Sunday, October 27, 2024

LUKE 13:18-30. THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPELS

 




Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard tree which grew to become a tree and a birds of the air made nests in its branches or a leaven which a woman hid in flour and the whole dough was leavened. As we studied Mathew 13 earlier, we saw that the birds of the air Jesus defined as evil spirits and leaven He defined as hypocrisy. We saw that a little compromise will make room for demons and hypocrisy will corrupt our whole Christian life and thus we must be warned of compromise and hypocrisy. You can check the studies in Mathew 13.


Someone asked Jesus whether there will be only a few who will be saved and He answered that we must strive to enter the narrow gate for many will seek to enter but will not be able to. The gate is narrow, many will seek to enter....this is talking about Christians, many will seek to enter. Seeking means they are making effort but many will not be able to enter. 

The narrow gate and the narrow way has been a forgotten theme. Many Christians who are seeking to enter the kingdom will not be able to enter. Is there anything in your life that will hinder you from entering? Don't be comfortable, seek God about it, don't get a surprise when you expect to be received only to be rejected. Seek God seriously on the matter; it's something that cannot be undone. Seek God earnestly and honestly to show you your true condition as He sees you. Many are comfortable with the reputation they have gained amongst believers but that should be cast in the garbage bin. Only God's opinion matters.


When the master of the house shuts the door, you begin knocking from outside and He says to you that He never knew you. To know means to have an intimate relationship with Jesus. 


They'll say they ate and drank in His presence and had been taught in the streets. He will answer and say 'depart from me you who do evil' and they will be castout where to where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. They will see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in God's kingdom and they themselves will be cast out. 


The question in the last day will not be what you did for God, but it will be your relationship with Jesus and your relationship with sin. Do you have an intimate relationship with Jesus that has made you hate sin and are seeking God continually for power to overcome sin in your life or are you sitting comfortably imagining just because you recited the sinners prayer you will definitely be in God's kingdom? Many people who attend church every week will not make it because of sin. 


All your righteousness and your service and sacrifices in God's house will not be mentioned when you are found in sin. Sin is a very serious matter. It can cancel out all your lifetime sacrifices in the Lord's work and all your service to God. Do you take sin seriously or do you take it lightly? Do you seek God's power to overcome it earnestly or casually? Read Ezekiel 18:24


Learn from Jesus; in the days of His flesh, He cried out with strong crying and tears to Him who was able to save Him from spiritual death. Heb 5:7 Remember that the wages of sin is death. Jesus was praying that God would give Him power to overcome sin with strong crying and tears in the 33 years that He was on earth. The days of His flesh refers to His whole lifetime from childhood unto the day of His death. Do you pray like Jesus with strong crying and tears for God to help you overcome sin? Do you know that Jesus faced all the temptations that we'll ever face and yet He never sinned? He was made like us who are His younger brothers and sisters in every way and we are told that whenever we are tempted, we can go boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace to help us overcome temptation just the same way that Jesus overcame. Mercy is for forgiveness for our past failures and grace is power to overcome in our present temptation. Read Heb 2:17, 4:15-16.


Many will come from all directions and enter. Many who seem unimportant Christians now will be the greatest then and many who seems the greatest christians now will be the least important then.

 God does not look like man looks. Many of those we think are the greatest preachers will not enter the kingdom and others will be least in the kingdom. Some who are despised in the church who are important will be the greatest then, and many of the great church leaders, of course all those who are living in sin will never enter Gods kingdom unless they repent and others will be the least in the kingdom. Many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first.

Don't boast of your position in church or as a great leader. Humble yourself otherwise you are in for a surprise in the final day.


You are blessed to be a blessing

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@Blessed Mshindi Mambo

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