When the scripture says, you’ve been given a command pastor to rule over the people.
If a pastor walks up and says, hey, uh wash my car, mow the church lawn, uh get out of there.
If there’s a pastor, listen, pastor is to be among the people, loving the people, right?
Not hiding in the box, not untouchable shepherds are usually, hello, found among sheep.
You don’t see a flock of sheep all by themselves looking around. Can you imagine they’re all?
What do we do? What do we do? You know sheep need constant care.
That’s why God likens us as sheep and he’s the chief shepherd. I’ve told you before.
I’ve said it 1000 times and you guys have sent me your emails addressing it this way. I call myself.
Not a shepherd. I know technically I can’t from the Bible. That’s terrifying.
He’s the chief shepherd and I, I’m an under shepherd. I understand that. I don’t even like that part though.
I like the fact that God has called me to be a sheep dog because he’s the chief shepherd.
Have you ever seen a sheep dog? They’re running around, uh tongue hanging out making sure the sheep are ok.
When a wolf comes in, that sheep dog takes off after that wolf taking care of the flock.
I love that. I love that. Hebrews 13 17 goes on to say this.
Obey those who rule over you. Oh pastor, I don’t like this and be submissive to them.
I hate this verse. Now you see, well, hang on for, they watch out for your souls.
Let me tell you something. If you have a pastor who loves you enough to watch out for your soul by giving you the word of God, you’re gonna want to be submissive to them.
The word submissive means to yield to their input. How wrong could that be?
This is the cool part if I give you input into your life, if you come to me and say, hey, you know what, blah, blah, blah.
And I say, well, this is what the Bible says. That’s what I’m supposed to do.
If I say, well, you know what that happened to me back in 49.
And I think you ought to do this. Who needs that?
A shepherd who loves you or a sheepdog who loves you is gonna give you the word of God because it has the power.
This is all important regarding what Jesus is saying about church growth. Will a church grow?
Yes, but not all growth is good. It depends on what’s going on in that church.
It’s very important. Hebrews 13 24.
But, but the, but the, the pace I’m going, we’ll never get through this Bible study today.
I can tell you that right now, Hebrews 13 24 says greet all those who rule over you and all the saints.
They don’t, not only rule over you, they have an influence over the saints. What are you supposed to do?
Listen, church, greet them. You’re supposed to remember them?
Verse seven, obey them, verse 17 and verse 24 greet them, salute them. The word is salute.
I don’t, I don’t, I don’t want you to salute me, but greet me. I love that.
When God’s hand is on a pastor, God is gonna do things, the church will grow, but it will grow deep in the word of God.
And that’s a wonderful thing. And so the truth is what we’re being warned about is numbers can be deceiving.
Jesus says, watch out because the church is gonna eventually grow into a big freak.
Like a mustard seed grows into a great tree that doesn’t happen.
Jesus is warning and those of that age and of that culture understood it perfectly well.
By the way, there’s an estimated, I don’t know who figures out these numbers, but there’s an estimated 2.7 billion Christians in the world today.
I seriously doubt that. But if that number were true, wouldn’t the world be a much different place?
Huh? Did you know that over 80% of Americans claim to be Christians. Do you believe that?
I do not believe that I’m, I’m, I probably get in trouble with you, but I believe 10% possibly 10% of Americans are Christians real ones.
Because what Jesus is teaching is true growth.
Big claims, big numbers just reduce that down and you’ll find the reality.
The, what about this church is a large church. Did you know in America?
Any church over 2000 people is considered a mega church.
So we could be in trouble of the message is a mega warning. Yeah.
And it goes to this church first, right? Not everybody who comes here is a Christian.
Someone asked me last week, why don’t we take communion on Sunday mornings?
And I said to them because not everybody here is a Christian on Sunday mornings.
The the probability is on Wednesdays, you get more of the true believers.
There’s visitors, there’s people who don’t want anything to do with God, they’re here for other reasons.
You said you gotta be kidding me. Wake up. It’s true.
You mean the guy next to me could be a non Christian. Yes.
That’s why you need to greet them, love them and say hi to them.
But even then, and among amongst a large group, all you need is one or two that are thinking evil.
That’s the way evil is.
So numbers can be deceiving evil hides among good wolves, hide among sheep and Satan knows the best way to infect the church is to get inside the church.
Think of that. Paul the apostle warned about this and he gave a mega warning to the Ephesian believers.
In acts chapter 20 verse 29 2029 Paul said for I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock church.
Can you handle that? Can you imagine people Paul warned about will go to church to try to destroy the church and he says they’re gonna come in and they’re going to not spare the flock and from among your own selves, that’s within the church.
Men will rise up speaking perverse things.
The word perverse means to misinterpret, misrepresent or to distort and to draw away disciples after themselves.
Therefore watch and remember he’s speaking to a bunch of pastors watch and remember that for three years, I did not cease to warn you every night and day with tears over this matter.
Paul said thirdly under this point, a mega warning about appearances is what some things look like can be ugly, good growth, bad growth and ugly growth.
Verse 20 and 21 again, he spoke to them and said, what shall I like in the Kingdom of God?
It is like Levin which a woman took and had in three measures of meal till it was all leed the whole sentence structure of this.
And again, put on your Jewish mind.
11 in scripture is not good and a woman generically is not good.
Usually in the context, not always this woman by stealth sneaks in. Remember the audience is Jewish.
Remember what Jews think about Len? Not good.
She sneaks in and she does she announce to everybody that she put yeast or leaven in the, in the bread?
No, it says that she hid it in the bread. Why?
To leaven the whole lump or the whole bunch of dough? You know, she’s gonna pollute it.
Jesus is saying, watch out the kingdom is gonna grow into a big massive thing.
Birds are gonna lodge in the branches of it and I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you another parable.
He says it’s like a woman who sneaks around and she puts yeast or leaven in a bunch of dough and ruins the whole thing.
Now, ladies, you know this, I don’t know this, I’ve only read about it but I guess if you put yeast in dough, it causes the thing to ferment and, and it may smell great, but it gets jumbo gigantic and the Jews are not into, not into bread like that.
They want unleavened or Matzah. Why? Why is that important?
Because 98 times in the Bible, you got to write that down.
98 times in the Bible 11 is mentioned and always, always without exception, it is a type or symbol of evil.
Do you see now how Jesus speaks to the Jewish mind in this teaching and they got it.
Wow, the kingdom is going to grow and there’s going to be evil stuffed inside of it. Yep.
That’s right. By the way, Exodus 12 15 tells us about Levi being evil and undesirable.
And first Corinthians five verse six tells us, do you not know that a little Levin lens? The whole lump?
What does that mean? You put a little bit of yeast in it and ruin the whole thing, Len in a house today.
If you think about it, of course, Jesus is speaking spiritual things. Do you have any yeast in your house?
That’s not the point. He’s talking about sin.
Imagine having sin in your house, having sin in your home. You guys, I told you this before.
It’s been a long time, but it’s amazing when we talk about something that pollutes poisons the house.
I’m gonna tell you this story. It’s absolutely awesome.
You guys all know de uh Doctor Jack Hayford church on the way in Van Nuys.
Doctor Hayford was called to Christen to uh open up one of their big, big, big four square churches and he came to speak there and it was the big opening service, brand new facility.
Churches growing everything is fantastic. And if you know anything about Jack Hafer, this man is in tune with the spirit of God and he opens up his Bible and he’s teaching and he’s talking and teaching and doing his Jack Hayford thing.
You guys, what I’m talking about, powerful guy.
He’s going along, he’s going along and right in the middle and there are thousands of people present.
He stops and he says, ladies and gentlemen, church, we have to stop something’s wrong. There’s just something wrong.
This is not working and they thought what’s wrong with him?
And he stopped and he said we need to pray and he starts praying.
Lord, I don’t know what’s wrong. Like a little kid, father, show us what’s the matter?
This is a brand new church, brand new people. I mean big, big people. Wonderful. Thank God.
What’s there’s something wrong here? People thought he was crazy. You know what he did?
He got off the stairs and he went over to the air conditioning vent in the, in the midst of thousands of people.
And he said we need to tear up this vent right here right here, tear off the grate on this vent and they stop, they stopped the service, they tore up the vent and in the air conditioning, duck hidden.
There was a stack of Playboy magazines in the air conditioning duct. They removed them.
Hayford went back to the pulpit and began to teach the word of God. That is a miracle.
That’s discernment and that’s a pastor, a little leven spiritually there was poison there and it ruined the whole house.
Why? Because there’s demonic activity that traffics around those kinds of things. Think about it.
Amazing, awesome ugly growth can be ugly.
If the word of God is not going out clearly in a church, you can have a tremendous band or you can have a great program this way or you can have graphics that way or you can have the seats that vibrate and massage your back.
You can have a pastor that’s funny or dynamic or this way or that way or big time this or a big time that who cares is the word of God going out clearly?
And that word by the way will attract God’s people, but it will also attract ugly growth as well.
That’s why we need pastors in this day and age.
If a church begins to get ugly, avoiding the word of God looks great by appearance though.
Oh my, my, look at all those people watch out because ugly can also mean that a church can be a gossiping church that’s not good growth.
Get a bunch of gossipers together. They’re emissaries of Satan. They may be Christians but they’re back slid.
A church begins to tolerate evil.
I had a pastor tell me on the east coast of America not long ago.
He said I can’t keep my worship team from having sex with each other.
I said, what isn’t that? And I, I couldn’t believe it.
But then the fear came into my heart. Oh my goodness, what’s going on in our churches?
All kinds of things could be wrong.
Big growth doesn’t mean holiness. First Timothy 41. Now the Holy Spirit Express.
He says that in the last days that’s before Christ returns. Some will depart from the faith.
Well, who will depart from the faith? Some who are they?
I don’t know, but I know they’ll have, they’ll depart from the faith church.
Listen, you don’t know who either. Just make sure you don’t depart from the faith.
You’re listening to real life with Pastor Jack Hibbs.
You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series. Just go to Jack Hibbs dot com.
That’s Jack Hibbs dot com. And for now, let’s get back to our teaching. Once again, here’s pastor Jack.
Second Timothy. 35. You guys. Ok. You’re very quiet. You right. Ok. Second Timothy 35.
That there will be those in the last days having a form of godliness appearance, but denying the power thereof and from such people turn away from them for of this sort of those who creep into households and take captive gullible women loaded with sin, led away by various lust, always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now, as Janice and Jambor resisted Moses, so do these resist the truth, men of corrupt minds disapproved concerning the faith?
Amazing times, huh? This is what by the way say, I didn’t hear that verse before.
These are pastoral verses that translate into the health of a body point number two this morning, we’ll get as far as we can based upon our time.
Point number two, a mega warning about apathy. The first warning is about appearances.
The second warning is about apathy versus 22 to 27.
It’s a mega warning and this one is about us fighting apathy being apathetic to the fight is a dangerous thing.
We need to fight that. But listen, an apathetic believer doesn’t realize they’re in a fight verse 22.
And he went through the cities and the villages teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem.
By the way, he’s going to Jerusalem for his last time.
This is when Jesus will die, he will not be going back.
Then one said to him a question comes from someone. We do not know Lord.
Are there few who are saved? I mean Jesus with what you’re talking about?
Lord sounds like the number could be. Not so many. Is that a great question?
Have you ever had that question? I’ve had that question. Listen to what Jesus said.
I love how he answers questions.
He said to them strive to enter through the narrow gate for many.
That word in Greek is not a few, not a few I say will seek to enter in and will not be able.
What kind of an answer is that first of all by the question, are there few who save Jesus’s response is watch this.
It’s brilliant. Jesus’ response is forget the crowd. What about you?
He turns it right on the guy and that’s a, that’s a, that’s awesome. Forget the crowd.
When I go to a little church, I go to a big church.
I go to a medium church, like, you know, goldilocks. Whatever, what, whatever church you go to ain’t the issue.
The issue is. Are you in the church? It doesn’t matter if you go to the church.
Are you in the church? Well, how do I know? Strive Jesus said the word is in Greek.
You pick up the English word. Agonize. Agonize a true believer.
Now, I know some of you who brought your friends today.
They’re, you’re, you’re not gonna want them to hear this, but I’m telling you the truth, listen, it means to strive, watch, strive hard to agonize to agonize at making sure that you’re a Christian.
Not somebody telling you a Christian. How many people have said so many times?
I don’t know what happened to that guy. He went forward at the crusade, but his life never changed.
I guess he saved. But you don’t know that.
All I know is that there are those who are truly of God. They’re real heaven bound people, Christians.
And how can you tell they strive to enter into the narrow way?
They have the Holy Spirit in them and playing games is not part of their life.
They want to know the truth and they don’t want you to give them some sort of patting on the back platitude.
They want to know the truth.
Show me that in the Bible, strive to contend against the sin in our lives.
Yes, we’re going to heaven. Yes, we love God. But God got it.
We still struggle with sin in our lives. We hate it now, don’t we? We can’t stand it.
And that’s to strive man. I, I hate when I think like that strive, you have to contend with evil in our, in your life and I have to contend with evil in my life.
The difference is we now hate it. Enter into the narrow gate. Will you mark that narrow?
Oh, no, no, no, no. See if you want the church to grow loosen it up, buddy, broaden it out.
Don’t talk about sin. Nobody will come back.
God’s people will Jesus Paul, the apostle John James Peter Jude.
Every time they preach the gospel, they said repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
They did not say feel good about yourself. Think highly of yourself. It’s all about you man.
See you next week. Hey, that feels good, doesn’t it?
It feels good only for a little while, only for a little while.
The truth of the matter is the gospel is spiritual and it has effect, it is powerful.
And when the Bible says that we are to believe on Him whom God raised from the dead, that matters.
Well, I, I, I, I just believe in all kinds of things.
I just want to cover all the bases and there’s churches like this, they loosen up the word of God thinking that by bringing people in, it’s a mark of God moving and it’s deception preach the word God’s people will come very important.
Strive, enter through the narrow gate, going through the narrow gate and traveling on the narrow road.
Jesus says, he says there’s going to be few are not a few who in the end will seek to enter in and they’re not going to be able to, what does that mean?
We’ll touch on it next time together.
But it means that there’s a time issue that you’re running out of time.
There’s listen, they know they know what to do.
I hope, I hope if you’re here today and this is where you’re at, you know that you should accept Christ.
You’ve heard that before. You know that you should come to Jesus.
It’s an actual effort on your part to will to come to him, you know that.
But Jesus is warning, it’s a narrow gate, it’s a narrow road and many people are on that path, but there will come a time when the opportunity will be over and you will not be able even though you know it, hey, hey, I know that I, I, I, I know what I’m supposed to do but I didn’t do it.
It will be too late someday. Can you imagine thinking like that? I should.
Have you ever said that Jesus said that’s going to happen spiritually, someday, someone’s going to say, I know how to get into the kingdom.
I heard that before. Hey, let me in. Time’s up powerful.
And then we end with this, the narrow and the long or the, the narrow on the straight road.
I want to drive this home.
No pun intended, but I want to talk about truck drivers when you drive and you’re near truck drivers.
Have you noticed that if you’re on a windy road? Um, there’s, I’ve never seen any problems.
You know that you, you parallel, if it’s a two lane, you’re going with them and there’s no problem why the road is windy.
And, uh, they’re, I guess maybe because like you, you’re paying close attention to stay within the lines.
There’s a cliff on one side or whatever. It’s a windy road. A road meanders and, and it’s fine.
Have you noticed though when you’re driving on a long haul on a long trip?
Truckers tell me that it’s the long, long desert, 150 mile stretch of roadway that’s straight as an arrow that they fall asleep on.
That’s where you’ll see the truck.
You ever seen them start to go into the shoulder of the road or come into your lane? Why?
Because when you get on the straight and narrow, the temptation is to become complacent or apathetic.
There’s no challenge. There’s nothing pressing. It’s easy now. Oh, my life is easy.
Now, how’s it going for you? It’s, it’s so much better. It’s so easy now. That’s great.
Could be bad. Could be good. Could be ugly. Could lead to apathy church. Are you with me?
Where are you on this? The danger?
Jesus said it’s a straight and narrow path and you gotta go that way to get into heaven.
But apathy will cause you to swerve or to drift.
And we have to be very careful about that.
Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on real life radio with his message called a mega warning part one.
You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack’s series called the Gospel of Luke.
It’s a series on the book of Luke and the unveiling of Jesus Christ to this world.
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