AM Luke 18:31-43 & Genesis 4 To Call Upon the Name of the Lord

[0:00] verses 31 to 43. Now after reading this passage, I hope to ask boys and girls some questions after I've read it.

[0:12] So I know it's not always easy to listen, but you just have to do your best to listen to the reading and to see if you can answer perhaps some of the questions.

[0:25] Maybe not all of them. And so we're going to read from Luke chapter 18, a very well-known passage, and verse 31 to the end.

[0:48] Let us hear God's word. And taking the twelve, he said to them, See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished, for he will be delivered over to the Gentiles, and be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon.

[1:17] And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise. But they understood none of these things.

[1:34] This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

[1:55] And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.

[2:06] And he cried out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent.

[2:25] But he cried out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stopped.

[2:39] And commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, What do you want me to do for you?

[2:56] He said, Lord, let me recover my sight, and Jesus said to him, Recover your sight.

[3:10] Your faith has made you well. And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God.

[3:25] And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. You'll read again from the scriptures, this time from the first book in the Bible, in Genesis and chapter 4.

[3:52] Genesis and chapter 4 and we'll read the whole of the chapter Now Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain saying I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord and again she bore his brother Abel now Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain a worker of the ground in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions and the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering but for Cain and his offering he had no regard so Cain was very angry and his face fell the Lord said to Cain why are you angry and why has your face fallen if you do well will you not be accepted and if you do not do well sin is crouching at the door its desire is for you but you must rule over it

[5:09] Cain spoke to Abel his brother and when they were in the field Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him and the Lord said to Cain where is Abel your brother?

[5:31] he said I do not know am I my brother's keeper? and the Lord said what have you done?

[5:43] the voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground and now you are cursed from the ground which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand when you work the ground it shall no longer yield to you its strength you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth Cain said to the Lord my punishment is greater than I can bear behold you have driven me today away from the ground from your face I shall be hidden I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth and whoever finds me will kill me and the Lord said to him not so if anyone kills Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold and the Lord put a mark on Cain lest any who found him should attack him and Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod east of Eden Cain knew his wife and she conceived and bore Enoch when he built a city he called the name of the city after the name of his son

[6:49] Enoch to Enoch was born Erad and Erad fathered Mehujel and Mehujel fathered Methusiel and Methusiel fathered Lamech and Lamech took two wives the name of the one was Ada the name of the other Zillah Ada bore Jabal he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock his brother's name was Jubal he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe Zillah also bore Jubal Cain he was a forger of all instruments of bronze and iron the sister of Jubal Cain was Neammah Lamech said to his wives Ada and Zillah hear my voice you wives of Lamech listen to what I say I've killed a man for wounding me a young man for striking me if Cain's revenge is sevenfold then Lamech says seventy sevenfold and Adam knew his wife again she bore a son and called his name

[8:01] Seth for she said God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel for Cain killed him to Seth also a son was born and he called his name Enosh at that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord let us join together in prayer let us pray consider this morning an experience which is common to to everyone who belongs to the Lord indeed to everyone who is seeking the Lord something which is true of a believer from the day of their salvation until we meet the Lord Jesus Christ face to face in glory and as the servant title indicates it's that final verse of Genesis chapter 4 which we'll be looking at for a short time just to read it again the second part of the verse at that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord and immediately the question arises from that statement in each of our hearts is that true of me is it true of you are we part of that people group who call upon the name of the Lord it's a very vital question it's a most vital question one can ask it affects this life and affects definitely the life to come at that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord well background to this sentence

[10:11] Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters we didn't read as far as chapter 5 but verse 4 of chapter 5 we read that they had many other sons and daughters and we don't hear about them the ones which are brought to our attention are the firstborn Cain Abel and Seth the book of Hebrews reminds us that Seth Abel was a righteous man he had offered his sacrifice in faith and that seems to have been the missing aspect missing quality to Cain's sacrifice Abel offered his in faith Abel trusted God but Cain you must presume displayed a measure of arrogance and self righteousness and because his offering was not accepted in envy and bitterness in spite of

[11:21] God's warning in envy and bitterness he kills his son his brother his brother it's an awesome way the scriptures open for us these opening chapters of Genesis Eve by faith sees Seth as a replacement for Abel in verse 25 we read that she said God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel she regarded Seth not any of the other sons she may have had but she regarded Seth as a replacement another offering offspring instead of Abel the word offspring is literally in the

[12:22] Hebrew reading the notes to this Bible is seed seed is a literal word and it's used again in that well known verse in chapter 3 verse 15 when the Lord says to the evil one to the serpent I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring literally as we read in the footnote it is your seed and her seed he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel he's the appointed one that's what his word Seth means he's the appointed one and he's in the godly line which will lead to Christ and we see his name prominently there in the genealogy recorded for us in the opening chapters of Luke's gospel so

[13:22] Seth is the appointed one in that godly line which will lead to our saviour then we learn something most significant around that time the time when some 105 years later we learn from chapter 5 when his son Enosh was born at that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord why then scriptures do not say to us had there been a time of decline from the early days Adam and Eve were still alive at this point had there been a decline it's difficult to say but it certainly seemed that at this point of time when Enosh was born that you could say that family worship began the importance of family worship began then and other people were calling upon the name of the Lord it was perhaps a time of some revival some refreshment from God as the church has experienced ever since from time to time such times as we long for but at that time it is recorded people began to call upon the name of the

[14:50] Lord now what is it to call upon the name of the Lord there is nothing very complicated about that it certainly covers all aspects of worship but it is particularly referring to praying the instance we had in that reading from the New Testament in Luke when the beggar publicly called out publicly prayed to the Lord Jesus for his help for his help in his need it is to pray to call upon the name of the Lord to pray and prayer is I think the principal part of our worship and it is closely linked with salvation too to call implies an urgency we saw again that in the blind beggar it implies an urgency and the blind man he heard the commotion and he knew this was his opportunity

[15:57] Jesus was we read was passing by he wouldn't pass by again that way he was on his way to Jerusalem there to be crucified so this was the beggar's only opportunity to call out for help desperate so it's an urgency and Jesus that beautiful sentence we just read he stopped he stopped he was the most insignificant person there but Jesus stopped for him that's the way of Jesus the poor and the lowly and the humble hearted are the ones he stops for and he stopped for this man who could not help himself and knew it and we have to ask ourselves are we are we calling upon the name of the

[17:04] Lord as beggars in our impoverishment of spirit and soul and having no worthiness of our own do we call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus says what do you want me to do for you that puts a focus upon us what is it we want from Jesus most important question to answer what do we want from Jesus and the name of the Lord the name which is the glorious name it's we see it's in capitals we know it's his covenant name his personal name the one who doesn't change is the Lord and they're calling upon the great I am in those days been revealed to them and so in the time of

[18:06] Seth and his son Enosh people began to call on the name of the Lord but we know from our own experience surely that we there are hindrances in our lives in calling upon the Lord we know that from our experience and you could perhaps draw some of the hindrances we experience from some of the passages we've read as examples we read about the building of a city which is not wrong in itself but we can have consuming desires and passions for something which shut out God we don't hear God speaking to us and it may not be a city but it could be something pretty different it could be the kind of car we do not drive or not drive it may be something to do with the house the style of the home style the style of the wallpaper all these things can consume us when they ultimately do not matter one bit and then as we read of the son of

[19:24] Jabal Jabal the son Jabal he was dwelling in tents and had livestock and again it's fine it's right we need to own our living but again that can become the sole reason for our living our success our profit margin our status and being top of the league and Jabal's example could be our problem as well our hindrance there are other idols in our lives keeping us from God or Jubal too exploring the pleasures of music music does provide pleasure we have to say that it's nothing like quite a good tune it can raise your spirits and music is not it's a blessing it's a good thing but we can allow that to drive out

[20:35] God we can have the music on all the time in our ears and we don't hear the whisper of God in our souls because the music is playing loudly in our ears we can go to sleep with the music on and in those quiet dark aisles sometimes God speaks but our mind is blotting that out because other things are entering into our minds and diverts us and hinders us from calling upon the living God as Chubal Cain as well again this was good work he was doing but again he'd become an obsession always restless wanting to do something new something profound Lamech too Lamech he was a ruthless man he he says that

[21:35] God may avenge Cain if somebody killed Cain may avenge him seven times well I shall avenge somebody who anybody even hurts me seventy times seven he would not call upon the name of the Lord unless he was humbled so many things can get in the way and can divert us from calling on the name of the Lord we do not hear that still small voice that whisper of God in the soul I mentioned this before somebody I knew has no longer gone home he would say to me I would be playing golf on the Lord's day a difficult shot to play and God would say to him what are you doing here on the Lord's day and he would drive God out of his head to focus on the golf shot he was about to play and then you would think will

[22:39] God ever speak to me again would God ever speak to me again well God did he was laid low on the carpet with a massive heart attack eventually that was a means of grace to him so it's so important calling upon the name of the Lord it's vitally important for the Christian we see that in Genesis itself how Abraham would call regularly upon the name of the Lord a number of instances are recorded for us when Abraham calling upon the name of the Lord in Genesis chapter 12 verse 8 he has just been arriving in the promised land he pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai and there we read he called upon the name of the Lord new land unknown people he didn't realize at this point he had another 25 years to wait for the son would be born to him and he's calling upon the name of the

[23:53] Lord again in the next chapter Genesis chapter 13 verses 3 and 4 he'd been in Egypt where he shouldn't have gone he had sinned against the Lord there in Egypt and we read he returned to the same place again between Bethel and Ale where he made the altar at first and there in verse 4 of chapter 13 he called upon the name of the Lord the Lord against whom he has sinned in Egypt and God had delivered him from danger there we read again in Genesis chapter 21 after he had trouble with Abimelech John chapter 21 and verse 33 we read back in the chapter we see the problems he had with Abimelech and Phicol his commander and Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord the everlasting God so

[24:53] Abraham was no stranger the father of the faithful no stranger to calling upon the name of the Lord an example to us as vitally important it is vitally important for that blind beggar Jesus is passing by for the last time it's vitally important for someone who is outside of Christ to call upon the name of the Lord Peter as he preaching to a huge crowd on the day of Pentecost he concludes this quotation from Joel by saying and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and we read in Acts chapter 9 that calling on the name of the Lord was a cinnamon for someone who is a believer someone who is a

[25:55] Christian in Acts chapter 9 verse 14 when Ananias has been commanded by the Lord to go and be a help to Saul to whom God has spoken and chapter 9 verse 14 we read what Ananias says to the Lord about Saul he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name so there's a cinnamon for being a believer the same happens in verse 21 of the same chapter and all heard Saul preaching the gospel they couldn't believe it see Saul preaching the gospel and they were amazed and said is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name so to call upon the name of the Lord is so true of a Christian that a Christian can be described as someone who calls upon the name of the

[26:58] Lord and the name of the Lord well we know that that's the Lord Jesus Christ Paul can opening his letter to his first letter to Corinthians will say to the saints there to those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we know too from the apostles they would preach that there is no other name given amongst men under heaven by which we must be saved if you call upon the name of the Lord he will stop and he will ask you what do you want me to do for you so in conclusion have you called have I called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ perhaps a long time ago and he heard us but somehow we've lost the joy of our salvation we have become distracted diverted but you know in your heart of hearts that only

[28:15] Jesus satisfies the longing soul there's only one word we must call upon the name his name again and tell him how it is with us be explicit how we've let him down and failed him and not walked in his ways or perhaps we know now for the first time I need a salvation you realize that there's nothing in this world that ultimately satisfies you realize that you are a sinner and all these years you have rejected and turned away from the Lord not heeded his voice not honored the son in your life and you are lost and without hope in this world and Jesus says to you call upon my name and I will deliver you tell me exactly how it is with you tell him you have a hard heart tell him that you perhaps feel no desire for him but you know you should feel a desire for him tell him that you feel lethargic and weak tell him exactly how it is with you that you are a poor beggar who cannot help yourself we cannot make ourselves sorry for sin but God can

[29:56] God the Holy Spirit can make us sorry for our sins and that's the first sign that we've been given a new heart and begin to be sorry for our sins Spurgeon said once towards the end of his life this way of salvation by calling upon the name of the Lord glorifies God he asks nothing of you but that you ask everything of him you are the beggar and he is the benefactor you are in the trouble and he is the deliverer all you have to do is to trust him and beg of him this is easy enough Spurgeon said this puts the matter into the hands of the Lord and takes it out of your hands do you not like the plan he asked put it into practice immediately he said and it will prove gloriously effectual call upon his name call upon the Lord and you will become be in the line of

[31:19] Seth and Enosh because you will be brought into the family of Christ and he will be adopted into his family and become one of the family and be welcomed home on that day when Jesus will return again he will refuse to be separated from you because you belong to him now you are covered by his blood and his righteousness Jesus said what do you want me to do for you and this gospel is for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord salvation is there for the asking heaven is given away as for today we know too much from our own experience of life and seeing what's happened to other people that we cannot trust for tomorrow none of us knows where they will reach home today but those who belong to Christ know for sure that they will reach their eternal home for sure if you call upon him you will be saved

[32:51] God cannot deny what he has said that is what he has said and we must believe him he is able to save we need to look to Jesus crucified for sinners he was on his way up to Jerusalem to be crucified for sinners trust him he alone is your deliverer so let us close now our time of worship