Matthew 25:1-30 | Kingdom Now: Don't Look Ready, Be Ready

We're going to be in Matthew 25.

So if you have a Bible and brought one with you, turn to Matthew 25.

It's also on the on our app.

If you go to our app, you can follow along there.

But let me let me set up Matthew 25 with this.

Have any of you been anxiously awaiting for something to arrive?

And you kind of.

You're not exactly sure when, but you're going to kind of

go to bed at night thinking, okay, it might be,

it might be soon, and you'll wake up with anticipation.

Any of you.

Yeah.

Remember what was like to be a kid at Christmas time?

You know, summer vacation, whatever.

So I've been talking about this renovation of the

the interior for a long time, and we're making progress.

But it should have been done a month ago.

And and it's been this constant thing where I get word.

Okay, so so in two days we're going to start on this and it'll take us a couple

and then and and I find myself I found myself especially this week

getting excited like, oh, I wonder if they start out on this part

and checking the cameras in the morning and nothing.

And then getting, oh, hey, it was delayed.

I think they're still blaming the supply chain and Covid.

I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but, you know, it's just delayed and so.

Okay, well, tomorrow then we'll start this.

And so I'm like, okay, oh, I'm excited for a while.

And I wake up in the morning, check the cameras and nothing.

And it's been like that.

This was it was again, it just happened on Friday.

You're supposed to get all the wrap done and then they'll put the door in on.

You know, I'm so excited for the church to get to see it.

And then of course, it's not done.

And I found myself just so frustrated

because of the anticipation and the letdown.

Right.

And then and then I felt incredible conviction

because while all that's going on, I'm reading Matthew 25

and I'm

realizing I have more excitement and joyful anticipation

about a garage door than I do about the return of Jesus.

And I was just I was convicted,

and I was amazed at how quickly.

The main thing stops being the main thing,

and everything else in my world starts taking precedence

over the joyful expectation of the journey of Jesus.

And so Matthew 25

is Jesus's instructions on how we live.

While we wait for his return.

The foundation of what Jesus is going to say in Matthew 25.

He's already laid the foundation in the previous chapter, Matthew

Matthew 24:44

24 verse 44 and he says this therefore you also must be ready,

for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Now, granted, we live in tension with the idea of Jesus's return.

The tension is this there are passages in Scripture prophecies in Daniel

that Jesus referred to in Matthew 24, his own words in Matthew 24

that seem to give us indication of when these times are going to come,

when you see these things happen in, when you see what Daniel calls the

the abomination of desolation set up in the temple, you know, then you'll know

when you see these things happen that Jesus is right around the corner.

The segment is right around the corner.

And so there seems to be some indication, well, we'll know some stuff.

But then there's other passages like this.

He's like, you got no idea when I'm coming back.

Had no clue.

Matter of fact, the only one who really knows is a father.

So quit trying to guess.

And so we live in this strange tension.

And let me just tell you, as far as faith is concerned,

as far as the Bible is, there's a lot of tension.

There's a lot of stuff we live in the now, but the not yet.

And we just have to learn to live with that.

We won't have answers. We don't have answers.

And so there's this tension.

He could be coming back today.

And so Jesus says, listen, because you don't know,

you might be able to see some signs when it gets like you might see,

but you don't know when those signs are going to show up.

So you just don't know.

So get so be ready.

That's the whole thrust,

especially now in Matthew 25 and in Matthew 25,

Jesus is going to tell two parables a parable of a wedding banquet

and a marriage, and the parable of stewards,

servants who've been entrusted with some of the master's stuff and the parable.

Just to remind ourselves a parable is is a story from everyday life

that sit next to something that's

difficult to understand, to help you understand it better.

So the parable,

everything doesn't mean something in a parable.

There's a main point to the parable that helps you understand the truth.

And so we're going to look at these two parables.

Don't look for Henny hidden meaning behind all the little details.

Look for the point of the story, because that'll help us understand

Jesus saying, you don't know when, so you better be ready.

Got it?

Okay, so the overarching thing through

Matthew 25 and what Jesus said, he's getting ready to go to the cross is like,

I got to give my disciples a couple last things.

And so the last things that he's telling them

is this and live with the joyful anticipation of my return.

That's what he's saying.

I want you to live the joyful anticipation of my return.

And here's two reasons why we, as disciples of Jesus,

should live constantly with the joyful anticipation of eternity of Christ.

One because the joyful anticipation of the eternity

of Jesus motivates me to holy living.

It motivates me to live a holy life.

Because if he can come back right now,

I don't want him to find me living a life I'm ashamed to live.

You follow.

But the other reason why we should live

for the joyful anticipation of the turn of Christ is because it

calibrates my perspective on my life and the world around me.

It calibrates it all.

If I know that Jesus could come back at any time,

it calibrates how I view my life and the world around me,

because what it tells me is all this stuff

is passing away.

The Bible says in Second Peter,

but the day of the Lord will come like a thief.

The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire,

and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way.

What kind of people ought you to be, Peter?

Peter's answering the question.

How do we live while we wait for the return of Christ?

Well, what kind of people want you to be?

You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God.

And speed is coming.

That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire.

Talk about global warming and the elements will melt in the heat.

But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward

to a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.

So then, dear friends,

since you are looking forward to the joyful anticipation

of his return, since that's what you're looking forward to, make every effort.

To what?

To be found spotless and blameless and at peace with him.

The joyful expectation of the return of Christ.

It causes me to motivate me to live a holy life,

and it recalibrate how I view this world.

Those who are who do not have

a joyful expectation of Jesus return have a horizontal view of life.

This is. This is the only plane.

They see the world through this lens right here.

Their life and what's around them.

Those who live with a joyful expectation of the church, Christ,

have a vertical view.

We'll look at beyond this plane

and it calibrates it all.

And when this is my view, the joyful return to Christ,

I'm not so worried about life.

I'm not so worried about this world like most of you are.

Jesus warned us what was going to happen.

I realized this is not my home.

I realize I'm a stranger passing through.

So the person with the vertical view,

the expected return to Jesus Christ, has the view that job had job

as the whole life as this as this view was, was being destroyed.

He looked this way and he said, I know that my Redeemer lives,

and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

After and after my skin has been destroyed.

This is all gone, yet in my flesh I will see God.

I myself will see him with my own eyes.

I am not another. I won't see anybody else. I'll only see him.

And how my heart yearns within me for that day.

And so Jesus says, listen.

I want you to live

within a joyful expectation of my return.

And while you live, waiting on my return, joyful, anticipating it,

I'm going to tell you how you're supposed to live. So you ready?

Matthew 25.

I'm going to do this.

I'm going to read the entire parable, and then we'll talk about it.

So the first parable is 13 verses, okay.

And we'll talk about

there's going to use a lot of words that aren't going to make a lot of sense.

All those scenarios we're not going to understand,

but we'll explain it verse 20, chapter 25, verse one.

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like

ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them are foolish, and five were wise.

For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no with them.

But the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

But at midnight there was a cry, here's the bridegroom, come out and meet him.

Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said to the wise, give us some of your own for our lamps,

for our lamps are going out.

But the wise answered, saying, since there will not be enough for us

and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.

And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready

went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered, truly I say to you, I do not know you.

And then Jesus says, watch.

Therefore this is how you live.

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Now this scenario make perfect sense to them, because they understood

the ancient Jewish, because it wasn't ancient to them.

You know, process of of marriage.

We don't understand so much.

We, you know, I'm lonely.

I'm gonna go on Tinder, I'm going to find somebody, I'm

going to swipe, you know, whatever that is, whatever.

However it works now,

it wasn't so back then.

Back then,

marriages were arranged like

the fathers got together and decided who their kids would marry.

It was a it was a brilliant system.

It's a brilliant system.

And so they would work out the payment of what the bride was worth.

The, you know, the groom's parents would pay the money they would enter in.

There were three elements to a Jewish wedding.

There was there there was the betrothal, the engagement, and then the wedding.

And it lasted last over a year.

It was a long process, but.

But it culminated with the groom kind of arriving at an unknown time,

and the bride and all her wedding party going out to meet him,

and they would come together and consummate the whole wedding deal.

That's what this story is about.

This parable is about now when I was when I was young,

like in the

70s, and I know I don't look it, but I am that old.

That was like the whole the Jesus movement

and the hippies on the tail end of that and this great revival.

And back in those days, we learned this song

give me for my lamp.

Keep me burning, burn and burn it.

Give me all for my lamp I pray. Hallelujah.

Give me your for my lamp.

Keep me burning. Burn up burning.

Keep me burning till the break of day.

Right.

The goofy song.

But it was the 70s.

And it was cool

that songs about this passage give me all from a

give me a burn, burn a burning can't be burned to the break of day.

Now, back in the 70s, we added a bunch of other,

you know, lyrics to that cool song Give Me Gas from my Ford.

Keep me trucking for the Lord, give me gas from earth, Lord I pray Hallelujah me

gas from my forehead. Give me trucking for the Lord.

Check it out on the break of day.

Hallelujah, hallelujah.

All this stuff.

But it was about this passage because there was an expectation

that who knows, just give me all for my lap.

Keep me burning. I don't want to.

I don't want to miss this.

These elements to this wedding.

Let me walk you through it.

There was the betrothal,

which was the agreement between the groom

and the bride, of what the bride was worth and the payment that was made.

And once that payment was made, then they entered into the engagement period.

And the engagement period was was like a year long.

And during that engagement period, the groom would leave

to prepare a home for the bride.

And when the home was ready, the groom would return

and take the bride with him that they would be together.

And during that time of of engaged, while the groom was gone,

that was used to prove that the groom was able to take care of the bride.

He was shown to be trustworthy and reliable and providing

and mighty and powerful, and everything that a bride would want in a groom.

And then that was the second.

And then the third part of it was the actual wedding feast,

when the groom would come back and as the groom came back,

there would be great pomp and circumstance and fanfare, and everybody in the city

would know that the groom was coming back, and then the bride and her party

would go out to meet the groom,

and together they would arrive together and establish their presence.

That would that

that was the process of a Jewish wedding.

And usually when the groom would come back because it was unknown

and usually it would, it would be in the evening time or night time.

And so the bride in her wedding party made sure that during that,

during that entire time, they always kept their lamps with them

in case, in case the groom came back and it was dark

so they would be able to go meet him.

And which, by the way, let me just pause right here and tell you

this is the picture, I believe, of Jesus second coming,

the wedding processional.

See the patrol. Those already happen.

The price has been set for the bride, and the price was blood.

And so

God, through Jesus the Father, through the son,

paid the price on the cross.

And because the price has been portrayed, the agreement has been made.

Now in the second period of this process,

the engagement, Jesus goes to prepare a place.

And this is what says in the Gospel of John,

if I go to prepare for you, I will come back and receive you to myself

so we can be together.

It's the whole marriage

now. He's been working on our place for 2000 years.

It's probably going to be pretty good.

And then here's what's going to happen, as I understand it.

And you can disagree with me, that's fine.

But as I understand Scripture

and as I understand the the context of a Jewish wedding,

when Jesus comes back, there's this whole idea of the

how many of you heard the rapture of the church?

Okay, when Jesus pulls the church out and the tribulation goes on

and the church isn't in the world, I don't think it's going to go down like that.

I think the church is going to be here through the whole tribulation.

And here's why.

Because when the groom comes as he's on his way, the bride hears

and he calls her out to meet him, and then they arrive together.

When the Bible talks about the return of Christ,

his his appearing requires him touching down on earth.

And so if the church is taken

out of the world during the tribulation,

that is talked about the perilous of Christ,

the appearance of Christ, he has to touch down to take the church out.

If that happens before

the tribulation, he's got to come back a third time for the final coming.

So there's three returns of Christ. It doesn't make sense.

And so according to Scripture, and as I understand

the context of a Jewish wedding,

when Jesus comes, the church is here through the tribulation.

When Jesus comes, he pulls the church out

and they arrive together after the tribulation.

For the what's the Bible calls the millennial reign of Christ

with his bride for a thousand years

to follow.

So personally, I believe the church is going to be here

through the through the through, through the entire seven year tribulation.

No, if you don't, we disagree.

And that's okay.

Because if I'm wrong, I'm happy.

But if you're wrong, you better get ready.

You follow.

And I think that scenario fits the Jewish wedding.

And that's what the context of this whole thing is about the Jewish wedding.

So as we go through this, I'll just just look at this.

There's ten virgins.

Think bridesmaids.

That's what we're talking about.

Ten bridesmaids.

Because they don't know when the groom's coming back.

They keep their their their lamps ready.

Really? That word lamp in Greek is torch.

And it literally was a stick with cloth

on the end, soaked and all that they would light.

So that's really what these what these ladies have

all ten of them waiting for the groom to come back,

and all ten of them fall asleep because he's delayed.

And the Bible doesn't say that's good or bad.

It's just is he's gone a long time and they get tired and they fall asleep.

No problem. When they hear him coming back.

Wake up.

Let's go meet him.

The procession has started.

We realize he's coming. Let's get our lamps.

Light him and go meet him. Five of them are wise.

Five are foolish.

Why not? Because they got tired.

Because of his delay, but because five of them weren't ready.

They said we

don't have enough all to sustain us.

So give us some of yours.

And the the fife who had extra all said, we can't.

We can't give you our oil.

Go buy some. Now. This might have been at midnight.

There's nobody open at midnight to bio.

It's too late

now. Listen.

All through the Bible.

All is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Old Testament holy.

The kings were anointed.

God's chosen were anointed with all symbolizing the presence of God

through the spirit on them to anoint them and empower

them and purify them all through the Bible.

Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

So apparently there were five who looked like

they were ready,

but they weren't

because they had not the Holy Spirit.

There are some who look ready, who are.

And some who look ready, who are not.

It's easy to look ready.

I don't want you to miss this.

It's easy to look ready.

See, some look the part,

but they lack the heart.

They had the outward

appearance of a Christian, but they weren't a disciple.

There was no repentance of sin.

There's no transformed life.

Spurgeon

said, if your theology doesn't change your behavior,

it'll never change your destiny.

You make all the confession you want in the world,

but there's no repentance of sin and putting sin to death in your life.

That confession means nothing.

Just because one might say the word sometime in their life.

Jesus, come into my life, make me Christian. I want to go to heaven.

Where I die does not mean one is saved because words can't save anybody.

If those words aren't proved

to be true by a repentance and a turning of sin

and putting sin to death in one's life, there are just words.

And many will look ready

and find that there's no oil.

I don't want you to get tripped up

on the nuances of the parable when the 500 should go buy some oil.

It's not.

They're not saying that the Holy Spirit

can be purchased, that salvation can be purchased.

Nor are they saying that salvation can't be inherited by somebody else.

You can't gain it from somebody giving it to you.

Each person, each person.

Has to work it out them selves

between them and God.

Their own repentance.

And every person must own the faith for themselves, not just in word,

but in proof by repentance and the putting to death of sin.

Now for you parents.

For us parents, it is wonderful.

It's a blessing to raise our children in the Christian home.

Showing I did,

but even with that, each child

must make that decision for themselves,

not just accepting Jesus as their Savior as we like to say, but turning from sin

in repentance and putting to death sin that reigns in their bodies.

Magic words don't work.

And there will come

a time when the door is shut, and many

who look the part will say, please let me in.

And the response for some will be, I don't know who you are.

The Bible says many

in that they will say, Lord, Lord, didn't we do these things in your name?

We made the confession with our mouth and he'll say, I don't know you.

Listen, there will be an end to all of this.

Our days will end

and the end will result from the eternal of Christ.

Two things are guaranteed,

and you and I will experience one of them.

Either

you will die,

or while you are alive, Christ will return.

When either of those two things happen,

the door will be shut.

And the only thing those on the outside will hear

is, I don't know who you are.

And so the point of that parable is, don't be foolish.

Be ready.

Got it?

And just think for a moment.

If I'm right about the whole return of Christ,

that we're here through the tribulation, and then we go to meet Christ in the air,

and we come together for the 1000 year reign before the consummation

of all things. If we're here for that time

and we can't even get ourselves ready now

before that time.

What do you think it's going to be like

during that time?

Be ready.

Do you feel how sobering this is?

Jesus is like,

I'm going to the cross at the end of this week.

What am I going to leave you with that will motivate you for holy living?

And that'll put this world in perspective.

And this is what he says.

And then he tells another parable,

let me read it for you,

for it will be like a man going on a journey

who called his servants and entrusted.

Remember that to them his property to when he gave five talents,

to another, two to another one, to each according to his ability.

Then he went away, and he would receive the five talents,

went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.

So also, who had the two talents made two talents more, but he had received

the one talent and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.

Now, after a long time, the master of those two servants

came and settled accounts with him settled accounts,

and who had received the five talents came forward, bringing

five talents more, saying, master, you delivered to me five talents.

Here I've made five talents more.

His master said, well done, good and faithful servant.

You've been faithful over a little I will set you over much.

Enter into the joy of your master.

And he also had two talents came forward, saying, master, you delivered me

two talents. Here I have made two talents more.

His master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant.

You've been faithful with over little.

I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.

He also had received the one.

Talent came forward, saying, master, I knew you to be a hard man,

reaping where you did not, so gathering where you scattered no seed.

So I was afraid, and I went hid your town.

The ground here have what's yours?

The master answered him.

You wicked and slothful servant.

Oh, you knew that I reap where I have not shown, and gather where I

scatter no seed.

Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers,

and at my comment I should have received what was mine with interest.

So take the talent from him, and give it to the one who has ten times

for everyone who has or be given more, and he will have an abundance from the one

who has not.

Even what he has will be taken from him and cast the wicked, worthless

servant and outer darkness in that place they'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Pretty strong parable.

In order to understand that, you have to understand what a talent is.

A talented is not a skill in the Bible.

It's not a skill.

It's not a it's not a talent is a measurement of weight.

And in the Bible, the the talent, the measurement weight

is always in connection with money,

the talent of silver or talented gold, that type of thing.

So when Jesus says one was given five talents, two talents, one talent,

one talent of silver was worth 20 years wages.

And so the point is, he's saying, God, the master has given you a lot.

Cherish it.

The wealthy traveler go about the business.

He goes and he leaves his.

He leaves the treasure possession with his servants.

What instruction did he give his servants?

You're looking for your Bible.

You're not going to find it.

He didn't give me any instruction.

I'm going away. I'm leaving this with you.

I know you can handle it.

They can't all each handle the same thing, but they each handle something.

He doesn't give them any stress

because he expects his servants to know his heart and know his desire.

And to get busy doing it.

And the Bible says that

the one is given five immediately he got the the master left

and he got is he right then investing it and making it grow.

He didn't wait for instruction because he knew the master's heart

and he knew the master's desire.

And he said, I have so much expectation of a comeback.

I gotta get busy putting this to use right now.

And the one who was given two towns

did the exact same thing, and the one who was given one.

What did he say?

He was afraid.

What he say.

He said, I what I know of you

is that you are an unreasonable master.

You reap or you don't.

So you take things from stuff that you never laid anything down.

What I know of you is your harsh and unreasonable and you scare me to death.

So whatever you want, take whatever he didn't say.

He said take, take, take, take a little bit.

And the response in the parable from Jesus,

he doesn't agree with this guy's assessment of him.

It's more long lines.

Oh, you knew that I was, I kind of pictured Denzel Washington that

oh, you knew I wish I could do Denzel, but that's kind of, you know,

oh, you knew that I was.

In essence, he's

saying, listen, if that's your assessment of me,

if all you think of me is that I am harsh and unreasonable,

then you should have at least put it on interest.

But because you don't know who I am, you condemn yourself.

Harsh and unreasonable.

You don't know me.

Now listen.

This parable is not about how we handle the practical blessings of God.

It's not what we do with the talents and gifts he's given us.

It has nothing to do with the resources he's

entrusted to us and making sure we're, you know, giving back to the church.

And it doesn't have anything to do with that.

It's something much more deep than that.

But but here's so that you don't walk out

and think, well, there's nothing practical I'm going to give you.

I'm going to give some practical insight into these talents,

and then I'm going to tell you the deeper spiritual truth.

Okay.

So listen, the overarching question is, is what are you doing for God

with what God's giving you while you wait?

What are you doing for God with what God's giving you?

That's the just the practical application.

There are five practical observations for this parable.

I'm going to give it to you real quick.

Jesus owns everything.

We only manage his stuff.

The servants given five and two talents.

They doubled it.

How much do they keep for themselves?

Not because it wasn't theirs.

They give it all to the master because it's all he is.

They just managed.

By a while he was gone.

Everything that we have in this world, we're just managing for a time

until the matter was back and asked for an accounting.

Do you follow?

Okay.

Second one is this God

expects us to use what he's entrusted to us to benefit his kingdom.

How much of what they produce do they say?

Well, great, now I'm going to live large.

It was all given and invested not for their benefit,

but his kingdom's benefit.

That's the point. Follow.

Oh, don't.

The third thing is this. Don't be idle.

Be busy during the times of waiting and faithful during times of delay.

The moment the master left, the guys got busy.

Two of them did.

There was no delay.

They didn't have to ask for a search.

They knew the father's heart.

And they knew they'd be held accountable.

The fourth thing is this a misunderstood view of God is no excuse

for poor stewardship.

Just because the one didn't understand

the heart of the master was not an excuse for his failure.

And fifthly, where there is no risk for God,

there's no reward from God.

But I think there's more to this parable than that practical stewardship.

And I think all the practical stewardship is true and applicable.

But there's something deeper going on here.

That's why it

ends with cast that worthless servant into outer darkness.

In that place they'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In this parable, the master.

The master is Christ.

The servants are us.

And there will be an accounting.

What is the most precious thing

entrusted to us?

It's not your money.

It's not your time.

It's not your opportunity.

It's not your possessions,

it's Christ.

It's the gospel that's been entrusted to us.

First Thessalonians two four.

On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be

what entrusted with what?

The gospel.

The most precious thing that's been entrusted to us

is the gospel of Christ and salvation.

How faithful are we

in the administration of the gospel

to multiply it in this world while we wait?

There will be an accounting.

The question is, am I leveraging everything I have been given

to help people here and know and respond to and repent

and mature in faith?

This is why

that one servant who just hid what he had, because he didn't understand

the heart of the father is sentenced to hell.

Because all he knew what the father.

Was a harsh, unreasonable master.

Jesus said, you only see him as harsh and cruel and unreasonable.

Find your words.

Condemn yourself.

My expectation of those who know me

is that they multiply all that I've given them.

Imagine for a moment what would it have happened

had the 120 in the upper room after Jesus ascension?

Had they received the truth of salvation and hid it in themselves?

Where would the world be?

What are you doing?

What are we doing as a church?

What are you doing as an individual to leverage everything that God has given you

to help people here and know and respond to

and repent and mature in their faith?

Have you taken the truth of the gospel and the truth

and just hid it here and think, well,

I pray the prayer I said the words I'm going to heaven.

I'm you know, I'm good.

Oh, lazy and foolish of it.

I know,

I know the pushback from a lot of people.

I don't know how to, like, help people out.

Jesus. Like, that's not my gig.

But if I get it,

if you think you're not good at it, the point is, isn't to be good at it.

The point is to be faithful with it.

The Holy Spirit makes even a bad presentation, a good presentation.

And honestly, if you're not good at this stuff, come to the 401 class.

I'll teach you how to be good at it.

Listen, the point of this whole thing.

Get ready.

Don't be one of those who looks ready.

Be one of those who is ready.

The way you get ready

starts with repentance.

There's nowhere in the Bible

of anybody who followed Jesus or was instructed to.

Throughout all of church

history, there's no one

who said, all you got to do is say this magic prayer,

and then you're sealed and you're good. It doesn't.

Nothing else matters.

It doesn't work that way.

There's no magic prayer.

The whole idea of Jesus come into my heart.

Save me. I want to go to heaven.

That didn't even show up in American Christianity

until about the 1950s.

All through scripture,

a disciple was defined as someone

who believed in a living Jesus.

Though he was crucified and repented of their sin

and put sin to death in their life.

Are you ready?

Repent.

Believe in a risen Lord

who is coming back in day.

And as a sign of repentance, put sent to death in your body

that you've been dating and courting for far too long, and leverage

everything in your life for the Kingdom of God and its benefit.

I want you to pray with me.

Father, thank you

that your mercies are new every morning.

Thank you that your faithfulness is great

because mine is not.

For your love and your forgiveness.

Father,

I pray this in the first service and I got prayed again,

not not just so people are here, but because

I know the iniquity of my own heart

how crooked I am.

And I'm truly father, I am sorry.

That I was so much more excited

and anticipating a garage door installation than your return.

Jesus,

that's just stupid.

And I'm reminded how quickly

the main thing isn't the main thing in my life.

How often that happens.

I'm sorry.

Father, ask your forgiveness of the iniquity of my heart,

the crookedness of my own heart, the perversion of my own heart.

And I acknowledge it.

Sometimes the iniquity of my heart leads me to trespass in my life.

And I,

Jesus, thank you that you died on the cross so I could be forgiven.

I accept what you did.

And I want to live in repentance.

And father, I'm asking by your mercy

that as I repent that you give me all that your grace allows.

I won't be ready.

I want to live ready.

God, I don't want to fool myself.

And thinking, I'm ready.

I want to be ready.

And so, father, I pledge allegiance to you.

Help me to put to death sin

that still is alive in my body.

And invite you that.

That that prayer had nothing to do with you.

That was.

That was just about me.

And I'm going to encourage you

to utter something of the same.

In your sin, confess your sin, and repent.

Choose this day to make the decision

to put to death sin that you still keep,

that you still keep hold of this.

You still practice. That you still

coddle and date.

Put it to death.

How's the father to give you the Holy Spirit

and the power of the Holy Spirit to put to death the sins of your body?

To give you the increased desire

to live a holy life and a righteous life and obedience life.

Because you

have been loved, because Jesus has died for you.

That is our response.

Father,

there are some in this place who are.

In this moment not relying on it, special

magic words, but who truly believe that you are alive, Jesus,

that you're coming back, and our repenting of sin

who desire to live a holy life,

who are pledging their allegiance to you,

solidify that decision in them.

Secure it.

We pray what your people have been praying for 2000 years.

Come, Lord Jesus, come and find us faithful.

When you do your name.

Amen.

Listen,

I really believe what Spurgeon said, that if your theology doesn't

change your behavior, it cannot change your destiny.

A part of some of you made

a decision and made a prayer,

and you've

taken what God has given you the promise of forgiveness, the promise of salvation.

You've taken that and you've internalized it,

and you endeavor to live a holy life, to put to death sin.

Good man.

The danger is that you bury it now,

and you don't allow it

to multiply in your life.

One of the ways that it begins

to multiply is by telling somebody

and praying with somebody, the solidification of that decision.

It's a commitment. It's a public commitment.

And so as we do every week,

the people are going to be in front and back

that are willing to pray and just say, yeah, let's celebrate this together.

Let's confess this together. Let's clean this together.

Let's let's hold this together

so that it

comes just from here and starts to multiply a little bit.

At least get the ball rolling.

My fear is that we offer this every week.

Some of you are going to take.

No man.

I'm good. I'm.

And you're going to take what God is beginning to birth

and beginning to to to these embraces begin to stir and to blow on to night.

You're going to take that.

It's just going to end you.

It's just going to.

Don't let that happen.

Repent.

Be joyful about it.

Because repentance is the doorway to grace

and nothing. Be ashamed of man.

And there's certainly nothing supposed to be privatized.

Let's sing.