The Unconverted “Believer” (25); Finishing in Faith 08/22/2021

First Baptist Church Leominster

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And Dave Farrar will come at this time and read for us the last chapter of the book of Acts and so Paul arrives at the city of Rome and he's able to preach the things of the kingdom of God without hindrance and so The Lord accomplished his purpose and his promise to Paul that he would bear witness before Kings and he would even be in Rome Acts 28

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Acts chapter 28 after we were brought safely through We then learned that the island was called

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Malta The native people showed us unusual kindness for they killed kindled a fire and welcomed us all

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Because it had begun to rain and was cold when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire a

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Viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand

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That said to one another no doubt. This man is a murderer Though he has escaped from the sea justice has not allowed him to live he however shook off the creature into the fire and Suffered no harm

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They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him

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They changed their minds and said that he was a god Now when the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief men of the island a

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Publis who received us and then entertained us hospitably for three days it happened that the father of Publis lay sick and with fever and dysentery and Paul visited him and prayed and putting his hands on him healed him

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And when this had taken place the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured

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They also honored us greatly and we were when we were about to sail

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They put on board whatever we needed After three months we set sail in a ship that had been wintered in the eye on the island a ship of Alexandria with the twin gods as a figurehead

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Putting in at Syracuse we stayed there for three days and From there.

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We made a circuit and arrived at Rio Guilm And after one day a south wind sprang up on and on the second day we came to Protilly There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days and so we came to Rome and the brothers there when they heard about us came as far as forum of a police and three taverns to meet us on Seeing them

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Paul. Thank God and took courage and when we came into Rome Paul was allowed to stay by himself

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With the soldiers that guarded him After three days, he called together the local leaders of the

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Jews And when they had gathered he said to them Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers

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Yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the

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Romans When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty Because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case but because the

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Jews Objected I was compelled to appeal to Caesar Though I had no charge to bring against my nation for this reason therefore

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I have asked to see you and Speak with you since it is because of the hope of Israel that I'm wearing this chain

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And they said to him we have received no letters from Judea about you and none of the brothers coming here has reported or Spoken any evil about you, but we desire to hear from you what your views are

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For with regard to this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against When they had appointed a day for him they came to him to at his lodging in great numbers from morning until evening expounded to them

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Testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets and Some were convinced by what he said

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Well, there's others disbelieved and disagreeing amongst themselves

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They departed after Paul had made one statement The Holy Spirit was right and seeing saying to your father's through the

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Isaiah the prophet Go to this people and say You will indeed hear but never understand

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You will indeed see but never perceive For the people's heart has grown dull

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And with their ears they can barely hear and where their eyes they have closed lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and Understand with their hearts and turn and I would heal them

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Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the

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Gentiles They will listen He lived there for two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the

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Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance

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Let's pray. Oh Lord our

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Lord. How majestic is your name in all the earth? You have set your glory above the heavens

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We're thankful for that Lord and we think about you We think about you all -powerful

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Almighty all kind Have delivered us and Lord we come this morning being thankful for what we have

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Thankful for what you have done for each one of us Thankful Lord that you

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Sent your dear son the Lord Jesus Christ So Lord, even though there are troubles in the land all around us we know that you are our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble

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So we come Lord today To listen to this last sermon in this series

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We're thankful for our pastor for his faithful preaching and may the

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Holy Spirit Lord Fill him with your word for Christ's sake.

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Amen Well today we'll give our attention to a passage from Luke chapter 12

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So if you have your Bibles, you might turn there. We'll read from there in a few minutes So today we conclude our series the unconverted believer

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In which we have addressed this problem and Prevalency of nominal

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Christianity. It's a plague in evangelicalism throughout the world Christians in name only

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And so we've examined this matter for many vantage points today's what the 25th Lord's Day we've given to this in our efforts to expose and correct this significant spiritual problem and It's been a desire intention that no one within the influence of this church's ministry

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Be uninformed or unmoved so that they will be among many the Lord Jesus said

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Who one dear one day hear his words pronounced to them. I Never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness

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Now what we've declared regarding these matters is controversial we know that Most churches would not tolerate what we have shown to be scriptural teaching regarding salvation

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But we've cited numerous voices mostly voices from the past From books that we that we have that reinforce our understanding of these matters and recently

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I Completed reading the book by Arthur pink an exposition of the

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Sermon on the Mount. I've had it for years But I've elevated that to my top ten list frankly

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I've recommended books for the Christian life. It's absolutely wonderful And I found he asserted the same things we've taught

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I think probably in a better more clear fashion but the same things and it was reinforcing to read his words

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Well in this series We have identified and corrected a number of commonly held and propagated errors respecting the way of salvation

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That is thought to be taught in the Bible. I want to take a few minutes and rehearse some of the major Issues that we have sought to address.

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There are more than these but here are Some important ones that came to mind

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First, of course, we've emphasized repeatedly salvation is more than just the forgiveness of sins

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Salvation is commonly and popularly but wrongly reduced to God forgiving people of their sins

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As though that were the total of salvation Certainly, although God's justification of the sinner is granted through faith alone, which involves

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God's forgiveness of sins and the Imputation of Christ's righteousness is a gift to the believing sinner

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Salvation is much more than just Justification as important and foundational essential as that is

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The biblical gospel must Therefore entail more than the mere promise that God will forgive a sinner of his sins if he but believes on Jesus That is not the gospel

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Biblical salvation includes the believers justification, but in addition his reconciliation and adoption his sanctification and his future glorification

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God saves people from sin from the guilt of sin From the alienated effects of sin from the power of sin and finally from the very presence of sin and the gospel message

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We proclaim must address these aspects of God's salvation from sin or else.

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It's a truncated Message is not the biblical gospel Most gospel tracts you read

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Reflect this error. This is how you can have your sins forgiven except Jesus is your personal

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Savior as though That's all the Bible taught Secondly coming to salvation is not a one -time decision to accept

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Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior That has been prevalent now for under 150 years in evangelicalism

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The commonly heard message if you but accept Jesus Christ is your personal Savior You will be saved if you but make a decision for Christ But this is not the biblical gospel

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For again, it doesn't speak fully to the sinners need of salvation And there are several unbiblical ideas revealed in this line of thinking

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First although certainly God declares upon the initial faith of the believing sinner that he has justified him

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It's wrong to conclude that God calls only for a one -time decision that he will regard as saving faith

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Remember talking to one man Who was characterized by drunkenness?

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In his 50s, I believe and I began to speak about the gospel to him.

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Oh, I did that when I was a teenager All right. He had made a decision that I think a camp somewhere and he thought that covered him

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That's not saving faith Saving faith is a continual believing on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is not a one -time decision to believe

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Arthur Pink wrote Saving faith is not an isolated act which suffices for the remainder of a person's life

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Rather, it's a living principle which continues in activity ever seeking the only object

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That would be God Christ which can satisfy it nor is it a thing apart? But a productive principle which issues in good works and spiritual fruits and Then thirdly initial saving faith is the entrance into a way of life

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That leads to full and final salvation One of the great errors is thinking that salvation is just a one -time decision

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No the there's a way on to salvation because salvation is a

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Future promise a future prospect in which the true believer has hope

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Paul wrote now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed Although Paul regarded himself and his readers as having been justified

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Romans 5 1 he did not yet regard himself or his readers as having experienced full salvation

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Salvation is the future hope of the believer of his resurrection from the dead and of his exoneration before the judgment seat of Christ Justification is the initial coming to experience

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God's forgiveness of sins and the resultant peace that Christ secured for his people again Romans 5 1 but salvation is largely biblically a certain future prospect and hope for the

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Christian and Evangelicalism has lost sight of that almost completely in in my perception and Then forth saving faith involves embracing and submitting on to Jesus Christ as Lord as well as one's personal

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Savior This is so commonly taught in Scripture It's hard to imagine that there are those who who don't believe this but there are many perhaps half of evangelicalism would react negatively to that statement of number four

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Biblical salvation brings about the reversal and recovery of a fallen man It removes his rebellious heart gives him the heart to love righteousness to love

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God's people and to love God himself Repentance from sin is turning to Jesus.

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The Lord is foundational Without which there is no salvation As one wrote saving faith not only trust in Christ but follows him

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Coming to saving faith is the full and total surrender of one's life to follow

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Jesus Christ in faith Love and obedience the person who's not following Christ has no basis of assurance of salvation

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Because that's what a true believer does follows Christ Takes up his cross daily and follows him.

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That's what Christians do And similarly point five to become a true Christian is to become a disciple a true disciple of Jesus Christ Saving faith is shown in the believer following a course of obedience doing the will of God through life on to final

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Salvation as the Lord Jesus declared enter by the narrow gate. Why? For wide as a gate broad as the way that leads to destruction

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There are many who go in by it because narrow is a gate and difficult is the way that leads on to life

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That life is talking about eternal life at the end of the life of faith It's a way and it's a difficult way because narrow is a gate difficult is the way which leads to life and there are but few

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Who find it? Charles Spurgeon wrote Conversion is a turning onto a right road

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The next thing is to walk in it The daily going on in that road is as essential as the first starting if you would reach the desired end

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To strike the first blow is not all the battle to him that overcometh the crown is promised

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To start in the race is nothing many have done that who have failed but to hold out till you reach the winning post

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Is the great point of the matter? Perseverance is as necessary to a man's salvation as conversion and Then six it's wrongly thought that good works are unnecessary in order to obtain salvation and here's probably the greatest point of Resistance and rejection

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Saving faith shows forth itself in a life characterized by good works Ephesians 2 10

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The Christians good works are not the basis of God's acceptance of him That would be heresy, but they are the evidence that he's a true

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Christian a true believer in Jesus Christ. Good works are essential But again a denial of this is one of the major errors of the day

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Many believe that one's works have no bearing at all on salvation It's commonly but wrongly thought as long as I believe that Jesus Christ is my

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Savior who died upon the cross to pay for my sins it does not matter how I live for I'm saved apart from works and That will lead us all to hell just as sure as anything

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Arthur Pink addressed this as the greatest problem that the preacher must confront and overcome in today's world

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He died in 1952 Now it is the duty of God's servants to provide help to exercise souls on this supremely important matter

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To expose the lies of these false prophets to make plain the way of salvation

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This may be best done by defining and showing the relation of good works on to salvation

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For it is at this point more than any other that the emissaries of Satan have fatally deceived souls and we're talking about Evangelical churches here.

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He was talking about evangelical churches The principal errors which have been advanced there on may be summed up under these two heads salvation by works and salvation without works

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Romanus Roman Catholics in other words Roman Catholicism have been the chief promulgators of the former

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Insisting that the good works of the Christian have a meritorious value which entitles them to heaven

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And thereby they robbed Christ of much of his glory bringing in something of ours in addition to his blood and righteousness to obtain acceptance with God Romanists do not repudiate in total either the grace of God or the redemption of Christ But they nullify both by attributing saving efficacy on to the rights of their church and the performances of the creature

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Such an error is expressly repudiated and then he cites scriptures Then he goes the other way some of the propagators of the salvation without works error during the last century have assumed the garb of the

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Orthodox and Thereby obtained a hearing from many who had never listened to them had their real characters been suspected

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In other words, they're trusted and respected They have gone to the opposite extreme and preached the gospel as far removed from the truth as the

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Romish lie of salvation by work They teach that while good works from Christians are certainly desirable

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Yet they are not imperative The absence of them involving merely a loss of certain millennial rewards or honors and not the missing of heaven itself

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They have interpreted those words of Christ It is finished in such a way as to lull

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Multitudes of souls into a false peace as though he wrought something at the cross which renders it needless

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For sinners to repent forsake their idols renounce the world before they can be saved that nothing is required from them

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But their simple acceptance of Christ by faith that once they've rested in his finished work No matter what their subsequent lives they are eternally secure

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So widely has this fatal doctrine been received so thoroughly have these ravenous wolves deceive the religious world

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By their sheep's clothing that with rare exceptions anyone who now denounces this deadly evil is to call down upon himself the charge of being a legalist and a

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Judaizer and that's how Many many evangelicals regard me and this church

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While they're legalistic over there at First Baptist, it's a false charge Now again pink wrote with rare exceptions anyone who proclaims the nature of salvation

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The biblical gospel of this salvation is charged at being a legalist or Judaizer and I personally found this

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I I debated whether to recount this or not, but I thought it illustrates the point the reality

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Here's the words of a radio listener from Maine I corresponded with him maybe a dozen different texts over the last 10 12 months last

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Fall early last fall. He was singing my praises. He loved our radio program But when

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I began to address this series He gradually and then vehemently turned against me and these were some of the last words

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He wrote in April. You're on real dangerous ground bucko and forgive his grammar and his

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Spelling and whatnot, but this is how he wrote it I'd put your Bible down and not touch it again

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If you're going to refuse to believe it you profess to be a Christian yet You do not believe the Bible it makes

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God sick Don't bother message me back You're an apostate you're messing with salvation.

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I would be shocked if you don't burn for it Don't send me your sermons anymore. They aren't worth time.

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It took to press the send button Got thinking about you for some reason He had stopped writing me for about eight weeks and then he decided to write me again

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The thief on the cross didn't have works to keep his salvation. You're gonna hit you're going to hell Lars You're not say you think you can keep your own salvation by your works

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Salvation is not yours to keep the foundation of Jesus Christ to even get here

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You must be saved salvation is not evidenced by work in this dispensation In other words, it's church age

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Salvation is through faith alone salvation is permanent works after salvation get the

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Christian rewards But works don't keep you they don't evidence a thing Careful taking doctrine out of James in other words the epistle of James because I quoted

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James Without you know that faith without works is dead. You don't be careful.

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Don't quote from James It's to the twelve tribe to the dispersion. In other words the Jews not

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Christians That's not the church makes you think it might be talking to Saints in the Great Tribulation Aka the time of Jacob's trouble where it's salvation set up involves works

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See they believe that the Jews after the rapture of the church will be saved by their works, but not now is faith even without works

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Just a thought though not saying there's nothing for the Christian there In other words in James by any means there's good good stuff in James.

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Just careful taking doctrine out of it Don't want to do that Well, my response to him was greetings

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Jed I would encourage you to consider carefully the fact that you're falsely accusing me of teaching heresy

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I've never believed or taught that we are saved by our works or that we keep our salvation by our works for you to accuse

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Me of this is wrong and you're buried false witness regarding me I attach sermon notes to this email in which

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I emphasize very strongly our Justification by grace through faith alone apart from works. I gave this sermon at the end of January And what

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I've been teaching is that true saving faith must be evidenced by works or if not saving faith This is what

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God's Word declares in Paul's letters and in James and and by John and most certainly by our

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Lord himself There are two great threats to the biblical teaching regarding grace

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The first is legalism of which you are falsely accusing me The second is licentiousness or antinomianism for which

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I hope that you are not advocating to say that you can be saved without the presence of works is a heresy of antinomianism and That kind of brought an end to our interaction and So I include these words to show how they illustrate his words

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Illustrate the importance and need to address the matters that we have that is arisen in this series

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There is much ignorance and many errant beliefs that are proclaimed and perpetrated by wolves in sheep's clothing

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And they needed to they need to be Identified and declared

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I Want to include this or conclude this brief summary with the words of Jonathan Edwards and In sending out my sermon notes this morning.

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I attached the full sermon that from which I've taken this excerpt and It's entitled the manner in which the salvation of the soul is to be sought in this sermon

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Edwards showed how Noah building his ark in order to save himself from the wrath of God and the flood is

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Illustrative of how we are to undertake a great work through this life with view to our own salvation

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That's the heart of Edwards sermon so here he's attempting to answer some some questions or challenges

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Inquiry to why is it needful that men should undertake to go through such a work in order to their salvation?

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Answer one not to merit salvation or to recommend them to the saving mercy of God Men are not saved on account of any work of theirs yet.

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They are not saved without works If we merely consider what it is for which or on account of which men are saved no work at all in them is necessary To their salvation in this respect.

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They're safe. Holy without any work of theirs Titus 3 5 not by works of righteousness Which we have done but according to his mercy.

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He saved us by the washing of regeneration Renewing to the Holy Ghost. We must indeed be saved on the account of works, but not our own

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It's on account of the works of Christ that Christ had done for us works are the fixed price of eternal life

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It is fixed by an eternal unalterable rule of righteousness But since the fall, there's no hope of our doing these works without salvation offered freely without money and without price but or however to Though it be not needful that we do anything to merit salvation

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Which Christ hath fully merited for all who believe in him yet God for wise and holy ends

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Hath appointed that we should come to final salvation in no other way But that of good works done by us

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God did not save Noah on account of the labor and expense. He wasn't building the ark Noah's salvation from the flood was an entrance of the free and distinguishing mercy of God Nor did

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God stand in need of Noah's care or cost or labor to build an ark the same power which created the world which brought the flood of waters upon the earth could have made the ark in an instant without any care or cost to Noah or Any of the labor of those workmen who were employed for so long a time yet.

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God was pleased to a point That Noah should be saved in this way So God has appointed that men should not be saved without this undertaking and doing this work of which

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I've been speaking and Therefore we are commanded to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling

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Philippians 2 12 I Would urge you to read this sermon.

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It's it is incredible We might add that Noah built that ark through his faith in what

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God had told him and promised him Hebrews 11 7 reads by faith

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Noah being divinely warned of things not yet yet seen moved with godly fear prepared an ark for the saving of His household by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith

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That's justifying faith. But that faith was seen in his building an ark and We're justified through faith in Christ But that faith is seen in us building an ark as it were a lifetime of showing that we're the people of God through how we what we believe but how also how we live and So by faith we too are moving with godly fear ordering our lives in View to the flood of God's fiery judgment that is coming upon the world the whole idea of salvation is

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Not clearly and widely taught in today's Evangelical world and that's scary to me

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We're at the top of page 5 now Now we turn our attention to close out our series the unconverted believer

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Two Sundays ago we address a sinner initially coming to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior last

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Lord's Day. We spoke about the importance of continuing in faith in Jesus Christ Through life and today will emphasize the importance of completing this life in faith

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It's all important how you end I Spoke to a pastor.

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He I hadn't talked to him in 45 years He was my pastor in Texas.

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He was the one who hired me as an associate pastor. I hadn't talked to him He called me a couple months ago.

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I know I knew personally that he had struggled in some issues over the years I said, well, you know pastor may the

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Lord help you and me finish. Well he was telling me he contracted

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Parkinson's disease and Then he called called me last week and he was in the hospital for two months with kovat now

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He's on a walker and he's probably not gonna be around much longer. Well, well pastor made the Lord help us finish.

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Well It's all important how you finish Are you going to be believing when the

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Lord calls you home? Are you going to believe him? if and when the Lord returns, it's all important and Here Luke 12 the

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Lord emphasizes this Jesus said to his disciples let your waist be guarded and your lamps burning you yourself

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Be like men who wait for their master when he will return from the wedding there when he comes and knocks

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They may open to him immediately Blessed are those servants whom the master when he comes will find watching

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Assuredly I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat and will come and serve them and If he should come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants

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But know this if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come He would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into Therefore you also be ready

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For the Son of Man is coming at an hour. You do not expect Then Peter said to him

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Lord. Do you speak this parable only to us or to all people? and The Lord said who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his master will make ruler over his household

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They give him their portion of food in due season Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes

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Truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has But if that servant says in his heart my master is delayed as coming

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It begins to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and be drunk the master that servant will come on a day when he's not looking for him at an hour when he's not aware and Will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with who the unbelievers

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He's talking to believers, isn't he that is professing believers? He's talking about hypocrites and their fate is the same as unbelievers

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And that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will

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She'll be beaten with many stripes But he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few

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For everyone to whom is given from him much will be required and whom much has been committed of him

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They will ask the more there's greater accountability and greater degrees of punishment in hell depending on how much privilege and opportunity you've had in this life and think about the opportunity and responsibility of Americans in what we have been exposed to and have available to us in comparison to some

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Person in the backwater of Mongolia has never heard the name of Jesus Christ The Lord is going to deal in justice

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Well in this portion of Luke's gospel in which these words are recorded we read the Lord Jesus was on his final journey to Jerusalem Luke recorded this journey having begun back in Luke 9 51

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Which reads now it came to pass when the time had come for him to be received up that he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem and As he traveled from Galilee It takes up the major portion of Luke from Luke 9 51 all the way to Luke 19 the journey to Jerusalem He taught and preached to the people.

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He he taught his disciples. He taught the crowds along the way With the arrival to his destination

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Jesus would meet his destiny to die upon the cross and then be raised from the dead He declared later in Luke 13 33

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Nevertheless, I must journey today tomorrow and the day following for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem There was a sense of urgency

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To Jesus the time was short his heroes must not put off responding to him for the day of salvation would end soon and then the judgment of God would befall the entire generation of Jews Jesus used this occasion to press upon his disciples their

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Responsibility and their privilege to live in anticipation of his second coming When he would have judged the world in righteousness and so this journey to Jerusalem the impending death of Jesus and the subsequent judgment of God upon Jerusalem provide a sense of importance to Jesus's teaching and a sense of urgency to his heroes as Well as to the readers of the gospel.

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It brings a forcefulness to these words And as we glance over these verses we can see an obvious division

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Peter interjects a question at verse 41 which divides that which goes before that comes after The first portion of this teaching session

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Of Jesus speaks of the important need to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ We may summarize the teaching of verses 35 through 40 as be prepared for the coming of the

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Son of Man the second portion of our Lord's Speech to his disciple speaks of the blessing that his faithful servants will experience if the

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Lord finds them in faith that is coming and so the second Section may be entitled the blessing of those prepared for his coming, but there's also a warning of course also that will address

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Well, let's work through these passages First be prepared for the coming of the

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Son of Man Luke 12 35 through 41 We include Peter's question And as you read these verses these seven verses carefully

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They provide both a positive encouragement for readiness as well as a word of caution for Jesus's disciples

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First the positive promise for the one who's ready Again, the

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Lord Jesus exhorted his disciples to be ready to receive him at his second coming to judge the world

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Let your waist be girded your lamps burning you yourself be like men who wait for their master when he will return from the wedding

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Then when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately Blessed are those servants whom the master when he comes will find watching

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Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself have them sit down to eat will come and serve them And if he should come in the second watch or come in the third watch find them

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So blessed are those servants But know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not allowed

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His house to be broken into therefore you be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour.

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You do not expect Just before these words our

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Lord encourages disciples to lay up treasures for themselves in heaven He assured them that it was

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God the Father's desire and intention to give them the promised kingdom and therefore they should give themselves over fully to prepare for a glorious and abundant entrance and position in that kingdom

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Little earlier. He said do not fear little flock for it's your father's good pleasure to give you a kingdom

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The kingdom sell what you have give on provide yourselves money bags Which do not grow old the treasure of the heavens that does not fail where no thief approaches nor moth destroys

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For where your treasure is there your heart will be also Jesus now tells them that they are to get ready for the time when he will come when their desires will be realized

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They were to ready themselves for the day when they will begin to enjoy the treasures that they had formerly

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Laid up for themselves in heaven And so we read in verse 35 Jesus said let your ways be girded your lamps burning

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He then began to relate a parable or a metaphor To illustrate the kind of concerns they should have and the efforts they should put forth in being ready for his coming

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He described a Jewish household The owner or master of the house being of some means he had a number of servants and it would seem the master was away at a wedding feast, which was of an

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Uncertain duration in those days could go on for days He would most certainly return but the precise time of his arrival was unknown to his servants

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They were to be ready for whenever he might appear They were to be dressed and waiting with their lamps burning prepared to receive him and serve him upon his entrance into his home

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That's the parable The Lord Jesus set forth the master in this parable is quite magnanimous For Jesus said if this master return home and found his servants to have been faithful and having prepared to serve him

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He would reverse the roles The master would seat his servants down at the table and he would become their servant

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One can hardly imagine the Jewish master of a Household doing such a thing but this surprising detail does show this

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So does serve to show us the great delight and appreciation our master the

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Lord Jesus Christ Will have when he returns and finds you and me ready and waiting for him

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We should understand the illustration of the servants readiness and preparedness For their masters return to be analogous to the disciples of Jesus Christ living and serving their master in his absence as they

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Await his return John Gill One of the few men in history that wrote a commentary on every book of the

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Bible amazingly Wrote of the application of this expression. Let your waist be girded your lamps burning is to be

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Christians with the girdle of truth Keeping close to the doctrines of the gospel abiding faithfully by them even unto death.

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I think that's a truism Calvin was a little longer in his statement more detailed now

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Though the Son of God has departed to the blessed rest of heaven is absent from us yet as he is assigned to everyone his

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Duty let it be improper for us to give way to indolent and indolent repose

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Besides as he has promised that he will return to us We ought to hold ourselves prepared at every moment to receive him that he may not find us sleeping

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For if a mortal man looks upon it as a duty, which is servant So him that at whatever hour returns home, they should be prepared to receive him

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How much more has he the Lord a right to demand from his followers that they should be sober and vigilant and always wait for his coming

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To excite them to greater Lacrity as the word of the day

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He mentions that earthly masters are so delighted with such promptitude on their part of their servants that they even serve them

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Not that all masters are Accustomed to act in this manner but because it does sometimes happen that a master who is kind and gentle admits a service to his own table as if they were his companions

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And that's how the Lord regards us and will treat us When the

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Lord will return is unknown to us nobody knows It was even unknown to our

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Lord in his human nature while on earth, but when he comes But when he comes is really immaterial if we are always ready and always prepared to meet him and that's the whole point

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Not to know when he's coming. He doesn't want us to know when he's coming. He wants us to be ready regardless of when he comes

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That's the whole point The master in this parable might arrive home at any hour of the night perhaps even during the second perhaps even the third watch

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It Should not matter when the Lord returns for us for he's gonna find us ready or watching

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Lord willing Matthew Henry wrote the time our own masters return is uncertain

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It will be in the night. It will be far in the night when he has long deferred his coming and When many have done looking for him in the second watch just before midnight in the third watch next after midnight

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Is coming to us at our death is uncertain and to many it will be a great surprise

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For the sight of man comes at an hour that you think not Without giving notice beforehand

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This bespeaks bespeaks not only the uncertainty of the time of his coming but the prevailing security of the greatest part of men who are

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Unthinking and altogether regardless of the notice is given them so that whenever he comes it is an hour that they think not

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How many people in the world today are ready for the Lord's coming? That which he expects and requires from his servants is that they'd be ready to open to him immediately when he comes

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That is that they may be in a frame fit to receive him or rather to be received by him

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That they be found as his servants in the posture that becomes them with their loins girded about Alluding to the servants that are ready to go with her their master sends them and do what their master bids them

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Having their long garments tucked up which otherwise would hang about them and hinder them and their lights

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Burning with which to light their master into the house and go up to his chamber So the

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Lord is purposely intentionally Left us uninformed about the time of his coming

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Jesus himself said of that day and hour no one knows not even the angel in heaven nor the

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Son But only the Father that of course is in his human nature only Take heed watch and pray

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For you do not know when the time is This was

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God's purpose And he accomplished that all down through history people have

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Christians Haven't known when he was going to return

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Well, then he gives a word of caution to his disciples verses 39 and 40 But know this if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come

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He would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into Therefore you also be ready for the

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Son of Man is coming at an hour. You do not expect This is actually a different metaphor than the one we just considered the master way at a wedding probably a wedding feast

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Whereas Jesus had referred to a master returning home from a wedding to be met by his servants here

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He speaks of the owner of a house who had been unprepared for a burglary that occurred This Master suffers loss of his things to burglary because he was not alert in guarding his house

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We might say that our Lord was warning against nominal Christianity Those who lived in a manner that they were not prepared for his future coming

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Here is one who lived with no thought of Christ's second coming and accounting that will come with it

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The Lord will come at an hour that no one will expect but some will be ready and others will not be ready

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We could have dealt with the ten virgins the five ready and five not same message being proclaimed and Again being ready is living in faith and faithfulness to the

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Lord. Jesus is one Savior and Lord And so Jesus here speaking about the hypocrite

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The hypocrite will be found out in the day of the Lord a hypocrite is not a true Christian You and I do not be as hypocrites who will have no salvation from his judgment when he comes we must always be ready

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For we do not know when he comes We shouldn't think well,

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I've been pretty good for a while and I'm just kind of let go for a while Do my thing? I'm okay.

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There's some people who think that way Act that way By the way, here's a word to all date setters and date setter followers

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You do not know nor. Can you know when he will come here yet? in Fact if you say he'll come on such as such a day.

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We can be assured that he will not come on that day Because he said that he will come at an hour when you do not expect him if you expect him then he's not going to come at that time and Yet so many are foolish to say well,

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I might not know the hour but I think I know the day or the times Harold Campion used to say that first in 1994 when he said

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Jesus is coming back and after it didn't happen D He wrote a second book a decade later setting another date

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No, we don't know the day or hour but we know the seasons And foolish No, we don't know when he will come.

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It doesn't matter though because we're all would he always to be ready throughout all of life Now we would have to admit that for most of us life has been pretty easy for us in this world

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Our generation has lived a rather insulated life in this land in comparison to most people throughout the world

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And the danger of us letting down our guard and living in disregard of the coming of Lord may be greater therefore than those

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Who are living to great hardship? Don't you think the Christians in Afghanistan I pray that the

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Lord would come this time Their future is bleak

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Mothers are throwing their newborn babies over the fence to American soldiers. Won't you take my baby so it'll have a life?

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Incredible For when daily existence becomes difficult and uncertainty of the future encroaches the

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Lord's people will tend to look more expectantly and in a more desirable manner for the coming of the

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Lord The Lord will sometimes therefore let loose the forces of evil and allow much trouble to come to us in Order to wean us of the love of this world and to enhance our love for him and for our longing for his coming

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As we watch the world disintegrate about us and the injustice the sin

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That others celebrate, you know and and rejoice in that grieves us to the core

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And what grieves us more is our own sin more than theirs We desire for the coming of the

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Lord And the Lord sometimes lets go these forces to perhaps wean us from the love of the world

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The Apostle Paul wrote if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let it be accursed. Oh cup.

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Oh Lord calm Do we love the

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Lord? Are we really looking for his coming or do we have it so easy that yeah, I'll come Lord But wait a while.

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I Like the illustration I read this years and years ago Charles Spurgeon sought to challenge his own people Regarding how they should long for the coming of Christ.

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So he uses dogs as an example as a positive illustration I feel rebuked myself sometimes for not watching for my master when

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I know that at this very time my dogs are sitting at my door Waiting for me and long before I reach home there

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They will be and at the first sound of the carriage wheels They'll lift up their voices with delight because their master is coming home.

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Oh If we loved our Lord as dogs love their masters How we should catch the first sound of his coming and be waiting always waiting never happy until at last we should see him and Then his sarcastic way pardon me for using a dog as a picture of what you ought to be

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But when you have attained a state above that I will find another illustration to explain my meaning

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When we've arrived to their standard to their level Well The Lord Jesus promised that the blessing would be so great for his faithful servants that watchfulness should be maintained

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Regardless of how long one must wait as servants waiting for the returning master even to the early hours of the morning

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The great outcome for perseverance and godly living and faithful witness is what's being stressed here

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Matthew Henry wrote but we do not know at what hour the alarm will be given us therefore are concerned to watch at all times never to be off our guard or This may intimate the miserable case of those who careless and unbelieving in this great matter if the good man of the house

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Had had notice of his danger of being robbed such a night He would not he would have sat up and saved his house

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But we have notice of the day of the Lord's coming as a thief in the night To the confusion and ruin of all since secure sinners and yet do not thus watch

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If men will take such care of their houses how let oh, let us be thus wise for our souls

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Be therefore ready also as ready as the good man of the house would be if he knew what hour the thief would come

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Now these words troubled Peter So Peter asked the question Lord you speak this parable only to us or to all people.

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It's a Peter. We're asking Lord You must be talking about nine non -disciples, right you talk about them, aren't you?

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For we're your people and these things seem to portend destruction even for us if we're not ready

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Are you telling this parable to us or to everyone? And then the Lord responds verses 42 through 48.

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He didn't respond directly to Peter But his answer addressed what Peters concern he answered

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Peter indirectly So After Peter asked the question Jesus said the following The Lord said who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his master will make ruler over his household

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To give them their portion of food and do season blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes

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Truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has But if that servant says in his heart my master

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Delaine is coming and begins to beat male and female servants to eat and drank be drunk the master that servant will come on a day when he's not looking for him at an hour when he's not aware and will cut him in two and appoint his portion with the unbelievers and that Servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes

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But he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few for everyone

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To whom much is given From him much will be required and to whom much has been committed of him

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They will ask the more and so the Lord didn't answer Peter's question directly But what

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Jesus did say suggests he was giving the warning to all would -be disciples Perhaps especially to the leaders among his followers perhaps most directly to Peter and the

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Apostles Here are the words of I Howard Marshall who's with the

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Lord now wrote Excellent commentary on the Greek text of Luke's gospel

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The answer of Jesus then becomes an indirect reply to Peter's question He answers

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Peter with a parabolic saying that is concerned with the situation of the servant who's placed in charge of other servants

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See, this is just in an ordinary servant. This is a steward Thereby the general application of the earlier parables is not lost or rather.

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They are seen to apply especially but not exclusively To the twelfth and the other leaders among the disciples

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It applies to you and me first consider the great privilege and responsibility of a disciple especially leaders

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In answering Peter's question the Lord asked a question The Lord said who then is that faithful and wise steward?

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whom his master will make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season and So when

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Jesus spoke of the faithful and wise steward, he was referring to a chief steward of the household

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One who was in charge of all the other servants of the household this steward would have been a slave among other slaves but the chief slave a slave entrusted with great responsibility in the household in What way would the

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Lord bless this faithful steward we read of the great blessing that would be conferred upon him

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And so we read of this in verses 43 and 44 Jesus said of the faithful one at his coming Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes truly

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I say to you he will make him ruler over all that he has The Lord Jesus promised his steward would be greatly rewarded if he's found to have been faithful to his responsibilities

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He would be granted greater privilege greater responsibility that he had formerly had Now the

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Word of God teaches us that there will be varying degrees of reward That the Lord will confer upon his servants at his coming.

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That's clear The Lord will reward faithful stewardship

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Paul wrote of this with respect to himself and Apollos To the church at Corinth that we're trying to elevate these men to an unhealthy degree

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Paul For we he's referring to himself and Apollo. So we are God's fellow workers. You're God's field you as a church.

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You're God's building According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder.

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I've laid the foundation another builds on it But let each one take heed how he builds on it for no other foundation

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Can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Christ Jesus Christ now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold

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Silver precious stones would a straw each one's work will become clear

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Talking about their ministry For the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire.

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The fire will test each one's work Not saying fire will test each man fire will teach will it's a bit.

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It's a parable It's a metaphor fire will test each one's work of what sort it is If anyone's work which he's built on it endures he'll receive a reward

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If anyone's work is burned he'll suffer loss, but he himself will be saved yet. So as by fire

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That's not talking about a purgatory he's talking about an examination of scrutiny of a person's walk in service before the

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Lord On the one hand Paul was diminishing his importance along with Apollo's So that the people in the church would not elevate them to undo an unhealthy status

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But on the other hand Paul is acknowledging that the Lord will reward the faithfulness of his servants Paul described the examination of the works done in this life for Christ there can be much attempted and much done which is not spiritual or fruitful and The product of that service will not endure

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The fire of God's judgment of those works again Not the men will discredit and dissolve any benefit that was thought to be accrued by those works the wood hay and straw

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Only that which is truly spiritual and of the Lord that which may be likened to gold silver precious stones will survive the trial and only that will result in the

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Lord giving reward to his servants and Moreover the nature of the rewards reward seem to be a greater opportunity and responsibility for service in the world to come

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We're not gonna be sitting around strumming on instruments in clouds You know, he'll Throughout eternity we're going to be serving him and and doing things on his behalf and your position in place in that service for God in eternity is conditioned and Based upon how faithful you are in what the

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Lord's given you to do in this life The Lord elsewhere indicated one day

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That he would declare to his own well done good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a few things

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I'll make you a ruler over many things enter into the joy of your Lord Now it should be noted and I think this is very important because you might think well man, who am

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I? What do I do? I don't do all that Much that's important It's not how much you do but how faithful you are and what might be little you're doing now

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That will one day give way to rich and wonderful blessing and honor Not everybody is given the same degree of responsibility and opportunity

01:01:23

But what the Lord has given you to do the role he's given you if you're faithful in that he's going to He's gonna bless you and reward you in a way that is beyond your comprehension your imagination

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It's all gonna be of grace, of course, not because you merit it in of yourself. It's all of grace But it's important how we live

01:01:45

We cannot fathom the future blessing that will we will receive freely from our Lord Who's grateful that appreciative for your service and for your continuance in that service?

01:01:56

While ready and waiting for his return, but on the other hand we have The Lord's words of terrible loss being found unfaithful by Christ at his coming

01:02:07

Jesus then said but if that servant again This is a professing disciple if that servant says in his heart

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My master delaying his coming begins to beat the male and female servants to eat and drink and be drunk the master that servant will come on a day when he's not looking for him at an hour when he's not aware and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the

01:02:30

Unbelievers and That servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself

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Or do according to his will she'll be beaten with many stripes But he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes should be with few

01:02:44

For everyone to whom much is given from him much will be required and to whom much has been committed of him

01:02:50

They will ask the more It's all important that we finish well All right, you believe to the past wonderful you've been believing that's wonderful Make sure you're believing on to the end by the grace of God That's it's all important.

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We have to finish well in faith. Yes. There was a beginning Yes, there's a continuing faith

01:03:14

John wrote at the end of the Revelation. He said to me it's done I am the Alpha and the

01:03:19

Omega the beginning and the end I will give the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts he who overcomes

01:03:26

Salvation only belongs to the overcomers that is those who continue and endure in faith regardless of what comes

01:03:36

To the overcomer God promises that he will give the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts he will inherit all things and God promises

01:03:48

I'll be as God he shall be my son on the other hand the cowardly unbelieving abominable murderer sexually immoral sorcerer

01:03:55

Idolaters and all liars. She'll have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

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I Always quote that verse to the scammers who send me notes, you know We've got ten million dollars that you've inherited

01:04:08

And I send that back all liars should have their part in the lake of fire that burns forever and ever. I Had a young Nigerian fellow right back once and apologized to me.

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Oh, I'm just I'm trying to support myself my sister I'm here in this internet cafe in Lagos, Nigeria, you know, please forgive me.

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I'm a Christian too, you know It opened up a witness to him it put the fear of God in him though Well, these words need to overcome trouble by these words cause trouble for many professing

01:04:44

Christian And perhaps they should trouble many But it troubles them because it doesn't seem consistent with their understanding of salvation as a gift that through faith apart from works is granted them

01:04:58

But these words are perfectly consistent with the scriptures true teaching of salvation as a gift the present

01:05:05

Justification and forgiveness of the believer as well as the eternal security of the believer. Nobody can lose your salvation

01:05:10

Who truly saved but as we read these warnings and we hear them?

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We take them to heart Because the grace of God is operative in our hearts our lives

01:05:22

The warnings are not just you know hypothetical They're real to us

01:05:28

We believe the warnings as much as we do the promises and it's by faith and what God has declared that he keeps us

01:05:36

And so don't think walking down an aisle or pray to sinners prayer ends all things with regard to your soul

01:05:44

It may be the main occupation of some to gain professions of faith or decisions for Christ.

01:05:50

That's the wood hay and stubble frankly It's going to be shown to be so superfluous and empty nominal

01:05:58

Christianity is really a problem with of Evangelicals who have assured a whole lot of people that they have salvation when there's nothing in their life to suggest that they have the point is this a

01:06:14

Decision for Christ, but sets the believer on a course that must be finished Of course, it will be finished if you're truly the

01:06:21

Lord's But the Christian life and salvation cannot be reduced to a sinner's prayer or a profession of the lips

01:06:28

Becoming a Christian has set you forth on a race that must be won It engaged you in a fight you must win

01:06:36

It caused you to enter a battle which from which you must come forth the victor

01:06:41

It's embarked you on a pilgrimage which you must complete It has set you

01:06:47

Before you the certain prospect of the judgment day when the fruit of your life will be examined

01:06:54

Which will either prove or discredit your claim to be a believer in Jesus Christ And so the

01:07:00

Lord tells his disciples be ready Don't go to a place You would not want to be found if your

01:07:07

Lord were to return for you and find you there Do not be participating in an activity which you would not want to be discovered when the

01:07:19

Lord returns And may the Lord grant us grace to be true and stand true for him and for him and we know by his grace

01:07:27

By and by his sovereign power. He will see to it and So this shouldn't cause us to be anxious or doubt our salvation

01:07:36

It should it should however steal us in a holy resolve Lord. I'm gonna walk with you as you enable me

01:07:42

I need you to enable me or it's not gonna happen, but I'm gonna trust you to do So you're my Lord my

01:07:47

Savior and I'm gonna follow you as you command me And I know you'll help me doing so because you promised me to do so you will do so Through faith in you.

01:07:56

Amen Let's pray Thank you father for your word. Help us our

01:08:01

God to understand these rightly help us to have a proper balance of all these matters our

01:08:07

God and Help us our Lord to be faithful fervent witnesses for the true gospel of Jesus Christ in our fallen world

01:08:15

We pray our God for a great revival among ourselves That you would help us our

01:08:21

Lord to walk in faith and faithfulness to you and we pray our God You'd help us in our witness to the lost our

01:08:28

God and that as we see so much difficulty and hardship on every

01:08:34

In every way on every side of us our God in today's world. We pray that it would cause non -christians become unsettled our

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Lord and recognize Their need for you our God and for your son the only