Introduction: The Question of Reception

Reading John 14:1-3 and posing the question 'How do you wish to be received?' with illustrations of worldly receptions at the White House and Hollywood.

All right, I want you to open your Bibles, if you would please, to John chapter 14. John chapter 14. We're going to read three verses. And you're going to think that I'm probably going to forget these verses after I get started, but I'm not. The title of the message is, "How Do You Wish to be Received?" How do you wish to be received? You will understand as I develop the message. So John chapter 14 verse 1, our Lord says,

"You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." The question to begin with is this: Have you ever watched TV when they are showing what you and I would call a reception at the White House? Foreign and domestic guests are received with much honor, recognition, and splendor. It's a big shindig, and it's a big blowout, especially when foreign heads of state come to the White House, even though usually they're coming with a hat in hand, wanting some free money or something free anyhow. But you have to understand that they're given a very posh welcome, and big to-do is made over it.

And the reason you have that is because of what is known as protocol. A protocol is the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions. And it happens to be the accepted and established code of procedure or behavior for any group or organization or institution. So likewise, a reception is usually governed by rules of protocol. When you think about not just the White House, but when you think about Hollywood, and especially when there's some big event going on like the Oscars, you see all the movie stars, you see all the celebrities pulling up in limousines and the doors are being opened, and they're walking in on red carpet to the claps and applause of hundreds of people. Of course, they're dressed in their finery and smiles, and it's just simply a gala affair. And of course, there are rules, there's protocol even concerning that.

Christian Protocol from Romans 15:7

Introducing the concept of Christian protocol from Romans 15:7, explaining the Greek words for 'receive' and the command to receive one another as Christ received us.

Now, the reason I'm telling you this is because years ago, I preached a message from Romans chapter 15, which I entitled "Christian Protocol." Now, if you've not heard that message, I would encourage you to hear it. If you have heard it and forgotten it, how are you going to listen to it? I'm not going to be preaching that message today. However, I'm going to take the truth of truth from it because it is going to apply to the entirely different message that I'm preaching. So I do want you to hold John 14, but look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 15. This is the text that I used when I preached on Christian protocol, but I'm just going to take one verse so that I can show you the implication of it. So in Romans chapter 15 in verse 7, and before I read that verse, I want to tell you that there are two Greek words that are used many times in the New Testament, and they are translated either "receive" or "received."

Those two Greek words, number one, is lambano, paralambano, and or dechomai. So when you get to the words paralambano or dechomai, then hear these words, they're very close in their meanings, but they always refer usually to someone who takes someone to himself, or to take someone as a companion, or to take by the hand or to take and receive into the home. In other words, the corollary word that you would have there would be the idea of kindness and sympathy and compassion. So these words actually mean to take someone to yourself or to take someone into your home. So if you look in Romans chapter 15 in verse 7, the Bible says this, "Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God." Now the interesting thing is, he said, "receive you one another." Now the word for receive here is proslambano. Pros is a preposition which means "to" or "toward." Lambano means "to take." So actually what he is saying is, you take your brother and sister in Christ, you take them to yourself.

That is, you take them into kindness, you take them into compassion, you take them for instruction. So notice what he said in verse 7 again. "Wherefore, receive you one another, even as Christ also received us to the glory of God." So in verse 7, here is Christian protocol. In verse 7, here is Christian reception. In verse 7, here is the beginning of Christian fellowship, instruction, and edification, because we are here commanded to receive you one another. So here's the question. How do we receive each other? In the message on Christian protocol, I talk about that in quite detail. But let me point out in verse 7 exactly how we're to receive each other. Look at verse 7 again. "Wherefore, receive you one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God."

Now, the one little word "as" is a very vitally important word. It happens to be the Greek word kathos. The word kathos is translated in our Bibles as "even as" 36 times. It's also translated "according to" one time. So I want you to look at verse 7 again with that understanding. He says, "Wherefore receive you one another, even as Christ also received us to the glory of God." Or you could read it like this, "Wherefore receive you one another according to the way that Christ also received us to the glory of God." So how in the world do we learn from this verse? Well, we have to ask the question, how did Christ receive us?

Christ Received Us as Sinners

Christ received us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8), and we must receive each other with the same grace despite imperfections.

I want to just give you two thoughts before I continue with this message. The very first way that Christ received us is He received us as sinners. So if you look back in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 5, beginning there with verse 8, and we'll read through verse 10. Look in Romans chapter 5, verse 8. The Bible says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

Now, I call your attention back to verse 8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners." So Christ received us while we were yet sinners. He loved us while we were yet sinners. He reconciled us while we were yet sinners. And so when he says, "receive you one another, even as Christ also received us to the glory of God," what he is saying is that we are to receive each other in the same manner, in the same way, equal to and according to the way that Jesus Christ received us.

Now, let me point something out. This may shock some of you, but you need to be shocked. There are no perfect Christians, at least not in this life. Everyone is a sinner. Each Christian is indeed a sinner. We may be a saved sinner, but we are still sinners. That means we have our faults, we have our failings, we have our idiosyncrasies, we have our peculiarities, there are things about some brethren that we don't like. And there are things about us that our brethren do not like. So I'm just simply pointing out the fact that is immaterial because Christ received us with all of our imperfections, all of our faults, all of our failings, all of our sins, and now we are commanded to receive one another even as Christ also received us. So we must learn to receive each other in the same degree and in the same manner that Jesus Christ received us. Now, there's a second truth, and this is the one I really want to emphasize today, and that is Christ not only received us while we were yet sinners.

Christ Received Us in Our Ignorance

Christ received us when we were ignorant and alienated in mind (Ephesians 4:17-20), and we must not despise those with less knowledge.

Christ also received us when we were ignorant, and our minds were darkened and alienated from God. Now stop and think about this. In the book of Colossians chapter 1 in verse 21, the word of God says,

He said, we were enemies in our minds. We were alienated from God, and yet now we've been reconciled. When you get to Ephesians chapter 4, and I want you to turn there, if you would, Ephesians chapter 4, I can quote the verse, but I want to show you the context of the verse. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, look at it. Ephesians chapter 4, and let's begin reading there, if you would, please, with verse 17. Look at this.

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk," that is the unsaved, "in the vanity of their mind." Now he's writing these Ephesian Christians. He's telling them that they are not to walk the way the unsaved walk. Likewise for us, we're not to walk the way they walk in the vanity of their minds. Well, what is the vanity of the mind? Look at verse 18. "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." Now, I want you to pay a special attention to verse 20. Look at it. "But ye have not so learned Christ." So what that means is this. We've had wrong thinking all of our lives. We've had wrong attitudes all of our lives. We've had vanity of thoughts all of our lives. We learned these thinking habits when we were lost, when we were unsaved. And now he's saying that, look, we were enemies in our mind. Now we have to learn Christ. We have to learn the biblical way to think and the biblical way to meditate and the biblical way to act. We have to learn what is right. But notice, if you would, He still talks now about the alienation in the mind. So we are not to walk the way the other Gentiles walk.

The Danger of Pride and Comparison

Using the Pharisee and publican (Luke 18:10-14) and the Pharisees' attitude in John 7:45-49 to illustrate prideful comparison and the error of making positional agreement a standard for reception.

You see what I'm saying? Unless knowledge is tempered with grace, mercy, and wisdom, it always tends to pride. Now, let me show you. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 18, I want to give you a good illustration.

Now, when I read this, you're probably going to think in your minds, "Well, what in the world has that got to do with what the pastor's teaching?" Well, let me show you. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 10. Luke 18, verse 10. So here is the Pharisee and the publican going to pray in the temple. So Luke chapter 18, verse 10, our Lord says,

"And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Now, I'm going to show you how this applies to what I'm talking about, but before I do, you have to ask yourself this question. What was the attitude of the Pharisee? It was one of pride, it was one of haughtiness, one of arrogance. What was the error of the Pharisee? The error of the Pharisee was the fact that he was comparing himself with men. He was not comparing himself with the Word of God. He was comparing himself with another man.

Now, the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 12 said this,

So if I try to compare myself to Steve, I could say, "Ah, well, I know more than Steve." Steve could say, "Yeah, but that doesn't come true when it comes to mechanics." Well, that's true. He's got me on mechanics. You see what I'm—but I could compare myself to him and say, "I'm much better than Steve." Steve could look at me and say, "I'm much better than him because he doesn't know anything about mechanics." Well, but Steve is not my standard and I'm not Steve's standard. The word of God is our standard.

So here's the Pharisee now. He's full of pride. He's full of arrogance. And the way he is elevating himself is by comparing himself with someone who he deems as below him.

Now, what about the publican? The publican was a man of humility and a man of sorrow. Why? How do we know that? Because the Bible says, he only smote himself on the breast. He would not even lift his eyes toward heaven. And all he said was, "God, be merciful unto me, a sinner." So the publican realized he had nothing. He deserved nothing. He was worth nothing in one sense of the word. And the only thing he needed and the only thing he wanted from God was mercy. And our Lord, of course, said this man went down to his house justified.

Now you say, "How in the world does the passage that you read agree with what you're trying to teach us about God? Our Lord received us when we were ignorant, when we were stupid, when we didn't know anything." Well, all you have to do is go back to Luke chapter 18 to the prayer of the Pharisee and change just a few words. So let's read verses 11 and 12 again the way they are in the scripture. So watch this. In verse 11, "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself." By the way, he didn't pray with our Lord. He prayed with himself, and basically to himself, and he said, "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." So he is saying, "Yes, I've got it made."

Now, let's just change a few words. What's this? "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, ignorant, stupid, and unenlightened, and do not see that which I see, and understand that which I understand. I study twice of the week, and I read all the books that I possess."

Now, you say, "You think that was his attitude?" I know it was. How do I know it was? Well, if you'll turn back in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 7, or I should say turn over to John chapter 7. Look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 45.

Now, the Pharisees have sent officers to arrest Jesus Christ, and they fail to do so. They come back and notice what happens. "Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?" "But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed." Now look at this. Hear what I just read. "Why have you not brought him?" "Never a man spake like this man." "Are you deceived? Are you ignorant? Are you stupid? What's wrong with you? None of the Pharisees have believed on him. And moreover, all the people that knoweth not this law are cursed." In other words, what they're saying is those who do not agree with us, those who do not believe the way we believe, those who do not hold the traditions we hold, those who do not interpret the way we interpret, they're cursed. They're just stupid. They're ignorant. They're unenlightened. They are absolutely worthless. Now, here's the problem.

They knew, or at least they thought they knew, but they really did not know. Everything that they held to was error and traditions. Everything. While the publican knew himself to be a sinner and would not even lift his eyes toward heaven and just said, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

Now, let me tell you something. I'd much rather be an ignorant, uneducated, unenlightened publican who did receive mercy from Jesus Christ than to be a highly educated, refined, and cultured Pharisee who was truly ignorant and doomed and damned. In other words, the point I'm trying to make, when Christ received us, He received us not as sinners only, but He received us in our ignorance. He received us when we did not really understand truth. Now, it's true, we had to know something. We had to know that we were sinners. We had to know that Jesus Christ was God. We had to know that He was a Savior. We had to know that He was the only way.

Patience in Instructing the Ignorant

God gives truth as we are able to bear it (Mark 4:33); we must be patient teachers (2 Timothy 2:24-26) rather than dominating, as Diotrephes did (3 John 9-10).

They knew, or at least they thought they knew, but they really did not know. Everything that they held to was error and traditions. Everything. While the publican knew himself to be a sinner and would not even lift his eyes toward heaven and just said, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

Now, let me tell you something. I'd much rather be an ignorant, uneducated, unenlightened publican who did receive mercy from Jesus Christ than to be a highly educated, refined, and cultured Pharisee who was truly ignorant and doomed and damned. In other words, the point I'm trying to make, when Christ received us, He received us not as sinners only, but He received us in our ignorance. He received us when we did not really understand truth. Now, it's true, we had to know something. We had to know that we were sinners. We had to know that Jesus Christ was God. We had to know that He was a Savior. We had to know that He was the only way.

But as far as being a theologian, being a scholar, none of us had ever read Berkhof's systematic theology. None of us had ever read Hodge's systematic theology. I mean, come on. The truth of the matter is, when you and I were saved, we were absolutely, totally ignorant. We were not scholars. We did not understand doctrine. And the fact of the matter is, even though we've been saved all this time, we still don't understand a lot of doctrine. And the truth of the matter is, we will not understand everything until we get into glory, until we get into eternity.

So, therefore, here's the point I'm trying to make. We cannot make positional agreement as a standard for receiving one another. We cannot make positional agreement as a standard for receiving one another. So here's what I could say. Unhappily, there's a lot of preachers like this as well as Christians. "Well, if you don't hold to the eschatology that I hold to, we have nothing in common." You see what I'm saying? I've been in churches. If you did not believe, if you were not a dispensational premillennial in your eschatology, you were looked down on as absolutely stupid, and you were cut off, and you were just, you know, you were just dirt.

That's all there was to it. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. Not everybody sees the same amount of truth. God does not give everyone the same truth. Nor does God give everyone the same amount of truth. Nor does God give truth to everyone at the same time. Let me ask you, everybody in this room happens to be a parent. When your child was small, say three months old, did you feed your child a T-bone steak?

And the answer is, of course not. You fed the child milk. And when the child finally developed, it was soft food. The reason you did not feed that child meat was because the child was not able to receive that meat. You know what the Bible says in the book of Mark chapter 4 and verse 33?

Our Lord knows exactly what we're able to receive. I am not going to try to teach a three-month-old baby Berkhof's systematic theology. Wouldn't do me no good. I'll give you a good illustration. I've taught from the fourth grade all the way through college. I remember the very first time I taught the fourth grade in our Christian school. I had a little history book. The history book was probably three quarters of an inch thick. And I thought, "Oh my soul, I'm going to be through with this in about a month. What am I going to do for the rest of the year?" Listen, I covered three chapters in the first week.

And I gave a quiz. Everybody in the class failed. And I had brilliant students. And the only conclusion I could come to was it's not the students, it's the teacher. And so I had to back up and start all over. And it was so monotonous for me because I had to break everything down and spell just about everything and spoon feed those fourth graders. And the next time I gave a quiz, they all made hundreds.

So it wasn't the student, it was me. Because I was trying to give them something too quickly and too much. Our Lord said, "Look, no. I give it to you as you're able to hear it." Now, please understand this. There's another principle involved, too. Here's why not everybody's on the same plane. Because not everyone uses the means that God has ordained. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 7 to Timothy, "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." God does not just give understanding willy-nilly.

We don't go to bed stupid and wake up smart. He said, "Consider what I say." There are some people that consider. There are some people that study. There are some people that think. There are some people that pray and ask God for understanding. Understanding is His gift. He has to give it. So here's a man who doesn't study, and here's a man who does study. Here's a man who doesn't ask for understanding. Here's a man who does ask for understanding. Who do you think God's going to give the understanding to? Not the one who doesn't study and pray for it, but the one who does study and ask for it. So there's always going to be a discrepancy because not everyone is going to be using the means that God has ordained. Nor are they going to be using those means to the same degree. Stop and think about that.

Moreover, as I said earlier, our Lord said He gave truth as long as we were able to bear it. Now, here's the problem. And I know preachers like this as well as Christians. When we get around a brother or a sister that does not understand what we understand and that does not possess the knowledge that we possess, we have a tendency to look down upon them and say, "I just don't want to be bothered with this individual. I mean, look at this. Can you imagine all the ground I would have to cover just to bring this brother up to where I am?" So it's easier then for you and I to walk away or to push them away and say, "I'm not going to be bothered with this individual."

So when Christ received you, how did He receive you? He received you not only as a sinner, but He received you when you were absolutely ignorant, when you knew absolutely nothing. Now, ah, we have to remember this, we did not arrive at the truth that we now hold and possess overnight. We didn't arrive at it in a week. We didn't arrive at it in a month or in a year. It took a long time for you and I to get to where we are, and yet what we turn out to be is impatient in trying to help others and trying to teach others because we now look down upon them as absolutely ignorant. You know, I've often said this. I've said I'd rather preach to 10 people who want the truth than 10,000 who could care less. And I've also thought about this. I've been asked to go to other churches. I'd be their pastor. And I thought to myself, "Lord, have mercy. Do you realize where I would have to start and what it would take to bring people up to where the people I'm teaching today are?"

Can you fathom the work? Ah, let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2. I've used this passage before, but I want you to see it in light of what I'm teaching. Look in 2 Timothy 2. And let's begin reading there in verse 24. The Bible says, "And the servant of the Lord." Now, in the context, of course, he's talking about preachers because Timothy was a preacher and this 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus are known as pastoral epistles. But the truth of the matter is every Christian is a servant of the Lord. But in this instance, he's talking more to preachers. So he says, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive," that is, we're not to be fighting, "but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

Now, look at this, go back to verse 24, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient." It is human nature, and it is our flesh that wants to look at you and say, "What's wrong with you, dummy? Can't you see? Can't you hear? What's wrong with you?" Well, let me ask you a question. Did you understand truth the first time you heard it? And the answer is no. No, not by a long shot.

Now, so here's the vital question. Now, I want you to think about this. He said the servant of the Lord must be patient, apt to teach, patient. What's this? "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves." So here's the question. Who wishes to spend their time with a foolish, ignorant, hard-headed person that will not listen and has no desire to listen and no desire for truth? Who wants to spend their time with a person like that?

And the answer is hardly anyone. And the reason being is because trying to teach a person like that is extremely hard, tedious, aggravating, and very unpleasant work. And yet, look what the Bible says, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." In other words, God must work in their hearts, God must open their eyes, God must enlighten their minds. Wow. So the problem that we have today, not only among preachers, but among Christians, is that we don't wish to teach and edify people. What we wish to do is dominate and subjugate. "Steve, don't ask me any questions."

"You just do what I tell you. You just believe what I tell you." See what I mean? Have you ever heard someone say, "It's my way or the highway"? "If you don't like what I'm saying, get out." That's not edification. That's not instruction. That's domination. That's subjugation. But see, I didn't understand the things that I understand the first year or two, or the second year or two, or the third year or two. It took time.

And so God is telling us that we have to be patient in instructing and edifying. Even we're talking about the weaker brethren. Now, let me show you. I want to give you a good clear illustration of someone who wishes to dominate and subjugate. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of 3rd John. 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude and Revelation. So I want you to go to 3rd John, and I want us to begin reading at verse 5, and I want us to read through verse 11. 3rd John, verse 5. I want you to watch this.

There is a man by the name of Diotrephes. 3rd John, verse 5. John is writing the believers, and especially the well-beloved Gaius. And he says this in verse 5, "Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well." So here's a very gracious, kind pastor for the very gracious, kind church, and they're bringing their brethren on their way in a godly manner. And talking about those who are actually suffering and doing the work of God, for verse 7, "Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles," that is of the unsaved. Now look what they said, "We therefore ought to receive such," there's that word receive, "that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth." Now look at this. "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church." So here's a man who would not receive fellow believers, he would not even receive the Apostle John. Wow. Here's an interesting thing. The Bible says Diotrephes who loveth to have the preeminence. Did you know that the word preeminence only occurs twice in the New Testament? The first time it occurs is concerning Jesus Christ, "that in all things he might have the preeminence."

The second time is right here. Diotrephes is willing to take the place of Christ. He's going to determine who's in the church and who's out of the church. In other words, he's going to dominate. He's going to subjugate. It's just that simple. He's not going to teach. He's not going to edify. He's not going to instruct. And so unhappily, that's where a lot of preachers are. That's where a lot of teachers are, that's where a lot of Christians are, they just simply don't take the time to instruct and edify.

Please remember this, when our Lord received us, He not only received us as sinners, He received us when we were absolutely ignorant as well. Now, there are some people that we are not to receive. There are some people that we do not count as brethren. There are some people that we do not take in our home and we do not entertain. You say, "Who are they?" Well, if you look back in 2nd John, 2nd John, and let's begin reading there with verse 9. Look at this. 2nd John, verse 9.

He said, "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine," that is the doctrine of Christ, "receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." So John is telling us that if someone does not heed to the doctrine of Christ, that is that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, then we're not to receive him into our house, we're not to count him as a brother, we're not even to say, "God bless you." Why? Because it's a grievous thing and blasphemous to deny the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you remember what our Lord said in John 5, verses 22 and 23. Listen to this. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son."

Those We Must Not Receive

We must not receive those who deny the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11), because Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:1-3, 14; 1 Timothy 3:16).

Please remember this, when our Lord received us, He not only received us as sinners, He received us when we were absolutely ignorant as well. Now, there are some people that we are not to receive. There are some people that we do not count as brethren. There are some people that we do not take in our home and we do not entertain. You say, "Who are they?" Well, if you look back in 2nd John, 2nd John, and let's begin reading there with verse 9. Look at this. 2nd John, verse 9.

He said, "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine," that is the doctrine of Christ, "receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." So John is telling us that if someone does not heed to the doctrine of Christ, that is that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, then we're not to receive him into our house, we're not to count him as a brother, we're not even to say, "God bless you." Why? Because it's a grievous thing and blasphemous to deny the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you remember what our Lord said in John 5, verses 22 and 23. Listen to this. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son."

Now you need to ask yourself this question. Why did God the Father commit all judgment to the Son? And the answer is given to us in the next verse. "That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father." Now hang on. "That all men should honour the Son, even as," that means equally, too. "That all men should honour the Son equally as they honour the Father." Hang on. If the Father is God, that means the Son is God. If you're going to honour the Father as the sovereign God of heaven and earth, then you must honour the Son as sovereign God of heaven and earth. And then he goes on to say, "He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father." That's why in 2 John he said, "He that hath not the Son hath not the Father." Wow.

So the Bible teaches us very clearly that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. 1 Timothy 3, verse 16.

Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. Now, if you will look back in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 1, I want you to see this in relationship to Jesus Christ. Look in John chapter 1, and let's begin there, and let's read, if you would, the first three verses, and we're going to skip down to verse 11. John chapter 1 beginning there with verse 1. Look at this. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." So the Word, the divine Logos of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, He was with God, He was God, the same was in the beginning with God. If God is eternal, if God is, never had a beginning, never has an end.

And if the Son was with Him, He has to be God as well, because He never had a beginning, He never had an end. So all things were made by Him. That means creation, everything. Now, skip down to verse 11. Look at this. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Now look, "And the Word was made flesh." There's the incarnation. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."

"And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." Watch this. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Wow. So that is why there are some people we are not to receive because Jesus Christ is God, and if any man does not abide in that doctrine, he does not know God at all whatsoever.

Now, I'm talking about reception, and I ask this question, what kind of reception do you want to receive? Well, there are different kinds of receptions. And I suppose it depends upon the event in one sense of the word. There's a passage in Mark chapter 16 and verse 19 that says this, listen carefully. "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." Now, can you imagine he was received up into heaven? Can you imagine the glory and the honor and the praise that was piled upon Jesus Christ, not only by the Father, but by all the angels? Jesus Christ had come to this earth, become incarnate, had conquered and defeated sin, death, and the devil. Now he's been buried. Now he's been resurrected. Now he's ascended into heaven to the praise of God the Father and to the praise of all the angels. And he's now seated at the right hand of God. I would imagine there was quite a reception for the Son of God for his perfect obedience to God's law, for his perfect sacrifice.

The Reception We Desire: Christ Receiving Us

Christ's ascension reception (Mark 16:19), the rejected guest (Matthew 22:11-13), and the promise of John 14:3 that He will receive us to Himself, with Stephen's vision of Jesus standing to receive him (Acts 7:54-56).

Now, I'm talking about reception, and I ask this question, what kind of reception do you want to receive? Well, there are different kinds of receptions. And I suppose it depends upon the event in one sense of the word. There's a passage in Mark chapter 16 and verse 19 that says this, listen carefully. "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." Now, can you imagine he was received up into heaven? Can you imagine the glory and the honor and the praise that was piled upon Jesus Christ, not only by the Father, but by all the angels? Jesus Christ had come to this earth, become incarnate, had conquered and defeated sin, death, and the devil. Now he's been buried. Now he's been resurrected. Now he's ascended into heaven to the praise of God the Father and to the praise of all the angels. And he's now seated at the right hand of God. I would imagine there was quite a reception for the Son of God for his perfect obedience to God's law, for his perfect sacrifice.

There's another kind of reception I don't think most people have ever thought about, but I can assure you they really do not want. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew, chapter 22. Matthew, chapter 22. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 11. And this is the king, the wedding feast. And this wedding feast, of course, is for his son. And note, if you would, in those times when you went to a wedding, the host provided a wedding garment. That wedding garment had to be worn. So look at this. Matthew 22, verse 11. "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless."

Let me just stop right there. I have heard people say, and you're talking about stupidity, this is the height of it. I've heard people say, "Well, when I see God, I'm going to give him a mouthful. I'm going to tell him." Really? I don't think so. This man was speechless, and that's the way every sinner is going to be. Now watch this. The Bible said, "And he was speechless."

Now look at verse 13. "Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen." Those who reject the Son will be rejected by the Father. Those who despise the Son will be despised by the Father. Those who refuse the Son will be refused by the Father, and they will be cast into outer darkness.

Now, I want you to go back to John chapter 14. That's where I started. I've given you all this information that I gave you just to be able to give you one truth from John chapter 14. And I want you to look again at the first three verses. Our Lord says, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions." "If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and" what? "And receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Wow. So the question is, how do you wish to be received? Our Lord said, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you."

When I was a boy, there was an old gospel song, if you call it a gospel song. But there was a song that was supposed to be a gospel song that would just "build me a cabin in the corner of glory land." Everybody hear that song? "Just build me a cabin in the corner." Well, if the street is gold and the gates are pearl, I don't think a cabin is going to be quite right. No, our Lord said "in my Father's house are many mansions." So there's going to be mansions now. Hang on. Our Lord said in John 14, verse 3, "I will come again, and" listen to this now, "and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 7, and I want to ask you a question. As you turn to this passage, Acts chapter 7, would you please tell me, then when our Lord was resurrected and ascended into heaven, where did He go and where was He placed? He sat where?

At the right hand of God the Father. He was seated at the right hand of God the Father. Okay, hang on. Look at Acts chapter 7, beginning there with verse 54, because Stephen is giving a witness concerning Christ. And of course, Stephen is about to be martyred. In Acts chapter 7, in verse 54,

What's this?

"And they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord." Wow. I thought our Lord was seated, but now He's standing. And why was He standing? To receive one of His own. Has it ever dawned upon you that when we drop this old shell of a body, and we cross the river Jordan, we die, our Lord receives His own. You talk about reception.

Motivation for Faithful Service

John Flavel's quote on the toil of ministry and the hope of hearing 'Well done'; the joy of being received by Christ and His satisfaction in us (Isaiah 53:11).

"And they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord." Wow. I thought our Lord was seated, but now He's standing. And why was He standing? To receive one of His own. Has it ever dawned upon you that when we drop this old shell of a body, and we cross the river Jordan, we die, our Lord receives His own. You talk about reception. Most of us would count it an honor to be received by an earthly king. An earthly king is nothing and no one. But to be received by the King of Kings, God himself, is marvelous. I not only want to be received by our Lord, I want to be able to hear His words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." I want to give you a quote from John Flavel. If you've never read John Flavel, I would encourage you to do so. He was a Puritan. He's one of the sweetest authors. The quote I'm going to give you concerns the ministry.

And I can verify everything he says because I know it firsthand. But I want you to listen to it. He wrote, "The labors of the ministry will exhaust the very marrow from your bones, hasten old age and death. They, God's preachers, are fitly compared to the toil of men in harvest, to the labors of a woman in travail, and to the agonies of a soldier in the extremity of a battle." "We must watch while others sleep. And indeed, it is not so much the expense of our labors as the loss of them that kill us. It is not with us as with other laborers. They find their work as they leave it. So do not we. Sin and Satan unravel almost all we do. The impressions we make on our people's souls in one sermon vanish before the next."

"How many truths have we to study? How many wiles of Satan and mysteries of corruption to detect? How many cases of conscience to resolve? Yea, we must fight in defense of the truths we preach, as well as study them to paleness, and preach them in all, welcome pain-breast, aching backs, and trembling legs, if we can by all but approve ourselves Christ's faithful servants, and hear that joyful voice from his mouth, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant,' all shall be well." This is the thing that astounds me. He hit the nail on the head and he said, "Indeed, it is not so much the expense of our labors as the loss of them that kill us. It is not with us as with other laborers. They find their work as they leave it. So do not we." Stop and think about this. If you happen to be a carpenter and you're building a house, you lay the foundation fine, wonderful. Once that concrete hardens, if that's what you pour, wonderful.

You go back two days later, you can begin erecting walls on it. If you don't finish erecting the walls, you go back two days later, you can pick up where you finish. And you can keep doing that until three months elapse and you finally get the house built. But it's not so with preachers. When you stop and think about this, and I've often said this, when someone has been in church faithfully for 30 years and listened to real expositions of the Word of God, they should be scholars. They should be theologians. But the truth of the matter is, it's not like that.

Most people forget every lesson they hear. Most people forget it by the time they get in the car to drive home. I've often wanted to preach a message this Sunday, preach the same message next Sunday and see how many could catch up on it and pick up that, "Hey, he just preached that." You'd be surprised. So the point I'm trying to make is he's right. People hear something, they get convicted, seemingly, or they say, "I need to change that." And within 24 hours, they've forgotten all about it. Wow. If the thought of being received by Jesus Christ does not excite you and motivate you to greater service, I want you to add one more thought. In Isaiah 53 and verse 11, the scripture says, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." That verse has boggled my mind for years. If you would stop and think of the sinfulness that still exists in our lives, even as Christians, even when you want to do right, and you pray to do right, and you endeavor to be biblical in every area, and yet your flesh comes up with stupid thoughts and vain ideas and false pride. You think, "What? How did that happen? How did that come into my mind? I wasn't even thinking anywhere near that. It just popped into my mind." And when you stop and think that here we are saved by the grace of God, and when our Lord receives us, listen to me, He'll be satisfied.

Can you imagine that our Lord's heart will be thrilled at receiving a sinful believer? It's astounding. It's absolutely astounding. And here's why He's going to receive us. "That you may be where I am." Wherever He is for eternity, we will be with Him. So how do you want to be received? You want to be received by our Lord and be the joy and rejoicing of His heart? Or do you want to be received the other way and be cast out into outer darkness?

Applications: The Prodigal Son and Receiving Christ in One Another

The prodigal son's reception (Luke 15) pictures our welcome; receiving one another is receiving Christ and the Father (Matthew 10:40-41; John 13:20; Matthew 25:40).

Now, let me give you a couple of applications. The first one is if everyone in this room remembers the story of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15. You remember how he got his inheritance. He took the substance from the father and went off and wasted his substance, the Bible says, with riotous living. And finally he spent all and came to naught. And he was hired to feed hogs. And the Bible said he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat.

Not even real germ in the food. The kernel had already been eaten out, and the hogs were eating the husk. They were eating the shells, and that's what he was desiring to eat. And then he said to himself, "What a fool am I?" He said, "My father has plenty and enough to spare. I'll go back home to my father, and I'll say, 'Father, I'm not worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants.'" And so when he came back home and the father saw him, the father went out to greet him, and he said, "Father, I'm not worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants." And what did the father do?

He said, "Bring hither the best robe, bring hither the ring of sonship, and kill the fatted calf. This my son who was lost is now found. He's now home." If that is any indication of the reception that we will have when we see our Lord, it would have to be an absolutely remarkable, wonderful reception. Wonderful that we are absolutely at home. Now, one other application. I began this message by reading from Romans 15 in verse 7, that we were to receive each other even as Christ received us. I pointed out He received us while we were sinners. He received us in our ignorance, in our stupidity. He did. But there's another thought. Listen to what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 10, verses 40 and 41.

He said, "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward." Now hang on to that first part. "He that receiveth you," he said, "receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." And then our Lord said exactly the same thing in John chapter 13 in verse 20. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." In other words, when you and I learn to receive each other as Christ received us to the glory of God, in one sense of the word, we're receiving Christ, and we're receiving the Father who sent Christ. Do you remember what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 25?

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Wow. So receiving one another is in reality a way of receiving Christ and the Father. You remember He said in John chapter 14, "We will come unto you." How in the world does He come to us? Sure, He comes to us by His Spirit, but also He comes to us in His people. For He said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." So when we learn to receive one another, in the strictest sense of the word, we're learning to receive Christ. And when we receive Christ, we also receive the Father who sent Him. Isn't that astounding? And our Lord said, "If I go and prepare a place, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Wow.