August 28, 2022 Sunday Worship Service

I'm talking about the Life of Christ. And this morning, we'll continue talking about the Life of Christ and Lord willing, we'll be talkin about the Life of Christ, till he comes. But this morning, as we consider the laugh of cried, you want to take a look at more particular. Concerning the key to eternal life. Any idea about following Jesus Christ as the key. It's all we've been talking to past couple weeks about what it means to follow Jesus. What's involved in following Jesus Christ. But this morning, you want to take a closer look to understand that Jesus never promised that following him would be easy. You heard me say this before, but I think it's true and it's a apropos in a Lynn Anderson sale. Country song, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. Jesus never promised us a Rose Garden when it came to following him. His wife serves as an example, as an illustration of that. Very fact, people liked him and people did not like him, people wanted to love him. People wanted to kill him. And almost everybody gave up on them. And they did Kill. But God's work was done through Providence and it through and through that Providence, that was working in God, that he brought to this world price, went to the cross and fulfill the plan. That was in God's mind in eternity. That this man Jesus Christ would die for your sins and for my sins and then he calls us to continue to follow him. But again, understanding that following him is not going to be easy. It never has been and it never will. You know, when Jesus said all those who desire to come after me, let him deny himself that is one of the hardest things to do in following Jesus Christ to continue to deny yourself. There are certain things we want to do. But because we deny ourselves, we're not going to do them, that's what it means. It means perhaps I've lived a certain lifestyle Well, I no longer to live that lifestyle. But why is that Doug? Because I found purpose in Jesus Christ. I found the reason for living and that's Jesus Christ. And the only way that you can enjoy life to its fullest It's to live for Jesus Christ. And that's what Jesus calls. All of us, 4 + 2. To devote ourselves to him. Right. That he says that we are to fear God and keep his Commandments. For this is the whole duty of man, what else is there? Nothing greater nothing. More noble. And nothing. More loving than to serve a risen savior to serve Jesus Christ and to follow him, until he says deny yourself and pick up your cross daily. So again, a crucifixion has to take place on a daily basis. The things we want to say to people. But we can't say them and we shouldn't say them, because Christ would never say those things. Price would never do those things and so therefore I did I myself I pick up my cross. Not his but mine and I crucify my desires and live for the desires of Jesus Christ. And Paul the Apostle Paul, we talked a little bit about him this morning and how great he was. And yet he was moved by the guilt. That ain't him up. But understanding that it was the grace that could keep him humble and that could keep him driving forward to the upward call of Christ in Christ, Jesus. and so, as we think about serving, Jesus and coming to the realization that there are difficult things in this life that we have to endure. That's why the Bible over and over again. Stresses the fact that we have to have endurance, we have to persevere because life is not easy. Life is difficult. And again, the life of Jesus points to that, very fact, So who are we to complain? Jesus didn't complain about we just go through life. Doing what Jesus asks us to do. And it seems that all the worries and anxieties of Life disappear when our focus is upon him. What our focus is finely tuned to his cause. And that is to his church. The cause of this life is that the church is to make known the manifold wisdom of God, Ephesians chapter 3, verse 10. It's sold by so doing we follow Jesus. We put him first in our lives, because Jesus said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness desire and thirst for righteousness.

That keeps us occupied. That keeps us, Focus. That keeps us driven. That keeps us encouraged. And that keeps us motivated. Without those things life is hard. And very difficult to endure when we reach certain struggles and certain obstacles in our lives, brought that out in a few Chapter 70. So Center in by the narrow gate for wide, is the gate and Broad is the way that leads to destruction. And many. Go in there by. But he says entering at the narrow gate. For narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to eternal life and very few find it. We're talking about that this morning, you know, Jesus and that very fundamental teaching on the parable of the sower. Teaches us that there's the word of God given to all mankind, but out of the Sea of mankind, there are four kinds of hearts. And people who Jesus talked about were first, those who accepted the word of God, I believe in. Jesus Is My Savior and I accept his word. But they're quickly drawn away and they quickly leave, they give up like that. And then the second part of the second group is that those who let the word of God, go a little bit deeper into their heart. And they find themselves following Jesus to a larger degree than they did before. But something happens. You know, something happens in the church. Someone got offended. And all the sudden they just give up like that.

And then there are those who perhaps spend a good portion of their life. Coming to church studying. Anna and the cares of this world, the Troubles of this life, over, take them and the people that you once thought were sound in the face and the people that you would never think of ever walking away from doll, get up and walk away. That's the third group. But then, Jesus points out the fourth group, he says there's the word of God. This heart, this individual has a heart for the word of God because it stands as the truth. It stands as the only direction to Heaven at Sam's as a testament, to Jesus Christ, that's basically what Jesus said when he said this. This is the New Covenant or the New Testament in my blood.

Jesus shed his blood for the New Testament for you and I to follow and to keep it our hearts. And that we go through life by. But as Proverbs 14:12 says there is a way which seems right to a man, but the end of it sways death, you know, sometimes we can pull ourselves away from God's word. And we begin listening to others talk and we begin to agree with them.

And we're green with your opinion rather than a bus say of the Lord and we're following man rather than Christ. And so Jesus tells us that there is one word and he has given it and want to follow it and that we're not to rely upon the opinions of others. But upon what he says and what he teaches That's why we can know the truth. That's what Jesus meant when he said, you can know the truth and the truth shall make you free. when you know the word, you know, Jesus,

And so if you love Jesus, it's because you love his word. And that's so very important. Also, Jesus talks about that and narrow gate. And the Broadway, and the broadgate. At the very end, he starts talking about those who enter into the kingdom of heaven. he says, not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father, who is in heaven And so, from this context, in Matthew chapter 7, talking about the narrow gate and the wide gate in the narrow road, in the broad Road and talking about false teachers and following false teachers. The End by saying you need to do the will of God. That's the most important thing in this life. So we're right back to what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:13 Fear God, and keep his Commandments. For this is the whole duty of man, and if you go back to 1st, John 5:3, he says, this is the love of God, that you keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not burdensome 1st, John 5:3. And so, we put all that together and we realized that doctors important. What Jesus had to say, is important. What the Apostle wrote in scripture is important. In fact, it's necessary if you're going to have Jesus in your life and it's necessary to have Jesus in your life, then it's necessary. Just as having the word of Christ in your life, you have to live, but at work which means we have to know it to follow Jesus. There's no other way around it, you know, we can try to spin it and say, and white people do all. It's all about Jesus.

What is in a way? But it's also when we say it's all about Jesus, it's also about his church. It's also about his word. It's also about our responsibility to Jesus Oh yes, it's all about Jesus in that respect. But a lot of people want to leave off the responsibility part. Leave off the church part. Leave off the word part. Leave off Doctrine and just focus upon Jesus. They used to call that cheap Grace. Cheap race but with Grace were talking about this morning, you know? With a lot of opportunity in our lifetime, we're living in this most abundant country. The world has ever seen. We're talking about vast Empires over centuries of time and yet this country Is the most abundant in everything.

And how many people come to Christ? We have a country where the opportunity is abundant. Jesus has blessed us that way. We live in a country, we can go and find out the truth. We live in a country where technology is at our fingertips and yet were the most ignorant people when it comes to many things, especially the word of God, you can go online and you can search their sin. You can ask any question you want on Google. I'm talking spiritual questions and yet were the most ignorant people

In Hosea says, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Not the lack of knowledge in mathematics, if that was the case, I would never go to heaven, right? Thankfully, it's not knowledge in English because again, I would not go to heaven. What it is about God's word, it is about knowledge of spiritual things. Spiritual things, spiritual matters, all those related to what we read in scripture, all those related to Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus Christ, again Who provided the New Testament, in his blood, that tells me something about Jesus. In the New Testament, tells me that he desires the New Testament that he wants us to follow the New Testament so much so that he was going to not just die for your sins and my sister. But two died to release the New Testament scriptures. His will. His will and testament to you and to me knowing Jesus means knowing his Doctrine as opposed to knowing the doctrines of men. As opposed to all of that. But as we think about that to a larger degree, I want us to consider this passage 1st Thessalonians chapter 2. Paul says that you received the word of God, which you heard from us, You welcomed it. Isn't that the good heart that Jesus was talking about in the parable of the sower? Those three hearts were one thing. This heart is gold. This heart is the one that's accepting This Heart, receive the word of God and they welcome their, it wasn't hard for them. It wasn't. Something tedious. But because they saw a savior who died for them and this savior presented. This means by which the soul can be saved through the gospel. People fell in love with the word of God. And people were saying they welcomed it, not as the word of men, very important. But as it is in truth, the word of God which also effectively Works in you, who believe how does the word of God effectively working you, if you don't study it, if you don't know it, if you don't want to live by.

Why doesn't? It doesn't. It's all there has to be a two-way street here. God designed the word. To influence us to convince us to compel us to motivate us. and so the more were in the world, the more motivated we are The more compelled we are to do. What God has told us to do. The more lovely have this year, because we have a love for the word of God. And having a love for the word of God means, I love my Lord. And Savior, Jesus Christ, because he desires for me to live in that work, and I need that word as much as I need him. I mean, there is no work but you know what? Without the work is, no Jesus. You can't get the Jesus without his word. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to Salvation

Power of God, you know God could have chose any other way to save Mankind and you right. He could have said I'm going to zap the old and over there. When she gets to the age of 10, I'm just going to go boom tiled. And all of us would have said, hey, why couldn't that be the case? But God had a better way. How to plan an eternity and it was that all men are called by the gospel of Christ that they will come to God through that very means. And what does that mean? What also means that God ordained preaching Right. And so we can read in Romans chapter 10 and we can read in 1st Corinthians. Chapter 1, the necessity of preaching, the message, the word of God the gospel That's how men are going to be called by the gospel God calls all, but he calls all through the gospel. Hear God from the beginning. Chose you for salvation? What he chose you through or he chose you for salvation through sanctification? Well how how does one become Sanctified? How does this salvation process cook by the spirit. But what did the spirit do to bring this and belief? In the truth, the spirit spoke through the apostles, inspired men, the spirit were the apostles and Spa inspired men, and they wrote down inspired scripture. And whoever hears and learns and loves that message. They have the right to become sons of God. Salvation through sanctification, by the spirit and belief. In the truth, not just believe that this this book we call the Bible exist. I know a lot of people believe exist and they know it exists because it's in their house. Unfortunately, it's just on a table and they have an opening for many many decades. but we have our access to the word of God and he says that belief in the truth to, which he called you by Our Gospel, Our Gospel Four. So the gospel calls and brings us to in for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord. Jesus Christ. Therefore, Brethren Stand, Fast, don't give up. Never give up, don't quit Stand Fast and hold the Traditions, which you were taught now, noticed a traditions of men. And he doesn't say traditions of God, but now we are going to learn what these Traditions are. He says hold the Traditions. What you were taught weather by word teaching or our epistle, all the spiritual teachings, the spiritual Traditions, traditions of men. And there are traditions of God, the teachings of God are God's traditions and the church has been keeping those Traditions since the church was established. But a long time been as Proverbs 14:12 again, tells us there is a way which seems right to a man. And so, whenever man, sprays from God's word, he has an opinion, he has a perception. He has a thinking and what he believes is right to him. If he comes running but he never Compares what he says, or what he thinks to what God says it. So he doesn't really know if it's right. He just believes in himself that it's right. And so we need to understand the necessity of the message of Christ is so, vitally, vitally important to you, to me, in order to have Christ in our lives. But here's why, you know, when we think about having Christ in our lives, we want to worship God, right? There's a lot of people worshipping God. Today worshipping Jesus. And there's a lot of people who are in error worshipping Jesus. And in Matthew chapter 15, Jesus says, in vain, they worship me in vain, they worship me teaching the traditions of the Fathers as Commandments of men. You see what happens to people's worship is. It's not accepted, it's not accepted based upon the fact that they're following error. You see how that works. There was a connection between worship acceptable, worship and doctors of men here. but there's also connects between acceptable worship, and the doctrine of God, the doctrine of Christ, the traditions of God, And those things are necessary. They both go hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other. It's only coming to the story today. Talkin about children. The story is not so much about children, as it is about you and me. It is all children, but it's much more than children. And hearing Mark chapter 10 verse 13, Mark tells us, then they brought little children to him that they might touch them. So Jesus has been teaching, he has been working miracles and the people all know this they've been following Jesus. He they are groupies. If you will, you remember what a group, he was in the 60s and the 70s, I guess they still exist today. You got people who will follow their favorite bands and their favorite rock groups and their favorite singers. And they will follow him there their and they're in and spend their lives on the road with their singers. But in this sense, we are to be groupies. We are to be followers of Christ. Xlu says, I need brought little children to him. All those were following all those groupies, they brought their children. That tells me something about these moms and dads. They had a spiritual. Respect for Jesus, but also, they wanted their children to have spiritual access access to the spiritual. They were devoted to their children. They wanted their children to have Jesus. They wanted teaching in their lives. That involve teachers Jesus How many parents do that today? Because not many parents go to church. Now, many parents are very keen on spiritual things and so they deprive their children of spiritual things, spiritual teachings. and so that's absent in the hearts of children and we wonder why we have so much on kindness. So much, unrest.

So much for the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them. Do unto you, that doesn't exist in many But these folks were concerned for their their children's well-being and they knew where to bring them to Jesus. Then they brought little children to him that he might touch them but but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Evidently, I didn't like that. You know, there was a time when children were to be seen but not heard that was probably true in this day and age. All right, but we kind of elevated our children and now they need to be seen and they need to be heard and many of us in the older Generations are probably saying, no, they don't. They need to be seen, they do not need to be hurt. But we always say, well, my kid has an opinion and they have an opinion. Yes, they have an opinion but it doesn't need to be hurt. So, children were not considered an important thing if you will things. That's so very beautiful those who brought their children, but when Jesus saw it, he was greatly displeased and said to them. Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them for us. Such is the kingdom of God, assuredly. I say to you. Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God.

As a little child will, by no means enter it. What does that mean? Receive the kingdom, as a little child. Well, it means this. if you've had children and I'm sure most of you had and you know, children, you understand that there is this sincerity about a child and when it comes to explanation and talking and explaining things to them, They become trusting. They put their trust in you. They want to hear you talk. They want to hear what you have to say and they're going to give their ear to you because they lie to you. They like you, they want to be with you. That's the kind of person Jesus says, needs to receive the kingdom. The one who is like a little child not that you're pure, none of us are pewter. Talk to have that mindset of a child to have that trust that sincerity that eagerness to learn.

And you're probably saying you're talkin about my child.

Generally, generally, any says, any took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and bless them. Don't know what he did, but he blessed them, but I want to compare marks account with Luke's, but before we get to Luke's, we have this little guy under a rock. I want to think about that for a second.

You know, you've heard the expression. I have I was at I haven't lived under a rock, right? I have crawled out from under a rock. And that's true for many of us is true for all of us. Right? But Jesus, when he's talking about living according to his work, when he's talking about living according to the kingdom. When he's talking about living according to the gospel, what he saying is what you know about things in the world. Do away with them and crawl back under that rock. Because under that rock, is where that child is, that's where the trust is. That's where the Purity is, that's where the sincerity is. That's the child. That says, tell me again. Tell me again.

Keep telling you the word keep telling me that although story cuz we need it. I can't live without it if so We need to be like that child but hearing Luke chapter 8 18. I want to show you the different sir. He says, then he also brought infants and marks account Matthews account. They said they brought children right here. It says infants. To him that he might touch them but when the disciples saw that rebuked them but Jesus called them to him and said, let the little children come to me and do not forbid them for of such, is the kingdom of God. I surely, I say to whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, will, by no means entering. Now the word breathless here is unborn or a newborn an infant or baby. So part of the children that were brought to Jesus were infants.

What the word kadejan means child little child, a child in training. And you know what that applies to you and me because we're all children in training. You remember in John first John chapter two number of verses to say my little children. I write these things unto you. My little children. I hear that the truth abides in you, my little children keep on practicing truth and I'm not ego saying my little children My children who are in training. Keep on learning, keep on growing. And that's exactly what Christ demands of all of us. Growth growth, a child and tranny, a younger child 7 years, old, or younger and the Jews. They applied, the Greek word for day on two sons and daughters up to 20 years of age. That was their children or even little children for that matter. That's how it at twenty was the age of adulthood he said, well, what about their Bar Mitzvah? At the age of 13 that was when a man became spiritual or boy became a spiritual man, but he did not reach adulthood until the age of 20 and then he can fight in Wars. How about that guy's? You need to be happy about that but here we find the necessity of understanding that part of the group of the children that were brought to Jesus were infants and such were the kingdom of God. Infants, don't need to be baptized infants. Don't need to be repenting of their sins, they have none to repent them. They are the safest of all people and they're going to heaven, but the adults you and me, he sang. This is the attitude. You are to have, you are not happy attitude of a child. You don't have the trustworthiness of a child. you know, I remember when dad taught me how to swim Who's in a pool? Come On, Son, jump. You got to be kidding me, right? But at the final moment it was, I got I got I got Dad here, I trust you. That's what that means. and so, There's so many things to say and so little time to say them, but I do know this, we all need to continue walking in the word of God without the word of God. There's no heaven. That's why I encourage you. I admonish you. To walk in the word of God to continue. Living in the word of God know the word of God. Continue studying the word of God. Remember, no one's going to ever have all the knowledge but as it is God still demands that we keep learning and we keep growing. And we keep making the application in our lives. And in our hearts, And so Jesus tells all the little children of the world he says he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. There's no other way which one can be saved. Except doing what, that, what Jesus says, but Jesus said made it very plain, very clear. Very simple. You believe in Jesus Christ. And you believe is Gospel. Then you know that you need to be saved because, you know, you have seen in your life and that's what Jesus died for and if you know that then you know you need to be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins. And that's what Jesus meant when he says he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. You'll be forgiven If you want to do that, now you can. You don't have tomorrow. You don't have next week, nothing is promised. But today, today is the day of salvation. Now is the time put Jesus on now, be assured of your salvation. You can come and do that if you so choose perhaps you've done that already but you just haven't been walking the narrow road. You've been out there on that Broad and wide Road. Jesus says jump back onto the narrow road and all you have to do is change your mind about it. You're subject to that invitation of Jesus Christ this morning, why don't you come as Together We Stand and sing.