Are you a wicked servant?

Posted on by kevinjandt

talents-3

The Parable of the Talents is well known, most people in the world of Christianity have read the parable many times.  Matthew 25:14-30.  I’ve read it so often I sometimes skim because of my familiarity with the text.  I began contemplating this parable on a deeper level recently.  I wonder if others, like me, really grasp what the Lord is saying or just take for granted they know it.

On the surface it seems pretty simple.  I’ve been given something by God.  I need to do something with that “talent”.  Yes that is true.  The deeper question is what have you been given?  Have you been given eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, are you redeemed from the dominion of darkness, and saved from eternal separation from God?  If you have then I hope you will really contemplate the magnitude of what this parable says and if your life really lines up with what Jesus has told us.

I believe many church going people think consciously or sub-consciously we really don’t need to spread the gospel.  Calvinistic leaning folks believe that God is sovereign and those chosen will be redeemed, or we should live out the gospel more than we should preach.  Have you ever heard someone say “you are so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good.”  I wonder if anyone ever said that to Paul or Jesus. More often I sense people are afraid to share the gospel, and I understand how big of a task this can seem.

In this parable the Master represents Christ and the servants represent professing believers.  Christ gives us something that doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to Him.  Believers are told to be faithful and multiply the Master’s goods it all seems pretty straight forward but there is one servant that decides he is going to bury his talent.

Charles Spurgeon preaching about this servant:

This unprofitable servant looked upon his master as one that reaped where he never sowed and used the rake to gather together what he had never scattered—he meant that his master was a hard, exacting and unjust person whom it was difficult to please. He judged his lord to be one who expected more of his servants than he had any right to look for and he had such a hatred of his unjust conduct that he resolved to tell him to his face what he thought of him.  Sermon No. 1541Unprofitable Servants

Are you profitable to the kingdom of God?  Here is someone that calls himself a servant of God but will not perform his duties.  If you start asking church going people who they’ve shared the gospel with lately you will be surprised at the answer you receive and often the indignation that comes back to you.  They will make excuses and they will tell you lots of things they “do” at their church.  Some of these are good things; some of these are biblical things.  If I’m speaking to you today I would like you to consider why you were saved?  And perhaps Jesus is even asking you if you are saved?

Ephesians 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.  

You “Believer” were purchased for His glory.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

So if Jesus says we are to make disciples and we are to observe all He commanded then it’s pretty clear we have our instructions.  Ask yourself today when you last shared the good news of redemption with someone.  If it’s been a while you are either disobedient or a wicked servant, I don’t see other alternatives.

Matthew 25:29-30 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Bring Him glory today by sharing what God has done in your life.  Bring Him profit.

Kevin

Cease from sin

Posted on by kevinjandt

cease-from-sin2

Last week I spoke about the topic of legalism and I made the assertion that most people will call you a legalist if you call sin, “sin”.  How do we balance grace with works?  John MacArthur says there are only two religions in the world.  There is the religion of human accomplishment and there is Christianity.  You can lump every false religion into the first category.  This religion of human accomplishment says you must do this to make yourself worthy of heaven.  You must do something to appease your “god”.

True Christianity says God came in human flesh and did the doing.  He lived a perfect, sinless life so sinful man could be reconciled to God.  There is nothing you can do to earn God’s redemption without the work of Christ.

Nothing! 

No prayer, no amount of sacrifice, you cannot be “good” enough to earn God’s favor; you can’t be part of a special group.  Jesus Christ went to the cross to drink the cup of God’s wrath to pay for the sins of those who would believe in Him that they could turn from their sin.

This IS the true gospel.

If you think you can do something to earn God’s forgiveness you are wrong.  If you think that being baptized or saying the sinner’s prayer or being part of a certain religious group will save you from the terrors and torture of hell, you need to stop and consider, carefully what you are counting on for salvation.

The gospel tells us we are dead in sins and trespasses, unable to save ourselves (Ephesians 2:1).  The gospel tells us we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).  The gospel tells us it is not of works so no one can boast (Ephesians 2:9).  Clearly, we can do nothing outside of God’s work.

1 Peter 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

Here is the rub…  This is the difference between false conversion and true conversion.  Do you now cease from sin?  If you claim to be saved and claim to be a follower of Christ, you must cease from sin.

Disclaimer, you won’t do this to perfection.

However, if you are not striving against sin, you are not saved.  If your sin does not sicken you, you are not saved.  I hope this sounds harsh.  I would rather this be harsh and have you see your sin than live in a world of illusion and deception.

If you claim to be a Believer you will resist and fight against sin.  It will be a lifelong battle but you will grow or you must examine your life.

Believer, you are under grace, you are no longer under the law (Romans 5:1-2).  This is not a license to willfully live in sin.  Romans 6:1 What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Are you striving against sin in your life?  Hebrews 12:3-4 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

If this is a concept that is unfamiliar to you, I hope you will sit down and examine your life by the truth of God’s Word.  God has supplied the world with the gift of His Word and the glorious sacrifice of His Son that some will be saved.  If you are saved, you now have work to do.

Kevin

Legalism

Posted on by kevinjandt

legalism

Colossians 2:20-23  Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations- “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using-according to the commandments and doctrines of men?  These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

What is legalism?  You hear this a lot in the world of evangelicalism.  I would assert most people use this term when trying to defend their sin.  Am I a legalist if I call sin, “sin”?  I think scripture is quite clear in most cases what constitutes sin.  Sin is ANY violation of God’s moral law.  That doesn’t sell too well today and most people really don’t like being called on their sin.

We are currently in the Lenten season and I see a lot of people that want to self-impose religion and false humilities but live in blatant sin.  I’m not sure they realize they are in sin because they’ve wrapped themselves in a religious blanket; they are deceived by the deceitfulness of sin.  However this blanket is damning unless they turn from this sin in repentance and faith in Christ.

Jesus was clear; no set of “rule following” will get you into the kingdom.

Then Jesus looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”  But he was sad at this word and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Mark 10:21-22 

He requires all of you, your entire devotion of heart, soul and mind.  Not just conforming to a ritual or a doctrine of man.  This is man’s response to feeling better about himself.  Doesn’t it seem easier if we could just do this or do that and then be okay with God?  If I say this prayer, or bow my face to the ground twice a day facing east then it’s all going to be okay?

Weren’t the Pharisees the most religious and righteous of the day?  What did the Lord mean when He said He desired mercy and not sacrifice?  Then He told them that He came to call sinners not the righteous. (Matthew 9:13)  How much more offensive could He have been to their neat little religious system?

Conforming our lives to God’s Word and following His commands is not legalism.  It’s love.  John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.”

Keeping a ritual in an attempt to make you right with God is legalism.  Jesus clearly shows us this truth.

Luke 18:9-14 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, an despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This is every bit as clear and in your face as it appears and raises questions for us all.  Are you made righteous by your deeds?  Or are you made righteous when you recognize your poverty and your need for Christ as Lord of your life and the only One that saves?  Do you trust in yourself?  Know today that won’t save you.  No religious system will save you.

Isaiah 29:13 Therefore the LORD said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.

Let’s not be legalists.  Let’s be servants of the Most High God; the God that wants your heart, not your lip-service.

Kevin

Fruits…

Posted on by kevinjandt
http://challies.com
http://challies.com

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires – Galatians 5:22-24

This past weekend I traveled to Little Rock Arkansas for business.  As I’ve shared recently my company provides timing services for running events.  The unfortunate part of my job is that it takes me away from church more often than I care to be away.

In my vast experience of traveling the country I’ve learned a thing or two about air travel.  It’s rarely reliable.  If this is news to you and you are planning to fly somewhere, let me repeat myself and add to it.  It’s rarely reliable and rarely timely.

Now let me quantify this statement.  Considering how many flights, how many employees, how weather affects air travel and a thousand other variables, I think the airlines do an amazing job.  Their safety record is exceptional and I can get to almost anywhere in the country in less than eight hours from where I live, including connections.  I have no beef with United Airlines (my airline of choice).

Today I want to talk about people.

One only needs to take a trip through Chicago O’Hare or spend 20 hours at a race expo and realize very few people exhibit the fruits of the Spirit.  I don’t say this as a blanket statement over everyone I see, but I see enough people to understand how true and reliable the Bible really is.  Jesus said “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” – Matthew 7:14

So how do we know who has found it?

Paul tells us that those who find it exhibit certain qualities.  They have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Nothing brings out the worst in people like large crowds and not having their needs met.  You hear the complaints and the ingratitude almost non-stop, especially when things don’t go right.

Will “Born Again Believers” exhibit these qualities perfectly all the time?  Of course not, but by and large this is a snap shot of who they are.  It doesn’t mean I can check the box and say “yep, that one is going to hell for sure”; because we have no idea of what God will do in someone’s life, but Jesus told us few find it.  So I have to believe that few find it.

Are you one of the many or one of the few?

If your life exhibits, lack of love, and I don’t mean self-love, lack of joy, lack of peace and lack of all the rest of these fruits consistently, consider your position before God.  Do you complain about a lot of things in life?  Are you a malcontent?  Do you know how to do it better?  Are you God’s gift to the world?  Do you enjoy being miserable and making others miserable?  I see a lot of this.  I see a lot of this almost all the time.  I see a lot of this all the time by people that profess Christ as their Savior

Have you crucified the flesh?  What do you turn to when you feel frustration?

Some turn to medication…  Idol

Some turn to anger…  Idol

Some turn to drugs or alcohol…  Idol

When my flesh screams out and is in rebellion to God’s Word, I must crucify the flesh to show I’m a child of the King.  I have work to do.

I must take thoughts captive…

I must work out my salvation…

I MUST because He DID…  If I can’t I’m not right with Him, not to perfection but in ever increasing obedience to Him.

Kevin

A Sure Guide to Heaven – Part 8 – Conclusion

Posted on by kevinjandt

I cannot properly express the privilege it has been to present the work of Joseph Alleine on this blog.  This is not a book that you would most likely put on your must read list.  I want to encourage all to present this book to the leadership of your church and challenge them to preach this from the pulpit or at least talk about it.  Encourage everyone you know to read it including your leadership.  I believe God will use this to reveal many deceptions among those that think they are right with God, but are not.

In an age where most churches feel the need to be relevant and courageous, biblical teaching on conversion and repentance is no longer en vogue, the greatest mission field today is sitting within the walls of “churches”.  The greatest challenge in evangelism today comes from those that profess Christ.  The preaching is watered down, so not to offend, and the gospel is compromised to keep the unregenerate in the seats.  This should not be the case.  I urge you friends to challenge them; it just might have them understand their desperate situation.

Conclusion

Do you remember the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when they make it into the room where the chalice of Christ is located?  They must choose which cup and drink from the water to give them eternal life?  What an interesting representation of our lives.  We must choose wisely and live or choose foolishly and perish.  The cross stands before us today to look to it and be saved or stay in our sin and die.

Grail

In the conclusion of A Sure Guide to Heaven, Joseph Alleine makes his final appeal to turn to Christ and live.

And now, beloved, let me know your mind.  What do you intend to do?  Will you go on and die, or will you turn and lay hold on eternal life?  How long will you linger in Sodom?  How long will you halt between two opinions?  Have you not yet resolved whether Christ or Barabbas, whether bliss or torment, whether this vain and wretched world, or the paradise of God, be the better choice?

How long will you rest in idle wishes and fruitless purposes?  When will you come to a fixed, firm, and full resolve?  Do you not see how Satan cheats you by tempting you to delay?  How long has he drawn you on in the way of perdition!

Well, do not put me off with a dilatory answer; tell me not later.  I must have your immediate consent.  If you are not now resolved, while the Lord is treating with you and inviting you, much less likely are you to be later, when these impressions are worn off, and you are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  Page 141

Remember, you are now upon your good behaviour [sic] for everlasting; if you do not make a wise choice now, you are undone for ever [sic].  What your present choice is, such must be your eternal condition. Page 142

Hear, O ye drunkards, how long will you be drunk?  Put away your wine.  Though you have rolled in filthiness of your sin, give yourselves unto Christ, to live soberly, righteously, and godly; embrace His righteousness; accept His government; and though you have been vile, He will wash you (Rev i 5). Page 146

And now bear witness that mercy has been offered you. ‘I call heaven and earth to record against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that you may live’ (Deut xxx 19).  I can only entreat you and warn you.  I cannot otherwise compel you to be happy; if I could, I would.  What answer will you send me with to my Master?

If you are not the despisers of grace, and would not shut the doors of mercy against yourselves, repent and be converted. Page 147

Alleine leaves us with the answer.  Repent and be converted.

How simple… how easy…

But why is this impossible for the hardened human heart? The call is clear.  Man is responsible for his failure to receive Christ.  If you don’t turn and live you will die in your sins and trespasses.  Today I appeal to your conscience, turn and live.

If you are a Believer, preach the word!

Kevin