Luke The Orderly Account of Truth - Jesus, The Line in the Sand - Luke 12:49-59

So if you guys actually would open with me to

Luke chapter twelve. If you do not have a Bible,

we have bibles available for you out in the lobby.

Please go grab one, help yourself to it. Keep it

as your own gift. It's God's word. Keep that in

your hands. We would love for you to have that.

We're gonna be reading out Luke chapter twelve, starting in

verses forty nine. After I read this, we'll pray. We'll

jump right into it. It's gonna be here on the screen.

You can also fall along there. This is God's word.

It says I have come to bring fire on the earth,

and how I wish it were already kindled. But I

have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am

under until it is completed. Do you think I came

to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.

From now on there will be five and one family

divided against each other, three against two and two against three.

They will be divided, father against son, and son against father,

mother against daughter, and daughter against mother, mother in law

against daughter in law, and daughter in law against mother

in law. He said to the crowd, when you see

a cloud rising in the west immediately you say it's

going to rain, and it does. And when the south

wind blows, you say it's going to be hot, and

it is.

Hypocrites. You know how to.

Interpret the appearance of the earth in the sky. How

is it that you don't know how to interpret this

present time? Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?

As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate,

try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your

adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the

judge turned you over to the officer, and the officer

throw you into prison. I tell you will not get

out until you have paid the last penny. Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, we devote this sign to you as we

open up your word and get to see the riches

that are within. We just asked that your word would

go out and not return void. Lord, we know that

that is the promise of your word. We just asked

you'd be effective today, that whatever comes out of my

mouth or God would be purposed by you for your mission,

for your plan or God.

So just use me prepare our hearts.

So God, I just asked that as we've sang these

songs about your great working, your great work of salvation,

that it's already been working and preparing our heart. Whatever

we've been going through this week has been preparing us

for this very moment. So we submit it to you,

and we ask that your spirit would move among us

and Jesus name, everyone said amen.

All right.

We live in interesting times. I don't know if you

guys know that you turn on your news, turn on

your phone, and it seems like there is division everywhere.

I say, it seems like there's division everywhere, because there

is division everywhere. In fact, I was on a walk

about a week and a half ago, and obviously it's

that time to see this is that time of year.

It's every four years. We get signs on signs on

signs everywhere, plaster on the lawn, and I was walking

there was a political sign that said unity over division. Now,

you can say what you will about that sign in

and of itself, but it struck me that even that

sign was divisive.

It was saying us, not them.

Division can be a bad thing, but it can also

be a good thing. For example, raise your hand if

you like spicy food. Right after our preaching conference. One

of our favorite things to do is to get out

there's this really dope, spicy or just this like hot

wings place right is right down the road, and so

it's Friday. They dismiss us and before we head home

because the conference is down in Portland, before we head home.

It's our favorite thing we've done the last couple of years,

and I think we're planning on continue doing it. They

just have incredible hot wings.

So we went up.

It was my turn to order, and you know, I

got the spicy buffalo, like that should be fine, and

I was like, what is your what is your wing

of the day?

What is that?

And they're like it's barbecue ghost pepper. I was like, totally,

let's do it. Let's do half and half right, So

they bring me the hot wings. We're all sitting there

eating together. One of our friends who's sitting there with us,

starts eating his and he's like different, there were different wings,

and he's like this, I feel this in my chest.

And I was like, oh no, he didn't even get

the hot ones. And he's starting to have a.

Problem and he liked spicy food.

And so I'm sitting there looking trying to decipher which

one is which I couldn't tell. I was like, you know,

let me start with the mild er ones and finished

with the hot ones. That way I can at least

enjoy the meal I'm going to eat.

I want to be able to taste my food.

So I started eating one in my mouth was on fire.

Jordan's like, I've never heard Duncan talk this fast. He's like,

I didn't know there was a whole new level to Duncan.

I was trying to talk in between breaths souh. After

I was eating those ones, just like I'm dying. I

was like trying to keep a brave face because I'm like,

these ones are hot. Then the ghost pepper ones are

gonna melt my face, right, So then finish those ones.

I was like, all right, let's let's eat the other ones.

I started eating, and I was like, oh, these ones,

these ones aren't that bad. These ones are actually fine,

And I realized I'd eating them in reverse order.

I did start with the hot ones.

I did start with the hot ones, but the thing is,

I couldn't tell the difference. I didn't know which one

was which I know, Well, who doesn't like their food

to touch set any of you in the room. Yeah,

we got my wife back, and yeah, there we go.

So what do we do We get those divider plates right,

because we don't want our spaghetti to taste like pickles.

Right.

I don't know who eats that together, but someone out there.

You know, those are different divisions as it regards just

our everyday preferences.

But there's more important things.

That division can be a good thing when it's present

as it regards our safety.

How about driving on the freeway.

Who's happy that there's a giant concrete block keeping me safe,

Lord willing from oncoming traffic? Right, it separates us. One

is lanes going this way, there's a dividing line, and

there's roads going cars going this way at a very

very fast speed. That's safety. What about cleaning chemicals?

Right?

Where do you store them? Think about it, Where do

you keep all your cleaning supplies? Probably probably, I hope

not next to your cleaning supplies or your cooking supplies.

Hopefully not next to your kids's toothpaste. And we do

that intentionally because we do not want anyone to be harmed. Now,

how about division of truth from lies? We hear it,

it's popular and once again you open up your phone.

This is misinformation. This is misinformation. Right, everyone wants to

say that what the other person is saying is misinformation.

Why, because the truth matters.

It's good when we can tell the difference between truth

and lies. Truth will always divide itself against lies, and

it needs to be understood as tho it was processing.

This sign is that unity for unity's sake is dangerous.

Unity just for the purpose of being unified is dangerous.

Because what's more important than unity for unity's sake is

the thing that unifies us. Is the thing that unifies

us that is gonna be the most important thing?

Is it truth? Is it lies?

In Psalm Too, we actually see a very interesting Uh,

it's a very interesting psalm. It talks about nations that

have united in a common cause, and we're gonna look

at it because we think that.

That would be a good thing. Well, let's look at it.

Psalm Too says, why do the nations conspire and the

people's plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up,

and the rulers ban together against the Lord and against

his anointed, saying, let us break their chains and throw

off their shackles. The one enthroned in heaven laughs. The

Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger

and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, I have installed

my king on Zion, my holy mountain. I will proclaim

the Lord's decree. He said to me, you are my son.

Today I have become your father. Ask me, and I

will make the nation your inheritance, the ends of the

earth your possession. You will break them with a rod

of iron. You will dash them to pieces like pottery. Therefore,

you kings, be wise, be warned, You rulers.

Of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.

Kiss his son, or he will be angry, and your

way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can

flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take

refuge in him. What these nations had unified over is

their common hatred and rebellion against God. But also, as

we see in this text, God has shown that though

they might unify against him, he has set his son.

As king in opposition to these kingdoms.

And at the end of the text we see a

blessing pronounced for those not against the Sun. But for

those who take refuge in him. Right, we have those

who are against him and those that take refuge in him.

Which leads me to my main point for our text

today that we're gonna be looking at in our Luke text,

you're taking notes as our main point for the day.

Jesus has drawn a line in the sand. Now is

the time to get right. So we've been going through

a series in Luke. That's why we're polling this passage

from Luke.

We've been going.

Chapter by chapter, verse by verse through the Gospel of Luke,

where Luke has written an orderly and carefully an investigated

account of the life and ministry of the life of Jesus.

The purpose for this written account was to strengthen the

belief of the reader about the truth about who Jesus

was and what he accomplished and who he is.

And last week Pastor Greg did a great job.

He took us through where Jesus had commanded his disciples

to stay ready. He told his disciples stay ready, stay

on mission, so that when Jesus returns there would be blessing.

Rather than returning to find those who started to abuse

the people around them and started to become unfaithful and

grew laxadaisical, and they're following of the Master. And those

who did that, those who were unfaithful ended up receiving

punishment instead of blessing. Now, today Jesus is going to

draw a line in the sand, and we'll see that

Jesus himself is that line. Jesus himself is the line

in the sand. Jesus is the divider of mankind, that

those who are in Christ will be divided against those

who are not.

And we're going to unpack that.

So if you're taking notes, today's message is titled Jesus

the Line in the Sand.

We're gonna jump right into it.

Our first two verses of today's text, we see Jesus

explain what he was sent to do, and we're going

to see a kind of a tone shift from Jesus

of urgency and anticipation for the mission that he was

sent to accomplish.

Let's look at it.

Verses forty nine and fifty Chapter twelve, Jesus says, I

have come to bring fire on the earth, and how

I wish it were already kindled. But I have a

baptism to undergo. And what constraint I am under until

it is completed.

Now.

I don't know if he was still out there. I

saw it was raining, so maybe he's Maybe he's not.

Like three hours ago, coming from Costco on my way

to church, there was a father and a son and

there holding a sign. Right Like I said, it's a season,

so everyone's outside holding signs. And I was a little

confused by the sign because the sign that both the

father and son of each other ow. A little sign

they were waving said giant meteor twenty twenty four, and

I was like, that's an odd name for a person.

I was like, that does what a unique name. It

is Lacy Washington, but what a unique name. And then

I realized that is not what they were asking for.

There's a lot of people and I don't know they are.

If you're here, what's up. I'm glad you made it

if you happen to be here in the room.

But they were out there. They were rooting.

For a fireball from the sky to be what takes

care of us.

That's what that sign was saying.

We need a fireball in the sky to come down

and deal with the mess that we have going on.

And here's Jesus.

Saying, I have come to bring fire on the earth.

I've come to bring fire on the earth. We see

fire all throughout scripture used as a sign of judgment.

It is sometimes a metaphorical fire. Sometimes, if you've read

your Bible, it's a literal fire. At other times we

see fire used as a sign of refinement and of light.

Just like gold goes through fire, so it has to

become more pure in its substance.

In the context that Jesus is speaking on here, I.

Think that the better understanding what he means by fire

is this idea of refinement. It's more fitting to the

purpose of what Jesus is getting at, that is refinement

of the world, to make it more pure, to separate

the drops from from gold, which refinement does have a

piece of judgment in You're trying to go which part

is gold that we should keep, which part is dross

that should be removed? This is refining fire. And he

says He's come to bring fire, And the next part

of he says, and how I wish it was already kindled,

How I wish it was already kindled. Jesus his tone

and literally, it's not even just a tone, it's just

what he says. He's like, I wish it was already happening.

I've come to do this, and I wish it was

already happening. He con continues to express this further urgency

for his mission, saying he has a baptism to undergo,

and how the sense of urgency he is under until

that thing is accomplished.

Now, if you've been following along with us.

Almost over what it is over a year now, and

in this Luke series, we know that Jesus has already

been baptized. Jesus is saying this after he got baptized,

so he's not referring to being baptized again, but he's

saying that there's something that he must go through that

just like in baptism. Which is kind of cool that

this is the text for today and we happen to

be having baptisms today. God is just so amazing that,

just like in baptism, your whole body is subject to

go into the water and then out of it. So

Jesus has something that his whole body is going to

go through.

It's going to go into and out of again.

I think Jesus using this imagery of baptism is also

very beautiful. This is this prime example of how our

baptism is our outward expression of our belief in Jesus.

It's how we identify with him. It's how we tell

the world I'm with him. That just as Jesus died,

was buried and was raised again, so we go into

the water and come up again, signifying to our old

self being dead and gone and our new self being

raised again in Christ. Now, after today's message, if you

put your faith in Jesus, whether that was a long

time ago or even right now, and you haven't been baptized,

that is the next step. Once you've put your faith

in Jesus, the next step is to get baptized.

And so here's the deal.

You may have not come thinking you were getting baptized today,

but if the Lord puts that on your heart, we

will not stop you. We have extra towles, we have

extra clothes. We will figure it out. So Jesus has

this urgency to complete his mission. But this urgency, one

can imagine, is one that Jesus is looking forward to

being on the other side of us. He knows what's coming,

he knows what's ahead, and he's like man, I'd love

to get this done because I think it's very important

for us to remember that Jesus was born to die.

Jesus was born to die.

And not in a peaceful family, lying next to the

bed while I slowly take my last breath type of way.

That is not how Jesus was going to go out.

Jesus was born to die as the lamb slain for

our sins, the one who would take our place, who

would bear God's wrath do our sin.

And he would do so via the most.

Horrific method of execution known to man in that day,

and honestly, I don't want to test it now.

I would not want to have any competition.

Is what it was is to be beaten and whipped

and mocked, spit on, and eventually hung as a criminal

on pieces of wood, supported by nothing but the nails

driven through your hands.

And your feet to these wooden boards.

Every day of Jesus's life brought him one step closer

to that moment, and one can imagine the anticipation that

Jesus would have felt knowing where he was headed. Sometimes

I have anxiety thinking about a coffee meeting I have later. Okay,

maybe a tough conversation I have to have. And here's Jesus.

He knows what's coming. We know that Jesus did end

up on that cross. He was obedient, he went to

the cross, and that just before he died, he said

some of the most amazing words that a Christian can hear.

And I can imagine also the breath of relief from Jesus.

Let's look at it. In John nineteen later, knowing that

everything had now been finished and so that scripture would

be fulfilled, Jesus said.

I am thirsty.

A jar of winevinecker was there, so they soaked a

sponge in it, and put the sponge up on a

stalk of a hissiplant and lifted it to Jesus's lips.

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, it is finished.

And with that he bowed his head and gave up

his spirit. Jesus said, it is finished.

Imagine that. Can you think about that?

What he had finished, what he had accomplished, was the

thing he had been sent to do, and now it

was done. He's still hanging on the cross, but he

recognizes that he had fulfilled what he had been sent

to do, and.

Imagine the relief.

Imagine the relief Jesus had, having been obedient to the

point of death, death on a cross, then now he

can proclaim it is finished.

And surrender his spirit to the Father. Those words it

is finished, signified.

That Jesus paid for our sins, appeased the wrath of God,

do our sin, and was successful. And we know that

he was successful, not just because Jesus said so before

he died, but because.

We have proof.

God raised Jesus from the dead, proving that Jesus was

who he said he was. He proved through the resurrection

that Jesus had accomplished the mission of making atonement and

salvation possible for anyone who puts their faith in Jesus.

Those are all amazing, amazing things. But in our text today,

Jesus is still anticipating all of those things. He's still

headed towards all those things. He's still taking one step

after step towards Jerusalem, knowing what's coming. So I think

that that is that anticipation in urgency that we're starting

to see in Jesus's tone here. So after expressing that

he had come to bring fire and that he was

urgent to accomplish his mission. He starts to clarify to

those around him the purpose for which he was sent.

And this is going to be more in line with

clarifying that fire that he was speaking about. Let's look

at it, Verses fifty one to fifty three. He says,

do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No,

I tell you, but division. From now on, there will

be five in one family divided against each other, three

against two and two against three. They will be divided

father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, and

daughter against mother, mother in law against daughter in law,

and daughter in law against mother in law. Jesus is

he's going to be real division, and honestly, out of

the gates. This seems like a shocking thing for Jesus

to say. I don't know about you. It is a

shocking thing. I came to divide. I didn't come to

bring peace on earth, but division. But notice what he

said on earth, Jesus out of the gates, saying something shocking. Jesus,

who is often referred to as what the Prince of peace, Jesus,

the one in whom we can have peace that surpasses

all understanding. Those are all true things. Those are all

true things. Jesus is not saying that he doesn't bring

peace at all, because, as we saw through his death

on our behalf, he made it so that we can

have peace between God and man through him, that as

we have peace in Christ, we can also have peace

with one another. Jesus in many ways has brought peace.

But it's in the same way that that very statement

divides the room, causes division.

There's lots of statements like that in the world.

Right pineapple on pizza is okay. Apple is better than android.

Cake is better than pie. Jesus is Lord Jesus saying

the mission he he has been sent to accomplish is

going to draw a line in the sand, and you

can only be on one side of it or the other.

There are those who are in Christ and those who

are not. There are those who believe in Christ and

what He's accomplished and unbelievers. The Gospel is a fire.

It separates, It divides, It divides truth from lies, light

from darkness, and life from death. As believers, we know

the division that our faith has caused from the people

around us. There's been division that we've been happy about. Right, man,

I'm so great that the Lord has freed me from

the sin that I am no longer a part of

that thing.

We were separated from the crowds.

That encourage them, the people who were who were who

bringing destruction into our lives in a way that we

allow them to have influence. We've been divided against family

members who mock and scoff at our belief and trust

in Jesus. It's a real thing. Of course, our desire

is not to be divided against those people. Ultimately, it's

right to stand up for truth. I think it's why

we hope to us to see them cross that line.

So why we hope and pray that they cross the line,

cross the line, come over to the other side and

find life and light and truth. The world doesn't offer that.

The world doesn't offer that. It will lie to you.

If you followed that any little bit, you know their liars.

I think, honestly, it's why it's speaking as a young person.

It is nice to listen to no offense old people

because they've followed those lines a little bit longer, and

they're like, oh, and I have a lot of backtracking

to do. So we're young. A good positive thing that

we could do is just listen to them. They're trying

to save us from backtracking and pain because they know

that what the world offers them is a lie. Jesus

makes it clear that the work that he has set

out to do will divide people. That is, nations, cities, workplaces, schools, and,

as he shows here in the most intimate way possible,

even families. This is a good thing to remember because

in a day where the world says live your truth,

but then is very upset when you claim to have

found it in Jesus, we need to know that this

is what Jesus told us to expect. Jesus saying no surprises,

no surprises. He tells us the truth. Isn't that crazy?

He tells us the truth. And Jesus is the light

in the sand. Jesus is the great divider of mankind.

Everything rises and falls on what you do with Jesus

period your eternity right, because we say everything, We're like, okay,

well i have work on Monday, and I have my

family and I'm trying to feed them. I'm trying to

do like we can go through everything, but your eternity

much longer can't change. That rises and falls on what

you do with Jesus. Now, there is no middle ground.

You either believe in him or you don't. Wrote in

my notes this week, you either unified against him or

unified by him. And which side you are on is

one of the most important things you will ever consider,

or one of the most important choices you will ever

make in your life. Jesus then goes on with a rebuke.

If you're taking notes, you can write what time is it?

What time is it? We're gonna be looking at Verses

fifty four rough fifty six. He said to the crowd,

when you see a cloud rising west, immediately you say

it's going to rain, and it does. And when the

south wind blows, you say it's going to be hot,

and it is hypocrites. You know how to interpret the

appearance of the earth in the sky. How is it

that you don't know how to interpret this present time?

Okay, Jesus. Jesus rebukes the crowds.

By saying, you can literally interpret the weather patterns and

so know what the weather is going to be like,

Yet you don't recognize the time that is at hand.

Last week we see Jesus warn the crowds all of

last week's message was Jesus warning the crowds to be

ready to be found working when the Master returns, as

much as all of that spoke to his second coming,

Jesus returning. What's interesting is that in this passage, Jesus says,

you people of God weren't even aren't even ready for

my first coming.

You weren't you weren't even ready, he said.

Be ready, because he will come back next thing. I

have come to bring fire. He's here, he says. You

don't know what time it is. They didn't recognize or

know the times they were guilty of the very things

Jesus had warned them to not be doing. That is

mistreating each other and growing lazy in their service to God.

Now Jesus shows up and it's sounding the alarm, having

just said I have come, and you don't even see it.

A couple weeks ago, I went and saw one of

my favorite bands at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle,

and as we were walking down the street.

There was this very nice tesla being towed.

I was like, that is a bummer, and we're walking

by it, and you wanted to feel bad, but you

couldn't because the entire street was.

Under construction and literally down the road.

The entire sidewalk on both sides had big signs and

said no parking any time, no parking any time, no

parking any time, no parking any time. We were just walking,

one after another after another, no parking any time.

This tesla.

I don't know why, thought that maybe those signs weren't

telling the truth. Maybe this is one of those not anytimes.

I don't know what it was, but it does not apply.

They tried parking there.

And they were getting towed, and the person was outside

with their car on a lift, begging the tod person

please know No, it's hard.

You could want to go like man, I could see

where I'd want to show them compassion. But bro, the

signs were everywhere. The signs were everywhere. You couldn't miss them.

You had to ignore them. They were everywhere. She pleaded,

but it was too late. It was going to be

hauled off. She did not heed the signs. Jesus is

going to continue his rebuke in the next section. If

you're taking notes right, get right with man and get

right with God. Those are two different things. Get right

with man and get right with God. Jesus is going

to offer practical advice about settling disputes. While it is

practical and applicable to our everyday lives, I believe it

is also applicable and a practical warning concerning our eternity. Okay,

so we're gonna kind of look at this thing saying

the same thing. We're looking at it in two ways,

you mean, Verses fifty seven through fifty nine.

Jesus giving us a little bit of a.

Practical parable, He says, why don't you judge for yourselves

what is right? As you were going with your adversary

to the magistrate, try hard, try hard? Can we say

that together?

Try hard.

To be reconciled on the way, or you're this adversary

may drag you off to the judge, and the judge

turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw

you into prison. I tell you you will not get

out until you have paid the last penny. Jesus once

again calls into question their judgment capabilities.

And asks, why can't you judge what is right? Could

you judge what's right?

He tells them that when they're having an issue with someone,

to try and do everything they can to settle that dispute.

Before they go before the judge, because if they don't,

if they don't settle up before them, if they can't

settle up before they go to the judge, they're going

to have to bear the full sentence that the judge

is going to bring against them. Practical wisdom, super practical.

We all know this to be true.

Think about it.

When you were a kid.

If you got a civil or friend and you accidentally

hurt them.

And they start crying very loudly, how do you respond.

I'm so sorry, I said sorry, Please don't please don't

tell that.

Please do tell on please please It's.

Okay, You're right. I didn't hear you that bad. It's fine.

You know it's right.

We do not want them to go get the judge.

We do not want them to go bring in the

higher authority because we know if they do, if we

can't settle it here, I know I'm gonna have problems

over here. Right, So we know this.

Kids know this on an instinctual level.

This is wisdom.

Deal with your issues before taking them to the court.

Do everything you can, try hard, be intentional, to try

and make amends to reconcile. I can tell you what

that's gonna look like but I can tell you, Jesus

us to try hard to reconcile before being taken to court.

Things will be much better off in the long run

if you can get things settled in house here, Jesus,

I believe, coming off the back end of talking about

his return, remember last.

Week talking about his return.

And his now a rival, is alluding to the most

important judge that we will ever stand before, that being

God himself. Every single one of us will one day

stand before our creator.

And give an account of our life.

And I need to clarify it's not just for storytime,

not just for storytime, but it's going to be to

see if we lived up to the standard that God

has called us to live by.

Scripture tells us. And we all know.

That we have fallen short of the glory of God,

that all have sinned. You might know some cool people,

you have some great people. You don't know any sinless people.

So what does that mean that if any of us

stand before God, stand before our creator, we will be

judged guilty.

It's true.

And I will just do a couple of these just

to make sure, just to make sure we're not counting

ourselves out. Here ever stolen anything, ever for any reason,

committed adultery, lusted?

Have you ever lied? Ever?

Have you ever slandered or gossiped about an image bearer

of God? Ever?

One time.

You go on, All of us have failed to meet

the standard. The standard is perfection, perfection, that is the standard.

We failed to meet that standard. And we have wrath

stored up to our sin. And if you were to

die tonight, you would stand before him guilty and condemned.

That is the bad news of being on the opposing

side of Jesus. Here's what's amazing is that there even

is good news. He could have just let us oppose

him and sent the fireball. He could have done that.

He didn't.

He went to the cross and gave us good news.

God has made a way for us to settle our

accounts before that time comes. That is, by trusting in

the Lord Jesus and believing in his death, burial and

resurrection on our behalf. She just says that all who

call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Jesus tells the truth, his word tells the truth. Jesus

in his death has paid the debt you owe for

your sin. That's good news, so that for all who

leaving him, when they stand on that day before the

judgment throne of God, they will not stand condemned. They

will stand justified and righteous before God. And not because

of you, and not because of your works, not because

of any good thing you did, but because of the

life and death that Jesus has given to you, and

that he took your life and the death you should

have died on the cross. There is a way to

be right with Jesus. There is a way to be

right with God, and it's through and in Jesus. Now

is the time. There are no second chances after you die.

And I want to repeat that, there are no second

chances after you die.

We saw it if you weeks ago.

None of us have promised tomorrow, and none of us

know the time we go. Hebrews clearly says, let's look

at nine Versus twenty seven, twenty eight. Just as people

are destined to do what die once and after that

to face judgment.

That's us. But here's the good news.

So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins

of many, and he will appear a second time, not

to bear sin, but to bring salvation.

To those who are waiting for him.

This is a great text coming off the back end

of last week. Jesus says, do what wait, be found

working and watching because I am coming. He does not lie,

He tells the truth. So the question for today is

are you ready? What side of the line do you

stand on? Have you settled your account with your creator?

Because if you haven't, the good news is now is

the time, right now, while there is breath in your

lungs given to you by that same creator.

Now is the time and here's the deal justice.

In those days, those people struggled to see what was

right in front of them, and I pray to God,

I pray to God that today that is not you,

that that is not me, that we are not among

them in that way, that now, on this side of

the death and resurrection of Jesus, he's accomplished it.

There's no anticipating it.

It's done. It happened that you would see the times

that you were living in the opportunity that is now

before you before it's too late, because Jesus has drawn

the line in the sand, and he tells us that

now is the time to get right.

Now.

As believers, if you already have made it right with

your judge, with your creator, and call on him as father.

First of all, we need the reminder, just straight up,

we need the reminder. We need the reminder that we

need to be ready. We need to have the reminder

to stay watching and to know what time it is

who we look to what Jesus has come to accomplish.

We need to remember that we also have the tunity

and the command to share this. And now is the

time that Jesus is drawn a line, And now is

the time we have an obligation and the command to

share that. And here's the deal. Obligation command. Ah, that

sounds like a lot. It's good news. You're not delivering

bad news. You're delivering good news. That's not on you.

You tell them that there's a way to cross the line,

to find life and light, that it exists in a

world that does not. And I can think of no

better way than by setting an example as believers and

obeying the first practical implication of what Jesus has told

us to do, which is, do what you can to

reconcile with your adversary. Do what you can, try hard,

make every effort to settle with your adversary, that as

we have been shown grace and reconciliation, that we now

get to do that for others. So, as a believer,

ask yourself, is there someone you need to make it

right with? Jesus is not only made a way for

us to be right, but has shown us the way

of reconciliation.

Laying down our life.

He has set the example for making things right, and

he commands us to make it right with our adversary.

And here's the deal. That could be a literal enemy,

or maybe today that's your spouse, your brother and sister,

your friend. The Lord commands us to make every effort

to settle the issue, and I need the band to

come up, please, So.

We should obey.

It doesn't mean that we will be successful in our

trying to reconcile, but he does tell us to make

every effort. We look at it in Romans twelve eighteen

and won't be here on the screen. That says if possible,

So so far as it depends on you live peaceably

with all, okay, he just says, try Matthew five twenty three,

twenty six. So if you are offering your gift at

the altar and there remember that your brother has something

against you.

Leave your gift there before the.

Altar, and go first be reconciled with your brother, and

then come and offer your gift. Funny enough, this is

in Matthew. Guess what he says next, Come to terms

quickly with your accuser while you are going with him

to court, lest your accused or hand you over to

the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you

be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, will

never get out until you've paid the last penny. He

uses the same parable on the back end of that.

Not only is this just a command, but think about

the example that this sets as representatives of the God

of reconciliation, that we would initiate reconciliation just like God

initiated reconciliation with us. Think about the doors for evangelism

that can open. That we seek to reconcile because of

the grace and mercy shown towards us, and now we

can share that with others. We set an example and

the way that we treat each other. So I want

us to also consider that maybe you're seeking reconciliation will

also open the door to more conversation about the most

important reconciliation that everyone needs and that is found in

Christ Jesus alone. We're not the only ones who need

to hear this good news.

Amen. Would you guys please stand