Romans chapter three, we’re gonna follow Jesus. We’re gonna study his word until we see him.
And that is either by, by rapture or by rupture, by living and going up or by dying and living again.
Uh We are going to pursue Jesus. These are amazing days and we’re gonna stand for what’s right?
And Paul the apostle is teaching us that very thing on really faith, what it looks like, what it, what it uh does in our lives.
And not to be confused any of us with the book of Romans and the book of James.
A lot of people struggle with those two books because they seem to say the opposite that Paul says Abraham was a man justified by faith.
James turns around and says Abraham was a man justified by works and a sloppy Bible student will become confused at that.
Let me make you guys all biblical geniuses in a moment. Here it is. Watch this.
The Bible says that the moment we accept Christ, our sins are forgiven, right?
And our names are written down in heaven and that there’s a place reserved for you in heaven, okay?
But you’re not there yet you’re here right now.
And as much as you hate it, you still sin and as much as you hate it, you’re still very, very aware of the flesh in which you live in.
But glory be to God for the believer now that there’s a great struggle and we, we are grateful for that struggle because this world is not our home anymore.
But because that is true, that all began by faith in God. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation comes by faith in Christ alone. Okay. But that’s our position position, Alie theologically.
What is our position practically in this world? Well, entered the book of James, they’re in perfect harmony.
James is speaking to a world where the believer is living in and the believer is to contend earnestly for the faith that the believer in the book of James can be discovered by how they live their lives.
James is after the fact of what Paul is talking about in Romans, you first come to faith in Christ, your position, Alie secured in heaven.
But in the meantime, you live out your life in Godly works, why not to save yourself?
But because you are now saved, you live for God’s glory and those works are actually a result of obedience to Jesus.
Does that make sense? God bless you guys. Have a great afternoon, man.
I tell you, if we could just get that into our DNA, we’d be, we’d be secured in that Romans chapter three verse 27 I’ll begin reading you guys.
You know where we’re at? We’ve been here and we’ll be here again. Romans 3 27. Where is boasting?
Then it is excluded by what law of works?
No, but by the law of faith, or is he the God of the Jews only, Paul is being sarcastic here.
Is it not also the God of the gentiles? Yes, of the gentiles also.
Oh my God, do we then make void the law through faith?
Certainly not. On the contrary, we establish the law. Father speak to us.
We pray in Jesus name and all God’s people said, amen.
You may be seated church if you want to make short work of knowing what the Bible is all about from cover to cover thousands of pages.
Obviously, it’s a big book. Even when it’s a small, even when it’s in a small version printed up, it’s a big book.
Let me give you that snapshot. If you had to do an an immediate response.
If somebody were to ask you, what’s the Bible all about, I would simply reduce it down to this, to be honest with you.
It’s Second Corinthians 5 19, Second Corinthians 5 19 says that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
Think on that for a moment, would you not imputing their trespasses to them?
That speaks of a great shift all of a sudden and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Let me dissect that before we move on in a snapshot.
The Bible, what it teaches at 30,000 ft. This is what you see three key arguments.
Number one that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.
God was not using you to reconcile the world.
God was not using a priesthood or a denomination or a religious movement.
Are you with me to reconcile the world to himself right out of the gate in Second Corinthians 5 19 is the gospel that God was in Christ, redeeming rescuing, bringing back, calling us home, issuing or granting or inviting us to experience forgiveness to himself.
Secondly, not imputing their trespasses to them in Christ, Jesus at the cross.
If you go there and place your faith, God stops the recordkeeping of sin. This is amazing.
And you know, we get quiet about that.
We kind of wonder really, I mean, can he do that number one? He’s God.
But because he’s just in holy, he can do that because Christ has paid the price.
Yeah, but would he do that? You know, would he do that second thing?
Yeah, he actually does and he will and he must because there’s an agreement between Christ and the father that the father sent the son to die for the sins of the world.
The son was obedient unto death and rose again from the dead.
And in that beautiful moment, you’ve got the righteousness of God being appeased by the sacrifice of God, the son and to those who trust Christ no more.
Does God keep a list? That’s, that is joyous because let’s be honest, without real true love.
People keep lists. Let’s be, come on. Have you ever heard somebody say, you know what?
You always do that back in 82, you did it and in 73 you did it again, and or whatever, you know, I went backwards, didn’t I in the years?
But do you know what I’m saying? God’s love doesn’t do that?
His love erases the sins of those who come to him.
And then finally, it’s that if that’s not enough, he turns around and he gives you and I the Holy Spirit power to go and invite people to be reconciled to God.
Also. That’s evangelism. That is an awesome one verse that really puts a bow over the entire Bible.
And uh it’s comforting also in second Corinthians, five verses 15 to 17 is this, he died for all that, those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Therefore, from now on, I love this, I love it from now on.
We regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, we know yet now we know Him thus no longer.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, all things have passed away.
Behold, all things have become new church.
That is an awesome statement and I’ll tell you why as we get into our second argument of our study today, part two of our message that when you look at that, that what he’s done in our lives, we are to see each other now no longer after the flesh.
Paul even says, we don’t even consider Jesus any longer as we, we knew him in the flesh 2000 years ago.
You and I listen, this is great. It’s great about going to church. I know who this traffic.
It’s hard to get a parking spot and oh, do you know, do we really need to go? Yes. Yes.
Not to be saved and not to do anything else. But because the Bible says to go.
But here’s one of the reasons why I’m sure that the Bible says to go is that when you look at one another or to look at each other no longer in the flesh.
But in Christ now, I have a great privilege. I have a great honor as you do as well.
Equally the same. And that is you and I get to meet new people here all the time.
L all the time. And you know what’s great about it?
We meet them here or maybe we meet them in the store and they say, hey, I go to second service or I go to first service or whatever they might say, and you relate to them according to brother and sister, don’t, don’t you?
Nobody relates to one another in who they used to be. All right.
No one says, Hey, I go to calvary chapel and I’m a murderer.
I, I, you know, I was in prison for 25 years. I just got out yesterday.
Can we go out to dinner? Um Nobody says that because it’s not important.
It’s not important as believers.
You and I are to relate to one another as Christ relates to us and that is washed in the blood of his forgiveness.
And that is a wonderful place and it’s a wonderful way to live church.
So we’re looking at a message series titled The Direction of Faith.
We picked that up from last week’s message and uh which was this, by the way versus 27.
That’s as far as we got. I figured out going over my notes uh getting ready.
We only covered verse 27. I’m not even sure if we finished that, but uh the direction of faith always directs us away from us.
Remember that everybody uh when Paul the apostle said, where is boasting?
Then it excludes all religious boasting of religious activity.
Nobody can boast and say, hey, look, God, look what I did. Aren’t I good? Absolutely unacceptable.
True faith heading are pointing in the right direction.
Remember last week our plane is gonna take off against the opposing wind because it’s the opposition of the world.
It’s the opposition of the flesh.
It’s the opposition of Eva religion that we as believers pointing our plane as it were into the direction of that opposition we saw or fly the quicker the highest.
Because why? Because we are to be fixed on Christ and what he’s done, not ourselves.
And that is incredibly powerful because we saw that when we do fix our eyes upon self in verse 27, it’s all about pride.
Look what I did. Look how good I am. And we learned the danger of judging ourselves among ourselves.
And we’re okay. As long as everyone around you is worse than you are. You’re great.
You’re fine with yourself. And then somebody comes in who’s better than you.
They pray longer than you do. They might witness the more people than you do.
They give more money than you do. And now you’re all threatened. Why are you threatened?
Because you’re proud because listen, you’re not operating in grace.
You’re not looking at yourself and that individual, the same as Christ looks at us.
Very important. Pride is so destructive. Where is boasting? Then it is excluded.
He says by what law of works. And there’s a resounding no.
And we saw last time that when we fixate our religion, I’m not gonna say relationship.
If we, if we have a religion that’s works based minded, then I guarantee you that pride that is constantly being defeated.
And question leads to depression. Remember we talked about that last time?
Spiritual depression, that’s why cults are so depressed and they’ve got to put on a show at your front door.
I’m not being mean right now, I’m being honest, you should research that on your own.
Go look at suicide rates among the cults.
Why they can’t live up to the pressure they can’t perform. The standards are too great.
Spiritual pride leads to spiritual depression And it could be fatal left unchecked.
What is the combat against depression? We learned in verse 27 that it’s the law of faith.
And you remember, we mentioned that the law of faith precedes the law of moses.
I don’t know about you, but I said that last week and nobody even flinched.
I thought that was actually spectacular.
I made mention to the fact that the law of Moses that the, that the flesh fixates upon thinking it can perform, forgets that the law of Moses is predated by the law of faith.
What predates the 10 commandments?
The law of faith, Abraham was justified by faith and on and on.
It goes and we talked about that. So now we pick it up church. Here we go.
We dive into the third argument under this first point and that is the direction of faith always directs us away from us.
And that is captivity. Faith directs us away from captivity verse 28.
Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith.
Apart from the deeds of the law, man, that’s a huge statement.
This is a declaration that is not listen everybody.
It’s not only great news, But that verse 28 is as old as the earth itself is as old as dirt.
I’m trying to say because that is God’s eternal truth.
So today we have a world and let’s, let’s talk about Judaism.
Judaism today says Old Testament only keep the rules, regulations.
And here’s the thing when you look at the Old Testament, think now when you look at the Old Testament and you read it, God was inviting his followers to follow Him by faith again, it started with Abraham but it was always that way, but also introduced not as a relationship maker, but as a relationship keeper, there was animal sacrifice.
You got that it doesn’t make the relationship, it keeps it communication.
And and so listen prior to Christ coming, there was this requirement that God gave that.
When you sin against me, you gotta offer blood. What was God saying to them?
Our relationship is by faith, Moses, it’s by faith. Noah, it’s by faith, Abraham.
Ah But when sin takes place now because I’m holy, what’s got to happen here is that there’s got to be innocence offered and you need blood.
God all the while was preparing The world specifically Israel.
But the world for the coming moment of his son, Jesus Christ that you and I look back to 2000 years ago.
Why to deliver us from captivity? That’s how we get free.
You’ll never be free by signing up to join some religious order or some cult, you’ll never be free.
It’s only Christ that sets you free. In fact, the Bible says in Romans eight verse 36.
Therefore, if the son makes you free, you shall be free. What indeed? Meaning totally, totally.
Last night a mirror and I were uh broadcasting from, he was in Hawaii.
So, you know, suffering in Hawaii and I was in my backyard, but we’re recovering the Ukraine Russian thing and, and, and the, the analytics on the broadcast, it was us on youtube and Facebook live one hour.
Okay. Guess what, all the data stuff is flowing around you, it’s there.
And at the end, we gave the Gospel, we talked about what’s going on in, in, in uh Ukraine and Russia talked about a little bit of the Middle East, but we gave about 10 minutes to the giving of the Gospel at the end.
and in 50 minutes, 55 minutes, we shared the gospel with 65,000 people viewing live.
That’s just live viewers. 65,000 people heard that Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead and that you need not fear, put your faith in him and you’ll be born again.
Jesus loves you and he’s coming back and that salvation is in him.
Alone, 65,000 people heard that in a matter of moments. Ladies and gentlemen, what does that mean? Number one?
Not only is that true, that is the gospel that Christ died for you, but for two guys sitting down, using their computers, reached more people in a few moments than Paul the apostle took years to reach.
What does that mean? It means Christ is coming back. It means that time is short.
It means we ought to be excited with what’s going on around the world. Knowing.
I need to share the gospel with my friends. I need to share the gospel with my neighbors, with strangers.
And that gospel good news is that God justifies not by works but by faith in Him.
And a lot of people struggle with that. Don’t worry, time will prove it.
The truth will always come out over time.
And many of you might be waking up to the realization that you accepted Christ 20 years ago, but nothing ever changed in your life.
Listen, I’ve got, I don’t know, I’m not gonna judge that.
But listen, if you accept Christ, things are gonna change. Okay.
Have you ever moved into a house or an apartment?
You change things, you put things up, you set things in order.
So does Jesus and every believer’s life he comes in.
Why does he do that to set you free free from self, free from religion, free from a works based relationship.
God doesn’t want that. He wants your faith in him. He wants your love.
When the Bible here says that we conclude the word is we reckon, it’s a mathematical term, an accounting term we reckon we consider, we count we credit.
When it says that we conclude that a man is justified.
Apart remarkable, apart from the deeds of the law, the word apart here in Greek means to be independent of, separate from.
It’s amazing. It’s a startling revelation from the Bible here that a man can be cleared of sin.
It means without law. and Luke chapter four verse 16, you guys, okay.
You’re really quiet. You can be a little Pentecostal. It’s okay.
I’ll get more coffee after the service, but you can be my coffee right now by being a little pentacostal, you know, you know, like a men like, yeah, you can do that.
Hallelujah. You can see things like bring it. Come on now. Okay.
So look for, okay. That’s enough. Look for verse 16.
So he, that’s Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read and he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.
And when he had opened the book, listen, he found the place where it was written.
Listen, this is awesome. He didn’t find the place where it was written because that’s what he wanted to say if you know anything about how a synagogue operates.
He turned to the place that was the daily reading for that day and every synagogue all around the world, synagogues, all around the world read the same passage every time together.
So this is awesome what’s going on. It’s not like Jesus is like, oh, man, here’s my moment.
I’m in the synagogue. I’m gonna launch my ministry.
Let me turn to the book of Isaiah and kind of freak him out.
They already knew he was gonna go to Isaiah because that’s what was scheduled for that day.
And the attendant, he hands the scroll to Jesus and that’s normal because every male of certain requirements would have been the one tapped to read.
It just so happens. It’s that scripture that day and it lands to Jesus. Why? Because he was a Nazarene.
He was from Nazareth. Everything is what an amazing coincidence.
By the way, there is no word in Hebrew for coincidence. Did you know that?
That’s awesome. Verse 18, Jesus said the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.
Here it comes to set at liberty. Those who are oppressed or held captive, the word oppressed here. Tremendous word.
So is the Greek word and it means watch, listen to capture by crushing, to shatter into pieces by crushing.
It means to break apart by crushing. It means to bust open or to rupture by crushing.
It means to slowly pry something apart by crushing. I think that’s significant in life.
Don’t you think Satan’s tactics? Sometimes it’s a full frontal attack by the enemy.
Sometimes those are easier to deal with. It’s an instantaneous explosion of evil coming against you.
And then there’s the more dangerous, subtle types of encroachment, right? Think about it, of encroachment.
Satan’s very good at crushing us by one step at a time.
Do you remember anybody old enough to remember the Soviet Union’s tactic of invasion? And that was two steps forward.
Very good. One step back. Do you understand the progress you make with that, with that action?
You see what you’re going back? Uh I just saw him step back. That’s not a good thing.
It means he just took two steps forward before he stood back.
That means he’s advancing, Satan does that Satan goes like this and you may not recognize him and then we’ll step back and you’ll say, oh, I thought that was weird for a moment, but look, it’s okay.
And that’s how Satan goes after your husband.
That’s how Satan goes after your wife after your kids, by the way, warning.
Everybody’s side note has nothing to do with our study today.
Technology experts have just released a study showing you that tiktok is the most evasive app in the world and that it delivers more data to China and the C C C C C P party than any app in the world.
It’s called Tik Talk and it’s dangerous and you need to know that that’s exactly how Satan, that device is on your kid’s phone.
God forbid, it should be off by the time you get home today.
And if you don’t think I’m touching a gold, golden idol, uh try to get tiktok away from your kids.
They are hooked on it. Come on and it’s filthy.
Starts out one way. It’s just music mom. It’s just look, it’s just this guy cartooning.
And that man, by the way, they found out that that app is always listening and it’s always watching through the camera wherever you put the phone.
Yeah, I turned it off. They got away. They got around that too.
It’s like Satan always watching, always listening, waiting for the big trip up.
And if you don’t trip up, he’ll just sneak up and he’ll whisper.
And we want to be wise to that. The Bible tells us that regarding the captives.
Matthew 11 verse three says, John’s disciples said to Jesus, are you the coming one or do we look for another?
Johns. John, the Baptist disciples? Because John was in prison, they were beginning to doubt they had fear.
Jesus answered and said to them, go and tell John the things which you hear and see the blind watch this everybody.
The blind see? Okay. That’s a physical thing. Right. Don’t you agree? The blind?
See, that’s physical. The lame walk. Isn’t that physical?
The lepers are cleansed, physical and the deaf can hear. Is that physical? It’s physical.
The debtor raised up definitely physical and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
That’s not physical, isn’t it? What sets the poor free? The gospel next question.
Who are the poor answer? everyone?
The structure of this argument by Jesus in this, in this sermon is not one of poverty versus affluence.
That’s not even in the, it’s not even being related to its being related to those who received the gospel are the ones who recognize their poor, poor in spirit.
So you could be a billionaire right now and God stirring up your heart and you got all the money in the world.
But you realize, oh my goodness, I’m just gonna die with a billion bucks to leave to the government or somebody else and my soul is lost.
If you’re waking up to that realization, listen, the greatest way to obtain true riches is to recognize how incredibly bankrupt and poor you are because those true riches are not stored on any bank on earth.
Thank God. Hallelujah Lord. They’re stored up in heaven above. That’s where your salvation is safe.
Your salvation is in a safe deposit box.
It just happens to be in heaven and we can thank God for that where moth and rust and thieves cannot break in and steal.
No smash and grab in heaven. Ladies and gentlemen, you should be very happy about that.
But that word poor. Listen to this.
In fact, we’ll put on the screen because it’s so incredibly graphic, poor, not in the sense of economic poverty but one who crouches cowers or flinches being under duress.
Those who cower in fear, those who are forced to beg for their lives.
A man or a woman that has been written off are declared worthless in this world.
Look at that definition of that one little Greek word that’s pregnant with reality.
Somebody who’s poor and needs the gospel in response to the gospel of somebody who understands.
Not only has the world written me off, I’ve written myself off. I’m done.
I’ve gone from one bonehead decision after another and I’ve ruined my life.
And so now I cower in fear. I’m terrified. Will God have me?
Oh man. Listen to this Hebrews chapter two verse 14 begins by saying and as much then as the Children have partaken of flesh and blood, that’s who we are.
That’s what we are. He himself. Jesus likewise shared in the same. Is that awesome?
The kids that I love, the people that I created, they wear flesh and blood and bone.
And so I’m gonna go to them and I’m gonna put on the same clothes they wear.
I’m gonna put on blood and bone and flesh through death. He might destroy him.
That’s the devil who had the power over death. That is the devil.
And verse 15 and released those who through fear of death were all their lives. Subject to bondage captivity.
Jesus Christ. Listen, some of you need this verse. You need, you know what?
Take a, take a picture of that verse and send it to your friend who’s so terrified and don’t tell me they’re not, the, the entire world is terrified right now.
They have been for two years. They can’t even think straight anymore.
They can’t even eat, they got ulcers And they’ve got all kinds of stuff going on from a disease or from a virus that’s been so talked up that uh now we know that suicide has surpassed the death rates of those that have died from COVID as far as we can tell the science is so messed up right now.
The point is this fear kills you.
If it doesn’t kill you right now, it could kill you over 40 years. What?
And the Bible says that Jesus Christ busted broke the grave so that you and I never fear death.
Never. This needs to be everywhere, this needs to be everywhere, everywhere.
But I’m afraid read this, but I’m scared, read this.
Oh, number two, in our study, we’ve made it to the second point.
The direction of faith always directs us away toward him, always toward him.
Faith directs us when it’s in the right direction.
Always to God this way, faith directs us away toward others.
Listen, when we love God, we’re gonna love other people. When our faith is directed toward God.
God’s operation of faith will have it be lived out in how we treat one another.
Don’t tell me, you love God, but you hate your husband or wife or your brother or your sister.
Don’t tell me, you love God and you can’t and you hate your neighbor can’t do that. It’s impossible.
You may not like your neighbor. Be honest and say, I don’t like my neighbor.
So God help me to love my neighbor.
Maybe you’re not doing well in home at your home and you’re struggling with that and your relationship is stressed out.
Listen, say, listen, God, you gotta help me. I need your love.
I need your love in this relationship, whatever it might be.
But know this, that whenever faith is directed in the right direction, it’s always toward God.
And the result is love toward others. A relationship toward others.
Verse 29 tells us or is he the God of the Jews only?
Is he not also the God of the gentiles? Yes, of the gentiles. Also, church, listen up everybody.
This is a very, very awesome statement. Um You know what a conundrum is a conundrum.
Uh That’s a Latin comes from a Latin Word argument. Um Conundrum is an argument. You know what we’ve heard?
The, you know, the same uh that you have, he was thrown upon the horns of a dilemma.
That is an argument um conundrum.
It means that if you avoid the first horn, when you avoid the first horn, you impel yourself on the second horn, there’s no getting away.
He has been uh he has been taken by this conundrum.
We would say you can’t win for losing.
So in a brilliant form of argumentation, Paul says, okay then is he the God of the Jews?
Only he’s appealing to his Jewish opponents.
Those, those are his brothers and sisters, not the Jewish opponents who have become believers and followers, but the Jewish opponents who say no, you can only get to heaven by keeping the law, watch this.
Everybody catch this. It means this.
So are you guys saying that he’s the God of the Jews?
Because that’s how they had been living for 1000 years. We are God’s people.
You’re a gentile word. You were Children of Abraham. You’re not. He gave us the book.
He spoke to us. He appeared to us. He parted the Red Sea for us, not for you.
It’s all about us, not you and, and listen. Oh, that’s true.
All of it is true because he was making them to be God’s mouthpiece and witness to the world.
Isaiah 43 10, I think or Isaiah 43 11. You can look it up.
God says, I’ve called you Israel to be my witnesses to the gentiles, get out there and invite them to know me.
That’s what the Jews were supposed to do instead. You know what happened?
They got derailed by religion because they began to see that when gold and silver and animals are being offered up, what happened?
Read your Bibles. Everybody, I love the Bible. It’s so honest. It just smacks you in the face with honesty.
It just pulls no punches. The guy is operating.
Religion began to see, hey, uh that family just brought me a lamb and I’ll only offer half of the lamb.
They won’t know the difference. I’ll keep the wrist. Maybe I’ll sell some of the meat.
In fact, you know what the way I’m gonna do it.
I’m gonna set up in these pots that we have at the temple for offerings.
I’m gonna make sure that our meat hooks have more hooks on it than what is normal.
And we’re gonna generate more for ourselves. And the priesthood became rich.
They lined their pockets with the people’s money and they created a power base because it’s always true.
Follow the money, follow the money. Just follow the money.
And what they did was they created a man centric authoritarian base and they destroyed what God had given the Jewish people to do.
They took what God had given and they pimped it. They prostituted it for their own gain.
Ladies and gentlemen, any person today who turns on or you turn on the radio or TV.
And that person says, if you can just send in $1000 you can help me get a Gulfstream jet that can fly me around the world.
So you’ll be blessed in heaven later as, as you help me preach in multiple continents by the moment.
And look, I’ll suffer through, I’ll suffer through flying on the private jet uh for the kingdom as long as you pay for it.
Oh, you know what I just said, I could actually put a couple of names to right now.
You know that and guess what, guess what they have and they have their airplanes and I don’t know how they justify the yachts though.
I don’t know how that one works.
Help us get to the world the slowest way possible in the greatest comfort.
Solomon said there’s nothing new under the sun.
Crooks, Nicole Layton’s lording over the people.
I’m reminded it’s not in our notes.
I’m reminded Jesus took the boys to the temple and people were giving their offerings.
You remember this? They stand in line, you know, huge line and these uh these, I don’t know what to call them.
They’re like think of a trumpet. Okay. Turn it upside down.
So the small pieces at the top and the big pieces at the bottom, they’re made out of brass with a breast bottom.
And those were the man I forget the name doesn’t matter.
We get the word coffer from that name. Coffer, not copper coffer.
So people would stand in line and they would give their offering at the temple.
And I am not kidding you. When people would drop in.
If it made a big noise, people would go. Oh, oh, man, that guy just gave good job.
He must be rich or something. That’s amazing. No, I’m serious.
Jesus takes his disciples and they’re watching this going on.
And then a little old lady, right from Pasadena comes by.
The Bible says all she had was two mites, widow’s mites, two of them, two of them make up a half a penny.
Watch this. Oh, it gets more amazing. She drops it.
So everyone’s going to plunk, plunk, plunk and people like they must have reacted in a negative way, meaning they probably reacted.
Not at all. Not even. And then Jesus says, excuse me, guys, out of all these people you’ve seen giving today, who do you think is given the most?
And they’re like, oh, man, can you remember Andrew?
What was the guy that, I mean, it sounded like a brick.
If you ask me, it sounded like a brick. No, I don’t know.
I think it was the other guy. Jesus said, I tell you something.
That widow remember her? Oh, yeah. The one that couldn’t even make a tink.
Yeah, she gave the most and they just, they just like, because they’re thinking like religionists.
Well, pastor now that you brought that up. How much should I give? I’ll never tell you.
You should never ask a human that You give after you’ve prayed to God.
Let him tell you, don’t let a human ever tell you.
Well, if you join our church, you know, give us your, I mean, give us your routing number for your bank and we’ll just make it so easy for you.
You can give, you can give, we’ll set it up, automatically take 10% out of your check.
Hey, listen, there’s colts that do this. Ladies and gentlemen, that is not worship.
It’s gotta come from the heart. That woman dropped those two little things in there.
And Jesus said, I tell you what that little widow gave the most because out of what she gave, she gave bios beos the word Greek for Beos she gave means she needed that money to actually live for that day.
It’s the money you need to live for the day she gave the last bit of money she needed to live for that day.
She gave it all. Isn’t that funny? Little tiny, little bit?
But to her it was everything because that’s what she needed to get a little piece of bread.
But she gave it to God. That’s worship, that’s worship. It’s amazing. It’s absolutely precious.
But the Jews had been thinking, he’s our God.
The moment A Jew thinks that they’re flying against their old Testament prophets.
So they, they are on. Paul is throwing them on the horns of a dilemma.
If they say he’s our God, then Paul would counter and say that’s not what Zechariah said.
It’s not what Isaiah said. That’s not what Moses said.
Where were you guys getting that from the traditions of rabbi?
So and so, and it’s stuck. Look, it’s the way it is today.
If you’ve been with us to Israel, there are certain Jews of a certain sect.
If you and I walk up to them clearly, they immediately recognize you as a gentile. Ask them, excuse me.
What time is it? They will not recognize your shadow.
Oh, I’ve had it happen to me more than once. Why?
Because that person has got the God of the Jews and I’m gonna submit to you today.
There is no God of the Jews. The God of the Bible is the God over all.
And God, God has anointed the Jewish people to be his evangelist, but they got messed up with religion.
Don’t listen, don’t boast. We could do the same thing.
And I think the Protestant church has done the same thing or is he the God of the Jews only?
Is he not also the God of the Gentiles?
And then Paul, you could hear Paul just go yes of the Gentiles.
Also remarkable declaration To prove the point. If you’re having a hard time with this.
Let’s remember something Romans 323 says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
What does it all mean means the same in English as it does in Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Russian all means all.
So if all have sinned and that comes from both old and new Testament, then he’s the God of all.
If all, if he’s not the God of the gentiles, then the gentiles have not sent.
So what are you talking about?
Because God is the one who points out your sins so that you would come to Him in faith, right?
Does this make sense? Are you tracking this?
If the gentiles do not belong to God, then God is not talking to them. There’s no conviction of sin.
I guarantee you right now if you have a bad thought in your mind and you are a Puerto Rican, a gentile, right?
And you get convicted. That’s because He’s the God of the Puerto Ricans.
Well, what about the Norwegians that too. What about the Peruvians? Yep.
He can’t be the God of the Jews only or else he’s not God.
He’s the God of all.
If all or anyone will turn and put their faith in Him, he will save them.
He said, man, I don’t know, I don’t know about that.
That’s, that’s, that’s, you know, I’m, I’m a Jew and I can’t handle that. That’s New Testament. That’s New Testament.
Excuse me. What Namun Naaman, the Syrian general, a gentile was healed by the power of God, The widow at zero faith gentile supplied and blessed by the God of Israel.
How do you explain that Jesus because he could not do miracles in the Galilee because of unbelief.
Where did he go to the regions of Tire and Sidon and preached among those of the Sira Phoenician world?
Remember when Jesus said, you know, if the miracles, if the miracles that have been done here in Capernaum and in Bethsaida, in Cora’s in, that’s the northern towns on the northern shore of the Galilee.
If the miracles that I’ve done in these towns would have been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have repented.
Jesus said that and he said, I tell you the day of judgment, Sodom and Gomorrah will rise up and condemn this generation.
He’s the God of anyone who will turn to him in faith.
And you know, let me be fair.
He’s God and nothing changes that.
And I say this in a very clumsy human way, very faulted for sure.
But he would have loved to have been the God of those that are being carted off into hell region.
Mhm He never wanted any of you to go there or anyone who’s there to go there.
Can you imagine this morning as you and I sit here in luxury.
There are people in hell right now that are absolutely, if they could kill themselves, they would because they are the ones blaming themselves for not listening.
When they had opportunity. No one in hell right now is saying, I hate God. I hate God.
I can’t believe that he did this to me.
Every single you say, how do you know, read Luke chapter 15?
And Luke 16, it tells you, let’s you a little, little window into hell. They’re blaming themselves.
I should have listened to this grace of God to the salvation of God. I should have listened.
Second Peter 39, 2nd Peter chapter three verse nine says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promises.
That means he’s not deficient.
He’s not gonna, he’s not gonna fulfill a promise halfway as some men count slackness but is long suffering toward us.
Here it is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Verse 29.
Is he the God of the Jews only? So here’s their problem. Which one you gotta pick one?
You guys, he’s either the God of everyone available to everyone or you’ve divided them up.
And if you divide them up, you’ve created a cult.
Is he not also the God of the gentiles? Yes, of the gentiles. First king. 17.
I mentioned the widowed zero faith.
If you want references Second kings five regarding the Commander General Norman, listen to this Mark chapter seven verse 24.
Let’s check this out. Mark seven verse 24 from there, he rose, arose and went into the region of Tire and Sidon and he entered into a house and wanted no one to know it.
This is Jesus getting out of the region taking a break apparently, but he could not be hidden for a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and she came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Sira Phoenician by birth. What does that mean? Gentile?
And she kept asking him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
But Jesus said to her, let the Children be filled first for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.
You say what in the world is he talking about? This is very cool.
This is hang on and she answered and said to him yes, Lord.
Yet even the little dogs, the word, I don’t know why the translator put little dogs.
It’s so it’s, you know, humans did this not God. The word is puppies.
What’s wrong with putting the word puppy in there? It bothers me a little, what’s a little dog?
Exactly yet even the puppies under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.
Wow. Then he said to her for this saying, go your way.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.
And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out and her daughter lying in the bed, you know, it’s precious master.
Please come heal my daughter. She’s a serra Phoenician. I need you.
And he says, the Children who have been given the loaf the bread they should eat first.
The Jews, the gospel comes to the Jews first, ma’am, I’ve come to give the Gospel to the House of Israel 1st.
Is that true? Of course, it’s true. But is it limited? What’s he doing to her?
I tell you exactly. He is drawing a faith confession from her.
I mean, look, you guys, I’m sure I’ve got this wrong.
But you kind of sense that Jesus is saying with the look, I’ve come to give the bread to the kingdom, the people of Israel first, they’ve got to have it first.
You know, They have to be told 1st they’re there to eat of the promises, first, true master.
But even the puppies, even the little dogs eat from the crumbs that fall from the kids tables.
Is that a precious moment?
And he was so blessed because it wasn’t uncommon for Jesus to commend the faith of a gentile gentiles got saved in the Old Testament.
By the way, let me add this on the day of Passover in Egypt.
Who would, who would the death angel, whose house would the death angel Passover Jew or Gentile Israeli or Egyptian?
I’ve heard all perfect answers.
It had nothing to do with being an Egyptian or an Israeli.
In fact, you could have been visiting from Ethiopia at the moment.
Didn’t matter if you would have gotten innocent lamb blood and put it on your door post and you’re a Canadian.
He would have passed over God bless Canada right now.
God bless people are up there acting like Americans right now.
He would have passed over. God gave specific instruction to the death angel. Look for blood.
He didn’t say, hey, I got you on this racial campaign. Look for Jews only kill everybody else.
No, didn’t matter if you are a Jew or a gentile. The angel was ordered.
Look for the blood and that goes for you. And I right now look for the blood.
God wants to know if your blood over your life, is there blood on your life not is your blood?
Is your hands bloody? That’s already been determined.
We’re all guilty, but God will wash your hands clean and make you new.
I’ll end with this. We have to end church. Let’s stand.
No, I can’t go on and you just scared me.
I just got done talking about demons and I heard that growl and no, that was awesome.
No, but you can stand really one More Big Passage.
Luke chapter 7: verses one through 9.
Now, when Jesus concluded all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum and a certain centurions servant.
So now we got a gentile. He’s a Centurion.
He has a servant who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.
So when he heard about Jesus, he, he sent the elders of the Jews to him, pleading with him to come and heal his servant.
And when they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly saying that the one for whom he should do this was deserving.
It’s not the way you start out talking to Jesus, but okay for he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.
By the way, we many of us have visited that very spot where that synagogue has been unearthed today.
Very same one. Then Jesus went with them.
And when he was already not far from the house, this intern sent friends to him saying to him, Lord, do not trouble yourself for.
I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Verse seven.
Therefore, I did not even think myself worthy to come to you but say the word and my servant will be healed for.
I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.
And I say to one go and he goes and to another come and he comes and to my servant do this and he does it.
When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him and turned around and said to the crowd that followed him.
I say to you, I have not found such great faith.
No, not even in Israel, but that faith can be here today.
I hope that’s the faith that’s in your life.
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you’re the God that has given us this amazing book better than any gps, better than any Thomas guide better than any friend who knows the neighborhood.
Your holy spirit guides us into all truth.
So father, we pray today that those that are now pondering and considering I pray Lord every week, week after week, excuses just continue to evaporate as to why someone is not a follower of Jesus, my dear friend.
Today may be the very day that you need to make that decision to follow Jesus.
I ask you today, I challenge you today. What fault do you find in the message?
Not, not my message, forget my message, the verses and the passages you’ve heard today.
What fault do you find with them?
What argument do you have against them?
Why is it wrong for God to love lost human beings so much that He says He’s not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance to a change life.
What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with Jesus saying? If I set you free, you are truly free.
What wrong do you place upon God who saves the Jew and the gentile by and through faith?
You see, you have no argument.
I encourage you today to bow your heart and your knee to the one who loves you most don’t almost be a Christian.
Throw yourself at his feet, dive beneath the cross and let, as the hem writer wrote, let the blood that flows from Emmanuel’s veins.
Wash you clean.