the basic message # E90
Luke 17:26-27
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.”
Jesus is making a prediction in the passage above, and it’s an important prediction. He is comparing the lives of Godless people in Noah’s day to the Godless people which were to come. I see a great parallel between the people in Noah’s day to the people of 2001. We, like they, go on about our daily lives and think that all is well. The story of Noah is more than a man building a boat, contrary to what many Christians believe. It’s a story of a man pleading with his community to “get right” with God. No one listened. In fact, the people in Noah’s town ridiculed him for building a massive boat on dry land far away from the nearest sea. Did you realize that the people had never seen rain? The construction of the ark took years, and Noah tried to warn the people of the coming destruction of the earth by a great flood. No one listened. It started to rain, and he still invited people to come aboard. No one listened. And finally, God closed up Noah and his family in the ark, forever preventing anyone else from being saved from the coming flood. Can you see the parallel?
Luke 12:47
“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.”
Many Christians are counting on their ignorance of scripture to help their journey toward Heaven. How? I suppose that some folks think that being unaware of what Jesus commands will someone excuse them from their responsibilities. Consider this: when we make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, we’re basically “signing” a contract. A contract that states our allegiance to Christ and what he stands for. A contract that says, “I know about the life of Jesus Christ, his commandments, and I agree to live by these well-documented standards”. Make no mistake, friends, Jesus is a demanding Savior. How can I make such a bold statement? Read on…….
Luke 11:23
“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.”
Who is “with” Christ? I believe it is that small percentage of the Christian church that actively pursues Jesus and his words of instruction. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd that wants to nurture his flock. But we, unlike sheep, can intentionally stray from the flock. In fact, many of us go to great effort to stray from the flock. When we blatantly, intentionally violate the rules that Jesus provided, we’re making a dangerous statement. We’re telling Christ that we can take care of ourselves, and that we don’t need to be under his protection. I get many emails from folks basically saying, “How dare you compromise the love of Jesus Christ for his people!” My response? “Who’s really doing the compromising here?” Please spend some time reading what Christ said, and don’t rely totally on what Pastor, Priest, Mom, Dad or friend is telling you. How do you know I’m telling the truth? Don’t take my word or anyone else’s word for something as important as your eternity. Go read what Jesus said, and do it right now.