The Kingdom

this time we'll go ahead and dismiss our kiddos to little district and for the rest of us grab your Bibles you know the drill and turn to Luke chapter 19 last week um my first pastor and friend Ashley mofield preached the story of zakus and so if you uh missed that sermon um shame on you no I'm just kidding uh it was uh it was good he he led us through zakus talked about about the the reason for Christ coming to seek and to save that which is lost uh there in at the the 10th verse of chapter 19 um and just kind of walk

through that but he also kind of shared some stories about me back in my high school years and so um if that at all interests you go back and listen to the sermon but focus on what Jesus is saying not the stories about me but um Luke 19 so we're going to be in Luke 19 we're going to be looking at verses 11 through 27 today and uh where Ashley covered zakus last week we're still kind of in that Jericho neighborhood uh Jericho region and area before Jesus heads into Jerusalem and so you can really divide up the entire um story of Luke or the

Book of Luke into three categories the ministry or or the life of Jesus before his ministry then the three-year Ministry of Jesus and then kind of the last third of Luke is really just dealing with the last weeks of Jesus and so it's his triumphal entry it's his time at the Last Supper with the disciples uh then his betrayal his arrest his trial his torture his crucifixion his death his resurrection uh his time with the disciples post-resurrection and then as Ascension and so we're we're going to be looking at all of that so those kind of last few weeks over the next four months um

as we kind of finish out the Book of Luke down into verse or chapter 24 and so this is his last Parable that he teaches that kind of concludes really his three-year Ministry um as we move into that kind of back half or back third of the Gospel of Luke when it looks at the final weeks of Jesus and so this Parable is a really interesting Parable because lots of times when people look at this Parable they tend to think of the idea that it is based on investing so like how do we invest money and how do we uh how are we wise with

our um finances and so forth but in all honesty this Parable has nothing to do with that um this Parable is not about being wise with investing but rather it's really more about the character of Christ's Kingdom the character of Christ's Kingdom and so what we're going to be looking at is is really just to to make it as crystal clear as possible this Parable is is in a nutshell the entire mission of Jesus it's it's almost putting the New Testament in just a few verses and saying this is exactly what Jesus has come to accomplish and not only what he's accomplished but this is

this is what he's done this is what he's doing this is what the church and the purpose of the church is all about and and then it kind of leaves us with two categories I so like I just want to put it all out there for you and just give you the like spoil the whole thing is you're either faithful with what Christ has come to accomplish or you're not like you're either on Christ's team and doing what he's called us to or if you're not it doesn't end well for you and so it it it doesn't leave anything to kind of wondering well what's

going to happen in the end like when Christ returns what's he going to do then like this is in an uncomfortable way going to kind of let you know that universalism is not true but rather there is a system there is a a belief there is a gospel that Christ has provided for us that establishes a kingdom and for those who are in the Kingdom there's a character about them there's a way about them that they live out their life and for those who are not a part of his kingdom there's a character about them and there's a way in which they live their life

and when Christ returns for the second time he's going to judge us based on whether or not we're in the Kingdom or we're not and so I just want to kind of put that out there to just let you know that like that's what this is about so that you can see it as we walk through it and not be uh confused by any ways and so let me let me read the verses for us verses 11- 27 and then again just kind of unpack it as we walk through it starting in verse 11 so remember they're they're in Jericho before they head to Jerusalem

and as they're there in Jericho he's just had the conversion of zakus and as he's having that conversion with zakus and as he's uh dining with kind of zakus through a party he's inviting his his sinful friends and other Tax Collectors to his home they're meeting Jesus for the first time Jesus is explaining to them that he's come to seek and to save the lost and so as they are having that conversation this is where Jesus picks up this Parable and shares it so 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 he said therefore a noble man went into a far country to receive for himself self a kingdom and then returned calling 10 of his servants he gave them 10 Miners 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 and 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 Lord your minor has made 10 miners more and he said to him well done good servant because you have been faithful and a very little you shall have authority over 10 cities and the second came saying Lord your Mina has made five Miners and he said to him and you are to be over five cities then another came saying Lord here is your Mina which I kept laid away hidden in a handkerchief for I was afraid of you because you are a severe man you take what you did not deposit it and reap what you did not sow 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 seow 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 the 10 minus and they said to him Lord he has 10 minus I 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 so that's that would be fun when we get to that point at the end here but again what I love about this Parable is it's to me the clear summary of the entire mission of Jesus it's it's really amazing how much of the mission of Jesus is just packed into these verses when we when we look at this this this Parable not only talks about the king who is Jesus but it also talks about his kingdom

and the type of Kingdom that he is establishing and really what we see here is verse 11 rarely and I mentioned this a few weeks ago rarely when Jesus tells a parable does he give the point of the parable in the moment because Parables were meant to be the Hidden Truths and so God will give eyes to hear or eyes to see and ears to hear Parables as they are taught um as you receive the Holy Spirit as you understand the gospel you understand what the parables are but for others they'll hear a parable and they'll just think that's a weird story that's a weird

illustration we have no idea what you're talking about but with this one Jesus opens it up right in verse 11 with the reason for why he is explaining this Parable as they heard these things he proceeded to tell a parable because he was about to go to Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately and so what he knew was the hearts and the minds of these Jews that are following him and the disciples that are also following him what they are most excited about is what they've just experienced over the course of the last three years is that

this Jesus I mean the reason why he's drawing large crowds right now is because he's exercising ing authority over Earth in nature like he can just tell storms to stop can you imagine what he could do to our enemies if he can tell a storm to stop well he could just stop anybody not only that but he can literally bring dead people back to life well that's amazing if he can bring dead people back to life what do you think he could do with people who are alive like he's got all kinds of authority not only that but he's literally healing people of all kinds

of illnesses that are sick well if he can do that man think about what our kingdom is going to be like think about if he's ruling as our King then there's not going to be any sickness anymore everyone's just going to be healthy so like prosperity and wealth and health like that's ours because he is our King and not only that but he is literally saying I'm the Son of God if he's the son of God then he owns everything and so we're going to be wealthy we're GNA have anything and everything that we want not only that he teaches with so much profound Authority

that there's not going to be any other Rabbi or priest or teacher that's even going to compare to him and so they're really excited that Jesus is going to go to Jerusalem and when he gets to Jerusalem he's going to overthrow King Herod because they don't like him he's going to overthrow the the Roman Emperor because they don't like him and they're literally going to say everything that we don't like Jesus represents and Jesus has all authority to just take it as his own he's bringing his kingdom and they're glad to have a type of King like him that's what they're excited about and because

Jesus knows this he says you haven't been paying attention you haven't been paying attention I've already told you multiple times at least three times in what we've seen in Luke that the son of man needs to get to Jerusalem because he's going to be betrayed and handed over delivered and killed like he's already said that multiple times but here they're thinking no that's not going to happen they didn't understand it you're coming to take the Throne of David you're who we've been looking for this whole time and so then Jesus gives them this Parable in order to help them understand what's about to take place

not only injur Jerusalem but literally for the next several Millennia in regards to what Jesus's plan is for purchasing his kingdom fighting for his kingdom and eventually receiving his kingdom and so look at verse 12 this is where he starts to explain exactly what is going on in this passage he said therefore a noble man went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then returned so what's he talking about there for starters most kingdoms are either bought for or fought for you either just come in and you've got more money than anybody so you're just going to take a kingdom you're

just going to pay for it or if you don't have enough money to take it but you have enough brute strength you can just take it by force you can fight for it well Jesus here is explaining eventually that he is going to first person purch the kingdom not in the way they think just because he has a cattle on a thousand hills does not mean that he's going to come into Jerusalem and take over by just exercising all of his wealth health and prosperity all of his inheritance that he has as the rightful Son of God he's actually going to come in and purchase

the kingdom through the blood of Christ this new kingdom they're thinking he's going to be purchasing the kingdom that already exists the one that they believe is what is promised to Abraham the bloodline simply put just the Jewish Nation they think that's the kingdom that he is going to rule and Reign but what Christ is coming to establish is a new kingdom that is only purchased by the blood of Christ that is applied to anybody that believes in what he has actually accomplished for them now that sounds very cultic because it's again purchasing with blood but in order for Jesus to usher in new citizens

into this new kingdom that is Holy and without sin the sin of its citizens has to be dealt with and so the only entry in is not with them coming and bringing their money or their wealth or their own um efforts or their own works or anything along those lines it's only through the blood of Jesus that they are ushered into this new kingdom because their sins have been paid for their sins have been bought their sins have been taken care of and this new kingdom is a righteous Kingdom that allows us to be in the presence of a holy God it's not going to

be purchased with silver or gold but rather the blood of Jesus and so Jesus first comes to Earth to be this noble man the righteous one the Messiah the anointed one and he comes to make the payment for this new kingdom and we know that he eventually does that he kind of alludes to that um also in verse 12 or verse 11 and 12 where he says that they hated him that they hated him that's his way of saying what's about to happen in Jerusalem is because when I come and I don't take the kingdom in the way that they expect well then they think

I'm being Blasphemous they think that I'm not what they are looking for and the only way to get rid of me is to eventually kill me because now instead of as we'll see next week with the triumphal entry they actually turn to hating me hating me so much that they will destroy me and kill me for it so after they kill him this noble man who's come to purchase the kingdom not realizing that in killing him is the means by which he purchases the New Kingdom again Satan is dumb and that's okay to say he's dumb enemies dumb sin makes you dumb they don't realize

that what they were trying to do in destroying him is the very thing that destroyed them that killed them that defeated death so after he comes and does that he then goes away he then leaves to a far country which is heaven represented in the story and he's there in heaven mediating for us on our behalf as our high priest is the whole point of the book of Hebrews so while he is in heaven right now even for us mediating for us to the father declaring that those who have faith in him will be forgiven Jesus has also set you and I up with a

mission with a mission a Great Commission go and share this good news of a great king who forgives the sins of his citizens who takes care of them in that way and invites them into this new kingdom the holy church and fellowship of God's people this is what the rest of the parable is now focusing on is that the world has received Jesus he is left to then go back to heaven to await his second arrival where he will once and for all receive the New Kingdom at some future date what we believe about this noble man and what we do with him entrusted to

us and the resources entrusted us will have eternal implications for our lives so if you're looking at this Parable and kind of like laying it over the history of what Christ has accomplished in the church we are right now in that part where he is away in the far country but he has called his servants and has entrusted to them a specific Mission a specific Mission so verses 11 and 12 tell us what Jesus has done the rest of the verses tell us what Jesus expects of us before he returns for a second time look at verse 13 calling 10 of his servants he gave

them 10 Minas and in Greek that's just three month salary but there's really not a lot to that 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 and so when he returned which will be a second returning 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 done gained by doing business verses 13 14 and 15 again are just this short summary of the New Testament verse

13 tells us that Jesus came and called people to himself and entrusted to them the gospel verse 14 tells us that some of them were not happy about it and they rejected him and then verse 15 tells us that Jesus will return to humanity and see what we have done with the gospel so he's brought the gospel to the world and he entrust the gospel to the world and then he left and when he returns he's going to see what has been done with the gospel and again what's important here is that calling his servants the servants are represented primarily as the Jewish people he

has brought the gospel to the Jewish people and he has left it with them to see what would happen with it and what we know is that there's a few that that take hold of it in this narrative two people that have done something with it we know that eventually one of them doesn't doesn't do anything with it because they don't understand who Jesus is and they provide misinformation and misrepresentation of the kind of person that Jesus is that we'll look at it but then there's also no mention of the other seven again he called 10 people there's no mention of the other seven until

you get down to verse 27 where it says the rest of them they've now become enemies of him bring them before me so that I may slaughter them we'll get to that in a moment but if we have received Jesus and shared him there will be as we'll see here congratulations but the first thing that you need to see is that Jesus is commissioned so Jesus came again to seek and to save what was lost and he came to purchase for us this new kingdom by way of the good news the gospel and so what he's entrusted to us is literally the same thing that

the minus is represented as the go gospel here he's given us a gospel and he has said know it understand it treasure it it's the good news about who our noble man is and then I want you to invest it I want you to see what you can do with it I want you to take it out and share it so that it brings back a return so that when he comes back it's not just two people or 10 servants that have the the the gospel goel but rather that it's multiplied that's why when Jesus at the Ascension says I'm gathering you all together I've

entrusted to you my authority which is in the gospel the gospel is the authority of Christ and I want you to share it I want you to go and make disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and know that I will be with you always to the End of the Age like this is the mission that Jesus has called us to and so really at the end of the day you have one purpose in life one purpose what are we doing with the gospel like what are

we doing with the gospel first of all H have you received the gospel like have you received the gospel because in this story there are 10 people who have been given or entrusted to the gospel like that whether that's just been spoken and they heard it two of them understood it two of them received it to where they treasured it and then saw that others need to treasure it and so they helped them follow it they helped them know it they helped them see it they did everything they could in their life to make sure that others come to know this Jesus Christ this noble

man one of them has do it but doesn't do anything with it ends up burying it ends up thinking Jesus I was more concerned on who you are and what you were going to do to me by not engaging with this that I didn't want to lose the gospel and because I didn't want to lose the gospel I didn't share it with anybody I just preserved it as best as I could and then I tried to bring it back to you honestly for some like that would be if you're so concerned about preserving Doctrine and sound truth you're so concerned about preserving the way of

Jesus that you actually never Engage The Lost because you're nervous that the Lost is going to bring their sin into it then you've misunderstood what Jesus has come for you've misunderstood that the actual purpose of the Gospel is to seek and save the lost it's to get your life into the life of Sinners not to be of the world but to be in the world so much so that they get to see Jesus they get to treasure Jesus they get to come to know Jesus so that again the gospel is multiplying but unfortunately because of our world and the world we're in right now we're

so concerned about the sin that is out out there that we want to put walls around us we want to create a subculture of Christianity we want to separate from the world because we don't want the sin to jump on us we don't want the sin to affect us and at the end of the day what Jesus is trying to explain to them here is that's I've not called you to create a subculture of a kingdom I've called you to take the kingdom and literally conquer all the other kingdoms like I've called you to take it and go and and literally just invest into each

kingdom this good news that transforms kingdoms to become like Christ not continue eventually being a part from Christ and as we see will'll be condemned in regards to it and so when he called these 10 servants and he gave them 10 minus and said to them engage in business until I come that means never stop never stop sharing the gospel never stop spreading the gospel as soon as we stop spreading the gospel we become what the Ephesus Church became in Revelation I see that you're so concerned about your sound Doctrine I see that you you know when it comes to false teachers I mean you

you don't allow any of them to come into your church because you're so good at your vetting process but one thing I have is that you forgot your first love and if you don't get back to doing what you did at first I'm going to REM remove your lampstand which is Jesus's way of saying I'm going to remove your transforming power and presence in your community to reach people with the gospel so you might look like a church because you preach sound Doctrine you might look like a church because you gather as Saints but guess what I'm not going to save anybody through you like

that'd be the worst thing ever that'd be the worst thing ever but that's what that third person was doing we're going to just treasure this one thing but not even really understand what it is and not know who gave it to us that's Church culture without the presence of Jesus that's Church culture without the presence of the spirit that's Church culture without the actual gospel guiding its Mission and purpose and so for us at the end of the day it it's going to look different for different servants I mean like you're going to be faithful to the capacity in which God has gifted you to

be faithful in there's no difference when it comes to the one who went out and turned the one into 10 or the one who turned the one into five he says well done to both well done to both not all of us are going to be you know someone who is just reaching a new believer every single month or reaching a new believer every single year but are we faithful with investing what he has entrusted to us or are we holding it in and being like the third the main point there is Jesus commissions us every single person in this room room it's not just

my job to tell people about Jesus it's not just the Ministries team's job to organized Ministry that helps us share the good news of Jesus it's every single person in this room it's your job as a believer in Jesus because he's entrusted to you the gospel to as you are living like when it says go and make disciples in Greek the term go is as you are going it's living it's it's it's it's present tense it's it's literally when you wake up in the morning and you walk out your job for the day is not just to do your job well whatever your career is

it's not just to make sure that you're being a good husband and a good father a good wife and a good mother it's not just that you're being a good friend to those who were around you those are all byproducts of someone who understands the gospel that is trans forming them to become like Jesus so that in each of those fears of influence you are Christlike that's the purp like that the gospel is doing that work in you yes and amen absolutely most churches will simply Focus On Let's help you become better at those things but the main purpose the main driver of what Christ

is accomplishing right now is that he's entrusted the gospel to you that is making you like Jesus but that's the byproduct the main thing is that you have the gospel you have the message of Christ you have the love of Jesus that has come to seek and to save you who were lost and now he if you want to use a fishing analogy he's caught you and then he's handed you the poll and he said go fishing I mean what did he tell Peter get out of your boat come with me I'm going to to make you Fishers of Men I'm going to show you

what I've done for you and I'm going to commission you to go do the exact same thing for others that's why we say we treasure Jesus and help others follow him that's what this is all about and then he con he congratulates them when he returns look at verse 16 the first or the first came before him saying Lord your M as made 10 mine as more and he said to him well done good servant because you have been faithful and a very little you have authority over 10 cities now we're talking about reward here we're talking about um when Christ returns and he receives

his church and he looks at all of the Christians and the Believers that have been entrusted the gospel that know the gospel that believe in Jesus that treasure Jesus and have been sharing Jesus with others guess what there's a reward for you for that like that's not selfish to say it's selfless in the sense that God is a sharing God that the inheritance that he has for Christ as an inheritance that he has for us as well but there is something and I actually I remember it was several months ago we taught on it that there is something to the work we do with the

ministry of the Gospel does translate into what an eternal reward is that we get that we receive and it's not that you're doing it for that reward again it's just the loving generosity of God to Lavish us like it's it's it's a good thing and so I'm not like well let me let me see if I can up my numbers from sharing the gospel 10 times to a 100 times because I want a bigger house in heaven like that's that's not what we're saying and when when actually when you look at this analogy here he'll give you 10 cities we're like well what are the

10 cities well I read lots of commentaries and every single one of them said we conclude that the 10 cities means we don't know we don't know the the closest thing that some got to was maybe it's literal maybe it's when Jesus returns and there's a new Earth and a new Heaven and if he's redeeming everything maybe there is something to us still living in cities and and whatnot and so I'm going to give you cities like that's part of your like you get to rule and Reign because we're ruling and reigning alongside of Christ he's ruling and reigning everything but you get to kind

of rule like him here's some 10 cities here's some five cities have fun with the cities like maybe there's something to that but again most of them come back we'll see when we get there we'll see when we get there but the third thing not only does he congratulate but he comes down and he says Jesus condemns and this is the hard one the third guy came saying Lord here's your Mina which I kept laid away in a handkerchief for I was afraid of you now I want you to just see this right here because there's no reason why this man should think this about

Jesus in what they've experienced or what they've interpreted you know and it seems like when he comes into a city he's only being benevolent like he's bringing dead people back to life like the only people he's really been harsh towards would be Pharisees which again kind of helps you understand a little bit maybe of who this third person was how he's dealt with the Pharisees allows us to see how this third person really thought of Jesus and Jesus says I'm going to condemn you with your own words you see that I'm not he's not condemning him with what Jesus's words were but with his own

words with his own understanding of what he thinks about Christ which again is why like we're held responsible because of our sin the sin of this man has not allowed him to rightfully see Jesus and who Jesus is and so therefore it's created this misunder understanding and misrepresentation of who Jesus is to where he doesn't believe in the true Jesus and so he sees Jesus but yet he thinks Jesus is something else and it condemns him I will condemn you with your own words you Wicked servant and then this is a question you knew that I was a severe man taking what I did not

deposit and reaping what I did not sow you see that even this man there's a little bit of selfishness to this man where he's like well you went off to a far Kingdom or for to a far country you told us to do all the work how come if we're doing the work how come you're reaping the kingdom how come you're reaping the rewards of it when we're the ones doing the work here very pheral 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 minor from him and give it to the one who has 10 Miners and they said to him Lord he has 10 miners again they're they're concerned about fairness here that was the whole point of the Jews at the time was they wanted a new king because they wanted what they felt they deserved we deserve to have the kingdom free and clear we shouldn't be under Roman rule we should be able to do what I mean they're still going back to how God took over the promised land to begin with that's what we want we want to be able to take take over Rome Just

Like Jesus or just like the Israelites took over Canan I tell you that to everyone who has more will be given which again that's our reward like in Christ we already have everything we need period And yet he still gives us more that's just the generosity of God which is so good but from the one who has not even what what he has will be taken away and that's talking about the the rest those who are outside of Christ all they have is what they have right now they have a house they might have some cars they might have a family they might have some

money in the bank they might have some stuff but even what they have is going to be taken away and given to others there will be no inheritance for them there will be no reward for them and then he says verse 27 what will unfortunately be for anyone who does not believe the gospel message and treasure Jesus Christ this is the impending judgment that will happen at the second return of Christ as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to Reign Over them and that's it because they don't have faith they do not want Christ they they do not want Christ to

rule and Reign Over them bring them here and slaughter them before me that's going to be an eternal punishment in hell and that's what the Bible teaches and that's why again it's so imperative that we take the gospel and we share it with as many people as possible so that they have the opportunity to decide by faith will we trust in Jesus to rule and Reign Over Us for eternity or will we reject Jesus because we think he is a severe man or someone that we don't want to represent us at all but here's the thing here's what I want to conclude with I want

to bring you back to verse 16 for a moment because we can look at a passage like this and we can say it seems like the kingdom is dependent upon you and I sharing the gospel like that puts a little bit of pressure on you right like that makes you kind of think well like my neighbors right next door to me like whether they go to heaven or hell that dependent upon me well that's a lot of pressure I want you to see something that's very profound in this verse notice in verse 16 the first came before him saying Lord your Mina has made 10

minus more notice he didn't say Lord your servant has made 10 minus more he he didn't say hey Jesus when you return I crushed it like I was telling everybody you should have seen the strategy you should have seen the three points that I had you should have seen the apologetic books that I was you know I was I mean no humbly he says and I'll just translate it for you your gospel has made 10 more gospels out there not to be like heretical in that way but it's impacted 10 more people than just the one that I was you so this is really pulling

together the servant and the Mina as if they became one because the gospel impacted that individual servant and then that multiplied into 10 more people who came to know Christ but it was the power of the Gospel not the the strategy of the servant and so what what that does for us is it takes the pressure off in the fact that I don't have to be this expert in strategy when it comes to Mission and whatnot now it's good for me to plan and it's good for me to to put together some strategy but I need to know at the end of the day that

how I explain the gospel is not going to necessarily help someone come to know it but that I share the gospel is what helps someone come to know it because they hear the gospel it's the gospel so that when I'm in a conversation with someone and I say what do you think about Jesus and they say well I think Jesus was a good man that maybe lived 2,000 years ago I don't know maybe I put him in the category of Mythology I don't really know if he was I wasn't there was he really a real person or was he just some madeup person I heard

he was a good teacher I heard that there was claims that he was the son of God and I'll say well let's just let's just conjecture for a moment there is a person named Jesus who did live 2,000 years ago who when he was walking around there was another man who said this is the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world what if that man whose name is John the Baptist what if he's right that this Jesus who did live 2,000 years ago that historians say was accurate what if he was the Lamb of God that takes away

the sins of the world and then get this he also did all kinds of Wonders and miracles like what if he really did like have blind people come to see again what if he really did raise Lazarus from the grave like like brought a dead man back to life like this wasn't some David Blain stuff this wasn't tricks and mirrors and you know fog machines and whatnot like there was a man who was certifiably dead and he brought back to life like not only that but he actually did get put on trial this is according to both like Roman historians and Jewish historians there was

a Jesus that was put on trial that they did actually crucify him and killed him and that there are testimonies that like they couldn't find him 3 days later like they went back to the source of where they buried him what if it's true that he died and that he rose from the grave and according to his own words was because that he was to help Deliver us from our sins by paying our penalty for us like that's what Jesus claims to have done and in sharing that message in that moment they're going to consider whether or not it was true or not and with

the beauty of all of the Bible and I know there was a message um again I I I always say a few months ago so maybe it was longer than that but a few months ago there was a message shared that when we share that message God does something miraculous where he regenerates a person and and like Faith doesn't come from us as Ephesians 2 we're saved by grace through faith and this is not of ourselves but is a gift from God and so in that moment as we are sharing the gospel and as God is dishing out Faith generously dis dishing out Faith by

faith people hear the gospel and blind now see and those who could not hear now hear for the first time and they're saying you know what we used to not believe that message but all of a sudden I don't know what got into me but I believe it I believe it to be true I believe that he does forgive me of my sins I believe that he is the Son of God I believe that he is Jesus who is come to die for me and take my sins away and is going to come back eventually and receive all of us who believe in Jesus and

he's going to rule and Reign this new kingdom that has been established by the purchasing of his blood like that's what we preach and it is a miracle when someone says I believe it I believe it and you can fumble your way through it because the beauty is is that God allows people to believe it he grants them Faith to understand it like you can't mess it up and so that's why I say be free to go try it to go try it just to like have your neighbor over and say let me ask you a couple questions what do you know about Jesus like

what do you just what do you what what did you grow up hearing because again like even like Hollywood's all about Jesus Jesus is my homeboy what would Jesus do bracelets like everyone knows about him and they know something about him but that allows you to kind of get to the deeper points of of who Jesus is and what he's actually come to accomplish and then we just start working through the message the true message of the gospel and the beauty is is that people get saved which is again you're like oh that that's so christiany like people don't say that anymore okay well have

you ever done anything wrong yes you get forgiven of that that so that when Jesus returns you don't get slaughtered that's that's good news that's good news that's why it's called Good News because without it you only have bad news that when he comes back if you don't believe in him you will be slaughtered which is what we deserve that's what we deserve because we rebelled against a holy good and righteous God who will wanted to do nothing other than bless us with his good presence that's why God created us is so that we get to experience and enjoy God for all eternity that's the

first question of the Westminster catechism what's the purpose of man to enjoy God and worship him forever and sin doesn't allow us to do that it doesn't allow us to do that it turns it on us to where we try to enjoy ourselves forever and instead that's what actually keeps us from enjoying anything at all anything at all true enjoyment is only found in Christ and Christ has come to make a way for that and that's why the Apostle Paul eventually gets to this point where he says you know what Romans 1:6 I am not ashamed of the Gospel which which means if you in

any way whatsoever find yourself in a conversation with the Apostle Paul Post his conversion he's going to tell you about Jesus because he's not ashamed of him he's not ashamed of Jesus and he's not ashamed of what Jesus has come to accomplish and this is a man who used to hate Jesus and try to crush the gospel message of Jesus which is via the church I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek it's for anybody it's for anybody and it's the power your Mina has made

10 more your gospel has gone out and saved people it is power it is power and so share it even though you might be nervous totally fine but share it because in it is power not in you in it in the gospel is power so share it share it let's pray to God father we thank you so much for your good news to us God we pray that we would be servants faithful that we would hear that well done good and faithful servant because we treasure you and we share you we know that there is power in your good news in your message in your

life in your death in your Resurrection in that is power and God we because we so treasure you we want others to treasure you because we know what you have accomplished for us we know what you do for us on a daily basis like we we know that no matter what our circumstances are we have a surpassing peace transcends all understanding like we we we see you we see the world around us but we see you and we are content we're happy in you we have joy in you and you alone and we want everyone else to be able to experience that same thing so

they don't have to put they don't have to put their confidence in a political party they don't have to put their confidence in a career they don't have to put their confidence in anything else because they know at the end of the day they're not taking that with them to Heaven they get you and you alone we want everyone else who is just walking through life with the anxiety that life is not enough and that their relationships and their work is not enough and that everything is just as Ecclesiastes says it's just vanity it's worthless well that's true the only thing that's Worthy is you

you are our great treasure and we want that treasure to be shared with everyone around us we want to invest it into the lives of others so that when you return there is a sea of people who know you and treasure you God I pray that as Paul echoed here in Romans 1 that he is not ashamed of the Gospel that there's a confidence there there's a there's a desire there for him to share that good news with others I pray that same confidence to not be ashamed of your message and to share it with others I pray that just oh overwhelms our souls so

that we get out of the way of ourselves and we just let you shine bright as the light of the world God may we see lost people saved may we see Sinners become Saints may we see our neighbors become Christians God I pray your spirit does that work through us for it's in your name we pray amen