CHRISTMAS EVE NEW YEARS EVE PRAYER AND FASTING - Wed… Jan 2…. 6:00am.

CHRISTMAS EVE NEW YEARS EVE

PRAYER AND FASTING -

Wed… Jan 2…. 6:00am

2Th. 2.3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2Tim. 4.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Jude 1.3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

REALITY OF A ONE WORLD RELIGION

We are witnessing this very falling away…QUOTE: Response to “A common word between us and You (muslim scholars) written by Yale Center for Faith and Culture signed by Hybels… Warren…. McLaren

If we can achieve religious peace between these two religious communities, peace in the world will clearly be easier to attain. It is therefore no exaggeration to say, as you have in A Common Word Between Us and You, that “the future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.”

It is rather a deep insight and courage with which they have identified the common ground between the Muslim and Christian religious communities. What is common between us lies not in something marginal nor in something merely important to each. It lies, rather, in something absolutely central to both: love of God andlove of neighbor. Surprisingly for many Christians, your letter considers the dual command of love to be the foundational principle not just of the Christian faith, but of Islam as well. That so much common ground exists—common ground in some of the fundamentals of faith—gives hope that undeniable differences and even the very real external pressures that bear down upon us can not overshadow the common ground upon which we standtogether.

Matthew 13:47-57The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…. Pt.2

Here in Matthew 13 Jesus has been teaching the multitudes about the nature of His Kingdom

He has been using common earthly things to explain heavenly things.

In the first parable Jesus used the sower… seed and soil to explain

What is happening as you Share God's Word with others.

The power/effectiveness of God's Word.

How the outward RESPONSES to the Word are related to the CONDITION of the heart.

In the following three parables we saw how Jesus used common earthly things to explain the wiles and devices of Satan

2Cor. 2.11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

In that series of parables we saw Satan’s COUNTER-INSURGENCY against the work of God and the Word of God.

> The parable of the wheat and the tares we saw how Satan plants false Christians

> In the parable of the mustard plant we saw how Satan tries to undermine and destroy the work of God by encouraging false growth

> In the parable of the woman and the leaven we see that Satan tries to corrupt the Kingdom … rot it out from the inside… by way of false doctrine and false living.

In the following two parables Jesus explained

1.) The VALUE of each individual believer

2.) The BEAUTY and PRECIOUSNESS of the CHURCH.

This morning we will finish the chapter as we pick up in VERSE 47

(Mat 13:47-50 NKJV) "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, {48} "which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. {49} "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, {50} "and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

KEY OBSERVATION: This parable is similar to the parable of the Wheat and the Tares.

In BOTH parables Jesus makes it clear that the Preaching of the Gospel in the world does not convert the world

REMEMBER - At this very moment Jesus is IN A BOAT on Galilee.

This audience was more than familiar withFishermen, Nets, Boats and Fish.

KEY INSIGHT: The North end of Galilee is where the Jordan feeds the Sea of Galilee….. is one of the best fishing area’s of Israel.

So Jesus uses these FAMILIAR/EARTHLY things to explain His Kingdom - the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet

6’ tall x 300’ long…..One end held up by corks, the other held down by weights.

that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, {48} "which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away

HERE’S THE TRUTH that Jesus is illustrating -

In another place Jesus told Peter and the boys that He would make them FISHERS OF MEN. (Catch men alive)

By this parable Jesus make it clear that when we fish for souls…. When we pull in the nets…. so-to-speak…..

There will be all kinds of fish that end up in that big net….. some good and some bad!

QUOTE: Trench, an Anglican bishop in the 1800’s -

“The Lord never contemplated His “Visible” church as a perfect communion. As there was a Ham on the ark, and a Judas among the 12, so there would be a Babylon within the bosom of the church!”

This mixed net will include some who are called by Jesus “wicked” (v.49)

There will actually be those people who outwardly attend or belong to a church…. but inwardly have no connection with the true church!

They can fool some of us some of the time… and they can fool others all the time

But they can NEVER fool Jesus.

John 10.14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep….

John 10.27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

2Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

SHOCKING NEWS TO SOME -

The professing church today has in it both true and false believers (the Parable of the Tares) and good and bad.

KEY OBSERVATION: There will come a time when God sorts out this catch of fish…. will separate the true believers from the false, and the good from the bad.

48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

As long as the net is in the water, it contains Bad and Good fish. The shore is the only place that this separation can take place!

49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

KEY OBSERVATION: Twice in this series of parables Jesus used the phrase “the end of the world…. End of the age” (Matt. 13:39, 49).

KEY INSIGHT: The “age” He referred to is the Jewish age at the close of the great Tribulation described in Matthew 24:1-31 and Revelation 6-19.

Matt. 25.31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him,

and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

Matt. 25.41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

Heb.9:27-28 “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

(Mat 13:51 NKJV) Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

CRUCIAL: When Jesus had completed this series of parables, He was CONCERNED that His disciples understood them, and they confidently replied, “Yes, Lord.”

KEY APPLICATION: Understanding involves responsibility.

To explain this, the Lord added a final parable (Matt. 13:51-52) to remind them of their responsibilities.

{52} Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

This could be best translated as

“Therefore every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven”

(NIV) “He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."

INSIGHT: The scribes began as a noble group under the leadership of Ezra.

Their purpose was to preserve the Law, study it, and apply its truths to daily life.

Neh. 8:7,8 “..instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.”

Over the years, their noble cause degenerated into INVENTING and PRESERVING man-made traditions and interpretations which did nothing but add burdens to the lives of the people (Luke 11:46-52).

Instead of sharing living truth from God’s Word, they peddled dead doctrines and traditions that could not help the people.

AS CHRISTIANS we are no longer on a search for the Truth…. because we have it in God’s Son and in God’s Word

Jn.14:6 I am the Way, the Truth and the Life

Jn.17:17 Sanctify with thy truth… Thy Word is truth.

Having found TH TRUTH we now plumb it’s depths!

We are LEARNING of Him

We are GROWING IN GRACE and in the KNOWLEDGE of Him.

KEY INSIGHT: “DISCIPLE” = One who is taught

But here Jesus says that we should never stop at just “learning” though!

The scribe emphasized learning, but the disciple emphasizes living.

Disciples are doers of the Word (James 1:22ff), and they learn by doing.

KEY APPLICATION: It is difficult to keep our lives balanced.

We can so easily emphasize learning at the expense of living.

Or, we may get so busy serving God that we do not take time to listen to His Word.

CRUCIAL: Every scribe must be a disciple, and every disciple must be a scribe.

We are scribes—students—who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His words.

2Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

One of the GREAT JOYS of the Christian life is the privilege of learning God’s truth from God’s Word.

But we must NEVER stop there.

KEY INSIGHT: The scribes preserved the Law but did not invest it in the lives of the people.

The householder not only guards the treasure, but he also dispenses it as it is needed.

KEY APPLICATION: We must be Students of the Word who “Dispense” the Truth!

brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

QUOTE: A.T. Robertson The disciple of the kingdom like the Master, is always fresh-minded, yet knows how to value all old spiritual treasures….. So he uses things fresh (kaina) and ancient (palaia). “He hurls forth” (ekballei) both sorts.

Things that we have gathered from the Word that are RICH and RIPE… Truths known well and held deeply.

You reach in and give them away time and time again… for new ears to hear… new hearts to fill!

And the NEW would be like MANNA….

Not new truth… but new insights based upon Old Truths!

{53} Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. {54} And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue,

so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? {55} "Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? {56} "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" {57} So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." {58} Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

KEY OBSERVATION: Two things amazed the people of Nazareth:

The words of Jesus and the works of Jesus.

BUT - they did not trust in Him, and this limited His ministry.

Early in His ministry, Jesus had preached at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-31) and had been rejected; and now He was rejected again.

NOTE: Jesus would be known as “Jesus of Nazareth,” and His followers would be called “Nazarenes,” but Nazareth would not receive Him.

This was His final visit to Nazareth; those villagers had no more opportunities.

UNBELIEF is the ONLY thing that will drive Jesus from you.