Are We Ready — Luke 12

0:00 But I enjoyed hearing you sing. I'm sure it blesses the Lord very much. Just gonna give a little intro and then we'll open in prayer. Just was reflecting a little bit. I want to first of all thank Roger for allowing me to finish a sermon.

0:17 I don't know if some of you guys out there that had a sermon and the Lord just showed you that he wants the whole thing, and it's like no that's not gonna work. And, so the Lord gave me peace about a week before, my last sermon back on April 25 that... No. Just trust me. And so just, divide it in half.

0:38 So today, I get to do the other half. I'm very excited about it, and we'll be in loop 12 again. But it also was something where when it came down to the theme, it just seemed to be even more appropriate in the last month. The theme is, are we ready? And if you don't remember April 25, you can check out that sermon later on.

1:00 But are we ready? It has just been more and more and more poignant to me personally, and maybe you can relate to me. The theme has kind of permeated this time of our life. Two weeks ago, Miriam and I were over in the Philadelphia area attending Katrina's graduation. She graduated with an undergrad and a bachelor's and a master's in education and bible, I think it's the reverse there, from Kean University in four years.

1:31 So we're very excited about that, and her brother didn't have to go down the aisle because he still has another year and they only graduate you once. So Joshua's got another year going. But they had to get ready. They had to get ready for teaching because the following Wednesday Katrina started teaching. So she graduated Saturday and that following Wednesday she started teaching she found a job in Western New York near Buffalo sorry seven week at that time seven week long term teaching sub for a woman who was about ready to have their first baby.

2:05 So she was quite excited about that, so she's got five more weeks to go and the baby hasn't come yet so be in prayer for Katrina's teacher. Joshua on the other hand also had a three week teaching job. He finished his class I think Friday the day before graduation and he started teaching on Monday and it was what they call a practicum. Kind of linger on for a few weeks after school's out and so he's living in the dorms and there's hardly anyone on campus except for the construction people. So he has one week left of that three week position though he'll be coming home.

2:40 You know also there's another thing that happened and that was Faith Academy. You know that we're still working for Faith Academy. Miriam has one last week of teaching. She'll be up late tonight as they finish up on Friday with graduation and she's so happy to come to the end of this challenging year teaching online from 8,000 miles away for most of her students. But she also has to get ready, you know, just like Joshua Trina had to get ready and it's just like you don't have much time to sit in this and glory in this, you're gonna be teaching next week.

3:11 Well she has to get ready for two additional classes. She's picking up not just sixth grade Bible but seventh grade Bible and an ELL class next year and they're starting with the first five weeks are still online guaranteed and she has those classes now every day of the week so she'll be up till late at night every day of the week. So not really excited about that but that's how it's going to work. And then also I'm getting ready, I have three Faith Academy reunions this summer and so Miriam, bless her heart, is going be traveling with me as we're getting ready for those trips in June and July. So getting ready is obviously the theme of our life and that's the theme of this sermon today and I I just wanted to challenge us all as we think about being ready and getting ready.

3:53 Let's see what the Lord has to say about that in his word, and so let's pray and enter into that. Heavenly Father, just praise you and thank you so much for your word. Lord, there are so many times in life when we we look around us and and we see things that really disturb us. We think see things that just don't make any sense. We see things that, hit us hard sometimes or hit other people hard, and we just want it to go away.

4:22 And yet, Lord, you you are the omnipotent, all powerful, omniscient, all knowing, and omnipresent, present everywhere God. And you are sovereign. You know the beginning from the end and you have everything under control. We need not be anxious for anything. And Lord we thank you that we know that because you just didn't leave us as orphans.

4:47 You sent your Holy Spirit and you gave us the living word which we are going to open up here, and I pray that your word would speak forth the truth that you would just use me as a conduit and use some of my friends to help out. I pray your blessing now on this time in Jesus name, Amen. Just wanna quickly review for those that, were here or just, you know, this is such a powerful chapter, Luke 12. And if you, turn in your Bibles there, you'll notice it's kinda truncated if you have one of those Bibles that break it out. Of course, that's that's editorial privileges.

5:49 But that's what we focused on that the Lord said you do not fear men. But verse five He said, I'll tell you who you should fear. Look at verse five, But I will warn you whom to fear. Fear the one who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

6:09 So that's God himself. Right? Then we also looked at what shall we fear? So we had whom shall we fear and what shall we fear? And that was the next nine verses 13 to 21.

6:20 And the key verse here is verse 15. He said, beware and be on your guard against every form of greed. For not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions. We consider three main points there that kind of come from observation of the world and then one of course from scripture and that was it just some statistics I found five years ago. If you have a net worth of $70,000 net worth that means everything you own 70,000 or more, then you are in the top 10 percentile of the world in wealth.

7:00 That means 90% of the world has less than you. If you have 70,000 net worth that was five years ago I don't know what it is now I'm sorry. It's also been said that a fool, a definition of a fool is someone whose plans end at the grave. Someone whose plans end at the grave is a fool and we we studied the wealthy fool landowner. And then the third one was based upon first Thessalonians four seventeen where we're talk...

7:32 Informed of the rapture by the Apostle Paul and we're told that all the believers dead or alive will meet the Lord in the air in the clouds. First are those that are dead like Mr. Meeling or Mr. Bingham and Mr. Dick and Mr.

7:49 Guerin. Have a... Sadly we have a list don't we? But they get to go first. And then all those who are still alive who are who know the Lord as their savior they go second.

8:01 And the question was, what happens to all their stuff when they die especially if you're still alive? What happens to all their stuff? And it just as a reminder that we should be investing in eternal treasure right? The treasure that's not like I mean like what happened in World War two when the Jews were exterminated and all this all this good stuff here well who we're pass it around to which general do we want to honor which businessman do we wanna say, hey, here's a little kickback for providing us war parts? That's not what we want our our investments, money, our...

8:38 And even our spending our time and talent. Right? We want that to go to the Lord and just be reminded there that every form of greed shows up in so many ways. And lastly looking at what shall we not fear? What shall we not fear?

8:52 We had whom shall we fear? What shall we fear? What shall we not fear? In the last from verses 22 to 34 we found we're not supposed to fear about our daily provision. The Lord's got it covered.

9:03 Remember the the daffodils, the nice ones, and the not so nice ones? And we were told in verse 24 Luke 12 that the ravens are cared for by the Lord. We're also reminded that the lilies bloom and look so beautiful and they actually look better than anything King Solomon could ever come up with with all his money. But the lilies were also then, thrown away into the garbage within a couple weeks. And that we should not be anxious because we're children of God.

9:39 He's our heavenly father. He knows exactly that we need these things. The whole world is looking for I need I need I need I need. He says, I know you need that. I made you that way.

9:49 Trust me and I will take care of you. Relax. Don't be anxious. In fact, not only will I provide you these things but verse 32 said, I'll also gladly give you the kingdom. Wow.

10:03 That God says, will gladly give my children the kingdom of God. We can rest in his provision for today, but we can also rest in his vision, in his provision for the future. We can have an unfailing treasure awaiting us in heaven as we place our trust in the Lord, invest in his kingdom. Verse 34 says, for where your treasure is there will your heart be also. And so that's the kicker isn't it?

10:32 We might know this, but how far is that? Going from a mind to our heart and saying I really need to live according to this. This is this is good this is good but I want to live according. Well this next section section I need a little help so could I have a few of my younger friends come on up here? We're we're in new territory now.

11:18 So don't get distracted by these good looking guys up here for the moment I'm sorry I should have read it first I got a little confused apologize just relax gentlemen. Here we go Luke 12308 why did I bring these guys up here? Be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps alight, and be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will gird himself to serve and have them recline at table and will come up and wait on them.

11:57 Whether he comes in the second watch or even in the third and finds them, so blessed are those slaves. And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect. And Peter said, Lord, are you addressing this parable to us or to everyone else as well? And the Lord said, 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.

12:35 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, my master will be a long time in coming and begins to beat the slaves both men and women and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect them, at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will shall receive many lashes.

13:16 But the one who did not know it and committed deeds worthy of flogging will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required and to whom they entrusted much of him they will ask. I'm sorry, I'll say it again. And to whom they entrusted much of him they will ask all the more. Well, gentlemen thank you again for participating in this little exhibit.

13:45 So over here we have a football player and if you are being ready as a football player what position would you take sir? You know, I'm gonna bring you... I'm I'm sorry. Would you come over here because our zoomers would really like to see that stance? That is a football ready position.

13:59 Thank you very much, sir. Alright. And now we have a wrestler. What is being... Looking ready if you're a wrestler?

14:06 Woah, wait, wait, got freak. There might be photographs out there I don't know so let's hold that. Alright, there we go. Thank you very much. And how about a baseball player?

14:14 How about a baseball player? Wow, nice dance, nice dance. Oh, basketball player. Okay. Alright.

14:24 Alright. And track star. And I I take that to long distance. What about sprint? You got you got sprint?

14:32 You don't sprint? You don't sprint? You gotta get those fingers. There we go. Oh, yeah.

14:37 Oh, that's alright. Can we give all a hand there? Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Well, you know what?

14:43 The Bible would... What we just read about was about the master, and the master, well, when he shows up, it might look like this. Well, it could look like this. Oh, that's right. Nobody knows.

14:58 Nobody knows. She let... You didn't know either. Isn't that interesting? But you were ready, weren't you?

15:06 What if the Lord came back right then? Could be now. The master has arrived. Thank you gentlemen you may be seated. You were thinking though, weren't you?

15:34 You were thinking. Thank you, guys. Really appreciate that. But that's actually what the Lord wants us to always be thinking. Always.

15:46 It's not, well, when I get around to it, or how about Sunday morning, or how about when I'm doing my devotional? But always, always. Let's break it down. Let's look at verse 35 to start with. That's where we're starting today.

16:09 But to be ready and you've got some ideas what athletes have to do to be ready but what does it look like for us? Be like men who are waiting for the master. Now the two gentlemen that were standing at the door well that actually is what we're supposed to do symbolically, isn't it? We're supposed to be standing at the door when the Lord knocks. When the Lord returns, we are to be ready to do his will.

16:34 But the thing that's also neat about that master is he gives us work. So let's take a look at that work that he gives us to do while we're waiting. See it says in verse 36 be like men who are waiting for their Master when he turns from the wedding feast. Now that was a symbolic joyful moment but it had a lot of motion. I was told that they the the groom would first of all start on his house and then he would go get the bride then he'd come back to his house and his servants would be waiting for him because this is a big night you know and if they're like waiting at the door and I've seen it in The Philippines alright I've seen The Philippines people have helpers and these are domestic helpers and when they get up there if they don't open the gate right when they show up some of the more rude ones you know there's these big honking things going on alright and it's like just get out your own car and open your own gate.

17:21 That's how I feel, but anyway that's not how they feel. But that's not what the master feels. He says you must be ready. Blessed are those slaves. So what's happening here?

17:29 They're being blessed. Whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes. Truly I say to you, look at this, that he will guard himself, will gird himself to serve and have them recline at the table and will come up and wait on them. Just a little side note, check out Luke 17 on your own sometime and look at the difference. Luke 17 is the parable of the unworthy slave.

17:53 He says, I I just am doing my thing and never would the master do his job. But here, this is God saying, I will serve my servants who are obedient to me. Wow. Talk about humility, Verse 38, whether he comes in the second watch or even in third, how many here like to get up at, well, how'd like to go to work at 9PM? I don't think you'd like that would you?

18:19 Nine to three shift and you know you're guarding something and you have to be on the alert all times I don't care how busy you were during the day you have to be on the alert from nine to midnight. How about midnight to three? Wouldn't that be terrible? But he says that's that's how I want you to think. I want you to think that every minute of every day there's no off time.

18:38 And having lived on the other side of the world midnight to three here is noon to three in The Philippines. And you always have to before you dial that phone you have to remember where am I calling, what time will it be there, and Denzel he like bless his heart he apologizes to me every once in while he goes I don't even know what number to You know it's okay, it's okay. I woke up a guy in Hawaii at 02:00 in the morning one time, asking just for, some guidance. So I know it's like. He says I want you to be ready at all times.

19:13 And then verse 39. Verse 39, and be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. There is no one in this room that would like to be robbed, some people have, and it's an invasion not it's just an invasion beyond thought. Someone was in my house. We've had missionaries that were robbed in The Philippines fortunately usually it's just petty theft, but one time unfortunately the missionary woke up in the middle of the night and caught the guy.

19:48 He only had a black eye to show for it thankfully but his son almost got stabbed. So once the knife once the knife came out they go just just go away. The guy jumped off of the 2nd Floor of the house that they were living in and climbed a eight foot wall. So yeah those things do happen don't they? But if you knew that they were coming I bet you that never would have happened.

20:12 The lights would have gone on, the dogs would have started barking, and that's what he's saying I want you to be like that. I want you to remember I'm coming back and I have work for you to do in the meantime, and I want you to be doing that work when I arrive. I don't want you to say, well, could it? He's not coming back for a while. What is it?

20:29 What does it say about that later on? It says that people that weren't ready were disciplined. Okay? So he says in verse 40 then, you too be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour that you do not expect. Peter asked the question because he's asking this be...

20:46 He he just... Is this for me? Anybody here ever been in class personally where someone in the class raise your hand, teacher do we have to know this for the test? Yeah. Okay.

20:56 I I kind of get Peter doing that right now. Lord, is this something you want me to do or is it for like everybody else? No. This is for everyone. Jesus doesn't even answer him.

21:25 Who? I'm saying, this is your job. Alright? These guys all they had to do was get in position to be ready. Right?

21:31 But what is the person who is a sensible and faithful steward have to do? It says, he will be put in charge of his servants. Wow. Fellow servants. So it's one servant in charge of other servants, people.

21:46 Ah. What are the only two things that last for eternity? God's word and people. Think about it. Money, houses, cars, retirement, vacation homes?

22:03 No. All those are gonna be left to somebody else when you die if you're a believer. Only thing that lasts forever, people and his word. What does he want his church to focus on? What does he want every believer to focus on?

22:22 People and the Word of God. Who then is a faithful and sensible steward whom his master will put in charge of his servants to give them their rations at the proper time. Taking care of people. Taking care of God's Word. Verse 43, Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

22:47 And there you go. It's it's that, hey, if you had just been patient, you're always grabbing grabbing grabbing, how about you just trust me, take care of the people, and I'll give you all the possessions you could ever want. And there'll be heavenly treasures. Heavenly treasures that moth and thief cannot break in and steal. Right?

23:07 So it's a matter of trusting the Lord, trusting His word, and trusting HIS economy. His economy. Let me get to verse 45. This is the sad news, right? There's always an if then a cause and effect, right?

23:21 Verse 45 says, But if that slave says in his heart, my master will be a long time in coming. And what's he do? He begins to mistreat people that he was entrusted. It says he beats the slaves of men and women, eat and drinks, and gets drunk. That's almost the similar situation we had from the the rich landowner in in the first half of Luke 12, right?

23:47 He just said, Hey I got everything I need I'm gonna build bigger barns and I'm gonna kick it back and eat drink and be merry. And what's the Lord say to this in the parable? You fool. You fool. It says in verse 46 the master of that slave 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 assign him a place with the unbelievers.

24:15 I asked Noah if he if he would play the role of that and thank you Noah Noah said no. But you know I said hey you can have a little fun with this. You can act drunk and be crazy and your brother will kill you. No that wasn't a good role so we cut that. But anyway my point is that's real.

24:33 That's not fake. So what is this describing? Well who was Jesus confronted with? You got to turn the page maybe like me back in chapter 11 last two verses. We talked about this last week, last last month.

24:47 When Jesus left there, wherever there was, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very host hostile and to question him closely on many subjects, plotting against him to catch him in something he might say. Under these circumstances, verse one and twelve, after so many thousands of multitude had gathered together, they were stepping on one another. He began saying to his disciples first of all, beware. Beware what? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy.

25:17 So if your Bible is like mine, it's got a lot of red print and we're at that red print now, and we just got all the way to verse 46, boom, they're the Pharisees and the Scribes. He's describing people who had by God's ordination been set aside within the chosen people of Israel, and through the lineage of all these people they were considered unique from the tribe of Levi. And so we have, the priesthood, but they become corrupt. We had the scribes who were, you know, the people that knew the scriptures so well they could quote every verse, but they didn't live it out. And that's the difference folks between here and here.

26:54 So for the zoomers, I'm hoping this works. Anyway, okay. So what does it say? I'll read from behind. It says, and that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will shall receive many lashes.

27:10 But the one who did not know it and committed deeds worthy of a flogging will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required, and to whom they entrusted much of him they will ask all the more. So now we go from this example of having the folks kind of broken up into three categories. Those who were in charge, they were put in charge, and they didn't obey. They not only were not ready when the master came, but they were disobedient.

27:51 They were doing the opposite of what he told them to do. They are cast into hell. Okay? The second group is the group that they were not in charge, but they still were not ready. It says they received lashes.

28:08 Many of them. But there were others that didn't even know. They didn't even know. Why? Because the first group didn't do their job.

28:21 The second group, they were held accountable. That's why they got a lot of lashes. But the third group, they didn't even know. And yet because they did not do things according to what the master had declared, they still received lashes. They were still disciplined but few.

28:38 And in this summary which is what I'm trying to present here. This summary. It says that how much we are given and how much we are entrusted is relevant. Okay? So down here at the bottom, okay, I'm sorry, on the left.

29:04 This y axis. That's how much we're given, how much we're entrusted. Lord, if you're like me, mean, folks, if you're like me, I'm in the top 10%. When I show up in The Philippines and I drive the hour and a half to get to my house, I go past poverty that would make you cry. There are people that live right outside Faith Academy's gate that have been ministered to for fifty years by Faith Academy.

29:35 They're being kicked out of their property. It's not their property, they're squatters. But the very nice neighborhood that it's in which used to be dairy farm and now is being developed very nice homes and everything, they go we don't want your type here. Faith Academy has been providing fresh water. Faith Academy has been providing a church.

29:56 Faith Academy been providing food for the last fifteen months. They don't like us either because they go if you weren't here they wouldn't do that. And I'm thinking if they... If you weren't here, you wouldn't have your property in the first place because we were here first. Anyway, sorry about that.

30:13 But my point is poverty is everywhere. We think we see poverty here in our country. It's nothing compared to the rest of the world. Nothing. But I don't...

30:23 It's still poverty. It's still it's still the slums. And those people would be on the lower end of this how much given and thereby how much entrusted. Why do I have this line here? Genrev, general revelation.

30:40 According to the book of Romans, everybody knows there... There's a God. You look out the window, I was watching squirrels chase each other day. It was hilarious. And then one of them decided to freeze and the other one froze too.

30:55 And they were probably brothers, know. I could just imagine. And then finally the one ran away and they chased him. They caught him. And finally they got tired of that and they just walked together.

31:04 General revelation, someone designed them to have a lot of fun. Someone designed these trees that every year we've got to trim them. Every year that mulch looks terrible we got to replace it. Every week, you gotta mow the grass. Right, Mason?

31:21 God designed that for a reason. That's general revelation. To show that he's there. Look at a starlit night. Look at a sunrise or sunset.

31:30 Get up at 05:00 in the morning and check it out. Some people do that. All this is to point out that everybody's held accountable to some level, so don't think that just because someone's poor that they're not held accountable to God. But what's along the right hand side? It says, how much is required?

31:49 There there is a direct correlation. Once you get past general revelation, that's much is required. It keeps going up. If the Lord has blessed you and you have a lot of money, if the Lord has blessed you and you have a lot of time... Oh, now you're getting personal, aren't you?

32:09 You retirees out there. Alright. How about the Lord has blessed you and you have a lot of talent. You can put fill in the blank. Where has the Lord blessed you?

32:20 I got a lot of kids. I got 17 grandkids. Alright. Well, what? Who do you think the number one preacher should be for those 17 grandkids?

32:32 The number one evangelist. Well, that's what the church does. No. Grandpa, grandma, great grandpa, great grandma. It's you.

32:42 I'm looking in the mirror I got two grandkids I hope there'll be a lot more. So everything I'm saying is true whether you can apply it to yourself or not. The bottom line is as you see I'm going up with the world, I'm getting more wealth, I got a raise this week, guess what? There's more required of you. You see what this is teaching us?

33:17 And the the the guests almost fell over. Are you kidding me? These people are dirt poor. Look, they're really living on dirt floors. He says, but they only have one pig.

33:27 They want two pigs. They only have three dogs. They want four. They only have a small garden. They want a whole field.

33:38 And it's green. No matter how little you got, folks Miriam and I have been in garbage country. It's called, Tondo, Maybe you've ever heard of The Philippines, it's called Smoky Mountain. The garbage is so heaped up that it decombusts all the time and the smoke comes off the garbage. People live, it's a village.

34:02 They have running water, they have electricity, they have cell phones, but that's where they live. Three generations are there right now of garbage pickers. Are they below this line? Nope. Are they responsible?

34:17 Yep. And then I've also met one of the most wealthy people in all of Asia. He responsible? Yeah. His daughter died recently.

34:32 She was a thriving newly I'm sorry engaged woman. She graduated from Faith Academy. She got sick. They didn't know what happened. She kept getting sicker.

34:48 Her org... Organs started to shut down. Within two weeks, she was dead. He took out an ad in the newspaper and gave his testimony. He said, my values have changed.

35:05 I was a believer, but now I know the loss and I also know the gain. She's in heaven. I know that. She just proclaimed the gospel all the time. She lived it.

35:17 I didn't. My goals were money. My value was money. It's gone. I can't bring her back.

35:26 That is real. That is real. As we finish let's take a look at the last section because this is where if you think that's personal this is real personal. Verses 40 nine-fifty nine the last 11 verses, I have come, says Jesus, it's in red, I have come to cast fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to undergo and how distressed I am until it is accomplished.

35:57 Verse 51, do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you no, but rather division. For from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, Father against son and son against father. Mother against daughter and daughter against mother.

36:17 Mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. And he was saying also saying to the multitude, that's everybody, when you see a cloud rising in the west immediately you say, hey, a shower is coming. And so it turns out. And when you see a south wind blowing you say, it'll be a hot day. And it turns out that way.

36:37 You hypocrites. You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth or the sky. But why do you not analyze this present time? And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate on your way there make an effort to settle with him in order that he may not drag you before the judge and the judge turn you over to the constable and the constable throw you into prison.

37:09 I say to you, you shall not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent. What is Jesus saying here, folks? Jesus, in in the first verse we read there, 49 says, he wanted to judge the earth. But what did he had to do first? What did he...

37:33 What was he sent to do? He came as a baby in a manger. He came to live a life so that he could pay the debt for us all. And then and then he had a baptism. What was that baptism that he said in verse 50?

37:53 I want to... I'm distressed until it's accomplished. I cannot wait. And we read about that later on that he was purposed to go to Jerusalem knowing what was waiting for him. Jesus wanted to judge the earth, but he has to wait.

38:10 When he comes back, he will. The first time, he died for everyone in the world. The second time, he judges the world. He was obedient to the master, and the master also said, you got forty days after I raise you, and you're up here with me. And the master is God, and the master will determine when the Lord returns.

38:47 Ah, look back a few chapters to chapter two in Luke. Let's read the whole verse that should be in every Christmas story in every elementary school. Verse 14, two fourteen, Glory to God in the highest. This is what the angels are saying. Right?

39:06 And on peace among and on earth peace among men. Is that where it is? No. And on earth peace among men with whom he is well pleased. Is there peace on earth?

39:20 Excuse me. I heard and saw rockets. I didn't hear them personally. I saw them on the television screen. Do you think there's peace in Jerusalem right now?

39:31 No. Well jump ahead 20 verses verse 34, And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, behold this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel and for a sign to be opposed. A sign to be opposed means there's opposition, there is division. So when Jesus was only eight days old, he was already appointed that he will... It has come to divide.

40:08 It's it's it's a lie that many in the church, guilty as charged right here, would say well no no no Jesus came to bring peace. Remember he was a baby and then he lived, he brought peace. He didn't bring a sword but he did eventually tell the disciples you're gonna need one. And when it comes back, the sword is where? In his mouth.

40:34 He speaks and people die. He speaks and Satan and the beast and the prophet are destroyed and not... Are they... They're cast into hell. So Jesus did not bring peace.

40:51 He said, I came to bring division. I'm gonna give you some quick verses. I'm not gonna go there because we're running short on time, but here's the division. Proverbs twelve twenty two. Please write this down.

41:01 I took a lot of time to figure this out. Proverbs twelve twenty two and John fourteen six. The division of truth from lies. The division of truth from lies. Proverbs twelve twenty two and John fourteen six.

41:12 How about the sheep from the goats? Sheep from the goats. You know that one in Matthew chapter twenty five thirty one to 46. What about the sheep from the wolves in sheep's clothing? Matthew seven fifteen.

41:28 How about the good fish from the bad fish? Matthew thirteen forty seven to 50. What about that wheat from the tares you know where they they planted their their field and all of a sudden these weeds are coming up and the servant say should we tear it all out and he said no no no no, let them grow up together and then when they reveal what they really are you destroy the tares, Keep the wheat. How about children of the promise from children of the flesh? Goes all the way back to who?

42:02 Abraham's son, Isaac, versus Abraham's son, Ishmael. The child of promise will not reign over the child of the flesh. The verses are Genesis seventeen one to 22, eighteen:nine-fifteen, and 20 one:ten-twelve. Again Genesis seventeen:one-twenty two, eighteen:nine-fifteen, and 21 ten-twelve. And a nice little summary in the New Testament, Galatians four twenty two to 31.

42:39 And the last one, the one that hits me the hardest, believers from unbelievers. Second Corinthians six fourteen to 15. Young people, listen. Don't even start to date if you don't know that. They are believer.

43:01 Don't even test the water. Don't have anything to do with an unbeliever except to evangelize them. But once you enter into a dating relationship, how about a business relationship? How much yuck are you willing to put in your water to say that I'll drink it? Oh, what are you talking about?

43:28 I used to work at Dow Chemical and the solution to pollution is dilution. I'll say that again, the solution to pollution is dilution. Every drink of water I got, I guarantee there are particles in here that would be nasty. But I trust the people at LD that they didn't just poison me Because it's diluted with good stuff enough that my body could probably handle it. I would not do that when I was in Mexico.

44:05 And I would not do that in some areas of The Philippines. Okay? To my point, how much are you willing to do? Say, oh, I'm just gonna date this girl once. I'm just gonna see this guy once.

44:17 Well, you're putting some stuff in your life that could poison you for your... The rest of your life. I'm not gonna get more personal with that. We've talked about general rev... Revelation.

44:30 That's verses fifty four and fifty five. You look at the weather. We're so good at it as human beings now. I can tap... Touch a little button on my phone, and I can tell my my my mother-in-law how hot it's gonna be today.

44:47 That's how good we are. That's general revelation. Does God really give us that? Yeah. Why did he give us that?

44:57 So we can plant, we can harvest, we can do things out in the field, and we don't have to worry. Hey, it's going... It's worked for a generation. Red night sailors fight. Red in the morning sailors take warning.

45:09 There's even these little proverbs that we humans have come up with, but it's all about God's sovereignty. And then how does he close this out? Ouch. How does he close this out versus fifty six and fifty seven? I'm sorry 56 to 59.

45:26 He calls us hypocrites. He says you look at all this stuff and you don't even analyze the times. The times are before us folks. If Jesus walked through that door, if that really was Jesus Christ walked through that door right there it would have been a much different story than a little giggle, right? It would have been a much different story.

45:47 But the point is, these are the end times. These are the end times. I got something to show you. Could this church be shut down because of the Equality Act? Yep.

46:06 Could CCS be shut down? WCA. And if it starts in The United States, Faith Academy is right behind. This is real folks. So what are we told to do?

46:24 We're told to be ready. And if you're an unbeliever, if you cannot say I have received Jesus Christ as my Savior, if you're an unbeliever, you're reading your story right here in, verses fifty eight and fifty nine. Because guess you you know these guys had different roles. All the roles that are listed in 58, for while you are going with your opponent, guess who your opponent is? God.

46:53 Oh. To appear before the magistrate. Guess who that is? God. On your way there make an effort to settle with him.

47:03 Your opponent. God. In order that he may not drag you before the judge. God. And the judge turn you over to the constable.

47:16 God. And the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you shall not get out of there. Why? Because you're so guilty.

47:26 You're so guilty. You could never pay the debt. And what's it say? Until you have paid off the very last cent. You know what that word cent is there?

47:34 That's that widow's mite that she put in both of them when she gave the most that day in the treasury in the temple. You can't pay God off. If you do not know him as your savior, this is your future. And for the rest of you who are believers, do you know someone that's not? This is their future if they don't come to the lord as their savior.

48:34 You already told us it was gonna happen. So how do we deal with it Lord? We we come to you. We come to you, we do what it says here, we go to the judge, the magistrate. We go to the opponent and we say, how can I make this right?

48:53 And you say you can't, but I can't, for all things are possible with me. And so Lord not only will you forgive the unbeliever and bring them into your kingdom and bless them abundantly giving them eternal life, forgiveness, hope, and a joy that is inexpressible. But for us who already have received that, father, you'll forgive us too. If we've been living a lazy life, if we think that, hey, I I I turned 57. No.

49:25 I turned 65. Oh, no. I turned 67. Whatever. And now I can kick it back.

49:32 No. You want us until death calls us home, or we meet you in the air. Lord you want us fully committed to you, investing in you and in your kingdom. Thank you that there's hope, thank you that we are not in despair, thank you that you didn't leave us alone, thank you that we have your word and we can read this again and again and again, and we can be reminded it's all about your love for us. You love the world so much that what did you do?

50:09 You gave. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.