Grosey's Messages

John 20:1-23   I John 1:1-4  THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS

People are supposed to tell you the news.   These days we hear the news people interrupt their own news programme with the words  "Breaking News" and sometimes we become cynical, because we had already read that news two days before on an international channel.

Hmmmm "Breaking News?" Maybe it is new news to the newsreader because they have been asleep or on holidays somewhere for a few days and never bothered to catch up on the news?

Well John is going to announce to us the news!

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

1.       THIS IS BREAKING NEWS.

we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.

In older days the newscaster was the village or town crier or herald.

We.. testify to it and proclaim to you.

Like a herald or town crier John is announcing to you and I something very important.  If you can imagine it, town criers didn't deliver trivial messages.  For everybody to stop work and listen, what they had to deliver was pretty important news.  He didn't make up or create the news as some of our newsreaders are prone to do.  He didn't give a left or right slant on each news item according to the political directions of his boss.  I was rather amazed that last week a boss at the ABC told the news readers they were no longer allowed to give their own slant on things!

IT IS ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE.     The Lord Jesus had spoken a lot about eternal life.

John 3 ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶ "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 4 ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." ³⁶ Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.

John 5 ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6 ²⁷ Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal."

⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

⁴⁷ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life

It is about eternal life, because it is about Him who was from the beginning!

The beginning here refers to everything about this One who came into our world and was manifested.

He had been with the Father eternally! we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us

He had pre existed His own birth to become manifested!

This personal, preexistent Life "was manifested to us" in the incarnate Jesus. The repeated verb "was manifested" underlines this fact as a unique historical reality.

He who was from the beginning… That which was from the beginning,, He who was with the Father in the beginning, before all things came to be, He who was manifested at His birth announced by angels, glorifying Him as the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ, He is associated to the most important thing you can have, eternal life.

But He is more important than just the most important thing you can have, eternal life.  He is more important because this Jesus IS the eternal life.

2. was made manifest to us.   The words "to us" return the thought to the personal encounter of the apostles with this incarnate Life.

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life

The four opening clauses, each beginning with "what" (o{), declare the reality of the Incarnation.   "beginning" here points to the unique events, described in Luke 1–2 that characterized the actual Incarnation, which John is proclaiming. "John's message must seem incredible until we start where he starts—at Bethlehem."

It is about Jesus being God the Son, being manifested taking true human flesh.

In the body of Jesus Christ was both a human nature and a divine nature.  For within Him dwelt the fullness of God (Col 1).  Watch Him, as John did – there were times throughout His life that He was so much like God that You'd think He couldn't be a man; and there were times when He was so much like a man that you'd think He wasn't God.    But He was both – the God-man.

This is Important News, the God who created all things and sustains allthings appeared in time as a human man, Jesus!

 

2.       THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS

And John effectively says, "Take it from me – I'm an eyewitness!"

Let me tell you about three things I can attest to. First, verse 1 continues, We (I and the other Apostles) heard Him . . .  In other word, I'm not repeating what others said He said – I was there to hear Him say it!  I heard Him teach on the hillsides and in the synagogues. I was there when the amazed audience said, "We never heard anyone speak like this man speaks" (John 7:46).

Peter said 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place

.. no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The voice they heard and the Holy Scriptures confirm together Jesus is the Christ, God the Son.

John can say, I heard Him utter His astounding claim, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58).

I heard Him in the garden of Gethsemane, when the crowd came armed with torches and swords to arrest Him and Jesus asked them, "Whom do you seek?" We seek Jesus the Nazarene." And I heard Jesus respond, "I am!" I saw all of them immediately fall down on the ground at just the word of Jesus declaring He was the great I AM (John 18:6).  I heard Jesus stand in that boat and say to the wind and the waves, "Peace, be still" (Mark 4:39) – and all grew quiet again.  I heard Him stand before the grave and shout, "Lazarus, come forth . . . and Lazarus came back from the dead." ( I was there . . . I heard him with my own ears. I can testify as an eyewitness to the words of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, John adds, we not only heard Him, we have seen Him with our eyes, what we have looked at . . .  In other words, He wasn't a phantom . . . a ghost . . . a figment of our imagination! We saw the God-man with our own eyes.  John uses two different verbs for looking or seeing here in this phrase.  The second verb, translated "looked at" is from the word theaomai which gives us our word theater. It refers to careful contemplation, like you would carefully watch the actors upon a stage.

John effectively says, "Jesus was on the stage of human history and we carefully watched Him play out His role as the God-man."

The first verb in this phrase is even more instructive. John writes, "what we have seen with our own eyes . . ." – the verb to see here is from horao.  It means to see with understanding.

John used this word as a part of his own personal testimony where his faith crystalized into bedrock belief as God opened his eyes.

When he and the other Apostles were told that the body of Jesus was missing, John and Peter raced to the garden tomb.

John got there first and entered the tomb and saw the linen wrappings lying there – he saw them. The word is blepo (blepw) which is a common verb for casual observation.

Then the text records that Peter showed up and entered the tomb and saw the linen wrappings.

John uses a different verb "to see" which is from theoreo  which means to puzzle . . . to scrutinize". Theoreo gives us the word theorize.

John 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, a nd saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

In other words, Peter's standing inside the tomb, looking at these grave clothes trying to figure out what happened.       Think about what they're both seeing.  The linen wrappings were not disheveled and thrown all around the tomb; in fact, they hadn't been ripped off by grave robbers – they are still lying there on that stone ledge, literally still in their folds.  After three days and three nights, these spices that had been wrapped into the linen grave cloths or strips – as they were wound around the body – would have begun to harden. When the disciples entered that tomb, they were both struck immediately by the grave cloths – in the form of a body, slightly caved in and empty – like the empty cocoon of a caterpillar that had flown away.  The cloths hadn't been unwrapped . . . they weren't torn apart either.  The body had disappeared from within.  At that moment, John writes in his gospel, that he came in for a closer inspection and he saw – a different verb – he saw and believed.

It's the verb for seeing and understanding what you're seeing. John put the puzzle together . . . Jesus Christ had come back to life.

Then  the end of verse 1, we not only heard Him . . . not only have we seen Him with our eyes . . . notice, we touched Him with our hands . . .

John 20:  19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Are you sure you weren't seeing things, John?    Oh no . . . we touched him.

John 20:20 They would have touched His scars . . . the verb John uses in 1 John is the verb "to handle" . . . to run their hands and fingers over the marks He chose to retain as eternal reminders of His atonement.  Jesus will be the only person in heaven with any scars.    And John says, "I not only saw Him and heard Him, but in that moment, I handled His hands . . . for myself."  Jesus wasn't a ghost or a vision or a vapor or a disembodied spirit or a phantom.  He's real. God has a body; a glorified, tangible, resurrected, eternal body.  Jesus isn't an abstraction from God; He is the revelation of God – in the flesh.  John – the eyewitness – tells us . . . just who is Jesus?

Luke 24: 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

3.       THIS IS REAL NEWS       

concerning the word of life. the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us---

John ends verse 1 by writing, "Oh, He is the word of Life!  Literally, the logos of life!  To the Greek world, the word logos or word, referred to a sense of meaning, reason and purpose. John says, "God the Son is the logos of life – He is the meaning of life . . . the purpose . . . the explanation of life."        Discard Him . . . ignore Him . . . reject Him and you reject the meaning and the purpose and the explanation of life!      Stephen Hawking wrote, "If we find an answer to (why we and the universe exist), it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason . . ."

Carl Sagan "Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."

 The Word of Life has come . . . the answer from God has come.

the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us---3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Now John provides in verse 2, two claims about the Word of Life.

Notice, first, John writes that [Jesus] – the life was manifested to us.  You could render it, the life appeared! In other words, His life became visible and tangible. This wasn't the appearance of an abstract principle, but a real person.     He appeared in human history.  Jesus Christ intersected human history in His first coming and He will yet again intersect human history in His second coming. 

Again John tells us what he saw

John saw the Activity of the Love of Christ. And he saw the eternal love in Him.

John saw the Adequacy of the Power of Christ, and he saw the eternal life in Him.

John saw the Agony of the Passion of Christ. And he saw the love and power  and purpose of God in Him.

John saw the Victory of the resurrection of Christ. And he saw the eternal life in Him could come to you and me.

The second claim about the Word of Life?      Just as words are used for communication, so the Word of Life has come to communicate life to you and me!

 

4. THIS IS YOUR NEWS NOW!

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

What difference does any of this make?

Notice verse 3 again – what we have seen and heard, we proclaim to you also, so that so that you too may have fellowship with us.

John Invites You Into A Relationship

The word "fellowship" is from koinonia which refers to a close bond or partnership.

It's a kindred spirit and a kindred heart and kindred mind.

This is why you can meet a woman or a man, a young person and no nothing about them except that they belong to Jesus Christ and there is immediate kinship. Immediate fellowship.

I've experienced this sitting in a hut in Papua New Guinea.  – nobody warned me . . . I would be preaching that night to all those gathered inside that hut, with one lantern in the middle of the room; so dark I couldn't see my notes or even my Bible. I had to quote everything . . . I was making stuff up.

But there's another result here . . . not only is their relationship;

John Invites You Into A Reconciliation!   3  you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

There's horizontal fellowship with each other and there's vertical fellowship with God.

Reconciled to God through Christ – no longer at odds with Him, but in fellowship with Him.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).

In other words, we now have the same ministry of Christ – we have the ministry of bringing people together with God.    Imagine being used to reconcile someone to God!  Can you imagine the joy of being used by God to bring people together?  This was John's great passion . . . to bring people together in relationship and people to God in reconciliation.  Is it any wonder that following that John the Apostle would add one more result of being an eyewitness account?

He Invites You Into A Rejoicing!   4. These things we write so that our joy may be made complete.  Some translations read, "so that your joy may be made complete."

This is where it is all going.  Here are some wonderful reasons to Rejoice!  You have been reconciled to God! You have a new relationship with God. Your have a Saviour who is risen!   Our hands touched Him after His resurrection John says. Your Risen Saviour means there is Vindication.  He isn't just a man, He is God the Son come to give you eternal Life.

There is Justification.   He completely reconciles you to God.  No rituals are necessary. No conditions are necessary. He has done it all to reconcile you to God.  When someone dies you don't have to pray for him for 9 days to try to get him into heaven.    He has said to them like He said to the dying thief, "This day you shall be with me in Paradise."  You don't need a priest to try to get you in. the real High Priest, the Lord Jesus has already done it all to get you in.

There is Transformation.  He gives you His Holy Spirit who changes your life as you realise these wonderful amazing truths. You have access to God, as you are reconciled to Him. Just s a child to his father, so you have relationship with God your Father who has reconciled you to Himself.

 

 

The Dying Thief

Luke 23:14-49      Salvation Is:

By Grace Alone

Through Faith Alone

In Christ Alone

 

Isaiah 53:3-5 (NLT)

He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Isaiah 53:3-5 (NLT)

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!

"He was despised and rejected of men, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. Surely, He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows."

The King of the Jews

Yes he had heard that term about Jesus used often.  Could this one be the Messianic King who was to come?   That was what John the Baptist had been saying.  That was what the popular opinion about Jesus was.

That was why the High Priest had wanted to silence Jesus.

John 7 : When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This really is the Prophet."⁴¹ Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee?⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"⁴³ So there was a division among the people over him.⁴⁴ Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

⁴⁵                   The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"⁴⁶ The officers answered, "No one ever spoke like this man!"⁴⁷ The Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived?⁴⁸ Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?⁴⁹ But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them,⁵¹ "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?"⁵² They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."

John 11: ⁴⁵ Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,⁴⁶ but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all.⁵⁰ Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish."⁵¹ He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,⁵² and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.⁵³ So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. ⁵⁴ Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. ⁵⁵ Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves.⁵⁶ They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?"⁵⁷ Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

 

He saved others             Himself He cannot save

"He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!"

 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying,

He saved others: Lazarus raised from the dead.

Jairus' daughter from the synagogue in Capernaum raised from the dead.

Lepers healed.

Sick people healed.

Even demon possessed people healed.

He saved others.. Himself He cannot save?  Maybe Himself He will not save…

Isaiah 53:3-5 (NLT)

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, but the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

1. SALVATION IS BY GRACE ALONE

He knew there was nothing to commend himself to God.

"We are being punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve."
He needed grace, not justice from God.  If he got justice he would be condemned forever in hell by God's justice.. Not he needed grace. 

 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...not by works so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

2. SALVATION IS IN CHRIST ALONE

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

That's where he could look for grace.  Jesus.   Jesus name means Joshua or Saviour in Hebrew.

He needed a Saviour.. Jesus.. the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our iniquities.

He needed a Saviour to bring him pardon, one who would lay down His life for his sins.

 

3. SALVATION IS BY FAITH ALONE
You must Believe that Jesus can save you

What Must You Do?
 Like the dying thief,

Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Confess the Lord Jesus Christ.

Defend the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fully Confess Your Guilt

Direct Your Prayer to the Lord

 

Call To Worship Revelation 7:9-17

Law and Grace reading   Isaiah 53

Luke 23:14-49             Salvation By Grace Through Faith in Christ Alone

Benediction  Revelation 5:9-14

 

 "Infamous" last words:

1. "I'll hold it and you light the fuse."

2.  A redneck's last words were, "Hey, ya'll watch this."

3. "Bob, you have any grenades left? Throw me one..."

4. "The toast is stuck. Hand me that knife, will you?"

5. "Did you hear thunder? Oh well, hurry up and putt."

6. "There aren't that many Indians, General Custer."

I think Christians are the only people who can laugh about death and dying, because, for us, death is no longer scary. My favorite description of the Proverbs 31 women says, "She can laugh at the days to come" (Proverbs 31:25). The reason death is no longer scary for us is because Jesus Christ conquered death and the grave!

But look with me at a moment at this dying thief.

When he saw the Saviour surrounded by the Roman soldiers–saw the executioners bring forth the hammers and the nails and lay Him down upon His back and drive the nails into His hands and feet–this crucified criminal was startled and astonished as he heard Him say, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Who could say that?  He certainly wouldn't have.

He, himself, had probably spoken to his executioners with a curse, but he heard this Man breathe a prayer to the great Father! And, as a Jew, as he probably was, he understood what was meant by such a prayer. But it did astound him to hear Jesus pray for his murderers. He had never heard nor even dreamed someone would say that, and he had probably seen quite a few executed at the cross.

How could Jesus have said those words? Only someone more than a man could say that!  A loving, forgiving, God-like prayer proved Him to be the Messiah! Who else had ever prayed that way? Certainly not David and the kings of Israel.  The psalms have their fair share of Kings praying down the wrath of God upon their enemies! Elijah wouldn't have prayed like that, rather would he have called fire from Heaven on the centurion and his company.  It must have deeply impressed him and made him feel that his Fellow-Sufferer was something beyond the normal.

And when the Cross was lifted up, that thief hanging on his own cross looked around and I suppose he could see that inscription written in three languages–"Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."

And he certainly heard the people muttering it.  There was a dispute … surely it should read, this man called himself the King of the Jews,  but Pilate didn't want it changed.  Maybe he was rubbing the noses of the Pharisees in it.

The King of the Jews… that strange Person, all patience and all majesty, that strange prayer and now this singular inscription, surely he knew the Old Testament,  and he muat have asked himself, "Is this He? Is this truly the King of the Jews? This is He who worked miracles, raised the dead and said that He was the Son of God–is it all true and is He really our Messiah?"

Then he would remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah, "He was despised and rejected of men, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. Surely, He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." "Why," he would say to himself, "I never understood that passage in the Prophet Isaiah before, but it must point to Him! The chastisement of our peace is upon Him. Can this be He who cried in the Psalms–'they pierced My hands and My feet'"?

And then those interesting words from the Pharisees. 

He saved others, Himself He cannot save! 

Perhaps this dying thief read the Gospel out of the lips of Christ's enemies. They said–"He saved others." "Ah!" he thought, "did He save others? Why could He not save me?" What a grand bit of Gospel that was for the dying thief–"He saved others!" I think I could swim to Heaven on that plank–"He saved others" and, if He saved others, He can surely save me!

 

 

 

1. SALVATION IS BY GRACE ALONE

GOOD DEEDS WON'T GET YOU INTO PARADISE (and bad deeds can't keep you out!)

In verse 41 the criminal to the left made this observation, "We are being punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve." This is a statement about human justice. If you do the crime, then you've got to do the time. But don't ever confuse human justice with the grace of God.

Outside many courthouses around the world, you can see a statue of Lady Justice. This figure comes from Justitia, the Roman goddess of Justice. She can be seen holding a sword and a set of scales, and she is often blindfolded. This is where we get the phrase "justice is blind." Lady Justice symbolizes the concept that justice should be meted out objectively without regard to the position, rank, or power of the person being brought before the bar of judgment. Sadly, most people think God is like Lady Justice. They imagine there is a set of scales in heaven. They think every good deed they perform in placed on one side of the scale, and every sin they commit is placed on the other side. Then they believe after they die, God is going to weigh their deeds. If the good deeds outweigh the sins, they get into heaven. But if the sins outweigh the good deeds, then they go to that other place they don't even like to mention except as a term of profanity

What's wrong with this picture? It denies the grace of God. Let's consider the man on the cross beside Jesus again. He was guilty. The preponderance of evidence was against him. But just before He died, he received a promise of paradise from Jesus. He had never done anything to deserve paradise. Do you remember my definition of grace from last week? Grace is something I need but I don't deserve. The Bible says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...not by works so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

This criminal was saved from eternal separation from God in the same way you and I are saved—by grace through faith, not by works!

If God treated us like Lady Justice, imagine what this criminal's scales measured. There is no record he ever clothed the naked, or fed the hungry. He probably stole clothes and food! There is no record he ever helped a little lady across the street; he would have more likely mugged her. There is no record he was ever baptized. On the scale of good deeds and bad deeds, can you guess which way his scale leaned?

What's the lesson for us? Salvation is by grace. You may think you've done too many bad things in your life to be allowed into God's paradise. But God's grace is greater than ALL our sin. His grace is enough! Abraham was a liar, but he's in heaven now. Moses was a murderer, and he's in heaven now. Elijah was suicidal, and he's in heaven. David was an adulterer and a murder, and he's in heaven. Paul had Christians arrested and killed, yet he'll be in heaven. The promise of Jesus to this guilty criminal should convince all of us that we're not saved by good deeds, nor are we hopelessly lost because of bad deeds. Salvation is by grace, through faith.

2. SALVATION IS IN CHRIST ALONE

 THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE A RESERVATION IN PARADISE IS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS

Salvation is by grace–that's God's part. My part is to exercise faith, and even that is a gift from God. Did you notice the criminal's prayer of faith? Using just nine simple words, he prayed, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Salvation is by grace.

Salvation is by faith.   The faith that saves is directed at Jesus.

We often direct our faith at us.  Did I read enough? Did I pray enough? Did I go to church enough? Will my church save me?          You need to direct your faith to Jesus.

Some direct their faith at Mary.  Mary redirected people's faith to Jesus!   John 2.

3. SALVATION IS BY FAITH ALONE

You must Believe that Jesus can save you

Matthew tells us at first both criminals were insulting Jesus. But something happened that caused one man to believe in Jesus. I believe when he saw how Jesus was dying and heard what He was saying, he changed his mind about Jesus. He heard Jesus say, "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." He heard Jesus speak words of compassion to His mother. That's what repentance really is: Changing your mind about yourself and changing your mind about God. The criminal came to the place where he said, "This man has done nothing wrong."

Have you come to the place where you believe Jesus is the perfect Son of God?

This man not only made a profession of faith, he prayed a prayer of faith. He said, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." Let's examine that statement. First, the criminal had to believe Jesus had a future in which He could remember him. Next, he believed Jesus would have a kingdom. Remember, at the moment when the criminal prayed that prayer, Jesus didn't look very much like a king. He had been beaten, battered, and bloodied. By human standards, there was no basis to believe Jesus would even survive the cross, much less lead a kingdom! So, the criminal was confessing for all to hear that he believed Jesus would be the Lord, the King, of a future kingdom. In order to make your reservation in heaven, you must make the same confession. The Bible says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) Have you done that?

4. SALVATION IS FOUNDED ON THE PROMISES OF GOD ALONE  SCRIPTURE ALONE.

THE PROMISE OF JESUS CONFIRMS YOUR RESERVATION IN PARADISE

 "Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'"

Salvation is by grace alone  Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone.

Salvation is directed to us by the Word of God alone.

Jesus promised the thief, "You will be WITH ME in paradise." The best part of heaven isn't what is there: flowering trees, streets of gold, or gates of pearl. The most wonderful thing about heaven is we will be with Jesus. Anywhere with Jesus would be paradise! He promised the criminal, "TODAY you will be with me in paradise." He wasn't talking about some future event, Jesus was talking about today. After a Christian dies, there is no waiting period. We get to be with Jesus immediately. This verse completely destroys any basis for the heresy of purgatory. Our Roman Catholic friends teach in their official catechism that if a person dies who isn't perfectly purified, they go to an intermediate place for purging, or cleansing. I'm glad we don't believe in purgatory! We believe in paradise! And not delayed paradise, but immediate paradise! 2 Corinthians 5:6 says when a Christian dies, we are absent from the body and present with the Lord. In Philippians 1:23, Paul was wrote about dying and said that to die was to "depart and be WITH CHRIST."

Notice the first part of verse 43. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth." The actual words Jesus used were, "Amen, Amen." The KJV translates them, "verily, verily." Jesus was saying, "I absolutely, promise, guarantee, with no uncertainty that you will be with me in paradise." Your assurance of salvation is based squarely on the promises of God's Word.

Hindus believe salvation is finally attained through transmigration of the soul, or reincarnation. But what if you keep being reincarnated in the wrong direction? Or what if planet earth gets destroyed by a meteorite during the middle of your transmigration? Too bad, there you'd be: A soul without a body floating in the universe. It's really a karma lottery—no guarantee there.

The Buddhist believes if you do everything right, think right, talk right, act right, then you can attain karma. But you are actually judged more by your motives than your actions. So what if you die before you purify your motives? There are no make-up courses in hell.

Muslims are in the same little boat of insecurity. Nobody is ever certain they are good enough to please the great and mighty Allah. You can only try harder. Mohammed himself wrote, "Save yourselves from hellfire, as I cannot save you from Allah's punishment...Nor do I know what will be done with me or you..." (Sura 46:9).

Then I see Jesus hanging on a cross. He looks at a man who has lived an awful life and is dying an awful death. This man is nailed to a cross. He can't move. He can only speak. And in response to a simple, sincere nine word prayer Jesus says, "I promise! I guarantee! I assure you! Amen! Amen! Today you will be with me in paradise." We're the ONLY ones who can sing, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!"

So what should you do?

1. Like the dying thief, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Turn to Christ your longing eyes, 

View His bloody Sacrifice! 

See in Him your sins forgiven, 

Pardon, holiness and Heaven! 

Glorify the King of Kings, 

Take the peace the Gospel brings."

 

2. Like this dying thief confess the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

He confessed Christ. Did he not acknowledge Him to his fellow thief? It was as open a confession as he could make it. Did he not acknowledge Christ before all that were gathered around the Cross who were within hearing? It was as public a confession as he could possibly cause it to be!

 

3. This dying thief defended the Lord Jesus Christ.

This man came out, then and there, and made as open an avowal of his faith in Christ as was possible. The next thing he did was to rebuke his fellow sinner. He spoke to him in answer to the ribaldry with which he had assailed our Lord.

Let the Gospel alone and it will save!  Announce it like the dying thief did.  It is enough!  It is the power of God to salvation.

 

4. This dying thief made a full confession of his guilt.

He said to him who was hanged with him, "Do you not fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation? And we, indeed, justly." Not many words, but what a world of meaning was in them–"we, indeed, justly." "You and I are dying for our crimes," he said, "and we deserve to die." When a man is willing to confess that he deserves the wrath of God–that he deserves the suffering which his sin has brought upon him–there is evidence of sincerity in him.

 

5. This Dying thief directs his prayer to Jesus. 

He prays and his prayer is directed to Jesus. "Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom." True faith is always praying faith. "Behold, he prays," is one of the most sure tests of the new birth. Oh, Friends, may we abound in prayer, for thus we shall prove that our faith in Jesus Christ is what it ought to be! This converted robber opened his mouth wide in prayer. He prayed with great confidence as to the coming Kingdom and he sought that Kingdom first, even to the exclusion of all else.

 

"The moment a sinner believes,   And trusts in his crucified God, 

His pardon at once he receives,      Redemption in full through His blood."

"Today shall you be with Me in Paradise." He has no sooner believed than Christ gives him the seal of his believing in the full assurance that he shall be with Him forever in His Glory.

 

The dying thief rejoiced to see       That fountain in his day, 

And there have I, though vile as he,      Washed all my sins away."

 

Wisdom About Worry   God's Sovereignty

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Why should you trust God?

God's Sovereignty in Proverbs

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.  Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever

How God uses people's sin, their wickedness and their rebellion, in His sovereign plan without in any way being responsible for their actions  Like Judas, whose betrayal of Jesus was predestined, but whose fault for that betrayal was completely his own!!! The exact relationship between God's sovereignty and human responsibility is a mystery. We believe in human agency. People do what they want to.

But that is the very trouble. There is no free will.  Every one is influenced by something else: parents.(voting), close family relationships, schooling,  friends. Prov 1:10-16 You are influenced by your own selfish desires, your lusts, your insecurities. You are influenced by sin. And quite often we are not even aware of how our sinfulness influences our decisions. What is the hope of any of us getting things right?  And if we get some things right, we are usually so proud of it that we are completely wrong before God!  The will is not free. It is influenced by sin. Biased (bowls), weighted to self sin.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER HUMAN WILLS AND ACTIONS

Proverbs 16:1 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.  Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER THE HEARTS OF KINGS

Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Exodus 14:8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.   Acts 4:27-28 Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.   David, Absalom, Ahithophel. Hushai advice.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER SEEMINGLY RANDOM EVENTS

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.  John Calvin: God so attends to the regulations of individual events, and they all so proceed from his set plan, that nothing takes place by chance.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER BATTLES.

Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.  31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.

Hitler: Dunkirk (1/3m.) Russia, r. Rommel, slept in D Day.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER HIS ENEMIES.

Proverbs 16:4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends-- even the wicked for a day of disaster.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRUST IN GOD

He Is In Control Proverbs 16:9 (CSB) says, "A person's heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps."
Dr. F. B. Meyer said, "The black clouds are only His water cisterns, and on the other side they are bathed in sunshine. Do not look at your sorrow in the lowlands of your pilgrimage, but from the uplands of God's purpose."

He is Working Out His Plan  Ephesians 1:11 the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,  Puritan Thomas Goodwin said in his commentary on Ephesians, "[God] plots everything beforehand.... Nothing falls out but what He had laid the plot before."

His Purposes Prevail in and through His enemies
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

HOW DO YOU TRUST IN GOD?

Abandon Your Self Into God's Hands        

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

Abandon Your Plans For His Plan               

and do not lean on your own understanding.

Acknowledge His Plans All The Time    In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths

James 4:13-16 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

Joachim Neander Praise ye the Lord, Who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth, Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth! Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been   Granted in what He ordaineth?

Family Wisdom About Wealth Psalm 49        1 Timothy 6

MONOPOLY...Our first family fight..I was the Master of Monopoly in my family. I usually swept the table and won every time.  I cleaned up on Mayfair!    Lorelle and I had out first game a few weeks after getting married.  It was also our last game. It ended in tears. " I didn't know you were so mean!" 

It caused me to reeaxamine my heart about wealth.  Was I secretly a grasping covetous person?

Everyone here this  morning is rich. I don't care where you live or what you drive or how much money you have (or lack) in retirement funds, or even how much you owe. You're rich. You may feel poor, but that's only because you are comparing yourself to people who have a lot more than you have. Let me suggest you compare yourself instead with the hundreds of thousands of squatters who inhabit the largest slum in the world in Nairobi Kenya.  Or the one in Manila, homes built of scraps from the dump, sewage flowing openly in the dirt ruts that serve as streets, food scavenged from the garbage cans of the middle class.

What I'm suggesting is something you already know–wealth is a very relative thing. Therefore, whenever we read in the Scripture some exhortation about wealth, we must be very careful not to discard it too quickly on the basis that it doesn't apply to us because we're just middle class.

Psalm 49:1-5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,   6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?   7 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life,  8 for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice,   9 that he should live on forever and never see the pit.  10 For he sees that even the wise die;  the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.   11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names.   12 Man in his pomp will not remain;  he is like the beasts that perish.   13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. — Selah  14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.  Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.   15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. — Selah  16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases.  17  For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.  18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—  19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light.  20  Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Probably in family life, the greatest problem  is conveying a right sense about the issue of money.  Even in Christian homes, money can still be a major problem, both for them that have not, and for them that have.

View What You Have the Right Way

The prosperity of the godless was one of the great "enigmas of life" to the pious Jew, and it demanded a solution. Jeremiah wrestled with it when he dared to complain to God, "You are

 always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?"

(Jeremiah 12:1). Asaph also wrestled with the prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73:1-5:

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;    I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.

Jeremiah and Asaph are concerned principally with the prosperity of the wicked. But what about the prosperity of those who are not particularly wicked–just too busy for God? Strangely, that is an issue that may cause us even more struggles. Here's why.

Psalm 49 is addressed to the righteous who are struggling with envy and jealousy toward those who are rich. At heart most of us in the West, even those of us who profess faith in Christ, are essentially materialistic. That is, we think more readily in terms of the material things we see rather than the spiritual realities we cannot see, and we have a strong inclination to trust wealth and what we can accomplish with it. Trust in riches is a persistent and universal problem. This Psalm was written to address it and to help us avoid the pitfalls associated with it.

There is a stark contrast between the present benefits and the ultimate liabilities of those who trust in riches. I think the best way to get a handle on this is to separate what the Psalmist tells us about wealth into two categories: the benefits and the liabilities. He doesn't try to tell us that wealth is worthless–we know better than that. But he does stress that benefits now need to be considered against the backdrop of liabilities later.

What are some of the present benefits of worldly wealth?

1. Prestige         The rich person's name is preserved. (11) A person's name is his most cherished possession. Meet someone at church who remembers your name the second time you are introduced and your estimation of that person increases exponentially. In many cultures fathers long for a son to carry on their name. Companies are named after their founders, buildings after their benefactors, ministries after their leaders.

The rich clearly have an inside track on preserving their names. Verse 11 speaks of how they tend to name lands after themselves. And not just lands, but also cars, foundations, universities, parks, etc. Just think of some of the names that have been preserved because of great wealth: Rockefeller Plaza, Carnegie Hall, Ford cars, Vanderbilt University, Hearst Castle, the Trump Towers, Busch Stadium. You will probably never find your own name (or mine) on a building or park.

Or a suburb, like Grose Vale, or Grose Wold, or….  Oh comeone.. its not named after me.  Who would want the name Grose anyway?  Why? Because we're too humble, right? No, because we're not rich! That's one of the present benefits of worldly wealth.

Position    Skill results in advancement and wider range of blessings

Proverbs 22:29 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.

2. Popularity   Hard work also results in authority and greater responsibility

Proverbs 12:24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.

That's my interpretation of what the Psalmist is saying in verse 13 when he speaks of the rich man's followers who approve his sayings. There's no doubt whatever that the rich of this world have followers. Wealth attracts hangers-on like T.V. cameras attract politicians. I caught a program some time ago about the paparazzi who have created an entire industry of following movies stars around twenty-four hours a day–hoping to get a picture of them walking from their car into a store. Unbelievable. You and I have to go to a studio and pay to get somebody to take our picture. Granted, that attention is not all pleasant, but I definitely think most of the rich and famous prefer it to being ignored. But what is really amazing is how the rich are quoted. They are constantly being interviewed by the press, and they can speak on subjects of which they have no knowledge, and yet people will treat them like prophets–just because they're rich.

3. Possessions  The rich person own mansions and is able to add to them continually.

Downton Abby..  The staff alone to keep it operating costs $2 million a year. Obscene, you're thinking. Right? But let's be fair. There's not a one of us who wouldn't enjoy visiting these homes or even living in them, so long as we didn't have to pay the electric bill or do the windows. These homes are a benefit that is significant. One final present advantage of the rich mentioned by the Psalmist is this:

Pleasures   Desires are fulfilled  Proverbs 13:4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

4. Praise   The rich person enjoys the praise of men. (18) See the parenthesis in verse 18— "men do praise you when you prosper." If you want to be noticed, if you want to be praised, if you want to be valued in this society, getting rich is the surest and quickest way. It's quicker than intelligence, quicker than good looks (if you're rich enough, you can be ugly and still very popular), and a whole lot quicker than godliness.

 Praise    A hard worker will be praised and rewarded    The virtuous wife:   Proverbs 31:13-18 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls Proverbs 31:31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.       Those are some of the present benefits of worldly wealth. But that is not the whole story. The Psalmist also describes some of wealth's liabilities.

What are some of the ultimate liabilities of worldly wealth?

1. It generates self-confidence and pride. (6) Verse 6 speaks of "those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches." Of course, not every rich person trusts in his wealth, but the fact is indisputable that great wealth has a tendency to make us self-confident rather than God-confident. After all, you don't need to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," if you're a billionaire or even a millionaire. Nor is every rich man full of pride, though one doesn't have to meet too many Donald Trumps to come to the conclusion that boastfulness is uniquely tempting for the filthy rich.

2. It cannot purchase exemption from death. (7, 8) Wealth can buy a lot of things.

Money can buy:      A bed but not sleep;  Books but not understanding;

Food but not an appetite;   Fashion but not beauty;

Admirers but not friends;      Toys but not enjoyment;

A house but not a home;      Medicine but not health;

Luxuries but not culture;        Fun but not happiness;           Religion but not salvation.

One of the most important things money cannot buy is exemption from death. Look at verses 7, 8 again: "No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him–the ransom for a life is costly (it really means priceless), no payment is ever enough–that he should live on forever and not see decay." Oh, it may be that a rich person can purchase better health care than the average person and thus, humanly speaking at least, prolong his life a little. But the fundamental position of Scripture is that our days are numbered by God before they start (Psalm 139:16), and no doctor can ultimately change that. It is patently obvious from mortality statistics that the rich as a class do not live any longer than the rest of us. Actually the opposite is probably the case.

3. Its owner must surrender his wealth when he dies. (10) The point of verse 10 seems to be that everyone–wise and foolish alike–dies and leaves his wealth to others. "How much did he leave?" is often the question when a person dies, but the answer is always the same, "Everything." But not only must we surrender it at death; we also lose all control of it. No matter how much effort a person expends in setting up wills and trusts, sometimes an estate goes to relatives who were purposely left out, and sometimes it ends up benefiting causes that the owner hated.

4. The only permanent piece of real estate a man can own is his own grave. (11)

Verse 11 is profound: "Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves." The rich may leave huge estates in their names, but the day after they die and for the rest of time, the only piece of real estate that belongs to them is a little plot approximately four feet by eight feet by six feet deep.

What a contrast between the present state and the ultimate state of those who trust in riches!

Here in this life they have name recognition, people treat them like royalty, they enjoy princely mansions, and they are praised by other people. But none of that will count for anything when the bell rings.

Proverbs 11:4 (ESV) Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Proverbs 11:28 (ESV) Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

Psalm 49:12-14  "But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah. Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions."

This issue of eternity is pretty basic.  But the Bible says this life is not all that there is. God says that "in the morning" the books will be balanced. The power and prerogatives of wealth are all temporary. (12) Verse 12: "But man, despite his riches, does not endure."

2. Get What You Have the Right Way

1. Be Purposely Productive  

Genesis 2:15 (ESV) The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.                     What should characterize a Christian's work?

The ant is held out as a role model for us.  One of the most amazing creatures God ever made.  Ants never sleep; There are over one million ants for every single human being on earth!! Ants can lift over fifty times their body weight with their mouths, akin to you or I lifting a car.  All ants live in communities… colonies.  The largest ant colony ever found was located in Italy and northern Spain, and it stretched a total of 3600 miles, containing millions of nests and billions of ants.

Every ant has a specific function:  i) Soldier ants protect the rest of the colony from enemies  ii) Harvester ants store seeds for use as food; some of these ants chew the seeds and turn them into a kind of ant bread; others take out wet seeds to dry them in the sun iii) Weaver ants use their larvae, which produce silk thread to sew together leaves for shelters iv) Carpenter ants hollow out tree stumps for use as nests. v) Slave maker ants raid other ant colonies and carry off larvae; these slave ants then grow up to do the work of the colony

1. Initiative    Proverbs 6:6 (ESV) Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

Proverbs 30:25 (ESV) the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;

Colossians 3:23 (ESV) Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,  24 (ESV) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

2. Quality     Proverbs 6:7 (ESV) Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,  8  she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

3. Energy  Proverbs 6:9  How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?

Proverbs 26:13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!" 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. 15  The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.  16  The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.

4. Satisfaction  Proverbs 6:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11  and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Proverbs 13:4  The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

Work your fields and avoid fantasies           Proverbs 28:19 He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

Application: get-rich-quick schemes… "impressions of the Holy Spirit"…

2.Be Earnestly Productive

Proverbs 13:11 (ESV) Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.      Proverbs 10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Proverbs 20:21 (ESV) An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.

Proverbs 23:4 (ESV) Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.

Proverbs 24:27 Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.

Ecclesiastes 10:10 If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

3.Be Honestly Productive. Proverbs 21:6 (ESV) The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

Proverbs 16:11 Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making.

Proverbs 14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

3. Use What You Have the Right Way

Proverbs 3:9 (ESV) Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;

Proverbs 3:10 (ESV) then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Proverbs 11:24 (ESV) One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

Proverbs 19:17 (ESV) Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

The problem is not riches; it is riches without understanding. (20) Psalm 49:20: "A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish." Please understand this morning that Psalm 49 is not attacking wealth. Wealth no more makes a man wicked than poverty makes a man good. Riches can be a great blessing, and for some it is. I have known some relatively wealthy people who were extremely generous givers with servant attitudes and a heart for God. By using their gift of giving they became a great blessing to many, and to the Lord. There is not a word in this Psalm that disparages the godly rich who receive their wealth honestly, employ it righteously and generously, and even enjoy it humbly. But our Psalm does attack the attitude of self-sufficiency and the practice of conspicuous consumption so often associated with riches.

In Glen Innes the guy who lived next to the church was known as an old miser.  He had tirned power and water off at his house so not to pay bills. And all his houses, had become so run down that only rats lived in them.   One day the guys  in the church tried to clean up his house for him, and found some rats skinned in the fridge (no power remember) ready to cook.  His heart had become so calloused towards others he had no friends and no relationships. Just .. rats.. Money had got a hold of his head and his heart and separated him from everyone and everything. It was the saddest of existences of anyone I have every met.. Until he came to know the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus changed a hard calloused materialistic heart to someone prepared for eternity.

Don't be so foolish. Relax your grip on perishing treasures, don't be overawed by the wealth of others, place your hand in the hand of the One who died to save you from your sin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C. Some Practical Wisdom on Work

IV. The Blessings and Purpose of Leisure

A. Rest Displayed and Commanded by God

Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work

B. Rest "Sweet" to a Man of Wisdom

Proverbs 3:21-24 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight… 24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

C. BUT Too Much Sweetness Can Be Destructive

1. A command to eat honey

Proverbs 24:13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

An ascetic life of harsh sternness is detrimental to the soul… so also a life of endless toil with no earthly blessings.  God WANTS us to enjoy the blessings of this life… but in MODERATION

All the blessings of life.  BCP.

2. A command not to OVEREAT honey

Proverbs 25:16 If you find honey, eat just enough-- too much of it, and you will vomit.

Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

3. The danger of overeating… even the blessings become curses

Proverbs 27:7 He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

4. Proverbs on honey… literal, but MOSTLY SYMBOLIC!!

a. "Honey" represents blessings from God not essential to life

b. Leisure, recreation, entertainment, relaxation are all "honey"

c. The problem comes with OVERINDULGENCE

d. This is the whole problem with our present generation

i) It's not enough to have food… we have to eat to the level of gluttony

ii) It's not enough to have recreation… we have to play to the level of the frantic addict

iii) It's not enough to have a weekend, or a vacation in some pretty place… we become idolators and LIVE for the weekend and the vacation and HATE work

iv) It's not enough to watch a ballgame… we have to have cable stations that feed us sports 24-7!!!

v) All of this is HONEY consumed too much until we vomit!!

5. So it is damaging to LOVE PLEASURE

Proverbs 21:17 He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.

So… life should be a wise balance of diligent hard work and occasional rest and leisure…

To highlight this, and to show the danger of addiction to leisure, we have the SLUGGARD

V. The Shame and Destruction of Laziness

A. Introducing… the Sluggard!

1. He loves to sleep…

Proverbs 6:9-11 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- 11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

Proverbs 26:14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

2. He is filled with desires, dreams, and aspirations… but nothing ever comes of it, because he is completely UNWILLING TO WORK to make any of it happen.

Proverbs 13:4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

Proverbs 21:25 The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.

3. The sluggard is constantly making excuses for his laziness… even if the excuses are ridiculous

Proverbs 22:13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!" or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"

4. The level of the laziness can reach ridiculous, epic proportions

Proverbs 26:15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

Just picture this man, still living at home with his parents at age forty, sleepy from his afternoon nap, turning to his mommy who has cooked him another home-cooked meal, asking her if she'll cut up his food and feed it to him!! That's how pathetic and disgusting laziness can become.

5. The sluggard creates immense frustrations for all who rely on him.

Proverbs 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.

You're standing around a campfire; the wood you used is green, sappy, pine logs… the fire is extremely smoky… and it seems no matter where you stand, the wind changes direction to blow the smoke right into your eyes… it stings, it blinds you, it is extremely annoying. That's what it's like to send a sluggard to do anything!

A boss chooses an employee to bring some drawings to a vendor for manufacture… the vendor says if he can get the drawings by ten in the morning, he can turn the parts around by 4:00 that afternoon; the young man takes the drawings, gets in the company truck, and drives off… but little did the boss know that the man was a SLUGGARD!!! As soon as he drives off the lot, he goes over to his favourite  coffee shop… he reasons that he won't get a coffee break like the rest of the guys, so he grabs the opportunity; an hour later, the man shows up at the vendor with the drawings… but the vendor is the best in the state, constantly busy… he had assumed when he didn't get the drawings right away the company had changed its mind and didn't need the parts ASAP after all… the drawings get put in a stack along with all the other parts needing to be made… at 4:30, the boss calls the vendor and asks where the parts are… the resulting conversation is frustrating for BOTH parties… and all because the messenger was a SLUGGARD.

6. The sluggard misses opportunities and makes excuses about it

Proverbs 20:4 A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.

Amazing… when it was time to plow, he wasn't there… perhaps he was asleep; plowing time is a window of opportunity, and that window closes at a certain point Even more amazing… he still looks for a harvest, even though he missed the planting season by a month or more.

So it goes in the life of the sluggard… "A day late and a dollar short"

And always blaming someone else for his own laziness… ultimately even blaming the Lord:

"How could you let something like this happen to me?"

Proverbs 19:3 A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.

7. The sluggard starts projects, but doesn't finish them:

Proverbs 12:27 A sluggard does not roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is diligence.

8. Basically, the sluggard fights his laziness at every turn in the road, and therefore he leads a very difficult life despite the fact that every decision he makes is motivated by EASE and COMFORT for himself

Proverbs 15:19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.

This is a man who can't find his passport when he wants to travel; who puts off calling his roommate from college when he heard that his father had died… and as a result loses some of his relationship with him. This is a man who buys a white dress shirt because he can't find his other one, and he needs it today… then finds the other one a week later.

Every single issue of his life is made difficult because of his IMMENSE LAZINESS… the fact that he NEVER denies his flesh for one moment, blocks his whole life in every way He procrastinates … He burns relationships… He burns opportunities… He is frustrated, bitter, listless, immobile.

Basically he is a SLAVE to his own sense of comfort and ease.

9. Yet for all of this, he still has a HIGH OPINION of himself

Proverbs 26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

B. The Results of Laziness: A Shameful Display

Proverbs 24:30-34 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; 31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. 32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- 34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

C. So What's Wrong with a Little Sleep?

1. Many warnings against sleep

Proverbs 6:9-11 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- 11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

Proverbs 10:5 He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 19:15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.

2. Sleep in some cases is seen to be a BLESSING from God.

Psalm 127:2 [the Lord] grants sleep to those he loves.

Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much.

3. Jesus Himself fell asleep in a storm… so sleep itself is not evil.

4. The real issue: LOVE of sleep   "oh bed I love the well!" 

Proverbs 20:13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.

D. Summary: A Sluggard is someone who gluts himself on rest, leisure, pleasure, comfort… the result is an ever-increasing addiction to these things, and a shameful resistance to any hard work… his life is OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS.

VI. Application s

A. Rest in the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross.

1. Workaholism makes too much of our own labours.

2. Our own works can never pay for our sins… it is dust in the wind

3. The only ETERNAL value of our work is in Christ "Only one life, 'twill soon be past… only what's done for Christ will last."

B. Live for the Grand Overarching Work of the Kingdom of God "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well." 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

C. Learn the Practical Lessons of Proverbs

1. Daily life is to be filled mostly with productive labor

2. Study these proverbs to learn these lessons

3. Don't despise the menial tasks of the day… a life worth living is made up of garbage taken out, bills paid on time, lawns mowed, gardens weeded, socks repaired, shirts ironed, thank you notes written, cars washed, groceries bought, meals cooked, children bathed and put to bed, etc.

4. Don't despise this hard working life

D. Beware the Recreation Crazed Culture we Live in

E. Teach your Children to Labor… not be Addicted to Recreation!!!

F. Don't Procrastinate or like a Sluggard… Do Today's Tasks Today

 

"Monopoly? It all goes back in the box." Jon said, "What do you mean? This is the greatest day of my life!"