We Can Be Certain Of Christ's Teachings

The Certainty Of Christ's Practical Teachings

Book of Luke Chapter 17


God's authority over mankind is moral and this is known by anyone who possesses intelligence.

God's authority over mankind focuses on mankind having the intellect to understand the truth.

God gave us all a mind capable of understanding the sensibility to appreciate the effect of truth on happiness and the conscience to judge right over wrong and good over evil.

Of all God's creation, He gave mankind the ability to choose. He gave mankind a chance to take voluntary action in their eternal life.

The rest of God's creation follows set rules. For instance God does not change the orbit of a planet just because it wants to go in a different direction.

If mankind has the opportunity to choose then mankind realizes there are penalties for making wrong choices.

God gave mankind the ability to resist temptation and persuasion!

Sin is then nothing but an act of free will committed against one's conviction of what is right!

Sin therefore is inexcusable!

In this passage God will teach us four practical laws that could revolutionize all societies.

1) Leading another person into sin will bring the judgment of God.
2) Forgiving others of their sin against you is essential.
3) Faith is the most powerful force in this world if that faith is in the God of the Bible.
4) To obey God is a duty and not an act of servitude.

A sure sign of the great sin in our day shows us the decay of the Church. The Church has grown cold so today we see a time of abounding offenses.

Offenses are the worldliness and selfishness of those who profess to be godly but are not. No doubt we can see a world full of such people today.

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The word practical means that the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ can be put to use in our lives daily and we will be better because of them.

*****Luk 17:1  Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that Offenses will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

There are many today that say when we sin it is entirely our own fault and we will be held accountable for our own sin. Much of this is true and ultimately we are held responsible for our own sin. There is another lesson that Jesus taught as He was enroute to the cross.

The truth is we are held responsible if we cause another person to sin and especially if that person never recovers and and never seeks the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness.

In this text an offence is when we ourselves have become a stumbling-block in the path of some other lost soul!

The truth is there will always be some who stumble over some things that we have led them to.

We must always remeber that every soul is precious to the Lord!

The world is already full of stumbling-blocks, we do not to become one ourselves!

The truth is people are always placing stumbling-blocks in each other's way and especially before our children.

We must never forget one important thing, we will all face God one day!

Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Rom 14:13  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Now if we have faith in the "doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ we have been forgiven of all sin but we will still be held accountable for what we do after we are saved. This does not mean we can lose our salvation but it does mean that God will certainly hold us accountable and this sermon by the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us this truth.

What does God say?

Rom 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and Offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

God is serious about these things.

*****Luk 17:2  It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

When we become a stumbling-block by leading another person into sin it can bring heavy judgment!

We should remember Jesus is speaking to His disciples and not to some crowd that had gathered.

We should clearly understand this message of Jesus.

People are not good by nature and occasionally sin, People Are Sinners who occasionally do good!

AND, Jesus said it is impossible that we will not sin.

No matter how wonderful we make ourselves out to be, we are just sinners saved by the "Grace" of God through "Faith"!

Sin enters the world, our places of business, our places of enjoyment, the places we shop, our places of worship and into our homes and we must accept that this is true and it is impossible for this not to be true!

No place on this earth can ever escape sin because there are no perfect people on this earth though there are those who think they are perfect.

Committing sin is already a terrible thing that is in our nature but when we choose to involve others in our sin or lead someone else into a place of sin it is even more terrible!

1) This is done when we grumble and complain and criticize the things of the Church.
2) This is done when we take sides, one brother against another brother and not settle our differences according to the Word of God.
3) This is done when we become worldly and materialistic.
4) This is done  when we become conceited and prideful.
5) This is done when we become loose and immoral.
6) This is done when we curse and talk filthy.
7) This is done when we deviate from the truth of the "Doctrine of Jesus Christ".

Jesus said it would be better if we just died than to become a stumbling block to even one soul!

1Jn 2:10  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1Jn 2:11  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

A millstone is not just some small stone that you could wear as a necklace but a stone used in grinding out meal.

No one could survive such a millstone when cast into the sea.

That person would be held to the bottom of that sea until they died.

In other words when we lead others astray of the teachings of Jesus Christ in any way, we have committed the most awful of sins!

And Jesus moves on to another crime we commit on a regular basis, that of being unforgiving.

*****Luk 17:3  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

We must realize that forgiving others is essential to our own salvation.

There must never be a sense of unforgivingness among God's people.

There are many in our world that consider the doors of the church closed to them because they feel they can never be forgiven by God's people.

This terrible for them but it is sinful for us that know the Lord.

All those that trespass against us are those who go against the Word of God in which we are to stand!

The word "rebuke" is very important in this Scripture.

We are to confront those who go against the Word of God but we are also to lovingly do what we can to correct them in that sin against God and against the Church, the people of God.

That correction must be done in love and compassion and not in a censoring and judgmental spirit.

Pro 9:8  Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Pro 9:9  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

This never means that we are to condone any sin.

This never means we are to be weak in understanding the Word of God.

This only means that we must respond to being mistreated by being loving and compassionate.

BUT, to allow sin to continue is to indulge in that sin by giving that person a license to continue in their sin which goes against the Word of God.

Eph 5:11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Eph 5:12  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
Eph 5:13  But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Eph 5:14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Eph 5:15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

We must always use the Word of God as our guideline!

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

It is easy to say, "well I'm not a preacher" but God says we all are.

It's also easy to say, well they just do the same old sin over and over again and this is getting old but God says that makes no difference to Him because we were all the same before we understood the salvation plan of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 6:9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

What did Jesus teach?

Luk 17:4  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

The command to forgive is a strong command from the Lord.

To be forgiving is in fact a beautiful picture of God's unlimited forgiveness for all His children.

Our greatest tool in witnessing for the Lord is how the lost world sees us. Our  lifestyle is the greatest part of our witness for God!

BUT, we are never to take advantage of God's forgiveness!

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The disciples that were with Jesus that day knew that they lacked in the one thing that would make all these other things possible.

*****Luk 17:5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

We should immediately see that "faith" can be increased.

In fact we should all desire for God to increase our faith and even more as we approach these end times, if we are not already there in those end times.

The truth is, an increase in "faith" connects us to an increase in a holy lifestyle.
This being true then an increase in "faith" leads to an increase in peace and comfort.
And the result God is looking for is that an increase in "faith" leads to an increase in our usefulness.

We must first have "faith" before there can be an increase in "faith"!

We are justified by "faith"!
We are saved by "faith"!
Christ dwells in our hearts by "faith"!
We stand by "faith"!
We walk by "faith"!
We have access to God by "faith"!

SO, An increase in "faith" should be a great desire.

It is by faith that we quench the fiery darts of this evil world.

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And it is by "faith" that we conquer this evil world!

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

And what did Jesus say to this request?

*****Luk 17:6  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

We know that "faith" is essential.

It is also our faith that make us free from causing another person to stumble.

These disciples of Jesus Christ knew and we should also know, that greater "faith" would make us all more like Christ Jesus and this should be the goal of everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.

Jesus said: It is not necessarily more "faith" that is needed but it is "genuine faith" that is needed.

Jesus said that even even a very small amount of "genuine faith" could do great things!

Jesus said nothing is impossible to those who have "genuine faith"!

What was the sign of "genuine faith"?

Boldness!

It takes "boldness" to walk up to a tree and command it to move!

Mat 21:21  Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Mat 21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

SO THEN, It is "genuine faith" that can cause miracles to happen!

Psa 37:5  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

We know for sure that the chosen disciples of the Lord learned this lesson very well because the Book of Acts is full of the miracles of these disciples, who became the Apostles.

It was the Apostles of Jesus Christ that turned this world upside down and this world has never been the same since.

It is the lack of "genuine faith" that has caused the weakness of the Church of today!

Just like the tiny mustard seed, a tiny amount of "genuine faith" has an enormous potential.

But Jesus did not stop there, He continued to teach practical things to these disciples.

Jesus taught that the key to all His teaching was obedience.

*****Luk 17:7  But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
Luk 17:8  And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

We must understand that to obey God is not our service to Him, "but it is our duty"!

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

There is a real danger that believers will become prideful because God gives such wonderful benefits when they live victoriously in their faith.

We must always remember we are only sinners that are saved because of God's "Grace"!

**Jesus said once we are saved we are all His servants. To be a servant means we have a Master!

A servant is a slave bought to serve his Master!

The truth is, it is the spirit in which we serve God that is important!

We concern ourselves with what God thinks of our work rather than how we feel about the work God gives us to do.

The truth is every Christian belongs to God therefore God has every right to place us in His fields to plough.

We are the property of God!

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

When we glorify ourselves thinking we are God's best then we do not understand what Jesus is saying.

**We must serve and obey God until all the work is done.

Ploughing and feeding the animals is tough work that requires discipline in our bodies and in our spirit and they require endurance.

Those animals require feed everyday.

Without the ploughing there can be no harvest.

Not only is the servant of God to labor hard during the day but he also labors at evening while the world eats and sleeps.

A Christian's day is not one with set hours but he must be ready for any emergency that arises, not because it is a request but because it is our duty to God.

We are to give all the time that God demands to the Lord!

We are to be waiting and watching until our death!

These things are to be done without becoming prideful but also without murmuring and complaining.

To be honest we are all unprofitable servants because we simply cannot measure our indebtedness to the Lord for what He has done for us!

Rom 5:10  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.
Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

**We are to always be humble in this work.

No where does God say to be a Christian will be easy.

*****Luk 17:9  Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
Luk 17:10  So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

No matter what we do for Christ it is our duty to do it!

Not only are we unworthy to obtain the "Grace" of God, we are unworthy to be His servants, His slaves.

We will all come up short no matter how much we think we have done for the Lord.

In fact when we get to Heaven it may be that those tears that are wiped away are the tears we will shed when we realize that we could have done much much more than we did.

There is absolutely no room for pride, arrogance or boasting in serving the Lord!

God commands perfection but we are all imperfect so God expects humility.

For those who preach a prosperity Gospel, the truth is we have no right to any compensation at all!

God's plan of salvation will continue without our service, God just gives us great opportunities to be a part of His plan but without a doubt to serve the Lord will bring it's own blessings.

Luk 12:37  Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

If we are satisfied with the work we are doing for the Lord then we certainly are not doing enough!.

When the Lord Jesus Christ took the time just before He went to the cross to pay our sin debt to give us such practical teachings then we know we are to serve God just as Jesus, the Son of Man, served God when He gave His life just because that is what He was sent to do!

We could say that as the slaves of the Lord we receive all the benefits because God only gets back what Adam lost to begin with, and many will still reject this plan of God!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Warnings Of Christ

The Certainty Of Christ Warning

Book of Luke 16


We know that a warning is a caution against danger in most cases.

Most of the time when we see Chapter 16 in the Book of Luke we concentrate on the story of Lazarus and the rich man and the truth of Hell. This story is only part of the message that Jesus was teaching.

The "theme" of Jesus message in this entire chapter is about riches.

Remember riches are not sin in themselves, riches just lead most people into sin!

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The love of riches is the sin of covetousness and covetousness will ruin even an honest person.

The love of riches will most always lead to deception and dishonesty.

When we use the things of this world to gain the advantage over someone else, we are not following the Word of God!

We sometimes fall into the trap of living extravagantly and move away from the simple truths of life.

If that is so then riches become our "idol" between us and God.

What does God teach us to do?

1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Jesus Christ had a lot to say about money because most all of us feel like we just do not have enough of it!

The first warning from Jesus we see is that if we are not going to seek a close personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ,
 then we had better make ourselves friends with those who are rich in the things of this world.

Luk 16:9  And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

We can see that this is the way of most people in this world we live in.

So let's begin with verse 10:

*****Luk 16:10  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Luk 16:11  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Luk 16:12  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

The truth is, all Christians are to be faithful in their handling of the possessions that God has loaned to us because in truth all things belong to God.

As Christians we are to use our material wealth for good!

We should be clear in the eyes of God anything above our needs is material wealth!

We have the tendency to only rate things as "great" and "small" in speaking of our actions, our plans and our duties.

Though we have a tendency to linger on the "great" things it is more times than not that the "small" things that are of the greater importance!

It is a fact that the small things of life actually take most of our time and time is something that we will find that we just do not have enough of in this life.

Since our life is made up more of little things than greater things, then it is the little things in which we will be tested the most.

If we can be faithful in the least of things then we will probably be faithful in the greater things!

The Bible is clear, the Christian is to be faithful in handling his or her possessions.

It is our faithfulness in these seemingly unimportant things on earth that determine what we will trusted with throughout eternity!

There is nothing on this earth that can compare to eternal salvation!

There is nothing on this earth that can compare to the absolute assurance of eternal life!

There is nothing on this earth that can compare to the love, peace, and confidence that comes from a daily walk with the Lord Jesus Christ!

There is nothing on this earth that can compare to the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit!

There is nothing else on this earth as great as the Word of God!

You can have all the world, just give me Jesus.

Knowing God on a personal level and being adopted into the family of God, is far beyond any hope and dream of this world!

After we know the Lord on a personal level we will then also be judged as a steward of the things that God has placed into our possession.

The truth of all these things is that the only part we can take with us at the time of our death is our stewardship of those things, all earthly possessions will remain on this earth and eventually will be burned up.

In verse 12 we see the phrase "another man's" and as far as we are concerned that other man is God because all things belong to Him!

We will never have all that we could have if we fail to walk with God and share the things that are above our needs with others!

Mar 10:29  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
Mar 10:30  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. 

We should remember there is no profit at all of this world if we loose our soul!

Mar 8:36  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

There is nothing on this earth that we can exchange for our soul!

AND, Our soul is the one thing of greatest value to God!

We should not over look the importance of this next passage. In fact there are no unimportant Scriptures.

*****Luk 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

As Christians we can have only one Master!

We must choose God!

If we refuse the Lord Jesus Christ we have chosen this world by default!

Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me;

We will focus ourselves on the things of this world or upon God.
We will turn ourselves over to the things of this world or to God.
We will think primarily upon the things of this world or we will think of God and His ways.
We will give our time and energy to the things of this world or to God.
We will allow our pursuits to control Christ or we will allow Christ to control our pursuits.
We will struggle against God or we will give ourselves to God!

God says we will hate one and love the other, there is no middle ground!

God says we will hold to one and despise the other, again there is no middle ground!

Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

"Him only shalt thou serve"

There are some grave misunderstandings among those of the church that need to be clarified and Jesus will do most of that here.

*****Luk 16:14  And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
Luk 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

The Pharisees believed that they were so high up on God's list, that they were guaranteed a place in Heaven.

There are many in this world that for many different reasons think the same way these Pharisees thought.

Jesus will teach about the 3 greatest misunderstandings among men in these next passages and we need to understand what He says.

**First there is grave misunderstanding of money and possessions.

Remember Jesus had just said that no one can serve 2 Masters.

These Pharisees were among that certain group who could not believe what they were hearing.

What Jesus was saying was, when we spend our time and our energy seeking the short lived wealth of this world and not better spending that time seeking the face of God and the everlasting wealth of Heaven, we do not understand the Word of God.

We absolutely cannot keep our thoughts on God when we are seeking the false riches of this world!

We cannot pick up our own cross daily and follow the Lord unless we can deny our own desires!

Self-denial and a pursuit of wealth are things that are opposite from each other!

It is a fact that most of this world highly esteem the very things that God hates!

It is a fact that most of this world judges by man-made rules and not by God's rules!

The world allows mankind to seek their own happiness while God says to seek the happiness of others.

The Lord Jesus Christ was demanding total allegiance from these so-called religious men.

What does God say?

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

The only way to read this passage is for us to keep all our thoughts, our mind, our energy, and our effort in seeking the ways of God, while denying ourselves.

We are never to seek our own happiness at the expense of others!

It is a fact that if we have anything at all, it came from God but it is also a fact that money and possessions that come at the expense of others are not a sign of God's blessings.

In fact money and possessions are never really a sign of the blessings of God!

God teaches that everything we have above our own needs are given to us to help those that do not have and to aid in the spreading of the "Gospel".

This is not to say that we are not to enjoy the blessings of God but we are to have the right attitude about the blessings of God.

What Jesus was teaching bothered these men.

What Jesus was teaching bothered those who are super religious.

It is natural for us to want possessions because this world places a high esteem on possessions.

It is natural for us to want to fit in and be acceptable in this world.

What is unnatural is, that we want to do these things and also be known that we are seeking to get closer to God.

Most all of us rebel when we are told that we are to give part of our possessions to others.

**The truth is, it is possible to be religious and still covet the things of this world yet God says, "thou shalt not covet".

These Pharisees were the most religious men in their day and maybe the most religious men who had ever lived but they still coveted the wealth of this world!

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

**The truth is a man of wealth will tend to use their possessions to justify themselves before other men.

They will use their wealth to seek the favor and honor of other men and women. Even when they have secured their wealth unjustly they will seek approval by being generous and giving to some need that they feel is worthy of their attention.

Some are even conscious of their need to walk closer to the Lord and they will give to that appearance by living a super religious lie while pursuing the honor of the religious world.

Mar 7:6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Pro 30:12  There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

The sad fact is that we live in that generation today!

**The truth is that God knows what is in each man's heart.

We are acceptable to God by what is in our heart and not what is in our bank account.

God's blessings are not in material things!

God's blessings are in spiritual things!

Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Even the 12 disciples were caught off guard by these things that Jesus was saying.

Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

The Scriptures are very clear on these things.

God places us in this world where He decides and with the benefits that He decides!
The legitimate things in this life come from being true and honest!
Living and working well are a great testimony for any man or woman.
God will provide our needs and that will come through work but we are also to work well to help others.

Each Christian should be not only a good worker and provide an honest living but we should strive to  be the best at what we do to demonstrate to others that God's people are simply the most true, the most honest, and the most lovely people on this earth!

The world looks at all those who claim to be Christian and then go against the written Word of God as models for all Christians but the world is wrong there are true Christians who do resemble the Lord Jesus Christ.

For most of us our life is our greatest testimony to this world!

**God wants His children to center their lives around the things of the heart and not on material possessions.

Material possessions will come and then pass away no matter what we do. It is the spiritual things that last forever!

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

**Second, there is a misunderstanding of the New Kingdom and the New Order.

*****Luk 16:16  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

The period of Israel in the Old Testament lasted up until the preaching of John the Baptist according to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is after this that the New Testament began.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ that ushered in a new period and a new world order. All others are a figment of man's imagination!

The Kingdom of God is now a "Spiritual Kingdom" that can only exist in the heart of man and acts on the behavior of man.

This is the Kingdom of God that is now preached which places no value on what man has, but only what a man is! (what a man is within his heart)

This message centers on each individual and their potential to serve God!

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The Spiritual Kingdom of God comes only by the Holy Ghost living within us upon the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord of His Kingdom!

Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

The Kingdom of God is not for any single race of people but for all people, everywhere!

Upon recognizing this kingdom that Jesus Christ preached, an honest person no longer wants a cheap, formal, religion with an easy message.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

**And third, there is a misunderstanding of the law.

*****Luk 16:17  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
Luk 16:18  Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Many people believe that since Jesus brings forth a New Testament and a New Order that the Old Testament is now irrelevant.

In fact if you have read the Books of Moses with care you may wonder why God would enact such a system of laws.

Many see these things as being unworthy of such a God as Jehovah.

When we do these things we forget that everything that God does has a purpose.

We may think we understand God's plan of salvation but we find that we have little understanding of God's methods.

If we understand Creation and the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis, we will have a better understanding of all the Word of God.

If we understand the Books of Moses and their relationship to the Jews as a separated people, then we will have an understanding of the "Gospel", the "Good News" of Jesus Christ.

When we regard any part of the Word of God as antiquated or a useless thing, we in effect charge God with a weakness in His intellect, or a lack of understanding and that is as much sin as murder, or adultery, or any other known sin.

We need to understand phrases like "the fullness of times", "Heaven and Earth pass away" and "he that hath an ear" and the many other Biblical truths.

God makes it plain for us all:

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

We should clearly understand that the laws that govern the universe are much more important than the universe itself!

If not for the teaching of the Old Testament we could not clearly understand the New Testament!

We must understand the Word of God in the context that it is written!

There is a wonderful beauty in every part of God's creation when we understand it as from a Supreme Being rather than the falsehood of evolution.

How would we live and how would our universe appear without such laws as the law of gravitation?

How could we travel without knowing direction North, East, South, and West.

If God were not a God of order our world would be a world of disorder and confusion!

Heaven and Earth will pass away one day but not one jot or one tittle of God's law will fail in it's purpose.

Not even the most minute law should be forgotten!

If God allowed even one minute detail of creation to fail our world would be in chaos!

God gives us the example of divorce and marriage because our own failures and our own desires and our own lust, make divorce and marriage relevant in any and every age.

Every separation requires a legal divorce before the two parties resume life with another party.

As men we simply cannot just force our wives to just leave as the Pharisees did in their day where a wife could be divorced for burning the bacon.

We should also remember if the laws of reaping and sowing did not exist we would all die of starvation!

We should clearly understand, God will never modify the order He has established to accommodate any particular person or a people.

A good tree will never produce evil fruit and a corrupt tree will never produce good fruit.

The Book of Proverbs will always be true in any age because the entire Word of God will be relevant in every age until God says it is finished.

When we waste the period of time that God has given to us and the purpose that He has for each of us, we waste things that can never be replaced.

The same law that brings salvation is the same law that brings condemnation for those that ignore that law.

It is our own conscience that tells us we are all sinners!

In our best interest we need to partake of the tree of life.

To understand the Law of God is to understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of "all" the Law!

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

It is Jesus Christ and those that call Him Lord that will endure forever!

1Pe 1:25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

To be free from the penalty of sin we need the truth and not some false thing from some man, such as Muhammad, or Confucius, or Brigham Young or Buddha or any other false prophet.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

God Forgives

The Certainty Of Christ's Forgiveness

Book of Luke 15


Forgiveness of our sins is the first part of our justification before God.

We are justified by our "faith" in the work of Jesus Christ.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

BUT, We are saved by God's "Grace"!

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

As sinners, with faith in the work of Jesus Christ to erase our sin debt, we are forever freed from the guilt and penalty of sin.

Justification is the exact opposite of condemnation!

We already know that Jesus used many parables to teach the truth of the "Gospel".

The parable of the Prodigal Son is the greatest and most beloved story ever told in human language.

The title "prodigal" describes someone who is given to live an extravagant lifestyle making expenditures on things that go far beyond their actual needs. A prodigal will also possess a very liberal attitude toward the Word of God and the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

What is the truth of God?

God loves and reaches out to all the prodigals of this world!

God will run to embrace any prodigal who calls on Him for salvation and repents, no matter how terrible their sin!

*****Luk 15:11  And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luk 15:12  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Luk 15:13  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

Here is a man who is the son of his father by birth.

He belonged to the estate(the world) by natural birth of his father.

The facts will show that he did not belong to his father with his heart, his mind, nor his spirit.

This son wanted two things:

1) He wanted his inheritance given to him. Which means "dad I wish you were dead".

He wanted all the worldly possessions which he would inherit.

He wanted to get all his father would give him in order that he could enjoy it in that day and time.

We should consider:

a) He had not earned any of it, it was all his fathers, therefore he did not deserve it.

b) He was selfish, self-centered, rude and unkind. He demanded for his father to just "give". (Not please nor may I have) He cared not what effect this would have on his father's estate or on his other brother.

Kind of sounds like the world we live in now where the many want handouts of things they did not earn themselves and feel like this world owes them something. They are all, selfish, self-centered, rude, and unkind to those who work and contribute to the system that provides all these things.

The Bible says:

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

This prodigal said "give me my independence" and "finance me" the way I want to live because "I refuse to live by your rules".

We know that so many of our youth have these very same thoughts today!

He felt he was tied down by his family and was held responsible to help care for his father's property.

He felt his father made to many demands on his life.
He felt his father hindered his freedom.
He felt his father restricted his pleasure.
He felt his father just had to much control of his lifestyle.

SO, His father gave him his freedom and his portion of possessions at that time. His father let him go to live as he wished to live.

He rebelled, he revolted and he went to a far country.

He chose a place that had different rules and a place that was full of sinful pleasures.

He chose the pathway to death and Hell, though he did not realize it at first.

And what did he do?

"He wasted his substance on riotous living".

Jer 44:16  As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.

What would this prodigal find out about the world?

He would find that this world would leave him homeless.
He would find that worldly happiness is unsatisfying.
He would find that this world will degrade and humiliate those who place their trust in it.
He found out that he did not possess the knowledge of his own future as he had thought.

What is the truth of of these things?

Men will desert the world when the world deserts them!

This is the feeling many of our young have today.
This is the feeling many of black community have today.
This is the feeling many of the so-called middle class have today.

There is already a famine of  those that trust the Word of God in our world today!

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

*****Luk 15:14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luk 15:15  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

What happens when we abandon the truths of God?

What happens when we underestimate the value of our Heavenly Father?

What happens when we pursue our own will and ignore the will of the Heavenly Father?

We will begin to be in want!

Instead of finding happiness, this prodigal is over taken with poverty.

He can no longer provide for himself.

Things happen in this world that are far beyond man's control and he had no more control of his surroundings.

The fruit of evil deeds will always reveal it's poison!

He has not become a citizen in a better land, he has only become a stranger and a slave to a citizen of that place where he had searched for happiness.

A worldly lifestyle cannot bring a life of peace!

To a Jew to play any part in the care of swine is about as low and degrading as they can become.

The lust of his flesh had brought poverty.
The lust of his eyes had brought no satisfaction.
His pride of life had brought humility.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

This world will never have anything better to offer than these 3 things!

He found out husk are only food fit for swine!

For the most part swine are heavy, stupid, animals, that delight to wallow in the mire of this world!

He was destitute of all spiritual help, and left out in the world.

In the world as long as you have money you will always have friends to help you spend your money but when the money goes so goes those friends.

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

*****Luk 15:16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

This man was suffering through a natural disaster that affects all in an area, good or bad.

This man had lost all his friends.

This man was a Jew in the world of the Gentile.

Those husk were actually the fruit of the Carob tree.

This tree is very common in Syria and Egypt and produces pods 6 to 10 inches long and  shaped like a horn.

These husk were part of the diet of the truly poor but were for the most part used to feed the swine.

This young man would have never seen such a thing as a meal in his father's house but even these things were denied from him.

We see that this Jew in a Gentile world was being spiritually, mentally and emotionally drained for he had allowed his riches to be his god.

He had become a slave to the world in a far country and sought refuge with another man far away from God.

He had allowed sin to lead him into the "hog pens" of the world.

That's what sin does!

Sin will take you farther than you want to go!

Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay!

Sin will cost you much more than you want to pay!

Pro 5:21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Pro 5:22  His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Pro 5:23  He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

This world we live in makes great promises but just ask the older generation how true those promises are.

The truth is, nothing in the hands of man can ever satisfy the spiritual needs of any individual!

This young man finally came to his senses.

*****Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

This young man began to realize the worth of his father's house.

This man was finally taking the first steps to repentance.

Repentance begins when we realize we are traveling down life's roadway in the wrong direction!

He thought upon life in his fathers house. (In type our Heavenly Father)

He thought upon the riches that even the servants had in his father's house. (In type the believers, the children of God)

His father had provided abundantly for all those in his house, even the lowest servant.

He finally realized the sense of being in a loving family and belonging and having purpose.

He finally realized he had chosen a path to an early death. ("I perish")

He was already perishing in this life.

He was also doomed to perish eternally.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

It was time to make a move before he was unable to do so.

2Co 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

It would be a humbling thing to go face his father but he would first have to repent.

*****Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

What is the definition of repentance?

He had to arise!
He had to go away from his sinful life!
He had to humbly turn toward his father!
He had to admit he had sinned against the God of Heaven.

We have to have a true sense of our own guilt.
We have to realize that the mercy of God will only come through Jesus Christ.
We have to hate sin.
We have to walk in the ways of God.

He had to realize his unworthiness!

Up to this point he had only a head knowledge of what to do, but a head knowledge will simply not get you saved!

It was time to take action!

*****Luk 15:20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luk 15:21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

This prodigal son came to himself, and snapped back into reality.

He then arose to return to his father!

Of all the decisions he had ever made in his life, this was the most important decision he would ever make!

Once we realize we are just dirty sinners we must make the personal decision to remove ourselves from that filth. No one can do this for us!

He arose and he turned away from his sinful life.

He realized that there is a God in Heaven and he had sinned against Him and his father.

Sin insults the purity and despises the love of God.

Sin destroys the morality of man!

We can confess that we love the Lord but until we repent we have not given God anything to work with.

Act 8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

What is the truth of God?

"While he was yet a great ways off, his father saw him, had compassion, and ran, and loved on him"

The truth is God can see into the heart. He had not seen his father yet but his father could see him.

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psa 22:24  For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

It would not have done this prodigal any good just to realize his sin, if he did not also arise and go unto his father.

Repentance is a sign that we are sincere and have returned from our wicked ways!

God forgives as soon as we repent and this is the reason this father could run to his son.

This exactly what happens with our Father who is in Heaven!

God is full of "Mercy".

God is full of "Grace".

God is so full of "Mercy" and "Grace" that He is always bursting at the seams to show His love for us.

But we must first believe and then we must repent!

Pro 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

So simple, but most of us are to stubborn and to foolish to say that we are wrong in our way of thinking.

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

A true parable always represents a Heavenly truth.

We should be able to see that the tenderness of our God, who is also the Most Powerful of beings, is so wonderful.

Our Mighty God is also a God of compassion!

Our God is showing His eagerness to run to us in our hour of repentance to catch us lest we fall!

God will make haste to save all that are lost if they will have faith and repent!

We must never overlook God's readiness to accept and pardon each of us just as we are!

We must never allow our unworthiness to get in our way, God knows exactly what we are!

Remember God sent His Son Jesus to save us "because we are all sinners".

And remember God made this plan before He created Heaven and Earth.

God just knows!

*****Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luk 15:23  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luk 15:24  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

We should understand that God recognizes the earliest beginnings of conviction because when he was still a great off, his father recognized him.

He had not seen his father but his father saw him.

What this son had not recognized the love of his father had been drawing him all along.

If he had ever lost the image of his father from his memory, he would have never returned.

When many would have rejected their son for such things, God shows compassion and mercy.

This prodigal was accepted and restored because he had returned.

Again the key to being accepted by God is faith, then repentance!

If this were not true then this parable would have little meaning at all.

A Parable is an earthly story that reveals Heavenly truths!

Before this son even had a chance to clean his life up, his father had accepted him back into the family.

We cannot clean ourselves up because that is the thing that God will do.

His father gave him the best of robes.

Symbolizing his acceptance back into the family in son-ship and honor.

**The robe symbolized his being clothed in righteousness!

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

His father gave him some new shoes.

**The shoes immediately elevated him above servant-hood. He became a free man. Free from the bondage of sin!

2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall "make" you free.

This son was now equipped to carry the "Gospel" wherever he went.

His father gave him a ring.

**The ring restored him to a position of authority.

The son could now represent his father and his kingdom.

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Only then can there be a celebration!

It is God's own joy that He would have all Heaven rejoice with Him and proclaim a sinner returned to the flock of Heaven.

Luk 15:7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Luk 15:10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

The father celebrated his son's return.

All that his son needed was provided to him.

The father proclaimed his son's new life!

1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

He, who was once lost has now been found!

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

The truth is a life without God is a wasted life!

Sin in all it's forms is a waster of life!

Sin may have it's own kind of liberty but this liberty will always lead to misery and degrading bondage.

The soul was made by God, the soul was made for God and the soul was made for the delight of God and sin prevents this from happening and therefore there must be suffering and loss.

Because God is God, He cannot deny Himself!

Because God is Holy, He must be an active opponent of sin and once saved, He expects the same from each of us.

The biggest problem our world has today is that the modern day Church has forgotten what it's job is!

Jesus Christ came to seek and to save and He has now given this job to the Church until He returns!

We have seen that God gets great joy in our salvation and that is only because we can be certain of Christ's forgiveness.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Rules For Discipleship

The Certainty Of Christ's Rules For Discipleship

Book of Luke 14


What is a disciple?

A disciple is a follower of the doctrine of another.

We are to be followers of the doctrine of Jesus Christ to be His disciples.

There are some things we must do to be His disciples:

1) We are to believe the doctrine of Christ.
2) We are to rest on the sacrifice of Christ.
3) We are to absorb the Spirit of Jesus to think as He thinks.
4) We are to follow in the examples that Christ has given to us.
5) We must esteem Christ above all other things.
6) We are to deny our own desires and seek the desires of Christ!
7) We must realize that if we have any questions at all, the answer is always Jesus Christ!

No one can be a disciple of Jesus Christ unless his love for Christ is greater than that of another person they love.

No one can serve two masters:

Mat 6:24  "No man can serve two masters": for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

It is impossible that the love of God and the love of this world to be in the same heart!

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, we must lay all our own desires at the feet of Jesus!

In fact we must be willing to lay down our own life at the feet of Jesus!

**We must show a love for all mankind!

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

**We must cling to the Word of God!

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

**We must bear fruit!

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

If these things are not true, then there could be no Church.

You see God will have His Church in spite of the Devil!

God will have His Church in spite of wicked men!

Jesus Christ had certain rules for being His disciples and we should know them and allow them to rule in our own lives.

The Book of Revelation states that when Christ offers us the rewards for being His servants we will because of unworthiness place those rewards at the feet of Jesus.

Rev 4:10  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and "cast their crowns before the throne, saying",
Rev 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

If we are not willing to lay our substance in this world at the feet of Jesus, then we are unworthy to be His disciples!

In fact we should be willing to lay down our lives at the feet of Jesus because that is what He did for us that believe!

Jesus Christ is not interested in cheap imitations!

*****Luk 14:25  And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

Huge crowds had been following Jesus for some time now.

The cross still lay ahead, but it would be only days before Jesus bore the cross of our salvation.

Jesus would pay an enormous cost to keep us all out of the Burning Lake of Fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.

Jesus needed disciples who would also sacrifice themselves if the message of salvation was to be carried throughout the world.

To be second best would not be good enough!

God will only occupy the first place in our lives!

Jesus decided that it was time to make this very clear to all those who were following Him this day of these Scriptures.

*****Luk 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

This verse may sound harsh but we must consider how the word "hate" is used here.

The word hate can mean to detest, but it can also mean to "love less", as it is used in this verse.

This can best be understood as showing preference to.

The truth is, we must put Christ Jesus first in our lives, we must show preference to the things of Christ Jesus!

Christ must be before our selves, we must deny our own flesh.

Christ must also be before our families, we must prefer the things of God more than the things of this world!

Christ was not saying we are to hate our families, in fact God says we are not to hate anyone.

We must remember the royal laws of King Jesus.

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

There is no one on this earth that we are to hate!

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

We must never take the Word of God out of the context that He intends!

God will never go against His own word!

God is just saying that we must consider what it takes to be His disciples, God must come first in our lives before all things of this world.

Jesus continues:

*****Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

We must die to ourselves and conform to the will of God that He has for our lives.

When Jesus Christ was nailed to His cross, He was completely naked, Even His garments were taken away from Him and divided among those that delivered Him to Golgotha.

If we cannot deny ourselves of the things of this world if God so demands it, then we are not worthy to bear our own cross, we are not worthy to named a Christian.

The cross means shame and reproach.

If we are not willing bear the shame and reproach of being a Christian (Christian means like Christ) then we cannot be His disciples!

We all have a tendency to fulfill our own desires but we must put them aside to fulfill the desires of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must count the cost!

*****Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

These people that Jesus was preaching to this day knew exactly what He was talking about.

They had seen many a Jew crucified.

We should remember, Romans were never crucified. The Roman government felt that to be crucified was too harsh for the Roman people. They had no problem crucifying the Jews!

God just says for us to think about what He is asking us to do, this is why it is called "faith".

If we cannot have "faith" that God will provide all our needs, physically and spiritually then we cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

We must count the cost!

We must understand the consequences of our decision!

For instance: If we decided to build a tower, we would first sit down and plan for that project and see if we had the resources to complete the work once we had started it.

Notice that the Lord chose a tower and not just some building because a tower is always reaching toward Heaven.

A tower more closely represents the spiritual building of the believer.

We should never forget our goal is to make it to Heaven!

A tower requires a sure foundation and the sure foundation of the Christian must be the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

When our "faith" is in the Lord Jesus we will build upon Him!

The difference being is that God will provide all the building materials and we provide only the vessel for those materials.

We should also consider that it can be very costly to build upon Jesus Christ.

We do not really know persecution here in America but there are those in our world that know if they accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior it will probably cost them their lives!

Their faith in the Lord will put most of us to shame.

In the least we must give up all our own desires.

We may have to lose everything that we once counted gain in this world.

In most cases we will have to part from our former companions and expect that they will mock us.

We will be under the consistent attack of the storms of Satan and we must count the damage from such storms.

BUT, if our strength remains in Christ we need not to fear any of these things!

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

A false profession of "faith" can always be readily seen by those who have already rejected the Word of God!

We also see many who have lost their zeal to serve the Lord or grow cold and fall away because they did not count the cost!

God says: Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

When we submit ourselves to the Devil we have submitted to a loser!

The builder of the tower might give up when he finds that he does not have the resources to complete the project.

The wise Christian builder will discover that he never had the resources to become a disciple of the Lord.

He will discover that the work far exceeds any resources at his command and he must forsake all that he has and proceed to build trusting in the Lord to provide.

A life for Christ far exceeds anything that this world can provide!

Remember when we pick up our own cross daily we become pilgrims on the road to Heaven!

All that we have belongs to God and He will provide what we need on a daily basis!

Remember Christ will never ask us to do anything that He has not already done Himself!

If we follow in the ways of Christ, be a true Christian, no one will ever say "he began to build but he was not able to finish".

And Jesus gives us another example:

*****Luk 14:31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Luk 14:32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

War:

There have been great wars in our past but in reality there has been only one time when our world was at peace and that was before sin entered into the world.

In our Scripture one king had only 10,000 men in his army while the king that was coming to attack him had a 20,000 man army.

That king with the smaller army had to sit down and do some serious thinking.

We see immediately the importance of a strong army.

This king had to look at all his resources and he had to consider the loss of life and a possible defeat.

This king had to decide if it were better to fight or to surrender and make peace before the battle started.

This king had to decide if would forsake all in the name of peace or fight a battle that he would lose.

If we consider the invading king as being Jesus Christ and the defending king has being ourselves or some individual we can see the point that Jesus was making.

We can see that we must forsake all to be at peace with God!

When we choose to follow the Lord Jesus Christ we must be willing to forsake all we have.

What is the truth? We must die to ourselves before we will ever live again in Christ!

No one can fight against God and expect to win but a fool!

In fact the greatest battle we will ever face in this life is the war we have between our body of flesh and our eternal soul.

God requires devotion and commitment!
God requires us to choose what we will look at.
God requires us to be careful of what we listen to.
God requires to be careful of what we touch and what we pick up.
God requires us to watch where we go and what we do.
God requires us to watch what we eat and what we drink.
God requires us to control our desires.
God requires us to follow in the cause of Jesus Christ!

It's not always easy to be a Christian!

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

If we are what we were then we are not what we need to be!

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If we cannot pick up our own cross and die daily for the Lord then we are not saved!

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

To be at peace with God can cost us all we have!

We may be like the Jew or the Muslim who have to give up their own families.

We may have to give up friends we have known all our lives.

We may have to give up our homes and live in places that we never thought we would have to.

We may have to share what little we have with those that have even less than we do.

We must be willing to use all we have for the cause of Christ.

God may not ask for any of these things or He may ask for all these things, it is our willingness to obey Him that sets us apart from this world!

To reject the Lord Jesus Christ means we will never know true life!

We will never know a life of peace.
We will never feel we have a purpose in this life.
We will never be free from the reality of death.
We will never know the love of God!

Surrendering to God is an easy choice once we realize the benefits of serving a loving God!

Psa 116:12  What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
Psa 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Psa 116:14  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.
Psa 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

We are worthless to the Lord unless we are committed to the Lord!

*****Luk 14:34  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
Luk 14:35  It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

We do not give much thought to salt but salt is genuine!

Salt is an important commodity in our world today and salt preserves life.

Salt keeps our oceans from becoming polluted.

Salt adds buoyancy to the oceans making it easier for ships to travel.

In fact the Dead Sea has so much salt that even humans can float without flotation devices.

Salt aids in turning carbon dioxide back to breathable oxygen.

Salt is good for many things.

In the days of Rome, salt was even used to pay the soldiers because unlike some monies, salt was accepted in every land that soldier traveled.

But salt that has lost it's savour is useless!

This salt represents our Christian character.

The disciples of Jesus Christ are destined to be in this moral world as salt is to the natural world.

It is the Church, the disciples of Jesus Christ, that is to keep in check the corruption of this world.

The disciples of Jesus Christ are the "good salt" in this evil world!

We see in our world today that there are many who bear the Christian name but they have lost the qualities of Christianity.

To be a Christian is to follow in the examples of Jesus Christ, those that detour from the ways of Christ have lost their saltiness and are as the sand that needs to be swept out the door and trampled upon!

Salt loses it's savour when the Christian deviates from the truth of God and His Word.

Salt loses it's savour when the Christian allows the world to influence his obedience to God.

Salt loses it's savour when we have one foot in the Church and the other foot in the world.

Salt loses it's savour when we refuse to repent of our ways before God and try to defend our character before men!

When we yield to Satan we have lost all our savour!

For the Christian it is the "Grace" of God that provides our salt and it is "Grace" that that fashions every Christian into something worth while and makes us salty!

Salt is one of the most abundant elements in our world today and so God intends for the Church.

When we have lost our saltiness, Jesus we are not even fit for the dunghill!

When we have lost our saltiness we are not fit for the land!

When we have lost our saltiness we are only fit to be trampled upon by the world!

We can see that the world is beginning to walk all over the Church and we seem not to understand why.

Maybe it's because the Church has lost it's saltiness!

Jesus says: "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear".

The truth is salt this is exposed to the atmosphere will lose it's savour and become tasteless.

The Church that allows the world inside it's doors will also become tasteless and then useless!

We must always consider that God knows exactly what He is talking about because God always speaks the truth!

Joh 3:33  He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
Joh 3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Joh 3:35  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

We can either accept the truth of God or reject it there is nothing that lies between the truth but for the truth!

Questions?

Let's Pray!