Jesus Know Him and Live (Part 4)

Everyone of us every day are faced with decisions.

Everyone schoolchildren teenagers and young adults, middle-aged people, seniors, all facing decisions every day we make decisions in the word decision by its own definition is cutting because when you make a decision you are choosing one and then rejecting all the other options.

Some of these decisions are important. Very vital in our lives somewhat ordinary.

Some of these decisions, life altering, or just simple preferences but throughout our lives we face and make decisions from dieting to healthcare career choice of school all just to mention a few, but the one overarching decision in life. It has to do with your eternal destination.

It has to do with our eternal destiny. Where will you spend eternity. The only two places that you can go to one or the other one is filled with unspeakable joy and the other one is filled with pain indescribable. These two distinct choices that you make in life will lead you to one or the other destination we saw in the last message. How clearly the Lord Jesus Christ says that the day and the time for decision is here now because when life ends. It's over is impossible to change destinations.

In fact, CS Lewis once said that when the author walks into the stage. The play is over.

And when God shows up at the end of time it will be over and then you cannot change sides and if you're serious about your eternal destination. Don't go by what some preacher said don't go by what a priest said don't go by what a philosopher said about what Jesus said, for he knows the beginning from the end he coexisted with the father from the very beginning he created the world, he came into our world. He told us what the father is like as we have been seeing in the series of messages know Jesus and live no him and live. In fact, throughout the New Testament, you find that Jesus tells us again and again and again about these two destinations about those two decisions about two options are and two choices right there on the cross or two criminals, one repents of his sins and got the paradise for Jesus and the other one doesn't. Jesus said there are two roads, one will lead to destruction. The one you can go with all of your baggage. It has a very wide gate but then there is another one that you can only go with Jesus. Nothing else and no one else that would lead to eternal life, and therefore Jesus pleads with us to make the wise choice make the wise choice in Luke chapter 6 Jesus emphasized the importance of making the right decision. And in verse 46 Jesus said there were two builders each builder made a different choice in those two different choices brought about two different consequences.

All of our choices have consequences by nature all people everywhere are religious, did you know that everyone because everyone of them worship someone or something. Some worship self that some religion but is even more all of humanity all of humanity longs and believes that they gonna have a blissful place to go to when they die they do. Let me give you some examples. In Buddhism they conceive of it or perceive it as Nirvana. Islam defines it as a beautiful garden Mormonism call it the eternal progression to the godhood. Hinduism sets it as freedom from this endless cycle of reincarnation and union with Brahman, and even in our Western culture. People would say I'm going to a better place because I be a good person. Everyone conceive of something that's because were created in God's own image, but there's only one truth and currently in our culture today. We are plunging into the abyss of so-called tolerance, which means rejecting the absolute truth of God today there are so many false preachers and false teachers would say anyone will go to heaven if they practice their religion, whatever the religion is sincerely very sincere about their religion will make it to heaven. Even 57% of so-called born-again Christians believe that God is going to let everyone in heaven. All of those who are sincerely practice their religion without submission without professing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They say they go to heaven and they call that inclusivity God is inclusive but here's the big dilemma. Jesus said that his gospel is exclusive. Don't shoot the messenger, not yet, not yet your mind up doing it, but not now. What does it mean it means that when Jesus said in John chapter 14 verse six that I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me. He is saying that is not otherwise acceptable to the father that is not otherwise gonna make it to heaven. That's what he say no amount of sincerity will make a person acceptable to God.

There is no amount of effort or diligence will lead to God the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ not only believed and taught and preach that same message, but they died for that message. In fact, in the book of acts chapter 4 verse 12. They preach that with clarity.

They said there is no other name under heaven given to men by which it can be saved but during the time of Jesus's earthly ministry. Just like our time today bother lots of people who are fascinated by Jesus.

There were lots of people who follow Jesus there. Lots of people who were mesmerized by Jesus's miracles that there was lots of people were riveted by his teaching.

There were lots of people who were intrigued by his life. And yet, very few have received him as their only Savior is the only ticket to heaven as their only Master and Lord of the life. Few of them and that is why Jesus plainly said, look at Luke 646.

Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say what is it me, it means that obeying Jesus is nonnegotiable for a true Christian missing a lot of people call themselves Christians these days a number going to get into that here saying that though by Jesus is nonnegotiable. If you want to really call yourself a true Christian obedience to Jesus Christ is part and parcel of being a Christian. Listen, you cannot borrow Jesus all you want, you can be mesmerized by Jesus all you want, you can claim to follow Jesus all you want but unless you are willing to obey Jesus. It's all talk, listen to what happened at the very first church in the book of acts. The very First Christian Church Jesus commissioned the disciples ascends into heaven. They went about preaching.

Listen to what they said in the book of acts chapter 6 as they were preaching the gospel for the first time.

Chapter 6 verse seven it says a great many of the priests you talk about the Jewish priests now. A great many of the Jewish priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Did you get that door open again for the faith, not just claim to know Jesus manner, obedient to the faith they just believed in Jesus or they believe that he was the Messiah believe that he was the promised one, and they moved on with her life. No brain.

Jesus beloved. This is the core of Christianity. Anything else other than this is false Christianity obedience to Jesus if I'm on the receiver must Savior must receive him as Lord as well. And Lord of master means I gotta buy him. I can't live my life the way I want to remember in which ever way and then claim to be a Christian. In fact, the apostle Peter in first Peter remember he denied him three times in first Peter 12.

He said the goal of salvation is what obeying Jesus. Jesus himself repeatedly said if you love me you'll bind me why why because not everyone who goes to church is going to heaven. Not everyone who goes through the religious motions will make it to heaven. Not everyone who call themselves Christian will make it to heaven and that is why my beloved friends, listen carefully, Jesus goes on to give us the most on forgettable illustration to make his point. Listen to it very carefully. There are wise builders and therefore his brothers wise builders are the ones obey Christ, the foolish builders are the ones who follow their own instincts follow their own desires. Follow their own ideas how they both hear God's word.

Some hear it and obey. Others hear it and disobey some trust in the righteousness of Jesus Christ our all to get them to heaven. Others trust in their own righteousness. I'm good of the good life God has no option but to accept me know now both builders are confident that the building will stay the life is going to make it, but one has confidence in the Lord and the other has confidence in themselves and their work and their affect both build the same kind of house that both are good citizens, maybe about even to the same church. They both appeared to be religious, but the difference is astounding. The difference was over man's proportion listen to me. I know that all of you who are associated with the building industry whether an architect or building. Somehow in the building trade you would know a whole lot more than I do. But you know the importance of building a solid foundation in building on the rock. You know that's important not building on sand. One of the most profound experiences of my life that illustrate this to me was the building of the parking deck in the back there. I doubt that any of you when you parked your car this morning you shut the door and you wondered set parking deck safe why you trusted that that the builders when they build they build wealth.

I remember when they were digging for these huge humongous columns on how public good columns and that would connect sometimes you look at the hall is only 8 feet walk over there and there's a whole it's about 25 feet. What made the difference. Why didn't think them all. Same level decide that we can addict within fetal 12 feet or whatever and unstop now. In each case they have to keep on digging until they found rock as soon as they hit the rock. Once they saw the rock to stop digging sometimes is 25 feet, sometimes it's a or 10 feet, it made no difference for them and beloved, listen to me.

There are so many people who are running around trying to fill the lives were all kinds of things and all kinds of people and they keep running and they keep running and they keep running but until they hit the rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. They never know what satisfaction is our policy as it always happen.

Though some people hit the rocket early age and found their faith in Jesus. Some people in the middle of their life, other people toward the end of the life that's part of the sovereignty of God.

That's not something for me to explain it made no difference to keep on digging until they find the rocket once they find the rock to build a life that Jesus is saying in the spiritual realm. The wise builder.

He made sure that the foundation was not made until this rock Jesus but the foolish builder. He was careless he really didn't think much about it. Any old piece of land will do any old lot will do marsh, sand, rocks. It doesn't matter but Jesus said no to builders to builders to build two houses, each of that refer to the life and from the outside.

The difference is not very obvious both heard the preaching of the message and they both heard the gospel one acted in faith and by faith and obey Jesus and the other kept on living his or her life, their own way, as he always did one built using divine specifications and the other using his own or her own specification. That is why it is of vital importance to build your life and your salvation on the rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. No one else will do no one else will do another word rock or petro here.

It doesn't mean just a stone door or even a bolder, it means an expansive rock expansive rock. It is solid. It is stable.

It is unmovable, the sand on the other hand is loose is unstable, easily shifted false preachers and teachers are forever selling you cheap lots of land on the sand and they have no spiritual or moral substance or stability. This LU shifting sands of openness, tolerance, speculations, standards that you just make up as you go now that so many people who are professional listeners. They go from this one this one for this one just listening and then the counter here. The staff and that's all good and bad in the mix it altogether. Doesn't matter what is good is the other bonfire Christianity smorgasbord Christianity but these professional listeners don't allow any thing to penetrate deep into their hearts infect back hundreds of years before Christ. During the day of the prophet Ezekiel, and Ezekiel 3331 God said to Ezekiel, you know all these professional listeners are coming there and listening to you. The heart is so far away from me. What about you. Only you know have you been a professional listener who have yet to commit your life to Jesus Christ.

The rock and obey him as your Lord, receive him as your Savior. Please be forewarned before worn a life that is built on the rock. Jesus is alive, that seeks to empty itself of pride and self-righteousness alive that is built upon the sand is composed of human opinions and human ideas and popular thoughts, and society's approval for those foolish people the world might be applauding them. He's open-minded, she's open-minded as they break the not one of those people who say Jesus is the only way the great another one of those people who preach sin and repentance of sin and forgiveness of sin. The just let me live the way I live and then challenge me at all to see the foolish builder lacks the easy way out.

The superficial way like self satisfying instead of God satisfying like self pleasing instead of God pleasing. For make no mistake about it, the rain and the wind. Jesus said came in the rain and the wind is coming. The storm is brewing on the horizon the day of judgment order on its way and so the question is where your life stand with your life.

Stand on that great day because if you build your life on obedience to Christ, you will stand, but if is built on anything else, it will collapse. Jesus said its destruction was great. Another translation said its destruction was complete on the value of denominational affiliation will not help your family connections will not help. Modeling of Jesus of following up from afar will not help you only your life of obedience on the rock, the Lord Jesus Christ will make you stand.

Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael.

You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.org