Theology in 4 Words — Shane Idleman

Right now we're at Matthew 17 verse 22, and Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection. In the past we've talked about in Matthew that he is predicting his death and his resurrection. And this is where verse 22 picks up.

Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And the third day he will be raised up, and they were exceedingly sorrowful.

Jesus himself is saying he'll be betrayed, he'll be killed, and he'll be raised again from the dead. And at this point, this is where C .S. Lewis would again ask you, Is he a lunatic, is he a liar, or is he the Lord?

And when you talk about Jesus, those are your only three options. Is he a lunatic, is he a liar, or is he the Lord Jesus Christ? Because only a lunatic would say something like this, or a liar, if it's not true.

But because it's true, we know that it validates his claim to be Lord. He predicts his death and resurrection. Jesus is saying, I will die and I will rise again. But then many people say, well, well, wait a minute, this happened to me last week, an atheist said.

They could just make that up. They can just put that in the Bible later. Well, it's interesting. If you read historians from maybe a hundred years after Jesus, secular historians, not Christians, they talk about Jesus and followers of Christ.

So if Jesus was lying, and he made this up, and he never rose from the dead, why were disciples following him being killed? They were being killed for their faith. We've talked about this before, this is no surprise.

The followers of Jesus Christ, Matthew, Mark, Paul, and different disciples were killed for their faith. Nobody's going to die for a lie. They're not going to say, yeah, you know, saw me in two, hang me upside down, we hid the body, it's all made up.

Nobody's going to do that. So to me, that validates his claim. And secular historians said that there was a man named Jesus Christ with followers. So from a purely historical context, we have to assume that Jesus was a real historical figure.

Now let me read a few of those. Hope I get their names right. Pliny the Younger was his name, P-L-I-N-Y. You can look this up, read his work, Pliny the Younger. He lived around 112 A .D. That would have been about 70, 80 some years after Jesus was raised from the dead and resurrection, and his followers started following him.

He was a governor in Asia Minor, and he wrote a letter regarding how to deal with Christians who worship Christ. Cornelius Tacitus, 55 A .D. to 117 A .D. So he was born just 20 years after Jesus, and he's regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome.

Writing on the reign of Nero, Tacitus mentions the death of Christ and the Christians in Rome. He said this, Consequently, to get rid of the report of the city being on fire that Nero actually started, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations called Christians by the populace.

And Lucian, 120 A .D. to 180 A .D. spoke scornfully of Christ and Christians. The Christians worship a man to this day. The distinguished person, the distinguished personage, or personage, I'm sorry, who introduced their novel rights and was crucified on that account.

You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt they have for death and the voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them.

So you're reading secular historians that are talking about a Jesus who was crucified, and talking about his followers who were following him. So this wasn't just made up. You couldn't get people to follow a lie because they knew, they saw the risen Savior, many of these people, that died after Jesus was resurrected and taken away.

They died because of their faith. They believed it so much so, not unlike what you're seeing in the news. When people are dying for the faith that they believe in, in the Middle East. So the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact.

And even if you say the resurrection, yeah Shane, that's all Christians say, but the death and burial and existence of Jesus Christ is a historical fact. It is. So a person has to grapple with that. Lunatic, liar, or lord.

He's not just a good teacher. I run into people a lot, even the other day at Trader Joe's, a Jewish guy, and yeah, he was a good teacher. If that's all he was, he was a terrible teacher. He was a good teacher, but if that's all he was, he has to either be lord or lunatic or liar.

He cannot just be a good teacher. He was the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why I titled this message, really it's a shorter title than that. The title of the message is Theology Can Be Condensed Into Four Words.

Theology, the study of God, can be condensed into four words. And I grabbed this quote from Spurgeon. He said, my entire theology can be condensed into four words. Jesus died for me. At the core of theology, at the core of what we believe, that is everything summed up in four words, is it not?

Jesus died for me. And then from that, we can have a better understanding of correct theology. And it's interesting, the denial of Christ has very little to do with facts. If you present the facts to people, the historical facts of the Bible, the archaeological facts of the Bible, I think they just found where Goliath lived.

If you've been following some of the archaeological discoveries, and the skeletons of wells out in the desert, I think off of Egypt or somewhere out there. How did that get there? Well, it's called a flood.

I mean, the Bible, it will show scientifically, archaeologically, historically. And Jesus, you read, I only read three of the secular historians. There's dozens who wrote about Jesus. So it has nothing to do with facts.

The reason they deny Jesus Christ is they have issues with authority, submission, and surrender. Let's get right to the heart of this matter. The reason the people do not bow their knee to Jesus Christ is they have issues with authority, and submission, and surrender.

They don't want there to be a God. If you talk to people long enough, you'll find out they want to do what they want, when they want, to who they want, however they want. They don't want any accountability.

Can you imagine if the fear of God hit Planned Parenthood? That's why they're doing what they're doing. They have no fear of God. The fear of the Lord has left. But it's interesting, on this note, everyone is under authority already.

They just don't realize it. They are submitting to something. They have already surrendered their soul. They just don't know it yet. So children of God, we've surrendered to Jesus. We say, Lord, I can't win this battle.

I need you. I'm a sinner. Now I'm a saint, but I was a sinner who's confessing my sin, and I'm repenting, and I'm turning to you. I'm under your authority. You're under your direction. I'm submitting to you.

But somebody who doesn't do that, they're still under authority. They're under the control of the enemy. They're not called the child of God. They're called a child of wrath. They're not called the son of the Most High.

They're called the son of the devil. Jesus said, you sons of the devil. You hypocrites. And that's the interesting thing. Anytime I'm talking with people on this topic, they don't see it, but I can already see it.

They're already under submission. They're already under the control of the enemy. Their soul is lost. They're gone. You're a pawn in Satan's army. But they often don't realize it until it's too late. That's why you preach the gospel.

That's why you preach the good news. That's why you tell people there is a hope. Because when you unravel the onion and you get to the core of people, you find out that this is really the issue. It's one word called pride.

The pride of your heart has deceived you. Pride. It's pride. We don't want there to be a God. Do you remember before you came to the Lord or even in your prodigal son state or wherever you were at, I didn't want to hear about God at all.

I didn't want to hear one word. I got Waylon Jennings on the radio and a 12-pack of Budweiser and I'm heading to Vegas and don't mention. Don't mention God to me. I don't want to hear anything, Mom. Don't say you're praying for me.

Nothing to do with God. Nothing. Why? We know the answer. Because we're dead set on rebellion. The sinful heart is set on rebelling against God. So keep that in mind. It's a spiritual battle. There's enough facts that support that Christ lived and died and was resurrected.

I truly believe. You could show, I've talked about a month ago, I've talked with an atheist for three hours. Fact after fact after fact after fact after fact. And I finally said, this is nonsense. You can have the Bible say whatever you want.

You can twist whatever you want. And the sad fact is you don't want to surrender your heart to God. You don't want to repent of your sin. That's the bottom line. Because I was giving fact after fact after fact.

Don't confuse me with the facts, right? That's what he was basically saying. So you can, and that's why I often say you can't argue somebody into heaven. You can pray them in. And it's good to, that's what apologetics is.

Apologetics to give a person the reason for the hope that's within you. That's apologetics. You're studying the word of God and you're able to share it with other people and convince them lovingly. It's okay to do that.

But understand that many times you can give, and that's why you get frustrated. You give all these facts. What's your problem? It's a problem of the heart. You can make the Bible say whatever you want.

God supports slavery and he doesn't like women and all this stuff. Whatever you want it to say. God was a mean God and vengeful and all this stuff. And that keeps us away from God because we make the scripture say whatever we want.

And it's really Christ has come to set us free from this bondage. So people are already under bondage. They're under the spiritual authority of the devil. And Jesus comes to set them free. That's why he came to set them free.

And we'll read that in a little bit. The message of the cross. The message that we're talking about tonight is very inclusive. Have you ever heard those words? Exclusive and inclusive. The media will say that a lot.

Christianity is very exclusive. Exclusive means it's very narrow. It only includes a certain amount of people. But the call, the message of the gospel is inclusive. I believe the Bible says whosoever.

Whosoever will believe and repent. Whosoever will return. Whosoever from the African desert to the shores of Maine. Whosoever. Japan, China, whosoever. That's where it's very inclusive. It includes everybody.

But then it gets exclusive because the message is narrow. The only way, the only truth, the only life. Jesus said, I'm the only way, the only truth, the only life. Nobody comes to the Father except through me.

That's very narrow. Very narrow. But you know, I thought about this this week. How exclusive is oxygen? Everybody complains that the gospel is exclusive. Too exclusive. Well, how exclusive is oxygen? When was the last time people tried to change that?

Well, I'm just not going to breathe today. That's too exclusive. Hold your breath for how long? A minute maybe? Boy, that's very exclusive. Yes, it's very narrow. It operates under a certain dynamic with your lungs, with the capacity of your body to take that oxygen and breathe and live.

Very, very exclusive. There's no other way to breathe. Jump in the ocean and try breathing. Why is the ocean so exclusive? Why is oxygen, gravity? We have no problem with natural laws. Nobody's ever came up to me and said, I'm so mad at gravity.

I'm so mad at oxygen. I am teed off the 2 plus 2 equals 4. It's so exclusive. What's wrong with people? Nothing. But when it comes to moral truth, when it comes to moral compasses and saying, God says we must live our life like this, this is absolute truth, that's why everybody has a problem.

Keep your religion away from me. So see, it's really not about exclusivity. We love exclusivity when it applies to us. The world does. But when it becomes about conforming and changing, that's why Planned Parenthood, I use the example, but I use it again, that's why they're scrambling.

That's why they're trying to say this or say this. It's not really this and not really this. Everybody's trying to defend them and they don't want any accountability. Nobody can just say, I was sorry.

I was wrong. I repent. Lord, forgive me. Very healthy words. Very, very healthy words. I was just talking to my mom this afternoon. She does a lot of marriage counseling, as many of you know. And she said, Shane, if spouses would just say, you know what, I was wrong.

I'm sorry. Will you forgive me? Can I work on that? I take full responsibility. You would end half the counseling appointments. Right there, no need, no need. But we want to get a referee. Bar, bar, bar, bar, bar, bar, bar.

That's what it is. It's referee. Did you, did, did, did, did. But it's very healthy. It's very healthy to say those things. Verse 24, when they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, does your teacher not pay the temple tax?

He said, yes. And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him saying, what do you think, Simon, Peter? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes? From their sons or from strangers?

Peter said to him, from strangers. Jesus said to him, then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea and cast in a hook and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money.

Take that and give it to them for me and for you. Now this whole passage could have been another sermon on taxes, the government, submission, authority, all these things that we don't want to talk about too often.

And I know there's actually Christians that I've known high up, if I mention a few names, you probably know too. They actually went to jail for tax evasion. And they use it in the scripture. Hey, we're free, we don't have to pay taxes.

Well, if Jesus did, you might want to reconsider your view. Now I'm not going to get on some rabbit trail, some political trail. I don't want to take too much from this. But I want a few things. Jesus is saying, I believe, and this is the item in paraphrase, so obviously check everything.

But there is a greater authority. Jesus is saying there is a greater authority. We're sons of God. The government sits underneath God. There's a greater authority. We're free. However, so we don't offend them.

And that word offense there is pretty interesting. But so we don't offend them, let's pay our taxes. Let's pay the temple tax. We don't have to. It's my right, but I don't want to offend, so I will pay that temple tax.

And that's a very good balance, I think, in our own individual lives. And to me it meant this, choose your battles carefully. Choose your battles carefully and don't seek to offend people. With Christianity there are so many different things.

We can become judgmental. Every little thing can set us off. Pick our battles carefully. Yes, that's right, but I don't have rights all the time necessarily. I'm going to do something here that doesn't cause an offense, that doesn't cause a problem.

We should be peacemakers, not religious negotiators. We should be ones that want to have peace with the brethren, peace with the government. And so what I think he's saying here is put down your right.

You know, you don't have to pay taxes technically because we're under God's authority. However, we don't want to offend them and tarnish the Christian character. You know, a lot of people put a little sign of the fish on their business card.

And then they do terrible work. Those types of things. So choose your battles carefully. The truth, see here's an interesting thing. I've talked about this before. The truth offends people, doesn't it?

Have you found that out yet? If you haven't, then you probably haven't been doing much. Because the truth offends people. But our attitude shouldn't offend them. So the truth I'm proclaiming, the truth will offend.

But my attitude about it shouldn't be offensive. In other words, I shouldn't go picking fights over every little thing. Picking fights on this, picking fights on this, picking fights on this. Every little thing just going down the line.

And you become very critical, very judgmental. You're finding fault in everything. Can you find fault in everything? Probably. Follow me around. I'll follow you around. Look at my checkbook. Let me look at your checkbook.

Look at my calendar. Let me look at your calendar. How we do things at the church. How you would do things at the church. We can all judge and get very critical of each other. And that's why I believe we'd rather err on the side of not causing an offense.

This doesn't mean you don't stand for truth. But it does mean that your attitude should be an attitude of humility. And not wanting to cause a brother to stumble. Not wanting to get into an argument. There are people, and I call them heresy hunters.

There are websites, they love picking fights. They'll pick a fight about everything. Everything. They'll just critique every little nuance. Because that's what they believe God has given them the gift of criticism.

It's not in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, or 14. I've looked. I've been down that road before. Everything is critiqued. Everything. And that's not a healthy attitude. Because a judgmental spirit can grow. And it can grow.

And it can grow. And that's why we have to be careful in this area. So I believe, nevertheless, lest we offend them. Jesus is saying, listen. Like Paul said, to the Jews I became a Jew. To the Greek I became a Greek.

You become to that person. You don't offend them. One thing I thought of, also how we conduct ourselves. I'm not a perfect example of this. So I don't like using my example. Because I probably blow it more than I do good.

But like with our neighbor. We have a neighbor up above us. And I used to park on the curb. By the curb on the street. But then he got another car. And you really couldn't park three before his driveway.

So it's like he was trying to get it. So I say, hey, no problem. Let me just pull up in my driveway. Oh, you don't mind? No, no problem. So trying to keep a good relationship there. But I had all the way to my property line.

I know where that little property line mark is on the curb. I used to dig block wall footings. I know exactly how that works. I know how much inches I have. That's my right. That's my property. I don't care if you can't park.

Technically, right? But, lest I offend him. Let me park somewhere else. And build that relationship. See, that's how this works. There's times we can take the lower road. And you better get used to it.

And just saying, you know, it's not worth an argument. It's not worth the fight. That's what that means. Let's not offend them. Because did Jesus have to pay his temple tax? There's no way in the world.

He could have just said, Peter, no way. We're not paying that pride. But he humbled himself. And he said, let's not offend them. So there's a lot of truth to that. Nevertheless, though, he also said, let us submit to the earthly authority.

Since we have dual citizenship. Again, I'm paraphrasing. As a Christian, it's a very interesting thing. Do you realize you have dual citizenship? Not with here in Canada, or here in Mexico, or here. You have dual citizenship.

You are a child of God, in God's kingdom. But you're also a citizen of the United States. So we have dual citizenship. That's why Paul wrote in Romans 13, Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.

For there is no authority except from God. So you have to remember that. God in his sovereignty and in his control. God is the ultimate authority. And you might say, well, how did he let that guy in North Korea go?

This long. Or Saddam Hussein. Or Iran. How, how, how, how, how? Well, you have to understand that the concept of authority is good. The concept of government, from God's perspective, and ours, it's a good concept.

You want to try anarchy? You want to try every man defending himself? No police force, no authorities, no jails, no firemen. You want to live in that world? I hope not. Because you wouldn't be here, probably.

It would be survival of the fittest at its height. So God says the authority, the government, is my institution. God's institution. The whole purpose of government is to be a terror to those who do evil.

But then man gets in and corrupts what God has designed to be ultimately for good. So the concept of authority and government and governing people is not a bad concept. Actually, America, when it was first conceived, came over the pilgrims in 1620, and the Declaration of Independence, 1776.

It's not really a democracy, it's a republic. And the republic, they would vote for people in positions of leadership who held to a higher standard of integrity and feared the Lord. In some constitutions, if you can find it, you couldn't even run for office unless you profess a belief in God the Father and in His Son and the Holy Spirit.

You couldn't even run for office at all. So that's what the concept of government is, God's concept for this reason. Again, Romans 13. For there's no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a tear to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of authority?

Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is God's minister to avenge and to execute wrath on those who practice evil.

That's the purpose of government. And then you have to say, well Paul, you're writing that under the reign of Nero. Who put Christians on the street and lit them up for lights? That's candles. What is going on here?

You have to assume that also Nero was reading this. Hopefully, and people in positions of leadership are reading Paul's words. He's saying, listen, you're under an authority, and the whole purpose of authority, the whole purpose of government is to be a tear to those who do evil.

Actually, that's really the design of government is to be a tear to those who do evil. To protect and to defend the nation. That's why we've gotten into all kinds of trouble now with the government getting into everything.

That's not the concept. They're supposed to protect and defend. And that's the authority there. So how does that play out? This could be another whole sermon in itself. But the bottom line is we are to submit to authority until that authority starts to make us go in a direction that's actually blaspheming or mocking God.

For example, when the authorities in the New Testament said, don't go out and preach about Jesus anymore. The disciples said, okay, sure, yeah, right, whatever. I can't obey that authority. Or if the authority said, Shane, you've got to marry gay people.

I can't do that. I can't submit to that. Your authority now, you're usurping God's truth. You're usurping His authority. You're making me do things now against God. And many times, though, what they're asking us to do isn't going that dramatic or that drastic.

Parking tickets or submit to this and pay taxes. There's a gray area there. But when it comes to issues that are clearly, clearly outside of God's will and then by obeying the authorities, I would be disobeying God, that's when you have to look to the greater authority.

Fortunately, in this country, we've been very blessed, very blessed. But as we all know, it's going in a very unhealthy direction quickly. Like I often say, the Titanic has been struck. It's not going to turn around without God repairing and doing something there if that's His will.

And then we get into chapter 18 of Matthew, the beginning. Who is the greatest? That's what the title of this opening chapter is. At the time the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Boy, you've got to love these guys. They want to know who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set Him in the midst of them, and said, Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. And this is a scripture that is so important.

I wish Christian radio, Christian television would just put this verse up on the screen for a while. Unless you are converted and become as little children. Now it's interesting, we talked about the different versions of the Bible a few weeks ago.

I'll refer you back to that if you want. But the English Standard Version actually, in my opinion, translates this part, unless you are converted and become as little children, a little bit better. The new King James decided to use this word, convert.

In the Greek language it's stefro. And what stefro means, it doesn't mean saying a prayer. It doesn't mean raising your hand and coming forward. It doesn't mean getting baptized. It doesn't mean going to church.

It doesn't mean I was raised in a good Christian home. Stefro means, as the English Standard Version puts it, to turn from your sin. To turn from your sin like a child would and turn to God. So, Jesus is saying this, unless you turn from your sin, humble yourself like this little child, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child humbles himself. That's how you enter the kingdom of heaven. By being converted, by turning from sin and turning from God. Humble yourself. It's interesting, there's a side effect of conversion.

You know the side effect, you say this medication has a side effect. There's a side effect of conversion, it's called change. If there's no change taking place, there is no conversion. I like what A .W. Tozer said, he said, Millions of professed believers talk as if Christ were real, but they act as if he were not.

And our actual position should be discovered by the way we act, not by the way we talk. And this is a point you really want to drive home, because a side effect of conversion is change. If a person truly turns and is truly converted, there is genuine fruit, there's genuine change.

So when you talk to people and there's no fruit, there's nothing there. You have to wonder, were they converted? Because when I raise my hand, I said a quick prayer, I was baptized as a baby, I come to church, that doesn't matter.

None of that matters. It's good, some of it, except the baby baptism part. You can dedicate, but not baptize a child, the little baby. But none of that matters. What conversion is, that's why I don't worry too much about the eloquence of a person's prayer.

You don't have to say, pray after me. And you don't have to, if you do, it's good, but you don't have to. What it is, it's a person's heart breaking before God. It's a person's heart humbling themselves before God.

And in their heart, they're converting, they're turning from their sin, and they're turning to God. You don't even have to pray, you can just groan. I've heard people say, oh God, and they fall on their face, and they're converted when they leave.

What happened? They didn't pray. Wait a minute, they didn't pray, and they didn't come forward. That guy's not saved. No, what happened in his heart? Because so many people go forward sometimes, and they're not saved.

And I used to, I've worked down at Harvest Crusade, at Great Glories, a while back, 10 years ago, down at the grass area. Maybe you're just coming down, coming down. And I don't dismiss that. I think giving sinners the opportunity to turn to Christ, and come forward, and get plugged in is a great, great, great thing.

If it's explained correctly, and many of those guys explain it correctly. Not a bad thing. But it's not on them, it's on the person coming down. And I would talk to some people. Some people you see crying, and crying, and oh my God.

And other people are like, where's my free Bible? So you came down? Yeah, she came down. She's my girlfriend, she brought me here. Followed her down here. So is that guy good? No. I mean, well, don't judge.

Okay, I won't judge. But based on what I saw, you don't just come down and say, give me your free Bible, I'll come down with my girlfriend. Like, that's the ticket into heaven. No, whoever humbles himself.

And actually, people who didn't even, I'm convinced there's people who didn't even come down that were saved. They stayed in their chair and said, Lord, I'm a sinner. That sermon convicted me. I'm turning to you.

My heart's breaking. I'm searching for you with all of my heart, Lord. I'm leaving here a different person. And they walked out, and nobody even knows they were saved. Because they didn't come down. And so that's why I want to make a distinction.

It's not a person raising their hand. Although they can. It's not coming forward in an altar call. Although they can. It's not even saying a prayer. Although they can. Conversion is when a person turns from their sin.

Basically, they're saying, Lord, I'm humbling myself. I need you. I'm a sinner. And I need a savior. I'm giving my life to you. I'm turning my life. That's conversion. That's when a person's converted.

And then because of that, now the Holy Spirit now comes in and resides in them. And they have to change. They say, I don't want to drink that anymore. I don't want to snort that anymore. I don't want to hang out with that person anymore.

I don't want to watch that anymore. These old CDs. I don't even like this. What's happening to me? You're changing. You're changing. So if there's no change. That's why I tell a lot of times young adults when I used to speak at young adults conferences.

If you look just like the world and there's no change in your lifestyle whatsoever, you better go do business with God. Paul said examine yourself. Look in the mirror. Examine yourself. Do you not know yourself?

Is Jesus Christ in you? And John even used harsher words. He said those who say they know him but do not do his commandments are a liar. And the truth is not in them. You say, boy, Shane, you're really trying to upset.

No, I'm really trying to convict. Because there's not. This church is different. But when I used to speak at different conferences, I'd have people every single time come up and say, that's me. That's me.

I've had religion. I've been playing church. I've been playing games with God. And it's not until you can allow God's word to penetrate their heart and examine. Paul says examine yourself. I think it's healthy for every Christian to examine themselves.

Not to say, oh, am I not saved? No, once you're a child of God, you know there's great comfort in there. But there's no fruit. There's no distinction. There's no difference. Actually, in Matthew chapter 7, Jesus says, many will come to me in that day.

Say, Lord. They'll say, Lord, we cast out demons in your name. We did many miracles in your name. And Jesus will say to them, depart from me. I don't know you, you who practice lawlessness. Now, you can either quietly hop over that scripture and go to the next one.

And then he says, whoever hears my sayings and does them, I will liken him to a man who built his house upon the rock. And when the storms came, it did not fall. But the man who hears my word and does not do it is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

And when the storm came, it fell, and great was its fall. So you can get away from that fact. Now, let me just throw out some encouragement, too. This is never about perfection. Never. We stumble. We fumble.

We fall. But it's about where's your heart set? What direction is your heart going? It's about the direction of the heart. Falling forward into God's arms of forgiveness. We shouldn't enjoy sin. We should make steps to get rid of the things that are not.

There should be a growing there, a conforming. Oh, there we go. Conforming to the image of Christ. I think it says that somewhere in the New Testament. Paul's very clear that we should be conforming to the image of Christ.

So when you meet somebody, didn't I meet you 10 years ago? Why do you look no different? You're the same grumbling, the same complaining, the same bickering. You sound like a broken record, the same thing I heard 10 years ago.

Where's the conforming to the image of Christ? Because spiritual maturity comes by obeying the word of God. When you meet very spiritual people, very mature people in the faith, it's because they've been obeying the word of God.

They've been falling forward. They've been making mistakes. But when the day is over, they've been obeying the word of God. And they've matured as a result of that. Christian maturity, being conformed to the image of Christ, is always a byproduct of obedience.

Always. Trust and obey. Remember the old hymn? Trust and obey. Trust and obey. It's very good, very important to do. Unless you humble yourself like a child and turn from your sin, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Man, isn't that so profound? That is Jesus warning people. He goes on to say, I'm going to read it in a little bit, but I think it fits here. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. That's why Jesus came.

The next time they think it's just a good teacher to be an example, we have to read the Bible. The Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. But when we say a person is lost without Christ, we're labeled a homophobe, a bigot, narrow-minded, arrogant, and judgmental.

I've been called all that in one sentence. With big exclamation points, and the letters are in capital. But Jesus said it. Why can't we say you're lost without Christ? He said it. He said it. Verse 6, chapter 18, verse 6.