Sin, It's Nature and History - Part 3 — Paris Reidhead

We're the dark. So patient with us we learn line upon line truth upon truth precept upon precept. And we must be told over and over again. Finally the word works its way into our hearts and minds and lives and becomes part of us.

We're asking that the Holy Spirit will be a very patient with us and gracious to us minister to us. Until I word having found lodgment in our heart having taken root in our minds will so direct and control our Ministries that we will truly bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We want to be workmen that need not to be ashamed. We want him in us to see of the travail of his soul and to be satisfied. So to that end bless us as we continue our study together in his worthy name we ask it.

Repentance and the Cost of Discipleship in Luke 14

Now we've been talking in the past about Repentance and I want you to turn to Luke 14. I Think it's well for us to get this in its its dimensions. Who's with him. And he turned and said unto them. Unto me and Ain't not his father and sisters.

Yeah, and his own life also. He cannot be my disciple. Not bear his cross and come after me. Cannot be my disciple. For which of you intending to build a tower? Sitteth not down first and counted the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it.

Blessed happily after he had laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all. He hold it begin to mock him saying this man began to build was not able to finish war against another king. Sitteth not down first and consulted whether he be able with 10 ,000 to meet him that cometh against him with 20 ,000 or else while the other is yet a great way off.

He sendeth in a message and desirous conditions of peace so likewise. Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh. Not all that he hath. He cannot be my disciple. Us to savor where we shall it be seasoned yet for the dunghill.

But men cast it out. Let him hear about the nature of sin essence of it. What it is? The commitment of the will to please himself. Now we listen to the Lord Jesus Christ as he did evangelism. He did evangelism in his day in his time.

Jesus’ Ministry at the Pharisee’s House

Very interesting passage is this. The 14th chapter begins of the first verse. That Christ was invited to the one to the house of women the chief of the Pharisees. To eat bread on the Sabbath day. Him and you remember the man came with dropsy and he said an officer donkey.

Fallen into the pit you won't straightway on the Sabbath day. Pull him out. Why should I not release this one? Who's been afflicted with proxy? And Then he put forth some friends that he had there to those which were bitten when he marked how they Chose out the chief rooms the chief seats.

Saying unto them and he tells them about to the place of honor and then was asked to move further down the table to make room for someone better than himself and finally seeing this company of people with their Excuses and so on.

The Parable of Excuses for Refusing Christ

He tells the story about the heard the feast. They began to make excuses. No, obviously the Lord had a sense of humor. Oh, yes, he had a sense of humor. Listen to this one of them said can you imagine a group of Pharisees that are listening to this discourse and One of these that was invited said a piece of ground go and see it the side splitting.

Thing there. By the ground and then go and see it. What's the use of. You've already bought it. What difference does it make it's yours? Well, they're short or longer too much or too little says. Well, I can't come you see I bought five.

You'll box and I gotta go and see if they can pull wise Pharisees I'm sure got a lot of well I was testing him after you bought him you tested before you bought him not after you but I tell you they have it.

They almost want to roll the ground. This one that says well, I'd like to come you see. But I married a wife. Never she's probably about 15. I married a wife at me out of the house. He's just now sir you know senseless on the excuses that men give for not repenting of their sin.

And coming to him and he goes Immediately from this in a sense ridiculous, but telling cutting penetrating Insight into the nature of men's reasoning and now he begins to Put the knife right where the pain is you ever gone to a doctor and said doctor I've come to you because I've got this very sore elbow and.

And he reaches for the elbow you pointed to and you say oh, don't touch that one that hurts. That's this one. Well, that's what he's done with the disciples. He's used a little humor to get them to see himself and now he's Telling them the conditions you see the Lord Jesus never wanted to caught anybody.

Christ’s Honest Terms for Discipleship

He never wanted to fool anybody and he never wanted to bring anyone against their will. And he never wanted anyone to say you deceived me. You didn't tell me Gate, and then when I get into the ways, I find a narrow way honest with me.

If you're gonna nip their puddles out of a narrow way, that's not fair couldn't change and he couldn't Alter it. He couldn't revise it. Well, they could wait for it hang around hoping he'd put in a Bargain day special, but he didn't have any and they never changed a rich young ruler.

Sell all you have give it the poor come follow me and When the boys started ways, you know I'm always trying to get somebody on that one, but nobody seems to like it. You just believe on me and everything will be alright.

No, he let the young boy go sorrowing. But he let him go. Now listen to what Christ said. Listen to him. Carefully and you're going to understand what we've got to do when we talk to people that we're preparing for grace by the right and proper use of the law.

Discipleship Means Learning from Christ

Listen carefully. I'm already ready to you a parable that proceeded. He said there are three main reasons why? Excuses people give. What they possess? The land that they purchased that's a possession.

Business. I married a wife. That's a family. Relationship. I bought five yoke of option. That's business. The drainage business and I bought a piece of ground. That's an investment. And he said the three main Exclusives that people have for not repenting not receiving him.

Our first family relationships second career ambitions and third Possessions. And he's used that humorous approach. Now he's coming reversing the order and he's pinpointing what it really means at least if any man and he and sisters yay.

And His own life also. He cannot be my disciple years ago a preacher acquaintance and friend. Who wrote a book then written any books. Books over my name are sermons I preach and somebody Wanted badly enough to type out.

And have published but I I haven't written any. Maybe you're not going to release me to do it sometime or help you to do it. I don't know. Maybe I've been released. I just need a lot of help. Any rate it's easy to be saved.

You just accept Jesus to become a disciple. Oh, I'd sounded kind of good one of those catchy little phrases. For which I had an ear tuned and a vessel memory. I picked it up. I used it at thinking about it go to the scripture and find out Jameson Fawcett Brown one volume commentary on the Bible.

And after she'd had it a few weeks the one who gave it to her said now, what do you think of that book? Whoa, she said it's a wonderful book, but it's just amazing to me how much light the Bible throws on that book.

It was amazing to me how much light the Bible throws on a lot of books. And on this one, so I went to Bible to take the word disciple and trace it through and you know what I found it means learner. Student that's all it means a student.

Christ’s Lordship Above Family Relationships

What did he say? He said listen, I don't want to fool you fellas. He's talking to the multitude, but he's aiming back over his shoulder at the Pharisees and us. We're over his shoulder and he's saying to them Listen, I don't want to kid you.

You can't even get into kindergarten and start learning about me until you understand who I am. What was the problem that father Adam had he grown attached to her didn't take long. She came and says I ain't.

Now it's up to you. You either go with him or with me made a choice. So what's the first condition? If anyone doesn't recognize that I'm God. And when you come to me Lordship must transcend all human Relationship.

I'm the same one that walked in the garden in the cool of the evening and said Adam. Because the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the new. And he is saying if you're going to come to me You've got to understand.

That you're going to please me. Even though your father and your mother and your brothers and your sisters and your wife or your husband all Figure that what you are doing is hatred of them. It's not teaching positive hatred of these people.

He's teaching profound for him the essence of sin is I'm going to please me and then I'm going to please they. If it pleases me to please they and he say now we get that all turned around now when you come to me.

You make a commitment to please me. Even if your family interpret that as being hatred of them. She didn't. School was where our home was. I used to drive the take over the truck to bring the boys back to school at the end of the break.

Choosing Christ Over Family Pressure

We went into one village. Young glad by the name of day was the area was the third year. This student in school one of the youngest student leaders. He loved the Lord. He was doing some preaching. He was a very very fine young man and When we came into the village his mother was there.

She was an older woman. She had taken a broken piece of clay pot and she cut her face with the sharp edges. She'd cut her breasts. She'd cut her abdomen. She rubs Ashes all over her face and she was standing there holding on clinging to Dane.

And they got his little green basket filled with his clothes and things you take him back to school. And a bass rope around it with a little loop when we stopped. I could hear the mother saying at the top of her lungs Dang, you hate me.

You hate us. You hate your father. You hate me. You hate us or you would never go back to that school. The rest of the family were back there. But the mother wouldn't accept it. And this strong young man Reached took mother's one hand and then he put her second hand in his.

He reached down and took the loop and handed it to boys in the back of the truck. He put one foot up on the top of the tire. He took a hold of the steel side. And with tears in his eyes, he said mother.

I Know you think I hate you. But I love you, I Love you more than I've ever loved you. Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. And I love him more than I do you. And I must please him. And I must go. I Hope you will understand or understand this that I don't hate you.

It's just that I love him. And with that holding her hand he pulled himself slowly up. We started the truck. He let go of her hand. She stood back there saying you hate us. You hate us. And Dang was saying I love him more.

That's what the Lord Jesus said.