"The Truth About Trifling"

Hi there this is Lon Solomon and I like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor that God is given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truths of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God. The trifle with somebody it means to treat a person is unimportant to trivialize a person or to play games with them. If the opposite of being serious or being genuine in your relationship with a person and the reason I bring all this up about trivializing a trifling is because when I meet a man today in our passage who did exactly the same thing with Jesus Christ. He trifled with. The man's name is parent and we want to see how Jesus reacted to him and then draw some lessons from that about our attitudes towards Jesus Christ.

So let's look at Luke chapter 9 verse one it says in Luke chapter 9 verse one that when Jesus called the 12 together the 12 apostles, you know, Peter, James, John, these guys he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick.

He told them, take nothing for your journey, no staff, no bag, no bread, no money whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town and if people do not welcome you shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town as a testimony as a judgment against them.

So they set out went from village to village, preaching the gospel, and healing people everywhere. The only way there was to get a message around was to send out messengers or emissaries which is exactly what Jesus did a sent the 12 apostles out preaching a message and the message is that he, Jesus was the Messiah of Israel and then he gave them the power to perform miracles as a way of corroborating the message that they were preaching now. He told them two things when they went number one.

He said to them, I want to travel light and number two he said I want you to respect whatever free will choice people make about me. If somebody wants to receive me and accept me, going to their house and stay there as long as they want you to stay as long as you're in town if somebody rejects me, and they don't want anything to do with me. He said, shake the dust off your feet and don't waste your time, go to another city leave alone.

They made a free will decision. They didn't want me respect that go someplace else. This idea of shaking the dust of your feet off was an old Jewish custom whenever a pious Jewish person would move through someplace that was Gentile, and then arrived back in Israel, he would stop at the border of Israel, and he would shake the dust of his feet off as a sign of separation from those people and as a sign of judgment on those people and so the disciples went did exactly what Jesus told him to verse seven now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on and it's important that we stop for a second and understand who this Herod was and what he was ruling over to help us appreciate what the Bible is really telling us in 37 BC. That's a long time before Luke nine Herod the great was made king over all of Israel by the Romans and Herod the great was a fairly good king. He carried on some enormous building projects. He refurbished the temple, he built the thought of any of you know the saga of Masato down in the Judean wilderness and he lived until four BC when he died in four BC. His well stated that his kingdom are to be divided among his three living son and one of those songs is the Herod bits here in Luke nine. His name was Herod on teapots who was one of Herod's sons and was ruling at this time know what we know about Herod onto cost.

Well, what we know is from the Bible is that he was the ruler over Galilee and Paris. Paris is modern day Jordan, so he rolled over Galilee in the north and Jordan to the east.

His capital was way down in the South right on the east side of the Dead Sea that you know anything about the topography of Israel. You know it is a long way from Galilee way down to the east side of the dead and what I want you to notice is that his palace was abuzz with information and news about Jesus, who was way up at the Sea of Galilee. My point is friends that Jesus and the reputation that he have for his ministry. What he was doing had spread all throughout the Middle East of this time, we sometimes look at Jewish people who lived in the day of Jesus and we go always and that the reason so many of them never received Jesus and never responded to him because I just didn't know about it wrong.

If Herod the ruler of the other side of the Jordan River whose capital was hundreds of miles away and heard about Jesus. Be sure everybody living in Judea now there were 3 Opinions Appearance Ct. about who this miracle working Jesus was looking verse seven it says Herod was perplexed because some people were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead and all the people were saying that Elijah had come back and all the people were saying it was one of the prophets of the Old Testament could come back to life. So these are the three opinions of first what is the John the Baptist of return from the dead, you see Herod onto cost had killed John the Baptist. Herod onto cost was living with his brothers wife and John the Baptist said that's wrong shouldn't do that.

That's adultery.

And so they cut his head off and so now there were some people around the corner going all you know you should never done that. Now God is raised not send him back to, hard to find a you and you like the people around there saying that to you. June the.net Herod can get you another theory was that it was Elijah raised from the dead. Another theory is that was one of the prophets of the Old Testament disabled long without a question. How can rational people come up with these, cockamamie ideas will they had to come up with some way of explaining Jesus is incredible miracles they had to come up with some, extraordinary person, and these were some of the best ideas they could come up with for Louis could be in the extraordinary Zebulon Jesus already told Emily was he Artie told him he was the Messiah. He Artie told him he was God in the flesh. Why didn't they just accept the explanation he gave. That's a very good question. Let's think about the answer for second because you know people today are doing the very same thing. People today are trying to find all kinds of alternate explanations through Jesus is just like these people work. Some people say well you know he was a great prophet. Some people said well he was a noble teacher telling us that when he was a misdirected rabbi company believes that he was a magician befriends when I look at all these explanations, the stuff that all these people come up with as far as I'm concerned, it's far more difficult to accept all the crazy stuff they come up with the just accept the answer, Jesus gave so why were these people jumping through the hoops and doing all these crazy things to try to reexplain Jesus. Listen to because if you can explain Jesus away as anything other than God in the flesh, then you can ignore.

I mean he's not God, and the flash ignoring if he is not really God in the flesh, and he's no threat to your lifestyle and he's no threat to your value system. You can just dismiss him and blowing off an upset but if he's really God in the flesh the way you claim that's a whole different ballgame and then you can blow them off like that and what he said and what he taught about you, your lifestyle, your relationship to God.

Your value system.

You can blow it off if he's really God. You see, I'm convinced that there are people in our world and always have been for so committed to their lifestyle and so committed to the way they want to live and so committed to their value system that they will jump to any Luke to redefine Jesus Christ. Rather than letting Jesus Christ redefine me to stop for second and ask you one explanation for who Jesus Christ is. Are you living with make sure the explanation your living with is based on fact and not based on some fantasy you've God just so you can avoid Jesus Christ impact on your life you understand what I'm saying. CS Lewis said and I quote he said a man who was merely a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell himself.

You and I must make a choice either. Jesus was and is the son of God, or else he's a madman but nothing in between will work well.

Storm verse nine but Herod said I beheaded John. I know it's not John but he says I don't know, Louis is who is this person I hear these things about look at the end of the verse, and he tried to see Jesus. He tried to see Jesus. He wanted to know who this Jesus guy was done at the end of our passage, but is not the end of the story. I want you to turn back to Luke chapter 23. Because you see, Herod didn't get to see Jesus before it was all over. Member attendance at hearing wanted to see him when he gets to Jesus is in part a puncture pilot now on hearing this pilot asked if Jesus was a Galilean and when he learned that Jesus was and he was under Herod's jurisdiction. Remember Herod was the ruler of Korea and Galilee. Remember that it says that he's sending to Herod because Herod was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover at that time when Herod saw Jesus, he was very happy because for a long time even wanting to see from what he had heard about. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle, but not he was not interested in seeing him because of anything spiritual, he didn't want to become a follower of Jesus Christ. He didn't want anything personal from Jesus Christ. That's not what I want to see he want to see him deceiving order miracle in these days rulers would have court entertainment and this is what Herod wanted from Jesus Christ.

He wanted Jesus to become part of the royal entertainment for the day, like a court jester salon. Have you know that I know that because of what he did when Jesus would do a miracle for Cook County verse nine he plied Jesus with many questions, but Jesus when even answering Jesus not only would do a miracle. He went even answering and then verse 11 Herod and his soldiers ridiculed Jesus and mocked him, dressed him in an elegant road and sending back the pilots folks. If Herod had really been interested in anything serious to Jesus was offering. This is not how we would've treated. He trivialized them and trifled with, and as a result, would you notice how Jesus responded. Jesus would even talk to what's really interesting here. The lowest man on the society told him pull whatever they came to Jesus and insincerity asked for help. Always got never turn anybody down who was conceived but here this king comes arrogant and trifling who wanted a miracle just to tickle his curiosity Jesus snubbed what at the end of our passage, but he leaves us with the most important question which is very good when I was studying this passage this week. I don't know if he hit she was strange, but it hit me very strange to think of Jesus standing there in front Herod and just refusing to answer such strike is strange, got this image of Jesus of being so warm with people and so affable with people in such a people guy that to think that he was just standing there and snubbing somebody like this just seems out of character didn't strike any of you like that really hit me that way. And yet I believe in his doing. That is a great lesson here for us. And here's the lesson God is looking for. And God responds to people who are serious about him.

That's the lesson represent PS the Bible says Zach PS was trying to see Jesus. That's why climbed up in the tree true and wanted Jesus to he embraced he went to his house. He stood up for them when people criticize that key is his way of life because IKEA's was serious about Christ and yet Herod the Bible says the very same thing about Herod that he was trying to see Jesus, but Jesus ignored him and snubbed him the difference was he wasn't serious about Christ. Let me repeat my point that God responds to people who are serious about him. If you're here this morning and you're not a Christian, you've never had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and you don't have one now, but at least you're serious about checking this thing out that were talking about checking out who Jesus isn't checking out what it means to be personally his own child personally to have him be your savior, may I say to you that no matter how long it takes you to do that if your heart is really genuine in your really sincere. God will be infinitely patient with you, and he'll keep revealing more and more of himself to you.

Little by little and the chunks that you can take it until you come to the place that you're convinced and you're ready to accept him as your personal Lord and Savior.

And you know there were many of us here who moved at tortoise pace through this whole thing. I mean, we didn't go real fast through this. It took us a long time to make up our mind and God stuck with Austin.

He if you're here and you're not serious but me just say you're not going to get much from Jesus Christ. When I people coming to my office and see me in a gallant not really sure about this. I don't think I'm really ready to make this kind of commitment. I said that's great. I say look, if you're really serious about finding out whether Jesus is who he said he is.

Let me give you piece of advice telling your serious telling that if he really makes himself known to you, you will give your life to him and then leave yourself wide open and just telling God to and I said I promise God will make himself known to you. I don't know how, but he will.

If you're serious, God deals with people who serious and even once we become Christians, God still wants us to be serious, you know, and I know that out there in the world every week we face the struggle of not letting the world wear us down and distract us from having a serious commitment to Jesus Christ everything out there is aimed at getting our mind on other things in our bodies on other things that we just go on autopilot and our relationship with Christ, and were not really serious. As Christians we need to be just a serious about our relationship with Christ as we were. We were seeking the Lord because friend God will make you the most special focus of his heart. If you're serious about him as a Christian. He'll do things in your life and the most marvelous way he will provide for you and protect you and extricate you out of the mess as you get yourself in all the time you come out smelling like a rose. In spite of how bad you missed. If you're really serious about your relationship with him. And if your not as a Christian you just talk will see God do a whole lot in your life is just that simple. God doesn't honor people.

Christians who are on autopilot is a verse in the Bible that means a lot to me. I have a calligraphy to my wallet Homer friended forming here it is. It's in second Chronicles 16 nine it says the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth like radar just back-and-forth looking for what will it says looking for people whose hearts are completely kids. Why does he look for those people listen so that he might show himself mighty on their behalf. And you know the way I read this verse the way I read it is that as a Christian I don't need to be all that mighty in myself. But what I need to have is a mighty serious commitment to Jesus Christ and God will make up the difference. I need to be putting my energy on having a mighty serious relationship with Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ will make up the difference. And God just doesn't do this for meal good for you if you're Christian, God doesn't play favorites. God will honor any Christian who is willing to get serious about their relationship with him. And if you ever asked why should I question wrong with that question. Why should you make Jesus Christ the serious focus of your life.

Let me give you three reasons enclosed. Number one because he's a holy God because were dealing with a holy God were dealing with an awesome being and friends when we are dealing with something awesome. It demands a higher level of seriousness, they were dealing with some trivial he deserves to be taken seriously. Number two reason is not only are we dealing with a holy God, but were also going to have. To give an account to this holy God word and have a performance review in front of this holy God. You know Jesus Christ when he left there what he said.

He said I'm coming back and you have a performance review with your Christian second Corinthians chapter 5 says we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of what we've done in our bodies.

Whether it's good or it's bad now, does that mean if you go to heaven or not.

Based on that this is not go to heaven or go to hell thing.

This is a performance review for Christian you have one, so I mind if you're Christian you know what the older I get, the more that performance review scares me to death scares me to death. Paul called it the terror of the Lord. I understand more the older I get what he's talking about because I got all kinds of loose ends in my life. Look, I know what I made of and I'm scared of that performance review and that's scary and you know what, in light of that, I would suggest you and I take pretty seriously the way we live down here. There's many a time, I'm on the verge of doing something, and God says to me when you stand in front of me.

You can give an account of this to you better make sure you want to do. This book is coming back around your pal and I can't tell you how many things that I shouldn't of done that I didn't do for that very reason I never want to see them again come around this a good reason to live for the Lord, be serious. Turn finally. Not only should we be serious because were dealing with God was an awesome being in the cause and all have a performance review with third and finally as Christians we need to understand the people out there are really lost for all eternity without Jesus Christ, and we are the messengers God is set would like the guys in Luke nine. The Jesus set out to tell the good news. Jesus didn't pick television or radio or crown books to tell the good news he chose us but he can't use us if were not serious in our walk with him.

We need to understand in this world when it comes to people's souls were not planned for funds. He this is not for funds.

If this is to keep this is the real thing. This is not practice this is a and God can only use people to reach others were serious about their walk stakes are high, friends eternally so, and that demands a level of intensity from loss that reflects how serious the stakes are. If it wont assist me. We can never laugh as Christians.

I hope not. I laugh all the time. Does this mean we can't have fun in life now doesn't mean we can't enjoy life and have nice things. Absolutely not means it running down to the middle of all of that there is a seriousness about spiritual things and the seriousness about our relationship with Christ seriousness about why God left us so go on autopilot. God can use you on autopilot.

He can only use you if you're serious about your walk with Voltaire and if you know the name Voltaire great French philosopher consummate atheist had nothing to do with Christianity. Nothing good really say about it. But the story is told.

One day about him and a friend walking through the streets of Paris and they passed a Christian procession of Christian prey and Voltaire stopped at a cross in front and he took his hat off and he tipped his hat to the parade. His friend couldn't believe it is friend was flabbergasted.

His friend turned to him and said M. Voltaire, he said, have you become a Christian believer.

Voltaire said absolutely not know why he said but when God and I pass. We salute each other but we never speak when I read that story I thought is not a nice little picture of how people are when it comes to Jesus Christ.

I mean you are either in the parade marching behind the cross, or you're standing on the sidelines of Voltaire tip in your hat to the parade which are not part of, and he wasn't unkind or disrespectful. You have to be unkind or disrespectful to be out of the parade. All you have to do is be on autopilot and not be serious in your walk with Jesus Christ. But I guarantee every single one of us here is either in the parade or standing with Voltaire tip and I had as a ghost buys one of the other. There's no place else to be so where you remember God response to an God honors people who were serious in their relationship with him and I hope that's where you are.

So God can respond to you and God can use you all of the world where you down don't go on autopilot. You stay in the parade with Jesus Christ. You be glad to do the spray heavenly father, thank you for the word of God to our hearts this morning I want to pray that you would take the word of God and that you would use it in a very special way to challenge and encourage people here today someone is here today and they're not a Christian never committed their life in a real and personal way to you. I pray Lord that you would encourage them that you love them and that you're going to stick by them in juvenile walk with them hand-in-hand as long as they're serious about really knowing whether or not you real whether or not this thing called a personal relationship with Christ really exists. So Lord Jesus honor the hearts of those who are here today, even if not Christians you honor their heart. If there serious in their genuine and reveal yourself to them by praying for those of us here were Christians.

I pray that you would help us to fight off the attempts of the world every week to help us go into neutral. In our walk with you.

Help us to be in the parade not on the sideline with Voltaire but in the parade marching behind the cross and making a difference in this world for you do that in our hearts and lives.

Lord not only so that we can face you in and be happy when we meet you and hear well done good and faithful servant but also Lord so that we can see people come to know Christ down here and have their lives radically change for all eternity. Give us that sense of vision and commitment.

Lord Jesus, I pray that you would renew the seriousness of every one of us as we walk out of here today in our walk with Christ.

We pray this in Jesus name Amen maintenance that went with Dr. Lon, and then when is in our arrangement of lines found in ministering to listen to today's message, or for more information visit our website.

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