Repent or Perish: Five Warnings and Two Alternatives
First B Jackson
2023-04-16

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Alright. Good morning. How are y'all? All is well? Yes.

We have a story to tell to the nations. Would you stand up? We're gonna sing. This is a great old one. I imagine that it's from the great century of missions at my...

The seminary I graduated from, which is a missionary sending school. This was the pomp and circumstance. This is the one we walked down the aisle during graduation was we've a story to tell to the nations. Would you join me in these whatever comes up on the wall?

We've a story to tell to the nations that shall turn their hearts to the right. A story of truth and mercy, a story of peace and light, a story of peace and light. A kingdom of love and light. Weave a song to be sung to the nations that shall lift their hearts to the Lord. A song that shall conquer evil and shatter the fear and sword, and shatter the fear and sword, that all of the world's great peoples might come to the truth of God might come to the truth of God

Amen. How about room at the cross for you? Having preached the first sermon, I'm seeing all kinds of themes in here but you know, if it's the truth, it always matches with the truth. So, room at the cross for you. Hymn number four eighty seven.

Died is a shelter in which we can hide. And its race so free is sufficient for me. And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea. There's room at the cross for you. There's room for you.

Oh, millions have come. There's still room for one. Yes. There's room at the cross for you. Oh, millions of prayer and have turned from the sins they have sinned.

The savior still waits to open the gates and welcome a sinner before it's too late. Let's look at the There's room at the cross for you. There's room at the cross for you. Though millions have come, There's still room for one. Yes, there's room at the cross for you.

We're gonna sing the last one. If you know it, sing it. I'll sing it anyway.

The hand of my savior is strong and the love of my savior is long Through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain, the blood flows from Calvary to cleanse every stain. There's room at the cross for you. There's room at the cross for you.

Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I've got a few announcements that I'll do and I've got one that Steve Landis is going to do. Monday nights at First B is happening this week. Carl is in Mark 10.

Scotty Schneider is making French dip sandwiches. So, that's the meal and the message part. The music will be the the band and we are looking forward to getting together. Jackson Home Men's Alliance, that announcement was for last Wednesday. You can't do anything about that now but it's normally the first Wednesday of the month, 06:30AM.

There's also a ladies fellowship that meets in the Fellowship Hall, 6PM on Thursdays. All ages are welcome. It's ladies ministry, homegrown ladies fellowship and they get together and they pray together and they eat together and they study the Bible together. It's good. There are some classes coming up.

Christian life and witness courses that are May fourth, eleventh, and eighteenth here at the church right here in this room, seven to 9PM. So, it's three weeks in a row more. May the fourth, eleventh, and the eighteenth. It's in anticipation. It's still kind of a ways off but in September, Will Graham is coming to Idaho Falls.

They're calling it Look Up. It's by Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. And it's very much an evangelistic get together rally. And we are doing these classes here. Over there, they'll have a kids' fest the day before and then a big tent gathering sorta Look up to her with musical guest Crowder.

That's coming. So for the last thirty days, we have been praying for Muslims around the world for the message of the gospel, for the night of miracles, for the end of Ramadan. There are lots of different reasons to... That's a strategic time. But tonight, we're kinda closing out that time.

April 16 today from six to 7PM right here at Firstbeat. We're gonna gather and pray for them collectively instead of individually. So for Christians learning about and praying for the Muslim world. Steve, you could've made that one too. Yeah.

Come on up. I just did it anyway. This is the one. Yellow microphone.

Courage you to come back tonight for for that prayer night. We're gonna hold it to an hour, but it'll be good. So I'm here just on behalf of the Ions and asking you to all prayerfully consider supporting them their greatest need right now is prayer as they transition. We are going to meet this coming Saturday which is the twenty second at 05:30 here at the church. Please come.

It's a potluck. Bring whatever you want whether it's a main dish, salad, or dessert And it'll be a send off time for them, time of probably some tears and things because these guys are gonna be greatly missed. One of the things that they still need and I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider is financially support on a monthly level. Know, missionaries have a hard time asking for money, but I'll tell you what, these guys are gifted by the Lord to do what they are going to do. And if anybody ever goes into Smith's and you have met Florine, you understand what I'm talking about.

So just prayerfully consider that and we appreciate it on behalf of the Missions team. Thank you.

Yep. Thank you. And if you, so Violetta has been serving in children's ministry for a long time here. So, Florina is definitely the front man that's out there that everybody kinda knows and recognizes but Violetta has been such a blessing for this church and the girls. They're here after hours all the time getting ready for stuff.

If you come in here, if it's a Saturday night and it's 11:00 in the... Hey, Florine. I just wanna see if you can get that the whole family together. I know. Yeah.

Be let the whole family together, Florian says. So, there's a sheet on the communion table out there. If you would like to sign up to get communication from em from now until whenever. They would love that so they can be in communication with you but also, if you're online, you can Email the church and we'll get you in touch with them. That's good.

Anything else? Potluck next Saturday night for the Eons. Hey, Crystal. What's happening? Okay.

First name is Scott. Would you all stand with me and we're just going to pray for Scott right now. God almighty, you are the great physician and you use a lot of lesser physicians. We ask Lord that for this surgery that has not gone well, that you would mend Scott. Lord, I don't know more about it than that, but I don't need to.

I know who to turn to. Lord, may you be our first response and not our last resort. I pray that you would impress upon the surgeons exactly what needs to happen, that you'd impress upon Scott, your goodness, and your grace. And I pray Lord that we would be continually looking to you to provide. In Jesus name, we ask it for your glory, for his good, for our good as a church, lord.

Thankful. Amen. I'd rather have Jesus. Hymn number five zero six. There are always hymnals up here.

If you wanna grab one just in case. Yeah. Just in case the the the screens do something funny. But I'd rather have Jesus. I'll I'll I'll sing it off my page if if I don't sing it off the wall.

I'd rather be his than have riches untold. I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. And be held in sin's dreads way. I'd rather have Jesus than anything. This

spirit of the living God. We're going to sing. How many of these we're going to sing, Preston? It's the last one but how many verses are we gonna sing? Three.

Good. That's what I was hoping. This is a good one. What a beautiful song. I didn't want y'all to miss the second verse.

That's why I asked. Y'all can have a seat. I'm going ask the ushers to come forward. And as this we do the worship through giving time, the offering time. Would you pray with me?

God almighty, I'm so thankful to be a part of the family of God and I'm overwhelmed by it sometimes lord that I don't deserve this. God almighty, may we recognize who you are and who we are and yet you're still mindful of us and you want to reach other people through us, God. You want, you're you're on a rescue mission and we can be like life preservers. We can be. Lord, if there's somebody around us that's drowning, may we be buoyant.

May we be joyful. May we be winsome. May we may we be a lifeline for em lord. Instead of a brick, God, I pray that you would move in your will and your way this morning that we would be a part of what you're doing on this rescue mission to the world. I pray lord that everything that goes into these plates that is literal financial resources or that's metaphorical like, I'm gonna take the time lord to listen to your direction and obediently step out in faith.

Whatever it is lord that we're putting into these plates. I pray lord that you'd bless it, that you'd multiply, that you would give us a glimpse of what it is that you are actively doing in the work through the gospel. In Jesus name, lord, I pray you'd bless the gift and the giver that you'd multiply this offering to do your will and your way. Amen. Excuse me.

I have a book that is falling apart. I've picked it up three times and I've only picked up part of it three times. Here we are. We are back into our harmony of the gospel study. We did go to an Easter message last week, seven statements from the cross but before that, we were in Luke 11 and Luke during this portion of our harmony of the gospels study.

Luke is speaking alone for a while. He goes from about halfway through chapter 11 all the way up through 13 where he is the primary voice and knowing that Luke set out to make an accurate, reliable account chronologically as it seems like this is right in the right place and this today is a long passage. I also mentioned last week that the shortest sermon I have done since I've been here text wise was two words. It was Jesus wept but the longest one was four chapters of Acts. Four chapters of Acts was too long.

I won't do that again but a chapter and nine verses of Luke, we're going to do today. It is five warnings. It's pretty long passage but it's five warnings to begin with and then, Jesus gives two alternatives. So, there's five warnings Specifically, this is one conversation that Jesus had with his disciples amidst a group that was larger than that but these five warnings and two alternatives. I'm gonna take the headings from Thomas and Gundry are the ones who've written the Harmony of the Gospels that I had had with me since my first semester in seminary.

I really appreciate the chronology that they've worked so hard to establish, and I think that it's helpful. Their headings are helpful. So I'll use those. This is what they look like. So there are little sections of this harmony of the gospel.

They're presented to the disciples and it says so multiple times. Amongst the larger, more diverse crowd, certainly, there would have been Pharisees and scribes and leaders and teachers in there but his first warning is to the disciples explicitly so about hypocrisy. Second one is about greed and about trust and wealth. It actually gets into worry also. We'll talk about that.

Warning about greed and trust and wealth and warning against being unprepared for the son of man's coming. We think of that as the second coming, but he's speaking to people that were right there with him that should have been able to kinda discern what was going on. He was doing messiah things. Right? And some of them had recognized that and their disciples.

Warning about the coming division which we have seen and in the context, the way that Jesus says it, it has been that way since he came. Warning against failing to discern the present time and how important this time is and then he closes with two alternatives. I'm going to just do the longer the text, the shorter the preaching part, okay? So, in a way, I'm just dumping this in your lap. I've been dealing with it for two weeks now, okay?

But it it is Jesus's words in one sitting at one time. He says it's to his disciples first of all. So, if you're a disciple, let this sit with you. Oh, his warnings are real and we should hold on to him. So, the warning to the disciples about hypocrisy, this is how it starts off.

Under these circumstances, these are the circumstances. Here it is. So many thousands of people had gathered together. Technically, the word for thousands of is 10,000. So 10,000 people gathered together.

And they were so gathered together that they were stepping on one another. Have you ever been to a concert or to something where you're just stepping on one another? That's that's how it was. A clamoring but he began saying to his disciples, first of all, it was foremost, this was a message for the disciples and he says, beware y'all of the leaven of the Pharisees. Now, how many of y'all make bread?

There are more in this service than the word in the first, okay? So, making bread is not something that a lot of people do. We buy bread usually but leaven, it doesn't take much yeast. You take just a little bit of yeast and you put it in. And that little bit of yeast leavens the whole lump of dough.

And if you don't watch it, it'll leaven everything else too. It grows and the spores grow and they get to be more and more. And you can have sourdough starter that was started a hundred years ago. It's... It grows and grows and grows.

And so Jesus is saying, what the leaven of the Pharisees is is hypocrisy. He he puts it... It's just equal. The leaven of the Pharisees equals hypocrisy. Now, I have since being here, listen to various kind of our debates over how to do what it is that we do within the church and occasionally, there'll be something that is just sinful and wrong and the news is telling us how awful it is and so we can't let that in the church is the cry and it says, beware of the leaven but when Jesus says to beware of the leaven, it's the leaven of the Pharisees.

He always has a harsher rebuke for religious people. So, we have to hold on to that and go, how is it that we can minister to a lost and dying world that don't know Jesus and if we expect them to act like they do and we're not acting like we do, that's a tough thing. He says to them and he's saying to us, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is itself hypocrisy. It is pretending, play acting, putting on one face but being something different behind the mask. Be careful.

That's the first warning. There's nothing that's covered up that will not be revealed. Oh, that's terrifying. And there's nothing hidden that will not be known. Oh my goodness.

That's hard, Jesus. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light. Lord, help me. That's that's what that does to my heart just to hear that. Like everything ever.

Well, to anything that you have confessed to God and laid before him in humility, he's thrown in as far as the East is from the West and he remembers it no more. That no longer has an effect on your record, bud. This is talking about a revealing. Now, I'm gonna take this a different way because I see that and my first thought is it's terrifying. But I also wanna think about this, the opposite way.

There's nothing covered up that won't be revealed and hidden that won't be known. There's nothing that's set in the dark that won't be heard in light. Y'all remember the story of Nicodemus and John? John three? John three, it says, and Nicodemus came to him at night.

And he was a Pharisee. No doubt about it. Leader of the Pharisees. And when he came at night, he said to Jesus, Jesus, there is nothing. There's no way that you're not from God.

We know that you're from God. You have to be because people couldn't do the things that you do if they were not from God. What is it that's going on? Oh you great teacher of Israel. Aren't you?

You must be born again. Born again. How can I be born again? He's humble and inquisitive with the guy who can do something about it. And we've been telling his story in the light since then.

Ain't that good? So, there's nothing. It's not just the bad stuff that, oh, I wish that hadn't happened. I wish I could hide that. No, it's the good stuff too.

It's gonna be revealed for what it is. If you are inquisitive with Jesus and you're repentant before him, any great sin that is forgiven is a great story. Ain't that right? Transformation. It's amazing.

There's nothing covered up that won't be revealed. There's nothing hidden that won't be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light and whatever you've whispered in the inner rooms, Oh, I think about the other pharisees and the sadducees and the chief priests and the scribes that are getting together in an inner room and they're whispering saying, we've got to do something about this guy. And it's gonna be proclaimed from the housetops. Actually, we do that too.

We tell the story about how they conspired against him to kill the innocent one, lamb of God at Passover. That story has been told forever too and what's been whispered in that rooms will be proclaimed on the housetop. There is nothing bad that God cannot turn to your good and his glory. Now, I say to you my friends, this is the only place in the synoptic gospels where Jesus calls the disciples friends. He says it in John 15 also but I'm telling you friends, don't be afraid of those who can kill the body and after that, have nothing more that they can do.

There's only so much that man can do to you but I will warn you whom to fear. The fear of God's beginning of wisdom. Fear the one who after he has killed someone, there's a time we're going to die. He has the power to throw that person into Gehenna. Gehenna not Hades in this case and Gehenna is a place of punishment.

He has the power to do that. Yes, I tell you, fear God. Fear him. Our five sparrows not sold for 2 Asaria. It's funny.

Jesus is teaching can be at different times. He teaches the same lesson, right? Not that he has a particular stump speech that he does but he's teaching it in Matthew and in Matthew, it says, are is not a sparrow is not are not two sparrows sold for one Asaria and then Luke says, are not five sold for two Asaria? You get a fifth one free. You buy four, you get the fifth one free.

Five spares not sold for two as area, yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God. God knows every bird that is twittering about, cheap, chirping about. Ain't that amazing? Even the hairs of your head are all counted. God knows more about you than you know about you.

I know there's some bald headed people that think you got this one figured out. But even the hairs of your head are all counted back to when you were a baby all the way. He knows every detail about you better than you do. Don't fear, you're more valuable than a great number of sparrows. That's great.

That's encouraging. That warning came with an encouragement. Actually, most of them come with an encouragement. The warning of not being afraid of men, but being fearful of God, having a reverence for him as the one who knows all. Don't fear.

You're more valuable than a great number of sparrows, friends. Don't be fearful of God almighty. Lean into him. Don't try to hide from him. Now, I say to you, again, to the disciples, to his friends, everyone who confesses me before people, the son of man will also confess him before the angels of God.

But the one who denies me before people will be denied before the angels of God. You know, it's possible to be a believer and to not act like it. Is that a surprise to any of you? It's also possible to not be a believer and try your best to act like it. Both of those things are wrong.

He's saying, be who you are. Paul would say, be who you are in Christ. Be who you are in Christ Jesus. A repentant sinner who's been forgiven and is going forward with joy looking forward to an incorruptible hope. And live like it.

Don't be afraid to say what it is that you believe. Some of y'all, some of us might not have thought about this much since middle school or high school, right? Where that was the place where I don't want them to know. And this would be one of those verses where you see and you go, oh my goodness. Did I just deny him today Laughing at that joke or not listening, not speaking up.

I I don't know. Lord, help me. I'm saying to you, everyone who confesses me before people, the son of man will also confess him before the angels. God, the one who denies me before people be denied before the angels of God and everyone. Everyone who speaks a word against the son of man.

Tell, it's a it's a crowd of 10,000. He's speaking mainly to his disciples and said, yeah, there are going be people who are against me here. I know that. There are going to be people who speak against me right here. There are people who hadn't made up their mind about Jesus yet.

And if they speak against me, that can be forgiven. But the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit. A lot of the songs we sang this morning were about the Holy The Holy Spirit is active. In John, in the upper room discourse, Jesus says that the the work of the spirit is this, to convict us of our sin. I shouldn't have done that.

Convince us of God's righteousness. God, can you help me with that? Would you please forgive me for that? Yes. And to illumine scripture.

Those are the three of the things to to draw us into all truth. Everyone who speaks word against the son of man will be forgiven him but the one who blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. That's a hard one. For one thing, we we are looking at it going, it's an unforgivable sin. How is that the case?

Well, the spirit is active and the spirit is actively convicting all of us, not just us Christians but all of us in the world. He is convicting us of our sin and he is urging us to believe God and convincing us of his righteousness but you can reject that. It is possible for a human being to say, I don't believe that. I believe I'm fine just the way I am. I don't believe in God at all and I reject that out of hand.

That is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and I spent a weekend recently with a guy who his main concern in coming together to get together with us was he believed that he had actively blasphemed the Holy Spirit by the way he had lived his life and that he was damned and was forever outside of the grace of God and could not ever change that but he was convicted of his sin. He was convicted that he had rejected God. He believed that God was good. He just didn't believe that he could be saved. We have an enemy.

We have an adversary who's actively at work too trying to convince us that that's unforgivable. As long as you're drawing breath, it's forgivable. Okay? As long as you're drawing breath, it's forgivable. It's pointed to man wants to die and after that the judgment.

And all of these warnings are warnings of impending judgment. All of them are. All five of them have something to do with the judgment of God. And it's coming from Jesus. It's not coming from Ray.

I'm not just... I'm saying this because he said it. The one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it it won't be forgiven him because the spirit is actively at work until the very end. So that's the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. So now, when they bring you before the synagogues, synagogues are an assembly of religious assembly.

And the officials, that can be religious officials or it could be government officials. And the authorities, both church and state. Don't worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense. Don't worry about what it is that you're supposed to say. You don't have to prepare a speech what you are to say.

For the Holy Spirit is active and the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour exactly what you ought to say. Now, in this, I think that's also an encouragement. That is encouraging. When they do bring you before the synagogues and officials and the authorities, don't worry about it. Don't worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense or what you are to say.

Isn't it comforting to know that the Holy Spirit will teach us in that very hour what we ought to say. We don't have to prepare for it because you know what? If we do prepare for it, we might say the wrong thing. Is that that's that's awesome to me and we see it in the book of Acts. We see when Paul was before governors and kings.

We see it various places and we've seen it throughout history. We see it in Stephen's speech in Acts. You remember that? Stephen's speech in Acts. Wow.

What an extemporaneous passage that was. And and did it guarantee Stephen's safety? No. Did it guarantee Stephen's acquittal? No.

But did Stephen say exactly what God wanted him to say? I believe he did. Jesus stood up for him. Jesus seated next to the right hand of the father interceding for him, stands up to welcome him in. The Holy Spirit will teach you what to say in that very hour.

That's encouraging to know that we don't have to know it all. That we just have to trust that God will speak through us. That's good. Warning about greed and trust and wealth. Next.

Now someone in the crowd said to him, 10,000 people there. One guy yells out, hey, teacher, Tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me. But Jesus said to him, you there. Who appointed me a judge or an arbitrator over the two of you? Well, how did I how did I get involved in this?

I mean, he's he's involved. He's the whole center point of all human human history. But he's saying, how did that get to meet my deal? Who appointed me judge or arbitrator over you? He said to them, so that one guy speaks, takes opportunity for a teachable moment.

And he says to them, y'all beware. Y'all beware. Be on guard against every form of greed. For not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions. That's not what it's about.

Paul says, I've learned to be content whether I have little or whether I have much and I've been both. It's not what it's about. Beware and be on your guard against every form of greed. And he told him a parable. Say, in the land of a rich man was very productive.

Is that the blessing of God? If you have productive land, it is. And he began thinking to himself saying, what shall I do since I have no place to store my abundant crops? And he said, well, this is what I'll do. I'll tear down those little barns and I'll build bigger barns and I'll store all my grain and all my goods there and I'll say to myself, you have many goods stored up for many years to come.

Sit back and relax. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself. You've got plenty. But God said to him, you fool. Oh, there's a great Martin Luther King sermon on this passage.

It's just on a few verses, not on a chapter and a half. When Jesus called a man a fool, it's a great sermon. God said to him, you fool. This very night, your soul is demanded of you and as for all that you have prepared, who own it now? It's this passage, this paragraph starts with them fighting over an inheritance.

Who's it gonna be now? Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich in relation to God. To be rich is one thing. To be rich in relation to God is another thing entirely. He said to his disciples, for this reason, because of this, I tell you, don't worry about your life.

There's a lexicon I used all through seminary, still have back there. It's about this thick, and it's the BDAG. We call it the Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich. Everybody who's ever studied Greek, this is the one, you know. And Arndt, the guy, a r n d t, he says, greed can never get enough and worry is afraid that it may not have enough.

Both of those are wrong. Both of those are what Jesus is warning against here. Don't be greedy and don't worry. For this reason, I tell you, don't worry about your life. Don't worry about what you're gonna eat or as for your body, what you're gonna wear.

Life is more than food. The body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens. Ravens. Ravens.

That they neither sow nor reap. They have no storeroom nor barn. And yet God feeds them. He takes care of them. How much more valuable you are than they are than the birds?

He's already mentioned sparrows. Now he's into ravens or crows. Which of you by worrying can add a day to his lifespan? None of us. So there...

The actual Greek there is a cubit. How can you add a cubit to your stature? It's probably meaning like this, the the length of your life. But you can't make yourself taller by worrying. You can't add...

Got an amen from the back row. Oh, that's funny. Which of you by worrying can add a day to his lifespan? Not a single one of us. Therefore, if you cannot do even a very little thing, this is nothing to God to add a day or to add a cubit.

Why do you worry about these other things? Consider the lilies. How they grow? How they neither labor nor spend but I tell you, not even Solomon in all of his glory clothed themselves like one of these. Now, if God so clothes the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow is turned into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you?

You of little faith. You, disciples of little faith. You friends of little faith. He's going to take care of you. Don't seek what you are to eat or what you are to drink or and don't keep worrying.

I know worry is a thing. I know worry is part of this life but don't keep on worrying. You've seen God do things all throughout the Old Testament. Stand up a stone right here and talk about how God got you across the Red Sea. Stand up a stone right here and talk about how he got you across the Jordan River.

Stand up a stone right here and say, this is how he protected us against our enemies. Look back on how God has taken care of you and begin to trust in him and stop worrying. For all these things are what the nations of the world eagerly seek and your father knows that you need these things. This is like Matthew six thirty three right here. Luke says in twelve thirty one, but seek his kingdom.

Be seeking the kingship of God in your own life on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, I know how it is in heaven and I want for that to be the way I live my life right here. I want for you to be the king and me to be the servant. Show me how to serve in humble obedience. Seek first the kingdom of God and all of these things will be provided to you.

He knows you need em and don't be afraid little flock. It's only time that they're called little flock in the synoptics too. I heard this morning that 16 or 18 little lambs showed up at South Park Ranches because four h is back in season, right? It's a little flock. Taking care of them.

Do not be afraid little flock. I'm the shepherd. Your God, your father has chosen to give you the kingdom. You know how important that is? God has chosen to give you the kingdom.

If you go back a couple of chapters, not even a couple of chapters in Luke, it says that that if you being that you start off as evil, know how to give good gifts to your kids, How much more will your father give you the Holy Spirit? How much more would he give you good things if you ask for him? Don't be afraid little flock. Your father has chosen to give you the kingdom. So that warning comes with an encouragement.

Don't be afraid little flock. Your father has chosen to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, give to charity. Make yourselves money belts that don't wear out. An inexhaustible treasure in heaven where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy.

The market goes up. The market goes down. There are all kinds of things that can take away earthly riches. But he says where your treasure is, that's where your heart is gonna be. So it's is is present tense and will be is future tense.

He's saying, take the time to invest in the kingdom and that's where your heart's gonna be. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. He keeps on going. One thing flows right into another. Another warning.

And this one's about being unprepared for the son of man's coming. So, be prepared. Keep your lamps lit. You're also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast. Now, considering that this is Jesus' first appearance, his first coming in three years probably into his ministry at this point and he's speaking to his disciples and he says, y'all, there's going be a time coming when I'm not going to be around, okay?

You're also... Be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and when he knocks. Blessed are those, those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will prepare himself to serve and have them recline at the table and he will come up and serve them. Wait a second.

That's not the way kingship and mastership works in those times, is it? When there was somebody who had houses and lands and they had servants. And when they get back from the wedding feast, can you imagine coming in and finding that servant opening the door? Here we are. We're prepared and ready for you.

Lamps are lit. How can we serve you? And he says, oh, y'all have a seat. I'm gonna make you a sandwich. That's not normal on earth.

But that is what Jesus says in the example. That is the way that it is. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert. When he comes truly, I say to you that he'll prepare himself to serve and have them recline at the table and he will come up and serve them whether he comes in the second watch or even the third. Romans split the night into four watches and Jews split it into three.

First watch, most people probably ready. Second watch, probably not. And the third, most of them are asleep. But blessed are those when he comes in the second or third watch and finds them. Blessed are those slaves.

But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming. He's mixing his metaphors here just a little bit. Be sure of this. That if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he wouldn't have allowed the house to be broken into. You too.

Y'all be ready. Be guarding the house. Be ready because the son of man is coming in an hour that you don't think that he will. I think one of the temptations after two thousand years is that there's a little nagging doubt that the enemy tries to use. It says, it's not gonna change.

Nothing's going to change. It hadn't changed in two thousand years. I I speak to people all the time that are like, I feel like it's close. I feel like it's tomorrow. I feel like it's coming tonight and then I speak to other people and said, man, it's been two thousand years.

Why? Why should we believe it's going to be any different now? He's just saying, be expected. The imminent return of the son of man. He's coming at a time that you do not think.

Peter said, lord, are you telling this parable to us? Now, it's been to disciples, to friends, to you. And he says, are are you telling us this? Are you telling everyone else as well? I mean, I know we're with you, but is everyone else too?

Should they be hearing this? And the Lord said, who then is faithful? Whoever it is that will wear the shoe. Right? If the shoe fits, wear it.

I'm saying it for everybody. Who then is faithful and sensible steward in Chronicles? The eyes of the Lord seek to and fro across the earth, seeking one in whom he may show himself as strong. Lord said, who then is faithful and sensible steward whom his master will put in charge of his servants to give them their rations at the proper time? Oh, it's about taking care of people.

It's about taking care of people. Who then is the faithful and sensible steward whom his master will put in charge of his servants to give them their rations at the proper time to take care of one another. Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. This is a bumper sticker. Jesus is coming.

Look busy. I I actually prefer this. Jesus is coming. Be about his business. If you belong to him and he says that he's given you his spirit and he's given you direction through his spirit.

When you receive word from the spirit, you've got the power of God on your side. Be doing it. Be about his business. Truly, I say to you that he'll put him in charge of all of his possession. The vast riches of the kingdom of God are available.

But if that slave says in his heart, my master will take a long time to come. And he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and to get drunk and then the master then the master of that slave will come on a day that no one expects and at an hour that he does not know and it says, he will cut him in two. Oh my. Assign him a place with unbelievers. Oh my.

And that slave who knew his master's will. He knew about it but he began to act on his own rather than trusting in authority given by his master. That slave who knew his master's will and didn't get ready or act in accordance with his will, he'll receive many blows but the one who did not know it and committed acts deserving of a beating. This is why Jesus gives a harsher rebuke to the religious people more often because they should know better. The one who didn't know it, committed acts deserving of beating will receive only a few blows.

For everyone who's been given much, much will be demanded. Lord God almighty, since you revealed yourself to us, may we be actively revealing who you are to others who don't yet know you. From everyone who's been given much, much will be demanded. And to whom was entrusted much of him, they will ask all the more. So that's quite a warning.

But it came with quite an encouragement. This one was front loaded. It's been warning with a little encouragement at the end. This is a big encouragement at the beginning. Blessed are the slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes.

He's given us the power to do so. He's given us his word. He's given us his spirit. He's given us breath in our lungs. Truly, I say to you that he will prepare himself to serve and have them recline at the table and he will come up and serve them.

Amen. Warning about the coming division. This one's hard. They're all hard including the two alternatives at the end. I have come to cast a fire upon the earth.

And how I wish it were already kindled. From Luke nine fifty one all the way to the cross, we see Jesus set his face like flint and he moved towards Jerusalem, towards the cross, towards his death. I've come to cast fire upon the earth. In between those two, he was distressed. It says so.

I have a baptism to undergo and how distressed I am until it is accomplished. Do you think that I came to provide peace on Earth? No. Now, we might just say, do you think I came to provide peace on Earth? Yes, I have peace on Earth because of you, Jesus.

How can that be a no? Well, look around. Do you see peace on Earth? No. Do you see that it's available?

Yes. If you've accepted it, you can experience the peace of God. He's trying to deepen the peace that you have by saying so. Do you think I came to provide peace on Earth? No, I tell you but rather it will be division from here on out.

From now on, he says, from now on, five members and one household will be divided. Three against two, two against three. They'll be divided. Father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. He's saying that there will be those who hear and believe and that puts you in one camp and there will be those who hear and reject and that puts them in another camp and those two are eternally separated.

That's division. It matters what you do with Jesus. Now, I will say, there are folks that y'all been praying for for a long time that I've been praying for for a long time. The way that God reaches those people is through his word and through the testimony of his people and so, don't stop praying. The division, I don't know where this comes from but Red Rover, Red Rover, right?

Get over there and bring em back. Like, be living your life. Be living your life in such a way that it's winsome and helpful and that the word is there and you recognize you don't deserve the blessings that you've got but that God is reaching out through you. Warning against failing to discern the present time. He was also saying to the crowds, this is to everybody.

Whenever you see a cloud rising in the West, y'all immediately say, oh, shower's coming. I know this. And so it turns out. Whenever you feel a south wind blowing, you say it's gonna be hot today. And it turns out, yep, that's the way it is.

You hypocrites. He's saying, you don't have any special knowledge. You're reading the signs of what's going on. You're reading the signs and yeah. You're acting like you know it all.

You don't. You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky but how is it that you don't know how to analyze this present time? That present time of Jesus was right there. Messiah is sitting in front of him and there are undecideds there and he's saying, it's right here. This is just as obvious.

Pay attention to what's going on. It matters. Why do you not even judge by yourself what's right? When you're going with your accuser to appear before the magistrate. There's judgment coming.

Since we've had five different warnings of judgment with encouragements for four of em. He says, there's a judgment day coming. When you're going with your accuser to a before the magistrate on the way, Make an effort to settle with him. Make an effort to settle with him so that he doesn't drag you before the judge. And the judge hands you over to the officer and the officer throw you into prison.

I tell you, you won't get out of there until the last lepton is paid. Lepton's a 120 eighth of a denarius. That's a 120 eighth of a day's wages. That's not much. You know.

But he's saying you're gonna pay every single bit of it. It's a high price. And you have the opportunity as long as you are drawn breath. You are headed towards judgement and there is a way that God has established a plea deal. I am guilty.

Protect me. Remember me when you come into your kingdom, the thief said on the cross. Lord, I don't deserve it. I'm a sinful person but I want your forgiveness and he will. That's what he does.

I tell you, that's what it is. It's good news. Take the time that you have to make the arrangements on the terms that God has offered. So then, Jesus closes with two alternatives. We skip forward in the chapter.

So, it's 12. All of 12, we've covered the last nine verses of chapter 13 and he just closes with these two alternatives and I'll try to wrap it up quick here. Now, on that very occasion, same conversation. There were some present who reported to Jesus about these Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Think about that.

So Galileans come from Galilee down to Jerusalem. They're there to offer sacrifices for their sin in accordance with Old Testament stuff and as they're coming down and they're right there about to or in the midst of sacrificing for their sins. Pilate kills them. Pilate's a bad dude. We already know that from the Easter story.

We get that. But somebody brings it up. Somebody present in the crowd says, what about these people, Jesus? Now, it's either lost to history, or there's... There is a story that some people believe that it's lost to history.

We don't really know about this particular instance. But we do know of one that happened a little before this and it was a leader of some Galileans and he believed that it was wrong. It's a few years before this. He believed that it was wrong for God's people to pay taxes to the Roman government and so he led them not to and he led them not to and as they go down to Jerusalem to make their sacrifices, that leader and all of the people that were making their sacrifices with him were slaughtered by Pilate. That's one possibility.

Other people say, we don't really know what this is about but doesn't matter because Jesus's answer is the same either way. Jesus responded and said to him, do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans just because they suffered this faith? The human condition is the human condition. We're all sinful. We all are leaning towards a particular area that's sinful and wrong.

We have a proclivity to be against. And Jesus said, you think those Galileans are worse sinners than the other Galileans just because they suffered this fate? It was sudden and it was unexpected. And they were trying to do the right thing. So, is that a question?

It is a question. And then, he says, no, I tell you, but unless you hear the two alternative, repent or perish. Woah. That doesn't sound like a good choice. Yes, it does.

You have a choice not to perish. So, repent. Humble yourself before God and say, lord, show me your way. Don't let me be so convinced of my own opinion that I cannot be transformed, malleable. Humility before God matters.

I tell you, unless you repent, you also likewise will perish. Or do you think that those 18 on whom the Tower Of Siloam fell and killed them? That's a tragic accident, it sounds like. So, tragic accident. If we were to look back in the news just for the past couple of weeks, we can see distressing things that are on our minds and we go, God, is that...

Why? Why them? Why then? Why? What did they do to deserve that?

We can have that same thing. Jesus says, do you think those 18 on whom the tower fell and killed them that they were worse offenders than the other people who live in Jerusalem? Whether it's Galilee or Jerusalem, doesn't matter. He's saying, no. No.

No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you also will likewise perish. So these warnings of judgment and then he's coming down to it and said, this is your choice. Your choice is to repent, humble yourself before God, or be surprised by his judgment and he began telling this parable. Three more verses, four more verses.

So, and he began telling this parable. Man had a fig tree. Oh, the fig tree. Now, on Palm Sunday, I mentioned the fig tree because Jesus passing by. He was hungry and he looks over.

He sees a lone fig tree by the road. He came to it. He found nothing on it except leaves alone. Says it's a fig tree but there are no figs. Oh.

And so, may no one ever eat fruit from you again. His disciples were listening. Jesus curses the fig tree. He said to the vineyard keeper, look, for three years, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Jesus is in his third year of ministry.

Fig tree is a symbol for Israel. Usually, all throughout the minor prophets in the Old Testament and here, I believe he said to the vineyard keeper, look, for three years, I've come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down. Why does it even use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, sir, leave it alone.

Leave it alone for this year too. Let give me a chance. I want to dig around it. I want to put some fertilizer in there. I want to take care of this thing and see if it'll produce.

What did Jesus been doing for the last three years? He'd been spreading around the truth. He'd been tilling up the soil. He'd been giving them all that they needed to recognize who he was and what was going on. So, I'll leave it alone for this year too until I dig around it and I put in fertilizer.

And if it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down. I think that there are a lot of Christians, there are a lot of us as Christians who have seen, oh yes, this is a miserable world. Yes, there is division. It's us and them.

It's us against them. It's us against them and lord, come save us from how horrible everything is all the time. I live in a perverse generation. It's just a terrible thing. Whereas, we should be thinking, lord, there are souls that don't know you.

How will you reach them through me? How will you reach them through us? How can we do a better job of transmitting the love of God to a people who have so far rejected him? If it bears fruit next year, fine but if not, actually, the text says, y'all cut it down. That's the end of the text for today.

Actually, would you stand with me? We'll just sing the hymn of invitation. I think that it's going to be, I've decided to follow Jesus. It takes repentance to follow Jesus. I think that it doesn't just take repentance once to follow Jesus.

I think that it is something that requires us to be repentant. Let me see. Jesus teaches to the very end, God is merciful. The vine dresser counsels patience. We'll go to that in the benediction.

But I've decided to follow Jesus. Lord, repent or perish is the message that you gave. I pray lord that we would be in a humble state of repentance looking for any wicked way that you may see in us lord that you transform it so that we may reflect your goodness and your glory to a world that is dying. Amen. Would you sing with me?

I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning

That was the last. Hey, in my in my book, it says, will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you? That's the that's the deal. Will you decide to follow Jesus?

And I'm going to go to the benediction here. I think this is really, really good and I think it's really helpful for us to see especially since it's been two thousand years, right? Because you can start to languish in your faith and that's the warning. He said, don't languish in it. The Lord's not slow in keeping his promises.

He's not slow. He's not slack, some translations say. He's not slack in keeping his promises. Some people understand slowness or slackness. Instead, think about this.

He is patient with you, disciples, believers. He's patient with you not wanting anyone else to perish, okay? It's not just he's patient with you, unbeliever. He don't want you to. He's patient with you believer.

He doesn't want anyone to perish. He is trying to transform you. He's trying to transform me into something that will be drawing people to himself. Lord is not slow or slack. Instead, he's patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but he wants for everyone to come to repentance.

So, lord, would you forgive us for just wanting to be snapped out of the misery and would you allow us to be a solution for the human condition? Will you allow us to be a divine olive branch that reaches out and brings people peace. In Jesus name, amen.