Are You Ready for the End? Part 2

About me in a moment of prayer, would you please father? We thank you for this day We thank you for the opportunity we have to open the Word of God and to study it together to understand your will for our lives and to understand What it means to understand our eternal destiny and pray father that today you'd open us up From heart and soul and mind to understand the truth of the gospel. We pray in Jesus name Amen Our topic of discussion is are you ready? It follows the Olivet discourse in Luke chapter 21 where Christ would conclude with the words talking to his disciples Helping them to understand that they need to be on guard that they need to be ready that they might be able to stand before the Son of Man and We are asking you the question.

Are you ready if Jesus was to come today? Would you be ready to stand before the Son of Man if you don't live until he comes again and you die? Will you enter into his presence and stand before the Son of Man or will you be cast into eternal damnation? Where do you stand with Jesus Christ? We told you last week that many people will say to me on that day Lord Lord Did we not prophesy in your name and did we not cast out demons in your name? And did we not do many marvelous deeds in your name and he will say to them depart from me those who practice lawlessness I never knew you Before that he gave an invitation he gave an invitation about how narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be That find it It's interesting to note that Jesus would follow that up With these words that not only are there a few Who find it?

But many of the few who find it Will want to enter in and not be able to Do you understand that Broad is the way that leads to destruction Narrow is the gate that leads to life and few there be that find it and Of the few who find it. He says these words and we've already covered it in Luke chapter 13 when he said Strived enter by the narrow door for many I tell you will seek to enter and Will not be able to enter So of the few who find the narrow way Many of the few who find it will never be able to enter So he says these words Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door saying Lord Open up to us.

Then he will answer and say to you. I do not know where you are from then you will begin to say we ate and drank in your presence and You taught in our streets and he will say I tell you I do not know where you are from Depart from me all you evildoers There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but yourselves being cast out and they will come from East and West and from North and South and will recline to the table in the Kingdom of God and behold some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last when Jesus presented the gospel He didn't want anybody to be confused About what it is they believed and where they were going and yet there are many people today who are absolutely confused about whether or not They will be ready when Jesus comes again And I would venture to say that most people think they're ready But they are not and that's why we're asking the question.

Are you ready? You see what why wouldn't they be ready? One author said it this way years ago He said today's Christianity is in a state of disarray and decay and the condition is deteriorating year by year the truth of God's Word has been watered down and compromised to reach a common denominator that will appeal to and accommodate the largest number of participants the result is a hybrid Christianity, which is essentially man-centered materialistic and worldly and Shamefully dishonoring to the Lord Jesus Christ This shameful degeneracy is due in large part to the erroneous gospel that is presented by many today around the world and That erroneous gospel is presented because people aren't called to a place of repentance You must be called to repent from your sin Jesus came preaching that message before him was John the Baptist before him were all the Old Testament prophets after Jesus all the Apostles preached the same message because of Luke 24 verse number 47 Jesus said that when you go into all the world you are to preach repentance so that man will be forgiven of his sins So if you don't preach repentance man will not be forgiven.

So you must preach this message So that's exactly what the Apostles did And Paul would say these words in Acts chapter 26 as he stood before Agrippa He said consequently King Agrippa I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea and even to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God performing deeds appropriate to repentance This is the great Apostle Paul who preached the message declaring to all men everywhere at 1730 that they should Repent that they should turn from their sins that there should be a change of heart mind soul and life When you embrace Christ as Savior and Lord That's important.

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones Who preached for 30 years at Westminster Chapel in London said these words about repentance Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty vile sinner in the presence of God That you deserve the wrath and punishment of God that you are hell-bound It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you That you long to get rid of it and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form You renounce the world whatever the cost the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practice And you deny yourself and take up your cross and go after Christ Your nearest and dearest and the whole world may call you a fool or say you have religious mania You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference that is Repentance He understood what it meant when Christ said follow me When Christ gave the invitation to those who were unbelievers, he said come unto me follow me To follow Jesus means you turn from following everything else You turn from following the world You turn from following Satan you turn from following your sin and you turn to follow Jesus That's the call of salvation And that's what repentance is and repentance is not a one-time act Repentance is characteristic of the believer He longs to repent.

He longs to turn from a sin. He does not want to sit in his sin He wants to turn she wants to turn from that which has kept him in bondage and they want to get rid of it So repentance becomes part and parcel to the Christian life if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness we live a life of continual confession a Continual repentance a continual turning from sin. That's what characterizes the life of the believer It's not that you are sinless Because nobody's sinless It's that when you sin you long to get it right with God You want to repent of your sin you want to turn from your sin?

That's the essence of Christianity because now the Spirit of God is in us and the Spirit of God convicts us, right? God's Spirit dwells within us when we sin we grieve the Spirit of God when the Spirit of God is grieved We are grieved because the Spirit of God resides within us If you find someone who was not grieving over their sin and does not want to turn from their sin They evidence the fact that they have never truly repented of their sin and want to live in their sin This is so crucial to understand That's why there are so many people who think they're ready, but they are not That's why of the few who find the narrow way Of the few many of the few will not be able to enter and they won't be able to enter Simply because they love their sins so much.

They are unwilling to forsake their sin and follow Jesus It's a high time that the evangelical church wake up to the true message of Christianity We have too many churches out there preaching a diluted message to accommodate the masses We preach sermons that would accommodate people that will keep them coming to our church instead of telling them the truth about what the gospel is We need to tell the truth to people It was DL Moody the evangelist and founder of the Moody Bible Institute who said these words There is a good deal of trouble among people about what repentance really is If you ask people what it is, they will tell you it is feeling Sorry, if you ask a man if he repents, he will tell you.

Oh, yes. I generally feel sorry for my sins That is not Repentance it is something more than feeling. Sorry Repentance is turning right about and forsaking sin. I Wanted to speak Sunday about that verse in Isaiah Which says let the guilty forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts that is what it is if a man Doesn't turn from his sin he won't be accepted of God and if righteousness doesn't produce a turning about a Turning from bad to good. It isn't true righteousness he goes on to say we do not walk in the same way as before we were converted a Man or woman who professes Christianity and yet goes on in the same old way.

He has not been born again When we are born again, we are born in a new way and Christ is that new way himself We give up our old way and take his the old way leads to death the new way to life everlasting In the old way Satan leads us in the new way the Son of God leads us we are led by him not into bondage and darkness, but into the way of peace and joy He says very clearly you don't want to walk in the same way as you did before That is what a repentant heart screams It doesn't want to do that anymore.

It doesn't mean you're not gonna do sin It means you don't want to do that sin anymore big difference, right? you see David when he had sinned in Psalm 32 There was something about His soul being tormented in Psalm 32. He talks about God's hand being heavy upon him He drenched his couch with tears day and night because he had Unconfessed sin, that's how you know you've repented That's how you know You're truly born again that when you have sinned your heart is heavy and filled with the guilt of that sin because God's hand is heavy upon you if when you sin you feel no guilt if when you sin you feel no conviction if When you sin you just keep going the way you are you truly have not repented of your sins And you are still dead in your trespasses and sins if somebody else isn't gonna tell you I'm gonna tell you somebody's got to speak the truth and somebody's got to help you understand the truth and If we don't speak the truth from the pulpit and tell people what the Bible really says that we are leading people into thinking they are ready and they are not and that is a heinous sin and So we need to speak the truth and help people to reexamine their lives and see where they are Will they stand before the Son of Man?

Are you ready? Well, you've repented of your sins. That's number one How do you know you've repented of your sins that's number two you've embraced Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord How do you know you've repented of your sins you have embraced Jesus Christ listen carefully as Savior and as Lord You can't embrace him as Savior and say well, maybe one day down the road I'll make him my Lord or I'll submit to his Lordship.

Oh, no That's not what salvation is Salvation is embracing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord we know the Bible says you will call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins We know that the Bible says in Luke 2 11 that there has been born for you today a Savior who is Christ the Lord This is who has been born in Bethlehem.

A Savior is there That Savior is the Messiah of Israel That Messiah of Israel is Lord of all He who comes to God must believe that he is he is what he is everything the Bible says he is You see you can't compartmentalize Christ You can't say I'm gonna take him as my Savior because I don't want to go to hell and then maybe one day I'll submit to him as Lord.

You cannot do that Because he is Lord if you embrace him as Savior you as you embrace him as Lord If you embrace him as Lord you embrace him as King if you embrace him as King you embrace him as sovereign if you embrace him as sovereign you embrace him as just and holy and wrath and love and mercy and Forgiveness you take him as he is Because that's how the Bible explains him So the Bible says if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Savior, oh no Jesus as Lord and Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead You will be saved for with the mouth man confesses unto salvation and with the heart man believes unto righteousness So there is this lifestyle that changes because I have embraced Christ not just as my Savior But as he is my Lord as well, that's why Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 4 verse number 5 we preach Christ as Lord Because that's who he is we preach Christ as Lord AWP Said these words years ago those preachers who tell sinners that they may be saved without forsaking their idols without Repenting without surrendering to the Lordship of Christ are as erroneous and dangerous as others who insist that Salvation is by works and that heaven must be earned by our own efforts He says listen if you don't tell people that they got to repent of their sin Embrace Christ as Savior and as Lord you are just as bad as the Jehovah's Witness and the Mormon You're preaching a works-based Salvation you're teaching an erroneous gospel.

You must preach the truth Founding pastor of The Church of the open door said these words are a Tory Church that I had the privilege of pastoring for 14 months and that was it but he said these were the founding pastor of this church says He's also the first president Moody Bible Institute He instructed his students on how to lead people to Christ This is what has been written down and recorded by our a Tory the founder of the Church of the open door show them Jesus as Lord It is not not enough to know Jesus as a Savior We must know him as Lord also a good verse for this purpose is Acts 2 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God have made the same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ when the Inquirer has read the verse ask him what God hath made Jesus and Hold him to it until he replies both Lord and Christ Then say to him are you willing to accept him as your divine?

Lord the one to whom you will surrender your heart your every thought and word and act Ask him that question Another verse he says Romans 10 9 that thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thy heart that God hath Raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved when the Inquirer has read the verse ask him what we are to confess Jesus as He should reply Lord if he does not so reply ask him another question until he does answer in this way Then ask him do you really believe that?

Jesus is Lord that he is Lord of all that he is rightfully the absolute Lord and master of your life and person Perhaps it will be well to use Acts 10 36 as throwing additional light upon this point The word which God sent and to the children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus for he is Lord of all Now, why do I tell you that? Because the week before I resigned From the church of the open door. I was asked this question by a man who now pastors a church in this area That time he was younger He said why is it that you have preached against the historical tradition of the church of the open door?

And I said I haven't and I read that quote from RA Torrey the founder of the church of the open door I said I haven't but But I don't preach in tradition of the church of the open door I preach in the tradition of the Apostles and of Christ Jesus my lord It just so happens that RA Torrey did the exact same thing You see But see I was pastoring a church that did not believe That Jesus must be Lord of your life in order to be saved and they still don't believe that today Folks this is crucial you have to understand this You have to understand what the gospel says And why is it will you try to pull the wool over people's eyes?

Getting to think that they're going to heaven when in reality the one day wake up in hell because nobody told him the truth You got to speak the truth. You have to show them what Jesus says Because that's all that matters all that matters and so as we preach as the Apostle Paul said we preach Christ as Lord was a W Tozer Who wrote a book called I call it heresy?

Based on his studies in first Peter He said this years ago No one would ever dare to Rise in the media and say I am a Christian if He had not surrendered his whole being to God and had taken Jesus Christ as his Lord as well as his Savior And had brought himself under obedience to the will of the Lord It was only then that he could say I am saved Today we let them say they are saved no matter how imperfect and how incomplete the transaction With the provisio that the deeper Christian life can be tacked on at some time in the future if you so desire Can it be that we really think that we do not owe Jesus Christ our obedience?

We have owed him our obedience ever since the second we cried out to him for salvation And if we do not give him that obedience I have reason to wonder if we are really converted I see things that I hear of things that Christian people are doing and as I watch them operate within the profession of Christianity I do raise the question of whether they have been truly converted brethren I believe it is a result of a faulty teaching to begin with They thought of the Lord as a hospital and Jesus as the chief of staff to fix up poor sinners that had gotten into trouble Fix me up Lord they have insisted so I can go on my way as I please brethren that is bad teaching Folks we need to understand the truth You must not only have repented of your sins You must have embraced Jesus Christ as Savior and as Lord of all You must Can you be saved without believing that Jesus is the Messiah answer no John 20 30 and 31 these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah and That believing in him you might have life through his name So the life comes through the name Jesus who is the Messiah of Israel The Messiah is the anointed King of Israel the King of Israel is the Lord of all the Lord of all is the Savior of Mankind that's why for unto you this day in the city of David has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord You must take him for who he is.

You can't compartmentalize Jesus and Take him this way and then maybe one day give him your life No when you are saved you give him your life That's why Jesus said Why do you call me Lord Lord and? Do not do the things that I say in Lubbock Germany There is a cathedral With these red words written on it Thus speak of Christ our Lord to us You call me master and obey me not You call me light, and you see me not You call me the way and walk me not you call me life and live me not you call me wise and Follow me not you call me fair and love me not Call me rich and ask me not you call me eternal and Seek me not if I condemn thee blame me not That is so good Because there's a lot of people who claim to be followers of the light, but walk in darkness They claim to have life, but live in sin They claim many things about Jesus, but live the direct opposite Far be it from us that we would confirm them in an unrepentant state Because simply they go to church They've prayed a prayer they once were in church.

What do you do with those people who were once in church? They were baptized in church they came to church They run fire for Christ now all of a sudden. They're never in church They're never sharing the gospel they're never reading the word They're never on their knees. They have nothing to do with Christ What category do you put those people in because there's only two categories and J. Vernon McGee's that are right? They're either the Saints or the ain'ts there is no in-between You're either born again, or you're not and we know you can't lose your salvation Bible speaks very strongly about that So you can't lose your salvation And people say to me all the time well, you know I was saved when I was young But when I got older I really committed my life to Christ Well when you got older you're committing your life to Christ was when you were actually born again, not when you were younger That's when you were truly born again where you truly gave your life to Christ That he would be the Lord and Savior of your life, and you'd follow him obedience That's when you were truly born again Not simply because you you said a prayer signed a card Walked an aisle born in the right family go to the right church.

None of that makes any difference at all The only thing that makes a difference is the life that's been committed to Christ because they've repented of their sins and embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their souls Now you have to ask yourself the question am I ready Have I done that I Am I among those who call him wise but follow him not Am I among those who call him the light but walk in darkness and Christ comes back to you says if I condemn you blame Me not It's not me. It's you Would Christ say to you in your in all of your pleading Lord Lord I did all this in your name and he say I never knew you And then can you imagine the tragedy?

the tragedy That would happen to realize that you spent your whole life thinking you were saved And you weren't That's just tragic These things are written that you may know that you have eternal life Have you repented of your sins? Have you embraced? Jesus Christ as Savior and as Lord of your life and There are many churches That would not agree on those first two points Many churches Evangelical churches So be careful where you go to church Be careful.

What is being spoken at the church? Because it will cause people to think they're ready When they're not Now, how do I know I've repented of my sins? I have embraced Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of my life how do you know that you've embraced Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life point number three you acknowledge the scripture as your authority in life you acknowledge the scripture as your authority in life In other words listen everybody does something based on one of two things Scripture or society my peers or God's precepts the world or God's Word Those are your only two choices It's either God's way or it's hell's way.

There's only two choices and When you are born again, and you've repented of your sins and you embrace Christ as Lord and Savior You acknowledge that the scripture is your authority in life That is what scripture says.

I do I follow Psalm 138 verse number two thy word Oh Lord is magnified even as thy very name What a powerful verse that is all the verses are powerful.

But for this point, it's extremely powerful Thy word O Lord is magnified even as thy very name God is truth. His word is truth His word is magnified at the exact same level as his name and at the name of Jesus Every knee will bow every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father We acknowledge scripture as our sole authority in life Proverbs chapter 28 verse number 9 says these words Proverbs 28 verse number 9 he who turns away his ear from listening to the law even his prayer is an abomination He who turns his ear away from listening to the law even his prayer is an abomination We as believers in Christ don't turn our ears away from listening to the law of God We want to obey the law of God.

We want to serve the law of God It goes to say these words in Proverbs chapter 16 Proverbs chapter 16 verse number 20. He who gives attention to the word Shall find good and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord In other words those who give attention to God's Word who pay attention to what God's Word says They are the ones who find good because they are the ones who trust in the Word of the Lord That's why it says earlier in Proverbs Proverbs chapter 13 these words Proverbs 13 verse number 13 The one who despises the word will be in debt to that word The one who despises the word Will be judged by the word that he despises One author said it this way.

He says he that pours contempt upon a single word of God However inconsiderable it may appear to him shall be destroyed by the vengeance of God For every jot and tittle of the law is enforced by the awful authority of the lawgiver He that despises his authority Despises not man but God and shall have his place among those to whom it will all be said Behold you despisers and wonder and perish on the contrary He who reverences the authority of the Lord and earnestly endeavors by the grace of God to govern his steps Not by the fashion of the world or with the view to serve himself, but according to the will of God shall be rewarded with the gracious acceptance of God and shall experience all the favor which God through Christ promises So such as fear his name Let me ask you this question Is your life governed by the authority of Scripture?

Or is it governed by the society in which you live How do you make your decisions about work about marriage about parenting about life? How do you make your decision about your money? How do you make your decisions? It must all be based on the authority of God in your life because he is your Lord. He is your Savior He is your sovereign king. He is a ruler of your life You bow in subjection to the sovereign rulership of Christ himself and say Lord. What will thou have me to do? That is the question of the believer Lord.

What is it? You want me to do because whatever it is I'm doing it That's the heart of the believer. That's how you know, you have a repentant heart. That's how you know, you have a heart that's embraced Christ as Savior and Lord because you want to follow him no matter what So, let me give you some principles In the time that we have remaining and no, we're not gonna finish the outline today So if you don't think you're ready by today wait till next week Okay, here we go, how do you know that You've acknowledged Christ in his scripture as the authority of your life Just gonna give you some principles, okay, you have to examine your life in light of that, okay Number one you have you are the kind of person Who trembles at the scripture?

That's where it begins You tremble at the scripture Isaiah 66 verse number two to this man when I look To him who is broken and of a contrite heart.

That's repentance And who trembles at my word when was the last time you shook uncontrollably under the authority of God's Holy Word We're not talking about trifling with the will with the Word of God tinkering with the Word of God Toying with the Word of God. We're talking about trembling under the authority of the Word of God That is you know what God says, you know who God is and you fear his name remember For the unbeliever there is no fear of God before their eyes Romans chapter 3 So the unbeliever doesn't fear listen carefully the unbeliever doesn't tremble under the authority of God's Holy Word Because they don't fear God But the believer there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Psalm 130 verse number four So the believer is the one who fears God and because he fears God he trembles under the authority of God's Holy Word He shakes uncontrollably under how God speaks his word That's why when you hear God speak from heaven, whether it's John or whether it's Paul whether it's Peter James They fall on their faces.

They shake uncontrollably because God has spoken We have his word and God himself has spoken Why do you shake? Because you see him for who he is Holy and when you see him as holy you see yourself as what? Unholy and that would cause any man to shake See that's why the Word of God is all about God it's all about who he is When we preach the scriptures we preach Christ as Lord we preach Christ because it's all about the revelation of Christ So if you read the Bible and you don't see Jesus you didn't read it, right?

You can't go to the Bible and say I got to fix up my marriage What's the Bible say you guys say I got to fix up my parenting skills. What does the Bible say? I got a hand on my finances. What does the Bible say? That's not how you read your Bible Because that's not what the Bible is for The Bible is a revelation of the character and nature of God When I see God for who he is Holy just righteous it causes me to see my unrighteousness What was Paul's favorite sentence about himself that he was the chief of sinners?

Right. Listen the closer you get to God the better you see your sin So if you don't see your sin very clear today, it's because you're far from God not close to God Because those who got close to God could only see his holiness and upon seeing his holiness Realize how unholy they were and that's how you know, you're getting close to God You tremble as were you seeing for who he is the old God be merciful unto me a sinner That's why Paul would cry out Oh wretched man that I am I don't think any of us here could hold a candle to the Apostle Paul, but Paul saw himself as wretched He saw himself as the chief of sinners because he always saw the Christ for who he is When you come to church we open scripture to you We read the Bible to you because we want you to see Jesus If you see Jesus in all of us holiness and all of us splendor you realize how unholy you are How far you are from him and what do you do?

You fall on your knees before him you confess your sins you repent of your sins you say Lord What will you have me to do? That's how you know, you're ready How you know if that's not you today You're not ready You're just not ready you might think you're ready But you're not Because the heart of the believer not only wants to see Jesus But he wants to follow Jesus no matter what the cost Do we sin? Yep Do we sin for periods of time? Yep, we do But the Spirit of God within us Constantly hounds us Draws us back convicts us and Calls us to a place of repentance You tremble at the scriptures Number two you taste the scriptures You taste the scriptures First Peter chapter 2 says as newborn babes desired the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby Since you have tasted the kindness of God It says over in Psalm 19 verse number 10.

The word is more desirable than gold sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb Psalm 119 103 how sweet are thy words to my taste Listen the more you tremble at the Word of God the more you want to taste the Word of God The more you see the holiness of God Realize you're on the holiness before God is the more you cry out to God and hunger more of God and want a taste Of who God is There is a supreme Hungering for God you want to taste the truth? How blessed is the man? who tastes the Word of God You tremble at the truth you taste the truth number three you treasure the truth Thy word I have treasured in my heart that I might not sin against thee I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food Job said in Job 23 verse number 12.

How do you think Job handled his adversity? How do you think Job handled his affliction? He treasured the words of God's mouth More than he treasured the food he would eat every day He saw the Word of God more valuable to him than anything tangible before him That's how he handled his affliction. That's how he handled his adversity. He treasured the truth that's why it says over in Psalm 37 verse number 31 the law of His God is in his heart the man of God that is and his steps do not slip The law of the God of his God is in his hearts his heart and his feet do not slip Why he's treasured the Word of God in his heart He holds the word in such high esteem that there's nothing more valuable to him than the Word of God Nothing should be more valuable to you than the word you hold in your hand Because you've treasured that word in your heart Because you have tasted of that truth and you realize the sweetness and the beauty of that truth and you've done that because you trembled at that truth You've hidden it in your heart.

This is the most valuable possession in your presence the Word of God Do you treasure it that way? How do you know God's Word is your authority for all of life and godliness you tremble at the truth You taste the truth you treasure the truth you tend to the truth You tend to it you protect it you guard it you watch out for it Jude 3 says we are to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the Saints Listen, you want to tend to it you want to protect it? Why because you treasure it so much it is your it is the most valuable thing that you have And if anybody wants to touch your valuables, what do you do you protect your valuables?

You protect them with every Fiber of your being why do I preach with such tenacity? Because I value the Word of God. I Value the Word of God so supremely that if anybody speaks against that word, I must speak against them I must Because I don't want people led astray The truth of God is the most valuable thing that we have we tend to that truth. We protect that truth We guard the truth. We watch over the truth. We contend for it earnestly Fervently vehemently because we don't want anybody to compromise that truth by giving a deluded message by presenting a Untruth before others we want the truth to be presented clearly That's why number five you teach the truth How do you know scriptures your divine authority you teach it You teach it to others It says over in in the book of Matthew the fifth chapter these words Matthew 5 Verse number 19 whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and so teaches others Shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven But whoever keeps and teaches them.

He shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven Greatness is associated with those who keep and teach the Word of God You want to teach it? Doesn't mean you have a platform and you preach doesn't mean you have a class and you teach it means that your whole life is Spent teaching others about the truth presenting the gospel to others teaching them about what God's Word says Concerning this issue or that issue what does God's Word say? Are you apt to teach the Word of God to people because you treasured it?

Because you've protected it Because you value it Because you've tasted it and seen how sweet it is Simply because you have trembled under the authority of God's Holy Word next number six You translate the truth You translate it That is you live out the truth. You're not just a hearer of the word You're a doer of the word first Timothy 4 verse number 12 Paul told Timothy be an example in your faith in your love In your speech in your life in your purity Be an example That's what we want for all of our teachers and all of our leaders in our church.

We want them to be an example Because they have to set the tone. They have to pave the way And so we are to translate the truth. What good is it for us to teach the truth and not translate the truth? In other words to live that truth out If we don't live it out, we are called hypocrites We live a life of duplicity not a life of integrity So our job is to translate that truth into everyday living so people will know Exactly what that truth means to us so that we can affect other people's lives Living that truth out is where the rubber meets the road.

It's not so much learning more about God It's learning to live for God every day you translate the truth Next you tell the truth Ephesians 4 verse number 32 you speak the truth in love first John 2 verse number 4 The one who says I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him You tell the truth next you trust the truth you trust it You trust it in its entirety to do what to do exactly what it says it's going to do You see how do you know?

Scripture is your divine authority you trust what it says even though it might cost you your job Even though it might cost you something dear to you You will trust the finality of God's Word over what anybody else says because you know God's Word is true You trust the truth of God's Holy Word Listen to what Psalm 19 says Psalm 19 says the law of the Lord is perfect Restoring the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise a simple the precepts of the Lord are right Rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous all together.

They are more desirable than gold. Yes, then much fine gold Sweeter than also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb moreover by them My servant is warned and keeping them There is great reward who can discern his errors acquit me of hidden faults also keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins Let them not rule over me. Then I shall be blameless and I shall be acquitted of great transgression Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. Oh Lord my rock and my Redeemer He understood that God's Word was true.

He could trust that it would restore his soul It would enlighten his eyes and make wise a simple it would be to him But nobody else or nothing else could be that's what the Word of God is I trust God's Word to accomplish its purpose in my life to comfort me to cleanse me to critique me to Cause me to to understand the the truth of God's Word to convict me of all my sin to make sure that I am living The light that honors him God's Word will always accomplish its purpose and I trust it to do so That's how I know God's Word is my divine authority.

I live in subjection to it I test the truth. I Test it on two brains acts 1711 I test examine everything that said first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 20 says Yeah, verse 20 21 says do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything hold fast to that Which is good abstain from every form of evil Don't despise the prophetic evidences utterances instead examine them see whether or not they're true I'm the kind of person that tests the truth Examine everything that everybody says under the microscope of the authority of God's Holy Word and ask is It true Test the truth Next tamper not with the truth don't tamper with it.

Don't dilute it. Don't diffuse it Make sure you give it as it is That's why it says over in the book of Jeremiah the 26th chapter these words First one in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah King of Judah this word came from the Lord saying thus says the Lord stand in the court of the Lord's house and Speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the Lord's house all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them do not omit a word Don't leave anything out Paul said that Ephesians elders.

I preached to you the whole counsel of God. Don't leave anything out Don't tamper with the truth. Don't try to change the truth. Don't try to add to the truth Don't try to take away from the truth. Don't tamper with it. Say it exactly as it is and lastly transfer the truth Transfer it to the next generation Because that's your legacy Entrust the faithful men who in turn will be able to teach others also That's what we are do you transfer that truth to our children to our children's children That they might understand the legacy of truth.

That's to be passed down from generation to generation What governs your decision-making For this afternoon what governs your decision-making for tomorrow when you go to work? What's the grid that controls Everything you say and do it must be this book. It must be the Word of God. It is our defined authority We are to submit to it. How do I know I'm ready? I've repented of my sins How do I know I've repented of my sins? I've embraced Jesus Christ as Savior and as Lord I call him Lord and I do what he says because he is the Lord of my life How do I know I've embraced Christ as Lord of my life is because I acknowledge that the scripture is my divine authority And whatever God says that will I do if that's you you're ready.

Let's pray Father we thank you Lord Jesus for today a chance to be in your word and study it once again And our prayer father is that you would do a mighty work in all of our hearts and all of our lives That we would be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and nobody would leave today without Understanding whether or not they are ready to stand before the Son of Man we pray in Jesus name Amen