Christ Was Rejected

The Certainty Of Christ's Rejection

Book of Luke 20


The meaning of rejection is the act of throwing away.

Rejection is forsaking.

Rejection is casting away something that could prove to be really important.

Again we will see that Jesus will teach with a parable.

This parable was directed at Israel but let us be thankful that God has planted His vineyard among us all!

We should all ask ourselves if we are rendering the fruit to the Lord which He expects from us.

The least He expects is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

We must certainly make sure we do not resemble these husbandmen in this parable.

The Lord must not only be our foundation in this life, He must also the our ultimate goal.

Jesus must be not only the author of our faith but He must also be the finisher of our faith.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Jesus who had never sinned, came to save sinners who could not be saved in any other way!

Just as God founded our world, God also founded the nation of Israel.

Just God founded Israel, God founded the Church.

In this parable we should consider those servants as God's messengers who were sent to secure the fruit of God which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

God is the founder of this vineyard.

*****Luk 20:9  Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

God has leased the land Israel sits on to Israel, not any other nation nor any other people.

God has leased the remainder of the world to all other mankind none of these things happened by chance.

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

We are all sheep in God's pasture.

Psa 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

It should be very clear that God has given man the highest privileges in this world, not plants and not animals, and not what we can see.

It is man that has the privilege of life here and then an opportunity for Heavenly blessings.

It is man that also has the privilege for the care of this world.

God has placed life and this earth into the care of man's hands!

It is a privilege to a part of God's creation but we need to understand that privileges also have obligations.

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

As we go through this parable we need to remember all these things.

*****Luk 20:10  And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.
Luk 20:11  And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
Luk 20:12  And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

The season spoken of in this passage would be the season of harvesting.

This is the season when the fruit would be offered to the Lord.

There is a day of accounting for all of us, so God sent His servants to collect.

God expects us all to bear fruit!

We should understand that the great truths from the Old Testament were written by the prophets and not the priests even though some of them were also priests.

The true prophet is always great because the truth makes men great not falsehood and not those who twist the truth into something evil.

We see that God's servants were rejected and sent away. God's servants were mistreated and were refused payment.

It is a fact that this world and most all those in it are very possessive of material things.

We see that these men deliberately rebelled against God.

Man wants to forget about God the Creator and rule the vineyard themselves.

Man wants to forget God's rules and live by his own rules!

We would be foolish if did not see how accurate this parable is when compared to the world we live in today.

Remember a parable is an earthly picture of a Heavenly truth.

In fact man wants his way so much that he is willing to slander, ridicule, persecute and even slaughter the true servants of God.

Notice the patience of God.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God did not immediately strike out in anger though it was His right to do so.

We should also see that the servants of God will suffer while doing the work God has assigned them to do.

So God continued to send servants giving man chance after chance.

In this picture we know that Israel is a "type" of the world we live in today.

When Israel (world) would not honor God's servant God sent His own Son.

*****Luk 20:13  Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
Luk 20:14  But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
Luk 20:15  So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

As Christians we certainly possess a portion of God's Kingdom.

What God has done for Israel was not because Israel was better than any other nation.

AND, What God has done for each Christian is not because we are better than anyone else.

God was making a special appeal to the tenants of this vineyard (Israel).

God sent His own Son to collect the fruit.

**When Jesus first came He claimed to be the Son of God.

Jesus was different from the servants that had come before Him.

**When the tenants of God's vineyard saw Jesus they already had plenty of evidence that what He said was true.

In fact most of Israel agreed that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

As Christians the key to our "faith" is to believe that Jesus Christ is who he says He is!

The unbelief of these people was deliberate!

They just refused to believe!

Their unbelief was outright rejection.

**They plotted His death.

It takes a foolish people to think they can stop the Almighty God.

BUT, We know that most of those in our world think this same way today.

**Not only did they plot to kill the Son they plotted to take God's vineyard by force.

Notice man is always seeking worldly possessions instead of the God who creates all possessions.

Remember the sin of covetousness is the sin of wanting what some one else possesses.

Notice they intentionally rejected and denied and they will lie and cheat and even steal or kill to get what they want.

There was no limit to their evilness!

**And they murdered the Son.

Though the Lord Jesus Christ came to die on the cross it was still the worst crime in human history to put Him there.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

There is little doubt about the "Grace" of God BUT we should understand that we can push God to far.

*****Luk 20:16  He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

Just as everything God does is justified, then His "judgement" is also justified.

It amazes me that people who say they know God and have felt the love of God, refuse to believe our loving God will when necessary show His wrath.

We can certainly abuse the mercy of God!

It only takes a moment of God's wrath to cause major devastation!

In fact the greatest conflicts on this earth have been between the truth of God and the personal desires of men and it will remain that way until Christ returns a second time, when the wrath of God will be exposed to this world.

What is the truth?

If the power that we have is not used to serve God, then He will take it away from us and it will be given to those who will use it the way God designed it to be used.

The stupidity of wickedness is that those who rob God are robbing themselves!

These men who had planned to steal the things of God, then lost everything including their own lives.

We must also notice that the greatest hindrance to God's Kingdom will come from those who are in the highest administrations in the affairs of men.

We know this is happening in America today, where the Church is hindered more by our own government than from any other source!

Our own Constitution was written to try to keep this from happening but these people are above the law.

BUT, We should also understand the wrath of God is still a sign of God's holiness.

Psa 79:6  Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

And the element of love and compassion of God is always closely connected with God's anger!

And God's anger can be extremely destructive!

Jer 10:24  O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

We should also notice that when God takes His vineyard from these evil men, it will still be cultivated and it will still be expected to bear fruit.

God will simply raise up a different people to take care of it!

**We see that when these Jews heard this statement from Jesus that they knew exactly what Jesus meant.

They could not believe any such thing could happen to them because they had justified themselves above all other Jews.

They felt that God would not allow such a thing to happen but God was standing before them in the flesh this very day.

They decided if they destroyed Jesus these things would go away by doing just what the parable of Jesus had just said.

They said "God Forbid" not accepting the truth.

What is the truth of God?

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Psa 2:10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling

And how did Jesus respond?

*****Luk 20:17  And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
Luk 20:18  Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

To those that do not believe in a coming "Judgement" what do they do with such a Scripture as this?

Jesus stared them right in their face when He said these words. To behold is to fix your eyes upon something or someone.

Kind of like that look we have all gotten from our mothers just before she reached for that hickory switch.

The truth is our world does not want to hear the truth, because the leaders of this world think they can defy the Living God and make their own truth.

How foolish have we become!

The prophet Daniel also wrote of this coming destruction.

Dan 2:45  Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

We are foolish to ignore the coming wrath of God when all the governments of this world will be destroyed and King Jesus will then sit on His throne on this earth for 1000 years.

Jesus Christ is the Head and the Chief Cornerstone of His creation.

Jesus Christ is the Foundation Stone of the Church.

And He is certainly the The Foundation Stone on which we are all to build our lives.

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:
Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

If we cannot become a habitation for God we cannot be saved.

This same Foundation for building eternal life also has destructive power!

The destructive power of a stone over flesh and blood is well known.

So most all the religious leaders of the Jews turned on Christ Jesus that very day and joined forces.

*****Luk 20:19  And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

**We should keep in mind that just because two or more groups of people who are really true enemies, then join forces in a common cause does not make them right, it just makes them more wrong!

We see today in our own political arena this same thing is happening.

It is just a ploy used in politics to keep power in the wrong hands.

**We also see that religionists will go to any lengths to maintain control of the church.

We also see this going on today!

Solomon wrote that there is nothing new under the Sun and these are some of the things he was writing about.

**Another thing we see is that the Lord Jesus Christ had a perfect knowledge of these people and the intentions of His enemies.

We see that the Lord has no fear of any of His enemies and will always give them plain answers that they can understand.

The Jewish religious system had become it's own political institution.

Just as political parties of today gang up to destroy politicians, most of the priesthood, that had begun with Moses, was now joining forces to destroy Jesus Christ, the Living Breathing Son of God.

These were the people who were to be God's testimony of righteousness but had instead become selfish, power hungry pawns of Rome.

These were men who realized that people were flocking to Jesus by droves and if He so chose to allow them to make Him their King, Rome would come in and put down any revolt and they would lose their positions they had bartered with Rome to keep.

They would not only lose their position and authority but they would lose their livelihood.

They were becoming rich while their nation was being robbed by Rome.

They began to conspire some way to cause Jesus to trap Himself.

*****Luk 20:20  And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
Luk 20:21  And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:

They chose to stop Jesus by posing trick questions to try to get Jesus to take some position against the people.

They thought they could then arrest Him and destroy Him and their problems would be solved.

Notice they first sent spies to watch Jesus' every move but sadly they were not interested in the way of salvation.

They were always seeking ways to accuse Him.

If they could cause Jesus to make an error in His doctrine He would look bad before the people.

If they could get Jesus to say anything against Rome then He could be arrested for treason.

The truth is, religion will always become political in the wrong hands!

As Christians we must always be aware of these things and guard against such things as power and position and selfish loyalty.

Joh 5:44  How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

Jesus said our faith is useless when we trust more in the things of this world and we do that when we trust some man more than we trust God.

Jesus also had these words:

Mat 20:25  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27  And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Again Christians must realize that we have only one Master, King Jesus.

We must remember that these men with different concepts had joined forces. They had been enemies but had linked together to destroy the Lord.

**Some of these religious leaders believed that religion should be supreme. They believed strongly in the spiritual world and that all obedience and loyalty belonged to God and to God alone.

Therefore they were totally against paying the Roman taxes, considering that paying taxes infringe on God's right to all possessions.

They insisted on these things for the people but they themselves had no problem accepting the power and prestige of Rome.

**The other side of this group was locked in on "Humanism". They believed that the state was supreme.

They did not hold to the supernatural or a Supreme Being who was involved in the affairs of mankind.

If there were religion then it too was to be subject to government control.

We are foolish if we do not see these same two battles going on in our own political structure today!

To these people God was to be ignored, unless they could use Him to be some benefit or blame in times of tragedy.

Even insurance companies have a clause which reads "an act of God" when it comes to a tragedy.

What does God say?

Isa 5:14  Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Isa 5:15  And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
Isa 5:16  But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

The truth is when we feel like there is someway to fool God then we have become the fools ourselves!

So they asked crafty questions to try to entangle the Lord.

We should realize cowards are like cats who like to take their prey by suddenly pouncing upon it. They will rarely come face to face with their prey trusting in their own stealth to surprise their enemy.

*****Luk 20:22  Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
Luk 20:23  But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?
Luk 20:24  Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.
Luk 20:25  And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.

Once we are saved God puts His stamp of approval upon our heart by the Holy Spirit and becomes our owner.

All that is created by God belongs to God!

The images stamped on all coins belong to the governments that forged them.

At least in America the phrase "in God we trust" is also imprinted still on our coins but for how much longer no one knows.

When Jesus pointed to that image He did not deny that the image was Caesar's.

Coins, roads, buildings, sewage, transportation and many other things belong to the state including the military and law enforcement.

AND We already know that we are citizens of this world as long as we are in this world.

We are subject to the powers of this world and we owe some allegiance to the state.

Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

The Bible says it is God who puts leaders in place and for His own reasons!

Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

Jesus said render to the government those things that belong to the government.

This is another reason we must keep our governments as small as possible but yet with enough resources to protect us.

We are to honor the laws of the land but only in regard to the laws of God!

Ecc 8:2  I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

God must also have His due as well as the king his!

When we realize that governments may create coins and some other things but it is God that created man and man is always subject to God.

We owe our allegiance to God and not to any man!

In fact we owe God our lives. Our lives were created so that we can exist with God, for His pleasure.

God also created this world and we should do our best to take care of it.

Man is also a spirit and therefore able to be "Born Again" and live being able to deny our selves and pick up our cross daily and follow the Lord.

1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Man is also a body and we owe our bodies to the Lord.

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.

It is in this fashion that we can make a difference in this world we live in.

So what happened?

*****Luk 20:26  And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.

They were silenced!

They were unable to discredit the Lord.

They were amazed at His answers.

As long as we are upon this earth we hold a dual citizenship as described by the Lord Jesus Himself.

We are to render to the government what is owed them and we are to render to God what is owed Him.

Most people murmur and fuss about what is owed to the government but then relent but they refuse to give God what belongs to God and most of them never relent to God.

These that were amazed at the answers of Jesus this day, would still reject Him though they knew He spoke the truth.

In order for the kingdoms of this world to survive, they must become the kingdoms of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Man can only survive by having only one Master!

Man is trinity in himself and each part has it's own purpose in the methods of God!

To disagree with these things is to reject the Lord Jesus Christ and bring eternal death!

Our secular life and our Christian life are are to be equal partners while we are on this earth so that we can be the most useful servant that God has made and fulfill the purpose for which we are called.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Prophecy Of Jesus Christ Is Certain

The Certainty Of Christ's Fulfillment Of Prophecy

Book of Luke 18-19

Focus Luke 19:28-44


Prophecy simply means the foretelling of future events.

It can be said that prophecy is the writing of history before it happens.

The truth is only God can write true prophecy:

Isa 45:21  Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Isa 45:22  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

We are to accept the prophecies in the Scriptures as they came from God, because they did:

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

There are some others who make predictions of future events and it is true that some of those things may even come about but all, every last one of the prophecies of God will be fulfilled just as they are written.

A true prophet will never be wrong!

The greatest event of prophecy in the Old Testament was fulfilled with the coming of the Messiah and the use of prophecy to tell of His coming by preparing the world for this event.

Today we find Jesus returning to Jerusalem for the last time.

You can search the Scriptures but on this day as Jesus began His last week of His life we find Jesus riding a donkey rather than walking.

This is the day known as Palm Sunday.

We can be sure that in this act of the Lord, He was claiming to be King but not the type of King that the Jews expected.

On this day the Lord Jesus Christ was claiming to be the King of Peace, the King whose Kingdom is not of this Earth.

*****Luk 19:28  And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Jesus had come to this earth to die on a cross and it was now time to do so.

In all the Bible we will see that God is not so much concerned with time as He is with the timing of events.

One day to the Lord is as a 1000 days to us.

It was now the fullness of times and the Lord Jesus took the lead of this multitude to make sure they moved at His pace.

Jesus was on a mission to suffer and to die, not for Himself but because of us, all mankind.

This was also was a fulfillment of prophecy:

Isa 50:7  For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

It was the will of His Father that Jesus do all these things and He was not about to fail.

Psa 40:6  Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Psa 40:7  Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Psa 40:8  I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Psa 40:13  Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.

There was also another thing that must take place.

Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

*****Luk 19:29  And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
Luk 19:30  Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
Luk 19:31  And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

We must clearly understand that prophecy will be fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ in every minute detail!

Those that have already taken place are examples of those that have not yet taken place!

Even this ride into Jerusalem had a specific meaning!

The instructions Jesus gave to His disciples had to be followed precisely.

Notice there are no small task when proclaiming Christ as King!

The disciples knew what Jesus was doing even though they could not understand what His death had to do with anything.

Bethphage or (House of figs) was a suburb of Jerusalem even at that time.

In this city was home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha, friends who shared their home with Jesus when He was in town.

Jesus had no home of His own at this time because except for His mother Mary, none of the family of Jesus believed on Him at this time.

In those days the donkey and the mule were noble animals.

A donkey was the animal that would carry the burdens of men but this animal was also used by kings and their emissaries when they were entering a city in peace.

King David had a great warhorse but his prize animal was the King's mule which even Solomon rode as he was crowned King.

A conquering King would ride into any city on a war horse.

The Lord Jesus Christ when He returns for a second time will ride in on a powerful white stallion.

Jesus was about to show the people of Jerusalem that He was certainly the promised King, the Messiah.

Jesus was also about to show those same people He was not coming as they expected Him to come.

Even the government of Rome should have understood these things which I believe Pilate did.

**That young colt was a sure sign of peace!
**That young colt also symbolized service, as service to mankind and to carry man's burdens. Jesus came to carry the burdens of sin for all mankind.
**That young colt also symbolized sacredness. This colt had never been ridden before. Animals used for religious purposes must not have ever been used for any other purpose or they were not acceptable in the ministry.

Deu 21:3  And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

Everything Jesus did that day and that last week, had a specific purpose!

AND, The two disciples that went after the colt found things were just as Jesus had said.

*****Luk 19:32  And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
Luk 19:33  And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
Luk 19:34  And they said, The Lord hath need of him.

Here we have a prime example of the providence of God.

The Lord had a need for this colt that far surpassed what the owner of that colt had.

We may not understand why God seems to take some on home to Heaven in their prime but that answer is we must not question God but realize that God had a specific need for  them far beyond our own needs of them to be here with us.

It is only the Lord that we worship as God, that has these powers!

We should clearly understand that if God is so careful to fulfill even the smallest detail in prophecy then just how wonderful will be that home that He has gone to prepare for us, down to the most minute detail for our home-going.

And If God is so careful to count the hairs on our head would He ever miss a bruise or a cut or a laceration, or a heart problem or a cancer?

If God is so minded of the birds in the air would God ever be careless with the lives of those He has redeemed by the blood of His own Son?

There is a purpose for all those names that are written down in the Lamb's Book of Life and the Lord has a need for each and everyone of them!

*****Luk 19:35  And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
Luk 19:36  And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
Luk 19:37  And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
Luk 19:38  Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem is one of the most noted scenes in the "Gospel".

In typology, it is but fore-gleam of that soon coming day when Jesus will be enthroned to sit as King of Kings and Lord of Lord's, that will also take place in Jerusalem.

**We first see enthusiasm to serve Christ. We are only at our best when we are enthusiastic.

What the Church lacks today is that enthusiasm to serve the Lord!

Christians should be excited about serving the Lord!

These people praised God. In our day we would say, they rolled out the red carpet as they cast their cloaks down to to cushion the Lord's pathway.

They had just witnessed many miracles including the blind man Bartemaus and the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

Excitement was in the air, for they knew that Jesus had the power to do anything He chose to do.

What were Jesus' credentials? He had come in the name of the Lord.

What are the blessings that will come with our King Jesus? "Peace" in Heaven and "Glory" in the Highest.

Jesus had come to bring the Kingdom of God to this earth but not in the way that these people had expected.

**They thought that Jesus had come to free all nations from Roman domination.

This thing is still in our future!

Jesus had first come to free all nations from the bondage of sin.

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil";

1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil".

**They thought that Jesus had come to set His throne in Jerusalem from which a reign of righteousness would be executed.

But Jesus had first come to rule and reign in our hearts and restore our broken relationship with God.

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

**They thought that Jesus had come to establish Israel as the leading nation of this earth as He removed the domination of Rome.

Mar 11:9  And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
Mar 11:10  Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

Hosanna means to "save now".

Psa 118:24  This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psa 118:25  Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

They had failed to see that Jesus was riding a donkey colt which meant He was coming in peace.

Luk 1:78  Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
Luk 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

They failed to see that Jesus was riding an animal of burdens, coming as the Savior and Redeemer who would carry the burdens of all mankind.

Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

They failed to see that Jesus was riding a young colt that had never been ridden which symbolized sacredness, as Jesus came to save souls and not bodies.

Eph 1:2  Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

This was the hour to "save" there will be another hour for "wrath".

Joh 12:27  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

They failed to see the Jesus was riding an animal that symbolized meekness as Jesus is King of meekness.

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

They had not taken a good look at Jesus because they could only think of their own personal problems, in which they could only see Jesus as the means to allow them to live as they wanted to, which has never been what God has commanded.

God did not save any of us so we could do what we wanted to do!

But there are always those who see the enthusiasm of Christians to serve the Lord as a threat to their own world view.

*****Luk 19:39  And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
Luk 19:40  And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

The majority of those that followed Jesus that day could only see the end of the rule of Rome and a new world ruled by the Messiah.

They wanted Jesus to rule as King of Israel and put a stop to the tyranny of Rome and we should not be confused, Rome ruled as tyrants.

The truth is, that the religious rulers of Israel such as the Pharisees were rewarded by Rome if they could maintain the control of the people.

They had already given their word that they would hunt Jesus down and arrest Him but that would be impossible with such a great multitude surrounding Him at this time.

And,We should be very clear God will never rebuke any one that is offering Him true praise.

The Bible says "clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph"

The Bible says that "everything that has breath should praise the Lord".

In other words if you cannot praise the Lord then die because you are breathing God's air.

God will never go against His own Word and the praise of God should never be a solemn event.

After all, if the people will not praise the Lord, then God would get the rocks and the stones to call out His name.

To all those that say Jesus was not courageous and was not a pure Preacher of the Word of God, they certainly do not read the Word of God.

Jesus stepped on more toes than any preacher I know!

Jesus only humbled to the religious leaders when it came time for the cross and He had no fear even at that time.

Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Jesus had to be willing to lay down His life, to fulfill the will of His Father in Heaven or our sin debt could never have been paid.

No man on this earth could have taken the life of Jesus if He so wished not to give it!

Jesus explained to these Pharisees that it was not they that were in control of this situation and that it was He who ruled His own creation.

The Word of God does tell us that nature did cry out loudly when Jesus said "it is finished".

Mat 27:50  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Jesus came to seek and to save, and that mission is still ongoing today through the true Church but that also will soon end and the day of salvation will be over with the Church Age ending.

It was all these things that caused the Lord Jesus to weep as the city of Jerusalem came into His sight.

*****Luk 19:41  And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

Who is the greatest Prophet in this world, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Who is also the Lord of Compassion, it is the Lord Jesus Christ!

It should be very clear, Jesus has a great love for all people but He also has a great love for the city of Jerusalem and it is a foolish world that does not acknowledge that fact!

Jesus prophesied the doom of that people in that day because they had rejected Him.

Jesus' answer to all that refuse to believe was on full display May 14, 1948 when Israel once again became a nation and in the 6 day war when Jerusalem came back into the hands of the Jews.

Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem that day.

This weeping was in full view of all those that were with Him that day.

To weep means He burst into tears, He wept out loud, He sobbed, He wailed, and He mourned.

The Lord Jesus Christ was truly heart broken for what would soon happen to Jerusalem.

Jesus could obviously see the city as it existed that day but Jesus could also see the coming destruction and this is what caused Him to weep so much knowing He could stop it but He could not break His own Word.

On that day the city of Jerusalem was the most festive city in all the world, as Jerusalem was prepared for the Passover Feast. But while these people were celebrating the reason they were celebrating, The Lord Jesus that saved them then and could save them now, was on the adjacent hillside weeping and mourning for them all and the city.

On this day, no one in the city of Jerusalem realized, the only thing that would bring everlasting peace to this great city was weeping because they would reject Him.

They had lost their opportunity!

Our president of today had a prime opportunity to bring peace to America and to this world but He has squandered his opportunity for foolish reasons that only he knows the truth of.

It is only the "Gospel Blessings" that are conducive to true peace!

The blessings of "Grace".
The deliverance from the bondage of sin.
The deliverance from condemnation.
The deliverance from the fears of guilt.
All the blessings of "Glory"!

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.

And then came the terrible prophecy of Jerusalem out of the mouth of God.

Jerusalem by it's name is to be the city of "Peace".

Up unto this day we live, the city of Jerusalem has never known true peace.

Peace means free from troubles.

Peace means experiencing things that are good.

Peace means enjoying the very best in life.

Peace is more an internal feeling than an external reality.

There is the "Peace of God" which is a deep peace from within.

It is peace of mind that is more than feelings. More than attitude and more than thought.

Then there is the "peace of the world" which is refusing to face reality!

True peace is always hidden from the eyes of those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

There is no peace of assurance to those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ and the world continues to come up with it's own methods and methods that will always fail.

*****Luk 19:43  For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Luk 19:44  And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Jesus Christ Himself prophesied that Jerusalem would not be at peace until He returned again.

The Jerusalem of the time of Jesus would soon be destroyed!

Jerusalem had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar but a greater destruction than that lay ahead.

There would be a trench dug around the entire city. The trench and the dirt that was piled on the side of it would provide safety for the Roman army of Titus.

Jerusalem would feel the full might and power of the Roman army, which was relentless in war.

Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed, completely demolished not one stone was to be left upon another.

The people within the walls of Jerusalem would be personally judged by Rome.

"And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee".

The city of Jerusalem would be judged but it was the people who were at fault.

America will one day be judged and part of that may be happening now but it is the people who are at fault.

History teaches us that Titus brought his army to Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and this prophecy of Jerusalem was fulfilled.

History teaches us that over 1 million people died within the walls of Jerusalem with another 97,000 taken captive.

Josephus the Jewish historian describes the many horrors that took place.

Josephus wrote that nothing from the beginning of creation even resembled what was done to these Jews.

This is a picture of all the nations that reject the Lord Jesus Christ but nations never learn from history.

Earthly leaders in their quest for power never look back at the past and learn from the things that lead to war.

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

We can be sure, God does not make idle threats. God simply warns us that the decisions we make have consequences!

Rejecting the Messiah brings tragic results.

It is true that God has more love than He does wrath but we cannot ignore that just a moment of the wrath of God brings devastation like we have never seen!

Joh 8:23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
Joh 8:24  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

God had always visited Jerusalem but they had rejected a very personal visit from the Messiah, God in human flesh.

There was no excuse for what these Jews did and they had understood the Scriptures.

The day of Israel's salvation had come and they preferred to take their chances with the world and they lost.

Israel will get one more opportunity but God does not make this promise to any other nation that rejects Him.

Luk 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
Luk 13:35  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

If we believe all the Scriptures of salvation and the love of God, then we certainly cannot deny that God has a side of wrath that we simply do not want to see!

This truth is just as true as all the Word of God and cannot be denied!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

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!