Judgment's Coming

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 5:6

Beloved,

As a college football player, I was required to go to study hall Monday –Thursday during my freshman year. If we missed Study Hall, we were forced to run after practice. One Tuesday our school was playing our rival in basketball. It was supposed to be a great game so I devised a plan. I thought that I could enjoy the game and not be disciplined for missing if I went to study hall signed in and then snuck out. And that is what I did, but one of the coaches came at the end of study hall to see if everyone had stayed. I got busted and was forced to participate in an extremely difficult run following a long football practice.

I learned that no one can escape judgment. We may be able to get what we want at first (for I did see a great basketball game), but eventually we will have to answer for our actions. When people promise a life free from consequences for their behavior, they are attempting to deceive with empty words. The Holy Spirit writes, “because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” No one can escape the wrath of God. God shows no partiality, but will render each according to their work. We may get away with sin for a time, but one day we will face God’s righteous judgment when all secrets are exposed by Jesus Christ. Do not be deceived, a life characterized by immorality will not inherit the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:5, 1 Cor 6:9-10, Gal 5:21).

Beloved, the only way we can inherit the kingdom of God is by turning to God through Jesus Christ from our idols. 1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10, “and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (emphasis added). Jesus alone delivers us from the wrath to come by absorbing the wrath of God for us on the cross. Believers will never face the wrath of God because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead guaranteeing our future deliverance from eternal death. And yet, it is not enough to say we believe, we actually have to live as if we truly believe.

Beloved, judgment will come to everyone, but deliverance is only offered to all through Jesus Christ. God will punish the sons of disobedience therefore live in obedience to Jesus as you wait for Him from heaven to deliver you from the wrath to come.

The Blessed Servant (Luke 12:35-48)

During my senior year in college, my friends and I took a trip for our last spring break. These were the beginning days of cell phones before everyone had one attached to their hip. I had a cell phone, but did not bring it on the vacation. The last day of the trip my mother called my cell phone to leave me a message to remind me to call her when I got home. When she called my cell phone, somebody else answered it. She

called when my house was being robbed. The burglar took a few moments to stop looting my home to answer a phone call from my mother. Needless to say, we came home and discovered that our house was ransacked. Everyone lost a few items: stereos, TVs, money, but three of us lost our Ivy League Championship football rings which were more valuable to us than the other stolen possessions. We called the police and a detective was assigned to our case. We did not have much hope that we would ever find our rings again, but one stormy night the detective came to the door. Surrounding by darkness and lightening and with the rain pouring down, the detective came to the door wearing a trench coat. His had a hat pulled down and a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. He flashed his hand across his face wearing all three of the Ivy League Championship Rings and said, “Looking for these?” That story was by far the best thing that came out of our house being robbed, but being robbed it not a pleasant experience.

I have been robbed 7 different times in my life and none of the experiences are worth reliving. If I knew that my house was going to be robbed, I would have taken precautions to ensure that my possessions were protected. In some of the cases, I received some of my possessions back from good police work, but in every situation I experienced great loss. I was not prepared for the robbers, and because I was not prepared, I suffered great loss. There is coming a day for which we must be prepared or we will suffer great loss. There are many exhortations in Scripture about being prepared for the Day of the Lord. That Day will either bring blessings or woes upon individuals. The Day will come like a thief in the night. My prayer is that you would experience blessing on that Day when our Lord returns instead of woe. Through this text, we are going to hear the words of Jesus Christ on how to be the blessed and prepared servant on that Day. Jesus gives us two specific beatitudes in this section, and one reminder. I pray that you will heed the words of Jesus Christ and be prepared on the Day of the Lord.

The Blessed Servant is Awake for that Day

Jesus just finished his exhortation of placing one’s treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and now Jesus continues to encourage his disciples to live in light of eternity. Verses 35-40,

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Jesus warns his disciples to be ready for the coming of the Lord. There are many illustrations in these verses that help us understand what it means to be awake.

Jesus says, “stay dressed for action.” During this period most men wore long robes with a belt around the waist. This pictures one whose robe is pulled up so he would be ready to move quickly. Likewise, Jesus encourages the disciples to keep their lamps burning so they would be ready to move in darkness. Both images encourage people to live in expectation of Christ’s return. We live with a watchful eye towards heaven so that when our master comes home we will be ready to open the door and welcome him in.

Jesus provides a beatitude in verse 37, “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he

comes.” He reiterates the same principle in the next verse, “If he comes in the second watch or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants.” Jesus is not referring to mere happiness, but eternal happiness at the end of time. This whole passage speaks of the Day of the Lord. Those who are awake and alert and ready for the Lord’s return, waiting with a watchful eye to heaven will be blessed eternally. The end of verse 37 spells out this blessing, “Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them.” Jesus is alluding to the great marriage supper of the Lamb where all of God’s people gather to be with Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:9, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Are you awake? Are you living in light of eternity? Lift your eyes to heaven and live with an eye towards eternity. For if your mindset is, “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” If you live as if this is your final home, then Jesus says to you, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” The Son of Man is coming. You cannot avoid this reality. Everything in the Scriptures points to that Day when Jesus Christ will return. If you want to be blessed on that day, you must be awake, alert, ready for action with your lamps burning.

My wife and I were watching a movie about World War II. As we watched the movie, there was a scene when the bomb siren sounded and my wife asked, “Can you imagine living like that?” Can you imagine living under the constant threat of destruction? Most Americans do not know this reality, but there are some in our congregation who have served in war. I spoke to Robert Baker this week, who served in Afghanistan, and he explained that there were many missions where nothing happened. He would go on mission after mission where nothing happened until bam! His unit would walk right into a firefight. There were long periods of boredom, but then in an instant extreme moments of terror. Soldiers always have to be ready for battle. Beloved, we must always keep a watchful eye towards heaven. We cannot fall into the routine of life and boredom, but we must be ready. We will be blessed if we are awake on that Day, ready for the Lord’s return.

If you are not a follower of Jesus, the Bible says there is a day coming when God is going to judge the earth. Are you ready? Those who are not ready will suffer great loss. Do not delay in preparing for that Day. Jesus came and died in the place of sinners. He rose from the dead to give us hope on that day. Come to Jesus Christ and be ready for that Day!! Without Jesus Christ, you will have to answer for your sins, and will suffer great loss. Wake up to the reality that God is a righteous Judge and has to punish sin. He, who has ears, let him hear.

Beloved, Jesus did not only warn those who weren’t ready, but all his disciples as well. In verse 41, “Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable to us or for all?” Jesus answered by showing the second aspect of a blessed servant.

The Blessed Servant is Abiding for that Day

Jesus does not only want us to be awake and ready for his return, but he wants to be living in obedience as we wait. Verses 42-44,

And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”

We see the second beatitude in verse 43 of the blessed servant who is doing what he master has charged him to do. God wants his children to abide in him. This is so crucial for the church because if we do not obey the Lord, we will not inherit the kingdom of God. Listen to Romans 8:12-14,

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

If we do not die to our flesh, we prove ourselves to be outside the kingdom of God for those who live according to the flesh will die.

Pastor, isn’t legalistic to say that our obedience allows us into heaven? Yes, that is legalistic, but that is not what I said. Our obedience does not allow us into heaven, but our obedience proves that we are led by the

Spirit of God by faith. Our obedience proves that we have been crucified with Christ. Our obedience proves that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. We prove that the life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. We do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose (Galatians 2:20-21). Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

If your life is characterized by sin, then you are most likely outside of the faith and will not inherit the kingdom of God and are not ready for the Lord’s return. No one who makes a practice of sinning has either seen God or known God. Jesus explains this through the parable of the unfaithful, unwise manager in verse 45 and following,

But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

The person who lives an immoral life without any regard to God will face the wrath and fury of Almighty God (Romans 2:8). This person does not do what his master tasks him to do, but says, “I can get away with this now because the master is not coming back for some time.” It is similar to the person saying that I will have time in the future to get my life right with God, but the master will come when you do not expect Him and an hour you do not know and will cut you to pieces and place you with the unfaithful.

Beloved, we live in an age when cheap grace has been promised to an entire generation of people. If you would only pray this prayer and walk this aisle, and put your faith in Jesus, you will be safe for all eternity. Beloved, that is not the gospel. You must put your faith in Jesus AND you must repent of your sins. You must continue to repent of your sins demonstrating that you love Jesus Christ more than your sin. If people continue to live a life of sin, they have not heard or believed in the gospel of the Bible. Jesus deserves more than a dead faith. He deserves are whole life.

Jesus is so glorious and so merciful. He died your death. The blameless Son of God took your blame on Calvary. The sinless Savior became your sin so you could be righteous. The Holy One was cursed on a tree so that He could remove your curse and you could be holy. And after dying your death, he conquered the grave securing your victory in being the firstborn of many brothers. Beloved, do you think that God is satisfied with a cheap faith without works? Do you think God is pleased with preachers who promise eternal life without repentance? It is a false gospel. Beloved, Jesus Christ bled and died so you could die to your sin and live by the Spirit, for all who are led by the Spirit are sons and daughters of God. The message of the gospel is that we must repent and believe in the name of Jesus Christ.

The blessed servant is one that is found doing what the master told him to do when he returns. There will be many false converts on the Day of the Lord who knew what they were supposed to do, but chose to live contrary to his will. And on that Day, the Lord will say, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (Matthew 7:23).” Depart from me you who did not live by God’s law. Depart from me you who were not ready. Depart from me you did not abide in and obey me. Are you ready for that Day?

Friend, I plead with you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to repent of your sins. I implore you to turn from the false hope of a dead faith without righteousness. I implore you to love Jesus more than your sin. I want to you to be ready on that Day. I want you to know that you are in the faith. Please take today to truly repent and believe. Christian, if there is unrepentant sin in your life, I plead with to turn from it. Are you addicted to pornography? Are you harboring bitterness in your heart against someone in the family of faith? Are you stingy towards God and others with your money and possessions? Are you a covenant member of a local church or actively pursuing covenant membership in a local church? Are you full of discontentment? Are you a gossip or a slanderer? Are you greedy? God takes sin very seriously. Feel the weightiness of Jesus’ words in this passage.

Jesus closes this section with a reminder to his disciples and a reminder to all of us.

The Blessed Servant is Accountable on that Day

Everyone will be held accountable according to their own life and knowledge. All sin is sin, but not all sin will be punished the same way. Different individuals will face different degrees of punishment based on their knowledge of the Lord. Verses 12:47-48,

And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Jesus explains that the intensity of the punishment will be determined according to one’s knowledge of God’s will. The one who knew God’s Will and did not act accordingly will receive a more severe punishment. And the one who did not know God’s will still will be punished, albeit to a lesser degree. Punishment will be determined based on one’s knowledge of God’s will. This is why James says that those who teach will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). Teachers are held to a higher standard because of their knowledge and the potential to lead people astray from God.

Jesus says, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” What does the much refer to here? It could refer to different gifts and talents, but in the context it is referring to one’s knowledge of God’s will. Everyone who has been given the gospel of repentance and faith, who knows his will, will face a greater judgment for their disobedience.

This means that everyone who is sitting here today and listening to this message will bring further wrath upon themselves if, after hearing clearly God’s expectation, you close your ears and do not repent. You have been given much; therefore, much more will be required of you. You have been entrusted with much; therefore, you face a greater demand from God. It is a dangerous thing to go to church and not to respond to the preaching of God’s holy and inerrant Word. Romans 2:5 states, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” Hardening your heart to God’s Word and not obeying it stores up wrath for you on the day of the Lord’s return. You will not be blessed on that day, but will suffer great loss.

Beloved, this passage is very heavy and very serious. God has high expectations for his people. There will be a stricter judgment for those who have been given much in that they know God’s will, but do not obey it. In the words of Jesus, they will receive a severe beating. These words are particularly poignant for the leaders in the church. Pastors and deacons who have been entrusted with the care of the church will face a greater judgment, as they are responsible for the Master’s house until his return. This is why I preach these words of warning, 2 Tim 4:1-2, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word.” I preach the Word of God because Jesus is coming back. Some sermons are heavier than others because some texts are heavier than others. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for your soul. Peter also exhorts elders as a fellow elder to focus on the glory that is going to be revealed in 1 Peter 5. After laying out the conduct of an elder/pastor, he says in verse 4, “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

As much as there is a stricter judgment for those whom have been entrusted much, there is also great reward in being a faithful steward of what the Lord has given. Matthew 25:29, “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.” Jesus wants his servants to be awake and abiding so that they would be called blessed on that Day. We must live in view of that Day. Are you awake? Are you abiding? You will be accountable so get ready. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Fix your eyes to Heaven and get ready.

What do you love more than God?

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened…they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:21; 25)

Beloved,

On April 22nd 1970, America celebrated the first National Earth Day. The day was set aside to remind

people to care for our environment. Although Earth Day has many benefits, if its supporters stop with only serving the Earth, it is idolatry. Idolatry is serving the creation rather than giving honor and glory to the Creator who is blessed forever. Idolatry is taking good things that the Lord has made and making them ultimate things. Idolatry stops with the creation rather than pressing onward to see creation as a gift from the Creator.

God gives the Creation Mandate in Genesis 1 where we are called to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over it. Christians should care for the environment because we want to be good stewards of God’s creation, not because we want to serve the earth. Christians must never stop with the creation, but always look to the Creator who is blessed forever. If we enjoy and care for the earth, but do not acknowledge God or give thanks to him, we become futile in our thinking and our foolish hearts are darkened. Idolatry is loving anything more than God. It is valuing things as the ultimate source of happiness and joy.

The sin of idolatry is important to understand because it does not immediately manifest itself in overt, visible sin. For example, if we value our career too highly it may cause us to overwork and overworking may lead us to neglect our families and fracture our most important relationships. Valuing anything more than God will eventually lead to further chaos and destruction. Tim Keller says, “Sin is not just doing bad things. It is turning good things into ultimate things because it ruins your soul, destroys community, and dishonors God.”

Is there anything or anyone that you value more than God? Wealth? Family? Work? Friends? Beloved, search your hearts and ask God to reveal to you your idols. The idols of the hearts are subtle yet very dangerous. Let us never turn God’s good gifts into ultimate things. There is only One who is worthy of all our worship.

Believe in Christ and Find Life (John 20:19-31)

“I’ll believe it when I see it!” I heard this often early in my marriage after promises to pick up after myself. “Sweetie, I promise I will stop throwing my socks in the middle of the floor.” “I’ll believe it when I see it!”

“Sweetie, I promise I will clean my dishes after I use them.” “I’ll believe it when I see it!” “Sweetie, I promise I will fold my clothes before I put them in my drawers.” “I’ll believe it when I see it!” I learned an important lesson early in my marriage, it was much better to show my wife what I was going to do rather than tell her what I was going to do. As the saying goes, “Seeing is believing.”

The Apostle John wrote his gospel so people could see Jesus and believe that he was the Christ, the Son of God. John was the last one to write a gospel account. He was very familiar with the Matthew, Mark, and Luke and wrote a gospel to further declare of the divinity of Jesus Christ. The gospel of John is written different than all the rest of the gospels. John gives us the reason why he wrote this gospel in John 20:30-31,

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

I want you to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Believe in the Resurrection of the Savior

Jesus was crucified and was buried. He was dead and gone. You can imagine the fear and astonishment that gripped the disciples as they waited into the room. They had just lost their master and close friend. They were afraid that they were also going to be punished so they locked themselves into a house. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Jesus Christ appears and is standing among them. The natural response would have been fear and amazement. “I can’t believe what I am seeing!!! Could this really be happening?” Jesus said to them (at the end of verse 19),

“Peace be with you.” When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

The disciples were naturally in disbelief at first. They didn’t know what to think. It is like when you are in a dark room and step out into the sunlight, it takes a few seconds to adjust to the light. Jesus showed them his nail scarred hands and pierced side. After seeing that this was not a ghost, but the literal, bodily resurrected Christ, the disciples became glad. Their hearts that were filled with darkness and fear were now bursting with light and hope. They saw the risen Christ.

It is hard to overestimate the dramatic change that happened to the disciples in that moment. The resurrection changes everything. And more importantly, for us, believing in the resurrection changes everything. Jesus shows his nailed scarred hands and his pierced side reminding his disciples of his brutal death for sinners then he calls those sinners to be witnesses of his resurrection. In Acts 1:22, Peter, in speaking of a replacement for Judas Iscariot said, “one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 

The disciples knew their purpose was to testify of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now notice how the resurrection is intimately connected with the forgiveness of sins. Without the resurrection there would be no forgiveness of sins!! 1 Corinthians 15:17,

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Beloved, the resurrection is the reason that we have any hope for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus died for our sins and was raised as our hope. His resurrection proves that God will forgive the sins of those who have faith in Jesus Christ. Rejoice!! Rejoice in the living hope that has been given to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

And as we rejoice, we are called to share our hope. John 20:24,

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

The disciples did exactly what the Lord sent them out to do. They shared with Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.” He is risen. He overcame the grave. We saw his hands. We saw his side. He is alive. Thomas responds, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” This is the only account in all the gospels of “Doubting Thomas” incident. It would be wise for us to ask, “Why?” it is here.

In God’s providence, he shares this story with us because there are many today that think just like Thomas. Unless I see with my eyes and feel with my hands, I will never believe. Naturalism rules our society. If we cannot observe it in nature, then we disregard its veracity. Thomas was a realist. He wanted to see, he wanted to touch. Like Thomas, many in our day disregard the biblical account because they themselves cannot see it. God knew there was going to be people like Thomas.

And God meets Thomas’s demands. John 20:26-27,

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Jesus is so kind. He knew Thomas’s doubts. He knew his heart. He came with 5 words that are true for

every “Doubting Thomas,” “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” He said, “Unless I see, I will never believe.” And after seeing the resurrected Jesus, Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” This is a stunning declaration. One writer notes, “Thomas’s response forms the high point of confession in the Gospel.[1]

John brings his readers back the beginning of this gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ is indeed Lord and God. This is the highest declaration that any person could make of Jesus Christ. The New Testament writers clearly viewed Jesus Christ as God. His resurrection proves that He is God. Paul writes in Romans 1:3, concerning Jesus, that He “was declared to be the Son of God by the Spirit of holiness in his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Thomas got it. He listened to Jesus’ words, “Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Thomas believed in the resurrection from the dead. The realist believed, but how he came to believe is what John wants us to see. Verse 29,

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John’s gospel is one of the latest written books in the New Testament. By the time of his writing, many people would have not had the opportunity to see Jesus in the flesh, but would only have the opportunity to hear of him. John wanted people to hear the words of Jesus, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” We have not seen Jesus in the flesh and we have not touched him, but we are blessed because we believe. This story is written so that we would know that we are no less than those who had the privilege of seeing Jesus in the flesh. Thomas heard the words of Jesus regarding his death and resurrection, but when he heard that the Lord was raised from the dead, he doubted. “Unless I see, I will never believe.”

Is that you today? Are you like Thomas the realist? Do you need to see it in order to believe it? Jesus is saying to you, “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 1 Peter 1:8-9,

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Beloved, believe in the resurrection of the Savior. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Christians have not seen Him in the flesh, but we love him. We do not now see him, but we believe and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible. We believe we are forgiven in the resurrection. We believe we have a living hope in the resurrection. We believe we have purpose in the resurrection. We believe the dead are not lost in the resurrection. We believe we are not condemned in the resurrection. We believe we have peace with God in the resurrection. We believe in the resurrection and that causes our hearts to rejoice with joy that is inexpressible. Believe in the resurrection and believe in all the benefits promised to us in the resurrection.

One benefit is the resurrection reconciles sinners.

Believe in the Reconciliation of the Sinner

Verse 30-31,

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (meaning these things were written so you would believe in the resurrection Rom 1:3), and that by believing you may have life in his name (emphasis & parenthesis added).

John does not want you only to believe in the resurrection, he wants your life to be changed because it. He wants you to find life. Jesus Christ died and rose again that you may find life in his name.

The believing that John speaks of is not an easy believing, but a believing that should change your life. If your life looks like every other person in your neighborhood or at your job and there is no distinct difference in your life because of your belief in the resurrection, then you do not have the right kind of believing and you do not have true life. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

God wants to give you His new life. He wants to make you a new creation. He wants you to live a resurrected life. It is a resurrected life because our former life is dead. Our old life is buried in the tomb, but the stone has been rolled away. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. The resurrection brings new life and the only way to find that new life is by believing that God can reconcile sinners. Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. Put your faith in Jesus Christ. Believe in his death and resurrection and find life in his name. Do not be deceived, true believing is having life in his name. If you know you do not have true life, then repent and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. True believing equals true life. Do not disbelieve, but believe.

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^[1] Borchert, G. L. (2002). John 12–21 (Vol. 25B, p. 314). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Rejoice, He is Risen!!!

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection

of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:12-22 ESV)

Here is where we would be if Christ had not been raised?


But Christ has been raised, therefore, here is where we are:

• Our preaching is productive and powerful v. 14
• Our faith is purposeful and profitable v.14, 17
• Our lives are with God v. 15
• Our sins are forgiven v. 17
• Our dead are not lost v. 18
• Our lives are admirable and safe v. 19
• We will be raised v. 21
• We will be made alive v.22

Rejoice!! He is Risen!!

What if Christ was not raised?

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

The Resurrection of the Dead

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 ESV)

As we live in the time between Good Friday and Easter morning, ask yourself where we would be if Jesus Christ had not been raised?

· Our preaching is empty and worthless v. 14

· Our faith is empty and worthless v. 14, 17

· Our lives are against God v. 15

· Our sins are not forgiven v. 17

· Our dead are lost forever v. 18

· Our lives are pitiful v. 19

Weep Over Your Sin (Matthew 26:57-27:26)

There are moments in my life that I vividly remember. They aren’t moments of great success, but moments of great failure. We want to remember our victories, but I think it is all the more important to remember our

failures. Peter was in the courtyard and was confronted by two servant girls. These two girls did not utter great slanderous statements or threats against Peter, but they simply said that, “You were with Jesus of Nazareth.” The girls rightly identified Peter’s allegiance with Jesus. Peter was with Jesus. Peter walked with Jesus. Peter ministered with Jesus. Peter ate with Jesus. Peter was with Jesus. These accusations did not come with any immediate threat. Peter’s admission of being with Jesus would not bring immediate punishment or torture. Peter did not know what the potential outcome would have been if he confessed his allegiance to Jesus, but we do know that his heart was filled with fear. He did not follow Jesus’s words in Luke 12:4-5:

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

Jesus called his disciples, his friends, to recognize the authority and power of Jesus Christ and to fear him. And yet in the moment of temptation being confronted with a choice to acknowledge his allegiance with Jesus before men, he denied Christ.

Peter even invoked a curse on himself saying, “I do not know the man.” And after uttering these words, immediately the rooster crowed. And there in that courtyard, Peter remembered the words of his friend and Master, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. This was a moment that Peter would never forget. I know because I have those moments in my life when I have denied my Lord and Savior. And in those moments of betrayal, I remembered the words of Jesus Christ, and wept bitterly. Have you been there? Have you betrayed the Lord?

The weeping and the grief over our betrayal is a gracious gift of God. Our grief reminds us of our need. Our shame reminds us of Savior who bleed and died. Listen to what Paul says of godly grief in 2 Corinthians 7-9-10:

As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Paul wrote a difficult letter to the church so much so that it produces grief in the church, but Paul rejoiced because the grief causes the church to repent. Godly grief and sorrow is the first step towards repentance. Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation.

Peter grieved because he betrayed Jesus Christ. His grief would lead him to repentance. We read in Luke 22:61 that after Peter denied Jesus, the rooster crowed, “and the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Peter looked into the eyes of his Savior and was filled with a deep, godly grief. The grief in his heart caused him to weep bitterly. Beloved, godly grief is a gift from God. If we do not mourn and grieve over our sin and our betrayal of God’s righteous law in our lives, we will never experience salvation for godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation. Have you ever wept bitterly for your betrayal of Jesus Christ? Weep, mourn and grieve over your sin. And know the purpose of our grief is to lead us to the cross.

The Danger of Half Truths (Matthew 27:27-66)

There is great danger in half-truths. During the crucifixion, the Jesus was mocked with half-truth after half-truth. Listen to these voices of derision and mockery, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!” Jesus would destroy the temple, but the temple was his own body. He would not

destroy physical temple of stone and bricks, but he would lay down his own body for destruction. And the only way to destroy and to rebuild the temple of the body was for Jesus not to save himself. The people mocked him and calling him to destroy and rebuild the temple and to save himself, but those two things cannot go together.

And again they mocked him, saying, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Jesus indeed was the Son of God, but he could not prove that unless he stayed on the cross, we see in Romans 1:1-4,

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord (emphasis added).

Jesus had to stay on the cross and die so that He could be declared the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead. These mockers wanted Jesus to prove he was the Son of God, but wanted Him to do it outside of the cross. The Son of God had to go to cross and to stay on the cross to prove that he was the Son of God. We even see that in this passage in verse 54,

When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Those who passed derided him and mocked him, then the chief priests, with the scribes and the elders mocked him saying,

He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God” (Matthew 26:42-43).

The common people who passed by Jesus mocked him, but now it is those who know the Sacred Writings. Another half-truth, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.” Jesus could have appealed to the Father and called 12 legions of angels to save him, but this is why this act is so amazing. He could have saved himself, but He chose to give himself as a ransom for us. The only way he could save others was for Him not to save himself. The chief priests acknowledge that Jesus had trust in God so they said to let God deliver Him. Jesus trusted God and God delivered him, just not in the way the Jews expected. Philippians 2:5-11,


Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God not only delivered Jesus Christ, but He vindicated Him and exulted him to the highest place and giving him the name that is above every name; the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is the King of the Jews, the King of Israel, the Son of God.

Do not fall into the trap of half-truths, but embrace the full truth.  Jesus Christ is the full truth (John 14:6) and he wants his followers to worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).

The Lord Calls Sinners by: David Benson Kiehn

My new book is available for sale: The Lord Calls Sinners (in paperback) and on the Kindle

Sin is an inescapable part of our fallen human nature. We are all sinners. We all have messed up. How can we expect God to accept sinners? It is hard to believe that God calls sinners, but in Luke 19:10, that Jesus"came to seek and save the lost." Jesus came to call sinners. Jesus came to save sinners. The beauty displayed in the gospel call is that it does far more than just save us from something, but saves us to something. Jesus Christ calls sinners to himself, then he uses those sinners on His mission to save other sinners. Through a series of biblical exhortations, Pastor David Kiehn shows how Jesus came to call sinners to God through Himself. Jesus Christ came to call sinners to salvation and to mission. 

Sin's Great Cost

“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4

Beloved,

This week I pray we reflect on the cost of our sin. Our world minimizes sin. Our world does not take sin very seriously, but God takes our sin very seriously. God’s holiness requires an absolute hatred of sin. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness. Lawlessness is living without regard to God’s righteous law. Everyone has lived without regard to God’s law and rebelled against Him. Are you living without regard to God’s Word? Are you trivializing sin? Sin is lawlessness. Beloved, take your sin as

seriously as God takes your sin.

As we reflect on our sin, we must also reflect on the cost of sin. The cost of sin was the brutal crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The sinless Son of God became sin. He was marked as a transgressor. He bore our sins in his body on a tree. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Sin has a great cost. As we understand the cost of our sin it should cause us to run from it. Do not make a practice of sinning and going against God’s law. Remember the cost, but also remember the love.

Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness.” Jesus Christ gave himself. He willingly became sin. He willingly was marked as a transgressor. He willingly bore our sins in his body on a tree. He willingly was wounded for our transgressions. He willingly was crushed for our iniquities. What a Great God!! He gave Himself to redeem us from living without regard to God so that through His Spirit we could live righteous and holy lives.

Sin has great costs. If we continue to make a practice of sinning, we have not fully understood the love of God our Savior. Jesus died to save us from our sin to his service. Reflect on your sin. Reflect on its cost. Most importantly, reflect on how our great God and Savior Jesus Christ made an end to our sin in willingly giving himself for us. The cross shows God’s hatred of sin and His mercy for sinners. Reflect on your sin and rejoice in your forgiveness!!!

The Coming Kingdom of God (Luke 12:13-34)

I celebrated my birthday on Friday. I love my birthday, because I love how excited my kids are to celebrate

it with me. The whole week before my birthday my kids walk around the house and tell me, “Daddy, you know what we got you for your birthday?” I replied, “No, what? Please tell me.” “We got you a skunk. And

some rocks. We also got you a pie that tastes like dirt.” Yummy, dirt!!! They love to tease me about what they got me, but they are super excited to celebrate my birthday. Their joy and excitement and anticipation for the celebration, makes my birthday special. All week long the anticipation builds before the big celebration. The anticipation of the event makes the celebration even sweeter. The anticipation of others creates more joy as the big event approaches. As the excitement of my children gives me more joy when I look forward to my birthday, God is delighted with his children as they anticipate his coming kingdom.

Jesus lived to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. Mark 1:14-15, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Jesus came with a message of the kingdom in the gospel of repentance. Jesus’s whole life was to establish the kingdom of God through his life, death and resurrection. This kingdom could not be fully realized unless Jesus died. As Jesus came to establish his kingdom, He came to die. His life was always under the shadow of the cross. Luke 9:51 says, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” That verse is the turning point of Luke’s gospel. Luke highlights the time when Jesus was “to be taken up” which is referring to the entire passion and ascension. It was time for Jesus to face the cross and death and with it the resurrection and the ascension into heaven. The time had come and Jesus resolutely set his face towards Jerusalem to fully establish his kingdom.

In one sense all of Jesus’ life was directed toward the Cross, yet in the last week of his life there is an increased anticipation for Jesus to establish his kingdom. As we come to this Palm Sunday, we want to feel this type of anticipation. The Jews had long awaited the Savior to come. They were under Roman oppression and were eager for God to establish his kingdom on earth. The Messiah had come and was finally entering into Jerusalem as the King. Mark 11:7-10:

And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went

before and those who followed went shouting, “Hosanna!! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

There was a crowd in front of Jesus and a crowd behind Jesus shouting, “Hosanna!” This is taken from Psalm 118:25, which means, “Save us, we pray!” The people were walking in the Savior to Jerusalem in the hopes that Jesus would powerfully save his people. The people also shouted, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” The people were expecting that Jesus was going to save his people by establishing his kingdom on earth, but they did not fully realize that the kingdom that he would establish was not of this world. He was going to establish his kingdom, but it was not going to look like what they expected. God’s kingdom was going to be established with his death and resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit into the hearts of his people who trust in Him. God’s kingdom is where God’s people live as subjects to the King of kings living and trusting in His Word. God’s spiritual reign in our lives will one day be a physical reign when he fully consummates His kingdom in the New Heavens and the New Earth. Yet until he comes, we are called to live in anticipation of his coming. We are called to live in the power of the Holy Spirit as a new people.

In our text this morning, Jesus is going reorient how his people are called to live under His Kingship. There are two ways to live. We either live with Jesus as our King, or we live under our own authority. Jesus is calling you to live under His Rule and to be part of his kingdom. As Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem to die on the cross, he gives instruction to us in how we are to live in his kingdom. There are very clear ethical implications in how we are called to live, but those implications flow from a proper view of God. We are going to look at three aspects of God’s character in the hopes that our lives will be a reflection of his character to our world.

The Coming Kingdom of the Generous God

Jesus has just finished warning His disciples about hypocrisy and denying the work of the Holy Spirit. In the midst of teaching, a man calls out a demand to Jesus regarding an inheritance in which Jesus responds with teaching, a warning to his disciples against covetousness and greed. Luke 12:13-15,

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on

your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

This man was valuing the inheritance more than his brother. He valued and loved the potential inheritance more than he loved and valued his own brother. This man was deceived and living in a way that was outside the kingdom of God. Jesus came to bring a new kingdom; a kingdom where people live to give to others rather than to give to themselves.

The coming kingdom is a reflection of our Generous God. God gave us His own Son. And since He gave generously to us, as members of His kingdom, we also should give generously to others. We should desire to be like Him. Listen to how Jesus illustrates this principle in verse 16 and following,

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

On the surface this seems very practical. A man was blessed with an abundance of crops. He did not want to waste his crops, but wanted to store up his resources to be used at a later date. Although on the surface this seems plausible, if you listen again to his reasoning you will see how his thinking is against the kingdom of God. Listen again and see if this is how you think of your possessions and your work:

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry” (emphasis added).

The problem is that this man thought that his possessions and wealth were for his own benefit rather than the service of God. And because he believed his wealth was his own and was not rich towards God, Jesus continues the parable in verse 20,

But God said to him, ‘Fool’ This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

A fool is one who lives without regard to God. So if you live as if your possessions are only for your benefit and not to be used for God and the service of others, you are living as a fool. Psalm 14:1-3 says

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God. They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

We all have been fools. We all have lived as if there is no God. We all have lived as if we were the center of the universe and God’s gifts of possessions were to serve our own ends. Even Paul writes, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray (Titus 3:3).” Everyone has been a fool and has acted foolishly. The penalty for being a fool is the soul. Jesus said to the rich man, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you.” A fool will suffer for living without God in this life, by living without God in the next life devoid of His presence in a literal, eternal Hell. Friends, we all have been fools, and our foolishness requires our souls, but God, who is rich in mercy, sent Jesus Christ to Jerusalem to pay for our foolishness in dying on the cross. He died and was buried and on the third day, was raised satisfying God’s judgment against you. If you would turn from your sins and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be saved. Do not be a fool, and live as if there is no God. Repent and be saved.

Beloved, Jesus is helping his disciples see that those in the kingdom of God do not live as this world is their final home. If you lay up treasure for yourself, when you die, you cannot take it with you. John D. Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest men in American History. His death was national news. Upon his death, someone asked his accountant, “How much money did Mr. Rockefeller leave behind?” She replied, “All of it.” She was reiterating the same point of the Lord Jesus. You cannot take any of your wealth with you. Do not make that mistake and live as if this was it. If you are not rich towards God, your soul will be required of you. Living as one who is rich towards God means that we live in view of God’s riches in the coming kingdom. One’s life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions, but in the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Beloved, we live for the coming kingdom. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-7,

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved—and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus (emphasis added).

We live for the age to come where God will show the immeasurable riches of his grace to us in Christ Jesus. Beloved, live as if your life does not consist in the abundance of possessions, but be rich towards God.

The Coming Kingdom of the Loving God

Luke 12:22, “And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you…” What Jesus is going to say next is directly connected to what he has already said. Those in the kingdom serve a generous God so we, likewise, should be generous with our resources to serve God and his people. A very natural thought after God calls us to be generous is “How then will I be able to take care of my own needs? Aren’t I being a poor steward if I give my possessions away?” Luke 12:22-31,

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Jesus reminds his disciples how the Lord cares for his Creation. He cares for those things that are of lesser significance than humanity that was created in the very image of God. He cares for the ravens that have neither a storehouse or barn, yet God feeds them. He asks us to consider, to think on, to reflect in how, God clothes the lilies of the field. God loves you more than the birds and God loves you more than the grass of the field. Look at how God cares for them!! Do you not think that if God cares for them, that He will not take care of you?

Jesus makes the argument that you should not worry because if God cares for things of lesser value, then he will care for you. Jesus also encourages you not to worry because worrying does no good. Verse 25-26,

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

If you can’t add a second to life by worrying, then why worry about the other things you cannot control? Worrying is fruitless. It does not produce any positive results. A few months ago a man got his truck stuck in the field next to the church. The mud was half way up the tire. The truck was stuck. Imagine him pushing and pushing and pushing the truck. Imagine him pushing the truck for hours, but it never moved and inch. If you watched hour after hour trying to push the truck, you would think that he was crazy. He needed to try something else because what he was doing was not working. Beloved, if you are one prone to worry, you are like that man pushing his stuck truck. You can worry and worry and worry hour after hour after hour, but it will not produce the results you want. Do not worry about what you cannot control. It is a fool’s errand and it is a sign of little faith. Once you discover your anxiety does not work then the next step is to try something else.

Jesus connects worry with little faith and then, he connects that little faith with the way of the world, rather than the way of the kingdom. Verses 28-30,

But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things. (emphasis added)

The world can cause worry and anxiety to fill our hearts, but how we handle our worry is an indicating of which kingdom we are serving. Jesus says a life characterized by worry is for those in the world, for excessive worry is a sign that we do not have enough faith in the gracious love of God the Father. But what does the end of verse 30 say? “Your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” The cure for anxiety is to pursue the kingdom of God by faith. The cure for any of our struggles is to seek the kingdom. Everyone has their struggles for one it may be anxiety, another it may be greed. The problem is not in having the struggle, but not fighting against the struggle by faith. We must fight against anything that will keep us from the Lord. We all have struggles, but by God’s grace we have the power through the Spirit to overcome them. So instead of giving yourself to worry, seek the kingdom. Meditate on the very great and precious promises God has given us.

Beloved, remember we serve a gracious and loving Heavenly Father. He knows what we need and he knows what is best of us. He will give us what we need, when we need it. We need to continue to trust our loving Father so we can be like Paul, who “learned in whatever situation to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil.4:11b-14). Regardless of the circumstances, Paul knew that through Christ he was able to make it. Romans 8:32 should be a verse we all memorize, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things.” When we think and reflect about all that God has given us in Christ it causes are our hearts to probably value Him.

The Coming Kingdom of the Valuable God

After Jesus tells his disciples to seek the kingdom of God, he reassures them of the Father’s good pleasure. Luke 12:32-34,

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Jesus delights to give the kingdom of God to his children. Can you hear the love there? “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Jesus wants his disciples to live with an eye towards the coming kingdom of God. Jesus comes full circle and returns to a kingdom view of possessions and wealth. Jesus has already said, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Our lives are worth more than our possessions. If you view your possessions as a means to serve yourself in this life only, then your heart does not long for the coming kingdom of God.

If you want to be rich forever, be willing to give up your money and your possessions now. Your generosity stores up for you treasures in heaven that will never spoil or fade, where no thief can approach and no moth destroy. When investing money there is always a risk, except when you invest that money in generosity towards God. When we invest in the kingdom of God by serving others and giving to God’s mission, we get a guarantee that our treasure will last forever. And even more importantly, our hearts will grow in treasuring our generous and loving God. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” God wants your hearts. God wants you to long for his coming kingdom. God wants you to loosen your grip on your possessions here on earth so your heart will be on heaven.

Beloved, we must live for the coming kingdom. We live in expectation for God to finally and fully establish his kingdom on earth. We want to treasure the doctrine of God our Savior. Jesus has established his spiritual kingdom through the gospel of Christ so we now live as kingdom citizens with our hope set on heaven. Titus 2:11-14,

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (emphasis added)

Jesus gave himself up for us. He bled and died and rose again to redeem us from living for this world. Set your hearts on our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Proper Comparison

“For by the works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20

Beloved,

I used to think I was an excellent athlete. In High School, I compared myself to my peers and believed that I was a great, but when I was surrounded by superior athletes in college, I quickly realized that I was not as good as I thought. It is very natural to compare ourselves with others, but God gave his law to compare ourselves with Him. The law reveals God’s holy and righteous character. The law of God reveals His perfection. The law also reveals how vastly sinful we are in comparison to the Creator of the Universe.

No human being will be justified by their good works in God’s sight, because no human being is good. The law of God brings knowledge of our sinfulness. When we compare ourselves to God, we are fully aware of how sinful our hearts are and how short we fall of God’s expectations. It is this knowledge of our sinfulness that starts the process of our redemption. Listen to what John Stott says,

  No man has ever appreciated the gospel until the law has first revealed him to himself. It is only against the     inky blackness of the night sky that the stars begin to appear, and it is only against the dark background of     sin that the gospel shines forth. Not until the law has bruised and smitten us will we admit our need of the       gospel to bind up our wounds.
 
The law of God reveals our need for Jesus Christ. Jesus is always reading and willing to forgive, but we do not see our need for Him until we see the depths of our sin. The law of God shows us God’s holiness, our     sinfulness and our need for a Savior. Awareness of our sin should drive us to the Savior. The law was           given so we would run to Christ. So run!! Run to Christ!!!

Beware of the Heart (Luke 12:1-12

Act 1, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: Caesar and his friends are encountered by a Soothsayer. Caesar says, “Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry ‘Caesar!’ Speak.” The Soothsayer responds, “Beware of the ides of March.” Caesar responded, “What man is that?” Then Brutus speaks up and says, “A soothsayer bids you beware of the ides of March.”

Caesar called the soothsayer to come to him and asks him again, “What say’st thou to me now?” Soothsayer, “Beware of the ides of March.” After three warnings, Caesar brushes off the soothsayer by saying, “He is a dreamer; let us leave him.”

Julius Caesar was the ruler of the Roman Republic arguably the most powerful man on the planet. He was not concerned with the warnings of an old soothsayer. He did not heed the warnings, but rather mocked them. In Act 3 Scene 1 Caesar encounters the Soothsayer again and says to him, “The ides of March have come.” He was mocking the soothsayer. “The ides of March have come and I am still alive and well. I am Caesar what do I have to fear?” The soothsayer humbly replied, “Ay, Caesar, but not gone.” The ides of March had come, but they were not over. Caesar mocked the warning, disregarded the wise words of the soothsayer. His pride allowed him to believe that he was above the warning, but pride comes before the fall. Julius Caesar was assassinated by his closest friends. He did not heed the warning and paid for it with his life.

Warnings are a blessing. Warnings are given to protect people from something dangerous looming in the future. The aim of warning is protection and love. In 1 Timothy 1:3-4, Paul urges Timothy to warn certain people “not to teach any different doctrine, not to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.” He then says the aim of our charge or warning is “love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” We must embrace warnings as an act of love. We do not want to be dismissive of warnings so that we do not become like Julius Caesar whose pride blinded him of danger that cost him his life. This morning, we want to hear the words of love from our great Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus offers three sets of warnings in this text. I pray you will examine your heart and embrace the Lord’s charge of protective love.

Beware of the Hidden Hypocrisy of the Heart
Luke 12:1-3,

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

Jesus continues his teaching from the end of Chapter 11 against the Pharisees. The Pharisees were known for excellent religious behavior. They lived a godly life externally, but their hearts were far from the Lord. Jesus said to them in Luke 11:39, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” The leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform . It is pretense. It is a lie to the world of who you really are when no one is around.

Robert Redford was approached by a fan as he was getting onto an elevator. The woman looked at him and asked, “Are you the real Robert Redford?” As the doors closed, Redford replied, “Only when I am alone.” We can put on a mask in certain company, but our true character is revealed when we are alone. Jesus called out the Pharisees because he knew what was in their hearts. He knew they were hypocrites. He knew they were lying to the world with their strong moral behavior, for their hearts were far from God. They were full of greed and wickedness.

Jesus warns his beloved disciples of the danger in trying to please men. As one writer says, “the desire to impress people may lead to a double life.[1]” Hypocrisy is dangerous because it appeals to the lusts of the heart. We want to be successful and impress others, but if our end desire to impress others rather than God, we may end up living a lie. Look at the context, Luke specifically adds, “when so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were trampling one another.” Jesus had impressed people. He was attracting crowds. There were so many people that they were trampling one another. Jesus had become all that the Pharisees had craved in their hearts with one big difference; Jesus was the same person in public and in his heart. He was not a hypocrite.

Jesus takes this opportunity to both warn and encourage his disciples. He is warning his disciples not to be like the Pharisees who falsely misrepresent themselves to gain a greater following. Jesus encourages his disciples to look to the future, the distant future, the day of Judgment. He says,

Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops (Luke 12:2-3).

All will be revealed. This is a warning to not be like the Pharisees, because one day their true hearts will be revealed. They will be measured on the scale and be found wanting. God will not be mocked. This is a warning to all Christian disciples to avoid hypocrisy. Does your public life match up with your private life? Do your public beliefs match up with your private beliefs? Take this as a warning that one day all will be disclosed. If you are struggling with secret sins or sins of the heart (bitterness, greed, lust) repent today. We will all face judgment so let us strive to live a life free from hypocrisy.

We see examples of hypocrisy every day in our culture. When we see them, we must take them as a warning to us lest we fall into the leaven of the Pharisees. It is danger, but it is subtle. In 1950, UCLA Football Coach Russell Sanders told a group during a workshop, “Men, I’ll be honest. Winning isn’t everything.” He then paused for a long time before he said, “Men, it’s the only thing!” Our culture believes we should win at all costs. Dr. Beverly Hall, Former Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, believed this too.

Hall was the ringleader of the largest cheating scandal in US History with 178 teachers and principals as a part of the cheating ring[2]. They cheated to have better test scores so they could reap both the financial benefits and as well as the prestige that comes with professional success. Hall eventually was appointed to President Obama’s team as a member of the National Board of Education Sciences. She succeeded…for a while…until the things that were said in secret were shouted from the housetops. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed. Winning isn’t everything. Winning isn’t the only thing, unless winning means loving God with your heart, soul, mind and strength. Americans are obsessed with success, but we need to redefine our definition of success. When we see examples of hypocrisy in our culture, beware of your own hypocrisy.

Jesus also is giving an encouragement to his disciples. As the hypocrites will be revealed, so will those who honor the Lord in secret. Matthew 6:6, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Success is not winning by worldly standards, but true success is winning before the face of God. Paul writes in Galatians 1:10, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Believer, do not be discouraged with silent success or earthly failures, for one day God will reward you. Be encouraged that God sees what is done in secret and will reward you.

Beware of the False Fear of the Heart

Jesus continues his warning to live before the face of God in verse 4-7,

I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your heard are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Again we see Jesus offering a warning and an encouragement. Jesus is more powerful than anything in this world, any government, any leader, any army, any disease, any cancer, anything. Jesus wants his disciples to have the right fear. He reaffirms his love for them by addressing them as “my friends.” Jesus tells his friends not to fear those who can only kill the body, but can do nothing to the soul. Jesus tells us who to fear. We are to fear Him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Oh brothers and sisters, we are to fear Him.

Friends, if you have not trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, please hear the words of God. Jesus Christ has authority to cast people into hell upon their death. We are sinners. We deserve judgment. We know that the judgment of God should rightly fall on sinners. We may not want to think about it, but when we search our hearts and see the things of the heart. Jesus said in Matthew 15:19-20, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” Have you ever had an evil thought? Slandered or gossiped about someone? Stolen anything? Lusted in your heart? If yes, you are defiled. And you deserve to be punished. I deserve to be punished. I read that list and

I can be undone for I know that I am defiled, but thanks be to God, who has authority to cast into hell as well as the authority to save. You are valuable in the eyes God. You are a sinner and deserve his wrath. This powerful God says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.” If sparrows are not forgotten by God, you who are of more value than many sparrows will not be forgotten by God.

Jesus calls his people friends. John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Anyone who turns from their sins and trusts to Christ is called a friend of God. You are no longer defiled, but cleansed through the blood of Jesus Christ. He laid down his life for you, he died for you. Do not fear those who can only take your life, but remember that God knows every hair on your head and will bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom. Fear Him. Honor Him. When we fear God more than man we will be fueled to live for his glory.

David Platt shares this story of Romanian Pastor Josef Tson when he was being interrogated by six men. He said to one of them:

What is taking place here is not an encounter between you and me. This is an encounter between my God and me. . . . My God is teaching me a lesson [through you]. I do not know what it is. Maybe he wants to teach me several lessons. I only know, sirs, that you will do to me only what God wants you to do—and you will not go one inch further—because you are only an instrument of my God. Every day I saw those six pompous men as nothing more than my Father’s puppets!

As the interrogation went on, they threatened his life. They wanted Josef to fear them who could kill, but do no more. Listen to Josef recounting his interaction with one of his captors:

During an early interrogation I had told an officer who was threatening to kill me, “Sir, let me explain how I see this issue. Your supreme weapon is killing. My supreme weapon is dying. Here is how it works. You know that my sermons on tape have spread all over the country. If you kill me, those sermons will be sprinkled with my blood. Everyone will know I died for my preaching. And everyone who has a tape will pick it up and say, ‘I’d better listen again to what this man preached, because he really meant it; he sealed it with his life.’ So, sir, my sermons will speak ten times louder than before. I will actually rejoice in this supreme victory if you kill me.” After I said this, the interrogator sent me home. Another officer who was interrogating a pastor friend of mind told him, “We know that Mr. Tson would love to be a martyr, but we are not that foolish to fulfill his wish.” I stopped to consider the meaning of that statement. I remembered how for many years, I had been afraid of dying. I had kept a low profile. Because I wanted badly to live, I had wasted my life in inactivity. But now that I had placed my life on the altar and decided I was ready to die for the Gospel, they were telling me they would not kill me! I could go wherever I wanted in the country and preach whatever I wanted, knowing I was safe. As long as I tried to save my life, I was losing it. Now that I was willing to lose it, I found it.

Josef was willing to die for the One who died for Him. He placed his life on the altar and decided he was ready to die for the gospel. Are you willing to die for the gospel? Are you willing to die to your comforts? Are you willing to die to sin? Are you willing to die that others may live?

Beware of the Deceptive Denial of the Heart

Jesus continues with another warning and another encouragement. As Josef acknowledge Jesus before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge him before the angels of God. Listen to the promise of Jesus, in Luke 12:8-12:

And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.

Jesus warns his disciples about the deadly denial of the heart. If you deny Jesus Christ, he will deny you. You can deny Jesus before men with your words or with your lives. If you believe Jesus is the Son of God, you will fear and honor Him by keeping his commandments. Your words will not be mere lip service, but rather your life will match your confession in public and in private.

Jesus makes a distinction between two specific types of denial, the denial of the Son of Man and the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This can be confusing, but Darrell Bock in his NT commentary clarifies the meaning in saying:

The difference between blaspheming the Son of Man and blaspheming the Spirit is that blasphemy of the Son of Man is an instant rejection, while blasphemy of the Spirit is a permanent decision of rejection…Once the Spirit’s testimony about God’s work through Jesus is permanently refused, then nothing can be forgiven, since God’s plan has been rejected.[3]

During the crucifixion, the Apostle Peter rejected Jesus in a moment, but that rejection was not the pattern of his life. He did not permanently refuse the Spirit’s testimony about Jesus Christ, but in a moment feared those who could only kill the body and do no more.

Jesus is warning people about rejecting Him. He has already warned people about hidden hypocrisy and false fear so that they would not be deceived in rejecting the testimony about the Holy Spirit. The promise of God is that you acknowledge Him before men, then He will acknowledge you before the angels of God. But if you ignore his warnings, and live as a hypocrite, fearing man more than God, rejecting the testimony of the Holy Spirit about God’s plan of redemption in Jesus Christ, then you will not be forgiven. Jesus is giving grace in explaining the consequences of those who reject him. Jesus is giving grace to Judas who was going to betray Him. Beware of the deceptive denial of the heart for it will bring deadly consequence.


Jesus wraps up this teaching in promising persecution. Verse 11, “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities.” Those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Christians are going to be challenged and persecuted by the authorities, but there is no need to fear or to worry for the Holy Spirit will teach us that very hour what we ought to say. As the story of the early church unfolds, this promise becomes a reality as the apostles stand with courage and wisdom in the face of opposition.

Beloved, this is a promise we need to embrace today. Christian beliefs and values are being challenged and questioned each day. Whether in the public square or at the water cooler or the lunch table, we have to remember that God has given His Holy Spirit to speak through us in the very hour we need Him.

Let me close with a scene from the book of Acts 4:7-13 when Peter and John were brought before the authorities to question their actions and beliefs:

And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

In the face of persecution, the apostles preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. They testified that there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Their boldness was connected to spending time with Jesus. Beware of the false idols of the heart, spend time with Jesus and rejoice in Him who has the power to save.

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[1] Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1133). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

[2] http://atlantablackstar.com/2013/04/01/beverly-hall-must-turn-herself-in-by-tuesday-in-atlanta-cheating-scandal/ accessed on 4.5.14

^[3] Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1143). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.