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Much Too Hard Rom 8:36 “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” When you hear messages that are hard you must determine – “Is this preaching the truth?” In answer, if all we can find is that it is too hard, then we are more concerned about our comfort than what God is saying. It is not the place of this ministry to bring anyone under condemnation. It is my business to bring you to conviction if you are not taking up your cross and following the Lord. How do you tell the difference between the two? The person who leaves the church without confessing and repenting of his errors will continue under condemnation. The worshiper who confesses and repents of sin, mistakes and the errors of his ways receives forgiveness and cleansing from the Lord and leaves the church as a new creation available for God to work in his life. It is up to the listener to obey the Word of God. There is no condemnation on those who follow the Spirit of God. There is condemnation on those who hear the Word of God and refuse to obey (even if they think they are OK). (Romans 8:4) We know all about verse 1, but we must include the requirement of living according to the Spirit, which is faithfully adhering to the Word of God and His laws. We must be careful about complaining too much about it being “much too hard.” Our not understanding the Word is evidence that we have been incorrectly taught. What is it that God demands of people? The Jews were given many commands to observe. Some were major, like idolatry and adultery. Others were minor, like moral concerns towards others and the washing of dishes. So how did God view the transgression of any of His statutes? N OTICE: If you broke the law ignorantly, provision was made with animal sacrifice to forgive your ignorance. But if you broke the law knowingly, you were cut off from Israel. An example is that you would be put to death for gathering wood on the Sabbath. (Numbers 15:32-35). Another time a man was killed for taking God’s name in vain. Deuteronomy 28 tells us God dealt graciously with Israel when the people kept His commands receiving blessing and material wealth. BUT, when Israel rebelled against the Lord, He was very harsh, allowing every kind of disaster to overtake the nation until they were led away captives. Erroneously, some would argue that we have the New Testament and that Jesus covers all our sins and mistakes with grace and mercy so when we die we get to go to heaven and float. The Christian life has an element of hardness to it. Suffering is a major aspect of redemption. The higher the calling to which you have been elected in the Kingdom, the more intense will be the fires in which you are baptized, the more bitter the cup you are required to drink. Was Jesus’ stay on earth pleasant or did He have a hard life? We really don’t know what happened throughout those 40 days in the wilderness. The result was Gethsemane and the crucifixion. Contrary to some teachings, Jesus did not suffer so you won’t have to. Jesus suffered to show you how. Any other message is not of the Spirit of Christ. In Philippians 3:10, Paul says we are to share the sufferings of Christ! History tells us of imprisonments, torture, breaking up of families, life in the catacombs and martyrdom. How can we even contemplate “It’s much too hard”? What if we continue living in the flesh? Some say not to worry about continuing to live in the flesh? But the Bible says, “Take up your cross, deny yourself and follow Jesus.” Where do you take a cross? To an execution! Satan is permitted to take some into prison, some figuratively and some literally. He does it until you become faithful and are granted a crown of life. Sometimes you have to take steps that will affect the way your family life continues. The world doesn’t understand. But He does. I Peter 5:10 says after a while (a small season) that you have suffered you will be established and strengthened and settled. Nothing less than the offering of your body as a sacrifice is acceptable. Jesus must be your absolute Lord. You must obey in all that He says. You must come to the place you don’t complain or become angry at what God is doing. God does not exist to serve you and make you happy. But this is where people will back off and say that following Christ is “much too hard.” The goal of God for man has never, never changed and will never, never change. The goal is to be in the image of Christ. God has increased His demands on us, but He has also given us grace to accept and to do what He requires. From Adam until now, the goal has never changed. Now I am going to get hard. If you do not deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Jesus to the place of death to self; if you don’t offer up your body as a living sacrifice; if you continue to walk in the lusts of the flesh and not sow to the Spirit, you will lose everything of any eternal value. At resurrection, you will reap corruption. Will there be a multitude of teachers and preachers standing before the judgment seat of Christ who have to explain why they did not teach truth? Paul feared this, so He spent his life persuading people to live righteously because he knew man would be judged according to what he did in his body (2 Cor. 5:10-11). We should fear to disobey Christ out of an awareness of having to face the consequences in the day of resurrection. Grace and mercy will not be an option on that day. Was John the Baptist beheaded just so we could live the good life? The whole world is against the Christians, most of whom are too blind to see we are not deserving of those who are paying much too high a price for our comfort. God is not too hard, but Americans are too soft. Spoiled children become tyrants. We must be transformed into the image of Christ so we may enter into untroubled rest in the Father. There is much glory awaiting us.
-Pr. Steve March Newsletter 2006 | Much Too Hard | Here, World, Take My Children part 2 of 3 Pastor's Journal March 2005 | His Fullest Riches | God's Breath part 3 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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