Gospel—D. Nicolet
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Again.
With him #28.
Grace tis a charming sound.
Harmonious to the ear.
Heaven with the echo shall resound in all, the earth shall hear.
We'll sing the 2nd and the third verse of hymn #28.
Way by wondrous plan.
Say, write. Praise the one. Oh my plea.
Jesus died for all mankind.
And Jesus died for me.
Pray God, my roving.
Sunlight is our age.
Saved by grace alone.
They live on my way.
Change the side for all mankind.
And dream of fine *****.
I'd like to turn to look at some scriptures.
Beginning in the Gospel of Mark.
And the.
4th chapter.
I'm sorry, the Gospel of Mark in the 7th chapter Mark, Chapter 7.
We will read the last part of verse 37.
He hath done all things well.
He maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.
Now the Gospel of John.
I believe it's the 7th chapter.
Chapter 7.
And verse 46 Never man spake like this man.
He hath done all things well. Never man spake like this man.
Now I want to read.
In Second Corinthians part of a verse chapter 6.
I'd like to read the end phrase of the first verse of Second Corinthians chapter 6.
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We that's the first word. And then going to that end phrase beseech you.
That she received not the grace of God in vain.
That was written to believers.
Or at least it was written to those who outwardly took the position of being believers.
I don't know tonight in this audience if there are those who have come in as invited guests, we're certainly happy that you're here.
But by far the great majority of those sitting in this room are those who would answer to these in Corinth, that the apostle Paul wrote to those who took the position, at least outwardly, of being believers. And the apostle Paul says to them, we beseech you, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. Let it be shown in your life, And I'd like to apply that tonight.
In the gospel.
For most of us sitting here.
Have heard over and over and over again the marvelous story of the wonderful matchless grace of God. But not only have you heard it, not only have I heard it, but you and I, each one of us sitting here, have been infinite number of times in our lives the recipients of the matchless grace of God.
God's grace in his actions in your life and mind you consider for a moment, dear friend, tonight.
Where you would be.
If God had not shown you moment by moment grace, where would you be tonight?
And so the very fact that you're here in this room.
Is a testimony to God's grace to you.
And we would trust to by the Spirit of God, that you might hear that question. We beseech you that you receive not the grace of God in vain. Are you here taking the position of a Christian? Is that what you're living outwardly? Is that what those who know you best think of you. Are you able to pass as a Christian?
Pass as one who is the recipient of the grace of God.
One who has been a recipient of those wonderful works of that blessed man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who does all things well.
One who has over and over again in your life, heard the gracious words proceeding out of his mouth.
That would have to say truly, never man spake like this man.
You've heard his words, those of you who have been here at the meetings for the last two days.
The rich ministry as it has pleased the spirit of God to give it to us.
The gracious words and surely we can say tonight never, never.
Man spake like this, man, and you're sitting here.
In this most blessed place tonight.
Perhaps some of you sitting here may not think this is a place of blessing. Maybe your heart is somewhere else tonight. Maybe you would prefer to be out there somewhere doing something that would be more enjoyable to you.
Well, there are many, many things, as we heard in the reading this afternoon, I believe it was perhaps this morning many, many places, even in the city of Walla Walla, that you could go and you well know them, that you could find that which might give pleasure for a season for a time.
But I can assure you, whether you feel it or not, whether you think it or not, you're sitting here in this audience tonight is a proof.
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A testimony of proof of the matchless grace of God that is allowing you once more to hear.
Though it may be feebly spoken, but to hear once more the story, the truth, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who in grace and love came into this world, and he came into this world. Dear friend, with you on his heart and on his mind, I say reverently, he came into this scene, and you were on his heart.
Turn back for a passage to Luke.
The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 4. Remembering our application of this phrase, we beseech you that you receive not the grace of God in vain. What a solemn thing if someone would leave this room tonight.
Having said under the sound of the word of God for these days, and you leave this room tonight, still rejecting, still a stranger to.
The Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, looking outwardly, playing the role of passing according to appearance in man's eye, as a Christian, as religious, carrying your Bible, doing all the right things, saying the right things, going to the right places.
And a stranger yet to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A testimony of thus far having received the grace of God.
In vain.
Look at Luke chapter 4. The Lord Jesus comes into the synagogue. He takes the scriptures.
And he reads in verse 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
Hear the words not of the speaker tonight. Hear the words of the eternal divine Son of God, saying, He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. If you're here tonight, a stranger to the grace of God and the salvation of your soul, you are the poorest.
Of people living in Walla Walla, you're the poorest that could be found. But he's here tonight by his spirit to preach the gospel to the poor. And then he goes on. He says he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, I have no doubt.
That tonight, sitting in this room, there are some broken hearts. I don't know the reason.
But he does.
And that heart that is broken, he loves.
And he wants to extend grace and love and forgiveness.
He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, 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 to the minister and sat down.
And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is a scripture fulfilled in your ears Now this phrase and all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.
There was a testimony not from the majority.
Not from most of those in that synagogue. There was a testimony from all every single soul setting under the sound of the words of the blessed Lord. Jesus gave the same testimony. They wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. And what was the result of that?
They received the grace of God, as it were, in vain.
Look at this verse.
Verse 28.
And all they in the synagogue, That's everyone who heard and attested to the gracious words that came forth from the mouth of the blessed Lord Jesus. It says all they in the synagogue when they heard these things, that is, that which touched their conscience and told them things that weren't palatable to their hearts and minds.
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They were sinners. They were in need of God's grace.
And they because of their outward position.
As Jews were not specially favored above.
The Gentiles, that is, when they heard of that widow.
And they heard that she was the one cleansed. They all rise up filled with wrath.
The same hearts that said, listen to these gracious words. They rise up filled with wrath.
And they thrust him out of the city and led him onto the brow of the hill. You know, our brother this morning.
Shared with us the thought of the city, the city as we heard last night that Cain built, and the city that God's prepared.
This city had no room for the grace of God. It was preached in vain, and they thrust him out of it. They didn't want him.
How is it with you tonight?
You know, sometimes in the college where I teach, I give my students what I call a challenge test.
And it's simply a project or a test that they have to complete without any help. But it's not graded as a final Test would be graded. It's for them to discern, as they have taken that test, whether or not they have benefited from the instruction they've received to that point. It's a self help.
Test.
It's something that's used so that they can look at themselves and make an honest evaluation of where they are.
And tonight, in the moments we have left, I'm going to turn.
And we're going to look at the life of a man.
Who received the grace of God, as it were, in vain.
Not because.
One enjoys speaking about those kinds of situations, but it's a most solemn account presented in the word of God. And as we do. So my desire is that you'll give yourself a challenge test, if you will, that you will, unknown to anyone else sitting in this room but knowing to God, open your heart in reality to Him to see if in fact.
You fall into the category of one who still tonight has received the grace of God in vain. That is, as we said before, you outwardly look, act, and talk like a Christian, and inwardly there's not reality. Oh, the grace of God. That's been extended time and time again in your life, I tell you tonight, these that we spoke about in this synagogue who heard the gracious words of the Lord Jesus.
Who testified to the fact of those gracious words and when they were told that being in their religious position wasn't enough.
That God reached out in blessing to someone else.
They rise up, I tell you, for over 1900 years, those souls have existed in a place that is the result of the decision they made.
And if they left this world well over 1900 years ago, having rejected the grace of God, having it as it were, in their presence, and received it in vain, they are tonight, while you're sitting in this room, still able.
To be brought in.
To the blessings of the gospel of the grace of God in believing and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You tonight can do that. They can't.
And for all eternity those who said there is no room in our city.
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For the man who spoke these gracious words.
For all eternity they will exist.
With the solemn results of that decision.
Have you received the grace of God in vain?
I want to turn and we'll.
Perhaps go rapidly through this and I want to turn back to second kings and we're going to look at the light.
Of a man.
Who naturally speaking?
Was very, very privileged.
One of the most privileged individuals who lived during the time he lived in this world. I mean as to his outward natural privileges and position.
He had everything.
That a human heart could want to have.
And he had more.
At least.
Six times in his life, and no doubt many, many more. But as far as I can tell, at least six times that are recorded in the word of God in this man's life. Who was, if we would use an expression that the world sometimes uses, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth?
At least six times in his life there was something added. There was a testimony of the matchless, marvelous grace of God.
In his life.
And the result is that tonight.
I have no doubt.
From what I can tell.
That this soul is in company with those who 1900 years ago said our city has no room.
For the one who spoke such wonderful, gracious words.
We're going to turn to 2nd King's chapter.
3.
And we're going to look.
At the life of a man named Jehoram.
As our brother Bill said this afternoon in his address, we will certainly not read his. It's actually quite a history. I think that's Solomon itself.
Many, many pages of the Word of God, in comparison to other souls that are mentioned, are devoted to the life of this man who received the grace of God in vain.
So we aren't going to read in detail. We're going to make the same assumption that the story of Jehoram in general is pretty well known and we'll just point some things out. But let's look at chapter three of Second Kings and we will read the 1St 2 verses.
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel in Samaria, the 18th year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. And you reigned 12 years. And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and like his mother, For he had put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
Well, he was a king. That's a pretty privileged position. He had power. He had authority. He had well, he had position. He had fame.
Those are things that the world is tonight desperately seeking. He had all of these things.
But he had something else, too.
I think in the words of some of the older writers, I think particularly of Mr. Ballot, perhaps Mr. McIntosh, he had bad antecedents.
His mother and his father were perhaps the most wicked couple.
That are recorded in the word of God, Ahab, and Jezebel.
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He didn't come from morally very good stock, but outwardly he had it all.
Dear friend, you and I are no different. We don't come from very good stock.
God is all done, I say carefully with Adam, With that race, it's all over. He hasn't been able to find anything good in it, and one of his servants was divinely inspired to write. I know that in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth a few good things. No. No.
Dwelleth no good thing.
It's all over.
The courtroom scene you'll find in Romans, the first few chapters. God, I say reverently, sits there as a judge. Man is brought before him in every condition He can be found, and the verdict is guilty. No good thing. It's all over. And that's where you start tonight. It doesn't matter what your position is. It doesn't matter what you have or own, or where you live or whatever blessings you have.
It's all over.
For you, apart from a work of the Lord Jesus Christ in your soul.
He wasn't as bad as his parents. And you might look around at your neighbors and friends. You might look at your brothers or sisters. I don't know who you're looking at. You won't have to look very far and you'll find someone worse than you.
It won't take much, but don't let that be a comfort to your heart because God's word records, he brought evil in the sight of the Lord. It doesn't matter a whole lot what other people are looking at and what other people are seeing.
It doesn't matter what judgment they're making. They may see a very nice neighbor, a patriotic, patriotic citizen, a hard working person, clean need, everything you could want someone to be. What does the Lord see? What are you working in the sight of the Lord?
Jehoram, who wasn't as bad as his father Ahab and his mother Jezebel.
Still did something called working evil in God's sight. That's who you have to do with tonight. It doesn't matter what I think of you.
I say this carefully. It's not in one sense important, even what your friends and parents think of you. That needs to be qualified.
But it is vital for your soul tonight what God thinks of you. Well, let's look at the first time in this man's life who has started out life. And he's got a serious problem. He doesn't know it, but it's a very serious problem. God looks at him and sees evil in his life.
What does he look at? What does he see when he looks at you? He sees the same thing if you're here apart from Christ. That is, if you're here and you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, He sees the same thing in you that he sees in every man, woman, child that's in this world.
That is, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That's what he sees. He might be a nice Sinner.
He might be a horrible Sinner. That's not the issue. The issue is God sees that you're a Sinner and the wages of sin is death.
Well.
This man Jehoram has got a problem in his life. You're going to have problems in your life. And now I'm going to make this We're going to.
Apply this, I should say, in simple, practical ways. Every soul that is in this room and every soul living in the city of Walla Walla has problems. And this man had a problem.
But the grace of God was shown to him, but it was shown in vain. Let's look at it.
He's going to go fight a battle. We won't go into that. He's got an enemy, he's going to go fight with his enemy. He's going to set matters straight.
Going to get things straightened out. And so he goes to battle and he takes Jehoshaphat. This was a godly king, you and I, who know the Lord Jesus as savior. We're going to see Jehoshaphat someday in glory, and we won't go into what all the lesson we can learn from what Jehoshaphat did. We're not talking tonight about the mistakes that Christians make. And don't let that turn you aside from coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, because you can look at a Christian and point at him and say he made a mistake.
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You wouldn't have to point very far if you wanted to find a Christian tonight, a believer who's made a mistake. Just look right here. Or better yet, get a mirror out and look in the mirror and you'll see one even closer than the one on this podium. That's a really poor reason to say I'm not coming to Christ. You know, we hear that sometimes. If that's what a Christian is, I don't want to be a Christian. I don't want to downplay that. That's pretty solemn.
But you're not going to get any comfort in eternity.
Separated from Christ. Separated from God forever in the eternal, awful flames of hell. It's going to be no comfort to you to say, boy, the way those Christians lived, I'm glad I wasn't one. You're not going to get any comfort. You're not going to say that in a lost eternity.
Well, he takes Jehoshaphat with him and he takes another king. The king I think it is of of Edom.
And they go up and they're looking for this enemy. They're going to set things straight. You're going to set things straight in your life. You've got problems. You're going to work them out. Sometimes they don't get worked out. Look what happened here.
Verse 9. And they fetched a compass of seven days journey and there was number water for the host and the cattle that followed them. I take that to mean in seven days they just made one big circle and they came right back to where they started and there was no water. There was nothing to sustain them. They just were going around in circles.
Dear friends, I don't care how organized or how with it the world is tonight, or how with it you think you can be without the Lord Jesus. The reality is more your life is going in a circle, going nowhere, if you do not have the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior.
You're going nowhere.
And there's nothing in that circle you're making that's going to refresh or keep or give you life. Well, look what happens.
The King of Israel said, Alas, this is Jehoram. Alas, that the Lord hath called these 3 kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. That's pretty much like our hearts, isn't it? He wasn't very interested. In fact, he wasn't interested at all in finding out what the Lord thought of what he was going to do. Jehovah had no interest to this king. He was going to do his own thing. So he did his own thing. And then when he got in trouble, he said, oh look what God is doing to me.
He's out to get me.
That's the human heart, and that may be your heart tonight. You've been moving in circles, making no progress in your life at all, whether you want to admit it or not. Are you sitting here tonight saying or trying to somehow blame God for that mess that you've been in for these last seven days, in your life, in this big circle you've been following?
Well.
Jehoshaphat, in all of his failure had some good advice for him, He said. Isn't there a prophet of the Lord? Isn't there someone who will tell us the truth?
You know, I want to be very careful with this, but I hope before God that tonight, whatever we say up here and however feeble it may be spoken, that at least there's someone who is going to tell you the truth tonight about your condition.
And tell you the truth about what to do about it.
So they.
Find Elisha and we'll just say most of you who have studied the word of God know that he's a wonderful picture of grace.
And they find Elisha.
And Elisha says this in verse 13 to Jehoram. What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father and the prophets of thy mother? Are we talking about grace? Does that sound like grace? Is that a gracious answer? Here's a king who is getting ready to find out what it's like to die of thirst or to be overcome by his enemy because he has no strength left to fight. And a Christian. And I'm typing Jehoshaphat in that sense right now.
A Christian says why?
Here's one who can show you the way. Here's one that can show you the way. This book can show you the way. This is the water of the Word of God that will give you refreshment, bring life to you and.
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We get that kind of an answer. Where's the grace there? Get thee to the.
What have I to do with thee? Get to the prophets of thy father. For thy father and thy mother sounds very ungracious. But notice this.
Verse 14.
As the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat.
I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
This man is right now in his life in an absolutely hopeless condition.
No water to drink. He's been going around in circles. No way to find help. A prophet of the Lord is there.
And the prophet of the Lord says, give thee to the prophets of thy father and thy mother. I don't have anything to do with you.
But God shows him grace on account of another.
On account of Jehoshaphat, not because of what he is or what he's done, but because of Jehoshaphat, he says.
If it weren't for Jehoshaphat, it wouldn't be any hope for you. Well, let dear friends, let me tell you, if it weren't for the Lord Jesus Christ tonight, there wouldn't be any hope for one of us in this room.
The grace of God isn't shown because you've done something good or worthy, or because you're showing the right kind of repentance that is the right amount, or because of anything you've done except your sin.
But because of another The grace of God is being extended to you in this absolutely hopeless condition that you're in tonight. If you're here without Christ as your personal Savior, there is not a condition that could be more hopeless than that.
And the grace of God is available to you. Well, they receive receives the grace of God. And it's not just a little trickle of water, but that whole land is filled with water. Do you know, dear friend, how much God wants to bless you tonight? If you have any idea the heart of God that wants to pour out rivers of blessing into your life tonight.
And he wants to do it because of another.
Because of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, Because of what he's done on the cross.
He so completely satisfied the heart of God that it's his joy tonight and his love to your soul that he just feel, as it were, the ditches of your life with water, with blessing.
Does that sound a little better than traveling around in a desert, dying of thirst in a circle, not knowing where you're going to have the blessing of God pour it out into your life? Well, he got that blessing. That grace of God was shown to him. Now let's go on and look at the next one in his life.
In chapter 5.
You know this story very well. Naman the Syrian A leper. The Syrians dominating Israel masters over Israel.
And.
That little maid talks about the blessing that could be found in Israel, the man of God there for her Master, the leprous Naaman. And so the king of Syria says I'm going to do that. I'm going to send my servant name, and not to the man of God, but to Jehoram, the king of Israel.
In verse five or six I'm going to send him there saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent name and my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
Pretty tough position to be in. That's about as helpless as you can be. And that's his condition here. He's before was hopeless, now he's helpless, absolutely helpless. What is he going to be able to do to recover a man of leprosy?
Not only that, but the king who is sending the man to be recovered.
Is the master over Jehoram? Jehoram is in subjection to this king of Syria.
And if the king of Syria, I say carefully, wanted to start a battle, he'd be all over for Jehovah and Israel at this time.
He had a right to be frightened, to be upset. He was in an absolutely helpless situation. There was a need there and he couldn't do anything about it.
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Maybe someone is here tonight that feels like you really do have a need. Maybe. Wonderful if there was a heart here tonight that felt that it had a need.
Even more wonderful of it realized it couldn't do anything about it. What happens?
He gets kind of frustrated. In verse seven, he rents his clothes.
And he says, Wherefore consider I pray you, and see how he seeketh A quarrel against me.
This poor king, he's so important in his own eyes, Everything focuses on himself, and the king of Syria is just sending this to seek a quarrel.
But Elisha comes in in grace.
And he says, let him come to me in verse 8.
And he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
And so Elisha in grace does for Jehoram for the second time.
What Johor could not do for himself, he shows him grace to this helpless king who was absolutely in a situation that was impossible to solve. Life is full, beloved young people of impossible situations.
And most of those impossible situations I want to say carefully. But it seems to me most of those impossible situations are the result of disobedience and sin and self will.
And if you try to fix those impossible situations, you're going to have to make the same judgment that was made here with Jehoram. It's impossible. I cannot do anything. I'm helpless.
But there is one tonight, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shed his precious blood on Calvary's cross? That he might redeem you? That he might have you, that he might save you? That he might bless you? There's nothing impossible to him. Not one situation of life is beyond his ability to come in in blessing and help.
In chapter 6.
We find another instance. The king of Syria, verse 8, is warring against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants saying, in such and such a place shall be my camp and the man of God. That's Elijah sent on to the king of Israel. That's Jehoram saying, beware that thou pass not by such a place, for thither are the Syrians come down. But here's grace shown to one who is being haunted.
You feel haunted tonight.
Well, let me tell you, you are being haunted. And you're being haunted by a full, far more horrible, far more implacable.
Then the king of Syria, beloved young people, beloved children that are sitting in this room, you're sitting beside your parents who love you, have been praying for you, pray for you. Let me tell you, you're the object of a hunt.
You're the quarry.
That one who is termed a roaring lion is seeking to get tonight and devour.
And there are souls after souls, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of souls in this world tonight who are falling prey to this master hunter.
Doesn't always hunt as a roaring lion.
He hunts sometimes, as we heard today, with all the glitz and the glamour of the lights and the excitement of a world that looks so inviting. And he's hunting, and he's hunting for your soul. And he's got his place marked out, and he's dwelling there in a place specifically marked out for you.
He's not just, I say carefully after the souls of men. He's after your soul tonight, Satan.
Has set a trap for you personally. He wants to see you personally destroyed and he's made his camp.
And you're on your way to pass by that camp.
And the man of God.
Is seeking to warn you in grace. Don't go that way.
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You beloved young people, you don't need any examples of what we're talking about in this world tonight. Don't go that way.
There's a trap set. Well, he shows him grace, he listens to him and he doesn't go that way and he's saved. And it says not once or twice. I take that to mean that on multiple occasions.
Jehoram.
Was a recipient of the grace of God, and it was in vain.
He was a recipient of the grace of God. I want you to notice something before we hurry on here. Look at these words.
The king of Syria is rightfully upset that he can't catch his quarry. He's not. He's carefully laid his plans, he's carefully set his trap, and he hasn't gotten anything to show for it.
So he says the heart in verse 11 of the king of Syria was sore troubled, for the king called his servants and said, will ye not show me which one of us is for the king?
Of Israel. In other words, where's the traitor? Who's the guy among our army, Among my army that secretly helping the king of Israel? There's got to be one of you.
That's really helping the king of Israel. Now notice this answer. And one of his servants said None, My Lord, O king, beloved young people, you think that the world is going to be your friend. You think there's something out there somewhere that's going to help you?
You think there's one out there that's really on your side secretly, and it's going to kind of help you get closer to the Lord where you're out in the world running around. Well, listen to what it says here. Which one is helping? None.
You don't have a friend in the world.
Not a real one, but you've got a wonderful friend tonight in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he is here to show grace to you, being haunted that you might be preserved. What are you going to do about it?
Let's go on.
Chapter 6.
We're going to see how much good so far these.
Times when the grace of God was shown to a hopeless situation, a helpless situation, one who was in a situation where he's being hunted, the grace of God has been shown.
What good is it done?
The army of Syria, by the grace of God.
Is taken captive.
And look at verse 21. Here's the heart of a man who's been showing the grace of God in vain. And the king of Israel said to Elijah, that's Jehoram when he saw them. That's the army of Syria. Who were his prisoners? My father? Shall I smite them? Shall I smite them?
Isn't it strange how a heart that has been so shown the grace of God?
Can turn around and show such.
Cruelty.
It proves that the grace of God had been shown in his life in vain. He didn't have a clue.
What it was to be gracious to others, whatever the army of Syria had done.
It wasn't anywhere near in comparison to the evil he was guilty of.
And he wasn't about to be smitten. He didn't think he deserved it, but he was going to get that army of Syria.
It's very strange to me. I won't go into it, but you ponder it.
Why is it that this is the one time in the history of Jaharam that we have recorded that he calls the Man of Godfather a term of endearment and it's connected with a desire to kill, to destroy?
There's something, as the world says, really out of whack. But it's no worse, my friend, than where you are tonight.
Here is a man who is showing just how heartless he can be. Hopeless, helpless, haunted and now heartless.
That's what he's going to do. Let me say this.
You may think that you're going to find friends in this world who are going to help you.
When you need it, most of all you'll find it's a very heartless world. Let's go on.
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Now earlier, remember he's here calling Elisha my father now in the end of the chapter.
There's a famine that's come and people are dying and there's horrible situations that are happening unspeakable. If they weren't recorded in the word of God, we won't go into it. But what does the king do? What does Jehoram do with this? He says.
In verse 31 God do so and more also to me. If the head of Elijah, he's not calling him a father anymore. If the head of Elijah the son of shape, it shall stand on him this day. So he comes verse 33 and while he talks to them, behold the messenger came down. That's the man the king sent to Elijah to hold him so he could come and kill him.
And the king comes. Behold, this evil is of the Lord. What should I wait for the Lord any longer?
Incredible. He's been in such situations in his life. Now there's a famine, and the famine is so bad that it says.
In verse 25, Anasa's head was sold for Foursquare pieces of silver and a fourth part of a cab of.
Of doves Dung was sold for five pieces of silver.
What a price was put on foolishness and fill in that famine.
It's the same price that the world you and I live in tonight puts on foolishness and filth.
A tremendous fortune can be made in this world by those who want to engage in its foolishness and in its filth. And the world is willing to pay a tremendous amount of money, a tremendous amount of silver, as it were, for foolishness and filth, because of this horrible famine that exists in this.
Well favored country that we live in.
And when the famine strikes and really strikes home, the king says it's not my fault, it's his fault.
Who are you blaming tonight for the problems and the trials, the things in your life that aren't going right for the famine that's in your in your life? Who are you blaming? Are you blaming God? That's in a sense what he was doing here, he said. It's God's fault. It's Elijah's fault, the man of God. I'm going to get rid of him. I'm going to be done with him.
But how is this grace?
Grace to a hardened heart. He ought to have recognized that a famine was God's way in his age, as it were, of judging sin and self will and disobedience. His heart is whole so hard that he can't say it's my fault. He can't lay the blame where it belongs. He says it's his fault. I'm not waiting for the Lord any longer. I'm going to kill his messenger.
But what's the grace that's shown to this hardened Sinner? Hear ye the word of the Lord. Thus sayeth the Lord tomorrow. About this time shall a measure of fine flower be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel.
Blessing was coming. Blessing was going to come. Because he deserved it. No, because of the grace of God that was shown in his life, the matchless grace of God.
To this hardened Sinner.
Oh dear friends, tonight, whatever hardness your heart is, condition your heart is in there is still grace, matchless, wonderful grace, food, refreshment, everything you need for life, for now, for eternity. It's for you right now. There doesn't need to be a famine in your life. Well.
The king gets the message. This is the.
Grace shown to the hungry. And that's down in verse 10. The message comes. There's plenty of food. The Syrians are gone. We can go get the food. And so the king in his unbelief says this. I will show you now what the Syrians have done to us. They know we be hungry. He can't see the hand of God in it. He can only see with his eyes the enemy. I'll show you what the Syrians have done.
Not with the Syrians. It's what the Lord had done in grace for him. Can you see beyond the surface circumstances of your life and see that it's God working with you, seeking to bring by His grace, to bring you to himself and to go back for just a minute to not say and lay the blame on someone else, but to say with that one of old God, be merciful to me, the Sinner. It's not his fault. The condition I'm in is my fault. God be merciful to me.
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The Sinner, and then to believe God when the message comes.
Oh, there's full and free provision. It's all there. The famine is over if you'll simply partake of it. Partake of God's provision. Well, he does partake. And so there it is. 6 times at least in his life. God is showing him grace.
What's the effect?
It's very solemn to me.
Because the time came in his life when he was in very serious trouble and there was no longer grace available. You have, dear friend, right now.
To accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. He is extending to this moment grace to you right now.
But if you reject it.
This may well be morally you're in.
Chapter 9.
And it came to pass when Jorem that is another spelling for the name King Jehoram.
When John saw Jehu that he said Is it peace Jehu?
I'm going to just stop with that. There is no peace to the wicked Isaiah.
Gu was the instrument of God's judgment that was sent against the king, who was shown before that judgment ever came, time after time after time, the matchless, marvelous grace of God, and he rejected it. He was showing the grace of God in vain.
The day came when it wasn't God's grace that came to visit him. It was Jihu.
The instrument of God's righteous judgment.
And this foolish king looks up and sees, as it were, the judgment of God coming in to his life. And he says, is it peace?
There is no peace to the wicked.
But he, the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, has made peace.
Will you tonight receive the grace of God in reality in your soul?
Will you simply say, Lord Jesus, I accept thee as my personal savior? He knows all about you now. One thing you have to change, one thing you have to do different. You just need to come.
To receive his matchless grace in reality or.
Is the grace of God being shown to you, perhaps for the last time tonight?
In vain.
May God grant that by his Spirit there would be a work in your soul that would turn you to receive in reality the matchless grace of God in the gift of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves? It is the gift of God, not of works, except the Lord Jesus Christ.
Tonight, as your personal savior, let's pray Father, we thank.