let's begin reading there with verse 31. Watch what happens. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary. And he says in verse 31, And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom
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there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. What is the thing? The thing is just the human body that was shaped in the womb of Mary.
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Let me tell you something. Christ was God before he became incarnate. Christ was God. He is God. He always will be God. And Mary was not the mother of God. She was the mother of the body that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, assumed and took upon himself. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 3, verse 16, listen carefully. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
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God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.
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Now let me show you. I want you to turn to Philippians chapter 2. Look in Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2, beginning there with verse 5. I want you to see that Christ assumed the body. He took a human nature to himself. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Notice, if you would, Philippians chapter 2, beginning there with verse 5, the Bible says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Now, what does the Bible say in verse 7? He made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. So he assumed that body that was being prepared in the womb of Mary. He took upon himself the form of a servant.
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So what is Christ? Christ is one person with two natures. He has a divine nature. He has a human nature. When Christ became incarnate, what he did was he assumed that nature, that body that was born through Mary. And thus he now has two natures, the divine and the human. But he's one God. He's one person. And the Bible says in Galatians 4 and verse 4, But when the fulness of the time was come, notice what the Bible said. God sent forth his Son,
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made of a woman, made under the law. Wow, let me just show you a couple of verses. I want you to go to the book of John very quickly. John chapter 10. Just showing you the language in the Bible that showing that the Father sent the Son and the Son assumed human nature. And John chapter 10 and verse 36. Look what he said, John 10 verse 36. Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world. What did the Father do? He sent Christ into the world. Look in John chapter 16 and verse 28. John chapter 16 and verse 28. Look what Jesus Christ said. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. I came forth from the Father.
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Mary was not the mother of God. God assumed the human body that was produced in her womb. He was always God. You know what the Apostle Paul said? 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. I want you to look in Hebrews chapter 1 very quickly. Hebrews chapter 1 and look at verse 6. Look what the Bible says concerning Christ. And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. Again, when he bringeth the firstbegotten into the world. What did God do? He brought him into the world. How did he bring him into the world? When he assumed the body that was produced by the Virgin Mary. Look in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 5. Hebrews 10 and verse 5. Here's what our Lord says. Hebrews 10 verse 5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.
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So there was a body prepared for Christ and Christ assumed that body. You know what the Bible said in Isaiah 9, verse 6, everybody quotes this verse, especially around Christmas time. Isaiah 9:6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. So the son was given by the Father. And yes, he assumed that body in the womb of the Virgin Mary, because he was born according to the flesh in the lineage of David. It was our Lord's humiliation. And then he assumed that human nature. Mary may have been the instrument of our Lord's birth, and that birth was real and genuine. But our Lord was the Son sent from the Father who assumed that body that was produced by Mary.
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Now, I want you to turn to Luke chapter 1 because I want you to see something that's vitally important. I want you to see Mary's confession and Elizabeth's confession as well. Because you remember, Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist when Mary conceived and went to her. Watch this in Luke chapter 1 beginning there with verse 26. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured,
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the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
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And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.
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Now watch what Elizabeth says. And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
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Now I want you to note something. Elizabeth confessed and acknowledged that the babe was her Lord. Mary now says, My soul doth magnify the Lord. So Mary is now confessing and acknowledging that that babe is her Lord. Here's my question. I want you to think about this. The word Lord in the Hebrew is Adonai and the Greek is Kyrios. The word Lord literally means boss, owner, master, sovereign. So Mary, the mother of the body of the Lord Jesus, has acknowledged Him as her Lord, as her boss, as her sovereign. Now, let me ask you, if Jesus Christ is sovereign, what possible influence could Mary have upon him? If Jesus Christ is sovereign,
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how can she persuade him? If Mary or anyone else can have influence upon Jesus Christ and persuade Him, in that case, He is not sovereign. If He is not sovereign, He is not God. If He is not God, then He is not Lord. The one attribute that demonstrates and proves that God is God is He is absolutely sovereign. Let me just quote Daniel 4 and verse 35. Here's what the Bible says in reference to God.
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And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? What is the one attribute that shows that God is God? God is sovereign. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and always as He pleases. Why? Because He's God. He's the Sovereign of heaven and earth. If Jesus Christ is Lord, if He is Sovereign, no one can have any influence upon Him. He does as He pleases.
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Now, let me show you an excellent example. I want you to turn to John chapter 5. I want you to look at this. John chapter 5. This is one of the best illustrations of our Lord's sovereignty in the entire New Testament. Watch it. John 5, beginning there with verse 2.
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Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. Now look at verse 3. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool:
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but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
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Now let me just ask you some questions. How many people were in these five porches? A large multitude. How many of these people needed healing? All of them. How many of these people did our Lord heal? One. Did they not all need healing? Yeah. Could he not have healed all of them? Yes. But he didn't. Let me ask you, the man that he healed, did he cry out for mercy? No.
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Did he recognize Jesus Christ? No. Christ just simply walked up to him and said, Wilt thou be made whole? Well, I don't have anybody to help me get to the pool. Rise, take up your bed and walk. So here's my question. Why did Jesus Christ walk in the midst of all of these sick, impotent, lame folks who need healing, and single out one individual who did not even know Him, who did not cry for help, who did not recognize Him? Why did He single out this one man and heal him? Well, when the Jews got wind of this, that our Lord healed this man on the Sabbath, well, they were very upset. So they finally tracked Christ down.
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Look, if you would please, verse 15. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. Now watch. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Isn't that an amazing statement? My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Now look. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, that is their interpretation of it, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. They understood exactly what he meant when he said, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. What Christ was saying, as my Father is God, I am God.
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And they were very upset with Him. Now, here's my question. Why did Jesus Christ walk into this multitude of sick, halt, lame, blind folks and heal just one man? Why? Well, I want you to look down to verse 21 because the Bible is telling us. Look at it. John 5, verse 21. Our Lord says, For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. So as the Father quickeneth whom he will, likewise the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. What did our Lord say?
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The one attribute that proves that God is God is he's absolutely sovereign. He raises up whom he will. And he said to demonstrate my sovereignty and demonstrate that I'm God, I walked in and I healed one man. I can do as I please. I'm God. That's what he's saying. And if you understand that Jesus Christ is God, you understand that fallen man has no claims upon him by nature, and they have no right to him by nature.
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Let me make some applications and tie together for you. First of all, if the physical and earthly family of Jesus Christ had no claim upon him, how much less would we have a right to lay a claim upon him? We do not have the physical relationship that Mary had with him, or James, or Joseph, or his sisters? No. Did you know that the half-brother of Jesus, James, is the author of the book of James? Do you know how James begins his book? Here's how he begins it. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. What? James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't claim to be the half-brother of Christ. And yet the Bible tells us in Galatians 1 in verse 19, Paul said, But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. So James was an apostle, not one of the twelve originally, but he was later an apostle and he was the Lord's brother.
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And yet he claims nothing. He just says, I'm a servant. How would James say that? I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said. If you understand this passage, you will understand why James just simply described himself as a servant of God, because now the spiritual transcends the physical. The physical is nothing. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 5.
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And notice if you would please verse 16. Look what the Apostle Paul said. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. What? Henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
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old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. What did he say? The physical has been done away with. The spiritual transcends the physical. If Jesus Christ was here physically on this earth and you could physically hear him speak and you could physically touch him, it wouldn't amount to anything. People in the New Testament heard him and touched him, and he didn't do anything for them. And now, Paul said, even though we've known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. It's the spiritual that counts. Christ is God. Are you listening? Since Christ is sovereign, that means He is no longer—it never was, really—
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but He is not under the control of man. Christ is not a babe in a manger. You know why everybody loves Christmas? And why everybody loves a Nativity scene? Here's why. Who's afraid of a baby? Who's afraid of a baby? They don't fear a baby. Christ is not hanging on a cross somewhere. He's not on a crucifix. Who is afraid of a dead Christ? But you begin to proclaim a risen, resurrected, ascended, glorified, sovereign Christ who is seated at the right hand of God, and all of a sudden, people don't like that. Because they understand Christ is not a baby. They have no control over Him. Christ is not on a cross. They have no control over Him. He is God. He is sovereign.
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He does as He pleases. And we have no claim upon Him by nature. His mother said, I want to talk to my son. Who is my mother? His brothers said, we want to talk to our brother. Who are my brothers? He that doeth the will of God. So that means this, if we come to Christ, we must come to Him in a spiritual relationship, one of grace, one of mercy, and one of power.
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And here is what people do not like to hear, but it is the truth. We must come to Him as beggars, as helpless, as hopeless, and as lost sinners, seeking His salvation and His mercy, because we have no claim upon Him. Fanny Crosby wrote that hymn, Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry; While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by. He passed by all of those on that porch and went to one man. Do you realize, as fallen and rebellious sinners, we have no claim upon Christ? He may lawfully and justly pass us by. But we better cry and we better pray, Lord, do not pass me by. It's only your grace and your mercy that you deal with sinners. Here's a truth, folks, that is despised by many people, that man by nature has no claim upon Christ. We don't.
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And tomorrow night, I will show you that really and truly he does not owe us anything. And when these people found out in Luke chapter 4 what they found out, they were so angry they were willing to kill him. If we come to Christ, it's got to be on His terms, not ours. And His terms are repentance and faith. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night.
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We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for Your love. Lord, we acknowledge this is indeed a despised truth in the Bible, that man by nature does not have a claim upon You, does not have a right to You. We forfeited all of our claims by virtue of our rebellion and our sin and our depravity. But, Lord, we are so thankful tonight that You are merciful to sinners and that You do grant repentance and grant faith. And we would ask You tonight to have mercy by Your infinite grace. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we do pray, Amen. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:44:54Z

Despised Truths - Part 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver introduces the concept of despised truths, showing from Scripture that individuals, nations, and even believers can despise God's Word and God Himself. He then focuses on the first despised truth: fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ. Using Luke 4 and other passages, he demonstrates that neither physical descent from Abraham, nor fleshly relationship to Christ, nor human merit gives anyone a right to the sovereign Lord. Christ is God, sovereign and free, and sinners must come to Him as beggars seeking mercy.

Introduction: The Reality of Despising Truth

Scripture Reading — Luke 4:16-30

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has 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, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book and he gave it again to the minister and sat down and the eyes of all of them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 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? 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. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 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. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

Biblical Examples of Despising God and His Word

The Penalty for Despising God's Word

Under Moses' law, despising the written word brought death without mercy. Hebrews 10 argues that despising the living Word, Christ, deserves even greater punishment.

Unbiblical Anger and the Reaction at Nazareth

Weaver distinguishes between righteous and unrighteous anger, noting that the Nazarenes' anger was unbiblical and murderous. He poses the question: what truth did Christ reveal that so enraged them?

Despised Truth #1: Fallen Man Has No Claim Upon Christ

Christ's Sovereignty Demonstrated

Application: Coming to Christ as Beggars

Despised Truths - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	521142123104
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Genesis: Creation, Fall, and Dominion
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-05-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 148: Despised Truths — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	88

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Reality of Despising Truth: Weaver introduces the message 'Despised Truths' and reads Luke 4:16-30, where the people of Nazareth attempt to murder Jesus after He speaks. He notes that despising truth is foreign to a real Christian, yet Scripture shows it happens.
Biblical Examples of Despising God and His Word: Weaver cites Esau despising his birthright, Israel despising God's judgments, David despising God's commandment, and nations like Judah despising the Word, showing that even godly individuals and entire nations can despise truth.
The Penalty for Despising God's Word: Under Moses' law, despising the written word brought death without mercy. Hebrews 10 argues that despising the living Word, Christ, deserves even greater punishment.
Unbiblical Anger and the Reaction at Nazareth: Weaver distinguishes between righteous and unrighteous anger, noting that the Nazarenes' anger was unbiblical and murderous. He poses the question: what truth did Christ reveal that so enraged them?
Despised Truth #1: Fallen Man Has No Claim Upon Christ: The first despised truth is that fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ. Despite being His hometown, Nazareth rejected Him. Physical descent from Abraham, fleshly relationship, or human merit gives no right to Christ.
Christ's Sovereignty Demonstrated: Weaver explains that Christ is God, sovereign and free. He assumed a human body through Mary but was not created by her. Mary herself acknowledged Him as Lord. At Bethesda, Christ healed only one man to demonstrate His sovereign will.
Application: Coming to Christ as Beggars: Since we have no claim on Christ, we must come to Him as helpless, hopeless beggars seeking mercy. The spiritual relationship transcends the physical; we must come on His terms of repentance and faith.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Despising God's Word is despising God

One cannot maintain a different attitude toward God's Word than toward God Himself; they stand or fall together.

Weaver says: 'Any time that we despise the word of God, at the same time we're despising the God of the word.' He cites 2 Samuel 12:9-10.

Even believers can despise God's Word

David, a man after God's own heart, despised God's commandment by committing adultery and murder, showing that believers are not immune.

Weaver asks: 'If David... despised God's Word and despised God himself, is it not possible for those of us who may not be as holy as David could end up despising his Word as well?'

Christ's sovereignty means no human influence

If Christ is Lord and sovereign, no one—including Mary—can persuade or influence Him; otherwise He would not be God.

Weaver argues: 'If Mary or anyone else can have influence upon Jesus Christ and persuade Him, in that case, He is not sovereign. If He is not sovereign, He is not God.'

Physical relationship to Christ is worthless

Christ's own mother and brothers had no claim on Him; only those who do the will of God are His true family.

Weaver cites Matthew 12:46-50 and Luke 8:19-21, where Jesus redefines family as those who hear and do God's Word.

Sinners must come to Christ as beggars

Since we have no claim on Christ, we must approach Him in humility, seeking mercy and grace, not demanding rights.

Weaver concludes: 'We must come to Him as beggars, as helpless, as hopeless, and as lost sinners, seeking His salvation and His mercy, because we have no claim upon Him.'

Scripture References

Luke 4:16-30: The main passage for the sermon; Jesus reads Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue, is rejected, and the people attempt to kill Him.
Isaiah 53:3: Prophecy that Christ would be despised and rejected by men.
Hebrews 12:16: Esau described as a profane person who despised his birthright.
Genesis 25:34: Esau despised his birthright by selling it for a meal.
Leviticus 26:43: Israel despised God's judgments and abhorred His statutes, leading to captivity.
2 Samuel 12:9-10: Nathan confronts David for despising God's commandment and despising God Himself.
Isaiah 5:24: Judah and Jerusalem cast away the law and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Amos 2:4: Judah despised the law of the Lord and did not keep His commandments.
Ezekiel 22:8: God charges His priests with despising His holy things and profaning His Sabbaths.
Proverbs 1:30: The wicked would have none of God's counsel and despised all His reproof.
Proverbs 5:12: After sinning, a man laments that he hated instruction and his heart despised reproof.
Hebrews 10:28-29: Despising Moses' law brought death; how much worse punishment for despising the Son of God.
Ephesians 4:26: Be angry and sin not; do not let the sun go down on your wrath.
Matthew 2:23: Jesus dwelt in Nazareth to fulfill prophecy that He would be called a Nazarene.
2 Samuel 19:41-43: Israel and Judah fought over who had more right to bring back King David.
Matthew 13:54-57: Jesus' own countrymen were offended at Him, questioning His wisdom and mighty works.
Mark 6:1-6: Jesus could do no mighty work in Nazareth because of their unbelief.
Matthew 3:7-10: John the Baptist warns not to trust in physical descent from Abraham; God can raise up children from stones.
Matthew 12:46-50: Jesus says whoever does the will of His Father is His brother, sister, and mother.
Luke 8:19-21: Jesus says His mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.

Historical References

Esau: Esau despised his birthright, selling it for a meal, illustrating that individuals can despise God's truth.
David and Bathsheba: David despised God's commandment by committing adultery with Bathsheba and having Uriah killed.
Absalom's rebellion: Absalom drove David off the throne; after Absalom's death, Israel and Judah fought over bringing David back.
Adam Clarke: Clarke commented that Jesus likely lived in Nazareth until age 30, then resided mainly in Capernaum.
John Gill: Gill noted that Jesus was conceived and educated in Nazareth, and it was proper He first minister elsewhere to gain a reception.
Dr. S.I. McMillen, None of These Diseases: Weaver references McMillen's book to illustrate how unbiblical anger creates medical problems.
Fanny Crosby, 'Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior': Weaver quotes the hymn to illustrate the plea of a sinner who has no claim on Christ.

Important Quotes

Any time that we despise the word of God, at the same time we're despising the God of the word.

Establishes the inseparable link between one's attitude toward Scripture and toward God Himself.

Fallen man has absolutely no claim upon Christ, not in and of himself.

The central thesis of the first despised truth; summarizes the message's main point.

The one attribute that demonstrates and proves that God is God is He is absolutely sovereign.

Highlights sovereignty as the defining attribute of deity.

We must come to Him as beggars, as helpless, as hopeless, and as lost sinners, seeking His salvation and His mercy, because we have no claim upon Him.

The practical application: sinners must approach Christ in humility, not demanding rights.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Quoted from Isaiah 53:3 to show that Christ was despised, setting the theme of the sermon.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight?

Nathan's rebuke to David, showing that despising God's Word leads to evil.

Henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Paul's declaration that physical relationship to Christ is superseded by the spiritual new creation.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways might we, as believers, be guilty of despising God's Word in our daily lives?

[Context]

Weaver argues that doing something we know is contrary to God's Word is despising it. How does this challenge our view of sin?

[Question]

Why did the people of Nazareth become so angry at Jesus' teaching? What truth did they find offensive?

[Context]

The sermon poses this question to introduce the first despised truth. What does their reaction reveal about human nature?

[Question]

How does the sovereignty of God challenge our tendency to think we have a claim on Christ?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that Christ does as He pleases. How should this affect our prayers and our sense of entitlement?

[Question]

What does it mean that 'the spiritual transcends the physical' in our relationship with Christ?

[Context]

Weaver uses 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 to show that physical lineage or contact with Christ is irrelevant. How does this shape our understanding of the church?

[Question]

Why is it dangerous to view Christ primarily as a baby in a manger or a dead man on a cross?

[Context]

Weaver says people are not afraid of a baby or a dead Christ, but a risen, sovereign Christ. How does a low view of Christ affect worship and obedience?

[Question]

How should the truth that we have no claim on Christ change the way we share the gospel?

[Context]

The sermon concludes that we must come as beggars. How does this affect our evangelism and our own assurance?

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:58:44Z