Multiplying Our Minas

Alright, so today I'm going to talk to you about multiplying our minas.

! Multiplying our minas.

Now if you don't know what a mina is, don't worry, I'm going to explain it to you.

But this comes from the parable in Luke 19 of the 10 minas.

A mina is basically an ancient amount of money, approximately like three months worth of wages.

And so we're going to dig into what the Lord Jesus says in his parable about the 10 minas.

So if you'll turn to Luke chapter 19, starting down in verse 11.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

Well actually for context, right before Jesus gives this parable, he's talking about,

he goes into the house of Zacchaeus, who was a tax collector.

And in verse 8, it says that,

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord,

Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.

And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.

And Jesus said to him,

Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is the son of Abraham.

For the son of man came to seek and to save the lost.

So the context is he meets Zacchaeus, and then he declares that salvation has come to his house.

And then in verse 11, picking up from there, it reads,

As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near to Jerusalem,

and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.

So they were thinking, okay, things are ramping up here.

Salvation has come to Zacchaeus' house.

They're moving towards Jerusalem.

Their perception of Jesus was that he would be crowned king and change Israel.

And Jesus has a little word of instruction about the timeline,

about what they're anticipating him to be.

And then he gives this parable, and this is where I'll mainly be today speaking from.

Starting in verse 12, he says,

And he said,

Therefore a nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and then return.

Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas,

and said to them,

Engage in business until I come.

But his citizens hated him,

and sent a delegation after him, saying,

We do not want this man to reign over us.

When he returned, having received the kingdom,

he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him,

that he might know what they had gained by doing business.

The first came before him, saying,

Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.

And he said to him,

Well done, good servant.

Because you have been faithful in the very little,

you shall have authority over ten cities.

And the second came, saying,

Lord, your mina has made five minas.

And he said to him,

And he said to him,

And you are to be over five cities.

And another came, saying,

Lord, here is your mina,

which I have kept laid away in a handkerchief.

For I was afraid of you,

because you are a severe man.

You take what you did not deposit,

and reap what you did not sow.

And he said to him,

I will condemn you with your own words,

you wicked servant.

You knew that I was a severe man,

taking what I did not deposit,

and reaping what I did not sow.

Why then did you not put my money in the bank?

And at my coming,

I might have collected it with interest.

And he said to those who stood by,

Take the mina from him,

and give it to the one who has ten minas.

And they said to him,

Lord, he has ten minas.

I tell you that to everyone who has,

more will be given.

But from the one who has not,

even what he has will be taken away.

But as for these enemies of mine,

who did not want me to reign over them,

bring them here,

and slaughter them before me.

This is an intense parable.

Not, you know,

this isn't the sunshine and rainbows Jesus.

I imagine people hearing this parable

were a little alarmed.

They were like,

okay, it was going good,

yeah,

the nice servants with the minas

did a good job.

But then it's like,

these enemies of mine,

bring them before me and slaughter them.

I'm like, wow,

wow,

that's crazy.

And so,

there's something really profound

that Jesus is speaking.

And he speaks in parables

to give light on real truth

that we can draw from.

And,

I think it's clear that,

you know,

this is an analogy,

this parable is speaking about Jesus himself,

and how his second coming

will be the one where he's crowned

and he judges.

But it speaks a lot about what happens

between his first coming

and between his second.

And I'd like to hone in on the fact

that,

as Christians,

we are the servants

that are called.

Okay?

Our king,

Jesus,

has called us

and he says to us

a word.

Okay?

While he's away,

we're supposed to be engaged

in something.

you know,

this might not be

the most light sermon

in terms of going through this parable

because it's not a very light parable.

But I hope that as we would

hear the words of Jesus,

that something in us

would be quickened

to a more sensitive fear of the Lord,

a more in-tuneness to actual reality,

and we would be awake and not asleep.

And that as a church,

we would be able to say

with the parable

that we can multiply our minus.

That's our ambition.

And so,

Luke 19 is somewhat of a warning to us,

but I want to call us

to examine our own lives

as I read this

and we move through it.

So,

I've got three observations,

actually only on

verse 13,

and then we'll finish

with kind of a backdrop

of the rest of the chapter.

But,

what strikes me most

about this passage

is obviously the severity

and importance of,

you know,

listening to the words

of the nobleman

or the king.

But,

also,

what do we even think

about the king in general?

You know,

what's our disposition

towards the king?

What's the disposition

we have towards our Lord?

Okay?

Not necessarily when

he comes to us

and gives us

the instruction,

but while he's away.

Okay?

Like,

our manner of life,

the content of our life,

what we do

with our private affairs

of life,

I think is

actually highlighted

most here.

And so,

in verse 13,

he says,

calling ten of his servants,

he gave them ten minas

and said to them,

engage in business

until I come.

So,

the first point

I want to talk about

is the fact that

each of these servants

received the same word.

They received the same instruction.

Okay?

He says,

engage in business

until I come.

Or,

the KJV says,

occupy until I come.

The NLT renders it,

invest until I come.

Okay?

So,

there's this kind of like

exhortation

or this call

to say,

okay,

here's what you're going to do.

I've given you something

and I want you to use it

for a purpose.

I want you to engage

in business,

occupy,

I want you to invest it

until I come again.

That is to say,

what are we called

to do with this?

We're called to fill.

We're called to reproduce.

We're called to multiply.

Okay?

God in Christ

has given us many things,

many blessings,

right?

The most,

at the top

is the fact

that he saved us,

right?

Saved us from our sin

and from the wrath of God

against our sin.

That's no small thing,

right?

But he also,

he's also given us things.

He's given us gifts,

right?

He's given us,

he's made us

in certain ways,

gifted us in certain ways

with different spiritual gifts,

different skill sets,

and all those

are pointing to

what we're going to do

or how we're going to use

those gifts to glorify him.

They're all for his glory.

And so,

he says to these servants,

occupy,

engage,

invest,

until I come.

Reproduce.

Immediately,

I was thinking about

when Jesus says

in Matthew 28,

go and make disciples.

There's that kind of,

like,

who's he talking to?

His disciples,

right?

So,

he's like,

all right,

I've made you

into disciples

and now I've commissioned you

to reproduce.

Go make disciples.

Occupy until I come.

You know,

that same kind of

instruction,

his last kind of

marching orders

that he gives to his disciples,

he says,

go make more.

Okay?

What I've given you,

go and give to others.

And,

you know,

there's,

there's at times

many

moments where we're

lackluster in our engagement,

in our investing,

right?

Seasons where

it's more of a struggle

to remind ourselves

about what we're supposed

to be doing in Christ.

And I think this is

a sobering thing

to read,

to remind us

that we have a task,

we have a job,

right?

So,

we're not all just saved

to sit around,

right,

and even necessarily

just worship on Sundays.

It's a part of the,

the,

the,

the thing we're supposed

to do.

We're supposed to worship God.

But God's given us

a specific job.

And,

my question to you is,

what is your relationship

to the work?

What's your relationship

to the engagement?

Are you engaging

in business,

so to speak,

while he's away?

Because he is away

right now,

right?

You can't say,

I'm waiting

for instructions,

right?

You can't say,

yeah,

if he calls me,

I'll serve him.

If he,

if he gives me

instructions,

I'll,

you know,

start the business.

It's like,

well,

what if we're already

on the other side

of that instruction,

right?

And he's,

and he will come.

And I think,

at our point in history,

it would probably be fair

to say that

he'll be coming soon.

And so,

all the more,

I think this is

a serious thing

to consider.

But as a church,

are we engaging

in the work?

Do we know the work?

Okay?

Do we know what

he's called us to do?

I'm hoping to outline

a little bit of that today,

but this idea

of multiplying

our minas,

multiplying what

we've been given,

is the thing

that God wants us to do.

What we have,

multiply it.

Okay?

And so,

what is your engagement like?

Are you engaged

with the right things?

You know,

there's kind of

three categories

of people

in regards to

maybe this type of work.

One would be

the ignorant type

of person

who doesn't even know

much at all.

Like,

I need to,

I actually need to be

discipled.

I need to be taught

what it means

to follow Jesus,

what the work

actually is,

right?

And this is just

the need to become

a disciple,

right?

But others might not

be in the ignorant category,

they might be in the

immature category.

Maybe you've heard

what you're supposed to do,

maybe you even know

the gifts that you have,

but you struggle

in your execution,

you struggle to actually

get going with the work.

This is also a need

for ongoing discipleship,

but it's natural to us

becoming mature.

But then there's a third

category of people

who actually know

what they're supposed

to do,

they mature,

they've been through

the gauntlet,

so to speak,

and been told

by other people,

but they refuse

to do the work.

Okay?

This is the category

of rebellion.

And I would just

call us to examine

our own lives

and say,

Lord,

I know what I need

to do.

But if I don't

want to do it,

God,

forgive me.

Help me.

Change my heart

to love the things

that you love.

Change my heart

to love you

and regard you

as king.

Okay?

Acts 2.36

says that,

let all the house

of Israel know

that God

has made him,

has made Jesus

both Lord

and Christ.

Okay?

So we can't have

a partisan church

where one half

says,

I love Jesus

because he's Christ.

He's Savior.

Right?

And then another part

that says,

I love Jesus

because he's Lord

and he's king.

Right?

Well,

Acts 2.36

says he's both.

Right?

And so,

we're saved

by him

in a marvelous way.

And that's

an understatement,

really.

What God has done

for us in Christ

on the cross

by rising from the dead

cannot be overstated.

Okay?

But make no mistake

that he's a king.

Right?

He's called us

to do certain things.

And I know,

I know,

probably as much

as you guys do

that living in America

with the breathing

in the air

that we do,

the American dream

sounds good

at times.

Right?

Maybe even

in subtle ways,

just wanting

a nice house,

a nice car,

a nice career.

Right?

It's not like

these things

are bad

in themselves.

Right?

But,

we're called

to a way of life

that's different

than the way

of the world.

Right?

And I think

that when

we read

these type

of parables,

it's good

to examine,

okay,

what's our business?

What's our way

of life?

And,

one of the words

for this year

for our church

was labor.

It was in addition

to two others.

And I think

that reading passages

like this

and reminding

ourselves

of what the labor

is,

what we're supposed

to be engaged

in,

is humbling.

Right?

It's focusing.

It's sharpening.

And so,

where are we

in our engagement?

You know,

there's,

he says,

engage in business

until I come.

So that's the first point.

Second point,

it says he gave

them ten minus.

Okay?

You might be like,

duh,

yeah,

we read it.

Okay?

Well,

each received

the same amount

and he gave it to them.

They've got it.

Okay?

Three months wages,

maybe you think

that's a lot,

maybe you think

that's a little,

doesn't really matter.

The ten receive

all the same thing

and there was

no partiality

on the side

of the king.

Okay?

So,

if God calls you,

if he says,

I want you to engage

in business

and it leaves you alone,

that's one thing,

right?

But he's actually

given you something.

He's given you

what you need.

Right?

He didn't say,

hey,

find your own minus.

Right?

Figure out

how to do this yourself.

No,

he says,

here's what I want you to do,

but you have enough.

Okay?

Second Peter

one verse three

says,

his divine power

has granted to us

to believe

all things

that pertain

to life and godliness.

Okay?

Do you believe that

this morning?

That you have everything

you need

to do what God

has called you to do?

Or,

or is there a nagging voice

in the back of your head

that says,

ah,

I just don't have

what I need.

I just,

for all things

that pertain

to life and godliness,

I just,

I don't know.

It's not really there

for me.

Maybe some of it is.

Maybe I can do part of it.

But all the stuff?

No.

Romans 8,

32 says,

this is so good.

He who did not spare

his only son,

his own son,

but gave him up

for us all,

how will he not also

with him

graciously give us

all things?

Okay?

That's a good promise.

Okay?

If God gave everything,

like,

first of all,

that's a crazy thing

to think about.

God gave up everything.

His only son.

Then Paul says,

how will then

he not graciously

give us all things?

Right?

That's a promise.

But do we believe it?

Right?

So he gives these

minas,

or,

I keep calling

the servants minas.

He gives the minas

to the servants,

and

he doesn't give them

nothing.

Right?

They have something.

And I would just ask

you guys to

pay attention to that.

Do you have

less of Christ

than me?

Do you have

any less of Jesus

than me?

No,

you don't.

Or do you have

the full Christ?

Do you believe that?

Beloved,

all of Christ

is yours.

That needs to

encourage

some of you today.

That there's no part

of Christ

that is withheld

from you.

There's no part

of Jesus

that you can say

is not yours.

all right?

That needs to be

something you preach

to your own soul.

All right?

That Christ

there's nothing,

you have not

withheld your son,

just like we read

in Romans 8.

So we have

what we need.

And you might

even think,

like the last guy,

I think it's clear

that the last servant

is a clear picture

of the unbeliever,

okay?

Mainly because

of the end judgment.

But I think

it would also be,

it would also warrant

us to at least

take from,

although we're

professing Christians,

take warning

from how this man

acted.

Okay?

And what I mean

by that is

you might think

as you look over

all the things

that God has

called you to,

all the things

that Jesus has said

and say to God,

maybe subtly,

but in your heart,

you're a severe man.

You're a hard man,

you know?

Like it's too hard,

it's too much,

right?

But this is

an act of defiance,

you know,

and this is,

God is not often

as we think Him

to be.

And the truth is,

He gives us

what we need.

He doesn't withhold

anything from us.

And then lastly,

at the latter part

of the verse,

basically,

He says to engage

in business,

but for how long

it says until I come,

until He comes again.

So,

we're at a unique point

in history where,

you know,

this has been said

many times before

that the Lord

is coming soon,

you know,

all these things.

But I think there's

reasons to believe

that we're definitely

closer than other

points of history

to the second coming

of Jesus.

But how much more

do we,

like,

if that's true,

should we pay

attention,

church?

Like,

do you believe,

like,

honestly,

like,

search your own

soul,

do you believe

that one day

a trumpet will

sound,

you know,

and that there's

going to be a man

who comes to judge

both the living

and the dead?

That's crazy.

Okay?

That's crazy,

but it's not

if you read,

if you believe Jesus,

if you believe God

above all else,

right?

But do you believe

that that day will

come?

And you don't

have to have fear

about that day.

If you're in Christ,

you don't have to be

afraid of the judgment

of God or second

coming.

You're going to have

confidence,

but even,

even that will draw

your attention to

what,

what he said.

And this is one of

the things that he

said.

He says,

engage in business

until I come,

occupy until I come.

I think as a church,

you know,

we're committed to

the kingdom of God

and all of life

together.

But a lot of times

we have cares

and worries of the

world that slip in.

You know,

the desire for other

things is the parable

of the sower says.

And have we let,

maybe even like in

small ways,

let the cares and

worries of the world

slip in a little bit?

Like just worrying

about tomorrow.

Have we forgotten

a love for God

and therefore forgotten

love for lost people,

lost souls,

people perishing?

This is important.

If you've lost heart,

there's good news for

you.

That God can fill you

up again,

fill you up fresh.

And we need to

remember why.

Why even be filled?

What's the need to be

filled?

It's because God is

our Christ and our

Lord.

And so,

how do we do that?

How do we multiply

our minas?

I like this phrase.

Multiplying minas.

Well,

Jesus,

when he talks in Luke

13,

a couple chapters

earlier,

about the kingdom

of God,

he speaks of it in

this way.

He says,

it is like a grain of

mustard seed that a man

took and sowed in his

garden and it grew and

became a tree.

And the birds of the air

made nests and

branches.

He says a couple of

verses later,

again speaking about the

kingdom of God,

that what it's like,

it is like leaven that a

woman took and hid in

three measures of flour

until it was all

leavened.

Someone recently,

or not too long ago,

told me that three

measures of flour

was the same amount

that Sarah,

Abraham's wife,

took and

what it produced,

the amount that a

bread that it could

make could serve like a

small army,

which is

crazy.

And something like

90 loaves or something,

I think.

I'll have to have

somebody fact check me

on that.

But in other words,

it's a very small

amount,

right?

It's not a lot.

And so he says the

kingdom of heaven is

like this.

It's like the yeast

that works through the

dough.

It's like the leaven

that you put it into

three measures of flour

and it just grows,

right?

But who's doing the

growth right here?

Maybe you could say

the yeast or whatever.

But all we're supposed

to do is put that

leaven in,

right?

Put that yeast in

and then it grows by

itself.

It's really important

to understand our

job,

right?

Our job is not to

make all these loaves

start to finish in

our own strength,

right?

Our job is simply

to,

where God has

called us to,

he says,

hide that leaven in

three measures of

flour right there,

you know?

Or put that seed,

that mustard seed,

in the ground,

right?

God hasn't

overburdened you,

or overwhelmed you

with things that

he's supposed to do,

that only he can do,

right?

You're supposed to

trust in his power to

do it.

And so,

the kingdom of heaven

is like this.

2 Corinthians 2,

2 Corinthians 2:14–15

verses 14-15,

says,

I love that verse.

That's so awesome.

And it says,

for we are the aroma

of Christ to God

among those who are

being saved

and among those

who are perishing.

To one a fragrance

from death to death

and to the other

a fragrance from

life to life.

We're the aroma

of Christ,

okay?

And it says that

that fragrance

spreads,

that fragrance

of the knowledge

of him,

it spreads

everywhere.

That's awesome.

When you guys

are going about

your day,

do you ever think

like,

because God

dwells in me

by his Holy Spirit,

that anywhere I go

is a possibility

that the fragrance

of Christ,

the fragrance

of God,

could be spread.

You guys think

about that?

Or do you guys

clock out?

You know,

and clock into

your job.

We all have jobs.

I'm not doubting

on jobs,

right?

But I'm trying

to draw our attention

to the fact

that we have

an eternal task.

We have a business

to engage in.

And if you're in Christ,

then in you

dwells Jesus.

Do you believe that?

Or are you saying,

you know what,

I believe that Jesus

dwells in people.

Like,

I believe

he dwells in this person

and this person.

I can see it.

There's peace in them.

You know,

there's peace everywhere else.

But does he dwell

in you?

Is there peace

in you?

Okay?

If there's not

peace in you,

then we need

to remember

the gospel.

Romans 5 says,

since we've been

justified by faith,

we have peace

with God.

We have peace

with God.

Okay?

And so,

if you don't have

peace with God,

that's 101.

This labor,

this work,

this engaging

in business,

you're going to get

crushed by that.

Because not only

are you going to

try to throw your seeds out,

you're going to try

and make it grow.

You can't do that.

You'll be hitting

your head up against

the wall every time,

right?

We have to understand

what comes before.

And that's really

the backdrop.

I'm under the assumption

that we believe that.

Okay?

If we believe that,

then this work

is going to be

through a very

different lens.

So how do we

multiply our mind?

We multiply by

this mindset

that God dwells in us,

that the fragrance

of Him will be

spread among us.

And also,

an anti-individualistic

statement,

but I think that

fragrance is

most potent

when the church

as a whole,

as members,

do that together.

So you can all

go home and do that

as your individual

Christian life,

but I think that

fragrance,

that potency

that I'm talking about

is actually most

experienced

at large

as a force,

as a group

of people

doing it.

And so,

you know,

I'm not saying

go home and do it

alone.

I'm actually saying

do it through the

church,

which is one of my

points I'm about

to get into.

three points

on what it means

to engage

in kingdom work.

And just examine

yourself

and ask yourself,

do I have

habits,

do I have

rhythms

that

put first

the kingdom

of God?

So point number

one,

how do we engage

and multiply

our minas

in the kingdom

work?

Number one,

we have to

pray.

I was really

convicted when I

did this first

point because

when you think

of like the

work,

most of the

time you don't

think of prayer.

But if we

don't pray,

guys,

then nothing

will change.

If we don't

come to God

and ask,

like think about

it,

if we're the

planters and the

waterers and God

gives the growth

and we never

ask God to

grow things,

then what are

we trusting in,

right?

We're trusting

ourselves for

this growth?

We must come

to Him in

prayer.

Ask and ask

again.

Seek and seek

again.

Keep on seeking.

Knock and

knock again.

If you've grown

weary in praying,

today's the day

where you start

again with

fresh eyes,

fresh desire,

fresh energy.

We have to

pray.

Martin Luther

said that prayer

is the sweat

of the soul.

soul.

Meaning,

when we pray,

things happen,

right?

And it might

seem like work,

but realize who

you're praying to.

You're praying to

God who actually

changes things.

Thomas Watson

says on prayer

and commenting

on Acts 12

when Peter was

in prison,

he says that

the angel

fetched Peter

out of prison,

but it was

prayer that

fetched the angel.

Okay?

Number two,

how do we

engage in

kingdom work?

By preaching

the gospel.

Okay,

how do we

preach the gospel

or who do we

preach the gospel

to?

We preach it to

ourselves,

our spouses,

our kids,

to one another,

to the lost.

God,

this cannot be

overstressed.

The lack of

evangelistic fervor

in the church

today is crazy.

All right?

We have to

preach the gospel.

We have,

and I'm not

saying like we

have to like go

off the hinge

and like just say

it all the time

everywhere.

You should be led

by the spirit.

But make no mistake

that we have to

speak the message.

And your mina

that you've been

given in one sense

is a message.

God gave you a

mina that

transformed your

life.

And it was

through the

message of his

son.

Okay?

We're going to

multiply that.

We need to

give that away.

Speak it to

them.

Preach it to

them.

If you don't

know the gospel

very well,

ask somebody to

help you understand

it.

If you're like,

hey, I honestly

have heard this

many times,

but like help

me see where

this plan lanes

like in my life.

You know,

like I see it

other people,

it changes

their life.

But like for

me, like what

does that mean?

Because you need

to know, you

need to know

that without

the substitutionary

death of Christ,

there's going to

be no forgiveness

for you.

Without the

obedient life of

Christ, there's

going to be no

standing before

God in a

righteous way.

And without

his resurrection,

there will be no

standing, period.

You won't be

raised.

Okay?

These things are

like so fundamental.

And I would dare

say that, well,

Paul would dare

say in 1 Corinthians

15, he says,

this is the

gospel in which

you stand and

in which you're

being saved.

Okay?

This is what

you're standing

on.

And so we have

to preach the

gospel.

Who do we

preach it to?

You know, like

on a practical

level.

You guys ask

yourself this?

Like your

neighbors, people

you run into

that are totally

lost.

You know,

sometimes you

got to get

creative, but

the message has

to go out.

We got to

preach the

gospel.

Number three,

engaging in

kingdom work.

We do it

through the

local church.

And I

would say

actually probably

that this is

one that

gets

sidelined

many times.

I would say

that if a

Christian doesn't

engage in

building up

the church

and partnering

with the

church in

this uniting

way, then

there's really

going to be

no multiplying

of minus.

There's going

to be no,

you can do

like the

personal, you

know, on

your own

thing, but

God has

appointed that

your gifts

would be

joined to

a body and

work through

the members

together as

a force.

gifts.

And that

leads me to

my next

point.

Like, you

guys each

have gifts.

If you're

in Christ,

you have a

gift from

God.

How are you

using that

gift?

Do you

know the

gifts that

you have?

Or do you

not know?

You know,

Adi and I

were just

talking last

night about

the gifts and

how important

it is to

know.

You know?

And God

wants you to

be more confident

in the ways

that he's made

you and gifted

you than

you probably

do because

he's called

you to

something.

Don't bury

your gift.

Do you say

my gift doesn't

matter or

my gift is

better than

so-and-so's

or not as

good than

so-and-so's

so I won't

use it?

Like, what

kind of

conversations

are you

having?

Are you

saying that

you're in

an insignificant

part?

Like, that's

nonsense.

Don't sit

on your

mina or

hide your

mina, so

to speak.

Use them.

Literally, 1

Peter 4 says,

as each has

received a

gift, use

it to

serve one

another as

God's good

stewards of

God's very

grace.

The NASB

actually says,

as each has

received a

special gift,

employ it.

Are you

employing your

gifts?

Every part is

indispensable.

So,

um,

what is

our way

of life,

church?

Do we

have a

way of

life that

as its

regular

rhythm

is kingdom

work?

Or would

you say

that my

regular

rhythm of

life looks

less like

kingdom work

and more

just like

work I'm

interested in?

Work that

I tend

to enjoy,

you know,

that I

want,

you know,

you know,

this party

of people,

these citizens

that hated

the king

in this

parable,

um,

had no

respect for

the king

at all,

with their

desires or

anything.

And when

we,

when we

look at

our own

life,

are we

saying,

my choices,

my work,

my desires,

uh,

are aimed

at him?

They're,

they're not

towards myself,

but they're

for the king.

You know,

maybe not in

every,

I'm not talking

about every

little inch

of your life.

You can be

like,

that's Jesus

right there,

that's Jesus,

right?

But generally

speaking,

does your

life and

your desires

say,

God reigns

over me?

Or,

or does it

say,

maybe subtly,

like the

citizens,

we don't

want this

man to

reign over

us?

You know,

I don't

really want him,

like,

I get,

like,

this church

thing,

I get

priest and

gospel,

but I

really don't

want to do

that,

right?

And I

also understand

that,

because like

you,

I'm a sinner,

and I

naturally don't

want to do

what God

requires,

but usually

the person

who's saying

that actually

needs to

encounter the

grace of

God again.

And this

actually happened

to Martin

Luther.

I was

reading about

this earlier

this week,

and Martin

Luther,

if you don't

know him,

was largely

responsible for

the catalyst

for the

Protestant

Reformation.

Big deal.

But he was

a German

monk who

had been

taught that

God required

him to

live a

righteous

life in

order to

be saved.

And so he

actually grew

to hate

God as

a monk,

for first

requiring of

him what he

couldn't do,

but then

leaving him

to fail

as he

did it.

Like,

Luther actually

says this.

He says,

I labor

diligently

and anxiously

as to

understand

Paul's

words.

And what

he's talking

about is

Romans 1

that says

that in the

gospel the

righteousness

of God

is revealed.

The righteousness

that is by

faith

from first

to last.

Luther says,

I labor

diligently

to understand

as to

how

Paul's

word,

the expression

righteousness

of God,

blocked the

way.

Because it's,

I took it to

mean that the

righteousness

whereby God

is righteous

and deals

righteously

in punishing

the unrighteous.

Okay, so

he was,

he was,

he couldn't

get past this.

The righteousness

of God for

Luther was

something he's

like,

I'm doomed.

Like,

if God is

righteous in

this way,

like,

it's

impossible.

And although

an impeccable

monk,

Luther says,

he says,

I stood

before God

a sinner.

Therefore,

I did not

love a

righteous

and anchored

God,

but rather

hated and

murmured

against him.

And then

he said,

it was then

I grasped

that the

righteousness

of God

is that

righteousness

by which

through grace

and sheer

mercy,

God

justifies

us

by faith.

He says,

thereupon

I felt

myself

to be

reborn

and to

have

gone

through

the

open

doors

into

paradise.

He says,

as I

formerly

hated the

expression,

the

righteousness

of God,

and now

began to

regard it

as my

dearest

and most

comforting

word.

When I'm

talking about

this work,

are you guys

like,

I hate

that?

Are you

relating to

God in

the wrong

way?

What's

your

relationship

to God

in your

thoughts?

Are you

relating,

are you

forgetting

about the

grace,

the abundant

mercy of

God?

Make no

mistake,

we have

to labor,

but

God has

given us

everything we

need.

Okay?