Tell City Nazarene Church's Biblical Journey
With Pastor Charles Areson
Today's reading is Luke 13-16
Imagine going into a class of students soon to be high school graduates with a 4.0 average. These people haven't made less than 100% on any test or assignment they have taken. They know they are the best of the best. Yale, Harward, Standford, MIT, and every other college are calling them to come to their university. They have been told, they are the Einsteins and Hawkings of our generation. When you step into the room, they know the average IQ in the place takes a dive.
Now imagine telling them that they are no smarter than the football player whose coach bribed the teachers to give him a C- just so he could play even though he can't even read. Tell that they are about as smart as any student in grade school, no, kindergarten. Tell them that the test they have taken for years have been rigged and on the intellectual scale they are (do you dare say it?) AVERAGE.
This isn't going to be received well. Actually, maybe you should run.
Yet, Jesus in Luke 13 shatters the definitions of bad people (sinful). They thought if something bad happened you deserved it. It was their version of Karma. Yet, Jesus says that everyone is just as bad (sinful) and deserves no better than the worst of the worst. Jesus makes it clear everyone has to repent. There are no good people.
Elsewhere in the Bible it says, "There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:22b-23) yet there is hope "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
Here is the Hope: "hat if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”"(Romans 10:9-13)
Imagine going into a class of students soon to be high school graduates with a 4.0 average. These people haven't made less than 100% on any test or assignment they have taken. They know they are the best of the best. Yale, Harward, Standford, MIT, and every other college are calling them to come to their university. They have been told, they are the Einsteins and Hawkings of our generation. When you step into the room, they know the average IQ in the place takes a dive.
Now imagine telling them that they are no smarter than the football player whose coach bribed the teachers to give him a C- just so he could play even though he can't even read. Tell that they are about as smart as any student in grade school, no, kindergarten. Tell them that the test they have taken for years have been rigged and on the intellectual scale they are (do you dare say it?) AVERAGE.
This isn't going to be received well. Actually, maybe you should run.
Yet, Jesus in Luke 13 shatters the definitions of bad people (sinful). They thought if something bad happened you deserved it. It was their version of Karma. Yet, Jesus says that everyone is just as bad (sinful) and deserves no better than the worst of the worst. Jesus makes it clear everyone has to repent. There are no good people.
Elsewhere in the Bible it says, "There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:22b-23) yet there is hope "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
Here is the Hope: "hat if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”"(Romans 10:9-13)
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