Old Treasures Made New

Matthew 26:1-13

1. Let us observe how careful our Lord is to recall the attention of His disciples to His own death.
2. Let us observe what honor Christ loves to put on those who honor Him.
3. Last, but not least, we see in this incident a blessed foretaste of things that will yet take place in the day of judgment.

"We can never attach too much importance to the atoning death of Christ. It is the leading fact in the word of God, on which the eyes of our soul ought to be ever fixed. Without the shedding of his blood, there is no remission of sin. It is the cardinal truth on which the whole system of Christianity hinges. Without it the Gospel is an arch without a key-stone, a fair building without a foundation, a solar system without a sun."

"In that great day no honor done to Christ on earth shall be found to have been forgotten. The speeches of parliamentary orators, the exploits of warriors, the works of poets and painters, shall not be mentioned in that day. But the least work that the weakest Christian woman has done for Christ, or His members, shall be found written in a book of everlasting remembrance."

Matthew 25:31-46

1. Let us mark who will be the JUDGE in the last day.
2. Let us mark who will be JUDGED in the last day.
3. Let us mark in what manner the JUDGMENT will be conducted in the last day.
4. Let us mark what will be the FINAL RESULTS of the judgment day.

"The last judgment will be a judgment that will bring joy to all true believers. They will hear those precious words, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom." They will be owned and confessed by their Master before His Father and the holy angels. They shall find that the wages He gives to His faithful servants are nothing less than "a kingdom." The least, and lowest, and poorest, of the family of God, shall have a crown of glory, and be a king."

Matthew 25:14-30

1. We learn that all professing Christians have received something from God.
2. We learn that many make a bad use of the privileges and mercies they receive from God.
3. We learn that all professing Christians must one day have a reckoning with God.
4. We learn that true Christians will receive an abundant reward in the great day of reckoning.
5. We learn that all unfruitful members of Christ's Church will be condemned and cast away in the day of judgment.

"The best of Christians is a poor frail creature, and needs the blood of atonement every day that he lives. But the least and lowest of believers will find that he is counted among Christ's servants, and that his labor has not been in vain in the Lord. He will discover to his amazement, that his Master's eye saw more beauty in his efforts to please Him, than he ever saw himself."

"Let us leave this parable with a solemn determination, by God's grace, never to be content with a profession of Christianity without practice. Let us not only talk about religion, but act. Let us not only feel the importance of religion, but do something too. We are not told that the unprofitable servant was a murderer, or a thief, or even a waster of his Lord's money. But he did nothing--and this was his ruin. Let us beware of a do-nothing Christianity. Such Christianity does not come from the Spirit of God. "To do no harm," says Baxter, "is the praise of a stone, not of a man.""

Matthew 25:1-13

1. We see for one thing, that the second coming of Christ will find His Church a mixed body, containing evil as well as good.
2. We see, for another thing, that Christ's second coming, whenever it may be, will take men by surprise.
3. We see, in the next place, that when the Lord comes again, many will find out the value of saving religion too late.
4. We see, lastly, in this parable, that when Christ returns, true Christians shall receive a rich reward for all they have suffered for their Master's sake.

"Let us leave this parable with a settled determination, never to be content with anything short of indwelling grace in our hearts. The lamp and the name of Christian the profession and the ordinances of Christianity, are all well in their way, but they are not the one thing needed. Let us never rest until we know that we have the oil of the Spirit in our hearts."

Matthew 24:36-51

1. The first thing that demands our attention in these verses is the dreadful account that they give of the state of the world when the Lord Jesus comes again.
2. The second thing that demands our attention is the dreadful SEPARATION that will take place when the Lord Jesus comes again.
3. The last thing that demands our attention in these verses is the practical duty of watchfulness in the prospect of Christ's second coming.

"True Christians ought to live like GOOD SERVANTS, whose master is not at home. They should strive to be always ready for their master's return. They should never give way to the feeling, "my Lord is delaying his coming." They should seek to keep their hearts in such a frame, that whenever Christ appears, they may at once give Him a warm and loving reception."

Matthew 24:29-35

1. These verses teach us that when the Lord Jesus returns to this world, He shall come with peculiar glory and majesty.
2. These verses teach us that when Christ returns to this world, He will first take care of His believing people.
3. These verses teach us that until Christ returns to this earth, the Jews will always remain a separate people.
4. These verses teach us, that our Lord's predictions will certainly be fulfilled.

"In the day of judgment true Christians shall be perfectly safe. Not a hair of their heads shall fall to the ground. Not one bone of Christ's mystical body shall be broken. There was an ark for Noah, in the day of the flood. There was a Zoar for Lot, when Sodom was destroyed. There shall be a hiding-place for all believers in Jesus, when the wrath of God at last bursts on this wicked world."

Matthew 24:15-28

1. We see that flight from danger may sometimes be the positive duty of a Christian.
2. We see that in delivering this prophecy, our Lord makes special mention of the Sabbath.
3. We see that God's elect are always special objects of God's care.
4. We see that whenever the second advent of Christ takes place, it will be a very SUDDEN event.

"Our plain duty then is to live always prepared for His return. Let us walk by faith, and not by sight. Let us believe in Christ, serve Christ, follow Christ, and love Christ. So living, whenever Christ may return, we shall be ready to meet Him."

Matthew 24:1-14

1. The first general lesson before us is a warning against deception.
2. The second grand lesson before us is a warning against over-optimistic and extravagant expectations as to things which are to happen before the end comes.

"Let us frankly allow that there are many things we do not understand, but still hold our ground tenaciously, believe much--wait long, and not doubt that all will one day be made clear. Above all, let us remember that the first coming of Messiah to suffer, was the most improbable event that could have been conceived, and let us not doubt that as He literally came in person to suffer, so He will literally come again in person to reign."

Matthew 23:34-39

1. We learn that God often takes great pains with ungodly men.
2. We learn that God takes notice of the treatment which His messengers and ministers receive, and will one day reckon for it.
3. We learn that those who are lost forever, are lost through their own fault.

"Let it be a settled principle in our religion, that men's salvation, if saved, is wholly of God; and that man's ruin, if lost, is wholly of himself. The evil that is in us is all our own. The good, if we have any, is all of God."

This episode made reference to the Vallenses and the Massacre of Bartholomew.

Matthew 23:13-33

1. The 7 'Woes'
2. Let us learn from the whole passage how abominable is hypocrisy in the sight of God.
3. Let us learn from the whole passage how awfully dangerous is the position of an unfaithful minister
4. Finally, let us beware of supposing from this passage, that the safest course in religion is to make no profession at all.

"Let not hypocrisy prevent our confessing Christ, or move us from our steadfastness, if we have confessed Him. Let us press on, looking unto Jesus, and resting on Him, praying daily to be kept from error, and saying with David, "let my heart be blameless toward your decrees." (Psalm 119:80.)"