The Day Of The Lord 8-18-24 PM

I.                    Peter tells us of its destructive nature (2 Peter 3:10).

A.                  This great day will come upon us without notice and destroy everything in our existence.

B.                  Notice that the heavens will pass away.

1.                  The heavens refers to the atmosphere and universe.

2.                  The passing of it will be extremely loud.

C.                  The elements shall melt with fervent heat.

1.                  Elements refers to the basic particles of matter that make up all the larger things of life.

2.                  Fire will be used to destroy all things.

D.                 This fire will destroy the earth and all things on it.

1.                  There have been terrible fires that destroyed large parts of great cities (Chicago, Rome).

2.                  There was some things left in each of these.

3.                  Everything that man has built, created, placed before God is going to be destroyed.

E.                  We might ask how God is going to do this.

1.                  I have no earthly idea.

2.                  Guy N. Woods wrote, “The manner in which the Lord will accomplish this is not stated, and it is idle to speculate.”

3.                  We really have no idea.

4.                  However, if He can create the earth, He can destroy it as well.

F.                   When the Lord returns it will in no way be secretive.

1.                  There will be a great noise.

2.                  There will be complete destruction.

II.                  Peter tells us to live a dedicated life in view of His return (2 Peter 3:11).

A.                  Peter asks a tremendous question: How should you live in view of the return of Jesus?

B.                  What manner of person should you be?

1.                  One who is caught up in lies of false teachers?

2.                  One who gives in to the sins of the world?

C.                  It is interesting to note that manner of persons could also be translated “of what country.”

1.                  We must remember our citizenship is in heaven.

2.                  They needed to remember they were pilgrims from another country.

D.                 For a faithful Christtian this is an easy question to answer.

E.                  He tells us to live holy lives.

1.                  Peter has already reminded them to be holy as God is holy in the previous letter (1 Peter 1:15-16).

2.                  He’s already revealed to them how live that holy life in the entirety of the first letter.

3.                  Remember he started out this chapter to keep in memory what has been taught to them.

F.                   Because the Lord is returning we should be godly.

1.                  We have the responsibility to be like God as much as we can.

2.                  We need to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates.

III.                Peter tells us to desire the Lord’s return (2 Peter 3:12).

A.                  Notice that he wrote looking for and hasting.

1.                  The ASV says earnestly desiring this day.

2.                  John prayed Even so come Lord Jesus.

B.                  Because of all the things we have to put up with in this life, we should have a great desire for the Lord’s return.

C.                  Looking for carries the idea of looking forward to His return.

D.                 Hasting means having a deep longing for something, in this case, the return of Jesus.

E.                  Do we want the Lord to come in our lifetime?

1.                  Is it something we want more than anything?

2.                  Most of us probably want Him and death to stay away as long as possible.

3.                  However, the opposite ought to be the case.

F.                   In view of the Lord’s return we ought to greatly desire it and long for it.

I.                    Peter tells us of a new dwelling place (2 Peter 3:13).

A.                  God that cannot lie promised us heaven.

B.                  A new heavens and a new earth is a metaphor for the dwelling place for the righteous when this world is destroyed.

C.                  The word new indicates something that is fresh in place of something that is worn out.

D.                 This will be the place in which the righteous dwell.

1.                  Righteousness is a quality of God and His people.

2.                  Therefore, this has to refer to heaven.

E.                  We don’t know where it will be located, its nature or characteristics.

F.                   All we know is that God promised it and He does not lie.

G.                 All we do know is that it will not be this earth because it is going to be destroyed.

Fruit Inspection 8-18-24 AM

        I.            The warning (Matt. 7:15).

a.      The word for beware comes from a means to guard oneself.

                                                              i.      It is the same word that is translated “take heed” in Matt. 6:1.

                                                            ii.      It is a word of warning to be watchful and aware.

b.      We have to be aware of the fact that there are and will be false teachers.

                                                              i.      Paul warned the elders of the Ephesian congregation about this (Ac. 20:28-31).

                                                            ii.      Peter warned his readers about them (2 Pe. 2:1-3).

                                                          iii.      Jude warned of them already being on the scene (Jude 1:3-4).

                                                          iv.      John warned his readers to test what they heard (1 John 4:1).

c.       The need for being on guard is because of the way in which the false prophets will come.

d.      They will look like they are sheep but they are not.

                                                              i.      Listen to how Paul was inspired to describe them.

                                                            ii.      2 Cor. 11:13-15.

e.      At that time, they looked like scribes and Pharisees, who looked like everyone else.

f.        There are false prophets today.

                                                              i.      They look and sound good.

                                                            ii.      They don’t walk in with a trumpet and begin shouting that they are false teachers.

g.      There are those who teach that you can get to Jesus by choosing your own path– this is pluralism.

h.      There are those that teach God is going to save everyone – universalism.

i.        There are those that teach you have to do certain things and if you do them you will be saved – this is legalism.

j.        There are those right now who are teaching that you have to be a good American – this is Christian nationalism.

k.      There are those that teach a prosperity gospel.

l.        One thing we need to keep in mind is that not everyone that is teaching error, or who hold wrong views, are false prophets.

                                                              i.      Sometimes people just don’t know better.

                                                            ii.      Apollos would fall into this category (Acts 18:24-28).

                                                          iii.      We need to be those who know the difference between a false teacher and someone who doesn’t know better.

m.    This naturally takes us to the next point Jesus made.

      II.            Inspect the fruit (Matt. 7:16-18, 20).

a.      Twice Jesus says you will know a false teacher by his fruit.

b.      I am not a tree expert at all.

c.       However, if there is fruit on the tree I can tell you what it is.

d.      This is how Jesus says to distinguish between a false teacher and teacher of truth.

e.      We will know if someone is a true or false teacher by what they produce.

f.        This will be by their words as well as their actions.

                                                              i.      At some point, whatever teaching that is contrary to God’s word will be spoken by them.

                                                            ii.      It is going to come out.

                                                          iii.      Jesus dealt with this when talking with those that questioned His being from God or Satan because of His ability to cast out demons (Matt. 12:31-37).

                                                          iv.      The thing is, if we listen to what people say, they will tell us who they really are.

                                                            v.      This is true in virtually every area of life.

                                                          vi.      It is also true when it comes to false teachers peddling some false doctrine.

g.      To tell their fruit by their words requires knowledge of God’s word on our part.

                                                              i.      When John told them to try the spirits, they were to test what was said against God’s word.

                                                            ii.      Paul was inspired to write “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good (1 Th. 5:21).

h.      We will also be able to inspect their methods.

                                                              i.      Oftentimes, as Peter points out, they work in secret (2 Pe. 2:1).

1.      They should be open to all.

2.      If someone tries to hide everything, it usually means they have something to hide.

                                                            ii.      They will often appeal to coveteousness (2 Pe. 2:3).

1.      This is the prosperity gospel.

2.      This is not how Jesus or the apostles did it (Matt. 10:22; Lu. 9:57-58; 2 Tim. 3:12).

                                                          iii.      They will often use deceptive words (2 Tim. 3:13).

1.      They twist the scriptures as Peter said false teacher were doing in his day (2 Pe. 3:15-16).

2.      If you are hearing something new, chances are it is false.

i.        We will also be able to inspect their actions.

                                                              i.      Oftentimes, those with false doctrinal stances end up in sinful situations.

                                                            ii.      When doctrine leaves, morals tend to follow.

                                                          iii.      They will tolerate sins in the lives of others, such as family members.

j.        The idea of good trees and bad trees needs to be understood.

                                                              i.      This is not teaching that one cannot change.

                                                            ii.      There have been plenty of people who once taught false doctrine who now teach the truth.

                                                          iii.      There are also those who once taught truth who now teach error.

                                                          iv.      When we look at the passage in Matthew 12, Jesus made it clear that truth and error both come from the heart.

                                                            v.      If one changes his heart through the gospel or hardens his heart in error, that person can and will change.

k.      Jesus lets us know that, as long as your heart stays the way it, good won’t come from bad and bad won’t come from good.

    III.            The result of false teaching (Matt. 7:19).

a.      If one refuses to change from a bad tree to a good one, destruction awaits.

b.      The truth is, all of us are to be good fruit producers.

                                                              i.      Jesus mentioned this when He made the “I am the vine” statement.

                                                            ii.      If we don’t produce fruit, good fruit to be exact, we will be cut off (John 15:1-6).

c.       Paul wrote about the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

                                                              i.      This is produced in the lives of those who are following Christ.

                                                            ii.      If it is not being produced, then we are going to be cut off.

d.      If we are producing bad fruit, the end that awaits is destruction.

                                                              i.      There is nothing good that comes from this life.

                                                            ii.      It is a life spent in leading others from God.

e.      When Jesus says cast into the fire, He was speaking about hell.

f.        The profit of false teaching is only in this life.

g. The reaping of the false teaching is an eternal reaping.

A Choice To Be Made 8-11-24 AM

A CHOICE TO BE MADE

(Matthew 7:13-14)

        I.            The declaration.

a.      Enter by the strait gate.

b.      This is not an invitation in the sense that Jesus is saying, Hey come on in.

c.       This is a declarative statement and it implies that this is the only gate for good.

d.      Throughout the sermon, Jesus has been letting people know of His power.

                                                              i.      You have heard that it has been said. . ., but I say unto you.

                                                            ii.      Jesus was making demands and stating facts.

                                                          iii.      This is why when the sermon ended the people were astonished (Matt. 7:28-29).

e.      Jesus is saying, “If you want in this kingdom, you have to come in through this gate.”

f.        This also indicates the exclusive nature of the kingdom – there is only one kingdom and only one gate by which one can enter the kingdom.

g.      Jesus is not making a polite suggestion here.

h.      This is a declarative statement that is a command.

                                                              i.      Jesus is showing His power and authority.

                                                            ii.      At best, the Pharisees could make suggestions because they did not even agree on everything among themselves.

                                                          iii.      Jesus had then, and still does now, the authority to make demands of us, and any who would enter the kingdom of heaven.

i.        The people of that day were presented with choices in certain ways: Pharisee, Sadducee, Essene, Herodian, Zealot.

                                                              i.      All were presented as viable options for having a relationship with God.

                                                            ii.      All were thought to be different ways of getting to the same destination.

j.        This idea is alive and well in today’s world.

                                                              i.      All the denominations and religions of the world present themselves as different ways of having a relationship with God.

                                                            ii.      All the denominations present themselves as viable options of the overall idea of Christianity that gets one to God.

k.      There have been different phrases to express this idea.

                                                              i.      We are all sailors on the same ship; we just wear different uniforms.

                                                            ii.      Sayings like this are supposed to show how all the various denominations are all connected to God and lead to heaven.

l.        That is not at all what Jesus is stating.

m.    There is only one kingdom, the church which Jesus built and purchased (Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28) and there is only one entryway into that one church.

      II.            The description.

a.      Jesus then describes the two gates through which people travel spiritually in this life.

                                                              i.      There is a wide gate that leads to a broad way on which many are traveling.

                                                            ii.      There is a strait gate that leads to a narrow way on which few are traveling.

b.      Throughout this entire sermon, Jesus has been presenting a choice that people would need to make.

c.       This choice is laid out in Matt. 5:20 – be like the scribes and Pharisees or be better.

                                                              i.      Everything that Jesus has been teaching is aimed at getting people to understand the choice they need to make for their salvation.

                                                            ii.      In essence, Jesus has been presenting the Pharisaical way as a broad, easy way and His way as a strait, difficult way.

d.      Jesus presents the broad way and wide gate as having ease of entry.

                                                              i.      The Pharisees way of life was an easy way.

                                                            ii.      It was all about self.

                                                          iii.      Whatever they did or believed was designed to make their lives easier.

                                                          iv.      It took little effort to be a Pharisee and none that was hard.

                                                            v.      They required little of godliness or righteousness.

                                                          vi.      The word for “broad” means “spacious” – you can carry whatever baggage you want on this way.

e.      The same holds true today.

                                                              i.      There is little required of people in most religious efforts.

                                                            ii.      What is required of them is still easy to accomplish and requires little to no sacrifice on their part.

                                                          iii.      What is easier than once saved always saved?

                                                          iv.      What is easier than a direct operation of the Holy Spirit?

                                                            v.      What is easier than being saved only by God’s grace?

                                                          vi.      There is little to no change required or sacrifice demanded in today’s worldly brand of Christianity.

f.        Some in the Lord’s church act like this as well.

                                                              i.      Little more effort than attending a few services is given by many.

                                                            ii.      Well, I’ve been baptized and I am a fairly moral person so I’m not on the broad path is the idea of a lot of us.

g.      Jesus says His gate is strait and His way is narrow.

                                                              i.      The word “strait” is translated “narrow” in newer translations and that is the meaning of the word.

                                                            ii.      It indicates a difficulty in getting in through the gate – not everything fits through this gate – we have to get rid of some baggage.

                                                          iii.      The word “narrow” is translated “difficult” in newer translations and as “trouble,” “afflicted,” and “tribulation” in other verses.

                                                          iv.      It literally means “press hard upon” according to Thayer’s.

                                                            v.      It is a compressed, tight, restrictive way.

h.      This sounds like it is too hard to travel through this gate and on this way.

                                                              i.      It is a life of sacrifice.

                                                            ii.      It is a life of persecution as Jesus has already pointed out in the beatitudes.

                                                          iii.      It is a life of understanding God’s word.

                                                          iv.      It is a life of being spiritually minded and not worldly minded.

                                                            v.      It is a life of self-examination and service to others.

                                                          vi.      It is a life of treating others properly no matter how they treat you.

i.        There is plenty of help going this way though.

                                                              i.      There is Jesus waiting to help us (Matt. 11:28-30).

                                                            ii.      There is the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3).

                                                          iii.      There is the Holy Spirit working on our behalf (Rom. 8:26).

                                                          iv.      There is the help of brethren (2 Cor. 1:4; Gal. 6:2).

                                                            v.      There is a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on (Heb. 12:1-2).

j.        It may be that you think the broad way still sounds better because it requires less of us.

k.      This leads us to the last point that Jesus makes.

    III.            The destination.

a.      When I was twelve, a song by Talking Heads became well known entitled “Road To Nowhere.”

b.      These two roads, or ways, both lead to somewhere – destruction or life.

c.       The path that many people are on leads to destruction.

                                                              i.      Jesus does not mean that is what happens in this life – it may, but that is not what He means.

                                                            ii.      Psalm 73 is about the psalmist looking around and seeing those on the broad way of that time prospering, but he concludes that God is going to take care of things later.

                                                          iii.      The destruction about which Jesus is speaking is eternal punishment.

                                                          iv.      Thayer’s says the word is a reference to “the destruction which consists in the loss of eternal life, eternal misery, perdition, the lot of those excluded from the kingdom of God.”

                                                            v.      In another word, destruction means hell.

d.      Again, many are headed that way.

                                                              i.      There is not a specific number as some claim.

                                                            ii.      This is not even the main point of what Jesus is saying here.

                                                          iii.      Jesus is saying that His disciples can’t follow the crowd.

                                                          iv.      The crowd chooses easy over difficult.

                                                            v.      I believe this is why there are fewer professional athletes and fewer great musicians.

                                                          vi.      The path to places of stardom in sports, medicine, music, and things like that are very difficult.

                                                        vii.      It takes great sacrifice to achieve that type greatness.

                                                      viii.      Most people don’t want to make those sacrifices.

                                                          ix.      The same is true spiritually.

                                                            x.      Hell will be so full because so many didn’t want to give up selfishness and ease for self-sacrifice and difficulty.

e.      When Jesus says destruction, we need to understand what He means.

                                                              i.      Hell will last as long as heaven will last (Matt. 25:46) – everlasting and eternal are the exact same Greek words.

                                                            ii.      It is a place of agony (M. 9:44, 46, 48).

                                                          iii.      It is a place of eternal separation from God (2 Th. 1:9).

                                                          iv.      It is a place of torment (Re. 20:14-15).

f.        The path that few choose is the one that leads to life.

                                                              i.      Jesus is, of course, speaking about eternal life with God.

                                                            ii.      Jesus is speaking about heaven.

                                                          iii.       

g.      Sadly, few choose this path.

                                                              i.      Again, Jesus is not trying to give a number.

                                                            ii.      He is saying that fewer will choose this path.

                                                          iii.      The number of the saved will be less than the number of the lost.

h.      This life is hard to comprehend because of the splendor that is there.

                                                              i.      It is a place with plenty of room (John 14:2-3).

                                                            ii.      It is a place of rest (Rev. 14:13).

                                                          iii.      It is a place of no more suffering or death (Rev. 21:4).

i.        Our human minds can’t comprehend the splendor of heaven and our human languages fail to adequately describe it.

j.        These are the only two destinations.

k.      Once you arrive in either of them, there is no leaving (Lu. 16:26).

                                                              i.      You wouldn’t want to leave heaven if you could.

ii. You can’t leave hell if you would.