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Cast Not Your Pearls Before Swine

Posted on July 15, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

(Matthew 7:1-5 KJV) Judge not, that ye be not judged. [2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. [3] And why beholdest thou the mote that is in THY BROTHER’S EYE, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? [4] Or how wilt thou say TO THY BROTHER, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? [5] Thou HYPOCRITE, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of THY BROTHER’S eye.

(Matthew 7:6 KJV) Give not that which is holy unto the DOGS, neither cast ye your pearls before SWINE, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The Church Battles The Darkness

The Church of Jesus Christ is in the midst of a battle against darkness, and has been in that battle from the moment Jesus ascended into Heaven. Just as Satan attacked Jesus from the start to the end of His earth ministry (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 3:20-30; Luke 22:53; Revelation 12:10-11), Jesus warned us that we would battle Satan as His Church. Our enemy is not humanity, but the forces of evil and darkness behind humanity. The Bible says:

(Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV) For WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but against PRINCIPALITIES, against POWERS, against the RULERS OF THE DARKNESS of this age, against SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS in the heavenly [places]. [13] Therefore TAKE UP THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The fallen world, under the influence and snare of Satan, is constantly attacking the truths of the Bible and the glorious Gospel of Christ. The Apostle said,

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, as a roaring lion, walketh about, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR.

The solution for the Church – the only way we can survive – is to SUBMIT OURSELVES TO GOD while RESISTING SATAN (James 4:7).

Sadly, that’s not what happens in most cases. Instead of demanding that the world listen to Jesus, we as the church have begun to listen to the world. We begin to ask questions like, “How can we get more behinds in the pew”, rather than asking the right question “How can we glorify Jesus and honor our Heavenly Father?”. If we please Jesus, God will make sure the RIGHTEOUS are added to the Church. Look at the early Church testimony. When the Apostles preached:

Acts 2:40 … BE SAVED FROM THIS PERVERSE (skolios, crooked, wicked, surly) GENERATION

They made no apologies when preaching against the wickedness in the world. The early Preachers made no excuses for the darkness to hide in, but demanded that people REPENT – surrender their lives to Jesus so that He could save them. The Bible tells us that:

(Acts 2:41-42, 46-47 NKJV) Then those who GLADLY RECEIVED HIS WORD WERE BAPTIZED; and that day about three thousand souls were added [to them]. [42] And they CONTINUED STEADFASTLY in the apostles’ DOCTRINE and FELLOWSHIP, in the BREAKING OF BREAD, and in PRAYER. … [46] So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED.

The early Church practiced judgment. It preached the Gospel to all, saying “BE SAVED FROM THIS PERVERSE (skolios, crooked, wicked, surly) GENERATION”. The preaching offended many, so much so that:

Preachers were arrested (Acts 4:1-3)
Religious leaders wanted to kill them (Acts 5:33)
Stephen was murdered for preaching repentance (Acts 7:54-58)
The Church was hated and persecuted (Acts 8:1)
Missionaries were beaten and imprisoned (Acts 13:50)
Whole cities came out to destroy Preachers (Acts 17:5-8)

And yet the Church grew, and prospered. Why? Because Christians were genuine, not apathetic. Christians knew that they were in a battle with Satan and the lost, and so believers took their faith seriously. The early Church had no buildings, but met house to house or in the Temple (at least, until the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD). The early Church was attacked, brutalized, scattered, but it grew because believers were serious about serving the Lord Jesus.

Then Satan had a brainstorm. He thought, “Let’s back off on the persecution, and blend Christianity with politics. Let’s make Christianity acceptable, and the law of the land”. In 313 AD Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the Edict of Milan. Though Constantine did not outlaw other religious belief, he made it fashionable to be a Christian. Then in 380 AD Emperor Theodosius I (Theodosius the Great) issued the Edict of Thessalonica, making Nicene Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. As Pagan religions were banned, those who were pagans and without Christ were encouraged the join with the state Church. Many did so bringing their false, unbiblical beliefs with them. To maintain unity, a series of offices unknown to Scripture were brought into the Church, the chief office being that of “Pope”. It is the “Pope”, not the Lord Jesus Christ, who is said to have supreme legislative, executive, and judicial power for the state Church. Popes brought horrible things into the state Church. To name just a few:

Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) authorized the murder of thousands in southern France

Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254) authorized torture by the Inquisition against suspected heretics or unbelievers

Pope Urban VI (1378-1389) ordered the torture and execution of Pastors who opposed them. He complained when their screams were not loud

The devil crept into the Church when the Church left the Word of God. When God’s people become apathetic or hypocritical, it isn’t long before the Church isn’t the Church at all.

The Devil Is The Master Of Twisting Scripture

The devil is always twisting and quoting scripture, seeking to ensnare the people of God. The text we’re looking at today has been widely quoted by unbelievers, and adopted as twisted by several denominations to the demise of that denomination. The text is:

(Matthew 7:1-2 KJV) Judge not, that ye be not judged. [2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Usually when this is quoted, people say “Jesus said you’re not to judge. The only one that can judge is God, not humans. Based on that, I can do thus and thus REGARDLESS as to what the Bible says, because the Bible is just an old outdated Book anyway”. And Beloved, this is not what the text is about.

Did Jesus Actually Tell Us Not To Judge Others?

As we look at our text, “Judge not, that ye be not judged”, is Jesus actually telling us not to judge the actions of others. For instance, if I see a child molester stalking a six year old, should I say “Judge not, that ye be not judged”, turn my back and walk away? If I see a man knock down a woman and begin to assault her, should I say “Judge not, that ye be not judged”, and mind my own business? Of if someone pulls a knife and attacks someone with the knife, should I not intervene because, after all, “Judge not, that ye be not judged”? I think most reasonable people would say, “No, you should get involved”. The Bible says:

Psalm 82:3-4 (NIV) Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; DELIVER THEM FROM THE HAND OF THE WICKED.

In order to do what God said, you must make judgments. The Prophet Isaiah said, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the
6 fatherless, plead the widow’s cause”. You must

make judgments. You must be able to weigh good against evil, light against darkness.

I cannot judge that which is unseen, the contents of the human heart. But I can judge external actions as right or wrong based on the teaching of Scripture.

We judge FRUIT, the outward actions of the life. The FRUIT will tell us much about the tree that bears it. I personally cannot distinguish an orange tree from a pear tree or a apple tree by it’s bark or leaves. But once the tree bears fruit, the fruit will tell me the type of tree it is. Jesus told us to “Judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Jesus told us:

(Matthew 7:15-18 KJV) BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. [16] YOU SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? [17] Even so EVERY GOOD TREE BRINGETH FORTH GOOD FRUIT; but A CORRUPT TREE BRINGETH FORTH EVIL FRUIT. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Preach! You may not be able to tell what’s in the heart of the tree – but you can judge the fruit. Does the fruit that which the tree produces bring honor to our heavenly Father? Does the fruit glorify the Lord Jesus by advancing the Gospel? Does the fruit encourage repentance from the flesh, and walking in the power of the Spirit? Can the fruit be seen in the Scripture as a fruit to be desired? Does the fruit magnify Jesus while minimizing me?

Jesus never said we should not judge. The light must judge darkness and light. We are light, and not darkness. So we must judge – not based on our opinion as to right or wrong – but based on what God has endorsed or rejected via the Scripture.

Jesus Was Not Telling Us Not To Judge Others. He Was Telling Us To Judge Ourselves FIRST.

(Matthew 7:1-3 KJV) Judge not, that ye be not judged. [2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. [3] And why BEHOLDEST THOU THE MOTE that is in THY BROTHER’S {adelphos} EYE, but CONSIDEREST NOT THE BEAM that is in thine own eye?

The words that you see above were not addressed to the lost, but to the assembled Church. In Matthew chapter 5 verse 1 we read:

Matthew 5:1 (Jesus) went up into a mountain: and WHEN HE WAS SET, HIS DISCIPLES CAME UNTO HIM

Word Study: When you come to the end of Matthew chapter 7 we read “when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine”. From the beginning of Matthew 5 to the end of Matthew 7 we are hearing a sermon Jesus preached to HIS FOLLOWERS. The sermon wasn’t preached to unbelievers, but to believers. It wasn’t to the world at large, but about judging what is in “THY BROTHER’S EYE”. The word rendered “BROTHER” is the Greek adelphos, which means “those of the same family or of the same Kingdom”. The word is used frequently in the New Testament for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (see Romans 1:13; 7:1; 11:25; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 2:1; 3:1; 2 Corinthians 8:1, and so on).

So this verse has nothing to do with judging a lost or unchurched person. It has to do with making judgment against one another in the Church. Jesus said:

Judge not, that ye be not judged

When you are going to judge yourself, the first thing you need to do is ask yourself “Is what I am judging something the Scripture clearly supports?” Does the Bible say that what this fellow believer is doing is wrong? Or is this just my opinion? God is the One Who determines what is good or evil, not me. God told Israel,

Deuteronomy 6:18 (AP) Do that which is RIGHT AND GOOD IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, and you will be blessed …

Isaiah 33:22 (ESV) the LORD IS OUR JUDGE; the LORD IS OUR LAWGIVER

If I’m making a judgment based on what I think, then I may be judged by God as a false prophet.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

If I’m using the Word of God, and repeating what the Father has established as normal for His Kingdom, then I won’t be judged for that. But if I’m making up my rules and expecting others to live by them as if I am God, I will be judged harshly for that.

why BEHOLDEST THOU THE MOTE {karphos} that is in THY BROTHER’S {adelphos} EYE, but CONSIDEREST NOT THE BEAM {dokos} that is in thine own eye?

Word Study: The second thing the Christian should ask themselves is, “Have I examined MY LIFE before revealing this judgment to my brother or sister in Christ?” Jesus uses two words here – karphos and dokos. The word karphos means “a little chaff”. In the ancient world you made your own flour. You did so by tossing the head of the wheat plant into the air. The edible seed would fall back into the bowl, but the inedible chaff would fly up in the air, and sometimes get in your eye. It’s just a tiny thing that floats on the air. It would bother, but not blind. But the other word Jesus uses is dokos, which means “a stick of timber large enough to hold up a roof”. The word is found in the Septuagint in:

Song of Solomon 1:17 (Sept) The BEAMS {dokos} of our house are cedar

It’s not a tiny piece of chaff, but something along the line of a 2×8 construction grade board. If that were in your eye, you would be blinded by it. We are to judge ourselves first. When the Apostle Paul chastised the Church at Corinth he told the Church:

(1 Corinthians 11:31-32 NKJV) For IF WE WOULD JUDGE OURSELVES, WE WOULD NOT BE JUDGED. [32] But when we are judged, WE ARE CHASTENED BY THE LORD, that we may not be condemned with the world.

Christians are children of God, saved by faith in Christ. When we sin, the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Sin corrupts. Sin destroys. A brother or a sister who points out sin to another brother or sister has done them a favor. For if you will not repent of sin, GOD WILL CHASTEN YOU, EVEN UNTO DEATH. This is what was happening at Corinth. They had let sin in their midst, and were running around saying without foundation:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged”

And people were dying. Beloved,

We as Christians need to stop treating sin as if it were a pet animal. Sin is a wild beast that, if not bound, will eat you and those you love alive! Judge yourself first. Then help your brother or sister out of the snare of sin.

(Matthew 7:5 KJV) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the BUILDER’S BEAM out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the CHAFF out of thy brother’s eye.

Jesus is not telling us to not judge. He is telling us to make sure we are in union with Him and His Word before we judge a fellow brother or sister. Christians MUST judge – but not based on what we feel or think, but based on what the Bible says.

You Cannot Obey What Jesus Says In The Very Next Verse If You Do Not Judge

Usually a lost person will trot Matthew 7:1-5 out an tell Christians that Jesus said not to judge anyone for any reason. As I’ve shown you, this is a twisting of God’s Word. But the lost have NEVER quoted this verse, because to do so would ruin their fabrication of truth. Jesus said:

(Matthew 7:6 KJV) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

It is impossible to obey Jesus in this verse if I don’t, as a Christian, make some judgments. Jesus said “Give not that which is holy”. I have to make a judgment as to what is HOLY, that which God has endorsed. I’m not supposed to give the holy “UNTO THE DOGS”. Is Jesus talking about Lassie? No. When the Bible speaks of “DOGS”, it is speaking of those who mock or reject the Kingdom of God, who endorse filthy things that God has rejected, who amplify and persist in what God has said is evil. The Bible says:

(Philippians 3:2 LSB) BEWARE OF THE DOGS! Beware of the EVIL WORKERS! Beware of the mutilation!

Dogs are people who twist the Gospel of salvation, who ignore repentance and reject the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unrepentant evil doers are dogs. Dogs of that type will not be in Heaven, but will be locked out because they have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

(Revelation 22:14-15 LSB) Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the authority to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city. [15] OUTSIDE ARE THE DOGS and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

Dogs have no place in the Kingdom of God in Heaven, because dogs reject the Kingdom of Christ on this earth. Jesus said “Do not give what is holy to the DOGS”. Dogs aren’t going to Heaven (human dogs). Don’t share the Kingdom Truths with those who are unsaved. Give them the Gospel, but do not argue Kingdom truths with them. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 2:14 (KJV) … the natural man RECEIVETH NOT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD: for they are FOOLISHNESS UNTO HIM: neither can he know them, because THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.

A spiritual Dog cannot understand the Trinity, nor the inspiration of the Scripture. A spiritual Dog invents 47 genders whereas God only created two. A spiritual Dog mocks the Cross of Christ, the sinlessness of Jesus. A spiritual Dog does not understand Biblical love. A Dog licks itself, and has no shame.

neither cast ye your PEARLS before SWINE

Among the Jews “SWINE” were considered unclean creatures. They were not to be eaten, or even touched (Leviticus 11:7-8). God lifted those restrictions in the Book of Acts (Acts 10:12-16) – but swine, hogs or pigs, are by nature dirty creatures.

God’s people are not to give the precious spiritual truths that He has given us to the lost world. The unsaved will not appreciate those truths, but will only trample them underfoot and mock them.

What is a “pearl” and how is it made? A pearl begins when something irritating and painful enters the life of a oyster. That thing comes into the soft tissue of the sea creature, and it can’t get rid of it. The oyster covers the irritant with calcium carbonate crystals, over and over again. The longer the process takes, the larger the pearl gets. In time, that which was an irritant is converted into something very valuable and desirable.

We don’t give pearls to the lost. We don’t promise them Heaven, nor share the promises that God has given to His people to them. What we share with the lost is the Gospel. The Gospel is not a pearl – but it makes pearls. Jesus talked about the Kingdom of Heaven as “a Pearl of Great Price”.

(Matthew 13:45-46 LSB) Again, the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, [46] and upon FINDING ONE PEARL OF GREAT VALUE, he went and SOLD ALL THAT HE HAD AND BOUGHT IT.

This life is hard. We, like oysters, have irritants and miseries that enter our lives. How do we fix it? We try to do it through human means, through doctors, self help gurus, through psychology. Nothing seems to help. No one but Jesus can help us.

We repent and come to Jesus.

Jesus Christ came into His Creation, and laid down His life for us. The Bible says:

(1 Corinthians 1:18 LSB) For THE WORD OF THE CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING, but TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED, IT IS THE POWER OF GOD.

When people are tried. When they are suffering. When hospitalized. When in depression. When that irritant comes into their lives, and they realize that they are helpless against it, we share the Cross with them. We tell them about Jesus. And, “if God grants repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; Romans 2:4), if that lost person will grab the hand of Jesus,

God will cover the hurt with Grace. He will bring that lost soul into the Family of God. “Of Jesus’ fullness we receive, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). He takes our broken lives, and makes us His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus does what the Prophets said He would do:

(Isaiah 61:3 NKJV) To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

The pearl of great price belongs to those who have given
17 their lives to Jesus. Not to the dogs. Not to the swine

who mock and reject His mercy. But to those who will surrender their lives to Him, blessed be the name of Jesus.

Posted in Commands Of Jesus, Matthew, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, salvation | Leave a comment

Our Mission Is God’s Kingdom

Posted on July 15, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Mahamudul Hasan on Unsplash

(Mark 4:26-29 KJV) And HE SAID, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed INTO {epi, on} the ground; [27] And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. [28] For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. [29] But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

(Mark 4:30-34 KJV) And HE SAID, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? [31] [It is] like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: [32] But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. [33] And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear [it]. [34] But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

Those Who Are Saved Are Called To Be Like Jesus

When Adam was placed in the Garden East of Eden (Genesis 2:8), it was both a person and a place that were without sin. The Bible says that:

(Genesis 1:31 NKJV) Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed [it was] VERY GOOD…

Creation was literally heaven on earth. It was the Kingdom of God. The Bible says “out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that was pleasant to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:8-9). When the first Adam sinned and rejected the commandment of God, he brought spiritual death on both himself, his family, and on creation. Paul tells us:

(Romans 5:12 NKJV) … through ONE MAN SIN ENTERED THE WORLD, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because ALL SINNED–

Mankind died spiritually the day Adam sinned, and brought sin on creation itself. Everything went from being “very good” to “cursed”. God told Adam:

(Genesis 3:17-19 NKJV) Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “CURSED IS THE GROUND FOR YOUR SAKE; In toil you shall eat [of] it All the days of your life. [18] Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. [19] In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you [are], And to dust you shall return.”

What should have been Heaven on earth – the Kingdom of God – became the domain of sin and death. Whereas Adam and Eve were to rule the world for God, their fall to Satan gave him rule. The Apostle wrote:

(1 John 5:19 NKJV) We know that we are of God, and THE WHOLE WORLD LIES UNDER THE SWAY OF THE WICKED ONE.

From Adam until the coming of Christ people were:

Bondage to sin (John 8:34; Romans 6:16-20)
Spiritually blinded (1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
Subject to corruption (Romans 8:20-22)
Fear and Shame (Genesis 3:7-10)
Separated from God (Genesis 3:8-10, 23-24)
A sin nature (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:23)
Under condemnation of God (Romans 5:16-18)

The first Adam destroyed the Kingdom of God on the earth. But God was not going to leave it at that. God the Father sent a Second Adam to correct what the first Adam did. The Second Adam is Jesus Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 15:45 the Apostle quotes the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures of

Genesis 2:7 (KJV) the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL

Paul writes (1 Corinthians 15:45-49 KJV) And so it is written, The FIRST MAN ADAM WAS MADE A LIVING SOUL; the LAST ADAM WAS MADE A QUICKENING SPIRIT. [46] Howbeit that [was] not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. [47] The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven. [48] As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly. [49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

The first Adam, the Adam that sinned, is where humanity started. In the first Adam we have physical life, but are born separated from God and spiritually dead. But

The Second Adam, Jesus Christ our Lord, came to quicken us, to give us spiritual life. The Second Adam is the Lord from Heaven. We who believe in Him and who have received Him as Lord and Savior will BEAR THE IMAGE OF THE HEAVENLY.

We who are saved are not to be like the first Adam, listening to the serpent, following the devilish desires. We who are saved are to be like the Second Adam. We are saved to be children of God. We are saved to be sons of God. Last Wednesday night God led us in our studies to:

(1 John 3:2-3 KJV) Beloved, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see Him as He is. [3] And EVERY MAN THAT HAS THIS HOPE IN {Jesus} PURIFIETH HIMSELF, EVEN AS JESUS IS PURE.

Those who are saved are called to be like Jesus. We are to walk with Jesus daily, just as Adam walked with Jesus daily before he broke the Law of God. We are to walk in love with one another. We read this on Wednesday:

(1 John 3:10-12 KJV) In this the CHILDREN OF GOD ARE MANIFEST, and THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL: whosoever DOETH NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT OF GOD, NEITHER HE THAT LOVETH NOT HIS BROTHER. [11] For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that WE SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER. [12] Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

A person says, “I am a Christian”. Fine. Are you DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS. I’m not asking what you’re NOT doing. The Pharisees were big on what they were NOT doing. “Teacher, I DON’T MURDER, I DON’T COMMIT ADULTERY, I DON’T STEAL, I DON’T CURSE GOD”. Well, that’s fine. We see what you’re not doing. But are you DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS? To DO RIGHTEOUSNESS means to DO what God says do. To DO RIGHTEOUSNESS means to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Are we doing righteousness? Are we following Jesus? Are we acting as sons of God?

Sons of God walk with God: (Romans 8:14 KJV) For as many as are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD.

Sons of God shine for God: (Philippians 2:15 KJV) That ye may be blameless and harmless, THE SONS OF GOD, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom YE SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD

Sons of God walk in power: (John 1:12 KJV) But as many as received {Jesus}, to them gave He POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, [even] to them that believe on His name:

Adam Walked In A Perfect Kingdom And Gave The Kingdom To Satan. Christians Walk With The Second Adam, And Live To Glorify God Our Savior

When Jesus came to this earth, He knew what His mission was. He stayed focused on the mission. He never took His eyes off of what He had to do. Jesus came as the Second Adam to undo what the first Adam did. Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of God to this fallen world.

When I was in the Air Force, we knew what our mission was. We knew who the enemy was, and knew what we were supposed to do to defeat that enemy. Sadly, if you ask most Christians today “What is the mission of the Church?” or “What is YOUR mission?”, very few have a clue. That’s not Jesus’ fault. It is the fault of modern pastoring that focuses on noses and nickles. I don’t see any place where Jesus focused on crowds. He focused on planting the Word of God, sharing the Gospel message. We previously studied the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-9). In that Parable Jesus said:

Mark 4:14 (KJV) The sower SOWETH THE WORD

The seed that the sower sows is not the word of man, not the word of Satan, but the Word of God. Specifically it is the Word of God that emphasizes that which Jesus Christ has taught us. The whole point of the Parable of the Sower is that the Word of God is sown indiscriminately as you are going about your day. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus spoke of four grounds where the seed is sown – four types of hearts:

Mark 4:15 The heart possessed of Satan
Mark 4:16-17 The shallow “serve me” heart
Mark 4:18-19 The unrepentant heart

In each of those hearts, the Gospel does not lasting good. The person who hears the Word, hears it as the first Adam did, and does with it just as the first Adam did. But then you have the repentant, ready to receive heart:

(Mark 4:20 KJV) And these are they which are SOWN ON GOOD GROUND; such as HEAR THE WORD, and RECEIVE IT, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Those who are repentant, who are broken and ready to hear the Gospel of Jesus, receive the Word. We cannot make anyone receive the Word of God. We cannot coerce Christians. It doesn’t work. God must prepare the heart, but Beloved, we are to sow the seed, to tell others of Jesus, to let them see Jesus in us and in our actions. We are not responsible for growing or cultivating the seed. We merely sow.

(Mark 4:26-29 KJV) And HE SAID, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; [27] And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. [28] For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. [29] But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Word Study: The Parable of the Sower is followed by the Parable of the Growing Seed. The Parable starts with “HE SAID”. This is the Greek word ἔλεγεν (elegen), which is the imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular form of λέγω (legō – to say, speak). The imperfect tense denotes continuous or ongoing action. Though translated as “HE SAID”, it is better translated as …

Jesus WENT ON TO SAY

Jesus wasn’t just rattling off these Parables about the Kingdom of God. He was preaching the mission of the Church, of HIS Church. He was telling us what He wants US as believers in Him to do.

Mark 4:26 …And {Jesus} KEPT SAYING, The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground

Jesus is following up the Parable of the Four Soils and the Sower with another Parable about a Sower – but this time the focus is on the SEED. The Sower is responsible for scattering the seed. That is his mission. So the Sower scatters the seed, then

(Mark 4:27 KJV) And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, HE KNOWETH NOT HOW.

The Sower does his mission. Then he goes home, and SLEEPS. He’s done his job. He can’t make the seed do anything, and he does not prepare the ground. The Sower trusts the process. When the Church at Corinth found fault with Paul, comparing him to other preachers who they considered better, Paul told them:

(1 Corinthians 3:4-9 LSB) For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not [mere] men? [5] What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? SERVANTS THROUGH WHOM YOU BELIEVED, even as the Lord gave to each one. [6] I planted, Apollos watered, but GOD CAUSES THE GROWTH. [7] So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but GOD WHO CAUSES THE GROWTH. [8] Now HE WHO PLANTS AND HE WHO WATERS ARE ONE, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. [9] For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

The Sower is to sow the seed, to share Jesus with others. But we need not toss and turn, for there is nothing we can do to make the seed grow. We do what we are to do, then we “SLEEP”. God works while the Sower is inactive. The miracle of life is beyond our power.

Why is one person saved when we share the Gospel, and another is not? Why does the seed grow differently in different people? Jesus said, “The Sower KNOWETH NOT HOW”. Spiritual growth is mysterious. Jesus told Nicodemus:

(John 3:8 LSB) The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but DO NOT KNOW where it comes from and where it is going; SO IS EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN BORN OF THE SPIRIT.

Billy Graham didn’t save people. God saves people. Billy just told them about Jesus. He stayed true to the Word of God. He trusted the process, and glorified Jesus. Billy stayed on track with his mission. Billy said:

“The Bible is the Word of God. It is not merely a book of history, a book of theology, or a collection of moral precepts. It is God’s message to the human heart. … The Bible is the compass that points us to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Sower sows the seed, the Word of God. We share Jesus with those around us. Then we rest. We do not get discouraged.

(2 Thessalonians 3:13 KJV) But ye, brethren, BE NOT WEARY IN WELL DOING.

You cannot tell when the seed will sprout, nor even if it will sprout. But you are to sow.

(Mark 4:28-29 KJV) For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. [29] But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

God imparts life as we share the Word of God. We are to sow. The Gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The seed of the Gospel is sown, and if the ground is good then there will be new birth, “not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).

We are the sower. God is the Grower. He alone knows the time of harvest. We are to be faithful in sowing, not judging.

One commentary I found noted:

“Human ingenuity, emotional manipulation, man centered techniques, market-driven strategies, legislation, & coercion can’t create new life in the heart of a sinner. Regeneration is only by the Spirit of God (Ephesians 2:1–4; Titus 3:5). Though we’re called to faithfully proclaim the message, we can take no credit when someone responds in repentant faith (1 Corinthians 3:6–7). God’s kingdom work is ultimately His work & He’ll sovereignly bring it to pass. This doesn’t mean the sower abandons his work or is uninterested in what takes place. It means the seed must be allowed its appointed course, as the process of growth advances toward a harvest that’s coming. {We} cannot cause the seed to sprout & grow. We must leave that entirely to the One who created the seed, who knows it thoroughly, & activates it.”

Our Judgment Means Nothing. We Are Just To Be Faithful Sowers.

In the final Parable, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, Jesus tells us to stop making foolish judgments and JUST DO AS GOD SAID. When Adam began to make judgments apart from the Word of God, it wasn’t long before he destroyed Paradise and gave creation over to the Evil One. Sin reigns because Adam chose to judge God’s Word rather than to do it.

(Mark 4:30-32 KJV) And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? [31] [It is] like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is LESS THAN ALL THE SEEDS THAT BE IN THE EARTH: [32] But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

We often waste time making judgments, rather than just sowing the seed. The smallest seed can make the biggest change. The mustard seed is about the size of a grain of sand, the smallest of seeds that Jesus’ audience of that day knew of. If that seed is planted – small as it is – and it springs up, it will grow into a large, tree like shrub, sometimes 12 feet tall or higher.

Think about Jesus. He wasn’t born in a palace. He was born in a manger. He wasn’t born in Jerusalem. He was born in a tiny town called Nazareth. None of those whom Jesus called as Apostles was highly educated outside of Paul. All of the Apostles were broken, unknown and weak people.

After Jesus’ resurrection, only 120 people gathered in the upper room to pray until Pentecost. That’s a small church. But when those 120 did as Jesus told them to do, went out and shared the seed of the Gospel, they became 3000 souls added to the Church.

When we do what God tells us to do, the Kingdom of God grows. When we do not sow the seed, nothing happens. We sow the seed. We do what we can to glorify our King Jesus. We trust the process, and follow the Lord. We may not seed the harvest in our lifetime, but if we continue to sow the seed, the Kingdom will grow. Pastor R.C. Sproul wrote:

“We don’t know about the results of our lives & words. We have no idea how powerful a simple word can be. God can & does use the faithful living & witness of His Word, though we may never see the effect our words have. That’s the way the kingdom is. We often don’t know what God does with our service. We plant the seed, go to bed, and, while we sleep, God germinates the seed so that life grows & eventually produces a harvest. We need to forget about trying to see the fruit of our service immediately. It doesn’t matter if we ever see it in this life. We’re called to take the light & let it shine, then let God do with it whatever He pleases.”

For the glory of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Posted in Mark Sermons, Parables of Jesus, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, First Adam, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, Jesus, King's Highway, Kingdom life, Kingdom Living, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Kingdom work, love God, salvation, Second Adam | Leave a comment

Jesus Commanded Follow Me

Posted on July 8, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

(John 12:20-26 KJV) And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: [21] The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired Him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. [22] Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. [23] And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. [24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. [25] He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. [26] If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will [my] Father honor.

The Great Commission Is About Believers Teaching Christ’s Commandments

Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, following His death, burial, and resurrection, He gave His Church a mission. We call it a “Great Commission”. Found in Matthew chapter 28, Jesus told those who believed in Him:

(Matthew 28:19-20 KJV) GO YE {poreuō} therefore, and TEACH ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE {tēreō} ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU …

Word Study: Most English versions of the Bible translate the word poreuō as “Go”, making it sound like a direct command (as in “You will GO”). Technically, though, the word is best translated “As you go”. Jesus was not making “Go” optional, but was speaking to the Christians based on what we are supposed to be. Jesus said:

(John 4:14 LSB) … whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst–ever; but the WATER THAT I WILL GIVE HIM WILL BECOME IN HIM A WELL OF WATER springing up to eternal life.

And again in (John 7:38-39 LSB) HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, as the Scripture said, ‘FROM HIS INNERMOST BEING WILL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER .'” [39] But THIS HE SPOKE OF THE SPIRIT, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive…

The Christian – born again because we have obeyed the first commandment of Christ and have repented – is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.

When we obey Jesus’ commandments, the Spirit of God empowers us. The Holy Spirit brings the Bible to our remembrance, teaching us about Jesus (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit empowers us to speak the Gospel to others (Mark 13:11). As we follow Him, power for living follows us.

Word Study: That’s what Jesus said. We are to teach others to “OBSERVE {tēreō} ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU”. The Greek tēreō means “to attend to carefully, to observe meticulously”. One of the commands that Jesus gave us is to follow Him.

Once Saved, The Key To Living Is Following Jesus

If we are to teach others the commands of Christ, we are to first learn the commands of Christ. And one of the commandments that Jesus repeated numerous times was “FOLLOW ME”. In today’s text we read:

(John 12:26 KJV) If any man SERVE Me, LET HIM FOLLOW ME; and WHERE I AM, THERE SHALL ALSO MY SERVANT BE: if any man serve Me, him will [My] Father honor.

1. Everyone serves someone or something. This is a fact of life. You can serve Jesus, or you can serve FEAR. The Christian should not fear. The Bible says,

Romans 8:15 …(AP) You (who are Christians) did not receive the SPIRIT OF SLAVERY TO FEAR, but you have RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION AS SONS, by Whom we cry, ABBA, FATHER!

Jesus came so that we might be freed from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). The Bible tells us that …

2 Timothy 1:7 God gave us a Spirit NOT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER, AND LOVE, AND SELF CONTROL

2. Everyone serves someone or something. This is a fact of life. You can serve Jesus, or you can serve SIN, which leads to destruction. The Bible says:

Romans 6:6, 20-22 (AP) (Christians), our old self was CRUCIFIED WITH JESUS IN ORDER THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE BROUGHT TO NOTHING, so that WE WOULD NO LONGER BE ENSLAVED TO SIN … NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN AND HAVE BECOME SERVANTS OF GOD the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life

and again in John 8:34-35 … everyone who practices SIN IS A SERVANT TO SIN … IF THE SON SETS YOU FREE, YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED

3. Everyone serves someone or something. This is a fact of life. You can serve Jesus, or you can serve SATAN, which leads to misery. Jesus told the Pharisees “you are of your Father, THE DEVIL, and you will is to DO YOUR FATHER’S DESIRES” (John 8:44). Those who are saved by following Jesus …

2 Timothy 2:26 … COME TO THEIR SENSES AND ESCAPE THE SNARE OF THE DEVIL, after BEING CAPTURED BY HIM TO DO HIS WILL

When you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior and follow Him, it is His desire to use you to free others from enslavement to lesser, evil and debilitating things. Jesus says …

(Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17) “FOLLOW ME, and I will make you fishers of men”

Following Jesus is so very important for your spiritual health. Jesus is to be FIRST, not last. Jesus is to be honored before all other commitments.

The Bible tells us that there was one who followed Jesus who had an aging father that he was watching over. He wanted an exemption to following Jesus, saying:

(Matthew 8:21-22 ESV) Lord, LET ME FIRST GO AND BURY MY FATHER. [22] And Jesus said to him, “FOLLOW ME, AND LEAVE THE DEAD TO BURY THEIR OWN DEAD.”

“I’ll follow Jesus once daddy is gone”. That’s what he’s telling the Lord. But Jesus made the statement,

“FOLLOW ME, AND LEAVE THE DEAD TO BURY THEIR OWN DEAD.”

Who are “THE DEAD” that Jesus refers to? It is those who have not been saved by Jesus. It is those who have never been born again. It is those who are, as the Bible describes the unsaved person,

Ephesians 2:1 DEAD in trespasses and in sins

Jesus wasn’t saying this man couldn’t bury his father when the time came. I believe the sense of what Jesus was saying is – if I can carefully examine His word:

“Following Me takes precedent over everything else in your life. Those who are spiritually dead follow other things. But those who are spiritually alive, the Children of God by faith in Me, they put following Me first above all”.

Following the Commandments of God is great. Jesus told the rich young ruler who wanted eternal life:

(Matthew 19:17 NKJV) … if you want to enter into life, KEEP (tēreō) THE COMMANDMENTS .

Word Study: There’s that word tēreō again that we saw in the Great Commission. The Lord wanted the young man to carefully observe the Ten Commandments. When the young man said “I have done these things from my youth. What do I lack?”, Jesus told him:

(Matthew 19:21 NKJV) If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and COME, FOLLOW ME.

Following the Ten Commandments is wonderful. But the Commandment to follow Jesus cannot be neglected. Put away all your golden calves and follow Him.

Sons of God follow THE Son of God. Sheep follow their Shepherd. Jesus told the Pharisees:

(John 10:27–28 NKJV) “MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, and I know them, and THEY FOLLOW ME. [28] And I GIVE TO THEM ETERNAL LIFE, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd, the Author and Finisher of salvation. If you believe in Him, you follow Him. You will not follow perfectly, but you want to be near Jesus. In Him you are promised ETERNAL LIFE. Following Jesus is is what sheep do! The reason that we are saved is that Jesus laid down His life for His sheep. As the Good Shepherd He “LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS SHEEP” (John 10:11). Jesus’ death was on purpose, for us. He intentionally died on that Cross, bearing our sins on Himself. The Prophet Isaiah foretold of Christ:

(Isaiah 53:4-6 LSB) Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But HE WAS PIERCED THROUGH FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS CRUSHED FOR OUR INIQUITIES; The chastening for our peace [fell] upon Him, And BY HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED. [6] All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But YAHWEH HAS CAUSED THE INIQUITY OF US ALL TO FALL ON HIM.

Jesus surrendered His life to us. We only benefit when we surrender our lives to Him.

There Is No Spiritual Blessing Without Surrender

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a CORN (kokkos, a grain, a seed) of wheat fall into the ground and die, IT ABIDETH ALONE: but IF IT DIE, IT BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT.

When Jesus spoke, His teachings contained deep spiritual meaning. If a “GRAIN OF WHEAT”, a seed from the head of the plant, refuses to “FALL INTO THE GROUND AND DIE”, then it just remains a seed. It will never bear fruit. Jesus uses the verses that come before this statement and after this statement to apply it.

Before this statement some Greeks came to worship at the Feast of the Passover. When these Greeks came to the disciples, the told Philip:

John 12:21 “Sir, WE WOULD SEE JESUS”

Why did these Greeks want to speak to Jesus? Why were they worshiping at the Feast of the Passover? Philip tells Andrew, and both go to Jesus. Our Lord tells them:

(John 12:23 KJV) … The hour is come, that THE SON OF MAN SHOULD BE GLORIFIED.

Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself. He could have maintained His place in the Trinity. He could have rejected the Cross, and held His place in the Heavens. But Jesus, like a seed of corn, encouraged Iscariot to betray Him. He set what would eventually be His crucifixion and death into motion. The Bible says that:

Hebrews 12:2 Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISING THE SHAME, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus is glorified because He laid His life down for us. He was “DESPISED AND REJECTED, A MAN OF SORROWS, ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus laid His life down for us.

The grain of wheat was cast into the ground.

Nailed to the Cross, His suffering as He hung between earth and sky was recorded by the Psalmist:

(Psalm 22:1-2, 6-8 NKJV) My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? [Why are You so] far from helping Me, [And from] the words of My groaning? [2] O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. … [6] But I [am] a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. [7] All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying], [8] “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

Every bit of this is prophetic, as to what happened with our Lord Jesus. He could have avoided the Cross. He could have rejected that horrid death. But Jesus did not. He gave His life for us. He made a way where there was no way, to the glory of God Almighty. Jesus would go to the Cross, not just for Israel, but for the whole world. The Greeks sought out Jesus because God was already opening the door to whosoever will.

Jesus surrendered His life to bring “MANY SONS UNTO GLORY”. He died for you. He died for me. We are told in:

(Hebrews 2:9-11 NKJV) But WE SEE JESUS, who was made a little lower than the angels, FOR THE SUFFERING OF DEATH CROWNED WITH GLORY and honor, that He, by the grace of God, MIGHT TASTE DEATH FOR EVERYONE. [10] For it was fitting for Him, for whom [are] all things and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. [11] For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified [are] all of one, for which reason HE IS NOT ASHAMED TO CALL THEM BRETHREN,

Jesus Christ died for us. He released Himself as a grain of wheat, being planted in the likeness of death for our salvation.

As Jesus Surrendered His Life For Our Good, We Who Are Saved Surrender Our Lives To Him

(John 12:25 KJV) … He that LOVETH HIS LIFE SHALL LOSE IT; and he that HATETH HIS LIFE IN THIS WORLD SHALL KEEP IT UNTO LIFE ETERNAL.

Jesus did not love His life, but seemingly hated it so that He might bring us to salvation. But if we would be saved, “we must LOSE OUR LIVES”. Not save them, but lose them. Jesus gave everything for us. To be saved, we give everything to Jesus.

You can love your life the way it is – and one day you will lose your life. The life you have will not get you into the Presence of God. You are born into this world spiritually dead. Only God, through your surrender to the Cross of Christ, can make you spiritually alive.

(John 12:44-46 KJV) Jesus cried and said, HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME, BELIEVETH NOT ON ME, BUT ON HIM THAT SENT ME. [45] And he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent me. [46] I AM COME A LIGHT INTO THE WORLD, that WHOSOEVER BELIETH ON ME SHOULD NOT ABIDE IN DARKNESS.

The lost soul refuses to surrender themselves to Jesus. They cling to their current lives, and will in the end lose the life that God has meant for them. Eternal life. Glorious life. Life with Jesus both now and into eternity.

We would have never had salvation had Jesus clung to His life, and rejected the Cross. And we cannot have salvation if we cling to our godless lives while rejecting the Cross. If you want eternal life – life with Jesus – you must follow Jesus.

As He surrendered His life for you,
You must surrender your life for Him.
As He was shunned and misunderstood for you,
You must be willing to be shunned and misunderstood for Him.
And He died on that Cross and was raised from the dead,
We die on that Cross, allowing God to raise us to new life.

Are you born again? Is Jesus your Shepherd, your Guide? If not, today is the day to receive Him as Lord and Savior.

Posted in Commands Of Jesus, Matthew, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, Follow Me, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, salvation | Leave a comment

God The Trinity

Posted on July 3, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash

Let’s Start By Discussing The Trinity Of God

According to the Holy Bible, there is only one God, one Creator of all. The God of the Christian is both ONE and THREE. The Apostle wrote:

(1 Corinthians 8:5-6 NKJV) For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), [6] yet for us THERE IS ONE GOD, THE FATHER, OF {preposition ek} WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and we for Him; and ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THROUGH {preposition dia} WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and THROUGH WHOM WE LIVE.

Word Study: God the Father is the PLANNER and DIRECTOR of the Godhead. The Apostle emphasizes this with the phrase “OF {preposition ek} WHOM ARE ALL THINGS”. The preposition¹ ek used with God the Father shows that the Father is the Source, the First Cause of all things. We have life because the Father planned it, and ordered its execution.

Word Study: God the Son is the AGENT or CHANNEL of creation. The Apostle emphasizes this with the phrase “THROUGH {preposition dia} WHOM ARE ALL THINGS”. Though the Father planned and authorized creation, this plan went through Jesus Christ, the Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24), Who intercedes for us with the Father (Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1). The Apostle explained His relationship in the Trinity in the text:

(Colossians 1:16 KJV) For BY {Preposition en} Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created BY {Preposition dia} Him, and FOR {Preposition eis} Him:

A simple way to understand the difference in roles between God the Father and God the Son is that the Father is the PLANNER and SENDER. The Son ACCOMPLISHES the plan FOR GOD’S GLORY.

God the Holy Spirit MOVES on God’s creation. We see the Spirit of God moving across creation in the beginning:

(Genesis 1:1-2 KJV) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVED upon the face of the waters.

In Creation, God the Father is its Source, its Planner. God the Son is the Mediator, the Agent of Creation. The Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Trinity moves, applies God’s Will, empowers, teaches and comforts those who love Jesus. The Holy Spirit is a PERSON, not a POWER. These are the texts where Jesus taught us of the Holy Spirit:

(John 14:26 ESV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, He will TEACH YOU all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

It is the Holy Spirit Who comes to and helps the believer in Christ. The Father SENDS the Spirit, as the Father is the SOURCE and PLANNER. The Spirit comes and TEACHES US THE WORD OF CHRIST.

(John 15:26 ESV) But when the Helper comes, WHOM I WILL SEND TO YOU FROM THE FATHER, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

You cannot receive the Holy Spirit unless Jesus Christ knows who you are. Jesus must request the Father to send the Spirit. If you are not a true believer in Christ Jesus, you will not receive the Holy Spirit.

(John 16:13-14 ESV) When the Spirit of truth comes, He will GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. [14] HE WILL GLORIFY ME, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

As Jesus Christ is our Mediator, our go between with God the Father, the Holy Spirit is the Mediator through Whom Jesus addresses us. The most abused Member of the Godhead is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is ignored. The Holy Spirit is misunderstood, for many call Him “IT”, like He is a light bulb or electricity. He is not. The Holy Spirit is often mimicked by people.

Do you know how to tell if the Holy Spirit is active? He always glorifies Jesus. He always teaches the truths of God’s Word.

In Acts 5:3-4 Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, and died because of it. The Apostles told Ananias, “You have lied to GOD”. In Acts 8:29 the Holy Spirit speaks to Philip, telling him to witness to the Ethiopian Eunuch. In Acts 13:2 the Holy Spirit told the Apostles to send Paul and Barnabas out as missionaries. In Acts 16:6-7 the Holy Spirit told Paul and Barnabas to avoid preaching in Asia. In Romans 8:26-27 the Holy Spirit prays for the believer. And in

(Ephesians 4:30 ESV) And do not GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

It is the Trinity of God that makes Christianity unique. Both Judaism as well as Islam reject the concept of the Trinity. These faiths teach that God is strictly ONE. Judaism quotes what they call The Shema, recited by Jews twice a day:

(Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ESV) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD IS ONE. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

The reason that the Pharisees immediately rejected Jesus as the Christ is because He said:

John 10:30 I and the Father ARE ONE

When He said this, the Pharisees “picked up stones to stone (execute) Him”. When Jesus asked them why they wanted to kill Him, the Pharisees said:

(John 10:33 ESV) … because you, being a man, make yourself God.

The concept of the Trinity is not revealed very much in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant. In the Old Testament (which is the Old Covenant) you see hints of the Trinity. When God went to make humans, we read:

(Genesis 1:26 KJV) … And GOD (ĕlōhîm) said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness: and let them have dominion …

Word Study: The word translated “GOD” is a Common Masculine PLURAL Absolute Noun in the Hebrew, the word ĕlōhîm. The Pharisees explain away this verse by saying:

“God addresses Himself to the angels and says to them, “Let us make man in our image.” It is not that He invites their help, but as a matter of modesty and courtesy, God associates them with the creation of man.”

Sadly, this is supposition, not a clear reading of the text. Elohim said He would make man in “OUR IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS”. In the very next verse we are told:

(Genesis 1:27 KJV) So God {ĕlōhîm} created man in HIS OWN IMAGE, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

The Triune God Who spoke of Himself as US in verse 26 says that HE created man in “HIS OWN IMAGE”. We go from plural language to singular language referencing God (ĕlōhîm). It is clear that God is both SINGULAR (Unified) as well as PLURAL (more than One Person).

We see this type of thing at the Tower of Babel. God had commanded mankind to “multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:22), but sinful man following the Noahic Flood decided to rebel against God and stay in Babel. When they started their rebellion, the Bible tells us

(Genesis 11:6-8 KJV) And the LORD said, Behold, the people [is] one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. [7] Go to, LET US GO DOWN, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. [8] SO THE LORD SCATTERED THEM ABROAD from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

Yahweh – the Godhead – saw what people were doing. So Yahweh intervened, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, for the sake of mankind.

One of the clearest examples of the Trinity of God is found in Isaiah 48:12-16. In this text God speaks to Israel:

(Isaiah 48:12-13 KJV) Hearken unto Me, O Jacob and Israel, MY CALLED; I AM HE; I AM THE FIRST, I ALSO AM THE LAST. [13] MINE HAND LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, and MY RIGHT HAND HATH SPANNED THE HEAVENS: [when] I call unto them, they stand up together.

God gives us an indication in this text which Member of the Godhead is speaking. It is clearly God, for He “LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH” and His “RIGHT HAND HATH SPANNED THE HEAVENS”. But is this Father, Son, or Spirit? When God spoke to His people, He said “I AM HE”. Jesus applied this title of God to Himself. Jesus told the Pharisees when He spoke in the Temple Treasury:

(John 8:21, 23-24 KJV) Then said Jesus again unto them, I go My way, and YE SHALL SEEK ME, and SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS: whither I go, ye cannot come. … [23] And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I AM FROM ABOVE: ye are of this world; I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD. [24] I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for IF YE BELIEVE NOT THAT I AM HE, YE SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS.

Jesus Christ is the I AM HE speaking to Israel in Isaiah 48:12. The One speaking also says, “I AM THE FIRST, I ALSO AM THE LAST”. Our Lord Jesus used this same phrase for Himself when He told John the Revelator:

(Revelation 1:17-18 ESV) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, “FEAR NOT, I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST, [18] and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

And again in

(Revelation 22:13, 16 ESV) I am the Alpha and the Omega, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, the beginning and the end.” … [16] I, JESUS, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.

This is Jesus Christ speaking in Isaiah 48! It is Jesus Who says of His Israel:

(Isaiah 48:15-16 KJV) I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him (Israel): I have brought him (Israel), and he shall make his way prosperous (Jesus watches over Israel). [16] Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there [am] I: and NOW THE LORD GOD, and HIS SPIRIT, HATH SENT ME.

The One speaking in Isaiah is clearly God. The One speaking says that He called and watches over Israel. The One speaking then says that “THE LORD GOD, and HIS SPIRIT, HATH SENT ME”. There are numerous places in the New Testament where Jesus declares that The Father sent Him (John 3:17, John 4:34, John 6:38, and John 8:42). Isaiah 48 gives us a very clear picture of the Trinity of God.

The Trinity Is What Makes Christian Salvation Unique

The Father is the SOURCE, the Son is the AGENT, and the Holy Spirit the one Who MOVES and INSTRUCTS. Bringing this into salvation, the Scripture teaches us that:

The Father PLANNED our salvation.

(Ephesians 1:4-6 ESV) even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love [5] He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL, [6] to the praise of His glorious grace, with which HE HAS BLESSED US IN THE BELOVED.

(2 Timothy 1:8-9 ESV) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, [9] WHO SAVED US and CALLED US TO A HOLY CALLING, not because of our works but BECAUSE OF HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE, which HE GAVE US IN CHRIST JESUS before the ages began..

The Son AUTHORED our salvation, dying for our sins.

(Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus as God Incarnate and Perfect Man was able to go to Calvary for us, giving His life for ours. If Jesus were a man like us, He would be a sinner like us (Romans 3:23), and not the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)

The Holy Spirit APPLIES our salvation to us. He causes us to be “born again”(John 3:5). He causes the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). He seals and indwells us (Ephesians 1:13).

This is why when the Christian is saved Jesus directed that they be baptized in water:

Matthew 28:19 In the name OF THE FATHER, and OF THE SON, and OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The work of our redemption is carried out by the Triune God. We are told in

Ephesians 2:18 (KJV) For through Him [the Son] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

A proper understanding of the Trinity helps the Christian to grow in their faith. I have heard preachers pray, saying things like

Jesus our Father, help us …

Jesus did say “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). But Jesus did not mean He was the Father.

Jesus prayed to the Father (John 17; John 11:41-42; Matthew 26:39; Luke 23:34, 46).

Jesus instructed us to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9).

Jesus was sent by the Father (John 8:42; John 3:17, John 4:34, John 6:38, John 17:3). Though Jesus and the Father are One in nature, they are two Persons.

When Jesus did miracles, He did so through the movement of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28; Luke 4:14; Acts 10:38). The Holy Spirit led and empowered Jesus to do that which He did while on this earth (Matthew 4:1; Romans 8:11; Luke 4:1).

How does this effect how we live out our Christian lives? First, we are saved by repenting, and believing on the Name of the Lord Jesus. Peter preached:

(Acts 2:38 NKJV) Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS; and you shall RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

We are saved by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are empowered by relying on the Holy Spirit of God. And when we pray, we pray to the Father.

May God touch your hearts. May the Holy Spirit guide you into understanding the wonderful God we serve. Amen.

1Webster’s states “A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence, often showing place, time, direction, or manner. Examples include in, on, at, to, from, with, and under.”

Posted in Sermons Preached, topical | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

The First Command Of Jesus Is REPENT

Posted on July 3, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Honney Artkongharn on Unsplash

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, REPENT: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Salvation Begins With REPENT

In our text today we’re going to look at Jesus’ first public sermon, His first command to us all. This public proclamation is found not just here, but in

(Mark 1:14-15 KJV) … Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, [15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.

Illustrative Opening: “REPENT”. You don’t hear this word much in modern preaching. By magic of the Internet I heard the late Pastor John MacArthur tell about a road trip he took one time. As he was driving, he saw a small sign that said “Handmade Quilts for sale, next home on the right”. John said, “My wife loves handmade quilts, so I decided to stop and see if I could buy her one”. Pulling into the driveway, he went up to the house, rang the door bell, and a woman came to the door. He explained he was interested in her handmade quilts. Inviting John in, the woman went in the back and – according to him – “Brought out the ugliest quilt I’ve ever seen”. He said, “The woman began to explain that this quilt was her pride and joy, years in the making. Every significant event in her life she saved a scrap of cloth, and sewed it into this quilt. And she was proud of it. What could I say? It’s like someone showing you an ugly baby. What can you say but, ‘Well, that’s a baby!’”. John told her that he’d like to look at another quilt, that this particular quilt “was the wrong color”. The lady responded, “Why, it’s EVERY color!” But she brought out another quilt, and he did end up buying that one.

But this wasn’t the end of the story. The woman’s husband was sitting nearby while this was going on, and all around him were religious books. Some were Mormon, others Jehovah’s Witnesses, several from Prosperity Preachers, then books from the Unity Network along with Universal Unitarianism and Billy Graham. John looked at the man and said, “You have quite a collection of books there”. The man replied, “Yes, and there’s GOOD IN ALL OF IT”.

This is the lie that modern Americanized Christianity would have us believe, that “There’s GOOD IN ALL OF IT”. Religious people take bits and pieces from here and there, sew them together into a crazy quilt, and then show it off, saying “Isn’t that beautiful?”. No, it’s not. When God looks at the crazy quilt of religion that many of us have sewn together, He isn’t impressed. What God says to us is not as diplomatic as John MacArthur was with this woman. God the Son says:

REPENT: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
…. BELIEVE the Gospel.

What Does It Mean To “Repent”?

Matthew 4:17 FROM THAT TIME Jesus began to preach, and to say, REPENT

Word Study: The word translated “REPENT” is the Greek (μετανοέω, metanoeō). The word is a verb, and it has two parts, meta and noeō. The word noeō refers to the mind, whereas meta means to move or change. To “REPENT” is to allow yourself to experience a change of your mind’s perceptions and purposes. Our focal text starts out with:

FROM THAT TIME

If we want to understand what repentance is, these three words tell us to look at our context – at the things that happened BEFORE Jesus started preaching repentance. If we look at the context we’ll know what Jesus meant by “REPENT”.

1 REPENT means to LET GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT LEAD YOU.

Matthew 4:1 … Jesus was LED OF THE SPIRIT into the wilderness to be TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL …

Jesus, though God the Son (Hebrews 1:8; Titus 2:13), surrendered to the leading of the Holy Spirit. God followed God. Though Jesus was no sinner (for in Him was no sin (1 Peter 2:22)), He followed the will of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. This is imperative for us who are sinners, who are not Christ. Every person born into this world outside of Christ are sinners.

Romans 3:23 ALL HAVE SINNED, and FALL SHORT of the glory of God

We are born into this world sinners. We are born into this world blind to God, but focused on ourselves.

(Ecclesiastes 7:20 LSB) Indeed, there is NOT A RIGHTEOUS MAN on earth WHO CONTINUALLY DOES GOOD AND WHO NEVER SINS.

The Apostle quoted and summarized Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3 when he wrote:

(Romans 3:10-12 LSB) as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; [11] THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; [12] ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME WORTHLESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

We are born into this world fallen creatures, separated from God by our enslavement to sin and self. When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, our Lord told this holy man:

(John 3:3, 5-7 LSB) … Truly, truly, I say to you, UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN he cannot see the kingdom of God.” … [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, UNLESS ONE IS BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] “That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. [7] “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Repentance is not something we can do for ourselves. God must open our eyes to our need for the Savior. But once He does so by His Spirit, we REPENT when we surrender to Him, when we give ourselves to Him.

When the Apostles (who were Jewish) saw the Gentiles receiving the Gospel, the Bible says:

(Acts 11:18 LSB) {they} glorified God, saying, “Well then, GOD HAS GRANTED TO THE GENTILES THE REPENTANCE [that leads] to life.

It is “God Who brings His people to REPENTANCE and forgives their sins” (Acts 5:31). The Apostle Paul told his student Timothy that when he was preaching:

(2 Timothy 2:23-26 LSB) But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. [24] And the Lord’s slave must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, [25] with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps GOD MAY GIVE THEM REPENTANCE leading to the full knowledge of the truth, [26] and THEY MAY COME TO THEIR SENSES [and escape] from the snare of the devil, HAVING BEEN HELD CAPTIVE BY HIM to do his will.

God must open the eyes of our hearts. He must awaken us to our need. When He does, we respond to His call and follow Him. This is repentance.

“REPENT” Means To Let God’s Scripture Lead You – Not Your Heart

God’s Word reflects God’s Will for our lives. While Jesus was in the wilderness, the devil repeatedly tempted Him to “follow your heart”.

“Follow your heart” is what the devil told Jesus in the wilderness THEN, and what the devil tells us TODAY.

Jesus was hungry, having been 40 days without food. The devil says:

Matthew 4:3 … If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Now it’s certain that Jesus could easily have turned stones to bread. Jesus turned water to wine (John 2:1-11). Sure, He could do this. But just because He CAN do it, SHOULD HE do it? When tempted, Jesus went to the Scripture. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, saying:

Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Those who have repented follow God’s Word. They refer to the Scripture, and live their lives by it’s teaching. Each time Jesus was tempted by Satan, He responded with “It is written”. The repentant follow God’s Word.

Then the devil appealed to Jesus’ pride. He took Jesus to Jerusalem, and put our Lord on the highest point of the Temple. The devil told Jesus:

(Matthew 4:6 KJV) If thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for IT IS WRITTEN, He shall give His angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Since Jesus referred to Scripture, Satan referred to Scripture. He quoted Psalm 91:11-12, twisting scripture to try and get Jesus to obey his evil desire. But Jesus refused, saying:

(Matthew 4:7 KJV) Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Those who have repented honor God in their lives. They don’t twist the Scripture so as to gain, but seek the glory of God in all they do. In the end, Satan told Jesus

“All the earth I will give You if You fall down
and worship me” Matthew 4:9

Those who have repented do not worship themselves, nor this world. They seek to worship and glorify God.

REPENT Will Cause You To LIVE YOUR OUTWARD LIFE PLEASING TO GOD

Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that JOHN WAS CAST INTO PRISON, he departed into Galilee

Jesus was not the first Preacher of Repentance in the New Testament. The first Preacher of Repentance was John the Baptist. Outside of Jesus, there was no greater Preacher than John. How do I know? Because Jesus said “Among those born of women there has not anyone greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). It was prophesied by

Isaiah 40:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight (see also Luke 3:4-6)

John the Baptist was the Preacher who paved the way for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus was able to better preach REPENTANCE because John was the FIRST PREACHER of REPENTANCE.

When crowds came out to be baptized by John, he told them was the fruit of repentance is. Repentance brings about an inward change that is shown in outward fruit. Think of a fruit tree.

A PEAR tree inwardly makes PEARS outwardly.
An APPLE tree inwardly makes APPLES outwardly.
A GRAPE VINE inwardly makes GRAPES outwardly
The fruit tree that will not bear fruit is CUT DOWN.

John told the crowds:

(Luke 3:7-9 LSB) So {John} was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] “Therefore BEAR FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. [9] “But indeed the AX IS ALREADY LAID AT THE ROOT OF THE TREES; therefore, EVERY TREE THAT DOES NOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT is cut down and thrown into the fire.

As John preached “REPENT”, the crowd asked “What should WE DO?” John replied:

(Luke 3:11 LSB) The man who has two tunics is to SHARE WITH HIM WHO HAS NONE; and he who has food is to do likewise.

If you have repented, if you are following Jesus, you should not be heartless nor stingy. You will not hoard that which God has given you, but will share with others. Jesus illustrated this with the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. In Matthew chapter 25 Jesus was explaining the Kingdom of Heaven. Then Jesus explained His return to this earth, when He will rule and reign during the Millennial Kingdom. Jesus said:

(Matthew 25:32-33 KJV) And before Him (Jesus) shall be gathered all nations: and HE SHALL SEPARATE THEM ONE FROM ANOTHER, as a Shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats: [33] And HE SHALL SET THE SHEEP ON HIS RIGHT HAND, but THE GOATS ON THE LEFT.

Now, how will Jesus determine the “sheep” from the “goats”? Jesus tells the “sheep”:

(Matthew 25:34-40 KJV) Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. [37] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed [Thee]? or thirsty, and gave [Thee] drink? [38] When saw we Thee a stranger, and took [Thee] in? or naked, and clothed [Thee]? [39] Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? [40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, INASMUCH AS YOU HAVE DONE IT UNTO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME.

Those who are sheep are loving to those in need. Their outward fruit is beneficial. They are not greedy, but they live as children of God, doing good even to the enemy for Christ’s sake. But then, what of the goats? How does Jesus determine the goats?

The GOATS look like children of God, but the fruit of their life is selfishness. They ignored those in need, and hoarded what they had.

Jesus puts the goats on His left side, and says:

(Matthew 25:41-45 KJV) Then shall {Jesus} say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: [42] For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: [43] I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not. [44] Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? [45] Then shall he answer them, saying, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, INASMUCH AS YE DID IT NOT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YE DID IT NOT TO ME.

Illustrate: Those who are repentant bring forth good fruit, fruit that honors the Lord Jesus Christ. I’ve been reading Henry and Richard Blackaby’s book, Developing A Christ Centered Church. Henry, his wife Marilyn and their son Richard visited what he called “a famous Church in our denomination. It boasted a large congregation that was steeped in history and great preaching. The Church had participated in our mission work in Canada”. Blackaby was invited to speak that day, and wrote:

“Marilyn and Richard found a pew near the front so I could join them when I finished. Suddenly, an older woman approached Marilynn. My wife thought, ‘The people at this Church are so friendly! Here comes someone to welcome us’. Then the woman, noticeably irritated, shared that she had sat in that very spot for twenty eight years! She clearly intended for my wife and son to vacate her pew of choice. … {My wife} smiled warmly at the woman and declared, ‘Well, I can certainly see why you sit here; it has a wonderful view! The woman grumbled and noisily found a seat one pew back. … When the Pastor introduced me … asking Marilyn and Richard to stand … the displaced woman gasped when she realized she tried to expel her Pastor’s guests!”

When Blackaby left that Church, he prayed:

“Lord, it doesn’t matter how large our Church grows or how many mission Churches we start if our people don’t reflect your character!”

When we repent and turn our lives over to the Holy Spirit, He not only saves us, but we become

(Ephesians 2:10 ESV) … His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We’re not done with John’s definition of “REPENT”. When the:

(Luke 3:12 LSB)… TAX COLLECTORS also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?”

Tax collectors were hated by the Jews because they often added additional fees to what they collected, then pocketed the fees. John didn’t tell them to stop being tax collectors. He said:

(Luke 3:13 LSB) Collect NO MORE THAN YOU HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO.

Those who have repented, and belong to the Kingdom of God, are to do their jobs honestly. You should not be stealing from the company. And John told the soldiers who sought baptism:

(Luke 3:14 LSB) Do not take MONEY FROM ANYONE BY FORCE, or EXTORT [anyone], and BE CONTENT with your wages.

If your faith does not show in your secular life, then your faith does not honor God. True repentance surrenders the life to God. True repentance brings about a genuine, God given change that shows in how you live your life.

Jesus Came To Lead Us To Repentance

As Jesus preached:

(Matthew 4:17 KJV) Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

He called sinners to come to Him. Jesus said “I have not come to call the righteous, BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE” (Luke 5:32). Pastor John Piper wrote:

“Repenting means experiencing a change of mind so that we can see God as true and beautiful and worthy of all our praise and all our obedience. This change of mind also embraces Jesus in the same way. We know this because Jesus said, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God” (John 8:42). Seeing God with a new mind includes seeing Jesus with a new mind.”

When Jesus began to preach “REPENT”, He did so from Capernaum. This was a fulfillment of

(Isaiah 9:2-4 LSB) The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in the land of the shadow of death, The light will shine on them. [3] You shall multiply the nation, You shall make great their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. [4] For You shall shatter the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their taskmaster, as at the battle of Midian.

The monster that holds America in its grip today is darkness, it is sin. Sin has enslaved us as a nation. No political party can fix us. We need to hear the Voice of Jesus, Who said “Unless YOU REPENT, you will ALL LIKEWISE PERISH” (Luke 13:5). We are all born broken. We must all be born again. That only comes when we repent, and come to Jesus as Lord and Savior. If we will not repent and follow Jesus, His message is simple:

Woe to you (Matthew 11:21)

Our Lord Jesus suffered on the Cross of Calvary, and on the third day rose from the Grave so that …

Luke 24:47 REPENTANCE and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem

Repent! He is walking through this room today, just as He walked by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus says “Repent. Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men ” (Matthew 4:19). To repent is to follow Jesus. Will you follow Him today?

Posted in Commands Of Jesus, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Commandments, Faith, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, Jesus, obey, obey God, obeying God, salvation, the sane obey God, the saved obey God | Leave a comment

The Beautiful Command Of Christ

Posted on June 26, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Rusty Watson on Unsplash

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

The Great Invitation? Or The Great Command?

Word Study: Jesus said “Come unto Me”. Some have declared that this section of Scripture is the Great Invitation. But that’s not what Jesus said. Jesus was speaking to a crowd of people when He uttered these words. The word “Come” is the Greek plural adverb δεῦτε (deute) used as an IMPERATIVE. The Imperative makes a command, not a suggestion. The plural means it is addressed to a group of people, not just one. As Jesus says it, it has the force of:

You All (or Ya’ll) Come Here Right Now!

When Jesus stood in front of His friend Lazarus’ tomb He used the singular form of this word: “Lazarus, Come Here {δεῦρο (deuro)}!” When Jesus speaks and people respond, the dead are raised, the leper healed, the blind given sight, and the deaf can hear. When Jesus walked this earth, He quoted the Bible, and gave 50 specific commands to those who would listen. Jesus told His disciples:

(John 14:15, 21 LSB) IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU WILL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. … [21] HE WHO HAS MY COMMANDMENTS AND KEEPS THEM IS THE ONE WHO LOVES ME; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

The one who loves Jesus will keep His commandments. The one who loves Jesus will realize that His commandments are given because He loves us, and wants the best for us. When we neglect His commandments, we do so at our peril. Before Jesus uttered this command, He spoke on the dangers of worldly peer pressure.

Neglecting Jesus As Lord Leads To Destruction

Matthew 11:16-19 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But WISDOM IS JUSTIFIED OF HER CHILDREN.

One of the most divisive things in our world today is the misuse of social media. People do silly things on social media hoping to get a large following, hoping to “go viral”. They are not doing this to glorify God nor to bless our society. They are doing this to inflate their own ego.

Don’t this sound like social media. “Dance to our music. Agree with our assessment. We mourned, but you wouldn’t mourn. We celebrated, and you refused to celebrate with us”. Where is God in it? Where is Jesus Christ in it? He isn’t there.

John the Baptist “went viral” following God. Thousands flocked to hear him preach the coming of the Messiah. Many saw John baptize Jesus. Yet there were many more unbelievers who rejected Jesus as Messiah. They rejected the messenger, saying “John is demon possessed. He’s crazy. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about”.

And Jesus. Jesus can’t be the Messiah, because He eats with tax collectors and prostitutes. They said “Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.”. But Jesus said:

WISDOM IS JUSTIFIED OF HER CHILDREN

Those who hear the Word of God and live as children of that Word will always be proved right in the end. You may not have many “followers”. But if you love Jesus and do as He says, you will be blessed of God.

People mocked Jesus when He walked the earth, just as people minimized the God of the Scripture and killed His prophets. Why did nations cease to exist? Why are cultures erased from history? Why do people groups vanish?

The Pathway To Destruction Is When Peoples
Will Not Repent And Come To Jesus

Matthew 11:20-24 Then began {Jesus} to UPBRAID {oneidizō, reproach or revile} THE CITIES WHEREIN MOST OF HIS MIGHTY WORKS WERE DONE, BECAUSE THEY REPENTED NOT: 21 Woe unto thee, CHORAZIN! woe unto thee, BETHSAIDA! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in TYRE AND SIDON, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be MORE TOLERABLE for TYRE and SIDON AT THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, THAN FOR YOU. 23 And thou, CAPERNAUM, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in SODOM, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be MORE TOLERABLE FOR THE LAND OF SODOM in the day of judgment, than for thee.

When Jesus went into the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum He did great and mighty miracles in those places. In the Old Testament, God called on the wealthy Phoenician port cities of Tyre and Sidon to repent, and they would not. God promised their destruction if they did not repent, and turn to Him for salvation. Jesus ministered in the Galilean cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida,calling on people to REPENT. He did mighty miracles in Capernaum, a fishing village on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus told Capernaum “it shall be MORE TOLERABLE FOR THE LAND OF SODOM in the day of judgment, than for thee”. Sodom was infamous for gross immorality, whereas Capernaum was a quiet Jewish fishing village. But Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida’s sin was that they saw the miraculous works Jesus did, but rejected Him as Lord and Savior. Their spiritual state was actually worse.

Failure to repent, to come to Jesus, to take His yoke upon you will eventually bring about the destruction of a people group.

The Bible – both Old and New Testaments – is about Jesus. There are 300 specific prophecies that point to the identity, birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus told the Pharisees and Sadducees:

(John 5:45-47 ESV) Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46] For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; FOR HE WROTE OF ME. [47] But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

The Father is the Planner of the Trinity of God, but Jesus is the Mediator between God and man. Jesus tells us:

Matthew 11:27 All things are DELIVERED (paradidomi, to put under direct control) unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; NEITHER KNOWETH ANY MAN THE FATHER, SAVE THE SON, and HE TO WHOMSOEVER THE SON WILL REVEAL {apokalupto, to uncover that which was veiled} HIM.

When God sent the Prophets to the nations, the Prophets were the servants of God – but they were not the Son of God. The Father has placed all things in Jesus’ hands. When Jesus came, He did not come just as a Prophet. He came as the only One Who can show us the Father. The Bible says:

(John 1:18 ESV) No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, HE HAS MADE HIM KNOWN.

Jesus is the fulfillment of what the Old Testament prophets spoke of. The Way to God is only through Jesus. Jesus manifests the will of the Father to us. He said:

(John 14:6-7 ESV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME. [7] If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. …

Jesus is the only Way to the Father. In the Old Testament, God spoke through the Prophets – but now speaks directly to humanity through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-3). Those who come to Jesus, come to the Father.

The Most Beautiful Command Of Jesus

Matthew 11:28 Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

By speaking to the crowd, Jesus is giving a general call to salvation. The problem I have with Reformed Theology or Calvinism is that they teach a thing called Limited Atonement, that Jesus died only for the “elect” or the chosen of God. Yet Jesus offers a general call to salvation. The Bible says that when Jesus died on the Cross,

(1 John 2:2-3 ESV) {Jesus} is the PROPITIATION {hilasmos, that which appeases or pleases God} for our sins, and not for ours only but ALSO FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD. [3] And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

And again in 1 John 4:14 (ESV) And we have seen and testify that the Father has SENT HIS SON TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

When John the Baptist declared Jesus the Messiah, he said “Behold, the Lamb of God, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD” (John 1:29).

Jesus is speaking to the crowd. Now we know that God knows all things. This is called the Doctrine of Omniscience (“God knows all things”, 1 John 3:20). God knows who will be saved, and who will not be saved. But the Omniscience of God does not negate what Jesus did on the Cross. The Scripture is clear:

(2 Peter 3:9 ESV) The Lord is … patient toward you, NOT WISHING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that ALL SHOULD REACH REPENTANCE.

(1 Timothy 2:3-4 ESV) This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4] WHO DESIRES ALL PEOPLE TO BE SAVED and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

When Jesus died, He died for the sins of the whole world, not just for those who would repent. When Jesus called out His Beautiful Command “Come unto Me”, He issues this to all.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto Me, all ye that LABOR and are HEAVY LADEN, and I will give you rest.

We bring our broken lives to Jesus. We bring our struggles. We bring our darkness, our inabilities. When you come to Jesus, you come surrendered. When you do, Jesus gives you rest. Salvation is a rest, a selah. When King David was being chased by his son Absalom, who wanted to kill his father and assume his throne, this was one of the darkest moments of his life. In Psalm 3 David wrote:

(Psalm 3:1-2 ESV) O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; [2] many are saying of my soul, “There is NO SALVATION FOR HIM IN GOD.” SELAH

The world said “If David’s son hates him so, he must be evil! There is no hope for David. David cannot be saved by God.” Oh, how horrible this was for David. But then he says SELAH.

SELAH means pause.
SELAH means reflect.
SELAH means stop.

David doesn’t listen to the world. He doesn’t listen to the discouragement. SELAH. He puts his emotions on hold, and runs to the arms of Jesus.

(Psalm 3:3-4 ESV) But you, O LORD, ARE A SHIELD ABOUT ME, MY GLORY, and THE LIFTER OF MY HEAD. [4] I cried aloud to the LORD, and HE ANSWERED ME from His holy hill. SELAH

David “LABORED and was HEAVY LADEN”. He ran to the Lord. SELAH!

SELAH means rest.
SELAH means surrender to God.

How many sleepless nights did David have before he came to the Lord. But once he gave it to Jesus,

(Psalm 3:5-7 ESV) I lay down and slept; I woke again, for THE LORD SUSTAINED ME. [6] I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. [7] Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.

The enemy has no force on us when we give it to Jesus. We let the Lord take care of it. We give it to Him. We rest in the Lord Jesus.

At the beginning of the Psalm David was terrified and hopeless. But giving it to Jesus, he is now blessed.

(Psalm 3:8 ESV) SALVATION BELONGS TO THE LORD; your blessing be ON YOUR PEOPLE! SELAH

David understood that which we must all understand. “SALVATION BELONGS TO THE LORD”. If you want to be saved, you must, too, belong to the Lord.

A Proper Salvation Brings A Yoke
An Improper Salvation Is A Joke

There are some who profess Christ who believe the free gift of salvation comes with no obligation to God. In other words, I can be saved, then live my life any old way I please, without regard to my Savior.

That’s not Biblical.

Salvation begins with REPENTANCE. Repentance means to surrender to God, to give yourself to Him. Salvation brings with it a delightful yoke. Jesus said:

Matthew 11:29 TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

A “YOKE” is, according to Webster’s,

“A piece of timber, hollowed or made curving near each end, and fitted with bows for receiving the necks of oxen; by which means two are connected for drawing. From a ring or hook in the bow, a chain extends to the thing to be drawn, or to the yoke of another pair of oxen behind.”

A yoke was placed on an animal so that someone walking behind that animal could control it. A yoke symbolizes domination or subjection of the will. An animal in a yoke was not free to do as it would – it had to walk as the Master directed it. If you want to find rest in Jesus, you must surrender to Him. You must allow Him to put His yoke around your neck. You kneel before Jesus, and let Him be your King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Those who are saved are saved to Christ’s yoke. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He says,

learn of Me

Listen to the Master’s Voice. Do as He says. Love one another. Jesus commanded us:

John 13:34-35 (KJV) A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU, That YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, that ye also love one another. {35} By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

As children of the King, we are to love sacrificially as He loved. We do not love the world nor the things that are in the world (1 John 2:15). But we do love our neighbors, and want the best for them.

We LEARN of Christ by studying His Word. We LIVE Christ. We walk where the Master directs. We are yoked to Him. We do as Jesus did. We hear His Words, then we put His Words in action. We DO what His yoke directs us to do. We do not walk and live blindly like the heathen, following the whim of the flesh, but we walk in the Word of our Master. We put on His yoke, and walk differently than the heathen. We walk as God’s own children, for we are God’s own children, born again by faith in Christ Jesus.

When you walk with Jesus, you find that His yoke is not difficult. Jesus said:

Matthew 11:30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

What does Jesus expect of us? To learn of Him. We learn of Him through the Scripture, then we do what He tells us to do. We pray, we love, we serve, we tell of Him, we glorify Jesus in our lives. We are to be overcomers. Jesus has overcome the world. We overcome the world by hiding in Him, by doing as He tells us to do. The Apostle wrote:

(1 John 5:4-5 ESV) For EVERY ONE WHO HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD OVERCOMES THE WORLD. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world except THE ONE WHO BELIEVES THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD?

Take Christ’s yoke upon you … and He will give you rest. Amen.

Posted in Matthew, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

The Mysteries Of The Kingdom Of God

Posted on June 21, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash

(Matthew 25:13-19 KJV) Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. [14] For [the kingdom of heaven is] as a man traveling into a far country, [who] called his own servants, and delivered unto them His goods. [15] And unto one He gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to His several ability; and straightway took His journey. [16] Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made [them] other five talents. [17] And likewise he that [had received] two, he also gained other two. [18] But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord’s money. [19] After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

Why Did Jesus Speak In Parables?

One of the marks of Jesus’ teaching was that He taught by parable. The disciples asked Jesus “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”. That’s a great question. Jesus gave His disciples a very clear answer. He said:

(Matthew 13:11-13 NKJV) Because IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU TO KNOW THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, but TO THEM IT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN. [12] For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. [13] Therefore I SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES, because SEEING THEY DO NOT SEE, and HEARING THEY DO NOT HEAR, NOR DO THEY UNDERSTAND.

The difference between the Christ follower and the casual followeris that BOTH heard Jesus’ parables. But the lost person never hung around and asked Jesus what He meant.

The lost person or the casual follower of Christ will never understand the “MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN”. They don’t want to know. The lost person – before they are saved – are not convinced that they are sinners in need of salvation. The Pharisees did not see themselves as sinners in need of Jesus. Jesus told these self righteous, law abiding people:

(Matthew 21:31-32 LSB) … Truly I say to you that the TAX COLLECTORS AND PROSTITUTES WILL GET INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEFORE YOU. [32] For JOHN CAME TO YOU IN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS and you did not believe him; but the TAX COLLECTORS AND PROSTITUTES DID BELIEVE HIM; and you, seeing [this], did not even regret afterward so as to believe him.

John the Baptist came preaching REPENT and BELIEVE IN JESUS. That is the “WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”. But the Pharisees rejected Jesus so that they might follow their own path to God, a man made path, and lost the salvation they could have had through Christ.

Until a person REPENT and commit themselves to JESUS, they cannot walk the way of righteousness. Those who walk with Jesus can understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Parable Of The Talents

Matthew 25:13-14 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 14 For the kingdom of heaven is as A MAN TRAVELING INTO A FAR COUNTRY, who CALLED HIS OWN SERVANTS, and delivered unto them his goods.

The parable that we’re looking at today is called “The Parable Of The Talents”. In this parable we see:

A MAN TRAVELING INTO A FAR COUNTRY

Jesus tells us Who this Man is in the context. In verse 13 Jesus warns us to “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the SON OF MAN cometh”. The “SON OF MAN” is a reference to the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Prophet Daniel used the phrase “SON OF MAN” when he prophesied the coming of Jesus the Messiah (Daniel 7:13). When Jesus came, He applied that phrase to Himself. When Jesus spoke of His upcoming crucifixion, He said:

Matthew 17:12 (LSB) the SON OF MAN is going to suffer at their hands.

Jesus is the Son of Man, the Messiah, the One Who has gone into “a FAR COUNTRY”.

He has ascended into Heaven. He “sits on the right hand of God the Father” (Acts 2:33). He is waiting for His Father, our God and His God, to send Him back to this earth. The Bible says – JESUS SAID:

Mark 13:32 Concerning the day or the hour (of My return) NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels in Heaven, NOR THE SON, but ONLY THE FATHER (see also Matthew 24:36-42; Acts 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2).

Jesus Christ is the “Man traveling into a far country”. Before Jesus ascended to Heaven,

HE CALLED HIS OWN SERVANTS

The “SERVANTS” of the Lord are those who have given themselves to Jesus. Christians are called to serve the Lord. The Bible says,

(Romans 12:11 LSB) be fervent in spirit, SERVING THE LORD

(Colossians 3:23 LSB) do your work heartily, AS FOR THE LORD rather than for men

So Jesus calls the Christian to His side. He is in Heaven, traveling in that far country. What does the Lord do? The Bible says:

He DELIVERED UNTO THEM HIS GOODS

Jesus gave HIS SERVANTS HIS GOODS. Those who are saved by Grace are given TALENTS.

(Matthew 25:15 KJV) And unto one HE GAVE FIVE TALENTS, to ANOTHER TWO, and to ANOTHER ONE; to EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS SEVERAL {idios, “his own”} ABILITY; and straightway took his journey.

Jesus gives each Christian servant TALENTS. He gives one person FIVE, another person TWO, and another person ONE talent. He doesn’t give the talents based on who He loves more, or based on who He loves less. The text is very clear that He gives “TO EVERY PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS SEVERAL{idios, “his own”}ABILITY”.

The Parable Makes No Sense If
You Don’t Understand What A “Talent” Is

It’s impossible to understand this parable if you don’t know what Jesus means by “TALENTS”. In the ancient world a “talent” was both a weight as well as a value. A talent in denari weighed about 75 pounds. A talent was equivalent to 6000 denari, or 6000 days of labor – around 16.43 years of work. If we look at this from an average wage of $40,000 per year, then what was given each man was:

5 talents = $3,286,000
2 talents = $1,314,400
1 talent = $657,200

A “Talent” represented a vast amount of money for each person. Jesus gives us something much better, much more precious than money.

What do these “talents” represent?

Some people that the “talents” refer to human abilities. They take it like the word “talent”, as in “Elaine is a talented pianist”. Or “He’s a talented actor”.

Yet others have interpreted “talents” to refer to human riches or money. The Prosperity Preachers tell you if you invest in their ministries, God will give you more money.

A few Bible scholars believe that these “talents” to refer to spiritual gifts or the Holy Spirit of God. In a sermon preached at Duke University Chapel by Dr Sam Wells said:

“These talents are not natural abilities or big bucks but particular gifts suited to the time between Jesus’ first coming and his second. … The Holy Spirit is the talent Jesus leaves the Church for the time until He returns. So this parable is not telling us how to come to terms with the fact that we are super talented or super rich. It is telling us that, in giving us the Holy Spirit, Jesus has left the Church all the gifts it needs for the time between his first coming and his second, and that we must use those gifts or we’ll be in big trouble.”

The problem with seeing the gifts as the Holy Spirit or Spiritual Gifts is that one person received 5 Talents, one two, and another one. If the Talents are the Holy Spirit, did someone receive 5 Holy Spirits, and the other 2? And what about the one who we find out has his talent taken away. Jesus taught us that the Holy Spirit is not taken away.

Jesus said:

(John 14:16-17 NKJV) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that HE MAY ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER– [17] the SPIRIT OF TRUTH, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

When you are “born again” of God’s Spirit, He comes to you and abides with you FOREVER. It is the Holy Spirit of God Who “SEALS YOU unto THE DAY OF REDEMPTION” (Ephesians 4:30). God has given us “the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:22). And the Apostle John said:

1 John 2:27 the Anointing which ye have received of Him ABIDETH IN YOU

God has promised “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus has said “I am with you always, even UNTO THE END OF THE AGE” (Matthew 28::20).

The “talent” cannot represent the gifts of God, nor the Holy Spirit. The “talent” does not refer to human ability, or money. At the beginning of this message Jesus told us that the talents are “The MYSTERIES of The Kingdom Of Heaven”

(Matthew 13:11-12 NKJV) Because IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU TO KNOW THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, but TO THEM IT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN. [12] For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

The “MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” are the truths and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are called “MYSTERIES” because they are completely different from what the world teaches is acceptable behavior. Jesus taught us:

(Matthew 5:43-48 LSB) You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ [44] “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on [the] evil and [the] good, and sends rain on [the] righteous and [the] unrighteous. [46] “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] “And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing [than others]? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus teaches His people – saved by Grace – a way of life that is absolutely contrary to the ways of this world. It is a sacrificial way of life. It is a loving way of life. The Way of Christ – the Mysteries of the Kingdom Of Heaven – bring peace and blessing and joy to those who do them.

The “Talents” represent the “Mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven”, the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Child of God DOES these talents to be blessed.

(Matthew 25:14-15 KJV) {Jesus}called His own servants (the Christian), and delivered unto them His goods (the Word of Christ). [15] And unto one He gave five MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, to another two, and to another one; to every {person} ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY; and straightway took his journey.

Jesus’ Word has power. When you walk in His Word, doing as He says, you will be blessed. God’s Word will not return void, nor will it ever pass away. Jesus said:

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, BUT MY WORDS SHALL NOT PASS AWAY

The Word that Jesus spoke is the Word of Life. It is MYSTERIOUS to the world, but our way of life.

Beloved, if you are saved then you are …

Romans 8:17 HEIRS OF GOD, and JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST

We sing, but often fail to listen to the words we sing.

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

When attacked as being less than other preachers, the Apostle Paul countered with these words:

(1 Corinthians 4:1-5 ESV) This is how one should regard us, as SERVANTS OF CHRIST and STEWARDS OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD. [2] Moreover, it is REQUIRED OF STEWARDS THAT THEY BE FOUND FAITHFUL. [3] But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. [4] For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. IT IS THE LORD WHO JUDGES ME. [5] Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then EACH ONE WILL RECEIVE HIS COMMENDATION FROM GOD.

The point of this parable is that Jesus has given us great talents, great truths that we are to follow if we love Him. If we follow the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, we will live blessed and full lives. Look at the parable again:

(Matthew 25:16 KJV) Then he that had received the five MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM went and traded with the same, and made [them] other five MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM.

One servant received FIVE TALENTS or FIVE MYSTERIES from the Lord. He went out and did what his Lord told him to do. He acted out what he was told. He heard Jesus, then did as Jesus commanded. He “loved the Lord his God with ALL his heart and with ALL his soul and with ALL his mind” (Matthew 22:37-38). He put Jesus first, and not himself. He “humbled himself under God’s mighty hand, and God lifted him up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Continue reading:

(Matthew 25:17 KJV) And likewise he that [had received] two, he also gained other two.

The second Servant of Christ was give knowledge of two mysteries. He heard what Jesus said, then went out and did EXACTLY AS THE MASTER DIRECTED. The servant with FIVE gained FIVE by being obedient. The servant with TWO gained TWO. Both individuals lived their lives according to the Word of our Lord.

The Disobedient Servant Is Never Blessed
Nor Will Jesus Walk With Him

(Matthew 25:18 KJV) But he that had RECEIVED ONE {mystery} went and digged in the earth, and HID HIS LORD’S MONEY {His valuable Word or Teaching}.

You cannot be blessed if you do not both HEAR and DO what Jesus says. Jesus told us this in other places.

(Matthew 7:24-27 LSB) Therefore everyone who HEARS THESE WORDS OF MINE AND DOES THEM, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. [26] And everyone HEARING THESE WORDS OF MINE AND NOT DOING THEM, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. [27] And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.

God through Christ Jesus has given us a glorious salvation. “NOW we are the SONS OF GOD” (1 John 3:2). We have eternal life RIGHT NOW (John 3:16, 36). We are given the Word of Christ so that we can live as victors, doing what He has said RIGHT NOW. But sadly, there are many Christians who do as this pitiful servant did. They dig a hole in the ground, and bury His Word.

There Is A Day Of Reckoning Coming
For Every Person, Christian or Casual Follower

(Matthew 25:19-20 KJV) After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, and RECKONETH WITH THEM. [20] And so he that had received five talents (MYSTERIES) came and brought other five talents (MYSTERIES), saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents (MYSTERIES): behold, I have gained beside them five talents (MYSTERIES) more.

The first servant did the five mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He was obedient to Jesus in what he understood and received. God’s Word never returns void. He did as Jesus said. How did Jesus reward him?

(Matthew 25:21 KJV) His Lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: THOU HAST BEEN FAITHFUL OVER A FEW THINGS, I WILL MAKE THEE RULER OVER MANY THINGS: ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD.

The Christian who both HEARS and DOES the things Jesus says, glorifying Him, honoring Him, will “ENTER INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD”. That person is blessed in this life, and in the life to come. Jesus continues:

(Matthew 25:22-23 KJV) He also that had received two talents (MYSTERIES) came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents (MYSTERIES): behold, I have gained two other talents (MYSTERIES) beside them. [23] His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; THOU HAST BEEN FAITHFUL OVER A FEW THINGS, I WILL MAKE THEE RULER OVER MANY THINGS: ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD.

Please note that the Christian who was given five mysteries and the servant who was given two mysteries are both given the exact same reward. Both Christians did their level best to honor Jesus with how they obeyed His Word. And both were eventually were made RULERS OVER MANY THINGS. But what of the servant who – having the Word of Christ – never invested it in life? He heard Jesus, received what he could, but did NOTHING with it.

(Matthew 25:24-25 KJV) Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: [25] And I was afraid, and went and HID THY TALENT (MYSTERY) IN THE EARTH: lo, [there] thou hast [that is] thine.

How did the Lord respond to this? Look what He says to the Christian who did nothing on this earth for the Lord:

(Matthew 25:26-30 KJV) His Lord answered and said unto him, [Thou] WICKED and SLOTHFUL SERVANT, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: [27] Thou oughtest therefore to have PUT MY MONEY TO THE EXCHANGERS, and [then] at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. [28] TAKE THEREFORE THE MYSTERY FROM HIM from him, and give [it] unto him which hath ten MYSTERIES. [29] For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. [30] And CAST YE THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT INTO OUTER DARKNESS: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus did not say that this Servant is lost. But He does say that this servant is WICKED and LAZY. Those who are Christians are to walk with the Lord in the light. But Beloved,

1 John 1:5-7 God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

God will not walk with the believer who does not honor and follow Jesus. We are not to just HEAR His Word, but we are to live by it. Are you living by His Word to the best of your ability? Are you walking with the Lord in the Light of His Word? There is no joy for the lazy and wicked believer. We must walk with Him in love, doing what He says.

For His glory and our peace. Amen.

Posted in Matthew, Parables of Jesus, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, building the Kingdom, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, King's Highway, Kingdom life, Kingdom Living, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Kingdom work, living for Jesus, salvation | Leave a comment

Being Little Children In Eternity

Posted on June 15, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash

Matthew 18:1-6 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

How Can I Be “The Greatest”?

Opening: In America, people have gone “social media” crazy. Young people go about with smart phones, dancing and acting foolish, so that their video and fame might go “viral”. Everyone wants to be famous on earth. I heard a phrase the other day where they said Jack Nicklaus (the Golden Bear) was the GOAT in golf. The man is 86 years old. When I heard that, I thought “How disrespectful to call him an old GOAT”. Then I found out that GOAT stands for GREATEST OF ALL TIME. He is – in golf. Nicklaus won 18 Major Championships, 73 PGA Tours, and was a runner up in major championships 19 times. So in golf he is the GOAT.

But what about Heaven? Will Jack be famous in Heaven? And let me ask you, Have you thought about Heaven?

In our text today the disciples came to Jesus. That very day Jesus had been to the Mount of Transfiguration. They heard the Father say, “This is My Beloved Son – HEAR HIM!” (Matthew 17:5). When Jesus came off the mountain, He cast a demon from a child (Matthew 17:18). Jesus paid a Temple Tax by having the disciples catch a fish – and find a gold coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:27).

The disciples had heard the Voice of the Father, and seen the miraculous work of the Son. So now they ask Jesus a good question:

“Who is the GREATEST (meizōn) in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Word Study: The Greek meizōn doesn’t mean “boss”. It means “elder”. I used to think that the disciples were battling over who would be in charge when they got to Heaven. But as I prayerfully consider the context, I believe that they were asking “who will be considered an elder by God”, or to put it another way,

How shall we live in the light of eternity
so as to impress God?

We should all live in the light of eternity. Too many people are focused on impressing other people on this earth. But you’re going to be on this earth just a relatively small amount of time. Even if you live to be 102 years old (as my grandmother did), that’s very little time compared to eternity.

Illustration: Here’s an interesting thing – I came across my obituary this week. I keep an eye on my hometown through the magic of the Internet. As a Pastor, I also watch the obituaries. Last Wednesday, June 10 2026 this popped up on my news feed:

David Buffaloe Obituary – Garner, North Carolina – David Buffaloe passed away June 6, 2026

That’s my hometown! When I read the obituary (obviously not mine) this David was a “man of faith who regularly participated in Church services, lived his beliefs by example, and remained steadfast in his walk with the Lord”. In the obituary the Bible was quoted:

Proverbs 20:7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him

This had a different middle name (Michael), obviously a different wife (Karen), had three sons as I do, and was a member of First Baptist Church on St Mary’s Street. This David was much younger than I (53), and he now stands in the Presence of the Lord. Why is David Buffaloe in Heaven? Not because he’s the greatest in Heaven, but because he humbled himself as a little child, and came to Jesus.

Friends, we all need to be living in the light of eternity. We all need Jesus. This week we as a Church are going to be reaching out to children, to attempt to lead them toward Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus loved children.

What Impresses God? What Should
Elder (meizōn) Christians Do?

Being an elder Christian – a Christian who impresses God – is not based on your absolute knowledge of the Scriptures. You should:

(2 Timothy 2:15 KJV) STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH.

You should cherish and read God’s Word. But you may not understand everything you read. You should nonetheless DO what God says in His Word (if you are an elder Christian).

Illustrate: A little boy was in Sunday School, listening to his teacher tell the story of Lot land his family leaving Sodom and Gomorrah. The teacher said: “Lot was warned to take his wife and FLEE out of the city. But Lot’s wife looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.” The teacher asked, “Are there any questions”? One little boy asked,

“His wife turned to salt. But what happened to the FLEA”?

When the disciples asked “WHO IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?”, they went to the right Source. They went to Jesus. The Old Testament Jew – in particular the Pharisees, refused to go to Jesus, but instead went to the Law to impress God. You cannot impress God by going to the Law.

God gave Israel the Law at Mount Sinai because, though He had saved them by faith, they refused to follow and surrender their lives to God. So God gave them the Law. The Bible says:

(Romans 3:19-20 LSB) Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are in the Law, so that EVERY MOUTH MAY BE SHUT and ALL THE WORLD MAY BE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD; [20] because BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT, for THROUGH THE LAW COMES THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.

The Law was given to convict us as sinners. The Law was given to lead us to Jesus:

(Galatians 3:24-26 NKJV) Therefore the LAW WAS OUR TUTOR TO BRING US TO CHRIST, that we might be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH. [25] But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. [26] For you are all SONS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH in Christ Jesus.

You cannot hope to be meizōn – an elder in Christ
unless you first come to Christ.

(Matthew 18:1-2 KJV) At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? [2] And Jesus CALLED A LITTLE CHILD UNTO HIM, and SET HIM IN THE MIDST of them,

Jesus first of all CALLED THE LITTLE CHILD – and that child CAME. The child was not called to a PLACE, but to a PERSON. Jesus told the child, “YOU come to ME”. The child came to Jesus. The child allowed Jesus to handle him. This is the first step to impressing Heaven. To come to Jesus when He calls. Jesus said:

(John 5:23-24 LSB) so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. HE WHO DOES NOT HONOR THE SON DOES NOT HONOR THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM. [24] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

The Christian way of life is not about walking an aisle. It’s about willingly putting yourself in the hands of Jesus. To come when Jesus calls. To serve Him, not self.

Jesus said in:

(Luke 9:23-24 LSB) … If anyone wishes to come after Me, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, and TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY and FOLLOW ME. [24] For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

To be a child of God, you must come when Jesus calls. You must love Jesus, for He loves you. To love this world more than Jesus, you will never be blessed – or even see the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus warned:

(Luke 9:25-26 LSB) For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? [26] For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and [the glory] of the Father and of the holy angels.

To achieve greatness in God’s Kingdom, you must glorify Him. You must magnify Jesus.

To Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven, You Must Be Converted

(Matthew 18:3 KJV) … Verily I say unto you, Except ye be CONVERTED {STREPHO}, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Word Study: The word for “CONVERTED” is the Greek strephō, which means “to turn from ones self. To turn from one course of conduct to another”. Coming to Jesus, we stop following the world, and follow our Master and Savior. We who are saved “BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN”. We are no longer the bosses. Jesus is the boss. We are to:

Be HUMBLE. (1 Peter 5:5-7 LSB) … all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. [6] Therefore HUMBLE YOURSELVES UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, that He may exalt you at the proper time, [7] CASTING ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON HIM, because He cares for you.

TRUST Jesus. Put yourself in His hands.

Be TEACHABLE. Let God “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6)

Have a SIMPLE faith. You don’t have to understand it all. Just love Jesus.

Whosoever shall not RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS A LITTLE CHILD, he shall not enter therein. (Mark 10:15)

You cannot enter Heaven unless you receive Jesus. That child received Jesus. He called, and the child came. Who is Jesus? He is Lord. Jesus is called “Lord” 747 times in the New Testament. Salvation begins when you are converted – you stop trying to be God – and you come and rest in the arms of Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. That is not negotiable! Believing on Jesus is to rest in His arms. Jesus is very clear in His illustration:

(Matthew 18:4 KJV) Whosoever therefore shall HUMBLE HIMSELF AS THIS LITTLE CHILD, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The little child who humbles themselves will be saved, for Jesus is with that little child. Jesus calls on His people to RECEIVE the little children in His Name.

We Impress God By Bringing Children To Jesus’ Side

(Matthew 18:5 LSB) And whoever RECEIVES one such child in My name receives Me

We can’t make a child believe in Jesus, but we can bring the children to Him. Beloved, your children and grandchildren will one day leave this plane of existence – and you don’t know when that will happen. You need to bring your children to Jesus. In the very next chapter of Matthew we are told:

(Matthew 19:13-15 NKJV) Then little children were brought to Jesus that He might put [His] hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. [14] But Jesus said, “LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME, and DO NOT FORBID THEM; for OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.” [15] And He laid [His] hands on them and departed from there.

I have heard parents and grandparents say, “I’m going to wait for my children to choose Jesus for themselves”. When I hear this, I understand I’m talking to a Biblically illiterate Christian (if you are indeed a Christian). A child will never naturally gravitate to Jesus.

A child left to themselves will chase the flashy, the bright and impressive. A child in a friend group will follow the whim of the group. If the parent and grandparent will not parent, the world will parent – and the child will not meet Jesus.

When people brought their children to Jesus, He laid hands on them and prayed for them. Jesus told His disciples – those who had been following Him:

LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME, and DO NOT FORBID THEM

The little children were coming because the parents or adults of the families were bringing them. Every disciple of Christ should want the children to be saved. The madness we see in America today – at times total insanity – is because parents are not bringing their children to Jesus, but to social media, racism, and hatred.

You’ve all probably heard of the young Texan Karmelo Anthony sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for murder. This young man was just 17 years old when he stabbed another young man to death at a school track meet in Frisco, Texas. The argument was over nothing. Had either boy’s parents taught their children the sacredness of life? Had these children been told when they were younger that God’s standard is very clear:

Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds human blood, BY HUMANS SHALL THEIR BLOOD BE SHED; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

Life is precious. Children are precious. They need to be led to Jesus at a young age, to where the Lord can reach out and touch them.

Jesus Protects The Children Who Come To Him

(Matthew 18:6 KJV) But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Jesus Christ protects those who are His. If you are born again by faith in Jesus Christ then trust Him. Rest in Him. Rest in His Word, and do as He tells you to do. Pastor John Piper said “Humility is the soil in which everything in the Christian life grows”.

As a Christian I know that if I please Jesus, it doesn’t matter who I displease. If I displease Jesus, it doesn’t matter who I please! Dear friends, are you trusting Jesus? Are you surrendered to Him? Oh, don’t wait. Run to His nail scarred hands. Let Him embrace you in ever area of your life. The question every Christian should ask every day is “Lord, what would you have me to do?” If you’re born again, you were born to the Family of God. You were saved to serve Him.

ILLUSTRATE: A Christian family went through one of the dark moments. A husband lost his precious wife to cancer. He lay in bed that night with his little daughter grieving. He heard his little girl stir next to him. “Daddy, its so dark. Are you there?” Yes honey, I’m here. “Daddy, I can’t see you. Is your face turned toward me?”

Yes child, though you can’t see me, my face is turned toward you.

As his little girl went to sleep the daddy quietly slipped out of bed. Kneeling next to the bed he prayed, “Father, its so dark … Are You there?” In his heart he heard the Lord reply. Yes son, I’m here. “Father, I can’t see You. Is Your face turned toward me?” Yes son, though You can’t see Me, My face is turned toward you. You are My child, and I love you.

We all need to be in the arms of Jesus. Like little children, we need to rest in Him.

Posted in Matthew, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

Hearing Jesus Through The Scripture

Posted on June 11, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash

John 17:1, 13-17 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee … 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I HAVE GIVEN THEM THY WORD; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THY TRUTH : THY WORD IS TRUTH.

I have been amazed at the number of Christians who tell me that they have never heard the Voice of Jesus. Our Lord Jesus said:

(John 10:27-28 NKJV) My sheep HEAR MY VOICE, and I know them, and THEY FOLLOW ME. [28] And I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

And we are told in Romans 8:14 (NKJV), “For as many as are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THESE ARE THE SONS OF GOD”.

The Christian follows the voice of Christ. The Christian is led by the Holy Spirit of God. If you say, “I have never heard the Voice of Christ” then either Jesus is a liar or you are in an abnormal place. You may be saved, you may not be saved. But if you’re saved, you hear the Voice of Christ.

How do we hear the Voice of Christ? We must first hear the Word of God, the Voice of God. Before Jesus went to Calvary He prayed first the wonderful prayer of John 17. In that prayer Jesus said,

I HAVE GIVEN THEM THY WORD

As Jesus spoke to His disciples and the Church He was (and still is) forming, Jesus said “Father, I have given them THY WORD”. Jesus did not come and make up His own rules. Jesus told His followers:

(John 5:19 NKJV) Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but WHAT HE SEES THE FATHER DO; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

(John 12:49-50 NKJV) For I have not spoken on My own [authority]; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, WHAT I SHOULD SAY AND WHAT I SHOULD SPEAK. [50] And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, WHATEVER I SPEAK, JUST AS THE FATHER HAS TOLD ME, SO I SPEAK.

Jesus Christ spoke the Word of God. Jesus quoted direct, explicit verses of Scripture some 70 times. Jesus alluded to Old Testament scripture 150 times. As there was only the Old Testament when Jesus walked the earth, He quoted from all three sections the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.

The Father spoke to Jesus through His Word, the Holy Scripture. When Adam (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-6)failed to heed the Word of God, receiving instead the word of the serpent, he brought sin into the world. When Cain (Genesis 4:6-8) refused to hear the Word of God, instead listening to his own opinions and desires, he murdered his brother and became a marked fugitive. When Pharaoh (Exodus 5, 7-14) refused to hear the Word of God clearly presented he died with the army of Egypt in the Red Sea. When King Saul (1 Samuel 15:1-23) ignored the Word of God he lost his throne to David. When Israel refused to enter the Promised Land, ignoring God’s Word, the entire generation died (Numbers 13-14; Psalm 95:7-11). When Achan ignored the Word of God, both he and his family were destroyed (Joshua 6:18-19; 7:1-25). There are many more illustrations in the Bible, for I haven’t even touched the New Testament yet. The truth is that any willing rejection of the Word of God, the Bible, is a sin that will cut you off from the presence of God.

Isn’t The Bible Just A Book Written By Man?

At this year’s Southern Baptist Convention messengers will debate over “women pastors”. A lot of Christians make the statement, “What’s wrong with a woman Pastor?” When the Apostle Paul was telling his disciple Timothy how to establish churches in his absence, Paul laid out the qualification for the “Bishop” or Overseer of the local Church. In that text Paul said:

(1 Timothy 3:1-2 KJV) THIS IS A TRUE SAYING, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. [2] A bishop then must be blameless, THE HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

When Jesus prayed for His Church, He prayed:

John 17:17 SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THY TRUTH : THY WORD IS TRUTH

It is the Word of God that is true. I have heard people say, “Well, that the person holding the episkopē, the Office of the Overseer, that statement “husband of one wife” is just Paul’s opinion”. But that’s not what Paul says. Paul states:

THIS IS A TRUE (pistos, faithful, true to God) SAYING

Paul says “this is what is accurate according to God”. Paul is not basing this on his own opinion, but in the previous chapter stated:

(1 Timothy 2:12-14 KJV) But I suffer not a woman to teach, NOR TO USURP AUTHORITY OVER THE MAN, but to be in silence. [13] FOR ADAM WAS FIRST FORMED, THEN EVE. [14] And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Paul does not base his “faithful truth” of Chapter Three on his opinion, but refers to the Holy Scripture. It was ADAM WHO WAS FIRST FORMED. It was ADAM WHO BROUGHT SIN INTO THE WORLD. Not Eve, but Adam. Not because Paul is prejudiced, or woman hating, but because this is what the Word of God states.

The Bible was written by MAN, not by woman. But those who wrote the Scripture did so UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GOD. The first five Books of the Bible, called the Torah, were written by Moses … but only as God relayed them to him.

(Exodus 24:1-4 NKJV) Now {God} said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. [2] “And MOSES ALONE SHALL COME NEAR THE LORD, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him.” [3] So MOSES CAME AND TOLD THE PEOPLE ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD AND ALL THE JUDGMENTS. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “ALL THE WORDS WHICH THE LORD HAS SAID, WE WILL DO.” [4] And MOSES WROTE ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

The Bible is not a collection of male writings. It is what Jesus considered the Word of God. The Apostle wrote:

(2 Peter 1:20-21 NKJV) … no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, [21] for PROPHECY NEVER CAME BY THE WILL OF MAN, but HOLY MEN OF GOD SPOKE AS THEY WERE MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Bible is God’s Word. The Apostle Paul said:

(2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV) ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, [17] THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE COMPLETE, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God speaks to us through His Word, through the Bible. It teaches us. It rebukes us. It shows us how the citizen of Heaven’s Kingdom should walk. It is the Scripture that tells us what is good and a good work. It also tells us what God has forbidden, what is a bad work.

Good Works Begin With A Good
Understanding Of The Bible As It Is Written

Jesus prayed:

John 17:17 SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THY TRUTH : THY WORD IS TRUTH

Word Study: The word rendered “SANCTIFY” is the Greek hagiazō, which means “to dedicate to God, to set apart for God’s use, to distinguish from the kingdoms of this world and mark as a citizen of Heaven”. God our Father is “SANCTIFIED” or set apart from the world (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2). We who are saved are “SANCTIFIED” or set apart from the world and unto God. Sanctification is both a completed work and an ongoing work. The day we received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit sanctified us by causing us to be born again:

(Hebrews 10:10, 12-14 NKJV) By that will we HAVE BEEN SANCTIFIED through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]. … [12] But this Man, after He had OFFERED ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOREVER, sat down at the right hand of God, [13] from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. [14] For by one offering He has perfected forever THOSE WHO ARE BEING SANCTIFIED.

The Christian is a “new creature in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). When we believe the Word of God concerning the Gospel, God changes us from lost to saved, from a child of Adam to a child of God. We are set apart for God’s use at the point of salvation. But we also grow as Christians. We grow by studying and doing the Word of God, what the Scripture says. Jesus commanded us:

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Consider the “Good Work” of Water Baptism: Jesus commanded water baptism of those who believed in Him. It is an ordinance, an order from our Lord. As Baptists we believe that a person is baptized not by sprinkling or pouring, but by immersion in water. Our Lord Jesus led the way in baptism. Baptism is the outward profession of a person who belongs to the Kingdom of God. When Jesus was baptized:

Mark 1:10-11 .. And straightway coming up out of the water, {Jesus} saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

When Jesus was baptized, submitting to John the Baptist, then the Father endorsed His ministry as the Christ. Jesus was not sprinkled with water, but CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER.

Word Study: The word “baptize” is transliterated from the Greek βαπτίζω baptízō, {pronounced bap-tid’-zo}, which means “to immerse, to submerge, to make fully wet”. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance notes, “used only in the New Testament of ceremonial {washing}“. Further, the Scripture compares baptism to a symbol of death in:

Romans 6:3-5 Know ye not, that so many of us as were BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore WE ARE BURIED WITH HIM BY BAPTISM into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

When the disciple goes down into the water, this is symbolic of their death to their old way of life. When they come up out of the water this is symbolic of their resurrection into new life with Jesus Christ as their Lord. In the early Church baptism was by immersion in water. For instance, when Philip led the Ethiopian Eunuch to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior …

Acts 8:36-39 … the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Baptism in water is a good work the Christian does in honor or what Jesus commanded us to do. But this is not the only good work. As Christians grow through Bible reading and prayer, God reveals other works that they must do.

Care must be taken to read scripture in its context, and not to add to it nor take away from it.

Moses told Israel (whom God had saved) to carefully adhere to the Word of God if they wanted to be blessed. He said:

Deuteronomy 4:1-2 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. 2 YOU SHALL NOT ADD UNTO THE WORD WHICH I COMMAND YOU, NEITHER SHALL YOU DIMINISH OUGHT FROM IT, that ye may KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD YOUR GOD which I command you.

God said that if Israel kept the Word of God, doing as the Lord said, that they would “LIVE, GO IN, and POSSESS THE LAND”. You can be saved and ignore the Word of God. But you cannot be saved and BE BLESSED if you ignore God’s Word.

Understanding God’s Word and Doing God’s Word gives the Christ follower the best life. Listen to the Psalmist:

Psalm 19:7-10 The law of the Lord is PERFECT, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is SURE, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are RIGHT, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is PURE, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is CLEAN, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS altogether. 10 MORE TO BE DESIRED ARE THEY THAN GOLD, yea, than much fine gold: SWEETER ALSO THAN HONEY and the honeycomb.

God’s Word is “forever settled in Heaven” (Psalm 119:89). It is His Word that shows us how to walk with God (Psalm 119:105). The things of this world come and go. But the Bible says:

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but THE WORD OF OUR GOD SHALL STAND FOREVER.

It is the Scripture that teach us to be like Jesus. The Scriptures themselves point to Jesus. The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) states:

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

We cannot hear Jesus unless we read the Word of God. We cannot please God and do as He commands unless we DO what we have read in the Scripture.

Jesus prayed:

the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world

When we lock our focus on the Scripture and do what it tells us, we will not be politically correct. We will not be pleasing to the world. But we will be the people that God wants us to be. Let us strive to be His people, to honor Jesus by honoring the Word of God. Amen.

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, heed the Scripture, Jesus, salvation, Scripture, Scripture is True, Scripture truth, Treasure Scripture, Truths from Scripture | Leave a comment

The Tasteless White Of An Egg

Posted on June 9, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Fabio Sasso on Unsplash

(Job 6:6 KJV) Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt? or is there [any] taste in the white of an egg?

Eggs Don’t Taste Like Chicken.
No Trial Should Make Our Lives Egg White Tasteless

There was a comedian years ago (I forget his name) who was talking about how anytime we eat something new we say, “It tastes like chicken”. He said, “If chicken tastes like everything, why don’t eggs taste like chicken”? That made me stop and think. That’s true. Eggs don’t taste like chicken. Every egg has three parts:

The Shell – which protects and contains the contents of the egg
The White (call the albumen) – provides water and protein for developing life
The Yolk – which provides energy and nutrients to the chick

The White of the egg, when eaten, has no taste to it. It surrounds the developing chick, and is necessary, but to us it’s tasteless. It surrounds the developing life of the egg, and helps strengthen the chick as it grows.

This is the only place in the Bible where the “white of an egg” is mentioned. This is a statement that Job makes to his “friends”. Job is talking about his life. Like an egg white, his life has purpose – but it has become tasteless and without joy.

What Led Job To This State Of Mind?

The Book of Job is considered the oldest manuscript of scripture. I believe that our Lord Jesus had Job written first because – from the time Adam sinned in Eden and rejected the Word of God, humans have suffered. Women suffer in childbirth, and in life (Genesis 3:16). Men suffer and struggle against nature itself (Genesis 3:17-19). Life is tough for us all. Adam not only brought a separation between us and God, but everything we do comes through “the sweat of our face we eat bread, labor, then leave this life”.

Every person in this building and under the sound of my voice has suffered, is suffering, or will go through suffering. Job said:

Job 5:7 … man is BORN UNTO TROUBLE, as THE SPARKS FLY UPWARD

The campfire burns and provides heat and comfort. But it only burns because a tree suffered. Every campfire has sparks that fly upward. Every human suffers. We have good times, but suffering is just around the corner. What is it that keeps your life worth living? What keeps your life from becoming “the tasteless white of an egg”? It isn’t a big bank account, or a huge family. It isn’t success in business.

What keeps our lives from becoming the “tasteless white of an egg” is the presence of God in our lives. We need the companionship of Jesus. We need the continued purpose that the Holy Spirit gives us. We need to know that whatever we are going through, that it has a higher purpose.

Job loved the Lord. The Bible says that “Job was … BLAMELESS and UPRIGHT, one who FEARED GOD and SHUNNED EVIL” (Job 1:1). Job cared about the Lord, and Job cared about his family. He was a good father, and he honored the Heavenly Father under the Old Covenant.

One day God gave Satan permission to test Job. Job lost his farm. Job lost his herds. Job lost his workers. Job lost his sons and daughters. Did this make Job’s life like “the tasteless white of an egg”? No. The Bible says that:

(Job 1:20-21 KJV) … Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, [21] And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.

What gave Job’s life meaning was not family – though he loved his family. What gave Job’s life purpose was not his business – though he was prosperous in his business. Job knew that it was the Lord that saved him. He knew it was the presence of the Lord that blessed him. When God told Moses to lead Israel to the Promised Land, Moses replied:

(Exodus 33:15-17 LSB) {Moses} said to {God}, If YOUR PRESENCE DOES NOT GO WITH US, DO NOT LEAD US UP FROM HERE. [16] Indeed, how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? IS IT NOT BY YOUR GOING WITH US, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the [other] people who are upon the face of the earth?” [17] Then Yahweh said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight, and I HAVE KNOWN YOU BY NAME.”

The greatest thing is not what we have, but WHO has us. The Lord saved us. The Lord called us by name. And we are to live to glorify Him. “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”

Moses was in a covenant relationship with God, and understood this. David also said of the Lord:

(Psalm 16:11 LSB) You will make known to me the path of life; IN YOUR PRESENCE IS FULLNESS OF JOY; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

To walk with the Lord is to glorify the Lord. When we go through trials we need to know that God is walking with us. That the trials are not purposeless, but for His glory and our good. In chapter 2 God allowed Satan to afflict Job with a bitter wife, and

(Job 2:7 KJV) … Satan … smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

Did this cause Job to declare that his life had become “the tasteless white of an egg”? No. When challenged by his wife to “curse God and die”, Job said:

(Job 2:10 KJV) … Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? IN ALL THIS JOB DID NOT SIN WITH HIS LIPS.

The pain of losing his farm, losing his family, and losing his health did not cause Job to give up, for he knew God was with Him. Job trusted in the promise of God. Hasn’t God promised His Children that He purchased through the Blood of Christ:

Hebrews 13:5-6 … I will NEVER LEAVE YOU, nor FORSAKE YOU … the LORD IS MY HELPER, and I will not fear what man shall do to me ..

Deuteronomy 31:6 … The LORD YOUR GOD GOES WITH YOU, HE WILL NOT FAIL YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU

Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL: for THOU ART WITH ME; Thy rod and Thy staff they COMFORT ME.

The Lord is the Shepherd of His people. Jesus Christ is the GOOD SHEPHERD WHO GIVES HIS LIFE FOR HIS SHEEP (John 10:11). He KNOWS US (John 10:14) and watches over us. Job went through the darkest moments any person has ever been through, and retained his love for God. He glorified the Lord Who saved him.

There is no mountaintop without a valley.
There is no empty tomb without a cross.
There is no eternal life without temporal death.
There is no heaven without the suffering of earth.

What The Devil, Disease and Death Could Not Do,
A Delegation Of Three “Friends” Could

(Job 2:11 KJV) Now when Job’s THREE FRIENDS heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come TO MOURN WITH HIM and TO COMFORT HIM.

Job does not blame God, but he begins to focus on all that his life has lost. Job began to think there was something wrong with his life, with how he lived it. After all, how much tragedy comes to an innocent man? Job said:

(Job 3:24-26 KJV) For MY SIGHING COMETH BEFORE I EAT, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. [25] For the THING WHICH I GREATLY FEARED IS COME UPON ME, and THAT WHICH I WAS AFRAID OF IS COME UNTO ME. [26] I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

What was the “THING WHICH I GREATLY FEARED” that Job is speaking of? Could he be thinking that God punished his children, and punished him because of his children? The only “FEAR” we see in Job’s life up to this point is found in chapter one:

(Job 1:4-5 KJV) {Job’s} SONS WENT AND FEASTED IN THEIR HOUSES, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. [5] And it was so, when the days of [their] feasting were gone about, that JOB SENT AND SANCTIFIED THEM, and rose up early in the morning, and OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THEM ALL: for Job said, IT MAY BE THAT MY SONS HAVE SINNED, and CURSED GOD IN THEIR HEARTS. Thus did Job continually.

If there was anything that Job feared – according to our context – it would be that his family depart from God. Job acted on this fear. He said:

(Job 3:26 KJV) I was not in safety (šālâ, to be at rest), neither had I rest (šāqaṭ, to be at peace), neither was I quiet (nûaḥ, to be satisfied); YET TROUBLE CAME.

Job does not know that the Lord allowed Satan to test him, and this is why he is afflicted. But when his sons started having “feasts” or parties at their homes, he didn’t ignore the problem. He feared they would offend God, and lose His Presence in their lives. This is what he feared, the loss of God’s presence. Job acted by making burnt offerings which, under the Old Covenant, covered sins.

The Burnt Offering was a shadow, a type or teaching of the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ would make upon the Cross for our sins. Job made a burnt offering for his children, lest they blaspheme God.

(Hebrews 9:11-12 NKJV) But Christ came [as] High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. [12] Not with the blood of goats and calves, but WITH HIS OWN BLOOD He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION.

(Hebrews 10:8-10 NKJV) Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and [offerings] for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure [in them]” (which are offered according to the law), [9] then JESUS SAID, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.” He TAKES AWAY THE FIRST that He may ESTABLISH THE SECOND. [10] By that will we have been SANCTIFIED THROUGH THE OFFERING OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST ONCE FOR ALL.

Job saw a problem in his family, and addressed it through the will of God. He made a burnt offering for his children. And yet, the thing he greatly feared happened anyway.

His children were taken.
His business was taken.
His own health was taken.

Job’s three friends came:

Job 2:11 … made an appointment together to come to MOURN with him and to COMFORT him.

Did they do that? No! Job is in despair, and his friend Eliphaz tells him that innocent people DO NOT SUFFER.

Job must be a sinner. Not only that, Job must be a hypocritical sinner. Eliphaz says:

(Job 4:7-9 KJV) Remember, I pray thee, WHO EVER PERISHED, BEING INNOCENT? or WHERE WERE THE RIGHTEOUS CUT OFF? [8] Even as I have seen, THEY THAT PLOW INIQUITY, and SOW WICKEDNESS, reap the same. [9] By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

Eliphaz tells Job that God is Just. That Job deserved what happened to him. That his children deserved to die. And that if Job just repent, then God will turn from punishing him and restore him to prosperity.

Let me ask you Eliphaz’s question:

WHO EVER PERISHED, BEING INNOCENT?

– When Herod tried to kill the Baby Jesus, and killed all the children two years old and under in Bethlehem, were those babies guilty or innocent? (Matthew 2:16-18). Did the babies deserve that? Or was it a fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15.

– What about Abel, Cain’s brother? Did he deserve to be murdered by his brother, or was Abel innocent. Our Lord Jesus called Abel “righteous” (Matthew 23:35).

– What about Naboth (1 Kings 21:13), who was falsely accused and executed by King Ahab so he could steal his land? Naboth was an innocent man who loved the Lord.

– And what of Stephen, the first Christian martyr? (Acts 7:59-60). As they stoned him to death, he looked up and saw the Lord Jesus Christ STANDING at the right hand of God the Father.

– And in this list I cannot skip the Lord Jesus Christ. His executioner Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man” (Luke 23:4), and yet He was crucified to death nonetheless. Did Jesus deserve what He got? Then how does Eliphaz know that Job deserved what happened to him. Deserve has nothing to do with it. God allowed it for His glory and for Job’s growth. Though Eliphaz’s words are accurately recorded in scripture, they are not supported as Biblical truth but as heresy.

Preach: There are times when righteous people are “cut off” and merciful men are “taken away” (Isaiah 57:1). David wrote of this in Psalm 12:1. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Rather than accuse Job, Eliphaz should have encouraged his friend, and pointed him back to the Lord Who loves him.

Friends Should Salt The White Of The Egg With Jesus

After his friend was done with him, Job replied:

(Job 6:1-3 KJV) … Job answered and said, [2] Oh that MY GRIEF WERE THROUGHLY WEIGHED, and MY CALAMITY laid in the balances together! [3] For NOW IT WOULD BE HEAVIER THAN THE SAND OF THE SEA: therefore my words are swallowed up.

Eliphaz did not speak so as to show Job the Lord Jesus. Instead, he added to his friend’s misery. The purpose of Christ’s Church – His Kingdom on earth – is to (1) Glorify God, (2) Make Disciples, and (3) Bless those around you with salt and light. Eliphaz did not glorify God in his statements. He acted as God. He made judgments that he could not support scripturally nor spiritually. Jesus said:

(Matthew 5:13 NKJV) YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Job felt like his life was now the tasteless white of an egg. He needed to be reminded of the love of Christ. He needed to be reminded that God is good, and that “all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Convinced that God is angry at him, Job says:

(Job 6:4 KJV) For the ARROWS OF THE ALMIGHTY ARE WITHIN ME, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the TERRORS OF GOD do set themselves in array against me.

Job believes that God is angry with him, that God is warring against him. And with this in his heart, Job says:

(Job 6:8-9 KJV) Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant [me] the thing that I long for! [9] EVEN THAT IT WOULD PLEASE GOD TO DESTROY ME; that HE WOULD LOOSE HIS HAND and CUT ME OFF!

Job is praying for death. He sees his life as futile. And that is so sad, because his friends should have mourned with him and comforted him. The Bible tells us:

Romans 12:10, 12, 15 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; … 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing {focused} in prayer; … 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Unlike Eliphaz, we are to come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ when they suffer, reminding them that our God is faithful. We are to remind them that, as they go through this valley, God is with them. Christ does not leave His people unattended. Trials have a purpose.

God can punish us by trials if we fail to love Him. In the Book of Revelation Jesus addresses the Church at Ephesus. The Church at Ephesus was, at one time, Pastored by the Apostle John. The Bible says that the Apostle Paul established the Church (Acts 18:19-21), and spent three years preaching there (Acts 20:31). The great evangelist Apollos preached there (Acts 18:24-28), and Ephesus enjoyed the work of Silas, Luke, Tychicus,and Timothy. The Church was well funded, and very blessed. But Jesus told His Church:

(Revelation 2:4-5 NKJV) Nevertheless I have [this] against you, that YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE. [5] “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; REPENT and DO THE FIRST WORKS, or else I will come to you quickly and REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE–unless you repent.

The most important thing we as Christians have is the presence of Christ. God promises never to leave His children. God promises His people that He will fulfill His purposes in Him. God told Jacob:

Genesis 28:15 And, behold, I AM WITH THEE, AND WILL KEEP THEE in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I WILL NOT LEAVE THEE, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

God told Jacob that He would not abandon him until He fulfilled His promise in him. Shall God promise His Child Heaven, and abandon him while on this earth? Absolutely not! God does not leave His child by faith. Moses told Israel:

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of {the enemy}: for THE LORD THY GOD, HE IT IS THAT DOTH GO WITH THEE; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

God never fails His child. The Psalmist declared:

Psalms 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and FORSAKETH NOT HIS SAINTS; they are PRESERVED FOR EVER: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

Beloved, we are not to be like Eliphaz toward our brothers and sisters when they suffer. We are to remind them that Jesus is with them, and will stay with them no matter what. If we have sinned, the Lord disciplines us. But He stays with us. If we stray, the Lord will find us. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

The first 37 chapters of this Book show Job suffering, and his friends making it worst. But in chapter 38 God presents Himself directly to Job for the first time in his life.

What is significant in Job 38:1? This is the first direct speech of God in the Book, and the first time Job hears God directly. God speaks out of the whirlwind, out of the trials. And God is glorified.

In the last chapter of the Book, Job acknowledges that through the trial he learned much of God. Job said:

Job 42:5 I have heard of thee BY THE HEARING OF THE EAR: but now mine eye seeth thee

I believe that Job saw the pre-incarnate Jesus because of the trial. The trial drew him closer to the Lord Jesus than ever before. God also chastised Eliphaz and the other two friends for misrepresenting His glory. They were to offer burnt offerings to God, and have Job pray for them before they could be forgiven (Job 42:8).

And Job got back double all that he had previously lost. May we be as faithful as we are tried in this life. Let us glorify God. Amen.

Posted in General, Job, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, Faith, God, hurting, Jesus, life on purpose, Loving God, loving Jesus, Purpose of Christianitry, Suffering, support | Leave a comment

Today The Day of Salvation
August 2026

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The Church Battles The Darkness

The Devil Is The Master Of Twisting Scripture

Did Jesus Actually Tell Us Not To Judge Others?

I cannot judge that which is unseen, the contents of the human heart. But I can judge external actions as right or wrong based on the teaching of Scripture.

Jesus Was Not Telling Us Not To Judge Others. He Was Telling Us To Judge Ourselves FIRST.

We as Christians need to stop treating sin as if it were a pet animal. Sin is a wild beast that, if not bound, will eat you and those you love alive! Judge yourself first. Then help your brother or sister out of the snare of sin.

You Cannot Obey What Jesus Says In The Very Next Verse If You Do Not Judge

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Those Who Are Saved Are Called To Be Like Jesus

Adam Walked In A Perfect Kingdom And Gave The Kingdom To Satan. Christians Walk With The Second Adam, And Live To Glorify God Our Savior

Our Judgment Means Nothing. We Are Just To Be Faithful Sowers.

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The Great Commission Is About Believers Teaching Christ’s Commandments

Once Saved, The Key To Living Is Following Jesus

There Is No Spiritual Blessing Without Surrender

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Let’s Start By Discussing The Trinity Of God

The Trinity Is What Makes Christian Salvation Unique

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Salvation Begins With REPENT

What Does It Mean To “Repent”?

John the Baptist was the Preacher who paved the way for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus was able to better preach REPENTANCE because John was the FIRST PREACHER of REPENTANCE.

The GOATS look like children of God, but the fruit of their life is selfishness. They ignored those in need, and hoarded what they had.

“Lord, it doesn’t matter how large our Church grows or how many mission Churches we start if our people don’t reflect your character!”

Jesus Came To Lead Us To Repentance

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The Great Invitation? Or The Great Command?

Neglecting Jesus As Lord Leads To Destruction

The Pathway To Destruction Is When PeoplesWill Not Repent And Come To Jesus

Failure to repent, to come to Jesus, to take His yoke upon you will eventually bring about the destruction of a people group.

The Most Beautiful Command Of Jesus

A Proper Salvation Brings A YokeAn Improper Salvation Is A Joke

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Why Did Jesus Speak In Parables?

The Parable Of The Talents

The Parable Makes No Sense IfYou Don’t Understand What A “Talent” Is

What do these “talents” represent?

The “Talents” represent the “Mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven”, the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Child of God DOES these talents to be blessed.

The Word that Jesus spoke is the Word of Life. It is MYSTERIOUS to the world, but our way of life.

The Disobedient Servant Is Never BlessedNor Will Jesus Walk With Him

There Is A Day Of Reckoning ComingFor Every Person, Christian or Casual Follower

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How Can I Be “The Greatest”?

How shall we live in the light of eternityso as to impress God?

What Impresses God? What ShouldElder (meizōn) Christians Do?

You cannot hope to be meizōn – an elder in Christunless you first come to Christ.

To Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven, You Must Be Converted

We Impress God By Bringing Children To Jesus’ Side

Jesus Protects The Children Who Come To Him

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Isn’t The Bible Just A Book Written By Man?

Good Works Begin With A GoodUnderstanding Of The Bible As It Is Written

Care must be taken to read scripture in its context, and not to add to it nor take away from it.

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Eggs Don’t Taste Like Chicken.No Trial Should Make Our Lives Egg White Tasteless

What Led Job To This State Of Mind?

What keeps our lives from becoming the “tasteless white of an egg” is the presence of God in our lives. We need the companionship of Jesus. We need the continued purpose that the Holy Spirit gives us. We need to know that whatever we are going through, that it has a higher purpose.

The greatest thing is not what we have, but WHO has us. The Lord saved us. The Lord called us by name. And we are to live to glorify Him. “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”

What The Devil, Disease and Death Could Not Do,A Delegation Of Three “Friends” Could

The Burnt Offering was a shadow, a type or teaching of the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ would make upon the Cross for our sins. Job made a burnt offering for his children, lest they blaspheme God.

Friends Should Salt The White Of The Egg With Jesus

What is significant in Job 38:1? This is the first direct speech of God in the Book, and the first time Job hears God directly. God speaks out of the whirlwind, out of the trials. And God is glorified.

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David Buffaloe

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Today The Day of Salvation

The Pathway To Destruction Is When Peoples
Will Not Repent And Come To Jesus

A Proper Salvation Brings A Yoke
An Improper Salvation Is A Joke

The Parable Makes No Sense If
You Don’t Understand What A “Talent” Is

The Disobedient Servant Is Never Blessed
Nor Will Jesus Walk With Him

There Is A Day Of Reckoning Coming
For Every Person, Christian or Casual Follower

How shall we live in the light of eternity
so as to impress God?

What Impresses God? What Should
Elder (meizōn) Christians Do?

You cannot hope to be meizōn – an elder in Christ
unless you first come to Christ.

Good Works Begin With A Good
Understanding Of The Bible As It Is Written

Eggs Don’t Taste Like Chicken.
No Trial Should Make Our Lives Egg White Tasteless

What The Devil, Disease and Death Could Not Do,
A Delegation Of Three “Friends” Could